Negeri Paman Sam: Honeydukes, Zonko's, and Chocolate Frogs

At Hogsmeade, I went inside Honeydukes to discover the wide selection of sweets that Harry and the gang usually have. The inside of the shop was very bright and colorful. There were candies everywhere, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Candy, Candy Quill, Sherbet Lemon, you name it! It was a really fun and magical sight, Honeydukes is. 

Honeydukes

A grand display of Chocolate Frogs for those who love window shopping

Bright and colorful describe Honeydukes perfectly

Lots and lots of candy you will find in here

The sweet shop is very small and compact, I had to squeeze myself through people to get in. There were shelfs everywhere, with different candies displayed on every area. It is also connected to Zonko's Joke Shop, making it efficient if you also want to get yourself some U-NO-POO. There you can find unique sweets and gizmos, while being entertained with endless laughter roaming around the red-colored shop. Some of the items that you will find are the Chattering Teeth, the Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescope, and Chinese Fortune Sticks. 

A connecting passage to Zonko's

Behold, an inside sight of Zonko's Joke Shop

The joke shop is brick red in color

But, to be honest, I do think that Wizarding World of Harry Potter is like a daylight robbery. Most of the candies were very expensive - $10 for a pack of Bertie Bott's, I mean, come on? I had a very limited budget during my trip to Orlando, so I could only buy an item or two from Honeydukes. Considering the fact that I might ended up not liking Bertie Bott's ear-wax flavored jelly bean, I decided to buy the Chocolate Frogs instead. I took my chance knowing that the frog might jump right out the box and run away from me. But, I would still have the wizard card in the end! Who knows, maybe I would get an Albus Dumbledore, or a Helga Hufflepuff.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Candy

Chocolate Frogs

✈   ✈   ✈

After a long wait, I finally unlocked the famous Chocolate Frog. The pentagon box was very very beautiful, just like the one in the movie. Dark blue was the box's based color, and it was embroidered with patterns and writings in gold color. On the side of the box was a "Free Wizards and Witches Card Inside" written. Who wouldn't get excited after you read something like that?

Chocolate Frog

"Free Wizard and Witches Card Inside"

I opened the box and found myself a heavy chunk of dark chocolate wrapped in plastic. "Oh my gosh, this is it," I thought. It's a good thing the frog didn't jump out and sprint to a nearby pond, otherwise there goes my $10. 

Underneath the chocolate was the famous card. I got Albus Dumbledore! The card was really fancy, it is a hologram and Dumbledore moves as the card moves. On the back side of the card was a short paragraph about the Hogwarts headmaster himself. "Dumbledore's self-proclaimed proudest achievement, however, was featuring on a Famous Wizards Chocolate Frog Card." What makes the card different from the one in the movie is that the headmaster didn't leave after a few minutes I glance at the card, he will stay in it forever. 

Watch out, it might jump out and frees itself!

Look underneath the chocolate, and there you will find the Hogwarts headmaster

I got Professor Dumbledore's card

The description written on the backside of the card

The chocolate frog itself was very heavy. There were no nuts, nor toffee, inside. It is merely made out of a block of milk chocolate. I tasted a wee bit of the chocolate and it was really delicious! But, it is more of a hot-chocolate-drink kind of chocolate, instead of the one that you would gulp in less than a minute. I'm saving my frog for a rainy day. 

This chocolate was very heavy

A bird's eye view of the frog

There was nothing inside, it is only a block of chocolate

Negeri Paman Sam: Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Butterbeer

Made my way to Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I am the happiest Hufflepuff on earth!

It was noon when the three caballeros, a.k.a. Mom, Dad, and I, arrived at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We were just from Jurassic Park when I saw pointy roof far ahead of us. "Could it be," I said to myself. As I took another step, followed by a little sprint towards a metal gate, I couldn't help but to freeze with awe. "IT'S HOGWARTS!"

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

I saw Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, my school (go ahead and judge me)! I may not be a Potterhead, but who wouldn't get excited when you see the Weasley twins wizarding school in front of you? 

I was thrilled. I entered the gate that leads me to Hogsmeade and I saw lines of shop, in which the roofs were covered in snow. "I'm at Hogsmeade," I thought, "AND THERE ARE SNOW ON THE ROOFS WHAT IS THIS SORCERY!". 

Hogsmeade was swarmed with wizards and muggles. It was challenging to stroll around the area with such crowd. 

Hogsmeade in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Board the Hogwarts Express and have the journey of your life time!

