Wild Phoenix

The menu is quite varied with Mediterranean vegetables, lamb dishes, Mousaka, gryros, and five kinds of souvlaki, a traditional favorite. Also included are Italian entrées of calzone, pastas and pizza, burgers with unusual sauces and non-typical cheeses.

Appetizers are definitely Greek and worth selecting several with a group of people in lieu of individual meals. Here you find items with grapes leaves, filo dough and other well-known ingredients of Greek dishes. Feta, bleu, and parmesan cheese, along with virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon were frequently listed in the description.

We started out with the spinach and artichoke dip made with parmesan and blue cheese and served with hot foccacia bread. For the more discerning tastes, Greek caviar was another option, but I would have chosen hummus with tahini myself.

I had the spanakopita entrée which is like baked pie of filo dough and filled with spinach and feta cheese. It was with lemon potatoes which I hadn’t had before, but ate up, and plenty of vegetables and rice. There was far more than I could eat and it was only $8.50. My sis opted for the tyropita which was also made from filo dough but included plenty of baked cheese. Both were light and melted in the mouth.

The service was great. She explained any questions about the meals and didn’t press us to have an alcoholic drink. We explained that we needed to get to a play and that was when we learned that we’d be missing the entertainment, Greek table dancing. Although we did enjoy the flaming dishes brought to people with waiters yelling "opa, opa." I’ll have one of those dishes next time, along with a ring-side seat for the show.

While we enjoyed the play we attended thoroughly, we would have enjoyed watching the Greek dancing offered Friday and Saturdays. We might have been enticed to try some Ouzo or a Greek Kiss, as long as we weren’t driving. Open from until 11am until 11pm except Friday and Saturday when it’s until midnight.

Most people have seen Cirque de Soleil in person or an excerpt on public broadcasting television. While not entertaining in the same sense, trying to explain BodyWorld 3 is equally difficult. Cirque or a ballet needs to be seen. Unfortunately, but understandably, photography was not permitted. Crowds, glare from showcases, dim lighting, and minimal wiggle room would have made it impossible.

Facts

Gun Von Hagens developed a method for preserving real human bodies and individual organs. For years, the medical industry utilized his works for training. Donors, whose identity remains private, provide displays of diseased and healthy body parts.

Exhibits

Most fascinating are the complete bodies in motion. Informative signs direct people to notice the muscles in an arm at the side versus the ones in the arm that is poised to throw a football, for example. There are examples of male athletes kicking a soccer ball to female gymnasts. A man on a horse shows the procedure has been used on animals. The anatomy is completely intact and therefore graphic.

An individual organ such a lung may be displayed in transparent slices. A head was sliced vertically and another horizontally with tiny labels on different parts. The intestine was stretched to full length and encased in a flat plastic case.

Suffice it to say, this has been a very controversial exhibit.

Methods

In the last room was a short video explaining the preservation processes, which number several, the length of time it takes, and how positioning every fiber correctly is accomplished. At the very least, you have to marvel at the work involved. Different types of fluid require different types of dehydrating and preservation methods. This can include replacement of fluids first by acetone then a polymer solution.

See it?

Who should see this? I heard the children muttering things like ‘gross’ so you might want to consider the maturity of a child you might bring. According to the write up, the average time spent wondering around was 90 minutes. I spent three hours, but those with children spent less than one. Personally, I would have liked to have had those three hours without the crowds. I found it to be quite fascinating. Anyone with an illness or relative with a disease would really benefit from this. Athletes would find the muscles of full bodies in motion fascinating. Celebrities that have been impressed by it include Jennifer Aniston, Gabby Reese, Demi Moore, and Andre Agassi.

This touring exhibit sells out quickly even though ticket times are in 15-minute increments. Once inside the exhibit, there were no time constraints, nor viewing line to follow, being so crowded you would find it difficult to "cut in" to see a display. Therefore, most people followed a line of sorts and passed by those of us gawking longer. Over the weekend it was open 24hrs and I can see why.

www.bodyworlds.com/en.html

Intro
Sister's Christmas Catechism is a roaring good time for everyone. Don't be misled by the title. This audience participation show will leave you more than uplifted. Eventually the show turns into a "whodunit". Read on to understand.

Greetings
This particular show was centered on the Christmas Nativity. Sister began getting to know her audience by asking who had all their shopping done. One gentleman raised his hand. She then asked what he had gotten her. After a brief dead silence, she informed him his shopping wasn’t complete. Later in the show in need of animals, Sister selected him to be the ass.

The Core
Sister asked who could name the last names of biblical people and other trivia, occasionally offering a pencil with some words of wisdom inscribed on it. One lady who admitted to having attended a Catholic school was bombarded with questions and ultimately was chosen to play the part of Mary.

Characters and animals for the entire Nativity scene were selected in similar fashion with plenty of laughing from everyone else who had learned to keep their mouth shut other than to say, "yes, Sister", in unison.

She explained how the wise men had followed the North Star bringing their gifts. Sister had told us that had it been three wise women, which would have been easier to find. Besides they would have:
1.Asked for directions.
2.Been on time.
3.Helped with the birthing.
4.Brought a casserole.
5.Cleaned up the barn.
6.Brought practical gifts.
7.Brought peace on Earth.

