The Beijing Water cube (The Craziest Water-park )

It only took Sochi 6 months after the Winter Olympics to turn into a fully-fledged ghost town, but not all Olympic complexes are abandoned and left to the elements- case in point: Beijing's Water Cube, half of which was converted into a massive, super-awesome-looking water park. The makeover took 2 years and cost 200 million Yuan (roughly 32 million US dollars). The Beijing Watercube Waterpark houses a wave pool, a lazy river, and 13 water rides and slides. There's even a spa for adults who'd rather relax while their kids conquer the Bulletbowl and the Aqualoop (which, I'll be honest, sounds terrifying, with its 40-foot free fall drop and winding twists and turns).

It seems almost silly that you can chill out on a lazy river in the same pool where an impressive 25 world records were broken during the 2008 Olympics-- remember Michael Phelps' legendary performance? The building itself is just as well-known; the bubble wrap exterior was strangely fitting for housing an Olympic swimming complex, which is right next to the Beijing National Stadium (aka the Bird's Nest) where the ceremonies and track and field events were held. The Beijing National Aquatics Center, with its new water park, re-opened in 2010, on the two year anniversary of the Beijing Games' opening ceremony.

Sure, the Water Cube may be known as the fastest Olympic pool, but you don't need super-athlete skills to experience the thrill of flying through the water...just hop on the Speedslide. It's basically the same thing...right?