Quarantine In China

Although we were supposed to be in China on July 25th, 2020, COVID played its hand. Months of working twice a day (about 6pm-midnight and then 7am-1pm) left me haggard, out of routine, and stressed. We got our visas but the next available flight was a month out. Finally, our date arrived. But just two weeks before we left, the Chinese government changed the rules. A COVID test (not a rapid one) had to be administered within two days of flying as did an antigen/antibody test. Both had to have results back to us and sent to the Chinese embassy for approval, and back in our hands BEFORE flying.

It was a mad couple of days. Sarah called probably 50 service providers and none could ensure that the results would be back in time, not to mention the fact that the embassy was keeping reduced hours. We drove clear across the state to Hazel Park for our test. While there, we were told by the doctor that the clinic we were off to next for the antibody test did not do the correct test. We were sent to Farmington Hills for our bloodwork. 90 min later, we had our results: none of us had had COVID before. One down. We drove all the way home and waited for the PCR test. On Thursday night, we got them, all negative. Our paperwork was sent to the embassy and within 1 hour we were approved to fly. The next morning we headed to the airport with 8 full bags containing everything we would need for the year and many new clothes (our shipment would not arrive from India for many months). 

From Grand Rapids to Minneapolis and on to LA we flew, masks on, seats spaced out. In LA we had to collect the 400+ lbs of luggage and go from domestic to international, no small feat. A line of 300 people deep awaited, where our paperwork was checked for approval and we checked in. We could not all sit together (something that would factor in later) and we pushed on through security. No restaurants were open so we made do with our first real meal of the day after 11 hours of travel by sitting on the floor and eating $20 tacos. As we boarded, more than a few passengers opened their luggage and put on full-body haz-mat suits! 

Our flight was uneventful but notable was that we were scanned twice for temps during the flight and all snacks were pre-packaged in a giant bag on our seat at the start. 14+ hours later we landed in Guangzhou. Shockingly (uncharacteristically for China), no one moved on arrival. They all stayed seated. We sat on the plane for about 40 min before an announcement approved all to get off the plane. 15 min later we were walking off the plane for a temperature check. A few feet further down the jetway, another check. As we reached the terminal we were given a sheet of paper, all instructions in Chinese, with a number on it and put into a corral to wait. Though we could not understand the announcements, we found we were being called in groups of 15 to go to the next phase. Our number was 418.  After about an hour we proceeded to the processing. Every worker had on a full white suit, mask, and face shield.  We had to fill out an app on our phones and then scan the code at a computer terminal. We were temp checked again and passports scanned. We then went down a jetway into another part of the airport for testing. A very aggressive nose swab was conducted (pause here to describe the COVID test for those who haven't had one: A q-tip on a long, wooden rod is placed up your nose, all the way up, and twirled. It is left in there for a moment, then shoved into your brain and spun again just to be sure. It is very unpleasant and if you are really lucky, you get one in each nostril.). We then headed on to immigration and baggage claim. Once there we headed out and into another line hundreds deep.

Survived the plane ride and waiting for testing

After waiting for about an hour in this line, we arrived at the front. You are scanned again (passports have a QR code on them that has all your details so you can be processed quickly). We stepped outside and pushed our carts to the bus. It was a free-for-all to load the bags under the bus; people shoved bags there and walked away with no organization or care for others. I barely got our bags on there, but was left dripping in sweat. We boarded the bus and rode about an hour into downtown (each bus goes to a different hotel and you have no idea which hotel you will end up at nor how far it will be from the city) with a temperature check along the way. 

Once at the hotel, we were taken off the bus and sprayed down with disinfectant, along with our bags. Each one of us was sprayed down: arms, legs, and bottom of feet with a bleach-solution, as were our suitcases. We then went into the hotel lobby and went step by step through filling out many confusing forms in Chinese all asking pretty much the same info (name, address, exposure history to the virus). We then checked in. Again, every person was wearing the full antivirus outfit; few spoke any English. Once cleared, we carted all our luggage up to our rooms; Taelyn and I in one room, Kaelia and Sarah in another. We were told to stay in the room and never to leave it for two weeks. We ordered lunch from the hotel and were treated to our first Chinese meal: lots of rice, some peppers with fried pork soaked in oil, some green-stemmed vegetable, and chicken, on the bone, skin on, fatty. It was our first and last hotel meal for the duration. 

