33 minutes of free Internet

And I'm gonna use it.

Back on the bus today. I nearly missed it this morning. But first, last night -- my last night in Rotorua -- was great fun. I took the day off, wandered the streets and then caught a movie ("The Town" -- pretty good). It's one of the few films I've seen in theaters over the last year, so it was really nice. Then I walked over to an Irish pub with a special -- beer and a Shepherd's Pie with New Zealand lamb in it for $10 NZ, or about $8. While at the pub reading my book I looked up and suddenly saw Stefan and Michael; Stefan I'd met in Auckland at the hostel there, and then later when I headed up to Cape Reinga, and Michael I met while headed up to the Cape as well. They had run into each other on the street, and then right after run into me. We had a great time hanging out, and went from that pub to the Belgian bar nearby so that I could impress upon the German and Austrian (respectively) the wonder of Belgian beer. They actually had not heard about it before. I was shocked. The bar had a blues night going on, and it was really great music. They also had Maredesous on tap. Wow.

I keep running into people here and it reminds me a bit of traveling in Egypt. The country isn't as small as some (I mean, I'm in Taupo now and the lake is bigger than Singapore!)...but, everyone travels the same route. The towns are a bit small and quiet, and so we keep running into each other. Egypt was hardly small and quiet, but the same thing happened there too. Of course, I was there in the heat of summer, and the lowest possible time for tourism (August).

Today has been a rather busy day. It's chilly here in Taupo -- 49 degrees Fahrenheit right now. We did a roundabout Rotorua by bus before heading down here earlier today. I got to see everything else I hadn't seen yet -- the Government Gardens, the geyser outside the touristy Thermal Wonderland (didn't go), and then the Huka Falls, on the way over to Taupo. The Huka Falls were AMAZING. The falls produce energy for eight different power sources, geothermal and thermal. It flows at about 220,000 liters per second and can fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools with water in one minute. There are no eels in the Waikato River, the country's longest river (that also drains Lake Taupo), because eels cannot swim the falls. About 50% of kayakers and 10% of rafters come out unharmed from the final 11-meter drop of the falls (after being pulsed through a frantic channel), and yet, people still try. The undertow on the falls is apparently very strong, deep, and deadly, but the waters below it are turquoise, clear and absolutely beautiful.

After visiting the falls, we headed into town. I went on a kayak trip down the Waikato River with another fellow Californian (from El Monte!) that I'd met on the bus. We both joined a friend of a friend of my Aussie friends in Rotorua on the trip, plus another girl (he was seemingly with). It was chilly, but beautiful. And after about 30 minutes or so, we headed over to two waterfall hotsprings, an area called Spa Park. We warmed up in the very very hot waters. A few others began to show up, some with Stella, and we shared a drink and continued relaxing. It was so casual, lovely and -- best of all -- free. Then we headed back down the river, stopping about 500 meters short of the Huka Falls (whew). After a sunset walk by the lake and around town, Wilson and I stopped by the store and grabbed some Ginger Beers and a bit of candy, and retreated back to the hostel to watch "Dodgeball." Hard knock life.

Ah, I forgot to mention. On the way into town we stopped for some bungee jumpers. I really really wanted to do it. It's tough for me to get an adrenaline rush, and frankly standing up there didn't seem so bad (I was up along the edge). But obviously it's very different being there ready to go, and having to commit to the jump yourself. However, the snap of the rope and the pull made me wary, especially regarding my back and neck injuries. I spoke with the people there in the office, and those who had done it before, and sadly decided it was best to wait 10 years, come back to New Zealand, and bungee when the back and neck are solid...then to take the risk of worsening my injuries while they're still healing up. Sigh. Guess that's life. Though the hanging would be actually good for the neck and back -- it's a therapy move -- the snap is problematic. Too bad, it would have been nice to jump in the homeland of the inventor of bungee. I guess I'm glad I went sky diving before my wreck. That also has a nice tug when the chute comes out. Silver lining...

Tomorrow on to the Waitomo Caves, then it's to the Tongariro National Park -- aka the set for Mordor. I'm not sure whether there will be much connectivity there, so it might be a while til I update again. I'm hoping the weather clears up from the current snow and rain by Sunday, so I can attempt the roughly eight-hour crossing. I'm also hoping to do the summit, which adds another three hours to the trip. That's a 6 a.m. drop off and a 5 p.m. pick up. Things will be tight, so we'll see what happens. If weather or timing doesn't hold up, I'm prepared to turn back, cut out portions, etc. Hopefully not though. What is interesting is how ill prepared a lot of the people I've met here are. They don't even have hiking gear, and they're talking about the crossing. "Oh boy, that'd be cool in the snow, right?"

