Rotorua to Auckland

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Woke up, got ready and left our bags at motel. We walked into town and spent some time at the Internet café surfing the web to waste some time before lunch. Went to lunch, then back to motel to collect our bags and walk back to the bus station. Bus for Auckland left at 1:20 and will take about four hours. The bus trip was uneventful and we arrived in downtown Auckland on time. We took a cab to the Hyatt. It is an interesting transition on our return to the US. Suddenly everything is so cosmopolitan. We gave the ticket to the bellboy for the bag we left at the Hyatt in September and he had it out with our other luggage before we completed checking in. Being in the Hyatt is more like being in the US than being in NZ. Our culture shock is already starting.
We settled in our room and decided to go to the bar for a drink before going out to dinner. Michael was excited that they had Grey Goose vodka and ordered a martini. We weren’t even asked if we wanted ice, it was just put in the drinks. After our drinks we walked into town and ended up eating at the Mexican Café. It was very good but the service was not as good as their café in Christchurch. Auckland reminds us so much of just another big city anywhere in the world. It seems our NZ experience is already over.
We go back to the hotel, watch some television and go to bed in the first air-conditioned room we have had since leaving here in September.

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