Friday 12th June.
It’s lovely to be home again. That is, in our “other” home, in the UK. While it’s clouding over now it’s been a glorious day, since we arose at midday…:)
The journey to get here from Veracruz in Mexico, was almost flawless in execution. Though much more expensive than it would have been several months ago!
Back to the departure from Mexico. Wednesday 10th June.
We had paid to stay in the apartment in Veracruz for another 4 days but were quite happy to be leaving early, as the heat and humidity were exhausting.
Miraculously we managed to cram everything we could take out of Poki into a Kathmandu soft travel bag, two, wheeled Chinese soft suitcases, who’s handles had been resown and two other bags.
Quite a bit of food had to be left behind.
A taxi was hailed within minutes outside the apartment and our journey had commenced. Waiting for our flight, the only one on the Departures board, two others were displaying, ‘Cancelled’. We speculated as to whether our flight status would change too?
AeoroMar Flight VW654, an ATR72 arrived on time and us 13 passengers were on our way as scheduled at 20:50. Arriving at Mexico City at 22:00 having lost an hour en-route. We took a taxi straight to the Airport hotel 10min away.
At 11am the next day, after a patchy sleep, a taxi took us back to the airport. American Airlines flight AA1031 a 737-800 to Miami, left on time at 13.50. About 80% full. The onward flight to Heathrow, Iberian flight AA38 a 777-300ER left 1 hour 40min later, about 70% full. This was a code share with American Airlines who provided the aircraft. All fascinating stuff but not as comfortable or as exciting as driving a Land Rover Defender…:).
Friday 12th June. Arriving back home in the UK.
The arrival at Heathrow was surreal. It often takes 30 min or more for a landing slot. This time we were the only aircraft moving, in the air or on the ground.
A new law has been passed in the UK requiring all new arrivals to provide detailed accommodation information and to self isolate for 14 days. Better late than never and we are very happy to oblige to ensure anything we may have picked up on the way is not transmitted.
Having Steve, our taxi driver waiting on our arrival was great. Steve had driven up from West Sussex to pick us up. While we wore our masks, Steve didn’t seem to be worried about any virus spread and didn’t even have a mask. Lets hope we are uninfected Steve, as we would hate to be responsible for infecting you.
Lockdown entertainment.
What can we do for two weeks? I know, read…:)
‘The Myth of the Good War’ by Jacques R. Pauwels is proving fascinating. How a large part of the American commercial elite including Ford, General Motors, Standard Oil & Texaco also IBM traded with the reich right through WW2 keeping the Nazi war machine going and profits booming. How the Japanese were almost invited to invade the US and Joseph Stalin was not the ogre he was made out to be, with the Allies at least.
All this ties in with Phillip Knightly’s book, ‘The First Casualty’ (truth). I’m also reading ‘America’s Deadliest Export’ by William Blum. Recently read ‘Power Worshipers’ by Katherine Stewart. About the influence of radical religion behind the current Republican party and Donald Trump. I didn’t consider it well written and got bored with it after a couple of chapters. A picture of my reading interests is emerging here?..:)
England and the West Sussex countryside is beautiful in the summer with the sun shining.
Blog activity will be suspended until Poki arrives at Southampton on or about the 22nd July. This event will be eagerly awaited. Not only to find out what is in her, but to have her sitting outside the door to keep alive the desire to travel and continue our journey.
A late update, Jen found her camera. Did you put it in her bag Kelvin?..:)
Views: 308
Glad to hear you are back safe and sound.
Don’t worry bro, I have one of them, hang on, I am one of them!
Which one?..:)
Good news about the missing camera. Get all the photos backed up (in duplicate!) before it goes walkabout again.
Yes John…:)
Great to hear you got back safely. Fingers crossed Poki comes home as full as you packed it! Enjoy your quarantine relaxation. Getting ready to roll at this end and hopefully all will go as seamlessly as your experience. Helen and Stuart
Hi Helen & Stuart, we should have looked harder into shipping by container. Never mind. Next time..:)
We’ll catch on Skype before you leave.
So glad you made it to UK safe and sound !! We have been avidly reading all your adventures!! Mum and mike log on every Sunday to catch up with you and she sends her love – all well here – still off work due to coronavirus it will be July when we return but unsure if our business will survive yet – enjoy your time in U.K. love to you both kelly and Stacy
Hi! to you both. Great to hear everybody is well. Challenging times. Your business will be fine, you are irreplaceable.
Smiles
Us xx
Glad you have reached Britain, not that it’s safe but it’s familiar. Keep well.
Hi! great to hear from you Suzanne. Yes, it’s lovely here but looking forward to being back in NZ around Oct.
Teaching online? 🙂
Great to hear you both are safe and healthy and enjoying your Bucket List of things.
as always Bruce and Jan
Calgary Canada
Hey Guy’s, been thinking of you…:)
Best. Us x
Have you been following the situation in Guatamala and what you might now be doing if you hadn’t made a dash for the exit?
Hi John, yes, cases rising dramatically, however our camp was isolated and quite safe.We were very privileged to be hosted by Pierre & Aska. The theoretical risk was food running out but Guatemala has an absolute abundance of food grown locally. We do miss fresh papaya, pineapple and mango’s..:) However, we are happy with our decision, particularly bringing Poki with us. We have purchased flights returning to NZ early October then back here mid April 2021 to ship Poki to Columbia in the hope that a vaccine will have arrived by then. Meantime we are enjoying the UK very much great weather and endless episodes of ‘Porridge’ ..:)