084 – Auckland

I also realized I had crossed the equator and am now in the southern hemisphere. Of course, I did that when I went to Bali, but I was happily oblivious at the time.

So on to phase 2 of the trip. Not quite to the half way point of my journey, but the entire vibe has changed. This, for example, was the only ‘temple’ I saw the entire day of exploring Auckland.

And this was an odd site. Could this be a power line? I could hardly see it and it was not blocking any signs.

I’m not bashing Asia. Their system works well for them. I am simply not used to it. Obviously, since New Zealand developed with a strong western influence, it will be more like the United States in many ways.
I felt the need to point a few out only because of the relief I felt when I got here. I did not even realize how much angst I had built up over the last several weeks trying to adapt and fit into a culture which had few similarities to my home.
It was like a whole level of stress I was carrying around drained away. I am still in an unfamiliar land. Things are not quite ‘right’ for this to be my comfort zone, but I recognize things here. My heart, soul and body could spread out to take up space, because there was space to take up.

This sidewalk was so wide I could drive a car down it, and not a single vendor or scooter was in my path. I took advantage of the moment and meandered up the path, zig zagging from the curb to the building just because I could. And there was not a single thing to trip over or run into on my path.

Traffic… was non existent. Yes, it was a Sunday, but wide open intersections with cross walks. And diagonal pedestrian crossing. I had no idea what to do with myself.

I can read here. It startled me when I looked down and saw something called a street. I stood there and stared at the words because I was trying to translate them in my head when I knew full well I had no tools to translate anything other than English, and it was obviously English.
I will admit I saw the Woolworths truck and did a doubletake because I had no idea the company still existed, and certainly they would not have a truck delivering penny candies, but here it is a major grocery chain.
Even signs with complete sentences I understood. The translation made sense to me.
I will admit, I spent most of my first day simply wandering around trying to remember how to exist in this type of culture and relishing in the fact I needed to.

And then I ran across this. Not at a 7-Eleven, but at a ‘corner 77’ I think it was called. They have this in Asia. They also have coke Oreos. Don’t do it. No matter how tempted you may be to try such a thing, just… avoid. Or that is my advice.

But back to Western culture. They have things like this here. There were a lot of tourist based things in Asia, but I did not run across towers built specifically for tourists to pay to go to the top while serving… no other purpose other than art I suppose. I debated going up in their version of the sky needle for a while. You can apparently walk around the outside at the top. You can have dinner at the top. You can just go to the inside observation deck and observe. Those are great to observe, but I always have that damn camera mind. Windows make for reflections and horrible shots.
You can also tie your ankles up in a rope and fall off the top into a net, or some kind of controlled rappelling experience, which were tempting.
And they all cost a lot of money. That was the eye opener here. Things are not expensive, but they are not Asia pricing.
For an hour plus drive in Cambodia I paid $50 US. That is the most I had paid for anything the entire trip. (Except flights. I will admit flights cost more than $50, but not much once past the initial flight from the states).
My Uber from the airport to my hotel was $15 US. Not a lot I suppose, but other than that one ride in Cambodia, most of my experiences in hired cars were maximum $5 and that took me further than this ride. Even in Bangkok.
Hotels are in the $100 range instead of the $20 range. I paid $70 for a luxury resort on a beach with breakfast included in Bali, the expensive place. The least expensive room I have in New Zealand is $50, and that is a single bed, no windows, and a small bath with a total square footage of less than my guest bedroom. Can’t wait to see that one.
So, in summary of the cost issue. Yikes. I have been in needles and tall buildings, and yes the view can be amazing.
I am tempted by all these sky diving, dropping off building, zip line adventures. I would love to come back and do them all, but right now I am traveling alone and 6 months past a hip replacement. I am in the western world now, but I have done the hospital experience with MJ, and I do not want to do that alone here so I am being conservative. I want someone I know to be with me to pick up the splat after I do adventure.
So, I did not go up. I’ll keep he money and buy my kids something instead. Or even use it to eat. I don’t even want to look at food prices. Those will knock me down a few pegs after paying $2 for most full meals the last few weeks.
So, if coming to New Zealand from the states, start here. Do not come here from Asia or you will cry over your rapidly diminishing bank account.

