Gutterflower

As many of you know I love to travel and when the opportunity came up for me to spend a week away I jumped at the chance to go somewhere new, I originally thought about visiting one of the few European parks that are open in the winter but after a while decided to go for something a friend had recommended to me a couple of years ago. The planned trip involved flying into Dubrovnik in Croatia before heading north to Mostar in Bosnia and finally Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia. Now this is not a trip many I expect many of you would undertake right now, but i hope this report will change your mind or at least question your preconceptions of a country that really deserves more attention than it gets. I asked my oldest friend James if he fancied joining me on the trip and last week we headed into the unknown for what turned out to be one of the most amazing weeks of my life. We landed at the town of Dubrovnik in Croatia, a popular holiday town (although not in Feb) and one of the most stunning towns on the Adriatic. The Old town is a sight to behold and i highly recommend it. We were here for 2 days and on the 2nd day thunder storms lit up the bay and gave a dazzling light show. We made a trek down to the water front to take some pictures... We were stood on the steps overlooking the stormy seas when James said "wow that wave is huge" this photo was taken about 1 second before we found out how huge it was. What happened after was like being in on tidal wave at Thorpe Park in the winter. I don't want to linger on Dubrovnik too long though as it's a popular town and there are gorgeous pictures all over the web. On day 3 we caught a Eurolines bus to Mostar in Bosnia. (a 3 hour trip which cost around £10) Mostar is famous for it's bridge and rightly so. They have a ritual here where to become a Man you jump into the waters below. The bridge is a stunning piece of architecture and the old town around it is stunning. Little alleys ways and quaint bars litter the area. Mostar however has a dark past. As many will remember there was a war here following the turbulent breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. This is a war that actually happened during many of our life times and there are signs everywhere in the city. This building just down the road from our hostel is riddled with bullet holes from the conflict. The Bosnian government isn't rich so although the town is slowly regenerating there are still signs of the war everywhere. This used to be a bank until the Serbs destroyed it in 1993. This is a photo taken of my friend James from the top of that building. The building is not blocked off at all and you can climb the concrete steps to the top. The view shows why it was such a good sniper point and the floor is littered with glass and sniper bullet casings. The Old town hall still sits derelict after the shelling of the east side of Mostar and serves as a stark reminder of what happened here. The rough story is that when the serbs attacked they drove the Bosnians over the river to the West side where they fought side by side with the Croatians, The Croatians then made a deal with the Serbs to divide Bosnia between them and the Bosnians found themselves fighting a war on two fronts. The thing that hit home with me was when our tour guide pointed to a window and said that is where my father was shot dead by a sniper on this intersection. I don't want to give the wrong impression though. Mostar is still a beautiful town and is slowly being rebuilt. The areas tourism is slowly getting back on its feet and its a vibrant and bustling town. The bridge was actually destroyed during the war by the Croats but has been rebuilt with help from the Hungarians. The town really is gorgeous and I'd love to visit in the summer when crowds of people line the streets and the many cafes. The food in Bosnia is also amazing. this whole meal for 3 cost about £15 and consisted of steaks, pork, veal, spicy sausages, cheese stuffed chicken, cheese filled burgers, chips, rice and veg. Bosnia is not for Vegis. In fact there is one Vegi restraunt in Sarajevo and it was shut when we were there. (the bloke in the picture is another brit who was staying in our hostel) After a day in Mostar we got a bus (2.5 hours and £9) to the capital Sarajevo. Because it's Feb it was pretty cold so the mountain passes were snow covered but unlike the UK they know how to deal with snow here. The route was stunning and will go down as one of the most amazing drives of my life. Perfectly flat lakes reflecting huge vertical peaks and gorges spanned by huge railway bridges the Swiss would be proud of. The landscape was awesome and the little towns along