larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
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 10/30/2007 12:37:07 AM
OK, I spent 5 days in Orlando, but who needs another Trip Report talking about rides and coasters. Let's talk food.
I decided not to eat breakfast and a light snack before tackling the 24 regions/countries selling their culinary delights. Yes, I also had a couple of beers along the way, but this thread is about the food I sampled.
Argentina 9/10 - Oragnic Spicy Beef Empanadas: very savory although it was served too high temperature.
Mexico 8/10 - Quesadilla con Chorizo: Oh, I love chorizo style sausage and this snack did not disappoint. I also wanted the sample the Chilaquiles but there was too much other food to sample.
Spain 510 - Papas con Chorizo: The Chorizo was not as good as Mexico and the Papas (Potatos) were a little too greasy.
China 7/10 - Pork Pot Stickers: Whether it was scallions or something else crunchy there were a little too many in the dumplings, but they were cook well. Normally I would have tried the Chicken Sha Cha with was just Chicken on a stick, but the Pot Stickers well highly recommended.
South Africa 7/10 - Durban Spiced Chicken on a Skewer: It was pretty much what I expected, well seasoned and easy to eat on a bed a polenta
Morocco 10/10 - Bastilla: This Chicken Pie in a Baklava style pastry covered with a little cinammon and powered sugar was so good I went back a bought a second. Surprising becasue I usually don't like food when I don't know what is inside. I tend to stick to meat and starches but therewas a tasty vegetable inside (I think chickpeas) and I still ate it.
Canada 8/10 - Cheddar Cheese Soup: One of the traditional favorites of the festival. One the rich side, but veterans say the portions were smaller than past years.
Quite an enjoyable day. Hope your enjoy the food reviews as I know that no one wants to hear about Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, IOA, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, Mickey's Not So Scarry Halloween Party or Animal Kingdom.
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My signature has been hijacked!
Poop happens! That's why man invented toilet paper.
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coaster05
Posts: 6207
Registered: 2/29/2004
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 10/30/2007 11:29:09 AM
I love the food and wine festival. I believe it to be one of the crowning events of modern man.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
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10/30/2007 7:11:46 PM
You didn't have the pretzel roll wurst in Germany? You suck.... but at least you got to spend time in the park, and not going back to get your ticket 
and you are right in that no one wants to hear about Cypress or DAK
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tacoking
Posts: 9914
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10/30/2007 8:30:36 PM
I still haven't been to a Food and Wine Festival yet. Next year, for sure.
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
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10/30/2007 11:09:37 PM
^^Joe I was so full from rapid fire eating and drinking that I picked and chose my food. Also, it gets expensive to eat at every country.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
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10/31/2007 10:48:14 AM
Tell me about it. My credits are finally being applied to my bank. $12.50 for the wurst and Beck's Oktoberfest. $8 for the cup of Boddington's. It's probably a good thing that I wasn't around all day 
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I sleep, drink beer, and ride coasters. That is a summary of my life.
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larrygator
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10/31/2007 12:41:10 PM
I spent about $60-$70 on food and beer.
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BobFunland
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11/1/2007 1:00:47 AM
It's easy to spend $10 a booth, and with so many booths I'm thankful that I'm picky and my appetite has shrunken a lot.
Going to Florida always sickens me once I get home. I added it up this afternoon, and I spent $250 a day. To think, I already had a Busch pass and a Disney Park Hopper too.... Ouch.
Message updated 11/1/2007 1:02:12 AM by BobFunland
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
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11/12/2007 10:09:14 PM
Quote:
BobFunland said:
Going to Florida always sickens me once I get home. I added it up this afternoon, and I spent $250 a day. To think, I already had a Busch pass and a Disney Park Hopper too.... Ouch. |
good night! should i give one of my lectures here? nah, i'll spare you, since everyone on this site could easily fill in the content of a would-be hrryt spiel. i will toss in however that i'm renting a villa overlooking the pacific coast of mexico for an entire week for just a tad bit more than that.
