Playland Park
Real quick name four things that you take for granted.
Did you happen to say ¨Incredibly Large Roller Coasters?¨
Easter is a huge deal in Ecuador. So much so that people take Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off from work. In fact after Carnaval it kind of seems like every month has a select holiday where working just isn´t the focus of people´s lives.
However, when everyone in the country doesn´t work that means that NOTHING is open in the entire city. Thus even though you have a whole host of people at home with nothing to do, you do not have any restaurants, bars, discos, or anything else open.
See a business venture? Me too. And so did ¨PlayLand Park.¨
If I had never been to the Aitkin County Fair, then I would have been absolutely shocked by PlaylandPark. However, Since I did hop aboard the Tiltawhirl a couple of times in my day, I kind of knew what to expect. Playland Park is basically a county fair that takes up the space of a basketball gymnasium where everyone can go to ride roller coasters, eat crappy food, and play mindless popgun games.
However a couple of aspects make PlayLand Park especially wonderful. First is that they chose an English name. Thus nobody in all of Ibarra knows what I am talking about when I say, ¨PlayLand Park¨, but everyone understands each other when they yell out ¨Vamos al PlalenPar!¨Funny how some pronunciations just don´t quite crossover.
The second best thing about PlayLand Park is Ecuadorian Carnies. I think Austin Powers was the first person I heard describe a Carnie. According to Austin Powers, ¨Carnies¨or the people who work at County Fairs have ¨ Small Hands.¨Ecuadorian Carnies are the shadiest people I have ever laid eyes on in my whole life. They are all unbelievably tiny, and none of them have taken a shower (even though April is RainyRainyRainy Season) in about six years. None of them look anything in the eye except for money. They all have long black hair that they wear in the latest ¨BirdsNest¨style. All of them speak Spanish but nobody can understand anything they say. They are almost dead ringers for this dude who used to work on my mom´s buildings when I was a kid who´s name escapes me at the moment.
PlayLand park has one ride called the Taglata or something that is the MOST uncomfortable and not fun experience I have ever been on. It´s basically a giant ring that vibrates up and down trying to throw its passengers off of the bench and onto the floor. However, the Carnies operate this ride on an absolute mission to kill whoever dares climb aboard. I saw at least three or four girls get thrown from their chairs and onto the floor where they popped around like that one kid who can´t use a trampoline and the rest of the kids friends try to popcorn him or her up. However, this isn´t nice forgiving rubber. THis is cold hard steel. And the best part is that nobody makes in effort to stop the ride. They Carnies just mercilessly flop their victims about until someone is brave enough to offer them a pantleg on which they can climb back to their seat.
Which brings me to my main point. In the states we all grow up with Amusement Parks with LARGE rides. However nobody in Ecuador has ever seen anything that big, nor do they have anything besides the Pirate Ship ride that we might consider High Altitude thrills. Thus EVERYONE in this country is absolutely petrified of heights. last night I was hanging out with some of my most macho friends and almost none of them would brave PlayLand Park´s big rides. They probably would have run scared if they even smelled the Tiltawhirl. Cannot even fathom what they would have thought about DropZone or Top Gun. It´s just a completely different world.
Thus I got to thinking that maybe this fear transfers to other aspects of life? What other things in the states do we have that make an effort to conquer basic fears? Why is it that we decided to build huge thrill rides in the United States? It cannot solely be for the amusement factor. I think people in the states are much more comfortable conquering fears than are people in Ecuador, but maybe I am just reading into things too much.
Which brings me to the next thing that we have in the states that there is NONE of in Ecuador. I can´t remember if I have already mentioned this, but Ecuador has no stand up comedians. It´s completely absent from the culture, even though lots of people love telling jokes. How did the comedy club become woven into US culture and why?
Please excuse the abrubt finish but I am signing off tonight with unanswered questions rather than answers. Just dont have it in me. Hope everyone is having a blast back home.
-Kane
Did you happen to say ¨Incredibly Large Roller Coasters?¨
Easter is a huge deal in Ecuador. So much so that people take Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off from work. In fact after Carnaval it kind of seems like every month has a select holiday where working just isn´t the focus of people´s lives.
