Part 1-Repatriation 25/4/2020
I contacted the South African Embassy in April 2020 to see what the possibility was of being able to go back home.
I had to send all my details to them and was put on the list of passengers for the flight which was possibly between 13-19 April 2020.
Unfortunately the flight did not take place and those days came and went .
I made contact with other people who were in the same predicament during this time to ensure I didn't miss any update which also became a great support for me during this difficult time .
We finally got confirmation that there was a flight on 22/4 /2020 and we only had until 23/4/2020 to make the booking and pay for the ticket
After numerous calls to the airline I finally paid for my ticket and got the confirmation for the flight for 25/4/2020.
The days building up to the flight were exhausting ,none of us could sleep just in case we missed an email or a call from the airline or embassy .
We had to be at the airport at 5am ,so I left home at 4h30 .
 |
| Arriving at Dubai International Airport at 4h30 am |
There were only South Africans and Germans at the airport and everything else was closed .Even the ATMs were offline !
We waited till 6am for the embassy staff to arrive and when they did we were told to approach the staff to sign a consent form for the medical tests and quarantine .
The process was nothing short of chaotic but eventually once my consent form was filled in and I checked in,I passed through immigration and then got through to the boarding gate
Walking through the empty airport was so strange ,as everything was closed and there were no people around except us .I have never seen any airport this empty in my entire life
 |
| Airport was totally empty |
We had to sit with 1 seat space between us and wear our masks and gloves at all times .The cabin crew had on protective gear and wore perspex masks which covered their eyes and mouth.
The plane was delayed by an hour as one of the passengers did not make it through immigration .
We had our temperatures checked before we left Dubai and were handed a form to fill in which was a declaration of any COVID-19 related symptoms like a cough or fever and if we had travelled in the past few weeks .
We were served popcorn and water initially and then some cold snacks including a salad and a small cucumber and cream cheese bread finger sandwich
The flight was good and we landed at 16h00 at OR Tambo airport in South Africa .Before disembarking we had our temperatures checked again
We were the only passengers at the airport .
Again we were struck with a strange feeling as we walked through the emptiness that prevailed in the airport .
We went through immigration and were directed to an exit were shuttle vans were waiting to take us to the runway to pick up our luggage
 |
| Getting our luggage |
We were then escorted in a convoy to the hotel which is close to the airport ,where we had to wait about an hour before being allowed inside .Once in we had to wait to check in .I finally did this by 8h30 pm and went to my room
 |
| My room during the quarantine |
I unpacked ,showered and washed the clothes I had on and then I got my dinner around 9h30pm which was a delicious macaroni and cheese (just what the doctor ordered )
I made it ! Finally Im home -there are no words to describe how I feel .After all the chaos ,sleepless nights and stress I had made it through!
I want to thank Ms Anneline Vorster from the embassy in Abu Dhabi who worked tirelessly for more than 2 months to get approval to get us home .This woman is nothing short of an angel -she checked on us frequently ,followed up if we were having a problem ,and even managed to get an approval for additional luggage .She is a blessing and a wonderful person and I am eternally grateful for her help
I am now under quarantine for 14 days in a hotel close to the airport .Soon I'll be home...
