Part 1, A tour into a garden of paradise…Princeville Botanical Gardens…

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The road on the way to the Princeville Botanical Gardens is in itself a breathtaking experience.

Finally, the skies cleared and it was time to tour the Princeville Botanical Gardens on a gorgeous sunny day. I couldn’t have been more excited to be able to attend after postponing Tuesday’s planned tour due to rain.

Upon entering the waiting area for the tour, I was impressed by the quality of the merchandise offered for sale.

Wearing my BugsAway clothing imbedded with insect repellent I was definitely overdressed in the warm weather in a long sleeve shirt, long pants, a hat, and carrying the requisite EpiPen in the event of a bee sting. I was ready to go with the camera draped over my shoulder, my pockets filled with extra camera batteries and a water bottle in my waistband, leaving me with no bag to carry and my hands-free for taking photos. 

Much to my surprise, this was an excellent location for purchasing locally made tee shirts and merchandise to bring home, all of which were reasonably priced.

Tom had decided to stay behind to complete some final work with our Nevada accountant for the upcoming tax day (on April 15th in the US), so for the first time that I can recall, I was off on a tour on my own. At 1:30 pm, he dropped me off at the entrance to the gardens where the shop and check-in area were located to prepare for the 2:00 pm three-hour tour.  

I had no idea that orchids grow on trees as shown in the first tree discussed along the tour. See this link on how to grow orchids on trees, if one is living in an orchid growing climate.

With a plan for Tom to return around 4:45 pm to pick me up, I waved goodbye, giggling over the ridiculousness of us rarely being apart these past 30 months as we’ve traveled the world. I felt confident and at ease being on my own on the tour but, I knew I’d miss his eagle eye for photo ops.

Everywhere we walked, the scenery was breathtaking. Unlike many botanical gardens, the owners chose to leave some areas open with expansive green lawns, adding to its beauty.

Harold, our kindly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic host acquainted me and the other seven guests as to general information about the exquisite gardens and by 1:50 the tour was on its way with all registered guests in attendance with our tour guide Mary Lou.

Lucy’s vegetable and herb garden was protected by a fence to keep the pigs and chickens out.

On previous tours there have been as many as 20 guests, but, with the recent pouring rain and slippery conditions as of yesterday, this small group was ideal for my soon to be obsessive photo-taking and diligent observations on the tour. Reservations for the tour are available online at this link.

There were numerous Papaya Trees on the property. Mary Lou presented a container filled with luscious sections of the tender papaya flesh for the group to taste. 

Here’s a quote from Princeville Botanical Gardens well-done website, which I couldn’t have described better:

“Princeville Botanical Gardens began as a personal hobby of Bill and Lucinda Robertson in 2001, only to expand in scope and surpass all expectations when they moved to Kauai full time in 2004.

Hidden away in the jungle valleys of Princeville on Kauai’s North Shore, dramatic topography, natural landscaping, and tender cultivation have culminated into a sacred garden paradise.

Previously cattle land, centuries of introduced plants had strangled out the native flora throughout the Anini Stream valley. After fighting back the jungle, the Robertsons continue to protect the land from constantly encroaching invasive species. Supplementing the tired soil with organic fertilizers and homemade compost, organic and sustainable practices are a priority in the gardens. With the help of passionate gardeners, enthusiastic friends and neighbors, and painstaking physical labor, the land has slowly been transformed.”

The views continue in each of the seven areas of the gardens.

Rather than retell the information about the development and growth of the Princeville Botanical Gardens as so well described on their website, I prefer to share my experience from the perspective of an enthusiastic tourist over the next few days.

The terraced areas of the gardens required a massive number of boulders to be brought in by semi-trucks, which occurred over a period of years to complete the terracing. The Princeville Botanical Gardens although appearing to be complete, based on the tour, is a work in progress requiring tremendous care and future development which Bill and Lucy continue with a passion.

For those, such as me, who happen to find tremendous joy in perusing unique and often astounding vegetation I was in awe over that which Bill and Lucy have so exquisitely incorporated into their gardens. This intimate and informative tour exceeded all of my expectations. 

This red fruit caught my eye although I was unsure as to its identity.

Not only was the sequence of the tour presented in an ideal flow as the grounds continually changed and progressed, but each area also became more exciting than the next. There was never once during the three-hour tour of the seven unique gardens that my attention or interest waned for even a moment.

Although Hawaii may not be the perfect climate for cactus to proliferate, many varieties of cactus seem to thrive as this has that I spotted on the tour.

I should mention that although the tour is generally easy to navigate, it wouldn’t work for those with wheelchairs, walkers, or who had difficultly walking or managing steep terrain. 

The Miracle Tree possessing leaves that have multiple medicinal and health-improving benefits.

Although a few spots we maneuvered were fairly steep and a few others required careful stepping on uneven stones and steps, it was considerably less of a trek than many other venues in Kauai. This tour wouldn’t be suitable for strollers or young children.

Poinsettias are an emotion-provoking flower reminiscent of Christmas’s past for those who observe.

As we wandered through the seven areas, there were only a few occasions where mosquitoes were biting (Mary Lou had repellent to share) and only a short distance where bees were prevalent. 

Kava plant, a known mood-altering plant used by enthusiasts all over the world for its sedative and anesthetic properties.

I had previously sprayed my ankles and arms but was otherwise protected by my long sleeves and pants.  I wasn’t bitten once. I wore comfortable walking shoes but noticed several others wearing flip flops, a common occurrence we’ve observed on many tours in the islands. We’re always surprised by the lack of surefootedness in such flimsy footwear. 

Baobab tree.  We’d seen many of these in Kenya.

When one of the other guests mentioned they were heading to Queen’s Bath in a few days, I suggested they wear sport or walking shoes with some traction as opposed to flip flops. Safety should always be the first consideration when touring any of the often steep and uneven terrains in Kauai.

Many trees and plants produce beautiful flowers such as this Justicia Aube.

Mary Lou’s warm and friendly demeanor made the tour feel as if it was being presented by a passionate and enthusiastic friend proudly sharing the stories and history of the growth and development of the gardens I couldn’t have felt more at ease. She had a magical way of knowing exactly when to continue on, allowing me and the others to take our photos and gawk at the wonder before our eyes.

These Angel Trumpets are known to be hallucinogenic and abused by some who partake in its effects. We’d seen these flowers in Madeira, Portugal, and had no idea as to their drug-like properties.

Bear with me today and over the next few days as I share many photos some of which I may not be able to identify. Having seen hundreds if not thousands of various plants, flowers, and trees growing in the gardens, it was impossible to recall the names and details of each one. Early on in the tour, Mary Lou explained she wouldn’t have time in the three-hour tour to describe each and every botanical.

Lipstick bamboo.  Look at these colors!

If any of our readers are curious as to more details of a specific plant please contact me and I’ll contact Harold for a further description and update the post accordingly.  

Shrimp plant also known as Yellow Candles.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more photos, the chocolate tasting event including chocolate made by Lucy utilizing the cacao beans grown on the property, the walk across the footbridge over the river, and the progression of the tour as it continued through the enjoyable three hour period.

Happy a fabulous weekend! We have social activities planned for both tonight and tomorrow night, details of which we’ll share once we complete the Princeville Botanical Gardens series.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 10, 2014:

It was a year ago today, that we began and long and arduous drive through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. This scene is of a soccer team playing in the desert as we made our way up the mountains, at points as much as 14,000 feet above sea level. For more details, please click here.

Telling a simple story…Finding joy in the simple things in life…Birdie…

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This adorable pair of Northern Cardinals visits us several times each day. He’s sharing the nuts with her that we leave on the railing. How sweet is this!

