One afternoon as we traveled back to Bishkek we noticed that we were passing by one of the old “standard” amusement parks. These were built all over Eastern Europe in the mid 20th century. They all followed a basic blueprint and had similar rides and attractions. It seemed like a good idea to stop and ride the Ferris wheel.
We stopped the car and passed through the gate into the park. There was a woman in the ticket booth so we checked with her to make sure that the park was open and we could ride that day. School hadn’t gotten out for the day yet and the park was pretty empty. She nodded in the affirmative so we paid for the tickets and headed for the Ferris wheel. Nobody else was riding it but the operator got up from his stool and slowly walked over and greeted us with a slight nod of his head.
We loaded up and he turned his back and walked over to the control booth and started the ride. It was a great ride. No locks, or chains, or safety devices of any type. Just pure 1960s style acceptance of the risk and reliance on common sense. As adults we all knew that we should not stand up, or climb on the outside, or rock it. There were no warning signs but this type of knowledge is inherent in human nature. Don’t act crazy and everything will be fine.
We rode up and around. The view was great. We could see for miles and miles through the blue sky of Kyrgyzstan. These parks show their age but they are great fun. It’s a bit of nostalgia mixed with history. The statue of the loving mother with her child on her shoulder tells you everything you need to know about the park and those generations of kids who played there. She is strong and proud, capable of protecting her children. It says a lot about what people were thinking when the park was new.
