Playland at the PNE

It was autumn's first weekend and, amazingly, the sun was out with temperatures in the double digits. The family still had tickets to Playland at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) grounds that they haven't used in the summer. So, it was the perfect day to redeem those and enjoy the outdoors while they still could (because for the next nine months, it's going to be miserably cold and soggy).

They had been to Playland before whenever they went to the PNE every year in the summer, but they never once took a whirl in its rides mainly because Raf was too small then and too scared to enjoy them. Plus, the family didn't want to waste their weekend waiting for hours in long lineups for rides that lasted less than five minutes.

As soon as they entered the gate, the three proceeded to the nearest ride: the Crazy Beach Party. Also known as the Frisbee, this contraption sent Ronnie, Lyn and Raf spinning fast while sitting on a large disc that swung back and forth like a clock pendulum but at an almost 90-degree angle. It was a good idea that they let two hours elapse after eating brunch. Otherwise, they would be saying goodbye to partly digested pancakes, eggs, bacon and wieners.

Their first ride set the mood for Raf's day. After surviving the Crazy Beach Party, he was raring to go to the other attractions. He was no longer afraid of them, unlike before. However, it also determined the condition of Ronnie's stomach: it was queasy all day long. Nauseated, he begged to sit down first before heading off to another one. But Raf was insistent that they should go to the Flume next. Not wanting to spoil their day, Ronnie acquiesced, albeit half-heartedly.

The Flume was a wet one. It took the trio on a comfortable and picturesque log ride that had a calming and soothing effect — until they plunged down a 40-foot drop! It ended with a giant splash, with Ronnie acting as a windshield. Now, he's not only squeamish, he's cold and dripping, too.

Lyn and Raf weren't as soaked, and the two chose to dry off their clothes through the Wave Swinger. Ronnie decided to sit this one out and instead took pictures of the two while they were swinging outwards at speeds of 48 kph (30 mph) while suspended from an umbrella-like top. That would definitely dry their clothes like a washer's spin cycle.

After taking a spin on this German import, Raf figured it's time to give his mom and dad a rest finally — but not for him. He went straight to the bumper cars! Lyn told him to be extra careful, reminding him of what happened to his cousin Nigel in the Philippines, who suffered internal bleeding when he was hit hard riding this amusement park favourite. Did this idea stop Raf from riding? No. In fact, he went riding again — twice! However, he did stop for a minute or two to contemplate what ride to go to next. This time, it's Break Dance.

Break Dance kind of reminded Ronnie and Lyn of the Cups and Saucers in Manila's Fiesta Carnival. But this isn't your parents' (or grandparents') ride, as they say. This mean, spinning machine has 16 cars that twirl around on a huge rotating disc with multidirectional variable speeds and lateral forces. Of course, Ronnie sat this one out again, watching Lyn screaming and Raf laughing at her silly. As if that wasn't enough, the two rode it two more times during their visit here. (But Lyn was really pukish after that.)

Right next to Break Dance was the Wild Mouse. Because it was the smallest roller coaster in the park, it appeared tame and was designed for kids. Lyn and Raf thought wrong — its overly tight hairpin turns made them feel like they were falling off the tracks! These were then followed by a series of steep drops. (It was in one of those ups and downs where Raf banged his nose on the back of Lyn's head. Owww!) And where was Ronnie during all this time? He's still sitting this ride out and taking pictures.

However, he was doing okay when they went to Music Express. It reminded him of the Caterpillar when the perya came during town fiestas. But that was more than 30 years ago. This ride was louder, faster and gave you the impression of almost being ejected off of your seat. There was also the feeling of being crushed, especially when you sit toward the outside like Lyn, with her boys adding extra weight.

As if all that g-force wasn't enough, the three went to Enterprise. But Raf backed out this time. Sitting inside a car that's spinned vertically didn't sound like fun to him. (There went Ronnie's dream of Raf becoming the first Filipino-Canadian astronaut.)

Lyn was very apprehensive when they sat inside a car — there were no seat belts! In this ride, gravity and centrifugal force did the restraining. And like the Music Express, there was also that squishing effect (this time, it's Lyn's turn to crush Ronnie).

Enterprise was the last one for Ronnie. All that upside-down spinning and negative g-force made him dizzy. He went to the nearest picnic table and sat there for a while to gather his bearings. Raf took this opportunity to grab his mom and ride some more on their favourites like Music Express, Break Dance and the Flume.

At the end, Raf was the only one left standing — and to think he was the one who didn't like going to Playland! As for Ronnie and Lyn, they couldn't wait to measure their blood pressure at home. •