miniviews

I'm here! I'm only in Munich for 3 short nights. My first night, I ka-ching on all the roller coaster credits (except the other half of the wild mouse) and I ventured in one of the beer tents on a cold and wet night. Quite an atmosphere!

It appears culture plays a big role regards to people's response to a disaster. Here in Hawaii, once a Tsunami watch was reported, the gas stations swell, people rushed to stores for supply of water and toilet paper, and eventually, people headed to higher ground outside of inundation zones. Because of Hawaii's isolation, people will panic to stock their supply of gas & water -- don't ask me about the toilet paper. One positive spin about Hawaii's culture is the respect to the ocean; no one was sweep out to sea when the tsunami waves, however "small", reached our shores. People here are aware a typically 20 ft wave from a storm differs significantly from a 6 ft tsunami wave. Regarding the nuclear reactor coolant problems, I'm monitoring very closely due to my day job. I hope this does not change for the worse the public's perception of nuclear power. All in all, I hope for the best and hope others incorporate lessons learned from this, and previous, disasters.

^ Wow, I missed Jungle Storm when I was in Bahrain in 2009. I'm wondering if I will fit the "adult" category on Jungle Storm. Great review of the operational coasters in UAE and the geography lesson.

^ Hey Richard, I was at USS the same day as you, although, we arrived at the height of lunch time. It was a crowded day. I missed Canopy Flyer credit due to the long lines. The line for Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure was 80 minutes. Unsure if this was reported, but I received various discounts, such as $5 off merchandise & food, when I purchased tickets at full price.

Last coaster I rode was Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Singapore. Great ride in an air condition building! Store you loose items prior to riding Revenge of the Mummy with the 30 minutes free lockers; queue was only 20 minutes.

Photos of Happy Valley Shanghai coasters missing from TPR park index: Lele's Chariot (1 of 3) Lele's Chariot (2 of 3) Lele's Chariot (3 of 3) [more of a coaster nerd type photo] Spinning Coaster (1 of 5) Spinning Coaster (2 of 5) Spinning Coaster (3 of 5) Spinning Coaster (4 of 5) Spinning Coaster (5 of 5)

Yup, Hans took a picture of me. Much mahalo (Thank You)! Hans, I believe you will not hear the end from this night! "Are you American? Are you nice?" This will continue like Chris' "Is that a real Space Shuttle?" comment and Chuck's "Push the Red Button" (Japan!!!).

Much mahalo ("thank you") for the video & photos Edward! Nice to see another perspective, and folks pre/post tour plans.

I had a great time at Efteling -- and all the other parks we visited. Thanks Rob & Elissa! It was great to randomly "high five" several TPR members in the narrowest street in Amsterdam, albeit in the RLD. Safe travels all! Aloha, "Hawaiian Mike" Here's a group photo of several TPR folks that made the long journey to the donkey. As promised, original file avail at: ... and Morgan's attempt to catch the donkey's poo.

Congrats Richard! Since a return to China is inevitable, I suggest you conquer all of Golden Horse's roller coasters

Great report! Looking forward to more of your reports. Vietnam is a beautiful country with lovely people. If I'm in Vietnam again, I'm taking a 2 wheel adventure during the non-rainy season. And thanks for the link to my trip report. I wish I experienced the indoor snow hill at Dai Nam; my friend would have really loved it.

When TPR visited Shanghai and the surrounding areas in September 2009, the subject ride was not running.

Thanks all for your comments! I do hope Stratosphere Las Vegas open similar rides--Macau Tower is a base that could be followed. Although, I can't imagine the amount of "not my fault" disclosure forms you would need to sign for. For some folks, this ride would be thrilling, for others, meh! I'm on the thrilled/freak out column. The tilt is controlled by the rider and I've seen riders stay leveled throughout the ride. I myself won't count this as a coaster. The track is leveled around the perimeter of the hotel, and the "coaster" train is propelled by a tire on the train. See pic below.

