Feb 7 evening

Lots of stomping and yelling and tattoos. My waist size expanded by 3.3%. Or so says Chunlin. Songs and ceremonies -- yelling and spinning spears, ugly faces are beautiful. Stick out your tongue! Show the whites of your eyes! Face tattoos: on women, just the owl on the chin; on men, bat on the forehead (bat was the only mammal when the Maori arrived -- they consider it a bird), parrot on the nose, owl, and kiwi on the cheeks. Ocean on the upper legs/lower body. Strength & speed. The birds are for knowledge, speaking, caring, and spiritual kiwis -- connection to mother earth -- protecting the trees by eating the bugs. Mother earth, father sky. ... Mucho food -- lamb, potatoes, chicken, rice, chocolate cake, pudding, etc etc etc. ... It all tasted lovely. But then again, perhaps that's because they starved us for a couple hours before feeding us.

Feb 7 late afternoon

Drove out to the Whirinaki Forest to see Te Whaiti Nui-a-toi Canyon. Several miles on dirt road. A disappointment. Just like the arch at Lone Pine. It's the calendar photograph that sparks my imagination, gets me going on vacation, but (in this case) I can't get a good photo of my own. At Lone Pine, it was a high creek blocking me. Here the bridge was high above the river, with trees blocking the view down. There's probably a way along the cliffs and down to a good lookout, but I didn't want to go tromping through strange bush today.

(Chunlin's photo above)


(Chunlin's photos above)

We're now down in Rotorua. Finally a hotel has messed up my reservation. I was waiting for it. New owner lost my booking. We have a twin instead of a double. He took $5 off the twin price, but it's still separate beds and bathroom down the way. Fun cowboy theme, though. My hat fits right in.

Walked down to the Pig & Whistle for a free beer. Bldg used to be the police station. Quote on the wall said it had been mistaken for a bank, a tourist office, a library, and even a church, but never a pub yet. That was in 1940. A nice bit of irony there.

Over to the city park for flowers and bubbling lakes, nicely mown lawn. Now we're awaiting the bus to our hangi dinner.

Feb 7 afternoon

And the Champagne Pool. . . Huge clouds waft away -- hot and thick. Trail up, trail down, bubbling pits everywhere.

Sulfur and mud pits, steam vents and green lakes -- fluorescent green, that is.

(Chunlin's photo above)

Back at the visitors centre for a couple gifts and sandwiches.

Rent, Don't Sell! Buy, Don't Rent!

All this time, I thought I wouldn't get the chance, but here it is.

My building has a limit on the number of units which can be rented out. Units don't get bumped off the list until they're sold. Therefore, I figured it'd be years before I'd be allowed to rent my condo.

But the day arrived early. Good thing, too, because I was going to put my condo on the market in a week or two.

Yes, I'm going to rent out my condo. I'm going to be a landlord.

If you want a top-floor 680-sf one-bedroom apartment in the Northgate area with an unobstructed Mt Rainier view, a parking spot in a secure garage, a faux fireplace, and colorful walls, I got just the deal for you!

Maybe we can even include some furniture. . .

Happy River Day!

The Spring holiday season is truly upon us. Today is the Holy Day of Zhaké, God of Rivers (and Mountains)!

So let's all go down to the river and jump in the water! Feel Zhaké's power but don't let Him sweep you away, 'kay?

He is the wisest and greatest of the gods. He is the creator of mankind. Without Him, we would be nothing.

So take a dip in His waters. Let Him cleanse you and revitalize you.

. . . In other words, it's time for your yearly bath!

Feb 7 midday

Sulfur and mud pits, steam vents and green lakes -- fluorescent green, that is. And the Champagne Pool, deep as it is wide, despite its shallow appearance, bringing bubbling water up from the deep. Orange and white 'round the edge of the dark blue water. Huge clouds waft away -- hot and thick.

(Chunlin's photo above)







(Chunlin's photo above)

(a stranger's photo above)