Sulfur City

Greetings from Rotorua, home of New Zealand's largest Maori population, thermal springs, geysers, and... that sulfur smell. It's really not bad at all and you get used to it after a day, and it's relieving to know that it's escaping from the Earth and not industrial pollution or anything like that.

Where I'm staying is aright across the street from a city park with lots and lots of bubbling pools. Some are the size of ponds with bridges going across them. Reall cool. I had a sort of surreal experience there. It was maybe a half hour until the sunset, and I found this little area with a roof over it and a man-made pool where you could sit on the edge and soak your feet, and that's exactly what I did. So I'm sitting here soaking, the sun is going down and suddenly no less that 30 Japanese tourists appear out of nowhere. It went from really quiet to really loud in about two seconds. I got a kick out of it, it's probably one of those things that you just had to be there.

I went to the Polynesian Spa the next day for a long soak. After all, this backpacking gig is hard work. That's quite a relaxing place right on the shores of Lake Rotorua. If I had a little more money and a ride, there are a lot more hot springs that I would like to check out in the area, but they all require an admission and none of them are that cheap. Maybe I'll come back for some more after I've made some money. It's Easter Weekend dn New Zealand has pretty much shut down. There's no bus service, many stores are closed, and most hotels/hostels are booked solid, so I'm gonna hang out for a few days. Plus the Jambalaya Festival takes place here this weekend, it's sort of a Caribbean/Pacific festival.


PHOTO: Yours truly in front of the Poutu Geyser.


PHOTO: A pool of scalding hot water.


PHOTO: Boiling mud.