Day 7: (Disneyland) When Fantasy becomes reality.

Once again, I only got to Disneyland late… I got a middle of the night phone call from home ( which I was genuinely delighted about) from my Sister telling me that my mum had made it through her surgery and was starting the recovery process on a heart/lung machine.
While not out of the woods yet, its looking promising so that was wonderful news.
It was also a treat to have quick word to my DD who I miss a whole heap.
But I just couldn’t settle back to sleep for hours, there was too much information swimming in my headspace… so when I finally did, I told the alarm to ‘hush’ ( yep, I’m still thinking with that Southern accent) when it went off and I slept a little longer than I’d intended.
But once I did arrive, I made the decision to do Fantasyland today… despite it being nearly lunchtime and its likely to be overrun with strollers and infants in varying stages of tantrums… I braved it and went with it.
I decided to ease into the ride campaign, starting with the less populated ones and then put on the ankle armour and head for the headliners.
So it was Pinocchios Daring Journey that called my name first, and the line was so short, that I virtually walked straight onto a cart and with the overly enthusiastic attendants assurances that it is ‘one of the best rides’ still ringing in my ears, I was going through the first set of doors on this apparently brilliant ride. I hadn’t done this one before so from that standpoint, it was interesting. And as a long time Disney fan, I appreciated the retelling of the story in a 3D form. I did actually ride this twice because it was really quick .
From there I decided that the carousel being one of my all time favourite things (anywhere - I can’t go past one) was the next thing.
I stood and watched for a short time… mostly checking out the horses and choosing which one I’d most like to ride should it be possible ( yep… like all the other 4 year olds in the line) And then I saw it…. The horse I’d been reading about on the internet before leaving home….
Jingles….
And in that instant, I had to have that horse. So I lined up and watched that horse go around and around and made note of its exact whereabouts so that when it was my turn to ride, I could make a concerted effort to be the first one beside that horse.
And wouldn’t you know it… I was.
And I beamed long after I’d dismounted, taken a dozen quick photos and then got shooed out of the way so the next punter could try their luck with this beautiful steed.
Jingles by the way, is the lead horse on the carousel and has in recent times been given a makeover - as a dedication to the work that Julie Andrews had contributed to Disney over the years. It has lots of hand painted elements that symbolise aspects of Julies life, including her role as Mary Poppins and that of a Disney Ambassador.
And is the most beautiful horse on the ride.
Ok, so the ride that always seems to have a long endless line was surprisingly quiet today and with only an expected 15 minutes wait, I joined the line for Dumbo… another ride that is way way up there as far as my favourite rides go. Not even sure why… its slow to load, the ride only goes for a few minutes and every kid in the line is determined to have the pink elephant it seemed. Lucky for me, I wanted the yellow one.
The line really did only take about 15 minutes before I was to be on the next round, and with feather in hand (the attendants hand you a wooden feather to indicate that you get to ride in the next round) I boarded that Dumbo in the yellow ensemble that will be easiest colour to scrap the photos of and after getting the attendant to take my photo, I was up up and away in a pachyderm paradox.
And loved every last second of it.
From there, I decided that a trip to the Mad Hatters was in order… I was in need of some ears… and I emerged with silver ears and on a blue hat that has a hidden button in the ears that makes the beads sewn onto the front of it sparkle like the garden at the entrance of the park…
Well,…. Come on people… like I’d pick a pair of non-glitzy ears….
And of course, it now has a lovely cursive Lisa stitched on the back.
And… are the first pair I’ve ever owned.
I wore them all day and only took them off when I rode Indy and then when I went to bed.
Then it was onto Mr Toads Wild Ride… another one I’ve not ridded before. A lot like the Pinocchio and Snow White rides… a little car that propels itself around a track that takes you through on a ‘wild journey’ with Toady. As luck would have it, my car was the little red Toady one and off I tootled through the doors after a very long hot wait. I was just pleased to be out of the sun.
Something I have noticed about Fantasyland is the weather vanes on all the rooves… I’d not read about them before and so I went around photographing all of the ones I could find. I wonder how many people going through this land actually bother to look up… Mostly they are looking down to do something with or for a child no taller than their knees, so I guess its something that might be overlooked a lot.
From Toady it was on to Peter Pans flight. Another one that was closed for maintenance in TDL so I was looking forward to this one. Boy what along wait it was though - some of these older slower to load rides could use a fast pass line. But there is no room for that to be built on so there is nothing for it but to line up and bake in the sun. There were a lot of fractious littlies in that line by the time they were getting close.
I got a black pirate ship and it was a really cute ride. But I’d do it early in the morning if I were to do it again.
Ok… I was chewing through the available rides and I was really surprised considering there were heaps in the park today. So far, Peter Pan and Toady were the longest waits but the others were really quick.
As was Snow Whites Scary Adventure. I suppose its not really a headliner but I was able to literally walk into the waiting area and hope straight onto a cute little cart that propelled me through doors and into the dark of this ride. It was over as quick as a wink and so I rode it again a couple more times seeing as it was practically empty.
By then my Indy FP was up for grabs so I went and lined up and it still took me 20 minutes to get there. The staging areas are amazing. Such detail that it took me ages to walk to the end of the line cos I was taking so many photos. There was no rush thankfully as everyone knew that the FP line was pretty chockers too so everyone was just kind of wandering along till they got to the stopped line. By the time I had gotten back for my FP time, all the FP’s for the day were gone and you could hear the disappointed crowds trying to decide whether to wait 2 hours in line for one ride or perhaps have time to do 3 or 4. Not a decision I was willing to make.. I have just walked away when the line was that long. I have the luxury of being able to try again another day. it’s a first thing in the morning or FP ride - otherwise be prepared for a long long wait.
Ok, well, this ride deserves all its popularity. Its just like being in a scene from the movie with grand sets and stunning detailing. And that ride on the jeep is not for the faint hearted. It really throws you around and thankfully they give you a place to put your stuff cos you would be hard pressed hanging onto your things when you are being hurled from one side of the set to the other in the jeep.
What a hoot though.
Lots in that jeep are sighing, some are crying and then most are buying in the Indy shop conveniently situated across from the exit.
Loved it. Going to do it again.
So I headed back to Fantasyland and caught the Sword in the Stone show which was also cute. Seems to be what Fantasyland is mostly about - cute. Which I like.
Then, because of the blazing Californian sun, I felt the need for a Mickey Sandwich - which is not a sandwich but an ice cream. Well, it has icecream sandwiched between two biscuits so they call it a sandwich. Which confusingly ,can and mostly does, also mean a burger of any description.
Sheesh…. If only they spoke English.
Well, it was time…. I had been saving it for the day I did Fantasyland and I lined up eagerly in the Tea Cups line - which again was pretty sparse and it took only two rounds of the ride until I was sitting in a lovely blue cup excited to be finally sitting there.
As usual, I got the attendant to take my photo ( not game to hand my camera to randoms - well, I’ve done it a few times but they have without exception taken dreadful photos so I don’t bother anymore - and the attendants always take a couple so you have a better chance of getting a decent one).
And all too soon, it was over and I was exiting through the nearest gate - and wanting to do it all over again but by the time my ride was over, there was an almighty line up and so I just moved on, resolving to ride it again the next time I was in the park.
I’ve taken castle shots every day, but I’m still not happy with them. Its impossible to get shots without people in them… even when you get there at the crack of dawn. I still haven’t managed a shot sans tourists but am still trying. I have gotten some nice shots of it but not ‘the shot’ yet I fear.
I caught the parade again and also some grumpy attendants that were firing off salvos at the people that were refusing to sit down despite having gotten there way before the people that were behind them - because of knee issues I think, but in the end, they were made to move on and I thought that was mean, the people that had arrived behind them ( not me in case you were wondering - I was over on the very edge of the standing area so I could see and take photos) were only there a short time and were insisting that everyone in front of them crouch down. It was right near the start of the standing section and I thought they were so close they should have been allowed to stay. Some attendants are really nice and some really need a ‘Disney magic’ pill. It seems to fluctuate greatly throughout the park.
I’ve seen some wonderfully helpful staff and then some really officious ones, who really are missing the ‘have a nice day’ gene.
After that I shopped briefly and went back to the hotel to take a break and make some arrangements for Monday, when I will be going to Seaworld.
I arrived back at the park just on dark and wandered around different lands, taking night shots ( which without a tripod is not giving me the quality of shots I want - I’m still trying though - and have a couple I like but has taken probably 100:1 to get them. ( The delete button is getting a real workout at night)
I wandered around to the rivers of America to find a spot to watch Fantasmic and was blown away by the seething mass of humanity waiting where I wanted to be. Just unbelievable quantities of people. Needless to say, it was more about finding ‘a’ spot than finding ‘the right’ spot. I just wanted to see it in the end… and it took a while to find a place where I could squeeze myself under the roped viewing area.
And as soon as the show started I found out why there was a gap there…. I couldn’t see the stage on the island for a massive tree… I could see the stuff happening on the water, but mostly, it was centred on the island so I just had to enjoy the bit I could see and then vow to catch the late show when there were less really young families there and I might have half a chance of finding a place where
A) I can see and
B) where I am not having to bend like a pretzel to get around all the gazillions of strollers that decorate the park.
It really takes some doing to get a photo without a stroller in it. And it doesn’t seem to worry the local but it has started to bug me.
The minute that it was evident that the show was over, I sprinted off and surprisingly beat the majority of the crowd ( gathering their sleeping children I guess) and I got a spot under the ropes for the start of the fireworks way way in the back and with a squillion heads in the way - but it was lovely to see them for the first time with the music and the castle colours to go with them.
I am going to endeavour to get a great spot (EARLY) at the park on Sunday night to try my hand at those castle at night shots. Wish me luck.
From there, I slowly wandered along Main street and bought a few little things ( yes, one of which was chocolate) and then headed back to the hotel.
I have block out day tomorrow so will be heading shopping to a shopping centre that is on the tourist Transit route and I can get there on the same ticket I use to get to DL .
Lets hope is anyway.

