{"id":3669,"date":"2021-07-01T17:36:01","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T17:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/?p=3669"},"modified":"2021-07-01T19:09:09","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T19:09:09","slug":"my-journey-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/","title":{"rendered":"My journey back (long post!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After this very emotional week, I was ready (well, not really ready) to go home. But that&#8217;s not that easy when you live in Hong Kong these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Apr\u00e8s cette semaine \u00e9prouvante, j&#8217;\u00e9tais pr\u00eate (enfin, pas vraiment pr\u00eate) \u00e0 rentrer chez moi. Mais ce n&#8217;est pas si facile quand on vit \u00e0 Hong Kong ces jours-ci.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My journey started with a train ride from Avignon to Paris airport, Saturday 26th June. The train drive was announced with delays but we managed to get to Paris on time. I thought that was a very good sign. I waited for 5 hours at the airport for my flight to Amsterdam. That was a bit long, but that was all right: I grabbed a bite to eat, bought a few books for the kids and me and generally took my time to walk around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Mon voyage a commenc\u00e9 par un trajet en train d&#8217;Avignon \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport de Paris, le samedi 26 juin. Le train \u00e9tait annonc\u00e9 avec du retard mais nous avons r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 arriver \u00e0 Paris \u00e0 l&#8217;heure. J&#8217;ai pens\u00e9 que c&#8217;\u00e9tait un tr\u00e8s bon signe. J&#8217;ai attendu 5 heures \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport pour mon vol vers Amsterdam. C&#8217;\u00e9tait un peu long, mais \u00e7a allait : j&#8217;ai mang\u00e9 un morceau, achet\u00e9 quelques livres pour les enfants et moi et j&#8217;ai juste pris mon temps pour me promener.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210626_175120-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210626_175120-840x420.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3725\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210626_175120-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/20210626_175120\/\" class=\"wp-image-3725\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Charles de Gaulle Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I then arrived in Amsterdam where I had a bit more than an hour to get my next flight to Hong Kong. And that&#8217;s where all went wrong. In Amsterdam, they check that travellers have the expected paperwork to get to Hong Kong. That&#8217;s their responsibility to make sure they send people who are allowed to enter Hong Kong. I knew straight away that something was wrong: too much discussion around my PCR test. Yes, my test was negative and I had done everything by the book. But, the sample for my test had been taken only in the nose and not in the nose and throat. And so they refused me on the Hong Kong flight. (I still think that&#8217;s totally unfair as this was not written anywhere, either on the Hong Kong travel advice website or the French Consulate website). I pleaded, cried, tried everything but nothing worked. Furthermore, there was no flight on Sunday, which meant I had to wait 48 hours to fly to Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u00c0 Amsterdam, j&#8217;avais un peu plus d&#8217;une heure pour prendre mon vol pour Hong Kong. Et c&#8217;est l\u00e0 que tout s&#8217;est mal pass\u00e9. \u00c0 Amsterdam, ils v\u00e9rifient que les voyageurs ont les papiers n\u00e9cessaires pour passer les contr\u00f4les de Hong Kong. C&#8217;est leur responsabilit\u00e9 de s&#8217;assurer qu&#8217;ils n\u2019envoient que des personnes autoris\u00e9es \u00e0 entrer \u00e0 Hong Kong. J&#8217;ai tout de suite su que quelque chose n&#8217;allait pas : trop de discussions autour de mon test PCR. Oui, mon test \u00e9tait n\u00e9gatif et j&#8217;avais tout fait comme il fallait. Mais, l&#8217;\u00e9chantillon du test avait \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9lev\u00e9 uniquement dans le nez et non dans le nez et la gorge. Et donc ils m&#8217;ont refus\u00e9 sur le vol de Hong Kong. (Je pense toujours que c&#8217;est totalement injuste car cela n&#8217;ait \u00e9crit nulle part, que ce soit sur le site de conseils aux voyageurs de Hong Kong ou sur le site du consulat de France). J&#8217;ai implor\u00e9, pleur\u00e9, tout essay\u00e9 mais rien n&#8217;a fonctionn\u00e9. De surcroit, il n&#8217;y avait pas de vol le dimanche, ce qui fait que KLM m\u2019a enregistr\u00e9e sur le vol de lundi soir, m&#8217;obligeant \u00e0 rester 48 heures \u00e0 Amsterdam.