Taman Ria park gets first visitors

Taman Ria park gets first visitors

JAKARTA (JP): Children from the Assyafi'iah orphanage in East
Jakarta swarmed through the nearly completed Taman Ria Senayan
amusement park on Saturday.

Screams and laughter rang out as older junior high students
whirled through the loops of the roller coaster. The youngsters
also slammed into each other in electronic bumper cars.

Some looked eagerly at the ferris wheel but it was not
operational.

The 150 elementary and junior high school students were among
the first guests to the park, which officially opens in
September.

The park management is using weekends "to practice serving
special guests", said public relations staff Monika Irayati of PT
Armo Cipta Intersarana, the company which manages the park.

The children were escorted by the winners of the 1996 Abang
dan None Jakarta (Mr. and Miss Jakarta) contest, and did their
own share of entertaining by reading poetry.

Titi, 14, a second year student in junior high school, said
the visit was nothing new. She and her friends at the orphanage
are lucky to receive many invitations to amusement parks.
Sponsors have also arranged for trips outside the city, she
added.

"I love holidays because we always get invitations to parks,
or go to Bandung," she said.

Apart from being part of the park's trial operation service
which runs to July 13, the event was also held in conjunction
with the city's anniversary on June 22, Monika said.

Fauzi Bowo, head of the Jakarta Tourism Board, hoped the Taman
Ria Senayan, would offer a new family recreational site for
Jakartans. The park will charge Rp 3,000 for entrance fees.

"This park is in a good location so I hope it gives people
another choice," he added. The capital's other amusement park,
Dunia Fantasi recreation park, is in North Jakarta. (12)