Final expenses for 25 days in Nevada…Back out “to the world tomorrow!”….A new normal…

Mountain view on a rare cloudy day.

This morning I packed my one suitcase of clothing and collected items for our supplies bag. My bag weighs well under the 50 lb maximum (23 kg). Indeed today, I’ll find odds and ends to get me up to the 23 kg maximum allowed by the airlines.

In a way, it’s bittersweet, packing and leaving the US once again for the next two years when once again we’ll return to visit family. Next time, we won’t stay quite as long, most likely for a total of one month between Minnesota and Nevada, giving us plenty of time to be with family and friends.

Here are our total expenses for the 25 nights in Henderson, Nevada:

 Expense   US Dollar 
Housing (Richard’s home)   $                         
 Gifts & Misc.   $                  299.00
 Airfare    $               1,137.00
 Rental Car & Fuel  $                  926.00
 Groceries   $               1,245.30
 Dining Out   $                  402.52
 Supplies & Pharmacy   $                  609.32
 Entertainment   $                  310.25
 Total   $               4,929.39
 Avg Daily Cost 25 days   $                  197.18

Now, as we pack and make the necessary preparations to continue our world journey, we’ve further discovered that this nomadic life we live is our “new normal.” 

There’s no way we can envision living in one place, renting a condo somewhere, and returning to a life of owning “stuff,” shopping among the crowds, waiting in traffic, and considering times to go out based on when “rush hour” ends. That’s no longer who we are.

We ask ourselves, “Was that ever us anyway?”

Two Mallards are sharing a rock in the pond at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve.

As we’ve melded into life in the convenient Henderson, Nevada location, over these past 25 days, we’ve realized how far removed this easy life is from our reality. Living in constant temperature-controlled comfort, with nary an insect in sight, little wildlife, and nature surrounding us, we’re starving to be living in a challenging environment.

To be surrounded by nature, including the good and not so good, and the occasional discomforts that remind us of our humanness and vulnerability, is where we long to be.

One of eight ponds in the preserve.

That’s not to say that living in a luxury villa in Costa Rica will be tough. It will be easy in most ways. But, we’ll be surrounded by expansive views, varying temperatures and climate, and some of the finest wildlife in the world. 

Costa Rica is a country rich in unique and colorful inhabitants, both human and animal. Yes, modern conveniences will be enjoyed and appreciated but never taken for granted. Our goals will still be to focus on that which always appeals to us the most.

Is this a weather ball I shot from a distance?

We have a plethora of tasks to complete while in Costa Rica, including tax stuff, visa extensions, trips to a dentist (we’ve both lost a few fillings), other financial “paperwork,” and beginning the process of preparing for the Antarctica cruise which requires medical certifications and tons of forms to complete.

We hope to get as much of this “work” completed shortly after we arrive to leave us ample time to focus on our interests in culture and take photos of the extraordinary scenery and wildlife that Costa Rica offers in abundance.

Today, we’ll complete the packing, make a quick trip to the market to replace any paper products and supplies we used while living in Richard’s home (he doesn’t expect this but, that’s just us), and fill the little white car with fuel. 

Mountains surround the Las Vegas valley.

Tonight, we’ll all dine on the leftover pizza which I made yesterday with a new salad I’ll make today.  Overall, with as much as we’ve already completed, the day won’t be much busier than most. Thanks, Richard, for an excellent stay in your beautiful home!

Tomorrow, we’ll post from the airport while we await our flight. We’re leaving for the airport at 8:30 am, although our flight isn’t until 11:25 am. Returning the rental car is far from the airport and requires a 10 minute or more ride in a shuttle to return to the airport where I’ll be waiting for Tom.

Tom feels more comfortable leaving for the airport earlier rather than later. I’m OK with that since it is an international flight after all, and I’ll have more time to upload a new post while we’re waiting.

We’ll be back tomorrow with some favorite Nevada photos and our goodbyes once again to the USA as we continue on our “new normal.” We can’t stop smiling.

May your day bring many smiles!

Photo from one year ago today, July 31, 2016:

One of two long piers in Chalong Bay. At that time, I was still recovering from the spine injury in Bali occurring on June 1, 2016, and I couldn’t make the long walk on the pier. Now, I wouldn’t have thought about it twice.  For more photos, please click here.

Figuring out the numbers…Outrageous outlay of cash over these next months…Four days and counting…

This pond in the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve was filled with a variety of birds.

Yesterday, after we uploaded the post, we decided to review our expenses through January 2018. With several cruises upcoming, including the pricey Antarctica cruise, which begins on January 23, 2018, and ends on February 8th, we’ve had to be extra frugal this past year.

Once the Antarctica cruise ends and, after we pay approximately $4600 for our two airline tickets from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Mpumalanga Nelspruit, South Africa (with a layover in Johannesburg), we can breathe a sigh of relief that several huge expenses are behind us.

The border of trees along the edge of this pond provides additional habitat for the birds.

Fortunately, living in Africa, which is less costly than many other parts of the world, we’ll have plenty of time to regroup and “lick our wounds” over the outrageous expenses of the prior 12 months or more. 

Also, our final months in Australia were costly, followed by two cruises, including the 24-night cruise back to the US, followed by the Alaskan cruise, and then the nine weeks we spent in the USA, six of which we stayed in a hotel, dining out for most meals. Also, during the six weeks in Minnesota, we replenished our wardrobes (no sales tax on clothing in MN) along with many of our dwindling supplies.

This pretty duck was paddling at full speed when I took this photo.

We’ve paid down the pricey Antarctica cruise, which started at $34,500 (for two) and is now down to a balance of $13,875, which is due in full by October 16th, 80 days from today.

By September 18th, we have to pay off the back-to-back South America cruises beginning on November 23rd (Thanksgiving Day in the US), totaling $7,988, on which we’ll embark before the Antarctica sailing on January 23, 2018.

One of the smaller of the eight ponds.

In addition to the above, we have yet to book the one-month gap in Buenos Aires between December 23, 2017, to January 23, 2018, which we’ll put together once we’re settled in Costa Rica in the next few weeks. 

On top of all of these, we’ll have monthly living expenses, including a few one-night hotel stays, transportation, groceries, tours, and miscellaneous. When we add all of these expenses, it’s a daunting number.

