Inspired to explore environs closer to home, meaning in the United States, we set out on a road trip in August. Road tripping Idaho USA began in Washington State. We traveled 3375 miles through 5 states over 13 days. Our goal was only to sate a wee bit of our wanderlust and see a few towns and regions we had never visited. This is the first installment of three part series of our road trip adventures.
Hiking was at the top of our list for our road trip activities
Road Warriors
I should start by telling those of you who don’t know, that we have visited all fifty states. Yes, in addition to the 110 countries we have visited we can also claim to have visited all fifty states. Admittedly I am a bit of an overachiever (insert eye roll).
But point of clarification – the way we accomplished this momentous task is by…wait for it…ROAD TRIPPING! Yep, it’s really the only way to visit all 50 states, and over the past twenty-eight years we have traversed the entire country on six separate road trips. Our first road trip was in 1992 when we drove from Washington State to Washington DC. So our Road tripping Idaho USA begins our sixth USA road trip.
Rural Idaho offers a lot of wildlife viewing opportunities
Road Tripping in the Time of The “C” Word
That inconvenient virus has made every aspect of our lives a struggle, including a summer road trip. We planned a socially distanced itinerary and were able to pull it off by planning ahead, traveling with cleaning supplies and wearing our masks. We spent multiple days in Idaho, Colorado and Oregon.
Way to go Idaho
Given that Idaho is the neighbor to my home state of Washington you’d think I would have spent more time there. But not so much. I’ve visited the panhandle multiple times, and the city of Boise, but on this trip I really wanted to see more of the mountains in the south so that’s what we set out to do.
Beautiful Twin Lakes, a four mile easy round trip hike in McCall
We drove our first day to Spokane, still in Washington State but right on the border with Idaho. We spent a fun evening with my husband’s brother and his wife, before making an early morning escape under the cover of darkness. Today’s drive was about six hours to McCall Idaho (crossing into Mountain time zone), home to Payette Lake, Brundage Mountain and beautiful scenery.
We spent our first day in McCall enjoying the company of dear old friends who have retired to this gorgeous area. It’s not hard to see why they would choose it. Everything you might want is here; hot dry summers, cold dry winters, hiking, biking, boating, skiing, great dining and beer. Wow.
Abundant wildflowers at Twin Lakes
Day two in McCall we did two easy hikes. First we hiked to Twin Lakes, an easy four mile round trip suitable for just about anyone. It was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. We had gotten an early start and found the trail and the lake deserted, except for a lone fisherman…perfect. The views were like a postcard…actually better!
Next we went to the Brundage Ski Area very popular in the summer for mountain bikers. We had a delicious lunch (socially distanced outdoors) on the deck of the lodge before riding the chair lift ($15) up to the top of the mountain. Here we could see all the way back to McCall and Payette Lake and well beyond. The chair lift ticket includes a round trip, but we hiked the 4 mile cat track back down to the lodge, enjoying a wide variety of wildflowers and bird life, and only a handful of other people.
Masked up for the chairlift ride at Brundage Ski Area
We spent our two nights in McCall in a tiny little cabin a block from the lake. Teeny kitchen and bath, a comfy bed and a fireplace make this place cozy and perfect for a few days winter or summer. We also enjoyed sitting around the campfire in the evening. See it here.
Payette Lake is a dream for boating and water sports
Day four we exited early, heading south to the famous Sun Valley region. We had never visited Sun Valley and it had been on my list for a long time. Sun Valley is made up of several towns, and several ski areas. The best known town is Ketchum. We stayed in Hailey, about five miles outside of Ketchum (another peaceful and exceptionally well kept Airbnb. See it here).
You can see forever from the top of Sun Valley Ski Resort
Our first day in the valley we took the gondola at Sun Valley Ski Resort up to the top of the mountain ($25). The weather was clear and warm and you could see for a hundred miles. We had an outdoor socially distanced meal at Warfield Distillery in Ketchum and explored some of the local microbrews.
A great view from the outdoor patio at Warfield Distillery in Ketchum
Day two in the valley I enjoyed a long morning run on the Wood River trail that runs for 15+ miles all along the valley. Next we took a short hike on a nature trail near our Airbnb along the Wood River. We finished our day playing nine holes of golf at the beautiful Elk Horn Golf Course. Sun Valley is peppered with golf courses…wish we had been able to check out a few more – next time!
A beautiful golf course, Elk Horn in Sun Valley
Feeling Safe in Idaho
Idaho has a population of 1.75 million and ranks 35th in the USA for virus infections with just over 28,000 (Source Statista as of August 19th). In both McCall and the Sun Valley area we found people wearing masks in all stores and restaurants and many people wearing masks on the sidewalks in town. Idaho was dead last in the USA for cases until mid-June when virus cases began to rise.
