This afternoon I received the Janssen Covid Vaccine in the Texas Hill Country at the local Ascension Seton Burnet Health Center in rural Texas 2 1/2 miles from my home. I registered through my primary physician on February 10, 2021, received an urgent phone message from the Health Center on Monday, returned the call this morning and confirmed my 1:00 PM vaccine appointment.
Smiling Sam: I think I missed something. Did a post get deleted? Can you paraphrase? I did not think what I said would evoke a problem. I worked the ‘deep south’ of South America for years. So I know the territory. B.A. is not on the list of places I would put in the ‘bucket’. I’ve seen Eva Peron’s grave, and I don’t need to see it again. I was not on AA’s first flight to BA, but I was on the second. Santiago and Vina del Mar are at least as interesting as BA ... in my opinion. They both have good wine, and like California most of the good stuff never crosses the border. It is true that in BA you can get the biggest steak that you have ever been served, and you can find all the ‘high end’ department stores on Florida Street. Oh. I forgot the leather goods. Great leather in Argentina!
Sealord - I’m not sure what you’re asking me to paraphrase. I had suggested to Cathy much the same as you about swapping Chile for Argentina as the Antarctica start point if things in Argentina don’t get better, since Chile is doing much better.
On the Navajo Nation vaccination surplus, I thought if they hadn’t opened/thawed the surplus why couldn’t they just send their surplus somewhere else.
Again, I am confused as to what you want paraphrased.
Sealord, regarding a change from departing from Chile to Antarctic instead of Argentina. That would involve not only flight changes, but booking hotels in Chile, different site seeing days, internal flights. I have no idea of the distances involved by changing ports, how much longer/shorter the sea distances would be. Whatever the Tauck agent told you that seemed a possibility, I can’t see it not costing Tauck one heck of an amount of money to change the itineraries expected when there is so much doubt about where these tours will actually happen this season.
When Tauck asked us to change the date of a tour to another for consolidation last year, we had booked our flights ourselves and it cost them over $1000 to pay our flight change fee and then the tour didn’t happen anyway because of the pandemic. To do this potentially for a boatload of people.
Im still confused how ships are going to function without all the crews being vaccinated, they live in such cramped sleeping quarters and even with reduced numbers of passengers which might mean smaller crews, how are ships crews going ot get any priorities with vaccinations. Some of these people live in countries that do not have good vaccine roll out yet.
Just read, as Claudia had stated, that Iceland is opening its borders to fully vaccinated people. I think the odds of my Iceland tour at the end of June happening, just went up from 5-10% to 20-25%. Would be nice.
So do you think it won’t matter that fewer Icelanders are vaccinated because they have suspended the Astra Zeneca vaccine or crews on the ship are not vaccinated? At this rate, the countries could be open but the ships not back in action. I do think the second half of the year is looking better but not Europe .
I don’t call Tauck much at all, but when I do the agents are always very positive. When they have canceled a tour, I express concerned that i don’t think my next already booked tour will happen and they remain hopeful and then they cancel.
I’m hoping like everything else that foreign travel opens up, but I’m following news very cautiously. I’ve dismissed the ones I have booked out of my mind. If they happen, it will be even more exciting
British - It's Iceland, opening its borders. They have a very strict regimen with respect to Covid. If they're opening up then I believe they feel their population is safe, and/or have a strong protocol in place to deal with allowing fully vaccinated people to visit. With respect to the ships crews, since the Iceland tour is a single country tour, for the duration of the Iceland tour ship season (June - August) I believe they can get enough crew fully vaccinated to handle the three month season.
If they do resume these operations, I just hope they don't select July 1st as the resumption date, since my tour starts on June 30th.
With respect to the Astra Zeneca suspension, I don't think that will last. The statistics don't support it. I think it's driven by fear or non-science based thinking much like a high percentage of prison guards refusing to be vaccinated. What's that all about.
I am just wondering where the crews will get vaccinated, where are they now, which country do they live in, how many people in that country have been vaccinated, do they get priority for vaccination. So you see why I’m confused?
The Astra Zeneca vaccine is approved by the EMA, but it’s been suspended at present by The Iceland government, I don’t think it will last either.
Concerning the Antarctica trip: I received a quick response from Tauck. They said:
“ I received a response that in the past, Punta Arenas has not been considered as Ushuaia is closer to Antarctica and has worked well in the past logistically.
However, they are monitoring the situation in Argentina very closely and if it becomes necessary to change the embarkation port we will adjust and communicate that to the guests well in advance of departure.
All of us at Tauck thank you for the suggestion.”
