Meet the Maori... and the Kiwi Bird!

Mai got her haircut on Tuesday. ("I''m bald"- Mailynh) After peppering a bit on the field near Rotorua Lake (another location marked on the ball) we went to take a dip in the Polynesean Spa.  The pools here are heated naturally from the geothermal activity in the area.  All the geothermal attractions are what make Rotorua so cool, though along with geothermal activity comes the pundgent smell of sulfur.  Not the most pleasant of smells, but bearable nonetheless.  The next day was Mai's birthday!  Why don't you tell us about your day Mai Tai?

A sunny and hot day, the weather did not reflect my sour notions about the age of 23.  However, taking full advantage, Brian and I spent the afternoon peppering. We are cultivating our browness (yes moms, we are wearing sunscreen) and have been religiously following the old adage of, "suns out, guns out" (thanks for that D Fresh).  Post peppering, we went to a Maori Concert followed by a traditional Hangi and a Kiwi Bird excursion (THANKS MOM!).  According to numerous sources, Rotorua is the place to have a "cultural experience". Though highly commercialized, we could not pass up a buffet style hangi.  A hangi is the traditional Maori meal where the food (chicken, lamb, potatoes etc.)  is cooked in a pit in the ground.  The night began at 6 when we were shuttled from our hostel, Crank, and brought to the Mitai Maori Village.  Our Swedish roommates, Bryan and Flavio were with us as well.  We were brought into a tented area with tables set up like a banquet.  First up on the agenda was for the room full of foreigners to pick a chief who had to be a male and over the age of 25.  With Brian's enthusiasm, a Scottish man at our table was chosen as cheif. The people in the tent represented 14 nations.. there were some other Americans there but we never interacted with them.  

After petit hors devours (3 options, crackers with either a tomato sauce, a seaweed beat sauce or a sweet potato paste) we were directed toward a small river surrounded by ample greenery (palm trees, vines etc) to see the tribe's warriors paddle up in a waka (the traditional boat used during battle- it has a canoe shape but has wood carving designs). There was a mystical ambiance to the river area because of the foliage, the tribal humming emanating from hidden speakers and the natural thunder that started rolling in. Following this presentation, we were brought into a concert room just before the clouds burst open, releasing an ocean of rain on Rotorua. The show was interesting.  The Maoris did a few traditional dance and song performances intermixed with a weapons and a musical instruments "show-and-tell" style lesson.  After the show, we were escorted back to the banquet area where the feast ensued. Brian and my plates made it seem like we had been starving ourselves until that moment. Lamb, chicken, potatoes, stuffing, macaroni salad, garden salad, sweet potatoes, scalloped potatoes and some coleslaw all fit on huge dinner plate.  I have never seen Brian eat that much for a meal and then still have room for some chocolate log dessert and COFFEE!

Post meal and sheltered from the rain by ponchos and umbrellas we saw the glow worms.  Glow worms are maggots that glow and neon yellow/green in order to attract insects into a web.  They copulate for up to 23 hours and die immediately afterwards. There lives are short-lived but they sure look neat in groups around the walls. 

This part is the best part of the night: Rainbow Springs, Kiwi Bird Excursion. Kiwi birds are my new favorite animal! Not only are the nocturnal "birds" adorable,  they have nubbins for "wings" and thus they are unable to fly.  Kiwi females, while pregnant, the egg takes up 2/3 of the female's body, the equivalent of giving birth to a 35lb baby.  They are approximately a foot wide. After giving birth to a giant egg, the father incubates and hatches the egg. Once hatched, the Kiwi baby is left to fend for itself.  Kiwi Birds only live with their mate that they keep for life (living up to 80 years).  If their mate dies, they remain single for the rest of their lives. Kiwi birds are romantic and endangered.. you should probably go and adopt one :)  -- In Mai's wonderful description of the Kiwi birds, she forgot to mention that we SAW them at Rainbow Springs.  They walk kind of funny, as if they are falling forward all the time.  And the guy who works there can call one of them over, something that he taught the bird.  Pretty cute.