Francesca and Henk-Jan's Backpacking Trip!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Why Francesca Should Be Wrapped In Bubble Wrap At All Times
A horrific shriek right in front of me left me scared and worried at the same time. I threw down the backpacks and looked at her, laying there on her side on the concrete. I hurried towards her whilst she cried. I checked the damage. Other people, alerted by the deafening yelps, came to have a look making sure she was okay. Being in shock, she didn’t talk…
After we arrived in Christchurch I had asked the grumpy driver to drop us off at Base, which was just a short walk across Cathedral Square from the original drop-off point. He declined, saying it wasn’t on the route. I knew it was going to be hard work getting our rather heavy bags there and didn’t want to overburden Francesca. Thus I seized my backpack, put it on my back, grabbed hers and wore it on my chest, and also took our daypack which I had hanging off one shoulder. Pretty heavy, but at least Francesca would only have the laptop bag and the two food bags.
She walked ahead of me as I struggled to keep the daypack on my shoulder, having to stop to readjust it. She apparently turned around once to see how I was doing, waited a while and then continued. The second time she looked back for me, Francesca tripped over her shoelaces, which had come undone… She had fallen right on her kneecaps, leaving two big scrapes on them. I was worried she had broken something, but it turned out it was mostly the scare that had her screaming.
I wrapped my jacket around her, making sure she stayed warm. People offered to call an ambulance, but after a few minutes Francesca said she’d be okay. One woman stayed with us as her friend went to pick up their car. They had offered to take us to the hostel, which was a lovely gesture. I thanked them heartily after unloading the bags and took Francesca inside. Taking some disinfectant and bandages from Base’s First Aid kit I cleaned her up and took her to our room.
We stayed in bed for a little while, but were both pretty hungry. To make Francesca feel a bit better we went out for dinner to the Tandoori Palace right next to the hostel. The fact that it was a short walk definitely helped! Francesca order her butter chicken and I opted for a creamier chicken korma with crushed cashews. On the side we picked the garlic and cheese naan and the peshwari naan. The naan were absolutely huge and tasted fantastic. The Indian itself tasted great as well, leaving Francesca a happy girl once more.
The Stray bus would be ready for us the next morning, so we pulled our two single beds together and dozed off after a long day.
After we arrived in Christchurch I had asked the grumpy driver to drop us off at Base, which was just a short walk across Cathedral Square from the original drop-off point. He declined, saying it wasn’t on the route. I knew it was going to be hard work getting our rather heavy bags there and didn’t want to overburden Francesca. Thus I seized my backpack, put it on my back, grabbed hers and wore it on my chest, and also took our daypack which I had hanging off one shoulder. Pretty heavy, but at least Francesca would only have the laptop bag and the two food bags.
She walked ahead of me as I struggled to keep the daypack on my shoulder, having to stop to readjust it. She apparently turned around once to see how I was doing, waited a while and then continued. The second time she looked back for me, Francesca tripped over her shoelaces, which had come undone… She had fallen right on her kneecaps, leaving two big scrapes on them. I was worried she had broken something, but it turned out it was mostly the scare that had her screaming.
I wrapped my jacket around her, making sure she stayed warm. People offered to call an ambulance, but after a few minutes Francesca said she’d be okay. One woman stayed with us as her friend went to pick up their car. They had offered to take us to the hostel, which was a lovely gesture. I thanked them heartily after unloading the bags and took Francesca inside. Taking some disinfectant and bandages from Base’s First Aid kit I cleaned her up and took her to our room.
We stayed in bed for a little while, but were both pretty hungry. To make Francesca feel a bit better we went out for dinner to the Tandoori Palace right next to the hostel. The fact that it was a short walk definitely helped! Francesca order her butter chicken and I opted for a creamier chicken korma with crushed cashews. On the side we picked the garlic and cheese naan and the peshwari naan. The naan were absolutely huge and tasted fantastic. The Indian itself tasted great as well, leaving Francesca a happy girl once more.
The Stray bus would be ready for us the next morning, so we pulled our two single beds together and dozed off after a long day.
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