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Global Citizens

~ a blog for Tourists, Expats and Locals

Global Citizens

Tag Archives: belgian embassy

Life as a pariah in Argentina (part 6)

24 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by katti in Argentina (home), blog

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

belgian embassy, corona in argentina, lockdown in argentina, mibuenosairesproyecto, mybuenosairesproject, repatriation, road check ups, ruta 2, total lock down in argentina

We are on our way to Capital. You can only drive if you have a special permission. Like us, we have a flight confirmation, and a ‘laissez passer’ letter from the Belgian embassy. We have also received a link of the law saying we can go, in case they don’t believe us.

I feel like I am in an apocalyptic horror movie. To me, apocalyptic is horror, and I never watch such movies. So the feeling I now have solely comes from movie trailers.

The road is empty. We went to fill up the car at the gas station on the highway. Normally this is full of people, now it’s just us, and 1 man serving us. The shop is closed and has a big red ‘No entrance’ sign. The guy keeps a safe distance and wears gloves. He tells us they are going to close down completely.

He tells us the robberies in town have started. With this total lock down people can’t work, and many have no money and a family to feed. Argentines have lived through many crises, but this one is particular : the poor can’t even go outside to beg, as there are no people on the streets to beg from.

The highway is as good as empty. The peaje is closed, or rather, open. You can drive through without paying. The animals are already taking over. We have to break for a big bird on the road. Oof. Just in time he flies off.

At the next peaje there is a well organized check up. We are pushed into lanes where several police officers are doing check ups. There is also press, cameras, TV vans with satellite dishes.

We start by saying ‘Somos Belgas’, we are Belgians, and immediately the cop backs off. He asks our documents and takes my phone in his gloved hand. He reads the Embassy letter attentively and checks the flight time. We are good to go.

The 2nd check point is in Capital, what are you doing here? (The airport is the other direction), but they believed our story that we need to hand in our rental car. No proof needed for that. She warned us that we should call the airport first as there have been cancelations. We know all about that. Our flight is indeed canceled. We knew that all along.

We are now waiting on a phone call by the embassy, that some european flight has 2 free seats. That’s how one travels out of here nowadays. At least when he’s Belgian. We depend on the goodwill of other countries to take us along on their planes.

Meanwhile we wait in this little Airbnb appartement in Capital… patiently.

Life as a pariah in Argentina (part 5)

22 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by katti in blog

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Tags

Air france, belgian embassy, belgian in need of help, belgian ministery, belgian stuck in argentina, canceled Air France flights, canceled flights, coronavirus, coronavirus in argentina, mibuenosairesproyect, mybuenosairesproject, repatriation of belgians, total lock down

Slowly but surely this whole adventure is turning into a complete nightmare. Or rather, a complete joke.

Just recapitulate. I’m sure you already lost me a long time ago.

1. We had an Air France flight leaving on the 31st from BA. It was canceled after Argentina refused planes from countries affected by the virus.

2. We rebooked AF on the same date via Sao Paolo. It was canceled as AF decided to stop flying after the 23th.

3. We rebooked a flight leaving on the 23th. It was canceled because the first part (GOL) was canceled.

4. We were rebooked on the 24th, first part with LATAM. The first flight got canceled.

5. We got rebooked on the same day, earlier flight. Later that was canceled too.

6. We got rebooked on the 27th, first part with GOL. A few hours later that was canceled.

7. Eeeehhmmm. What happens now? Should we still trust Air France and believe they will bring us back? I have certainly lost faith. They just book you on whatever flight not checking if it is still flying.

We have been on the phone and texting to different airline companies and official institutions all afternoon and evening, but to no avail. We even considered a flight through Addis Ababa but thought 5000 usd a bit over our budget.

We are especially dissapointed that our embassy and government is letting us down.

Tomorrow we will yet have another day of calling and searching for a flight. Or maybe we should just start to accept that we will be here for a few weeks or months. Doing nothing. Waiting….

Addendum on Tuesday 24/3

8. I am rebooked by Air France leaving on Thursday EZE-GRU (operated by aerolineas) GRU-CDG. My husband can go on Saturday : EZE-GRU-LONDON-PARIS operated by British airways.

9. Within 12 hours both flights were canceled.

Addendum on 25/3

10. We booked a flight on Ethiopian airlines, EZE-GRU-ADD-BRU we checked in, went to the airport on the 25th. We first tried to get on an AF repatriation flight (failed), later that day the flight of Ethiopian got canceled.

11. Our Air France flight was rebooked. Mine was leaving on the 27th EZE-GRU (by aerolineas) GRU-CDG (AF) and husband on Saturday through British airways. We called AF, they confirm what we already knew : there are no flights to GRU, and they can’t get into the ‘system’. He confirmed that both flights are canceled. We rebooked them on the 1st available flight after the airport reopens. That is May 5th

Addendum 26th of March

12. We are offered to book on a repatriation flight of AF, EZE-CDG on the 29th. We rebooked our flights of May 5 to this weekend.

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