Well here goes my first ever blog post, so don't judge to harshly. I need to get the hang of it! After roughly 20 hours of travel I have finally arrived in New Zealand. Luckily the long travel hours were not as unabearable as it seems.
Honestly, the roughest part was trying to navigate LAX airport. Since my first flight was domestic, I had to change to the international terminal.I thought this would be pretty easy...Little did I know I had to completely exit the airport and either take the shuttle bus or walk to a completely separate terminal. As soon as I walked out of the doors all I heard were numerous car horns honking, cars jockying for the best pickup position on the curb, and traffic cops blowing their wistles. I waited for the bus, but after watching the traffic jam in front of me I decided to walk. After cutting through various parking structures and lots, I finally made it to the Air New Zealand ticket counter and ran through security once again. I have flown on several different airlines, but I have to say that Air New Zealand is hands down the best. The people were very friendly, seats were roomy (in comparison to other airlines), we had individual tv's, a nice blanket and pillow, and great food that was actually severed in thick plastic dishes that made you feel like you were eating a real meal. Just for the record, I am not getting any kickbacks from Air New Zealand. ;)
After 12 hours we were finally getting ready to land. As we flew over getting ready to land I couldn't help, but marvel at the landscape. It was a lucious green color which was contrasted with the blue of the ocean and the white spots of sheep with a mix of brown spots which were cattle. It was everything I thought it would be and I hadn't even landed yet. Once on the ground I had to go through immigration, baggage claim, and then customs. All the airport workers were very friendly, which made the process go a lot smoother. From there I hopped on a bus and took it into downtown Auckland and was dropped off near my hostel. I know some of you may be thinking that I am nuts for staying at a hostel, but it really is the most econimcal way to travel if you are trying not to break the bank. Plus I researched the hostel that I am staying at and it has great reviews! After walking a bit on the street I was able to find my hostel and rode the elevator to the 5th floor. Now this wasn't any ordinary elevtor. It was one of those old school ones where you slid open the door and then the gate behind it. Then once both doors were closed it went up to the 5th floor.The hostel is very clean, has a kitchen, two loung areas, a wash room, and lockers. There are different styles of rooms that you can choose from: single, double, 4 bed female, 5 bed mixed, 10 bed mixed, and finally 12 bed mixed. The price goes down as the number of beds goes up. As this is my first night ever staying in a hostel I'll have to let you know how it goes..
. After checking in at my hostel I went to wander the streets downtown and check out the area. I went to see the infamous skytower, which is where people can jump off of if they want a thrill (no I will not be doing that). I wandered for a couple of hours going in and out of different shops and people watched. Everyone seems to be friendly and carries a smile on their face. After wandering for a while I feel like I have this city down pat, well at least a few city blocks of it anyway...I returned to my hostel and am currenty city on the deck writing this post. The weather is beautiful. It is sunny, 80 degrees, and there is a slight breeze. A girl could not ask for more.
Even thought this city is nice, I will only be in it until Saturday morning. I leave on a bus to explore the rest of this beautiful country. Until then I will continue to explore the city, maybe go down to the harbour or jump on a bus to see what else the city has to offer. I will try to update you all on Friday night before i take off again.
Jenna