"If you don't die," was my response. Guess it was a bit of a buzz kill, but c'mon.

Just five minutes left. Gotta go. Later.

Rotorless in Rotorua

So this is one of my few blog entries written with my head on my shoulders, or rather, with it not floating above me in a haze of nasal decongestant. I am hoping that makes a difference -- but perhaps not.

Well, let me do a quick update. Internet here again has been quite hard to come by, so I always end up behind. When last I left off, I was departing Paihia the next day with three Aussies: Mary-Anne, Rosie and Nicki. All but Nicki are 26-years old (Nicki is 24). And all three are physical therapists. I did hear that Australia is known for amazing physical therapy. I knew it would be an especially good travel group because they too found the loudness of the Danes, and the general noise at the Saltwater hostel to be unbearable.

We had a chill drive out of town with a brief stopover in the Waipoua forest to visit the giant/ancient Kauri trees. Some of them are believed to be as old as 4,000 years old. Amazing to imagine what was going on while they continued to live, thousands of years ago.

After a lengthy drive we finally made it to Rotorua, which is south of Auckland by about 2.5 hours. The city smells like Sulfur, or a rotten egg, because of the natural hot water springs that bubble out of it. It is also the center of Maori culture. Whereas 17% of New Zealand is Maori, that percentage is 35% in Rotorua. I feel constantly spoiled that the native language here is English. I keep expecting people to speak a different language, then translate. But nope, tours, etc...all automatically done in English. It's lovely. Anyway, I was excited to explore this region before continuing south toward Tongariro National Park.

Our first day in was also the most expensive day here. We headed to Whakawerawera Village to see a native Maori village and their hot pools, the hangi cooking style (or the "Maori microwave") as the locals call it, and the Pohutu geyser, which can shoot up to 30 meters in the air every hour or so. The village, in which the Maori tribe continues to live, is pretty cool. It's interesting to see traditional and modern melding together, and the people live together with a preschool, school, church and gathering hall, among other buildings scattered throughout their hillside; plus, of course many different temperature hot pools for bathing and cooking. It's so different from life back in LA. Everyone knows each other, and everyone is auntie or uncle to someone else. Anyway, the hangi essentially relies on the heat from rocks that they make white hot, place water on top of it, then a blanket and soil so that steam seeps up into a wooden crate holding food. Food is cooked in the wooden crate for hours until it is steamed to perfection. There's a bit of a smoked flavor that comes out in the kumara, the sweet potato, and meats. When the Maori arrived here they brought rats (a delicacy) and dogs (skinned for their coats).

After the village walk about, we headed to the Polynesian Spa, which is the best spa in the country. I decided to splurge on a 30-minute mini spa sampler, which included an awesome soft robe, and access to hot pools (36, 38, 40 and 42 degrees Celsius). The 30-minute massage/treatment was great after days of travel and a day of sitting in the car. The fastest 30 minutes I've ever experienced, I said afterward. The pools were nice and relaxing, though I was careful to not spend too much time in the waters and I tried to remember to drink water. Even so, I was a bit dehydrated afterward.

That evening we headed to the Mitai cultural evening, which was pricey, but ended up being one of the nicest things I've done in New Zealand thus far. It was a festive evening that began with a pickup at 5:45 p.m. We headed in bus #13 to the tribal area dressed in our warmest clothes. It's been about 53 degrees Fahrenheit during the day here, and much much colder at night. For me, at least, that's chilly, and I'm very glad I brought my heaviest coat (not heavy enough). I do wish I'd brought my raincoat/shell, especially since New Zealand has incredibly changeable weather. Anyway, when we arrived we went to a large outdoor tent area that was set up as if for a beautiful banquet. Everyone was assigned to a different table, we had drinks (I had ginger beer -- nonalcoholic and yum! -- after spa day), some appetizers, and got to know our table mates. A couple Canadians, a Londoner, and a couple from New Caledonia who didn't speak any English. Later on in the evening we chatted quite a bit and I translated a few things into French for them.

