Is 7 Days Enough to Make a First Timer Fall in Love??--Aug'11 TR-- FINAL UPDATE 8/26

[Leshaface]

I hate when that happens! You're wanting to do a challenge, and nothing seems appetizing to you.

How in the world did you even spot that little frog?! It's stinking tiny! But the second photo is a great shot of it! I've never seen those before, and i've gotten drinks at that place before. Now I need to keep a look out for them next time.

 

[calliecat]

I've noticed those frogs too! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. There are always tons of them by that pond in China, but if you're not paying attention they just look like little specks of dirt.

 

[FosterA]

How fun! I would love to eat around the world...not drink much but definitely eat! I'm the same way though...eyes bigger than stomach so I'd probably fizzle out half way around.

Funny little froggies. Almost could be mistaken for crickets!

looking forward to the next update!

 

[okw19]

I have been such a bad DISser and haven't been commenting. I have been reading though! I started a new job last month, went to WDW for a week, have been working this month and then caught a nasty cold that's kept me home a whole week!

I love the challenge you guys are undertaking in this post. I can't imagine splitting something in every country. I'm petite, so if I had half a drink every time I would be trashed by the time I made it to Canada. I'm glad you decided to do the challenge the way you have!

 

[heathsf]

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been neglecting this TR. But if I'm totally honest, it's partly because I'm sad it's almost time for it to come to an end. I will post another update this weekend though. Thanks for sticking around!

 

[Leshaface]

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been neglecting this TR. But if I'm totally honest, it's partly because I'm sad it's almost time for it to come to an end. I will post another update this weekend though. Thanks for sticking around!

No worries Heather! That's how I'm kinda feeling about my TR right now...I only have ONE more update and it's over Talk to you soon!

 

[heathsf]

Thursday, August 25 - Part 3

From China, we next visited its neighboring country: Germany! First stop: Karamell-Küche!

I had been in here before but this would be my first time actually buying something. It took us a few minutes to agree on something to share because there were so many delicious choices!

We ultimately decided on milk chocolate & caramel covered marshmallows on a stick. YUM! We had no problem finishing the whole thing before we even left the store.

Since it was still early on in our tour, and we were still feeling relatively ambitious, we decided to do like we did in China and get food AND drink. So to wash down the marshmallows, BF got himself an Oktoberfest.

Not sure what the funny face is about…

And then it was on to Italy…

…where I chose a chocolate-covered cannoli.

I really wished it wasn’t chocolate covered for two reasons. First of all, I like them better with just a plain pastry shell. Am I boring? Maybe. Secondly, it was hot and the chocolate was melting and I was making a complete mess of my hands and face. But it was super yummy and totally worth it. The only problem was, I was starting to feel pretty full. As was BF, who suddenly realized how much more of this burden he was bearing since he was drinking everything and eating half of everything. So he took one bite of the cannoli and as much as he enjoyed it, he told me the rest was up to me. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take one for the team, you know?

We got a nice break from eating/drinking while watching a mime perform in Italy. We had been sitting on a bench while I ate the cannoli when he began gathering people around for his performance. BF wanted to watch so we found a nice spot in the shade to watch his act. It was entertaining, although not as amazing as other performances I’ve seen around Epcot in the past. Once that was over we made our way to The United States!

I was pretty thirsty after the cannoli and I really hadn’t been drinking anything so I decided it was time for a beverage for myself. I opted for a frozen strawberry lemonade. I didn’t particularly like it. I think I was too hot and thirsty for such a sweet drink. What I really needed in that moment was water. So I drank some. But still had to finish the lemonade for the challenge. Sigh. BF helped a little but insisted that most of it needed to be my responsibility or else he wouldn’t make it all the way to the end. Finishing the cannoli had been easier.

Next up was Japan. I was still working on the Frozen Lemonade as we approached.

I was still working on it while BF decided which beer he wanted.

I was still working on it while he ordered Asahi.

And I was still working on it while he was drinking his new drink.

And while we took in this gorgeous view:

I finally finished that darn lemonade just as we were entering Mitsukoshi.

Inside, we looked around for a while. I was looking at the beautiful kimonos when a CM asked if she could help me. I said I was just looking but she insisted that I try one on. I didn’t want to waste her time as I really had no intention of actually buying one (they aren’t cheap) yet she still insisted I try it on. Who am I to argue with a CM? It was so silky soft and comfortable and I felt very fancy. I was almost tempted to buy it after trying it on.

After I had my fun, BF had his on the other side of the store.

Our next stop was Morocco. We hadn’t quite gotten our appetites back up yet so we spent some time exploring before attending to our mission.

I have to say, this is definitely not my look. But look in the mirror at BF taking the picture of me… He can pull off the Moroccan look much better than I can.

It was time to decide on a snack. I had never eaten in Morocco so I was excited to try something new.

Well, we didn’t get anything exotic. We decided to get the smallest portion of anything possible. And that turned out to be a side of couscous.

It was good, but next time I’d like to actually be hungry and have a meal here. The food looked really good.

Up Next: Will we be able to complete the task at hand?

