The Earthquake City
The most I had heard about the city of Christchurch was earthquakes, and it definitely lived up to its reputation. The signs of seismic damage were visible all over the city. Even the hotels advertised seismic safety grading along with comfort and amenities. Perhaps the bar was set too high by the natural beauty during the past 15 days, Christchurch was somewhat a letdown for us. The city seemed a little rundown and, perhaps due to the time of the year, was a little empty.
The Christchurch Cathedral, located in the Cathedral Square, was destroyed during the infamous 2011 earthquake. Instead of demolition or rebuilding, a steel scaffolding currently supports the remaining portions of the building. People can observe the ruins from a small opening in the chain link fence.
Our hotel was located in the business/shopping center of the city. As we walked around, we found an entire shopping square that was set up in shipping containers. I guess when the only thing permanent is the rebuilding from earthquakes, you set up shop in mobile or temporary locations.
Too Pretty to Eat
We had the most aesthetically pleasing dinner at the Twenty Seven Steps. It is located on the second floor of some shops on a quaint pedestrian street called New Regent Street. The street was full of retro looking boutiques and cafes. The restaurant itself also maintained the original style of the street. I did count the steps as we went up, but no, they were not 27. There happened to be an opera going on nearby that night, so the place was packed full of fancily dressed people. Luckily, we got the last available table! Trust us, the taste was directly proportional to the looks.
Christchurch Hagley Park & Botanical Gardens
Instead of going to the opera like our fellow diners, we headed to the Hagley Park and the Christchurch Botanical Gardens for the Christmas concert in the park! The park is huge and it took us quite a while to find the stage. We didn’t recognize any of the performers, but they sang lots of popular songs. Even though Houston doesn’t get very cold during Christmas season either, it was our first time celebrating Christmas in spring/summer (southern hemisphere). We also found all the Christchurch citizens that we didn’t see all day!
All trips must end. The time had finally come for us to go back to reality. We had the best times in this amazing country. It was the trip of a lifetime, it was the adventure of the soul. Although I needed a vacation to recover from this trip, we were sad to leave.
Until the next adventure,
C.
P.S. – A Travel Journal is the Best Souvenir
Honestly, when I started the project to recap the New Zealand trip, it seemed like I would be writing this forever. Three months later, I’m finally finished!! Through this process, I was able to relive the ups and downs of the entire New Zealand trip through the photos, and more importantly, my travel journal.
If you don’t already do this, I strongly recommend keeping a small notebook with you during your travels. I always keep a journal on trips to jot down activities, interesting encounters, and outstanding thoughts and feelings. At times it’s difficult to keep up daily, but I always try to catch up within a day or two. The journal supplements the photos we bring back. But more importantly, it is a much more personal and valuable souvenir. Mine is the reason I’m able to complete this project 9 months after we came back. Of course, you can go digital and use your phone to document your thoughts, but there is nothing like ink and paper that inspires the mind.
Happy traveling and journaling, my friends!
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