30 March, 2014

Auckland Findings

Mt. Eden - top of 1/50 volcanoes

So far, New Zealand - and specifically, Auckland - has been quite kind to us. From the places we've been here thus far, we have been able to draw numerous comparisons to locations we've been in the United States (i.e. San Francisco, Balboa Park, Seattle, etc.). However there are just a few things that we haven't quite been able to match up.


1. The Metric System. Why, oh why, can't we silly Americans simply switch over? I have no idea what temperature it is here. Should I wear a scarf? A sun hat? A ski coat? Of course I could just step outside to see, but where's the fun in that? Oh, you say it's going to be 25 degrees? I don't think I'll be going outside. Oh that's supposedly nice weather? I give up. Not only the weather, but distances: "It's not far, just about 7 kilos away." Hold on, let me just dig out my calculator watch and do a few lengthy conversions.




In the highly acclaimed Auckland Domain

Aotea Square



















2. Driving. Everyone keeps suggesting that we get a car. Public transportation is not all that convenient here - much the same as San Diego, it seems - especially when trying to get to some of the more remote places we may choose to go. Perhaps getting a car would be a good move. But gas is expensive and blah, blah, blah, pro and con lists, etc. But listen. Simply getting into a car and being driven around on the opposite side of the road takes up all my concentration. To think about being solely responsible for the operation of such heavy machinery, not to mention everyone else in the car, while driving on the WRONG side of the road, gives me the willies. Maybe not something we will be tackling in the near future. The fact that I have to close my eyes whilst being driven around is probably more ominous of a sign than Dennis is willing to deal with.

3. Language. It's quite common to talk about the United States as being a "melting pot". And this was something I was very willing to go along with, until I got here. Everything in Auckland seems oh-so-multicultural. The food, the people, the everything. This also means that there are people visiting from all over the world here. One thing I need to point out is that it is more than convenient that everyone here speaks English. The Kiwi accent is less pronounced than an Aussie accent, but it is different nonetheless. But here, we have a multitude of Kiwis, Aussies, Brits, Irish, and some Canadians accents. Being immersed in these accents, I no longer remember how it is that I speak. I've taken to ending sentences in "eh?" and saying 'quite' QUITE a bit more than I should.


Auckland Cat
All in all, Auckland is a marvelous place. We've been quite busy doing touristy things, local things, and everything in between. We've visited Auckland's Natural History Museum - easily one of my favorite museums I've been to - a smaller art gallery, experienced an underground, quite literally, experimental music scene, and hiked to the top of one of Auckland's 50 volcanoes for a spectacular view. I'm sure there are many more things to come, but be sure to note than despite the metric system and driving on the wrong side of the road, Auckland is definitely a place worth visiting.

27 March, 2014

Touch Down in Auckland

We've had an extraordinarily eventful last week -- so much so that blogging has taken a backseat to actually livin' our special brand of tropical backpacker hobo lifestyle. Internet in Fiji is wicked slow, and who wants to sock away 45 minutes behind a neon screen trying to represent the very beach bumming experience they should be having in that exact moment? Not Us! But alas, here we are in Auckland, New Zealand -- and the connection is prime again. We have a ton more photos from Fiji that hopefully we'll get around to posting in the near future.
Highlights of our last week on the Coral Coast: Hammock time! Yes, so much of it, with  uninterrupted views of crystalline clear blue waters brimming with turtles and sharks and pilot whales, and a rather curious creature that calls himself the "surfer". We went on epic kayak paddles everyday, beaching on deserted beaches and spotting marine wildlife. We did a Kava ceremony for Dennis' 25th birthday with a local chieftain of sorts-- Kava is a traditional Fijian/Polynesian drink made from the root of the Kava plant, and it is drunk in a traditional fashion that includes an arrangement of hand clapping and chants before and after the bowl is passed between participants. It is basically muddy river water that tastes like tree bark and mildly numbs ones mouth. We visited a local kindergarten, a one room school house right on a small bluff above the beach-- easily the best natural setting one could ever imagine a school in. They sang Dennis "Happy Birthday" in English and added an extra verse: "Happy Long Life to You, Happy Long Life to You..." . They also sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for us in Fijian, English, AND Japanese. Later on, we did another special birthday kava ceremony at "Beachouse "(We stayed at a backpackers style resort, kind of a mixture of hostel and resort) with many of the guests who were there on the night of March 21st. We then took two big vans full of us to an amazing dance hall on the beach a few kilometers away from Beachouse. There was a rip roarin' cover / dance band that was composed entirely of Fijian Police men and they rocked out for hours while we danced and talked to locals. The location for this event was simply stunning -- we didn't have the foresight nor feel the need to bring a camera, but just imagine a Disney fantasy palace on a faraway tropical beach and you'll get pretty close.
The following day, we took a guided jungle walk with a truly awesome staff member from Beachouse named either "Chuta" or "Juta" . We still debate that. He told us a wealth of information about the history of his country and it's current state of progress as he walked us along a bending river through the jungle up to a gorgeous cascading waterfall. It was a bit of a challenge because the trail was so muddy, but we absolutely prevailed and were rewarded with a swim in some of the most inviting and rejuvenating waters one could ever hope for -- and we also sat in a natural spa carved directly by nature into the gushing waters of the waterfall. Yea, it was good! Plenty more has come to pass, but we are on to a new chapter and currently type this from an extremely charming little garden villa in the Kingsland suburb of Auckland.
Today we helped refurbish an artists studio by sanding down the window panes and prepping the place for a new coat of paint in time for their winter. The woman who is hosting us is named "Anita" and she is truly delightful -- her husband also lives here, but he is currently a visiting artist/lecturer at Stanford University for the month. We will pick up our work in the morning tomorrow, then head out to the city center to explore the City of Sails and see what we can dig up! Until next time, it was great transmittin' to y'all!!


18 March, 2014

Leavin' , On a Jet Plane

Alas that fateful hour has dawned upon us -- We goin' to Fiji! Then New Zealand! Then...Idaho? Becca, where are we going after New Zealand? Ohhh yea, we need to focus on getting to Fiji first. Smart thinkin', pragmatic as usual. Anywho, our long awaited and eagerly anticipated departure is imminent -- T-minus 2 hours 'til lift off, then it's off to the races for fun in the sun and exotic grubbin'. Can we get an Amen? Of course, this is just the start of a collective long and fervent prayer for our safety and well-being that our family and friends are no doubt rendering already. And for that we thank you. We plan to maintain this blog with impeccable attention to detail and frequent updates, at least until we go native and join the Mudmen in the most remote and inaccessible mountainous region of Papua New Guinea. Until then, expect running threads of stunning landscape photos, exotic food documentation, and also animal and hobo candids. Adios errybuddy, don't be strangers !!