The other attraction is the Skywalk. Apparently, next door is a residence tower being built by the same owner of Crown Regency Cebu City and the Skywalk may be extended to the other tower. Otherwise, enjoy the walk around the tower during the day, and at night -- romantic I tell you! Finally, trying my game at 40-stories high -- success? Here's my friend who had no fear (I feared) -- how can I be the man to sweep her off her feet? Pose that the Macau Tower's Skywalk X is famous for... On the edge overlooking Fuente Osmeña I survived the Skywalk! Twice!

"Hello sir" and "Hello madam" (normal greeting of a sales girl/guy at a megamall in the Philippines), I experienced a powered roller coaster credit (I won't count it) on top of the Crown Regency Hotel and Towers in Cebu City, Philippines. This ride is quite a thrill for folks afraid of heights (or the impact to the ground). The coaster track flirts around the edge of the hotel base for approximately 5 minutes and there's a choice of an insanity program where the speed varies and a normal program. The coaster cars tilt to a maximum degree of 55 degrees via a joystick on the lap bar restraint. Price is very cheap to Westerner standards: entrance P480 for two, and ride (edge coaster or skywalk) P500 for two. A photographer is also available to take photos of your reaction on the ride with an additional nominal fee ... The other attractions on the tower includes a restaurant with live music, kid's play area, a gentlemen's club (simply beautiful non-naked girls dancing "go-go" style), and my favorite attraction, skywalk extreme. Skywalk is a similar attraction to Macau Tower's Skywalk X with folks strapped to a harness that allows access to a platform without a rail. However, the Skywalk at Cebu has more restrictions since the safety gear is not similar to Macau Tower (ie, you can swing on the harness as shown in TPR's Coaster Expedition Volume 12 video [sales pitch because I'm the swinging TPR featured on the ending segment]); you can't swing or place any weight on the safety harness. Otherwise, great photo opportunities and a nice leisure walk that can be quite romantic!! Photos follow ... Finally, the mechanism that tilts the coaster train. View towards the mountain of Cebu On the Eastern portion of the tower -- Do you trust Philippines workmanship? (I do, obviously) Here's some night views of the Edge Coaster next to the non-functional bar. A closer view of the mechanics underneat the coaster train. All by myself on the Edge Coaster with tilt at approximately 50 degrees. The joystick shown above next to the seat belt. I'm unsure if there's an overriding rule between the two joysticks. Edge coaster station A portion of the coaster track beyond the edge of the hotel's foundation. The unfinished building is a residential tower and below the coaster track is Skywalk and the cable used to keep you from falling over the edge. For the coaster nerds, the sound isolation track mounts. View looking toward the airport, the SM Mall, and the crazy streets of Cebu City The coaster track flirts the Western edge of the hotel. In the background you can see Bohol island, famous for their "Chocolate Hills". World's 1st Edge Coaster sign invites you daily... Snack and bottomless ice tea is included with the price of admission. A closer view of the activities on top of the Crown Regency Hotel & Tower in Cebu City, Philippines The 40-story tower from the base with its Starbucks Coffee and beggers.

Great trip report of an awesome water park. I love the use of the master blasters/jets/conveyor belts to swoosh you to a higher grade. Dubai is on my list of to-do and this place appears to be a great place to cool off. Much mahalo (Thank You)!

You got to give Miles and Steve credit. They were the only folks without a poncho!!! We actually hung around this portion of the park to hoses folks after the already drenching splash after the drop. These water cannons are also used on the rapids--and if you ask for it, the ride op will activate one of the many water cannons.

After the looping roller coaster, we take a rest and indulge with ice cream. Other attractions follows... ...and finally, a very large frog hopper. (Time for me to go to bed) Pirate ship "Self control plane" Go karts Shoot the Chute (operational) Fast food Hot, hot, hot, humid, humid, humid, rain, rain, rain, ...

Final roller coaster... Through the man-made tree coaster photo. And notice the not-so-tall fence and close proximity of the coaster track to the exit path. Exiting you see the underbelly of the station. Ka-ching!!! The drop and double loop. Coaster nerd shot Lift hill and the final corkscrew. Coaster train. BTW, as with all the Chinese knock offs, the seat belt is wrapped around the over-the-shoulder restraints--maintenance free perhaps? Nameplate for this roller coaster. Anyone wants to translate? Here's the third roller coaster, "Tau Luon Sieu Toc".

