Kia Ora

We got to Rotorua around 5 pm Wednesay. I'm so pissed because my phone had a meltdown and needed to be restored and I lost pictures from my first night in Rotorua. We went to a Maori village for a cultural experience and I took a lot of pics on my phone but above is one I got on my GoPro. The Maori, if I haven't already explained, are the people who first came to New Zealand before any Europeans. We learned about their ways of life and traditions, dances, games, songs, etc. and how they managed to remain such a strong part of New Zealand's culture today, despite their rapid population loss upon European arrival.

Everyone in New Zealand cherishes and respects the Maori culture, its really amazing. I think the coolest part is their tattoos. Each tattoo mark means something specific to the Maori people and many of them have fully tattooed faces! They were all very nice and loved enlightening people about their culture. They have the best accents ever!

We also got a buffet of Maori cooked food. I also had a pic of that on my phone but lost it :(. It was the closest thing i'll get to a thanksgiving feast this year! It was delicious. Chicken, lamb, stuffing, potatoes, salad, vegetables, bread and more.