the way all had a bustling and quaint atmosphere despite the cold. As we entered Sarajevo the signs of the war started to show again. This building was by the side of the M17 highway into the city and is a stark reminder of the 4 year siege that happened here less than 20 years ago. These buildings were built for the 1984 Winter Olympics and housed Athletes for the games. The holes in the side were caused by Serb Artillery from the surrounding mountains as they encircled the city. Sarajevo itself is a city steeped in history though and is beautiful in its own right. The surrounding mountains mean the city is set in a huge valley surrounded by snow capped peaks which themselves provide stunning vistas over the city. The bridge in the picture is famous for being the bridge where Franz Ferdinand was shot, The shooting was the catalyst for World War One. (he was actually shot on the corner opposite but its not quite as good a land mark) The thing that impressed me most about Sarajevo was just how multi cultural it is, Mosques sit next to Catholic Churches and Synagogue. Often over the road from each other. This city should be a beacon for other cultures around the world when it comes to religious multiculturalism. OK there is friction between the serb, croat and bosnian population of the city but considering the going ons just 17 years ago that is to be expected really. But what religion you are here really didn't seem to matter and that is more commendable than anything else I can say about this city. During the almost 4 year siege of Sarajevo the Bosnians dug a 960m tunnel under the UN controlled airport. The tunnel was the ONLY way in and out of the city for the local Bosnians and was the only way to get food into the city from Bosnian controlled territory. This photo was taken of my friend James in the 20 or so meters left today. The Tunnel is hard to get to (£20 taxi ride there and back (the taxi will wait for you)) but is well worth seeing. Especially the video showing what it was like during the war with soldiers trudging through the half flooded tunnel with sacks of rice and potatoes for the starving city itself. Again I feel I am painting a bad picture of a city I truly loved. The city now is starting to become an exciting Eastern European city like Budapest and Praque. Sure it has a way to go yet but it will get there eventually I am sure. On the Friday we decided to go skiing. Now neither me or James had ever been before but for £25 we got a full days tuition, a lift pass and all our equipment. Find me somewhere in Europe that can beat that and I shall tip my hat to you. I can't comment on the big runs themselves but they were used in the 1984 Winter Olympics and I am told by the Aussie girl we hung out with there that they were excellent. I have a good story here about Bosnian friendliness too. We had a ski instructor all day who helped both of us and a few other guys from our hostel all day. We all had never skied before and he was excellent. However on the way down the mountain back to our hostel he asked the 4 of us if we wanted to meet up for a drink that evening. We agreed and met up around 8:30 outside our hostel. He turned up in his rather excellent Mark 1 Vauxall Golf (which was older than me) and asked if we wanted to go and see the city from the mountains. We agreed and he drove us through Sarajevo giving us a tour of the olympic village and the stadiums before heading up into the old town to a bar which overlooks the entire city. The view was incredible and you could see the entirety of Sarajevo laid out below us. He then drove us back into town to a Pool bar and gave us a few games before he headed home. Now I need to stress this was all done on his own time. We never asked him for any of this, he was genuinely proud of his city and was clearly passionate about the history. He grew up in a world where he was constantly running for cover from shells and mortar fire and he was genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever met and I honestly hope life treats him better in the future. I shall leave you with this last picture. this is one of the newest bridges over the river and a lovely piece of design. The guys in the picture are James and the Aussie girl Sallie that we met and spent our entire time with in Sarajevo. To summarise. Bosnia is an incredible place with a deep history and a recent past that will make even the most hardened traveller stop and think. It is one of the friendliest places I have ever been and has food and sights which will make you stop and take notice. If this TR makes just one person stop and consider heading to Bosnia I will be a happy man because it really deserves peoples attention.

