Blustery Day in Rotorua

And do you know what's good on a blustery day in Rotorua?  Fish and Chips.  That's what.  In my case accompanied by some crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as I sit comfortably in my motel room listening to the wind and rain.
Pil, what's up with the motel?  We all know you refuse to drive in foreign lands--especially when they drive on the left.
Lotsa motels in New Zealand, and none of them require the guest to have a car.  This place happened to be convenient and to have the facilities, I needed.
Today was given over to exploring the town and spending money.  It's easy to spend money in Rotorua.  I saw few touristy stores in Hamilton and none in Wellington.  Well, here every third or fourth store on some streets is given over to souvenirs.
Whadja, buy, Pil?
My linen bag from Battle in Sussex (1066 and all that) is on it's last legs.  I thought I'd get a new bag in New Zealand, but I had requirements.  If you want a bag that says New Zealand on it, there are zillions of them.  They are for amateurs.  I wanted one with the Maori name--Aotearoa.  It translates to Land of the Long White Cloud and was supposedly the first words by the first human discoverers.  I found a nice bag today.  Snagged it.  I also bought some earrings with New Zealand shell, which people will be forced to admire.   I got, wrote, and mailed some postcards.  There were a few other odds and ends, one of which I will discuss in a bit, and, of course, the fish and chips.
The owner was a friendly chap--a Chinese immigrant--who asked me where I was from as my accent was easier for him to understand than those of New Zealanders.  While my fish and chips were being prepared, we chatted of this and that.  He asked me about pollution in Los Angeles, and I told him what the state had done to improve it.  He hesitatingly asked me about the political scene, and I assured him it was all right to discuss it with me.  People in other countries are Very Well Informed about what goes on in the United States.  Most of them do not hold this against us.
I got a lot of walking in before coming back to gorge on chips.  Rotorua is flat although its surroundings are not.  I walked down to the lake front where I saw sea planes being tossed on the waves.  I was looking for an atm for my bank's Southern Hemisphere partner.  I eventually found one once I figured out that group of stores was a giant shopping center or centre.
One big product in New Zealand is the famed Manuka Honey, which apparently is chock full of anti oxidants or probiotics or something healthful.  The stuff sold in the United States is probably fake or inferior given the prices for the stuff here.  I opted for some chocolates filled with the stuff.  Shall I try it?
Don't let us stop you!
Tasty enough, but the ratio of chocolate to honey is high, so I didn't get much sense of the honey.  If you know me in person and are nice to me, I might share when I get back.  Maybe.