______________________________________________
larry, sorry i missed this earlier. i do enjoy you're dabbles with the culinary...
btw, morroccan food kicks ass! a few years ago my misses and i were in paris, and we were amazed at the great ma and pa bistros, with their great cheap prix fixe menus. but we hit a morrocan place the last night there and damned if it didn't destroy the "french" food we'd had up 'til then. one of the best meals of my life.
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the following sentence is false.
the preceding sentence is true.
Message updated 11/12/2007 10:12:14 PM by hrrytraver
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ginzo
Posts: 564
Registered: 7/16/2006
Rank: Gold Critic
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11/13/2007 8:38:51 AM
Quote:
hrrytraver said:
good night! should i give one of my lectures here? nah, i'll spare you, since everyone on this site could easily fill in the content of a would-be hrryt spiel. i will toss in however that i'm renting a villa overlooking the pacific coast of mexico for an entire week for just a tad bit more than that.
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Does it come with armed guards? 
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
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11/13/2007 12:52:14 PM
^yes and thank god, because me and my wife are terrified of mexico and mexicans.
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ginzo
Posts: 564
Registered: 7/16/2006
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11/13/2007 1:23:02 PM
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html
Quote:
Mexican authorities have failed to prosecute numerous crimes committed against U.S. citizens, including murder and kidnapping. Local police forces suffer from a lack of funds and training, and the judicial system is weak, overworked, and inefficient. Criminals, armed with an impressive array of weapons, know there is little chance they will be caught and punished. In some cases, assailants have been wearing full or partial police uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles, indicating some elements of the police might be involved. |
I, of course, believe everything the government tells me.
Mexico is the kind of place where you do need to know what you're doing. Since I do not, it's not high on my list of places to visit. Some day, though.
Message updated 11/13/2007 1:24:33 PM by ginzo
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coaster05
Posts: 6207
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11/13/2007 10:01:38 PM
I would like to go, but I am thinking only if I went with some of my students.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
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11/14/2007 12:11:48 AM
Quote:
hrrytraver said:
good night! should i give one of my lectures here? nah, i'll spare you, since everyone on this site could easily fill in the content of a would-be hrryt spiel. i will toss in however that i'm renting a villa overlooking the pacific coast of mexico for an entire week for just a tad bit more than that. |
eh, that's fine. I know its expensive, and I was just looking at flights to Europe for less than that as well. It doesn't bother me though, I don't feel ripped off in any way, whereas going to Visionland ($20 ticket + $15 gas) made me feel like I was ripped off since the product I paid for was so poor.
As far as safety goes, I have serious reservations going into a place where the clothes on my back cost the monthly salary of a local resident. That really is asking for trouble.
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
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11/14/2007 8:55:07 AM
^righto, bobf. products are worth what people want to pay, thus mcmansions w/ten feet between them and nice patio views of an interstate fetch a half million. i pay the high prices at coney island because i enjoy the experience a few times a year...for me it's worth it. it is pricey, though. i'll only grab a handful of rides each visit.
regarding mexico, y'know i've already travelled there independently a few times. as with travelling alone or at least in DIY fashion with my wife many times to many places, i've found that the rewards of doing it my way and getting off the beaten path far outweigh the risks.
independent traveling to far flung places or at least to not so far flung but "developing" countries is not without precedent. stuff like this
http://www.travelblog.org
and the lonely planet or rough guide book series provide a wealth of info for keeping safe on DIY excursions into less trod locales.
my wife and i also speak very good spanish, which helps tremendously. seriously, mexico is fantastic. it's so close but it's another world.