The Finale
After explaining how she had become a fan of CSI and how it had become a hobby, she now wanted to reconstruct the scene of the crime. Three wise men had brought myrrh, frankincense, and gold as gifts. She could account for the myrrh and frankincense which was no doubt used to freshen up the smell of the barn, but where’d the gold go?

She began positioning the wise men, drummer boy, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. She discussed possible motives then pulled out a piece of string showing the distance of everyone in relation to the gold. Eliminating the wise men who had brought the gifts and Joseph and Mary who were the recipients, she plunged her hand into the core of the innocent little drummer boy’s drum. Voila! The hidden gold was found!



Tickets via website, box office or phone
www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org/
480 994-2787
beverages only available, wheelchair access on top row

Arts Center has special events, festivals and entertainment including free outdoor concerts.

Seeing White
This park has the dubious distinction of having a few white animals whose natural color is anything but. One such is example is the Bengal tiger that gave birth to two cubs. One is typical orange, but the other is white. It’s amazing how eye-catching the cubs were.

While "cute" is not a definition applicable to a rhino, "weird" is. You’ve heard the term "white elephant", but here they have an actual white rhino.

The albino alligator was downright strange. Looking through a glass window, until I saw movement, I thought there was a rubber reptile just to make the pond look tropical. I would no more wish to accidentally run into this one in the wild than a camouflaged one.

Petting Zoo

I know this a favorite with children, but I’m inclined to muscle my way to get to the llamas. I just want to wrap my arms around their fuzzy necks. Of course the look of sheer panic when the goats jump up on some unsuspecting little one does elicit a few giggles out of me.

Okay, so we're children at heart. But I am going to claim experiencing the rides was for sake of people who are considering taking their children to the zoo

Sky Ride

This $4, 15-minute round trip ride begins in the southwest end of the grounds near the white rhino. As you first ascend, you’ll see zebras and gazelles on the right and young spotted fawn on the left. Directly below you’ll pass the giraffe feeding station and dromedary camel. The molting these camels were doing was unbelievable. Obviously the Phoenix sun wasn’t much cooler than their homeland.

Just beyond the camels, leaving me with a parched throat, we cruised over the Australian boat tour and waterfall and made a u-turn above the penguin exhibit. Just the other side of the exhibit is the playground and petting zoo.

Boat

Another 10-minute trip, for $2 this time, cruised in a circle around the Australian Kangaroo outback. The guide described some of the inhabitants such as the kangaroo, wallabies, and emus. You can also walk across a bridge over the river to get near the wallabies without the obstruction of a fence.

Train

This 10-15 minute trip begins near the children’s playground and sets you back $3. The train travels through fields with automatic opening gates that you can’t walk through. The beautiful gazelle with 48" long horns and white rumps warrant the engineer stopping for visitor’s Kodak moments.

Giraffe Feeding Station

Don't miss the giraffe feeding station. Those darlings may be off in the far corner, but arrive at the platform, put 50¢ in the machine and you'll have a long black tongue reaching for your hand in no time. Almost with the strength of a suction cup this sort of wet sandpaper tongue wraps around your hand for the small treat. Absolutely worth repeating and they will wait patiently for another morsel.

Having been to San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, I don’t usually go to zoos. After all, I had visited a park where you drove hardtop vehicles to keep the animals from getting too close. Much to my surprise, I was there nearly four hours.

General Information:

Paying the full adult price of $18 was a mistake. Discounts up to 2-1 are offered by the entertainer, AAA and visitor center. Although, it was nice to see free parking for a change, it was merely dirt. The park is open seven days a week from 9am until 5pm.

There is a boat ride through the Australia section, a train ride across the African section, and a sky ride with a complete overview. Another journal entry was required to cover the rides.

During the warmer months, it isn’t such a good idea to get there around noon. The animals are livelier in the morning, we were informed. The walkways are wide, but dirt. Hence, it is wheelchair accessible, but it is dusty and quite warm.

A schedule is provided with the wildlife shows conducted at various times in the amphitheater. Feeding birds or getting educated about reptiles are a couple examples of the entertainment.

It’s located on the west side of Phoenix, technically in Litchfield on the corner of 165 Ave & Northern. (623) 935-9453
www.Wildlifeworld.Com

Exhibits

The penguin exhibit was the only one I wasn’t impressed with. Maybe it was because there were only four penguins in a small building that I viewed through a window. A nice outdoor pool and waterfall was accessible via a doorway, but it was probably too hot. Needless to say I couldn’t get up close and personal.

There were plenty of cages with a variety of monkeys, but I like the island within a lake. The monkeys were in a natural habitat and cared for by people that had to use a rowboat to reach them. The surrounding lake was filled with ducks and a gorgeous family of Australian Black Swans.

African walk-through Aviary

There is something special about birds walking so close to me and perching in trees within arms reach that feels like I am actually in the wild on a true animal safari. Even in the midst of a desert on a warm day the lush, densely-planted foliage provided an oasis to a variety of tropical birds.

Kangaroo walk-about

Walk across a bridge over the river to kangaroo walk-about. The red kangaroo, which are large and can be dangerous, are caged but gentle wallabies lounge in the grass and almost seem to poise when you pull out your camera.

Reptile Exhibit

While not a fan of snakes, I was fascinated by the variety of lizards: small monitors (vicious, I understand), and iguanas. The large python and constrictor would have been terrifying at any size, but these were longer than my height.

In the same building were deer mice and a cool hairless guinea!