Skimming Stones | Sula's Blog | Sula1968 A South African poet, potter and mother
This morning we set off for a day of fun at Lusito Land. This annual Portuguese festival was a hit with Fjord last year (and the grown ups had a good time too).
The queuing system is rather like a New Years resolution it starts out looking like it has good intentions to be orderly and efficient but when you reach the ticket booths good intent is cast to the wind and it’s a free for all. It wouldn’t hurt the organisers to look at a how a bank queue works and try to follow the concept through.
When you’re day starts with candy floss you’re off to a good start. We toured the various stalls popping clouds of sugar into our mouths. Stalls selling olive products (yum yum) stand shoulder to shoulder with ones displaying plastic junk which you find at every blasted flea market but I guess there’s an appeal to the masses.
The highlight for Fjord is the amusement park rides. Cliff took him on the ferris wheel, he played driver with me on the dodgem cars and in between he and Acacia delighted in the many rides for small kids. However 2 ninny parents seem to have bred a daredevil 5 year old. When we refused to take him on the wilder rides he wept with disappointment. Thankfully I was able to point out minimum height charts and explained that he’s just not quite big enough yet for the big thrills. Next year sister Domi who is 24 will have to come along and escort him on the wild rides.
Lusito Land is a cacophony of sound and festival colour. Each ride and stall seems to have different very loud music trying to drown out it’s neighbour. At first my geriatric mind was somewhat stressed out by the noise but I gave myself a mental talking too and told zimmer frame Sula not to be such an old fart. The resulting mind shift made me smile more and relax into the vibe.
It’s hard to choose which stand to choose for lunch, they look much of a muchness and the foodie smells are all enticing. I can’t remember the name of the one which we chose but we enjoyed our Prego Rolls. I really must look up the recipe for the Brazilian drink Caipirinha it’s wonderful!
If you’re taking children for a weekend day visit as we did I really recommend arriving around 10am when the gates open. By the time we left at 14h30 the long queue of people lined the road and I think it gets even busier later. Of course the festivities go on well into the night but that’s for the young folk who don’t have little ones in tow.
* Note the ticket office and most stalls do not have card facilities so take cash with you.