Boomland is located along Roxas Boulevard, beside Star City. Boomland used to be called “Boom na Boom” so for those who are confused whether it’s a new theme park or not. It’s not. It still has those rides that our parents used to ride. This theme park still has its roller coaster, the Wild River ride, the horror train, the haunted house, and all the “feria” games (the coin toss, the hoop-throwing contests, the betting games and others).The newest attraction though in Boomland are the go-karts.

The go-kart attraction used to be only present only in the Subic scene. So if one wanted to try go-karts you would have to go all the way to Subic. It's a nice place and all, and one would love to spend free time there, but you would have to make arrangements for a family reunion or a family getaway before you could enjoy. Once you get there, you and everyone in your family would not have the time to check everything out and it is likely that you will forget about trying to see the go-kart course.

What I am trying to say is that don’t you wish there's at least one track here in Manila to satisfy one’s need for the adrenalin rush? For adrenalin junkies out there, there are a lot of speed trips to see around the city, but you can’t be sure if they are safe. Drag racing is one way to suffice one's inner speed demon, but it's mostly illegal. Besides you would have to have a car for you to join in one, plus the cost alone will make your head spin. No one will let you borrow theirs for that purpose. So go-karts are still the best way to go around your urge to step on the gas like in the video game “Gran Turismo 3” on your Playstation 2 console.

Sure, there were go-karts in Alabang Town Center around last year, but it was just a temporary thing. It was a short-lived event, so after it closed down people here in Manila has been raring for it to come back. So when Boomland started to present its karting track as its newest attraction, flocks of people of all ages wanted to try it. They wanted to try the sensation of driving fast without the risk of toppling over or destroying other cars. Thinking of safety first is always good.

Speaking of safety, the go-kart of made of a sturdy thick metal frame that will protect you incase you accidentally bump the karts in front, behind and beside you. The kart also has a low center of gravity and small wheels, so the dangers of toppling over would not be of any problem even for big heavy people such as myself. The contraption then has bucket seats that prevent you from swaying to the side of the kart, and that might put your arms in danger. These bucket seats have side guards for this purpose. Then the seatbelts obviously act to keep you in your seat. The helmets are rented so as to protect your head just in case anything still goes wrong. Lastly the course has rubber tires near the curves, so in case you suddenly lose control, a wall of tires will help stop you to go any further. It doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, though. The shock from the bump will bring shivers from your head to your toes so being a bit careful would not hurt. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

The go-kart, all in all, consists of the frame, gasoline-powered motor, bucket seats, leather belts, and wheels. Sounds easy to drive don’t it? Wait till you get on one and start hitting those curves. The trick is if one a good turn and be able to maintain a fast pace you should shift your body weight towards the curve you trying for. So for a left turn you should lean to your left, and for a right turn you should lean towards the right.

Karting, as most young people call it, can be addictive,0 so I suggest that you bring a friend along to tell you that you have had enough. Just kidding! You’ll have to bring friends along to maximize your fun as I found out when I first tried karting. I brought my friends along though they insisted at first that it was a bit on the expensive side I still managed to drag them out. Once we got there, it was like letting the dogs out from their cages for the very first time. Everybody was on the edge waiting for their turn to get a try on the go-karts. Miguel (not his real name) wanted to go on one so bad he almost wet his pants from the anticipation.

The rate of the ride is PhP150 for five minutes plus the helmet fee, which will cost you PhP10 pesos. So if you are determined to ride go-karts and impress your peers, it will cost you around 160 pesos for five minutes of fun and excitement. Not bad for the first five minutes, but as your track time goes up, so does your expenses. I suggest that you do not offer to go here on your birthday or else all of your savings will come to nothing. With pockets dry who do you think will have more fun you or your friends? The best things in life are free! I think you catch my drift.

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