By figuring out all of these totals, we’ve determined this is all doable over these next six months if we really continue to tighten our belts. We must add all of these numbers to our anticipated living costs over the next six months, most of which we’re paying in advance.

No doubt, the cloudy day had an impact on the quality of our photos.

When living in a permanent home instead of our constant lives of world travel, typically, one doesn’t pay their mortgage payment, rent, or any other expenses six months or longer in advance. 

Typically, the only pay-as-we-go expenses are groceries, tours, and local transportation (if we aren’t using a rental car which always requires advance payment in full, often for three months or more upon picking up the vehicle).

In each case, when renting a vacation home, we must pay good-sized deposits well in advance. To book cruises, deposits are required even if they’re booked two years in advance.  However, over this past almost five years of world travel, we’ve become more comfortable waiting to book certain situations.

These two birds were too busy preening to look up as we passed their habitat in the utility vehicle.

When we’re often asked how we manage money, it’s always through careful frequent analysis and planning to determine we’re staying within the range of our overall annual budget. 

What’s thrown us off this year has been the Antarctica cruise which, once completed, leaves us with no costly plans for the future, certainly not to this magnitude. 

Why did we stretch ourselves for this cruise? This cruise may not be suitable for some as they age.  It requires medical certification months in advance (which we’ll handle in Costa Rica) and a certain degree of physical stamina and endurance. We have no guaranty, as hard as we may try, that we’ll be in such a position in the next five to ten years. 

I saw several Grebes during my tour of the facility.

This particular cruise is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially for us with our strict budget and obviously advancing age. For us, it may be a now-or-never situation. We chose to take it on to enhance our world travel experiences further.

When we began our travels, we’d made a list of a few special experiences we wanted to ensure we’d experience;  the Panama Canal (done, with another transit upcoming in November); Africa (done, with more coming beginning in February 2018) and of course, Antarctica (where we’ll be getting off the ship onto the Zodiac boats to step foot on ice floes and glaciers with thousands of Emperor Penguins and more).

I’d planned to visit Susan today, but as it turns out, we have several calls to make to complete some necessary tasks before leaving the US in four days, all of which require weekday calls. Today is the only logical day to complete these tasks. As a result, I’ll visit Susan tomorrow, Saturday, for the last time before we leave on Tuesday.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow as we wind down these last few days in the USA. Please check back! Have a fabulous weekend wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, July 27, 2016:

We rented this car from the property owner. It was a little rough but served our purposes over the remaining days until we left Thailand. For more details, please click here.

Yesterday’s visit to Juneau, Alaska…Skagway today…No tours for us…..

Me, sitting in a bear-shaped chair wearing the hat, gloves, and scarf I’d purchased on-board using some of our $500 cabin credit. (Thank goodness, that’s not our wheelchair).
Note: We’re finalizing the headcount for the “Meet & Greet” for our readers in Minneapolis on June 9th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at:
Grizzlys Wood Fired Grill at this location in Plymouth, Minnesota:
220 Carlson Pkwy N, Plymouth, MN 55447
Please RSVP if you plan to attend and haven’t already done so.  Hope to see you then!

After visiting these ports of call during this Alaskan cruise, we’re convinced we’d like to return to Alaska somewhere down the road (when we finally decide to travel the US and Canada) to stay for a summer.

 

This tram takes tourists up to another shopping area.

A few years ago, we tried finding a vacation home in Alaska and gave up when prices were through the roof for even the smallest cabin. Unfortunately, it appears the best way to rent a summer home would be with another couple or two, sharing in higher costs.

Popular crab restaurant,

For now, with our budgetary restrictions as a result of the upcoming expensive Antarctica cruise in eight months, we’re making the best of each port of call by getting off the ship and wandering through the towns packed with cruise passengers from several ships.

There were many the same shops we’d seen in the past ports of call in Alaska.

Most of the shops consist of various popular gems and stones typically mined in Alaska and a wide array of tourist-type artifacts and products, none of which has any appeal for us when we don’t have a home in which to put such items on display.

The road wasn’t busy, nor were the sidewalks with many cruise passengers out on various tours.

Had we visited these towns in our old lives, many items would have been suitable for our former lodge-like home on a lake in Minnesota.  Natural products, many, including stone, wood, or a nature-driven theme, would have been suitable and difficult to resist.

A large stuffed eagle.

Jewelry has no appeal to me at this point in my life. With the likelihood of our bags being lost or stolen somewhere along the line, accumulating pricey jewelry makes no sense at all. The few costume jewelry items I wear to dinner on cruises can easily be replaced in a Target store for under $15 each, at most.

Carissa couldn’t have been more enthused to hear about our alpaca experience in New Zealand last year.

The day-to-day earrings I wear, mostly nickel-free or non-irritating, are also easily replaced in a cheap jewelry store. I don’t need or want precious or semi-precious gems to add clutter to my otherwise simple zip lock bag of items that I’d hardly miss if stolen.

Yesterday, late morning, we disembarked the ship for a $5 per person bus shuttle into the town of Juneau, the capital of Alaska, with a population of around 34,000 as follows from the web:

I fell in love with these brown alpaca-trimmed boots.  But, they weren’t a practical addition to my five pairs of shoes.

“Juneau, Alaska’s remote capital, sits in the state’s panhandle, at the base of 3,819-ft. Mount Roberts. It’s a popular cruise-ship stop, reachable only by boat or seaplane. A tram carries visitors 1,800 feet up Mount Roberts to an alpine area with hiking trails, wildflowers, and views of Gastineau Channel. This is also the site of the Juneau Raptor Center, dedicated to local birds.”

This soft stuffed alpaca certainly attracted shoppers into the shop.

We weren’t disappointed we hadn’t booked a tour when it rained all afternoon, and the weather was almost cold enough to snow. The surrounding snow-capped mountains were pretty to see, but unfortunately, this town, like others along our route were geared toward shopping.

The store also contained a variety of sheepskin and wool products.

As we wandered through the town, we stumbled upon an alpaca products store and were approached by a charming young woman from Los Angeles who comes to Juneau to work in the store each summer. We chatted with her and were enchanted by her enthusiastic demeanor. 

