However, the next morning when I arrived in Madrid, before we were allowed off the plane 3 Spaniards appeared covered head to toe in plastic as if they didn't want to catch anything from us. They handed me a couple of papers. These papers were basically so they could know exactly where anyone who could have possibly picked-up SARS, was located.
I felt like I was a criminal. It made me realize that the situation in Toronto may have been exagerrated else-where in the world. We didn't see people dressed head to toe in plastic on some of Toronto's streets.
When I was in the check-in line in Madrid on my way back to Toronto, I was given another paper from the Spanish Government. This paper told me that it was recommended that I don't "travel to affected areas with known transmission of the diesease: Toronto, Canada..." (Health advice given by the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, June 29th, 2003) I never fully understood the Spanish view of SARS and my country until then. If I wasn't Canadian and was just visiting Canada after reading the paper I wouldn't be going on that plane. The paper made me realize how badly Canadian tourism was being affected. If every country sent out papers like those before flights left for Canada, no wonder so many flights had been cancelled over the past couple of months.
