September 12

Today is another big milestone, traveling the farthest out from the city to Rotorua. Quite scary being on the wrong side of the road for 3 hours but finally arrive. The entire place smells of rotten eggs, sulpher yuck. I ask one of the ladies "Do you get used to the smell? She replies "What smell?" I see how it is, very funny. I push her into the boiling hot waters below.... in my mind... The place was pretty cool, lots of stinky gas, lots of bubbling, spewing, errupting, gurgling things. The geologist in me is having a nervous breakdown as he wants to start naming all of the reasons why rocks are odd colors... Ooo iron oxides mixing with sulphric acid pretty! Also got the chance to swim around in a pool... geothermally heated pool. Was like a giant bath tub. It was actually steaming. Tonight was also the first night I noticed something in the sky. Being away from the city a bit you can see stars.... stars that I have never glanced upon before. AND the coolest part was seeing Scorpio for the first time. The Scorpio constellation has been over my bed since I was little and seeing it for the first time was really quite special for me. Going to sleep and then caves tomorrow!