Daring Dapitan

CEBU, Philippines – Heights are scary. While there are daredevils, being brave and courageous doesn’t necessarily eliminate the danger lurking around on any high structure. So when I first met face to face with this rollercoaster they call Zimmerman, I could not help but ask why some considered such an experience “fun.”The coaster’s maze rested on a platform, the height of perhaps a four-story building. This only made things worse. I dilly-dallied. My palms were sweaty, throat dry, heart exploding. If not for those younger chaps around eagerly wanting to try the thing, I would have already collapsed minutes ago.

Luckily for me, I had Kristine. In moments when I overthink, she’s ever always there — first to give me a tiger look, then drag me back to reality. “Gunit lang gud nako or piyong lang,” she told me. Then I got a hug.

Throughout the five-minute ride, I just nailed my vision on the stars, screamed, and recited the Lord’s Prayer in between. And for some reason, it worked. Soon the nervousness became pleasurable thrill, and when we finally entered the ride’s last stretch, something in me seemed to want more.

For a while, it was actually hard to believe we were in Dapitan, a city that rose to prominence primarily because it was the place of exile of Dr. Jose Rizal. For years, tourists visited this place to relive the memories left by the national hero. History students have always pictured it as a secluded city of rolling hills trapped at the mouth of the sea.

Now, Dapitan has Zimmerman, Asia’s “best” horror house, a 5D theater and more than 40 other rides to offer to visitors in what it calls Fantasyland, the only existing theme park so far in the Visayas and Mindanao. Every night, except Mondays, visitors here are treated to spectacular dance performances that range from literally fiery numbers to acrobatics. There is also a Festival of Lights, a parade of fictional Fantasyland characters in their colorful costumes more emphasized by glittering neon LEDs, which is capped by a fireworks display.

Fantasyland forms part of a prime commercial complex called Gloria de Dapitan. As the center of business and entertainment, Gloria de Dapitan features an eight-lane bowling center, a gym, computer arcade, billiards and darts hall, disco pub, coffee shop, and souvenir stores, among others. It is conveniently located on Sunset Boulevard, allowing easy access to the nearby cluster of historical landmarks and tourist spots.

My fear of heights was again tested during the second day of our stay in Dapitan. Kristine and I switched our adrenaline tank back on to try to conquer what is considered as Asia’s longest and fastest dual zipline. From our room, we scaled up to Dakak Adventure Zone to reach the starting point of our zip. A breathtaking view of the 200-hectare Dakak property meets the eye from this vantage point. We could see the waves gently kissing the beach to our right, while verdant hills lie as the backdrop at the other side.

Despite the soothing scenery, my palms once again started to sweat, but, after the Zimmerman experience, I kind of wanted to take it all the way without bitching this time. So after signing the waiver, we put on the necessary harness, took mandatory photos and were ushered to the top deck. We could zip either sitting up or in a Superman-style.

Moments later, we found ourselves zipping through a 1,364-meter cable that was about 300 meters above sea level. Early into the zip, all we did was scream at the top of our lungs, until we eventually lost our voices at the middle part of the ride. Towards the end, we all had the chance of viewing the entire landscape from the perspective of Superman. To be honest, to be up there with the woman I hold dear in my heart was such a euphoric moment in my life.

In the end, my two Z adventures in Dapitan somehow proved that majority of the fears we have in life are unfounded. Perhaps illogical. Like real-life trials, the fear of heights need to be conquered, and from my Dapitan experience, it seems that the first way to conquer it is to simply face it.