I think they will do whatever is necessary to get their tours back on the road. This decision of course would involve both Tauck and Ponant, as this trip is not a full boat charter. If Tauck cancels, but Ponant still operates the trip I would consider trying to shift my reservation to Ponant. That would probably take some fast footwork since Ponant shows all but the most expensive staterooms are sold out. I just bought the ‘air’ a couple days ago, so it is pretty far out there. I think this trip will go either way.
Sorry Alan ... I’ve flown on C-130’s and I have refueled from them. Just as with helicopters, I won’t fly on them unless I’m being rescued. On our trans-oceanic ops they would take off about four or five hours before us and we would rendezvous with them about an hour after we took off. I think they played a lot of card games while enroute. (;-). They ‘tobaggan’ down hill to pick up enough speed to refuel jets, but I once stalled out while plugged into one.
I emailed Ponant and asked, based on Iceland’s decision to allow fully vaccinated visitors, if they intended to resume their Iceland Mosaic tour, which is the equivalent of Tauck’s tour. They said they would make that decision by April 9th at the latest.
Sealord
5:38PM
. . . They ‘tobaggan’ down hill to pick up enough speed to refuel jets, but I once stalled out while plugged into one.
I was in an EA3 T-bird from Alameda providing pathfinder services for a flight of 4 F-4s from MCAS Kaneohe Bay to El Toro . Even with the C130 tobaggan the F-4's were standing on their tails at a high angle of attack, not too many kts above stall as their tanks approached full. Even so, we had to turn back just a few minutes shy of the equal time point because we couldn't get confirmation another tanker was waiting off SOCAL. Oh, darn, another few days in Hawaii.
I think vaccine ‘passports’ are around the corner. PCR tests are only good for the moment before they were taken. Sooner or later they will figure out that proof of vaccination is a better ‘test’ for an entry requirement. Virtually nothing is 100%, but having the vaccine is probably a better path than a PCR test taken three days ago. Something like 25% of the eligible people are choosing not to be vaccinated. I think in a short time that will be a choice to not travel ... at least not internationally.
Sealord, most states are not like CALIFORNIA. My state has not been on full lock down since the summer of last year. I’ve been able to do things like get a haircut, go to the nail salon, have a facial etc for many months. If you live in California, you have to take the good with the bad. You have given us all the good statistics from your state, so your lockdown worked.
I’m hoping my beloved theatre and foreign travel open up soon. I’m hoping enough Americans get vaccinated to make this happen,I’m concerned too many will refuse.
As of yesterday NM numbers - 35% have received 1st dose and over 21% 2nd. Our restrictions have been set by county based on case numbers. We're hoping today they'll move my county Bernalillo (Albuquerque area) into a less restrictive category.
Restrictions and mandates are one thing, it also depends on whether people actually follow them. Our son lives in the CA central valley and based on his comments many there ignore the mandates. Some total stranger berated our DIL in public because she was wearing a mask. They brought their daughter home from college after finding out her roommate had covid and didn't initially tell her.
Was surprised this afternoon to be called to schedule my first shot on Mon. Was waiting to hear from 3 different possible sites but ended up hearing from a fourth. Feels like rush hour.
We got a bit soggy earlier in the week, but not sure about the Tornadoes. They closed a bunch of stuff around here, however hardly no wind, temps in the low 70's, the overcast cleared (moon and stars out tonight).
My husband and I have each had both shots of Pfizer. We live in Dallas, Texas, and today the state opened up vaccinations for everyone age 16 or older. That doesn’t mean they actually have that ma y vaccines available, just that there is not unlimited signups. We are ready to travel😊, but the world is not ready for us☹️. Soo, though, soon.
Nancy
I finally got an appointment for my second Pfizer shot next Tuesday!
We have booked two beach vacations in the US, Cape May in April and Lewes Delaware with our son”s family in August. We just booked the Philadelphia Flower show which is outside for the first time ever in June and staying two nights in our favorite hotel in the city and maybe have our first dinner out since Covid started. Hoping our favorite restaurant re-opens by then. I’m so excited to spend time way from home.
British - Your April and August vacations spots crack me up. They are a ferry boat ride apart on opposite sides of Delaware Bay. Can you see each place from the other?
Comments
Because they want you to stop at their casino before or after the shot.
Could be or maybe the whole refrigeration issue.
This afternoon I received the Janssen Covid Vaccine in the Texas Hill Country at the local Ascension Seton Burnet Health Center in rural Texas 2 1/2 miles from my home. I registered through my primary physician on February 10, 2021, received an urgent phone message from the Health Center on Monday, returned the call this morning and confirmed my 1:00 PM vaccine appointment.
