My trip really hasn't been all THAT exciting as of yet. Touch down was in Auckland last thursday after approximately 30 hours in transit. I drank Fiji water during my layover in Fiji :D lovely stuff. I also met my first Kiwi of the trip in Fiji customs! Mike was headed home after 27 years of work in the USA and he gave me his name and email (after 27 years he didn't have a number either, so we couldn't really do that swap...) and said if I ever found myself on the south island near Marlborough and needed some help, to ring him up.
I decided before landing in NZ that all the rumors are true: The Shire is a lovely place, and Kiwis are very friendly :)
I hung out in a hostel in Auckland the first night where they fed me dinner for free and gave me a free SimCard for my cell. Just more proof that Kiwis are awesome.
I then jumped a bus down to Palmerston North and stayed a few days with Marissa and her landlady Julie. They were wonderful hosts, feeding me wine every night and making me feel like a time honored guest! I got to drive on the left side of the road and didn't play chicken with anyone!!
I'm currently living with a couple and their two daughters on a pig/mini horse farm. They were kind enough to pick me up from Marissa's house. Again, see, lovely people these New Zealanders! :) The exciting part is coming soon though! They have one goat and one horse ready to birth here in the next week or so!!!
A few things I have noticed/completely random stuff along the way so far:
- During a lengthy lay-over in LA I received a fortune cookie that read "Lavish spending may be disastrous. Be careful"
- I highly recommend starting trips with full batteries. Kindle was dead the first time I turned it on. Thankfully I had a real book.
- A LOT of people were traveling with yoga mats. I do not understand this.
- My airplane had ashtrays for each seat. How old does that make it?
- Every airplane should give you a breath mint before landing. Especially if the flight is long enough to serve you food!
- Figian police officer; they wear skirts and sandals. If this outfit is fully functional for what they need to do on the clock I want their job. (pic to come soon)
- People of New Zealand are chronic jaywalkers. One hour after arriving in Auckland I had conformed...
- They have 'Private Karaoke' Seriously. What fun is that?!
- First store I noticed was called "nood" acronyms for "new objects of desire". So appropriate!
I think that's enough for now :)
