15-March - Sunday - Let's get the hell out of here

We took the Swiss visitors to the airport, just to be absolutely sure there had not been any last-minute restrictions put in place which might hinder their departure. Off they took. We followed 3hrs later, arriving to an eerily quiet Perth airport. At boarding we did realise the aircraft was extremely empty, only having 15-20 passengers on the way to Bali. We flew with facemasks on, considering an enclosed space to be of higher risk then being in the fresh air. We arrived at an EMPTY airport, with a health card to be filed stating our health (or illness) and be presented to the waiting quarantine officer. Customs was a breeze; luggage pick up easier than ever. The money exchange come with gift vouchers for airport shopping and a discount for the taxi. The travel to Sanur was via traffic flowing like it seldom has before. Sanur beach and streets seemed as busy as always, with the locals enjoying a Sunday afternoon and probably masking the lack of tourists. In the meantime, Australia announced a self-quarantine requirement for anyone arriving from overseas, as of midnight Sunday 15th March. Self-quarantine was now no longer something we might have to consider on our return, but rather a requirement. This travelling lad decided news were now off-limit, no sight or news snippet would pass his eyes, for as long this holiday would continue. Life has to go on, and life would have gone on very differently in the 80s or 90s when we were kids and social media had not yet interrupted our ability to hold conversations with each other, versus us checking everything that is happening anywhere and everywhere on this beautiful planet without pause, relentlessly and without the perspective or filter of a seasoned journalist, putting it into perspective for us. We are all interpreting facts, news and information as if we were experts in social-economics, micro/macro-economics and geopolitical developments. We are not! Life must go on, life is about right here, right now, in front of our eyes, not on our screens, with the humans around us, known or unknown to us, that impact our days. When was the last time you noticed a millipede crossing a patch of lawn, a dragon fly zipping in and out of bushes, a leaf falling from a tree, a random stranger catching your gaze and waving with a smile?

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