Message updated 11/14/2007 9:03:05 AM by hrrytraver
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ginzo
Posts: 564
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11/14/2007 10:17:23 AM
Quote:
hrrytraver said:
regarding mexico, y'know i've already travelled there independently a few times. as with travelling alone or at least in DIY fashion with my wife many times to many places, i've found that the rewards of doing it my way and getting off the beaten path far outweigh the risks.
independent traveling to far flung places or at least to not so far flung but "developing" countries is not without precedent. stuff like this
http://www.travelblog.org
and the lonely planet or rough guide book series provide a wealth of info for keeping safe on DIY excursions into less trod locales.
my wife and i also speak very good spanish, which helps tremendously. seriously, mexico is fantastic. it's so close but it's another world. |
Knowing locals is probably your best bet. I've been invited by friends to visit Nicaragua and Colombia. And I'm confident that my friends would be able to keep me safe in those places.
But you do concede that you really have to know what you're doing down there. Yelling "¡Soy gringo rico!" while waving a bunch of dollars in the air, for example, is probably not a good idea while visiting TJ.
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
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11/16/2007 12:05:54 AM
I'm probably in the minority here, but I honestly never understood the allure of foreign travel. The United States is a big and varied country, and most of us, with the possibly exception of larrygator, will never exhaust its possibilities for adventure, edification, and fun. Exchange rates, transcontinental air travel, language barriers, hostile, condescending attitudes toward Americans, antiquated infrastructure and bureaucracy, and the exploitation and/or victimization of those who are considered outsiders just aren't what I want in a vacation. Once I've ridden every wooden roller coaster in the United States I may consider getting a passport, but until then, I'm perfectly happy to confine my ramblings to native soil.
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coaster05
Posts: 6207
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11/16/2007 6:32:18 AM
^funny when I read what you thought of foreign travel it is also how I view the US. Especially the part about victimization of outsiders.
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
Registered: 7/16/2005
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11/16/2007 8:23:23 AM
Quote:
Timberman said:
Exchange rates, transcontinental air travel, language barriers, hostile, condescending attitudes toward Americans, antiquated infrastructure and bureaucracy, and the exploitation and/or victimization of those who are considered outsiders just aren't what I want in a vacation. |
...and getting back on topic-
i wonder if epcot should consider some of the above if they redesign the world showcase, to intensify the "theming"?
Message updated 11/16/2007 8:25:25 AM by hrrytraver
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ginzo
Posts: 564
Registered: 7/16/2006
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11/16/2007 8:33:22 AM
Quote:
Timberman said:
I'm probably in the minority here, but I honestly never understood the allure of foreign travel. The United States is a big and varied country, and most of us, with the possibly exception of larrygator, will never exhaust its possibilities for adventure, edification, and fun. Exchange rates, transcontinental air travel, language barriers, hostile, condescending attitudes toward Americans, antiquated infrastructure and bureaucracy, and the exploitation and/or victimization of those who are considered outsiders just aren't what I want in a vacation. Once I've ridden every wooden roller coaster in the United States I may consider getting a passport, but until then, I'm perfectly happy to confine my ramblings to native soil. |
The US does have a lot to offer in travel, particularly in the way of outdoor adventures. Mammoth Cave, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc. But, there is a lot of fun to be had elsewhere. I haven't visited an international park yet, but apparently things are very different abroad. The US is highly litigious, which ruins the fun. You'd never have a park like Toverland here. Someone could get hurt on that obstacle course!
Also, it really depends on what you're after in your trip. I'm heavily into history. And while the US offers a lot of great historical sites, Civil War battlefields and the like, it pales in comparison to what Europe has to offer. 500 years of recorded history is a joke compared to 5,000 years.
If you like museums, then London is the place. The British were the finest grave robbers in the world during their imperial days. Their museums make the Smithsonian look like something an 8-year-old set up in his closet to show to his mom. What about art? Paris is the place for that. Nothing here even comes close. What if you're interested in visiting castles or gothic cathedrals? Versailles makes Hearst Castle and the Biltmore look like boxes under freeway overpasses inhibited by winos.
Cost and language barriers are the two biggest downsides in my view. Supposedly the international routes are going to get opened up to more carriers soon, which should bring the cost way down. Language barriers can be worked around by learning some of the key phrases, like "how much for your sister?"
As for hostility to Americans, it really depends on where you go. I'm told that they absolutely *love* whitey in Japan. Funny thing.
