Thanks to many heartfelt responses from our readers via comments and email…

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Parasitic plants growing on trees are a fascinating way nature provides for a plant that must “borrow” nutrients from thriving trees of many varieties.

What a pleasing response we had yesterday after our post concerning some negative comments from a reader.  We hope the many responses we received in the past 24 hours indicate a general consensus among our readers.

This is where we park the little red rental car.  The door to enter our property is slight to the right of the red car. Since we’re on ground level we have a full wall of windows overlooking the Coral Sea and the beauty of Trinity beach. Andy and Sylvie have two cars, one of which is their sports car shown here.  The open stairway to the right is access to their property above us.  (For security purposes I edited the photo removing the license plates).

If you’d like to read some of those comments, please check the end of yesterday’s post by scrolling down this page, bearing in mind that many readers prefer to remain more anonymous, preferring to send an email.  Either method of communicating with us is appreciated. 

Each day more and more of the leaves on these leaves turns orange. Although it’s winter now, the weather in Queensland is never cold enough for a feeling of a full fall season.

If at any time, you’d like to express an opinion or comment and prefer to do so privately, our email links are listed above the feature photo of the two of us at right top of the page. You can count on a response within 12 hours with the exception of our travel days.

In the US, we had houseplants of this type called Pothos, which were hearty plants that did well without much sunlight and only occasional watering.

Speaking of travel days, a few more are rapidly approaching. In a mere 17 days, we’ll be departing our comfy cocoon here in Trinity Beach to head for an overnight in Sydney, although we’ll be arriving in and out in the dark at 8 or 9 pm and flying out at 6 am with no time to revel in the beautiful city as we did when we arrived on June 11th.  Click here to see our photos of Sydney.

We aren’t disappointed to be unable to spend time in Sydney this time since, over the next 20 months, we’ll be back in Sydney seven more times! Surely, we’ll be able to see the city in more detail during a few of those between-cruises-overnight visits. Sydney is quite an exciting city and although we aren’t big city enthusiasts for the long term, it’s fun to see a big city in shorter stops.

Another tree similar to a houseplant growing on the trunk of a large tree, although the tree itself is of a different variety.

When our ship arrived in the Sydney Harbour early that morning of our arrival, we couldn’t get outside quickly enough. It was a breathtaking experience and most certainly, we won’t be able to resist posting more photos each of these upcoming seven times, the exception being this extra short eighth visit in a few weeks.

We weren’t able to get a direct flight to Vanua Levu, Fiji without waiting for many hours at a tiny airport on the mainland of Fiji.  Instead, we chose the overnight, albeit short, stay in a hotel in Sydney, located at the airport. We’ve found it less stressful and exhausting to try to sleep for a few hours in a hotel than try to sleep in a chair at the airport.

We spotted these red plants in Hawaii on all four islands called Ti Plants. From our loyal reader, Annie: “Cordyline fruticosa probably was native originally to SE Asia and Papua New Guinea, but was carried throughout much of the Pacific by early Polynesians who used the starchy rhizomes for food. Today ti occurs in eastern Australia and on many of the larger islands in the tropical Pacific, including the Hawaiian Islands. They seem to thrive in tropical climates.”  Thanks, Annie for the update!

We recall our intentions in our travels:  ease, joy, and simplicity, a part of our logo which should have included “low stress.” With all the most organized of plans, events may occur beyond our control. If the areas over which we have control are seamless, the unforeseen event will be more manageable. 

With upcoming plans to live in Bali beginning on April 30, 2016, we’ve stayed apprised of the numerous issues regarding canceled flights to and from Bali as a result of the continually erupting volcano, Mount Raung. These frequent eruptions have grounded all flights on countless occasions. 

We don’t recognize this plant with leaves green on one side, burgundy on the back of the leaf.

Should this occur when we travel to Bali, rather than spending days waiting at the airport, we’d prefer to get a hotel room wherever we may be and wait it out enjoying our time until we can board a flight avoiding feelings of stress and worry. 

That’s a luxury we’ve afforded, not due to willingness to spend the money but, more of a desire for stress avoidance which for us becomes a vital aspect of our health and well-being. Sure, there’s a price to pay for that option but we’ve budgeted for such occasions and don’t flinch when the necessity arises.

These sparse trees will be in full bloom once winter is over.

As we continue the remaining time in Trinity Beach, we’ve decided we prefer to continue to visit local sites as opposed to expensive boat trips or overnight mountain excursions. To date, we’ve seen quite a bit of the general area and would like to save a few activities for the future return to Cairns by cruise, hopefully planning an outing with other cruisers we meet aboard the ship or on cruisecritic.com.