 

[teekathepony]

Love the challenge, you guys are doing great so far!
The kimono is so pretty. I'm tempted by them every time I see them. Then I think... they're so practical, I mean, they're perfect for grocery shopping.

 

[FosterA]

How fun!
You guys are so cute.
I've gotta say though that I'm fighting a huge sweet tooth this morning and I really wanted to snatch that cannoli right off the screen

My daughter, Allison, LOVED that little shop in Morocco that you have a photo of. I think she bought a little hair stick thing there to put her hair up with.

anyway....keep on eatin'

 

[heathsf]

Love the challenge, you guys are doing great so far!
The kimono is so pretty. I'm tempted by them every time I see them. Then I think... they're so practical, I mean, they're perfect for grocery shopping.

Haha grocery shopping!! I was thinking "maybe I can wear it on Halloween"! But it was just too much $. Maybe on a future trip I'll be able to treat myself

How fun!
You guys are so cute.
I've gotta say though that I'm fighting a huge sweet tooth this morning and I really wanted to snatch that cannoli right off the screen

My daughter, Allison, LOVED that little shop in Morocco that you have a photo of. I think she bought a little hair stick thing there to put her hair up with.

anyway....keep on eatin'

Looking at the picture yesterday when I wrote the update, I was definitely feeling hungry enough to eat one!

 

[BMC423]

Have you been to other parts of DR? A lot of my students are Dominican and they were SO excited when I told them I was going. They all wanted to tell me how beautiful it was and a few of them asked me to take them with me! Apparently they don't realize I take vacations to get away from them!

I think I'm more worried about mosquitos. They like to eat me alive.

Yes when I was younger my parents took us on a road trip to the border with Haiti, we drove by La Romana but didn't really stop. As far as beaches go we always go to Puerto Plata it is much closer to my parents town. It is very beautiful, and hmm would you like to take me with you???LOL

I HATE MOSQUITOS ugh they love to eat me alive too. I remember when I was younger I refused to wear shorts when we would visit, I would rather suffer through the heat that be eaten alive. Although I think for some reason there are less of them at the resorts.


Now on to your TR... we have attempted that challenge twice already and failed both times. The first time we failed because we were rushing because we were splitting our Epcot day with DHS and we missed a few places. Last year we tried and my DS wasn't feeling too good and we ended up leaving right after UK. So of course we are trying again this year. Hopefully this year everyone will be up for the challenge because I believe sharing is the way to go.

Also I also find all those frozen drinks at the WS very very sweet... I think is because I'm not a big soda or juice drinker. That caramel marshmallow stick looks delish!! I know I will have a similar problem when we get there!

 

[Dreamsdocometrue9112]

I just caught up on your TR. Sounds like a wonderful trip so far! I really enjoy seeing your BF's attitude change so much as time goes on; he did not seem so enthusiastic at the beginning, but the magic seemed to really catch him

Looking forward to reading the rest!

 

[Leshaface]

That kimono does look really good on you! How much do they run? I don't think i've ever even priced them.

 

[heathsf]

Updates coming soon! I promise!

 

[heathsf]

Yes when I was younger my parents took us on a road trip to the border with Haiti, we drove by La Romana but didn't really stop. As far as beaches go we always go to Puerto Plata it is much closer to my parents town. It is very beautiful, and hmm would you like to take me with you???LOL

I HATE MOSQUITOS ugh they love to eat me alive too. I remember when I was younger I refused to wear shorts when we would visit, I would rather suffer through the heat that be eaten alive. Although I think for some reason there are less of them at the resorts.


Now on to your TR... we have attempted that challenge twice already and failed both times. The first time we failed because we were rushing because we were splitting our Epcot day with DHS and we missed a few places. Last year we tried and my DS wasn't feeling too good and we ended up leaving right after UK. So of course we are trying again this year. Hopefully this year everyone will be up for the challenge because I believe sharing is the way to go.

Also I also find all those frozen drinks at the WS very very sweet... I think is because I'm not a big soda or juice drinker. That caramel marshmallow stick looks delish!! I know I will have a similar problem when we get there!

Perhaps if I ever get BF back, we can plan our challenge better next time. The other problem with this was what we were going to be doing after we left Epcot...which at the rate I'm going on this TR, you should find out in about 3 months! Just kidding, I should finish up this day by the end of the week since I'm off from work.

I just caught up on your TR. Sounds like a wonderful trip so far! I really enjoy seeing your BF's attitude change so much as time goes on; he did not seem so enthusiastic at the beginning, but the magic seemed to really catch him

Looking forward to reading the rest!

Thanks for reading through! Sorry it took so long to reply. I have been a really bad DISer lately. His attitude really did change so much and I loved every second of it. I was really hoping he'd want to go back asap, but I guess I can settle for knowing that he'll be happy to bring our kids when they're old enough.

That kimono does look really good on you! How much do they run? I don't think i've ever even priced them.

Thanks! I want to say they *started* around $80 but I didn't write anything down so I'm going on my memory. And non-TR related: How are you feeling??

 

[heathsf]

Thursday, August 25 - Part 4

After finishing our side of couscous in Morocco, we moved on to France. It’s such a pretty pavilion.

