Trapped Abroad On A Motorcycle Trip During Coronavirus

Perhaps it’s true that the adventure truly begins once everything else goes wrong. There’s a lot you can plan for and try your best to be prepared for, but you never really know what’s coming. That is especially true on a solo motorcycle journey through countries you’ve never been to before. You try to have all your bases covered, your flat tire repair kit prepped, your tools handy, your zip-ties in easy reach, and your rain gear always in that same, quick-access spot.

But if you’re on the road long enough, the unexpected will most certainly happen, especially during strange times on our planet.

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Here on lockdown in quarantine in Colombia is one of those, as a raging pandemic sweeps the globe (you may have heard of it). All of this is unprecedented; no nation has had to take the measures at the same scale we are taking now.

Colombia declared a 19-day nationwide lockdown that started at midnight Tuesday, March 24, to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus, which has now been extended to April 27. All international flights are canceled, both coming and going. Domestic flights are suspended as well; land and sea borders are also closed. These are tough times for all, especially those who can’t easily shelter in place.

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As someone who’s constantly in motion living on a motorcycle, having my movements restricted—my wings clipped—is a hard reality to fathom.

Before the lockdown began, the country practiced a weekend-long quarantine drill, which ended Monday evening. Tuesday therefore was the only day to travel to get to somewhere stable where I could spend the duration of the quarantine.

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When I arrived at the little house I rented for the month, I emptied my Giant Loop bags and went straight to the grocery store to stock up on provisions. Having heard and seen the results of panic buying in the US, the videos of empty shelves and people physically fighting over toilet paper, I was relieved to see a fully stocked supermarket. Before they let me in, I had to stand in a queue outside of the building while they limited the number of shoppers inside. I thought about keeping my helmet and leather gloves on while shopping in the supermarket, but realized that may be a bit overkill. A police officer came over to check my identification, as they were only letting in citizens whose ID numbers ended in 2 or 3. They seemed a little perplexed as to how to handle my passport, rather than the typical Colombian cédula card, and allowed me to go in. As luck should have it, my passport number ends in 3. I have since come to learn that in this town, people are only allowed to enter into grocery stores one day a week—my day is Tuesday. Carrying a week’s worth of groceries on a motorcycle is quite the challenge. The person at the door handed me a pair of plastic gloves as I entered the store and checked the number in my passport again. Once inside, procuring essentials, an employee approached me to tell me to keep 2 meters distance between myself and the other shoppers, coming within 1 meter to tell me this information.

That was the most groceries I’ve ever carried on a motorcycle at one time.

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On the first day of the quarantine, two health workers came to the door in full personal protective equipment (PPE). They wanted to know how long I had been in the country, where I had traveled to, and if I was experiencing any flu-like symptoms. They were a bit concerned that I was from the USA, despite the length at which I’ve already been in South America. They asked if I had been sick at any point along my journey, all the way from Santiago, Chile, which has been many months of traveling.

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There’s been a bit of discrimination for outsiders, as people blame those who have traveled into their country as the ones who brought the virus. However, at least in Colombia, it seems more that it was mostly nationals themselves who were traveling in places like Europe, and then returned to Colombia, bringing the virus with them. A hitchhiking, highly infectious virus is likely the worst souvenir imaginable, far more offensive than any shot glass or key chain. In any case, the health workers were very kind and gave me a number to call if I began to experience any symptoms. Since I am alone here, I found this to be comforting.

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I’m thankful to have found a safe and comfortable spot just outside of the city, with at least a balcony looking out to some lush trees and bamboo, full of a variety of visiting birds throughout the day.

Funny enough, last October, I was trapped on the coast of Ecuador due to nationwide civil unrest. The entire country erupted in strikes, closing off every essential road throughout the country. At each roadblock were mobs of people who would threaten to slash your tires with machetes if you dared try to make your way around their burning wall of tires.

Ecuadorians were protesting and rioting against austerity measures, which included the cancellation of fuel subsidies.