It’s Friday here, Thursday for many parts of the world. Whatever day it is for you, may it be an excellent day that finds you well and content.

Photo from one year ago today, August 21, 2014:
Seeing this favorite photo again this morning made us smile when one year ago we visited Highclere Castle, the subject of the well-loved British TV series, Downton Abbey. Although no interior photos of the exterior were allowed with the owners still in occupancy, we took many photos of the gardens and exterior which can be found here. Tomorrow, in our one-year-ago photo, we’ll be sharing a photo and link of the quaint Bampton, the village where the in-town footage was filmed. Charming!

Negative comments from a reader…Torn about responding…

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Sunrise over Trinity Beach.

It’s a rarity that a reader sends us a negative comment. When it does occur, perhaps once a year, I struggle over whether or not to post the comment or to ignore it.

Long ago, we wrote that the intention of our site is about joy and fulfilling dreams, not an arena for negative comments and bantering back and forth in disagreement over topics or comments we’ve made. That doesn’t mean we shy from a discussion. But, in doing so, kindness is always of the utmost importance.

We don’t express political or religious views or present any negative comments regarding any person’s beliefs or preferences. From time to time, I may discuss frustration over the food industry’s money orientated goals of presenting chemical-ridden foods at us in the US markets. If this offends anyone, that’s never been our intent.

Over these past 41 months, since we began posting, we often mention the recovery of health I’ve experienced from changing my diet, a choice I’ve made for life. Tom joined me in this path except when on cruise ships and dining in restaurants.

Through sharing recipes and resources through books and medical research documents, we’ve had an enormous response from readers all over the world who have chosen their own path through their own research. 

In dozens of cases, readers have written to us via private email requesting the book list we compiled that helped me discover my own path which if they choose, may prove to be beneficial for them. 

We never claim to be medical professionals or experts in any of these fields. We always encourage readers to seek professional assistance in choosing their path to improved health. 

We’re simply laypeople, literally hungry to learn ways in which we can extend the quality of life in our senior years, which ultimately adds to the joy of continuing our world travels, hopefully for years to come.

Yesterday, when I received this comment, I struggled over whether or not to upload it to the site. The reader wrote:

“Your husband is right. You obsess over food. It’s annoying and will probably mean I quit reading altogether. I read only about the first couple of paragraphs of this page, scrolling down, and when I came to the recipe, scrolling faster.”

Here is the link to the post on which the above comment was made. (Oftentimes, readers are “catching up” reading posts from months or years ago). This post was uploaded in March 2014 but the comment arrived yesterday. If you’ll click the link to this post and scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll see comments made by other readers at that time. 

I didn’t post the above reader’s comment online in the “comments” section at the end of the post. I didn’t since it included her name and to avoid publicly using a person’s name to address an issue, I am posting it here without the name.

Now, for my response to the reader which I assure you is done so, not with the intent of criticizing the reader but to address what may in fact be an issue for some of our other readers…our ongoing discussions of food:

Undoubtedly, I make frequent references to food including the shopping, quality of products, my perceived healthfulness of products, our way of eating, recipes, and often photos of meals we’ve had in restaurants or cooked “at home.”

As all of our readers are aware, changing my diet changed my health to such a degree it allowed us to travel the world. Had this not happened, we’d never have been able to travel. I won’t go into all of that again. Most of you know the story.

But, traveling the world is often a story about food and culture. In reading many travel sites, we often find ourselves admiring food photos and stories since for many travelers, it’s all about the food, the great restaurants, the fabulous finds of the “tucked away” spot that filled their bellies and hearts with love and joy, often a treasured story they’ll tell for years to come.

For us and the limitations of my way of eating, we tend to stay away from restaurants in some countries which are more inclined to use flour, sugar, and starch in the preparation of food. 

This reality definitely hinders our experience to a degree. In a way, it’s a limitation, not unlike those that many people experience at some point in their lives. And, we chose to adapt to the best of our ability…finding homemade food, grocery shopping, and recipes bringing us that same kind of pleasure.

Yes, I’m obsessed with food. Always have been. Always was a great cook and loved to entertain. It’s a hobby. It’s a passion. Food is love. And now, for us, food is medicine. And yes, Tom occasionally reminds me about my passion, obsession, and hobby as he gobbles us the next plate of fabulous food, thanking me for a good meal.

Another important point for us, perhaps beyond our personal enjoyment of food is the hundreds that have written to us over these 41 months that have asked for booklists, information on medical research, and recipes that they may decide to peruse in their own search for renewed health. 

