Well we are back in the U.S.A. It only took seven flights, endless hours in security queues and a bit of a dent in our cruising budget. The interview at the embassy took all of 15 mins and we had the visa the next day. Talk about efficient. We were on our way back two days later. I am seriously over planes and security at the moment even though the officials were all very friendly and helpful. We did stay in the Travelodge at LAX which has a great pool and we were given a room that Howard Hughes and Jane Russell had lived in while filming "The Outlaw".
It wasn't all bad. We were able to spend time with Freya and Downtown Auckland has improved unbelievably. Five years ago the area around Queen Street was a windy desert, especially on a Sunday, nowadays it is vibrant and lively with great shops and cafes. Queens Arcade still has a wonderful tea shop and the walkway down along Viaduct Basin is a successful blend of maritime interest, restaurants and outdoor art installations. Hats off to the council for their investments in the city and preserving the architecture for future generations.
At the moment we are 'parked' in Oriental Harbour Marina to catch up on some maintenance and install refrigeration. That's us, we survive the boiling hot summer months and decide to put in a fridge with winter coming. We have been very lucky so far this week with the weather staying warm and sunny as we scrape and sand the wood work. There is a lot more wood on this boat than you would think.
Not everything translates easily even when everyone is speaking the same language. Gary called out to a guy we had spoken to the day before. "How's your deck going?" The gentleman in question looked rather startled and said, "What did you say?" "Did you just ask me how my dick was?" Whoops, the perils of the different accents on vowels. It reminds me of that hilarious You Tube clip about NZ deck stain advert. Worth watching. Schaffer's deck sealant.