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was a wreck. My stress levels were sky-high. What if the quarantine hotel cannot accommodate my delay? What if there is no quarantine hotel available? Will I be stuck in Europe for 2 months? How Sebastien and the kids are going to cope without me? All these were turning in my head. I called Sebastien, even though it was the middle of the night for him. Thank God for his light sleep, I got him on the phone. He was very calm and composed, just what I needed at this time. He told me he was going to check the hotel first thing in the morning. He also told me there were some hotels inside the terminal or at least shower facilities. Because, obviously, I had only my hand luggage, without any change of clothes or toiletry. Imagine spending 4 days in the same clothes, without shower or even brushing your teeth. Nightmare!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>J&#8217;\u00e9tais compl\u00e8tement boulevers\u00e9e : 9h du soir, coinc\u00e9e \u00e0 Amsterdam pour 48h, sans v\u00eatement de rechange, sans trousse de toilette. Et que va-t-il se passer si l&#8217;h\u00f4tel de quarantaine ne peut pas accommoder mon retard ? Et s&#8217;il n&#8217;y a plus d&#8217;h\u00f4tel de quarantaine disponible ? Vais-je rester bloqu\u00e9e en Europe pendant 2 mois ? Comment S\u00e9bastien et les enfants vont-ils s&#8217;en sortir sans moi ? Tout cela tournait dans ma t\u00eate. J&#8217;ai appel\u00e9 S\u00e9bastien, m\u00eame si c&#8217;\u00e9tait le milieu de la nuit pour lui. Dieu merci il a le sommeil l\u00e9ger et je l&#8217;ai eu au t\u00e9l\u00e9phone. Il \u00e9tait tr\u00e8s calme et il m\u2019a rassur\u00e9, exactement ce dont j&#8217;avais besoin \u00e0 ce moment-l\u00e0. Il m&#8217;a dit qu&#8217;il allait v\u00e9rifier l&#8217;h\u00f4tel d\u00e8s que ce serait possible. Il m&#8217;a \u00e9galement dit qu&#8217;il y avait des h\u00f4tels \u00e0 l&#8217;int\u00e9rieur du terminal ou au moins des douches. Imaginez passer 4 jours dans les m\u00eames v\u00eatements, sans douche ni m\u00eame vous brosser les dents. Un vrai cauchemar !<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, the hotels were all fully booked. With the covid restrictions on flights, it is more frequent to have connection flights, some connections can be up to 24 hours, so people book hotels in the terminals well in advance. So I slept in the airport. I put my hand luggage in a locker and I found a lounger seat. Quite comfortable, but cold. I was just in front of the baby lounge and I saw someone go in and switch off the light. So I went there. There were pods enclosed by curtains with 2 armchairs and a cot. I drew the curtains and slept on one of the armchairs. Not big enough to lie down, not very comfy, but at least, I was hidden from everyone and it was darker than the rest of the airport. It was cold, though. I slept 4-5 hours and I was up, still stressed and worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Malheureusement, les h\u00f4tels \u00e9taient tous complets. Avec les restrictions covid sur les vols, il est devenu fr\u00e9quent d&#8217;avoir des vols de correspondance, certaines correspondances peuvent durer jusqu&#8217;\u00e0 24 heures, donc les gens r\u00e9servent les h\u00f4tels dans les terminaux bien \u00e0 l&#8217;avance. J&#8217;ai donc dormi \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport. J&#8217;ai mis mon bagage \u00e0 main dans une consigne et j&#8217;ai trouv\u00e9 une chaise longue assez confortable, mais au froid et \u00e0 la vue. J&#8217;\u00e9tais juste devant le salon b\u00e9b\u00e9 et j&#8217;ai vu quelqu&#8217;un y entrer et \u00e9teindre la lumi\u00e8re. Alors j&#8217;y suis all\u00e9e. Il y avait des espaces ferm\u00e9s par des rideaux chacun avec 2 fauteuils et un lit b\u00e9b\u00e9. J&#8217;ai tir\u00e9 les rideaux et j&#8217;ai dormi sur l&#8217;un des fauteuils. Pas assez grand pour s&#8217;allonger, pas tr\u00e8s confortable, mais au moins, j&#8217;\u00e9tais cach\u00e9e de tout le monde et il faisait plus sombre que dans le reste de l&#8217;a\u00e9roport. Il faisait froid, malheureusement. J&#8217;ai dormi 4-5 heures et je me suis r\u00e9veill\u00e9e toujours stress\u00e9 et inqui\u00e8te.