The Big Noise

Usually when you hear of people from out of town saying that the city is the Big Smoke you laugh at them and say that they have no culture. Well I've lived in the city for 20-odd years of my life and spent 6 months in towns and smaller cities and I can tell you that it's wrong. The city is not a 'Big Smoke' it's a 'Big Noise'. I've had a headache since I got here and last night had trouble sleeping because cars passing were so loud and I'm in a quiet area! Yes I'm in Wellington now and totally overwhelmed with it. There is a wee bit that I want to see but am avoiding being outside because I'm getting scared by the amount of traffic and my eyes keep watering because of the dust that keeps getting blown into them. Does this sound like the talk of a city girl - I have no idea what I've done over the past few months but whatever it was I've turned into a country bumpkin and am runnign away as fast as I can to a town away from the bustle. When I was in Wellington 6 months ago I thought it wasn't really a city as Glasgow was much bigger and 'better' than here - now I'm worried about how I'm going to cope in Los Angeles and Vancouver never mind Glasgow.

I came on the ferry from Picton yesterday to Wellington. I spent 2 nights in Picton in a very nice hostel that I'd heard about in my travels - it wasn't the one I stayed in last time! The ferry over was fantastic. The cloudy and misty skies that were about when I woke up had cleared by about 10 or 11 o'clock so weh I got the ferry at 1.30pm the weather was amazing. Almost 40 photos were taken by me on that trip - just incase I ever forget the trip :-) (not likely) However I did have one greviance - I hit my knee rather hard on the door going to the toilet and now can't put much strength in it. Carrying my pack on my back to the hostel was a lot of fun as it was a half hour walk!!