day 01

Oh holy shit...what have I done?

 

This was the main thought going through my head today as I walked around the city. I tried to see as much Auckland as possible on foot. I didn't want to try and navigate the bus system in my depleted mental state. 

I guess it didn't really hit me until I found out that my cell phone won't work here. I am alone... in a foreign country. Granted, it's very westernized and everyone speaks English, but they also put beet relish on their hamburgers, and if that's not foreign, then I don't know what is. 

Today was a good day though. The weather was nice. I think the high was around 60F. I started out on foot with no real direction, so I just followed a group of people that looked like they knew where they were going. And what do you know? I ended up at Rotoara Square. There was a mini-market with wool sweaters and scarves and various food stalls. I ordered a "full metal jacket" which is Kiwi for a baked potato. I also had the best chai tea I've ever tasted. It had actual pieces of ginger floating in it. 

Then I kept walking and ended up on Queen Street, which is the main shopping district in Auckland. There were so many shops that I felt overwhelmed and didn't go into any for a while. I did stop into a health food store and bought some vitamins and deodorant. I really didn't want my first impression to the kiwi's to be one of a smelly, malnourished Texan. 

Somehow I ended up at the Auckland Art Gallery, and though I hate to admit it, it sucked. One "piece" was a pile of trash to signify our negative impact on our environment. Can't we just look out the window and see that? I know I sound like someone's grandpa by saying this, but I really wanted to see pretty, not a pile of plastic buckets. 

Fortunately, right down the street from the art gallery was Albert Park. I was fascinated by the giant roots of the trees there, as you can see by the five billion pictures I took of them. I walked around the park for a bit and attempted to journal on a bench there, until I realized some dude blatantly staring at me, so I got up and walked to the other side of the park where I sat next to a nice older couple. Then said dude ended up on a bench beside me, so I decided that it was coffee time! 

I took my dad's advice and ordered a "tall black". It wasn't tall, but it was definitely black. I asked for cream and sugar and was given a bowl of whipped cream, which I think was better than just regular half n' half. 

Then I moseyed on back to Queen Street and had dinner at Burger Fuel! BURGER FUEL!!! 

For some reason this name sounds like a war-cry to me. 

"YOU CAN TAKE AWAY OUR LAND, BUT YOU CAN NEVER TAKE OUR BURGERS!!!!" 

The reason I chose this fine establishment is they offer gluten-free buns. Oh, hell yes. I had a burger and fries for dinner and I have never felt less guilty about eating fast-food. Not only did I eat greasy sweet potato-fries, but I did all of this while reading a gossip magazine. (Hey, I needed to make sure Amy Winehouse didn't die during my 13 hour flight.)

And now I'm so jet-lagged and culture-shocked and mentally drained that I'm going to lay down and read a book that has nothing at all to do with New Zealand.