Life in a new hostel

Have I mentioned there isn't a whole lot in New Zealand? I'm fairly sure I mentioned the fact that there is but a single cellular provider (though, to be fair, while it is relatively expensive, they also have 3G available.) There also seems to be only one supermarket serving all of downtown Auckland. Sure, there are plenty of convenience stores (which are), but they are all overpriced when it comes to basic goods, and they don't have a very large selection. There does seem to be an abundance of coffee shops, though.

Which brings me to a peculiarity that I have found nowhere else: Coffee in Auckland is usually served in bowls. Cups are used for take-away beverages, but shops seem to serve beverages in a dish that is wider than it is tall, and tapered somewhat. It's the sort of thing I'd usually eat cereal or noodles out of, not sip coffee. But it works, and it's how they do it, so who am I to argue? Plus, it's interesting.

My second hostel was much nicer than the first. It had more character, and seemed much friendlier. Sure, some people still used it as a stopoff point on their way to exotic places down south, but a one-week stay seemed to be the average, with some people having stayed for at least three months. When I go back through Auckland on my way up, I'll try to stay there again.

I do have a date-of-return now. I'll be in Auckland until November 21, and I'll be back in San Diego on December 4. In the interim, I'll be in Fiji, which turned out to make the flight cheaper. Plus, Fiji itself is fairly cheap compared to the places I've been so far. It's fairly exciting, especially since until I booked the flight, I didn't even know where Fiji was.

So I have one month in New Zealand, then two weeks in Fiji. I fly to Wellington on Thursday, and at some point might take a ferry to the South Island. I'll be meeting up with a friend in two weeks in Auckland, which I'm looking forward to. I'm still not sure what one does in Fiji though, but I'll find out when I get there.