Let's take a moment to describe the room. At first glance, it's dated, but not unusable: two small beds, a loveseat, a bathroom with a shower, and even a flat-screen tv. But that's where the fun ends. Everything is gold. It is disgustingly dirty and smells like a port-a-pottie. It also smells strongly of smoke, but that is just set into all the furniture. The real fun is when the cigarette smoke blows in through the vents. We have to run the aircon 24/7 to be able to breathe. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls, the carpet is stained and covered in both long and short black hairs. The couch comes straight from the basement on That 70s Show and has some questionable stains on it. Black mold haunts the shower and bugs crawl over the door. 

Here is a Smilebox Slideshow of our time. 

However, even though we all started at the same place, Sarah and Kaelia were moved the next morning. Someone on the plane near them tested positive for COVID. They were told to pack up and get downstairs immediately. They did, were yelled at for leaving their room, and went back up to the room for 5 hours before being picked up (Sarah had canceled her classes in panic and then sat there all day). However, even after being moved an hour away to a more restrictive hotel, they came out on top. Their room was nice, clean, and three times the size as the old one. The food was better and they could order ala carte or delivery. Bonus: we all still got out on the same day. 

A typical day might look like this: Rise around 7am (4am in the beginning with jet lag). Answer emails. Run in place for an hour. Core for 15 min. Stretch, shower, and snack. Temp check. A few work calls.  Break for a game of Mario Bros w/ T. Do some UC apps. Lunch. Work some more. Read more apps. Temp check. Watch a movie. Dinner. Play Zelda. Bed. Repeat.   Oh, did I mention I had to plunge out the toilet every other day as it was constantly stopped up?

Breakfast was items we brought with us, like granola bars or oatmeal, though we ran out of them before the end. Lunch and dinner were ordered in. It may sound fun bouncing from dumplings and egg-fried rice to steak, tacos, and pizza, but it gets seriously old. To order, we have to contact help at school. They send us a menu in Chinese. We can't read it so ask for something and she tries her best to find something close. We have no idea when it will arrive, and when it does, it is cold (the hotel checks everything and holds it and does a mass delivery to the rooms several times a day).  They drop it off outside their door, ring the bell, and run away in their haz-mat suits! 

The mountain of plastic we accumulated from delivery food and water bottles was enough to make any outdoor enthusiast weep. Taelyn and I made the most of it, doing as much work as we could and then playing games together. We beat Zelda: BOTW and Super Mario Bros Delux on Switch from start to finish, watched some movies and survived. 

On the 15th day, we were called at 9am and left our room for the first time in more than 2 weeks. At the elevator, we watched it go from floor 1 to 12 or 10 or 13 over and over. Each time it stopped on 9, it was full of people checking out. We waited more than 20 min before it finally arrived empty, and we hauled all of our bags into a left the size of a single shower. Check-out was uneventful compared to check it - we basically walked right outside the door.  The next few days we did many procedural tasks, going to IKEA to shop, checking in with the police, and conducting the bizarre, unfathomable health clinic visit. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. 

Taelyn stamps the final day!

My Smilebox Creation

An Evacuation of India

Probably my parents' worst nightmare is something going wrong abroad. We'd have to scramble to leave the country in haste. In April of 2020, we did just that. As COVID-19 descended, we found ourselves in a dilemma: leave India or wait it out. The risk in staying was that we were due in China for work and if we stayed, there would be no guarantee of being able to leave, not to mention our paperwork may expire and we could not get a visa from the consulates in the US. Therefore, when it became clear India was going to shut down, we looked for a way out. All commercial flights were grounded and only US Embassy evacuation flights were leaving. We got on a list and waited.

People in the US had been talking about "lockdown" to mean they were advised to stay home but they had no idea. India halted all movement with the roads cut off by the military. We could not go out to shop or run; you had to be off the streets. So our school issued a government-approved letter and with diplomatic plates on the van we were able to go in groups to the store a couple of times a week, but otherwise, it was a full lockdown. Our only saving grace was the embassy was still open a few times a week and we spent dinner over there, casually going through every beer in the bar on the generosity of our friend Uday and the surplus from the softball budget. 

