I walked up & down Sky Harbor so my legs wouldn't get tired of sitting on the plane. On the flight to LA, I met a woman, Lisa, from Australia that thought Phoenix was so pretty & thought our airport was very nice. After seeing L.A.'s airport, I can definitely agree.
The LAX information person was real nice. I could ride a shuttle to the Tom Bradley terminal or take a 10-minute walk. I chose to walk. It took me a bit to find the Air Tahiti departure counter.
I kept looking for my cousin, Nina. She & her family were going to meet me at the ticket counter at a certain time & they were very late. I didn't want to fly to New Zealand alone. I realized later that I was still on Arizona time & she showed up right on time.
She recognized me first. She looks a lot like her mom. Tansy looks like Tansy only all grown up & filled out, 5' 7" & 17 yrs. old. Frank looks like Frank.
After boarding, it was amazing what amenities we were given. A pillow, a blanket, a baggy with an eye mask, earplugs, earphones, handi-wipes, & socks! The little TV screens were on the backs of everyone's chair. We had choices of seven movies, music, games like backgammon, chess, or solitaire, & a screen that kept changing, telling us about our speed, altitude, distance & time. The menus were great; salmon, salad, roll, cheesecake, vegetables, & new potatoes, was just one choice. Breakfast was either scrambled eggs or french toast, croissant, & sausage. Brunch was egg omelet, hash browns, chicken, couscous, & a roll.
It was a 9 hour flight to Tahiti, where we stopped for fuel for two hours, & then it was 4 hours to New Zealand. We made it into Auckland 15 minutes later than scheduled. Customs, money exchange, inspecting a used tent Nina had, & all, made us miss our flight to Palmerston North. We had to pay for another ticket. Oh well, Nina had found us such a great deal on the 1st one that this additional ticket totaled out to the equivalent of what we normally would have had to pay. I got so sweaty from speed walking & half jogging to the domestic terminal. I'm so out of shape & not able to keep up with my long legged cousin. The plane to Palmerston North was small, maybe a 66-passenger seater. It was a little bit bumpy but I enjoyed listening to Frank describe Holland & time passed quickly.
It was raining in Palmerston North. Ian, a former business partner of Nina's, & good friend, picked us up in a small station wagon. We were piled high in luggage & camping gear. Nina had to sit on Frank's lap for the 20-minute ride out to Ian's house.
The landscape was gorgeous, so green. Large pastures stretched from fence to fence with fat black & white cows, sheep, & deer. Yes, deer. They grow them like cattle. The countryside was so picturesque. Oregon was never this green. The rain was still coming down when we arrived at Ian's house.
What a wonderful house. It was so full of character. Different floors & wallpaper, & lots of interesting stuff inside. I loved looking at the seashells & a piece of driftwood that looked like the statue of "The Thinker". Ian had made coffee & cakes. The cakes weren't real sweet like it would've been in the US. I enjoyed them.
Kinsie, another former business partner of Nina's, & her 14-year-old daughter, Louisa, arrived. The union of old friends was wonderful to see. Long hugs were given to each other. Angela, Ian's wife, came in from work late. More hugs.
Ian put a huge dinner on the table. Wine was poured. The food was delicious. Two roasted hens, potatoes, stuffing, carrots, peas, pumpkin, cauliflower, & for dessert, homemade applesauce made with apples & quince, & ice cream.
It was extremely uncomfortable sitting at the table while Nina & Frank insulted the US & President Bush. I knew before this trip that Nina would want to vent her feelings about it & I tried to be ready but it was still hard to take. Kinsie may have noticed my discomfort because she changed the subject a couple times. Thank you, Kinsie.
I'm sitting here comfortably stuffed with a room to myself to get a good night's sleep.
***Took Air Tahiti Nui. Frank booked the flight for all of us by Internet. It only cost $749 round trip. It's based out of Tahiti which is French Polynesia so they spoke to us in French, Polynesian, & English. Sometimes it was a little difficult to understand but who hasn't heard all the plane safety instructions before anyway. It was a big jet with 9 seats across & two isles. Possibly a 747. They give us little flowers that smell like honeysuckle, which is their logo.
Did I write to tell you the New Zealander's opinion of Americans?
Tami
