The flights - well three actually - to Auckland were quite painless. The airport at Siem Reap is small so little likelihood of getting lost and confused there. I passed many new, large hotels on the way to the airport and was glad that Exodus has a policy of using smaller, more centrally located accommodation. I was expecting the Ho Chi Minh City airport to be ginormous but not so. Also easy to navigate. And when I landed in Sydney there was a shuttle waiting for those of us flying Air New Zealand, which took us almost to our gate. Most welcome. Little sleep but I was too excited to be tired.
January 15-18: Auckland
What a fantastic city. Water everywhere, and rolling hills, An unbeatable combination. The accommodation I am staying in I booked through airbnb.com, and it's perfect. The owners are a retired couple who are very active, and very well-traveled. The house is located just outside the downtown area but within easy walking distance. It's just beside a huge park, called the Domain.
There is something about Auckland that reminds me very much of Vancouver, in part because the homes in the older, trendier areas of town are very much like those in Kitsilano. It's all very charming. Including the fact that the stores close by about 5:30, even on Fridaý. And forget about Sunday shopping. Except of course in the shopping centres, where the hours are more like home.
Getting around is easy. Feet do for most destinations, but there is also a public transportation system that seems to be very efficient. And less expensive than at home. I just have to remember that they drive on the LEFT.
What is not less expensive is the food served in restaurants. I reckon you can expect to spend almost double. Desserts are about $10-12. Perhaps I will live on them. The difference in the value of our dollars accounts for a bit of this, but only a bit. But tax is included, and in New Zealand tipping is not expected.
It feels so good to be back in a country where there is order and predictability, and no garbage! Traffic rules are respected, and pedestrians even wait for the walk signal. I love it!
I've done lots of walking, been to the Auckland Museum (excellent, and in the Domaiņ close to where I am staying) and caught the ferry to Devonport, a lovely little community just a 12 minute ferry ride from the Auckland harbour. The views of Auckland are fabulous, or would be had the day been clearer. For the most part the weather has been excellent, but it was rather overcast when I was in Devonport.
Auckland is surrounded by bays and islands, an idyllic setting. But then there are the volcanos. Not currently creating problems but at some point it is expected they will. The museum had an excellent section on volcanos. I only thought I would want a few days here, but perhaps I will return!
It's now January 18th, my last day in Auckland. This morning I walked up Mt. Eden (not a hard climb). At the peak you get a 360 degree view of the city and surrounding bays. Spectacular. Then, by chance, I discovered nearby Eden Gardens, and it's cafe. The gardens are built on the side of a steep hill and are glorious. I couldn't get a picture that did it justice.
In the afternoon, friends Josephine and Richard, from Ottawa, who are here for the winter, met me and took me on a drive beside the bays to the east of the city. So beautiful, and the water was a glorious marine blue. Lots of people, and cars. The street that runs by the water is lined with delightful little stores and restaurants. The homes there must be worth millions! Richard's brother and sister-in-law, who live in Auckland, invited me to join them for supper so I got to experience kiwi hospitality.
Just a few final observations and that's it for now. I love, among other things, all the flowers here. I was surprised how few I saw in SE Asia. And one of the advantages of being in the southern hemisphere is that the days are long. The sun rises about 6:30 and sets not that long before 9:00 pm. What a bonus!
Tomorrow Richard and Josephine pick me up and we head north. Can't wait.
Maori carving at the museum
Front entrance to the Museum
Street in Parnell near my accommodation
Typical Auckland home
View of downtown, and Sky Tower, from Mt. Eden
