Up late-ish for a large breakfast with some dodgy processed bacon. Change of room and a shower. Round the corner to "Net Club" and check email, bank balances (have to change [IE] into a Western Encoding otherwise the £ signs don't appear [it's a Korean joint]) and start typing [the journal]. After three hours we take a break. The weathers too poor to do the Tower. We duck into the cinema complex to take a pee and pay for cheap seats to see Fellowship Of The Ring again. Sadly, they put us in for a film that'd already started rather than the one starting in 20 minutes. We question this and get told the 3pm is for the hard or hearing -- this from a woman who bellows at you. Despite her claims that missing the first 10 minutes is OK we get a refund.
We wander around downtown looking for a dive shop and lunch. STA [Travel] give the impression that Tonga is not the place to travel to [they can't book us in, anyway]. Hmm. We barely get lunch (it it 4pm).
Back in Net Club for another four hour stint and only get a week's worth typed up. My journal is getting much more verbose, Helen's much more terse. We break again for tea and go next door to a Korean restaurant. My cold elastic bands (noodles) are a bit wearing and it's not the meal I expected. Net Club is packed still but we squeeze [back] in. Most people appear to be playing games, which is odd.
We type away 'til gone 1am (less than a week's done) but the place is still full. After a patient 20 minute wait outside the YHA, waiting for the guard to open the door, a woman with attitude (or maybe experience) made a lot more noise and the guard appeared looking a little sleepy. It's 2am and we can't sleep.
City YHA, Auckland S36.85673 E174.76274 Elev. 104m.
Copyright 2002 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.