Richard Bannister

The weather this morning was once again beautifully sunny, though the winds if anything seemed stronger than yesterday. Fortunately they had died down completely by the time the park opened, and as such all the coasters were operating. George and I began our morning with a circuit on Dragon Khan, and the queue was so short by the end that we went around and rode it again a second time. Much to my amusement, as we pulled into the station, the restraints were stuck closed. Rather than try and fix it, thereby holding up the other train, the staff decided just to dispatch it again, making my third ride of the morning.

Tomahawk (#209) is officially a coaster aimed at children, and nowhere is this more evident than in the train. There is simply not enough room in the train for anyone over the height of six foot, which is in many ways a pity as it is arguably the best wooden coaster in the park. Three laps was the limit of what my knees could take. We followed this with two rides on Stampida, one on each side. Once again the staff were in no hurry, so stacking was still occurring despite the fact that the trains were only half full. However, the overly aggressive staff obviously were not on duty this morning, as on both circuits my lap bar was at a comfortable level.

Chris and I took a quick spin on Trono de Pacal, a Magic Carpet ride. After that, George and I took a quick spin on the Fumanchú chair swings. This was worth the ride just for the sign, part of which is reproduced opposite. I have seen bad translations before but these ones were among the funniest I have seen in Europe.

Most of the rest of the day was spent doing lap after lap on Dragon Khan. Though the thrill gradually diminished after a while there was nothing else in the park that particularly grabbed me. On my final circuit, I found myself sitting beside a Spanish child who clearly regretted his decision to board. As we ascended the lift hill he began muttering a prayer in agitated Spanish, which persisted throughout the duration. The on-ride photograph was pricelessly funny, and though I normally resist such things it simply wasn't possible today.