07-02-2019, 04:15 PM
Chapter 8: Taupo with Brianna, Then Turangi For Some Rest
It was the 14th of December, a balmy southern hemisphere summer morning, and as Cyrus made his way along the windy roads towards Taupo, his mind still lingered with thoughts of Priya. Taupo is a small town situated in the middle of the North Island, on the shores of a large volcanic lake, and an important adventure destination. With several lakes and mountains in the area, the walks are abundant, and with close proximity to three volcanic mountains, Taupo is a base for helicopter trips of the region. Also a bustling town, filled with cafes and bars, it always became a hot spot during the holidays for young adrenaline junkies.
Around 11:30 a.m., his GPS alerted his arrival to the Huka Lodge, one of the areas most exclusive and secluded luxury accommodations, where Cyrus had planned to stay for 5 nights. He turned off the main road, waited for the large gate to open as if it were some portal to an alternate universe, and began his journey towards the lodge. As the path through the dense forest unraveled before him, a feeling of peace and tranquility set in, and the possibilities of what lay ahead really excited Cyrus.
Eventually the cottage came into view, a large wooden and stone structure much like the one in Rotorua, and his levels of excitement certainly jumped several levels higher. As he parked the car and stepped out, all he could hear was the powerful sound of the Waikato River that ran along the property, accompanied by birds and the rustling of trees. The air was crisp and clear and the cool breeze brought with it a hint of lavender. It was a paradise within a paradise, giving Cyrus the feeling he had entered a sort of Utopia.
As he walked towards the lodge, his feet creating a soothing crunch against the gravel, he admired the landscaping and the care taken in creating this secluded haven. He walked up the steps of the beautiful structure, built with utmost care and passion, and entered the warm and dimly lit hall, decorated with indigenous Maori art and various other colorful artifacts. As he looked around, a member of the staff came over,
"Welcome to the Huka Lodge. I'm Mitchell Jacobs." A middle-aged man with grey hair and a beard greeted him with a warm smile.
"Uh, hi." He looked around. "Thanks. I'm Cyrus. This place is unbelievable."
"Thank you. Come, let's get you checked in then I'll show you around a little." He said as a bellboy took his car keys to bring his luggage to his cottage. As soon as they finished the check in formalities, Mitchell gave him a quick tour.
"This, of course, is the main lodge." He pointed around to the hall they were standing in. "This here is the bar and library. We have evening pre-dinner cocktails here." He walked into a cozy wood paneled room filled with books, and a small bar in the corner.
"Back that way is the wine cellar." He walked back out and pointed towards a door near the main entrance. "And to our left is the dining hall." Then as he walked to the large panoramic window, Cyrus stood spellbound at the view. Right in front of him was an expanse of perfectly manicured lawns that led straight down to the gushing turquoise blue river. They were amidst dense forest and nothing else.
"To the right, along that path, are the individual cottages." He pointed out as they walked out of a small door onto a path surrounded by indigenous ferns and flowers. As he walked towards Cyrus' cottage, he pointed out the sports facilities, "To our right you'll find our tennis courts and swimming pool. As you can see, things are fairly spread out and secluded to keep with the serenity."
"It's fabulous Mitchell. I can understand why people fall in love with this place. I had heard so much before I came but this truly surpasses all of that." Cyrus felt a certain vibe and energy he hadn't felt in any place so far.
They reached his cottage and Mitchell showed him in. "Here we are." He said as he switched on the light, and as expected, it was breathtaking; warm and cozy, yet spacious and decadent. The décor blended so well with the concept of the place, and Cyrus was ecstatic to be here for 5 nights.
The living room was furnished with similar deep wood sofas and chairs. It had a small wooden desk and an antique lounge chair. As he walked into the bedroom, he was delighted to see the same view as the main lodge. His suite was just a few meters from the flowing river, with a small verandah and chairs outside to be able to enjoy the scenery.
"Thanks Mitchell, I think I'm going to have a fabulous time here."
"You're most welcome. Please ask for me or any staff if you need anything at all."
"Thanks. Oh, you have a span and salon here ya?"
"Yes, of course. Can I make a reservation for you?"
"Please. I'd like a full body massage and a haircut. Anytime in the afternoon is fine."
"Sure, no problem. I'll call you back and let you know what time. Oh, and will you be joining us for dinner tonight? I just need to inform the chef."
"Oh, yes, I'd love that. Thanks."
"Ok wonderful. See you at the bar at 7:30 pm." Mitchell left Cyrus to admire the view once again.