Fluffy wool and alpaca toys.

We couldn’t resist telling Carissa, who obviously had a great adoration for alpacas, that we’d lived on the alpaca farm in New Zealand for three months, from January 19, 2016, to April 15, 2016. She squealed with delight when we shared our story of living among the exquisite animals. 

Warm sweater coats for those in cold climates.

She gushed with enthusiasm over the prospect of reading about our adventures in New Zealand and throughout the world. Of course, we handed her a card and promised to post her photo and information on the quaint shop, which is:

Simply Natural
406 S. Franklin Street, Suite C
Juneau, Alaska
907-586-1224
302-276-1317

The company has a beautiful website at https://simplynaturalalpaca.com/
If you ever head to Juneau, this enticing store has nothing short of breathtaking alpaca products. It’s well worth a visit. We didn’t make a purchase when cold weather clothing isn’t needed for our upcoming travels. 

The Celebrity Cruise Line “X” atop our awaiting ship, the Solstice.

When we sail to Antarctica, we’ll be renting full sets of warm clothing for getting off the ship to board the Zodiac boats heading out to the ice floes and glaciers for up close and personal experiences with wildlife. But, until then and well after, we’ll be living in hot climates.

In each port of call, we’ve noticed several fur shops.

After that serendipitous experience with Carissa, we continued on the main road walking for some time, taking many photos we’re sharing here today. No doubt, we got wet in the rain and heavy humidity, but we were refreshed after the brisk cold walk and happy we’d ventured out.

Candies on display for sale in a local chocolate shop.

Today, we’re docked in Skagway and will do the same, wander off the ship on our own to check out the town, take more photos and see what interesting morsels enter into our realm along the way.

Cute, decorative clocks in a local products shop.

As always, we’re having a great time, although slightly preoccupied over the upcoming visits to see family and friends in Minnesota and Nevada. We can hardly believe we’ll be in Minnesota in a mere five days.

This train clock made us smile. Had it not been for Tom’s 42.5 years on the railroad, our world travel may not have been possible.

Be well. Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, May 21, 2016:

This photo was taken at 4:00 pm of the cloud reflection in our pool in the villa in Bali. For more photos, please click here.

Cruise final expenses including shopping at port and extras…Finalizing details…Favorite photos…

Mystery Island scene.

Rather than wait until we disembark the ship tomorrow, I decided to post the final expenses and favorite photos today. 

Tomorrow, when we disembark by 8:30 am with a 9:00 am shuttle pickup at the Port of Seattle, we’ll have time to post until after we arrive in Vancouver later in the day.

The sun was shining on the sea.

Once we’re settled in our hotel, we’ll prepare and upload a post with scenic photos of the three-plus-hour drive from Seattle to Vancouver, which we expect will be stunning. Neither of us has ever driven this route by car. It should be interesting.

At 11:30 am now with another time change occurring at noon, we decided to pack earlier than usual and get it all behind us. Tonight, the staff will collect all of our checked bags, leaving the newer duffel bag and computer backpack behind for us to keep in our possession during the disembarking process.

Mystery Island, Vanuatu beach.

Once we’re off the ship, we’ll find the remainder of our luggage in the cruise terminal and make our way to the pickup area, where an SUV driver will be waiting for us for the US $550 AU 744.95 drive over the US border into Canada.

We hedged at this high cost for transportation but after careful consideration decided this was the least stressful means of travel. We always keep in mind that keeping stress at a minimum has always been our goal and our motto.

A reminder of cannibalism in the South Pacific.

It always falls upon the fact that we can only control what “we know” in our world travels, not which “we don’t know,” which would include unforeseen circumstances over which we do not influence our diligent planning.

Sometimes, that includes paying a little more, planning ahead and leaving ourselves free and unencumbered to relish in our surroundings and experiences along the way.

Situated in the Diamond Club lounge for the last morning of this 24-night cruise, we can relax knowing everything is in place: we’re fully packed with clothing left out for tonight and tomorrow. 

King Neptune poolside celebration after crossing the Equator.

We’ve calculated our total expenses for the cruise, as shown below entering the figures into our main spreadsheet; we’ve reviewed our cruise bill for accuracy, handling any necessary adjustments; we’ve paid cash tips to our fabulous restaurant manager Belic who oversaw meticulous handling of my special meals and, over-the-top cabin steward Mira, the best we’ve ever experienced after 18 cruises.

Here are the final expenses for this 24-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas from Sydney to Seattle:

 Expense   US Dollar   Australian Dollar 
 Cruise Fare – 24 nights   $              5,955.26  $                    8,068.18
 Cabin credit   $                (280.00)  $                        379.28
 Airfare    $                                 $                                     
 Taxi    $                    50.20  $                          68.00
 Laundry aboard ship   $                    49.98  $                          67.70
 Ship Shop Purchases   $                    94.78  $                        124.38
 Tips not inc. in fare   $                   188.17  $                        254.87
 Lahaina Gap purchases   $                   106.00  $                        143.57
 Total   $              6,164.39  $                     8,349.44
 Average Daily Cost    $                  256.85  $                        347.89

We’re please with these totals. The daily calculations are slightly higher than our usual average daily costs. Using this cruise for transportation back to the US actually saved us money when the airfare alone would have been around US $2,000, AU 2,708.93.

During the 24-day period we would have been paying for a vacation home, groceries, transportation, etc. Adding the pure joy of spending this extended period of time with other passengers, it’s definitely money well spent.  Also, we avoided a horrendously long 14-hour flight from these distant locations.

We’ve made many new friends on this cruise and look forward to hearing from them in the future. Who knows?  Our paths may cross again sometime in the future.

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.

As we enter North America by early tomorrow morning, we’ll no longer include Australian money exchange rates for our expenses. All expenses during our time in North America will be posted in US dollars only. For our Australian readers, as you know for one US dollar, it is $1.35 for Australian dollar.

We won’t be posted a foreign exchange rate until August 1st when we enter Costa Rica as we continue on our world journey.

Thanks, dear readers, for your continued love and support during this lengthy cruise. We’ll continue to post daily during the Alaska cruise beginning in three days when we’ll be visiting many ports of call for a hopefully good signal which has been lacking during this cruise.

