Saturday, October 21st - Hungry are the Damned...cont'd
If we'd given serious thought to our food and beverage needs we would have turned right at the bridge leading into France instead of walking through Great Britain and Canada and from there into FutureWorld. I seem to recall that we were interested in checking out this new attraction...Soarin'...until we saw the stand-by wait time of 65 minutes and a FastPass return between 3PM and 4PM.
Thanks anyway, we'll come back when we're not dehydrated and hungover.
We did accomplish one thing by venturing back into FutureWorld...we were able to have our picture taken with the backside of EPCOT's giant golfball. Isn't PhotoPass fun?
Look who it is: Squinty-Can't-See!
If I'm not careful people will start calling
me the Grimace!
I would like to make a comment about the PhotoPass photographers...some of them are very good at what they do, and others probably shouldn't even be handling a camera. This picture, for instance, is not centered. And it might have been a nice touch if the photographer had waited for the fountain to show off a bit before actually capturing the moment for our eventual misty, water-colored, scrapbook memories.
A little more thought and an extra couple of seconds could have turned this into a great picture - instead it's just OK. I could have understood the result a little more if the CM had been up to his earlobes in guests clamoring to have their picture taken. But as you can plainly see by the utter lack of people in the background...everyone else in the park was either riding Soarin' or waiting in line to do so. There was no need to rush, Mr. Speedy-Shutter-PhotoPass-Guy.
Right about now my head is beginning to throb...it's just too hot for this time of year, especially when your liver is working overtime to detoxify your bloodstream. We decide to take a siesta of sorts in Mexico...the inside of the temple offers a cool, welcome respite from the midday heat and we can scope out the awesome hand carved, painted animals that are for sale in the vestibule. **50 points for using
vestibule in a trippie...that cafe mocha will soon be mine!!**
One of our WDW vacation traditions is that for each visit we select one animal from Mexico to add to our collection. It's been two years since our last visit which means we get to buy two animals this time! Prior to this trip we have purchased a psychedelic cat, a flat alligator, and a very angry turtle. We spent about ten minutes pricing different carvings and earmarking the ones we liked best so that we would be better prepared once we were ready to buy later in the week. I really regret not taking some pictures of the display because it's just amazing, but I promise to take some when we go back in May and will post them at that time for those of you who might be interested in taking a look.
I tend to be a purist about certain things at WDW, which is just my way of trying to hide from myself the fact that I'm beginning to sound like a crotchety old-timer when I talk about certain theme park attractions. We always take a ride on El Rio del Tiempo during a visit to EPCOT. Ever since my first visit to the park in 1982, when we quite possibly waited three days to get on this ride, the river of time has always been a dork-family tradition. Is it outdated, cheesy, and filled with stereotypes that border on the cuturally insensitive?
Absolutely, but that's half the fun! That, and the obnoxious song that all the marionettes are dancing to at the end of the ride. You guys know what I'm talking about...
La la la la la la...la la la la la la...La la la la la la...la la la la la la...
The recent announcement that this ride is being re-made into a sort of Mexican adventure with Donald Duck, a parrot, and a rooster leaves me both puzzled and sad. If I were Mexico my response to Disney would have been, "After 25 years
that's the best idea you had?"
We took this picture because we've always thought these guys were cool looking:
I sure hope they survive the cut!
We emerge from Mexico's River of Time feeling somewhat refreshed and hungry. After wandering the World Showcase for a bit we find ourselves in South Africa where we forgot to take a picture of the food booth. Their menu offerings were as follows:
Bobotie with Mango Chutney
Durban Spiced Chicken on Sugarcane
Melktert
Beyond Sauvignon Blanc
Kanu Chenin Blanc
Indaba Merlot
Indaba Shiraz
Jason selected the Durban Spiced Chicken and a blanc, the name of which escapes me because right now my mind is drawing a blanc.
There are a few things I would like to draw your attention to. The first is that this chicken was not served with a sugarcane stick - that is a wooden skewer and if you're not careful you could end up with a splinter in your gums. Secondly, the chicken is perched on an unnamed kind of cornbread mush - as far as I'm concerned it looks like a postage stamp sponge and it tasted like one, too. The chicken wasn't bad, but it was spicy, which was something I definitely didn't need at that point. Jason really enjoyed this selection, but we both agreed that it was just too warm to eat and drink around the world showcase.
I had called the resort in the hopes that our room might be ready, but no such luck. Drat! I was tired and cranky and kicking myself for not remembering to pack our swim apparel into the backpack because what I really wanted at that moment was a lounge chair, a big bottle of cold water, and a nap.
Instead I settled for Japan and this:
Kaki Gori!! We shared the rainbow, which has three flavors: strawberry, honeydew melon, and tangerine. Would you believe this thing only cost $2.25? Absolutely one of the best priced snack options in the entire park and quite refreshing, too.
Coming soon...your room awaits you and so does the pool; first contact with the parents goes awry, and the Grimace doesn't like crowds.
Thanks so much for reading and for acknowleding our geode!!
At home he procrastinates the washing of undies until they are threatening to throw themselves in hot water and go for a tumble all by themselves.
on't you want your bra washed?
I was hoping that he was alone in this, but apparently you all need some kind of miniature washing machine support group. If you want to start one then please let me sign him up.
