All is not well in paradise. The authorities insist on my leaving (a separate blog). So I spend another night on Ile des pins, hoping to comply with the mandate - catching a flight off this remote paradise island tomorrow.
Finally, after another canceled morning flight, late that next day I catch the last flight out – back to New Caledonia mainland and its capital of Noumea. Arriving in Noumea, I manage a hotel booking and transport…late in the evening – I’m fortunate. Roaming the local city streets for snacks – finding my go-to travel food: Bananas, Peanuts, and TimTam’s. Another day of adventure complete.
The following day all hell breaks loose. The island has descended into Corona Chaos. Until now, it has been almost immune to the world panic…not now…there is fear in the eyes of the people. Insane fear. Social distancing, masks, most hotels shutdown, all restaurants, all tourist activities. A local tribe - The Karak's are protesting at the airport - Not wanting ANY flights to arrive. Holy Shit Batman. This is an adventure for sure!!! OK, at least I have a hotel – for now.
The grocery store and public market is open; I buy a few items to eat in my room. And share a crape with a new friend I've met here - another traveler. Survival food. I feel like a poor college student. Eating noodles and coffee to live another day. The day brings more of the same. Only even more hotels are closing. My new friend must move hotels or sleep in the park(?). This is surreal. All flights out are canceled.
I've had two outbound flights from New Caledonia canceled – a record for me. And another international flight to the Philippines canceled – for a total of 3 planned jumps off the books. Wonder if I’ll ever see that money again?
It’s beginning to look like New Caledonia is no longer a safe harbor – seems nowhere is. All my friends at home text that things are deteriorating there as-well. Insanity and fear rule. There is talk of a 2 week quarantine here in New Caledonia; that doesn’t sound promising. I switched to a larger room at my hotel – at least that worked out. And stock up on easy to eat travel food. No microwave or kitchen in my room, just a tea-pot for boiling water.
An American trapped in New Caledonia. How is that going for you? Talk on the Web about extracting Americans from these countries. Not sure if that applies to one American on a tiny South Pacific island. Man, should have studied a little French before I arrived!!
I receive a strange cryptic message from the hotel front desk – in broken English. Apparently the US Consulate called – from Suva, Fiji ? something about a flight to Australia. Nothing more, how can that help? No call-back number. No information about a flight home. How do they even know I’m here? Interesting.
I call the airlines, my credit cards, my flight booking web-site (cheapo), the published local travel help line ---- All just give busy signals. Useless. Hopeless.
One of my favorite quotes is by F.Scott.Fitzgerald : It goes like this -
Let me make a general observation --
‘the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise’.
Well – I’m being tested!! My situation is hopeless; but I am determined to make it otherwise.
Minute by minute the situation changes. Now I have only a room for tonight - like my friend. The hotel manager talks to me from the next-floor up, a good 10m away – fear in his eyes – he thinks he might die. Fear rules. Most hotels are closing.
My new friend and I must both scramble for another room. And apparently there will be a 2 week lockdown quarantine here. This is truly out of a movie. Trapped on a small South Pacific Island, I’m only American I’ve seen here – no flights, no hotel, no food - I’ll waste away to nothing in a few hours. How will I survive to finish this story?
Well I do have TimTam’s - I’ll make it.
My adventure continues.
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