Covid And The Rest of Us

[MommyinHonduras]

Speaking of airports, we are getting a new one https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/new-palmerola-international-airport/. We have 4 airports that can handle international flights but this will be the first 24/7 airport. The one is it replacing makes the top 10 most dangerous since you literally skim over a mountain top to hit the runway. I have only flown in on national flights in a small plane so not a big issue but as planes change many can not land there at all due to size. It will be interesting to not have an international airport close to the capital. The new one is 2ish hours away by car with only one road that you can take. This becomes an issues as every time there are strikes and protests, if they take the road you need, you are out of luck unless you drive the right kind of car to take the scenic route. If you want to know what that means watch this.

I saw that AK just added a classic Land Rover Defender to where goat might go on the safari? I smiled as we sold ours when we moved over the to island. Having an all wheel real 4x4 is necessary here unless you stay on the one paved road that gets you form point a to b and that goes well for you. I am not sure with moving back over next year what we will do for a vehicle. although living in the city means less of this that where we lived before.

 

[bavaria]

Ack! Memories of 5 hour trips in Costa Rica to get to/from airports.... roads were similar, with those deep, deep holes. The other place I had a similar experience was in Zanzibar. There were holes big enough for a truck to fall into and disappear.

 

[tcufrog]

Ack! Memories of 5 hour trips in Costa Rica to get to/from airports.... roads were similar, with those deep, deep holes. The other place I had a similar experience was in Zanzibar. There were holes big enough for a truck to fall into and disappear.

We visited Costa Rica right after Christmas this year. It was gorgeous and we loved the country. The plane trip though to get to San Jose for our return flight was pretty scary as was the drive to the airport. We had to take a small motorboat up the coast and then take off our shoes and carry them to shore. Luckily, we were used to doing that by then. We then boarded a sedan that was not meant for off road trips and drove down a "road" complete with creek crossing to the tiny airport that had a parking lot instead of runways. Our flight was delayed because the plane hit a bird on the flight to the airport so they needed to check it out. The plane was so small that the propellers were held down with straps that reminded you to remove them before flight. The flight over Costa Rica was beautiful but I could barely watch it because I kept getting motion sickness.

The San Jose airport though is one of the nicest I've visited.

 

[SirDuff]

The myth of German efficiency is disproven when it comes to construction, especially in Berlin.

And trains. A couple of times when I was waiting for a train in Zurich (and the train was delayed), the agent rolled his eyes and said "What can you expect, the train is coming from Germany?"

 

[BadPinkTink]

if anyone still cares
The Irish Government has just announced a ban on any household visits, except for essential purposes. This includes outdoor settings, so people from tomorrow will not be allowed to meet up in their garden.
There were 1,095 new cases and five further deaths in the last 24 hours.
Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal which border Northern Ireland have been moved back to Level 4 restrictions.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

if anyone still cares
The Irish Government has just announced a ban on any household visits, except for essential purposes. This includes outdoor settings, so people from tomorrow will not be allowed to meet up in their garden.
There were 1,095 new cases and five further deaths in the last 24 hours.
Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal which border Northern Ireland have been moved back to Level 4 restrictions.

Of course we care. Why wouldn't we?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Speaking of airports, we are getting a new one https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/new-palmerola-international-airport/. We have 4 airports that can handle international flights but this will be the first 24/7 airport. The one is it replacing makes the top 10 most dangerous since you literally skim over a mountain top to hit the runway. I have only flown in on national flights in a small plane so not a big issue but as planes change many can not land there at all due to size. It will be interesting to not have an international airport close to the capital. The new one is 2ish hours away by car with only one road that you can take. This becomes an issues as every time there are strikes and protests, if they take the road you need, you are out of luck unless you drive the right kind of car to take the scenic route. If you want to know what that means watch this.

I saw that AK just added a classic Land Rover Defender to where goat might go on the safari? I smiled as we sold ours when we moved over the to island. Having an all wheel real 4x4 is necessary here unless you stay on the one paved road that gets you form point a to b and that goes well for you. I am not sure with moving back over next year what we will do for a vehicle. although living in the city means less of this that where we lived before.

The road conditions at times reminds me of some of the roads we went on in Jamaica. Luckily if you got an approved taxi (they have a special marker, it's really what they want tourists to use for safety) they stayed off those roads as much as they possibly can. But yowza some of those roads in that video you shared oh my I shall never complain about the roads in my area again

 

[mommasita]

if anyone still cares
The Irish Government has just announced a ban on any household visits, except for essential purposes. This includes outdoor settings, so people from tomorrow will not be allowed to meet up in their garden.
There were 1,095 new cases and five further deaths in the last 24 hours.
Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal which border Northern Ireland have been moved back to Level 4 restrictions.

Goodness this sounds like our province so much. We are seeing cases similar daily, deaths from 0-21 a day.

Take care and stay safe.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Love the penguins!

Nothing can beat BER airport for scandal and corruption. The myth of German efficiency is disproven when it comes to construction, especially in Berlin. The new 'showcase' airport is almost 10 years overdue now, although set to open in a few weeks. Twice I signed up to be a 'tester' but never go to do that (you are assigned a role as a certain passenger and have to test all sorts of things in the terminal) It sounds like you copied us too with the new airport.

I think that they are up to about 7 billion Euro over cost? I could be wrong. Meanwhile they have had to replace the fire system, and LCD screens, and people took jobs and moved houses to be near their workplace. Hotels were built, and they have one person working who has to daily go into rooms and flush toilets and let water run and turn on televisions to keep things working. (ten years!) Similar happened when they built 'the Squaire', the largest office/train/hotel complex in Germany in Frankfurt Airport. Two hotels couldn't open for about 5 years due to mould issues, and they are constantly replacing the elevators to the train platform, and the tiles on the floors.

