Some sort of horrid sinus infection has captured me in it’s phlegmy tentacles. I have discovered it is certainly not more, potentially even less, fun to be sick in a foreign country. Hostels are loud and the people are substantially less friendly in a big-city downtown hostel than at any of our previous ones – poor Rhys has tried to strike up conversations and been countered at every turn, either by a quick insincere smile, then walking away, or by the ever-present “Go to hell” look. For the most part, I have just let my fellow backpackers be – especially in my current condition, I don’t exactly want anyone talking to me either.
Auckland is pretty fun though, when you’re not ill. Lots to see and do, and while I wouldn’t call it a 24/7 city, it is a 24-hour city on the weekends. Weeknights, it looks a little like downtown Tulsa, except way more built up – but closed. Thursday through Sunday, though, it hops every hour, throughout the night. Bars and clubs don’t really appear to close – their closing hours are listed as either craziness like 4am or 6am, or simply left as “til LATE.”
Rhys Martin is an author and photographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His love of travel was awakened in 2009 when he sold all of his possessions and left the country. For ten months, he lived out of a backpack and explored southeast Asia and Europe. When he returned home, it was with fresh eyes for his home state.
As he drove the back roads of Oklahoma, Rhys discovered the significance of historic Route 66 to the greater American story. He has traveled all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road and continues to seek out the quiet Main Streets of the Midwest.
Rhys's travel writing and photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Tulsa People Magazine, This Land Press, ROUTE Magazine, Nimrod Journal, The Oklahoman and Tulsa World. He wrote the book Lost Restaurants of Tulsa, which features the stories of nearly 50 iconic eating establishments from the city's past. He has also been a contributing author to multiple Route 66-based travel and history books.
Rhys is the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and serves on multiple boards and commissions related to the Mother Road and its upcoming Centennial in 2026. He loves to connect with people and share his experiences.
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Auckland is pretty fun though, when you’re not ill. Lots to see and do, and while I wouldn’t call it a 24/7 city, it is a 24-hour city on the weekends. Weeknights, it looks a little like downtown Tulsa, except way more built up – but closed. Thursday through Sunday, though, it hops every hour, throughout the night. Bars and clubs don’t really appear to close – their closing hours are listed as either craziness like 4am or 6am, or simply left as “til LATE.”
Rhys' Pieces 