Then the call came (email, actually). It essentially said "You are on a flight tomorrow night. Fill out this paperwork within 4 hours or you will be bumped."  Unfortunately, I got it at 10:40am and it was due at 1pm. They wanted all kinds of forms filled out with social security numbers and scanned documents. I spent the morning running to and from the office (a perk of living on campus). It was very stressful work in 100-degree temps. 

Meanwhile, we were selling, throwing away, and giving away most of our stuff. Because it was our final year in India, we had to ship our stuff to China. However, due to the haste in leaving, that shipment would occur after we departed. So we frantically took items to people's homes that bought them, filled bags full of stuff we did not need, and gave away many items. All items in the house had to be marked with a "take" or "do not take" for the movers who would come after we left. It would all sit there and be shipped without supervision at some point. 

A few hours later, we got an email that informed us that if we still wanted to be on the flight tomorrow, we had better submit our info. We panicked, having already sent it, and wrote for follow-up. The next morning (the day of the flight) we had heard nothing. Finally, we got a response back with a snarky reply. "You are not on that flight, probably b/c you did not follow instructions. Go back and read the email." I had more than a few retorts in mind but amazingly held back, and asked some embassy friends to look into it. Shortly after, the confirmation email came through. 

Our final hours were insane. Due to the evacuation flight, we only had one bag each for packing. Whatever had not been packed, given away, sold, or tossed, remained in the apartment. We had our great friend Faze over for a bottle of prosecco that we had from our trip to Italy to celebrate the end (or beginning?). We visited a friend for a glass of whiskey. A party was happening on campus and we stopped in for a quick goodbye to all who were staying. Grabbing all the beers left in my fridge, we carted everything to the gate. A group of families had gathered to say goodbye and it was a teary moment as we hastily said so long to those we'd lived with for four years, not knowing if we'd see anyone again. 

The bus ride to the airport was surreal. Normally, it is a parking lot of merging, horns, and chaos. This time, it was an eerie ghost town; not a car was on the road. The only deviation we took was around military barricades but we were permitted since we had diplomatic markings on the van plates and paperwork. The normally 45min to 1-hour journey was over in about 20 min, barely enough time to finish the beer. At 8:30pm, we pulled up to a dark, vacant airport with a lone American flag hanging over the entryway to the terminal. We took our place at the back of a long line and waited, inching forward every so often. The mosquitos swarmed in the swampy heat. Our flight was due to leave at 6am. The year's longest day wore on. 

America stands tall in the face of adversity

After a few hours, we learned that they were processing everyone on the earlier flight first. However, since some of the people taking the paperwork were known to us from the embassy, we were able to drop ours off and head for the doors. Around midnight we got in the terminal but no aircon was on. Since there were no other flights, there was no real check-in, and we were directed by some Marines to the bag drop. Normally this is a belted system with stickers and codes. Here is was a pile. We literally tossed our only possessions into a pile in the middle of the floor and walked away. Immigration, normally an hour-long disaster, took seconds. Since nothing was open, we headed for the gate. Nearly every light in the place was off, so the walk down was quite creepy. All of the stores were wrapped in shrinkwrap, so nothing could be touched, taken, or infected. 

A brief ID check was the only way in.

No rush to check in

Everything coated in plastic, wrapped up and dark

The Campbells alone in the terminal, normally filled with 50,000 people. 

They would not let us into the gate so we milled around. Finally, we were permitted into the gate area, but it was a long line where everyone had to show their ID and paperwork (I don't know who else they thought was there). Once we finally made it in, we settled down to wait. Soon an announcement came on and said we were moving gates. Seriously? I don't know who thought this one out but rather than drive the ONE damn plane that was at the airport a few gates down, they packed up 300 people and did the check-in all over again at the new gate. India. With a few hours left to go, we actually dropped onto the floor (the only time I willingly laid on the floor in India) and tried to rest. Some did. Then we were woken by an announcement and told we had to leave the check-in area for a security check. Grumbling, we departed, wobbled in place, and slowly inched back into the gate again. But soon the departure was upon us and everyone piled into the plane.

