Me chillin' with my three suitcases and backpack while waiting for a bus near the Cancun airport
Yeah, my hair started to frizz out like crazy down here because of the humidity. It doesn't look bad in that particular picture, but it's poofing out more now. I'm figuring out ways to keep it under control.
I mentioned before that I hadn't flown a plane before this trip, right? Well, I'm going to explain a lot of my feelings about my first flight in-detail, but if you find that sort of thing boring you can just skip that part.
~*The Flight*~
I was flipping out like a row of pancakes once I got on the plane. Granted, I was in first class rather than third with the rest of my group, so being by myself didn't help my nerves. Here's part of what I wrote while on the plane just to give you an idea of what was going through my head:
"Oh. My. Gosh. I'm on a plane. I'm so freaking nervous... All of my nerves are on end right now. This is so cool and awe-inspiring, yet at the same time is terrifying. I think we're going to take off soon. OMZ I'm so freaking nervous... I have a window seat right now, and I am just wondering what the view is like. I bet it'll be an awesome view while in transit. Right now my heart is beating 100 mph, it feels like, and the door has closed already. Aaaah!"
"Well, the plane has taken off, and I am now thousands of feet in the air. THOUSANDS!!! I can't believe it! This is so cool! (even if it is still a bit nerve-wracking as it is). The beginning of the take off was anti-climatic, in my opinion. It was simply the plane driving around on the ground to get to the runway. I was starting to calm down during that part when the plane started to speed up. THEN it was no longer anti-climatic and I was clinging to my pillow and squealing in my head, "OMZ OMZ OMZ!!!" I mean, I could tell when the plane was turning and going upwards and such! That was freaky!"
"Despite that, though, the view outside was a-MAY-sing! It was simply breathtaking. Up until I started writing this I couldn't even take my eyes off that gorgeous scene outside my A1 first-class-seat window."
Yeah, I even took some pictures of the clouds from outside my window because I loved the view so much.
Until our layover in Phoenix I was in first class. I loved it - lots of elbow/leg room and a pillow provided for naps, among other perks. The leg room was the best part of it, I think. Once all of us boarded the plane in the Phoenix airport, though, I moved back to third class with them. I hated feeling so boxed in back there, but at least we got to Cancun. It didn't help that, while I was in the same row as some girls from my group, I was sitting next to two complete strangers. Nevertheless, despite how uncomfortable it was, the view was amazing, and it was kinda fun going through cloudy turbulence when we got closer to the Cancun airport.
End of the report on my first flight
~*Pictures at the Phoenix airport and en route to Cancun*~
(From right to left) Becca, Jackie, Brooke, and... a girl whose name I know but I can't remember right now.
Tom looking cool for the camera; the three girls sitting down are in our group as well
My window view before take-off
Me being bored... and squished in. I was feeling claustrophobic slightly.
More scenery from out the window! (cue Fluttershy 'yay')
And yet more scenery. Too bad I didn't get pictures of the totally awesome clouds I saw after this
Going through customs in Cancun
Gaylee on the right, and another group member on the left (forgive me, I'm still learning everyone's names)
Jackie and Becca chilling in the background, Natlie checking her paperwork, Brooke grinning for the camera
Waiting for the Cancun bus
A cute little yellow and black bird I spotted. If anyone can tell me what it's called let me know!
My roommate Natalie taking pictures
Audrey and the girl whose name I will totally remember later, I'm sure. Sorry!
Brooke, Jackie, and Becca posing for Natalie's camera
A snippet of the awesome trees in Cancun
The Bus Ride from Cancun to Merida
Actually taking the bus turned out to be interesting, partially because of how rainy it turned out to be and partially because of the bus mix-up. Apparently we used a route different from the one our program director told us to take... oops! We managed to get there, and holy cheese nips there was so much water on the roads!!! It's like the bus was driving through a river sometimes! (says the girl that lives in a desert state)
Me and my roommate Natalie; you can totally see how furious the rain was out the window
Us roomies chillin' on the bus... not much else to say here.
I didn't take pictures after this, although I kinda wished I had, especially at least one picture of my new acquaintance. When my group switched from one bus to another, I ended up sitting next to a woman named Danielle who was visiting friends in the area. She's from Colorado, and we got to talking for over half of the 4 hour bus ride. Additionally, one of the few guys in our group (I believe it was Tyler) was talking with a native Mexican guy behind us about his mission, and when Danielle overheard him talking about that she asked me if our group was Mormons. I said most of us were, and we got to talking about religious beliefs. She's a Jehovah's Witness, and I actually learned stuff from her that I never knew before, like how JWs go out and preach missionary-style door-to-door on at least a weekly basis. She herself says she devotes 70 hours a month minimum for her congregation. Her religion is apparently very mission-focused like that; we discussed Bible verses, similar and differing beliefs between the two churches, etc. It never was an argument, unlike a moment I had in high school with a non-Mormon, and I had never had a discussion like this before. I loved it! Although, I was amused when, after I said I'd never been to a Starbucks, she said she'd never thought she'd hear someone say that. Hopefully I'll run into her later.
I was exhausted by the time I was picked up by my host family along with my roommate Natalie. My host mom is nice, albeit a bit reserved compared to some of the other host moms, and she's very patient and speaks Spanish clearly. She also makes good food; right after unpacking she made me and Natalie some quesadillas (which I actually tried with salsa for once in my life! YAY ME! The salsa was tasty and not too spicy).
Today not a whole lot has happened, other than orientation at the university that we're going to take Spanish classes at and using the bus system to get there and back. Oh, and I tried papaya for breakfast! It's really sweet and kinda has a melt-in-your-mouth quality while still being rather firm. I really like it. I'll write more about Merida's curious bus system later, after I go with my group to explore el centro (the downtown area of Merida).
More pictures to come! Once I figure out why my SD card is wigging out on me...
Hasta la vista, ya'll!
No comments:
Post a Comment