While we were visiting Grace we were convinced (okay, it didn't take much) to take a trip down to the World Expo in Yeosu. We took the high speed train down, which was fairly painless compared to what would have been a 5 or 6 hour bus ride. We got in late and headed to the Expo the next morning. We brought our passports because we had heard that the entrance fee, usually 30,000 won, was only 10,000 won if you had a foreign passport. Better yet, it was some sort of foreigner's day and the fee was further reduced to 3,000 won!
There was a lot to see, although there were long lines for almost everything.
Here's Ben at the aquarium. We saw whales, sharks, jellyfish, otters... Izzie really enjoyed the stingrays.
We went to a 4-D movie which means that in addition to being 3-D there were sensory effects.
Ben and Izzie were all smiles before the movie, which consisted mostly of fish being chased through the water by a shark, but also included really loud sound effects, and our chairs being jerked around, jets of air, and some bubbles being blown into the theater. At the end of the movie (about 10 minutes later) they were both in tears. So that went well...
One pavilion had a neat story that included a boy riding on a manatee. A young Korean boy came out to start the show, we watched the movie on a screen, and at the end the boy came out again and this giant manatee flew across the crowd before coming to the boy to be hugged and kissed.
I thought the street performers were most interesting, and there were no lines to wait in. Ben even got to help this guy out.
More street performers... they were from all over the world.
This "puppet" reminded me of Big Bird.
The kids took some turns riding in the Grace's mom's wheelchair. It was extremely hot and the wheelchair saved us a lot of moaning and complaining.
Not quite sure what to think of this giant bird pecking at her!
By dinner time Izzie was beat. She slept right through it, but woke up for the show just after 8.
Waiting for dinner and playing on the cell phones. We try not to let the kids use our phones much, but they do come in handy at waiting times or long trips. They can watch movies, and play games...
Here's a daytime shot of some of the grounds.
Twice an evening they put on "The Big "O" Show." O as in oceans. The show consisted of a video, lasers, and fountains and jets of water.
We ended up being at a bad angle to see the movie, which was displayed in the center of the O, but it was still enjoyable.
As a child I remember going to the Canadian National Exhibition. For us it was the pinnacle of summer excitement. I can imagine how my parents must have felt at the end of the day: glad to have done it, even more glad it was over. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)
If only these things took place when it wasn't quite so hot!
2 comments:
Only one question-----did Grace's mom have to walk while the kids had her chair?
Okay, the 4-D movie experience... so familiar. At the beginning of August, when Evie was napping and Chris was working from home, I snuck away with Sam and Jonathan to the aquarium. We had never done the 4-D movie there before (although Sam had on his kindergarten field trip), and I thought it would be fun to do because we didn't have Evelyn with us. The recommended age was 4 and up, but I thought, well, Jonathan's almost 4... it'll probably be fine. The ticket guy at the entrance even had me read some "warning paper" about how young kids might be scared by it, but we went on. Which was a mistake.
After waiting in line for almost 30 minutes, the boys didn't even make it through the 2-minute preview. A blast of mist and some tingly effects and they were both in tears.
I have to confess that I felt bad for them, but I was also annoyed because we'd have to walk out past the ticket guy and he'd be able to say "I told you so." But I sucked it up and we left anyway. :)
-Julee
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