Sunday 8 August 2010

Victory

Nausea. How often have you experienced that feeling? For me nausea is a part of my life just like headaches, bruises on my legs (because I bumped into my bed AGAIN), feeling sleepy or hungry. Nothing to worry about, just learn to avoid it as much as possible. And live with it. When I was little my parents protected me from it in every possible way. I remember coming completely wasted to my evening pre-university lessons because I had to take the bus. No long trips by car, bus or boat. Any flight of a couple of hours means being thirsty and sleepy of travel pills. No airplane flights if possible. I can recall being sick for hours after three minutes in some turning machine on a fair. No roller coasters.

Talking about fairs - I don't really like them. Most attraction parks simply don't have enough things to entertain me taking into account I don't go into anything that turns. Fourteen years ago I discovered Efteling and my world has become a lot more joyful. There are so many things to enjoy without the risk of becoming sick! I did try the roller coasters in Efteling, though. I can have one per visit and it takes a couple of hours to recover. I don't know why I do it. I never really enjoy the experience. I just wait till it's all over so I can breathe again.

 It got better with years: travelling has trained my vestibular system so that I no longer have to avoid cars and busses. Dancing salsa with all its spinning and turning seems to have a positive effect too. But I know how far I can go. At least so I thought.

This year I spent my birthday in Efteling. It's the first and the last time I go there in August! It was a lovely day and the park was incredibly crowded. We spent hours waiting. My friend's feet were burning. Our wallets were empty. But it all was worth it and this visit was different from all the previous years. You know why? Because I went into three (!!!) roller coaster-like attractions!

I am thirty six and this is the beginning of the new era of my life: I don't get nauseous on a rollercoaster - I love it!!! It feels like victory and I can't wait to go back for more!

The Flying Dutchman: The ride takes 3.43 minutes. The tower is 22.5 metres tall and has a 45° tilt! The length of the coaster across which you are hurled at a speed of over 70 kilometres an hour, is 420 metres. During the ride you are exposed to G forces of up to a maximum of 2G (twice your own body weight) and a minimum of 0.2G (close to weightlessness). I loved it!!!

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