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sebastien called me to give me some good news: the hotel was able to change my quarantine booking and I could still go home. I felt a bit relieved. Next stop: another covid test to be done in the airport. (You can find almost everything in Amsterdam airport!) I went there at 9 am and I had to wait until 7 or 8 pm to get the results. I kept on asking myself &#8220;what if I am positive?&#8221; I did ask the question at the lab and they told me that if that was the case, I had to go in quarantine for 5 days. It&#8217;s better than here in HK where you go to hospital until you&#8217;re negative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>S\u00e9bastien m&#8217;a appel\u00e9 pour m&#8217;annoncer une bonne nouvelle : l&#8217;h\u00f4tel de quarantaine avait de la disponibilit\u00e9 et pouvait modifier ma r\u00e9servation. Je pouvais rentrer chez moi. Je me sentais un peu soulag\u00e9e. Prochaine \u00e9tape : un autre test covid \u00e0 faire \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport. (On trouve \u00e0 peu pr\u00e8s tout \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport d&#8217;Amsterdam !) J&#8217;y suis all\u00e9e \u00e0 9h et j&#8217;ai d\u00fb attendre 19h ou 20h pour avoir les r\u00e9sultats. Je n&#8217;arr\u00eatais pas de me demander \u00ab et si j&#8217;\u00e9tais positive ? \u00bb J&#8217;ai pos\u00e9 la question au labo et ils m&#8217;ont dit que si c&#8217;\u00e9tait le cas, je devrais aller en quarantaine pendant 5 jours. C&#8217;est mieux qu&#8217;ici \u00e0 HK o\u00f9 vous allez \u00e0 l&#8217;h\u00f4pital jusqu&#8217;\u00e0 ce que vous soyez n\u00e9gatif.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also decided to book a room outside of the terminal for the night, to be in better condition. Sebastien suggested a hotel that was 5 minutes walk away, which was just perfect. I bought a t-shirt, a scarf and a pair of knickers at the airport and hoped there was going to be a toothbrush in the hotel room (and there was one!) By 3.30 pm, I was in my hotel room. What a relief to remove the mask, to be in a silent place alone. The first thing I did was lie down on the bed and relax. I checked all the papers required by Hong Kong and I was missing one: a certification letter for the lab. I didn&#8217;t know where to get this. I had one for French labs, found on the consulate website, but nothing for the Netherlands. So I went back to the airport to get some advice at the KLM counter. The lady there was really nice. She called different people and assured my that I didn&#8217;t need this document. I was relieved, but not 100%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>J&#8217;ai \u00e9galement d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de r\u00e9server une chambre \u00e0 l&#8217;ext\u00e9rieur du terminal pour passer une meilleure nuit. S\u00e9bastien a sugg\u00e9r\u00e9 un h\u00f4tel \u00e0 5 minutes \u00e0 pied, ce qui \u00e9tait parfait. J&#8217;ai achet\u00e9 un t-shirt, une \u00e9charpe et une culotte \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport et j&#8217;esp\u00e9rais qu&#8217;il y aurait une brosse \u00e0 dents dans la chambre d&#8217;h\u00f4tel (et il y en avait une !) \u00c0 15h30, j&#8217;\u00e9tais dans ma chambre d&#8217;h\u00f4tel. Quel soulagement d&#8217;enlever le masque, d&#8217;\u00eatre seule dans un endroit silencieux. La premi\u00e8re chose que j&#8217;ai faite a \u00e9t\u00e9 de m&#8217;allonger sur le lit et de me d\u00e9tendre. J&#8217;ai v\u00e9rifi\u00e9 tous les papiers exig\u00e9s par Hong Kong et il m&#8217;en manquait un : une lettre de certification pour le laboratoire. Je ne savais pas o\u00f9 trouver \u00e7a. J&#8217;en avais un pour les labos fran\u00e7ais, trouv\u00e9e sur le site du consulat, mais rien pour les Pays-Bas. Je suis donc retourn\u00e9e \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport pour me faire conseiller au guichet KLM. La dame qui m\u2019a re\u00e7ue \u00e9tait vraiment gentille. Elle a appel\u00e9 plusieurs personnes et m&#8217;a assur\u00e9e que je n&#8217;avais pas besoin de ce document. J&#8217;\u00e9tais soulag\u00e9e, mais pas \u00e0 100%.