What more can one ask for than a week far away from reality?

A cruise leaving from Los Angeles on Sunday, February 7th carried thousands of people for a week to Mexico, stopping in three different ports. I joined these thousands with my host-family. Embarkation began at 12am and the ship was scheduled to depart at 5pm.We were on the ship for the “Super bowl” that we watched on a big screen while moored at Long Beach.

A cruise is a nice way to travel, because it is very easy and relaxing. Actually, you don't have to worry about flying, luggage, places to sleep, or food. You have “all in one;” once aboard, you have your own room for the week, and the only thing you have to be worried about is to keep the “key-card” when you leave the ship during the day. By definition, the cruise means varieties of food 24 hours, activities for everybody and rest. We definitely took every advantage of the various commodities, enjoying ourselves and appreciating every activity. Every night, we had dinner at 8pm; the food was different and delicious each time.

The two first days were at sea; we took the time to explore the different levels of the ship. We also took advantage of the wonderful blue sky and the shining sun. The first stop was on Wednesday in Puerto Vallarta. We went in a Jungle Tour where we found lots of different interesting and intriguing things, such as vanilla, sweet lemon, coffee...The weather was also great; around 80degrees.The ship was at the port from 9am to 10pm, so we had time to go shopping and to play in the ocean. The next day, we were in Puerto Vallarta from 9am to 5pm; we stayed on the beach the whole day since the weather was wonderful, as was the temperature of the ocean. On Friday we went to Pablo-San Lucas; my favorite port. Once there, we went on a catamaran which brought us to different neat places, similar to a paradise where the water and the beach were clear. We even saw whales. This last stop was the short one; we could only be outside from 9am to 3pm.Upon returning, we had one whole day on the ship and were back in Los Angeles on Sunday morning. We enjoyed our last day at sea, far away from reality, while indulging in relaxation.

My experience on the cruise was more than just enjoyable. By taking me to Mexico my vacation became enlightening, and exposed me to a new manner of existence.Mexico is widely different compared to United States. It's a third world country where the economy is mixed-up, the way of life is completely unordered and where people in general live in poverty. On every beach, there are lots of people, including children, who try to sell gadgets, dresses, hats, blankets…We also saw Mexican women washing clothes in the river, houses which were not always finished or built in the proper way. In brief, Mexico is a country which made me realize that life is not easy for everybody and that I am very lucky (and more than that) to live in the way I live.