Finally - images!!

These are some of the images I had wanted to share on my walk yesterday... I''ll work on uploading a few of the first ones from my tour with Bronwyn in just a bit.

This is Lake Kuirau steaming. I learned this morning that it is not the chemical constitution of the water that will kill here but rather the fact that the water is boiling hot - so it is OK to touch these pools if you're careful.

The white roofed area to the left is where one of the foot baths is...

A bit eerie walking through some spots where you are just overtaken by the steam.

The buildings up on the hill are the hospital. This hill is scared to the Maori and was therefore donated to the hospital so it could be a place of healing.

The sulphur gathers at the banks and makes the edges of the pools orange and yellow. There is a bright yellow crust over the soil in places. Also the sulphur in the air is going to mean frequent cleaning for any silver as it tarnishes quickly!

I will share some other things later - and eventually I'll stop the "tour guide" like reporting and will touch on how *I* am doing... I learned this morning that there is a Maori name for the experience Bruce and I are going through right now... Whaka Pu Naka. It means "Longing Heart"... People here are so sweet and sensitive to the fact that really a large part of my heart is currently missing!