[ New Zealand ~ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 ]
11~5~00
Auckland: City of Sirens
Auckland is nicknamed the "City of Sails" because it has more boat owners per capita than anywhere in the world. And, sure enough, there are lots of sailboats in the harbour. But I would contend that Auckland also has the most touchy car alarms per capita than anywhere else. The downtown air is filled with the beeps and boinks of people turning their car alarms on and off, and a half hour doesn't go by when a car alarm siren doesn't scream. It's gotten to the point where I've stopped noticing the din.Speaking of cars, Auckland has an interesting innovation when it comes to traffic control. In busy downtown intersections, when they get a green light, pedestrians all cross at once. This means that it is perfectly legal to cross the intersections diagonally, and in fact there are painted lines to indicate it is okay. It may be a simple idea, but I was impressed.
So yes, I'm still in Auckland, but I'm hoping to leave tomorrow. I met an American woman named Farley, and we're going to team up to go to the South Island. Right now we're thinking of renting a car, but we're still holding out hope we will find another backpacker with a car who will take us along. No decisions have been made yet.
Here are a few highlights of what I've been doing this past week...
I found a better hostel - Auckland Central Backpackers. As you might guess from the name, it is right downtown and conveniently close to things like American Express and the American Consulate (where I got new visa pages added to my passport in 2 minutes instead of the 3-5 weeks it takes in the States). The hostel (an 8-story building) provides a remarkable amount of services onsite: The ground floor houses reception, a travel center, internet room, storage rooms, notice boards, and a convenience store. Floors 1-6 contain the rooms, as well as some kitchens, a laundry, a TV room, a big-screen movie room, and a reading room. On the 7th floor is a bar and cafe. All this for only NZ$20 (US$8) a night. I'm in a room with four beds, and have had a series of English roommates. The atmosphere is very "backpacker" - there is loud action in the bar until closing every night. But it's a great place to meet people and I've enjoyed a night or two out drinking myself.
The other day, I rented a bike to see some of Auckland and visit Mount Eden, an interesting hill overlooking the city. I was just leaving the bike rental shop when I remembered that Kiwis drive on the left. Had this occurred to me sooner, I would have hesitated to rent the bike, but I could hardly go back and return it now that the deed was done.
I was filled with real trepidation. I had only just adjusted to looking left before right when crossing the street, and I knew my instincts were all backwards. So I started by riding on the sidewalk. I didn't know if it was illegal in Auckland as it is in some cities in the States, but it was the only place I felt comfortable enough to ride. After I got out of the busiest part of downtown, I gave the road a try, riding as close as possible to the left curb. Fairly soon, I felt confident riding straight, but intersections foiled me several times with a random lane (on which I had no idea which way cars came) or confusing signal, and I ended up back on the sidewalk. It was a little like a video game... I rode until I got confused, then I could bail out. I didn't feel I was in any real danger because I could always pull over and stop if necessary. Anyway, by the end of the day, I was navigating intersections successfully and felt more comfortable. I survived my crash course in driving on the left without any crashes.
I made it up Mt. Eden, which is one of several random hills in Auckland, popping out of an otherwise flatish city. It is an old volcanic cone, with a huge crater in the top (now covered with grass). The view is superb, unobstructed in all directions.
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I had two unusual cattle experiences while I was there. First, I encountered a herd of cattle that live on top of the hill. These cows sat calmly chewing their cud and looking over the city. When they felt like moving, they clambered up and down the steep inclines of the hill as nimbly as mountain goats, which was quite a surprise. Their presence keeps the grass short, but means you have to watch your step!
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The second cattle experience began just after I had arrived, when tour buses began lumbering up the hill. I guess Mt. Eden is a stop on the Auckland city tour, because soon the parking lot was filled with maybe seven tour buses. The tourists unloaded in big groups, and had time for a quick walk around the top before it was time to re-board the bus and head to the next photo opportunity. Even when enjoying the view, they did it in big clumps. One sixtyish American man asked me in an loud and annoyed voice, "is it always so windy here?" As if it had been my mistake to not order better weather. I assured him that I was not from around here either (and so I was not to blame).
Another kind of cattle
The tour groups each stayed about ten minutes, making my last half hour or so on Mt. Eden more enjoyable, as I enjoyed the view alone, wrote in my journal, and managed to take a picture of myself with the skyline, using my camera's tripod and self-timer. 
That day has been the highlight so far. Other than that, I also enjoyed a pickup soccer game organized by the hostel yesterday. We played in familiar Seattle-like conditions (wet field, misty rain), and I enjoyed it and held my own against the largely English group. There were some very amusing falls in the slippery grass. I'm a little worse for the wear today, though... I have a bruised nose from getting hit in the face with the ball, and my ankle is sore from a slide tackle I attempted.