A couple more I liked....

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust.....

These shots are not all that sharp but I took them all without a tripod.

Day 6: (DL & DCA) Mix and Match parks

Arriving really early at the park (or so I thought - earliest I’ve gotten here anyway) I decided on a quick trip into Disneyland to do a couple of rides before heading over and joining the queue to be amongst the first in DCA.
The beauty of having an annual pass is that I can park hop to my hearts content and as it turned out, I went backwards and forwards several times catching shows and rides and then switching parks for a while during the course of the day.
So in I went and true to form, I couldn’t go past the characters mostly because I was first in line to see Mickey and then couldn’t resist a couple more for good measure.
I got Chip and Dale again - this time getting autographs and also Cruella De Ville. She was funny. She warned me about the danger of rodent worship ( seeing as I had on a Mickey T shirt.) I told her I’d take it under consideration.
By that time it was time to scoot back to DCA and line up to be amongst the first in the park as they actually let you in half hour before its scheduled opening, only certain areas are roped off until opening. And I lucked out and headed the right way and Soaring Over California was open and I caught the first flight of the day.
Wow….
What an amazing ride.
I love love loved it. I smelled the orange groves and the pine trees and the ocean as I flew over the top of them …. This is just an amazing piece of entertainment.
No wonder the fast passes go by about mid morning and the lines remain over two hours long ( well, so far that I’ve seen) for the remainder of the day. I had intended to return and ride it again but that was another plan that went by the wayside.
So I better explain why.
After Soaring, I headed for Paradise Pier and was amongst the first at the rope drop and power walked my way to Screaming, where I caught the first round of that ride as well… seeing as I am a single rider, I often get on way before others in the line that are in groups.
Ok,…. Well, I loved this ride until right near the end and the coaster does these little hills and, despite my having a pretty cast iron stomach… I felt a little yuck when I stepped off. So I resolved to do a quite sedate ride till I felt quite alright again.
And that is where I made an almost catastrophic mistake.
I chose the Sun wheel… thinking a nice sedate Ferris wheel would be just the thing to sit quietly and take in the view while I recovered.
Hmmm…. Someone should have ( and in hindsight - probably did but I didn’t take as much notice as I should have) mentioned that these gondolas rock.
Quite violently - enough to have me doing panting like I was about to give birth in an effort to keep down the breakfast that I didn‘t actually have.
When it came around to the bottom I was thinking “oh thank the Lord” I can get off now… little did I know, that it goes around twice… and by the time I could actually get off, I had that motion sickness bag in my hand and was a probably as white a ghost.
I can’t remember feeling that sick in many many years.
I could hardly walk I was shaking so much and I found a shady spot and fell into the seat there, nodding off leaning against a pole several times…
It was an hour before I felt confident enough to move without hurling.

Can you believe that… A Ferris wheel.!
I was ready to go back to the room at that point but decided to just wander a bit and see what happens.
I felt a bit better when I had a churro…
Checking the time, I realised that the other reason I was in the park today was probably getting a pretty long line by now. So I headed around to the Theatre for the Aladdin stage show.
And the baking in the sun ( yep, I got a bit sunburned) was worth it.
This show was spectacular. All thoughts of having felt so hideous only a short time ago were gone as the razzle dazzle of the Aladdin show wowed the audience.
The guy who plays Genie was absolutely hilarious and really, I’d have paid actual money to go see this show, such was the professionalism and spectacle.
I’m so glad I stayed.. It is only shown on Wed/Thurs and had I missed it today the last chance I’d have gotten would be next Wed - my last day.
I caught up with Snow White for a photo and signature ( yes Keith, I was probably still feeling the effects of the Sun Wheel considering my feelings about princesses… but Snow White is one I kind of like so I made an exception) on my way out of the park and into Disneyland again, I headed back to the Adventureland areas to see if the rides I missed out on were going today. And Yay… they were … but Boo…. The fast passes were gone already for Indy and the line was two hours long… that one is going to have to wait… I’m not lining up for two hours for anyone…. Not even Indy.
So I headed up to Pirates and hoped it wasn’t as packed as Indy… and to my amazement, there was only a 5 minute wait… yep… 5 minute… I virtually walked straight onto a boat.
I got the back seat ( the only one to have - it doesn’t get wet) and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the changes with Jack Sparrow there.
Its really well done and doesn’t detract from the original in anyway I don’t think.
And because it was such a fast line, I rode it 2 more times in quick succession. Loved it when that happens.
I seemed to zig zag all over the place after that. I had lunch in tomorrow land and then another churro. Then shopped for pins - one of the best shops is the pin shop in Frontierland. I have found ones there that no one else has. As I do rides - and the proviso is that I enjoy them - I then buy a pin of that attraction to remind me.
I’ve bought lots of pins… actually I’m on my second lanyard… I probably won’t buy too many more.. Perhaps an opening day one for the new Toy Story ride (for which all sorts of signage is starting to appear) . About that ride… It irks me watching other AP holders enjoying that ride because they got some coupon off the internet a month ago… the ride is almost always full and its only those people with the special tickets/AP that are allowed on.
Plenty of people are wishing they could ride it now .. Including me.
I also did follow through on my Dole whip float thought and tried it, but really, the whip is the best.
After what seemed like a hundred mile trek from shop to shop on a wild goose chase for stamps for my postcards, I finally found the vending machine in the locker area which proceeded to dislike my $1 bills… it didn’t like the new ones… only the old crumpled ‘too hard to get in the machine’ ones but eventually it had to play and I sent off the first of the cards.. .better late than never guys.
I watched the lowering of the flag ceremony as suggested by Anthony… Interesting, but I couldn’t stick it out to the end… it got a little serious for me when everyone was standing hand on hearts and singing the national anthem. Only my own national anthem gives me that lump in my throat feeling…so I sidled away and resumed my Disney holiday.
I counted up last night that I had taken almost 2000 photos since I left Australia and I still have a week to go…and that doesn’t count the photo pass photos either…. that is going to take some scrapping.