If in this process, only one person through gaining inspiration in reading our posts has found a solution through a diet that has improved their health, every single one of the 1112 days that we’ve sat here writing and researching will have been worth it. 

As for the recipes, there are literally hundreds of people that have written to us requesting recipes for a meal we’ve mentioned or a food photo we’ve posted. Instead of spending the recipe via email, knowing there are others less inclined to write, we post the recipe online.

If this above-mentioned one reader decides to stop reading our posts that’s a personal choice and we’re saddened by that decision. It’s easy to scroll past those points that one may find less interesting or desirable to their owns tastes and interests. 

Our goal is not singularly about food. If you’ve had an opportunity to read the posts of the last several days regarding safety it’s evident that is the case. We strive to provide a wide array of topics that may appeal to all ages, those who sit at their kitchen table each morning, a cup of coffee or tea in hand, that travel along with us. 

We feel your presence and appreciate every single one of you.

Photo from one year ago today, August 20, 2014:

We visited the Victoria and Albert Museum for an excellent educational day. For more photos, please click here.

Both of us had a great day at the museum.

Venomous snakes and snake bites in Australia…First aid for snake bites information…A personal venomous snake encounter 17 months ago…

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The most venomous Australian snake: the Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake
(Not our photo). The Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake reported as the most venomous snake in Australia.

Yesterday’s Sydney Herald newspaper posted this story we’d also seen on the news throughout the day about a Fremantle woman who was apparently bitten by a snake while on a walk on the beachfront esplanade, a paved boardwalk generally free of high grass and brush.

After being bit, she walked home to her husband showing him the bite, an ambulance was called. She later died at the hospital. (The hospital is yet to confirm that her death is a result of a snake bite until after an autopsy is performed).  She had a penetration mark on her foot. Had she not walked home instead, immediately calling for an ambulance, she may be alive today. We extend our deepest condolences to her family.

Then again, we don’t know all the facts and can only surmise based on what’s being reported in the news.  Apparently, from what we’ve read online snakes are often seen in the Perth metro area especially as the weather warms. 

The second most venomous Australian snake: the Eastern Brown Snake
(Not our photo). Eastern Brown Snake, purported the second most venomous snake in Australia.

Paying attention by diligently watching for snakes in high-risk areas has been on our radar these past several years especially after spending so much time in Africa where 3,529 people die each year (or much more unreported) from snakebites as opposed to considerably fewer fatalities in Australia:

Australian Snake Bites

“In Australia there are about 3,000 snake bites per year, of which 200 to 500 receive anti-venom; on average one or two will prove fatal. About half the deaths are due to bites from the brown snake; the rest mostly from tiger snake, taipan and death adder. Some deaths are sudden, however in fact it is uncommon to die within four hours of a snake bite.”

From the World Health Organization (WHO):

“Envenoming resulting from snake bites is a particularly important public health problem in rural areas of tropical and subtropical countries situated in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. A recent study estimates that at least 421,000 envenomings and 20,000 deaths occur worldwide from snakebite each year, but warns that these figures may be as high as 1,841,000 envenomings and 94,000 deaths. The highest burden of snakebites is in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Snake bite is primarily a problem of the poorer rural populations in these regions and affects mainly those involved in subsistence farming activities. Poor access to health services in these settings and, in some instances, a scarcity of antivenom, often leads to poor outcomes and considerable morbidity and mortality. Many victims fail to reach hospital in time or seek medical care after a considerable delay because they first seek treatment from traditional healers. Some even die before reaching hospital. Hospital statistics on snakebites therefore underestimate the true burden.”

With our second highest worldwide readership at this time from Australia, (the first highest from the US), we decided it was important to post this snake bite information from Dr. Struan K. Sutherland, gleaned from published university papers.  This comprehensive report appears to be the most highly informational and detailed we’ve found in Australia.

If only one Australian or citizen of other countries learns how to respond to a snake bite from reading this post, our post was well worth the time and effort. For our readers in areas with low risk of snake bites, we’ll be back tomorrow with a more generalized post.

Included in this report is first aid for snake bites as follows and also includes more photos of venomous snakes in Australia:

First Aid for Snake Bites:
“Do NOT wash the area of the bite or try to suck out the venom!

It is extremely important to retain traces of venom for use with venom identification kits.

Do NOT incise or cut the bite, or apply a high tourniquet!

Cutting or incising the bite won’t help. High tourniquets are ineffective and can be fatal if released.

Stop lymphatic spread – bandage firmly, splint and immobilise!

