The Magic Is Here

Surveys have been done and redone; Several beach resorts were inquired on; A reservation was made, which was later cancelled at the last minute; Change of venue; Change of plans; Not a suggestion and not even a reaction - I really started losing the enthusiasm I began with. Ha!

But after all the fuss and muss, we finally came up with a final plan for our Milestone. We would no longer be hitting the beaches of Zambales but instead we're off to a place where iMaGiNaTiOn comes alive and where the MaGiC stays. Hehe. ^_^

If I'm not mistaken, we were supposed to meet up at 7am. Franz and I arrived at Tektite a little past 7 while the rest of the team arrived an hour later. While waiting for the others, we stayed at Seattle's Best for a quick breakfast and for these:

Supposedly, we were to ride with Boss Mon but he brought his family along. Good thing Jjaye brought her own wheels coz we sure didn't want to ruin their family bonding moments. And there's no way we would fit in anyway. Wehe.

We arrived at Enchanted Kingdom early. While waiting for Boss James and Boss Fojet to arrive, and while waiting for Boss Mon as he bought tickets for his family, and most of all, while waiting for the gates of this magical realm to open...

As we entered the park, my twenty-something self peeled off her calloused skin, threw all her worries in the air and became half her age. Haha.

Since 'twas almost lunch time, we decided to grab something to eat first. Had a hard time choosing which food to eat. Didn't have the appetite for a full meal so I just settled with a serving of bibingka, which I later regretted. It tasted nothing like the bibingka I know and love. Huhu. T_T

After lunch, we saw Eldar the Wizard and Princess Victoria, whom we jokingly called Enchanted and Kingdom. Nyehe. Wanted to have our pictures taken with them but people were flocking in droves to their sides. Boohoo. :(

We then wandered around the park like kids, not knowing which ride to try first. Since the infamous Space Shuttle is still not operational, we pinned ourselves into this equally gut-wrenching, pulse-pounding, heart-stopping and stomach-turning ride - the Roller Skater. Haha.

Then, we fell in line for some bumper car action at Dodgem. I remembered how much I hated bumper cars as a kid. The times when I couldn't get the hang of the steering and how I would end up stuck in a corner as my mean brother, as well as a bunch of other mean boys, crashed their cars into mine and how they cackled with villainous delight. I never thought of getting revenge at that time but as I watched other kids in line, the thought of it was too sweet to pass up. Hehe. So when our turn came, I frantically crashed my little yellow car into cars driven by these cute little brats head on! Bwahaha! ;)

Our next ride was Anchors Away. To save myself from possible bouts of nausea, I no longer sat at the far end of the boat. But as gravity tugged at my insides, I still felt my stomach lurch - albeit in a good way. Hehe. ^_^

We then checked out Spongebob Squarepants: The Ride at the Rialto Theater. I was excited to watch the Bikini Bottom hottie but I didn't really enjoy the movie. Riding the bubble bike made me feel more woozy than our previous rides. At the middle of the movie, I wanted out of the crash course in Krabby Patty making! And no, I don't want pickles on my burger. Haha.

Our next stop was one of my favorite rides, the Flying Fiesta. They say that people ride here to dry themselves up after getting wet at Rio Grande. We may not be in need of a spin dryer but I definitely enjoyed feeling the cool breeze in my face and just being up in the air inclined at a comfortably exciting angle, pretending to fly. Ahihi.

After trying one ride after another, everyone felt a bit thirsty and a bit tired. We all bought this 22 oz. EK tumbler that came with a raffle card for a chance to win a Sony PSP. 22 ounces downed in one sitting. We weren't that thirsty, were we? Hehe.

The moment we regained our balance and our energy, we watched Pirates 4D at the Discovery Theater. 'Twas waaay better than the Spongebob flick. I had some good laughs, a few surprises and most importantly, it didn't make me feel sick.

Bought the Exodus: ATV Ride + Kart Trak package for an additional Php400. We waited long for the previous group to get back before we could get our ATVs rolling. When we reached the course, I was a little disappointed. I expected a more rugged terrain with steeper climbs, bigger rocks and mud puddles. Drove around the course twice. I think we could've enjoyed it more if there was no tour guide because he did nothing but impede our need for speed. Boohoo.

Then, we headed for the kart race. Had a blast driving at speed. I wish I was a little taller though coz I found it difficult to press the accelerator. Haha. Nweiz, Jjaye won the race. I think she was a couple of laps ahead of us. Wow! One heck of a racer, eh? Hehe.

Had our dinner of assorted seafood, roasted pork, corn and carrots, and tasty mushrooms. There was this Smart Hot Summer Samahan event so we also saw a couple of celebrities in the resto. After getting some rest, we went to our next destination: the Arcade House. Spent a couple of hundreds shooting hoops until my arms hurt. Adik lang. Hehe. JP had hot hands playing UFO Catcher. He was able to catch two Care Bears! Woot-woo! ^_^

Our last stop was the Rio Grande Rapids. At first, I was seated beside Jjaye but Ate asked me to transfer beside Roney to balance the raft. Thank goodness! Coz had I stayed there, I'd be soaking wet by the time we got off! Hehe.

We then changed into dry clothes. Bought some food and drinks as we talked about heading off to Tagaytay. But I don't think everyone was ok with the idea so it simply went straight out the window. Killed time eating, talking, laughing and exercising until the sky spewed a dazzling array of colorful lights, which perfectly ended this magical day.