Korean Holiday 2013 - Day Fourteen

The missus went shopping with her sister today. The Boy and I went to Everland. It should be renamed Waiting-Forever-Land. We walked down to Gangnam Station via the backstreets. Interesting to see all the kinds of businesses around.

That's a decent load of Chinese cabbages

Chillies anyone?

All sorts of kimchi available

Heaps of different rice cakes for sale

Not a lot of space in the backstreets

Got eggs?

Advertising, cables - it's a busy skyline

Yes, we stayed in Gangnam

Looked for bus 5002, as per the guide book, but grabbed an Everland Resort coach instead. Asked the driver how much and couldn't understand his answer so kept giving him money until it was enough - W25,000. Didn't even know if it was a return ticket. Got there in half in hour. When we arrived he said it was a return trip and that departure was at six o'clock. There was a five minute bus ride from the parking lot to the entrance. I received a discount of W3,000 that I wasn't expecting - even after using my discount voucher. Bonus.

Entrance of Everland

Just part of the queue for the first ride - the Rolling X-Train

We rode the Rolling X-Train after a one hour wait. Too short but not a bad ride. Walked down to the T Express - largest, longest, fastest and steepest wooden roller coaster in Asia. Waited about 25 minutes before receiving a ticket to allow us to queue for the actual ride. And we couldn't start queuing for another hour and a quarter. Went all the way back up near the entrance before taking the Skyway down.

Dance display for the kids

T Express - biggest wooden roller coaster in Asia

Skyway - best way to get around Everland

One helluva drop

Spaghetti Junction

There's a lot of wood and not much else

About 40 minutes into queuing for the ride

Going up

Another 40-45 minutes wait for the T Express but what a rid. Fantastic. Goes for about three minutes and totally worth the wait. Decided to try Horror Maze - another hour and a quarter wait. In the interim he wanted to ride Columbus Adventure, which was too busy, so settled on the Championship Rodeo.

Street parade

Colourful floats

Just some of the buildings in Everland

The Boy enjoyed the Championship Rodeo ride

We'd found a bankcard on the way back to the Horror Maze. The queue was thirty minutes long, after finally convincing them that he was old enough (in Korean years, at least), and it was scary and thrilling. Fabulous. Scared the crap out of our leader and he ran off without us a couple of times. The girl in the group sat down in fright twice. The Boy chickened out halfway through as it was pretty creepy. Afterwards we tried the K-Pop Hologram on the way out and that was very well done and enjoyable.

Inside the K-Pop hologram room

Just part of the bus parking area

Our bus driver was waiting for us although we were half an hour early. Then we found out, by accident, that we were on the wrong bus. But the other bus was overloaded so they sent us back to the first bus. Something about being unable to organise a two-door shithouse comes to mind. Back at Gangnam Station we walked the half hour home. Spotted my brother-in-law, checked the car that he was driving, and was sure that it was him. He just happened to be looking for a parking spot as we reached our apartment.

Catching flies on the return bus trip

The whole family walked to the shabu shabu restaurant, BIL and SIL were surprised that we managed to locate it again after only having spot it during a late evening walk in unfamiliar territory and being about five streets back from the main road, and had our meal. Not nearly as good as in Busan. Drinks later at Coffee Bene which weren't particularly nice although the dark choc ice cream was fantastic.

Shabu shabu ingredients

Starting the vegetables

Underway

Now we're cooking with gas

Advert for a karaoke bar (norae bang)

2012 Holiday To London-NYC-Niagara - Day Fifteen

Earlier start this morning as the last bus from New Jersey Transit (Port Authority next door) building on 9th Ave for Six Flags left at 9:30am. We purchased our package tickets, bus far and theme park entrance, for a total of US$108 and caught the 9am bus. It was close to full.

