Still in Taupo.

Yesterday I was in hate with the human race, so I left the hostel to go to a cafe and complain to my journal. After that, the day was excellent. Coffee, writing, shoe shopping, reading my book, walking around the town... it was nice. Sometimes even I need alone time.

Then Jaap and I met a bunch of people from the Magic Bus, including a couple of Canadians. We ended up kicking around a soccer ball with one girl from Hinton, who was surprised that I knew where Hinton is (it's in Alta, and Raye used to live there).

After a sumptuous dinner of Tandoori Chicken, we went out for drinks with the Magic Bus people and I met a bunch of people who'd just gone skydiving. Taupo is the place for skydiving, as it's a little cheaper than elsewhere. I asked lots of questions about it, and they've allayed my fears about the whole thing. I may not do it now (mostly due to lack of money), but I think that I will skydive someday.

Met a really interesting guy from Milton, ON, who'd been travelling all around Asia and done some fantastic stuff there. Some really great stories!

Today is more shoe shopping (for Jaap this time, as I finally bought sandals to replace my completely broken ones), Internet catch-up, and possibly a trip to Rotorua, which is only an hour away. We hope the weather will clear up so that we can do the Tongariro Crossing tomorrow.