Our local speaker was hilarious, and someone compared his comedic mannerisms to Bill Cosby. We were the "tribe of many nations" as he went around the room identifying people from different countries and speaking a bit of their language in welcome. By the end of the greeting we were "the tribe of 19 nations." (Few Americans, however.) Then it was off to the forest to see a traditional waka or canoe (in this case) being used by the Maori in traditional dress, while people sang and walked in the forest. We met another group of tourists as well, who had (like us) selected a chief. The guy we ended up choosing collectively was a Finnish man named Marko, who had seemed quite sure of himself during the greeting ceremony. When we met the "other tribe" their leader was...a man named Mark, from Finland as well. It was hilarious and ironic. I presume there was something about each of their bearings in the intro that got them selected by our respective groups. From there we went to the show area (we were given fleece blankets and sat under heating lamps (still cold!))...We saw demonstrations of the haka, war dance, where bulging eyes and tongues out and fierce moves were done to frighten and intimidate the enemy and avoid actual battle. I have to say it was pretty scary. We learned a bit about Maori heritage, culture, and battle instruments. A lot of the games were for hand-eye coordination and to help improve their warriors chances in the field.

By 8 p.m. everyone was famished. We headed back to the banquet area for food. Oh man, what food. The best meal I've had in New Zealand thus far. I ate a lot. Salads galore, chicken, New Zealand lamb, kumara and regular potatoes, and garlic bread. I got extra helpings. Then on to dessert: a chocolate log, trifle (oh man, never had it before, delicious!), and fruit salad, plus tea! After that meal, my stomach ached all night, and it was hard to sleep...but so worth it. The Aussies took a photo of their food babies -- hilarious. After the meal we went on another walk past the sacred cold water spring (9 degrees Celsius) and saw blue glowworms in the soil of the forest. The brighter they are, the hungrier the worms. Very cool

The next day I headed to walk around the Blue Lake and then went over to the Redwood Forest. Yup, you heard that right. California Redwoods were introduced into this region as an experiment, along with California pines and many other trees (Douglas Fir being one other example off the top of my head). They found the California pine grew twice as fast in New Zealand as it does usually in California. They are beautiful here, long, thin and green, throughout much of the country. The Redwoods here also grew beautifully, and the forest is proof of that. I did one of the hikes in the area, which is also known for amazing mountain biking, with trails of varying levels for all. (I also saw a California black plum in the market here!) On the way back into town I caught a ride with a local, who dropped me off at my hostel, the Funky Green Voyager -- very homey. Then it was a quick shower before heading to a local pub to watch the Melbourne Cup with my Aussie friends. It was my first Melbourne Cup, and we made the horse race right before it got going, and it was nearly done by the time I got my ginger beer. The horse, "Americain" (born in the USA and trained in France) won. And I swore that I woulda bet on that horse (represent!) if I'd arrived at the pub earlier. Damn.

From there we headed to dinner with Mary-Anne's friend Marcus, a Kiwi she went to school with in Dunedin. We went to "Burger Fuel" -- supposedly the best burger in town, got our orders and headed to "The Wall" climbing gym to check it out. Marcus is also a big climber. I got to do a couple climbs, 5'10a (woohoo), and then had to give it a rest. I could feel my tendons aching. After a bit of time there, we headed to a bar for open mic night. The artists were very good, and I had another ginger beer (go figure -- I'm trying to try all the different types). Then it was back to the hostel to relax. It was friggin' cold, or I might have joined the others for a hot pools visit. I decided to get my laundry dried and relax with a book. Lame, but nice all the same.

This morning we went out for breakfast. I had a delicious lamb and kumara pie (very filling!), and a cappuccino. It was my first breakfast out while traveling, and very nice. Then I headed to The Warehouse, which is like K-mart in the States, to pick up a few items for the next week or so. I'll be heading to Tongariro National Park, to do the crossing and also (hopefully) a summit there. It's apparently where Lord of the Rings was shot, and supposed to be spectacular. The weather forecast, however, says it's snowing over there, and it's very cold. So I stopped to pick up some thermals, gloves, rain gear, and a bunch of other stuff I had at home, but didn't think I'd necessarily need on my travels. Oh well. A really nice lady at the store essentially took me under her wing and helped me get all equipped for my trip. I also got a big bag with wheels on it, and transferred my stuff and backpack into it. My back was not happy with the pack, and things are MUCH better now. I know way too many backpackers that have followed suit. I can always take the backpack out and just use it for what I need on a specific trip. But, otherwise, it's way too heavy, unnecessary and unhealthy to carry around.

