Well, That Day is Over

No pictures today. Too long, too difficult and too many near misses. The first 8 hours from Napier to Auckland on the bus were on a regular bus. The route is lovely going from farmlands, orchards and vineyards through the mountains to Taupo near Rotorura where I could see the geysers and vents in the distance. From Hamilton to Auckland it could have been Alberta.  I was glad to be the passenger I had a better view and it would have been an exhausting drive in one day.

The day then went into a nose dive. On the outskirts of Auckland we transferred to an airport shuttle bus without air conditioning on the hottest day of the year. It was the kind of shuttle that would weave it's way through Leduc and Nisku before going to the airport. I thought I would swelter to death and so did everyone else.  Poor bus driver. Anyway I found the Avis desk and they had no record or me. I looked up my reservation on Expedia and it turned out it was with a company that they had never heard of. I went over to my trusty I Site and thankfully they knew. It is a little independent company that I had to call to come and pick me up.  They are tiny, tucked away in the industrial service area. I have no idea why I chose them, probably the cheapest. Anyway I have a little Honda that will do the job.

The problem was getting through Auckland at rush hour especially when my GPS froze part way through. Luckily the traffic was so slow I had time to fix it at a red light. The worst was going over the big bridge I had sailed under over 5 weeks ago. Six lanes of traffic in each direction and on the other side of the bridge going off in different directions.  Just glad to get out of town. It was another hour to my B&B. When I arrived the lady had double booked her room and had no recollection of my coming. She offered me a room in the basement which will work for the night.  Everything is booked not just with Chinese New Year but February is also wedding month.   And to finish it off  I left my jewelry bag at the hotel in Napier.

In less than a week I will be home.  A lot has happened while I have been gone and I am looking forward to being with my friends and having a family reunion.