TRAVEL BLOG 2|| Port Harcourt to Lagos

Special greetings to you! I want to share my travel experience this holiday. I traveled from Port Harcourt to Lagos. Although I have gone there before, this time was different.

I traveled by air. This was my first experience with air transportation. It was also my first time in an airport. I was very excited because as a child, I would look up when planes fly and wish to fly too. This was an opportunity to make my wish come through.

On getting to the airport, I was so surprised by how large it was. There are different airlines and different terminals. We got to the counter where we checked in, got our boarding pass, weighed and tagged our luggage. All passengers have a certain weight allowance. Once your luggage exceeds that amount, you are made to pay for the extra luggage. This is quite different from the road transportation which has no weight limit. In some cases ( in Nigeria), if there is no available space in the vehicle, the luggage can even be tied on the roof 😅.

Our hand luggage was scanned and we were also scanned. I was so surprised that we were asked to take off our shoes before being scanned.

We went to our boarding gate as indicated on the boarding pass. We sat until it was time to board the plane. While sitting, I watched the up and down movement of both staff and passengers. The announcer made it known that our plane was ready to board. Some staff checked our Identity to ensure it matched with the one on the boarding pass. We then walked to the plane.

I was so surprised that our boarding pass was checked again despite being checked before. I came to realize that airports make security their priority. You can not fake your identity or smuggle easily. Again, this is very different from road transportation which you can carry anything you wish without being scrutinized.

Then came the moment that made my wish come true. We got into the plane. I climbed the steps with confidence like I knew what I was doing 😅. I had maximum composure with my steeze at a 100%. A man checked my pass and directed me to my seat. I was so thrilled when I saw my seat was by the window, that was the best treat ever. Then I sat down with my mother sitting by me.

Selfie 🤳 😍

The flight attendant assisted in putting our hand luggage in the overhead locker. The captain spoke and some safety procedures like wearing seatbelts, how to use life jacket in case of emergency, exit doors and others were demonstrated by a cabin crew. We were asked to switch off all electronics for takeoff.

By this time, I was nervous. The engine started. The plane began to move slowly on the runway. I sat close to the wings and I was able to see the tyres of the plane. The plane moved faster, its tyres went in and took off. At this point, we were slowly leaving the ground. I felt dizzy to be honest. It felt so strange. We moved higher and buildings became smaller until it was out of sight. I closed my eyes because I had troubles with my breathing. Instantly, I began to breathe normally. The air pressure made it feel like the plane was coming down, I started praying fervently.

The plane got balanced and I felt normal. One fascinating thing was that it didn't seem like we were moving fast up there. It felt like we were crawling but, when I am down the airplane moves very fast. That part still keeps me wondering. The seat belt sign went off but we were advised to still use it. We could use the lavoratory and the use of mobile electronic devices was permitted provided it was put on flight mode. I used the opportunity to take pictures.

The view of the clouds was a beautiful sight to behold. I really enjoyed every bit of it. After about an hour, our captain announced that in preparation for landing, seatbelts should be put on (and the seat belt sign came on), we should be sitted and of course, mobile electronic devices should be put off.

The plane came down gradually, I started seeing buildings faintly. As we got closer, I had a beautiful view of Lagos. It was so jam-packed. Literally no vegetation. I was not really surprised because I knew Lagos is overpopulated. I heard the tyres come out .

We started seeing the runway. Then I knew it was almost time to land. We landed smoothly on the runway. Everybody was happy. The plane ran on a very high speed until it gradually reduced its speed. It then towed slowly to where it packed. The flight attendant opened the overhead lockers and we picked our hand luggage. We came out orderly as directed by the cabin crew.

I felt so happy for two reasons, flying and being in Lagos. We got to the arrivals and claimed our luggage.

I had a very nice time in the air. I was tired and happy at the same time. I had headache since I sat close to the engine which generated noise.

I had a tour of Lagos which I would be sharing in my next blog. Watch out for it.

Thank you for reading through 😊