The travel plans had taken us years to put into place and at last this idea was going to materialize. This was going to be our first experience in an airplane and a cruise ship as well. The days preceding the much awaited day were characterized by anxiety, fatigue, sleepless nights and deep anticipation and all was bound to be quashed out on the day of travel; August 12, 2011.
After all, most if not all of my friends had at one time or even on numerous occasions (for the elite class) had a chance to travel by air. It was therefore my turn to place myself among these achievers (if air travel was anything to go by) and make myself their equals. With the destination of the trip well set at Cozumel, Mexico, I definitely knew that this trip was to live up to its billing as an encounter as well as an experience. As the prerogatives of air travelling command, my husband and I reported to the Toronto airport in time with all the requisite documents to experience this feeling. Our airline was Airfare.
Excitement and tinges of anxiety were some of the visualizations that characterized our facial expressions. Having made it a lifelong plan, we had enough cash to book ourselves into the first or rather business class of the airplane; talk about travelling in style. It was like living a dream. The mode in which our luggage were to be transported elicited a little discomfort in me, I must admit, and therefore it took the intervention of the air port officials, who explained the aspect of luggage carriers to me, to get convinced.
The sight of an airplane acted to confirm my doubts that we were finally going to travel on plane. With all the procedures done and completed, it was time to get aboard the plane; a true moment of reckoning. The sight of the interior part of the plane did not surprise me as such safe for the arrangement of the seats. This is considering I was much used to the format used in the vans and trains I had seen before. In a very short time, the process of travelling was going to start and true to my expectation I was caught unawares.
The sound of the engines purring away and the sight of the turbine engines were some of the moments I recall vividly. The next time I knew, the hostess was appealing in a clear fashion for us to tighten our seat belts as the plane was in the process of taking off; precisely ascending. The taking off was smooth and the next thing was that we were airborne. Never has such a great feeling of joy engulfed me like it was apparent on this day. The journey was very short lived yet it justified its meaning and purpose as a memorable experience.
The landing process had all and sundry praying and seeking God’s mercy. This is considering the process, especially at the touching down stage, was not very interesting, after which the plane wheeled itself to a halt. The doors sprung open and there we were in Cozumel; a popular tourist destination taking into consideration the carnival activities that lit up literally every part of the town. The feeling of being a tourist engulfed me at instant. There was however one problem that threatened to rob my trip of its flavor; jet lag. Having being the first time in a plane, I had to contend with the probability of nursing effects of jet lags.
This did not, however, dampen our spirit. We booked reservations into a very exclusive hotel from where we purposed to enjoy our hard earned vacation. The location of the hotel was strategic and its proximity to the sea shore just added to the beauty and serenity of the beach. This made it easier for us to explore yet another experience in as far as transport matters are concerned; cruising.
Cruise ships, to me, were very expensive ships that were preserved for a typical class of persons (the rich) and as such would not be available to us on our vacation. This turned to be a lie when we had our chance on this exotic means of transport. Naturally, I have had problems with travelling on water but the experience I had while cruising acted in a big way to alter my perception about water travelling. The trip to Cancun aboard a cruise ship, will definitely linger in my mind in the days to come considering the wonderful experience that clouded it. The cruise ship that we used was classy in every sense ranging from its color to the interior decor.
The services offered on it were also a reason worth of note. These services included massage, sea travelling lessons and even swimming classes as well as fishing sessions. The experience was breathtaking and worth every penny spent on the trip from the very first to the end. The fishing classes particularly acted to add flavor to the cruising experience. Having set aside four days for the trip, I must admit it was short-lived in every sense especially the fun bit but the experience etched itself in my memory. My first encounter with both the air plane and cruise ship were successful and I must admit, I would love to have another experience.
It is always said the first time for everything represents in a big way the eventualities that follow and sure enough I would love to have another experience with these modes of transport.
