Last night we went to the Chinese Lantern Festival and it was fantastic. We ate lots of street vendor food, enjoying every bit, as we know we will NOT be able to do this in Asia. There were several performances, my favorite being the traditional culture dances. Once it got dark, the colored lanterns were all lit in the park and it was really beautiful.
We spent the day walking around the city trying to find a respectable
place to rent a camper van. Unfortunately, all the respectable places were booked clear
through to the third week of March. So we settled for a cheap rental company
that had vans on hand that were a little "used". We put down a
deposit and pick up the van tomorrow. Decided not to go the "tourist bus"
route as we want to experience New Zealand at our own pace. Later in the
afternoon, we walked to Victoria Street Market (a very long walk) to check out
some of the craft jewelry. I bought a few pieces and some old coins, nothing
much. Off to bed early so we can pick up the van first thing.
Matt and Cynthia (to be continued)
