Wai-O-Tapu

In the journey of life, we are commissioned into many roles. Or at least that is my excuse for the fluidity of the roles I find myself in. I have dipped my finger into a few completely different roles. They were exciting, and some not so much. There have been take away lessons from these movements, but mostly, they have built a story in me that I am still embellishing with punch lines and a correct dosage of emotion. Once I am done practicing the story in front of a mirror, I will sell tickets to my first show, “Joseph – A journey of inspiration.” Until then, life proceeds as ordered. One small step at a time…

What is the point of this story? Without getting overly circuitous with the point, here we go. Of all the professional engagements I have taken, I once lectured. Yes, that’s right. I taught. Those were the days that filed my mother with the greatest pride. Finally one of her children was walking in her footsteps. She would call me and the conversation would sound like this.

“Waacha mwalimu”

“Aaah”

Etc. Etc

My old lady. We were colleagues then in the profession. She once asked to inspect my schemes of work and lesson plans. Maybe that is why I left the profession.

Anyway, I taught Engineering thermodynamics among other colorfully named subjects. My favorite reference text was called, “Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics” by Michael J. Moran and Howard N. Shapiro 5^th edition with SI units. Excellent book, but this is not a book review. Now, the cover of the book has this picture.

You will agree that is a beautiful cover and I always wondered what that background really was. I stopped teaching in July 2016. Fast forward to July 2017 and I am sitting in class at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the lecture slides start with the same exact background as the textbook. And this time there is a name to the thing, or place. “Wai-O-Tapu” a Mãori word meaning sacred water. Your guess is as good as mine that Wai-O-Tapu had just climbed to the top of my bucket list.

I traveled to Wai-O-Tapu with a couple of my friends. Daniel the Great, O’Neil the One, Willy the Only. Haha, they will not be happy with the names I have given them. A great road trip. And since you have endured a story that you shouldn’t have, here are photos. Enjoy.

A few hours out of Auckland, we stopped to see the world’s largest sheepdog and sheep. Not everyone is excited by animal shaped buildings. But these are beautiful, and they come with an information center and bathrooms.

dav

dav

Anyway, soon we drove all the way to Wai-O-Tapu. The wait is over.

Because it is impossible to do touristy things without announcing where you come from…

Boiling mud pools…

Collapsed craters…

More mud pools contaminated with naturally seeping crude oil….mmmmh!

Starts to look familiar…excited Kenyan.

That feeling when you meet your favorite book’s cover page in eeeeh.. person?

The money shot. I am happy.

A bonus green pool. I think this what envy looks like.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

I enjoyed the place.

I am out.