A plane ticket, itinerary downloaded to my cell and off we go. On the site with my tongue on my chin, I used to run around castles, museums, churches, and other attractions. This is how my vacation looked like a few years ago. I don’t know if it’s because of age or a desire for more comfort, or experiences made me plan my trips in a unique way, I’m in less rush, I want to experience more than watch.
Some time ago I decided to do during each trip something that I have not done yet. To experience something that will bring new sensations and emotions – more than visiting places. This time I went to the Canary Islands for a week – for the first and last time in my life. Aside from relaxing on the beach, I took a jet ski ride and parasailing.
For me, it’s still quite a dose of adrenaline. I was a bit afraid of it, but since I decided to experience more – word is done. In the Canary Islands, you can find stands or people encouraging you to try various water sports at almost every step. At first, I thought of learning windsurfing, but then I said: it will be fun for a while, but it’s not a sport that I would like to do, so why not try something else?
The prices were not very encouraging, but also not horrendously high. By purchasing a few attractions in a package, you save a little on each of them. My choice fell on the package: jet ski + parasailing + banana ride. I wanted to skip the latter, but the price would be the same, so I decided on a bit of laughter in the end.
A ride in an inflated boat behind a water scooter, which takes sharp turns, triggers a childish joy that we lose somewhere as we get older. For a few moments, I regained this childhood joy!
We changed from a banana to a jet ski. Without much introduction, the instructor explained that on the left side there was an on / off switch, and on the right side – adding gas. And that’s it. Go! What?! I have never even sat on a normal scooter, and now I’m supposed to glide on the water on something like this. I hope that my surprise was not visible for a few kilometers, but only a meter that separated me and Daniel, my companion of misery, from the instructor. Let’s go! Into the water, that is!
Kawasaki has reserved the name jet ski, so I will use the name of the jet ski. It’s a motorboat. The only difference is that here the passenger or passengers (up to four depending on the model) do not sit inside, but on top of the hull, as on a motorcycle. The scooter is powered by an engine, usually a combustion engine, with a capacity of several dozen horsepower, which works with a water-jet propeller. The fastest models can reach speeds of up to 60 knots, or 115 km per hour.
Scooters available to tourists have speed limits and blocked some maneuvering possibilities. We still can feel the speed anyway. Besides, as a freshman on a scooter, I don’t know how the vehicle will behave when accelerating, decelerating, or taking curves. I don’t know how much I can tilt to avoid falling into the water. I don’t know whether to speed up or slow down with the wave. I don’t not know the answers to a hundred other questions that are bothering me. And I don’t have much time to think because the scooter is going on. And yet, I hear my fellow passenger shouting: “Hurry up! Go, go! What a fun!”.
I hesitate between speeding up and waiting for another adrenaline rush or turning abruptly to throw the screamer into the water. Believe me, the choice is not easy …
After 20 minutes of the ride, close to the shore, but still on the high seas, you finally think that you have mastered the maneuvering of the scooter, and look! the time finished…
But these 20 minutes are enough to enjoy the ride, despite the initial fear and anxiety, and experience something you will be remember for a lifetime. I know, I know, there are sports and activities that trigger more adrenaline, such as bungee jumping or parachuting. But for me, driving a jet ski on the high seas, seeing the shore recede quite quickly, is already enough.
Compared to this experience, parasailing felt like a piece of cake. What is parasailing? It is not a real parachute, but rather a kind of big kite. “Passengers” put on a special harness that is attached to the parasail. The towing vehicle, usually a motorboat, then pulls it behind it, causing the passengers to rise into the air. How high they will fly depends on the length of the tow rope and weather conditions.
Once up, I was surprised how peaceful it was there. I expected wind blows, strong swaying, but I didn’t experience any of these things. Of course, you must hold tight, but not too tight. Sitting in a harness-saddle, you can admire the beautiful views from above and feel true freedom.
Yes, even though you know you are well pinned, that you are not really flying, that there is a huge sheet of cloth spreading over you, you feel free. For those few moments, nothing else matters. You and the sky. The water below you, the receding land becomes small, they don’t matter, they’re out there somewhere. There is you and that overwhelming sense of peace and freedom.
This feeling cannot be compared to anything I have experienced so far. It was worth the money. Worth much more than visiting the next few museums, castles, temples, and gardens. Especially that I have already seen a lot of them and with each visit they have become less enjoyable.
I hope it was not the last time I said: “I’ve never experienced anything like this before!” It is only up to me to make it happen…