What an exciting few weeks! Being present in four countries to witness the same challenge hit each in the space of two months.
Being unwell with the Corona Virus in a location with a dubious health care system was sufficient concern for the management to send us non-essential staff home. We were demobilized from Iraq in early March 2020.
Arriving in the UK, it was a good weekend spent with cousins David and Michael and their families. I enjoy these times in Milton Keynes, socializing with friends and family has always been important to me.
Catching up with old school friend Steve was also important. We always enjoy reminiscing on the good days of our upbringing in South Africa, and the people from Parktown Boy’s High School and the Rowing Club.
Believing Covid-19 could be contained, some would say irresponsibly, I continued with my original plans of travelling through Canada. Re-uniting with old friends, and with the snowboard, relaxing in the mountains was just what the doctor had ordered. The first two weeks progressed as close to plan as could be hoped for. Toronto was fun, Montreal was magnificent, Calgary was special, and Banff was beautiful.
Then on March 17th, things became very real. Alberta declared a State of Emergency, the ski-fields closed, towns shut up shop, and the number of flights home reduced daily. Where is home became my key question. My work base is the UK, but the people able to provide groceries to me in self-quarantine were in Australia.
Moral support and encouragement to handle the self-isolation in a Banff hotel came from various people through various forms. I chose to stay in Banff rather than be part of the first wave of people travelling home. I needed to take the edge off a sinusitis related cough, picked up in Malaysia in January, before returning to a bus and airplane.
Hunkering down in the hotel, with an excellent view of the mountain, was surprisingly restful. The morning and afternoon walks through the town were relaxing, however sad to see shops closing daily and the streets getting quieter.
Irwin’s Mountain Inn in Banff.
Holed up for three days following the
declaration of a State of Emergency,
trying to shake off a cough.
Special thanks to my colleague, now friend, Eric for saying yes when asked if I could crash on his Calgary floor, if I ended up stuck in Alberta. This was my initial mitigation for the worst-case ‘War of the Worlds’ scenario where the Red Weed had suffocated all movement. According to the news cycles, this would happen tomorrow.
Good chats with Sakhalin buddy Steve kept the motivation up whilst in self-isolation. I hadn’t seen him in five years, we were now in the same town, but unable to meet. Not wanting to compromise his young family with this annoying cough.
Scott, we’ll catch up in Calgary another time, what a time for you to have arrived! WhatsApp is a great tool and its amazing how I could speak to mum in Australia, and cousin Dave in the UK with such clarity of video. Also, swapping photographs with cousin’s Mike and Louise, and sister Cate maintained connection to the outside world. And sanity.
Banff had effectively closed by Thursday the 19th March, and needing face to face contact, moved my flight to Toronto forward a week. My good friend Jaco kindly let me stay at his place for as long as was needed. Proving friendships from schooldays remain strong decades later. We reflected on the good lessons that make a Parktown Boy a resilient chap, especially those that had given their all for the PBHS Rowing Club.
Decision time came quickly. During one of those WhatsApp calls with mum, it was clear that it was time to go home. The original plan of taking an Air B&B in London slowly gave way to getting back to Adelaide soon, and self-isolating there. Infections in the UK were increasing exponentially quicker than Australia. The Australian state borders were closing, and I looked for the cheapest flight back. Air New Zealand came up best, however via Los Angeles, which I made the school-boy error of purchasing.
With two days to go before flying home, Jaco and Mel bundled me together with their lovely family of four energetic kids into the SUV and we made our way to Niagara Falls. Full movement restrictions had not come in to force by that time and we could practice social distancing techniques. Driving through the streets of a deserted Niagara, Mel encouraged the kids to look out the window at the unprecedented quiet in the town, not seen in recent times
Niagara Falls are stunning, a horseshoe waterfall with spray. The spray freezing on the trees and barriers, wind-blown into contorted icicles.
Monday came around quickly and after a walk in the snow in the suburbs of Mississauga, it was time to swap fluffy snow for the smell of eucalyptus and make my way to Australia.
