STAY NEGATIVE! - August 2020
We left our home in Nairobi on 2 August. I was very excited and nervous to take a plane after seven months. To be able to take the flight, we had to get COVID-19 tests. The possibility of being tested positive scared me a lot. Fortunately, Felix and I were negative! So we could take the flight!
Flying during the pandemic was a completely new experience. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was closed since March. They reopened in August. Our flight was at 4 am, and we needed to be at the airport three hours in advance. Due to curfew in Kenya, we were not able to drive to the airport after 9 pm. Therefore, we stayed at the airport hotel that night so that we could go to the terminal at 1 am. The airport operation was so messy that we ended up waiting and queueing in front of the door for 2 hours or more. It was tiring and frustrating to get into the terminal.
We traveled from Nairobi to Lyon with a stopover at Istanbul airport. I love to fly, but this time it was less lovable. While getting on the plane, the crew gave us the “pandemic kit” which included a mask and hand sanitizer. They served food in paper bags. Of course, there was no alcohol. Once we are at Istanbul Airport, it was surprising. All shops were open, and the food court was full of people. That was my first shock after all that confinement and curfew style of living in Nairobi. Luckily, we had a delicious Turkish lunch. When we landed in Lyon, all passengers were taken to a lounge, where there was a lot of COVID test cabins. We took another test there again. The next day we received the results; still, we tested negative.
It was great to be in France. Felix was walking on the clouds seeing all his family and friends. Though, it was weird not to kiss or hug anybody. Besides that, we were surprised to see all the busy bars and restaurants in Lyon. It was as if the pandemic didn’t exist. People had masks on the street, but not when they're sitting in restaurants.
After a great week in France, we flew to Istanbul on 10 August. After such a long time, I didn't have to video call my family. That was amazing. We had two weeks in Turkey, and we wanted to make the most out of it. So, after a few days in Istanbul, we hit the road to Antalya, where part of my family lives. On the way to Antalya, we made a short stop at Insuyu Caves. And the next day, we went to the Köprülü Canyon for rafting. During our short stay, we ate at home each night to eliminate the risk of catching the virus. Besides, we were there to spend time with my aunt and cousins. So it was great to have a big rakı table no matter what the location is. Only on our last day, in the morning Felix and I went to the Antalya castle, the old city. Since it was early morning, most places were closed. We could barely find a breakfast place. That was a shame. I think we will have to go back next year, for a better experience.
Following Antalya, we drove to Göcek, again to see another part of my family. In Göcek, we flexed our limits a little and went on a daily boat tour with too many others whom we don't know. And one night, we ate out as well. But it was an outdoor place, and there was no other table close to ours. As a family, our table was for ten people anyway. From Göcek, we came back to Istanbul, to my hometown. During those few days, we went everywhere by car, again to eliminate the risk of catching the virus. Public transportation in Istanbul means overcrowded bus, metro, train. It’s never calm. For the very same reason, we decided not to hang out in cool bars of Beşiktaş, Kadıköy. I saw a few of my good friends in small hidden bars or outdoor places and at home.
Knowing that at the end of the day, I will go and stay at my parents' house and my parents are 65+, I seriously didn't want to take the risk. Being in Turkey and socializing made me feel very uncomfortable. I realized that it was easier to be away from them, and not having the trouble of putting anyone in danger with my existence. As much as I was happy, I was worried all the time. Fortunately, nobody got sick. Felix and I went back to France on 24 August, and I said “see you later” to my family, not knowing when I will be able to come back again during the times of pandemic. During these two weeks, I enjoyed many great Rakı nights with my friends and family, a lot of home food, and swimming in the beautiful bays of the Aegean.
Coming back to France from Turkey, we again got tested at the airport. Good news: we stayed negative! One of my sisters lives in Berlin, the other one is in Istanbul so I could spend many days with her already! But the one in Berlin could not join us in Turkey because the company she works for didn’t allow her to travel to the non-Schengen zone. So she and her boyfriend came to France to see us instead. We had a short but great time together. We went to Provence, visited cute small villages, enjoyed the silence, sun, and wine.
End of August, we were back in Lyon, enjoying the final days of summer, thinking that we might move to Mauritius soon; I ate carelessly all the great cheeses and baguets of the World like there is no tomorrow.
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