Smiling Sam: I think I missed something. Did a post get deleted? Can you paraphrase? I did not think what I said would evoke a problem. I worked the ‘deep south’ of South America for years. So I know the territory. B.A. is not on the list of places I would put in the ‘bucket’. I’ve seen Eva Peron’s grave, and I don’t need to see it again. I was not on AA’s first flight to BA, but I was on the second. Santiago and Vina del Mar are at least as interesting as BA ... in my opinion. They both have good wine, and like California most of the good stuff never crosses the border. It is true that in BA you can get the biggest steak that you have ever been served, and you can find all the ‘high end’ department stores on Florida Street. Oh. I forgot the leather goods. Great leather in Argentina!
I found BA much more interesting than Santiago. Also visited Vina del mar and Valparaiso. nice side trip pre-tour.
Ah we loved Santiago, but it was where we got tear gassed when we were sitting in the hotel restaurant due to a root outside. Loved BA too.
Sealord - I’m not sure what you’re asking me to paraphrase. I had suggested to Cathy much the same as you about swapping Chile for Argentina as the Antarctica start point if things in Argentina don’t get better, since Chile is doing much better.
On the Navajo Nation vaccination surplus, I thought if they hadn’t opened/thawed the surplus why couldn’t they just send their surplus somewhere else.
Again, I am confused as to what you want paraphrased.
Sealord, regarding a change from departing from Chile to Antarctic instead of Argentina. That would involve not only flight changes, but booking hotels in Chile, different site seeing days, internal flights. I have no idea of the distances involved by changing ports, how much longer/shorter the sea distances would be. Whatever the Tauck agent told you that seemed a possibility, I can’t see it not costing Tauck one heck of an amount of money to change the itineraries expected when there is so much doubt about where these tours will actually happen this season.
When Tauck asked us to change the date of a tour to another for consolidation last year, we had booked our flights ourselves and it cost them over $1000 to pay our flight change fee and then the tour didn’t happen anyway because of the pandemic. To do this potentially for a boatload of people.
Im still confused how ships are going to function without all the crews being vaccinated, they live in such cramped sleeping quarters and even with reduced numbers of passengers which might mean smaller crews, how are ships crews going ot get any priorities with vaccinations. Some of these people live in countries that do not have good vaccine roll out yet.
Just read, as Claudia had stated, that Iceland is opening its borders to fully vaccinated people. I think the odds of my Iceland tour at the end of June happening, just went up from 5-10% to 20-25%. Would be nice.
https://msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/iceland-opens-borders-for-vaccinated-visitors-to-boost-tourism/ar-BB1eG7XG
So do you think it won’t matter that fewer Icelanders are vaccinated because they have suspended the Astra Zeneca vaccine or crews on the ship are not vaccinated? At this rate, the countries could be open but the ships not back in action. I do think the second half of the year is looking better but not Europe .
I don’t call Tauck much at all, but when I do the agents are always very positive. When they have canceled a tour, I express concerned that i don’t think my next already booked tour will happen and they remain hopeful and then they cancel.
I’m hoping like everything else that foreign travel opens up, but I’m following news very cautiously. I’ve dismissed the ones I have booked out of my mind. If they happen, it will be even more exciting
British - It's Iceland, opening its borders. They have a very strict regimen with respect to Covid. If they're opening up then I believe they feel their population is safe, and/or have a strong protocol in place to deal with allowing fully vaccinated people to visit. With respect to the ships crews, since the Iceland tour is a single country tour, for the duration of the Iceland tour ship season (June - August) I believe they can get enough crew fully vaccinated to handle the three month season.
If they do resume these operations, I just hope they don't select July 1st as the resumption date, since my tour starts on June 30th.
With respect to the Astra Zeneca suspension, I don't think that will last. The statistics don't support it. I think it's driven by fear or non-science based thinking much like a high percentage of prison guards refusing to be vaccinated. What's that all about.
I am just wondering where the crews will get vaccinated, where are they now, which country do they live in, how many people in that country have been vaccinated, do they get priority for vaccination. So you see why I’m confused?
The Astra Zeneca vaccine is approved by the EMA, but it’s been suspended at present by The Iceland government, I don’t think it will last either.
Concerning the Antarctica trip: I received a quick response from Tauck. They said:
“ I received a response that in the past, Punta Arenas has not been considered as Ushuaia is closer to Antarctica and has worked well in the past logistically.
However, they are monitoring the situation in Argentina very closely and if it becomes necessary to change the embarkation port we will adjust and communicate that to the guests well in advance of departure.
All of us at Tauck thank you for the suggestion.”
