Luxor4u

Day 7 of lockdown!! I decided a week ago that I had to isolate myself voluntarily as I’m in the most vulnerable, ‘at risk’ group - over 65, heart and blood pressure problems, and compromised immune system. Last Saturday the Turkish government announced that over 65’s and those with chronic illness can not leave their homes, and should have minimal contact with others - so my self isolation turned into virtual house arrest!

Within an hour the British expats in Datca had organised the under 65’s, with each one taking responsibility for some of us oldies for shopping etc! Brits at their best!! I guess the German expats will have done something similar. So, shopping sorted! OK, I thought, not too much of a problem, I have well stocked cupboards and freezer, plenty of interests to occupy me, I’m used to living alone and don’t often feel the need for company, no problem! Hmmmmm. Until Saturdays announcement it was fine.

Sunday afternoon I suddenly thought about my cleaning lady. I’d talked to her the previous week about washing her hands etc, but then it dawned that she goes to lots of other people too. Isolation means just that, no outside contact. No cleaner I called her, told her not to come for a month, but I would continue to pay her half her usual rate - she’s a good woman with a family that she works hard to support, and I feel I can’t just shut her off.

An hour later I woke up to the fact that it was nearly the end of the month and there were things that had to be done - utility bills, health insurance, site fees to be paid, etc etc etc etc. I operate on a cash basis. The only thing I don’t pay for personally is my rent, which is on standing order, thank goodness. I transfer money from my UK bank to my Turkish bank as my pensions come in, then take cash from the ATM as and when I need it. I’d decided to do this on Thursday of this week, getting up very early, walking into town to the ATM, then a taxi home. After Saturdays announcement, to do so would risk arrest and/or a fine if I was stopped by the police - and on Sunday there were media reports that this was already happening!

The government announced on Monday that seniors could ring a special telephone number, the local police would come and accompany them to and from their bank. Hmmmm, ok, but that’s fairly close contact? In a car with police personnel? They’re not immune from the virus! Nope, don’t think so, thanks very much!

By Tuesday I’d got things more or less sorted, friends with online banking would pay the bills, and a friend, whom I trust, will take my bank card and pin to the ATM tomorrow morning and withdraw enough cash for a month - and before anyone says no, no, no, I’ve been through all the alternatives and this seems the safest way, even though it goes against the grain!

The reality of lockdown finally began to really sink in on Monday evening. No nipping out to the shops when I fancied something special for dinner. No calling in to my favourite café for coffee and cake. No walking down to the harbour for a drink in the evening. No walking anywhere, period. No art group. No tea with the neighbours. No anything really.

I’ll survive, I’m well and fully intend to stay that way. I have wine! A friend sent some by taxi to me yesterday! I’ve finished the chocolate, but that’s not a bad thing. Everything that comes to the house gets wiped with a solution of bleach and water, I’m being extra vigilant about the risk. I feel calmer and more accepting this morning, although I’m sure I’m going to have bad days too. I believe the Turkish government is handling the crisis in the right way, but the biggest problem here, as in other countries, is a culture of close contact and a lack of understanding among the general populace of how the virus spreads, and how dangerously infectious it is.

Watch this space!!

As an “at risk” individual the UK have advised me to stay at home and self-isolate. No problem there...that’s my default state. I’m totally happy with my own company, books, DVD’s, online bridge and the telly...although the latter’s repetition of virus-news is beginning to get a bit monotonous.

There is a mini-market 50 metres from my door so, despite the government strictures, I nip there once a week to buy bread, milk, eggs etc. I encounter no one en route or in the shop...apart from the suitably distanced shopkeeper.

I clean everything, and myself, on returning home.

I can’t see this exposes me to any higher risk than having someone shop for me. Online food deliveries are devoid of delivery slots.

I was due to fly to Egypt mid April. That’s obviously not going to happen and I assume I .will hear from EasyJet in due course that my flight is cancelled.

I think I could maintain this lifestyle for several months without going bonkers.

We’ll see.........

Hepzibah - brilliant idea lets hope many contibute, however I'm not sure what picture MT would paint on his containment in Cyprus. He would no doubt yet again try and lower moral for those living happily in Luxor.