He unpacked his bag and threw some clothes for a wash, then decided to spend a little time writing in his journal, and update it with a lot of thoughts that had been racing through his mind in the past few days. He connected his ipod to the dock and turned on some western classical music, opened the door to the deck and stepped outside. The pleasant breeze blew as he sat on the lounge chair with his laptop, and got lost in his thoughts.
It was now becoming clearer and clearer to Cyrus what he really wanted to do. Of course, this current life of traveling free, doing what he wanted to, and sleeping with gorgeous women from town to town was obviously unrealistic. He knew he couldn't be so idealistic, and while he enjoyed every second of it while it lasted, he thought a little further into the future. He knew his business back in India was not his forte. He also tremendously loved living out of India, and was fairly certain that was a route he wanted to consider. He was feeling extremely relaxed, and his mind was now fertile and agile once again. Sexually too, he felt liberated, and wanting to experience newer and newer things. He was now treading on the correct path.
Snapped out of his deep thought by a phone ringing somewhere in the cottage, he jumped from his chair and went to answer it.
"Hello."
"Hi Cyrus, Mitchell here. Your appointment for a massage has been booked at 4 and haircut at 6:00. Is that ok?"
"That's perfect Mitchell. Thanks so much. Gives me enough time to be back at the bar by 7:30."
"Great, see you then."
His growling belly prompted him to order a couple of beers and a burger, which he enjoyed on the verandah overlooking the gushing river, as he finished up the last of his thoughts in time for his massage. He reached there a little before 4, admiring the serene ambience of the Thai style spa. Soothing music filled the dimly lit rooms, with gently flowing water, creating passages from chamber to chamber. Aromas of lavender, tea tree and lemongrass wafted through the air, and hundreds of little tea lights lit up small niches in the walls.
A petite Asian woman greeted him at the reception and escorted him to a private changing room, deep in the silence of the spa.
"Please sir," she requested, "Can you remove all your clothes and change into a bath robe?" She pointed to a bathrobe neatly rolled up at the foot of a lounge chair. "I'll take you to the massage room as soon as it's ready. You can relax with a cup of green tea in the meantime." She gave him a quick bow and disappeared.
"Thank you." Cyrus said as he stripped down and put on the fluffy and soft bathrobe, poured himself a cup of tea and lay back on the chair, listening to the new age music that wafted from the invisible speakers. He nearly dosed off when the lady returned,
It was the 14th of December, a balmy southern hemisphere summer morning, and as Cyrus made his way along the windy roads towards Taupo, his mind still lingered with thoughts of Priya. Taupo is a small town situated in the middle of the North Island, on the shores of a large volcanic lake, and an important adventure destination. With several lakes and mountains in the area, the walks are abundant, and with close proximity to three volcanic mountains, Taupo is a base for helicopter trips of the region. Also a bustling town, filled with cafes and bars, it always became a hot spot during the holidays for young adrenaline junkies.
Around 11:30 a.m., his GPS alerted his arrival to the Huka Lodge, one of the areas most exclusive and secluded luxury accommodations, where Cyrus had planned to stay for 5 nights. He turned off the main road, waited for the large gate to open as if it were some portal to an alternate universe, and began his journey towards the lodge. As the path through the dense forest unraveled before him, a feeling of peace and tranquility set in, and the possibilities of what lay ahead really excited Cyrus.
Eventually the cottage came into view, a large wooden and stone structure much like the one in Rotorua, and his levels of excitement certainly jumped several levels higher. As he parked the car and stepped out, all he could hear was the powerful sound of the Waikato River that ran along the property, accompanied by birds and the rustling of trees. The air was crisp and clear and the cool breeze brought with it a hint of lavender. It was a paradise within a paradise, giving Cyrus the feeling he had entered a sort of Utopia.
As he walked towards the lodge, his feet creating a soothing crunch against the gravel, he admired the landscaping and the care taken in creating this secluded haven. He walked up the steps of the beautiful structure, built with utmost care and passion, and entered the warm and dimly lit hall, decorated with indigenous Maori art and various other colorful artifacts. As he looked around, a member of the staff came over,
"Welcome to the Huka Lodge. I'm Mitchell Jacobs." A middle-aged man with grey hair and a beard greeted him with a warm smile.
"Uh, hi." He looked around. "Thanks. I'm Cyrus. This place is unbelievable."
"Thank you. Come, let's get you checked in then I'll show you around a little." He said as a bellboy took his car keys to bring his luggage to his cottage. As soon as they finished the check in formalities, Mitchell gave him a quick tour.