The “pressure-immobilisation” technique is currently recommended by the Australian Resuscitation Council, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

The lymphatic system is responsible for the systemic spread of most venoms. This can be reduced by the application of a firm bandage (as firm as you would put on a sprained ankle) over a folded pad placed over the bitten area. While firm, it should not be so tight that it stops blood flow to the limb or to congests the veins.

Start bandaging directly over the bitten area, ensuing that the pressure over the bite is firm and even. If you have enough bandage you can extend towards more central parts of the body, to delay spread of any venom that has already started to move centrally. A pressure dressing should be applied even if the bite is on the victims trunk or torso.

Immobility is best attained by application of a splint or sling, using a bandage or whatever to hand to absolutely minimise all limb movement, reassurance, and immobilisation (eg, putting the patient on a stretcher). Where possible, bring transportation to the patient (rather then vice versa). Don’t allow the victim to walk or move a limb. Walking should be prevented.

The pressure-immobilization approach is simple, safe, and will not cause iatrogenic tissue damage (ie, from the incision, injection, freezing, or arterial tourniquets – all of which are ineffective).

See the AVRU site for more details of bandaging techniques.
This poster from thefirstaidshop.com.au is worth keeping.
Bites to the head, neck, and back are a special problem – firm pressure should be applied locally if possible.

Removal of the bandage will be associated with rapid systemic spread. Hence ALWAYS wait until the patient is in a fully-equipped medical treatment area before bandage removal is attempted.

Do NOT cut or excise the area or apply an arterial torniquet! Both these measures are ineffective and may make the situation worse.
Joris Wijnker’s Snakebite Productions has more information on envenomation and he can supply a suitable first aid kit and booklet.”

Had the above mentioned woman seen this information at some point, she may be alive today. Walking home increased her heart rate and could easily have contributed to having the venom flow through her bloodstream more quickly.  The patient should be immobilized until emergency professionals arrive on the scene. 

The number to call in Australia for emergency assistance is triple zero…000
A Tiger Snake
(Not our photo).  The Tiger Snake.

While we lived in Africa for nine months, much of which was spent in areas with some of the world’s most venomous snakes are found, we made every attempt to educate ourselves immediately upon arrival. 

An important aspect of snake safety is STAY AWAY. Many snakes will not provoke an attack and often bite when aggravated or stepped on. Many reported fatalities are attributed to foolishly trying to kill or handle a snake.

The number to call in Australia if you find a snake in your yard or home is Wildcare Helpline: (08) 9474 9055

One may think we’ve had little exposure to venomous snakes. However, we actually had a personal encounter with the extremely dangerous Mozambique Spitting Cobra in South Africa that fell from the ceiling on our veranda landing next to Tom’s bare feet while we were sitting near each other busily distracted while working on our laptops.

For our personal story and photos of a Mozambique Spitting Cobra experience on our veranda, please click here.

Over these past few days, we’ve focused on recent news stories we’ve gleaned from TV news, all relevant in our travels in one way or another. Soon, in less than three weeks, we’ll be living in Fiji without a TV and be reliant upon online news. We both have auto flash messaging that pop up on our laptops from various news sources worldwide, enabling us to stay well informed.

When traveling the world, we’ve found it vital to stay informed as to world affairs, including political unrest, wars, natural disasters, health-related events, weather-related issues, and financial chaos as in what recently occurred in Greece, all of which may have a huge impact on our travel to a specific location.

We continue to exercise caution and practicality interspersed with an ongoing passion for a certain degree of excitement and adventure commensurate with our interests, abilities, and desires as we continue to explore the world.

Stay tuned for more…

Photo from one year ago today, August 19, 2014:

The busy streets in South Kensington made us thrilled that we could travel almost everywhere we wanted to go on foot. For more details, please click here.

Vacation rental horror story…More horrific news for tourists to Bangkok…

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The drive to Smithfield Regional Park which we visited yesterday was pleasant. The day started out sunny quickly changing to clouds and sprinkles.

Each morning as I begin the day’s post, we turn on the news to see what’s happening in the world. This morning, we were shocked and devastated by the news of a bombing close to the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand which was crowded with tourists at the time, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 120. The full story and videos may be seen here.

As we discussed over the past few days, one can never be too careful. We’ll be in Thailand a year from now and since I’d been there in the past (before Tom), I felt there was no need for us to stop in Bangkok, a highly congested city plagued with crime. Instead, we’ll be flying directly to the island of Phuket.

We didn’t stop at the bungee jumping spot (spelled this way in Australia as compared to bungee in other countries). 