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210627-WA0005-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210627-WA0005-840x420.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3735\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210627-WA0005-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/img-20210627-wa0005\/\" class=\"wp-image-3735\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">View from my hotel room in Amsterdam \/ <em>Vue de ma chambre d&#8217;h\u00f4tel \u00e0 Amsterdam<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I got back to the hotel, I received my test results (negative, yes!) I printed everything I needed for my flight at the hotel and decided to treat myself to a proper meal. I realised I haven&#8217;t had anything decent since Friday evening. All this stress has cut my appetite. And then I took a very hot shower. I didn&#8217;t realise how cold I was, I had been for the last 24 hours. And a very good night sleep in a warm and comfortable bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>De retour \u00e0 l&#8217;h\u00f4tel, j&#8217;ai re\u00e7u les r\u00e9sultats de mes tests (n\u00e9gatifs !), j&#8217;ai imprim\u00e9 tout ce dont j&#8217;avais besoin \u00e0 l&#8217;h\u00f4tel et j&#8217;ai d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de m&#8217;offrir un vrai repas. J&#8217;ai r\u00e9alis\u00e9 que je n&#8217;avais rien eu de d\u00e9cent depuis vendredi soir. Tout ce stress m&#8217;avait coup\u00e9 l&#8217;app\u00e9tit. Et puis j&#8217;ai pris une douche tr\u00e8s chaude. Je n&#8217;avais pas non plus r\u00e9alis\u00e9 \u00e0 quel point j&#8217;avais froid, j&#8217;avais eu si froid pendant les derni\u00e8res 24 heures. Et une tr\u00e8s bonne nuit de sommeil dans un lit chaud et confortable.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good night sleep does wonder. I felt like myself again. Still worried, but knowing that I have options and I can cope. I can&#8217;t tell you how much I cried in the previous 24 hours! I stayed in my room until the last minute (i.e. noon) and then I headed back to the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Une bonne nuit de sommeil fait des merveilles. Je me sentais \u00e0 nouveau moi-m\u00eame. Toujours inqui\u00e8te, mais confiante en ma capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 g\u00e9rer les probl\u00e8mes. Je ne peux pas vous dire combien j&#8217;ai pleur\u00e9 entre samedi soir et dimanche soir ! Je suis rest\u00e9e dans ma chambre jusqu&#8217;\u00e0 la derni\u00e8re minute (c&#8217;est-\u00e0-dire midi) puis je suis retourn\u00e9e \u00e0 l&#8217;a\u00e9roport.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First stop, the KLM desk to make sure my suitcase was not lost. So that was good. I went back inside the terminal and waited again 4 hours before being able to check my paperwork to see if I could fly back. There was a glitch, just a small one. The certification letter was indeed missing. I started arguing but the man checking my paperwork said very calmy and firmly: &#8220;You need this letter for Hong Kong and I am going to help you with this&#8221;. I stopped talking. He got the certification letter from one colleague and I added it to my folder. And then he stamped my boarding pass: I was allowed on board. I could have kissed him! (Well, not really, but I was very happy!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Premier arr\u00eat, le guichet KLM pour m&#8217;assurer que ma valise n&#8217;\u00e9tait pas perdue. Tout allait bien de ce c\u00f4t\u00e9. Je suis retourn\u00e9 \u00e0 l&#8217;int\u00e9rieur du terminal et j&#8217;ai encore attendu 4 heures avant de pouvoir faire v\u00e9rifier mes papiers. Il y a encore eu un bug, un tout petit bug. La lettre de certification manquait bel et bien. J&#8217;ai commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 lever la voix, pr\u00eate \u00e0 me battre mais l&#8217;homme qui v\u00e9rifiait mes papiers a dit tr\u00e8s calmement et fermement : \u00ab Vous avez besoin de cette lettre pour Hong Kong et je vais vous aider avec cela \u00bb. J&#8217;ai arr\u00eat\u00e9 de parler. Un coll\u00e8gue lui a tendu la lettre de certification et je l&#8217;ai ajout\u00e9e \u00e0 mon dossier. Et puis il a tamponn\u00e9 ma carte d&#8217;embarquement : j&#8217;\u00e9tais autoris\u00e9e \u00e0 monter \u00e0 bord. J&#8217;aurais pu l&#8217;embrasser ! (Enfin pas vraiment, mais j&#8217;\u00e9tais <em>tr\u00e8s<\/em><\/em> <em>tr\u00e8s contente !)