Yildez - Thanks for letting us know about life in Datca, at least folk put themselves out to help which is more than can be said here in Birmingham. Queues for everything, supermarkets, chemists, selfishness knows no bounds. However the Turkish Kurdish guys who have a shop are brilliant, I ask if they have certain items and they produce them from under the counter. I love them for their kindness and generosity. Now the NHS are looking for 250,000 volunteers to help out. As I've just passed the 70 mark I can't help

www.goodsamapp.org/NHS

Over the past few days my contacts have been sending me lots of video clips about this virus, most of them funny, many disgustingly funny, some very straight laced. Oh I've had one of those letters from the NHS stating I'm a named person you care for or as someone at risk of severe illness. Last year I had radio therepy for a stage 1 lymphoma cancer but now hopefully cured. May be that's why I got the letter.

Now college is closed I've developed Google Classroom for my students so they can practise their English and the response has been good. This allows me to correct work and answer questions etc. I'm very lucky as I'm still being paid. Living on your own is not easy and planning the day can be stressful. I'm fed up watching Piers Morgan ranting, fed up of TV in general as the news is so depressing. I see the BBC are starting to show repeats again!!

So what did I do yesterday? I have over 500 photos from when I used to teach in Syria and Jordan, so I spent a couple of hours putting them on Facebook. The temperature rose to the barmy heights of 15c so I decided to jetwash my slabs in the garden. It looks much better now. I doubt whether I can buy any plants this year so I'll try and nurture some seeds for a change. So that's it. I'll post regularly if anything exciting happens, don't hold your breath.

Keep safe everyone, look after one another and that includes you MT.

I was due to fly to Egypt mid April. That’s obviously not going to happen and I assume I .will hear from EasyJet in due course that my flight is cancelled.

I'm booked for the whole of August flying Egyptair to Luxor. This includes a cruise and a stay in Aswan. To early to say what will happen but I have to pay the balance by mid May. Watch this space.

crewmeal wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:45 am I'm booked for the whole of August flying Egyptair to Luxor. This includes a cruise and a stay in Aswan. To early to say what will happen but I have to pay the balance by mid May. Watch this space.

I’ve read on social media that these pre- booked packages are presenting quite a quandary.

Assuming - as is often the case - that you haven’t heard anything about cancellation by mid-May do you pay the balance? If you don’t, you might risk forfeiture of what you’ve paid.

If you pay the balance, you might have a long wait, or even a fight, to get a refund.

Some package operators seem to be quite cavalier about the situation, not responding to enquires and leaving their clients wondering what to do.

If you’re fully insured for all eventualities it’s more of a nuisance than a financial risk.

The way things are looking, I doubt your fly/cruise holiday will happen

I am currently in 'social isolation' here in Luxor. I have plenty of Vodka and food to keep me going as well as a very helpful and caring group of Egyptian friends who are ensuring that I am OK.

Well Just for a change we've got a really good choice of viewing today on Egyptian TV - my whole day is spoken for! (Sometimes I can go for whole weeks without a decent film). Just finished watching "The Ghost Writer", now on to "The Fifth Estate", really looking forward to Paddington 1 followed by Paddington 2, then the excellent "100ft Journey", and to finish off with, if Im still awake, "Florence Foster Jenkins".
Its going to be tricky finding a spare 10 mins to go down and feed the hotel cat in the empty hotel (She's missing you Brian ..)

hatusu, I wish I could say the same for the UK television options at the moment.
Is the film "100ft Journey" the one about the two restaurants in France? If so, I would happily watch that again.
Florence Foster Jenkins is a film I've not yet seen but is on my 'want to' list.
Paddington... hmm... perhaps if there was no other real choice. I've seen bits though so I'm not completely off the idea.
The other two you've mentioned I don't instantly recognise so will have to look them up.

Yes Hepzi - the 100t journey is about the 2 restaurants in France. I hadnt heard about the Ghost Writer" before but it was an excellent spy film, but I always have trouble with those kind of films working out which are the goodies and baddies.

I enjoyed watching 'The Ghost Writer' last night even though I had seen it before. I am pleased that I have Netflix with such a great menu of films,etc

I dont have Netflix - all the above films are surprisingly on MBC2.

I realised the other day that I had never watched 'The Great Escape' all the way through, so I watched it on Netflix on Sunday. This was down to watching 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' the night before, which references it at one point. While watching TGE, I was sadly leaving my 78-year old mother in isolation on Mother's Day, as did my sister. Made do with a phone call instead. I'll make it up to her once the danger has passed.