Our lives aren’t always about the vast experiences we’ve somehow managed to include in our travels. It’s not always about exciting adventures, risky situations, or new and unusual challenges.

Taking photos of lions in the wild only 10 feet from our vehicle, snakes on the veranda, giraffes in our yard, the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden near Oman, or a scary trek down to Queen’s Bath all play a role in defining only a part of our years-long “journey to everywhere.”

As we reflect on past experiences we often find ourselves giggling or even becoming misty-eyed over the small things that have crossed our paths during these past almost 30 months.

Our multiple times daily visitors, a Northern Cardinal and his mate. He’s the one that makes so much noise attempting to gain our attention. At times, he calls for her to come to share in the treats.

Today, we share a tiny ongoing experience here in Kauai that makes us laugh every single day, an experience we’ll look back upon in years to come as a treasured experience, a simple experience, that warms our hearts.

It’s about a bird. Actually, it’s about four birds, two pairs, male and female, that we’ve come to know. Actually, they’ve come to know us following us as we open the blinds for the day, looking in the windows to see what we’re doing and if we’re moving about. 

If we sleep in and don’t open the blinds until 7:30 or as early as 6:30 am, within minutes this male Northern Cardinal is there chirping at us with such vigor that we can’t help but laugh.  He’s asking for nuts. He’s learned, as have the pair of Red-Crested Cardinals, male and female, who follow suit in their persistence in the fact that we have nuts.

She’s quite adorable even with her dirty face from eating walnuts.

Oh, our nuts aren’t those boring grocery store bought bird seed. They consist of hand-chopped organic unsalted walnuts. Nothing but the best for these four birds that visit us several times each day.

With little originality, we call him “Birdie.” Then again, with even less originality, we call all of them “Birdie.” The magic of this is that when I call out to the trees beyond our lanai in my usual goofy high pitched talk-to-animals-voice, “Birdies,” they come. Oh, not all four of them at once. The two breeds don’t get along.

The same breed pairs get along quite well, often sharing with one another as shown in today’s main photo. It’s not often all four of them visit at once instead one or two of each breed stop by at a time, more often the males.

This is the male Red Crested Cardinal (previously posted photo) that I taught to feed from my hand. It took a while for him to feel safe enough to step onto my hand. I’d love to be able to share a photo of him standing on my hand but Tom’s photo-taking skills make it difficult for him to capture the moment.  (Sorry, Honey).

The best part of all is the male Northern Cardinal, “Birdie” who’s our first visitor in the morning and the last visitor before the sun finally sets. I’ve tried to make a video of his persistent chirping at us. It’s not easy to capture through the glass or the screen. He stops when I open the door.  I’ll continue to try. 

He’s determined to gain our attention by singing the likes of which neither of us has ever heard. As we approach the window, he gets louder, making certain we don’t miss his requests for those tiny bits of nuts.

The two breeds don’t get along so well.

Northern Cardinals are known to be shy seldom getting close to people. I can’t get him to eat from my hand. One of the Red-Crested Cardinals, the larger male, will eat from my hand each time I offer. The other three are more tentative.

He’s so cute. And, he sings like nobody knows!

Ms. Northern Cardinal often joins him. At times, when he’s here alone, we detect a specific call to her that there’s food. Moments later, she alights on the lanai railing to join the party.

The Red-Crested Cardinals, although, less persistent sing quite the tune attempting to gain our attention. The males wait patiently when we open the door. The females may fly to a nearby tree to wait until we leave the lanai after placing the nuts on the lanai railing.

The big challenge is keeping the pigeons away. They scare off the Cardinals by pecking at them to leave. Tom’s become masterful at making a sound that sends them on their way. Oddly, when he makes that sound, the Cardinals stay on the lanai knowing Tom’s noises aren’t directed at them. 

Mr. & Ms. Birdie.  Excuse the blur. It’s challenging to get a photo with both of them through the glass.  He’ll stay on the railing if I open the door but she flies off. 

In a funny way, we’ve come to think they know that we’re sending the pigeons away specifically for them to enjoy our offerings to avoid the pigeons taking over. As we’ve observed these four birds and a few others on occasion, we come to realize that birds are a lot smarter than we may ever have suspected.

Bird lovers and owners of household pet birds have no doubt as to the intellect of birds and how they may be taught to respond to our often persistent desire to somehow communicate with them. 

Birdie, contemplating his day.

In essence, we find ourselves cherishing the opportunity to observe and occasionally communicate with nature, whether it’s a Northern Cardinal, a zebra, a warthog, or an albatross. 

It’s all a part of this glorious life we’ve all been given that provides us with the opportunity to treasure other forms of life that surround us, everywhere we go, in one way or another. For this, dear readers, we are grateful and we are in awe.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, April 9, 2014:

This display of shoes bespeaks the colorful flair of displays in the souks of Marrakech, Morocco. One year ago on this date, we prepared for a road trip. For details, please click here.

Tour rained out…Trip to tourist town of Hanalei…Interesting morsel about the tiny town…Tour rescheduled for tomorrow…

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A juice bar on wheels in Hanalei.

With heavy rains off and on all day yesterday, we decided to forgo our planned tour postponing it until Thursday. We always prefer sunny-day photo sharing when possible and also prefer to avoid getting our equipment wet in the rain. Why ruin our camera when it may have another year of life before the humidity ruins the lens?

A pub in Hanalei.

Instead, we decided to head to the cozy town of Hanalei which would enable us to wander the areas, check out a few shops, and mostly stay dry. Kauai is an island centered around outdoor activities with few indoor venues available anywhere on the island, except for dining establishments.

The bar at the popular Dolphin Restaurant.

We’d made enough dinner with leftovers for last night’s meal when we’d expected to return from the tour around 6 pm. Preferring not to eat out except on special social occasions due to a lack of options for me, whenever we have plans that may take us to the dinner hour, we plan ahead making extra meals.

These types of handcrafted glassware items often appeal to tourist shoppers.

It’s not as if there are “fast food” options available for me, making planning in advance. for such occasions logical and relatively easy. Recently, I perused the precooked deli case at the Foodland to see if there was anything that would work for me not finding a single entrée or salad that would be appropriate. 

The larger of the two Koi wood bowls is $1500, similar to a bowl we’d posted while in Lahaina, Maui several months ago.

When we took off for Hanalei in the rain, we did so knowing dining out wouldn’t make sense when we already had a full meal awaiting us at home. Part of that mentality is also precipitated by our ongoing desire to avoid being wasteful. Based on this article, 40% of all food purchased for the average home in the US is thrown away. 

These handcrafted plates were pricey, many over $100 each.

With careful planning, I’d speculate, we don’t toss more than 10% of our food, most of which is due to spoilage.  Although we carefully plan our meals and make purchases accordingly, food spoils. At times, we’ve purchased food that spoils in a matter of days, mainly organic produce which generally seems to have a short shelf life when not coated in chemicals. For that reason, we’re totally accepting of the potential spoilage factor.

The colors of the glass varied for a beautiful display in this shop in Hanalei..

Hanalei is a pleasant town, most of which is located on the main road through town, the Kuhio Highway, with the beach, homes, and some businesses located on the side roads.

These quirky glasses were almost $100 each.

Hanalei is located near the mouth of the Hanalei River on the north shore of the island. Surprisingly, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town itself only has a total area of .8 square miles, of which .6 square miles is land and .2 miles is water.

This colorful glass was made in the colors of the sea.

Hanalei means “lei making” in Hawaiian. Alternatively, the name Hanalei also means “crescent bay” and may be indicative of the shape of Hanalei Bay.

