A WOMAN from Teesdale has described in harrowing detail her experience of being stuck in Peru during a two-week virus lockdown.
Tess Bettison, from Bowes, became stranded in the country on March 14 when borders were shut because of the coronavirus pandemic. Before finally flying home last week, she had to dodge police raids and patrols. Miss Bettison and her university friend Stevie Chandler headed for South America on February 1 and had visited such sights as Iguazu Falls, in Argentina, and San Cristobal Hill, in Chile, before their ordeal in Peru began. She said: “On our first morning there we found out that closing borders were starting to close so we booked an overnight bus to Cusco on the March 14 to try to get flights out. We booked flights for the 19th from Cusco to Bogota, in Colombia, and from Bogota to Heathrow. We were staying at the Wild Rover Hostel when lockdown was put in placeand our flight out of Peru was cancelled.”
They remained at the hostel with more than 100 other travellers from countries such as Australia, Germany, Canadia, America, Belgium, Israel and Mexico.
While the Israelis and Mexicans were repatriated early, the rest were left on tenterhooks waiting for news.
Their concerns reached a peak on March 26 when they were suddenly told they would have to leave the hostel. She said: “We were all told abruptly to go to our rooms as the hostel owners had a tip off that there was going to be a police raid.”
It is believed police were trying to break up social gatherings. Miss Bettison added: “I ran back to the hostel and we waited for further instruction for over an hour while food was delivered to our rooms by the amazing staff who were trying to keep everyone calm. This wasn’t the first police raid we had so we knew the protocol but it was the first time we saw staff properly looking worried and having secretive discussions.”
A small group of Brits were able to book themselves into an Airbnb and left the hostel in pairs. Miss Bettison said: “We weren’t allowed to move around the city in groups of more than three and police were becoming aggressive towards tourists. We had a 15-minute walk with all our bags from the hostel to the Airbnb avoiding police. “
The British embassy arranged for a flight for the British group from Cusco to Lima, and then on to Heathrow, in London, where the pair were given a lift to Chesterfield by Miss Chandler’s boyfriend.
Miss Bettison took the train to Darlington where she was met by her parents, Mike and Rosie. Miss Bettison said: “My parents met me at the train station with two cars and I drove one of them back to a holiday cottage on the outskirts of my village. My parents remained in a different car and were able to wave at me from a distance.
“Being back is an odd experience. I’m isolating by myself which is an adjustment from being in lockdown with more than 100 people. The cottage I’m in is lovely and I feel very lucky to be back as not all of my friends have made it home yet from Peru and the situation is getting bleaker.”