Mountains Majesty – the Sawtooth Mountains
We made a point to keep distanced, choose activities where we could easily stay away from crowds, and we enjoyed our road trip in Idaho. It really is an underrated gem in the United States. Now I want to go back in the winter. Road tripping Idaho USA filled our goals.
Join us next week for our Colorado installment of Road Tripping USA.
Funny title you say, how REI travels with us around the world? But it’s true. Oh so true. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and the Recreational Equipment Inc Co-op (REI) was just a tiny store back then in the ’60’s, but it was still a big part of my childhood. In those days REI was primarily focused on mountain climbing and backpacking. Jim Whitaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest and a Seattle native, was the first full-time employee of REI in 1955.
In the 1980’s REI expanded it’s offerings but remained true to it’s co-op roots. From then until now, REI continues to offer high quality gear for backpacking, camping, kayaking, cycling and travel.
All our bags last fall on departure day
I’ve been a member of REI since the 1990’s, and through membership you earn points for discounts on every purchase you make. And, because we travel so much and love the products, we make a lot of purchases at REI. In fact our family has learned to buy REI gift certificates for us when gift giving is in order.
We have been using our down time during quarantine to inventory our travel gear and prepare so that as soon as we can, we can hit the road again. It’s still gonna be a while, probably after the new year, but we will travel again, and our REI gear will be with us.
It takes a little effort to prepare for departure day
Even if you don’t travel as extensively as we do, REI has a wonderful selection of travel items for casual travelers, walkers, hikers and more. Because we are such big fans, tooday we share with you some of our most favorite items from REI that we don’t leave home without. We hope this is helpful to you.
The links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you.
Travel Bags
Our REI bags ready for boarding in Berlin
We LOVE our REI roller bags and we can verify they are tough! Our bags are four years old and have been around the world twice! That’s 121 flights, 153,000 miles and 68 countries! With all the wear and tear the only thing we have had happen was one wheel got caught in a baggage carousel and we had to replace it…but the replacement was available on line and easy to install. We continually pack these bags to 50lbs each and will continue to do so. A great purchase for us.
Arne and his REI backpacking on the Portuguese Camino
We each have a backpack, mine an Osprey brand and my husband’s an REI brand. These have also been traveling with us as our carryon for four years. Additionally the backpacks made the 500 mile trek with us on the Camino de Santiago Frances, as well as on many other hikes. Both of these brands available at REI are durable and sturdy as well a comfortable. We beat them up, and the take a licken and keep on trekking.
When I first heard about something called packing cubes I thought it was just another gimmick to get me to spend money…boy was I wrong. I can’t imagine being on the road as much as we are now without packing cubes. Because we carry so much more than just clothes, our packing cubes provide us with a way to organize medicines, electronics and cords, office supplies and even things like salt and pepper and olive oil – and of course our clothes too. We have several different kinds of packing cubes but our Eagle Creek REI Cubes are our favorite and the most durable. The zipper (which has blown out on our other brands) is so strong and the fabric is perfect. I plan to pick up a few more of these before we hit the road again.
Yes we do carry a hammock with us around the world…why? Because we can, with this lightweight and compact hammock by ENO from REI. We use the hammock on the beach, or on our Airbnb patio and sometimes even on a hotel deck. The straps we also purchased from REI.
You might be surprised that I carry a French Press with me when I travel, but it is actually one of the things in my suitcase I use the most – in fact every day. And it’s so easy to be able to have my favorite French-press coffee each morning because of this amazing titanium light weight French press from REI. One of my all time favorite purchases from REI. It’s made for backpacking, but just as useful for a long trip or weekend getaway.
Me with my trusty REI trekking poles, Finisterra Spain, the end of the Camino
If you consider price and quality, buying a product that is well made will always give you more bang for the buck. Case in point, our trekking poles by Black Diamond. We have been using these same trekking poles for nearly 12 years. They took me over Mount Warminanusqa on the Inca Trail and all 640 miles on both the Camino Frances and the Camino Portuguese and hundreds of other hikes equaling thousands of miles. Trekking poles keep my posture upright, keep my hands from swelling and provide stability as I hike around the world. These collapsible poles easily fit in our suitcase.
My husband really likes the Cool Max REI hiking socks while my favorite are the lower cut Smartwool women’s style that keeps the merino wool off my ankle because I sometimes have a skin reaction with wool.
