I’ve been out to the Expo twice since it opened and I’ve been taking literally 100s of photos. Many of those I’ve deleted because of exposure problems, blurring or bad composition. Still, I’ve got dozens that I could probably post here, some good and some average. I’m sure I’ll be taking hundreds more, but I’m not going to bore you with all those shots. Therefore, I’ll put up a few random scenes here and there from time to time.

What I think I really want to do is to focus on some of the major pavilions, including the International Pavilions and to give my opinion of them, along with a few photos. I’m thinking of rating them according to several criteria, including cultural aspects, the overall look, use of multimedia, quality of the souvenir shop (which most pavilions have) and whether or not there is a restaurant/bar and the pricing. This might be handy if you’re going to be here for only a day or two, and you want to visit some of the more interesting areas. (In my opinion, you’d need several days to really take in the Expo.) So, stay tuned for the upcoming Pavilion Reviews, probably beginning tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are a few shots from opening day, last Saturday, May 12th. Enjoy. One of the performance highlights is the Ocean Show, which is put on in the area of the Big O. It’s very colorful, interesting and exciting. Here are a few photos of the Ocean Show.

Overlooking the performance was the 11-meter (33 feet) tall mechanical marionette, Yeonani. He’s become, like the Big O itself, somewhat of an icon of the Expo. He’s chauffeured all over the place. Here he’s on the walkway between the International Pavilion and the Theme Pavilion.

Yeonani Marionette

Yeonani

Here are a few of the many performers in the Ocean Show. First up, literally, are some pole “sitters,” who climbed atop the flexible poles and cavorted and swayed to the enjoyment of the audience.

Pole Performers

Pole Performers

Pole Performers

Pole Performers

Other performers included gaily costumed dancers and trampoline artists.

Ocean Show Performer

Ocean Show Dancer

Ocean Show Performer

Ocean Show Dancer

Trampoline Acrobats

Trampoline Acrobats

Trampoline Acrobats

Trampoline Acrobats

And then there’s this amazing guy, who hovered above the surface of the ocean through the force of jets of water streaming out of his feet and hands. Reminds me a lot of some comic book Super Hero. He does his “flying” at the far end of the performing area, but now that I know where he appears, I’ll try to be watching from the other side the next time the performance occurs so I can get some close-up shots of him.

Water Flyer

Water Flyer

Water Flyer

Water Flyer

Water Flyer

Water Flyer

Here’s a shot of the Theme Pavilion from the far end of the structure.

Theme Pavilion

Theme Pavilion

Finally, a photo of the Big O at twilight, with the Theme Pavilion on the left and one of the docked sailing ships on the right. This particular ship was lit with ever-changing lights, including green, blue and red. I caught it here in green.

The Big O at Twilight

The Big O at Twilight

I’m going to the Expo again tomorrow, so I’ll visit a few of the International Pavilion areas and, hopefully, put up a pavilion review or two. More later.