Less than 500 residents occupy the little town but, it’s known for the following facts that we gleaned from this site (accuracy not guaranteed):

  • Hanalei was the backdrop of several film productions, such as the 1958 musical film South Pacific. Scenes were filmed in the town itself and at Lumahai Beach to the west of Hanalei.
  • Those who explain the Peter Paul & Mary song “Puff, the Magic Dragon” as a marijuana metaphor explain that Puff’s homeland “Hanah Lee” is actually the town of Hanalei, which, according to them, is renowned for its marijuana. The cliffs on the side of the beach are said to look like a dragon. This interpretation was rejected by the song’s authors. (As we recently mentioned in another post).
  • The beach at Hanalei Bay was selected No. 1 on “Dr. Beach” Stephen Leatherman‘s 2009 list of top 10 beaches.
  • Hanalei was mentioned in “Twin Peaks” as a place of residence for the town psychiatrist and his wife. Scenes for the movie “The Descendants” starring George Clooney were filmed in and around Hanalei, on the beach at Hanalei Bay, and in nearby Princeville.
  • A song titled “Hanalei” was a part of the I’m With You Sessions by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2013.
Surf and clothing shop in Hanalei Bay.

As for the history of Hanalei:

“In the early 19th century the Imperial Russians were present here. In 1815 the German physician and agent of the Russian-American Company, Georg Anton Schäffer, came to the Hawaiian islands to retrieve goods seized by Kaumualiʻi, chief of Kauai island.

These carefully wrapped kayaks are available for rent to navigate the Hanalei River.

On arrival he became involved with internal Hawaiian politics, and Kaumualiʻi planning and manipulating to reclaim his own kingdom of Kauai from Kamehameha I with the help of the Russian Empire. Kaumualiʻi signed a “treaty” granting Tsar Alexander I protectorate over Kauai. From 1817 to 1853 Fort Elizabeth, near the Waimea River, and two other Russian forts near Hanalei were part of the tsarist Russian America.”

Wandering through the town definitely gave us a sense of its history and culture. It’s a popular tourist town with an inordinate number of restaurants, according to TripAdvisor’s mention of 39 dining establishments, bars, and coffee shops which even includes a food truck. 

New photo of Hanalei Bay from a sunnier day.

Traffic wasn’t as dense in the rain as many held newspapers and tour books over their heads as they dashed from location to location or returning to their cars. Parking is always at a premium. The shops are the typical pricey tourist town shops, many with upscale quality merchandise and others with $15 tee shirts and hats. There’s a little bit of everything for budget-minded tourists. 

Some local residents travel to the Foodland in Princeville to grocery shop or for better prices, head to the Safeway in Kapaa, a 45-minute drive. Many in Hanalei, once a month, make the 75-minute drive to Lihue to Walmart and Costco as is the case for many Princeville residents that make the lesser 60-minute drive. 

Another new view of Hanalei Bay taken on a sunny day.

We giggle over how often we hear of locals heading to Costco to do the bulk of their shopping. Although we love Costco, it’s not easy to find many of the ingredients we use in preparing our meals grass-fed meat, and organic veggies. At this point with about six weeks remaining until we depart, making “big volume” purchases at Costco makes little sense.

In any case, we had a pleasant few hours taking photos, finally heading back home to Princeville to our cozy spot, our pleasant condo with views of Hanalei Bay from our lanai.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2014:

Gosh, I loved those wonderful meals Madame Zahra made for us. The fried items were aubergine (eggplant) dipped in an egg (no flour) and sauteed in olive oil. I should make that. It was delicious. Tom didn’t care for the meals as much as I did. Please click here for details from that date.

Planning on a tour today…Raining in buckets at the moment and the sun’s shining…What about Versailles?

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This is our favorite chick, now named “Joy” who usually sits facing the wall.  She was practicing clacking when we stopped by last week, although we were at least 15 feet from her. On this particular day, she wasn’t facing the wall, as she often does, as did her parents. Yesterday, she was gone from the nest and we were worried about contacting Cathy for an update.

When we lived in South Africa having the time of our lives, albeit, with bugs, snakes, and more, our dear friend Okee Dokee told us of an Afrikaans expression commonly used when it rains when the sun is shining, a so called “sun shower.”

Could this chick be any cuter?

Although we’ve been able to memorize various words and even sentences in other languages, for some odd reason, I can’t seem to recall that expression. It makes us laugh when it slips my mind time and again and, it really makes Okee Dokee laugh when I email her and ask for it one more time. When the three of us were together continually laughed, often to the point of tears, over the silliest things.

Here’s a video we made of a chick swallowing the food his parent had fed him, regurgitated from a recent trip out to sea, often not returning for days at which point the chicks are very hungry.
 I’d saved that expression on my computer last December but, it died and the expression died along with it. So, this morning I wrote to Okee Dokee, for the zillionth time, asking for it one more time. Ah, here it is:  “Jakkals trou met wolf se vrou,” meaning “the fox marries the wolf’s wife” or in other words, it’s raining and the sun is shining.Thanks, Okee Dokee. We love you!


It’s hard to believe that these fluffy balls will eventually grow into the beautiful pristine white and grey feathers of the adults.

Anyway, we’re scheduled for a five star rated tour today at 1:30, hoping to take many photos to share for days to come. With the rain pelting as we’ve never seen in Kauai, we may have to reschedule for Thursday, our next option for this tour.

Neither of us minds getting wet. After all, we stood outside at Versailles in France (link to our Versailles post, Part 1) last summer in the pouring rain for 90 minutes, with no umbrella, getting soaked to the gills, with nary a peep of complaint from either of us. It’s the camera and equipment we want to protect.

A Brown Gecko is hanging out in this plant with sharp thorns, a safe hiding spot for sure.

We’ll wait and see how it goes. As I sit here writing now, we have three hours until we have to walk out the door. In Kauai, the weather can change on a dime. In a few hours, the sky could become totally clear without a cloud in sight.

Yesterday afternoon, we stopped by the neighborhood to see the albatross chicks and parents to find that things have begun to change. Chicks and parents have begun to move about. It appeared that the parents whose eggs never hatched were long gone. 

There are many beautiful plants and shrubs growing in the neighborhood where the albatross nest. The homes are exquisite and meticulously maintained.

Many of our chick photos have been of one in particular who’s parents always sat on the nest facing the wall of a house with their back to us. 

When the chick was born in early February, soon growing too large to sit under the parent, it too, began facing the wall. How sweet that the chick followed the pattern of the parents. Each time we’ve stopped by, at least twice per week, the chick was facing the wall, growing fatter each day.

Chickens and roosters wander about the neighborhood, cohabitating well with the Laysan Albatross.

Yesterday, we were shocked to find that chick was gone. We looked everywhere and couldn’t find it. “Oh no,” we thought, “Did something happen to it?”

Immediately upon returning home, we wrote to Cathy, docent, and caregiver to the Laysan Albatross in the neighborhood, making notes on their health, activity, growth, and well being on two-hour walks, twice a day.  We thought if anyone knew what had happened to the chick, it would be Cathy.

This peculiar tree is growing in the neighborhood of the albatross.

This morning when I turned on my laptop, I spotted a message from her that warmed our hearts. We both sighed in relief reading her message.

Here’s what Cathy wrote in her words about the missing chick and more:

“After spending most of his days at or next to his nest, he is suddenly moving around.  He is often around the corner now.  This afternoon he was back near his nest, trying out his wings.  I was wondering when he would leave the security of his nest.  You probably noticed that the one at the house catty-corner has moved closer to the street.  I have a big orange traffic cone that I often have to put in front of chicks when they venture too close to the street, and the Princeville Patrol officers carry cones in their car for the same reason.  The main street worries me a bit because the trucks working at the house at the end sometimes drive too fast.  The chicks do get to a point where they venture out into the street and sometimes have to be coaxed back to safety. This is officially known as “hazing” an albatross when you walk slowly towards them so they walk away from you and from a dangerous situation.  

