I have a love/hate relationship with Ferris wheels.
They're great fun, sure. Giant. Round. If you ride one of the especially large Ferris wheels you can see for miles. Except I have a fear of heights, and whenever I ride the one at California Adventure, Disneyland, I imagine San Andreas going off and the metal cage in which I sit landing in the water pool with no way out.
My brain likes to play with fun scenarios.
Going
back in time a bit, I have a clear memory of my first several hours in
Tokyo, Japan, back in 2015. I went with my brother Michael and
Sister-in-law Krista, my Mom graciously volunteering to babysit the kids
for a week. I was sick. With what, I don't know, but I had a fever
which broke that first night in Japan. Jet lag. Long flight from LAX
to Narita in coach, no sleep. And I had the most Japanese speaking
knowledge in our group having listened to 7 of 12 Michel Thomas Method
Japanese CD's and a couple vocab lists to Krista's 1 of 12 listened with
no extra vocab study.
I was nervous, tired, sick, and a crazy mixture of
worried excitement. Amazed that after so many years of wanting to visit
Japan we were finally there. Worried of the level 3 volcano in Hakone--It just steamed, shutting down the sky tram system, but is completely
fine now--as we were staying in Tsurukawa, 42 miles away.
I remember starring out the window during
that long bus ride from the airport to the closest train station we
could get to, and then spending 30 minutes at that station trying to
figure out how to get to Tsurukawa station, hauling luggage up and down
stairs we didn't need to go up and down, because we kept going to the wrong platform and couldn't find the elevator. I remember staring out the
window on that silent bus, not allowed to speak as that's a sign of
respect in Japan, just simply looking out the window with whirling thoughts.
Seeing the Sky Tree in
the distance was a shock, towering higher than imagined. And I
remember a Ferris wheel along the bay. Giant and bright with colors, a
light display dancing in the night. I watched as it passed, wondering what it was. Overwhelmed with emotions. It felt like that
Ferris wheel was welcoming me to Japan, and for some reason I felt ease
in watching its colors swirl.
During this last trip in April my Mom, brothers, and I went to Odaiba to visit the TeamLab Borderless museum and see the giant Gundam, but I didn't realize a giant Ferris wheel was there, the same one I saw all those years ago. After the museum Steven and Ty wanted to ride it, and they wanted to ride in one of the clear cages. Thinking of Earthquakes in Japan I was nervous, brain leaping from one scenario to another, but my Mom and I were game, riding the Ferris wheel that welcomed me to Japan all those years back, having brought me happy comfort in a worried stage.
Seeing the Ferris wheel was like seeing an old friend.
The Palette Town Ferris wheel was great fun, and despite my fear of heights I'm glad we rode in the clear cage. It's freaky looking down and seeing the ground, but it was cool at the same time. The sights up high are nice, seeing both the city and the bay.
Photos by Robin, Sarah, Steven, and Ty.
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