From México home to Canada

[unblocktheplanet]

Thought TV readers might enjoy the view from the other side. Our Canadian friends winter in México. Due to Covid restrictions & quarantine expences they couldn’t just keep it simple & fly home. It’s a great story!

 

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We are almost home... will get there tonight. It has been quite the process to get home.

 

First, an antigen test in Mexico for entry into USA. That only cost $489 pesos each (about $30). Results in 2 hours.

Then we flew with our Alaska airmiles, first class (why not?), to LA, overnight in Seattle, then to Great Falls, Montana. 

Two nights here in Great Falls as we had a PCR covid test required for entry into Canada. The results took 20 hours, so that is why we had to stay for 2 nights. The PCR tests here are provided free by Alluvion Health, Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy, which is a huge savings (mid range is $250USD).

 

Today we get a ride with a company called Northern Transit Interlocal, which is by donation, taking us to the Canadian border where we can cross on foot, and get another COVID test there, then we have our petsitter picking us up on the other side and driving us home from there (2 hours). In 8 days we do another COVID test, during 14 day at-home quarantine. Our petsitter stocked our fridge with food.

 

So far, all is smooth. We have enjoyed our time here in Montana where they are making a great business of encouraging Canadians to cross the border here where they are providing free tests and easy transportation. Staying in the hotels here where we can walk, eat out, and enjoy ourselves is great, as opposed to the hotel quarantine in Calgary for $2000.  We figure the entire trip home cost us $1000 CAD, vs $3000 if we flew into Canada.

 

It is snowing today in Montana and Southern Alberta. We are pretty sure we are selling our house in Canada and heading back to Mexico. We feel we would rather live there and visit Canada, than the other way around. We had the best winter being outdoors, hiking and biking, swimming and walking, eating out, doing yoga outside, and being able to socialize safely outdoors. We got both our vaccines in Mexico (Feb and April), and we are grateful. We have both grown to love the Lake Chapala area (largest lake in Mexico) with its culture and access to outdoor activities. Bob will be applying for his permanent residency in Mexico as soon as possible (I have mine).

 

It is a real shame to hear what has happened in Thailand with regards to COVID. It must be heartbreaking after they did so well. Canada has made such terrible mistakes, and Alberta is horrific. We would not go home but for the requirement for Bob to apply for residency from Canada, and selling of property. I would seriously consider getting the vaccines anywhere you can. USA is being so kind to us Canadians. In Montana, Canadians line up at the border to get vaccines that are extra and given away freely. Posts like this come up on the town fb page (Carway is the Alberta/Montana border crossing at Glacier National Park).

 

 

[GinBoy2]

Great post.

 

Canadians crossing the border for vaccine tourism is also quite the thing.

 

We live close to Mt Rushmore here in South Dakota and have noticed quite a few Canadian license plates on RV's tooling around the area. 

 

We live next to a lake which has an RV campground next to it and while on our nightly walk struck up conversation with a Canadian couple, who had very deliberately planned their Black Hills vacation around sightseeing and getting a covid shot.

 

They at that point had had the first one (free) then planing another couple of weeks touring around before the second one then heading back to the frozen North