The bus went through the Lincoln Tunnel and passed Newark Airport and Elizabeth. Took 1hr 13mins to arrive at Six Flags. We stowed our gear in a locker for US$12 for the day and entered the park. Massive parking lot there and I asked the guy on the gate how many people he was expecting today - forty thousand! The park opened just as we got there, at 10:30, when it was supposed to open at 10am.

Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey

First ride was Superman Ultimate Flight - not bad but hurt the neck and back a bit. Second ride was Green Lantern, twice, which was really good. Next - Kingda Ka - the tallest coaster in the world and the fastest in North America. What a blast - literally and metaphorically. Did that twice. Wasn't as scary as we'd anticipated - The Boy wanted to build up to it and wasn't ready so early in the visit to the park for it. Gee, the queue can reach 120 mins for this ride.

Tall enough for the tallest coaster in the world and second fastest - Kingda Ka

The guy at the front of the park told us that El Toro was the best coaster in the park. It was a wooden coaster, very fast (fastest wooden coaster in the world) and quite a long ride. I'd have to agree with him regarding how good it was. Felt a bit sick afterwards, it was quite bumpy, and so we only rode it once. Must do though.

El Toro with Kingda Ka in the background

Went on a kiddie ride, Runaway Mine Train, which wasn't bad. We had two turns on that also. Took a Skyride cable car there and back before riding Bizarro. This was one of the best rides and we had a couple of goes on it.

Across the other side of the park was Batman The Ride. Indication was for a 30 mins wait but 20 mins later we had ridden it - short but very sweet ride. Nearby was Nitro - 230ft high, 215ft drop, 80mph - and almost nothing to hold you into your seat! This was the scariest ride in the park.

Sky Screamer, a new attraction that rises 248ft and revolves at up to 45mph, was a 30 minute wait and hardly worth the effort. Great view though. Couple of rides on the kiddie ride, Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train, which was good, one on Swashbuckler, The Boy rode the Buccaneer (swinging boat) and then we did a few parachute jumps at the Parachute Training Center - Edwards AFB.

Dinner consisted of chicken strips and cheese and bacon covered fries which have to be my favourite heart attack-inducing, artery-clogging food.

Bacon and cheese fries - delicious

The Boy wanted more rides. As it was becoming dark we took the cable car again to view the park from above before he took two turns on Twister and another 2-3 goes on Green Lantern. Back to the parachute ride and a little boy joined us as he was too short to go alone and his parents were on the Superman ride. Only too happy to oblige - he was too small to go on the ride by himself. Apparently he comes to the park every Sunday when his dad is on leave or every Thursday otherwise. Interesting to meet a local.

Left just after 8pm to catch the bus - not really knowing what time it would be there. When we arrived we were told that buses would be available from 6~9:30. In actual fact NJ Transit realised that only 157 passengers that day went to the park and they would fit into 3 buses. First bus came at 6 and once filled it returned to Manhattan. We reached the bus around 8:30 and waited another 15 mins before it was full and we could leave. Some of the passengers weren't happy as they had waited for nearly an hour an a half before the bus departed. The lady driver caned it home and, even though we stopped at Newark Penn Station, something we didn't do on the way to the park, she took 1hr 12mins to get back - in the dark.

Fantastic day. Was one of the "must do" items on our itinerary.

Photo Album Vol I
Photo Album Vol II
Photo Album Vol III
Photo Album Vol IV (Final)

Trip to Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea - Jan 27th 2010

Bit of a sleep in this morning. No rush as Disneyland doesn't open until 10am. The MTR trip took about 45 minutes from Tsim Sha Tsui to Disneyland and we arrived at 10:30. The Disneyland train is themed in a very cute manner. The exchange voucher issued by Flight Centre caused no issues and was exchanged for tickets very quickly.

Disneyland train

Nice decor on the Disneyland train

Themed handles too

Couple of excited kids at Hong Kong Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland

Fountain in front of Disneyland entrance.

Upon entering Disneyland I was surveyed for my whereabouts, age, number of previous visits, was I staying at the hotel, etc.

Disneyland entrance.