Day 5: (Disneyland) The best laid plans ... and Pickles & Pineapples

For a change, I arrived at Disneyland in good time and with a plan….
And then straight out the window it went…
As soon as I got inside those magic gates, I noticed the characters in Main St and I just couldn’t resist getting autographs and photos. Now there are usually about 5 characters there in the morning but you can only bank on getting one or maybe two if they are part of the fab 5 ( Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto) if you are lucky because unless you see them arrive you will be in a queue that stretches all the way to Australia and back. And when their time out is up, they just leave… despite you maybe just having reached the front of the line ( that happened 3 times today when I was trying to get a photo with Woody).
So Todays haul was Minnie and Chip and Dale. I was happy with that.
From there, I had decided to do as much as I could get done of Frontier Land, Adventureland and New Orleans Square. My intention was to go straight to Indy and get a fast pass then ride Pirates while I was waiting a couple of times then ride Indy followed by Big Thunder…
And that’s about where my plans went pear shaped.
As luck would have it, the day I decide to do that area, both Pirates of the Caribbean AND the Indiana Jones rides were down. But the assurance was that ‘it was being fixed and check back later as it was sure to be operational again‘.
Pfffft…. Yeah right.
I spent the next 5 hours going back and forth to those two rides from wherever I was in the rest of those 3 lands and every time they would say.. ’just keep checking back’…. By about 3pm it was closed definitely for the day and with the possibility of it being closed tomorrow as well…
Not happy Jan.
So what else did I do? Pretty much everything else there was to do in those three lands…
I started by backtracking to the start of Adventureland and just working my way around. First off was the Jungle Cruise. I didn’t get to ride this one in Japan cos it was down for maintenance so this was my first time on this ride.
And I loved it.
Its really quite hot here ( not unpleasantly so … although, I prefer hot weather) and cruising through jungle with the blazing sun making dappled light through the canopy was fitting. The animatronic animals were fabulous and the captain of our ship a hoot. I really was expecting lame generic jokes, but this guy was a scream, his ability to involve the passengers was really skilled. I’m so glad Disney put so much effort into picking cast members with that level of pizzaz… it makes it all so much more special. So after a series of blurry photos… might have to have another attempt yet… I wandered along, checking the shops as I went so I didn’t have to backtrack again if I didn’t have to.
I bypassed the Indy ride but I need not have worried about missing out on seeing Indy… the whole of Disneyland was full of pint sized Indy’s thanks to the wonderland of merchandise available. I suspect that he has surpassed Jack Sparrow as the hero du jour.
I saw countless little boys in their ( rather expensive) authentic Indy hats. Its all about the hat people.
While I was in the shops, who should appear on a rooftop fighting a ‘scoundrel’ but Indy himself ( well, a character actor… not Harrison unfortunately) and that was a treat because this little mini show spread from that rooftop to the middle of us visitors and back up onto another roof top and on and on it went… It was truly immersive.
From there I climbed Tarzans Tree House ( got to get some exercise somewhere I guess…) and I was surprised how well this was done for a walk in/walk out attraction. The one in Tokyo Disneyland was still the Swiss Family Robinson when I was in Japan. I really enjoyed the cool of the shade and the brilliant themeing of this attraction. It really felt like those monkeys were going to emerge and start playing the pots and pans.
Ok.. Well, after walking around the Rivers of America I found myself in front of the one place I had reservations about going inside.
The Haunted Mansion….
So I stalled a little, taking advantage of the photo pass photographer out the front and taking photos around the edges to fill in the time.
I commented on how long the line was and how I didn’t really a believe the 8 minute wait time that was displayed. But unfortunately the photographer said that it was a very short line and that it loaded and unloaded quickly and that I’d be in and out in under 20 minutes( and he was spot on) so there was nothing for it… I could stall no longer.
I lined up.
Still dubious, but I was there.
This really isn’t my bag. I don’t like that kind of stuff at the best of times so this was more so I could show my face back in the Disney Club meetings than the need to go on the ride.
So there I was, boarding the doom buggy all alone and wishing I wasn’t. There was an icy feel to the place that kind of made the hairs on the back of my neck rise and I couldn’t shake this ‘we’re not alone’ feeling… I guess if I were a mischievous spirit, a building like this one where there is an abundance of fear and trepidation to feed on, would be a interesting place to hang out.
So, like I said… there I was… riding along, unnerved but not too disturbed by the chill that had kind of settled around me. I videoed lots of sections in the ride… intending to put one of the best ones - the last apparition before you get off the ride, on here as a little taster for all of you that might have doubted I’d do it.
But here’s the catch… all the other video footage that I took worked out as you’d expect… Picture, sound, rather dark…
The last one, that I’d intended to use… well…
There was picture… rather bright picture considering… but…..
No sound.
Not a skerrick. And anyone that has been in a Disney park will tell you just how noisy even the quiet places are.
No sound people… whatsoever.
Dare I say it…
Deathly silence.
I tested it outside to see if my camera had something wrong with it.
Nope… worked perfectly.
Sorry people, the feelings I got while I was in that ride, combined with the ’no sound’ on the perfectly visible video, will mean that it would take a team of wild horses to get me back inside a Haunted Mansion this side of the pearly gates. At least I can say I did it.
Anyhoo…
Today was a day of following all the culinary advice from the good folk in the DUD. Firstly I took Anthony’s advice and had ‘that stuff in the bread bowl’ or gumbo for lunch. Now this stuff in many different varieties, is all over the park. I had mine in New Orleans Square and it was wonderful just like you said Anthony. It was enormous though. Gumbo ( for those who are curious) is a type of a cross between a soup and a stew, having rice and chunks of veges and meat/seafood mixed in, and its served in a sourdough bowl that is scooped out and filled with the gumbo. I’m presuming it’s a southern dish and was spicy ( mine was steak and had chunks of choko and meat and chillies all the way through it) and absolutely delicious… again the creole food is really appealing to me.
The Blue Bayou restaurant looked wonderful ( like the swamp scene in Pirates of the Caribbean movie - and just as dark) but nothing on the menu even enticed me.
Wandering around I found myself in front of the Big Thunder Mountain ride and the wait time was only 20 minutes so I grabbed a fast pass and lined up.
This ride is seriously one of my favourites… now joined by Space Mountain. I was beaming long before I sat my butt in that little runaway train seat. I could barely contain my glee…. The adrenalin junkie in me is getting well fed these days and I couldn‘t wait to get on this ride after a 9 year gap.
So off we went… hurtling around those bends and dips and me doing my usual weird mix of screaming and giggling.
You can’t help the screaming and the laughing is also involuntary because you survived being thrown around a mountain in a runaway train.
Whats not to love?
I took the liberty of filming it for those who might like to
A) experience the ride and
B) hear how insane I sound when I scream and laugh at the same time.
( and by the way… yes that loudest screaming/laughing combo is, embarrassingly, me.)
As soon as I got off, I still had about 40 minutes till I could ride again with the FP so I headed for the second of my culinary pointers… the Dole Whip stand.
Oh boy… no wonder you and Della love these Keith… they are just yummy.
I might have to live dangerously and have a Dole Whip floater tomorrow…
Anyway, seeing as I was right beside it and the next show was about to start, I took one for the team and went inside the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room….. With my dole whip.
At least it was lovely and cool and I was pleasantly surprised how much better it sounded in English as opposed to in Japanese. Made so much more sense.
I did actually enjoy it, but won’t consider it a must see if I am pressed for time on subsequent visits.
Another thing I find amusing is not so much that there are whole stalls devoted to fresh fruit and carrot sticks, more the hideous fat pickles that are there beside the pineapple spears and strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce.
Great big fat oversized gherkins.
And the amount of people that I saw eating them like hotdogs stunned me.
Ewwww…..
Of all the things to eat in a Disney park, a pickle?
What are they thinking?
After riding Big Thunder again, I was sitting in the shade out behind the ride in the comparative quiet and who should wander along but Woody and Jessie.
I was stoked, and lined up like the big kid that I am for a photo op and autograph.
But Woody kept bumping his head on a branch so they moved… and the line got mixed up and I ended up nearer the back again … not really happy but still ok.
Then there was another problem with that location so he moved again… and again the line got mixed up as people who were near the back charged up near the front… ( where are their manners ?- and these were the grown ups with pint sized woody’s in tow) .. So I was rather annoyed by this point but took a deep breath and sucked it up.
Then the handler came along and said the usual spiel about Bullseye needing them and just like that they were gone….
Once I recovered I said a bad word under my breath and went and watched the Indy show to recover my Disney magic… at least I didn’t have the crying disappointed toddlers to deal with like others there did.
But essentially I am a lucky soul and when I was walking that way again an hour later, out came Woody and Jessie and guess who was first in line? You guessed it pardner…. Me…
So after a huge day, I managed to do most of the things in those areas with the disappointing exception of Indy and Pirates.
Tonight the park closed early for Grad night and by 3pm the park was filling up with humungous quantities of teenagers and by the time I left, I was please to do so.
I caught the Dapper Dans ( Barber shop quartet) on the way out of the park and it was a wonderful way to finish the day.
The park closes at 9pm to the general public and then the teens are let loose in the park till 6am the next morning. The cast members have only a few hours to put the park back together and it all begins again.
Tomorrow is also another Grad night so I’ll be getting out of there by 7 at the latest, and truthfully, I can barely walk by then anyway.

