Tuesday, May 25, 2004
We're here...in Auckland
Well, here's my first update, it's about time I take a turn, heh. We are finally here in Auckland. We spent a fabulous week in sunny Fresno with family and were completely spoiled by the company, the sun, and the pool! I have the beginnings of a great tan and an entire winter season ahead of me. Eesh how sad.
We left LAX around 9:40 pm and flew all night. The flight was 12 1/2 hours long but it went by smoothly since we had movies and were able to sleep a bit. Luckily none of the crazy kids that were running insanely around the airport terminal continued to do so on the plane and things were quiet. We landed in Auckland at 5:10 am Tuesday the 25th and wearily made our way through the customs maze. It was much calmer and less crowded than it was on our Peru trip so we were impressed. Unfortunately we obeyed the law and declared our beef jerky we brought along for snacks and emergency rations. Some of the beef used in the jerky was from Brazil and so they confiscated it, hmpf.
After making it past all the checks and X-ray machines and getting Mike's tent back from the quarantine area, we found our Supershuttle that would take us to the Fat Camel Hostel. We finally arrived at the hostel around 7:00 and luckily we were traveling together cuz my kiwi starter packet wasn't at the hostel! They did have my name in the system though and so they were nice enough to put us both up instead of making me wait til I could get the Travellers Contact Point (TCP) at 9:00. We hauled all our stuff up to the room, which sleeps 8 but only had one person in it til we arrived, and decided we needed to wander around bit even as tired as we were.
It was pouring and grey outside and the weather was very hard to handle coming from sunny Fresno, but we gamely trudged around for an hour or so and found some breakfast. At that point our bodies were starting to shut off and so we went back up the street to the hostel for a nap. Our plan was to stay up til night so we could catch up with New Zealand time, so we got up around 9:30 to shower-ick finally-and head off to TCP where I could get my voucher for lodging and meals.
TCP is wonderful, we have free internet access and they have job boards, housing listings, and all sorts of tempting posters advertising trips and tours we want to sign up for! Guess we'll have to get on the job thing so we can afford them, hee hee. The shower, the chance to email home, a great lunch of curry and beer at a local pub, and we were feeling much better. Auckland in the rain was a little daunting and grey so we stayed at the hostel in the common room to play cards and just vege a little. We got to watch a little cricket too, and I was able to show off to the English in the room my very small knowledge of cricket learned from the movie Lagaan. It's all about pretending to know more than you do...
We crashed for a few hours before dinner, and after dinner ended up watching the 3rd Lord of the Rings in the common room (the hostel is really much like the dorms), which is terribly appropriate considering where we are!!!
Today is a new day, sunny and cool, and we are off to explore the city. It's amazing what sleep can do for ones' attitude!
We left LAX around 9:40 pm and flew all night. The flight was 12 1/2 hours long but it went by smoothly since we had movies and were able to sleep a bit. Luckily none of the crazy kids that were running insanely around the airport terminal continued to do so on the plane and things were quiet. We landed in Auckland at 5:10 am Tuesday the 25th and wearily made our way through the customs maze. It was much calmer and less crowded than it was on our Peru trip so we were impressed. Unfortunately we obeyed the law and declared our beef jerky we brought along for snacks and emergency rations. Some of the beef used in the jerky was from Brazil and so they confiscated it, hmpf.
After making it past all the checks and X-ray machines and getting Mike's tent back from the quarantine area, we found our Supershuttle that would take us to the Fat Camel Hostel. We finally arrived at the hostel around 7:00 and luckily we were traveling together cuz my kiwi starter packet wasn't at the hostel! They did have my name in the system though and so they were nice enough to put us both up instead of making me wait til I could get the Travellers Contact Point (TCP) at 9:00. We hauled all our stuff up to the room, which sleeps 8 but only had one person in it til we arrived, and decided we needed to wander around bit even as tired as we were.
It was pouring and grey outside and the weather was very hard to handle coming from sunny Fresno, but we gamely trudged around for an hour or so and found some breakfast. At that point our bodies were starting to shut off and so we went back up the street to the hostel for a nap. Our plan was to stay up til night so we could catch up with New Zealand time, so we got up around 9:30 to shower-ick finally-and head off to TCP where I could get my voucher for lodging and meals.
TCP is wonderful, we have free internet access and they have job boards, housing listings, and all sorts of tempting posters advertising trips and tours we want to sign up for! Guess we'll have to get on the job thing so we can afford them, hee hee. The shower, the chance to email home, a great lunch of curry and beer at a local pub, and we were feeling much better. Auckland in the rain was a little daunting and grey so we stayed at the hostel in the common room to play cards and just vege a little. We got to watch a little cricket too, and I was able to show off to the English in the room my very small knowledge of cricket learned from the movie Lagaan. It's all about pretending to know more than you do...
We crashed for a few hours before dinner, and after dinner ended up watching the 3rd Lord of the Rings in the common room (the hostel is really much like the dorms), which is terribly appropriate considering where we are!!!
Today is a new day, sunny and cool, and we are off to explore the city. It's amazing what sleep can do for ones' attitude!
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