A little wetter, but none the worse for wear, I head on down the wide expanse before me. In the Land of Oz, it was lions and tiger and bears, here it’s snakes and crocs. Sitting before me is the great croc Gando. This baby is considerably longer than the 4 to 5 meter ones the people of Iran are used to. Measuring in at a whopping 2600+ ft., this has to be the granddaddy of them all. After a short pit stop, I work my way toward the mighty jaws to do a little croc wrestling. I climb on the back and we’re off. Up the lift hill and then into dive mode for the first of two loops, this rascal is trying to shake me, but I’ve got a good grip. He slides down the track, twisting, turning and rolling to shake me, but I’m on for the full 77 seconds. At the end we part company, knowing who enjoyed it the most.

A quick ride around picking up some local trinkets for the Staff brings me to India. There has been a large Bengal tiger spotted in the area and I might get a chance to bag it. As Elmer Fudd would say, “Be vewy, vewy quiet”. There through the bushes I spot a flash of orange, could it be my elusive quarry.

Sure enough, there’s the parks newest and most exciting addition, the Bombay Bengal. I’ve never ridden a multi-dimensional coaster before, so it takes few minutes to work up the courage. Parking the scooter, I approach this massive feline with caution, saying to myself, “Nice kitty”. This time I opt for the center row and prepare for the worst. We slowly purr up the lift hill and head for the first drop. Oh Jeez, pure vertical and the seat is pivoting, what have I gotten into. 147 feet later and back into space we go. This cat is toying with me like a catnip mouse, please make it painless I’m thinking. The rest of the ride is a blur as I have lost all sense of direction. We coast into the station, where I am pried from my seat. Mike, if there was ever a ride that got the best of the old Scoopster, this is it. This cat’s got game. I pick up a few on-ride photos for the gang to laugh over and rest for awhile. Riding around gives me a chance to check-out the architecture and theming, nice, very nice. I’ve also found the perfect gift for Sambo. It’s kind of big so I have it sent to the hotel. What would a trip to India be without seeing a snake charmer, there he is, Schwarzkopf and his King Cobra. I’m still too shaken to try this one but you can if you want to. With a launch speed of 56 MPH and over 6 positive G’s, this snake could kill me easily. Sam would have fun trying to explain this to Workmen’s Comp.