This time last week - Mazatlan!! Okay, that didn’t quite work out the way we expected. We were supposed to be there for 14 days but ended up coming home after 7. We are now spending the other 7 plus an additional 7 in self-isolation at home – but that’s okay, we are darn glad to be back in Canada. We left Toronto on Saturday the 14th of March from Terminal 3 at Pearson (picture top left) did a 3-hour layover in Mexico City and arrived in Mazatlan that evening. On Tuesday the 17th (Happy St Patrick’s Day!!) we listened to Justin Trudeau tell us that if we were Canadians in a foreign country to get our asses back home as flights were getting scarce. Being a good Canadian (and very protective of my ass) I immediately got on the phone to change our flights back on Aero Mexico. Two hours later, while still on hold (and finding out that it would cost an additional $2600 U.S. to change flights), I checked out Itravel2000’s website and in 3 minutes had found 2 seats (out of 3 left) flying back Saturday the 21st from Mazatlan through Dallas through to Toronto on American Airlines. The total flying time was shorter (4 ½ hours) and the price ($934 Can.) a lot cheaper, than Aero Mexico. Needless to say, we took them. We spent the next 3 days waiting for our flight in Mazatlan at our resort (El Cid Marina) – where the staff were excellent and the food was great. (I’ll be writing up an account in a couple of days). On Saturday when we went to the airport we were extremely nervous – what if we failed the health check and couldn’t get on the plane? Because if we were denied access how could we get back to Canada? I came up with several alternatives – they might sound strange, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. We could:
1. Return to the resort for the next week (already paid for) and hope that the Aero Mexico flight on the 28th wasn’t cancelled.
2. Book a bus from Mazatlan through to Toronto – Mazatlan to Chihuahua -> Dallas -> Detroit -> Toronto (Royal York Hotel) – only $504 Can. Each and 2 days 18 hours travelling. Problems with that was getting across the Mexican / U.S. border and then the U.S. / Canada one
3. We met a guy at the hotel that had a horse ranch – rent a couple of horses and burros for the luggage, head across the Sierra Madres to Matamoros on the Caribbean side, swim across the Rio Grande, and catch a bus / plane / train to Canada. Same border problems
4. Hey, we were staying at a Marina – there were yachts with Canadian flags – how about bribing the skipper to run us up the coast to B.C.? Problems with that – Mexican and U.S. Coast Guard cutters with big guns
5. Stay in Mexico until this all blew over – problem with that – Zeke the Dog still in Canada – that was a no brainer, the boy comes first
Luckily we passed the heat / health check at the Mazatlan airport with out any problems – when we went to go through security we were zapped first thing and told to move along, we were okay 😊 That was a giant relief 😊 We hadn’t been able to find any protective face masks at all in Mazatlan, they had all sold out, so we did the next best thing. I have a large selection of doo-rags to protect my head from the sun, so we used the last two clean ones I had tied around our faces for protection (picture at left). We wore these on the plane and in the airports at Dallas and Toronto – received some strange looks and a couple of laughs from the customs people. Saw some strange people in the airports (Dallas Fort Worth – 3rd picture at left), luckily not going to be on our flight. The flights were fairly smooth and we arrived on time back in Toronto shortly before midnight. Cleared customs and were in our hotel room in 45 minutes from leaving the plane. We had contacted Kelly’s sister earlier and asked her to pick up a few supplies (food, toilet paper, beer) as we knew that we had to go into self-isolation for 14 days. And she picked up Zeke the Dog on the morning of our arrival back in London and he was waiting for us when we got home 😊 … and so were our requested supplies. I did an inventory to make sure that we had the staples: rice, potatoes, carrots, onions, flour, salt, pastas and noodles, etc. – and we already had a lot of meat in the freezer – ground pork, veal, and lamb; and cuts of chicken, pork and beef - you get the idea. Good thing that both of us cook 😊 However, when you go to make a favorite dish, there’s a good chance that you will be missing something. That’s when you learn how to substitute other ingredients but make something just as filling and tasty. I’ll be providing some easy lunch and dinner recipes in the next couple of days. For example, the first three days we had shepherd’s pie (without potatoes), curried chicken (missing the usual veggies), and Singapore Noodles with Pork and Shrimp (without bean sprouts and oyster sauce) – oh, and Kelly is making a great chili that’s not traditional with a 3-bean medley and shredded pork. Kelly and I are also catching up on some Netflix series – currently binge watching ‘Wanted’, an Australian series with 3 seasons. Soon, Ozark and Money Heist will be on with their new episodes – can’t wait for that. We’re also watching a lot of old TV sitcoms from the sixties and seventies – brings back a lot of memories. I’m hoping to do a few updates in the next week or so – recipes, stories, travels, reviews of foreign films, etc. – so see you soon!! (virtually, not in person) 😊
So, what can someone do for 14 days of isolation?
• Check your health on a regular basis (temperature, breathing, coughs) – don’t hesitate to get help if required
• Keep in touch with friends and family – Facebook, IM Chat, Telephone – by any means except in person
• Learn a new recipe
• Learn a new language
• Catch up on reading your favorite authors
• Play cards or dig out old board games or jig saw puzzles (remembering to clean all 1000 pieces with Purell)
• Watch old sitcoms and dramas on TV or Netflix (a lot of cable services are providing free access to pay-per-view channels)
• Play with your pet
• Do a little light exercise (stretches, sit-ups, etc. – just don’t kill yourself doing it)
• Find out if your government has a program set up for financial assistance during the pandemic (if you are laid off, unemployed, etc. – Canada has one)
• Above all, keep a sense of humour 🙂