I am not referring to international convention of 6 countries.
I am referring to dare-devilry.
I went to Six Flags. In a small Santa Clarita city, resides this deadly attraction. Its a theme park meant only for the hot-blooded creatures. I am not one of them and it took me a trip there to realize.
We took a bus from Westwood early in the morning. The bus was huge and we were the only passengers. Through 405 and 5 Freeways the bus drove on.Mountains with hovering clouds and green valleys passed by. Los Angeles is beautiful - it felt more so during the early morning ride.My Chinese friend was busy taking photos through the bus window!
We reached Santa Clarita Transit station and awaited another bus. According to someone in our group, that wait was the deadliest part of our trip. It was unusually chilly and windy. We froze to the bones. No amount of joking, jumping or juggling with bus options, helped our cause. We kept freezing. Finally our bus arrived and we landed at our destination. For the uninitiated, it helps to know a little about American Theme Parks. Here they try to make it a wholesome experience for the guests. It's not as crowded as Indian ones and yes definitely neater. Food stalls flood the place and cartoon characters populate the road.
The first ride, or "starters" as my friend put it, was called the "Gold Rush". It was a roller-coaster ride. As soon as you were seated, you screamed. In a span of 3 minutes, daylight was knocked out of my senses. Up up up up and then swoosh it fell down- I grabbed onto my seat-belt. I felt weightless, couldn't scream (sign of being totally scared), shut my eyes and prayed. In afterthought, I feel it was really a starter. Worse was yet to come!
Next came "The Riddler's Revenge" - another roller-coaster ride. It had ups, downs, twists and turns. The seats were different, and the safety belts even more. I took a deep breadth and away I went at the speed of sound. All the centripetal and centrifugal forces that I hardly paid attention to in my physics class, came back to extract their pound of flesh! I felt the forces pressing down against me. Add to that the chilly winds that tore at my face - you have an ideal setting for a horror movie.
As if getting down from it alive wasn't enough, I went walking towards "Colossus". White structure and white toy train. "Wouldn't be that scary", said my fearless friend. I smiled weakly and sat straddled between multiple belts. Someone announced that people with motion sickness and weak heart are advised against the ride. Before I could contemplate my condition, Colossus took off. By now I knew what I had to do........ or so I thought. Hold on tight, shut your eyes, pray and oneday the thing will stop. However, Colossus had different plans for me.
It started off slowly and safely, lulling me to believe that things were great and before I could shut my eyes, it tilted sideways and fell...literally. In other rides, if they fall they do stop after sometime...Colossus only knew how to fall at different angles. It twisted and shook- trying its best to shake off the passengers - while I hung on for dear life! Its moves and shakes shook me to the bones. Meanwhile my fearless friend N, was having the time of his life. While people gritted their teeth to stop the fear, he took snaps, smiled around, lifted his arms to show his joy and generally had a good time. I must admit, I admire his bravado......or whatever that was!!!
That was the end..for me. The moment I touched Mother Earth, I promised I won't take a step towards another roller-coaster. My fearless friend went on to enjoy crazier rides like "Batman" and "Psyclone" and came back smiling. It was his second trip to Six Flags - in the first one he had already been to all these.
There were only two rides that I sat in after that. A swing called "Bucaneer's Boat"(populated mostly by kids) and a small car driven on ground in "Go-carting". Those were my type!
Our day ended with a bus trip back home.
I suddenly realized that I had been really brave that day. Atleast I had survived through those rides I took. Maybe many years from now, when I look back at myself, I can ask with awe, "How in the heaven's name, did I sit on those?!!!"
:)
I am referring to dare-devilry.
I went to Six Flags. In a small Santa Clarita city, resides this deadly attraction. Its a theme park meant only for the hot-blooded creatures. I am not one of them and it took me a trip there to realize.
We took a bus from Westwood early in the morning. The bus was huge and we were the only passengers. Through 405 and 5 Freeways the bus drove on.Mountains with hovering clouds and green valleys passed by. Los Angeles is beautiful - it felt more so during the early morning ride.My Chinese friend was busy taking photos through the bus window!
We reached Santa Clarita Transit station and awaited another bus. According to someone in our group, that wait was the deadliest part of our trip. It was unusually chilly and windy. We froze to the bones. No amount of joking, jumping or juggling with bus options, helped our cause. We kept freezing. Finally our bus arrived and we landed at our destination. For the uninitiated, it helps to know a little about American Theme Parks. Here they try to make it a wholesome experience for the guests. It's not as crowded as Indian ones and yes definitely neater. Food stalls flood the place and cartoon characters populate the road.
The first ride, or "starters" as my friend put it, was called the "Gold Rush". It was a roller-coaster ride. As soon as you were seated, you screamed. In a span of 3 minutes, daylight was knocked out of my senses. Up up up up and then swoosh it fell down- I grabbed onto my seat-belt. I felt weightless, couldn't scream (sign of being totally scared), shut my eyes and prayed. In afterthought, I feel it was really a starter. Worse was yet to come!
Next came "The Riddler's Revenge" - another roller-coaster ride. It had ups, downs, twists and turns. The seats were different, and the safety belts even more. I took a deep breadth and away I went at the speed of sound. All the centripetal and centrifugal forces that I hardly paid attention to in my physics class, came back to extract their pound of flesh! I felt the forces pressing down against me. Add to that the chilly winds that tore at my face - you have an ideal setting for a horror movie.
As if getting down from it alive wasn't enough, I went walking towards "Colossus". White structure and white toy train. "Wouldn't be that scary", said my fearless friend. I smiled weakly and sat straddled between multiple belts. Someone announced that people with motion sickness and weak heart are advised against the ride. Before I could contemplate my condition, Colossus took off. By now I knew what I had to do........ or so I thought. Hold on tight, shut your eyes, pray and oneday the thing will stop. However, Colossus had different plans for me.
It started off slowly and safely, lulling me to believe that things were great and before I could shut my eyes, it tilted sideways and fell...literally. In other rides, if they fall they do stop after sometime...Colossus only knew how to fall at different angles. It twisted and shook- trying its best to shake off the passengers - while I hung on for dear life! Its moves and shakes shook me to the bones. Meanwhile my fearless friend N, was having the time of his life. While people gritted their teeth to stop the fear, he took snaps, smiled around, lifted his arms to show his joy and generally had a good time. I must admit, I admire his bravado......or whatever that was!!!
That was the end..for me. The moment I touched Mother Earth, I promised I won't take a step towards another roller-coaster. My fearless friend went on to enjoy crazier rides like "Batman" and "Psyclone" and came back smiling. It was his second trip to Six Flags - in the first one he had already been to all these.
There were only two rides that I sat in after that. A swing called "Bucaneer's Boat"(populated mostly by kids) and a small car driven on ground in "Go-carting". Those were my type!
Our day ended with a bus trip back home.
I suddenly realized that I had been really brave that day. Atleast I had survived through those rides I took. Maybe many years from now, when I look back at myself, I can ask with awe, "How in the heaven's name, did I sit on those?!!!"
:)
5 comments:
I fail to understand how you could have ridden all three of those after feeling sick from the first ride?
I can hardly imagine u taking those rides...I myself feel dizzy quite soon.
Jitesh
Sounds like you had the time of your life...
Be honest M! Admit that in some corner of that little heart, you really want to do it again.
You forgot to mention the coriolis forces...
felt like being there at Six Flags myself.....
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