We were told to expect nothing on the flight. However, on each seat was a bag of food, full of fruit, snacks, and water. We also got several bottles of water throughout the flight, which had tv screens in the seats. It was as pleasant as any transcontinental flight we have had, except we had to wear masks the entire time. The waitstaff was very pleasant; every one of them did the round trip on a volunteer basis. Upon landing in San Francisco, a huge cheer went up. We were back in the US of A! I have never seen so many passengers appreciative and thankful to the stewardesses and pilots as on this flight. 

Landing in the US was normal, minus the typical amount of people. The airport was relatively chill, but yet more people than I would have expected given what we had just gone through. Since it was all done in a rush, and there was so much uncertainty about the trip, we had no onward connections. Sarah and I sat on the bags and used wifi to try to search a flight, though everything was $500/ticket or more. We toyed with connections, flying to Chicago and renting a car, and going to Detroit. The girls, exhausted no doubt, were escalating so we, frustrated, boarded the tram to the airport hotel. We checked in, paying far too much, but once we had a bed to lie in and a shower, found it worth it. Soon we searched out a flight and began to relax, days, even weeks of stress melting off. 

24 hours later we hopped back on the train and flew to Denver. It was vacant, and we struggled to find food. Our connection was to Chicago where we rented a car and did the long drive back to Michigan. Being back in our lakehouse was a relief, especially after what was essentially 4 days of hustle and travel. The next evening I drove to Grand Rapids and picked up our friend Faze. She would stay two weeks with us as we all were self-isolating. We did curbside pick up for groceries and relied on family to have stocked the fridge.  We celebrated Easter in isolation, and the girls, eager to play with their friends, would go outside and talk to them while sitting in boats and on docks, "separated." We did puzzles, worked online late at night for classes back in India, and watched "Tiger King." 

And thus ended a crazy evacuation from India during the pandemic.

PS - the unknown amount we had to promise to pay the government for these flights was never declared. We simply signed a promissory note and boarded the plane. No word came. Then, in October, many months later, we received a letter. The flights were over $2500 each ($10,000 for my family). We paid and submitted to our school (old school by that point) and, thankfully, were reimbursed. 

Nepal 2020

 Across the world, whispers of something called COVID started to turn into shouts. While we had yet to experience any of this in India to that point, we planned to go to Nepal. Others started to cancel their trips but we held out, hopeful we could still attend. 

We flew to Kathmandu and on to Pokhara with our hotel overlooking Phewa Lake. A hike up from town to the beautifully white World Peace Pagoda gave us views of the Annapurna Range that cannot be rivaled. Our driver took us to the south of town and we walked the short way to Devi's Falls, storied to have a tourist once go under and die. We also headed outside of town to the bat cave and walked under thousands of hanging creatures. If that wasn't questionable enough, we had to climb out. Not afraid of climbing a bit we managed to get out, but not without significant scrambling and squeezing out. The people ahead of us let us pass because they were, shall we say, not the same body type. How (if) they made it out, we will never know.

The next day we visited the International Mountain Museum. Inside were all sorts of pictures and artifacts dedicated to mountaineering in the region. There were some interestsing pieces related to Everest which I found informative. 

The world's fastest zip line is said to be here but the kids were too young to do it, so rather than go alone, we did something together. We were driven to the top of the mountain and then hooked into our harnesses. With a guide behind us, we were told to run toward the edge of the cliff and not stop. So we did and soon were sailing high above the lake. Paragliding offered amazing views of both the lake below and the mountains above. Due to the thermal updrafts, we were able to ride for quite some time, with a few people wishing it would end sooner, especially when we went into spinning dives. 

Our short trip was wrapped up with some cocktails and food while watching the sun set over the lake. Earlier that day we took a boat ride on the water, bumping around in the junky boats that take anyone and everyone out for a spin. We flew home to India shortly after, and within days, everything fell apart. Flights were canceled, people were stranded. COVID had arrived and, as we know, there would be no end in sight. We look at this whole experience as having stolen a vacation since there wouldn't be another for quite some time!

