Rumble In Rotorua

Thursday.  Mai took a "few" pictures of the black swans in Lake Rotorua.  Then, we made the excellent decision to buy $9 bottles of wine and drink them by the lake at night.  Walking past the classy bar appropriately named the "Pig and Whistle" it was as if the gods called out from above.  We hear a live bands faint rendition of the classic song, Mai's song, "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry.  And yes, we did go to said bar post wine and yes, Mai did ask the band if they could play "Save Tonight" again and yes, they did comply. 

Friday, we made a delicious salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, green capsicum, broccoli, and apples (see parents, we're eating healthy too!). If you didn't know, capsicum is a long-winded way of saying "bell pepper".  So it seems that Brian and I have created a record of debaucheries Fridays.  This Friday was no exception to our newly instated rule. We began the evening by purchasing our beers the kosher way, from the hostel (if a hostel has a liquor license then you are not allowed to BYOB)... but because we can't afford drinking beers, we brought our bottles of wine into room 206.  An eight-bed dorm, room 206 became the party room Friday night. The guest list: 1 American from LA, 1 guy from Finland, 2 girls of London, a guy from Germany and Brian and I.  We began the evening celebrations with a round of Kings. Like our previous experience, playing Kings with foreigners who are unfamiliar with the game is guaranteed to be heaps of fun.

An hour or so passed and we realized it was time to the hit the town.  Most bars close at 1230-1 am.  We went by a few options before splitting up with 206, Brian and I going to the Pig and Whistle. We are suckers for live music.  Following an intense jumping/dancing around session, we met up with our fellow 206 roomies at a karaoke bar. Brian and I sang our signature duet, "Cruisin". Not long after our tummies began to rumble and it was time.. Mickey D's time. In Rotorua, you're allowed to walk through the drive through. In New York, you need to be in a car. Thank Goodness, I think hitchhiking through the drive-thru is a hori move.

So there we were, a group of 7 backpackers, walking our way through the drive thru, blissfully imagining french fries, diet cokes and home comfort food at 230 in the morning when an angry "honk-honk" shoots us back to reality.  A group of four 19 year olds in a white car pull up behind us. The girlfriend of the guy driving is leaning over him honking the horn.  Shit is about to go down.

Now I (Brian) was in the back of our group with the other American and the kid from Finland as this was going down.  We laughed it off each time she honked and we told her to relax and calm down.  We weren't going any slower than we would have if we were in a car - late night fast food service just takes a while.  Everyone knows that!  I even took multiple people’s orders so we could go faster.  This impatient girl was still not having it.  She continued to honk and yell at us.  A group of kids who had already walked through in front of us and were enjoying their delicious McDonald's goodness informed us that they were from around the area and it was totally cool if we walked through the drive-thru.  They said not to worry about the car behind us, they were just being dumb.

We were about to pick up her food when the girls chimed in the "conversation" between the white car and us.  Before I knew it, this tiny pissed off girl was standing in front of Mai threatening to punch her, and I was standing right in between.  In true Long Island fashion, Mai responded as she put her stuff down, "Go ahead.  Punch me.  I'm in New Zealand and want to get the full experience.  Punch me."  As I observed this confrontation I thought, "Ok, I have two options.  If I can, I'll grab this girl's arm before she gets a chance to land a punch on Mai.  But if she does, I'm going to have to punch this girl.  I really don't want to punch a girl."  Before I knew it though, someone pushed someone else and all hell broke loose.  I kept the girl as far out of reach from any of us as possible and watched as the two UK girls we were with go at it with the girl's friends.  I looked up and saw that our American friend was in a chokehold by the boyfriend and the girlfriend was trying to hit him.  So Mai and I ran over to help and being that we are so intimidating, the kid dropped our friend.  Unfortunately he hit the back of his head on the concrete pretty hard and cut it open.  Mai tripped over him as we pushed the kids away and scraped her knee a bit.  By then, the girl and her boyfriend got back in the car and her two friends were confronting Mai.  I stood next to Mai as they talked, trying to make sure no other fights would happen.

As they argued about who started the fight, the friend said something about getting married.  Mai's attitude quickly changed as she exclaimed, "Wait.  You're getting MARRIED!?  How old are you?"  She's 19.  The girl spoke of her husband-to-be and how much she loved him and how her new dress was ripped, courtesy of Mai.  Mai: "Oh you can stitch that back up so quickly!  Don't worry!"  The girl asked why we were in Rotorua as she considers it a "shit-hole" (and it certainly smells like that from time to time).  So again, in true Long Island fashion, two girls who were at each other's throats bonded talking about love and marriage and literally hugged goodbye.  I stood there dumbfounded while finally enjoying my Big Mac.

In the end, we convinced our American friend to go to the hospital and get his head stitched up.  He was a good sport about it, cracking jokes to both the cops and the ambulance service, making us all laugh the whole time.  Mai had a small cut on her knee and the rest of us made out without a scratch to show.  Moral of the story: don't fuck with Long Islanders.

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.

