Arrival

 We finally escaped.

After a year of dealing with all the incredible nonsense - some of it just a piece of nature and some of it from complete udder administrative malfeasance - from the Covid-19 bug that derailed our trips and gatherings, ended. We got on a plane and made it to Hawaii. Our reward is this:



This is the view from our balcony for the next eleven days. Leaving Washington State just shortly after it burped a foot of snow on our home and the rainy chilly days that followed, we have come back to the Big Island, the Big Kahuna, or just plain Hawaii if you listen to the locals. Of course, Covid had its final say by requiring several hoops to jump through before and shortly after our five and a half hour plane ride. The State of Hawaii has some interesting requirements. You must have a negative Covid-19 test in hand through testing labs they approve, none of which involve the simplicity of going to a Walgreens and getting a test. Fortunately, they sanctions the UW Medicine Labs for providing a test, so Cathy and I drove to Seattle for the PCR test required and going through one of the drive-thru testing stations. Hawaii says you have to do this no sooner than 72 hours of your flight departure. Once you are swabbed, you hope and pray there are no hiccups in the lab processing. Actually, our tests results were available the next day.

Once the test was completed and results showed negative, our information was uploaded to the State of Hawaii system (called "Safe Travels") with a recent picture of our face. Then, NO SOONER than 24 hours of your departure, you fill out another on-line form regarding your current health and stating that, 'No, State of Hawaii person, I did not knowingly come in contact with anyone that did have or may have had Covid exposure. Honest. Also, I feel fine. Yours truly, Visitor.' And then our condo management gets into the act. They want a copy of our negative test results. Why? We believe this is just in case you bypass the airport security system by taking a rowboat to Hawaii. 

Now you can get on a plane and expect a vacation without a 10-day quarantine facing you as you get to Hawaii. Well, except, there is another test swab waiting for you as you funnel into the terminal to grab your bags. They didn't make you wait for the results (THANK YOU!!!), but if you see a couple of swarthy officers at your condo door, it isn't good news.

But, we are here. The weather is in the 80's, there is always a nice breeze, and the beauty of the island is just stunning. Did I mention the view?




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