"This, of course, is the main lodge." He pointed around to the hall they were standing in. "This here is the bar and library. We have evening pre-dinner cocktails here." He walked into a cozy wood paneled room filled with books, and a small bar in the corner.
"Back that way is the wine cellar." He walked back out and pointed towards a door near the main entrance. "And to our left is the dining hall." Then as he walked to the large panoramic window, Cyrus stood spellbound at the view. Right in front of him was an expanse of perfectly manicured lawns that led straight down to the gushing turquoise blue river. They were amidst dense forest and nothing else.
"To the right, along that path, are the individual cottages." He pointed out as they walked out of a small door onto a path surrounded by indigenous ferns and flowers. As he walked towards Cyrus' cottage, he pointed out the sports facilities, "To our right you'll find our tennis courts and swimming pool. As you can see, things are fairly spread out and secluded to keep with the serenity."
"It's fabulous Mitchell. I can understand why people fall in love with this place. I had heard so much before I came but this truly surpasses all of that." Cyrus felt a certain vibe and energy he hadn't felt in any place so far.
They reached his cottage and Mitchell showed him in. "Here we are." He said as he switched on the light, and as expected, it was breathtaking; warm and cozy, yet spacious and decadent. The décor blended so well with the concept of the place, and Cyrus was ecstatic to be here for 5 nights.
The living room was furnished with similar deep wood sofas and chairs. It had a small wooden desk and an antique lounge chair. As he walked into the bedroom, he was delighted to see the same view as the main lodge. His suite was just a few meters from the flowing river, with a small verandah and chairs outside to be able to enjoy the scenery.
"Thanks Mitchell, I think I'm going to have a fabulous time here."
"You're most welcome. Please ask for me or any staff if you need anything at all."
"Thanks. Oh, you have a span and salon here ya?"
"Yes, of course. Can I make a reservation for you?"
"Please. I'd like a full body massage and a haircut. Anytime in the afternoon is fine."
"Sure, no problem. I'll call you back and let you know what time. Oh, and will you be joining us for dinner tonight? I just need to inform the chef."
"Oh, yes, I'd love that. Thanks."
"Ok wonderful. See you at the bar at 7:30 pm." Mitchell left Cyrus to admire the view once again.
He unpacked his bag and threw some clothes for a wash, then decided to spend a little time writing in his journal, and update it with a lot of thoughts that had been racing through his mind in the past few days. He connected his ipod to the dock and turned on some western classical music, opened the door to the deck and stepped outside. The pleasant breeze blew as he sat on the lounge chair with his laptop, and got lost in his thoughts.
It was now becoming clearer and clearer to Cyrus what he really wanted to do. Of course, this current life of traveling free, doing what he wanted to, and sleeping with gorgeous women from town to town was obviously unrealistic. He knew he couldn't be so idealistic, and while he enjoyed every second of it while it lasted, he thought a little further into the future. He knew his business back in India was not his forte. He also tremendously loved living out of India, and was fairly certain that was a route he wanted to consider. He was feeling extremely relaxed, and his mind was now fertile and agile once again. Sexually too, he felt liberated, and wanting to experience newer and newer things. He was now treading on the correct path.
Snapped out of his deep thought by a phone ringing somewhere in the cottage, he jumped from his chair and went to answer it.
"Hello."
"Hi Cyrus, Mitchell here. Your appointment for a massage has been booked at 4 and haircut at 6:00. Is that ok?"
"That's perfect Mitchell. Thanks so much. Gives me enough time to be back at the bar by 7:30."
"Great, see you then."
His growling belly prompted him to order a couple of beers and a burger, which he enjoyed on the verandah overlooking the gushing river, as he finished up the last of his thoughts in time for his massage. He reached there a little before 4, admiring the serene ambience of the Thai style spa. Soothing music filled the dimly lit rooms, with gently flowing water, creating passages from chamber to chamber. Aromas of lavender, tea tree and lemongrass wafted through the air, and hundreds of little tea lights lit up small niches in the walls.
A petite Asian woman greeted him at the reception and escorted him to a private changing room, deep in the silence of the spa.
"Please sir," she requested, "Can you remove all your clothes and change into a bath robe?" She pointed to a bathrobe neatly rolled up at the foot of a lounge chair. "I'll take you to the massage room as soon as it's ready. You can relax with a cup of green tea in the meantime." She gave him a quick bow and disappeared.
"Thank you." Cyrus said as he stripped down and put on the fluffy and soft bathrobe, poured himself a cup of tea and lay back on the chair, listening to the new age music that wafted from the invisible speakers. He nearly dosed off when the lady returned,
Like, Comment and Give Rating.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)