Photo TR: Chuck Looks Back at TPR's Europe Trip 2008

[piersTPR's Hairstylist to the Stars!]

^Don't worry, there are!

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

^Well, I didn't have a pic of you asleep--but others might.

[terrancew_hodI prefer to mate with donkeys over humans!]

Ok, I have to ask. Did anybody try the waffles while in Belgium? Seriously...

When I finally attempted to hunt down a waffle, no one was making one! It wasn't until we got to our TPR buffet at Bobbejaanland that I spotted a lone waffle sitting in a tray. I snagged it and heated it up.

mmmm...

Didn't satisfy my sweet tooth though. It was saying "Uh uh. Where's the custard and cream filled goodies?" It would be days until it said "That's it! That's it!"

Terry

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

^I had some pretty good apple-filled goodies at a few of the parks.

Chapter 4: The Wild, Wild Weirdness—Bobbejaanland

I just don’t know what to make of Bobbejaanland. Don’t get me wrong. I love the place, but it left me quite befuddled—in a good way. After all, what can you make of a park where

1. Indiana has Mayan ruins and waterfalls;
2. The shooting of Mexicans, women, and, well, just about anybody is not only allowed, but also encouraged; and
3. Darwin’s theory inspires a roller coaster.

Yes, I knew that European parks would be “eccentric” by American standards, but Bobbejaanland tops them all, I think. Everybody needs to visit this place. If Walibi Belgium is roughly equal to Fuji-Q, then Bobbejaanland might be Europe’s Mitsui Greenland—a cool mix of the weird and the wacky.

As for the coasters, here how they shake out:

Evolution—I’m going out on a limb here, but I think this is the park’s best coaster. Why? Because it sums up the eccentricity of the whole place. Think of it as the Enchanted Tiki Room meets Space Mountain. You board the longest coaster train I’ve ever seen (50 cars, as I recall) and head up the longest, circular lift ever (around a “volcano”), while catchy techno/jungle music plays and jungle scenes are projected on the roof. The TPR takeover of this ride, with the whole crew “dancing” up the lifthill, was one of the highlights of the whole trip. But what about airtime and laterals and stuff? Bah! This ride fulfills the main requirement of any park attraction: Is the damn thing any fun at all?

Typhoon—This is a good, solid Eurofighter with a compact layout. Not as good as Oakwood’s Speed, but lots of fun.

Dreamcatcher—Hey, I have a great idea! Let’s use Native American mysticism as a theme for a Vekoma suspended coaster! A pretty good ride, if not up to the level of Chessington’s Vampire.

Speedy Bob—This very wild mouse reminded me of Chessington’s Rattlesnake. It’s rough, not heavily braked, and kind of scary, but I liked it. Nice western themeing, too.

Oki Doki—A huge Vekoma Rollerskater with clown cars. Well, why not?

I don’t think there was anything at this park that I disliked; then again, I didn’t ride the “George Foreman Grill” version of an Enterprise. But who could hate the El Paso Special (one of the best shooters ever, even if it doesn’t keep score), the 4D haunted-house flick (from a cat’s point of view), the bizarre Desperado (another strange shooter), and the Indiana River (which has nothing to do with Indiana)? Who could not love Bobbejaanland?

Someone whose soul has been sucked away, perhaps.

It was a bit gloomy and rainy that day, so many of my photos came out a bit dark. Enjoy, I hope.

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

More weird wildness from Bobbejaanland.

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

One more time from Bobbejaanland.

This TR certified "yerpies free."

[coaster05I prefer to mate with donkeys over humans!]

Another great update Chuck. I am actually good at the Desperado shooting ride, but I am sure it is just my strategy of pulling the trigger as often as possible with no regards for aiming.

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

^That was my strategy, too--just keep a'blastin'! (Worked on the El Paso Special.)

[SharkTumsSite Admin]

^^And both of these strategies are better than Chris' "Shoot your number" Strategy!

[funkybadgerI just swallowed a whole donkey!]

^ Is that why I still suck something awful at that game? No, I just pull the trigger like every other Chuck, Rich and Larry. And I still fail. Boo! Maybe if I could hear the directions in English just ONCE!

Fun TR Chuck! Every update is a little better than the next! Keep 'em coming!

~ Melanie