A Guelph couple stranded in Morocco are now on their way back home.
Mike Essex told GuelphToday he and his wife Leonor Mariano are now in London, England, and hoping for a flight to Montreal shortly.
Meanwhile a Guelph family said Thursday they are still stuck in Peru. Jake Beitz, his wife Raquel, children Victoria and Bianca along with Raquel's mother Fatima said in an email they are still waiting for the Canadian government to arrange travel out of the country.
For Essex and Mariano, the relief came in the form of an Irish airline.
"Late Wednesday night word spread through the hotel in Casablanca that the Irish carrier, Ryanair, was operating flights Thursday from Marrakech," Essex said in via email.
"I went online and just before midnight Wednesday had two reservations for a 12:55 PM flight from Marrakech to London. I spoke with our Moroccan guide, Hesham, who said that he would have a taxi waiting for us at 4 a.m. to take us the 200 km to the Marrakech airport. At 4 a.m. we climbed into the old 1998 Mercedes and off we went."
The taxi ride cost US$160, "but we were in no position to quibble."
"With Assad treating traffic lights as suggestions, we rolled through Casablanca and out onto the highway. Two hours later we were likewise ignoring traffic rules when our taxi was pulled over by a motorcycle cop. Five minutes and 100 dirhams (about $12) of baksheesh later we were again on our way," he said, referring to a bribe.
Essex called the chaos at the Marrakech airport a "a mob scene" that was the exact opposite of osocial distancing. A photo provided shows a huge crowd crammed into the terminal.
It took the couple five hours to get boarding cards and after more security checks and lines the flight finally left five hours late.
The couple landed in Morocco as part of a tour on March 9.
"The roaring and hand clapping of all passengers as our plane finally left the ground was something that I'll never forget. It is noteworthy to mention the names of airlines that were on the ground in Marrakech getting people out of Morocco. Ryanair, British Airways, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Transavia, Air France, and TUI were all there."
By Thursday evening Essex and Mariano were safely on the ground at London Stansted.
"(Friday) we hope to fly home via Montreal."
