The first thing I want to say is that my thoughts are most definitely with the people who have lost loved ones to the virus. Also to all the healthcare professions doing their best to get people well again, risking themselves in the process.
I also want to point out that the vast majority of people that get the virus will have very mild symptoms (if any) and recover fully. The most vulnerable people are the elderly or people with pre-existing health problems, who we must protect and take any necessary advice to keep them safe.
And so to me and my travels!!! Up until a couple of days ago, I was obviously very aware of the coronavirus, and the fall-out going on in China, especially once I arrived in Sri Lanka, back in January. That said, other than being made to wear a face mask in certain tourist attractions and taxis, having my temperature taken when entering some countries and extra medical forms at some borders, I have had no real problems.
Fast forward to this week…..I think I 1st became ‘concerned’ for the rest of my trip, when President Trump decided to close the USA to travellers from most of Europe. I tried to not let this bother me too much because realistically, I hadn’t planned on going to America/Canada until June time, so plenty of time for this to all blow over ?. But gradually day by day more countries were putting travel restrictions on people. Plus I started getting emails from airlines about possible disruption/cancellations to flights ☹️
This all started playing on my mind, about what I should do for the best. I became so overwhelmed with ‘information’ that I stopped thinking straight. I’m usually very calm about things and very much ‘what will be will be’. The final straw was when a friend in New Zealand, messaged me to say that, anyone arriving from abroad into NZ, had to self-isolate for 14 days. At this point I seriously considered returning home, what was the point in carrying on.
Fast forward a couple of hours and I reached out to a couple of people who I knew would give me the right advice, or calm my over active mind down. Then out of the blue, my big brother, messages me and says “Carry on, don’t come home, you will never get to NZ again if you come home. Get a nice airbnb and chill for 2 weeks, then hire your camper van. If you come home you will just end up back at work”. Not going to lie, this message got me a little emotional. My big brother still has my back, even if he did torture me when we were kids ??. It was the best bit of advice I could of had. I hadn’t even thought about getting an airbnb to isolate in. When speaking to Jake, later on, he said, make sure it’s on a beach somewhere quiet and beautiful!! My friend Emily also added “The good thing is that you’re not in a rush to come back for a specific purpose. And like you say, even if the tourist spots are closed, Australia and New Zealand were always about more than that. You can’t beat rugged New Zealand from a camper van!“.
So here I am, in beautiful Bali, not really enjoying it, because I’ve been stressing about my onward plans…what an idiot I am….who wouldn’t want to be stuck in Bali ??♀️. Decision made….what will be will be….I’m carrying on, as long as I can get a flight and the country will let me in ??. And I’ve seen some beautiful, cheap airbnbs on beaches near Christchurch.
I’d also like to mention how much the impact of the virus is having on the tourist industry. The countries in South East Asia, that I have visited, have all mentioned how quiet it is everywhere. In Bali 80% of the work force is connected to tourism. People are very concerned for their jobs and how they are going to support their families.
In the meantime, I will carry out isolation and take travel advice etc that will keep our most vulnerable safe. I also have hand sanitiser, I stole off a monkey, and plenty of toilet rolls. Please keep safe everyone, this won’t last forever ?????
