eNZed - day 13 (27-5-5)

We woke up and I decided to shower for a second time… ahhh.. so nice. =) but it was mostly to wash off the chlorine from the hot tub. We had breakfast of PB and N dunked in milk (such luxury) and buttered noodles in the not heated, and therefore cold kitchen. Then we enjoyed re-arranging the cooler and repacked the van– these were much needed tasks. Then we were off for a drive around the lake, but as I see I forgot to mention, it was raining again…. Naturally.

We stopped many times for picture taking and to look at rocks and the lake. There was an especially fun spot on the lake that was full of pumice. We showed A how it floats and then we spent the next however long time throwing it all into the lake and watching it float around. It looked like tiny ice bergs.. or styrofoam, but I prefer the ice bergs.

I got cranky cause Dave didn’t want to share his rocks with me, and he wouldn’t play my driving game - which consisted of me trying to turn Dave’s persistent questioning back on him by asking him: if he could invent his own culture, what kind of customs would he choose.. specifically for

greetings and such. He said he wouldn’t have any. BORING. But luckily, I got over it

(after grumpily writing it all down) when Dave and I

went for a small hike/walk around a nice blue river while A read in the van.

We saw some weird fruit growing on a tree and lots of pretty flowers and water caught on leaves.

And I got to jump around on a suspension bridge and make Dave nervous =)!!

We finally got back to A in the van and tried unsuccessfully to find some food in Turangi (too-rain-gee), so I used the ole lead foot to get us back to Taupo before the hungry monster poked it’s head out. Of course there were complaints, but we were all hungry, so it was soon forgotten when we decided upon the Westside Grill for dinner.

OH MAN…. Can I just say, BEST POTATO SOUP, EVER. Yummmmmmmm!!!!!!! Dave had a steak and A had some baked fish. I amused the restaurant staff by asking, all excited, for some soup to take home. Apparently this is highly irregular, but it was so good! And I might not ever be there again!

After dinner we went for a walk and found a place for Dave to check email and (!) another place to download pics and get cds burnt. A was on a quest for brown boys who smoke, but returned unsuccessful =( aww..

We slept by the Huka River and had a bathroom party in the middle of the night. funfunfun!

To look at all pics from Day 13, click here!