Otherwise, today has been a very chill day. Laundry is done, some Internet time, the hostel manager here is a nice Canadian named Matt, who gave me some of his couscous and veggie stir-fry for lunch. Yay for vegetables. They are quite expensive here, so I unfortunately do not eat them much while traveling. I did pick up some extra fruit though. The apples here, Gala apples, are delicious -- it is fruit picking season after all. Well, tomorrow I'm off to Lake Taupo for a night. I'm looking to do some kayaking on the lake, weather permitting, and then off to the Waitomo Caves, and the Tongariro National Park. If snow remains in the forecast I may put off my hike for a couple days. We'll see.

Ooh, just heard Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in NZ tomorrow for a visit. Nice. By the way, Wellington was also determined the fourth best city to visit in the world b/c of it's culture, among other things. I'm planning for up to a week there before hitting the South Island.

Anyway, now it's time to hit the town for a bit... Ciao.

Northland wrap up

Kia Ora! Or hello, as New Zealanders would say in native Maori.

Today was another long but great day. It didn't start out that way. I was running late to my boat tour of the Bay of Islands, and the forecast was for rain. And it was cold. The boat operator gave us all a talking to about the weather: it's going to go from 20 to 30 knots, and there are already 1 to 2-foot swells near the "Hole in the Rock" -- literally a soft spot that was eroded away by waves over the years in the rock, and is now a hole. Boats try and pass through, but it's out to sea and a dodgy ride over to begin with in bad weather. Anyway, it wasn't looking like we'd eve make it out there given how rough the sea was supposed to be today. And yet, instead we not only made it out there in pretty good shape, and drove through the hole, but we also saw a family of four Orca on the way over! We watched the Orca, or "Killer Whales" as they are commonly termed, for about 40 minutes or so. It was awesome. One had a fin that was crinkled in multiple places, apparently by a boat at some point. New Zealand has the highest number of damaged Orca in the world. It also has the only Orca that feed on stingrays (they have to hunt in twos for it b/c the liver is poisonous to them, so they rip up the stingray between them and leave the liver alone). We toured around the islands for a few hours, and stopped to view a few of them, and got out at one to relax for a bit. On the way back I hopped off at Russell island, which has become quite posh in recent years, but was previously termed the "hellhole of the Pacific" because of all the prostitution and drunken debauchery going on there. The island is also known for it's share of historic turmoil. After the treaty of Whitangi was signed, the British put up a flag on the island. Local Maori chopped down the flagpole, and the Brits put it back up again. The Maori chopped it down again, the Brits put it back up again. They chopped it down again, and the Brits reinforced it with metal, and put it back up. It was chopped down yet, again, and well...eventually a new flag was put up with a coordinated diplomatic effort with the tribes. That flag was not chopped down. Oh yeah, the Maori also, during all this, burned the entire city to the ground at one point. Fascinating history...

Anyway, I hiked around the island -- it's amazing how many trails are just there. The Department of Conservation here really seems to have its shit together. I hiked up to the lookout and saw a view of the entire bay. Then walked over to Long Beach, put my feet in the water, and sat on the sand and ate some of my packed lunch. I'd forgotten to pack a fork or spoon, so I speared my bits of chicken from a can with my pocket knife, trying to not cut open my tongue. Fun. I got a ride with some locals back to the town center and checked out New Zealand's oldest church, then chilled a bit before heading back to Paihia by ferry.

Back in town it started to rain (the forecast was finally right after three days of saying it was raining each day). I dashed into a bar on the way for cover; music was wafting out of it and I'd wanted to check it out. A big group of locals had finished up a golf tournament and were enjoying live music karaoke-esque style, dancing away and hollering enthusiastically, while swaying beer pints. I ordered myself an ale, and chilled out a bit, watching the locals and chatting with a few of them who seemed a bit disquieted by my quietness amid all the ruckus. I was just tired after a long day, and reveling in the friendly, home-towny, down to earth ambiance. When the band stopped, I headed back into the drizzle and icy wind, and power walked back to my hostel. I boiled some hot water for soup, took a hot shower, then headed out with a group of three Aussies that I'd met the night before. The girls invited me to travel down South to Rotorua with them in their car, and I gladly agreed. Not only are they great company (we all happen to be the same age, or thereabouts -- and they too find the noisy teens an annoyance), but it will save me another night in Auckland and get me where I wanna go sooner. We're planning to make a pit stop at the Kauri forest to see the largest Kauri tree in the world. I'm very excited about that.

