Caving, glow worms, and the Famous 5

what i was doing in waitomo:

sleeping at juno hall in waitomo (great hostel).
hanging out with ulrik, the wonderful CSer i met up with in rotorua.
also hanging out with katie, a totally amazing welsh chick.
wandering around the waitomo walkway, with the famous 5.
...the famous 5 is actually the fantastic fearsome fabulous foreign 4.
...plus a dog.
...then minus a dog.
...then plus a lame bird.
...then minus a lame bird.
being mesmerized by the glowworms on our dusk-to-dark journey through paddocks, over rocks, through forests, and in caves.
exploring 60m under the surface of the earth, with 4 other courageous souls. [http://www.absoluteadventure.co.nz/cavingad.htm]
abseiling into freezing cold water.
squeezing through teeny tiny crevices in the rocks.
swimming under boulders.
climbing up waterfalls.
having tea and cookies, halfway through.
finding our way back to sunshine, without our guide.
playing with social roles when figuring our way out of the cave, as a team.
enjoying the dynamics of the team effort, and the fact that everyone played the leader role at some point during the expedition...naturally.
...all underground.
making friends.