Seriously, folks, that Corona virus is getting out of hand. Every day now, it’s crawling or rather racing closer. And people are crazy enough to still go to work or celebrate carnival – all of it without washing their bloody hands.
No, this is too dangerous.
I am out of here.
Luckily, I found a house/cat sitting assignment on the island of Faial, and if you don’t know where Faial is, that’s a good sign. Because then the virus won’t know either.
It’s really, really far in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the island group of the Azores, which, thanks to Portuguese sea- and statesmanship, are part of the European Union.
There will be two cats, Maxie and Whitey, of whom I will take care, and who will take care of me, I hope. Other than that, it’s a small island with some surprising bits of history, so I will be telling you stories told to me by whalers, fishermen and pirates. Or by their parrots.
Faial is famous for diving and whaling, none of which I am into, but it also looks like a small hiking paradise. And without too many distractions, I hope to get a lot of work, writing and studying done. As always, if you want a postcard, let me know!
On Faial, the only Corona should be the beer, although I am more curious about Kima and Laranjada. And please, let’s stay in touch and do let me know when the pandemic will be over and it will be safe to return to the continent.
Links:
- More about house/pet sitting, including the frequently asked questions for people who want to do the same.
- More health-related articles.
- And here you will find all the articles about the Azores.
- Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Anti-Viren-Ratschlags.
The Happy Hermit 
YAY! Another virtual vacation for me. Thank you in advance!
Thanks for following!
This time, I won’t post daily photos like I did in Kyiv or in Venta Micena, because three months on an island are a bit too long for that.
But there will be plenty of stories and photos. I have just begun to read about Faial, and I am already amazed how much history there is on a small and remote island.
If you really want to avoid the virus, be sure to destroy the jetty and airstrip once you get there.
Whoa, you are quite the radical traveler! :P
Actually, as it’s still two weeks until my assignment in the Azores begins, I am worried that they will close the air traffic before.
Be careful and check it. I’ve checked the regulations for Kazakhstan yesterday and say don’t might put people coming from Germany and other affected countries into quarantine. It’s tough to move around freely these days. Some countries and especially islands are strict which is logical. :)
I am worried about the Azores simply closing itself to all incoming flights and ships, which would really make sense.
About quarantine, I am less worried because I would bring enough books.
But what would happen with the cats?
Maybe I could self-quarantine at the house with the cats?
It’s scary how quickly it’s spreading. My 15yo niece is meant to go to Italy on a school trip in a couple of weeks. Not sure if it’s cancelled or not but, what a worry.
Well, they are teenagers, so they are more robust, even if they get the virus. ;-)
I am still not sure if Italy really has more cases of the virus or if they are just testing better. I think they have a very low-barrier health system, whereas in other countries you would need to pay for the test yourself. Of course that distorts the numbers.
But it’s shocking to see how careless most people just continue with their lives, even going to mass events like carnival, church or the cinema, that one could really do without. If we seriously wanted to stop the virus, most people should stay at home most of the time, until a treatment or even vaccine has been developed.
It’s actually another example of what I recently wrote about regarding human reaction towards climate change: https://andreasmoser.blog/2020/01/31/climate-change-chernobyl/
I’ll be interested to read your post. Off to do that next but I have to say, from what I’m hearing from my northern Italian relatives, many people are doing just that, staying inside and away from crowds and events.
That’s very clever!
In Germany, on the other hand, everyone thinks that they are super important and absolutely need to go to work to keep the economy going.
I think Italians are more relaxed and wiser in that regard.
Yes! I really don’t understand why people have to attend gatherings like carnival and such. And it’s true Germans are insane when it comes to work and some of them work for 40-50 years and only missed work one day. And then they write an entire article in the newspaper. I have no understanding for it. How can one be so proud to dedicate precious lifetime to an employer not using a few free days (sick leave) while being paid for it. 😅 I wouldn’t go to work now (I used to be a teacher).
Also why don’t they outsource task that people can work from home, many jobs can be conducted from home. But you hear some burocratical excuses why it’s not possible. I’m happy I’m self-employed and can work and study remote like Andreas to avoid people without excuses. :)
Yes, I totally agree. And I think working from home should be made mandatory right now.
Actually, with a lot of jobs, nobody would notice if people didn’t show up for a few weeks. It’s not like the world would implode without the contribution of marketing influencer SEO account vice representatives or so.
So true
Solo puedo sentir envidia! Creo que querré una postal de ese paraíso. En América del Sur comenzamos a preocuparnos con el virus corona. Me pregunto si es oportuna la postal en momentos como este.
Puedes poner la postal en cuarentena por 14 dias. :-)
Seriously jealous, I wish I got offers of cat sitting out in the middle of nowhere :p
There are some on Cyprus from time to time, not quite that far away, but also an island.
And then I have seen some on Caribbean islands or on Reunion, but the flights there are way too expensive for me, so it would only be worth it if it was a job for 6 months or so.
Interesting! I hope its a great time for you. Take care
I hope so too and I will report from the island.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ERyNUD2X0AIogWl?format=png&name=900×900
Shit.
You just destroyed my comfort and serenity.
Lol, sorry about that. Maybe try Eastern Island if you don’t mind not being in the EU.
Oh, I have been to Easter Island.
One week was enough. :/
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This is a very nice retreat to avoid coronavirus. I wish you luck, take care, and stay safe :) Can’t wait for more stories about this paradise, it looks abundant in green, surrounded by wide blue horizon.
Oh yes, the colors are so strong here!
It’s a delight to go for walks (which is perfectly fine here, I think, because hardly anyone else is around), especially because the flowers are in full bloom.
Andreas siempre esta en lugares interesantes. Gracias por ello, ya que por sus viajes puedo aprender , cultura, tradicciones y formas de vida.
Muchas gracias, senorita!
Es un trabajo duro, pero alguien debe hacerlo. ;-)