I know, I know. Sure, it would have been more fun to go to the carnival with some friends or some family in tow. But I was just off from an exhausting OT (or OTY? Sana dili...) Saturday and the next thing that went to my mind was to loosen up.
I was in NCCC Mall at that time, going home, when I glanced upon the carnival at the other side of Ma-a road. There was a carnival operating, definitely for the upcoming Araw ng Dabaw. I thought I would at least try the carnival's two famous rides, the roller coaster and the swinging boat.
The roller coaster (Php50.00) was flocked by the people. When I fell in line, a lot of the ride's patrons were college kids, fresh from their NSTP stints. There were numerous groups who staged their own photo ops as they waited for their turn. Some were taunting their companions in jest. Others were content to watch the people in the roller coaster, as if fixed in a trance or something.
As it turned out, the roller coaster was a memorable ride. There were the initial jitters and howls when the cabs were being hauled up to the top of the rail. That's because every time a cab's gears engaged with the driving mechanism, clanking sounds permeated the air, as if the whole rickety structure would collapse anytime soon. Indeed, nothing makes a ride even scarier than the thought of substandard construction and compromised safety.
During the ride itself, the cabs lacked adequate padding. I was particularly sorry for the petite girl beside me, who had to endure being thrown side to side during the curves. Nevertheless, I had to concede that the ride was nothing compared to the ones in Manila. It was tamer by comparison but I was thrilled nonetheless.
Next on the list was the swinging boat (Php50.00) or, what they call, the Sea Dragon. Early on, I noticed a couple of men who were clearly excited falling in line. When it was our turn, they immediately scurried off to the outermost seats of the boat. I also saw, seated across me, a cute girl. In the next few minutes, both groups, the men and the girl, would be the objects of my interest.
The boat had begun to swing, and swing, and swing, and swing even higher. The good part of the ride was that there was no quick escape from it. Unlike the roller coaster, where one had the option of getting off after the first turn, in this ride, everyone was in the same boat, literally and figuratively, whether they liked it or not, for several minutes. So it was fun watching the faces of the people on the other side of the boat as the ride progressed, faces expressing emotions ranging from sheer exhilaration to downright fear.
The men, mentioned earlier, were all grins at the start, but as the seconds wore on, initial enjoyment turned to dread. Almost every one of them were turning away their faces and were screaming. Macho men screaming at the top of their lungs. Would you believe that? And the girl was all in tears, also screaming, bulging eyes fixated at the ground below. The sight made me shout out loud, "Kataw-anan mog nahong!", followed by a devil's laugh.
Sulit. Priceless. That's all I can say for now.
I was in NCCC Mall at that time, going home, when I glanced upon the carnival at the other side of Ma-a road. There was a carnival operating, definitely for the upcoming Araw ng Dabaw. I thought I would at least try the carnival's two famous rides, the roller coaster and the swinging boat.
The roller coaster (Php50.00) was flocked by the people. When I fell in line, a lot of the ride's patrons were college kids, fresh from their NSTP stints. There were numerous groups who staged their own photo ops as they waited for their turn. Some were taunting their companions in jest. Others were content to watch the people in the roller coaster, as if fixed in a trance or something.
As it turned out, the roller coaster was a memorable ride. There were the initial jitters and howls when the cabs were being hauled up to the top of the rail. That's because every time a cab's gears engaged with the driving mechanism, clanking sounds permeated the air, as if the whole rickety structure would collapse anytime soon. Indeed, nothing makes a ride even scarier than the thought of substandard construction and compromised safety.
During the ride itself, the cabs lacked adequate padding. I was particularly sorry for the petite girl beside me, who had to endure being thrown side to side during the curves. Nevertheless, I had to concede that the ride was nothing compared to the ones in Manila. It was tamer by comparison but I was thrilled nonetheless.
Next on the list was the swinging boat (Php50.00) or, what they call, the Sea Dragon. Early on, I noticed a couple of men who were clearly excited falling in line. When it was our turn, they immediately scurried off to the outermost seats of the boat. I also saw, seated across me, a cute girl. In the next few minutes, both groups, the men and the girl, would be the objects of my interest.
The boat had begun to swing, and swing, and swing, and swing even higher. The good part of the ride was that there was no quick escape from it. Unlike the roller coaster, where one had the option of getting off after the first turn, in this ride, everyone was in the same boat, literally and figuratively, whether they liked it or not, for several minutes. So it was fun watching the faces of the people on the other side of the boat as the ride progressed, faces expressing emotions ranging from sheer exhilaration to downright fear.
The men, mentioned earlier, were all grins at the start, but as the seconds wore on, initial enjoyment turned to dread. Almost every one of them were turning away their faces and were screaming. Macho men screaming at the top of their lungs. Would you believe that? And the girl was all in tears, also screaming, bulging eyes fixated at the ground below. The sight made me shout out loud, "Kataw-anan mog nahong!", followed by a devil's laugh.
Sulit. Priceless. That's all I can say for now.
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