Its been seventeen months since we last saw our Children and 20 months since we hugged our parents. During that time we have all become experts at using Zoom, adhering to lock-down restrictions, undergone periods of mandatory quarantine and observed mask wearing and social distancing requirements. All the aforementioned were done with our usual Churchillian fortitude, good grace and in the spirit of doing what is right for society.
Living in Dubai as we do we have also been fortunate that the Dubai Authorities stole a march on proceedings and forged ahead, at pace, with mass vaccination of the population and indeed, we have been double jabbed with Pfeizer since February 2021.
However, the UK government placed the U.A.E on a Red List and for most of this period there were no flights directly to the UK. In almost 30 years of living overseas, this is the first time that our own government has officially said you are not welcome to come home…….a sobering thought for a professional expatriate who is used to jumping on a flight at a moments notice.
However, during the last month Emirates Airlines have re-started direct flights for U.K. Nationals and even though the U.A.E is still on the UK Government’s Red List, we are allowed to fly. The mandatory restrictions in doing so are that:
We take a PCR test 72 hours before Boarding the flight.
We book in to a UK Government approved Quarantine Hotel for 11 nights, at a cost of £2,500 for the two of us.
During Quarantine we take a further two PCR tests on Day 2 and Day 8 of quarantine.
When departing the UK back to Dubai, we will have to take a further PCR test 72 hours before returning to Dubai at a cost of £140 each.
If all goes smoothly, our “Freedom Day” will be 11 days after landing at Heathrow. Well I can hear you all saying that if you want to travel during these difficult times then you have to follow the rules. I couldn’t agree more although, as I sit in my quarantine hotel room writing this blog, the world outside in the U.K. seems to be operating under a completely different set of guidelines and all we see on the news is people complaining about wearing a simple thing such as a face mask, hesitating to obtain their free vaccination and moaning that their holidays in Portugal have been disrupted by the need to isolate at home when returning from Amber list countries….Really??!! I believe some perspective is required.
The reason my Blog has been so quiet lately is that I did not want to continually write about COVID. I like to write about creativity not negativity. However, I felt some people might find it useful to understand how to approach travelling safely in this pandemic world, understand the motivations for doing so and also how to cope with 11 nights in one hotel room with nowhere else to go. Let me also be clear, COVID Quarantine is not a holiday. I can quite categorically state that if we had not seen family for so long then we would not have travelled at all and would have taken a holiday at home in Dubai.
So, let me rewind to about 1 month prior to our trip. The UK is about to open up and mandatory restrictions are being dropped by the U.K. Government. Meantime, cases of the Delta variant are going through the roof. Perfect timing for a trip from “safe-haven Red Listed U.A.E.” to good old Blighty! Well at this point Mrs. C and I would go to hell and back to see our kids (hmm might turn out to be quite an appropriate analogy).
So we booked flights and spent money on booking business class seats. Then Mrs. C noticed that we could use all those un-used air miles and upgrade to first class both there and back. Rock and roll, the bar is open and mines a large one….ooops wrong blog sorry for the euphemism:-)
So on to the hotel booking. Don’t muck about says I, book a suite at the Four Seasons says me. Mrs. C just gave me one of her shrivellers (definition of a shriveller is basically a thousand yard stare whist placing your foot across the neck of the person you are staring at…you get my drift that its not good). You log on to the UK government travel quarantine website, pay your £2,500 (in god we trust but the UK Govt wants cash in advance!) and you are allocated a hotel. There is no choice. We were booked in to the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow. Alas my sea-view balcony suite was not to be.
Having made all the bookings and logistical arrangements the next hurdle is to have a PCR test. This was our first PCR test since the start of the pandemic and I don’t mind telling you we were rather anxious. This was taken 72 hours before departure of our flight. More online form filling ensued at the testing centre and then it was time for the test. I just looked at the young lady with my best soppy spaniel eyes and crumpled telling her I was a “scaredy-cat”. She seemed to take pity on me and and as a result the PCR test simply tickled rather than feeling like a drill searching for my brain. The next morning we got our negative test result by SMS and gave a collective sigh of relief. We were definitely flying and so it was full steam ahead!
