Blowing the Travel Wad

Anybody ever wonder how much it costs to travel in NZ? I'm not even talking about the astronomical airfare costs, I'm strictly talking food, entertainment and lodging. Having been poor all my life I have only been to poor countries while on vacation thus taking advantage of the strong US dollar. Thanks to poor Mexicans, South Americans, and Europeans, I have really had some kick ass vacations. Thanks guys! The NZ dollar is another thing however. Our Lonely Planet guide said to expect to pay around $100 per day, per person on food and entertainment alone -- that wasn't even including lodging and travel mind you. One of the reasons for the exorbitant figure is that every tourist attraction comes with an astronomical price tag. You can't even really hike for free. Also they have all these crazy adventure sports the kiwis have dreamt up in order to strip us of hard earned dollars. So far Keith and I have not really been at all tempted by Zorbing, bungy jumping, canyoning, and we're simply too cheap for any of the heli-variation activities. This has left us room to shop. Today I blew the wad on these.

I can further justify the purchase because my permanent residence is currently in a place where shoe shops are next to non-existent, and internet shopping for boots is all but impossible. I mean, even if you figure out your size in a certain brand, what are the chances that the boots will fit you right in the arch, ankle and calf? Not only that, but you really have to feel the leather and inspect the seams up close to make sure you've got yourself a quality product.

What this all means, is that Keith and I have to eat day old muffins and cook Top Ramen in the rain in order to get back on budget, but it's totally worth it.