Today when we woke up and looked outside it was a bit cloudy, so we decided it would be a good day to hike to the top of Mt. Eden, which is just a few minutes away by bus. By the time we got to the bottom of the mountain (really just a very tall hill), it was starting to drizzle, but not enough to waylay us. We hiked up, and it was even more beautiful than expected. The view from the top was amazing:
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| Ira at the top of Mt. Eden |
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| Brennan and Sadie |
On the way to the top I saw this incredible tree...
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And this bowl that reminded me of Rock Canyon Park.
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Once we got up there, the rain didn't slow at all. In fact, it just picked up speed. By the time we got back down to the bottom, we were soaked. But the rain here is warm and the air is warm, so we weren’t cold, just wet. It was kind of an odd feeling. We saw the bus pulling up to the stop about 20 feet away and starting running and waving our arms like crazy people so that the driver would wait for us. We knew that we looked like idiotic tourists, but we didn’t care. We just wanted to catch that bus and get out of the rain. And yes, we did bring umbrellas with us to NZ, but stupidly left them back in our room.
We ate delicious Thai food for lunch and did some shopping downtown. Another fun fact about New Zealand: despite the high cost of living here, the NZ dollar has dropped significantly in recent months and the American dollar is much stronger. This means that when we buy stuff here we are getting great deals. I was contemplating buying a pair of Birkenstocks before our trip, but at around $250 a pair I decided against it. Today I found a pair that only cost $97 U.S. My tired, aching feet are in heaven!
After shopping in (still) pouring rain, we trucked back home on foot, grateful for the dry comfort of our rooms. Tomorrow is the beach. We are hoping and praying for sun.
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