Bus To Rotorua & A Day Of Firsts

We left Kerikeri for Paihia on Saturday, and after relaxing on the beach there, caught a bus Sunday to Rotorua.  One nice thing about the bus (even an 8+ hour ride) is being able to appreciate the scenery.  The hills seemed to roll on forever (and hills are a big deal for two kids who grew up on Long Island) and were full of cows, sheep, horses, and even Alpacas!.  We decided that Happy Cows don't come from California, the ones here are way happier.  Also the ratio of number of people we've seen to number of sheep we've seen has tipped greatly in favor of the sheep.

Monday (the 25th) we got up early and tried to walk to the Blue and Green Lakes.  We walked first through the Redwood forest just south of town.  The trees were magestic and beautiful.  Apparently California Redwoods grow faster in Rotorua because of the sulfur in the soil.  We followed the trail for 5+ hours (mostly uphill, we're champs) toward the Blue Lake.  It took a lot of will and courage, but Mai finally conquered her fear... and peed outside for the first time since 3rd grade!  ("Props to me"- Mai) We finally made it all the way to the Blue Lake (only getting lost once) and were so joyus that the long walk was over that we changed into our bathing suits and... stood in the freezing cold lake with the water up to our knees.  Oh well. 

Any hope of seeing the Green Lake was quickly diminished by the dark clouds and loud thunder barreling our way... and the idea of more walking.  It came down to a choice between walking more than 5 hours back in a probable thunderstorm or braving the New Zealand hitchhiking scene.  We chose the latter and were remarkably successful.  With the help of a sign, we got picked up by a young couple (maybe 18 or 19 years old) and driven within a mile or two of our hostel.  How great!  It certainly gave us more faith in humanity or at least in this country. 

Jiggy Jiggy

Friday night was our last night in Kerikeri and more importantly Keri Central.  I hope it's clear to our readers that Keri Central was awesome and made Kerikeri, a small town in the middle of nowhere, genuinely special. 

In honor of it being the weekend (and let's be egotistical and say because Brian and I were leaving) the hostel hosted a party/BBQ.  In preparation for the event, Brian and I purchased a "few" beers and made a playlist for an American Power Hour.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a power hour is, basically you select 60 different songs that will play for a 1 minute interval. When a new song comes on, you take a shot of beer. If you're drinking a mixed drink or an RTD we suggest you don't take a full shot.. or you'll die :)  RTD- "Ready To Drink". New Zealand has a large selection of mixed beverages all ready to be purchased in 6 pack cans or bottles (i.e. bourbon and cola, vodka and soda etc) 

We had the power hour and we played "Ring of Fire" or the American version, "Kings".  I know my mom and dad are unfamiliar with the game so skip ahead if you are familiar. Kings is played with a deck of cards spread out, face down, into a ring with a cup, known as the King Cup, or a beer in the middle. A rule is made for each card. For example, the '2' card is generally "you".  So if you were to draw a card (without breaking the circle) and you grab a '2', then you must pick someone to drink. The cup in the middle is for the king card. If you draw a King you put some of your beverage in the cup. The last person to draw a King card has to chug or "skull" this cup.. gross-- if you break the circle you are supposed to chug the cup as well. Often times people place a can of beer in the center and each card drawn is slipped under the tab.  The person who fits a card under the tab and causes the beer to open (you know that sizzling sound) must chug the beer.  

SO! The Kiwi "Ring of Fire" is the same concept as "Kings" with different rules. Thus in the spirit of backpacking and sharing, we played a version of "Kings- Ring of Fire", a collaboration of rules from both sides of the world. Excellent. We also played "Up and Down the River" but I can't explain it.. the Kings explanation wore me out..

Following our power hour, Everson, one of Colin and Alicia's friends, performed a traditional Haka.  Everson went to military school where he learned the traditional Maori warrior chant used to both welcome and warn visitors of the tribe's strength and readiness, if necessary (the national rugby team, the "All Blacks" do the Haka prior to matches). The Haka is a combination of aggressive facial expressions (bulging the eyes and sticking out the tongue) and body movements, including vigorous stomping, chest pounding and grunting--all while chanting Maori phrases. Brian and I were lucky to have witnessed the Haka and its incredibly intense expression from a local in Kerikeri (we took a video where you can hear Everson chanting-- hopefully we figure out how to link that). It is nearly impossible, for either of us to explain the dynamic energy shift in the space we were in when Everson began to perform the Haka... you could feel the power- so cool.

Brian and I also attempted to bring Beer Pong to New Zealand:

Problem 1: no Solo Cups or cups the size of Solo Cups.  Problem 2: lighter ping pong balls.  Although it was a bust, we tried and that's what counts.

Now it's time for Brian's two cents!

- Cent one: I performed a traditional hongi, a Maori greeting comprised of a handshake and the touching of noses, with Colin.

- Cent two: Ana and I beat Mai and Federico at NZ beer pong.

Paihia & Boil Up

Tuesday (19th) started early for us, as we took a bus to visit the beaches of Paihia.  The beach itself was fairly small and the water was nice and calm in the bay at Taiputuputu Pahi beach.  We slept, we peppered (marked Paihia on the ball), and we swam in the warm waters.  We came home to find our hostel host Alicia cooking a traditional Kiwi boil-up, the contents of which are bacon bones, potatoes, and watercress (the Kiwi version of spinach) all in a boiling pot of water.  Serve it in a bowl with a side of fried dough and butter and you have a tasty Kiwi meal! 