When we arrived at DXB (Dubai Airport), first class check-in was super smooth although, at both check-in and immigration, you have to produce all you travel documentation in hard copy, particularly the copy of the negative PCR test and the formal confirmation of the quarantine hotel booking. Within 15 minutes we reached the sanctuary of the first class lounge.
A glass of champagne quickly calmed our jangling nerves and the staff in the Emirates lounge were so kind. With all that is going on in the world we certainly felt very fortunate and privileged. However, don’t think that we were throwing caution to the wind, as the following picture shows us in full travel kit; face shield and N95 mask along with the usual disinfectant wipes and sanitiser. Don’t worry what others may think, do whatever makes you feel safe, comfortable and protect yourself and those around you.
Meantime, I also took the opportunity to photograph some of the beautiful architecture of DXB. Usually, we are always racing through the airport in search of our gate and never take time to appreciate the futuristic building and the way it creates both light and shadows.
After a painless transition from terminal to first class cabin and a very comfortable flight to London (the crew were so kind and helpful and the Dom Perignon had been chilled to the perfect temperature) we arrived at London Heathrow Terminal 2 full of trepidation.
As we left the plane we were all immediately put on a bus and taken directly to Terminal 4, which is only used for flights coming from “Red List” countries. Security was super strict as we were marched to Immigration. We seemed to be the only flight in the terminal at that time and after producing the myriad of hard copies of our travel documents and being allocated a red ticket designating the Radisson Blu Hotel, (you would have thought we would be given a blue ticket but I digress) we collected our luggage and were put on to a coach with about 50 other people.
It was at this point that we were glad that we were still wearing our face shields and N95 masks as there seemed to be no social distancing regulations at all. More producing of passports and hotel tickets ensued so that they could identify who we were, where we were staying and what seat number we were sitting on the coach, just in case some of us turned out to be COVID-positive.
On the bus to our hotel - not exactly socially distanced!
As ours was the last drop-off, the relatively short journey took about 1.5 hours. When you arrive at your hotel you remain seated on the coach and they take your passport to check you in. You are then individually escorted in to the hotel by security guards, where you again fill-in a number of questionnaires, all seemingly with the same questions that we had answered many times before.
The last thing we were asked to do was to fill in our menu choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the entire ten days. A tip for young players, take your time doing this as what you put on the form is what you will get!! Following this, security escorts you to your room and you can breathe a huge sigh of relief, sort of, as your quarantine begins in earnest.
In our experience their are a number of key survival tips for the COVID-savvy traveller when trying to quarantine in a hotel room for 11 nights:
It is what is it, get over it, don’t complain and keep reminding yourself why you are doing it.
Don’t even attempt 11 days quarantine with someone with whom you don’t get along.
Treat the hotel room like your home. It is a small space and you have to keep it clean and tidy. Remember that you are in quarantine and no-one is coming in to your room to do it for you. You will have to do it yourself.
It is vital to have a structure to your day. The day is already structured around breakfast lunch and dinner but it helps to break up the morning and afternoon in to exercise (thank god for Joe Wickes TV exercise sessions), mindfulness such as meditation and Tai-Chi and creativity, whether its writing a blog, colouring-in, jigsaws, crosswords or simply reading. Of course, you have a television but I don’t think its healthy spending all day glued to a T.V.screen.
Having said that, take your computer, iPad and a charger as well as an HDMI cable. At least you can then screen Netflix and / or Amanzon Prime on the hotel TV and vary your viewing, thereby avoiding the relentless rolling news programs which are generally full of negativity.
We had a rule not to lay on the bed unless we were going to sleep. Sounds a bit strange but keeps you active and alert throughout the day.
Make a point of speaking to your loved ones on a regular basis as this keeps you focussed on why you are putting yourself through all of this. For us we were on the same time zone, we could use free WhatsApp phone and video calls as well as the usual Zoom.
Depending on the hotel, take your own washing up liquid and laundry wash for your unmentionables. Our hotel allowed seven essential items for free laundry but that doesn’t go very far.
The food comes in brown carrier bags and is in cardboard cartons with wooden cutlery and tastes so much better on a plate. So pack a travel set of plates / bowls and cutlery.
Keep the windows open to ensure ventilation and use essential oils and a diffuser to maintain a healthy atmosphere, especially at night. We bought a great little travel diffuser at Muji Dubai which did the job perfectly.