By the way, when you see adults with a chick at this time of year, you can’t assume it’s the parents.  The chick you are talking about had several visitors one-day last week.  Mom just happened to arrive then, and she snapped at all of them until they left!

Cathy
P.S.We don’t know the sexes of the chicks, but the owners of the house where the chick you asked about lives have named him/her Joy.”
I wrote back to Cathy thanking her for putting our minds at ease. Although we’ve never been closer than 15 feet from the albatross, in a funny way, we’ve become attached to them. We’ll be long gone when the parents finally leave the chick who’ll eventually fledge out to sea to begin his/her own life. 
The chicks began preening themselves at an early age.
Most likely, this event occurs in a matter of minutes and the likelihood of ever seeing the chicks fledge would require an around the clock vigil, not at all practical. 
Please bear with us on our frequent mention of the albatross. Living so close to the albatross families has been comparable for us, to when we were living in Marloth Park, a game reserve with wildlife at our doorstep for a full three months. Yes, I know, I became particularly attached to the warthogs and warthog babies and, I realize, I must have bored our readers to no end with my frequent mention and photos.
Here’s another vocal chick.  Now that they are less fearful, they’ve begun practicing typical adult behavior in preparation for days to come.
Here again, you are stuck with my passion for the wildlife of any kind and honestly, Tom doesn’t fall far behind.  Yesterday, his brow was frowned, as he drove around and around the neighborhood looking for the chick. This morning, he smiled from ear to ear as I read Cathy’s message aloud.
As the chicks have grown they appear to be spending more time alert and awake perusing their surroundings.  of course, now as Cathy stated, they’ve begun to wander away from the nest, occasionally being “hazed” by humans to stay away from the road and oncoming traffic.
We continually confirm in our hearts and minds that our love of nature is the basis of our travels which includes wildlife, vegetation, and scenery. As for old buildings and places like Versailles, they must hold some interest for us or we wouldn’t have stood in the rain last August, soaked through and through, touring the beautiful gardens. Then again, it was a garden. We love those. 
More to come.
                                                 Photo from one year ago today, April 7, 2014:
In our post one year ago, we discussed the difference between safety measures in other countries as opposed to those in the US, Europe, and other countries. For details from that post, please click here.

See our itinerary below!…One 67 day gap yet to fill…A trip to a local health food store in Kilauea…

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Actually, this is the only health food store within a half-hour drive, Healthy Hut. The inventory is ripe with fresh locally grown organic produce, grass-fed meats, free-range chickens and eggs, and food and health supplies one would find in a much larger location in a big city. Pricey? Yep!

Good morning, World! It’s Monday! It looks like it will be a sunny day and we’re feeling good!  Today, we’re sharing photos of our recent trip to Healthy Hut, a great little health food store in Kilauea, a 10-minute drive from our home in Princeville.

After a lazy Easter, both of us a little under the weather, Tom with an achy shoulder (better today) and me, tired from a poor night’s sleep, today is a new day and we’re rearing to go, feeling great once again. 

Red ginger plants in front of Healthy Hut.

Some of our readers, new to our site haven’t seen our upcoming itinerary, meaning the bookings we have made well into the future. The end of this list isn’t the end of our travels by any means.

It simply means that it’s as far out as we’re booked into the future. Within the next year, we’ll begin booking beyond the last booking well into the following year and so on. It’s an ongoing process, adding new bookings as time marches on.

As much as we love Kauai, we’re almost at the three-month point and through the natural pace and progression we’ve established of three months max in each location, we’re beginning to look forward to our next adventure, the South Pacific. 

Seeing pumpkins and squash reminds us of crisp cool fall in Minnesota as I stood admiring this at a comfortable 82 degrees.

This morning, as we made the bed, I asked Tom, “Are you feeling ready to move on?” It’s the first time I’ve asked him this question.

He looked up at me and smiled that wide toothy grin, “Yes, I am. Three months is really the magic number.”

We’ve been in the Hawaiian Islands since September 29, 2014 (by cruise ship) for a total of 190 days. We have 47 more days until we depart Kauai to head to Honolulu/Waikiki, Oahu for an overnight stay when the next day, May 24th, we’ll board Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to head to Australia.

This is not to say we haven’t had a fabulous time in the islands or in Kauai where we’ve made many friends and had many memorable experiences. It’s just the length of time we’ve been in Hawaii that is beginning to feel like it would feel if we stayed put on one location, something neither of us cares to do at this point in our lives.

I was surprised to find many of the products I needed to make my recently posted recipe for Low Carb High Fat Protein Bars, my new favorite recipe.  Click this link if you missed the recipe.

We’ve tried to avoid counting days to the next adventure but after this extended period it reminds me of the last few times we counted the days; when we left Minnesota 2 1/2 years ago, dreading the part about saying goodbye, and, when a year ago, we felt cooped up in Marrakech for the two and a half month stay.

We’ll sadly say goodbye to the many wonderful people we’ve met on this island who may, one never knows, visit us along the way. After all, our readers Staci and her husband Glenn, whom we’ve come to know and adore by chatting online, will be on a cruise at the same time as us one year from now. How fun will that be? As we always say, “You never know who’s paths may cross in the future.”

The shelves were packed with beauty products, snacks, and treats, none of which we purchase.

The upcoming “booked” itinerary below begins on May 24th on the upcoming cruise to Sydney. As evident in this itinerary, we have a gap from 6/26/2016 to 9/1/2016, precipitated by our two separate stays in Bali at 59 days each. 

Oh, here we go, contradicting ourselves further down the page, staying a total of almost four months in one location, separated by two months due to visa constraints. We only chose to stay in Bali twice because the property is exquisite, as you’ll see as the time nears…an extraordinary paradise we couldn’t resist.

So, here it is folks, the itinerary:
                                                                          # Days

 Cruise Honolulu to Sydney 18
 Australia Rental  89
 Fiji Rental  89
 Fiji Rental #2  29
 Sydney Hotel  1
 Cruise Sydney to Auckland   14
 New Zealand Farm  83
 Sydney Hotel  1
 Cruise Sydney to Perth  16
 Bali House  59
 Gap : 6/26/2016 to 9/1/2016  67
 Bali House  59
 Cruise Singapore to Sydney  14
 GAP 11/14/2016 to 3/1/2017  107
 Cruise Sydney to Sydney  12
Total number of days booked (so far) 658

Adding our remaining 48 days in the Hawaiian Islands and we’re basically booked for the next 706 days except for the 67-day gap as shown above that we’ll soon fill as we contemplate our options.

Ah, life is good. No complaining here. Surely, we’ll enjoy the next weeks in Kauai with each other and our new friends, meeting more along the way while continuing to cherish the beauty of nature surrounding us at every turn.

In our remaining time in Kauai, we’ll continue to take new photos to keep our readers engaged. Plus, we’ll have a few surprise outings we’ll be excited to share very soon.

We’d use their organic hair and body products but the prices are very high in a little shop such as this. Costco in Lihue has some lower-priced similar products, although their selection is limited.

Of course, we can’t wait to get to the Outback to check out the wildlife and we hear that kangaroos will become regular visitors to our new home in Trinity Beach, Australia beginning on June 11th. Gee, that’s only two months from now. 

We hope those of you who celebrated Easter and Passover had wonderful experiences with your families and friends. Happy day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 6, 2014:

It was a year ago in Marrakech that we posted this photo of a horse’s injuries. It was heartbreaking to see. For details from that date, please click here.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to those who celebrate…Happy Sunday to all others…

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With spring in the air, the Plumeria trees have begun to bloom.

In years passed, Easter was a highly anticipated and celebrated holiday for our family, filled with laughter, games, traditional events and familiar foods all prepared with the utmost of love, added to the spiritual meaning of the Easter season as well.