My Smilebox Creation

New Zealand

After arriving from a very long flight to Auckland, Justin popped up early in the morning after little sleep to collect our Jucy rental van, our home for two weeks.  This "van" had a kitchen of sorts, a dining table which turned into the main bed, and a lofted area that converted to a second bed. We grabbed groceries and headed down the road to our first stop, Hobbiton, where we would visit the Shire. This movie set was used in the filming of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and we walked through all of the places we saw on screen: the mill, Frodo's/Bilbo's house, Sam's house, the Party Tree, the garden, and we wrapped it all up with a stop in the Green Dragon Inn for a beer.

Onward we traveled to the beautiful Coromandel Pennisula and a stop at Hot Water Beach and the Hot Water Beach Resort Holiday Park. We spent the next three days hanging in our camper van here by the beach. While the ocean was far too cold to swim in, the beach was known for the chance to dig a hole in the sand at low tide and sit in the steamy waters.  Other side trips included a trip to the breweries in the area (Hot Water Brewing Company, The Pour House).  We headed up to the coast and decided to make the walk along the beach trail to Cathedral Cove. The name was misleading. After the first 100m was in the sand on the beach, we sent our sandals back to the car. Soon the path led up into the hills and sand turned to rooted trail and then rocky terrain.  We were still doing fine barefoot until the wooded path turned into a paved walkway.  This small, sharp stones making up the pavement were torture on our softened feet, and the sun coming down superheated the stone. We ended up running from shady spot to spot on the trail or jumping off and onto the grass or sand alongside when we could stand it no more. The walk was supposed to take 1.5 hours but we did it in about 45 min. We were rewarded with wonderful waves and views at Cathedra Cove and the kids were tempted to swim. After getting slammed by ice-cold giant waves, they stepped out. We had the long walk back and suffered the pain, but beer at the finish line made it all a memory.  We also celebrated Christmas in the van and made up a delicious dinner of steak, lobster, and shrimp on the grill.

Before heading to the next town, we made a stop in the national park to do a little hike. It was pouring rain and cloudy when were arrived, not ideal conditions for the next morning's trek. However, when we arose at 4:30am, the sky was clear.  We drove to the bus and took a bus to the park.  Our objective was the Tongariro Crossing, a 12.5-mile traverse of the mountains southwest of Taupo. It is hailed as the best one-day hike in the world, but is known for having brutal weather swings. Most people on the bus were dressed for what looked like a ski outing and we felt a little underprepared.  Once on the trail we steadily stamped out a pace on the well-formed boardwalks, staying ahead of most groups.  Others caught and passed us early but we overtook nearly all of them by the end. A long, steady climb greeted us from the gates and we hiked for quite a while as the sun rose over Mt. Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe).  Stopping only for snacks and water, we pushed up the slopes and headed for the ridge where we were greeted with an apocalyptic flat of sand surrounded by cliffs. Mad Max could have been filmed here. The wind was wicked across this vast opening.  At the end we started a steep climb up the ridge, often going hand over hand to avoid getting blown off the peak. Our hands froze as we battled the wind. It was 15 minutes of insanity.  The view from the top, however, was worth it. Huge peaks and deep valleys were all around, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  We descended down a steep scree slope, hoping not to fall. We all met up around Emerald Lakes, a series of small, green ponds colored by minerals. From there we dropped down again to a flat before a steep but brief climb to Blue Lake, a wonderful sight. From there the intensity rose again as we climbed high on the ridge, working our way around the mountain. Eventually, we started a long series of switchbacks down the mountain, hot springs all around.  We eventually entered the forest and kept to trails along rushing rivers for the remainder of the hike. After about 4.5 hours we reached the road, well ahead of nearly everyone that started with us. Most people take 7-8 hours. Exhausted, we snacked and rested while we waited several hours for our bus to pick us up. It was one of the prettiest but most difficult hikes we have done.

Our next stop took us to Taupo, the outdoor capital of the north island. We stayed in another holiday park (Lake Taupo Holiday Resort). The plus of this place was a giant pool with a cave, swim-up bar, and movies on the big screen twice a day!

Taelyn and Justin had been eyeing a skydive outing for over a year and set out to do it here. When they arrived, the winds were high and after waiting several hours, they were told they could not jump (with Taelyn being light, they didn't feel safe in these conditions). Undeterred, they came back a day later and waited out the weather. Dressed in gear, they climbed aboard the plane and headed up, oxygen masks on, still unsure if they could jump.  At 15,000 ft. they scooted to the door, looked down, and with a thumbs up, rolled out into the blue.  The 1 min free fall was intense but the setback was fingers and faces instantly froze.  The dive was captured on video making for a great memory.

