(Untitled)

[kathlaw]

My thanks to scarlettina and klwilliams for this one. I delayed doing it as sometimes it seemed more like bragging than a desire to visit more places. But Thursday I had to research Tibet, China, and Vietnam for the premises, and I have the urge to go somewhere again

Comments

[scarlettina]

Oooh! New Zealand! When did you go and was it a vaccation or business and what was it like? Tell tell!

[kathlaw]

A friend of mine is a fellow America's Cup fan, and thanks to a really good year, had the money to go down to Auckland to watch the races but didn't want to go alone. So she invited me to go with her, her treat. (Yeah, I was stunned.)

I'd been in love with NZ since I was in 4th grade and did a report on it, so of course I said yes!!

Was there for 8 days in October/November of 2002, but just in Auckland. I did one day out on the spectator boat (we were part of the One World aka Seattle Yacht Club supporters), then exhaustion hit and I didn't make it out the second day, so did a little walking of the city. Auckland is a lot like Seattle, btw, in light angle, construction, and feel, only like Seattle used to be, pre-Microsoft and Boeing turning the lights out in the 70s.

Really want to get down there again, this time to South Island. Want to see the Southern Alps!

Worse, I'm now on Air New Zealand's e-mail newsletter list and sometimes they offer $800 round trip fares from LAX. *whimper* Unfortunately I haven't yet been

[klwilliams]

I had lunch with Kevin today, and we went to a Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant. He, of course, has been there for real, and could compare the restaurant food to what he had in Tibet and Nepal. He sucks.

My friend Gerad, who also sucks, has moved to New Zealand as of last month, and sent me a picture of himself in the Shire (which is all still there, sans things like doors).

[kathlaw]

Congrats on having interesting friends, at least. And perhaps you could look upon Gerad as being a potential host when you head down there. :-)

[lnhammer]

Janni and I are still bummed we didn't get to trek in Nepal before the local revolutionary movement got too squirrelly for Americans outside of Kathmandu valley. We would have met up with our Sometimes Roommate, for whom, at the time, it would have been a nearby vacation from her current assignment - can you say "experienced local guide"?

---L.

Re:

[kathlaw]

Yeah, my sympathies on that one. I would have enjoyed seeing photos, or at least reading trip reports. It's the Himilayas that really attract me. Wanna see K2 someday. Everest would be a second best, but it's a lot easier to get to base camp.

Re:

[lnhammer]

We wanted to do the Anapurna Loop.

---L.