Each year, we made no less than 18 Easter baskets, filled with goodies befitting each family member, 14 for us humans, and more for our kids’ pets and our dogs. I spent days making the name tags, bows, and careful placement of the goodies in each of the baskets, smiling all the while.

An Angel Trumpet flower wilted due to a lack of rain these past two weeks.

Tom and I would conjure up a playful game for all of the grown-ups to play in an effort to find the colorful plastic eggs filled with money that we’d strategically hid in the most surprising spots in our home along with easier games for the six grandchildren to find more eggs filled with candy, toys, and money.

The frenzy that ensued created a level of laughter that rings clear in my ears, even today, three years later. The sounds of the kids laughing and squealing as they ran through the house are sounds we’ll never forget. 

You may ask, “How could we leave all of that?” We answer, “It wasn’t easy.”

Not an Easter lily, but an orchid will do.

After over 20 years of illness, always in pain, always pretending to be fine while living a full and busy life and then, in 2011, becoming well again due to a strict adherence to a restrictive way of eating, one day in January 2012, 10 months before his retirement, Tom said, “Do you want to travel the world while your health is good?”

I was shocked by his question. After a week of careful research, spreadsheets, and calculations as to the feasibility, I answered, “Yes, I do,” with the same excitement and fervor I expressed on the day we were married saying, “Yes, I do.”

We’d spent our lives thinking and living for others, our kids, our other family members, and our friends, all of whom we dearly love. We never felt we could do enough. But, it was our time and for however long my good health would remain intact, we would carry on.

This flower baffles me with nothing online similar making it possible to identify. How unusual.

Now, 2½ years later, we have no regrets and much to our surprise on holidays such as today, we don’t feel lost or sad. We’re grateful for a lifetime of memorable holidays and celebrations with our kids, who now are all in their 40’s, knowing they’d do just fine without us, having become strong and independent many years ago.  Over the years, they developed many of their own holiday traditions which at times, didn’t include us. That’s how life is. 

Perhaps, in a way it’s not unlike the Laysan Albatross, the chick sits atop the nest day after day while the two parents fly back and forth to sea for their food to return to feed the chicks who hungrily grasp at their beaks for the regurgitated meal. And then one day, when the chicks are four to five months old, the parents don’t return from the sea.

The chicks lie in wait, wondering where the next meal will come from as days pass, as they also miss the preening and loving care of the parents. Finally, one day they realize that the parents won’t return, that it’s time to go out to sea on their own to begin their lives, able to care for themselves. In many ways, this outcome made us sad, the thought of the chicks waiting and waiting and the parents never returning.

Pets deserve acknowledgment on special days.

The chick picks up his pudgy body from the safety of the nest, walks to the cliff’s edge and fledges, wings spread and flies out to sea, maybe to return to the same spot in years to come to have offspring of their own, as the life cycle continues on.

This is not unlike our lives. They grew up. They built lives for themselves and it was time for us to go. They are fine. They are independent and self-sufficient for which we are proud and pleased. And, it was us who walked to the cliff and fledged, out to sea to care for ourselves and in essence, to be free.

No longer do we work for days preparing Easter Baskets, cooking, devising games and activities, each year new and different, in order to build a tradition that in time, we’ve passed along to them to recreate in their own ways with their children. It’s the cycle of life.

A Koala bird trots along the grass.

From time to time we meet some people who are shocked that we left our family to travel the world. “How selfish,” we read from the look in their eyes. At times, they even ask, “How could you leave your family?” 

We answer, “Our journey isn’t about leaving them. It’s about freeing us…to experience life as we’ve never done before…to share our story with readers from all over the world and to leave, however, small a footprint in the sand wherever we may go. 

We love and cherish this amazing earth that God, or whatever higher power one believes, has left for us to explore, to love, and to care for.

The common Hibiscus is blooming in varying colors throughout the island.

Today, not unlike every day, we thank God as we remain in awe of the world around us, the freedom we’ve been given for the experience, and the ability to make it happen. 

For however long the good health remains, we feel blissfully committed to carrying on, with so much of the world yet to explore and a passion to see as much as we are able.

Last night, at the Full Moon party, I became engaged in a conversation with a lovely couple. As we stood beneath the palm fronds of a tree as the rain began to fall, the wife, slightly younger than I said, “You’ve inspired us to make some changes in our lives.”

Please help us identify this flower which we can’t seem to find online.  They’re growing prolifically outside our door.

The husband with a few health issues of his own will read yesterday’s post about health and resources that I’ve utilized in my life-changing way of eating. 

If we’ve been given this opportunity, it becomes our responsibility to share whatever morsels we can with others along the way, as so many have shared with us. 

Whether its a positive review we’ve posted online for the owner of a small business or a tiny bit of inspiration to a reader or person we’ve met along the way, its all worthwhile, as we too glean so much from our readers and new friends, offering us morsels of wisdom and insight into places we’ll visit along the way. 

We’re grateful, we’re humbled and we’re happy, today on Easter and every other day in our ongoing journey to see the world.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2014:

Out to dinner in Marrakech, the sunset was beautiful.  For details on that date, please click here.

Full Moon Party tonight!…Decided on a pu pu…Recipe sharing…Today’s post is for “foodies” only…

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Not quite sunset, sunny views over the bay.

Whenever we bring a dish to share, we consider the tastes of the other guests rather than impose a recipe that is only befitting our dietary concerns. Many recipes for delicious and outrageously contrary-to-our-way-of-eating are my appetizer recipes from years ago, still taking up space in my brain.

Recently, when we invited a couple (who were on vacation) to our home for happy hour, I made an old favorite from the days when Tom and I first met and we entertained quite a bit. It’s high carb, high fat, high starch, and high sugar, which I never eat but, Tom does on occasion.

The rushing waters below at high tide.

Please share this recipe below with your friends who have no illness, no high blood sugar or diabetes, no heart disease, no clogged arteries, no dementia, no risk of Alzheimer’s disease, no pain, no signs of inflammation anywhere in their body, and, aren’t overweight and can eat anything they want without gaining weight. For those lucky folks, here’s the recipe we’re bringing tonight, which is NOT SUITABLE for my way of eating:

Jess’s Apricot Almond Brie en Croute 
1 medium-sized round Brie cheese
¾ cup apricot jam (not jelly)
½ cup slivered almonds
1 package refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 T melted butter 

Preheat oven to 350.  Cover a baking pan with nonstick tin foil or parchment paper. Top the unwrapped Brie cheese with apricot jam. Sprinkle half of the almonds atop the jam.  Pinch all the seams together of the entire package of crescent rolls and carefully wrap the dough all the way around with the Brie keeping the jam side up. Make it look as nice as possible, leaving no gaps or holes. This takes one minute. Brush melted butter over the top. Poke holes in various spots in the top to allow it to expand during baking.  While butter is still moist, add the remaining almonds to the top.  Use a spatula to transfer it to the prepared baking pan. 

Place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or less, checking to ensure the top doesn’t get too brown during the last 10 minutes (based on how hot your oven cooks).  This dish is very hot. Be careful handling it. Serve with a variety of crackers and plates, forks, and knives. May be prepared 48 hours in advance and cooked at the time of serving. Reheats well in the microwave.

When our guests visited, they loved this recipe so much they asked for it which prompted me to finally write it down for them via a PDF document. I hadn’t made this dish in years. 

Late afternoon sun over the sea.

I suppose I have hundreds of recipes stuck in my brain, not unlike the useless documents and files we end up transferring from an old computer to a new computer over and over again as we make new computer purchases. How I wish that one day I’d feel rambunctious enough to remove that clutter.