We have also concluded that Mai may have contracted fleas from the innocent looking orange cat.  We will further investigate said claim.  ("i've decided i have not contracted fleas, just that i'm very attractive to all mosquitos within a 1 mile radius"- mai)




Wednesday in Kerikeri was a cloudy one, so we again spent the early afternoon in the public library.  After much debate, we purchased an unlimited bus pass from Naked Bus to ensure the rest of our travels about the islands of New Zealand (Mai may or may not have accidentally bought two, and then had to send them a panicked e-mail pleading that she only needed one).

That night was action packed indeed.  What do you do if you have four Argentineans, two Americans, and one girl from Holland?  Give them a deck of UNO cards and watch the hilarity ensue.

Cultures Collide...

After such an epic adventure, Sunday (17th) became our day of rest.  We engaged in conversation with Alicia and began to compare the New Zealand and American cultures.  The first topic of conversation was a no brainer: drinking games.  Beer pong exists here only in the movies.  How tragic.  We plan to remedy that.  There are many similarities in our drinking cultures, however.  For example: Ring of Fire = Kings, with pretty much all the same rules.  And in New Zealand, you do not "chug" a beer; you "skull" a beer.

There is one NZ tradition that should absolutely be adopted in the U.S.  On one's 21st birthday, they are given a large key to life ("Hey mum, where's my key to life?" - Mai) and they are required to drink a yardy ("Hey mum, where's my yardy?" - Brian).  A yardy is a yard long glass that holds 16 or more beers.  In Australia, if the person cannot finish the yardy, they hand it off to their family and they help finish.  This is not allowed in New Zealand.  One must finish the entire yardy themselves.  As displayed in the video, even if they vomit into the yardy, they must continue.  Another person holds and spins the yardy so it doesn't spill all over, but that's the only help given.  Solid.

Another language lesson!  The word "hori" is a derogatory term used to describe someone of low class or someone who is dirty .  Who knew?  Also, Mai and I played with an orange cat that Mai named Charlie.  He is a stray that Alicia started feeding, so he comes by every so often.  There may be more to that cat than meets the eye...

The first half of Monday (18th) was spent in the Public Library, catching up with loved ones and doing some research using the free wifi.  Upon arriving back at the hostel, we found the puzzle (a gift from m'lady, Amanda) that we started the night before had a large portion put together!  For the rest of the night, almost everyone staying in the hostel helped out here and there with the puzzle and come one in the morning, it was completed!  And I was able to read the wonderful message on the other side.  Afterward, we all watched a show together.  A show of epic proportions.  A show capable of crossing all cultural and language boundaries.  A little show called... Family Guy.

Sweet Az

Welcome to Kerikeri.  About a 4 hour drive north of Auckland, Kerikeri is a small town part of the Bay of Islands.  Keri Central Hostel, our home for this week has a vastly different atmosphere than our previous stays (doesn't feel like a dorm at all!).  The hostel is managed by Alicia & Colin (a 23 year old couple). We're sharing a room with three Argentineans, who also have a few friends in the area (Spanish speaking abilities would be so useful these days).

The first day (Friday, Jan 15th) Mai had a moment of inspiration as we peppered the brand new AVP volleyball in the front yard of our hostel.  Each time we peppered the ball in a new place, we would write the location and date on it.  Brilliant!  That night consisted of much cultural exchange.  Although Mai may not agree, I learned from Juno (a native New Zealander or "Kiwi") that putting butter, ketchup, and sweet chili sauce on a slice of bread equals... DELICIOUS!  (Brian is CRAZY.  No one likes ketchup sandwiches... except maybe Greg).  We also learned New Zealand phrases like "Sweet as" while explaining to one of the Argentineans that the word "brand" in "brand new" didn't mean a company brand or to mark something.  

Quote of the night:

"How do Americans greet each other?"

"They go, 'Hey baaaabes' right?"

Mai and I: "Haha, no, not quite." (or not at all). 

On Saturday, the 16th, Mai and I decided to go exploring.  We walked down to New Zealand's oldest stone building, the Stone Store (top).  and also saw the oldest wooden building, the Mission House (bottom).  We also went in search of the nearby "fortress" called the Koroipo Pa and found that not only was it not much of a fortress, it no longer existed!

To get over our disappointment, we went for a walk in the nearby forest.  It was destined to be a good walk considering right before it, we saw two Eastern Rosella birds fly by!  The first thing we came across on our walk was a set of small waterfalls, followed closely by the Fairy Pools.  We journeyed on and after another 30 minutes, we finally reached the enchanted Rainbow Falls.  After marveling in their beauty, we decided to conquer them by traversing the jagged, slippery, moss-covered rocks until we were under and engulfed by the falls themselves.  Clearly this picture below, isn't documented proof of our conquest per se (we couldn't bring Mai's expensive camera under the falls!).  However, there are two random travelers somewhere out there who took it upon themselves to photograph our joy and jubilation as the falls rained down upon us.