Hello everyone...
I am glad you are enjoying my sojourn. And while I know this blog is in cyberspace and all and sundry can view it, I also know how difficult it is to track down a random blog amongst the gazillion of them out there.
So it comes a huge surprise that my ex has embarked on a quest to find it .

This blog - to all intents an purposes - was put here primarily for the people who I work with, who I socialise with , most importantly my much loved family and those members of cyberspace that are interested in where I have journeyed for the sheer joy of travelling. I gave the address to those people that I thought had those motives in mind. So it irks me that it is now being used by Steve as a means to gather ammo to try and take the kids from my custody on my return... , and as shameful as it is, even trying while I am away. I hope the resistance you encountered from my wonderful family and friends shows you what true friendship is really about.
So Steve these words are for you.
You can stop hounding my family, and your children for my whereabout now. They have enough to deal with , seeing as mum ( a woman that has showered you with nothing but kindness and love for over 25 years) is on a heart/lung machine and your badgering them is dispicable.
I'm sorry if my having a little joy in my life has irritated you. But really, none of this should be part of your world anymore anyway. Please back away and live your life, as I wish to do with mine.
And while there is so much more to be said, I will leave this here with words that were written in a little girls autograph book probably 32 years ago by a man that treated you with the utmost respect and love until the day he died.... my dad.
" Your life lies before you like a path of untrodden snow... be careful how you tread it, for every mark will show."

I am at peace with the marks behind me and I'm pressing forward trying to leave a mark I will be proud of when I look back on this place.... I wonder Steve, looking back on all those years and at how you have done and are treating me and the kids these days, can you say the same?

You have taken on a whole new life now, you have a new family unit, that I hope the mistakes of the past will not be repeated on.
Live your life Steve, I don't have to ask your permission to travel (it is not a hanging offence), and I am so tired of worrying what you will do to us next.

Day 4 : (DCA day 1) A Woman's Prerogative. :)

So I woke …well… reasonably early (for me anyway) and got all organised to go to Disneyland, having read the guide book yesterday about the areas of the park I intended to visit and then got ready and headed out to catch the shuttle, which as luck would have it, was waiting just outside the door.
Now I’m not all that sure what happened in my brain in the 5 minute drive to the parks but even when I stepped off the bus I didn’t have an inkling what I was going to do next. Without another thought, I turned to my left, rather than my right and headed for California Adventure. Don’t even ask me why… I haven’t a clue. And again… I entered yet another park without having done an iota of preparation.
Oh well.. It worked out ok in Disneyland, so off I went.
It was a very busy Tuesday in the park… I had been expecting lighter crowds but it really was packed.
I suppose it might have something to do with the beginning of the US summer school holidays…
The moment I wandered into the park the colours and the vibe told me that this place was going to be different to that of its predecessor across the road.
The first thing I noticed - and continued to do for the rest of the day - was that there were more of the photo pass photographers around. I had not a problem having oodles of photos taken here, but they are as scarce as hens teeth over in DL. And they take great photos. I’ve seen some of them and I love what they’ve done so far - and I usually avoid having my picture taken like the plague.
Soon after I arrived, so did Mickey, Minnie and Pluto in the main hub… naturally I lined up for auto and photo graphs….. It took very little time and luckily because the Mouse, his main squeeze and his pooch didn’t stay very long at all. I was very lucky indeed. From there I wandered down into the Hollywood bit and did Turtle Talk, checked out the Animation stuff in that huge area ( but not the Animation Academy - that was packed) and then wandered around, taking photos and just soaking up the feel of the place.
There seems to be lots more characters around in this park. I’ve hardly seen any in DL ( less by far than I saw in Tokyo) but I stumbled across characters all morning in DCA. First was Belle… and her line almost stretched back to Australia so got some photos from the outskirts and did the same for Mr. Incredible and Sleeping Beauty for the same reason.
But as I was wandering along a few minutes later, out came Goofy and OMG I was first in line. That was fun, He was goofing around as you would expect and the line only formed really slowly so I got back in the line (having forgotten to get his autograph in my excitement) and had another thoroughly enjoyable little ‘moment’ with the Goofster.
From there , I went and got a fast pass for The Tower of Terror seeing as the wait was as long as the FP, and filled in that hour elsewhere . I wandered over to see what the line was like at Monsters Inc but they had closed it temporarily( possibly doing the stacking thing - and for you non-Disney freaks, that means allowing the line to almost disappear and then start it up again) , so even though I really had no interest in doing the Muppet 3D show, I went in and lined up.
Wow… I was pleasantly surprise… I really enjoyed this - it was a huge blast from the past and because there was no line, and no wait, it was all the more enjoyable.
By the time I came out, Monsters Inc had just been reopened and I walked straight onto it without more than 5 minutes in line. And I’m pleased that’s all that was… cos I was a bit disappointed with it.
Not sure why, I guess it was a little … meh…..
I emerged from the darkness of that ride right in front of the show about the animators… (can’t remember what its called) and that was pretty good.
By then it was time to go back and do the Tower of Terror.
Sheesh… they named that well didn’t they?
Scared the living crap out of me. This is so NOT a ride for the faint of heart. You better be ready for the most terrifying drop of your life if you deign sit in that elevator.
Very well done though.
I’m really giving the adrenalin junkie in me a serious work out that’s for sure.
And you have gotta love the Fast Pass system… that really is a godsend when the crowds are heavy. Only you have to use them early or they are all gone. Which is what happened when I tried to get on Screaming and Soaring,( and the standby line was over and hour and a half) so I’ll have to go early and do those yet.
Aladdin is still showing there but is only on two days a week and not today as it turned out.
Something I love about DCA is the detailing everywhere . I know it is wonderful in DL but this place really takes it and runs with it.
I took so many photos today that I went through two batteries for my camera and was forced to stop just before the night parade started when my second battery gave out.
Next I went across to Paradise Pier and what a beautiful place that is. I took so many many photos its scary.
I embraced the ‘peter pan’ aspects of my personality today in a really big way. I rode all the kiddie rides I thought I could get away with ( didn’t think I could cope with the Chew Chew ride in A Bugs Land though) Starting with the King Tritons Carousel.
And getting the sea creature of your choice is a bun fight let me tell you. Those little mulligrubs might be small, but rest assured, American kids know what they want and are determined to get it.
I had to sprint to get that gorgeous purple and orange seahorse crusted in crystals. And I made it… just by the skin of my teeth and largely thanks to the extra foot of legs that afforded me longer strides.
And the ride was sedate as you would imagine but kind of ‘old world serene’ as well.
I enjoyed it immensely.
I also love the Bugs Land… particularly the ‘its tough to be a bug’ show… that was amazing… until the damn humungous spiders dropped from the ceiling and scared the proverbial out of me for the second time today. …. I really had to shut my eyes… even knowing they were puppets and not going to actually get to me.
Such is my fear of the hairy and eight legged.
Ok.. Well, I just couldn’t resist the merchandise store that is set up ready for next weeks opening of the Toy Story Mania ride… which is open to Annual Pass holders that entered an online raffle to get soft opening rights to ride …. But not if you just rock up and flash your pass - unfortunately…
Still, I assuaged my disappointment in the merchandise shop next door, indulging in a Jessie t shirt and a pin.
So, by this time, I was ready for a change of scene so headed over to see if I could catch the show with Koda and Kenai - only to discover that it wasn’t on at the start of the week.
As the fast passes were all gone for the major rides, I just wandered around, taking photos, and looking around seeing as its all new to me anyway, filling in time until the Pixar parade.
Now I just loved this parade. The music is fantastic ( and unfortunately they don’t have it available on CD or I’d have bought it) and you do get kind of wet cos they squirt the guests with water from every float.
And because I was right across the road from one of the bubble machines I got covered in bubbles the whole time - and more importantly, I got those bubbles in my photos… it was all just so eye-popping colourful and for that reason alone it gets at least 9 points from me. I loved it.
I think that 2 days in this park will be enough to have done everything and then I’ll just return to do the rides I want again.
By late afternoon, I was just waking around areas that I hadn’t been to and was honest to God thinking “Now I should be having a Margarita with Steve and Sherri about now… that’s all that’s missing” and seriously, around the next corner was a Frozen Margarita stand…. Iike manna from heaven. I lined up without a second thought, marvelling that I could buy alcohol in a Disney park and settled at the dock side table and chairs to enjoy the late afternoon sun and watch the world go by in style.
The perfect antidote for tired feet.
I stayed all day till the park closed, watching ( and note I didn’t say videoing or photographing - I had worn both of them out.. So this time, it was just watching) the Electrical Parade sparkle its way down the street.
It was really beautiful and I am looking forward to seeing that again before I go… its only on two nights a week so I will have to time it right.
So a few Mr. Potato Head parts and a few Stitch things later and it was time to leave DCA . OMG the seething mass of humanity that was trying to exit the park at the same time was incredible. I’ve never seen ( or been smack in the middle of) anything quite like this… I haven’t stayed quite till the end at DL so I hadn’t experienced that yet.
I had a great first day in DCA despite not having a game plan…. I’m looking forward to the rides I missed the first time and will revisit again Thursday.

