Quarantine Diary: Week 2

Day 16 of quarantine and still no end in sight. By now, we have settled in quite well in our hostel and have managed to adapt to the rather monotonous daily routine. Surprisingly, we manage to pass the days quite well with sleeping, eating, exercising, watching series, and just doing nothing. Nevertheless, we naturally long for our own four walls and would love to endure the rest of this crazy time at home. That's why it has already become part of our daily routine to check our emails hopefully several times a day, in case there is any positive news from the German Embassy in Lima.

Even though the embassy's communication is very exemplary and we receive an update on the current situation almost daily, the news is often sobering. The cooperation with the Peruvian authorities seems to be very difficult and commitments made are then withdrawn at short notice. So far, only two flights from Lima to Frankfurt have been able to depart within the entire two weeks. However, the first 600 evacuated people (a total of over 4,000 Germans are apparently in Peru) were already in Lima, as getting there is currently one of the biggest problems. Due to the rather strict curfew here (leaving buildings is only allowed alone and for shopping; no one is allowed on the streets from 8 pm - 5 am), it is not easy for us to drive to Lima at the moment. We depend on a travel permit that allows us, exceptionally, to travel within the country. But here, the Peruvian authorities come into play again...

So, in principle, we have to wait and hope for the German embassy or the Federal Foreign Office. Currently, another travel permit is being worked on, which would allow us to travel to Lima. After it was initially said that this would only be issued if we drive directly to the airport and to our flight, it now seems more likely that we will have to find accommodation in Lima again. Even if that works, it is still not clear when we can hope for a flight from there to Germany.

But to highlight positive things as well: at least we have been very lucky with our current hostel. The owner lets us stay here for a relatively small amount of money, we have a garden with a pool, and we are regularly supplied with food. In addition, the large group of stranded volunteers (who built a school in a neighboring town as part of a relief project) is particularly trying to keep the mood up. Of course, we also try to lift our spirits with the positive news and not let ourselves be brought down by every little setback. Therefore, currently, the full focus is on finding a solution for transportation to Lima, and then we will see further.

Furthermore, yesterday we experienced our highlight so far. After over two weeks, we left the hostel grounds for once and walked into town to do some shopping and get money. It is noticeable there that all people are wearing masks and, of course, there is a significantly increased presence of police and military. At the ATM, I had to wait for over an hour, but at least the supermarkets were well stocked and we got everything we needed for daily use. Since it was also very nice to simply take a walk again, we will certainly repeat this little necessary excursion in the next few days.

Other than that, I can recommend the following article to anyone interested, which describes and summarizes the current situation here and the problems associated with the repatriation flights very well:

https://www.aerotelegraph.com/so-kompliziert-ist-die-rueckholung-deutscher-urlauber