As soon as I get my financial resources more in order (read: 10+ years), I'm going spend 1-2 months per year abroad.
Message updated 11/16/2007 8:34:01 AM by ginzo
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coaster05
Posts: 6207
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11/16/2007 11:32:28 AM
I always thought i would never travel abroad and now I am booked for the next two summers. The experience is just amazing and just opens up your mind to so much else.
Oh yeah less safety rules in the park rule also.
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
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11/16/2007 1:20:38 PM
Quote:
ginzo-
You'd never have a park like Toverland here. Someone could get hurt on that obstacle course! |
my understanding is that larry nearly died on the obstacle course, brimmed with beer and wurst.
Quote:
ginzo-
I'm heavily into history. |
again...MEXICO! mexico city alone is a treasure trove. there are several mexican baroque churches, where aztec artisans used native motifs fused with catholic inconography to creat the most psychedelic baroque designs in the world. there are 800 year old pyramids that archeologists hadn't even heard about until the 80s when they started poking up through the soft former-lake-bed soil into one of the city's northern neighborhoods. about an hour away from the capitol are 1500 year old pyramids including one comparable in size to giza.
Quote:
ginzo-
Cost and language barriers are the two biggest downsides in my view. |
i agree it's quite a nuissance. for example my trip to russia last year. i went by myself and only learned enough russian to say simple things. i did learn the alphabet, so i could read signs etc, which helped me quite a bit.
russians are the americans of russia. barely anyone knows any language other than russia (a symptom of superpower status, i think). it was incredibly difficult getting around there. many of timberman's fears about confusing bureaucracy and corrupt officials would have been satisfied in russia.
costs however were very reasonable. outside of moscow and st. p, costs drop dramatically. i found a 700$ round trip flight from JFK, and spent less than 500$ in nearly 3 weeks while there. it helped that i met some very generous russians near the arctic circle who lavished me with generosity and took me under their wing, but still it was a very reasonably priced destination. about half as much cost wise and gereral traveling here int he states. it was a very exciting, strange and fun trip. talk about museums, man, st. petersburg was off the hook.
i went to india about 7 years ago, and i spent 1000 bucks in 3 whole months. it was absurdly cheap!
travelling is transformative. i like travelling around the states too. i've been to quite a few great places in the US.
Message updated 11/16/2007 1:26:54 PM by hrrytraver
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ginzo
Posts: 564
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11/16/2007 1:22:53 PM
My first and only international trip (Canadia doesn't count) was to England in late '99. Even though it was a brief and semi-disasterous trip, I still cherish that memory. The cultural differences crack me up. I had a total WTF moment when I saw my first pay toilet in London. People PAY to use the restroom? And where is the damn ice?
Anyway, international travel isn't for everyone. If you're strictly an outdoorsy type, there is no reason to leave US/Canadia.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
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11/16/2007 3:24:00 PM
Quote:
hrrytraver said:
my understanding is that larry nearly died on the obstacle course, brimmed with beer and wurst. |
incorrect! That was indeed the park with free beer, but it was in Holland so there was no wurst.
Quote:
Cost and language barriers are the two biggest downsides in my view. Supposedly the international routes are going to get opened up to more carriers soon, which should bring the cost way down. |
I know out of Atlanta, at least, Delta has added a ton of flights. There are now going to be 4 flights to London in the summer months (incl one on BA), and 3 to each Frankfurt (one on Lufthansa) and Paris (incl one on Air France), and 2 to Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. All of those are at least +1 over previous years! Preliminary pricing for next summer looks much better than last. The flight I tool to DUS last year is $220 cheaper than what I paid, and I got my flight during a spring sale, so it may be possible to save more 
edit: I take that back, Rome had 2 flights last year, it was Milan that only had one, sorry
Message updated 11/16/2007 3:28:06 PM by BobFunland
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ginzo
Posts: 564
Registered: 7/16/2006
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11/16/2007 3:39:34 PM
Quote:
again...MEXICO! mexico city alone is a treasure trove. there are several mexican baroque churches, where aztec artisans used native motifs fused with catholic inconography to creat the most psychedelic baroque designs in the world. there are 800 year old pyramids that archeologists hadn't even heard about until the 80s when they started poking up through the soft former-lake-bed soil into one of the city's northern neighborhoods. about an hour away from the capitol are 1500 year old pyramids including one comparable in size to giza. |
Sounds great. Some day. This reminds me of the first time I went to San Diego. It was on a business trip, and I was with a bunch of suits from my old job. This schizophrenic cab driver pulls up in front of our hotel, gets out, and shouts, "YOU BOYS READY FOR MEXICO TONIGHT???" He then went on to tell us that he invented his own golf club, developed his own secret computer language, and a host of other remarkable achievements for a hard working cab driver.