Head to toe in mud and REI gear after seeing the mountain gorillas in Uganda
We have purchased many of our favorite pieces of clothing for both hiking and everyday travel at REI. My husband is a big fan of PrAna and owns multiple pairs of PrAna shorts and long hiking pants. I have REI hiking shorts that I LOVE and will be getting another pair soon. And we both own several REI and Columbia brand hiking shirts, both long and short sleeve.
Hats
My fav hat and REI shorts
If you follow us around the world you will notice we are rarely without a hat on our head. I carry three or four different hats in my bag while Arne usually has two kinds. He likes a wicking style baseball cap for running and daily use and likes the Outdoor Research brand. And for hiking he wears a wide brim hat by by REI. I also have a wide brim hiking hat that includes a roll down neck protector by Sunday Afternoon. I have had this hat so long I don’t even remember and it’s still in great condition.
As you can see, I am a huge fan of REI, for the products I need at a price point I can afford. Through my experience I know I can trust REI for quality and durability on the things we love for our travels. It’s also really important to me to support local businesses. Although REI is now an internationally recognized brand, I love how it’s roots are solidly in the Pacific Northwest. And so that’s how REI travels with us around the world.
With friends last summer, Mount Rainier Washington State
Our fingers are crossed that we will be back traveling internationally in early 2021. We hope to pick up our itinerary where we left off (with some adjustments for weather) and continue on our Grand Adventure. The world has changed but our desire to see it has not. Another thing that hasn’t changed, how REI travels around the world with us. We are loyal customers and look forward to updating what’s in our suitcase very soon.
Feel free to ask me any questions about products I am endorsing here. We love it when you share our blog. Be safe.
What a ride it’s been. But here we are. Home. That word feels so good in my mouth. Sweet and full. But with it comes a bitter taste – it’s not what was supposed to happen. Home and other adventures is a story of acceptance of our fate. Despite all our planning; despite all our hopes; despite all our efforts – our travel life has come to an abrupt stop.
Eeriely quiet London Heathreow
Home and other adventures took me several weeks to wrap my head around. As each day passed, each week passed I kept adjusting my thinking. Believing we could pick up our itinerary at some point and continue. Eventually we came to the realization it wasn’t going to happen and if we are going to be sitting somewhere we might as well be sitting at home. At least it’s free and we could be working on projects and helping our family. And so we took the first flight that came available out of Cyprus.
Empty Cyprus airport
Getting here was nothing less than grueling. It took about 50 hours from bed to bed. Three flights, one hotel, lots of cold sandwiches. Airports have few services. Planes have few services. I brought food with us, as best I could. It wasn’t good but it was something.
Onboard Aegean Air to London
Leaving Cyprus
Departing Cyprus we drove on a bus to the plane – seriously about 15 minutes. To an entirely different airport where the planes seem to be staging. I think it was the old airport. I have no idea why. Upon boarding the flight crew was dressed like they were assisting in surgery…disposable gowns, face masks, rubber gloves and eye protection. We were given rubber gloves and told we had to wear them the entire flight. Everyone on board was wearing a mask. We were given a bottle of water and nothing else on the five hour flight. All middle seats were empty. Even couples who wanted to sit side by side were told they could not. Without flight attendants going up and down the aisle the plane was so quiet. With everyone wearing masks no one was chatting and the plane was absolutely silent. Ghostly.
Heathrow baggage claim
We arrived in London to a eerily quiet Heathrow. No temperature checks -we breezed right through, got our bags, walked to our hotel in the adjoining terminal. Crashed on the bed in the itty bitty room.
Empty train in London
Leaving London
Early Wednesday off we went again. Empty tube ride to the terminal. Almost empty terminal. Signs everywhere to distance. But staff not wearing masks or any protection. We asked why and were told it’s not allowed. It’s astonishing to me how inconsistent the rules are between countries.
Having Heathrow all to ourselves…weird.
Security checks at Heathrow were normal and well carried out. There was no health screening on departure. It was strange the wide variety of preparedness in the handful of travelers. Some did not have anything. Most had masks, a few had gloves as well. And then some dressed head to toe in complete “contagion” outfits. It reminded me of Willy Wonka in the Wonkavison room.
Wonka Vision
Heathrow social distancing
I was pulled aside for additional security screening at the gate…that was just random, not due to Covid. Mostly swabbing for chemicals and explosives. On board the British Airways 787 there were 13 people and nine crew. Wow. Nine people in economy (including us), no one in Business and four in First Class. We were able to spread out and get comfortable. In fact, we were required to each have a full row and to sit next to the window in an effort to “distance” It actually was a nice flight…I love British Airways. We had a half a sandwich served early with some chocolates and later a pizza like thing. That with the food we brought was plenty. No alcohol available.