We walked through Main Street USA and looked at the merchandise. Quite reasonably priced I thought. Caps were HK$100-$150, watches HK$150-$195 and polo shirts HK$180.

Tomorrowland entrance.

Fantasyland entrance.

First ride was the Space Traders indoor roller coaster in Tomorrowland - check the park map. Miky was so worried that she closed her eyes for much of the ride. This is not recommended behaviour for such a ride if you suffer from motion sickness. We followed this with Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters which I won.

Not busy at Space Traders roller coaster. Yet.

The Space Traders roller coaster building.

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters building.

Wandered to Adventureland and took a raft to Tarzan's treehouse. Bit boring actually. Then over to Fantasyland, inside the castle, for a 3D movie at Mickey's Philharmagic. This was great fun and we even got wet. Have to watch Avatar in 3D after seeing this. Next was lunch. Nice setting in the eatery. Took the train ride around the outskirts of the park and it turned out to be one of the most boring and pointless things to do at any amusement park I've been to. And the guy who fell asleep next to me would have to agree I reckon. Miky had seen enough by this stage and wanted to do a little more shopping before heading back to the Ladies Market in HK. The High School Musical street performance went by.

Adventureland entrance.

Tarzan's Treehouse.

Waterfall at Tarzan's Treehouse.

View from Tarzan's treehouse. Unfortunately it's the best part of Adventureland.

The Boy and Tarzan.

Fantasyland off in the distance.

Another view of Fantasyland castle.

Beautiful decor.

Restaurant decor.

Crowded restaurant. Not badly priced for a theme park.

I don't see this look catching on.

The missus does the look better.

Cool kid.

Train ride view was like this much of the time.

A critic of the train ride as an amusement.

Interesting topiary.

High School Musical street performance.

The Boy and I alternated between Space Traders and Astro Blasters for the next couple of hours. The roller coaster provided you with a preview photograph after each ride so that you could purchase if you wanted to. I saw someone else take a photo of their photo and as nobody protested this behaviour I decided that it was not a bad idea. We quickly worked out that the best position for a photo was at the front of the first car. We managed to obtain some good poses and as there was no need to to buy the photo it worked out well. Not sure if it was nine or ten times that we rode the roller coaster but it was good fun.

Space Traders roller coaster photo.

Couple of posers on the roller coaster.

Space Traders roller coaster - 'nother photo.

Bit busier at Space Traders roller coaster - later in the day.

This ride has the power to make wheelchair-bound people walk again.

Riding the Orbitron.

The Boy scored 999,999 and reached level 7 at Astro Blasters to beat me. The next go I managed the same score. Champions together.

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters top score.

When it was time to leave the Boy wanted to ride the Dumbo ride but it had broken down so we had a go on the carousel instead. We followed this with the Mad Hatter's Tea Cup ride which was great fun but I was a bit dizzy after that. Ate some caramel flavoured popcorn which was yummy. Checked out the goodie bags but weren't sure about buying them for HK$100 for a lucky dip value of HK$230 worth of three or four items. We watched other people but very few purchased and nobody opened it near us. After buying The Boy a cap we decided to try the lucky dip with what money we had left. It contained a HK$130 cap, a HK$45 pen and a HK$120 baby Mickey Mouse stuffed toy. Not bad value after all (enter "It's a small world after all" music here).

Tongue has to be at just the right angle.

Mad Hatter's Tea Cup ride.

Disneyland entrance by night.

Fountain by night.

Fountain by night but in a different colour.

Left the park at about 6:45pm. I decided that we should visit SOGO again for dinner and I had okonomiyaki, noodles and octopus balls whereas The Boy had salmon sushi. Finished just prior to 8pm in time to see the laser show on the harbour at a very crowded Avenue of Stars. Back to the courtesy bus and the hotel.

Hong Kong harbour by night.

Hong Kong harbour by night - a bit further down to the right

Laser show on Hong Kong Harbour - 8pm each night.

The aliens are coming.