After two days of searing heat and unbearable humidity, Saturday’s weather was much welcomed. I was very excited for the group trip to Coney Island for the Mermaid parade. I was first introduced to this fun NY paradise in 2003 when it was featured in Uptown Girls. It had occurred to me then that I wanted to go there in the evening when the entire park lights up for a first date :). Around 30-40 residents showed up for this event and only one Summer Fellow was available to make sure we didn’t get lost. Luckily she was a pro and had a loud enough voice to rally the troop.
The ride down to Coney Island took a little more than an hour… good thing the subway was air-conditioned and I had my iPod. Our group literally took up an entire car and we were chattering loudly like typical young tourists. No doubt several locals saw our car from the outside and moved to another one that was less-crowded and more quiet. As we got closer and closer to our destination, the view outside didn’t look like Manhattan anymore. There were these tall brick apartment buildings randomly placed away from the heart of Manhattan. They reminded me of isolated villages. At one of the last stops, some guy blew up at a small group of residents near the door. One the residents had his arm in front of the guy in order to hold on to a metal bar. When the subway stopped at his station, the guy literally screamed, “Move your arm F—-,” and charged out. Of course the group started laughing and the rest of us just rolled our eyes or sighed. There’s so many other bigger issues to get mad about.
Since we had an hour before the actual parade, we all headed to the beach. It was beautiful (though nothing compared to the Caribbean, but that’s not a fair comparison). There was a soft breeze, perfect for lying on the sand and being a total lazy ass, but I resisted the urge and went walking with a new friend instead. We walked along the crowded boardwalk, which was already being fenced off by the NYPD to prepare for the parade. We past numerous food stands, including one that was desperately trying to sell their shrimp scampi. Most of the people just want hamburgers and hotdogs.
Finally we couldn’t resist the calling of the amusement park rides so we entered the actual park. I eyed the Soaring Eagle, a roller-coaster where you lie on your stomach as if you’re flying. We picked out 3 rides we wanted and bought the 40 credit deal. To build up our courage for the Slingshot, we first went on the Soaring Eagle. The lady in charge was most definitely having an off day. She was literally screaming at riders with an annoyed attitude. The guy working with her just laughed and left her alone. Also the cushions around the neck smelled like sweat. The actual ride was a bit painful from all the jolting—not the smoothest flight I’d say.
Next up was the Zenobia. My friend was up for the challenge, but I just stared at the tall yellow spinning metal and gulped. While in line, she pointed out that a little boy was on the ride and I smiled. Little kids always make me feel braver. That’s why I prefer to ride with my little brother who makes me think, “If a little kid can do it, I can too.” The ride was surprisingly tame at first and almost relaxing. After about two rounds, we paused at the very top as they were switching the people on the other end. I never imagined Coney Beach to stretch so far! Then we felt the ride moving again, but this time it went in reverse so we headed straight down face first. That’s when we started to scream. Wheeeee!!
Finally it was time for the Slingshot! I first saw this ride at Six Flags, but it wasn’t included in the package so we skipped it. Now, it was time to see just how scary it was. We waited in line with butterflies fluttering in our stomachs. Then something happened that made our jaws drop. After these two kids were strapped in, the mechanism in charge of releasing the ball didn’t work so one of the employees crawled behind the ball and manually did it. Luckily the riders didn’t notice, but the rest of us in line was like, “Wow that was sketchy.” One of the young girls in front of us started to freak out and told her friend that she was not going, but it was their turn and her blonde friend told her that it would feel great afterwards. As they got into the ball, that same girl started yelling, “Omg, I’m going to pee myself….” The fear on her face was clear.
When it was our turn, I handed my camera to a woman behind us so she could snap some pictures. We got strapped in, tilted back, and watched the large spring move closer and closer to the top where we’d be released. The actual ride again was surprising tame (I think I’ve been on too many scarier ones), but the view was gorgeous and the wind felt nice. I wouldn’t have minded bouncing up and down a little longer.
After we got off, the temperature was definitely hotter than before and the sun was torturous. I regretted not bringing the pretty purple umbrella my grandmother gave me for Christmas. My friend got corn-on-the-cob and I refreshed myself with pina colada slush (delicious!). Then we waited for the parade and it literally felt like forever, but at least the NYPD near us was cute :). Every time I see them I think of CSI.
The parade was not what I expected; it was more like people dressed in costumes walking (think halloween in the summer). I wouldn’t have minded if the parade was organized and evenly spaced between each group, but the people were so scattered we felt like we were just waiting and waiting. The sun was brutally beating down on us so we left for the subway, but all the roads were blocked off for the parade. We walked around main street looking for an exit while taking random pictures of cool costumes. Since we couldn’t find a way out, we stopped at a grab-and-go food place and I had my first fish taco. Overpriced as usual, but the guacamole was good. Afterwards we decided to retrace our steps. Perfect timing! The police was letting a few people through between each “performance.” We laughed when we made it through. “That felt like an accomplishment!” My friend said.
The trip back felt like it took forever and I was actually freezing from the air conditioning! We got off at Columbus Circle to switch trains. While there, two guys dressed like a pink gorilla and skunk was playing light-hearted beats.
The Swinging Hammock 