Traveling During a Pandemic

Sadly our van life come to a close earlier than planned. Here’s how it all went down:

We spent three blissful days in Conguillío National Park national park without cellphone service.

Tuesday March 17th

On Tuesday March 17th we left the park intending to drive to Argentina and make our way to Mendoza. We stopped at a gas station to refuel and took the opportunity to check our phones and see what we missed in the last 3 days... Oh boy did we miss a lot! The world had suddenly changed and countries around the globe were taking drastic measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.

We received a message from Condor Campers that Argentina and Chile would close their borders to all foreigners starting March 18th for 14 days.

We took the notion of self isolating seriously and thought the van was a pretty good way to do that. For the past two months we’ve only been in contact with others at grocery stores and restaurants. So we decided to cut out the restaurants and continue our travels in Chile. We were still hopeful that by April 1st, when we returned the van, we’d be able to continue with our plans to go to Bolivia.

That day was the first time we noticed measures being taken in Chile.  At a gas station, they had someone wearing gloves opening the door so no one touches the handle. And they had tables in front of the register to keep extra distance.

Wednesday March 18th:

On Wednesday we were able to connect with Abby. Tiffany babysat her and her sisters when she was in high school. We knew Abby had been studying abroad in Santiago, but didn’t think we’d cross paths. Tiffany was chatting with her mom the day before and we realized we were near the town she was in. She was studying abroad in Santiago and decided to stay, but leave the city after her program was cancelled. It was so fun meeting up and chatting about traveling and living abroad!

After coffee with Abby we hit up a grocery store to stock up for the next few days. At the grocery store we noticed some people walking around with masks and gloves. The shelves were still well stocked apart from antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer.

As we hit the road Tiffany was constantly checking up on stuff to see if there were any changes...Our plan of riding it out in Chile were not looking great. The US embassy in Chile announced that flights returning to the states would be limited. Delta’s last flight was scheduled for the 25th and United’s for the 31st. Tobias’s Visa was only valid until April 22nd.

We saw that we had two options; go back to the States and self-isolate or fly to a different country where we’d be able to self-isolate. The reality of the situation was hard, as we tried to determine the most socially responsible thing to do.

We started looking at options in South and Central America. Almost every county had shut or planned to shut their borders. When then looked at countries all over the globe and eventually concluded our best option was to go to the states and stay with Tiffany's family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We decided we would finish our time in the van until March 27th and catch a flight out. Since all of the national parks had been shut we were going to find a nice spot just outside a national park and self isolate there.

Thursday March 19th:

We woke up in the morning and based on information we were getting from the US Embassy in Santiago and the official Chilean government website we saw the numbers of people infected rising and decided that we should push up our departure a few days. We booked flights out for March 23rd. We figured we could self isolate and then get to the airport. 

That evening, the US State Department issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory.

Around that same time news started to appear about travelers getting stuck in places like Peru and Guatemala as countries went on complete lockdown. 

We realized that even if we decided to wait until Monday for our flight, we wouldn't be enjoying ourselves. We knew our days would be spent constantly checking our phones wondering what and if things would work out. So we canceled our flight, and booked one for the next day.

Friday March 20th

The day was a whirlwind.  We woke up early to pack our bags and clean out the van. We were a few hours north of Santiago so we hit the road and decided to take showers at a COPEC rest stop.  When we pulled into the rest stop there was a line to get in as they were only allowing 15 people in at a time. Once inside the place seemed so empty and quiet. Apart from the workers measuring out and taping out marks for people to stand a meter apart there was not much going on.

We were about an hour ahead of schedule to drop off the van so we decided to stop for a drink. The bars in the neighborhood were closed but the cafes were still open. We wanted a beer so we decided to try the supermarket across the street but as soon as we saw the line the went around the corner we realized that wasn't happening. 

After we dropped off the van we got in a Uber and were told the drive usually takes an hour... we got to the airport in 20 minutes. 

At the airport waiting to check in we noticed people walking around with various efforts at masks. We saw: medical, construction, ski, bandannas, buffs, shirts and even a gas mask. The people (including us) not wearing anything were definitely getting some strange looks.

While in line to check in they were doing random screening checks. Tiffany was selected and asked about her most recent travel history and where she was going next. They took her name and passport information.

As we checked in we were asked the standard questions, as well as if we had traveled to Europe, China, Iraq or Korea recently. 

The airport was pretty quiet.  There were no lines at customs or security.  They had marked off spots in lines so that people were a safe distance apart.

At the travel lounge we had to use hand sanitizer before interacting with the people at the desk. Because we signed in using Tiffany's pass she had to sign something stating she had not been around anyone that has had Corona.

Once in the lounge the food was covered in plastic wrap. Even the fruit.

They had taped off seats so that you were at least a meter apart.

During the boarding process there were no markers. However once we were on the plane the flight made an announcement saying "that the US is not allowing no USA Citizens to enter if they have recently visited Iraq, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the EU, or the UK in the last 14 days."

After take off, the captain thanked us for flying on what is one of United's last flights out of Santiago.

Friday March 21st

As we landed and pulled into the gate there was an announcement from the flight staff stating the paramedics need to come on the plane so we needed to all stay seated. As that announcement was made there was a collective breath hold from the entire plane. After a few minutes they announced we could get off the plane. We have no idea why the paramedics were called.

We were really surprised by the lack of precautions and measures once we got to the States.

As we walked through the Houston airport there was an announcement playing saying the the immediate risk is low in the US and that you should cover your face while you sneeze or cough and wash your hands.

As we waited in line for immigration and security there was nothing in place like markers identifying safe distances.  In fact the only thing we saw was a sign saying don't travel to China.

As we waited for our flight to Minneapolis they made announcements about flights being canceled so that flights can be consolidated.

Once we landed in Minneapolis, there were no markers or announcements being made. The airport was empty.

We got Tiffany's sisters and brother-in-law's apartment and helped the rearrange their place so we would all have space. They are both working from home and set up home offices. Tiffany's dad lives close by and stopped by on his walk. We chatted through the window and later he went to the store and dropped off eggs.

Although we are disappointed our trip was cut short, we know how fortunate we are to have family willing to take us in! We are so grateful for Jessica and Andrew for opening their home to us and being willing to disrupt their routines.

Looking ahead we are finding things to fill our time.

Tiffany has been helping her mom, a 3rd grade teacher, get set up for virtual learning and looking for opportunities to tutor online. If you know a child (or parent) who could use some extra help understanding content while teaching at home, let us know!

Tobias is going to be looking for some ways to volunteer in the Minneapolis area. He is also going to take this time to work on some video editing and other projects he has been putting off. He is also going to be helping paint the new duplex.

Mainly we are looking forward to taking this time to spend with family!