Change of Plans 03/18/2022

Posted on  by Jerry

When we got up this morning in Belfast, this post was going to be the last post on this trip. That changed. Linda finished packing our suitcases, we checked out of our apartment, and headed to the Belfast train station. Our train departed at 10:35 for Dublin. We arrived back at 12:40. We had a taxi take us to the Dublin Airport Hilton. We checked in and then took another taxi to Terminal 2 at the airport to the Ran Doc office. This office administered the Covid tests to American citizens who wanted to return to the USA. A negative Covid test along with your passport was required to re enter the US. We had an appointment at 3:10. Went in and took the test. It took about 10 minutes. We went back to the hotel and waited on the test results, feeling confident that by the end of the next day we would find ourselves back in Alabama and home. At about 3:50, Ran Doc sent me an email letting me know my test was negative and Linda received an email telling her the she had a positive reading. Our plans changed faster than when the Titanic hit the iceberg and sank.

I will say that when we went to Ireland I had a cold and some congestion. Mine cleared up and about a week into the trip, Linda had a cold. No fevers, no fatigue, no headaches and we were walking all over Dublin around 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day. Our fitbit showed we had walked over 91,000 steps in this period of time. I say this, because we never demonstrated any symptoms associated with Covid.

That is neither here nor there. You cannot return to your home and the place of your birth if you test positive. They would not let us on the plane. So, our flight was canceled. We had two options, wait a few days, take the test, buy a new plane ticket and fly home or as Linda suggested, fly to Mexico and come across the border with thousands of illegal aliens who had neither a passport, vaccinations, mask, and certainly no Covid test.

So, since plan A blew up and we did not have a plan B, we went to Plan C. Dublin is a great place to visit. We have enjoyed our time here and there were several other things we wanted to do. We stayed at the Airport Hilton last night and then taxied back in Dublin to the Hilton Garden Inn, where I made a reservation for the next 5 nights. We will do self test starting Tuesday and with a little luck be headed home by this weekend. I have some tickets for Auburn baseball and softball that I can’t use now. If anyone wants them, let me know and I will transfer them to you.

A few extra days in Dublin is not a bad thing. As for myself and Linda, once we get home, we will not travel outside the US until the Covid test requirement is lifted.

A friend of mine said if life gives you barley, then make Guinness. Cheers!


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