You start wondering “Do I really want to do this?” Your heart is pumping wildly. Trying not to look scared, you gingerly sit down as everyone else jumps into his or her chairs. “I shouldn’t be here,” you think. You are wondering whether you should jump out and run to safety. You are just about to decide when a big heavy bar is pushed down on your chest, holding you in tightly. It’s too late now. There’s no going back. “Why did I do this to myself?”
Your mouth is dry, and your heart is beating so loud that you are worried that the person sitting next to you can hear it.
The engines start. You close you eyes. Slowly, the huge metal monster moves upwards, and you believe that your life is over.
The roller coaster bolts downward at force of up to 4 times that of gravity, and speeds around the 900m of track at up to 100 km/h. You try to scream, but you can’t.
It is moving too fast for you to scream. It is speeding around the tracks, over, under, around.
And then it is over. You get off, quivering, shaken, but proud. As you look at the line of nervous faces about to go through the ordeal, you smile to yourself. You have conquered the Cobra.
Welcome to Ratanga Junction.
This incredible theme park was built at a cost of 350 million Rand (a lot of money in South Africa!) in 1998 on the outskirts of Cape Town.
It is the first full-scale theme park in Africa The first thing you notice as you enter the park is the excitement. The air is buzzing. It is decorated in sort of a “lost world” style, with elaborate carvings and sculptures all over the place. There are hundreds of people. Small children clinging onto their parents arms, the slightly older ones just itching to get away, and get on with the rides. Everyone is walking around, excited at the day’s prospects.
As you step into the huge main arena, the smell of delicious food cooking wafts over the amphitheatre. All around the amphitheatre are different shops selling various items. There are the shops selling traditional African artworks at obscene prices to catch out the unwary overseas travellers, and shops selling Ratanga Junction items. The resturants are already busy, selling hamburgers and chips and pizza. Buzzing is an accurate word for the atmosphere.
As you step outside, you are met by a stunning view of the whole park. The rides are spectacular, including 26 different rides with exotic names like “The Tarantula”, “Monkey Falls” and “Crocodile Gorge”. The Cobra is the most famous ride, guarenteed to give you a good run for your money. To set the mood for the ride, you have to walk through a cave, where over 200 snakes, including the King Cobra, are kept in special enclosures.
There are boat rides and interactive play areas for those who are not as fond of fast-paced action. Variety shows and stunt shows guaranteed to enthral the audience take place daily in the amphitheatre.
The cost of a whole day ticket with unlimited access to all the rides costs R75. Children under the height of 1.3m go in for R39, and toddlers under the age of 2 get in for free!
For an incredible day out for the whole family, why not give Ratanga Junction a try. It will give you an experience of Africa that you will never, ever forget. And don’t be scared of the Cobra. It doesn’t bite!(Most of the time!)
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