Our first stop was at the Dragon Challenge attraction. It's a thrilling and adrenalin-pumping roller coaster ride where you get to choose which roller coaster you want to ride. There are two kinds, which are the Chinese Fireball and the Hungarian Horntail. "You need the courage of a Triwizard Tournament Champion as you climb aboard one of two ferocious dragons that twist, loop, and nearly collide in a high-speed intertwining roller coaster chase across the sky." This roller coaster is Ridikulus-ly epic! I am proud to say that I conquered the Hungarian Horntail.

Then, we took a short break by visiting the shop in Hogsmeade and shot some pictures. I spotted Olivander's, Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes, Dervish and Banges, and the Owl Post. There was a stage, near the Dragon Challenge arena, where we can watch a performance by the Durmstrang and the Beauxbatons. I missed the show by a second, but managed to hopped onto the staff-only-stage and took picture with my house's flag. 

I have to slip this picture here

The most important thing to do when you get to Wizarding World of Harry Potter is to get yourself a glass of Butterbeer! Yes, Butter -effin beer! 

For those who don't know, Butterbeer is a very famous beverage among wizards that costed 2 sickles a glass. This drink is served cold, or hot, at The Three Broomsticks, Hog's Head Pub, and the Leaky Couldron in Diagon Alley. It is said that Butterbeer is strong enough to make house elves drunk, but not human.  

Did you know that J.K. Rowling herself participated in the making of Butterbeer that you can find in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? It means that we actually taste the genuine beverage that wizards fancy! 

You can find lots of Butterbeer booths on the streets of Hogsmeade in Universal Island of Adventures, there were three to four of them, and the line keeps getting longer by the second. 

On the other hand, if you're into genuine beer, you can check in at Hog's Head Pub and order a pint. But, of course, you will have to show your ID. If you are under 21, like me, you are not allowed to order an alcohol from the pub. But, I do suppose I could slither myself into Hog's Head Pub and take a glance. No harm done. I solemnly swear I am up to no good. 

Hog's Head Pub

Pick a drink or two

There was this big drum with "Butterbeer" written on it just outside Honeydukes. My Mom found out that it was the place where I could get some Butterbeer, so she told me to line up. It's a good thing my Mom has an eagle eye, because there were only two people in front of me at that time. 

It didn't take long before I was served with this two very adorable and cute wizard staff. One of them was a Slytherin, and the other one was a Griffindor - it's a shame I didn't get their names. "Would you like a Frozen Butterbeer," the Slytherin asked. I simply nodded, still awestruck. He then proceed to ask about my day and about what attraction I have ride, which I replied enthusiastically, as if I just won the Triwizard Cup. He was a very fun and kind Slytherin, unlike any other students of Salazar, and I enjoyed my quick chat with him. 

A Butterbeer stand outside of Honeydukes

Sweet and cold Pumpkin Juice

Butterbeer souvenir glass

Get your Butterbeer here

Fill 'em up!

Don't forget the cherry-on-top of this magical drink

I finally got myself the drink that wizards favor. My Butterbeer was light brown in color, and topped with a very nice and bubbly white foam. On the plastic glass was written the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, very simple yet can be a great souvenir for oneself. I kind of regret my decision to trash my plastic glass. 

"This is it," I thought. It was very exciting, I was about to get my first sip of Butterbeer ever. 

My first and official Butterbeer from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

BUTTERBEER TASTED SOOOO GOOD! The drink was literary frozen, it just froze there as I spin my glass around. The brown liquid was sweet and caramel-like. People say that the drink taste similar to butterscotch. Unfortunately, I have never tried any butterscotch before, so I don't have the liberty to second the motion. The white foam tasted like Vanilla ice cream, very creamy and bubbly. It had this funky aftertaste that left you wonder. My drink costed me no more than $7 and I regret nothing!

This drink is Riddikulus-ly good!

After I finished my Butterbeer, I continued my journey to Flich's Emporium and the Hogwarts castle to ride the Forbiden Journey. And may I just say that I had an encounter with Harry, Ron, and Hermione? I also went on a ride on a magic broomstick, was it Nimbus, and had to face tons of Dementors. Then, I flew across Hogwarts, running away from dragons and spider, saving myself from the deadly Whomping Willow, and experience the thrilling sensation of actually flying in the Quidditch field. 

It was an experience unlike any other!

Negeri Paman Sam: The Little Things She Ate

I shall warn you about how random this particular post is, because it is a compilation of the food and snack that I had for ten days during my trip to America. Imagine the amount of food that I ate in a period of ten days. Now, imagine them being squished together in one post. Happy scrolling!

Baked Roll

I ate a lot of bread-related goods in America, starting from Hotdogs that you can find on the streets, Sandwich from Union Station, Georgetown's Kebab, airport Pizza, a slice of Spinach Pie, an ugly roll and bad Burritos, and an Italian dish named Stromboli. They were all very delicious, crusty and floury, and the filling was plentiful. As expected from America. 