One striking thing about all three of our flights was how when we pulled away from the gate, the plane headed to the runway and just took off! No waiting for the plane in front of you.
Lots of legroom
Hello USA
Arriving in the USA was interesting. First we were met on the gangway by health screeners. No temperature taking, but they asked us questions dressed in full contagion gear. The LAX airport has way more activity than in London. Several shops open and kiosks with cold food and even Starbucks open. There was none of that in London. There seems to be more staff around as well. Most are wearing masks. We breezed through both passport control and border patrol. I wanted someone to say welcome home…geeze I’ve been gone for seven months. But they hardly batted an eye. Sigh….
Waiting for our third and final flight
Our flight to Seattle left late but other than that was uneventful. Arriving in Seattle we got our bags and changed into clean clothes before meeting our boys – just an effort to try to not spread anything we may have picked up. SeaTac was quiet with very few people. Most staff wearing masks. Starbucks was open but I didn’t see any restaurants open, but we were only in one terminal so possibly in departures there was more. I’m not sure.
Home and Other Adventures
Waking up in my bed, opening my eyes and knowing where I was. Nice but surreal. I can’t tell you how many times over the past four years I’ve had to let my brain take a moment to know where I was upon waking…so many hotels, Airbnb’s and beds. But waking up here, I knew. I am so grateful we made the decision to buy this house…it was a leap of faith to buy something sight unseen. But life in a pandemic without a home to come to would have been pretty rotten. But here we are.
I’ll be in self-quarantine here now for two weeks. Only seeing my boys, who met us at the airport. It’s good. Our youngest has been working from our house and will continue to do so until his office reopens, which may be awhile.
So what’s next? We don’t know… we will figure it out just like everyone else. We still have flights for the wedding in France in June…it’s unlikely to happen but we haven’t completely given up on it. We have a trip to Hawaii planned in October. We have a trip to Boston and New York planned in December. Will that happen? I don’t know. I do know eventually we will get out there again…just how long it will take remains to be seen.
Home and Other Adventures. Unexpected but satisfying. Be safe. Be well. Stay tuned. The adventure continues just with a sharp right turn and a few bumps in the road… Home, sweet home.
You might think our lockdown here on Cyprus is idylic; a tropical island in the Mediterranean Sea. Indeed it is beautiful, but the fact remains, it’s a jail. And after 45 days, some mornings I feel so tired and helpless. This is where Boredom Buster Ideas in Lockdown come into play.
I have a lot of gratitude though; our villa is comfortable and beautiful; we are allowed to leave the house once a day and I use that time to be in nature; my husband and I are both healthy; and the weather is finally warming.
Since we still have no idea when or how we will leave this island, we make the best of each and every day. My husband Arne is more at peace than I am. He loves a life of doing nothing just laying around the pool and reading and going for a run every morning. Me however, I’m antsy. I can spend a great deal of time enjoying the quiet and solitude, but then I have a sudden need to DO SOMETHING. Anything – but it must be fun and inspiring.
And that is how we got started a few weeks ago doing our daily Boredom Buster activities. Some of these activities take just a few minutes, while others take several hours. Usually these activities are designed for two, but many times I do one on my own. The goal is to release that pent up energy and relieve that pent up anxiety.
Here are a few of the Boredom Buster activities we have found fun, inspiring and educational. Maybe you can find some ideas here that work for you, or put your own twist on these boredom busters;
Paper Airplane Contest – we each made our own design and flew the airplanes off the upper deck
Towel Animal Menagerie – I’ve been making towel animals for several weeks, and on one day we had a competition.
Towel Animals
Yoga – we do yoga anyway, but now we have upped the game trying to add more difficult poses, including planking goals of several minutes.
My plank
Running/Walking/Hiking – again we already run but we each have set some distance goals long term.
Photo organization – I take thousands of photos, and keeping them organized is a big challenge. So no better use of my time than to be deleting images I don’t want, and saving the others into files for easy and quick access.
Speaking of photos – do a photo safari around your own house or yard, looking for small and hidden treasures for artistic and surprising photos.
Photo Safari discovery
Journal or Scrapbook – my blog is a journal of sorts, but perhaps its time to pull out those old scrapbooking supplies. Making a quarnatine journal, scrapbook or even videos for future generations to see what it was all about.
Throw a Party – have a tea party, a taco party, a date night. Have a zoom wine party, zoom book club or zoom family Pictionary.
