between my 9-hour layover in LAX and the 40 hours of travel, i was pretty pooped by the time i arrive in auckland at 7 am. needless to say, i didnt get much accomplished on sunday. or yesterday either, really. i managed to find a bike, some wheels that'll hopefully take me around the country for the next two months without fail.
this place is incredibly diverse. so much so, honestly, that i can't say ive met too many kiwis. there are so many bloody people from around the world that i think they probably outnumber the locals. and apparently its the same for the rest of the country as well. we shall see. my hostel alone, which is surprisingly enormous, has helped me meet so many people in a very short period of time. and for the most part, everyone ive met has been incredibly outgoing and pleasant.
on a hunt for some delicious vegan eats sunday night, i stumbled upon an irish pub in the center of town. you know, your classic irish pub. huge irish flag outside. blaring live music inside, so loud that bartender and customers have to yell at the top of their lungs in order to be heard. and, of course, a slew of people outside, downing ice-cold frothy mugs of guiness. mm. walking by, i was naturally intruiged by the deafening music, etc. and stopped to have a looksee. no harm intended, didnt want to start spending money on drinks already. id had enough over the last few days in brooklyn to last me a week or two, at least. but alas, i was unsuccessful. two cheery blokes grabbed hold of me and coaxed me into trying the delicious irish hard cider on tap, which "i would love, of course, because i'm american." and indeed, it was loved. so much so that i had to stay for a second. and by that time, more foreigners had flooded in, the music had gotten louder, and all signs pointed towards a great night to be had. the bar manager kept on buying all of us shots of jager, and so went the rest of the night. we eventually migrated to the bar underneath my hostel, where we were joined by the likes of other interesting travelers and local maori alike. it was quite fantastic. didnt feel that great for a few hours yesterday when i woke up, but so it goes.
as i said, yesterday was pretty uneventful. explored the town a bit more. which is quite odd, by the way. its the largest city in the country, which really isnt saying much. but its just a strange place. i was surprised to be met by such globalization and corporatism so far from home. there are so many damn burger kings, wendys, mcdonalds, and starbucks in this city that its disgusting. shopping malls down most streets, and food courts making up the majority of the eateries. thus, i havent been too awfully inspired to write anything interesting. but luckily, everyone that i've spoken to has shown the same contempt for auckland, saying that its the worst place theyve visited in the country by far. so it may not come as a surprise that im dying to get out of here.i hope to leave today and move on to better things. i met a bolivian couple at a sushi joint yesterday that have lived here for a few years. they were great and offered me a place to stay in rotorua, a maori village in the center of the north island with hot springs and such. perhaps ill head off in that direction...
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