Made It Home
I arrived home yesterday. The flights themselves were uneventful. But the trip was empty and weird. First of all, the shuttle bus from the rental car return in Phoenix was literally completely empty.
And the driver had a barricade of crime-scene tape to prevent anyone from getting to close to him.
Going through security was also freakishly empty.
The terminal was also quiet.
All the shops and restaurants were closed.
As I waited for the flight to board, I noticed a story on the Jerusalem Post website stating that only three airlines were actually still flying into Israel – Aeroflot, Ethiopian Air, and United. Pretty lucky, I thought, to be on this United flight.
As we neared landing in Newark, NJ, I looked out the window and saw what looked like a 14 lane highway – nearly empty. It was a little after 6PM local time on Monday, what should have been the end of rush-hour.
After landing we taxied to our gate past a bunch of United airplanes just parked out in the middle of the tarmac, not in use.
Terminal C in Newark was equally deserted.
Checking my gate on the monitors, I was astonished by all the cancellations.
As the departure time neared, people started gathering for the flight to Israel.
Around ten hours later we safely arrived at Ben Gurion. All the gates were empty – no airplanes.
As was the departure lounge,
and the arrivals hall.
Immediately after landing we were held prior to passport control and after being asked if we were healthy or had any viral type symptoms, we were instructed to fill out the Ministry of Health home quarantine form before being allowed to proceed. But we were not actually tested for the virus or whisked away to a corona hotel as I had feared.
And so I made it home. Barely it seems. And I am in official home quarantine for two weeks.
Wishing everyone health and a speedy end to this world-wide plague.