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Hi,
You know parasailing? Yes, that one. The one you float in the air in a parachute while being towed by a speedboat. Not scary at all. Take it from me, it is so much fun. I went on it, and I am alive to tell you all about it.
On this faithful day, I was seated in the shade, as usual, reading my book while the gentle sounds from the sea relaxed me. I happened to look up and saw the giant balloon in the air, It crossed my mind then that it was fascinating and would be a daring thing to do.
The next time I was strolling on the beach I went to one of the parasailing operator’s kiosk to enquire. I made my mind up then to do it. My family was surprised when I told them my decision. After much deliberation, my daughter and last son decided to come along for the ride. This really helped solidify my plan, as I can’t back out without a reasonable explanation.
Was I scared? You bet!
I am not afraid of heights but not a fan of twists and turns or the kind of fierce rocking you experience on rollercoasters. These make me sick. I was afraid this might be the case with Parasailing and was worried about ruining the rest of my holiday by going parasailing.
I was given a lot of assurances by the operator that there are no twists or turns but I have trust issues so I wasn’t assured and almost changed my mind until I paid. We talked about nothing else until the appointed time.
To make matters worse I fell heavily just before we got on the boat. I must have missed a step. I grazed my knee and hand. I felt this was a bad omen. But went ahead anyway.
We were transported from shore in a speedboat to the parasailing boat. We were given life jackets before leaving the shore. I love speedboats and find it relaxing, slow boats make me feel queasy.
I was assured by the operator that if at any point any of us wanted to stop we should just make a sign and in less than 2 minutes we would be brought back into the boat.
As the captain slowly released the tow line my heart skipped, myself and 2 of my children were slowly launched 80 feet into the sky. Our legs dangling in the air, while our arms held tightly to the harness.
It ascended gently and glided in the air which is really cool. It was stable, gentle winds sometimes rock the parachute which can be a bit scary.
Once I settled down and relaxed I started enjoying the scenery. I could see far into Albufeira city, which was fantastic as we were very far from shore. I kept looking into the sea to see if I could spot a shark or a whale but sadly no.
The most enjoyable part of this experience is that I got to share it with my daughter and my son. We were having conversations up there, laughing and joking. If I lived a hundred years I will never forget that.
I did not feel the boat moving at all. It was just as if we were just gliding smoothly around.
I have always had a thing for water, seas, rivers, streams, and even lakes. A body of water, moving or still fascinates me. The sea in Albufeira is so blue and clean. Flying high above the sea gave me another opportunity to see the sea from another angle.
The cheeky boat captain even lowered us and got our feet into the sea before taking us back up. It was just so much fun, to be honest.
I have to say the captain gave us clear instructions on safety protocols. We were already given and wearing life jackets before we left the harbour. On the parasailing boat, we were helped into safety harnesses. We were told to sit on a floorboard and then we were attached to the ropes of the parachute.
At the end of the experience we were gently brought back into the boat and landed back on the floorboard we started from. They unclipped us, took off the harness, and went back to our comfortable seats on the boat.
My greatest regret is not taking my phone with me onto the boat and taking some really great pictures. We were advised against taking our phones and I complied. Some people did take theirs. The tour company took pictures and videos but not enough in my opinion. I want more.
The parasailing boat brought us back to the speedboat which brought us back to shore. Easy!
Parasailing is so fun and I am convinced it can be enjoyed by anyone. Maybe not for people who are seriously scared of heights. But if the only problem is nerves or shaky confidence like me, then it is definitely worth a try.
I definitely will do it again.
Another thing is if I am ever in doubt about how courageous I can be, I have a good reference now that I am more than capable of taking on challenges. I just need to remember this powersailing experience, or simply pull out the pictures and videos to remind myself that I can do it.
Thanks a lot for listening and reading. Please, your contributions to this post will be appreciated in the comment section below. Help by clicking like and sharing with your friends. Also, don’t forget to join other subscribers to receive notifications of new posts by email. I appreciate it.
Stay with me,
Ruka
