The normal creaking of floorboards and doors wakes me up at 7.30. Normally I'd ignore it and go back to sleep, but I'm leaving today for New Zealand. The airport shuttle picks me up at 2.30 and as we do the rounds of nice hotels including the Grand Hyatt and the Fairmont I wonder why people who have spent 200 dollars on a room are bothering to save 12 dollars on the shuttle instead of getting a taxi. At the airport my bag weighs in at 26 kilos. I don't understand it, as I sent 20 kilos of stuff home from San Francisco. Much of that was shopping I must admit. When I arrive in Los Angeles I'm subjected to another bag search with lint.
The plane to Auckland is full. I watch 'Zodiac' with Mark Ruffalo which is set in San Francisco, although I miss half the dialogue as my headphones are crackly. I manage to sleep for a few hours on the plane which is rare for me and arrive in Auckland at 6am on June 17th. I left on the 15th so I've lost two days of my life. I take the shuttle bus to my hotel and as I'm the last to be dropped off I don't arrive until 7am.
There is a note pinned to the door saying 'Welcome Maria... please press the button next to the intercom to call our night porter.' After I work out what this means and where the relevant technology is located I press the button and wait. Nothing. It's dark and freezing cold, like London in Winter. I press the button again and hold it down. Nothing. I then press all the buttons on the intercom to try and attract some attention but still nothing. After twenty minutes someone leaves the building so at least I'm in the warm now. I wait around for another ten minutes but then spot a phone with the number of the duty manager. He says he'll be down in a minute. The night porter went home at 7am apparently.
(Photo - Auckland)
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