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Photo TR: Robb's Trip Around The World!


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Photo Trip Report Updates:

Arrive in Portugal (that's this one you're on now!)

Fun in Portugal Part 1

Fun in Portugal Part 2

Chessington World of Adventures and Brighton Pier

Thorpe Park

Hong Kong Photos

Ocean Park, Hong Kong

Dragon Centre, Hong Kong

LOTS of photos of Hong Kong!

Hong Kong Disneyland, More Ocean Park, and More Hong Kong!

 

Ok, here is the 'short version' of the story....

 

Right when I got back from our big Europe trip (which keep in mind was less than three weeks ago) I was told at work that they needed me to go out with our marketing and PR departments to do some product demonstrations. These demos, however, happened to be in Europe and Asia....Portugal and Hong Kong to be exact.

 

Now, keeping in mind that this is a business trip first, and a fun trip second, I knew that it was very unlikely that I'd be able to get to many parks.

 

But seeing as though Portugal has almost zero credits (well, actually zero as I found out today!) and since I had a short layover in the UK on my way to Hong Kong and a free day in Portugal, I decided to shorted my Portugal stay and have a longer layover in the UK so I can hit up Chessington's and Thorpe.

 

Then it's onto Hong Kong where I should be able to get to Ocean Park and at least see the entrance to Hong Kong Disneyland.

 

So overall, while it's not a wealth of parks and coasters, there were a few.

 

My journey started in Los Angeles and then onto New York City to switch planes, and then today I landed in Lisbon, Portugal.

 

So far it seems like a nice place. The traffic seems bad and the drivers are crazy, kind of like Italy. The hotel is this really swanky, upscale golf resort, which is really nice, but it's not really my thing. Still, it's a fantastic place for the product demos I have to do.

 

Since there isn't anything really going on today work wise, I decided to check out the two parks that I knew existed nearby.

 

The first one, "Fun Center" which is pretty much a Jeepers-like place, is inside the largest mall in Portugal (which actually looked like a pretty standard-sized mall by US standards!) The 2nd park, Feira Popular de Lisboa, I was pretty sure had closed, although it's still listed as open on RCDB, but sure enough, it has closed and will be replaced by Fantasia Park scheduled to open in 2007.

 

So that only left one possible credit for me in Portugal, the Vekoma Roller Skater at Fun Center.

 

It was a short 20 minute drive from the hotel, and the mall looked pretty much like your smaller sized "mills" type malls you find in the US. I think that Ontario Mills or Gurnee Mills was MUCH bigger than this place!

 

After a bit of searching, I finally found the Fun Center....which is closed for remodeling until September. Oh, well...I think I can live without that Roller Skater credit! It was still very odd, though. You'd think that if they were going to remodel a place like that, they would do it during the school season, not during summer!

 

Anyway, I took some photos of the trip so far. Sorry there are no coaster shots, at least not yet anyway, but there will be some by the end of the week!

 

Oh, yeah, one last thing....so Elissa couldn't come on this trip, which is a real bummer. =( Doesn't seem right to be traveling to random places without her. But now that you all know she's home alone, it's a perfect time to stalk her!!!

 

Anyway, onto some photos....

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Oh, well...at least there is Pizza Hut and Baskin Robins...Elissa should appreciate this (Did I mention that I miss her?)

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Doh!!! Looks like no Roller Skater for me today. The Fun Center is being remodeled and won't open until September.

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Ahh! I finally found the Fun Center! Time for a credit!!!

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It looks pretty nice, but then again, it kind of looks like it could be any mall in the world.

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Here is Columbo. A HUGE mall for Portugal, pretty average for the US. Whatever, it's still named after a crappy Peter Falk show!

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Choose wisely!

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The bathroom is actually three different rooms! Toilets, bath & shower, and sinks! Wow! Upscale!!!

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Here is the view from the patio of my hotel room.

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I miss Elissa. =(

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Any room with a plasma TV is ok by me!

