Bibione – Covid-19: Day 5

Our final post-lockdown morning at the Ambassador Hotel in Bibione, Italy we finally managed to have our breakfast out on the veranda. Yes, we still had to be served from the buffet and had to wear masks and stay a safe distance from other guests, but it the little things that can make a vacation enjoyable in spite of those irregularities.

There wasn’t much to pack so we were able to do it with minimal effort. We were even able to bag up some things like bottled water that we hadn’t drank and beach mats that we wouldn’t use again and pawn them off on my girlfriend’s parents.

After check-out, we were driven up to the bus station where we boarded the coach headed for Venice Marco Polo airport. The trip was pretty long considering by car it should normally take a little more than an hour. By bus, that trip is stretched to over 2½ hours. To be fair, the route avoids the freeway and stops in several small towns along the way.

It was evident early on that the Italians have been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic seriously for a while. Travellers getting on the bus knew to wear their face masks upon boarding and also knew that they needed to cover their mouth AND nose (although, I don’t think the bus driver got the memo since he nose was sticking out the whole time).

The countryside was again vast tracts of flat farm land featuring the occasional canal and/or river. Away from the freeway, the evidence of economic hardship was obvious. A lot of crumbling houses and barns dotted the landscape and hid in the towns. These were things that had been around since before the pandemic which means things must have only gotten worse. It was interesting to see a lot of the country houses were only painted on the front side even though the cracked and faded back side was almost always more visible from the road.

Less than an hour after an unexpected bus change, we were dropped off at the front of Marco Polo airport. Even with borders being opened again for tourism-based travel, the airport was still not fully operational. Most of the entrances were closed and the few that were open had someone stationed out front making sure passengers were wearing a mask before entering. That means that the scarf my girlfriend had been using to cover her mouth and nose wasn’t acceptable and she had to dig out her mask from her bag.

Inside the airport, the staff all wore their masks properly as opposed to other locations where many of the staff don’t seem to understand how a face mask works. Most of the passengers were wearing their masks properly as well which was relieving to see.

We were able to check in to our Lufthansa flight online and via their app, but we weren’t able to retrieve our digital boarding passes. We also weren’t able to retrieve said boarding passes from the self-serve kiosks in the airport. Being forced to wait in the long queue at the check-in counters was frustrating since we were travelling with only hand luggage and didn’t see the purpose of being forced through an unnecessary step. However, it actually turned out that all of the passengers were given a tracing form to fill out in the event of Covid-19 exposure (although I think that still could’ve been handled more efficiently).

Security was relatively quick and painless and on the other side it was as expected. Most of the terminal was not in use and many of the shops and dining locations were closed. I was also surprised to see that the bands blocking off seats were being followed since in some airports, the passengers either just sit on the bands or take them completely off in disregard to social distancing guidelines.

When it was time to start boarding for our LH327 flight to Frankfurt, things weren’t exactly organized. A mob had already formed at the gate well ahead of the scheduled boarding time and that meant we had to hover at the back of the mob. Then, when boarding did begin, the not only used the nonsensical “group” boarding process, but they started with Group 3 instead of 1 then 2. It led to a lot of confusion as to who could board and who couldn’t .

As we entered the aircraft, we received a pre-packaged disinfectant towelette. We used the towelettes not only to clean our hands, but also to clean the seat around us because I’m pretty sure they only had enough time in their turnaround for a standard sub-par cleaning of the cabin. I was a little bit nervous when my suspicions of seat blocking were confirmed. None of the seats onboard the aircraft were blocked and the plane was full except for one or two empty seats. My neurotic brain was unsettled by so many people in such an enclosed space. At least they were pumping some kind of aerosol through the ventilation system (you could see the vapor misting out above the overhead compartments).

Flight service was reduced to a simple bottle of water. I can understand that since we can’t really be expected to remove our masks to eat a sandwich when we’re packed so close together. Also, it was probably for the best since I started to get pretty motion sick during the shaking approach to Frankfurt and almost threw up inside my face mask.

Upon touching town, the captain informed us that we would be disembarking by rows. I was pretty impressed that most people generally were patient enough to remain seated until their row was called. About ¾ of the way through, however, everyone started getting antsy and standing before they were called and pushing their way out of the aircraft. Not the best way to end a trip, but at least the plane didn’t crash I suppose.

Tenerife – COVID-19: Day 5

I woke up on what would be the last day of our corona adventure in Tenerife and immediately burst into a coughing fit. I was 90% certain it was just another asthma episode that I’ve developed after years of increasing allergies. What concerned me, though, was how such an episode would be perceived by others during a respiratory pandemic. Luckily, a couple of shots from my inhaler got everything under control.

