Thursday, July 7, 2011

Six Flags Magic Mountain --- Learning the Art of Letting Go

i am not a fan of roller coasters.

one might think i am due to my fondness of heights and my dream of one day being able to fly, but something about paying a sizeable amount of money to feel like my internal organs are suddenly cramped to my esophagus, waiting to burst through my mouth (hahaha...yucky description) doesn't sit well with me.

i particularly hate the point when the train is slowly creeping up the tracks, just before the first drop. you could hear the thug-thug-thug of the chains, as if anytime they would break off, plummeting you to sure nothingness. the sound is like the beat of drums just before the guillotine drops to severe a poor man's head!

so no, i don't like roller coasters at all --- i would probably just ride a couple of them to prove i'm not scared and then i'm done. but during my trip to six flags magic mountain, i decided to make an exception.


Six Flags Magic Mountain, California

for one thing, it's in LA. seriously, how often will I get the chance to go there? I don't think I can live with myself knowing I passed an opportunity to savour my stay there.

second, we got our flash pass. it costs more than the regular tickets but it gives the bearer the "privilege" of cutting in front of the line of whichever ride they choose.

against my better judgement, i let my cousin, her bf, and her bf's cousin to drag me through our first ride -- the viper.


The Viper


big mistake. we got turned upside down for seven times! the padded harness bit through my shoulders and i kept hitting my head on something that, in the madness of the moment, i was unable to tell anymore. to make matters worst, i closed my eyes as we were thug-thugging up the tracks and kept them closed until the ride finished.

needless to say, i didn't enjoy the first ride. i was dizzy. my head was throbbing. my shoulders were screaming "foul!" good thing, my cousin's bf shared with me what apparently is the no.1 rule in riding roller coaster --- never ever close your eyes.

The Tatsu

with that in mind, off we went to our next ride, the tatsu. it is said to be the the world's tallest, fastest and longest flying coaster. we were strapped to our seats but instead of the usual coasters where riders are sitting, our seats tilted forward until we were facing the ground.


The Tatsu

it was like we're flying!! we flew over the mountainous terrain of the park. i dared not close my eyes! we almost hit the ground but off we go again... twisting, turning. one second, i had the view of the ground; the next, of the sky. it was wonderful! it was exhilirating! for 2 minutes, i had wings! i was airborne!! we just had to ride it again!

and then, we were unstoppable! at the start, i was shouting..."waaahhhhh...$#)$#)@#..... (*@*@#&#(@#!!! MOMMY!!!!!! @)#(@)#@)#)#()@(#@(#)@(#!!!!!! but as the day progressed, it changed to something like, "HAHAHAHAHA...WOW!!!!! MORE!!! HAHAHAHA....NO HANDS! NO HANDS!"

Batman ride @ Six Flags Magic Mountain

we stayed the whole day in the park and rode most of the maximum rides and few of the moderate ones. some worth mentioning are "Batman" and "Scream." both are floorless; our feet were dangling in the air throughout the ride!

Terminator Salvation, a wooden roller coaster

we also rode a couple of wooden coasters ("Terminator Salvation" and "Colossus"). i kept on thinking, i hope they're not being lenient on their pest control --- this isn't a good place to find termites! the "Riddler's Revenge" was an interesting ride for the mere fact that it's a stand-up roller coaster! "Superman the escape" was a bit of a bore. the description says it is the first ride on the planet to reach 100mph in six seconds, but it was way too fast. it didn't have time to build the excitement. it was over even before we knew it. our last stop was the "Log Jammer" which soaked us through just when the temperature was beginning to drop. we had to hurry home and change our clothes!

i think, more than my visit to universal studios, i enjoyed magic mountain. i was expecting magic mountain to be so-so. i was thinking it's just a glamorized enchanted kingdom. boy, i was so wrong! so toast to magic mountain --- i might have shouted more curse words while i was there than i ever did in my entire lifetime but i got the point:

View of Colossus from the parking lot

it might feel safer to close your eyes but to not look at where you're heading is even more risky and a great disservice to the view you're missing. plus, when the train finally stops and you opened your eyes, it's like the whole world is going in circles, making it impossible for you to make sense of it. it's harder to get on your feet.

Six Flags Magic Mountain


someone wise once said life is like a roller coaster. you have twists and turns, ups and down, but you will never know when the ride will end...so you might as well let go and just enjoy it! and i agree!

so i'm letting go. i'm letting go...Lord, help me as i let go...

oh, but i'm still not a fan of roller coasters. i think i've ridden enough to last me through the next 5 to 10 years!

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