And, how I wish I could remove the clutter of old recipes from my brain in the same rambunctious manner.  Yesterday, I found myself looking for a recipe for Moo Shu Pork, a favorite I often made when preparing a meal of Chinese food. (Is it PC to still call it “Chinese food?” I could call it Asian food but there are many regions of Asia that cook many different styles of food. Hopefully, I don’t offend anyone).

Why was I looking for this recipe, so far removed from my modern-day reality? I’d found a recipe on Dr. William Davis (Wheat Belly) site for low carb, grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free tortillas, which could substitute for the Mandarin pancakes required in the recipe for Moo Shu Pork. I thought if I could find my recipe for the food that goes inside the Mandarin pancakes (like a tortilla), I could adapt it to my way of eating.

A pair of Nene birds, Hawaii’s state birds, wander around the golf course which they seem to love.

Oh, dear, I’d better post Dr. Davis’s tortilla recipe or I’ll get 100 email messages asking for it (of which I always, happily and quickly respond to each):

Dr. William Davis (Wheat Belly) Tortilla Recipe 
Make 4 tortillas      
1 cup golden flaxseed, ground
4 tablespoons almond meal or 4 tablespoons almond flour
1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Add ground flax seeds, almond meal/flour, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the eggs just until combined. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls.  Using 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll each ball between pieces until 6” round. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, or until golden.

After I spent considerable time looking for a recipe similar to my old version of Moo Shu Pork, casually mentioning it to Tom he said, “I never really liked that dish anyway. Don’t bother to make it for me.”

Oh. it was one of those dishes I made in our “younger days” when he was courting me while pretending to like my “non-meat and potatoes” recipes. Now that we’re old, he doesn’t try so hard to impress me. My feelings aren’t hurt. I’ll make the tortillas and use them for my adapted recipe for Mexican food (Is that OK to say?)

A gnarly tree trunk at the edge of the golf course.

Anyway, here’s the third recipe of the day for which we received zillions of requests after mentioning it in a post a few days ago; low carb grain-free, sugar-free, starch-free high fat protein bars. 

I found this recipe online and adapted it to my taste and way of eating and voila, its a heavenly dessert, energy booster, and plain and simple meal substitute loaded with nutrients that won’t raise a person’s blood sugar if eaten in moderation, the size of an average protein bar. 

A strained branch holding a cluster of bananas.

From all the research I’ve done thus far as a layperson, on what foods raise blood sugar and subsequently increase inflammation I began testing my own blood sugar. In doing so it proved to me that eating any foods in excessive amounts, even low carb foods, can raise one’s blood sugar, even if I ate too large of a portion of protein, for example, a huge steak.  Moderation is always the key in life, isn’t it? 

Watching animals in the wild was a good lesson for me about eating in moderation, eating only until one is satisfied and not uncomfortably full. Animals never overeat (other than our household pets if we’ve  been feeding them “people food”). 

I believe this is papaya tree.

Wild animals only eat until full and comfortable. We never saw a lion while on safari eating the last morsel off the carcass he’d killed. He/she was always leaving some to savor at a later time, with the female leaving some for her cubs or often letting the cubs eat before her. Not so much with the males who would often steal the food from the females, never sharing with the female or her cubs.

If you make these delicious bars, please place individual portions into baggies to store in the freezer, taking out one bag at a time to eat frozen. They are so good they could trigger a frenzy of overeating.

Here’s the recipe:

Jess’s Low Carb High Fat Keto Bars
1 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted (Don’t use
microwave.  Use room temperature)

1 cup organic almond butter
½ cup any lowest-carb protein powder (I used hemp)
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (the large unsweetened coconut chips  found in the healthy section in grocery stores or a health food shop, are good to use)

½ cup chopped almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pecans or
hazelnuts (I used macadamia nuts, grown here in the Hawaiian Islands)

½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup unsweetened cocoa chips (found in health food stores)
1/3 cup erythritol or other preferred 0 carb sweetener,  (found in health food stores)
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp Himalayan or sea salt
Whisk together oil, nut butter, protein powder until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and stir. Pour onto lined parchment paper baking pan being careful to have pan fully covered with parchment.  Cover and place in freezer until frozen (3 hours).  Break or cut into bar size pieces, keeping single servings in plastic bags in the freezer.  Keep and eat frozen.

These low carb recipes that I post are suitable for a low-carb way of eating where the body is burning its own fat stores for fuel, not burning the sugar we’ve consumed. These recipes are not intended to be eaten in combination with sugary, high calorie, high-fat food for which in doing so may increase in weight could result.  Burning our own fat for fuel is referred to as “ketosis”, not ketoacidosis, a dangerous life-threatening condition.  These are two entirely different metabolic states. The reading material in the following paragraph explains this further.

For more on the science surrounding the low carb, high fat, grain, starch, and sugar-free way of eating which causes our bodies to burn our own fat for fuel and subsequently reduces inflammation, please read, Dr. William Davis (Wheat Belly) or Dr. David Perlmutter’s  book Grain Brain, and Jonathan Bailor’s books, all of whom have highlighted my story on their websites and in Jonathan’s recent book, Eat More, Lose More (about health) in which there is a full story and photo on my return to good health after an over 20-year struggle.

Here’s a link to my story which was posted on their sites a few years ago, all of which are similar.

A boat, filled to the max, looks for the last vestiges of the humpback whales, many of which have already begun the journey to Alaska for the summer.

These three links I’ve provided above today are direct to their free blogs in the event you want to read more before buying their books if, in fact, the subject matter appeals to you.  I wouldn’t be traveling the world, pain-free if it weren’t for the science presented in these professional’s books and websites.

Enough for today. No preaching intended. Write if you have questions.

Aloha.

Photo from one year ago today, April 4, 2014:

The colors in the displays in the souks were astounding. Four of our senses were all in full on mode as we wandered through the maze-like environment; the smells, the sights, the sounds, and the touch of the fabrics. As for taste, we proceeded with caution, never dining on any of the food in the Big Square, the Medina for fear it would contain ingredients contrary to my diet or potential gastrointestinal distress. For more details, please click here.

An interesting wildlife discovery…Green Anole…What’s that?…

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We speculate based on appearance, that there’s some sort of permanent pouch beneath this shedding skin of this Green Anole. We had difficulty finding details on the shedding process of these lizards.

Late yesterday afternoon Tom and I took off on a walk. The bright sun and heat of the day had waned with a cooling trade winds breeze wafting through the air. I wanted to show him a different perspective of the familiar ocean view I’d found on the prior day’s walk on my own. 

After admiring the view, he spotted some possible photo ops I’d missed the previous day while we’ll share tomorrow. He’s got quite the eye for spotting things I’d easily miss, which makes taking walks together enjoyable in more than one way. 

Apparently, this Green Anole, not a gecko is shedding his skin.

He never hesitates to remind me that he didn’t dream of walking when he retired. It wasn’t on his “bucket list.”  It was on mine. He walks more than I’d ever expected he would, merely to please me, bless his heart. However, for both of us, that which we find on walks together never ceases to amaze us.

When I sense he’s open to walking I bring it up and he usually agrees. Once we’re on our way he seems to get into it. He’s a good walker, able to navigate tough terrain better than I, and can manage a pace requiring me to practically run in order to keep up.

We were fascinated by the deep green color.

At the end of the major part of the 40-minute walk, we wandered over to the overlook across the street from our condo for that amazing view that continues to take our breath away.

A few weeks ago, he mentioned spotting a gecko in the vegetation along the railing, change from brown to green right before his eyes. Since that time I’d looked in that area many times hoping to see the same. I’d yet to see one gecko since his sighting, let alone one changing color.  Until yesterday.

He moved from leaf to leaf staying within our view for quite a while.