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rest of the flight was uneventful. Wait for boarding, board, flight, eat, watch movies, sleep, you know the drill! The flight was not very busy and the 2 seats next to me were empty. I was able to lie down to sleep. The flight had a short stop in Bangkok and most of the plane left there. I think we were less than 50 passengers arriving in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Le reste du vol s&#8217;est d\u00e9roul\u00e9 sans incident. Attente de l&#8217;embarquement, embarquer, d\u00e9coller, manger, regarder des films, dormir, vous connaissez l\u2019histoire ! Le vol n&#8217;\u00e9tait pas tr\u00e8s charg\u00e9 et les 2 si\u00e8ges \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de moi \u00e9taient vides. J&#8217;ai pu m&#8217;allonger pour dormir. Le vol a fait une courte escale \u00e0 Bangkok et la plupart des gens ont d\u00e9barqu\u00e9 l\u00e0-bas. Je pense que nous \u00e9tions moins de 50 passagers \u00e0 arriver \u00e0 Hong Kong.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210629-WA0005.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210629-WA0005-840x420.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3738\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210629-WA0005.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/img-20210629-wa0005\/\" class=\"wp-image-3738\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Empty seats \/ <em>Places libres<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We landed a bit ahead of schedule, around 6pm. I was prepared for the last hurdle of my journey. We walked to the shuttle. People in uniform to show us were to wait, keep our distance. Get in the shuttle, get out of the shuttle. Show the QR code, proof that you filled in the health formulaire. Walk to control <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #1<\/span>: they check the QR code once again. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #2<\/span>: They check your QR code and your passport and give you an orange badge and a plastic bag. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #3<\/span>: wait for a booth to be available and someone get the samples for your PCR test. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #4<\/span>: hand over your sample and check that the number on the orange badge is the same as the one on the sample. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #5<\/span>: wait to get your paperwork checked by an officer. Very professionally, they ask for ID card, PCR test, certification letter, quarantine hotel confirmation, vaccine certificate. They give you a &#8220;compulsory quarantine order&#8221; and they stamp it &#8220;CHECKED&#8221;. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #6<\/span>: check the quarantine order they just gave you (WHY?????). Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #7<\/span>: They take your quarantine order and your orange badge, write a zone and a seat and give it back to you. They keep the quarantine order (even if you want, you can&#8217;t leave before you get the test result) and they tell you to go to the indicated zone and to wait. How long? I didn&#8217;t ask, they didn&#8217;t tell. I walked to the end of the terminal, found the allocated zone and seat and waited. I was expecting to wait 8 hours, because my last 2 tests took 8 hours for the result. Fortunately, the results were back after 2-3 hours. Someone calls your name, gives you your quarantine order back and tells you to go. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #8<\/span>: check the quarantine order. Back into the shuttle, always with people shepherding us around. Into the arrival hall to get our suitcase and out of the door. Walk to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">check #9<\/span>: another queue, another check of the quarantine order. You&#8217;re placed in the queue for the government transport to take you to your quarantine hotel. In case we didn&#8217;t go to the hotel but somewhere else! Good thinking on Sebastien&#8217;s part, my hotel is 5 minutes walk from the airport. Someone did accompany us to make sure we got there. When checking in the room, they check again your ID and your quarantine order and give you all the rules for the next 14 days. I was in my room at 11.30 pm. It took around 5 hours for all these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Nous avons atterri un peu plus t\u00f4t que pr\u00e9vu, vers 18 heures. L\u2019a\u00e9roport \u00e9tait toujours aussi vide que lors de mon d\u00e9part. J&#8217;\u00e9tais pr\u00eate \u00e0 passer la derni\u00e8re \u00e9preuve de mon voyage. Nous avons march\u00e9 jusqu&#8217;\u00e0 la navette. Des gens en uniforme pour nous montrer o\u00f9 attendre et garder nos distances. On monte dans la navette, on sort de la navette. On montre le QR code, preuve qu\u2019on a rempli le formulaire de sant\u00e9. On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b01<\/span> : nouvelle v\u00e9rification du code QR. On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b02<\/span> : v\u00e9rification du code QR et du passeport et remise d\u2019un badge orange et d\u2019un sachet en plastique pour le test. On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b03<\/span> : petite queue en attendant qu\u2019une cabine se lib\u00e8re et prise d\u2019\u00e9chantillons pour le test PCR. On marche jusqu\u2019au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b04<\/span> : on d\u00e9pose l\u2019\u00e9chantillon du test et on v\u00e9rifie que le num\u00e9ro sur l\u2019\u00e9chantillon est le m\u00eame que sur le badge orange. On marche jusqu\u2019au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b05<\/span> : encore une queue pour attendre la v\u00e9rification des papiers. Tr\u00e8s professionnellement, l\u2019agent demande carte d&#8217;identit\u00e9, test PCR, lettre de certification, confirmation d&#8217;h\u00f4tel de quarantaine, certificat de vaccination. Il vous donne en \u00e9change un \u00ab ordre de quarantaine obligatoire \u00bb et le tamponne \u00ab V\u00c9RIFI\u00c9 \u00bb. On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b06<\/span> : v\u00e9rification de l&#8217;ordre de quarantaine qu&#8217;on vient juste de vous donner (POURQUOI ?????). On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b07<\/span> : on prend votre ordre de quarantaine et votre badge orange, on \u00e9crit une zone et un si\u00e8ge et on vous le rend. L&#8217;ordre de quarantaine est confisqu\u00e9 (si jamais on pense \u00e0 resquiller, ce n\u2019est pas possible) et on vous dit d&#8217;aller dans la zone indiqu\u00e9e et d&#8217;attendre. Combien de temps ? Je ne l&#8217;ai pas demand\u00e9, on ne m\u2019a pas dit. On marche jusqu&#8217;au bout du terminal, on s\u2019assoit \u00e0 la place indiqu\u00e9e et on attend. Je m&#8217;attendais \u00e0 attendre 8 heures, car il a fallu 8h pour avoir les r\u00e9sultats de mes 2 tests pr\u00e9c\u00e9dents. Heureusement, les r\u00e9sultats \u00e9taient de retour apr\u00e8s 2-3 heures. Quelqu&#8217;un appelle votre nom, vous rend votre ordre de quarantaine et vous dit de partir. On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b08<\/span> : nouvelle v\u00e9rification de l&#8217;ordre de quarantaine. De retour dans la navette, toujours avec des gens qui nous guident. Dans le hall des arriv\u00e9es pour r\u00e9cup\u00e9rer les valises et sortir du terminal. On marche jusqu&#8217;au <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">contr\u00f4le n\u00b09<\/span> : nouvelle file d&#8217;attente, nouvelle v\u00e9rification de l&#8217;ordre de quarantaine. On est plac\u00e9 dans la file d&#8217;attente pour le transport gouvernemental vers l\u2019h\u00f4tel de quarantaine. Des fois qu\u2019on veuille aller ailleurs qu\u2019\u00e0 l&#8217;h\u00f4tel de quarantaine ! Bonne id\u00e9e de la part de S\u00e9bastien, mon h\u00f4tel est \u00e0 5 minutes \u00e0 pied de l&#8217;a\u00e9roport. Quelqu&#8217;un nous a toutefois accompagn\u00e9s pour s&#8217;assurer que nous allions bien au bon endroit. Lors de l&#8217;enregistrement dans la chambre, on v\u00e9rifie \u00e0 nouveau pi\u00e8ce d&#8217;identit\u00e9 et ordre de quarantaine et on nous donne toutes les r\u00e8gles \u00e0 suivre pour les 14 prochains jours. J&#8217;\u00e9tais dans ma chambre \u00e0 23h30. Il m\u2019a fallu environ 5 heures entre la sortie de l\u2019avion et ma chambre d\u2019h\u00f4tel.