Drink Up Mates

Okay, I'm at a computer Kiosk in Christchurch so I don't have too long and I still can't upload any pictures.
On Sunday, I woke up in Denver and headed out to do the safety training. It was really cool to see a familiar face in the safety video. That's right, none other than Amber Morse. I didn't realize she was so famous. After the safety training, we pack up our bags and left for the airport. They dropped us off at about 1pm but our flight didn't leave until 5 so we had plenty of time to get to know each other. There are about 30 people in this group and I feel I already know most of them. While at LAX waiting for our next flight to NZ, I was talking to my new friend and fellow GA Sean. I asked him what seat he had and he informed me 40J. I looked at my ticket and I too was assigned 40J. It seemed that Sean and I were really going to get to know one another.

It was nice to know that they switched our seats for the 12+ hr flight to NZ and it turned out to not be as bad as I thought it was going to be. After arriving in Auckland, we had to go through customs. I thought I had washed my boots well enough, but I was wrong. However, since I had told them they were in my back, they took them and washed them for me. I was a little nervous at first, but felt much better when they came back with the shiny pair.
The trip to Christchurch was an easy 2hr flight with little excitement. After arriving at about 10am on Tuesday (we left Denver on Sunday) we took a shuttle to the YMCA and checked into our rooms. Paul, who had been to the ice before showed a couple of us around. We found great food and ended the tour with a great beer. Later that afternoon I took another group of people around to show them the sights. Of course it ended at the the same bar (The Bog), but this time with many more drinks. We found out that if you buy 6 drinks, you get a free beer mug. It seemed like a good idea at the time but I have to say, I was a little tipsy when I headed to dinner with everyone else. After dinner, we made the rounds to the other bars in the area including Baileys where they give "Ice" people a discount. We ended the night back at The Bog with free double shots of Jameson given to us by the leader of the Irish Jam that was going on. So we drank free drinks and sang drinking songs. Through out the day we had made friends with some of the staff and after they got off work, they drank with us. Trish, taught us how to do an Irish Jig, and Nick told us why New Zealanders don't tip. Needless to say, it as a lot of fun.
Today I went to the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) and received my ECW. While I was there, I learned that my flight to the ice had been delayed so tomorrow I need to head back to the CDC to pick up travel funds for another day. I hope all is well and will post pictures when I get a chance. Cheers!