Goodbye, Australia, New Zealand, and islands in the South Pacific for the gifts you bestowed upon us in this exquisite and fascinating part of the world.  We’ll remain eternally grateful for the experiences.

Happy Mother’s Day to Moms all over the world! May your day be as unique as YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, May 14, 2016:

This dog walked up to our villa in Bali and wandered around the pool. We stayed seated and didn’t say a word. Soon, he wandered away. For more photos, please click here.

Final expenses for Fairlight/Manly Australia…40 days gone…On to cruising…Favorite photos…

Beautiful sky at sunset, taken from our veranda.
Tom’s shot of a stunning sunset.

It’s about 10:00 am Saturday, April 22nd, on this side of the International Dateline. We’ll cross back to the opposite side of the International Dateline during our upcoming cruise, gaining a day. We’ll post this peculiar phenomenon when it occurs on May 1st during the upcoming cruise.

The Sydney Opera House at night, taken from the Manly Ferry.
Luna Park in Sydney Harbour at night, taken from the Manly Ferry.
Saying we’re excited is to minimize the extent of our raging enthusiasm. It’s not that we’re anxious to leave the South Pacific after almost two years. It’s simply that we’re excited about what is yet to come.
A Cockatoo visitor in the yard.
Our friend, Mr. Magpie, visited us inside the house.

 

In reviewing how much time we spent since arriving on land in Australia on June 11, 2015, is shown below using the online “date to date” app at this link: “From and including Thursday, June 11, 2015

To, but not including Saturday, April 22, 2017

Result: 681 days

It is 681 days from the start date to the end date, but not including the end date or 1 year, 10 months, 11 days excluding the end date.”

Hand-feeding Kookaburra in the yard.
The interior of the Sydney Opera House as we waited for the performance to begin. In a short time, almost every seat was occupied. We had excellent center seats four rows from the stage.

Wow! We’ve been in this part of the world for a very long time, although the diversity of our experiences have been vast. We won’t take the time to list them all here today but feel free to review our archives during these above dates. 

The cafe where we had a beverage the morning of our final appointment at the immigration department.

Now, packed and ready to leave for the port at noon today, our hearts are filled with joy and satisfaction for the time we spent in this part of the world. Even with the fact that I’d been “under the weather” since a spine injury on June 1, 2016, which followed the exacerbation of the Helicobacter Pylori infection I acquired in Fiji in 2015, we still had a great time.

The scene in Manly near the ferry.
These two difficult scenarios confirmed how resilient and dedicated we are in continuing our journey, even with stumbles along the way. Never once during this extended period of less-than-stellar health did either of us lose hope and faith that we’d be able to continue.
Offseason bloom on the grounds of Fairlight Gardens.

Nor did we ever get on one another’s nerves, not for a day, not for an hour. Mr. Overly Grumpy never reared his ugly head. Then again, Ms. Overly Bubbly made fewer appearances than usual. So now, we’re both in the Overly Bubbly mode with plans to stay that way in the future.

Ken and Tom drinking beer.
Me and Linda toasting at lunch.
We met friends Linda and Ken from South Africa in Sydney for lunch. It was a perfect day among friends!
Our experiences in Fairlight, although limited as I was slowly improving, were delightful with opportunities to meet with old friends, as shown in today “favorite photos.”
St. Patrick’s Estate in Manly, a popular event venue.

Of course, no experience compares to the daily sense of comfort and companionship we spent with our kindly landlord, Bob Reed. This morning, Bob sent us the following email as posted below. It warmed our hearts to develop such a fine relationship with this kindly man, now a lifelong friend. There’s no doubt we’ll stay in touch.

The grounds at St. Patrick’s Estate were prepared for a wedding.

Bob wrote the following:

“Good morning Tom and Jessica, welcome to your new adventure upon the high seas and continuing adventure that most of us only dream about. 

How lucky I have been to have met you both and have had the pleasure of your company for the past 40 days.
Those happy memories will stay with me forever.
Even though I cannot be with you as you travel the world, your wonderful website will be my companion to where you are and what exciting places you are visiting.
May good health be your constant companion during your world travels.
Jessica, I will also miss the wonderful dinners you cooked for Tom and me and our daily conversations solving all the world’s problems.  Well trying anyways.
Hopefully, one day our paths will cross again, and we can spend time together reminiscing about the happy times we spent together.
You both left a little bit of your hearts here at Fairlight Gardens.
Lots of love as you travel the world.
Bob Reed”
Tom in a pub with me for dinner in Circular Quay.
Reading Bob’s thoughtful message brought tears to our eyes. How did we get so lucky to become friends with yet another extraordinary person? We truly are blessed.
Giant surf at Manly Beach on a gorgeous day.
Rather than write back to Bob in an email, we decided to write back here:
Dear Bob,
No words can express how much we’ve appreciated your kindness and love and for your constant and thoughtful attention to our needs. But, above all, your efforts at building a lasting friendship among the three of us will always be treasured as one of our favorite memories of the time we spent in Australia, here in beautiful Fairlight, a gem amongst towns throughout this fine nation.
Thank you for your lovely property, your attention to detail in every aspect, driving us about town, and spending time with us.  You truly optimize the essence of friendship and generosity.
We hope that someday our paths will cross again, but if they do not, no worries, we’ll always carry you in our hearts wherever we may be.
Much love and good health always,
Jess & Tom
Bob and Tom at Dobroyd Head.
Should any of our readers decide to visit Sydney, we assure you an excellent experience if you book Bob’s lovely property, either Fairlight Gardens private apartment, as we did with this link here. For Bob’s Fairlight Gardens Bed and Breakfast, please click here.
Bob and I a Dobroyd Head.

There’s no doubt in our minds that Bob will ensure an equally exceptional stay for our readers as well. If you have any questions, you can be assured he’ll reply promptly.

Bob, Bev, and Colin (a popular name in AU and UK) when they joined us for dinner at our apartment.

As for our final expenses, current to the last expenditures of two days ago, are listed below. Again, we’ve found Australia to be more expensive than many parts of the world but have found staying in holiday homes is much less costly than staying in a hotel. 

Christine, Tom, and I at dinner two nights ago.