Although we didn’t see a gecko changing color, we did see the same species Tom had seen in his/her “brown” state.  More excitingly, we saw another creature which we assumed was a gecko with a most interesting white pouch as shown in today’s photos.

I was like a kid in a candy store while Tom was pointing out which candies to buy. Snapping one photo after another, I was squealing with delight as I carefully positioned myself to hold the camera as still as possible while I zoomed in for the shots.

This was a tiny weed Tom spotted as we watched the anole.

I’m no expert at macro photography, nor do we have the equipment that is sophisticated enough to do the kind of job I’d like to be able to do. But, I’m fascinated to be taking photos of “small things” as most of our long term readers are aware.

My biggest problem is avoiding the natural instinct to stand too close to the subject when it appears standing further back and zooming in provides the best result with the inexpensive (under $400) camera we use. 

This is the Brown Anole, the same species Tom had watched change color.  He was also shedding the skin around his mouth. It must be a springtime thing.

After taking shots of the what-we-thought was a green gecko of some sort, we headed home while I immediately began looking online for the name of the type of gecko. No luck. Not a single possibility popped us making me frustrated and hungry for more information. 

I knew my only hope was to contact Cathy Granholm, the knowledgeable docent with the Los Angeles Zoo for over 26 years, who helped me with information for my many posts regarding the Laysan Albatross, here in Princeville.  

Discovering this is Green Anole, not a gecko, was quite a thrill. Perhaps, some of our readers may find us goofy for our enthusiasm overseeing such a creature. We find all creatures and vegetation fascinating in one way or another.

Cathy’s not only a rare expert on the albatross which she monitors twice daily for seven months each year, but she also has a wealth of knowledge on wildlife in general. Surely, she was my best bet for information.

It’s interesting how each body part of a creature, including us humans, has a purpose. Our creator, whoever you may choose to believe, certainly didn’t miss a beat in creating life.

I couldn’t have been more appreciative when in a short time Cathy responded to my email with our question as to what we expected was a Green Gecko with this response: “This is not a gecko, which is nocturnal, it is a diurnal green anole, which is shedding.  Up until 5 or 6 years ago, I saw lots of green anoles in my garden, but they have been largely displaced by brown anoles. Neither species is native to Hawaii, in fact, there are NO lizards that are native to Hawaii.  

 I found this interesting article about how green anoles in Florida are evolving to avoid having to compete with brown anoles, which seem to be more aggressive.  I think some graduate students at UH should study the anoles in Hawaii to see if they are evolving in the same way. I can tell you that I rarely see green anoles on the ground or on lower branches of shrubs or trees, they are usually higher up.

I think this kind of adaptation is fascinating!”

From time to time, the Brown Anole would move her head to see what other predators may be in the area.

In researching the above link in Cathy’s response, there is considerable information about the Green Anole which is a lizard, not a gecko. It appears to be shedding its skin but, beneath the white shedding pouch lies another pouch-like protrusion from the neck, used in the male to attract the female.

She was far enough from us that our presence didn’t inspire her to change colors. Look at those toenails useful for climbing trees!

Oh, Mother Nature, you never disappoint. Keep presenting us with the opportunities to see what other gifts you have in store for all of us to treasure.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, April 3, 2014:

One year ago on this date, we didn’t post any photos we’d taken. Instead, we discussed the seasonal changes we’d experienced thus far in our travels, much of which was near the equator. For details of that post, please click here.

52 days and counting…Two years upcoming in the South Pacific…Has our stay in Kauai been too long?…Mindless dribble…

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Finding bananas and any fruit growing while on a walk is always delightful.

It’s hard to believe that in only 52 days we’ll be leaving Hawaii. As of today, we’ve been in the Hawaiian Islands for exactly 180 days when our ship, the Celebrity Solstice, arrived for a tour of the islands.

The pods from which bananas grow. We saw these in Madeira but they were a different variety.

It was on October 5th, that we disembarked the ship when it docked in Honolulu, Oahu, where we spent 11 days in a condo in Waikiki Beach. Next, we spent six weeks in Maui, six weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii, and now, the time is passing quickly as we make our way into the final days of over four months in Kauai.

Queen Emma Giant Spider Lily.

We’re confident that we visited the islands in the correct order. Kauai has been the perfect island on which to spend the longest period as mentioned in a zillion previous posts. 

When we originally discussed spending four-plus months in Kauai, we cringed over the concept of such a long stay which proved to be the longest period in any one location since we began our travels almost 30 months ago. Looking to the future, we have no intentions of staying in any one location for longer than 90 days with the exception of Bali, where we’ll stay twice for 59 days with a two-month gap in between.

The condos on the right have a fabulous view of the sea and sunset, but the walk down to the beach can be difficult for some. We’ve done it once and may not tackle it again.

The fact that we could take a cruise to Australia, rather than fly, making the journey itself an extraordinary experience, greatly contributed to our desire to stay in Kauai for this extended period. 

Another influential factor was our desire to stay put for a while after the expense of the family holiday on the Big Island over Christmas. Staying in one location provides us with an opportunity to financially recover when moving about always ups the expenses.

Overlooking the ocean on a sunny day.

Having paid, in part, as stipulated in various upcoming rental agreements and for upcoming cruises, we have less than $20,000 outstanding for rentals for the remainder of 2015, greatly putting our minds at ease. These sums are spread over a series of months as we near arriving at the various locations, making it not such a hard pill to swallow, all at once.

As the days quickly pass, in another month, we’ll begin thinking about packing, including the products we’re accumulating at our mailing service in Nevada that we have yet to be shipped. We continue to contemplate and research the availability of items in the South Pacific.

There’s always “vog” in the mountains, although, the stunning coloration of the hills can be easily be seen. 

Tom’s three pairs of jeans, cargo shorts, a staple in his limited wardrobe, are threadbare. We tossed one pair a few days ago and once the three new pairs arrive, we’ll probably toss the rest. Jeans are heavy, adding greatly to our baggage weight. 

Several of my tee shirts are being beckoned by the garbage can as well as some of my old shorts. When recently, I’d purchased and had shipped, four new pairs of shorts from Old Navy I ruined one in the laundry when I’d left two gel cap magnesium pills in the pocket which I take with dinner each night.

On a walk by myself, I was enthralled by the view as I approached our condo (not shown in this photo).

We’d gone out to dinner and I’d stuck the two pills in the pocket, hoping to remember to take them at the restaurant. We were having such fun that I forgot to take the pills. When checking the pockets before washing, I didn’t reach deep enough into the pocket to take them out.

Alas, the pills ruined the shorts in a bleach-like manner. Thank goodness, they didn’t ruin the remainder of the dark-colored laundry. Gee, and I swallow these? 

Pink Ginger plant with colorful leaves.

I’m stuck wearing these ruined shorts around the house almost daily in hopes of wearing them out enough to give them the “heave-ho” before we leave. I’m not about to pack a pair of ruined shorts in my luggage when space is limited.

With more supplies yet to arrive in the next package from our mailing service, we continue to search online and consider the availability of certain products we frequently use in our travels that may not be available in the South Pacific; our special toothpaste, a few cosmetic items, a few adapters suitable for the upcoming locations (lessons learned from burning out the old adapters).

This was the first time we’d taken photos from this side of the Pali Ka Kua condos in our area.

Tom is still wearing his original batch of tee shirts. He, unlike me, will wear the same tee-shirt over and over again (while I wash it every other day), until it finally bites the dust.  You’ve probably noticed this in the photos I’ve taken of him. 

In our old lives, we’d only wear a tee shirt one time and wash it.  Now, we wear them twice, extending the life of the shirt by 100%. It’s the washing and drying that wears out clothing. In the South Pacific, our clothing will be hanging outside to dry, again extending their life by about 25%. Clothes dryers are seldom used outside the US.

