Coronavirus: Out of the Country during Outbreak
It’s been over a month since I shared my last update of changes to our travel plans. We did go on our trip, but a lot changed at home while we were overseas. Here’s what happened during our vacation and the journey to get back to the United States. The Coronavirus or COVID-19 emerged while we were away and changed our home in ways that no one anticipated.
Coronavirus and Travelers to Asia – Feb. 28th, 2020
Before we left for our trip, my company had released new policies for people traveling to certain countries in Asia. Anyone traveling through China or Japan would need to work from home for 14 days after returning. The travel policy was released 1-day before I left for my trip which left me nervous. My workplace was aware of my travel plans so I verified with HR that I would work at home for 2 weeks before returning to the office.
Reed and I were aware of the Coronavirus in Asia. We checked the cities that we would be staying in, Phuket and Siem Reap. Both areas did not have cases of the virus so we felt it was okay to visit. We packed all of the hand sanitizers we could find and got ourselves masks to use while in airports
News about the US from Thailand – March 5th
There were no cases of Coronavirus in our home state of Colorado when we left for the trip.
The first 2 days in Thailand were amazing! Reed and I toured an elephant sanctuary, visited Phi Phi Island, and saw the Big Buddha. The resort we stayed at was brand new and did not have many guests. There were still tourists out, but I imagine the area would have normally been more crowded.
This was from a day trip to Phi Phi Island. We got our temperature taken before we could enter Phi Phi.
On March 5th, the first case of Coronavirus was reported in our home state. We watched the number of cases grow while we vacationed. Everything seemed fine where we were but the stories coming out of the U.S. kept us on high alert. We decided to spend the majority of our time at the nearly-deserted Intercontinental resort to keep away from people. This picture is from the Tea House at the resort.
Changing Plans Mid-Trip – March 8th
The vacation included a quick stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia and a couple of days in Tokyo, Japan. There were active cases of COVID-19 in Tokyo. Although there weren’t many cases and it wasn’t spreading quickly, I did not want to be exposed. We extended our stay in Cambodia where there were no cases and reduced our time in japan down to only 1 full day. I was still nervous the entire time were in Japan and we didn’t tour much. Maybe we will go back to Japan later in life.
Spending more time in Cambodia was wonderful! We loved touring the ruins. It was probably the most memorable destination of the trip for me. When we left for Japan via Ha Noi it was one of the only flights left out of Cambodia.
Trouble at Home – March 11th
We spoke with our families, but the way news was getting shared on social media made us worried. Will we be able to get groceries when we get home? Will we catch the virus trying to get home? It sounded like the entire country was prepping like the days before a hurricane, and we were still 9 time zones away. I actually ordered toilet paper online in Japan because I kept reading stories about how stores were completely out.
We visited the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden as one of our only outings in Japan.
Layover in Seattle – March 13th
Friday the 13th was the only day in my life that I saw the sunset twice and on two different continents. This day took forever and what should have been a quick layover turned into 6 hours at the Seattle airport. I felt like there were sick people all around me, but this was likely my fear taking over. We finally got a flight back to Denver and got home around midnight. March 13th was also one of the last days that travelers in Europe could get regular flights home.
Quarantine at Home
We stayed at home for a full two weeks upon our return and did not experience any symptoms. During our quarantine, both Reed’s and my workplaces closed their offices and moved to work from home indefinitely. Our county and the surrounding areas are all under stay at home orders so we only leave our neighborhood if we need food.
There are plenty of stories of travelers who got stuck away from home for weeks. We got home just in time because the very next day the government issued mandatory travel bans that resulted in more flight cancellations. I feel guilty for going on the trip without realizing just how much I was putting myself and those around me at risk. Hopefully, we can all work to keep our distance to prevent the spread of the virus.