Our Mad Hatter Tea Party
Become a Mixologist – lots of ideas online to up your game in the daily mixed drink ideas.
Homemade lemonade Gin and Tonic
Teach Yourself Something New – There are hundreds of free webinars, online learning, TedTalks and podcasts out there…and many more with minimal investment. For me I have been learning many interesting things to expand my blog.
Self Spa or Couples Spa – we made DIY exfoliant with olive oil, lemon and sugar and wow did our skin feel great. Additionally my darling husband gave me a pedicure…he did pretty well!
My Spa Day
Try new recipes – I have cooked and baked and created a variety of delicious things out of our tiny kitchen using the local ingredients of Cyprus. From lamb chops to orange bread, bread dried orange peels to fresh lemonade, from eggplant dip to grilled chickpeas, we have not gone hungry.
Orange Cake – I’m definitely making this again
Write real letters or cards and mail them to people you love.
Make a real phone call – no texting or messages on FB but talk on the phone to people you care about.
Social Media Cleanse – Spend an entire day without Social Media
Work around your home or yard – even here in this Airbnb I have enjoyed weeding, trimming plants, picking bouquets and watching the daily changes of the trees and flowers.
I’ve been waiting for this rose to bloom in our yard
Plan a future trip – this might seem crazy in the current situation, but travel will happen again, so why not use this time to study up on your dream destinations and begin your plans.
Where do you want to go?
Read – of course, this is a perfect time to be reading. Personally I’ve had some trouble focusing on books, but audible has been a savior for me, and I am both listening to and reading books while here in lockdown. See our book reviews here.
Finding your joy, within your own four walls can be both a pleasure and a cross. We all need to find what works for us and what boredom buster ideas in lockdown fit our situation. Some days will be better than others, but hopefully some of our boredom buster ideas in lockdown can put a smile on your face and skip in your step. Hang in there everyone.
We are still here! Hope you all are hanging in there…I gotta say, it’s kind of weird, but it’s starting to not feel all that strange…like this is just my life now. Living on this island but not being able to see any of it.
The Numbers
Cyprus Covid-19 Cases 760 Deaths 13
Day 41 on Cyprus. Day 37 in Quarantine/Lockdown
The strange thing about these numbers above is my perception of them. For instance…it took us 41 days to walk the Camino Francis…that was 37 days of walking and 4 rest days. But THAT actually seemed longer than the time I have been here. Why?
Additionally, we spent 42 days on the Island of Mauritius. And THAT seemed longer than the time I have been here. Why?
Argaka Beach
I think it’s because there is no end date for me to look at here. It’s just a never ending carousel of days. Around and around we go…
Cyprus News
Today is Orthodox Easter, the biggest holiday of the year in Cyprus. I’m sorry we are not able to participate in this celebration. I understand it is a very special four days. Everything of course was canceled…or postponed until further notice. I posted a blog on Friday all about the way this holiday is celebrated in Cyprus. Please find it here.
Even though virus cases have continued to grow, wide spread testing has been available and many people are getting tested, which of course is affecting the numbers. There are still infractions being issued for those who break the curfew or are out with out their “permission slip”. We have settled into life with only leaving the house once a day. Sometimes when we are out on our run, we will make a quick pit-stop at the mini market down the street if we need bread or eggs or gin! But I believe these restriction are helping Cyprus – while back home it sounds like much of the population are ignoring the rules, going to Home Depot, walking along Tacoma’s waterfront etc.
Getting to know the locals in Cyprus
The President of Cyprus and cabinet announced this week a four step plan to reopen the economy in early May. But the plan begins with very minor lessening of the restrictions, and we do not yet know if it will include opening the airport or even give us an opportunity to get outside our village.
Mostly Good News
I’m happy to share that Airbnb came through for us and has issued us a full refund for our Jerusalem house. They have been redeemed in my eyes. We have three more Airbnb’s currently reserved; Finland and France in June and New York City in December. We will wait and see what’s next.
The flight we had booked from Malta to Belgrade via Istanbul has been canceled…but they are giving us credit towards a future flight. Not helpful.
We have also negotiated to continue to stay here at Lemon Grove Villa with a week by week extension at the same rate per day ($69 USD). We are happy about that. If we do need to leave at the spur of the moment they will also issue us a refund. So no complaints there. All of the flights we have seen leave the island, have happened with only 24 hours notice. So we need to be ready at a moments notice.