We went down for breakfast during our allocated time slot. The buffet at the H10 Hotel Conquistador was immense, but the dining area was relatively sparse in order to prevent spreading disease. The size and selection of the buffet for every meal reminded me a lot of the massive buffets at Las Vegas hotels. I can certainly see the appeal in having such a wide variety of options available as well as on demand items cooked in front of you (omelettes at breakfast, burgers at lunch, pasta at dinner, etc.). I can also see why so many people in the dining area didn’t quite fit in their chairs.

After one last lazy morning packing, we were ready to check out. We received a refund for checking out earlier than planned and made our way past the security guard at the front door who tried to stop us from leaving again.

Driving through town on our way to the freeway, everything was eerily quiet. It felt very much like it was still early in the morning before most people get up. The unsettling thing was that the feeling didn’t stop, it felt like early morning all the time although it was already early afternoon. Even the freeway had less traffic than what we had seen during the trip.

I filled the tank of our Europcar Fiat 500 and awkwardly waited outside for a group of dude bro Brits to buy junk food through the gas station window before I paid and was on my way. There weren’t any attendants in the parking lot when we dropped off our car, so we wandered around a bit looking for someone to help until someone eventually turned up. He was pretty adamant that we keep away from him, but everything checked out and we were free to go.

We passed by a pair of armored military vehicles on our way into the terminal. Seeing military or excessive police personnel has the opposite effect on me as intended. Obviously they’re there to ensure security and safety but I always feel very uneasy when I see them. I mean, if there was nothing to worry about, they wouldn’t be there, right?

Inside the terminal was crowded, but not as bad as a few days prior when we stopped by looking for flight information. Although we were several hours early for the flight, we had already checked in online and had our boarding passes. Since all the shops and restaurants in the public area were closed and there was no line for the security check, we decided to go inside the transit area of the terminal.

It wasn’t any better inside. Crowds of people sat around waiting for their gates to open and most things were shuttered in the transit area as well. I found only one food stand and one convenience store that were serving customers. My anxiety kicked in and I tried to get as far away from the crowds as possible. At the far end of the terminal, one gate stood empty with no seating area, but there were two chairs standing near the counter. Moving the chairs slightly away from the counter, we staked our claim to the only wide open space in the entire terminal.

Unfortunately, with no restaurants open, there was no way we were going to be able to get a decent meal for the rest of the day. We definitely weren’t going to get fed on the airplane. In order to appease our growling stomachs, I stood in line to get into the convenience store (they were limited the number of customers) and had a look to see what was available. I picked up one of those sandwich, drink, and chips “deals” for my girlfriend, but I wasn’t in a sandwich mood so I opted for some rice cakes and bread sticks. It wasn’t until later that I realized the rice cakes were glazed with strawberry frosting. Ew, just, ew.

Our TUI Fly flight from Tenerife Sur to Düsseldorf was understandably full so I was glad that I didn’t really have any issues with coughing or sneezing during the flight. I was also surprised that we were served a warm pretzel with our drinks. Sure, it wasn’t a meal, but it was more than a tiny snack.

We touched down in Düsseldorf shortly after 11:00pm and you could already see the effect the pandemic was having on air travel. Numerous aircraft were parked with their engine nacelles covered (most of them from budget airline Laudamotion). However, distancing standards weren’t yet in place as passengers were stuffed into a cramped bus to be taken from the apron position to the terminal.

I wasn’t expecting, however, that we would encounter a passport check upon arrival at the terminal. Since the Canary Islands are part of Spain, they’re technically in the Schengen Area of open borders within Europe. I found out later that said borders started to close due to the outbreak. I was admittedly a bit nervous since I was carrying a US passport. I had already heard rumblings that only German citizens were being allowed back into Germany and I was worried my residence permit wasn’t going to be sufficient. Luckily, I passed quickly through after a check of my passport and permit and came out the other side ready to find the auto rental counters.

Since they were open until midnight, our only option was Sixt. It’s not a bad option, Sixt is actually a pretty reputable company for rental cars, but they also tend to be one of the most expensive providers. We dashed through the baggage claim (a wonderful benefit of packing light in so many ways) and made our way to the rental desk. I had already pre-registered online, so it only took a few minutes before I had the keys in my hands. As always, we rented a compact car, but we lucked out since they no longer had that class available and we received a larger car for the same price.

It was quite an upgrade from the Fiat 500 I drove in Tenerife to the Mazda CX5 I sat behind the wheel of in Düsseldorf. Obviously the car was larger with a more powerful engine, but it also featured that cool heads up display in the front window that more and more vehicles are equipped with nowadays. However, maybe that engine was a little too large. Between a wide open German Autobahn and fatigue from lack of sleep, I tended to have a heavy foot and saw the red flash of a traffic camera in one of the stretches with a lower speed limit.

When I finally parked the car outside my apartment in the early morning hours, I was understandably exhausted. We returned to Frankfurt two days earlier than planned and it was a relief to be home. The trip, though, wasn’t really a vacation and I’m fairly certain I returned with more stress than I left with.

