My mom has been protective of me ever since I was a kid. Well yes, up until now, she’d be the same mom; asking the itinerary of my travels, who you’re with and what time you’d be coming home. Naturally when we’d go to carnivals, we just rode the “safe” rides. No ferris wheels and roller coaster of sorts.

Last November, we went to Manila to attend the annual Komikon (Comics festival). So my good friend thought how about a side trip to Enchanted Kingdom. With no hesitation, I said yes.

We took a jeepney, MRT and bus until we arrived at Walter mart at around 11am. We took our lunch and rode a tricycle to Enchanted Kingdom. It was a Sunday, there were a lot of family and friends already lining up to get tickets. Since I had my Pagibig Loyalty Card, we had 15% discount for all the tickets. Yay!

Would love to do it all over again.

We were given a map and we discussed our strategy on the rides. Is it low-high-low-high intensity rides or all high intensity rides prior the all low intensity rides? It’s more on the latter. Mom, I am sorry.

My alter ego, the Banshee, came out when we rode the Air Space. There are  airplane looking seats that would turn 360 degrees as it spins around a cone. The duration of my shrieks are as long as I am turned upside down. I even overheard some teens talk about a woman who shrieks like her fallopian tube went missing mid-air during the Anchors Away. Hey, don’t judge me. I sat at the end of the ship! (Yes, that woman who sounded like she lost her fallopian tube was me.)

As we walked around the park, my friend persuaded me to ride the EKstreme Tower. The rider gets suspended around 40 meters before suddenly dropping. It was amazing that she only gets to persuade me for less than five minutes before I ended up queuing on my own. Am I that gullible? I waited in line for an hour. I got quite envious of the people around me, they have friends and their SOs with them to join them moments before that crazy ride.

Trying to smile despite the glaring sun and the impending drop I am about to experience.

I took the seat in front of the attraction for my friends to take video and pictures of me (evidence is important). The operator suddenly approached me, crouched down and checked beneath my seat. I asked him what’s wrong. He just said that there seems to be a problem. It was lighting up. I questioned him if it was safe but he left without answering. Shit! Now I am nervous.

Slowly we left the ground and I saw the whole Enchanted Kingdom. For a moment I was mesmerized by the scenic view but then I was reminded that anytime from now, we’d drop and we did. My heart dropped and it felt like my seat was nowhere beneath me.

I was already all smiles despite how nervous I was when we rode the Space Shuttle. I already had my friend with me. Half-way through the circuit instead of shrieking, I was already laughing. Guess I lost my wits around that loop. But I felt overjoyed to the point of doing it all over again if the time permits.

I am most looking forward in riding this Grand Carousel.

In exchange in accompanying my friend in riding the Space Shuttle, she’d ride with me in the Grand Carousel which I was bugging her about as we entered EK. Despite dripping wet after the Log Jam and Rio Grande Rapids, we chose our own Victorian horses and straddled up. I was ecstatic as I did my shoulder shrugs as the carousel spins.

It was a great day for fun. It was a day I rode an extreme ride on my own (strong and independent woman eh?). It was a day I shrieked and laughed without restraint (minding other people’s reaction). It was not a day of being a kid all over again but it was indeed a day of knowing how far I have come.