Fun with customs

Im waiting for my flight to NZ currently, but I’d thought I’d document the fun NZ customs just put me through. I had purchased a flight from NZ to Sydney on Aerolineas Argentinas, and sent a copy of the itinerary to NZ immigration to get my visa. Regardless, Air NZ and NZ customs didnt believe that I had a outbound flight from the country, so Air NZ refused to check me in.  Beginning to panic, I was sent to the main international terminal in hoped of printing an intinerary for my flight out of NZ, but when I got to Bradley terminal – no Aerolineas Argentinas presence was there and their customer service line closed after 9pm EST – more panic.

What I was able to do, was buy an open, refundable ticket on Air NZ from Auckland to Sydney, refundable for a $100 penalty. Here’s the kicker, the open ticket cost almost $700 US,  I didn’t pay much more than that for my flight from LA to NZ!!! Hopefully customs will let me in when I get there…

So, boarding should be beginning any minute… next time from New Zealand!

Standing on the precipice

Tomorrow I leave home for a year, beginning what may be the greatest journey of my life. Honestly, I still don’t believe that its actually happening. I somehow cannot internalize the fact that in less than a week I will be in a country on the opposite side of the globe (over 8800 miles away, to be precise, over three times the distance between Miami and Vancouver).This lack of apprehension is probably the result of several factors: I am not particulary worried about the need to make friends and meet new people (I’ve done it several times before), I’m going to an English-speaking country, and I dont think the culture will so different as to give me that “shock” everyone refers to. I don’t think I will be so calm, however, before my departures to Hong Kong and SE Asia.What I can appreciate, is that I will not be able to see anyone I know for the next year (with a few exceptions). Skype calls will become my sole connection to family and friends. The biggest worry I have, at the moment, is about the difficulty of reintegrating with my friends after a year’s absence.My next post will by in Aotearoa, The Land of the Long White Cloud!

Update: here is another little treat, a picture of a rose I just took in California

My last great photos

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Originally uploaded by A-Boy.
I figured a little eye candy would be nice before I can start adding exotic photos from NZ. Here is Windy Arm of Lake Bennett, which straddles the provincial border between the Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada. The water really was that blue, and to the left was a 5000 ft vertical rise to the peak of Mt. Montana (see my Alaska photos, why don’t you). This region was probably the most surreal and beautiful area I’ve ever seen, most of the region lacks enough soil for trees to grow – hence the name, the Tormented Valley. I highly recommend a visit if you’re ever in the area (the easiest way to reach it is from Skagway, Alaska, as it is far from any easy-to-reach Canadian cities).

The rest of this set can be viewed here.