With the excellent public transportation services in Sydney and surrounding areas, including buses, trains, and ferries, it’s unnecessary to rent a car. We managed very well, taking advantage of the affordable public transportation and, of course, Bob’s frequent insistence on driving us on many occasions.

Expense US Dollar Australian Dollar
Vacation Rental  $ 4,564.08  $ 6,053.92
Airfare   $    217.00  $    287.83
Taxi   $    105.01  $    139.29
Ferry (OPAL Card)  $   140.00  $    185.70
Shipping  $   460.00  $    610.16
Groceries  $ 1,014.25  $ 1,345.33
Dining Out  $    361.43  $    480.24
Entertainment  $    102.06  $    135.38
Medical & Pharmacy  $ 1,230.26  $ 1,534.68
Total  $ 8,197.09  $10,891.59
Average Monthly Cost  $ 6,233.20  $ 8,282.22
Avg Daily Cost – 40 days  $    204.93  $    272.30

In less than two hours, we’ll be out the door and on our way by taxi to the Sydney Cruise Terminal, arriving in about 45 minutes. Our next post will be uploaded aboard the ship tomorrow, with photos for the next 24 nights. 

Out to dinner with Christine and Colin, who we met on our last cruise, which ended 40 nights ago.

We hope our readers will continue to travel along with us during these upcoming 33 nights at sea, plus an additional two-night gap while staying in a hotel in Vancouver. We plan to share many new stories and exciting photos along the way.

Cruise ship in the Sydney Harbour.
While still dark at 5:45 am this morning, we could see our ship, Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, entering Sydney Harbour. What a sight! We can hardly wait to board!
A bunny we posted on Easter Sunday, spotted on a walk with Bob.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, April 22, 2016:
Due to poor signal aboard the ship one year ago today, we didn’t include a photo. Instead, we posted a list of some on the freebie on the ship, Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas.  Here they are:
Some of the “freebies” included on this particular cruise are:

  • Fitness center to include a few free classes and activities
  • Trivia games
  • Daily Mass
  • Men’s Shed
  • Water aerobics
  • Mensa challenge
  • Movies are shown daily inside the large theatre and outdoors on a giant screen by the pool.
  • Dance lessons
  • Mini-golf tournament
  • Lectures and seminars
  • Singles gatherings
  • Bridge lessons and tournaments
  • Shuffleboard, ping pong, video games
  • Napkin art workshop
  • GLBT meetings
  • Ice Skating and skating shows
  • Rock climbing
  • Paper airplane making
  • Drama class
  • DreamWorks characters on display in Promenade Deck
  • Voyager Scavenger Hunt
  • Karaoke auditions and eventual show in the theatre
  • Shows in the main theatre in the evenings at 6:45 pm and 8:45 pm, different each evening
  • Live music at various bars both during the day and in the evenings

Final Cruise Expenses – See totals here…Off we go to Sydney/Manly…Favorite cruise photos…

View of Sydney from the ship on embarkation day.

Let’s start with our expenses for the 12-night cruise on Celebrity Solstice from March 1, 2017 to March 13, 2017 as follows:

Expense US Dollar Australian
Dollar
Cruise Fare-Concierge Class  $            4,505.36  $         5,992.52
Airfare   $                241.68  $             321.46
Taxi   $                  45.11  $               60.00
Cabin Credit  $              (375.00)  $           (498.78)
Wi-Fi          included            included 
Gratuities          included            included 
Premium Beverage Pkg          included            included 
Additional Gratuities  $              100.00  $           133.01
Cruise Bill for Purchases  $                   8.94  $             11.89
Total  $            4,526.09  $        6,020.10
Avg Daily
Cost – 12 days
 $               377.17  $           501.68

This life seldom leaves us feeling sad when one adventure ends, knowing another begins the same or the next day. We never experience that slump that we recall from our old life when we traveled on a rare occasion many years ago.

The dreaded pile of unopened mail and unread newspapers, the phone messages on the home answering machine, the unpacking, the mountains of dirty laundry, the immediate need for grocery shopping, and the rotting food in the refrigerator all left the returning traveler in a tizzy upon returning home.

The pastry chef prepared this suitable dessert for me each night.  It was amazing!

The lawn’s desperate need of mowing and trimming or the piles of snow on the steps, walkways, and driveway requiring immediate attention only added to the stress of returning home after a time away.

Another view of Sydney.

In this life, we only need to unpack, wash one load of laundry (as Elite members, we’re entitled to 30 free laundry items on the ship), and grocery shop upon arrival. That’s it. Oh yes…get the WiFi working and familiarize ourselves with our new home for weeks or perhaps months yet to come. Easy.

It was such fun to spend time with new friends Christine and Harold and to be able to enjoy dinner in their Penthouse Suite.

Today, we’ll arrive in Sydney/Manly Beach, where we hadn’t arranged for a rental car. So instead, we’ll use the Manly ferry and public transportation (both walking distance to the vacation property) to take us anywhere we’d like to go. 

Our favorite sea and city photo of Noumea, New Caledonia, from the ship with a rainbow in the background.

Once we’re settled, we’ll head out on foot for the local bus to take us to the closest Woolie’s market.  Most likely, by 4:00 pm, we’ll be back with roasted chickens, fresh veggies, and salad fixings for our first night’s meal in our new home for the next 40 days.

We love this face at Luna Park, located in Sydney Harbour.

Each time we make our way through this exploratory process, we do so with the wonder of a wide-eyed child, eager to know more and more. So, instead of having angst about the vacation/holiday period ending, we’re excited as the new leg of our journey begins.

This sugar-free vanilla latte has been a delicious treat for me.

No doubt, as we mentioned many times in our posts, we love cruising and the outrageous amount of socialization we readily embrace. However, when it ends with a degree of commotion required to disembark the cruise, it’s a bit cumbersome and, at times, annoying.

We can’t wait for the “night at the opera” for which we have tickets on March 18th.

Once we’re on our way in the taxi or rental car, our hearts flutter with enthusiasm. Hopefully, today won’t be an exception. Over time, Tom has experienced less and less “overly grumpy” periods while I’ve maintained my usual “overly bubbly” demeanor, making the end of yet another travel day relatively painless.

We are never tired of the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of our new location, hopefully at ease and content in all that it has to offer. See you soon!

