Day 8: Mt. Eden And A New Friend

Mount Eden is a very old and inactive volcano that resides in Auckland. But no worries, it is very very very inactive. It hasn't blown in hundreds of years. (I'm not going to die Grandma, promise.) We were told that one of the first things you have to do in Auckland is hike Mt. Eden. They were right.

FUN FACT #11: The crater of a volcano is considered sacred to the Maori people of New Zealand. So if you're ever down here, don't walk down into the crater. You WILL get yelled at. Just don't do it.

Although it isn't necessarily what I would call a "hike"(more of a leisurely stroll... I'm from Vermont people) it had an amazing view of the city. I went with quite a few of my friends on a very hot day, and we had a blast.

After we returned from Mt. Eden, I met up with a friend of a friend. My best friend, Marisa, works at a summer camp on Lake Dunmore in Vermont called Songadeewin. A few of her fellow counselors happened to Kiwis. Her friend Sam lives in Auckland, and we decided to hang out.

Sam picked me up in her awesome purple car in front of the bus station and we headed to her house in the suburbs outside of Auckland City Central.  We became instant friends, so much so that her roommate thought we knew each other for years instead of fifteen minutes. Sam brought me to her house for dinner, and I met her family. They were so nice and very funny. We ate chinese food and pizza, which instantly made me feel at home. They made fun of my accent for a while... I never knew how weird I say some words. Like "mirror". That one was a definite crowd pleaser.

When we finished dinner, Sam took me to her "touch" match. When she first said it, I had no idea what she was talking about. But essentially, it is like 2-hand-touch football except they play rugby. She was in a co-ed league with a bunch of New Zealand cops. There was so much scoring, I couldn't keep track, but I think Sam's team won. It was really cool to watch.

Sam brought me back to my apartment, and my friends and I went out for the night. Overall, a very great day: saw some beautiful sights and made an awesome friend.