Anaheim Day 3: Sugar Baby....

Today was to be my mums surgery so I decided not to go too far afield lest my family contact me about mums progress. I spent the better part of the morning trying to contact my sisters without success - hours and hours worth. I even had the hotel staff helping me but they couldn’t do any better than I did. I tried everything.. The pay phones, the hotel phones, I even went and bought a phone card but still couldn’t seem to get through to either of them. So I figured, it was still very early morning over there so I would do a flying visit to the local supermarket and stock up on basics like water, coke, chocolate and chips. All the basic food groups. I caught a cab there and told him to pick me up if he wanted another fare - which he did ( late) but in the end, it cost me $20 for the roundtrip with tips.
But oh my Lord….
American supermarkets are just a wonderland for a sweet tooth like myself. Everywhere I turned there was another sugar laden option that I just could hardly pass up.
But that wasn’t all… they have an alcohol aisle.
I bought ( and still don’t know how I’m going to get it home ) a bottle of strawberry tequila mixer ( I became rather partial to them last week).
I also note how much cheaper it was to eat here - even adding on the tax, it still comes out much cheaper for many of the grocery items. For instance, you can buy 1kg… yes 1kg of fresh tortillas for $1.75 . Unbelievable.
The lolly aisle was one that took me some time to traverse. So, I bought the things I needed - the washing detergent, the water, The moisturiser that was turfed at the airport, chocolate. Then I started putting stuff I didn’t really need in my basket… well, when Pringles are 88 cents instead of around $3 you would buy more than one wouldn’t you? And I now know what texture sugar cookies are supposed to be when I bake them… and I tested out about a dozen just to be sure I would remember. Yep, it was sugar overload while I whiled away the hours waiting to hear about mum.
I spent the afternoon on the internet and planning for the next day in the parks… reading up and marking maps etc… I was going to be ready this next time. Not one hidden Mickey was going to escape my notice.
I didn’t even have dinner - I just nibbled sugary stuff. Boy, am I going to need to diet when I get home. I can feel spare tyreage starting to form as I speak.

Anaheim Day 2 ( Disneyland Day 1) When You Wish Upon A Star......