Arriving at TXL is great - you land, and baggage claim is right there so it's really fast to get out. But no good public transport, just a bus to the main train station which is also awkwardly located.

Oh.my.goodness, 7 billion (even in Euro) OVER cost And all that added stuff wow. Sometimes they do a really good job at construction and well other times clearly not. To bring it back to COVID for the new airport being built in my area they downgraded the confidence level in financing because of COVID. There's already been a severe drop in travelers but they are more concerned business travel will be so curtailed all over that the cost won't be worth it. I know for my husband's company who typically has no problem sending people on business trips has really started to re-evaluate that. They'll still send people on flights but there's the assumption that more meetings may be virtual than before.

 

[MommyinHonduras]

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/10/is-business-travel-a-thing-of-the-past/ Found this interesting, if business send their employees less post covid, that means quite a bit of less vacation $$$ too according to this article. Not a good sign to the recovery of the travel industry and all the businesses the spin off from there.

 

[RamblingMad]

Is the UK going to shutdown again?

 

[TLSnell1981]

Ack! Memories of 5 hour trips in Costa Rica to get to/from airports.... roads were similar, with those deep, deep holes. The other place I had a similar experience was in Zanzibar. There were holes big enough for a truck to fall into and disappear.

No drug smuggling planes? JK My first experience with this type of "airport" and plane was in Costa Rica. The movie "Air America" kept running through my head. Next were the jeeps and roads.

BTW...Costa Rica is reopening to everyone in the US in a couple of weeks.

 

[TLSnell1981]

And trains. A couple of times when I was waiting for a train in Zurich (and the train was delayed), the agent rolled his eyes and said "What can you expect, the train is coming from Germany?"

Hmmm...we've been fortunate with our trains being on time in Germany.

 

[godisney14]

Anyone else concerned about the holiday season?
I just know there will be many family or friend gatherings regardless of local restrictions.

 

[Jrb1979]

Anyone else concerned about the holiday season?
I just know there will be many family or friend gatherings regardless of local restrictions.

I know here they are worried about it. Mainly cause that's where the majority of cases are coming from. There has been very little spread from restaurants or businesses. Most are from family gatherings.

 

[Disneylover99]

Anyone else concerned about the holiday season?
I just know there will be many family or friend gatherings regardless of local restrictions.

We just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with only our immediate household. Really glad we did. My dad and step mom got their Covid positive test results back right before they were supposed to head out to my sister’s house for dinner.

So that was a sobering reminder for us not to mix and mingle. We’ll just have a quiet Christmas.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Of course we care. Why wouldn't we?

I haven't really felt like posting updates recently, as the conversations just seemed to be about abstract theories and opinions, and what people think countries should be doing. The reality for many is far from the return to normal, lets all travel and just get on with our lives. Ireland may not be an African developing country but there is a huge wealth divide, the unemployment rate is skyrocketing, we have a huge homeless crisis, and all around me I see the poor just getting poorer, relying on food banks to feed their families.

Goodness this sounds like our province so much. We are seeing cases similar daily, deaths from 0-21 a day.

Take care and stay safe.

Thanks, the electoral area I live has one of the highest case numbers. I live in a low income and high crime districts. You know, one of "those" neighbourhoods that people look down their noses at, so I stay in my house as much as I can.
These are the stats for my district, which is approx 5km square

22/09/20 to 05/10/20
Confirmed Cases : 58
Rate per 100k pop: 134.2
R. of Ireland rate per 100k pop: 116.4
Total Population of electoral area : 43,215

I feel guilty to still have a job and be able to work from home, when the majority of people in the district are unemployed. The unemployment rate for my district is approx 30% while the national average is approx 16%

But it is what it is, the poor suffer while everyone else gets back to normal.

 

[Karin1984]

I haven't really felt like posting updates recently, as the conversations just seemed to be about abstract theories and opinions, and what people think countries should be doing.

I don't really pay attention to those anymore. Because what we as individuals think is best, is not enough to persuade our own government, let alone someone else's. Please keep posting.

Is there a reason why unemployment rates are so much higher in your district than others?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I don't really pay attention to those anymore. Because what we as individuals think is best, is not enough to persuade our own government, let alone someone else's. Please keep posting.

Is there a reason why unemployment rates are so much higher in your district than others?

thanks

My district has always had high unemployment, right back since the area was developed back in the 1970's. Basically its a classic example of town planning gone wrong. They built thousands of houses in the 1970's and moved huge numbers of poor families out of the city centre then didn't built any infrastructure for this new town until the 1990's. Over the years, its just become a low income high crime area. We have always had a higher than national average unemployment rate but Covid has just impacted here alot more. People live in this district but work all over Dublin in bars, restaurants and hotels or as office cleaners or other low skilled jobs which are now gone. Before Covid my usual commute was 1 hour each way on a bus , which is typical for most people in this area. The case rates are high because people here rely on public transport in their day to day life, the houses are small and many are multi generational households. People here don't have the luxury of working from home, they either work in factories, retail etc Covid high risk jobs or they are unemployed. The schools are open which is causing huge clusters of Covid, but the people in my district don't have the luxury of home schooling. Many families in this district would not have either the devices, internet access or other resources to home school.

 

[snappy]

We just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with only our immediate household. Really glad we did. My dad and step mom got their Covid positive test results back right before they were supposed to head out to my sister’s house for dinner.

So that was a sobering reminder for us not to mix and mingle. We’ll just have a quiet Christmas.

Hope your dad and stepmom recover quickly.