06.16.22

Starting May 30 and until July 1, I will leave from Antalya, Turkey and visit London, New Orleans, Miami, Dominica, (with ALMOST a “side trip” to Puerto Rico…), Columbus (OH), Salt Lake City, Chicago, and return to Turkey. I counted how many flights that will include: 14 flights in 31 days. As of this writing I am just over halfway there.

No question, travel is NOT what it used to be and some flights were smooth while another flight was missed by FIVE minutes due to a late arrival in Miami, mostly because of a tropical storm. That was minor, but it did cause us to stay at Miami airport for one entire day (and night) and sleep on the floor. Not the best of strategies, and the SECOND time we did this in one week, but we deemed it the most practical and affordable solution. Our most stressful leg was in trying to LEAVE the island of Dominica, which was a mess since they cancelled our flight out. American Airline’s app—and a telephone call—showed the flight being on time and scheduled, but our driver told us, “The plane is not HERE (Dominica) from Puerto Rico, so you aren’t able to leave as planned.” That meant waiting until the ONLY other flight out, which was later that afternoon, along with having to get a motel room, but it worked out. Overall, even with COVID protocol, it was pretty smooth. We find that while we are IN the moment of distress it’s a mess, but afterwards you realize it could almost always be worse.

Visiting New Orleans for a few days was a bit surreal and as much as I enjoy the food, I did not enjoy the touristy areas of Bourbon Street and such. I was not lamenting leaving after being there three days.

Meanwhile, the island of Dominica (NOTE: different than the Dominican Island) was a gorgeous, primitive, and pure island of waterfalls and green, plus 365 rivers and nine active volcanoes. None of which we saw…

As much as our lives LOOK like a vacation from the outside, our travels are truly part of our day to day lives. So visiting an island resort (I won a trip through my writings) and lounging by the pool for five days was pretty much what we wanted and needed. We explored the town, Roseau, the capital, but unfortunately “lost” two days since we got there on a Sunday (Deadsville), and the next day was a national holiday (ditto). For the three days that things were more normal, we liked the town. It felt very Caribbean and though English was their official language it was infused with Creole and their own native dialect and was tough to decipher. The younger people there, especially at the Fort Young resort, spoke slower and enunciated better, so we were able to communicate.

For those that are into nature, I highly recommend you check this island paradise out. They say that if Christopher Columbus—who “discovered” the island on a Sunday, hence the name, was to come back, he would probably recognize it as much the same. We found it peaceful and except for the crazy windy road from the airport to the resort, we really didn’t go anywhere except for a whale watch. That was worthwhile and we got to see pilot and sperm whales, along with dolphins.

As I am writing this midway through our trip, I offer some suggestions:

• Many smaller Islands have limited flights each day, so it’s a good idea to have a plan B in case of weather or other delays. Be sure that you get to your departing airport on time both coming and going, since you may only have one shot per day.
• In the Caribbean, and in many parts of the world, small islands are different and unique countries which means different currency and visas, and though these are becoming less important, COVID requirements. Right now the US entry COVID requirements have been REMOVED and many countries are doing away with them, too, along with Passenger Locator Forms.

The world is not normal by our old definition, but it is settling down. Delayed and cancelled flights, especially domestically, are an epidemic, so be patient and plan ahead. My next entry will cover my trip to Salt Lake City and then back to Turkey via Chicago and London.