4am on Zoom with my book club
I have leaped past my “feeling sorry for myself” state-of-mind and have had a very productive week. I’ve lost track of how many webinars I have participated in. This week I continued to revamp my Pinterest account, did a total rebranding of my Instagram and have spent hours learning Tailwind. This stuff is really interesting to me….I’m a marketing geek what can I say? I also loved having an hour and a half on Zoom with my Book Club, even at 4:00 am. That made me happy.
I’m still having trouble reading though…and I’ve also had a couple nightmares and restless nights.
Since we arrived I’ve been focused on teaching myself the cuisine of Cyprus, and hope to have a blog all about that in the weeks ahead. Hard to believe we have been here 41 days and not eaten in a single restaurant.
I hope you all are finding your peace in all this mess and accepting how life has changed forever. Please stay well. Please stay positive. Please stay fabulous.
Thanks for caring about us. We are doing fine. Thanks for continuing to support my blog. Love you all.
Lockdown in Cyprus. It’s day 26 on the island of Cyprus. Of our 26 days here only four of them we were free. March 14-24 in quarantine and March 24 to today in lockdown. Like the rest of the world, we wait. And then we wait some more. Here is the latest;
Bad News
On Thursday we participated in a live Facebook feed with the US Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber. There was no good news really, she just confirmed everything we already knew. No clear explanation as to why we received an email 10 days ago saying there might be a flight out for US citizens…??? There are no flights in the foreseeable future, even though we hear about stranded Americans in other countries getting out. Cyprus isn’t getting any assistance. By the way…how do you become an Ambassador? I would like that job.
President Nicos Anastasiades has extended the airport closure until April 18th. I have zero confidence in this date…I expect it will be extended again. We wait.
Cyprus in Bloom
This week lockdown in Cyprus tighter restrictions were put into effect for the stay at home order. We can now only leave the house once a day.
We are in a dispute with Airbnb now over the $900 from Jerusalem cancellation. They are being nasty. So now we are being nasty back. We did get a credit for Malta but they reversed what they told us about Jerusalem. We wait.
I had a really bad, teary-eyed day on Thursday. It seemed to me from comments I saw others were melting down too. It’s exactly like grieving – such a feeling of loss. I’m not a psychiatrist or mental health expert but I think this is normal to feel this way…we need to work through it and stay hopeful even when it seems there is little to be hopeful for.
Cyprus in Bloom
I blame a bit of my melancholy on Thursday to the fact that, since I can only leave the house once a day, I didn’t run or work out. Instead we saved our once a day outing to go get some fresh produce at the grocery store. I know I feel better when I work out, and I am forcing myself to run and walk even when I feel tired and sorry for myself.
The cases on the island continue to grow. As of today 430 with 13 deaths. From 3 cases the day we arrived (March 10) that’s 150 fold increase. We wait.
Good News
My husband is keeping my spirits up. While still being realistic about how grave this looks in the months and years ahead, he is always my rock. I just miss my kids so much. We wait.
We learned that many US Citizens are having difficulty with the SMS system of asking permission to leave the house. Apparently if you are trying to do the request with a phone that does not have a Cyprus SIM it isn’t working. Another reason to always buy a local SIM when you travel rather than trying to use your home carrier’s international data plan.
Cyprus in Bloom
The weather is improving and although still very windy here in this part of the island we are now looking at temps around 23c (mid 70’s f). We are no longer using the heat at night in the bedroom or the space heater in the living room. We are still using blankets on the couch when we read in the evening but it’s at least 15-20 degrees warmer than a month ago. I wore shorts for the first time this week. Maybe those sundresses will see the light of day soon. We wait.
My goal is to need to turn on the AC before we leave. Arne’s goal is to run ten miles before we leave. Maybe me too.
I had a wonderful Zoom Meeting with my book club…my first time using that application, followed by a Martini Zoom Party with the Martini Mamas back home. Tonight we plan to zoom with our boys. If I can get the hang of it I have a lot of people I would like to Zoom with.
Blue dot is where Cyprus is
Grocery stores are still well stocked and we are not wanting for anything in that area. I’m trying to teach myself some local Cypriot dishes. Our Airbnb hosts (who speak very minimal English) have been so wonderful…bringing us goodies and produce. If we have to be stuck this Airbnb is a good place to be stuck and we are grateful for that. We wish we had some jigsaw puzzles and movies in English though.
We wait
Waiting is not something this girl is good at….nor am I good at not controlling my situation. So everything in me is on high-alert during this lockdown in Cyprus. But I am resigned to this being long-term, and I am resigned to waiting.
As I post this blog we have been self-quarantined on Cyprus for a week. Every day brings a new development. We are currently comfortable and healthy but unsure of how or if our world journey will continue. So for today I thought I would tell you a bit about life on Cyprus under quarantine.