Sadly, Phuket wasn’t safe for tourists in 2004 when it was hit by a devastating tsunami killing over 5000 people, many of them tourists staying in oceanfront properties along the exquisite beaches.

With caution in mind, the beautiful vacation property, we selected is a few miles from the ocean. Also, with prices high close to the beach, we had two reasons to stay inland a bit. We’ll visit the beaches at our discretion. 

Many of the trails are designated for mountain bikers requiring a quick jump to the side when a biker appears.

The story Tom discovered a few days ago, spotted in the New York Times newspaper reminded us once again that the reality of booking vacation rentals online presents certain risks in itself. 

Of course, this particular story is an isolated case. A similar situation could easily occur in any apartment building complex anywhere in the world, whether it was a vacation rental or a long term apartment rental.

We stopped and talked to a pair of mountain bikers who’d stopped by the check out the trails before bringing their bikes back for the miles of trails.

Here’s a portion of the story and a link to the balance you’ll find by clicking here:

“Airbnb Horror Story Points to Need for Precautions

Early in the evening of July 4, Micaela Giles’s mobile phone started sounding alerts, and a series of messages straight out of a horror movie began scrolling down her screen.
Her 19-year-old son told her that his Airbnb host in Madrid had locked him in the fourth-floor apartment where he was supposed to be staying and removed the key. The host was still there, he said, rattling knives around in the kitchen drawer and pressing him to submit to a sexual act. He begged his mother for help.
When she called Airbnb, its employees would not give her the address and would not call the police. Instead, they gave her a number to the Madrid police and told her to ask the police to call the company for the address. But the number led to a recording in Spanish that kept disconnecting her, she said, and when she repeatedly called back her Airbnb contact, the calls went straight to voice mail.
According to her son, Jacob Lopez, he was sexually assaulted that night. Eventually, he persuaded his host to free him. He returned home to Massachusetts and is in trauma therapy.”
The remainder of this story continues here.
As shown in the remainder of this story at the above link, Airbnb was unsure as to how to handle this situation.  Hopefully, by now, some new procedures are in place that may have averted this horrible situation by prompting the police to the property immediately. This never should have happened.
We walked into the park for awhile, eventually turning back when we realized the trails weren’t as suitable for walking as opposed to mountain biking.
We’ve used Airbnb a few times, but have shied away from it since they require the full amount of the vacation rental paid at the time of the booking as opposed to paying a deposit and paying the balance at a later date. Supposedly, they are revising this policy to make it more user friendly, which would make it more appealing to us.
This is one of the reasons we don’t like renting apartments as many travelers prefer, finding the cost of an apartment less than a condo, townhouse, or single-family home. The proximity of public transportation and access to popular tourist site is highly appealing to many travelers.
The sky was overcast when we arrived at the park.

Younger travelers often prefer to be in the hubbub of the big city. For us, a suburb or the country is ideal for us, as is the case living here in Trinity Beach with a current population of under 5000. 

Even, the bigger city of  Cairns, 20 minutes south of Trinity Beach, has a population of 156,000, not a huge metropolis by any means. Tom always says, “The closer you get to tall buildings, the more likely to find crime, poverty, and increased risk.”
At points, the trail was cleared of debris, but at other points, mountain biker enthusiasts would be in for quite a ride.
Our style of living tends to keep us away from tall buildings as much as possible although we’ve encountered our fair share over these past three years. As for the above traveler’s experience, traveling alone in a big city, he fell prey to greater risk based on location and circumstances.
In reality, there are definitely certain locations and circumstances that add to the risk of crime for tourists.  With all of our precautions, we could easily be a target in the most seemingly innocuous locations.
In the US these shops are referred to as auto body shops. Here in Australia, they are called smash repairs. We love the differences!
Luckily, for us, we find the most joy in our travels in quieter less populated locations far from tall buildings.  However, exposure to increased risk may be unavoidable such as the case of our upcoming river cruise in Vietnam where we’ll be staying in hotels in big cities and dining out for a few weeks before and during the cruise/tour. We chose to take these risks although the likelihood of an incident is relatively slim.
Also, the fact that we don’t visit nightclubs and seldom visit bars added to the fact that we seldom wander dark streets at night adds another layer of safety.  Had we been younger, these types of venues may have been more desirable. We both easily recall the fun times we had “nightclubbing” in our younger years. 
I don’t drink alcohol at all (health reasons) and Tom has little interest in having a cocktail other than when we’re on a cruise (along with partaking in the vast array of foods he doesn’t otherwise enjoy). This fact alone, generally keep us out of bars and the resulting higher risk scenarios of leaving the bar and walking to one’s car or grabbing a taxi at night in the dark.
As we exited we spotted this site which appeared to be used for dumping the debris on the trail.  We’ve found parks in Australia to be well maintained.
Are we the typical overly cautious senior couple?  In some ways, we are. But in other ways, adventure which may include a certain degree of risk, is the highlight of our lives and some of our best experiences. 
As for how we’ll handle vacation rentals going forward? We’ll handle the booking process and eventual occupancy, in the same manner, we have thus far, with a degree of caution coupled with an expectation of a good outcome.
Have a good day!
Photo from one year ago, August 17, 2014:
 While in London (and Paris) we had no choice but to walk the streets at night (we were in fairly safe South Kensington) or grabbing a taxi to return to our hotel in the dark. Spending an entire month in these two large cities left us with no option other than to dine out for every meal. This photo was of a sign posted at our reserved table at Andover Arms in London, one of the best restaurants we experienced in our travels. Please click this link for more photos of our fabulous meal and evening.

