Argitaratu: 30.09.2023
Elisa has once again picked out accommodation in a prime location. The harbor is in the immediate vicinity as well as the nightlife area. The Sky Tower can be reached on foot in just a few minutes, as can Queen Street. The Bank of New Zealand is also just around the corner for withdrawing money. By the way, exchanging any currency into New Zealand dollars at the airport was possible free of charge (but only in cash).
Queen Street in Auckland is a street for strolling and shopping. Of course we didn't miss it and walked along there during the day. Among other things, I bought a hat for a ridiculous $10 (equivalent to about €5.50). Prices are much lower for pretty much all products (except alcohol) compared to the United States, which you can see. In addition, the Asian influence in the city seems to be quite large. British accents can still be felt in the city's architecture.
We also took a lap around the harbor. Aaaaber: The weather is very, very changeable - roughly comparable to April here. I try to describe the weather situation of the day as follows: ☁️🌧️🌧️💨🌬️☁️⛅️⛅️☀️☀️☁️🌬️🌧️☀️😅️😅️😅️
In the early evening we visited the Sky Tower - the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. You might think that you would get used to skyscrapers, but that's not the case. My knees still shake when I see the view from above 😅🙈. Everyone is a little different too. The elevator has windows on the sides and also at the bottom, so you can really enjoy the ride up 😁🫣.
While looking for food we came across a BERLINCHEN! It was immediately clear: no matter what it costs, we'll go in! It was so nice. Finally “German cuisine” again. I mean, Grandma's Kassler is just great in itself. In my opinion, the food in the Berlinchen was mediocre. But the fact itself - local cuisine - touched all the senses and gave us goosebumps. We've only been on the road for about three weeks so far, but it feels like a lot longer and for the first time I felt a little homesick. Ultimately, you can enjoy the thought that there is a little piece of home to be found at the end of the world.
In the USA, customers are always asked to tip outrageously large (20-30%) - even when ordering a 30-second “to go” coffee. The New Zealanders, on the other hand, get by without tipping and are satisfied with the advertised price.
Plus, we were probably pretty lucky with the time slot in New York. Residents are currently struggling with storm surges... 🙈😓
Good night 😴