Ah, forgot to mention, the movie "Boy" was great. I recommend it. Not only is it a great comedic-tragic satire of New Zealand and Maori living, but it's well done too. Thankfully I'd learned all the Kiwi/Maori words and slang I needed to know literally that day. Lots of new terms, but they're all a lot of fun. Okay, well sorry for the somewhat bland entry here. My head is pounding -- as is the music outside my room door. I was hoping to perhaps get a night of good sleep before heading off tomorrow. We'll see about that.

Paihia

I've been on the go since I last updated, so much so that I've barely slept since then either. Though that's more the cause of the roughly 45 Danish teenagers that checked into my hostel yesterday -- and sang drunkenly into the night. I now completely and totally understand the true difference between 19 and 26. I feel old just writing that.

So a quick recap here on what I've done since I arrived into town. Paihia is a beautiful small town on the northeast coast of New Zealand located in the Bay of Islands. The place is picturesque. All of Northland is, but then, apparently it's nothing compared to the south. I have no idea what that will be like. Every second I've been here I have felt like I was looking at a postcard. When I rode the bus over and around the north I was annoyed that we couldn't stop and take pictures, but then I realized we would never have been able to reach our destination. The New Zealand landscapes have forever spoiled me.

While here I'm staying at the alleged first 5-star hostel (oxymoron?) in New Zealand. It's "5-star" I think by it's own rating system, but otherwise still quite nice for a dorm. On my first day here, I took a bike out for a ride along the coast and visited the Whaitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Maori tribes requested British law and order be brought to their country. Actually, this was to deal with the drunken foreign sailors and traders. Though the birth of this country is still quite unbelievable to me. Request the UK's presence? Maori tribes are given rights and not killed off? They got a flag? Wow. I and another fellow traveler surmised that history went down the way it did likely because New Zealand is just so damn far away. To actually war against the locals (who had sought to acquire guns), would require more men, at a much greater distance from home...not to mention longer supply lines. That said, this is all guesswork, my knowledge of New Zealand history is scant. For dinner a group got together for a barbecue. I ended up speaking with a very interesting Austrian couple named Harold and Helga and we hit it off. Sadly they were only in town for one night, but we had multiple interesting discussions about travel, budgeting, and (scarily) dive-operator negligence in Cairns, Australia. Apparently a couple years ago an American couple were forgotten at the reef, and they drowned. The couple had another two friends who went diving in Indonesia (I believe), and their friends (also a couple) went out with a solo boatman who was drunk or high or both. He decided to leave. They came up and saw no boat. They were in the water for 16 hours swimming to keep warm, and only sheer dumb luck allowed them to survive when the current pushed them to shore. Needless to say, I'll be very careful selecting my dive operator when diving.

Yesterday I was feeling a tad healthier and not continuously hacking up a mucous-laden lung. So I went on a 10-kilometer hike to the Haruru Falls. Oh, two things of note before I forget. One, burn time here is six or seven minutes, so sunblock is a must. Two, this place is heavenly for an avid bird watcher, or even casual one. (Wasted on me.) Anyway, as I was saying, Haruru Falls. The hike there is pretty simple, and I just locked my bike at the trailhead. I love how once you get to the falls there are no guardrails or anything to keep you from falling in to your (possible) death. Seriously. I think people should know the risks they take when they go outdoors and be responsible, or deal with the consequences.

This morning I was up at 6 a.m. (well, really up most of the night because of the noise) to go on a trip out to Cape Reinga, which is the northern tip of New Zealand where the west coast's Tasman Sea meets the east coast's Pacific Ocean. The shallower, sandy-bottomed sea is a light blue, and the ocean a deeper green. It is a spectacular backdrop to the green rolling hills, dwarf plants and white lighthouse. But before we got there, our bus drove 45 miles along "90-mile beach," spraying water up along both sides, and nearly driving into the sea a couple times. We had to race up the coast to beat the rising tide, which is especially dodgy at a particular bluff. We saw the remains of a car door buried and rusted in the sand. Bus driver: "They should have taken the bus."

