Day 2

Today was the walking day.
I woke up at 7 just to see that i could do it then went back to sleep till about 9:30.
Hit the streets at about 10 and walked around the city. I went east and found the Victoria Park market which featured a number of stalls selling mostly souvenirs and other street market things. I then crossed the street to Victoria Park. It is 70% giant open field that was not really being used for anything. It would be a great location for a Sunday pick-up game of soccer. There are awesome trees here. They are very thick branched and kind of sprawling and low to the ground. So there were a bunch of those too. There was also one of the coolest playgrounds i have ever seen. Lots of swiveling and gliding things.
I made my way back to city centre and passed the Sky Tower on my way which my guidebook describes as "a giant hypodermic giving a fix to the heavens." People bungee off of it which the thought of makes me pass out a little.
I passed city centre and went up the hill to Albert park, which is a bit fancier than Victoria Park. There are fountains and statues and groomed ,blooming flower beds. It also has the neat trees. I walked around there for a bit and then hit a road that i followed for a bit too long and got lost. I made it to the international district, not the touristy kind, but the unidentifiable squashed birds for sale in the window, rice warehouse, Arabic graffiti kind. Took a left at the hospital and got out of there. On my way back to knowing where i was, i found a grocery store. I picked up some food and juice to last me my time in Auckland (thought the strawberries did not go as far as i had planned). Went back to the hotel and crashed for a bit. Made lunch and watched the last half of Three men and a baby ( i figured out the electricity).
My ferry for Great Barrier Island leaves at 7 on Tuesday morning and i have yet to figure out how i am going to get there from my hotel. So i set out to find where it was. I again got quite lost but eventually found it. it is right across the street form the Auckland Fish Market. The walk is ok but may be a bit much at 6 in the morning with my big backpack. I don't know what is going to happen so that is all i have to say about that.
In other news,
-upon going to brush my teeth last night, i found that all of my toiletries had gotten a nice shampooing on the flight, including may brand new thing of floss. I am so angry. Really, just furious.
-as i left this place yesterday, i walked out side to find that there were 7 firetrucks on my street. Apparently there was a massive gas leek in one of the buildings on the backside of my block. But all is well. New Zealand fire engines are cutier than American ones.
-The Segway is much more popular west of the US. I saw a bunch in Fiji and have seen a fair few here as well.
That, i think is all for now. i feel like this was a lot of words for little excitement.
Karaoke highlights today include Hotel California and Let it be.
-mb