After the dive, the fam headed to the Rock N Ropes.  Each person faced their fears by climbing high and traversing obstacles. One of our favorites was the telephone pole climb and the leap of faith to the trapeze.  The final test was a giant swing off a platform, freaking everyone out. Sarah had enough, and the girls could only jump from low, but Justin was able to climb to the top and do a jump 30ft into a giant pillow. It was terrifying and painful but a rush. Another thing we did was go to the Craters of the Moon, a geothermal park in Taupo. Lined with boardwalks, we went from place to place watching the steam come out of the earth.

After renting some bikes, we headed out for a 2-hour ride in the Craters Mountain Bike Park.  The girls were shaky at first but after a while found their groove and started doing some fun jumps, logs, and rails. Justin returned a couple of days later on his own and ended up doing some very technical trails. Routes did not hook up as planned, and with no phone service, things got sketchy. There were a few crashes and some close calls. He was on some trails where if he went over the edge, he wouldn't be found. After several hours and 20 miles, he made it back to the holiday park.

Another amazing adventure of Taupo is the Huka Falls Jet Boat experience. These vehicles hover on the top of the water and rip down the river at speeds of 80kmh. Every so often, the operator will whip the boat into a 360-degree turn, seeing who can keep down their lunch.  We also saw Huka Falls up close.  In this area, we started several hikes from Spa Park and hiked along the river to Huka Falls and back. In Spa Park you can also sit in the hot springs coming off the trails and find your comfort zone between the searing heat of the springs and the chill of the river. This is how we spent Sarah's birthday (New Year's Day) before having a dinner of steak, shrimp, lobster, and wine all before a movie in the pool.

Our drive north took us to the Glow Worm caves in Waitomo where an underground boat tour in the dark was met with amazing sparkling lights above us. Millions and millions of worms glow in the dark. It was quite a view, but cameras were not allowed so we didn't get to capture it. And then our trip to the North was finished as we returned to Auckland for the night. We played mini golf to kill the time.

The next morning we flew to the South Island. Our original plan was all the way to Queenstown but the time did not permit the distance. Instead, we landed in Nelson in the upper part of the South Island. Our first stop was Cable Bay Adventure Park, and while we were there for the skywire ride, we had more fun playing with the eels that were in the river by the start and taking on some archery. A ride to the top of the peak set us up for a ride back down on the world's longest flying fox. Unfortunately, the speed of the ride just didn't live up to the hype. While the views were cool and the ride down (forward) and the ride back (backward) was interesting, it lacked the real excitement for the price. Our base was Tahuna Beach Kiwi Holiday Park along the water, complete with putt-putt and walks on the beach. 

We drove to Able Tasman National Park for a day. Our first trip was a boat ride out to Seal Island and Apple Rock before we stepped off the boat for a long hike back through the woods. We crossed rivers and fields as well as a lake at low tide. Temps were warm and humidity high so it proved to be a fairly decent challenge. 

In town we rented bicycles to take on the Cycling Great Taste Trail, a non-descript route stopping at breweries along the way. Heavy winds posed a bit of a challenge for the kids but with frequent stops, we made it and got to try many new places. Cider was the big hit. Not to be outdone, the wine got it's turn on the weekend. We rented a cruiser which was essentially a 4-seater bike in the shape of a car. It looked amazing but it would prove to be a major mistake by the end of the day. The kids just could not pedal it well, and Justin ended up doing a bulk of the work, pushing the heavy vehicle down the road. At one point, it was so hot, the shirt had to come off. We bounced from winery to winery, having sips and samples at each along with the occasional meat and cheese platter. A nap and some television helped us recover enough for a drink at Dodson Street Beer Garden.

Totally beat, we flew back to Auckland for a final night but stuck with putt-putt and another night in the Ibis Hotel by the airport, content to rest before the flight back the next afternoon. New Zealand is probably on everyone's bucket list and while I hope our 2nd trip was not our last to this beautiful place. But we did it right, that's for sure. 

My Smilebox Creation