Photo from one year ago today, March 13, 2016:
Upon arriving “home” after a drive to the countryside in New Plymouth, NZ, we laughed over this photo of Belted Galloway cattle that appears to be what??? A six-legged bull? No. The photo was a fluke with one bull standing behind the other. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay longer for better photos when they began showing signs of aggression. For more details, please click here.

Happy Australia Day to our Australian/Tasmanian friends and readers…Saving more of $$$$…

Our friend Terry (and past landlord in Penguin) sent us this beautiful photo of another seal on Sisters Beach, Tasmania where he and his wife Fran are spending time at their cabin. Thanks, Terry!  This is quite a gem!

Today is Australia Day, a national day of celebration. This morning while researching online for information Australia Day to share with our readers, I stumbled across this interesting article as shown below at this link (edited to fit our page):

“Australia Day 2017: What does the average Aussie really look like?

Matt Wade
        
by Matt Wade                                        

Numbers can paint a vivid picture of how a nation has changed.  A century ago the average Aussie was a 24-year-old male farmer. Fifty years ago, it was a 29-year-old male office clerk. But today, it’s a 38-year-old female sales assistant.

Australia reaches population milestone

Earlier this year, statistics confirmed what we already knew, Australia’s population is rapidly growing; but you might be surprised to learn which city will be our biggest by 2050.

Let’s call our typical Aussie Rebecca – that was the most popular name for girls born in 1979 (it was Michael for boys). She is married and lives with her husband and two children, a boy and a girl aged nine and six, in a stand-alone house with three bedrooms in a suburb of one of Australia’s capital cities. They have a pet.

Rebecca completed year 12, has a Certificate in Business and Management and is employed as a sales assistant – the nation’s most common occupation for women and men these days. She does 32 hours of paid work each week (the average is 41 hours for men) and another five hours or more unpaid work around the house. The household’s annual disposable income is $88,500 (after tax). Rebecca takes five days of sick/carers leave each year and 16 days of annual leave.

Demographer Mark McCrindle estimates that Rebecca’s family has lived in the house for five years and is paying off a mortgage. They have $427,847 equity in the property, which is the bulk of the family’s wealth. They have another $65,880 worth of household possessions such as furniture and equipment.

Rebecca was born in Australia – despite our cultural diversity the average Australian was born here, as were both of their parents. But it’s a very different story in some parts of our big cities. In Sydney’s Haymarket for instance, 88 per cent of the population were born overseas.
Rebecca’s household has two cars which each travel an average of 14,000 kilometers (8699 miles) a year. Over the past 40 years the share of households with two or more motor vehicles has doubled, from 26 per cent to around 54 per cent. Like 69 percent of all commuters, Rebecca drives to work.

Despite the growing proportion of Australians with no religion, or a non-Christian religious affiliation, Rebecca is a Catholic and speaks only English at home. She has “English, Australian, Irish, or Scottish ancestry” according to the Bureau of Statistics. Rebecca is 164cm tall (5’4″) and weighs 68kg  (150 pounds). The average man is 178cm (5’8″) and weighs 85kg (187)pounds. She exercises three times a week and gets 7.2 hours of sleep per night.

Rebecca can expect to live until 85.3 years – about four years more than her male counterparts. Mr. McCrindle said demographic averages shed light on Australia’s collective “personality”.

“These statistics show we are working hard, we are saving hard and we are juggling multiple roles,” he said.

“It points to a pretty conscientious, busy nation that is just getting on with it.”

View from the highway as we head back from Huonville.

This above article defines life for the average Australian, although the lives of many may vary substantially based on income and lifestyle. In the next few days Australia’s population will reach 24,000,000.

The significance of Australia Day, is described as follows from this site:

“On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian. It’s the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It’s the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
 
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander, Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).

Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in the future.

On Australia Day, half of the nation’s population of 24 million attend either an organized community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating our national day. Many more, spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.

Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks. It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.

At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.”

The Huon River is very wide in this area.

We’re honored and excited to be here in Australia on this special day in history. Today, we’re off to the celebrations in the town of Franklin, returning tomorrow with photos. 

As to the mention in today’s heading regarding our “Saving more $$$$” we’re pleased that Tom’s diligence in checking daily for price reductions on our already booked cruises have benefited us to such a degree.

Over this past month, the cruise from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina we’ve saved a total of AU 2,641, US $2,000.  We’d booked the cruise while aboard ship which provides an added opportunity for perks and yet, still allows our rep at Vacations to Go to receive full credit for the transaction.

The dock on the property here in Castle Bay Forbes on the Huon River.

To reap the benefits of these price drops, which in this case was a total of three price reductions, we contact Brooklyn/Shanon, our rep at Vacations to Go who immediately gets to work to confirm the price drop with the cruise line (Celebrity in this case) and then issue new documents at the lowest price which are promptly sent to us via email. 

During this particular price drop we were able to maintain the perks we received at the time of booking which included free Wi-Fi, paid gratuities and AU 396, US $300 cabin credit. We’re thrilled to say the least.

Our vacation/holiday home on the Huon River, as shown from the river side. We live on the top floor with a second bedroom and en suite bath in our lower level while the owners, Anne and Rob, live on the lower level.

The skies are cloudy now, but we expect it to clear by the time we head out for Franklin. However, rain or shine, we won’t miss this special event.

Have a sunny day wherever you may be both in your heart and in your skies!

Photo from one year ago today, January 26, 2016:

Although a little tough to see with the long lashes, Mont Blanc had blue eyes.  (We fell in love with him, but sadly, he eventually died).He was the “cria’ that had escaped the paddock leaving us in a quandary with the owners at work. For the rest of this story as to how he was returned to his mother, please click here.

Remaining all new photos of Penguin…Today, on our way to Huonville…Final expenses for Penguin, Tasmania…

The high iron content in the rocks created this colorful scene.

We’re anxious to get on the road today. So, as a result, today’s post will be to the point. Also, Terry has more guests moving in later today, so the sooner we’re gone, the sooner he’ll be able to prep for their arrival.

The surf has been impressive on many days. Surfing is popular in Tasmania.

We rushed about the house, gathering last-minute items, attempting to leave the house as tidy as possible. I’d packed my clothing on Saturday, leaving out a few items for Sunday and today’s road trip.