We stopped along the way and turned in to these huge sand dunes. We took out boogie boards, hiked up to the top and rode down the dunes. It was a bit of a touristy trick, but a ton of fun. The hike up was tough in the sand, but worth it. It made me remember the last time I was hiking up dunes in Merzouga, Morocco (well, just outside Merzouga actually, the road ends in the desert). I was also coughing up a lung from a cold I'd caught on my journey in. I blame the planes (or the hostels) -- big box of flying germs mixed together from all over the world. Anyway, I flew down thrice. Awesome.

The stop at the Cape was by far the best part of the journey though. The mixing of the two bodies of water is supposed to symbolize the mixing of spirit and living world, and the area is believed to be sacred. Many people travel to Cape Reinga to memorialize a loved one who has died, to say a prayer for them, and then speak to them -- to tell them the things they never had a chance to say (good and bad). Our bus driver, Barry, was a funny and fun guide along the trip, but here he turned somber.

"I had a son, once," he told us.

In 1983, his 6-year old boy was hit by a car while Barry was driving tours up north. Barry was alerted and flew to Hamilton to see his boy who was still alive. Barry was with him all night, but in the morning the boy was dead. For 12 years Barry told us he was a mess, his relationships ruined... he felt guilty, as if he had been a bad father. His mother, who was his best friend, passed on in that time too. Barry's aunt, trying to get him to join in more family activities, invited him to Cape Reinga. When they got there Barry's aunt said a formal goodbye and prayer for her sister, Barry's mom. Then told Barry to say some words about his son. After, the two sat and sobbed for some time. Four days later Barry said he had a lucid dream about his son (and he never has dreams). They were together, and he was able to hug and kiss him, cuddle him, and even smell him. When he woke up, he felt like he could finally let go, and finally move on.

"Since that day, every day is a new day for me," Barry told us.

It makes me think of a saying someone posted on Facebook the other day: "Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day." I am thankful to have so many goods in my day.

At the end of the day we had a torrent of good eats. Passion-fruit ice cream (with real passion fruit seeds in it!)...and the alleged best fish and chips in New Zealand (well, they say the galaxy). They really were spectacular. And yes, I'd post pictures but net here is charged by traffic. Sorry, when I get to a good connection, I'll provide some visual stimuli.

Well, it was quite a couple days. Tomorrow is my last day here, and I'm planning to go on a tour of the actual bay, via boat and everything. But, well, the forecast is for rain, so we'll see. In New Zealand people commonly say there are four seasons in one day. It is very changeable, and most people dismiss the forecast anyway. For example, yesterday I checked the AccuWeather update here and it said it was currently raining, while outside was clear and sunny. Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes. Back to Auckland for a night Sunday, the heading south.

Off now to watch a New Zealand film, I believe it's titled "Boy"...will try not to fall asleep.

Adios for now.

Northland ponderings

Up north in Paihia, in the Bay of Islands. It is absolutely stunning here. And though this is the warmest area of the country traditionally, it's a bit chilly (biting winds). Even so, the sky is blue, the air clear, and the clouds look like they were painted in place by still-drying oils.

I've noticed that many of the backpackers here are closer to my age, late 20s, early 30s. Well, maybe not most (too early to say), but a great deal if not so. It's funny but a  topic of conversation that comes up here constantly among travelers is how expensive Australia is these days, what with the Aussie dollar worth more than the USD for the first time since 1989 (working on memory here). Though I've saved money and budgeted for this trip (and am valiantly trying to remain within budget), the worries about money, saving and finding a job among young people here is infectious. I feel like I've never subsisted on less food than I have thus far here. Such a strange experience. Of course, it's only a couple days in, and this hostel cough hasn't helped. But yeah, interesting days. Even so, New Zealand tourism is up, overtaking the dairy industry as the country's biggest export industry, according to numbers released today by the government's tourism industry association. That's very evident, as are numbers that show rising business confidence and expectations of hiring -- there doesn't seem to be much sign among locals (and perhaps I just haven't seen this yet) of the Recession. I'm sure tourism has helped. Also, the fact that service-industry individuals such as servers in a restaurant receive a living wage here. Anyway, enough of that for now. I'll write more of my day tomorrow.