However, when everyone in the country doesn´t work that means that NOTHING is open in the entire city. Thus even though you have a whole host of people at home with nothing to do, you do not have any restaurants, bars, discos, or anything else open.
See a business venture? Me too. And so did ¨PlayLand Park.¨
If I had never been to the Aitkin County Fair, then I would have been absolutely shocked by PlaylandPark. However, Since I did hop aboard the Tiltawhirl a couple of times in my day, I kind of knew what to expect. Playland Park is basically a county fair that takes up the space of a basketball gymnasium where everyone can go to ride roller coasters, eat crappy food, and play mindless popgun games.
However a couple of aspects make PlayLand Park especially wonderful. First is that they chose an English name. Thus nobody in all of Ibarra knows what I am talking about when I say, ¨PlayLand Park¨, but everyone understands each other when they yell out ¨Vamos al PlalenPar!¨Funny how some pronunciations just don´t quite crossover.
The second best thing about PlayLand Park is Ecuadorian Carnies. I think Austin Powers was the first person I heard describe a Carnie. According to Austin Powers, ¨Carnies¨or the people who work at County Fairs have ¨ Small Hands.¨Ecuadorian Carnies are the shadiest people I have ever laid eyes on in my whole life. They are all unbelievably tiny, and none of them have taken a shower (even though April is RainyRainyRainy Season) in about six years. None of them look anything in the eye except for money. They all have long black hair that they wear in the latest ¨BirdsNest¨style. All of them speak Spanish but nobody can understand anything they say. They are almost dead ringers for this dude who used to work on my mom´s buildings when I was a kid who´s name escapes me at the moment.
PlayLand park has one ride called the Taglata or something that is the MOST uncomfortable and not fun experience I have ever been on. It´s basically a giant ring that vibrates up and down trying to throw its passengers off of the bench and onto the floor. However, the Carnies operate this ride on an absolute mission to kill whoever dares climb aboard. I saw at least three or four girls get thrown from their chairs and onto the floor where they popped around like that one kid who can´t use a trampoline and the rest of the kids friends try to popcorn him or her up. However, this isn´t nice forgiving rubber. THis is cold hard steel. And the best part is that nobody makes in effort to stop the ride. They Carnies just mercilessly flop their victims about until someone is brave enough to offer them a pantleg on which they can climb back to their seat.
Which brings me to my main point. In the states we all grow up with Amusement Parks with LARGE rides. However nobody in Ecuador has ever seen anything that big, nor do they have anything besides the Pirate Ship ride that we might consider High Altitude thrills. Thus EVERYONE in this country is absolutely petrified of heights. last night I was hanging out with some of my most macho friends and almost none of them would brave PlayLand Park´s big rides. They probably would have run scared if they even smelled the Tiltawhirl. Cannot even fathom what they would have thought about DropZone or Top Gun. It´s just a completely different world.
Thus I got to thinking that maybe this fear transfers to other aspects of life? What other things in the states do we have that make an effort to conquer basic fears? Why is it that we decided to build huge thrill rides in the United States? It cannot solely be for the amusement factor. I think people in the states are much more comfortable conquering fears than are people in Ecuador, but maybe I am just reading into things too much.
Which brings me to the next thing that we have in the states that there is NONE of in Ecuador. I can´t remember if I have already mentioned this, but Ecuador has no stand up comedians. It´s completely absent from the culture, even though lots of people love telling jokes. How did the comedy club become woven into US culture and why?
Please excuse the abrubt finish but I am signing off tonight with unanswered questions rather than answers. Just dont have it in me. Hope everyone is having a blast back home.
-Kane
posted by ecuadortraveler at 6:10 PM
4 Comments:
but who is the sf carnie lookalike?
Really no guesses?
oh merde - how could I forget Anton - especially after he pocketed a ton of cash from the office "container..."
I think Bob might also qualify as a Carnie. Remember him? I mainly remember trying to avoid him at all costs for fear of getting stuck in the quick sand that was a conversation with Bob. Come to think of it, can't really distinguish Bob and Anton in my head right now. Same person? Both mysertiously disappeared. Both have horribly greasy long gray hair.
Post a Comment
<< Home