Finally the day had come that I would be spending in the Magic Kingdom. Walts baby. And it was with no small amount of excitement that I boarded the bus earlier than I did yesterday in readiness. As I stepped off the shuttle into the music filled parking lot, I fairly skipped my way the short distance to the turnstiles. With Annual pass in hand, I was whisked through and into the magic in a matter of moments.
But then came the next decision…. Where to go first.
I hadn’t given it a thought. I always thought I’d have the whole thing mapped out, or at least have a starting point in mind, so it was a little unnerving being a little ‘fogged in’ on where to walk first, because the volume of people pouring through the gates on a sunny Sunday was too large to go against the tide and just stop and think for a minute. So I went and took a quick photo ( unfortunately filled with random bodies) of the flower bed and station, before deciding to just walk under that railway bridge and get started.
So there I stood, looking around trying to decide where to go and who saunters along the pavement but the duck himself. Donald. ‘Good start,’ I think to myself and made a quick resolve to just immerse myself in it and let it take me where it will. I hit the shops in Main St, just wandering, and organised my photo pass ( again, cheaper than what I could do online) and then headed to one of my favourite places… the penny arcade.
I had a pocket full of pennies having been here a few days so that was the first thing - squish a few.
Out came: the Cheshire Cat, Mickey of course, Pluto and put a Nickle into the machine that punched out a 2008 Disneyland one.
So I fed a few more pennies into the machines, watching the likes of Charlie Chaplin do some really chuckle-worthy stuff through the eye guards and then headed out into the sunshine again, with an idea in mind.
The castle is one of my favourite shots to get so I spent some time trying to photograph every angle that I could ever possibly wish to scrap, inside, outside, gargoyles and flags and more. All with comparatively few bodies sullying the shot.
I wandered back towards the partners and took more photos, and had the first of my fast pass photos done.
From there I wandered down to tomorrowland, having decided that as a nod to my roots, I would begin my Disney ride campaign with the Nemo Submarines.
Hmmmmm … Sundays are not a good day to pick the ‘big ticket rides’…. but anyway after about an hours wait, I was boarding a sub with Aussie accent over the PA welcoming all and sundry onboard and the ‘loader’ saying an awful rendition of ‘g’day ladies and mates’….
And while I enjoyed the ride, it irked me somewhat that the Aussie-isms are from a generation that is not the usual vernacular anymore. I even said, ‘that’s not how we speak’ out loud at the end of the ride.
I’d spent the whole hour in line (almost an hour )helping the lady in front of me not to panic and scan the crowd outside the lines for her ‘running late’ 12 year old son. Whom I’d accurately predicted got sidetracked. And in the end, it was me who spotted the boy despite him having on a white T shirt rather than the black one his mother has assured me he was wearing.
And as a thankyou, they gave me their fast passes to a couple of rides in tomorrow land , because they had to leave the park before they could use them, and that was a great treat on a day that was packed to the eyeballs with punters.
So today, I did most of the rides in Tomorrowland, I didn’t have time to do the Matterhorn but will do that one tomorrow morning really early. I very quickly figured out the benefits of the fast pass and used it to its full advantage, taking a ticket and then joining the queue so that as soon as I got off ( or close to) my ticket was valid and I rode again in quick succession. I LOVED the Buzz Lightyear ride…. I was pretty happy with my efforts the first time through with a whopping 38,000 points by the end. Until I got to the leader board and realised that I was mulitple zero’s behind and a long way off the pack. That was it… I fast passed and went in for another attempt. This time reaching over 80,000. Still not happy with that I had another go ( and was now aware of how to aim the gun with the best accuracy I could muster) and got myself over the 100,000 mark taking me into level 4...
I was happy with that and moved on. This time, stopping at the Store Command to buy a Space ranger pin to seal the deal.
From there I rode Star tours, as there was only a 15 minute wait ( yes… incredible and not repeated for the rest of the day) and having been there, done that, gathered up my resolve and joined the lengthy cue for Space Mountain. This really took ages to get to and the whole time I was alternating between wanting to ride it and not wanting to ride it. Mostly because when I was last in a Disney park, Steve got to ride it and I didn’t but he assured me that it was not worth the bother and I’d be too scared so didn’t do it.
So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I stepped into the little space cart , stowed my gear, pulled down the guard and waited for what could be horrific or terrific.
WOOOOO HOOOOO!
That ride was seriously better than sex.
I screamed and giggled the entire ride and the sigh at the end alludes to my last statement.
I LOVE THAT RIDE and let me say, I will be doing it every day I am in that park. I rode it 3 times over the course of the day… I lucked out and got in the next few times with only a 20 minutes wait and that was sheer bliss - it was even faster than the fast passes going.
I also did Autopia today, and left it till almost dark, having done it before and not being into cars anyway… but when I got behind that left hand drive wheel and pushed down with a foot that is more accustomed to pressing the clutch than the accelorator, I was quickly caught up in the fun of trundling around in those funny little cars. We were all handed an Autopia Licence as we boarded and could take the option to get a licence photo at the end of the ride…. But I opted out knowing that I had several passport photos just wasting space back home that would suffice if I felt so inclined.
I think I had about 4 churros today, and a Chocolate covered Mickey Icecream. Tomorrow I’ll attempt to find the Dole whip and test it out.
Having a burger for lunch was also an eye opener… how huge are they?
It was just so big that I culled some of the bun and the compulsory fries that accompanied it were only picked at. I really couldn’t eat it all it was that big. As was the peperoni pizza I had for dinner. . One slice was equivalent to 1/3 of a large pizza at home. And everything seems to be cooked in too much oil…
So todays lollies were purchased from Marcellines confectionary in Downtown Disney. The haul tonight was a huge Mickey shaped rice crispy treat… like a massive LCM, a Mickey Head shaped pecan turtle, and two boxes of princess cookies for gifts.
The live music in the park was exceptional. I especially enjoyed the duel piano players playing honky tonk near the end of the evening. I have a real soft spot for such skilled tinkling of the ivories so I stood there and listened for a while longer than I’d intended. They were truly wicked and I’ll add the video I took of part of one of their songs to this entry.
The parade was wonderful, only I will choose one or the other next time…. I tried to video and take photos at the same time… with mixed results. Lots of cut off heads I suspect. I recongised some of the songs from music that Keith has on his trip CD and I am tempted to buy the CD before I come home….. Its on my maybe list.
If I look really carefully, there is an increasing amount of Mulan 10th anniversary stuff making it to the shelves. I’ve bought several things but they don’t feature Mushu - only Mulan or dragons. Either way, I’m loving having some of this stuff to choose from.
I stayed late in the park, and getting the shuttle back to my hotel was an exercise in staying awake. I might have this coming Saturday as simply a day off from being a tourist and sleep in stay by the pool for the day. I think I’m going to need it.

Anaheim Day 1: (Downtown Disney) We're not in Kansas anymore Toto.....

This morning I had one of what is likely to be many ‘Por favor’ moments. After the last week I am absolutely exhausted so after trying to catch up with the diary late into the night, I only opened my eyes at 10 am. Now it appears that the housekeeping staff at the Menage are accustomed to families leaving their rooms really early for a long day in the park, as every so often they would knock at the door with a barely audible ‘housekeeping’ in a heavy Spanish accent and had it dead bolted. After a few of these, I got out of bed and went to the door and tried to explain that I’d be in the room for approx hour or so more and then they could come and make up the room….
But you would think that I was talking Swahili with the blank look on her face and then a ‘you want I come back?’ I just smiled and nodded.
Finally had that sorted.
It was lunch time when I caught the shuttle to the parks. Only another Disney nut would understand the bubbling euphoria as I got closer to nirvana. Taking the front seat so I could see the very first glimpse of the park as it became visible, I could barely contain the giggles as I stepped off the bus and beamed my way to the ticket office. The sun was shining, Disney music enveloped me and the magic of Disney took hold. One of the best moments of the trip so far.
I decided that the first thing to do would be to buy that annual pass that I didn’t have time to organise before leaving Australia. Lucky for me, that when you rock up at the ticket office, it is the cheapest I have seen it. It cost me $20 less than anything I could get on the internet and I was really pleased with that.
Soon after that I had to make my first really tough choice.
It appeared that I needed to go into Disneyland to finalise the photo id on the card and therein lies the problem. I wanted the first steps into Disneyland to be momentous and somewhat memory filled.
I resolved to just make a bee-line for the Bank of Main street which mercifully was just inside the gate and then turn on my heels with a will of steel and leave the park so that my first real day in Disneyland was a full and eventful one.
And I am happy to say, I stuck to my resolve.
So after having my backpack checked for the 3rd time since I entered the park grounds, I began my meandering through the Downtown Disney precinct.
The first place I went into was of course, World of Disney. What a huge shop… I lost hours in there. Emerging with a book on the hidden Mickey’s in the parks, the first fluffy of the Disney trip ( Mickey of course) a necklace and, following on from the first portion of my trip where I made a point of trying a new ‘local‘ lolly every day, today’s lolly discovery was white chocolate covered pretzels…. Which as it turns out is quite a taste sensation.
I was hungry by then so I went into Wetzels Pretzels and bought the most wicked cheese Dog and lemonade. I’m not sure if that is the usual size of hot dogs here in the US or not, but it was more bratwurst size than a hot dog. And I know you are all thinking what I’m thinking…. Yep, I was careful how I ate it, dainty nibbles were the order of the day. I found a shady spot and sat and listened to the street performers for a while, which I did many times throughout the day. People watching in Disney is unlike anywhere else in the world.
Then I found Build a Bear. Wow… its probably a good thing that no one else is with me because I lost nearly two hours in there. Now, I am not an indecisive person but there was just so much choice that I was spoiled and went through the full gamut of possibilities, ranging from Nascar, to Baseball, to various Disney characters, to singlet and Y-fronts… even a brief foray into cross dressing with a cheerleaders costume as I wavered between my panda being a girl or a boy , finally coming to a decision on a Woody outfit. And then you have to pick accessories and name the thing. And what it has to go through before you even get to the point of the dressing rooms demands a hug to make up for being unceremoniously stuffed, having a heart transplant, being sewn up and then washed in the ‘fluffing machine’….
But boy was it fun. I didn’t opt for a sound box, I wanted a heartbeat instead. And feeling that ticker under his fur is magic.
And the best bit? Because I am an AP holder, I got a discount and a free Build a Bear beach towel.
I just wandered along then for a bit, listening to the musicians, taking photos, and decided to buy a ticket to see the new Indy movie in the AMC theatre. I still had an hour to kill so I hit the Lego shop, then watched a show outside the Rainforest Café with a macaw that kept biting the handler ( hehehe… Australia Zoo could teach that boy a thing or two ) and then ended at the Disney pin stand, buying my first pin and lanyard. The pin was a limited edition, AP passholders only 3D pin of the Tiki room.
I had every intention of seeing the new Indy movie here at Disneyland and it didn’t disappoint. I loved it every bit as much as the first one which is my favourite.
I’m really enjoying discovering new and interesting things to eat too…. Who knew that Creole food was so divine?
Oh… ok… well, I didn’t.
Maybe it was sitting outside in the soft early summer breeze listening to live music, surrounded by tiny fairy lights in the trees, as I ate spicy creole fries and some other concoction that I can’t remember what its called, and finishing with fresh square donut things that have so much icing sugar they are a heart attack in motion as you put them in your mouth… but I was in sugar high heaven… I loved them, and will likely have them again.
It being Saturday and the end of the school year here, tonight was one of the designated Grad Nights for all the high school graduates and they were out in force and many many of them dressed to the nines and in celebration mode. There was quite a police presence to go along with that - ala Gold Coast Schoolies - but I didn’t see anyone behaving badly. I think in hindsight thought, it was probably a really good night NOT to be in Disneyland proper.
Today was really only a taster of what is to come and I can’t wait for tomorrow when I’m sure as I walk through those hallowed gates with the whole day at my disposal, I will be a little teary with the overwhelming sense of having arrived in Utopia.
Ok, one last thing I have to comment on… I am constantly surprised by how germ phobic the average American is. Their public toilets standards are well above most in Australia and I have become so accustomed to not having to touch anything anywhere - no not even to flush ( if you sit there too long it will just do it for you… there is something a little disconcerting about having a toilet you are sitting on just flush of it own accord.)- that when I do have to touch a tap or dryer I think to myself ‘ewww… I have to touch it’ and really, at home, I’d not give that a second thought. Funny how quickly your perception changes. And you’ll not see reams of paper on the floor from drifting seat covering attempts - every toilet without exception has those paper seat covers that you only see in the likes of DJ’s at home. I see people with their little bottles of sanitising gel out everywhere and I wonder how much their over use might alter ones immunity.
But anyway, I’m finally here… almost said the word ‘home’ then….. I guess I have read and seen and done so much Disney stuff that pertains to actually being here, it feels remarkably familiar. Bring on tomorrow.

