Let's Roll!

Spin in Xorb Ball.

As a diehard fan of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, I still remember the scene in "Dead Man's Chest" where Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Commodore James Norrington got all scuffed up in a threeway duel over the key to the chest containing Davy Jones' heart.

"Hey, I'd like to give that a shot ," I said to myself after multiple viewings of the film. But the makebelieve island of Pelegosto seemed too much of a stretch for my imagination.

Enter the Zorb Ball at the Greenery Resort, Khao Yai, my passport to the kind of explosive experience you normally only get from an action film.

Invented in New Zealand, the Zorb Ball is a huge inflatable transparent rubber sphere that swallows willing victims one at a time. It's then dropped onto a platform a lofty 12 metres up, from where it begins to gather speed down a long and steep ramp.

The first thing I noticed as I looked down from the platform was that it seemed much higher than it had from the ground. The second was that my legs were shaking. But there was no going back for me.

"I'm not a coward," I told myself, as I tried to get psyched up for my jump.

A couple minutes later, I found myself tied up with safety belts inside the 3.3metrehigh Zorb Ball. I felt a little hot and cramped, but there wasn't much time to linger on such details. The ball suddenly dropped, hit the ramp and then started to roll ... and roll and roll.

I yelled, yelled again, then closed my eyes, praying as it seemed my soul was about to be torn from my mouth. If I'd been brave enough to open my eyes, I would have seen the ground and sky melting together.

The ball shot down the 50metre ramp in less than 30 seconds. But it felt like forever. After crawling out of the sphere I sat down, waited for the world to stop revolving, took a deep

breath and then climbed back up to the platform for a second ride. This time, water was poured inside the ball.

The feeling on the second ride was similar to taking a water slide in an amusement park. There was no spinning or rolling, just a big whoosh. For more delicate souls, the water ride is definitely a better option than the stomach and headchurning dry run. But the cool water also helped wash away some of the stress of my first ride.

From my experience with the Zorb Ball, I have two tips to share. First, bring a change of Tshirt and shorts if you want to try the wet Zorb, because you will feel like you've been spat out of a washing machine.

Second, don't have a big meal just prior to trying the dry Zorb. If you do, the contents of your stomach might decide they want out after the ball stops rolling - as mine almost did.

XTRA

TAKE A TUMBLE

>>The Greenery Resort Khao Yai is two and a half hours from Bangkok and 2.5 kilometres from the entrance of Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Ratchasima.

>>A ride on the dry Zorb Ball (Harnessed Zorb) plus a ride on the wet Zorb Ball (Hydro Zorb) costs Bt450.

>>There are also more outdoor activities to enjoy at Greenery Resort.

Watchara Saengsrisin

DAILY XPRESS