Frankfurt Airport, waiting for my flight to depart. My mind full of doubts whether I was doing the right thing. The boarding shock: the airline guy told me rather stubbornly that I was not allowed on board without a ‘Corona certificate’, simply NOT! Seriously? Do dreams shatter so quickly!? I was completely devastated. After having left everything behind, I was not allowed to leave the country! On my way to my mother’s house, I called the airport to find out which airlines still take off and bought a last minute ticket to Sri Lanka the following morning. I felt a strong determination that I was not to give up so easily. Shortly after I landed in Colombo, the borders were closed and I was very lucky to be have this entry stamp in my passport…
It was a difficult trip for me, because I was still not sure if I made the right decision to leave my family and friends behind in the Corona chaos. The people in Sri Lanka with their face masks who flinched every time I cleared my throat didn’t make it any better.
Upon our arrival in Sri Lanka, the Germans were separated from the other passengers. Only then I realized how privileged holders of a German passport usually are. It was a very strange feeling to be treated differently just because of my passport. What the Chinese experienced in Germany, I am experiencing here in Sri Lanka. The locals are afraid of me and look at me on the street as if I was the devil. This was not how I’ve imagined the beginning of my world trip…
Since one week, I have been in the South of the island at the beach. A couple of days ago, a curfew was imposed. Many hostels closed their doors and made their guests leave. Meanwhile, it feels like we are alone on the island. I think I will stay here for a while until the world turns normal again. At the moment, I’m relaxed and confident that I will be able to visit all countries I wanted to see, and if not, I will have to adjust my plans…