Since we don’t have to have our luggage weighed, it was the easiest packing ever, taking only 10 minutes to put the clothing in my one suitcase. This morning I packed our third bag with supplies, shoes, and toiletries which takes a little longer than the clothing bags, especially when we don’t want any liquids to spill.

Check out this surf!

It takes time to put the following expenses together from the various sheets in our Excel spreadsheet to ensure the final numbers we post here match the numbers on the entries in the various spreadsheets. 

Views in Binalong Bay in Tasmania.

We keep miscellaneous expenses on a separate sheet in the workbook and the food, which numbers are transferred to the main sheet at the end of a stay in a vacation home, with separate line items for cruises. It’s hard to explain without seeing it, but it’s working well for us.

In this particular case, we can bring leftover food items with us, so we packed our remaining oversized tinfoil pans with items for the cupboard in the next house with a few perishable items (cheese, butter, etc.). Packed in a cooler bag packed with ice.

Wildflowers growing along the beach.

Below are the total expenses for the six-week period we spent in Penguin, Tasmania. This includes airfare from Sydney (where our 33-night cruise ended). Also, the expense for the rental car includes fuel for the trip from Hobart to Penguin and that which we used while here. 

Neatly planted fruit trees.

The cost for the rental car was considerably more than we’ve paid in many other locations, greatly impacting the total figures. Also, groceries were higher than usual, especially when we’d purchased expensive cheese we had shipped to us from a Tasmanian dairy farm. 

Over the holidays, we purchased some pricier foods as special treats, including filet Mignon, jumbo prawns, and scallops, all throwing off the usual lower costs. However, we didn’t eat out much due to the difficulty in ordering meals befitting my dietary restrictions, which has always been a little tougher to accomplish in Australia. 

Not only are there gorgeous white sand beaches in Tasmania, but there are also many rocky shorelines.

The “tips and miscellaneous” category included some clothing we purchased, toiletries, and various products from the pharmacy.  As shown, there was no cost for the excellent WiFi Terry provided with the availability of 200 gigs of data usage per month. 

In total, we’re not disappointed by these totals. But, of course, Australia is more expensive than some other parts of the world. Still, it’s a tradeoff with the quality of the experiences, wildlife, scenery, and, most of all, its people, some of the warmest and friendliest on the planet.

Expense US Dollar Australian
Dollar
Vacation Rental  $   3,143.80  $  4,228.38
re   $      241.68  $     325.06
Hotel (St. Helens)  $      133.33  $     180.00
Taxi  $      100.72  $     135.47
Rental Car  $   2,642.77  $  3,554.50
Wi-Fi  $           0  $          0
Groceries  $   1,470.65  $   1,978.01
Dining Out  $         84.21  $      113.26
Tours  $         34.17  $        45.96
Tips & Miscellaneous  $       523.45  $      704.03
Total  $   8,374.78  $ 11,264.67
Average
Monthly Cost
 $   5,789.38  $   7,786.66
Avg. Daily
Cost – 44 days
 $      190.36  $       256.02

Usually, when we’re leaving a location, we’ll post favorite photos.  However, based on this short period in Penguin, we’ll save those for our final post when we leave Tasmania, which will include the Huon Valley favorites as well.

The statue we passed on the drive from Hobart to Penguin.

Instead, today, we’re posting photos we’d yet to share from our original road trip from Hobart to Penguin and more photos we’d taken while in Penguin. There were too many photos to share as we posted each day with the continual flow of new stories and adventures we encountered in this wonderful area.

White sand beaches are commonly found in Tasmania.

Will we return to Penguin someday? No doubt, we’d love to. But, as always, the reality remains that we still have a lot of worlds to see. So it’s a stretch that we’re returning to Marloth Park next year, coupled with the serious intent of traveling to other African countries to observe more exciting wildlife and scenery.

A special thanks to Terry for his conscientious attention to every detail to ensure a phenomenal experience we’ll always treasure.  We’ve “friended” one another on Facebook and look forward to staying in touch for many years to come, as we have with most of our past landlords/property owners.

This cove view was taken in Burnie, Tasmania.

If you’re looking for a fabulous place to stay in Penguin Tasmania, please click here to reach Terry. We have no doubt he’ll be happy to provide you with the same amazing experience.

Entering the city limits of Penguin.

Goodbye, Penguin. Hello Huon Valley! We’ll be back tomorrow from our new home located on the banks of the Huon River!

Thanks to all of our new and long-time readers for sharing this special six weeks with us.

The charm of this town celebrating its fairy penguins is whimsical.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 16, 2016:

The men’s Nautica store on the ship had nothing that appealed to Tom, although he liked this brand name in our old lives.  For more cruise photos, please click here.

Final cruise expenses…Day to disembark….Off to Tasmania this morning…

Our friend Stan’s photo of the sunset on our last night aboard the ship. Well done, Stan, thanks for sharing!

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Miniature representations of schooner located in the Schooner Bar.

Today, as you read this post, we’re at the Sydney airport awaiting our upcoming flight at 10:35 am in Tasmania, Australia. Without a doubt, we appreciated each moment of this long cruise.

It took a while, but we got these figures together to share with our readers which now will include many wonderful people we’ve met aboard the ship. We’d love to see what others may have spent during their cruise, if any of our new readers would like to share. We can certainly keep it confidential if you’d prefer.

Photo in camera shop.

