Karaoke Night

Alright guys we are gonna go a bit backwards here because tonight was SO fun and I fresh on my mind. So this evening, after we got back from the spa, we had about an hour to get ready and rest for tonight. Around 6:45 we all went out for dinner at Pig & Whistle and the food was absolutely amazing. Faith, Ingrid, Rachel, and I ended up all ordering something and then splitting it between the four of us. The serving sizes were really big and the food was really good. Dinner was fun with everybody, we all talked about who in the game has been killed and as of now there's only 6 or 7 of us left (yes I'm still in the game). You have to post a picture of yourself after you've been killed so the group chat was filled with that and we all had a good laugh. I found out who a couple of people have but I still don't know how has me. My bet is on either Shona, Lizzie, or Paula. Lewis might have me as well but I'm unsure of that at the moment. I announced once again that if anyone had me I would gladly take it and die without a word, then Emmet (who's killed 4 people already and will definitely win since he knows who's got him) came over and handed me water just to check if I was serious. Unfortunately he didn't actually have my name so it didn't count and I'm still in the game.

After we paid for dinner we headed to karaoke at a bar...yes I actually did karaoke, can you believe it? Of course everyone was singing with me so it wasn't like I was just singing myself, but I held the microphone so... But it was so so fun. We sang so many songs, we danced, we talked, we (they) drank, and and and I talked to a local! It was actually thanks to Ingrid, I came over to see what she was doing then she left for the bathroom so it was just me and this huge Mauri guy who taught me how to count in Mauri (I already forgot though). Speaking of Ingrid, she somehow got the attention of every male in the room and all of us other girls were like "WTF" because how did she even do that?? That was a whole experience. I tried to learn to dance but Lewis doesn't know how so he was a not so great coach, so the Kira stepped in and somehow we ended up ballroom dancing. I don't even know. It was just all around a really great night and we all (Faith, Kate, Mo, and Me) got back to our room and had a debrief of the night, which we literally just finished, and we all said tonight was loads of fun. I've got so many videos, it was just amazing.

Earlier today we woke up around 7 and got ready. Our tour bus driver (Simon) who's been driving us the past couple days and has been so fantastic, picked us up at 8 and took us to the mud pools about an hour away. These are geothermal volcanic places where the water/mud will literally burn you alive...pretty cool. Then we went on a bit of a hike to see all the other pools and stuff and that was really cool but it freaking stank so bad. There's so much sulfur and its just gross to smell...I've washed my hair 3 times and I still smell it. But like I said, it was cool. There were these bright green pools, and gatorade blue pools, and all kinds of color pools, and there was steam everywhere. Then, since I skipped breakfast, I got a really good meal at the cafe and I don't know what they put in the yogurt butt it was so good.

After, we rode over to a natural hot springs and got to hang out there for a little while which was really nice. Then we came back to the hostel and had to say goodbye to Simon forever and then we had lunch and got ready to go to the spa. Some of us ubered over since there wasn't enough room in the bus. Since I bought it I was named temporary group leader and sat in the front. In my uber there was Kira, Kirsten, and Paula. We (Kirsten and I, the two Americans) talked about how nice it would be walk in the woods here and not have to worry about Bears, or snakes, or coyotes, or anything like that. The others were shocked because apparently they don't have predators like that that they have to worry about. Must be nice. Also, New Zealand doesn't have any natural predators interesting fact. Anyway once at the spa we all took a mud bath which was fun and then hung out in the thermal pool, then did a cold plunge. Anther interesting fact, this spa (Hells Gate) is the only one in New Zealand where they can somehow control the temperature of the thermal pools. Faith, Connie, Lewis, and I ended up getting mud or water in our eyes somehow and it hurt so bad so we went and stood under the cold waterfall and that seemed to help.

Thats pretty much it for today, I'm once again super tired, but I get a free day all of tomorrow (until dinner at the Mauri village) and I get to sleep in because I'm not doing white water rafting like the others. I think once I wake up I'll go get breakfast with Kate and Shona since they're also not going rafting, and then I want to try rock climbing at the gym down stairs because it looks fun. Once everyone gets back I think we're going into town and taking the Gondola up the hill to do some cart racing or something before dinner? I don't know what it's called though. Don't want this trip to end, trying not to think about it. It's been so fun, I could do this forever, and I don't want to leave my group *cries* we're not gonna think about it though. Love you all!