How do you manage to travel at the moment? Isn't that too stressful? Are you warmly welcomed? It's dangerous, isn't it? Aren't you afraid of getting stuck? To get sick?
Travelling during Covid: Questions & Answers
A selfish decision?
Not really. After six months of adventures in Asia and a premature return in March 2020, we thought about stopping our trip. We weighed the pros and cons before heading back to Africa (much less affected by the epidemic) where we had the chance to discover exceptional landscapes and live unforgettable human experiences. Four months later, same questioning: to continue or not?
What if we stay? We would have to look for work in a saturated labor market, hit hard by the COVID crisis, for months. No job, no apartment, so back to our parents (hello, it's us AGAIN!). Mmh... Otherwise, there is the choice of having a day job while waiting. But for how long? And in what mental conditions?
How about continuing? This would allow us to get closer to the achievement of our dream while using our skills for committed causes.
So yes, France discourages traveling abroad to avoid the spread of the virus on its territory by preventing return trips. Our case is different, since there is no return ticket, and we do not intend to return for a while (9 months). It’s not about going on a two week vacation to the beach and coming back home, but traveling as part of a constructed, thoughtful project in which we are not the only protagonists. Indeed, our humanitarian missions in Africa have enabled us to help associations in dire need of volunteers, to further broaden our vision of the world and to raise awareness of it by sharing our experiences.
Travel conditions
Obviously, they are different. We lose, but we also win.
Yes, the journey is a little more stressful, especially when it comes to getting medical results on time. The health budget is exploding in countries where the PCR test is not reimbursed and the price is €100/person. Cultural discovery can also be impacted with the closure of some museums and the cessation of other activities.
On the other hand, the tourist sites are deserted, and we are often the only ones to visit usually crowded places. No need to book in advance, accommodation and excursions are always available, allowing us to modify our itinerary as we wish. The locals always give us a warm welcome and are delighted to interact with foreigners who also contribute to their economy. Until now, they have always regarded us as their equals without any difference.
Risks
Of fetting sick? Yes, but like everywhere!
If we think about it, we are not taking more risks than a metro-work-sleep routine in the field of services in France.
Of course, we remain cautious and we always adapt to the local way of handling the situation by respecting the measures on site. We avoid walkabouts and never go out without our little hydroalcoholic gel. Like us, you would be surprised by the precautions put in place in some countries: compulsory wearing of masks outside home (many people combine masks or visor/mask, children included), hand disinfection and SYSTEMIC temperature check at the entrance of each establishment (and sometimes in the street), awareness raising, etc. Required or not, we also do a COVID test before each border crossing.
There is no such thing as zero risk, and in the event of a contamination, we would confine ourselves as we would do in France, near a hospital and with the assistance of our insurance.
Obviously, if the situation would deteriorate, we would return back home as quickly as possible.
Conclusion
This world tour is our current job. We have decided to move on with our lives, while taking the virus and its consequences seriously.
But living abroad, we also realize the media’s weight and pressure.
Negative news is everywhere. Television, radio, social networks, conversation topics. It’s a vicious circle that we lock ourselves into. Detach yourself, take a step back, the information will come to you anyway. Disconnect a bit. Thirty minutes a day is enough to get informed.
They are monothematic: COVID. The number of deaths. COVID. The new variants. COVID. Lack of vaccines. COVID. STOP. It was our friends in Burma who told us about the coup in their country, which today has dramatic repercussions. However, the media only devoted 30 seconds to it some weeks ago.
Our planet is suffering, and we believe COVID is just a resulting symptom. Symptom of a deeper pain, a planet in distress, overexploited by a growing world population. And how do you treat the symptoms in the long term? Not by shutting them down with medicines (even if they help). But by treating them at the source. Our society is scarred by (over)consumption which takes precedence over love, sharing and solidarity. However, these values are essential to the survival of Humanity, and they are precisely those that we try to convey through our journey.