Pistolpete2

We left St Lucia on June 26th and transited London and Mainland Portugal to get to Madeira on the 27th and have been here since. We were watching the UK traffic lights closely as covid numbers here are up but the island has remained green for now, so hopefully we can get to the UK without quarantine at the end of September.

We were vaccinated in Grenada so are treated as not having been vaccinated for UK-Purposes. Have asked whether we can get vaccinated here with boosters but the answer was NO - only residents and nationals.

Madeira's vaccine supplies still seem to be good and the vaccination programme is going well for all ages - over 72% fully vaccinated as of today.

Indeed some unhelpful media have been going on and on about St Lucia going red along with Morocco and maybe Jamaica but in the end it didn't and only Montenegro and Thailand were added to that list.

A number of new greens - incl Canada, Switzerland and Denmark.

Mallory

Glad you are okay, and hope September is a good time to travel. Canada, Switzerland Denmark - a bit nippy for winter!

Pistolpete2

Thanks! We have to leave here by September 28th due to the 90 days in 180 rule and Brexit.

Covid has killed-off our plans to settle in the Caribbean and flip-flop back to Europe and Portugal as and when so we will settle back in the UK in September - in Tunbridge Wells in Kent to be precise and then see how we feel about travel.

BA cancelled a February flight (bought with vouchers) for us from Gatwick to Faro yesterday, so here we go again with them. Apparently they are looking to try to go fully low-cost on short-haul flights out of Gatwick to be able to compete with Easyjet and Wizzair.

sportpix

On a similar note, I had an antigen test in Lagos at midday today for a flight to EMA on Sunday and have had the negative result back already (45 minutes). I’m glad I booked when I did as the place was very busy and they were having to turn away people turning up on spec without an appointment. Make a booking if you’re going to fly!

NataHH

Sportpix may I ask where in Lagos did you have your test? Was it an Antigen Test and how much did you pay? Thanks

sportpix

Medilagos, round the corner from the marine police HQ. A big future down from the social security office. It was antigen and cost 25 euro. I asked if this would include a coffee or a glass of red and was told no 😩

sportpix

And it’s run by Unilabs

Rambling archer

Cheeky - its not blood donation, you know!!!

NataHH

Thanks again I'll will have to do it at the end of Sept. Have a good flight.

sportpix

And then I came back yesterday ...
My son booked my day 2 antigen test while I was away and it cost 55 quid. Courier delivery and then you assault yourself with a q-tip and send it back via the post office. They then email you a certificate saying all clear.

For the return antigen test I googled it and came up with literally dozens of companies all currently lining their already fat pockets. The one I went for was a company called prenetics, mostly because of the price, which was 30 quid. It was delivered by a courier (seems like everything in the UK now is, soon it will be babies...) and unlike the previous one I did the q-tip thing but then dropped it into supplied vial of supplied fluid and then put a few drops into a supplied plastic thing which my son assured me was like a pregnancy testing kit.

When the kit was delivered I had to create an account on the company's website and fill in a lengthy form, which I'm sure was mostly data gathering. Once I'd done the pregnancy testing thing I had to log on again and a clock appeared with a countdown of 15 minutes, during which I was not supposed to touch the sample. Once the 15 mins was up a window appeared and I was asked to indicate which of the four icons represented my sample, and once I clicked on the right one it said I was negative but I had to take a picture with my mobile phone and upload it to their system by way of proof. They then sent me a certificate to say I was negative. All in all it was OK.

I had a flight from EMA to Faro at 6:40am yesterday and was horrified to see that alcohol is dispensed so that the idiots in flip flaps, wife beaters and tattoos (it was 12 degrees when we took off) can start boozing as soon as the fasten seat belt sign goes off. There was a group of four which to me looked like a couple in their 50s and possibly their adult daughter with husband or boyfriend. The shouting and screaming started as soon as the first drinks went down and continued all the way to Faro. In almost 50 years of international air travel I have never witnessed anything like it.

Incredibly the Ryanair staff did not tell them to keep the noise down but instead kept selling them yet more booze. I was extremely pleased to get off the plane, and after the walk to the terminal building I was on the escalator and thinking about whether I would be in time to catch the 10:23 train to Lagos when one of the idiots let go of their wheely bag and it came crashing down straight at me. Fortunately I was able to use one of my crutches to stop it hitting me but it could have been another story had it crashed into my bad leg.

I'm now wondering whether to send a note of complaint to Ryanair but suspect they will ignore it as they just want to sell seats, drinks and other onboard rubbish to the cretins in flip flops, wife beaters and tattoos.

m2m2012

Rambling archer

Do try to keep that leg safe - you have more traveling to do yet! Glad you got back in one piece anyway, if not thanks to Ryanair and their drinks policy.

chislenko

So Sportpix, just to clarify, you take a picture of the vial only.

There is no actual proof needed for them you have done whatever it is you are supposed to do with the q tip?

No actual proof for them it is in fact you that did whatever it is you are supposed to do with the q tip and not someone else?

Not for a minute suggesting you would bend the rules but it does look open to manipulation.

sportpix

Correct, but no difference to the 2 day test I had after arrival. That one went in the post but anyone could have given the sample. None of this is really surprising in a country that doesn’t bother to check your documents on arrival or departure. I won’t even mention the lousy weather 😩

chislenko

So the upshot is it is a money making racket with very little result validity 😟