The Makai Golf Course runs through many areas of Princeville, creating beautiful scenery.

Whoever thinks of this stuff but us? None of this ever entered our minds in our old lives; the long-term preservation of clothing. If a sock had a hole, we tossed it and the entire pair if it didn’t match any others. 

All of our socks are of the same brand and style. If one sock is tossed, we save the mate which goes into the flow with the others, eventually finding a mate.

Considerable amounts of lava rock exist in Kauai, although most beaches are sandy.

This may all appear to fall into the mindless drivel category. For us, what may appear to be trivial and unimportant falls into a category of mundane conscientiousness that somehow, we both manage to address in our daily lives.

Today? Soon we’ll be off to the pool and fitness center and later, the market. Saturday night is yet another outdoor Full Moon Party, hosted by dear friend Richard. We plan to show early to help Richard set up the tables and chairs in the vacant lot used for this event, the second month in a row.

We’ve seldom seen such bright colors as there are in Hawaii. These appear to be a type of Plumeria, flowers used in making leis.

We’re deciding on which pu pu we’ll prepare to bring to the party. Many of these events stipulate that guests bring a pu pu to share, I’m running out of ideas. I love it that my big challenge of this week is which pu pu to make! Any suggestions?

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 2, 2014:

Taking a cab in Marrakech, we wandered through a neighborhood with many shops and restaurants. For details from that date, please click here.

No April fool here…Good humor travels well…Beautiful and freaky sunset…Living with leftovers…

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This scene made us squeal with delight! How magical! See below for more.

As a person who always got on board for holiday-related festivities, I’ve never been much interested in April Fool’s Day antics and trickery. Oh, I don’t mind observing the antics of others, often finding considerable humor in their efforts.  

For us, every one of our days has a wide array of silly antics and events that make us laugh, whether it’s something we’ve said and done to one another or the antics of the familiar birds that visit us several times a day.

This was the first view when we stepped outdoors onto the front lanai, the sunset over Hanalei Bay. The sky was covered with dark clouds except for this opening.

Last night, while it was still light, we sat down to an early dinner at 6:15 to find three of our bird visitors standing on the railing to the lanai looking at us, chirping loudly at us, as if to say, “What’s for dinner?” 

We only feed them a small amount of raw unsalted nuts a few times each day. Perhaps, the smell of our dinner attracted them, although we’ve never given them “people food,” nor will we. We often see tourists feeding the chickens and birds bread crumbs, chips, and fries. This can’t be good for them. 

We thought it would be gone in seconds.

We learned not to feed wildlife “people food” in the wild. We don’t feed the animals anything other than that which they may find in the wild or, in the case of Marloth Park, the nutritional pellets developed specifically for them. Birds eat nuts, seeds, worms, grub, and whatever other morsels nature provides for them.

We laughed over their chirping at us but stayed put, relishing in our delicious meal while watching a Season 3 episode of “Sons of Anarchy” on my laptop which we strategically placed on the small table. We often watch a “Sons” episode during dinner each night, having started with Season 1 a few months ago. It’s a great show, surprising both of us that I like it.

We assumed this was its final descent, turning to walk back inside.

After dinner, Tom took care of the dishes as always while I put away the leftovers we’ll again devour tonight. In reality, I only cook three or four times a week, always making enough for two, or even three nights of leftovers, if it’s a favorite. We’ve found that making larger quantities of our favorite meals with leftovers is a perfect way of saving money and time. 

Any foods leftover after three days we dispose of but, after doing this for the past few years, we’ve become adept at preparing the almost exact correct amounts. If on the first night, we notice we have more than three nights of a particular item, we’ll freeze an extra portion, label it to place in the freezer. 

As I began to turn off the camera and cover the lens, Tom spun me around and said, “Wait, Sweetie!  It’s peeking out from the clouds below.”.

It’s just as easy to make a larger quantity of a dish than to make separate meals each night. Having lost interest in standing in the kitchen for hours at a time, our low carb meals are usually quick and easy to make. 

Even the low carb, grain, starch, and sugar-free pizza I made on Monday didn’t take more than 30 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of baking time. Of course, we don’t prepare extra steaks or chops, instead, making those fresh each day.

As quickly as possible I restarted the camera and flicked off the lens cover to get this peculiar shot.

On Monday night, I ate a slice of the tasty filling pizza with Tom later deciding to let him have the leftovers on Tuesday and Wednesday when it’s one of his favorite meals. Last night, I opted for a bacon-wrapped wild-caught salmon burger from Costco, which was as good as the pizza, along with a salad. 

Tonight, I’ll wrap a second salmon burger in the leftover uncooked bacon and pop it into the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Yesterday, I made a big romaine lettuce salad with lots of veggies and enough for leftovers again tonight. 

It rapidly progressed leaving unique scenes in their place.

This morning Tom had those low carb breakfast “muffins” a recipe I posted a few weeks ago in the form of a baked dish instead of muffins. Now, for ease and time savings, I make the entire recipe, pouring it into one glass baking pan lined in parchment paper as opposed to making it into muffins. (The paper tends to stick to the eggs and also to the pan if there’s an overflow). 

Then, cutting the baked egg dish into 12 squares when cooled from the oven, I place three pieces into each of four Ziplock bags and freeze them, taking out a new bag every three days, letting it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. This way, Tom heats the square every morning for 30 seconds after cutting it into smaller pieces to ensure even heating. Voila! A quick and easy breakfast.

I could barely hold the camera still, I was so excited. Next time, we’ll use the tripod.

If I have an inkling for an evening snack, a handful of macadamia nuts or a piece of a homemade protein bar hits the spot. (Most store-bought protein bars have sugar, chemicals, carbs, and grains whereby homemade bars do not). Tom’s picky taste buds leave him few options for snacking at night. He may have a few slices of cheese or some low sugar jerky (found here at Foodland). 

Once a week, I do some baking; his eggs, our low carb muffins and scones, and now my latest passion for these protein bars, easy to make. (OK.  I know we’ll get requests for the recipe for the bars, so please write to me if you’d like it).

As soon as the dishes were done, Tom grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s watch the sunset from the front lanai.  The sun’s moved to the north since we arrived and now we can see it from there.” 

Almost gone, still exquisite…

When last month the condo maintenance people trimmed the trees in front of the building and the sun’s position had changed, we now have a perfect viewing spot from the front of the building. Also, recently it’s been cloudy at sunset, and it’s been a rare occurrence to be able to watch the sunset.

We chuckled when we stepped outside on the lanai. Tom counted 18 cars parked on the street in order for both tourists and residents to watch the sunset across the street from the lookout. Also, dozens of sunset watchers were rushing on foot clamoring to get a good spot for viewing.

We had a “birds-eye view” without crossing the road. I had changed into my lounging pj’s and loved it that I didn’t have to change back into my clothes as I’ve done on a few occasions when earlier we hadn’t been able to see the sunset from here.

Gone, amid my tilted camera angle, so enthralled with the views.

When taking sunset photos, I often take a few dozen shots. The challenge is attempting to decide which are worthy of posting here. Actually, this is often the case with many photos we take. Over time, I’ve reduced the number of shots I take of any particular scene, often taking only one shot and checking it out on the viewfinder.  

A sunset deserves multiple shots as it changes in the blink of an eye. Today, as we often do with sunset shots, we show the best shots of the progression. It’s funny, throughout the world we all have the opportunity to witness the sunset and yet, our perspective and subsequent photos are always unique and breathtaking.

Have a fabulous April Food’s Day, antics and all…

                                             Photo from one year ago today, April 1, 2014:

A year ago we stumbled upon this excellent restaurant which we later returned to for another meal. The food was amazing, the service exceptional and the ambiance inviting. For details from that date, please click here.