Australia’s crime stats…World Crime rate stats…Travelers, please read…

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View of Double Island at a distance.

With all the strife, wars, natural disasters and horrific incidents on the news each day, we’ve particularly enjoyed the Aussie TV news when the majority of it is fun and informative tinged with the typical Aussie playful sense of humor.

Of course, they do report on the heart wrenching international and local news keeping us well informed on worldwide events. A portion of the Aussie news consists of small stories, such as a biker in Brisbane falling off his bike and breaking his arm. Although we felt sorry for the biker, Brisbane is a long way from us and we chuckled over the how the national news carries such a simple news story.

Extra parking in the driveway where we live in Trinity Beach.

Australia’s entire population spread out over this vast continent is over 23 million, comparable to the population of the cities of Beijing or Karachi.

Overall, the crime rate in Australia is low:

“Australia is generally a safe country with a low rate of crime. Statistics show that the homicide rate has actually decreased in almost every state since 2002. Crime statistics are monitored by the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Bureau of Statistics provides comparative breakdowns for different types of crimes.

As we plan to travel to new countries we check out the crime rate (primarily the murder rate) before booking anything.  Yes, we’ve made a few exceptions when motivated by certain aspects of a country we didn’t want to miss. 

Unusual flat leaves on a bush.

In reviewing the chart below, good placement on this chart doesn’t mean one can be laissez-faire with their wallets, cameras, luggage, personal effects, and personal safety. 

(Please excuse formatting issues on this chart due to poor connection, with rankings in far-right column and #218 numbering not listed). To see more detail on this site and inclusions for lost lives as a result of wars, please click here).

