Richard Bannister

Our second day at Wonderland Eurasia began with us arriving a full thirty minutes before the scheduled opening. There were traffic cones blocking the vehicle entrance, but a guard removed one of them as we approached, allowing us to claim what an American park would refer to as a "preferred" spot just metres away from the entrance gate. In due course the security checkpoint opened up, and we passed through it on our way to the ticket desk where we elected to purchase unlimited ride wristbands even though we were only intending to spend a few hours at the park. There were three reasons for this:

1. It was a small way to provide support to a park that we want to see succeed in the long run.
2. Trying to figure out individual ride prices would present an enormous headache.
3. The 50 TL (~€7.76) headline price was in any case an absolute bargain.

Our attempts to signal what we wanted to the cashier were met with a veritable flood of rapid fire Turkish that continued apace despite our obvious incomprehension. I was just about to break out translation software when a helpful local offered to interpret on our behalf. It turned out that there were different types of wristbands available for those on a limited budget. We were also shown a small list of attractions that were excluded from even the highest price option. This was refreshingly honest, if somewhat surprising given that there was no mention whatsoever of the much larger list of attractions that were out of service entirely.

We spent a little over an hour walking around the eastern side of the park with our cameras in order to document the various attractions that we'd missed during the previous day, and in particular the various unfinished roller coasters. Throughout this time we saw no other guests and only a handful of staff members, making the whole experience more than a little surreal; it felt like the theme park equivalent of wandering around a completely deserted Forbidden City. I found myself thinking of the early scenes in 28 Days Later, and dreaming of just how exciting it might be to walk around an equally deserted Disney park.

In due course we wound up at Canavarlar Nehri (River Monsters), a 450 metre long Intamin Rapids manufactured (according to the information plate) in September 2013. The ride turned out to be very good; highlights of the layout included a tunnel through an artificial cave and a waterfall. A wide variety of animatronic dinosaurs lined the route, though none of them were moving today. In an ideal world we'd also have experienced the adjacent Hiper Sıçrama (Hyper Splash), but though the water was running on the drop the ride was closed today.

The other essential for us today was Skyliner, a thirty-six car Giant Wheel manufactured by Moser Rides. The ride is located adjacent to the lake on the western side of the park, and though its positioning isn't optimal for photography there were still some potential shots from the apex. Unfortunately the cars were not camera friendly; the windows were dirty, and though there were grilles for air they were facing downwards rather than straight out. Readers after their own overheads should probably head for the nearby Uçan Ada (Flying Island) once it opens to the public.

Ben had to leave for the airport at this stage, so I continued wandering on my own. In due course I found myself back in the Buz & Ateş Şehri (City of Ice & Fire) where I took up position in the back car of Lav Macerasi. There was a twenty minute wait for the other seats in the train to be filled. Once they were the restraints were checked, the dispatch bell was rung, and nothing happened. The same procedure was repeated about half a dozen times, accompanied by some excited gesticulation from the control booth. There was a brief hiatus while someone more knowledgeable was sent for, and after one more aborted attempt we were sent on our way for what was a truly excellent ride.

I returned to the kebab place I'd enjoyed for a quick lunch before deciding that the time had come to head for the exit. I could certainly have stayed for longer, but I'd already added ten kilometres to the seventeen from the day before and my feet were really beginning to hurt from all the walking. Those planning their own expedition to the park should think carefully about their choice of footwear; my regular brogues were entirely inadequate for the distances involved. It would also be a good idea to study the map in depth before visiting so as to minimise backtracking.

Though there are no certainties in this life I sincerely hope that I'll be able to return to Wonderland Eurasia in due course once the eight remaining coasters have opened. I've provisionally scheduled a weekend trip for the middle of next summer if anyone would like to join me!

Late yesterday evening we discovered that we'd inadvertently planned our trip across a Turkish national holiday. Though we had no concrete information to go on it seemed entirely possible that the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day could be the semi-official start of the theme park season, in a similar manner to Memorial Day in the United States. I decided that it was worth driving back to some of the small parks in the area to see if they might be open for business. Sadly my targets were just as closed as they'd been a day earlier.

Mogan Lake Park is a picnic area and playground located around the perimeter of a large lake roughly fifteen kilometres south of Ankara. We were unable to find any information on hours, and as such we decided that our best bet was an early morning reconnaissance expedition prior to visiting Wonderland Eurasia. This was time consuming but successful, as it allowed us to confirm that the three amusement rides (bumper boats, a family coaster, and a chair swing) would open at 1:00pm. This was too late for Ben, but he more than compensated for the miss by fitting a ride on Maceraperest into a three and a half hour layover in Istanbul.

It was part way through the afternoon when I arrived back at the park, and a torrential downpour was underway. There were no people anywhere near the rides, but the compressor was running on the coaster which I took to be a good sign. After some contemplation I went to enquire at a nearby go-kart track, and was told that the ride was open but that it could be run until the rain stopped. The ever-reliable CARROT told me that that should happen in twenty-six minutes, and I decided I'd use that time to find a refreshing beverage.

Once the skies cleared I parked myself on a bench adjacent to the credit. I didn't have to wait long; soon after the person I'd spoken to earlier materialised from his cabin, recognised me, and summoned a colleague to assist. Soon after I'd enjoyed three laps on Tirtil (#2680) for the princely sum of just 5 TL (~€0.77). It was only later that I realised that the ride had been my 250th different Wacky Worm, a thoroughly pointless achievement that I am nevertheless extremely proud of.

Those retracing my steps should probably not try to get to Mogan Lake Park by taxi unless you're prepared to pay a driver to wait for you. The park is a one way driving route stretching approximately three kilometres from end to end, and the exit is quite a distance from the nearest building. The coaster is about five hundred metres from the entrance gate on the left hand side.

While driving across Ankara yesterday afternoon Ben pointed out something on the top of a hill that looked to him like an Alpine Coaster. I thought he was right, and as we were in no particular hurry we decided to investigate. It turned out that we'd found Dağ Kizaği Park, home to a brand new Wiegand ride that was in the final stages of commissioning. The attraction wasn't ready for guests at the time, but the staff told us that it would be open today from 2:00pm to 11:00pm if we were able to return.

There were a few locals on Dağ Kizaği when I arrived, and from ground level it was very obvious that they were not going at an enthusiast friendly pace. I decided to wait fo them to clear before handing over my 10 TL (~€1.55), and this was the right call, as I was able to go flat out for the entire layout. There was a very slight automatic brake at the apex, and a second on the final corner, but neither had a major impact on what was a perfectly solid ride with a few airtime bumps along the way. The view of apartments rather than trees made for a somewhat different experience to the norm. I completed three enjoyable laps before heading back to my car.