I was going to handle this country’s challenge on my own, so we headed here:

So that I could order this unattractive looking Crème Brûlèe:

While the top was a tad burnt, it was still good and I enjoyed it. BF doesn’t like crème brûlèe to begin with, so he was making gross faces at me the whole time I was eating it. We sat at a small table right outside the Boulangerie Patisserie and relaxed (and digested) for a few minutes before we felt it was time to move on. Had I mentioned yet that we were on a sort-of schedule? We had somewhere to be after this, and when I tell you, you will want to yell at me for the poor planning/timing of this eating & drinking challenge.

Up next was the UK where BF enjoyed a Guinness. The World Showcase was getting pretty crowded at this point. Especially as more and more people entered from the Canada/UK side and we headed in that direction. But it was the main pathways that were beginning to get clogged, as I was still able to get this relatively quiet picture of some “back roads” in the UK:

While BF waited on line for his beer, I found a bench with a good view of the red telephone booths. I had somehow convinced BF to make one phone call to the booths from home before our trip. When he joined me on the bench with his Guinness, I managed to convince him to call again! But I can’t remember what we said or who we spoke to or anything! And I didn’t write it down. I was really starting to slack on my notes by Day 6, sorry guys.

As we meandered slowly towards Canada, we stopped to enjoy a concert performed by Off Kilter. It was very very good and we really enjoyed it.

If you think you would like to watch a performance, check the times guide and get there before it starts so you can find a seat. We were sitting on a small curb with our backs in the bushes because there were no more seats available and we were too hot and stuffed and tired to stand for the 25 minutes that we were there. But it was still a great show. BF really enjoyed it, as did I.

Then it was on to Canada to complete our challenge. That task was laid in BF’s hands as I couldn’t bear the thought of another bite or sip of anything.

He’s looking at his Moosehead beer like, “I really don’t want to drink you!”

And then it was 3:00 p.m. and we were done. We had eaten and/or drank at least one item from every country in the World Showcase. As a reminder, we began this adventure at 11:20 a.m. And we didn’t spend too much time actually exploring the pavilions, watching the presentations, or shopping. I mean, we did a bit of that, but we did not fully explore everything, not by a long shot. So keep that in mind when you budget your time for the WS.

Maybe you can’t count 3:00 as the end time of our challenge since BF carried the beer around with him for a little while after that, but we left WS at 3. We had FP to use for Test Track so we headed there, stopping for a Photopass Photographer along the way. Note the beer in BF’s hand.

When we got to TT, the FP Return line was crazy long and out the door so we went to Soarin’ to use those FP instead. I have no photos here but it took us 20 minutes to enter, wait, and ride. Since there is always waiting and loading time involved when using a FP, 20 minutes seems like the minimum it could take to get through.

After Soarin’ it was time to leave Epcot. We still had our TT FP but were planning to return to Epcot later and would use them then (Oh how I will miss FP forgiveness on my next trip ). We took a few more pictures at the exit before heading to the monorail for our next destination.

Up Next: A fantastic dinner that we just did not leave room for!

 

[FosterA]

Hey there! UGH, I am full and stuffed just reading about your adventures in WS! I CAN'T BELIEVE you did this before a dinner reservation somewhere. right?? I'll have to see for sure when you post your next update.

Either way, seeing your photos and hearing about WS makes me want to go back so bad because that's the only area we never really got to "finish" and it's the only area I feel like we really skimped on.

Can't wait to see the next update. Ya'll had to probably get rolled back to your room for the night after this day's eating adventures

 

[teekathepony]

Wow, good for you guys for completing the challenge! And oh dear my, a dinner after all that!? Hahaha can't wait to hear all about that!

 

[Leshaface]

Oh man, please tell me that you were able to eat SOMETHING at the Poly...I will be so disappointed in you if you didn't!

I wanted to comment on the way you look in your pictures. It's 3ish in August in Florida, and you don't look the least bit hot, sweaty, or uncomfortable. What gives??

 

[heathsf]

Hey there! UGH, I am full and stuffed just reading about your adventures in WS! I CAN'T BELIEVE you did this before a dinner reservation somewhere. right?? I'll have to see for sure when you post your next update.

Either way, seeing your photos and hearing about WS makes me want to go back so bad because that's the only area we never really got to "finish" and it's the only area I feel like we really skimped on.

Can't wait to see the next update. Ya'll had to probably get rolled back to your room for the night after this day's eating adventures

I know, I can't believe we did that either. You will get to go back (soon I hope!) and you will finish. And then you'll do it over and over again on more future trips to come!

Wow, good for you guys for completing the challenge! And oh dear my, a dinner after all that!? Hahaha can't wait to hear all about that!

Thanks!! We didn't feel so great about it at the time though We were so tired and stuffed.

Oh man, please tell me that you were able to eat SOMETHING at the Poly...I will be so disappointed in you if you didn't!

I wanted to comment on the way you look in your pictures. It's 3ish in August in Florida, and you don't look the least bit hot, sweaty, or uncomfortable. What gives??

Don't worry, we ate! And believe me, we were totally hot and sweaty and gross. But I suppose we were well hydrated from all the eating and drinking!