Travel Light

The witches are back

Around the world / Celebrations - 1 year ago - Ellen

That was last year’s Halloween theme at Chessington World of Adventures and surprisingly, this year’s also. Hmm. Have they been recycling witches?

Last year, my nieces and I were at their theme park branch in Surrey a week before Halloween. It was a nice treat from cousin and her husband. We were up earlier than usual, drove to the place not exceeding the 30 mile blinking speed meter and got off the car to embrace the cold wind of autumn. I thought my ears would explode.

Our tickets had been paid for online at roughly 20GBP per head. There was a lane for those who printed their confirmed passes from the website. Inside, we took turns in touring the girls around and passed by those trees where “witches” pitched their tents and posed for photographs in their spooky wardrobe on top of white long-sleeved shirts with silk ties. I envied those talents wearing mascots. It was warm inside.

Chessington World of Adventures is a spacious theme park, probably double the size of the local Enchanted Kingdom. There were all sorts of rides, a zoo, theatres, game centers and fast food outlets visitors could choose from. My fear of heights was challenged when we took the Dragon Falls at the Mystic East that sent me screaming during the deep plunge while my niece simply looked cool. Other death-defying rides, like the Rameses Revenge, could probably send me early to the grave. I’m happy and content in those carousel rides.

KFC and Pizza Hut swarmed with people during lunch time. No one dared to eat out in the cold unless left with no choice but have a picnic on those cold benches. Inside those heated restos were people sharing seats and floor spaces, too.

Probably it was my lack of sense of adventure that made theme parks land at the bottom of my must-see list. It’s nice to go to these places from time to time but I would rather embark on a trip where I would learn something really interesting other than send my vision on a swirl.