Take your daily exercise. We were allowed an hour a day outside. We called security and were escorted to the hotel car park. It is exactly 220 steps around the perimeter with guards at the entrance and at strategic points. Trust me you are not getting out but I did laugh when Mrs. C started whistling the tune to the Great Escape as we did lap after lap. Fortunately the weather was scorching hot (were we really in the U.K.?) so we took advantage of getting some fresh air and much needed natural vitamin D.
That reminds me, make sure you take sufficient supply of whatever medicines and supplements you need. For me it was daily vitamin C plus weekly vitamin D.
There will be security everywhere. You cannot leave your room unattended and without permission and all corridors and exits are guarded 24/7. This is not a hotel stay but enforced quarantine. I think it is also good to remember that these people are generally trying to help you so treat them kindly and with respect. They are just doing their job and have the same problems and worries as you. They are generally very friendly ad they make life much easier for those people that treat them with courtesy.
With all the above in mind we set out to practice what we preach. As usual I had my camera (as you see from the imagery) and it did give me time to update my website and write a long-overdue Blog.
Mrs. C is very organised on this front. She is an avid Dissectologist (i.e. a Jigsaw person) and so had taken one with her as well as lots of reading, podcasts and a colouring book. Not your usual run of the mill colouring book mind but with the resultant pictures suitable for framing!
I had brought along my Leica SL2 and the manually adapted and super-wonderful Leica 50mm Apo Summicron M lens. I then set about trying to step outside of my comfort zone to create some quarantine imagery.
Environmental Portrait - A Cry for Freedom.
Still Life
In exploring the different photographic genres I hesitantly suggested to the ever camera shy Mrs. C that given we were effectively living in a bedroom, how about trying a bit of Boudoir photography. Well I nearly broke my jaw as it hit the floor when Mrs. C immediately acquiesced to this tentative suggestion, saying what a great idea it was! Rock & Roll, the bar is open and mines a large one…..Ooops wrong Blog again!
Naturally I immediately thought break out the “Happy Birthday Steve Nightie” and started planning a number of “artistic” poses. After all, if it was in the name of art it would all be totally acceptable, especially given that I had Leica’s highest resolving M mount lens with me coupled with a 47 mega pixel sensor that would reveal all in the minutest detail.
Alas, my muse, my best friend and the love of my life knows me only too well and was already a minimum of 5 steps ahead of me. When it came time for the shoot she reasoned, in a form of cold, concise logic, which seems to be inherent in the female of our species, that given we were in the middle of a global pandemic and undertaking enforced lock-down, that the images should also be in a COVID-friendly format……Denied!
I felt crushed but really should have known better. Whilst regular readers know that I am King of my castle and of course am in full control of proceedings, I decided that it would be best to humour Mrs. C in the spirit of entente-cordiale and that it would be easier taking the images if she took her foot off my neck! She’s a feisty one is our Mrs. C.
Suitably deflated after our COVID Boudoir experience, I thought things couldn’t possibly get worse….enter the arrival of the mandatory day two PCR test! How difficult could this be……..?
Crikey, it is one thing to have someone else root about up your hooter with an oversized cotton bud but it is really something else to do it yourself. In the U.K. it is a multi-part procedure:
Rub the swab over both tonsils for 5 seconds each, without touching teeth, gums or your tongue….absolutely impossible and almost saw the return of my breakfast twice!
Using the same swab stick up both nostrils and twizzle for a further five sends each. Equally impossible as I couldn’t see for the tears running down my face.
Once this is done place the swab in the liquid filled tube provided and seal.
Then make a cardboard box from the kit provided and seal everything inside (this was the Krypton Factor bit and thank goodness Mrs. C was there as she always takes charge of technical issues).
Finally follow the instructions, (always a challenge for me as like all photographers I never read the manual) login on the NHS website, register the test and appropriate barcode number and “Bob’s your uncle, Fannies your brother’s sister” you have completed the exercise. Leave the box outside the hotel door, phone security, they will collect and you get the result within 48 hours…..or not!
Well that was that then, security stopped by and collected our tests and we crossed our fingers hoping that all would be well. Disconcertingly, about two hours later, a security guard stopped by and asked why we had not left our tests out for collection. After a few frantic calls on the walkie talkie he told us not to worry and that he was sure all would be fine !
