Day in San Diego

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Morning: San Diego Zoo.

Lots of rare animals that you can't see in your local zoos. It feels more organized and less crowded than the Bronx Zoo. We took a double-decker bus for an introductory tour and overview. Not a must, but definitely worth the 20 minutes. The price was included in the admissions ticket The main attraction at the zoo is the giant panda exhibit, which draws lines of about 10 minutes. However, there are other animals located all around the zoo like polar bears and elephants that are just as interesting.. It is reasonable to spend 3-4 hours, not accounting for gift shops and food. The food is decent for its price, but nothing too fancy. Overall, this is the main attraction in San Diego and should not be missed.

Afternoon:

After the Zoo, we went to k1 Speed indoor karting center, where we raced electric go-karts. The place was practically empty upon arrival, but a few people trickled in while we were there. After we registered and put on safety equipment, the staff explained to us the basic rules of racing and certain strategies. This is because of the high speeds of the cars, and due to the slight risked involved with racing other drivers. When we raced, it was just the two of us on the track. The cars reached top speeds of 35 mph (believe me, it seems faster when you're actually racing), and required just the right speed to be able to make a successful turn around the track. This kind of racing really got our adrenaline pumping . After about a dozen laps, the race was over. We received papers with our race summary, including our fastest lap, overall, time, and and other info. Similar experiences can be found on the east coast as well. K1 is much better than places like the Funplex or similar facilities that aren't geared towards racing, as they have much lower speeds.

After karting, we went to iFly, an indoor flying facility. Basically, you “fly” up in the air inside a vertical tunnel. You are propelled up by air blowing from the ground at high pressure. To ensure a proper flight, the flyer must execute proper body position (knee bend, head held high, etc.) in order to stay in the air. It is better to call in advance, as we had to wait 2 hours before our flight. We first went to a training session where the instructor explained the basics of flying inside the tunnel. All of us took turns going into the tunnel alongside the instructor, and we struggled to stay afloat and control our movements. We had to make sure that our knees were slightly bent, but not too much. We also had to make sure that our chin was pointing up. The instructor gave us commands using hand signals (it was virtually impossible to hear anything inside the tunnel). For the first time flying, it is very difficult to control your movements and stay afloat. You constantly feel like you are about to fly off into space, crash down on the ground, or face-plant into the glass walls. I struggled to maintain constant knee bend, as the air was always pushing against my legs. However, once you are able to maintain your flight and somewhat control your movements, you feel as though you have achieved a great success, and are left eager to get back in the tunnel and try again. At the end, we all watched as the instructor showed off his skills at a very high air pressure. He effortlessly flew around the tube, bouncing off walls like Spiderman, always in control of his movements. He capped it all off by doing a backflip in the air and flying backwards through the entrance of the tunnel. The more time someone spends doing indoor flying, the easier it is for them to manipulate their movements to where they want to go.

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