UNODC murder rates most recent year
Country Rate Count Region Subregion Year
listed		 Ranking
Burundi 8.0 790 Africa Eastern Africa 2012
1
Comoros 10.0 72 Africa Eastern Africa 2012
2
Djibouti 10.1 87 Africa Eastern Africa 2012
3
Eritrea 7.1 437 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 4
Ethiopia 12.0 11,048 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 5
Kenya 6.4 2,761 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 6
Madagascar 11.1 2,465 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 7
Malawi 1.8 279 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 8
Mauritius 2.8 34 Africa Eastern Africa 2011 9
Mayotte (France) 6.0 12 Africa Eastern Africa 2009 10
Mozambique 12.4 3,133 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 11
Réunion (France) 1.8 15 Africa Eastern Africa 2009 12
Rwanda 23.1 2,648 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 13
Seychelles 9.5 9 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 14
Somalia 8.0 819 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 15
South Sudan 13.9 1,504 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 16
Uganda 10.7 3,753 Africa Eastern Africa 2011 17
Tanzania 12.7 6,071 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 18
Zambia 10.7 1,501 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 19
Zimbabwe 10.6 1,450 Africa Eastern Africa 2012 20
Angola 10.0 2,079 Africa Middle Africa 2012 21
Cameroon 7.6 1,654 Africa Middle Africa 2012 22
Central African Republic 11.8 532 Africa Middle Africa 2012 23
Chad 7.3 907 Africa Middle Africa 2012 24
Congo 12.5 541 Africa Middle Africa 2012 25
Democratic Republic of the Congo 28.3 18,586 Africa Middle Africa 2012 26
Equatorial Guinea 19.3 142 Africa Middle Africa 2012 27
Gabon 9.1 148 Africa Middle Africa 2012 28
Sao Tome and Principe 3.3 6 Africa Middle Africa 2011 29
Algeria 0.7 280 Africa Northern Africa 2011 30
Egypt 3.4 2,703 Africa Northern Africa 2011 31
Libya 1.7 103 Africa Northern Africa 2012 32
Morocco 2.2 704 Africa Northern Africa 2012 33
Sudan 11.2 4,159 Africa Northern Africa 2012 34
Tunisia 2.2 235 Africa Northern Africa 2012 35
Botswana 18.4 368 Africa Southern Africa 2012 36
Lesotho 38.0 764 Africa Southern Africa 2010 37
Namibia 17.2 388 Africa Southern Africa 2012 38
South Africa 31.0 16,259 Africa Southern Africa 2012 39
Swaziland 33.8 416 Africa Southern Africa 2012 40
Benin 8.4 848 Africa Western Africa 2012 41
Burkina Faso 8.0 1,311 Africa Western Africa 2012 42
Cape Verde 10.3 51 Africa Western Africa 2012 43
Ivory Coast 13.6 2,691 Africa Western Africa 2012 44
Gambia 10.2 182 Africa Western Africa 2012 45
Ghana 6.1 1,537 Africa Western Africa 2012 46
Guinea 8.9 1,018 Africa Western Africa 2012 47
Guinea-Bissau 8.4 140 Africa Western Africa 2012 48
Liberia 3.2 135 Africa Western Africa 2012 49
Mali 7.5 1,119 Africa Western Africa 2012 50
Mauritania 5.0 191 Africa Western Africa 2012 51
Niger 4.7 803 Africa Western Africa 2012 52
Nigeria 20.0 33,817 Africa Western Africa 2012 53
Senegal 2.8 379 Africa Western Africa 2012 54
Sierra Leone 1.9 113 Africa Western Africa 2012 55
Togo 10.3 684 Africa Western Africa 2012 56
Anguilla (UK) 7.5 1 Americas Caribbean 2012 57
Antigua and Barbuda 11.2 10 Americas Caribbean 2012 58
Aruba (Netherlands) 3.9 4 Americas Caribbean 2010 59
Bahamas 29.8 111 Americas Caribbean 2012 60
Barbados 7.4 21 Americas Caribbean 2012 61
British Virgin Islands (UK) 8.4 2 Americas Caribbean 2006 62
Cayman Islands (UK) 14.7 8 Americas Caribbean 2009 63
Cuba 4.2 477 Americas Caribbean 2012 64
Dominica 21.1 15 Americas Caribbean 2010 65
Dominican Republic 22.1 2,268 Americas Caribbean 2012 66
Grenada 13.3 14 Americas Caribbean 2012 67
Guadeloupe (France) 7.9 36 Americas Caribbean 2009 68
Haiti 10.2 1,033 Americas Caribbean 2012 69
Jamaica 39.3 1,087 Americas Caribbean 2012 70
Martinique (France) 2.7 11 Americas Caribbean 2009 71
Montserrat (UK) 20.4 1 Americas Caribbean 2008 72
Puerto Rico (US) 26.5 978 Americas Caribbean 2012 73
Saint Kitts and Nevis 33.6 18 Americas Caribbean 2012 74
Saint Lucia 21.6 39 Americas Caribbean 2012 75
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25.6 28 Americas Caribbean 2012 76
Trinidad and Tobago 28.3 379 Americas Caribbean 2012 77
Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) 6.6 2 Americas Caribbean 2009 78
United States Virgin Islands (US) 52.6 56 Americas Caribbean 2010 79
Belize 44.7 145 Americas Central America 2012 80
Costa Rica 8.5 407 Americas Central America 2012 81
El Salvador 41.2 2,594 Americas Central America 2012 82
Guatemala 39.9 6,025 Americas Central America 2012 83