Dropping me off at the airport Jaco asked if I had applied for my ESTA, no said I. Alas I was not able to board the flight to LA without this and the online ESTA form said it would take 72 hours to process my application. Having worked in Iraq meant I could not get automatic entry. Bollocks.
Scrambling to find another flight, this time directly between Canada and Australia, not depending on 3rd country transit, took a few hours and a bit more cash. Once international banking concerns, mobile hot-spotting and citizenship checking was completed, I boarded the flight to Vancouver, having always wanted to go to this city. The flight was empty, and I had 5 hours of luxury in economy, almost like business class, spread across three seats.
With an Air New Zealand credit to my name, this country is now on the top of my travel list, when the new normal arrives. Assuming the travel bug is still in me before March 2021, when the credit expires. The love of aimlessly wandering was flowing away down the plughole with every hand wash.
We reunited in Vancouver with the Australian contingent down-manned from Banff and the ski-fields as a result of the State of Emergency. The flight to Brisbane was packed, but cheerful, but oh so very long. 15 hours with a bread and water service only! I did not even see the 24th March, my niece’s birthday, does that mean she always remains a year younger in my eyes?
It was a relief to see Brisbane appear over the horizon. After landing, I congregated in the corridors of arrivals with the Australian youth, filling in all kinds of forms and working our way through the paperwork together. I booked that Air B&B in Adelaide, happy to spend the money, now that I had made it to my destination country, and would most likely make it to my destination city.
By the 28th March the rule was to isolate in the city of arrival. Sneaking in just days before this ruling, allowed me to continue my journey to Adelaide. I provided my details to the immigration and health departments, thankful that they had made this stressful time somehow bearable. A calming voice is valuable in challenging times such as this. Hats off to those front-line staff across the world working on an implementing a solution.
Navigated my way through to Domestic departures, I dropped my bag off and made it surprisingly easily to the gate for the Adelaide flight. Thankfully a coffee shop was doing a roaring trade in the slowly closing food-court at the departure lounge. The feeling of relief at being home was strong. Taking my seat on the Qantas flight to Adelaide, joining the other 20 people coming to the end of a long journey was very special.
Hats off to all the Air Canada and Qantas staff who have worked to get people home these last few weeks, especially under the cloud of job losses and health risks.
Arrival in South Australia was another step forward. By this time the address of my Air B&B had arrived in my mobile phone, and I was able to give the South Australian Police all the information they needed. Waiting in the health check line before baggage collection I answered that dreaded question truthfully, yes, I had a cough. Thankfully I did not have a fever and my temperature was acceptable, so the young lady charged with front-line monitoring allowed me through, happy that I had made the right plans for self-quarantine.
For the first time ever, I caught a taxi from Adelaide airport. Normally dad or mum are there to pick me up. Thankfully not this time, although I felt Corona Virus free, I’d prefer to wait two weeks before being in their direct company. In a positive for Air B&B, and as a first-time user, the obtaining of entry codes and getting into the apartment went smoothly.
Settled into the apartment, mum and dad brought over enough groceries to see me through the first day. The second day I received enough groceries to make it through the first week. And with an internet connection, staying linked to family and friends is not a challenge. For the first time ever, I have two weeks where I cannot go anywhere. Slept for 12 hours the second night, I’m looking forward to the rest, and some down time.
Thankfully the last 3 years have been particularly busy for travel, exciting, but tiring. In a symbolic gesture, I hung up my travel boots on the cupboard handle. There are enough stories and memories in my head to appease my travel bug for a while, now the opportunity had been provided to get it all written down.
I’m looking forward to the new world that we will emerge in to once we have bought the health and economic challenges of 2020 under control. I just hope my friends and family stay healthy. Thanks to Canada, Australia, the UK, and Iraq for a unique experience.
Read on in the Montreal, Calgary, and Banff pages for further stories inspired by Canada.
Ecosystem Hotspots 