Today we awoke much later than normal. After stretching and tidying the room, we walked downstairs to the little coffee shop that served as the headquarters for our guest house. Breakfast and coffee were once again included in the price. We paid for our room and ate a muffin filled with egg and vegetables. When our coffee arrived, the woman announced, “I made his really strong, since that is how an American’s Americano should be,” or something similar. After breakfast, we began our mission for the day: getting an ice cream cone from 7-Eleven. The main complication was that the 7-Eleven was in a village on the opposite side of the mountain.

I awoke to the sound of two alarm clocks and voices in the background. The good feelings from the previous day were still with me, and I slowly crawled out of bed. After quickly packing, I descended from my loft to find breakfast, included with the stay, waiting at the table. In keeping with local tradition, the soup carried the flavour of rice wine, or some other strong liqueur. I ate quickly, since my 7:00am ferry surely wouldn’t wait. The hostess gave me a ride to the harbour, where I bought my ticket and left the South Island.