I think they will do whatever is necessary to get their tours back on the road. This decision of course would involve both Tauck and Ponant, as this trip is not a full boat charter. If Tauck cancels, but Ponant still operates the trip I would consider trying to shift my reservation to Ponant. That would probably take some fast footwork since Ponant shows all but the most expensive staterooms are sold out. I just bought the ‘air’ a couple days ago, so it is pretty far out there. I think this trip will go either way.
They will fly you via C-130 to Union Glacier Blue-Ice Runway (SCGC) then via dogsled to Palmer Station.
Sorry Alan ... I’ve flown on C-130’s and I have refueled from them. Just as with helicopters, I won’t fly on them unless I’m being rescued. On our trans-oceanic ops they would take off about four or five hours before us and we would rendezvous with them about an hour after we took off. I think they played a lot of card games while enroute. (;-). They ‘tobaggan’ down hill to pick up enough speed to refuel jets, but I once stalled out while plugged into one.
I emailed Ponant and asked, based on Iceland’s decision to allow fully vaccinated visitors, if they intended to resume their Iceland Mosaic tour, which is the equivalent of Tauck’s tour. They said they would make that decision by April 9th at the latest.
I was in an EA3 T-bird from Alameda providing pathfinder services for a flight of 4 F-4s from MCAS Kaneohe Bay to El Toro . Even with the C130 tobaggan the F-4's were standing on their tails at a high angle of attack, not too many kts above stall as their tanks approached full. Even so, we had to turn back just a few minutes shy of the equal time point because we couldn't get confirmation another tanker was waiting off SOCAL. Oh, darn, another few days in Hawaii.
I think vaccine ‘passports’ are around the corner. PCR tests are only good for the moment before they were taken. Sooner or later they will figure out that proof of vaccination is a better ‘test’ for an entry requirement. Virtually nothing is 100%, but having the vaccine is probably a better path than a PCR test taken three days ago. Something like 25% of the eligible people are choosing not to be vaccinated. I think in a short time that will be a choice to not travel ... at least not internationally.
Sealord, most states are not like CALIFORNIA. My state has not been on full lock down since the summer of last year. I’ve been able to do things like get a haircut, go to the nail salon, have a facial etc for many months. If you live in California, you have to take the good with the bad. You have given us all the good statistics from your state, so your lockdown worked.
I’m hoping my beloved theatre and foreign travel open up soon. I’m hoping enough Americans get vaccinated to make this happen,I’m concerned too many will refuse.
As of yesterday NM numbers - 35% have received 1st dose and over 21% 2nd. Our restrictions have been set by county based on case numbers. We're hoping today they'll move my county Bernalillo (Albuquerque area) into a less restrictive category.
Restrictions and mandates are one thing, it also depends on whether people actually follow them. Our son lives in the CA central valley and based on his comments many there ignore the mandates. Some total stranger berated our DIL in public because she was wearing a mask. They brought their daughter home from college after finding out her roommate had covid and didn't initially tell her.
Got my 2nd shot yesterday...yippee!!! (arm is a bit sore, but I also had soreness from the 1st shot)
Was surprised this afternoon to be called to schedule my first shot on Mon. Was waiting to hear from 3 different possible sites but ended up hearing from a fourth. Feels like rush hour.
We are in Illinois. Today our Governor announced that anyone 16 years or older can register for the vaccine beginning April 12th.
How's that weather been back there in North Carolina? What do you wear in heavy rain and possibly tornadoes?
This is called Karma or Santa paying you off for being on his naughty list!!!
We got a bit soggy earlier in the week, but not sure about the Tornadoes. They closed a bunch of stuff around here, however hardly no wind, temps in the low 70's, the overcast cleared (moon and stars out tonight).
My husband and I have each had both shots of Pfizer. We live in Dallas, Texas, and today the state opened up vaccinations for everyone age 16 or older. That doesn’t mean they actually have that ma y vaccines available, just that there is not unlimited signups. We are ready to travel😊, but the world is not ready for us☹️. Soo, though, soon.
Nancy
I finally got an appointment for my second Pfizer shot next Tuesday!
We have booked two beach vacations in the US, Cape May in April and Lewes Delaware with our son”s family in August. We just booked the Philadelphia Flower show which is outside for the first time ever in June and staying two nights in our favorite hotel in the city and maybe have our first dinner out since Covid started. Hoping our favorite restaurant re-opens by then. I’m so excited to spend time way from home.
British - Your April and August vacations spots crack me up. They are a ferry boat ride apart on opposite sides of Delaware Bay. Can you see each place from the other?
They don't call it the Cape May/Lewes ferry for nothing. Been there, done that!
My husband and I both had our 2 Moderna vaccines. I would hope that Tauck would make having a vaccine a requirement for international travel