WE GOT STUCK IN AFRICA DURING COVID-19 // CBS Evening News

Name: WE GOT STUCK IN AFRICA DURING COVID-19 // CBS Evening News
Uploaded: 2024-11-25T03:43:39.905Z
Duration: 2 min 20 s
Channel: Enjoy RV and Van trips

Enjoy RV and Van trips

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7 Video Views·Nov 25, 2024 #CBSEveningNews #DonDahler #COVID19travel

Our trip to Morocco was one we will never forget, and not in the way we expected. After all, it isn't every day - and not typically a good day - when the producer of the #CBSEveningNews calls your mom to get your cell phone number. But, that's what happened, and about 24 hours later, this story aired on national TV.

_ ⏱️ CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO ________________________
00:00 - Introduction from CBS Evening News anchor, Norah O'Donnell
00:20 - CBS News Correspondent, Don Dahler talks about American tourist stranded in COVID-19
00:47 - #DonDahler talks to Lauren and Daniel about their experience
01:02 - Cost of US rescue flights back to the U.S.
01:31 - Travelers stuck in Peru share their #COVID19travel story
01:46 - Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, shares what Americans stranded abroad should do
2:19 - Lauren shares the feelings of thousands stuck abroad

When we flew from Barcelona, Spain to Marrakesh, Morocco on March 12, 2020, we never could have imagined what the next couple of weeks would hold. We were visiting #Morocco to check off a bucket-list item, camping in the Saraha Desert. And, we were so excited!

But, there were bigger things at play than our dreams of sleeping under the stars. COVID-19 was quickly spreading through Europe, and it would wreak the kind of havoc even seasoned travelers couldn't have predicted. When the Moroccan government completely shut down their borders in less than 48 hours, we were in the desert. Eight hours away from any major city with absolutely no internet.

When we got back to our riad (aka a boutique hotel) in #Marrakesh, we quickly discovered our flights home had been canceled and that we were stuck.

Thankfully, as full-time travelers, our lives were already setup to be able to wait it out. But, we quickly started hearing stories about other Americans who weren't so lucky. They hadn't planned to be gone for weeks or months. They were running out of medication, money, hotel stays, etc. These people needed help, and had no way to get it.

So, we did the only thing we knew to do. We shared our story with every U.S. journalist who was interested. For 48 hours, we did interviews from morning to night sharing these stories and connecting people with those who could get them help.

This video is one of those interviews with CBS New Correspondent, Don Dahler which aired on the CBS Evening News on March 20, 2020, shortly after we got the news that the U.S. Government was chartering rescue flights through Britsh Airways.

#AmericansStuckAbroad #CoronaVirusTravel #StuckInMorocco

_ 🗺️ ABOUT WANDERLOCAL ________________________

Hello, friends! We're Lauren and Daniel. For nearly a decade, we chased the American dream of owning our own business. We built a successful communications agency and had "it all." All the stuff - that is. But, after watching a documentary on #minimalism in January 2019, we sold everything, except our company, and took off to #travel the world!

But after a year and a half of travel, we got stuck in Morocco and had to take a US rescue flight home during COVID-19. We’re pretty excited to stay on American soil for a while.

We've always been passionate about exploring local while we travel, but small businesses need all of us to #shoplocal now more than ever, and we want to inspire people to do just that.

We're on a mission to visit all 50 states in 365 days while shopping 100% American made. It's our hope by sharing our adventures and tips for shopping locally, you will be inspired to do the same - creating your own incredible memories in our beautiful country while you #wanderlocal.

Tonight, the pandemic has exploded to well over a quarter of a million cases worldwide and more than 11,000 deaths. Thousands of Americans want to get back to the U.S., but can't. The State Department says it is scrambling to get some U.S. citizens home. Don Daler joins us from an empty Newark International Airport to tell us about those efforts. Don? Empty indeed, Nora. It's safe to say that pretty much every major city in the world has American tourists trying to figure out how to get home before it becomes impossible to do so. And what they seem to be getting from the U.S. State Department is either very little information or very expensive flight options. Some of the thousands of Americans stranded in Morocco are on their way home today. We spoke to two of them, Floridians Lauren Davenport and Daniel Fernandez, before they left. There wasn't any warning. For us, there was about 48 hours. In other countries, we heard that there were only 24 hours. It was a shock that this could go into place so quickly. Last night, the U.S. Embassy in Morocco sent word that anyone wanting to leave could get a seat on a charter flight connecting through London for $1,485. In some cases, that's twice what their original ticket cost. El Barchiti says his family of three can't afford it. It is ridiculously expensive. So for three people, we're going to be talking about $3,000-ish. In Peru, seven students from Augusta University are among more than 1,000 trying to figure out how to get home. 8 o'clock on Sunday, the president came on and announced that he had 24 hours to leave Peru before they were closing all the borders. But there were no flights available. They're hoping to get word from the U.S. State Department on what to do now. We're going to work to get people back. We're urging individuals, when they can get back on their own, they travel there on their own, when they can get back there on their own, they ought to try to do that. Lauren Davenport summed up the feelings of thousands. We're in a worldwide pandemic. Everyone wants to be at home with their loved ones. President Trump said yesterday that he will likely enlist the services of the U.S. military to get those people out of Peru. And Nora, we can report that sources within the Pentagon tell CBS News that they are working on such a plan. Their families must be so relieved. Thank you, Don.