For those that emailed me (that I have not responded to... sorry, hectic week) YES, I am now home from Mexico, and NO, I do not have swine flu. Thank you for your concern.
With a safari underway and 14 guests and staff to look after, the news of the spreading virus was of great interest, naturally. We were only five hours away from ground zero in Mexico City. I gathered information daily from a broad variety of sources, including the CDC, the WHO, and the State Department (valuable links for travel, by the way, bookmark 'em). I looked at enough different media outlets to quickly see there were two almost opposite stories going on. You get the troublesome twins of Panic and Fear from Fox and CNN. And you get simple facts and smart recommendations from doctors and experts at the organizations above. I can assure you that there was far more paranoia here at home than where I was in Mexico.
We updated our guests each day and let them know what we were prepared to do on behalf of their safety, which included getting everyone to the airport and rebooking flights. Not one was interested in leaving a minute early. We provided anti-bacterial soap, alcohol (rubbing, not drinking) and face masks, and reiterated the best recommendations of the experts... avoid crowded/enclosed spaces, avoid contact, wash hands frequently, etc.
We saw plenty of precautions being taken; people wearing masks, cleaning everything with alcohol, and we heard of restaurants and public places being closed in Puerto Vallarta. In the end, all guests and staff left on their scheduled departures and went home with nice memories of surfing and sun and cervezas.
When I arrived at the airport yesterday afternoon everything was orderly and calm. Before you could check in for your flight, you simply had to fill out a short form, stand in a short line, and have a doctor scan your forehead to take your temperature. They stamped your form and off you went to check in. Since airports are crowded and since planes recirculate air, lots of travelers were wearing masks (including me). Better safe than swine.
Prediction: the swine flu scare of '09 will be almost entirely forgotten a week from now, and America can refocus on Britney Spears' current/next meltdown.
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