Odds and ends

After much agonizing about how I will travel through New Zealand, I opted for a bus pass. Given the fact that I wanted to spend less than two months here, and am interested in pure travel, it seemed the best deal. Lots of people come through for longer stays and get "working holiday visas" for those under 30. They do odd jobs working a vineyards, backbreaking work as fruit pickers, or under-employ themselves as hostel housekeepers, among other common jobs. Then they split up their time between working and traveling, renting cars, or buying them in some cases. It's an interesting prospect, and can be potentially cheaper than a bus pass on a budget...or potentially much more expensive. Anyway, after examining the possibility for multiple viewpoints, I went for a promotion bus pass that (not coincidentally) expired today. I get unlimited travel for a year (perhaps I'll come back), and can go through the north and south island for a tidy sum of $499 NZ. It's a lot of money, and it will bite into my daily budget quite a bit. But thus far I've been under budget by about $10-15 a day (yes, early still), so we'll see. And so, I leave tomorrow at about 6 a.m. to catch my first bus up north. I'm headed to Paihia, the beautiful Bay of Islands area. A Couchsurfer lady there named Kate (who is a local reporter) said I could stay at her place, so hopefully we can meet up. She was even so kind as to say she'd leave the key out for me b/c she won't be back til after 6 p.m. Wow. Anyway, finding a way over there will be another matter entirely, so we shall see.

Oof, this hostel cold is kicking my butt. Gonna try and call it an early night. Beautiful days here right now. I'm not sure what the connectivity will be like once I get out of Auckland. Internet here is not that great, quite expensive, and always an add-on fee (for example at a hostel). Some areas supposedly offer free wifi, but it's very very limited if it actually exists. Lots of people head to the local libraries, which allow a session or two of free Internet (15 minutes) to individuals, but it's allegedly very very slow. The country seems to take its time adopting technology, from what little I have seen, and people tell me that Kiwis generally like that fact. I suppose it goes hand-in-hand with being into all things environment and the outdoors.

Adios for now. Hope to write again soon.

Slowing down (or trying)...

Life in New Zealand goes by at a much slower pace. With nearly 4.5 million people in the entire country (and roughly a quarter here in Auckland -- it's largest city), it enjoys a relatively incredibly low crime rate and a single traffic jam in the city can take up many minutes of news time. It's quaint in a very cool way. I mean, a sweet old lady was serving free tea and coffee in the airport baggage claim area, and she actually looked a bit put out when everyone hurried past her (I stopped). Anyway, I'm trying to reconcile myself to the pace -- though jet-lag and a lovely hostel cold (think kennel cough for humans) are helping a lot.

People here think it's kind of funny that I came over with little in the way of travel plans and no real solid time-frame either. In an effort to slow down and figure out what exactly I want to do here, and how, I've been taking my time in Auckland. Lots of people hustle right out, but I'll get to that in a couple days. Meanwhile, I am loving the vibe here: quite multicultural, small town, a nice efficient bus system, and lots of great travelers/trampers/local adventurers. It's also great to be in a place that doesn't seem as hard hit by the recession, where servers are paid a livable wage, and where you can walk freely and do most anything without too much worry of something bad happening to you. I guess I am also a still bit starved for civilization (and I do say that in partial jest).

Yesterday I walked up to the top of Mt. Eden or Maungawhau, which is actually the highest volcano on the Auckland isthmus, and one of roughly 50 or so there. It has supposedly an equivalent view of all of Auckland as Sky Tower, without the jutting gleams of metal from the surrounding cityscape and the $28 NZ price tag. It's a lovely little walk, though some called it a hike. And the view from above is amazing -- One Tree Hill, all the islands, Sky Tower of course, the bridge, the harbor...And while you're up there, you're also at the top of a giant crater, which is pretty surreal. Actually Auckland itself is essentially active volcanic field, but the last one erupted some 600 or so years ago, so all is good. (Of course, Christchurch recently had its earthquakes, and a pretty large aftershock a couple weeks ago, so one can never underestimate the elements.).

Today was relatively chill. I met up with a local traveler who is studying Occupational Therapy at the university here. Ahmed is a 21-year-old Saudi who will flip nearly every Saudi stereotype out there on its head. We walked around the city and enjoyed the beautiful weather they have been having since I got here. Highs of 68 degrees or so, a very strong sun, and cooler nights at about 57 degrees or so. Somewhat chilly for me in the shade, but allegedly perfect for the Kiwis, who endured a pretty bad storm before I arrived. More to come later, but I've got to get some shut eye.