A room with a view

I got into Auckland this afternoon without much trouble (which is always nice). The hour flight was easy, smooth and we landed without a hitch. And, as much as I enjoyed staying at the Cambridge Hotel in Wellington, my view here doesn't suck.



And I'm right across the street from the famous Sky Tower, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. It's also a place where the crazy kids bungie jump from, so I'll have a good view if any of them have an unfortunate mishap. Could make for some colorful photos...





I'm on the 14th floor (top of the building), with a view of the city on two sides (and a slight view of the water in the distance). Enjoyable. The sun was just starting to set, so I got some nice shots before night set in.





Plus, the room is, by far, the largest one I've had so far...it even has a little kitchenette (like I'm gonna use that for anything).



Then, Ling (a gal that lives here in the city and is a friend of my friend Trebor), came by and gave me a little walking tour of the area (after we had some nice tapas and beverages at one of her favorite coffee places). She's beautiful, very smart, a lot of fun and seems to know all kinds of cool, hidden places around the city. That should come in handy.



She also gave me this great picture book called "New Zealand Horizons" and it's got some of the most beautiful photos of the country that I've seen so far. What's not to love about someone who gives you presents and a tour of a new city?

I think more cities should take a lesson...

After a Starbucks break, she headed home and I walked around the city a bit. It's like being in a cleaner, active downtown LA...but without all of the drug addicts and homeless people (I mean, without the "charm" of downtown LA).

As I got back to the hotel, I looked up at the Sky Tower and thought about how nice it's gonna be to wake up each morning to the sound of screaming people as they jump off the building to an uncertain future...



Maybe it's more like LA than I thought....