We Are Home and My Thoughts . . .

Joe was prepared with a mask

Well, 
Joe and I are feeling lucky
to be home from Spain,
and safe, after our very short Camino!

In late February, we thought, like many, 

that this Coronavirus news 

was being blown way out of proportion

 and would soon blow over. 

So we chose to leave on March 4, 

expecting to walk in Spain for 6 weeks.

The first 7 days were awesome.

Normal.

People in Spain didn't seem to be concerned at all about the virus.

By March 8 we had made it to Merida 

and spent 3 wonderful days there.

We saw no concern.

No masks.

No panic.

On March 11 we walked to Aljucin.

We checked into the albergue there and rested.

Still no concern.

UNTIL we found out that the albergue
in the next village, Alcuescar, was closed.
Not because they had cases of the virus,
but because they cared for 
people with compromised immune systems
there, and didn't want other people
bringing in the virus.

Because of this, 
we took a taxi to Alcuescar next morning,
March 12,
and walked to Aldea de Cano.
There, all seemed well.
Nobody was wearing masks.
Nobody seemed concerned. 

However, that evening, in the bar, 

I was reading notices on the Camino forum 

that things were getting worse 

all over the world,

and that travel bans were beginning to take place. 

I was beginning to get a nervous feeling in my gut and I told Joe, 

"Maybe we should think about HOW 

we would get home if we were forced to leave 

in a hurry. 

Should we walk on tomorrow?"

We decided to wait until morning, 

and to sleep on it.

There were several other pilgrims
in the albergue that night.
None seemed to be concerned.

On Friday, March 13, 
we got up and had breakfast 

in the albergue 

and waited for the bar to open.

When it opened, we got online 

and there we saw the warning from Ivar 

and the moderators about not starting a Camino, 

and about getting yourself home 

if you were ON the Camino.

We quickly decided we'd better 

try to get home.

What was sad to me 

was how the demeanor of the bar owners changed, literally, overnight.

I was ignored at the bar. 

I had to follow the lady up and down the bar

 to get a coffee.

It never happened.

She would look right through me 

as though I did not exist,

and go to a local person.

There were maybe 7 locals there.

My phone was not working. 

Joe's phone was nearly dead, 

and so we asked her if she would help 

and call us a taxi.

She ignored us.

I asked another lady sitting at the bar, 

and after 3 requests from HER, 

the bar lady went and got a flyer 

with a taxi number on it and shoved it at me. 

She would not make the call.

It was so weird.

She had been so friendly the day before.
I'm sure she was just scared out of her wits,
wondering why these pilgrims
were walking through Spain,
possibly spreading this virus,
that we still didn't know much about.

We managed to get a call through on Joe's phone, 

and hired a taxi to Caceres, 

where we caught a bus to Madrid.

In the meantime, I "Signaled" my son 
back in Oregon, and asked him to search 
for a flight 

from Madrid to Los Angeles.

Several airlines were price gouging
asking $2000-$3000 for one-way seats! 

British Air, American Airlines, IberiaAir 

were all charging THOUSANDS of dollars 

for a one way flight home!

They had a few flights listed in the $400-$500 range, but when you chose them, 

they would tack on many charges.

It was crazy.

We were lucky that my son travels constantly 

and was able to get seats for us 

from Madrid to Miami then LAX 

on one of the last available flights out. 

He had to try for a long time. 

Flights were disappearing off the boards 

and being canceled as he worked. 

It was pretty stressful.

We met one man who paid $10,000 

for a flight home to Australia. 

TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! 

This should be illegal 

and I hope airlines that do this 

will get horrendous fines, 

but right now, it's just the way it is.

The Madrid airport was like a tomb. 

The only flights were flights coming IN 

with Spanish residents.

We arrived early afternoon at the airport 

and our flight was not to leave until the next day.

We waited at the airport for over 14 hours 

for our fight.

We found a closed restaurant 

and sat at a table 

where we were able to charge our phones.

We were working at this point 

on being awake over 24 hours.

We prayed the flight wouldn't be canceled.

On the way to board, 

we were herded to a desk 

where they interviewed Joe (not me.)

They asked Joe his name, 

what he did for a living, his address, 

questions that didn't seem to make any sense 

under these current conditions.

We finally boarded.

About 1/3 of the seats were empty.

Many people were now wearing masks.

Some, mostly young people, were obviously sick, coughing, and NOT wearing masks, 

which upset me very much.

Joe and I had taken masks with us, 

so we were able to mask up.

This flight was pretty good.

They served us food and drinks many times 

and were very kind.

When we arrived in Miami, 

it was announced that we would be screened 

upon arrival.

We were only allowed to un-board 

20 passengers at a time.

