Today the three adventurers left their comfy lodgings earlier than usual in an attempt to beat the crowds, firstly to the carpark, and secondly to the entrance gate of EPCOT. With Philip at the wheel again and Jessica acting as navigator, since Alison stepped down to allow Jess to get her NavCert III, the mission was accomplished. The morning temperature was low and the wind was brisk. The girls had themselves sensibly attired but poor Philip left his cap in the car and his big jacket back at the hotel, after a warm day yesterday. So Alison gave over her pink scarf and Jess gave over her spray jacket and the intrepid trio went forth to find warmth.
After choosing the wrong line at the admission gate and finally line hopping entry was theirs. This line dilemma is a bit of a family joke! Jessica had a fine tuned list to help the day "flow"! At a fast walk all headed towards a ride known as Test Track to try to obtain a fast pass which allows fast access to the ride rather than joining the general queue. From here they headed back to look into the huge dome at the front of EPCOT to take in Spaceship Earth. Here they listened to the lovely voice of Judy Dench take them on a journey through time and important developments in our world. Philip and Jessica were a little concerned about some important omissions stemming from the Asian side of the world. During this ride the little cars carrying the journeyers made full use of the inside of the globe, passing by important times in history, through American eyes, with wonderful animatronics and props and lighting.
The crowd was still building and Jessica was working her way through THE LIST with a determination that is well known in this family! The Land centre, which was designed to allow folk to understand better the benefits of greenhouses and aquaculture, was a real eye opener. The inevitable snaking of people through twists and turns in subdued lighting until eventually being directed into a vehicle generally takes about 30 minutes. If a person is VERY lucky the vehicle has no small children in it. This allows the riders in the vehicle to take in all the information clearly and to enjoy the journey. To be able to see the ingenious methods trialled for growing veggies up strings using hydroponic methods and even suspended over fishtanks to allow the plants to absorb nutrients directly from the tank water was truly amazing. White eggplants, huge pumpkins of all kinds, capsicums (known as peppers in the US), lots of different herbs and finally pots of flowers. Philip could be going home to install a greenhouse or plant a tomato tree.
Watching the clock carefully it was noted that the "fast track" time had come and so the three buzzed back over to the Test Track ride. There is a distinct look of annoyance on the faces of the general crowd all waiting politely, or not so politely, as the fast track folk briskly walk past and disappear up the line pathway. Into a test room where plastic cards were then used by each rider to select an attribute that was most important to the test, for them. Philip and Jessica chose "responsiveness" and Alison chose "efficiency". This attribute was then matched to a prototype and at the conclusion the results would be revealed. The ride began tamely enough and Alison was heard to make a comparison to the Lightning McQueen ride at Disney that she and Philip had taken with Jenny. That ride was fast, furious and in a racetrack racing another car and was screaming good fun!! Alison was a bit quick to judge because no sooner had she finished telling Jessica when the whole mood of the ride changed into a speed swerve hook affair! What a blast it was listening to all the girls scream their lungs out while the men in the vehicle remained calm, cool and under control! Well that is what they want the girls to believe anyway! With heart racing and pulse up something calmer was needed in a warm environment.
The park is set out with the globe at the front and the selection of participating countries spread around a large body of water in a semicircular format. So heading off they wandered along in the sunshine, as the temperature inched its way up slightly from very very cold to very cold!! Mexico was first followed by Norway, which had a ride on the list. Vikings are a favourite in this family so the Viking ride was a must. Maelstrom is a journey around Norway in a viking long boat and showed off the history and culture of the country. Philip felt a powerful urge to have some family photos here and Jessica was able to snap him trying to chat up a huge viking and also a troll with a very big nose. It was here in the Kringle Bakeri Og Kafe that one of those quirky things happened and they met a familiar face from home! How improbable is it to be at the centre, in the Kafe, at the same time as another Aussie that you happen to know from where you live and work?? Yep it happened. Sue, from Jessica's school was there with her daughter and the daughter's friend, who then gave tips on what NOT to miss.
While meandering along through China and then Germany a stop was made into a special shop selling caramel popcorn, Werthers Popcorn to be specific! It is very special and the family are hoping that it is sold other places as well with hands dipping into the bag for the rest of the day. On past Italy, Japan and into Morrocco for a bit of lunch. Good decision because all enjoyed the mixed plate of food selected. France was an eye catcher with the line at the pastry shop so long it was hard to believe that people would queue for that long to get a vanilla slice and a drink. Up to 30 minutes or longer. The next country was the United Kingdom and after a brief visit to the Twinings Tea shop the gang headed for Canada, the last country on the route. Now things began to hot up a bit both with sunshine, dropped breeze and a fantastic band playing called Off Kilter. They were a celtic rock group with the lead singer playing bag pipes as well. Poor Jessica had to wait for some time while the oldies got their fill of uptempo music and toe tapping. Boy it was good! Loch Lomond never sounded so good and the audience were encouraged to join in.
Philip soldiered on throughout the day joining in with activities when he felt up to it and holding the bags when he needed a rest. Jessica and Alison survived a journey to Mars in a simulation ride and that concluded an eventful day.
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