COVID -19 .................. in Lanzarote

You would have thought at my age, with the years of travelling I have done, and the number of health issues I have encountered, I would have wised up by now and heeded the warnings. But NO.

Well for a start, where had we booked for a 7-day break in Lanzarote?.... The Coronas Playa Hotel – what  a significant name that turned out to be.

So, let me give you a fast track account in 500 words, of a  VERY memorable vacation.

Thursday 12^th  March arrived Lanzarote OK and my right arm promptly had an argument with our bathroom door handle. I lost and had a medical compression trauma bandage for 7 days. = no swimming, and shower difficulties.  

Friday 13^th walk North to and recce Costa Teguise. Best bar identified for Margaritas, and ideal restaurant for interesting choice of Tapas. Diarised for final holiday day - abortively as it transpired!.

Saturday 14th walk South to Barcelo Suites (now the Occidental) to renew acquaintances with our Lanzarote hotel first visited in 1996. No sign of the Trumpeter Finch and Southern Great Grey Shrike seen 24 years previously.   HOWEVER, very pleased to id 3 Berthelot Pipits foraging under one particular type of bush.

  

Sunday 15^th…oh dear. After lunch the Tui team said that there would be no more guest activities. Strips (which we were later to learn were distancing strips) emerged on the floor wherever a queue was possible - floors leading into the bar,  the dining room,  buffet counters in the dining room, all bars and at reception. I don’t think there were queues to leave the building!!

Whilst enjoying a pre-dinner libation selection, we were told we could not sit in the Monkey Bar; fortunately, the General Manager(GM) over-rode this stipulation. (OK so far). After dinner with no evening entertainment, and having reluctantly reverted to the bar again, I noticed flashing police blues pass the hotel, only to stop, reverse, and then continue.

Monday 16^th  GM overruled, and no drinks to be consumed IN the Monkey Bar!

All sunbeds on the terrace were stacked to prevent use. A notice in reception stated that guests should stay in their rooms, unless at the supermarket, chemist or hairdressers. Thank goodness we had a sea view and a balcony. Guests without balcony loungers, helped themselves from the lounger stack!!   

Mealtime became a welcome chance to vacate your room, talk to fellow guests and sit down with a drink. This led to guests ALL wanting to dine early, and,  together with a reduction in staff due to the Coronavirus, a 2-shifts meal system was introduced. Plus one third of the dining room was closed.

Tuesday 17^th  Lower beach bar not opened. All chairs on the terrace, reception, bar area, lounge etc, either removed, taped off, or signed “Please take drinks to your rooms”.  Monkey Bar completely closed.

Wednesday 18^th…………………………. Solitude, loneliness, patronising of take-away bar plus periodic exercise laps of the terrace/pool complex. (Apart from the 9 guests to whom the rules did not apparently apply using any loungers just as they liked.)

Thursday 19^th.   Being on a 7-day holiday our return was per our booking, unlike guests on 14 or 21 day breaks, for whom frantic efforts were taking place to bring their return date forward. We understood that the hotel was scheduled to be empty by Saturday 21^st and we found the airport very busy with people going home. Stories were abroad about  people changing airlines, some on standby, repatriation to different airports from the original start airport for others.

Happy Birding…. Wherever you can... on a fenced off beach!!