Tenerife – COVID-19: Day 4

I started out day 4 of our recent excursion to Tenerife with breakfast on my own. The layout at the Hotel Taburiente mas meager compared to the spread at the Iberostar Grand Mency, but at least they weren’t serving another sad corona-meal like dinner the night before.

We packed lazily and stalled before finally checking out late in the morning. We threw our bags in the tiny trunk of our Fiat 500 and started to head south. On the way out of Santa Cruz, I noticed a police checkpoint entering the city. It was the first time since encountering the remote health department vehicle that there was any kind of visible enforcement of the lockdown. We had been toying with the idea of taking a detour up toward the Teide volcano to take in the unique scenery of the area. Since we were allowed to travel to and from our abode without penalty, we thought maybe we could get by on the technicality that we were traveling from one hotel to the other…just not directly. However, we decided the risk wasn’t worth taking and seeing the checkpoint, it seemed like the right choice.

Traffic on the freeway again felt fairly normal. It was difficult to make an accurate comparison since I hadn’t been to the island in four years. However, we visited Gran Canaria the year before and things seemed pretty comparable to the neighboring island. It was a little unsettling, though, to see another hearse out on the road again.

After around an hour, we pulled up to the H10 Hotel Atlantic Sunset in Playa Paraiso. We were stopped at the front gate by a security guard who checked our reservation before letting us onto the premises to park. There weren’t many cars in the lot, so it appeared we would have a quiet rest of our trip since this was the last place we were staying at.

Well, it was supposed to be the last place we were staying at. When we reached the reception desk inside, the staff asked us to have a seat and wait a few moments while they sorted some business on the telephone. The agent informed us that the government had mandated that all hotels on the island be closed by the following Tuesday, six days away. Because of the mandate, the Atlantic Sunset would be closing in two days on the following Friday. We were booked until Saturday which meant we would have to switch hotels again for our final night. Therefore, the staff recommended we forego our stay at the Atlantic Sunset and instead check in to the H10 Hotel Conquistador nearby. Arrangements had already been made so all we needed to do was turn around and head back out.

It was a short 20 minute drive from Playa Paraiso to Play de las Americas. The streets and sidewalks in the normally bustling tourist town were eerily empty. Shops are restaurants were closed and traffic was minimal. Upon arrival at the Hotel Conquistador, we were greeted by a private security guard who refused to let us in. We informed him that we had been sent there from the Hotel Atlantic Sunset and the guard contacted a front desk agent who finally let us into the hotel.

The hotel itself was a downgrade from the five stars we had booked to four stars. With the impending closure and a lack of guests, blocks of rooms had apparently been closed off so we were forced to take a standard room. However, we were still paying the same price as before. So to compensate for the difference in service, we were upgraded to an all-inclusive package. That meant all our meals were included as well as any drinks we ordered to our rooms (plus we could raid the room’s mini bar).

In order to deal with the looming pandemic, the hotel had blocked off the expansive recreation area in the middle of the premises. All but one of the hotel’s restaurants was also closed and guests were given time slots to dine at the buffet to keep contact down. So we enjoyed the expansive lunch buffet but quickly found ourselves back in our room with nothing to do. It was the smallest room we had during the trip so it wasn’t long before we were anxious to leave.

We decided to leave the hotel and go for a walk under the guise that we were heading out for groceries (which was still allowed). When the guard at the front door halted us from leaving, however, we caved and explained that we wanted to get some things from the car and move it into the hotel’s private lot. So what was supposed to be maybe an hour long walk out in the open quickly turned into a 90 second drive. Although, we did drive past the beach which was closed but still nice to look at for a few seconds.

Some of the larger ocean-side suites were noticeably empty, so we spent some time investigating. We found access to the fire escape and were able to enjoy the ocean from what felt like out own private balcony. It probably would’ve been more enjoyable if I wore two shoes, but I had to keep one propped in the door in case it closed and locked us out. Down below, police continually patrolled the walkway along the beach so even if we managed to sneak out there was no way we were going to be able to take full advantage of the property’s location.

During dinner, we received notifications on our phones that the time of our Saturday flight back to Frankfurt with Ryanair had been changed. We frantically logged in to the system to check the new flight details only to find that the flight had not been changed but cancelled completely. We left the buffet and rushed back to the room.

Since we had been unable to arrange anything through Lufthansa, Condor, or the German consulate, we suddenly felt stranded and started panic searching for flights. Much of what we could find either left days later than our scheduled departure, had only one seat available, was unreasonably expensive, or a combination of those. Eventually, my girlfriend stumbled upon two tickets with TUIFly from Tenerife to Düsseldorf the following evening. The flight arrived late at night and the first Deutsche Bahn train back to Frankfurt wasn’t scheduled until early morning. Instead, we reserved a rental car that I could drive back in the middle of the night.

It was very stressful for the situation to quickly turn from merely annoying yet comfortable to absolutely desperate. However, heart rates dropped back to normal once we made our travel arrangements and we were able to get some sleep at the end of the day.