Theme park portion added... Such timing, the maintenance crew examines the lift hill. For the park index... very standard sign (see any Golden Horse spinning coaster) The second credit, a Golden Horse spinning coaster, but it had problems when I was there. It seems to be operational (there were ride ops) ... Same model as Beijing's Sun Park Fruit Worm Coaster. And it was a relatively "easy" fit for my friend and I. See TPR China 2008 trip reports for the antics ... Tham Hiem Vuon Tao roller coaster!!! Purchase tickets for each ride. The Fruit Worm Coaster cost 10,000VND (~$.50usd), the looping coaster cost 30,000VND and unsure of the spinning coaster due to operational problems. Standard names for the roller coasters. For the kiddie coaster, the title was "Tham Hiem Vuon Tao" in Vietnamese and "Fruit Worm Coaster" in English. Zooming in to two of the three roller coaster credits, all manufactured by a Chinese manufacture. Map of the park

xin chào (Hello in Vietnamese), Prior to meeting up with the folks in China this year, I ventured off to Vietnam to explore the sights, ride a motorcycle (only as a pillion since the traffic is hectic), and experience the culture & people--the reason I love to travel. There were no credits in Hanoi, however, in Ho Chi Minh City (better known as Saigon) there were three credits at Dam Sen Park, other amusement parks and three unknown credits at a theme park of a much larger complex, ĐẠI NAM (Dai Nam Tourist Park per wikitravel). Dai Nam Tourist Park is still in the building stage but portions of the complex is operational, such as the Safari Zoo, a man-made beach (no slides visible from the outside), and a very large and beautiful temple with a great man-made mountain range serving as a backdrop. The temple site was my primary reason to explore this “tourist park”, the theme park became an added bonus. Anyway, I'm not much of a story teller (I write technical procedures), so on to the photos... Updated 9/1/09: Full photo collection, geotagged photos, Google Map satellite link, coaster and park information available at www.flickr.com/photos/miniviews/sets/72157622198758878/. (edited: minor/title/subject) Throughout the park, shade is provided. Bahrain and other parks could learn from this. However, since it was the rainy season, these shade does no good when it rains--which has been every single day I have been here. We take a tram to the theme park portion; note the uncompleted grounds. Nuff with love ... time to ride some roller coasters at the complex's theme park (Khu Tro Choi in Vietnamese) Here is a location where you pray for love ... The man made mountains reflects Ha Long Bay and Tam Coc, which are a day trip away from Vietnam's capitol, Hanoi. The back drop for the temple, 5 man made mountains. Dai Nam temple--very large and grand! Map of the complex. I got a bit giddy upon our arrival since the roller coaster can be seen from the entrance. However, the main attraction... Upon an hour long ride with a maximum speed of 40km/hour, we parked the bike at the usual bike parking lot (they're everywhere--sidewalks included). First, my friend and I head out of hectic Saigon for a lengthy motorbike ride to the tourist park. And yes, there were odd looks of a girl packing a guy on a motobike.

Too bad with the missed credit at Sun Park. Last year's TPR China trip lucked out with the Space Travel credit. I agree the grounds of Sun Park is very nice. I recall models & photographers at the park. By the way, is the location of Happy Valley Chengdu correct per rcdb.com?

^^ Its a controlled fall, but a thrilling fall nonetheless. < See my avatar for my first skyjump experience at Macau Tower. The scariest part of the ride is that first step--it feels unnatural. At Macau Tower, you are required to sign a consent regarding the risk involved and the company's "none" liability.

No problem with the shutter. You may have problems with scroll wheel and lever type zooms. You may want to install spacers for your camera to position the camera within the waterproof housing. Another tip, use RainX or equivalent solution over the lens portion.

^ I have wonderful experiences with DiCAPac, whether snorkeling, snowboarding or at the waterpark. The only caveat is if your camera has a wide angle lens (28mm), your photographs may include the black ring surrounding your retracting lens (eg, WP-300). A work around is zooming to approximately 36mm.