Where I Should Be Today

Yesterday (Sat), with eight months of planning in the works, I would have driven to Frankfurt, and boarded a plane at 1:45 PM to Copenhagen....spent 27 hours on the ground there, and then flown onto Tokyo for 15 days of Japan.

In fact, up until five weeks ago, it was still an absolute 'green-light' to continue but at that point in time....I tried hard to convince my German wife to give up on the idea because of the virus potential.  She's German, and changing her mind is like dealing with a 3,000 pound Brahma Bull.  It wasn't going to happen.  We were going, period.

I should note here.....I had the decently priced airline tickets....bought in June of 2019 in my hands.  I had the hotel reservations done, and completely paid.

Eight days ago, the reality set into a new direction.  It made no sense to go.

The airline (to be unnamed) had cancelled a number of flights.  They made it into a problem.  Lufthansa....the airline to get me into Copenhagen?  They cancelled that morning flight, and gave me a afternoon flight.  Things were real questionable at that point.

Then came the Danish government....all NON-Danes are forbidden entry.  Didn't matter if I was walking, driving, riding a train, or arriving by airplane.

I finally approached the wife and said this won't work.  She finally relented and agreed.

The problem remaining? Cancelling the flight, getting that money back, and the hotel issues.

Well....the hotels were in a position where it was 7 days away, and I could fully cancel.  Not a penny lost.

The airline?  You had to call them, and go into a one to two hour waiting period....before getting to a live person.  That was the real pain.  So finally, I suggest that they can't get me into Copenhagen, and they agreed.  Full refund?  Yes, a complete refund.

So it is a total of 100 man-hours of effort to plan this trip, and get exceptional prices.  Every penny is returned.  And other than 25 Euro spent on two stupid travel books.....I'm out nothing at this point.

This morning?  Well....I should be getting up in Copenhagen, and flying out to Tokyo at 3:45 PM this afternoon.  The thought has been on my mind.

The rest of 2020?  Well....here's the amusing thing.  There is this stupid cruise I agreed to, and reservations are done (from the summer of 2019).  I would leave from Amsterdam in seven weeks.  Will it continue on? I have no idea.  Getting out of it?  Same worry.