A food vendor on the street

Cheap Hotdogs from a food truck near the United Stated Holocaust Memorial Museum

The food court in Union Station

In the midst of grilling grounded beef

Philly Cheesesteaks Sandwich from the Great Steak

Mom's Philly Cheesesteaks Sandwich

Dad's sandwich from Subway

Hammy Sandwich from Pot Belly Sandwich Shop

Taco Bell's Burrito meal set

Burrito was very painful for me to digest

Pulled-pork Sandwich, with Mac&Cheese and Sweet Potato as side dishes

The Kebab that I ate at Georgetown was very delicious! We ordered two plate of dish, which name escaped me, which was served with a wide flatbread and salad. The food here were surprisingly very delicious, not to mention well-present!

What we had for lunch at Grill Kabob in Georgetown

Salad and grilled chicken

A flatbread that came with a small bowl of curry chickpeas

I drool at the sight of this perfectly toasted bread

Beef and Cheese Stromboli

Mom's Spinach Pie

Dad's All-Meat Pizza

Frozen Treats

Ice cream is best to be eaten when it's -3˚ Celsius and windy outside. 

One time, I found a food truck near United States Capitol and decided to buy a pack of Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich that costed $4 each (which tasted good and fudge-like). And then, another day, I found a pack of Oreo Klondike Bar at Chinatown when it was super windy outside. Frozen treats are simply one of the best food I purchased in America. 

Snack food truck near the Capitol

Good Humor Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich (what a name)

Enjoying my ice cream with the Capitol as the view

Klondike Oreo for the win!

Look how beautiful this ice cream sandwich is!

It's like a giant Oreo, but with ice cream in between the biscuits instead of the dislikable creme

Tutti Fruity Frozen Yogurt with Almond, Pecans, and Walnuts

Caramel Brownie Sundae Dippindots

Nestle Dibs Crunch

Bite-sized ice cream? Genius!

Asian Dishes

Much to my surprise, there were lots of Chinese restaurant in Washington. The dished tasted great, they were very delicious and stomach-filling. American portion is much bigger than Indonesian portion, making my parents and I able to share a box of rice, veggies, and meat for dinner.

And the best thing from ordering dishes in a Chinese restaurant is that you will get yourself a Fortune Cookie!

Stir-fried Veggetables

A box of rice and two kinds of meat

I had rice, broccoli, and shrimp for lunch once

The best thing from Chinese restaurants, Fortune Cookies!

Miscellaneous Eats

A friend of mine from high school named Michael is currently attending school at America. Before I flew to Washington, we skyped and he told me some food and snacks that I have to try. Cheez-It was one of them. He told me to buy the blue one, but I couldn't find any, so I sticked with the red one. I thought I would like the cheesy snack, but I stand corrected.

100% real cheese? I doubt it. 

Dad's Grilled Ribs

During our stay in Orlando, we didn't spend much on eating at a restaurant. We often spend some dollars to buy groceries, such as bread, ready-to-eat meat, cheese, and snacks. We called it "Sad Eats", because we simply had a sad pile of sandwich for breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of having a plate of fancy food from a restaurant. But, by buying groceries at a mini market near our hotel, we saved a lot of money from our rather tight budget, so everything went better than expected.

Hotel's breakfast

Our groceries

Making sandwich for our lunch at Disney World

Potato buns with cheese, bacons, and salami

Lunch is served!

Lucky Charm, the most magical cereal on earth!

Breakfast of champions
Instagram photo

Bacon and Cheese Popcorn, genius!

Very salty batch of popcorns

A cup of Hot Chocolate, topped with whipped cream, from Starbucks

McDonald

Because McDonald is America, that's why!

My parents and I, along with Oom Benny and his family, had McDonald for lunch during our trip to the Smithsonian Institute of Air and Space. It was the only restaurant available in the museum after complimentary water fountains. The place were packed with people from all over Washington, but luckily we got ourselves some seats.

Fries, burgers, and sodas were the dishes that we had that day. Those fries were golden brown and very crispy, I would finish another bag if I could. My favorite kind of french fries is when you eat it with chilly sauce. It just brings out the tastiness of the deep-fried potato. On the one hand, the burgers were also delicious. The McDonald here is very different from the one we have in Indonesia. Even if the food are equally unhealthy, American McDonald is more delicious. 

Dat French Fries were so good

The Mighty Simple Quarter Pounder for lunch

Why do unhealthy food have to taste so good?

My Quarter Pounder

Refillable Soda, at your service!

I had me some Minute Maid Orange that tasted weird

And there you have it, the little things I ate within ten days! A lot don't you think?