Spooky....

I hadn't appreciated until we reached Christchurch that I would be sleeping in one of the few buildings that is habitable in the city centre after the earthquake in February 2011. Driving through the suburbs, which are all low rise buildings you just see an occasional vacant lot and don't really think too much if it. But then you get to the city centre and most of it is barricaded. There are piles of rubble, buildings being propped up, derelict buildings (which they have not yet decided to renovate or tear down) and towers of ship containers, to either prop up buildings or being used as make shift shops. 

Our hotel was on what used to be the main square across from the cathedral. The bell tower of the cathedral collapsed that day killing a number of tourists. We could see it from our top floor room (which in itself made us all nervous!)

Adam, David and I went for a walk at about 6pm and everywhere was deserted. And I mean everywhere. No people, no cars, no noise. It was really spooky, and almost like we had missed something fundamental. We found one shop open and the guy said we were only his 3rd set of customers in 4 hours. Eventually we found a couple of restaurants that were open I convinced the boys that they would have to try Japanese food and beer for the first time!

We will come back to Christchurch in about a week and spend more time here, finding out about the rebuilding program etc, but thankfully we will be staying on the outskirts then!

I did manage to sleep, but dreamt I was running a marathon (hah!), and was quite pleased to leave this morning. Even Bernd, our guide, said he felt the hotel had a bad energy!!!