Pandora - Part 3

 What to See?

There are a number of interesting sites to explore around the city.

The Royal Palace is the thing most newcomers want to see, and it is impressive. The building sprawls so much that it occupies its own district. Not only is it the biggest building in Pandora, it is also one of the oldest. Local folklore says that Pandora herself placed the first foundation stone. (It also says that her legendary box is buried somewhere beneath the place!)

The Palace is surrounded by high walls and expansive gardens. It's not generally open to the public except on certain holidays, such as Candlemarch on February 3 or Saint Torolo's Day on August 18th. (However! Private tours of the grounds can be arranged, if you pay the right people!)

Saint Penitants Hospital is another popular attraction (Believe it or not!). The hospital offers tours of its asylum for 3r per person and children under ten get in for free. Visitors can ramble along an elevated walkway above the cells of incurably insane eccentrics, looking down on them as they go about their business. Some of the patients look forward to the visitors and can be quite chatty.  (Don't worry. The Really Dangerous Incurables are locked up elsewhere!)

Visitors to Saint Penitants can also observe various operating theaters, where you can watch surgeons perform appendectomies or even some of the experimental surgeries that the hospital is known for. (If this is your cup of tea, we recommend finding a seat in the gallery overlooking the recovery ward. It's always interesting to see how someone reacts when they wake up and discover their fingers have been replaced with tentacles.)

The Carnvial District is, of course, a big draw for newcomers.  Place du Cirque is the site of a permanent carnival, which includes a roller coaster, a ferris wheel and various midway attractions.  There is also a big top where traditional circus acts are still performed. (Be warned though, that if you have a thing about Clowns, you probably want to avoid Carnival District because those creepy fuckers are everywhere!)

But don't worry if the circus isn't your cup of tea. Carnival District offers a wide range of amusements, ranging from theaters and concert halls to night clubs, brothels and casinos. There are also plenty of street performers. Note that the district's amusements are closed by law on Sundays and cannot reopen until sunset on Ragsday.

After experiencing the mad whirl of the Carnival District, the Garden District can provide a nice change of pace. The Garden District is owned by the Royal Family, but it is open the public. The entire district consists of nothing but parks and gardens. In the warmer months, it's a riot of bright flowers, but during the winter days, many garden enthusiasts appreciate the geometry and structure of the place.  There are wide green fields where games of football and rugby are played, kites can be flown (Kite flying is a Very Popular pastime!), and picnics can be enjoyed.  In July, the Eyfendrewbri Music Festival takes place in the Garden District, and in September locals gather for the Burning Mime festival. (Burning Mime is just what it sounds like. Convicted mimes are packed into a giant wicker mime and set ablaze. People love it. The mimes? Not so much.)

If you're interested in sport, the only proper athletic venue in the city is King Bailey's Stadium, in Karcell. Known commonly as the Stadium, it was built in 1924 by King Bailey, an avid bato enthusiast.  In 1985, the Stadium was torn down and rebuilt. Today, the Stadium hosts a wide range of athletic events, everything from boxing and wrestling to indoor rugby and bato. (Bato is a popular local game. Its a bit like soccer, but the players can only touch the ball with wooden clubs, and there are no such things as personal fouls. A good game usually involves broken bones. Pandorans love it.)

There isn't much to see outside the city. Some of the farms and manors do offer tours, but that's about it.  Some photographers are enchanted by the island's windsept tundra-like landscape, and there are a couple of photo safaris available in the summer, but that's about it. (Also, wandering outside the city increases your chances of encountering wild grendels which would be a Very Bad Thing!)