Visiting the Mitai Maori Village (show)

As impressive as thermal activity is, we also came to Rotorua to get up and close with Maori culture (the first inhabitants of NZ which came from Hawaii and Polynesia in big double-hulled canoes). You know, the guys with the great facial tattoos and the funny faces. You can laugh what you want, but this all serves a purpose. We had the chief of the village explain to us all that you only get those tattoos if you have achieved something (for instance, as a warrior). Men can earn a kiwi, a bat, parrot, and ehmmm... ok, we forgot (sorry!) which combined covers their entire face. Women can get an owl on their chin. The chief also taught us other rituals, beliefs, and protocals of the Maori culture. It was fascinating, especially the warrior poses where the men scream very loud and make strong facial expressions to intimidate the enemy. Check out the video and freak out (and giggle)!

In addition to this class-act, we also had a traditional Maori dinner which is cooked in the ground on warm stones plus a bush walk explaining about what natural resources the Maori use and what is considered holy in nature. All in all a very nice experience, especially because the chief was a very engaging man who seemed to have a sincere interest in furthering the understanding of his people. Great culture, great traditions, great tattoos, plus some of own Maori warrior screaming made this a nice visit (check out http://www.mitai.co.nz" as well). Keep an eye out for more babbling! Greets!