Auckland day 1

After a much needed nap, we woke up and wandered to a local burger joint for lunch. The food was unique--the patties being a combination of meat and green salad ground together. The flavor was close to a salty, umami-infused garden burger, but the texture was way better. After that, we headed to the waterfront to check out some of Auckland's most touristy scenery.

Eli and I have been joking that Auckland is a combination of every place we've been so far. The downtown area and shop organization is very reminiscent of Berlin. Because of that, we already know where to go for diapers and medicines for the kids, so that's a plus.

We made it down to the touristy wharf and looked at the bay near Auckland. It's called the "City of Sails" and it didn't disappoint when we were there. There were a few boats, but apparently at some points in the year, the bay is packed with boats and it's a fun sight. We bought a postcard of one of those events. One of you will likely get it. After a latte at the end of the pier, we wandered to the tepid baths, a large saltwater indoor swimming pool. We didn't go in, but the building was old and the concept was super strange. The sea water was apparently heated by the nearby power plant, a system that was considered revolutionary at the time. It's now just a public pool and fitness center.

The air feels like Costa Rica in winter or late fall. The colors of the landscape are like Ireland. The statues remind us of Iceland. The people are friendly like the Midwest, and the city is laid out on a series of earthquake prone big hills like San Francisco. The various cataclysms over the years have ensured a strange mix of architecture from classic to new. It's a comfortable mix.

We got back to our hotel, I headed downstairs to grab some comfort food, since Eli was fighting a cold, and I stopped into what turned out to be an upscale food court. The atmosphere was more German beer hall than food court, and the restaurants were all very highly rated on Google. I grabbed some pasta and pizza and took it back to the hungry kids and wife in the room. We got everyone off to bed and fell asleep before 9, which helped us with most of the jet lag.