Some Background
Some of you who follow my personal Facebook page might remember this post I made on January 23rd. I said “when people ask me if travel scares me it’s things like this (Corona) that scare me more than terrorism or crime. Luckily we aren’t flying for three more weeks but still its the kind of thing that can explode so quickly…”
That was on January 23rd two months ago and we were in Mauritius. As soon as I read the first story about Wuhan I felt a strong foreboding. But also thought to myself that we had two months in Africa and it would possibly be gone by the time we headed towards Europe.
Wearing a mask on our flight out of Mauritius
But the nagging in the back of my mind made me go to the pharmacy in Mauritius and buy some face masks. The pharmacists asked me if we were going to China? Even he wasn’t thinking about it spreading outside of Asia.
It was late January when the first case was diagnosed in Washington State USA. But the US government did not react.
Carefree in Victoria Falls
Fast Forward Late February
We were carefree in Victoria Falls and in Uganda too as we continued with our planned itinerary. It wasn’t until our arrival in Rwanda on February 27th that we began to see significant changes in airports and hotels (as a matter of fact, Rwanda had the coolest hi-tech system in place for screening). This is when I began taking very strong measures such as washing hands more frequently, not touching railings or elevator buttons and scrubbing things in our room like remote controls and door knobs. I’ve always washed down my airplane space and now we began using a bleach product everywhere we go.
Still touching people in Rwanda
In Kigali Rwanda we bought hand-sanitizer and more face masks, despite now hearing that face masks weren’t helpful. I still wanted to have some.
By this point the virus was spreading in the USA and becoming epidemic in my home state of Washington but Trump continued to deny that it was a legitimate issue or take measures to protect his citizens or the US economy. He was not listening to Advisor’s and making statements like this one – “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear”. As we watched from afar the virus take over entire countries we were flabbergasted at the lack of concern from the US President.
Worries about family back home
People I know back home were split over the issue and not surprisingly along party lines. One faction thinking it was all getting blown out of proportion (and actually blaming Democrats for causing the outbreak to take the focus away from the election) while the other faction was beginning to hoard food, toilet paper and scream that something needed to be done.
Because of the malaria meds we took all through Africa I was suffering with some tummy issues and I was really worried about being flagged on the arrival in Israel since I wasn’t feeling 100%.
Israel
We touched down in Israel on March 4th and absolutely breezed through the airport. We were totally shocked that Israel’s entry was easier than Rwanda or Botswana and Israel seemed to not be doing ANYTHING to check visitors arriving in Tel Aviv. It sounded just like what was happening in the USA. Head in the sand. I was a bit disconcerted.
Unknowingly, this was our final dinner in Israel after only five days
We enjoyed our first few days in Israel but on day four we began hearing that they may close the border to tourists and our planned day trip with a local tour company to Palestine was cancelled when Palestine closed its borders.
We assumed we would be fine since we had arrived in Israel before the border closed, but when we woke up on day six (March 10), regular alerts we receive from the US State Department told us anyone who had arrived in the past week would be quarantined for at least two weeks from date of entry. Spot checks were going to be made and we would need to prove we had a place to stay for a 14-day quarantine. Since our planned itinerary in Israel did not include us staying in one place for 14 days we did not have lodging secured. We made a spur of the moment decision that it would be in our best interest to leave the country while the airport was open and we still could. We made this decision at 8:45 am and were on a flight to Cyprus at 1:45 pm. Never in our nearly four years of travel have we changed our plans so drastically. It was a stressful and heartbreaking decision but in hindsight the right one.
Cyprus
Before leaving Israel we had contacted the Airbnb in Cyprus to see if it might be available early. It was and they welcomed us 15 days early on March 10th. It’s a beautiful spot and perfect for a long stay. We currently have it booked until April 7th.
Cooking Class in Cyprus
When we arrived in Cyprus ten days ago there were only three cases of Covid-19. We went to the grocery store, the pharmacy and stopped at a sporting goods store to buy sweatshirts. We had coffee in a coffee shop and visited the butcher. Our Airbnb host stopped by with cookies and citrus. Everything seemed normal and no one was panicking. We even did a cooking class and a winery tour and spent one day hiking.
Hiking in Cyprus
But on the evening of March 15th we learned that Cyprus was limiting inbound flights and incoming tourists until April 10th. Schools were closing too and two of the island’s large hotels were closing. The island now had a total of 20 cases, all but one related to incoming visitors. Cyprus is a popular direct flight from London and many British expats live here.