Lovely TR. Was just looking at this park on RCDB. Nice to see some pictures of the other rides. Looks like a nice if rather run down and expensive park.

Adlabs founder Manmohan Shetty was recently interviewed about the park and if you look closely in the background what looks like a B&M coaster layout can be seen on the wall behind his head. This isn't confirmation by any means but it certainly adds weight to the rumours that the mysterious floorless track at the B&M plant is heading there. Source: http://www.livemint.com/Search/Link/Keyword/Manmohan%20Shetty

Chongqing Safari Park in China is adding a theme park section to it's current list of attractions. Below is some of the concept art for the park. The park is already confirmed to add one of the new Intamin 10 Inversion rides (like Italy and Brazil) and an as yet unknown second coaster. The art shows a Vekoma Stingray but who knows, It is concept art after all. The park is set to open in May this year. There's no actual photo of the construction yet but Google maps shows some land clearing https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Locajoy+Holiday%4029.293538,105.908278&ll=29.290357,105.907141&spn=0.005596,0.011689&t=h&z=18 theres a few more pics over at http://www.vhcoasters.com

To be honest I'm not well versed in the difference, If the renderings are anywhere near accurate it looks like an LSM version of rides like Xcellerator. The Family coaster is going up quickly. Looks like Part of the lift track is up as well as some good low to the ground turns on the left. I think the first drop looks like it curves down to the right and then rises to the left up and round to that high support on the far right of the pic. The LSM track is still on the ground. Could these be the footers for the LSM track? Sources: http://www.vhcoasters.com & http://wowturkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2975549&sid=bbf8e861018fa41fda34a3e0f2353296

The website (translated with google) says Make of that what you will. I agree the park doesn't look like its far enough along to open then. It could just mean the area on top of the ridge which appears to be a shopping arcade, but that looks about as finished.

We have vertical construction on the Family Coaster. Intamin Family coasters seem to be reasonably rare so looking forwards to see how this shapes up.

The ride has a name now. "Fjord Dragon" which has a nice ring to it. Hope you like Double Downs.... that looks insane. Source: http://www.vhcoasters.com

Interesting news. As mentioned in the article it certainly makes sense with the release of JP4 in 2014.

Nothing like digging up a dead topic but came across this today (i wont post it directly into the post as its over 6000 pixels wide) http://vhcoasters.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/magic-world-russia-birdseye-view.jpg It's a massive overview of the proposal and its a stunning image. Several coasters in there I see Of course its just concept art but still. The park is currently undergoing feasibility studies so its still up in the air if it will happen at all. You can also play find the park with that image... i see some Tatsu and some Kraken in there. Source: http://vhcoasters.com/

Vialand is a new park being built in the center of Istanbul and will feature 2 new Intamin Coasters. A new LSM coaster and a family coaster. The Concept art makes it look huge and it will certainly have a tophat. The park has been under construction for some time and has recently taken delivery of track. Family Coaster LSM Coaster. Looking forwards to see what the layout for this will be Source http://www.vhcoasters.com

This one really is as unique as they get. The ultra twister dive loop at Rusutsu Resort. I think this qualifies as unique. Instead of a traditional chain lift this coaster at Hokkaido Greenland in Japan uses a belt system like your standard log flume. The park also has an odd twist on the standard loopscrew

I rode this a few weeks ago. It's a pretty good ride, Nothing mindblowing but really good considering the space they've got. The shooting section at the start is pretty good fun with screens that sit over the track and move along with the train. The shooting section is also fairly long with some nice if slightly tacky effects. The Launch is not that powerful but the spinning through a barrel roll effect is really quite weird (strangely this is the 2nd coaster in Tokyo that launches directly into a corner). The Coaster then heads off behind the scenes and performs a couple of hairpin turns and helices before the brakes. As I said nothing too groundbreaking but worth a trip

Looks like the park will be getting a Mine train from Zamperla along the same lines as the one at Ocean Park (probably without that view though ) Source: http://rcdb.com/11298.htm

Plenty more construction going on here. Anyone know who the builder of that orange mine train type coaster is? Sources: Http://www.vhcoasters.com and http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2012572863

Can't wait to head down here on the 23rd. I keep hearing good things about the ride "Air" down there but I have no idea what it is. Anyone have more insight? As for the not saying your German thing. In my experience if you say your German around you'll be dragged to the pub. I generally find while travelling around Europe that the Germans along with the Aussies are one of the few nationalities that can go toe to toe with the British for excessive drinking . Although I'm not sure that's a "good" thing

Interestingly I've read rumours that suggest this is where that new B&M floorless track at their plant in Ohio is going too. Do B&M make all their Asian rides in Ohio? I remember some being made in the US (Hair Raiser and Flying over the Rainforest) while i don't remember Phython and the Happy Valley rides being made in Ohio? I could be wrong though

