Additional day in Christchurch

Since we were not flying to McMurdo today, I had one additional day here in Christchurch. I had the plan to go and walk some more in the city center, and go back to CDC to get my laptop (hopefully) security approved. However, before I could do any of this, we first had to move hotels.

I found out on the way to the hotel that we are now a lot further away from downtown Christchurch than the days before, so a walk to the city center was out of the question. Unless I would want to take the bus. We arrived at the hotel and were all a little bit shocked: the front part of the hotel was severely damaged during the earthquake, and the whole reception area was just a huge construction site. We finally found the temporary reception in a container close to an emergency exit that acts as main entrance now... The rooms are actually really nice though, and we all got rooms to ourselves this time. 

After check-in I called CDC to double-check with them if I could come by and get the laptop screened. Unfortunately the only person who is doing the laptop screening had already left for the day, so I will have to take the laptop unapproved down to Antarctica and hope that all is good enough now that the laptop will pass the security check in McMurdo...

With both of my brilliant ideas of amusement in Christchurch killed, I decided to go and walk to the next shopping mall and stroll through some shops. It was actually not too bad. Had some good food, had some fresh strawberries for dessert (it's strawberry season here right now!!), walked though my favorite NZ shop (The Warehouse) and at the same time down memory lane (ahh, how many cool things I bought in that shop while I lived in NZ). After about two and a half hours I walked back to the hotel, had a little afternoon nap and found afterward a piece of paper that had been slipped under my door. That's how I learned that I am scheduled to fly out to McMurdo tomorrow! At least we will try. You never know if it will really will happen until you arrive there...

So I spent the rest of the afternoon re-organizing my bags. I will leave one of my bags in CDC with all the clothes and things I will need for my travel time in NZ after I get back from the South Pole. I packed all the stuff I want to take to the Pole in my backpack, except things that I would need on a daily basis (like a change of clothes, my toothbrush, toothpaste, shower stuff etc.). Those things I will pack in my boomerang bag. The backpack and the boomerang bag will be checked in which means I won't have access to those bags during the flight to McMurdo. However, if we are not flying to McMurdo tomorrow, for whatever reasons, I will only get my boomerang bag back. The backpack will be still on the palette on the plane, safely packed, but inaccessible for me. And then I have the stuff for my carry-on luggage. That's the stuff I want to have access to during the flight, like my water bottle, my kindle, my laptop etc.
If you, as reader, feel confused about what to pack in which bag, just imagine how I feel right now!  :)

I had dinner with some of the other people flying out tomorrow, and then came back to the room to finish packing. Now I will enjoy one last long and hot shower (shower days and times are restricted at the Pole - how strictly, I don't know, but will most likely find out soon...) before I will go to bed and try to sleep. Might not work, the sleeping I mean, because I am really excited about the possibility of flying out tomorrow!!