Now I know why the UK Government calls it the Red List. Because the hotels contracted to serve as mandated quarantine accomodation for incoming travellers from Red List countries like Turkey, were all designed in Moscow.
Two Kalkanites have just gone down for a ten stretch at Scottish State Quarantine Facility Number 6 in Edinburgh. As you can see the building would sit quite comfortably in a grim Moscow suburb.
Out of desperation for anything better to do, my friend, let us call her Sue, has posted details of the Day One experience in granular detail. If you had any lingering thought that maybe it is not as bad as imagined, think on. Sue’s photograph of the tiny carton of orange juice sitting alongside the foil encased full Scottish breakfast horror (served two hours late) will disabuse you of such optimistic thoughts.
I was sitting on my terrace as I read, in full sun looking at the distant azure of the Med. My table was laid with freshly squeezed grapefruits, (gift from a neighbour), local eggs, baked local peppers and vine tomatoes, toasted sourdough from Sarıbelen, home made jam and fresh coffee. I am indeed blessed. I shivered at the thought of poor Sue and, let us call him Tom, in distant, cold, grey Moscow sorry Edinburgh.
Although it is not all bad. If you ask nicely a black shirted security guard will escort you outside to get fresh air. This is a vital service as the windows do not open. They do this to prevent suicide attempts which I imagine would be a very real and present risk.
It does not need saying that travelling from Turkey to the UK is not something you would contemplate unless you had pretty compelling reasons, which is indeed the case for Sue and Tom. They have an urgent family situation. Given what they have elected to put themselves through it must be be a fairly dramatic one. My heart goes out to them.
In the meantime we will await with bated breath the next post to come from the Room Without A View. Apart from the meal options I am not sure what there is to write about though but I am sure Sue will find something. Even enforced quarantine may bring some unexpected bonus. Many people have found that this stubborn and deadly Pandemic with its spawn The Lockdown has brought opportunity as well as threat. The reduction in the noise and ‘busy-ness’ of everyday life has wrought changes ın outlook for many of us; Tom is an engineer of genius and an expert on solar energy. Sue, I know, has up till now preferred to cultivate different interests. However, opportunity knocks now. There will never be a better time to learn about the ‘ Energy of the Future’.
Then there is the Elephant in the Room; the activity that consorting couples lock themselves away in hotel rooms to do. After all, the usual reasons for not “popping upstairs” are removed
“I would love to sweetie but I have got so much on today”
“Have you forgotten the plumber is coming at some time”
“Not today darling, you promised you would fix that sticking door”
Alone with one’s paramour in a hotel room for ten days with nothing to do apart from watching repeats of Love Island must leave the ever present possibility of congress as an Elephant in the Room. I mean I am only guessing. Not sure that Sue’s posts will throw any light on this one.
I will leave you all with that little thought along with the hope that Turkey very rapidly comes off the Red List. Then those of us here can get there and those of you there can get here. And we can all have a bit of congress.
Pip! Pip!
PS
On a serious note I am working hard to raise awareness about illegal construction. Along with others I am pressing the authorities to develop a plan for the whole area and put a stop to the environmental destruction.
As I write a another palace is rising up on the mountains above me. Looks like a 3 story horror.
You can read the report I have written in English on the post before this one entitled ‘The Foreign Voice’. I am translating it into Turkish this weekend. It would help the cause immeasurably if you could read it and then register your support. You will find the opinion poll on Kalkan Living under ‘Announcements’ or on Friends of Kalkan as a post which Alan has bumped up for me.
THANK YOU
Hello, thank you for your writing, it is very interesting to read people’s experiences in quarantine. If we go to China to teach we suppose to have our quarantine for 10 days in a room. Because there are male and female section we can not stay as a family. I should be with our lovely 19 months old child who is climbing the walls in a room for 10 days whereas we can’t control him in the garden for two hours . This is one reason we may drop our travel to China… s.
Stay in Kalkan Sehercim