A trip to Caribbean Bay!

Last week was midterm time at my school. While that meant a hellish exam cycle of studying until the early hours and cramming vast amounts of information to be memorized for students, I got to take a mini vacation and have a spare day off from work. I had known that this day was coming soon and decided to take advantage of it early by planning to take a day trip back to Everland with Hyejin.

Its funny, as most people I know usually make it a habit to make it either a once a year trip or biannual trip to  Everland and here I was, visiting again in a span of a month. In all fairness though, it wasn't the same kind of trip and I wasn't visiting the same exact place again.

Next to Everland, was the water park know as Caribbean Bay, famous in Korea for having both an indoor and outdoor portion of water slides and attractions. I've heard stories of it being packed with people during the hot and humid summer months, with long lines waiting to go down slides and visit the spa area.

I guess I went at the wrong time because aside from a handful of people in the indoor portion, the park was a ghost town.

Maybe it was because of the weather. It was slightly chilly and the skies had a hint of overcast, possibly threatening to rain at any minute. Maybe because it was an afternoon on a Thursday, a day typically spent by most Koreans either in school or working. Whatever the reason, it was a bit odd to be able to walk around the park with no lines or waiting.

While a line free water park sounds like paradise to most people and ideally it would be, it seemed that the staff took the day off as well and most of the water slides and water attractions on the outside were not open. None of the slides were available to slide down with many portions of the park were blocked off and closed.

I was certain at this point that I would end up regretting the time and money spent coming here, however my girlfriend reminded me about the indoor portion of the park. Remaining skeptical but not wanting to waste anymore time, we made our way inside.

I was glad I listened to Hyejin, because as soon as we stepped through the door we were greeted to a brightly lit area of lazy rivers, small pools, water slides and spa areas. It was a light at the end of a chlorine smelling tunnel.

While this was my first time visiting an indoor water park, I was impressed at what was available. The whole place had a cheery and clean atmosphere with the bright colors and themes of a amusement park. Simply walking around the are and finding new places to play in hidden in the corners was a fun time that constantly offered new things to try out. Starting from the bottom and making your way to the top could take a person more than a few hours if they went at a leisurely pace.

One of the things I found most different about the Korean water park experience was the preparation before even stepping foot  in a swimming pool. One of the most striking is the safety concerns and preparations for each person with safety measure going far beyond what I was used to back at home. Where safety concerns generally consisted of "don't run" and "jump in kids!" back at home, the rules were different here, specifically with swim attire.

According to the rules of the park, you are required to wear the following before swimming:

A cap to cover your head.

A life vest (but you can take this off later on)

A t shirt to cover your torso (but we were allowed to remove these)

Luckily, due the the small number of people there, the staff allowed us to slide by the rules a little bit and go without caps and later on remove our vests and t shirts. However we were told that if it was a busier time, these items would be absolutely necessary.

Another difference was the variety of things to do beside go in the water or swim in the pools. Spa and sauna areas were scattered between the slides and pools to offer a quick dip of relaxation along with scented water with rose and other flowers. The indoor area also offered both a beauty section and relaxation section that for a half hour and extra fee, could allow a quiet area to relax and be pampered in. It seemed like an odd idea at first, but after taking small breaks to refresh between swimming and sliding provided a revitalizing burst of energy that was welcomed after a few hours of activity. America needs to get on the idea ASAP.

It was a fun day with my girlfriend who like me, was caught up in her work life leaving places like this a distant priority in the wake of more important and work related manners. At the end of the day, despite being tired and worn out were reminded just important these little breaks are from our daily schedule and how the company of a special person is a key ingredient for a happy time.

Website for Caribbean Bay

http://www.everland.com/web/multi/english/caribbean/main.html

The outside of the Bay!

Trip to Everland and being a kid again

Last weekend me and a group of friends went on a day trip to Everland, an amusement park in Korea, and arguably the largest one Korea has to offer.

I rarely go to amusement parks. I have never visited Disney World or Land, nor have I ever spent a day at Universal Studios. I went to Six Flags several times along with my local water park, but as for a large full on amusement park, Everland was my first experience.

That being said, if you're looking for advice or critical perspective on whether Everland is worth going to, you won't find it from me.

What I can say though is that if you go with a group of friends and don't mind waiting in line, it's an absolute blast to go to.

The park is large, much larger than I originally thought it would be, with each area of the park carrying a different theme and attractions. We spent the entire day there and couldn't make it to two of the major sections of the park, although one of my friends who had been here previously said not to go to Zootopia, claiming that the animals there are kept in a depressing state with cages much too small for each animal to live and roam.

I haven't been here myself, but based on what several other people have said, I can only assume there is a shred of truth to this. So to err on the side of caution and prevention of depression, we stayed away from Zootopia.

The rest of the park was standard amusement park fare. Cheerful music, long lines for rides and unhealthy food everywhere. It had that happy sugary atmosphere that amusement parks carry with them and when combined with the warm and breezy weather, it was impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere. Despite the long wait in some lines, the end result was almost always worth it.

If I had to pick a favorite ride there, the T Express wooden roller-coaster was one of the most memorable. Touted as one of the fastest and steepest in the world, it was two minutes of steep drops, sudden turns and hills that jostled the riders around and made for the refreshing cold rush of adrenaline that only coasters can provide. It's been nearly three years since I last rode a coaster, and the feeling of giddiness and the tightening of your stomach in anticipation came back as the car began its plummet down the track. It was a good laugh between my friends and I, and a reminder that no matter how old I get, that world weary cynicism can instantly be diminished for a few minutes on a fast roller-coaster.

Despite the crowds, I can see myself returning. The entry fee was only 32,000 won ( a discount if you bring your ARC card) and the park was big enough to spend an entire day making your way around it. Even the crowd issue can be fixed if you can go on a weekday.

I'm really enjoying these outings with friends that I have been going on lately. I was usually content with traveling by myself, but I'm starting to see the appeal of traveling and doing things with a group. More people to laugh with, make jokes with. More people to do stupid stuff with and more people to remember the stupid stuff afterwards.

We were all middle to late 20 year olds and we ended up running around like we were children again. That youthfulness we try so hard to hang on to but only see occasionally as we become older.

Everland made me a kid again for a day. I only had fun on my mind. Good friends, fun rides and a great place to do them in. Take my advice, go visit Everland.

Everland information: http://www.everland.com/web/multi/english/everland/main.html

The entrance of Everland during their Tulip Festival