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When I considered that my own Kenda K761 tires (or any Indian Scout tires for that matter) were not easy to come by in these parts, I decided the best idea was to stay where I was. Days rolled on as food supplies grew thin. After nine days, there was a window to travel and I made a run for it to meet up with a group of women on an all-women’s motorcycle tour who had been trapped for nearly the entire length of their scheduled trip. As protests escalated to violence in Quito, we had to stay put a couple of nights longer than expected. The airport was forced to close, so the flights some of them were hoping to make back to their home countries were canceled anyways.

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Peace was finally reached after indigenous groups held a meeting with the president and Ecuadorian government, which the indigenous leaders demanded be publicly broadcasted. The nation watched as austerity measures were reversed and a new plan on how to combat the nation’s debt and overspending would be created together, in collaboration.

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Even though the situation left me stranded in one place, I gained a tremendous amount of respect for the indigenous groups in Ecuador. Just look at what they were able to accomplish, without guns! They shut down an entire country just by coming together to block all transport with their own bodies and voices. Their demands were heard as the government had no choice but to listen. They went into that meeting wearing their traditional head dressed and face paint.

As our planet strategically fights against an unseen enemy (except by electron microscopy), I remain hopeful that we will come together stronger not as nations but as global citizens after all of this. In the interim, I’ve compiled some tips for staying sane which are certainly helping me and may help you also.

Health comes first. There’s never been a better time to prioritize your health. Not only should we all be ramping up our immune systems, but we should value our basic necessities, such as breathing, sleeping, drinking water, exercising, etc.; all the things you already know but push aside because you’re too busy. Now is the time for those things.

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Make your bed. Not just throwing the cover over everything and calling it “good,” but actually taking the time to smooth out the sheets, even out the blankets, arrange the pillows, and put some thoughtful attention into the space in which your body rests at night. After all, this is where your consciousness drifts away into the subconscious, and your body repairs itself. Sleep is a fascinating, pervasive, and necessary part of our existence, with a great deal of new research showing up to reveal its absolute importance, so let’s treat it with more respect. It may just help you sleep more deeply at night. Maybe you’ve already been making your bed “hotel quality” your whole life and if so, I salute you.

Organize your day. Getting into a routine of self-care; working, creating, and digitally connecting with family and friends are essential for us to feel good about our days of quarantine. Putting some structure and discipline into place can actually be quite freeing. If you already have the time set out where you’ll be productive, you can stay more focused and creative during those times, rather than distracted.

Take note of what you have. There are so many things to be grateful for in our world, the small things which we so often take for granted, whether that be a comfortable chair, a hot shower, electricity, running water, our computer, or the view out our window. If you’re not alone, then you’ve also got another living being to be grateful for, whether it is a partner, a housemate, family members, or pets. It may feel like you’re locked up in a prison by not being able to freely leave your abode, but if you really consider the reality of what being in a prison is like, especially currently, with cramped conditions and an easily spread virus, not to mention the notion that a small percentage of those incarcerated are wrongly accused, innocent citizens, your situation may begin to feel not so bad.

Start a project. There are always things to improve around the house or on our motorcycles, whether that be general maintenance or a deep cleaning. Or perhaps your project is more intellectual, and you’ve finally got time to commit to all that writing you’ve been wanting to accomplish (looking at myself here).

Sit with yourself. Health, overall, also includes mental health. Take a meditation course. Go into silent retreat mode, even if it is just for a few moments each day. If you’re not sure how this could help you, look into “research on meditation.” There is an astounding variety of proven physical, emotional, and mental benefits.

If you can, go out for a walk while practicing social distancing, and be grateful for all that you see. Being able to see is neat, and also, not everyone is allowed to go outside, which is the case here in Colombia. As for me, well, I’ll be here, actively reminding myself to be grateful for the views I have from my windows, the balcony which looks out to the tall trees and lush bamboo, and especially the many visiting birds—like my friend, the motmot.

Go for a ride!(?) I don’t know if this is allowed where you are but if so, be safe and enjoy your throttle therapy for me, please!

Just remember we’re all in this together. And if I can say that, locked-down on my own in a foreign town where I don’t know anyone, then you can too.