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210629-WA0001-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210629-WA0001-840x420.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3740\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG-20210629-WA0001-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/img-20210629-wa0001\/\" class=\"wp-image-3740\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Waiting&#8230; \/ <em>J&#8217;attends<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And now for the next 14 days, I cannot leave this room. The window doesn&#8217;t open. I receive my meals 3 times a day. I&#8217;ve got instructions on how to get my rubbish out and get fresh linen. I&#8217;ve got to take and write down my temperature twice daily. I&#8217;ve got to get a test on the 3rd, 7th and 12th day of my quarantine. And when I&#8217;m out, I need to book an additional 2 tests on the 15th and the 18th day. It&#8217;s not too bad for a jail and I am happy I am on my own. I can&#8217;t imagine leaving for 2 weeks with the kids, or even Sebastien. It is lonely, but there&#8217;s the phone and I have plenty of distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Et maintenant, pour les 14 prochains jours, je ne peux pas quitter cette pi\u00e8ce. La fen\u00eatre ne s&#8217;ouvre pas. Je re\u00e7ois mes repas 3 fois par jour. J&#8217;ai des instructions sur la fa\u00e7on de sortir mes poubelles et d&#8217;obtenir du linge propre. Je dois prendre et noter ma temp\u00e9rature deux fois par jour. Je dois passer un test les 3e, 7e et 12e jours de ma quarantaine. Et quand je sors, je dois r\u00e9server 2 tests suppl\u00e9mentaires les 15\u00e8me et 18\u00e8me jours. Cette prison n\u2019est pas trop mal (j\u2019ai de l\u2019espace et c\u2019est confortable) mais je suis heureuse d&#8217;y \u00eatre seule. Je n&#8217;imagine pas y passer 2 semaines avec les enfants, ni m\u00eame avec S\u00e9bastien. C&#8217;est solitaire, mais il y a le t\u00e9l\u00e9phone et j&#8217;ai beaucoup de distractions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3744\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/20210701_122017\/\" class=\"wp-image-3744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122017-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Orange badge<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3746\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/20210701_122050\/\" class=\"wp-image-3746\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_122050-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Quarantine order<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3747\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/my-journey-back\/20210701_135619\/\" class=\"wp-image-3747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/20210701_135619-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Sample meal<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I left my mom&#8217;s home Saturday 26th at around 9.45 am and I arrived in my Hong Kong hotel room Tuesday 29th at around 11.30 pm. I will be home (if everything goes well) Tuesday 13th July around midday. I let you calculate how long this makes \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>J&#8217;ai quitt\u00e9 l\u2019appart de maman \u00e0 Avignon le samedi 26 vers 9h45 et je suis arriv\u00e9e dans ma chambre d&#8217;h\u00f4tel \u00e0 Hong Kong le mardi 29 vers 23h30. Je serai chez moi (si tout se passe bien) mardi 13 juillet vers midi. Je vous laisse calculer combien de temps cela fait <\/em>\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-highlight-color\">Note: The picture at the top is a sunset above northern Europe on the way back.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-highlight-color\">Note : la photo du haut est un coucher de soleil sur le nord de l&#8217;Europe sur le chemin du retour.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After this very emotional week, I was ready (well, not really ready) to go home. But that&#8217;s not that easy[&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-fullwidth.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3669"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3794,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3669\/revisions\/3794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sebetanne.co.uk\/hkblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}