Disembarkation Day : One Chapter closes and another begins.

I woke early on the last day, not sure why because I had gotten to bed so late that by rights, I should have had a struggle waking up before lunch time.
Not having much to do, having packed everything but what I needed for the day, I showered and headed up to deck 8 for breakfast ( The Lido - or ‘the libido’ as it was called on occasion) and sat there by the window for about an hour, wishing the clock would stop and I didn’t have to get off the ship that I’d enjoyed so very much.
But time stands still for no man ( or even wonder woman) and the days of sailing were over for the time being.
I headed back to my cabin, packing the last of what I had remaining, and waited till the time that the people with white cards were meant to line up and walk down that gangway sad like everyone else disembarking.
No one looked pleased to be doing it, least of all me.
So I trundled off the ship, bypassing the majority of passengers because I was in the ‘non-American’ line and just sailed through customs and outside to join the line waiting for taxi’s.
Within about 6 minutes I was climbing out of a taxi out the front of the famous Pikes Place Markets.
This is a very colourful and interesting place, but I still think the Vic Markets in Melbourne would rival it in its diversity and lively banter.
None the less, there I was, dragging a wheelie and the aforementioned flimsy shopping bag… which let me down about 10 minutes into my foray in the packed markets. So after I had gathered up the loose bits of plastic ( no… nothing fell out - just the handles gave way under the pressure of assorted gifts) , I miraculously happened to be standing near a stand that was selling huge canvas shopping bags that, again as luck would have it - also fitted every last thing I had in my dilapidated one inside. So now I was the proud owner of a Pikes Place Market bag that I will use when I get home.
I remembered seeing a segment on some travel show - more than once actually - about fishmongers in these markets that put on quite a show, and managed to find them without a problem - mostly because they were A.) drawing a crowd and B.) really loud. And what a show it was. There were bags of clams and huge fish flying everywhere and I could not help but giggle at their antics.
It was so funny when there was a lull in the purchasing and the blokes in their stinky overalls said something like… ‘ you can buy some fish you know. We’re not just here for the photos’.. or something like that.
They were very entertaining and I stayed for probably 20 minutes watching their hijinks.
From there I wandered the rest of the market, buying a cinnamon sticky bun that was to die for, hitting the ATM at the markets and then finding a coffee shop just up the street that had free internet and massive mugs of tea for $1.89. I sat there drinking Tea for probably 2 hours, catching up on emails and visiting sites that I had missed checking on when I was aboard the ship with a time limit that generally meant that all I had time to do was read and reply to emails.
That place was an oasis.
They even phoned for a taxi for me - and wouldn’t let me give them even a tip to cover it ( I did sneak a fiver in their jar though before I went out the door ). They were lovely and if I ever find myself in Seattle again, I’ll be going back.
Once at the airport it was pretty streamlined because I had opted for the express delivery of my luggage to the airport and checked in for me, and I already had a boarding pass from the ship so I just went through the security check and straight to the gate.
One thing though, I am so sick of taking off my boots every time I have to go through those things. And this time, because I had kept my moisturiser and makeup remover for the night before, I had to watch them go into the bin at the airport because, despite having only enough left in either of them for the rest of the trip, their capacity was over the limit of what I could take as carry on and in the trash they went… with me looking forlornly after them, wondering where I was going to get those things within a short time of being in Anaheim.
The trip was a pleasant one, with a family on their way to their timeshare in Mexico sitting in my row that I was talking to most of the way. As soon as they heard the accent they wanted to know where I was from ( nope… not one of them can pick it) and then when they knew I was Australian, they are so full of questions, I could have answered them for another two hours after the flight.
They were lovely though and soon it was all over and I was spat out into the frenetic LAX bus pick up area.
And there I waited…drowning in exhaust fumes and hoping I was in the right spot. Countless smaller operators tried to get me to go on their ‘we’re going that way too’ bus but I was determined to go on the Disneyland one.
And was I glad I held out.
The smile on my face when I saw that bus went from ear to ear.
Pun intended.
And then it stopped right in front of me and out jumped the bus driver Mike with the cheeriest ‘ Disneyland folks… anyone for Disneyland?’
My response.? ‘Hell yeah!’
And on I jumped, sitting in the front seat so I could watch where we were going and see the Disneyland signs on the freeway and chatting to Mike all the way to the Menage. At one point he had me going … he’d said ‘oh.. There’s a Gator on the road’… course I thought he meant an actual gator not just a retread from a truck as they are known here .
It was pretty funny - me looking for a gator out the window.
Anyway, before I knew it, I was booked into room 103.
Wow.. What a room. This place is truly wonderful value for money. Yes, it is as noisy as so many websites said, but not when it matters - when I am asleep.
I have free unlimited internet and am using it to the max.
I also see the fireworks out my window every night - I just open the curtains and sit on the sofa and put my feet up and enjoy. The pool is wicked and I can do my laundry for only $1. There is an ice machine, business centre (meaning a secure internet line) brilliant restaurant, wicked bar, ATM and best of all, they have the Disneyland Shuttle stop right in the driveway so I don’t even have to walk to the parks - which might be a little too far when your feet are tired.
I had room service from the restaurant for dinner - the most wicked bbq chicken pizza the size of a large pizza back home and a mountain of fries - and it only cost me the same as if I had gotten a pizza from Portavinos back home. Only problem was that I don’t have a fridge so I just had to eat what I could and turf the rest.
I stayed up way too late on the internet (must have been having withdrawals) and then only woke up really late… but then it’s a holiday right?
A couple of late starts isn’t going to wreck the Disney campaign so I indulged myself on that score.