The cost for the 33 night Australian cruise was as follows:

Total Cost of Cruise  $9,105.74,  AU $12,269.65

Total Cruise Costs: US $11,249.58,  AU $15,161.36
Total Cruise Bill: $582.04, AU $784.28

Cost for Cruise for Balcony Cabin #9030

Cruise Charges                                              $7,291.00
Senior Rate
Taxes                                                      960.04                                            
Prepaid Gratuities                                    854.70*        
                                            –
Total Cost (US)                                  $ 9,105.74

As for incidentals we spent when off the ship:
Clothing & Perth Visit:                                 340.00  
Sydney Pharmacy (toiletries)                       199.00
Grand Total for Incidentals:                $  539.00

Total Transportation/Hotel Costs:
Airfare Bali to Sydney:                                690.26
Hotel Sydney                                              272.54
Taxi Sydney Airport to Hotel                          60.00
Grand Total for Trans/Hotel              $ 1,022.80

Breakdown of Cruise Bill
Wi-Fi Voom for both legs                              747.66
Laundry (3 times)                                          74.97
Beverages not inc. Diamond Club                  174.10
Shuttle bus                                                    20.00
Shopping                                                     222.95
Luggage                                                        42.46
Cabin credits                                              – 700.00
Total cruise bill                                      $   582.04

Grand total for all expenses:         US $11,249.58  AU $15,161.36
Average cost per day:                    US $     358.53  AU $      459.44

* In the past 24 hours we handed out additional cash gratuities of US $200 spread among several staff members, including the dining room manager who facilitated my meals; our cabin steward; the bartender in the Diamond Lounge; Richardo our Diamond Club rep;  and our waiter in Cascades dining room. Although we’d paid the above mentioned US $854.70 in the cost of the cruise itself, we felt these extra gratuities were warranted.  This additional sum is not included in the above totals.

Painting in the gallery.

This morning, thanks to our host Richardo in the Diamond Club, we were given early disembarking tickets (#2) which easily facilitated the necessity of making it to the airport at least one hour before our scheduled 10:30 am flight to Tasmania. As it turned out we arrived a little too early and had to wait 30 minutes in order to check our bags.

The card room where bridge and other games are played.

Last night, we left our checked bags outside our cabin door where they were whisked away to the baggage collection area at the Port of Sydney once the ship docked early this morning. 

Once we disembark we collected our bags, grabbed a taxi and were our way to the airport, a 30-minute drive with little traffic since its Saturday here today. The process of disembarking the ship was seamless with no stress or worry.

Painting of wood boat.

We’ve had a most extraordinary cruise, made many new friends, including Lois and Tom and Cheryl and Stan and many more; spent time with old friends Michelle and Carlo in Perth; experienced some lovely ports of call; dined on excellent food; and during this entire period, we did exactly what we wanted to do each and every day.

We’re anticipating this next leg of our journey with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. I can’t wait to spot our first Tasmanian Devil. Photos will follow, of course. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of our new home and others, we’ll have taken on the almost four hour drive from Hobart to Penguin.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2015:

With Savusavu, Fiji located on a mountain, steep roads are required to access most properties. For more photos, please click here

Final expenses for six weeks in Phuket, Thailand…Departure to Bali today…12 hour travel day…Final favorite Phuket photos…

We stumbled upon the scene in Phuket.

By the time you see this post today, we’ll already be at the airport in Phuket awaiting the flight to Singapore with a three hour layover until the final leg of the flight to Denpasar, Bail. 

Colorful shrine in front of a property!  Wow!

Neither of these two flights are very long, the first only 1 hour, 50 minutes; the second under around 2 hours. These shorter flights shouldn’t be too hard on me. Once we arrive in Singapore, we’ll get a passcode for the free WiFi, find comfortable seating in a restaurant in the terminal and busy ourselves online while we wait.

Many fruit and coconut stands are found along the road.

Although it will be a long day, expecting to arrive at the hotel in Kutu, Bali around 8:30 pm after departing the house in Phuket at 7:00 am, there is a one hour time difference resulting in a 12 hour travel day.

We’ll always recall the 34 hour travel day from Venice to Kenya in 2013 making this 12 hour travel day seem like “a walk in the park.” We don’t anticipate too many more lengthy travel days in the immediate future when we only have a few more flights until heading back to the US for a family visit via a cruise embarking in about 8 months.

In rained and was cloudy almost every day for a period of time. 

Once we arrive in Bali we only have a few more flights pending until we head to the US in April, 2017:
1.  Bali to Sydney:  October 30, 2016 (Yuck! A red eye)
2.  Sydney to Hobart:  December 3, 2016
3.  Hobart to Sydney:  February 28, 2017

Well care for wood boat tied to a tree in the bay.

Now for the final Phuket expenses, keeping in mind that these expenses are less than expected and budgeted when we weren’t able to get out to dine and do much sightseeing based on my health condition. 

Colorful shells from the Phuket Seashell Museum.

Most tourists stay in resorts with minimal cooking facilities (if any), dine out for most meals, pay for a more expensive rental car or multiple taxi rides and go out on a number of tours and sightseeing adventures.

Blue-green water at a distance.  Sandy beach at the shore.  Beautiful!

Here are the total expenses:

Expense
US Dollar
Thai Baht
Vacation Rental  $            2,603.19     89,994.51
Airfare   $               830.00     28,693.81
Visa  $                 74.14       2,563.08
Taxi (inc. tips)  $                115.75       4,001.58
Rental Car  $                260.33      9,000.00
Wi-Fi  $                    0                0                  
Groceries  $                948.60      32,793.92
Dining Out  $                     0                         0                  
Miscellaneous $                    24.12            833.85
Tips (for cleaners)  $                  115.50         4,000.00
Total  $             4,971.63      172,196.91
Average
Monthly Cost
 $             3,688.30      127,747.61
Avg Daily
Cost – 41 nights
 $                 121.25           4,199.60 
Spiky colorful shells.

In the next few days we’ll be writing an online review for the vacation rental at the owner’s preferred site. Soon, the cleaners will arrive and we’ll present the four delightful helpers with tips as indicated above.

Had I been feeling well, this 41 nights in Phuket would have been an entirely different experience.  Hopefully, as we go forward and the healing continues, we’ll be able to return to our former more active experiences.

No disrespect intended.  When I spotted Tom posing next to this statue, it was a LMAO experience. He’ll do anything to make me laugh during these challenging months of healing. I couldn’t resist taking a photo.

Thanks to all of our loyal readers for hanging in with us during this very quiet, relatively uninteresting period in Thailand. I know you may be anticipating that the upcoming two months in Bali won’t be much different. But, we promise to make every effort to share great new photos and experiences as circumstances will allow. 

Midway through the next two months, we’ll be spending four nights in a hotel in Lovina, Bali in order to acquire the necessary visa extensions. While there, we should have some new and exciting photos and stories. Please stay tuned.

Back at you soon!

Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2015:

Clear blue skies contributed to our colorful beach photos of our final days in Trinity Beach. For more photos, please click here.