I've been following this for a little while. Theres some job adverts like the one below for ticket offices staff and managers on some Indian sites at the moment. http://jobsearch.naukri.com/job-listings-Manager-Ticketing-theme-Park-Khopoli-Navi-Mumbai--Blue-Apple-Corporation-Mumbai-Navi-Mumbai-4-to-6-040912003782 Most interestingly we already know the park will have a Premier coaster (rumoured to be the "Deep Space ride they teased at IAAPA). Premier posted this to their FB recently Premier Rides first track shipment to India heading out!! American craftsmanship on its way to India's first major theme park being built by Adlabs outside Mumbai!! Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1279769&l=6596e6a8e3&id=255064557869403

Zoom at Yoyo Land in Thailand. The ride used to be long and feature some good drops.. in 1999 they removed most of the drops and turned the ride into an oval with 2 drops with a lifthill between them Red is the new track. green is the old... Sigh

I'm in Tokyo next month... I'm wondering if the phrase "your last chance to ride one of the worst coasters on earth" will work with my friends.... I feel it won't... I'd like to say I'll be sad if I do miss White Canyon but I think I'll be OK. The thing that worries me is that the Japanese coaster market has stalled massively recently. I can't see them replacing WC any time soon.

All the talk of Mice coasters in China got me thinking Turns out that more than 1/3 of coasters in China are Mice. The green section is comprised of all the rides that don't fall into the Family\Kiddie\Mice categories which in theory should be comprised of more thrilling (although not always good) rides. Note: this is using the RCDB Category system which is pretty accurate but not 100% perfect. But I think It's pretty close.

Sorry I should have specified, The whole thing is based off the RCDB. So for example Goliath was built in 2008 but before that was Batman: The Ride at SF:NO up until 2007. SO it counts as a ride dismantled in 2007 but built in 2008. However in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter.

Hey guys I do this every year but it is becoming harder and harder to find new statistics each year. So I will probably update this with new things as I think of them/when people suggest them Anyhow here's a couple of new ones This is the number of coasters over the last 20 years built vs the number closed. As you will notice we are always in the positive. 2000 was clearly a great year for coasters but 2007 despite being the 2nd highest for number of new coasters in the last 20 years it also had the most number of coasters closed. Notably the number of new coasters is reasonably consistent, However the number of coasters getting the chop seems to be shrinking slightly. This goes against how I thought the economic crisis would work. I'd Be interested to hear people's thoughts on this? I began to wonder how this broke down continentally so the graph below shows the % of coasters opened in each year belonging to Asia and America. As many people here will be more interested in Europe here is the same graph but replacing America with Europe I find this quite interesting as the recent Chinese coaster boom massively influences the Asian graph and starts to kick in in 2009 where there is also a severe drop off in American coasters. I wonder what caused this? I suppose each Manufacturer has a finite # of coasters they can build each year. If they are being built in Asia they can't be built in the US? Europe did pretty well over the last few years but seems to be dropping off a bit in 2012 From this I wondered if wooden coasters were affected by the Chinese boom so below are wooden coasters built over the last 20 years. For me the most interesting thing here... 2000 had 16 new woodies... 7 of those are closed already. Which is pretty shocking really. However this graph shows nothing we didnt expect. Going a bit more general we have the top roller-coaster owning countries This clearly puts the US top with China 2nd and the UK sits a pretty good 4th. However this next graph shows the population according to the last census (mostly 2011 but occasionally slightly older if data is not available) against the number of coasters. The lower the number the better as in theory you don't have to queue so long. So the moral of the story is if you like coasters don't live in Inida... but Denmark (and Scandinavia in general) does OK. HOWEVER........ does that tell the whole story? Below is a graph showing the Total Area Of Country/Number Of Coasters.... In theory the higher the number the less far you have to travel to ride a roller coaster. The Netherlands wins that battle but you may have noticed the UK does pretty well across the board.... SO PEOPLE IN THE UK STOP COMPLAINING THE SWARM ISN'T THAT BAD:P However statistics are stupid ad CAN be interesting. The Saying "Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics" applies here. but in this case they can be fun More soon Cheers Dave (NOTE: all stats are taken from the RCDB and relocations are ignored. The RCDB is not 100% accurate but myself and several others make it as accurate as possible.)

The OTSR's are real

Who was it who said about them knocking off B&M's? http://www.china-sbl.com/eng/ProductInfo.aspx?m=20120801130251077488&n=20120801135633577519 Oh god...