Day 7: Victoria BC : 'Last-minute-Lis' strikes again

** First things first... I found out the night before that my orca watching tour had been cancelled due to the foul weather that held us up on the way to Victoria, needless to say, I was very disappointed... so I didn't feel like choosing from the few excursions left so I was content to just wander when I got to Victoria.

It was a leisurely start to the day as predicted. I had breakfast in the Lido… I never did get to the La Fontaine for more than two meals…. I just couldn’t stand how it took over two hours for the meal to be over. I like to eat as much as the next guy but I just want to get in, get fed and get on with stuff…. Maybe if I weren’t on my own it would be a different story, I’m not sure… I suspect though that it might be just the same…
Anyway, after doing the line up thang and eating way too much as usual - its hard to resist those strawberry pancakes or the waffles or the pain du chocolat ( chocolate chunks baked into croissants) so I just figure the easiest course of action is just … don’t resist.
I should have spent some of today packing seeing as we have to have our cases out by 1am tomorrow morning at the latest… but I just couldn’t bring myself to think about it.
I needed a nana nap and took that option instead… followed by aimless wandering around the ship trying to memorise every detail of a place that has been my home for a week. And I know how odd that sounds, but a week on a ship is like months on land I think. Its insular and you get to know the inhabitants on speed dial. Within a couple of days you are saying hi to familiar faces and catching up on their experiences at ports or chatting to the same familiar crew members that you see on your daily rounds of the ship.
So it was going to be very hard walking down that gangway in the morning knowing that I won’t be back onboard for a very long time or perhaps ever.
So with that in mind I wandered… soaking it all in. Looking in the shop windows… looking out of the glass that separated us from the elements of the open sea and trying to identify things that I might have missed and wish later that I hadn’t.
Eventually, I met up with Steve and Sherri again ( they’d been good and packed their cases in the afternoon)… and we indulged in a couple of DOD’s in readiness for the port.
Before we knew it, we were all heading to our cabins to get out stuff for Victoria ( yep, Steve and Sherri still pointing the way cos I keep losing mine) And to coin a phrase that Evelyn used to describe both herself and Sherri’s ability to turn around and not be able to find the way back ( and now I am in that bunch as well) ‘ Bread crumbs….. We need a trail of breadcrumbs to make our way home’… now that is not verbatim but pretty close. And I certainly needed bread crumbs….
My very patient room steward pointed out my room for me on countless ( and I mean countless) occasions… I would sail right past it, having in my head it was one way when it clearly was the other. Sadly not even the numbers on the walls helped… I don’t think I’d ever get used to those interminable corridors…
It got to the point where if he were nearby he’d stop what he was doing and put his skeleton key card into my lock and open the door for me so I didn’t just waltz right by it. Which I did do… embarrassingly - a million times….
Anyway, with camera in hand and backpack on, I met up with the others a deck or two down and we disembarked in a new country.
On the other side of the customs fence, we jumped in a cab which turned out to be cheaper than catching the shuttle bus, and we were there well before any of the other passengers made it to the downtown area - thankfully because we were able to take some awesome shots of the wonderful architecture that Victoria had. Beautifully ornate buildings ( not unlike the ones in the early maritime centres in Australia with a distinct British feel)
All overlooking the most beautiful harbour.
I have to say, I was very very taken with Canada. I am really keen to go back there one day. It had a wonderful vibrancy to it as compared to the more laid back stance of the folk in Alaska.
Victoria just pulsed with street performers and wonderful bars ( one of which we tested out) and the most amazing chocolate shop of the trip in the main shopping district.
We walked around the harbour a bit, just looking around and taking photos and then went in to a bar/restaurant called ’sauce’, out of the sprinkles of rain for a quick drink on our way back to the downtown area. Their cocktails were amazing.
Back in the shopping precinct, we hit the shops briefly - and yep… I bought maple syrup… go figure right?
I also bought a gorgeous little moose fluffy for my bed dressed as a mountie. Absolutely adorable. Ok.. I better explain this ….
I developed a rather amusing attachment to anything with a moose on it almost immediately we left port in Seattle. If it had a moose on it, I was guaranteed to consider buying it. Almost everything came in either the moose version, the bear version or the eagle version. I always opted for the moose option.
The first thing I bought was a t-shirt from the gift shop onboard with a moose made out of crystals on it. Enough said.
It was all downhill from there.
But I didn’t ever see a moose toy that quite grabbed me. Not until I got to Canada and the little dickens had that irresistible Mounties uniform on. It might as well have had my name embroidered on it cos I was not leaving Victoria without it.
I didn’t really buy that much there, but I loved every second of being there.
And the last moose that came into my possession was the seriously cute moose Christmas decoration dressed in bubba overalls given to me by Steve and Sherri which I will treasure…. And it’s going to take pride of place on my tree this season.
In between those two points a number of moose inspired moments ensued… be they purchases, photo ops or jokes.
I really embraced the moose-ism of Alaska.
So after we had done our shopping, we wandered along the streets enjoying the street performers - there were bands, jugglers, fire breathers and any amount of rickshaws that were hilarious to watch - especially when they were double decker and had rather large folk aboard. Those blokes really earned their money.
Another thing that was a little disconcerting were the few beggars that we encountered on and off just outside of the main drag. Very sad.
On our way back, we stopped to take some photos of the Parliament building all lit up like a Christmas tree. It was really quite a sight. From there we went back to the port, it was getting cold and we didn’t want to be late. As we stepped out of the taxi, the wind whistling down between our ship and another one docked parallel - creating one almighty wind tunnel - was gale force. I was sure my earrings were going to blow out of my ears. And it was icy cold. And I mean ICY.
Seriously, I was hanging onto my bag and leaning into the wind to make it back to the ship.
Inside, we warmed up with a DOD and sat in the Ocean bar and watched as the ship backed out of its park and we were on our way back to our final destination.
And it was with much sadness that goodnights were said as there was no guarantee that we’d be meeting up the next morning if somewhere along the line any of us got caught up. As it turns out, we did.
I made myself start packing about 12am - one whole hour to get an enormous weeks worth of stuff packed. And let me say… that given my time again, I’d have done it a bit earlier because I just made it - and that includes locking myself out of my cabin - IN MY PAJAMAS! And yep…. I know that a fair few of you are laughing right now.
Mercifully they weren’t the skimpy ones….
Back in my cabin ( after I flagged down the nearest person that might feasibly have one of those handy dandy key cards that opens everyones doors) I proceeded to hurl stuff into my case with wild abandon knowing it was going to be touch and go to get the cases out of my door in time.
And then my worst fears were realised… I had not a hope in hell of getting it all back into my cases with the added shopping that I had indulged in.
So …. What to do….
The rules are strict… two cases and one carry on wheelie and a handbag. That’s it.
I really had way way more than that.
So it was pull it all out and think outside the square.
After rearranging the contents again - and deciding to chance taking a extra carry on bag full of ‘breakables’ I sat on my cases and prayed that the zips held at least to LA where I intend to ship home all my winter clothes. Which I will do nearer the time to going home in case I need any of it.
Success… I got it all in and one ‘flimsy shopping bag extra carry on’ later… it was all sorted… now … all I had to do was bluff my way out of one terminal on the Seattle docks… through another at Seattle airport and then out another in LA.
Piece of cake, right….
As it turns out…. Yep…. It was.
Oh… and what time did the cases hit the carpet outside my room not to be seen again by me until LA? 12:53am….
See… what were you worried about….
I was always going to make it… right?
Then one very relieved girl flaked it within about 3 seconds of my head hitting the pillow.