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Rainforest disappearing in South America shows up in Germany

Germany must have Disney envy--what else could explain the need to build a tropical resort in an old zepplin hanger an hour outside of Berlin? From The Guardian:

On the night of Tropical Islands' gala launch, the transformation from airship hangar to island paradise is nearly complete: there are still a few coiled up hoses about, and the rainforest plants look a bit dusty, but most things are in place. The sand along the lip of the Balinese lagoon is a pristine white. Round the other side of the rainforest, the island in the centre of the tropical sea - a body of water about the size of four Olympic swimming pools - is set for the premiere of what will be a nightly stage show. The scale of the operation puts one in mind of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, or a Martian colony, or other things that don't exist in real life. They have trucked in 30,000m cubed of soil and 500 plant species for their rainforest. The speakers which broadcast insect noises are shaped like rocks. And the building itself, it goes without saying, is extraordinary, the biggest inside of anything you will ever see. It makes your head spin. This place doesn't just have a climate. It has weather. As the place fills up, the extra moisture in the air condenses on the roof. It starts to rain a little bit.

Could be interesting for an incentive, eh? Tropical Iceland?

Update: If your group would rather ski without the bother of potentially bad weather than sunbathe, Germany has an answer for you, too. According to alert reader Ray Verhelst with XtndEvent/TWI Group: "As both an avid skier and a long standing member of the tradeshow industry, I found this facility during the last EuroShop in Neuss (just outside Düsseldorf). It is a wild facility with some actually decent indoor skiing. Actually, this was a great place with a large restaurant and beer hall overlooking the slope. I thought this would be an incredible place to hold a meeting or luncheon and then offer skiing as an option. Rentals are very good and the ski shop offered some of the best lines."

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