We were met by officials who were friendly, 

but sorely lacking in logical training

in my opinion.

For instance, the same gloves were used

for every person,

spreading this virus, in my opinion,

if anyone DID have it.

Since Joe and I were traveling together, 

they only interviewed him.

I thought that was bizarre 

since I was the one coughing 

from my MCS and exposure to perfume 

on the flight.

They asked his name, address, 

and if he'd had contact with anyone with the virus.

They took his temperature.

Then we had to go through customs.

Unlike usual, when we do NOT have to go back through security on connecting flights, 

we DID have to go back through.

We were separated because I have TSA pre-boarding, and he does not.

Even with TSA pre-boarding, 

I had to remove items I don't usually have to remove and it was really stressful and confusing.

And there again 

were those gloves,

doing pat downs on one passenger,

and then the next without changing.

Crazy.

After getting through security, 
and finding Joe again, 

we were rushing to find our connecting flight 

in the huge Miami airport 

when I realized I had left my jacket 

and eyeglasses at security.

Joe went ahead. 

I went back and after a search, found my things.

It was crazy, and very stressful.

The gate we were leaving from 

seemed like miles away 

and I arrived just as Joe was boarding.

Our flight from Miami to LAX began
fairly empty.
At the last moment,
it was filled, 

according to the stewardess, 

with people from all over the world 

who were on a cruise ship that came into Miami 

and unloaded clients. 

Nearly all of them seemed stressed 

and just trying to GET HOME. 

It was horrible. 

Children and babies were crying.

It was hot. 

There was no food served 

unless you paid for it.

Seems like under the conditions,

the airlines could have done a lot better!

I don't know where they found that plane, 

but it was nasty dirty 

(literally there were chunks of "stuff" on the floor), 

the trays had spilled coffee on them 

and it was NOT the best experience I have had. 

We had run out of Clorox wipes 

so did our best to wipe things down with baby wipes.

 They sat an old couple right behind us 

from the cruise ship. 

The old guy leaned all over Joe's seat 

while getting to his own, 

and at this point, our nerves were pretty shot. 

We had bulkhead seats - two abreast - 

and the seats behind us were in rows of 3, 

so there was a big open space between me 

and the woman. 

Once they sat down, the man coughed 

all through the flight, 

that dry scary cough you are told to worry about. 

The woman sneezed about 5 times 

without covering her mouth,

and scared the poop out of me. 

I had my head covered with a blanket 

because I was so paranoid. 

By the time we got to LAX 

we had been awake nearly 2 days 

and were both punchy.

After getting off the plane, 

I immediately found a bathroom 

where I soaped up my hands, face, 

and arms and washed the best I could.

Joe had thought ahead 

and had the smarts to reserve a car from Madrid, 

so we were able to jump on a shuttle, 

get a rental car, 

and get on the freeway pretty quickly.

There were big creepy lighted signs 

on the freeway saying:

"COVID-19. 

"LESS IS MORE. 

AVOID LARGE GROUPS"

Whoah!

Nothing has felt so life-changing 

in such a short time since 9-11, for me.
I have an elderly mother in California
that I could not see for 14 days,
and a double mastectomy scheduled 
at home in Oregon in a month,
and I was worried they'll close the borders
between the states.
Then what would I do?

Life as we knew it two weeks ago

has changed, 

and feels like it will never be the same.

And it only took about 3 days 

to go from "Happy on my Camino" 

to 

"Go home. 

"Don't talk to anyone. 

"Don't meet in groups 

where you can discuss what's going on. 

"Don't go shopping. 

"Stay in your house."

The next morning,
as we watched the news,
we realized how lucky we had been.
We saw hundreds of people
jammed together into small rooms
in Chicago O'Hare.
If there was ever a good way to spread the virus,
that was it.
In addition,
they were complaining of wait times
up to 6 hours.
We got through in less than an hour.

And so,

Joe and I both did our14 day self-quarantine 
as instructed.
I packed up the van,
stopped by to wave at my mother,
then headed to Oregon
so I could be here for my surgery.
Since then, things have worsened considerably,
and though I haven't had news that my surgery is postponed or cancelled,
I'm considering postponing it
until the worst of the virus wave is over.
I'm just not too comfortable 
spending time in the hospital,
with all of the active cases of Corona
in Oregon.to wrap my head around the past 11 days. 

I am praying this all blows over
sooner than expected, 

that no more people die, 

and that the Camino can get back to normal soon.

In the meantime, I'm just happy to be back on familiar, 

though bizarre, 

soil.

What an adventure life is!
And sometimes it leaves you with scabby knees.
I'm feeling the burn.

Love,

Annie