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Here is the ultra-swanky hotel they put me up in.

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There was a driver waiting for me! Now THIS is first class stuff! =)

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Yay! I made it to Lisbon, or....um...Lisboa, or...whatever!

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Lisbon airport has the 'old school' stairs to get off the plane.

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Flying into Lisbon - I thought the place looked very interesting...all the buildings are painted the same color!

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Here I am landing in NYC.

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Wow! This plane sure is empty...too bad it didn't stay like that. =(

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Here is the plane that will take me to NYC.

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The trip starts with annoying security lines in Los Angeles. "We're not a dressing room, we're a security station" barks the TSA at some woman who was putting on her shoes and jacket that they made her take off.

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^ Not really. It was pretty much like any other mall you'd see anywhere else.

 

That was the thing, there wasn't anything REALLY different to set it apart. Same shops you are used to in most malls, same food, etc....

 

I mean, it was nice and all, it just wasn't very special at all.

 

--Robb

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Hey, nice photos. That overhead shot of Lesbian, um, I mean Lisbon looks interesting. Sort of reminds me of parts of New York City and New Jersey. I don't know why, it just does.

 

Too bad about the Roller Skater, we all know how much you LOVE Vekoma. I guess it'll have to wait until European Coaster Trip 3.

 

Justin

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Nice hotel Robb, you work for a generous company.

 

Since you had to spend so much time flying I assume you took full-advantage of the hotels "In Room" Deep Tissue Massage service?

 

I hear that helps with jet-lag.

 

Many companies often pay for those additional "services", since their executives often perform their jobs better afterwards.

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Hey Robb,

and another TR. Only a few weeks at home and now right back in Europe! That is very cool! 8) However, great pictures. It looks like your Hotel is very nice! So bad, that the Fun Center was not open!

I hope you will enjoy the next days!

 

-Sören "cant wait to see more updates" Schomburg

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Nice hotel Robb, you work for a generous company.

 

You'll find most big companies will pay for nice hotels. I know with my company we have a set dollar amount. We just put it on our Corporate card and they pay the bill. Usually it's quite easy to find a room in most cities under what the companies set amount is.

 

Same thing goes for meals. In Atlanta earlier this year we had like a $65 limit on dinners each night. Had no problem eating well on that!!!

 

Gregg "Denver is coming up soon!!" C.

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I'm not sure how much this room goes for on the corporate rate, but I know when I checked in the 'going rate' listed on the room I'm in was 500 Euros! :shock:

 

Anyway, I went out looking at some of the restaurants for food. I didn't feel like eating too fancy tonight, so I opted for room service. There is a nice Japanese restaurant here, but it's not open tonight. Seems to be the theme of the day! Everything I want to do is closed. =(

 

Here's a couple more photos....

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....I'll stick to a cheese pizza and a foo-foo chocolate thing from room service! =)

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"Stewed pork cheek" and "biologic duck???" Did the duck have implants??!?! Hmmm.....

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This is what I look like after 24 hours of air travel, no sleep, and looking for food!

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More gardens...more pools....

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There are plenty of gardens and stuff. There is a Jesus thing on that mountain. Apparently they like him here in Portugal or something...

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I wandered down by the spa and pools. It kind of reminds me of the place in "Paradise Hotel" with all the different areas on different levels, multiple pools and large suites.

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OOOO, Robb is staying in the hotel that was designed completely in feng shui!

 

Robb, if I'm not mistaken, you can go up to that big fish tank a choose which fish you want to eat!

 

I thought the same exact thing when I saw the pictures. I saw the same program, the hotel was designed with the all those windows so the Dragon could come from the hills and make it to the ocean. Robb, I liked your comment on the Bedei (I think that's how it's spelled) and the commode, choose wisely indeed

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^ Yup! It was yummy! And that chocolate foo-foo thing...OMG! It was a chocolate mousse that will give Dan diabetic death just by reading this thread!!!!

 

--Robb "Who would rather be at SFMM with Elissa!" Alvey

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