When I went to Coney Island before, I missed out on quite a few treats. Today Ryan, Rory, Jane and I went back for some more of the old-fashioned rides and suntanning with frozen margaritas on the boardwalk. But most exciting of all – we watched the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.

This show, which costs $5 and lasts for around half an hour, is performed all day and you can pop in whenever you fancy. But they stick to the same stomach-churning talents: Sword swallowing, fire breathing, blade juggling, snake charming and contorting.

What they seemed to lack in budget, they made up for in enthusiasm… I think. I could barely watch any of it because I had my eyes covered most of the time. I couldn’t get my head around it – how a whole body can fit through a tennis racquet frame, how a human can swallow two long, wide blades and survive. It was an experience that fitted right in with the retro feel of the rest of the park.

I felt pretty nauseous when we left though. But that also could have been the rides mixed with those margaritas.