This is a very walkable city, especially on a Sunday when there is no traffic. Not sure where everyone goes, but nobody was here. They have these wonderful walkways devoted to bikes and pedestrians that help you bypass all the traffic below.
The views of the area are spectacular if you can get past the point most of the glass panels are smudged or scratched with graffiti. Not great for pictures, but you certainly do see more than if there were rails or a concrete enclosure.
I found the sky needle thing to be a great guide for me. It was a block from my hotel, so when I wandered off and got all turned around as I usually do, I looked up; looked for the needle and headed toward it. It got me back every time.

This was an odd find. Took me right back to the states and high school when all the guys were ‘car guys’ and owned and restored cars. Yes, they still do, so ‘were’ is an inappropriate use here, but my first cars were giant boats like this one. So I took a picture for me to remember and feel once again… comfortable. And I took it for the guys. Look what I saw.

You know I can see all of you standing around this car debating year, engine, accessories and such. Nodding your heads and pointing out things as you wait for the owner to come over and admire your admiration. And then getting into a 30 minute conversation about cars which escalates quickly above my knowledge of cars having tires. I got to that point faster in my head than when among the boys, so I wandered on. But every damn one of you were standing there looking at that car with me.

Here in Auckland they also do this. Have little weird shaped Herkey statues painted up by local artists for some cause or another. They call Herkey ‘Kiwi Bird’ Here.

Something I learned in Asia of all places was when I came to NZed, I had to… must in the strongest sense of the word… try to see an “All Blacks” event.
Having no idea what “All Blacks” were other than a sports team, I learned here I would not be able to attend an event because none were near where I was going to be while I was here. I also learned they were a rugby team, and they were indeed “CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!”
People here are very proud of their team.

I am not a city person as I have stated before, but just wandering around today was a wonderful experience, if only for the fact I could expand myself again.
I enjoyed SE Asia. Yes, I did get a little tired of all the temples after a while, as I am sure anyone reading this noticed. There must be more to see there than temples, but there certainly a lot of temples to see.
Just a thought, America could turn their churches and other religious sites into tourist attractions. Some already are, but I mean everyone get a relic, or a gimmick, and make a tour of temples across the United States.
Biggest stained glass Jesus; Largest Synagogue made of sandstone; Only religious site within 100 miles… that type of thing. Charge a buck or two and you could fund half of the initiatives the church raises funds for.
I am reminded that it is lent right now, and I think I would pay a little extra to eat at “St. Joe’s Friday Night Fish Fry: Home of the Largest Walleye ever caught by Saint Peter.” Especially if there was a talking Walleye on the wall who handed out blessing bracelets for $5 a pop. Just saying.

But guess what? I digress.

I am not without angst here. I am still in a strange place among strange people, and despite all of the western ‘English’ things here, the car driver was from Sri Lanka, the hotel clerk was from India, the store clerk was from China.
Wonderful to have diversity, and they all spoke very good, although ‘funny’ English. But I guess the point is, through my travels there has been no stereotypical ‘local’ person. Anywhere.
People generalize the Midwest is full of white bread farm boys. The south is full of southern belles. There are hillbillys and city folk and mountain people. I won’t even get started on the weird west coast of the states.
The point is, when I look at New Zealand from afar I see Māori people with their face tattoos, or I see in my head white, western farmers, just as people outside the Midwest see white German heritage (or Dutch, or Czech, or some equally European stock).
That is not the reality of todays world. Anywhere.
Even in Asia there were Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai… I do not have the history to be able to tell one from another as well as others, but the diversity of “Asian” is as diverse and complicated as “American.”
The people I encountered here on my first day were all New Zealand citizens. They were all different and unique, and the same.
Assumptions about people are out the window here, and I suppose everywhere, and that is an important and weird lesson to learn. Even though I had learned it repeatedly through my life.
One must break down everything to understand anything, and I had not had that lesson in my face for a very long time. So, this trip was worth it. Me taking baby steps to redefine my place in my mind, and perhaps purpose in the world. We will see.

Until I figure all that out, at least I have my daily doggo.