the start of the 'east as' trip! this morning we left taupo and departed for napier. on the way, we stopped at waipunga falls. i took some video footage as i was unable to take footage of the last water falls we viewed.

waipunga falls

in napier, we are staying at the former prison! napier prison backpackers. it used to be a soldiers barracks, mental asylum, and leper colony. not all at the same time! it was a prison until 1993. cool idea to make the prison a backpackers but now i'm not so sure i want to stay here the entire time. twiddle thumbs's pretty freaked out about it. for me it's just more about practicalities. it's not in the center of town because you wouldn't put a prison in the center of town. the facilities are pretty much the same as prison days, only slightly modernized so that's kinda, uh, depressing i guess. it isn't a bad place, it's just that you are never going to feel at home in a prison. well, at least you hope you never have to make it a home. i really like visiting alcatraz in san francisco but you can't spend the night there. for me this was a unique accommodation opportunity i couldn't pass up.

napier prison - now a backpackers

the rooms have interesting names. our room is the "parole board". across and next to us are the "psych unit" and "conjugal unit". i haven't tried the door marked "escape route". the toilet in our room has a small swing door in front of it, but there's no way you could close the door while you are using the toilet. we're in a dorm room but it's just us. i'd hate to be in a dorm with strangers and such a toilet! and the toilet is leaking. i suppose that is adding to the prison experience. the showers are not something i look forward to using. i think i will use the handicap unit because it offers a bit more privacy.

even the prison warns you to not drop the soap!

to get us even more depressed, it has been raining all day. we walked around in a slight drizzle. the slight drizzle adds up though. we went out on the marine parade, which is supposed to be a nice stroll but i can't say anything of it due to the grey and wetness of the day.

my prison mug shot

i'll try not to collect too many of these!

we visited the national aquarium of new zealand and checked out the animals and fish that are housed there. it's not a big place but it wasn't so bad. it is strange to keep running into animals and plants that were imported from america though. it's like, i came all the way to new zealand to see monterey pines and californian rainbow trout?! but there were also kiwis on display. two of them and we even got to hear their cry. very strange creatures.

snake eating twin hinged tortoise of china and ryukyu islands (okinawa!)

these fish were hilarious! (giant gourami and pacu)

it felt like these nz creatures posed just for me (eel and tuatara)

one fake shark, one shark impersonator

after the aquarium, we went to get some groceries. we went to a cheap chain called pak 'n save. this has got to be the most high tech grocery store i have ever been to. the scales have color touch screens. you select the fruit/vegetable you are weighing and it will print a label for you. there's also an express method of shopping for frequent customers. you carry a card and swipe it in front of a machine that will dispense for you a barcode scanner that you carry around the market. you scan and bag your items as you shop. i suppose then you just hand the unit to a checker and pay. of course, this system relies heavily on the honesty of the users. i don't see this system ever coming to america.

shop n go

back at prison, made dinner and did some laundry. we played the nz version of monopoly and i kicked twiddle thumbs's butt, mercifully. if only all the money i accumulated was real. i sure could use it during this trip.