While my previous 🐠🐟 story was positive, the prompt for this one was to tell about a negative travel experience. Here we go:
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A day in an Abusement Park (and no, it’s not a typo)

What comes to mind when you hear “Singapore”? Perhaps mind-blowing architecture - skyscrapers that look as if the aliens built them. Possibly the cleanliness of the streets and public places. Or maybe orchids of all colours, shapes, and sizes adorning the concrete jungle of offices and hotels. All of the above is true, and we (my kids, husband and I) enjoyed every minute of our stay there – well, almost every minute.

If you are travelling with teens, it’s a whole different ball game. Apparently, teens need to be entertained (as if a trip to Singapore isn’t the epitome of to-die-for entertainment as it is! Pfff!) Diligent parents as we were, we took them to the Universal Studios amusement park (if I was telling this in person, I would do my usual eyeroll🙄 here.) As a rule, we try to steer clear of places like zoos and theme parks, but this time we succumbed to our kids’ whining (note to self: never ever indulge your children, it ends badly.)

Everything about this abusement park was an assault on my senses: I wanted to cover my ears to avoid hearing the cacophony of sounds coming from various rides and advertisements. It was scorching hot, too – the pavement was literally melting under our feet. The sun was burning holes in my sunglasses - no protection was sufficient against the blinding rays. The last straw was when the kids stood in line for the “Transformers” ride for 1,5 hours (1,5 HOURS!!!). Thank god I managed to secure a spot in a nearby cafe right under the air conditioner while waiting for them…

Six hours and four rollercoaster rides later, the kids showed mercy and agreed to return to the hotel. Looking at our photos from that day one may assume that we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. But only I remember the true nature of my smile - fake and plastic, just like most of the products in this park. Never again.

How do you feel about these amusement (or should I say abusement) parks? Yay or nay?

#WritingForReal_6