Why Auckland cannot be the capital of New Zealand

Without having seen the rest of the country, I can still claim with some certainty that Auckland is not the most beautiful spot in New Zealand. The majority of the city center consists of high-rise buildings and complexes that appear to be haphazardly thrown together. Even though you can find a few nice buildings, they can't be fully appreciated from any angle because they are surrounded by other structures. In short, walking through Auckland's streets feels cramped and suffocating. It is dirty, noisy, and crowded - a typical big city that, compared to all the stories about the charm of this country, has rather disappointed me. On the ground floors of the buildings, restaurants and snack bars are lined up, and about 60% of them only offer cakes, ice cream, and other sweets. And yet people still buy their ice cream at Burger King (yes, attentive readers will recognize an anecdote from the last entry).
In the harbor, one almost feels like being in a different world when the vastness of the land and the sea merge on the horizon. The hustle and bustle of downtown is no longer noticeable here. Hardly anyone sits alone by the water, yet everyone silently listens to the sound of the waves. As Mia Wallace says so beautifully in Pulp Fiction: "'That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably share the silence.'

After enjoying enough silence, we head to a 'cheap' supermarket chain, as Google tells us. My bargain purchase consisting of cream cheese and a bell pepper only costs me 4.50 NZD, while Ulli pays a whopping 15 NZD for a pack of cheese, grapes, and chewing gum. Well, if that wasn't worth it. Keep your fingers crossed that our groceries will still be in the hostel community fridge tomorrow morning. ;)