48 hours later and still no test results. Our worst fears began to materialise. Mrs. C was already fearing the worst as I tried to calm things down and went in to Dad’s Army mode….”Don’t Panic Mr. Manwering” (you have to be British and of an age to understand that joke).
So I didn’t panic and against all instincts I followed the procedure in the instruction pack and dialled 119, The NHS Test, Track and Trace hotline. I spoke to a delightful young lady who must have been all of fourteen years old and who was super helpful. However, after speaking for 15 minutes and providing all manner of information she thanked me profusely and then said that alas she couldn’t help and would have to escalate us to level 2 (By now DEFCON 2 in our room I can tell you). The only problem being that the response time from the DEFCON 2 team was currently running at 36 mins and rising so the young lady politely asked if we would we mind holding? “Needs must when the devil drives” and of course we didn’t mind as our impending freedom was in the balance and being threatened!
55 minutes later I was finally put through to the the DEFCON 2 team who proceeded to take down all the details I had previously provided to the first young lady before giving us each a case number and telling us they would call us back, all things being equal, in the fullness of time and at the appropriate juncture?!
At 10 p.m. that evening we both received sms’s from NHS track and trace to say our tests results were both negative. If I had had a bottle of Bollinger in the fridge I would have cracked it open. As I didn’t, we settled for a cup of peppermint tea instead.
Next morning the DEFCON 2 team called us to apologise that they still hadn’t located our tests. Between gritted teeth I calmly and helpfully told them that the results had now been received and that they could remove us from their “Priority List”. The young gentleman on the phone seemed genuinely very pleased and we were very relieved. However, we only hoped that our final Day 8 PCR test would go a little smoother and would come back on-time and negative, thereby allowing us to avoid an enforced extension to our quarantine experience.
The next few days passed without incident as we quietly “did our time” and made the most of this enforced down-time. Then the big day arrived, ourf Day 8 PCR test. This had to provide a negative result and be delivered back within 48 hours for us to have our “Freedom Day”.
We took great care in taking the test, sealing the submission box, filling in the forms and of course registering everything online. Having triple checked everything we placed both kits outside our hotel room door. 15 minutes later there was a knock and the security guard confirmed pick-up. Everything was now out of our hands.
The next morning, as we sat in bed with our cup of tea whist watching the Olympics on the TV, Mrs. C’s phone sprang to life. The ensuing text confirmed that her Day 8 PCR test had been received and yes she was negative!!! Alas, my phone remained deathly silent for the next six hours as Mrs. C continued to reassure me that even if I had to extend my stay in quarantine, she would be sure to look after the kids and make sure we did not waste all those dinner reservations. I then dropped the bombshell that the rules stated that unless both of us were clear, none of us were getting out. The look of panic on Mrs. C’s face suggested that a call to the DEFCON 2 team might be the appropriate course of action. Then, saved by the bell, my phone went off, a text was received and I too received my negative test result. It started to sink in that we would be leaving.
Up until day 8 everything had actually passed very quickly but the time from day 8 until the morning of day 11 seem to take an absolute age. Our subsequent release was somewhat of an anti-climax as Security checked our negative PCR results, escorted us to the car-park gate and politely asked us to leave. That was that and we were free!!!
Two hours later we were at Colliers Wood tube station waiting for our daughter Anna. As she came through the turnstiles both Mrs. C and I let out a shriek of Joy and quite openly tears of Joy were shed by all. Just to hug our daughter after so long was such a wonderful feeling and worth all the turmoil of COVID travel and quarantine.
Over lunch at a pub in Merton Abbey Mills we continued to laugh and cry and shared our COVID-Travel trials and tribulations over fish and Chips and a glass of something fizzy. Do you think Mrs. C looks happy?
Later that evening we also met up with our son Simon and again more happy tears were shed. As we sat in the garden of Simon’s local hostelry, (The Selkirk Arms) our wonderful family was once agin re-united, all was very happy in our little world and I finally got the picture I had so dearly wanted.
These past 2 years have been a sobering reminder of how fragile life really is and above all, how important it is to share as much time as possible with the people you care about and love the most.
For me, as I press “file save” and publish this blog I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I recall how wonderful it was to be with our children.
One thing I can promise you, It will not be another two years before we are together again!