South African Great Adventure!!!!!

I just need to start this post off by saying....WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!!!  It was so cold I couldn't feel my feet, but it was worth the pain. 

Today I went to a South African version of Great Adventure.  I was told from the beginning not to get my hopes up because it lacks in comparison to the amusement parks in America.  Yvette and I went to Gold Reef in Johannesburg.  This amusement park's theme was solely based on the mining history of Jo'burg.  The park is actually situated on an old mine which one of the "rides" is where you can go down into an old mine shaft.  The park was not significantly large, but it had authenticity and value.  It was a basic amusement park with large rides (Anaconda which would be similar to The Batman Ride in Great Adventure, some "carnival rides" like the tilt a whirl and basic common rides like the Runaway Train. 

I can honestly say today was the first time I waited on line for a ride and when I got to the front of the line I couldn't get on the ride.  Now before you all call me a chicken let me explain.  No disrespect to the workers at Gold Reef, but they just seemed annoyed and bored with their jobs.  On some of the major roller coasters, not one worker came to check to see if our seats were secure and locked.  That concerned me 100%.  Their work practice was not geared to my safety which made me think about how well they maintain the rides or taught their workers how to react to a safety situation.  Besides that concern, I tended to be seated in rides where the lock bar was set but then would click and move when I was upside down.  So now that you know that little background information...here is why I walked away from The Golden Loop.  It is a ride the simply jets out the gate and goes around a loop, then goes up a ramp and proceeds to go around the same loop backwards.  Sounds like fun right?....Well, when I got to the top of the line I was told the only thing holding you in is a lap bar.  I just didn't feel safe.  At all.  There was no over the shoulder harness, no belt buckle, just a lap bar that probably didn't lock.  So I walked off.  And my friends followed me.

Speaking of friends...Yvette is adorable.  I can tell you 100% that my voice will be gone tomorrow because I laughed so hard at how Yvette reacts to rides.  Poor thing is so scared but she loves the thrill.  Gotta respect that.  She went on one ride that she was petrified of but she did it for me.  I love her for that.  There were certain rides she wouldn't go on which I wouldn't push her.  If she was afraid I wouldn't want to make her do something she didn't want to do.  Instead I just gave her all my crap to hold.  LOL!  Yvette has no issues with roller coasters that go upside down.  However she is afraid of heights and hates when you are hung in the air or upside down high off the  ground.  Well, we went on one ride.  I had no idea what the ride was but was getting a feeling that it wasn't just a "swing"  The reason why I knew this ride would be intense was because the locking system was much more intense then some rides we have been on.  I turned to Yvette and said, "You know this ride goes upside down?"  She looks at me and says, "No it doesn't"  At this point I am thinking to myself I hope she realizes that it does go upside down and hangs.  Then I was thinking how is she not realizing this WILL go upside down!!!  Then she realized....and she was a great combination of fearful and pissed.  I too was not aware of this ride and it was the first time I screamed.  I screamed mostly because when I was hanging down facing the ground my harness clicked and moved.  That moment was pure terror, but I was still more focused on Yvette.  I just knew she was either going to die of a heart attack or kick the shit out of someone.  Needless to say we made it and her color finally came back to her face.  Speaking of color...we were on line for a "carnival" ride and the line stopped moving.  We all had no idea what was going on till a man told us that a kid threw up.  At that moment we jumped that line and moved to the next ride.  Hahahah

Most of the rides didn't open till noon or later because of the weather, but it was well worth it.  We hit majority of all the main rides excluding the water rides.  It was only 55 degrees today!  My face hurts from laughing so much and it being so cold and I am sure I will be sore tomorrow, but it was all worth every second.  Enjoy the pics.......

The Ferris Wheel that didn't work

Our 4D adventure

BAZINGA!!!!!!!!

Cow rides...free of charge

This was the first ride where my seat lock moved

Anacanda

The ride I walked away from

We all are big kids

Friends!!!

Tower of Terror.  ride last 3 seconds but it is awesome

Swing From Hell as Yvette would say

Only in SA.   Live Peacocks in the foodcourt

Looking for french fries.....

A male Peacock looking for love.....try the foodcourt