Quote:
russians are the americans of russia. |
Awesome quote. 
Quote:
travelling is transformative. i like travelling around the states too. i've been to quite a few great places in the US. |
Agree and agree again.
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
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11/16/2007 4:35:09 PM
We had plenty of Wurst available at Toverland along with the free beer at the buffet. However, I ate mostly dessert and I did not almost die on the obstacle course.
Traveling outside the US is not anything I thought I would do extensively, I feel that there is too much to do in this country and pretty much agree 100% with T-man's also comments
It is the amusement parks with laissez-faire rules that are the big international draw for me now.
I'm a big history buff but I don't get much out of seeing old buildings.
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
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11/17/2007 12:37:48 AM
Quote:
Timberman said:
language barriers, hostile, condescending attitudes toward Americans, antiquated infrastructure and bureaucracy, and the exploitation and/or victimization of those who are considered outsiders . . . |
Coaster05 is right that this could also describe a lot of U.S. cities, which additionally share the fascist European tendency to deprive competent, law-abiding citizens of their God-given right to carry firearms.
I must say, moreover, that I am attracted to what I perceive as the more enlightened approach of many foreign countries with respect to:
1) female nudity on network television, mainstream print media, and public beaches;
2) enjoyment of food;
3) emphasizing leisure over work;
4) sexy accents;
5) keeping restaurants open late;
6) local merchants and small businesses;
7) long flat ride cycles;
8) acting in disregard of tort liability;
9) slower pace of life; and
10) taking naps and long lunches.
Yeah, they have us beat in some ways. But in less than ten hours I will step into the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA, breath in the smell of gunpowder, leather, and cosmoline, and take in the awesome vista of acres of gleaming, high-capacity firearms and neatly-packaged boxes of cartridges, all available for public consumption. It is the very essence of freedom that the body politic have in its hands the means of self-protection and resistance. It is a uniquely American display of liberty, one I wouldn't trade for all the naked weather girls and 35-hour work weeks you could pack into the European Union.
Message updated 11/17/2007 12:40:27 AM by Timberman
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ginzo
Posts: 564
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11/17/2007 4:00:14 PM
^Not buying the resistance point. That was true in the day of Madison and Hamilton. But today you'd just get pulverized like in Waco and every other flagrant display of the superior firepower of the US Government. Every gut nut already knows this deep down though. You v. the US Government is like Pippi Longstocking boxing Mike Tyson circa 1986. You might get one meaningless blow in before Mike breaks your neck. Believe it!
Message updated 11/17/2007 4:04:02 PM by ginzo
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
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11/17/2007 4:41:07 PM
^ Tell that to any veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan. Or Vietnam. Or Cambodia. Or Beirut.
Message updated 11/17/2007 4:46:13 PM by Timberman
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ginzo
Posts: 564
Registered: 7/16/2006
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11/17/2007 4:51:56 PM
Interesting point, but not exactly what I was getting at. A malignant government, one that necessitated overthrow, wouldn't abide by the international rules of warfare. If the gloves were off, do you think there would be a resistance in Iraq right now? I'd strongly prefer emigration if our national government truly went awry.
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