Sunset in Cyprus
This news also included the mandate that any visitor already on the island should self-quarantine for 14 days from the time of entry. So on March 15th we began a self-quarantine. We will stay quarantined until March 24th. For us that means we will still do our morning run, where we have no contact with other people, but spend the rest of the day at our villa.
BUT THEN, on the morning of the 16th it was announced the island was closing all restaurants, hotels, malls, museums, archeology sights until April 30th. Even one hospital was closed for 48 hours for sanitizing. Cases now up to 39.
We now realized that at the end of our 14-day quarantine, we still might not be able to enjoy the the sites of Cyprus because everything will be closed. But, it’s out of our hands.
On March 17th they began turning away people, even residents, arriving on flights unless they had a medical statement of their wellness. And those who were allowed in, are going into a mandatory GOVERNMENT LOCATION quarantine. That’s big…we did not want to be in a government location quarantine.
Today, March 20 th a big announcement. ALL FLIGHTS are to be terminated in and out of Cyprus beginning Sunday. All flights. Wowza. Even flights for Cypriots trying to return home. There is rumor of a possible curfew. Meanwhile today the US government declared a Level 4 Travel Advisory. Better late than never I guess. Hopefully the idiots partying in the Florida beaches aren’t carriers.
Cyprus has very quickly, without a lot of politicizing, created a comprehensive economic assistance plan to help it’s citizens get through this. It’s impressive and quit thorough including such things as unemployment, childcare and elder care. I am impressed with their foresight and lack of political bickering.
As of March 20th, Cyprus now has 81 cases of Covid-19. In the ten days we have been here it’s gone from 3 to 81, an exponential growth.
Grocery stores remain open, but only a dozen people allowed in at a time. We went yesterday and were presented with hand sanitizer and rubber gloves before entering the store.
So every day something new and foreboding.
So Now What?
So now what? I have no idea. Our next flight booked was to Ukraine on April 7th. But even if Cyprus reopens its airport by then, Ukraine’s borders are closed. Beyond that we are supposed to be in Malta in late April and May. As of today Malta’s borders remain open but anyone entering must self-quarantine for 14 days. No doubt that too will change shortly.
Quarantined breakfast in Cyprus
We were planning to attend a wedding in France in late June and then head to the USA for a six month visit. Even if we forego France we are currently unable to get a flight home. We have a lot of money at stake, with little help from airlines or lodgings as far as refunds so far. We did get a refund from Airbnb for our place in Jerusalem, but lost the money for the other hotels and flight changes in Israel. We also got a full refund from our Kiev hotel after we contacted them with a personal email. We are currently waiting to hear from Ukraine airlines.
Of course our health is more important than the money, but we actually might be safer staying put than going to the USA. And we honestly might not be able to get a flight for an indefinite amount of time. We just don’t know.
Our world tour
We feel we can’t make a decision now until the end of March at the earliest, when several countries who closed their borders on March 14th will make a decision as to what’s next. If borders and airports remain closed we may be able to get flight refunds or at least credit. Or we may have to cough up (no pun intended) the money to get back to the USA. Currently a flight from Cyprus through London to the USA will cost us nearly $2000 per person – that is if the Cyprus airport reopens…and if any flights to the USA are running.
My Biggest Fears
My biggest fear is not about coming down with the virus; although we are in our sixties we are healthy and strong. My biggest fear is the economy and how this might effect jobs and lives of people I care about back home. Already my friends and family who own small businesses and restaurants are in dire straits. Even since I began writing this blog several days ago the changing economic impact to the USA seems catastrophic. Frightening.
This is where we are
My biggest fear is that my father (age 87 Alzheimer patient), my mom (age 81) and step-day (age 90 with many medical complications) and my mother-in-law (healthy but age 86) will get the virus. And of course I’m very fearful for my adult sons.
My biggest fear is this thing will go on for months…years? And we may get trapped indefinitely.
I am in no way a “sky is falling” kind of person. I am definitely “look at the bright side” girl. In fact I have been criticized in my life as a “Pollyanna” by people with a less positive outlook.
HOWEVER I am also a realist and see this as a long-term scenario. And that is why the things I listed above scare me.
Meanwhile
Meanwhile we have no choice really but to wait and watch at least until mid April. Hopefully by then we will be armed with enough information to move forward in one way or another. There are few other options. The only silver lining is the weather here in Cyprus is finally beginning to warm up a bit.
I’d love your comments on the blog about your situation wherever you are. I am genuinely concerned for each of you and I am thinking of all of you and sending love and best wishes. God speed.
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