TAG 69: Washed, blow-dried and dyed black

06.09.2016

An old Maori wisdom says that there is no better sleeping pill than a cold bath. Accordingly, after my visit to the largest Kneipp pool in the world, I fall into another world. I am out of action for a whole twelve hours and don't even notice that it has cooled down again - probably because my body is already in a much too chilly state.

After this nap, we meet the others as they are about to go into the water. Today is much sunnier than yesterday, although the temperatures are still adapting to our location - near the South Pole. Due to the problem of not having a surfboard, I have no choice but to twiddle my thumbs for now. Soon, my joints start to ache due to this activity, which is why Gudi and the blue Laybag - the summer gadget of the year - come into play. Positioned on the sky-colored sausage, we unpack our cameras and play professional photographers. But since the conditions are very interesting, I'm itching to get started after just a few minutes and the frostbite from yesterday is almost forgotten. As soon as I'm finally ready after what feels like an eternity, I immediately notice that Mother Sea is much more active today than yesterday. With great difficulty, I manage to get past the waves near the shore, but I am swept away and rinsed by the first 3m breakers. How much I hate the feeling of being trapped underwater, exposed to the power of the ocean, with tons of saltwater pressing so hard on my chest that my lungs empty themselves on their own. Oh the moment when, despite all the calm and feigned composure, it would be time to get some sour stuff again, but the wave unfortunately turns over again so I have to wait for several more endless seconds to breathe - how much I have missed this moment. Never do you feel more vital than in the moment when you reach the surface gasping for air and realize that the next mountain is rolling towards you. Rarely does more adrenaline rush into the body at once, rarely is the survival instinct more present.

As you can already see from the following descriptions, my time in the water is shorter. I have to admit to myself that even though I reach the rescue lineup, I hardly have any strength left and actually feel more fear than joy when I look at the waves. Gudi praises me excessively for my self-awareness, and I will probably continue to struggle with my retreat. [1]

Afterwards, I deserve a hot shower at the guys' house and realize that it is probably the first one in a week. So officially I am cleaner than Gudi, who hasn't tired of questioning my and her basic hygiene in recent days, but doesn't take advantage of this opportunity.

Slowly but surely, we say goodbye to Michi and Jochen, who will stay for another day. We take Theo with us, which is actually illegal. As a wild gangster, I don't care, as I am forever indebted to the sponsor of my surfing adventure. On the drive, the Swiss guy almost flies through the windshield because I have to make an emergency stop. Only a blow (from him) to Gudi's face and the embrace of my reflexively outstretched arm save us from a police interrogation and the need for explanations. Just before we drop off the illegal guy, I have to push him to the ground once more as we drive towards a police patrol. At this point, a big thank you to the low-hanging sun, which makes it difficult for the law enforcement officers to see into our vehicle.

In the evening, Gudi and I arrive in the last big city before the fjord - Milford Sound - and want to book a boat tour for tomorrow. This settlement called Te Anau is the entrance to an exciting mountain road that we will have to tackle with our elephant, whether we like it or not.

Unfortunately, we have to realize, with a rather enthusiastic attitude about being able to overcome this obstacle, that our plan to "finish" Milford Sound in one day and continue on the same day is impossible due to a road closure. Slowly but surely, we are a bit skeptical about the much-praised claim that the New Zealand winter is the best time to travel. Surfing is not an option at this time of year, as the coastal towns are left to decay, and even a little rain hits the ski resorts so hard that they have to close their doors. Now it looks like the cold season is going to ruin our visit to Milford as well. In any case, we have no choice but to spend the night in Te Anau. A little frustrated and questioning the higher powers, we decide to take our well-being into our own hands and rent a reasonably priced campsite - a departure from our usual habits. The campsite thanks us with a warm shower and finally with much-needed electricity.

Gudi's glorious laws:

Every streak of bad luck is followed by sunshine!

In retrospect, she claims that she actually gave this wisdom herself. However, I am actually in possession of a video that proves that Gudi is actually fuming like a cloudburst. Irrational and like a child, she struggles with her fate and curses everything and everyone that she considers responsible for our mess.

By the way, the title does not indicate a visit to the hairdresser, but stands for the force with which the waves carry me through the sea, the wind that constantly blows on the beach, and our streak of bad luck, which I see as black dyeing.

[1] 11.09. - I am currently writing these lines and am so gnawing on this retreat that soon I will have no more fingernails left to chew on.