I have had two awesome learning experiences so far in Christchurch… Both challenging and educational.

First of all, I had to learn how to drive an Alpha Romeo. Not a race car, just a normal one… Well, normal being a relative term really given how complex this thing was when trying to get it to perform basic functions like start and reverse. Not one to look a gift horse in the smacker, I appreciate your wheels while I am here Multigirl, you may just need a new clutch when I am finished, it is amazing how many revs you can pump through those things isn’t it? 4 years of full Asian Auto action has clearly dulled my skills.

I also made a magical discovery now I am back in the real world – I found out where food comes from! Yip, you were thinking what I was thinking right? That Filipino people magically produce it from the kitchen! Well, not even! It actually comes from this place called ‘The Supermarket‘. What a wondrous place it is to! I can see why they call it ‘super’. You walk up and down pushing a trolley getting a whole lot of stuff that you don’t need or want, or based on some aisles, stuff that will completely undo all your training. Along the way you can stop and be entertained by a continuing stream of circus acts of people losing their shit at kids, or couples fighting. It really is fantastic… Especially when you spend $100 to get enough food and stuff for only 1 day. What a business model! I may have to get one for myself… Or better plan my integration back into the real world.

Any way, it was time for a shake down ride (this would be one of the only places in the world where that term is rather insensitive) to check the bike, gets the legs moving and make sure we can still actually ride. Luckily for me, CharChar turned on an awesome day:

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Black Ops sniper takes in a commanding view

Looking the other way up Dyers pass and the goodness continued to flow, check this out! No filter, no enhancements:

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Back to good views and blue skies.

The only issue I was facing was an evil combo – Cold air leading to both DEEP lung burn and then an onset of epic Phlegm action. Obviously the entire DNWCT has been conducted in excellent summer conditions, so getting a whole dose of chilly South Island air into my grill was quite a change, resulting in more spitting than a bad western. I was a full raging Phlegm Monster, gross. Still, the view over the city wasn’t too bad:

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And in the distance…. Snow and the 5 Passes race route.

Turns out that when the road signs say ‘ROAD CLOSED‘ up Summit Road they really actually mean it here… Hmmm, as such my foray along the summit road was cut short and I retraced my steps back to DN ChCh HQ. I can thoroughly recommend Dyers Pass and Summit road for a spin if you are here, the latter very quiet given its, er, closed:

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Welcome home

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Am I back in Spain?!!

What’s as exciting as riding in the hills on a sunny day? How about this to get some fever going:

The Great Wolf Garage sale/Spring clean

I am pleased to announce that we have our first official advertisement on Dirty Nomad! This is quite an exciting moment, and its all thanks to this Man/Wolf:

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Dirty Nomad loves to photo bomb a tapped out wolf

In between sleeping and growing hair, he’s decided to make way for new gear that its time to have a Spring clean, even though there are no seasons in Singapore… But, lets not let that get in the way of some EPIC bargains for the Dirty Nomad readership. Wolf is offering 20% off the below prices for DN readers and its also relatively implicit that 50% of proceeds from sales go towards the DN ‘Keep the dream alive’ travel fund, so get shopping gang – My pick? That Cannondale Scalpel at $3k SGD is a STEAL, if it doesn’t sell at that price then there is something genuinely wrong with our planet:

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All kit in mint condition – One careful Wolf owner

Disclaimer – Wolf does have some SHAM items for sale, but DN is morally opposed (one of the few times I can use that term and keep a straight face) to promoting them or encouraging people to buy such kit/shit. Said discount may or may not be fictitious and could completely rely on your bargaining skills. Contact me for Wolf’s details if you are keen (how could you NOT be?), we take privacy semi seriously here at DN, so will refrain from outing his details here.

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