KIWI OR HOBBIT?
This is the dilemma. During the beautiful and really full weekend in Rotorua, I have become something ... but still I'm not sure if hobbit or kiwi ... but we go in order.
tourist agency Madda & comp I'm going to open soon I had organized a trip full of activities and of short duration, but Inserso backpacker and less than the previous week. Would leave on Friday evening, but there was a social event for my department and I found it very rude of me not to go. Eh. Researchers around the world have at least two things in common: 1) work hard and 2) when taking a break, I like to drink. Lol. The truth is that the social event was nice, met all the Department of Media Studies (from students to master even the Professors) in a very nice downtown bar for a drink. I stayed little, because after a couple of hours around the world while speaking English with background music, the head was about to explode. Also had all week with the thesis to the late night and next morning began my trip ... so two short hours (and two beers) I went, leaving a lively atmosphere and nice people.
While
came home my vein consumer to buy me two shirts forced to travel more comfortable (is that the ones I have left horrible marks when I take the sun making foreigner). Of course I went to the equivalent of bershka because my vein consumer continues to be, at bottom, very Catalan. So I turned to house and got ready for the day of death than I expected ...
WLG I left Saturday morning around 10:30, with another of these beautiful small planes that make the most flights household.
are cool once you get used to propellers no longer get up at once so as not to give head (yes, even me I have the height of a small hobbit.) What I need is the official video puts you in large aircraft of Air NZ to explain the whole roll of security: it is fun and leave the All Blacks, lol!
Del
I could see the plane to Lake Taupo, which is just before Rotorua, the Sulphur city as they call those who appreciate, or smelly city, as they call it bad. It is one of the most active geothermal areas in the country, and there geysers by throughout the city. I do not know if he was already prepared, but I noticed too the smell of rotten eggs in other hot springs I've noticed more.
best was that I have a wonderful day of sun and therefore the first thing I did waiting for the bus has been full of sunscreen. I am foreigner, okay, but I'm not stupid. Not so much at least.
Arriving in the city, because I had to wait for 2 to enter the wonderful hostel YHA (is that I'm a fan of the chain), I took a spin around the village ... ops, the city.
First I went to the office of tourism and of itself is very pretty.
then get my tickets for the Maori Village and finally an optimal eating a Thai curry. Finally I went to my splendid inn, which as you can see, has nothing to envy his brothers WLG or Queenstown where I had the pleasure of being.
And finally started my "turdefors" (I know that is not written well, but step of searching).
I've kicked around the city ... to see it all, is not that big, but very nice things ... the problem is that my pots of rain gave me too much heat and then, before the lake, I decided: I will transform into kiwi. And so I took off my shoes and started to walk barefoot as kiwis.
And I went for a walk around the lake
(I went to the middle of a group of black swans and thought Ross and Carmela and grace that they would have done.)
I went to the gardens (which has geysers and fumaroles), where the museum (which was a former bath house)
and shopping center to see jade and finally buy a kiwi flip flops (always barefoot, and normal people see it.)
When he could not go, I went to the hostel, where after a shower and rest a while, I came to get the bus to take me along with many others, the Tamaki Maori Village. An incredible experience. I have no words to describe it. A part of the entertainment on the bus offered by our friendly guide and driver and the man who by all nominate the chief (head) of our tribe to be our representative in front of the head of the Maori everything in the village was very cool. We welcomed the warriors to challenge us until our heads (is that were 4 coaches) did their best explained by the guides so that our tribes were admitted to the village.
Then we entered the village of wood in the forest, where they told us many interesting things about his tribe and customs of everyday life, gave us a poignant spectacle of song and dance (yes, I began to mourn and I think it was the first time since I arrived) and a hangi dinner, which is your typical dinner cooked in the ground.
I filled the bowl of great things that let me sleep all night, uff.
And here you have another sign of my transformation in kiwi, my Catalan soul must have been half asleep because it was not realized that the guide had caught in the tourist office had a voucher for a free drink at the hangi dinner! And I taking my water, chatted happily with the girls at my table (a French in Paris, a Finnish entertainer was very good and two Japanese who obviously became more photos than me).
day next my super tight planning made me get up at 8. The worst thing was to find an open bar for coffee (and went to the same of the previous evening. The one where I drink coffee after 5pm or before 9am).
After breakfast I went to the lake again to see a market and luckily had a very busy planning that if I had a Maori tattoo this time.
Then I
kicked about 3 or 4 miles until you reach another village Maori unpronounceable and impossible to remember, which has the characteristic of having been built on top an area of \u200b\u200bgeysers.
Whakarewarewatanga (which is short for Te O Te Ope Taua Whakarewarewatanga A Wahiao ' ) : you walk and suddenly there you do not see anything because of the vents. In the plunge pool with thermal water are boiling, cook your ears and often offer to the foreigners, but again my kiwi soul took control and I lost my free ear or rather included in the entry (that m'estarà passant?) .
But I saw all the geysers and the time thought Jose MF and envy how to give my photos. Hahaha. (Overall, he has been in a hotel next to wwww and then I can not envy him. What a shame).
Another 4 km walk back and flip-flops hurting me. So I kiwi again, to walk on barefoot Gespa is a feeling that I recommend.
strategic stop in a supermarket to buy food, to save another restaurant (less than most, from time to time my soul Catalan implemented yet) and directly to the tourist office to wait for the bus to take me to Hobbiton!
Unfortunately
this is the only picture I can teach, as the whole set is protected by copyright and make you sign an agreement where you agree not to show photos to anyone, nor to family or friends. But I tell you I found my perfect hobbit hole, with a splendid yellow door made to my measure, ie, as the hobbit! And being on the set is like actually being in the film, has been one of the few in which Peter Jackson has not added effects ... it really is pretty much like in the movie: all green area, the lake to the pub, the tree under the Bilbo which makes his speech, closed pocket (bag end), the houses with their gardens and orchards ... plus the guide was explaining to us all: where Gandalf arrives, where Sam room, the field of ears where the hobbits escape, etc ... all incredible, I wanted to stay there!
But much still expected me to do in Rotorua, until 11 pm I had my bus back to WLG.
was so I went to the Polynesian Spa, to enjoy the thermal pools and hot (36 to 42 degrees) with lake view ... wonderful, the only thing I think I was wrong in choosing the option, as I entonctré other After another trip Inserso type (and while in the pools for adults only "great area for socializing!" that I thought it would be full of dirty old men, had all of hottie / hottie) ... anyway, here I am, enjoying ...
The trouble was that after two hours in a water bath to 36 and more degrees, and I could not help and I had to find another way to wait for the bus. So I went to the pub as my guide was the coolest city to take my free beer (hey, what a SPA: puts you in touch with your soul more directly, and that's how I came to think deductions from my guide, lol) and some kumara chips, which would sweet potatoes here, a kind of sweet good!
And all went well, until suddenly the lights to point out that they would close, as I confirmed my kind neighbors table (a kiwi guy and a couple of Californians) ... and was 10! Luckily the same table friendly neighbors invited me to join them, they were going to another bar. They were incredibly nice people, not only invited me to a beer, but also accompanied me to the station and did not leave until I got on the bus. Mamma , saresti contentissima: la signora disse esattamente: "My mother Would not forgive me for Leaving the young lady all by herself at night in a bus station!". Ma che bellini, ti prego!
And after 7 hours of cold polar uncomfortable in a double-decker bus (can not see, yes there are people traveling in NZ), I WLG ... quick shower and unit, which arrived at 2 and the guys ...
... però questa è un'altra storia!
