Wallibi World

We dropped Sage off at the Dierenpension on Saturday so that we could devote all of our time in the next two weeks to the new house. But we didn’t get the keys until Monday, so we took advantage of our free day and did a trip over to an amusement park on Sunday with friends. We went to Wallibi World because it is known for its roller coasters. And after 6 hours of riding, we weren’t disappointed. Some of these things are starting to get a little bit crazy. We rode one that had an 80 degree drop from over 75 meters before slinging you into centrifugal funnel that whipped you onto your side. Another one spun you 6 times into brain-jarring corkscrews. On another, you rode in an open chair with your feet dangling through the loops and turns. But the absolute scariest of all was called Express. It started out with a bone-crushing launch that propelled you to nearly 50 miles per hour in under three seconds. It was an incredible feeling!
But that wasn’t the scary part. That didn’t come until the coaster rolled to a stop just before the station. We sat there. And sat there. And sat there. Did I mention that in order to survive the speed and upside down parts of the track on Express, you have a steel harness ratcheted tightly down across your shoulders and into a lock at your groin. It was like a straight jacket. And we were stuck that way for nearly 20 minutes. I can take just about any twist and turn that you throw at me, but I will admit that I’m a bit claustrophobic. It was not a pleasant experience for me, just sitting there locked into that seat. Breath in. Breath out.

But….in the end the trip was a huge success and we all came home with dizzy headaches to have a BBQ and drink beer in the back garden. Gezellig!

Sorry for the poor picture quality. I didn’t carry my camera with me (for obvious reasons) and only took a picture on the way out. Express is the Blue coaster and the green hill that you can see is the 80 degree drop that I mentioned. The coasters are in the distance…trust me…they are very high.

Hooglanders

Just one of the many wild beasts of the dunes, I see these Scottish Highlanders often when I’m out running or biking. The government releases them into the dunes (and other parks) to help keep down some of the underbrush and also to provide an easily visible attraction for the kiddies. It’s pretty funny to watch the city folk from Amsterdam when they come across these beasts out here in the ‘wild’.

Just the other day, I had to tell an older couple that these critters were pretty lazy and wouldn’t suddenly spring up with gnashing teeth and razor sharp horns, viciously attacking and mauling people who pass by them on the foot paths. But the couple was not completely convinced of their safety, and made me go first past a group of these sloth-like cows that had congregated in front of us on a path. I looked back and laughed as the couple worked up the courage and finally scurried quickly past them. The cows never even looked up.

In addition to these hooglanders and some wild horses that have also been released, there is quite a bit of ‘real’ wildlife in the dunes. I see it mostly during the week, before the crowds come out from the cities. I’ve come across deer, red fox, grouse, ground squirrels, woodcocks, hawks, and these incredibly huge rabbits (with big, sharp teeth). I hear that there are also wild boars out there, but I haven’t seen any yet.

Graduation time

I still don’t fully understand the education system over here. There are so many different levels of study that it is nearly impossible to follow it beyond the age of 12. But now must be a common graduation time because you see a lot of backpacks hanging out on flagpoles. According to our friends, that means that a kid has passed their final exams and graduated on to the next level of study. I wonder what gets hung out on the line when they fail?