Honduras 90.4 7,172 Americas Central America 2012 84
Mexico 21.5 26,037 Americas Central America 2012 85
Nicaragua 11.3 675 Americas Central America 2012 86
Panama 17.2 654 Americas Central America 2012 87
Bermuda (UK) 7.7 5 Americas Northern America 2012 88
Canada 1.6 543 Americas Northern America 2012 89
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) 16.5 1 Americas Northern America 2009 90
United States 4.7 14,827 Americas Northern America 2012 91
Argentina 5.5 2,237 Americas South America 2010 92
Bolivia 12.1 1,270 Americas South America 2012 93
Brazil 25.2 50,108 Americas South America 2012 94
Chile 3.1 550 Americas South America 2012 95
Colombia 30.8 14,670 Americas South America 2012 96
Ecuador 12.4 1,924 Americas South America 2012 97
French Guiana (France) 13.3 30 Americas South America 2009 98
Guyana 17.0 135 Americas South America 2012 99
Paraguay 9.7 649 Americas South America 2012 100
Peru 9.6 2,865 Americas South America 2012 101
Suriname 6.1 33 Americas South America 2012 102
Uruguay 7.9 267 Americas South America 2012 103
Venezuela 53.7 16,072 Americas South America 2012 104
Kazakhstan 7.8 1,263 Asia Central Asia 2012 105
Kyrgyzstan 9.1 494 Asia Central Asia 2011 106
Tajikistan 1.6 126 Asia Central Asia 2011 107
Turkmenistan 12.8 660 Asia Central Asia 2012 108
Uzbekistan 3.7 1,060 Asia Central Asia 2012 109
China 1.0 13,410 Asia Eastern Asia 2010 110
Hong Kong 0.4 27 Asia Eastern Asia 2012 111
Macao 0.7 4 Asia Eastern Asia 2010 112
North Korea 5.2 1,293 Asia Eastern Asia 2012 113
Japan 0.3 442 Asia Eastern Asia 2011 114
Mongolia 9.7 266 Asia Eastern Asia 2011 115
South Korea 0.9 427 Asia Eastern Asia 2011 116
Taiwan 3.0 686 Asia Eastern Asia 2011 117
Brunei 2.0 8 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 118
Cambodia 6.5 964 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 119
Indonesia 0.6 1,456 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 120
Laos 5.9 392 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 121
Malaysia 2.3 652 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 123
Myanmar 15.2 8,044 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 124
Philippines 8.8 8,484 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 125
Singapore 0.2 11 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 126
Thailand 5.0 3,307 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2011 127
Timor-Leste 3.6 39 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2010 128
Vietnam 3.3 3,037 Asia South-Eastern Asia 2012 129
Afghanistan 6.5 1,948 Asia Southern Asia 2012 130
Bangladesh 2.7 4,169 Asia Southern Asia 2012 131
Bhutan 1.7 12 Asia Southern Asia 2012 132
India 3.5 43,355 Asia Southern Asia 2012 133
Iran 3.9 3,126 Asia Southern Asia 2012 134
Maldives 3.9 13 Asia Southern Asia 2012 135
Nepal 2.9 786 Asia Southern Asia 2011 136
Pakistan 7.7 13,846 Asia Southern Asia 2012 137
Sri Lanka 3.4 707 Asia Southern Asia 2011 138
Armenia 1.8 54 Asia Western Asia 2012 139
Azerbaijan 2.1 194 Asia Western Asia 2010 140
Bahrain 0.5 7 Asia Western Asia 2011 141
Cyprus 2.0 23 Asia Western Asia 2012 142
Georgia 4.3 187 Asia Western Asia 2010 142
Iraq 8.0 2,628 Asia Western Asia 2012 143
Israel 1.8 134 Asia Western Asia 2012 144
Jordan 2.0 133 Asia Western Asia 2011 145
Kuwait 0.4 12 Asia Western Asia 2012 146
Lebanon 2.2 95 Asia Western Asia 2010 147
Palestine 7.4 312 Asia Western Asia 2012 148
Oman 1.1 34 Asia Western Asia 2011 149
Qatar 1.1 23 Asia Western Asia 2012 150
Saudi Arabia 0.8 234 Asia Western Asia 2012 151
Syria 2.2 463 Asia Western Asia 2010 152
Turkey 2.6 1,866 Asia Western Asia 2011 153
United Arab Emirates 2.6 235 Asia Western Asia 2012 154
Yemen 4.8 1,099 Asia Western Asia 2010 155
Belarus 5.1 486 Europe Eastern Europe 2010 156
Bulgaria 1.9 141 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 157
Czech Republic 1.0 105 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 158
Hungary 1.3 132 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 159
Poland 1.2 449 Europe Eastern Europe 2011 160
Moldova 6.5 229 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 161
Romania 1.7 378 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 162
Russia 9.2 13,120 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 163
Slovakia 1.4 75 Europe Eastern Europe 2012 164
Ukraine 4.3 1,988 Europe Eastern Europe 2010 165
Denmark 0.8 47 Europe Northern Europe 2012 166
Estonia 5.0 65 Europe Northern Europe 2011 167
Finland 1.6 89 Europe Northern Europe 2012 168
Greenland (Denmark) 19.4 11 Europe Northern Europe 2009 169
Iceland 0.3 1 Europe Northern Europe 2012 170
Ireland 1.2 54 Europe Northern Europe 2012 171
Latvia 4.7 97 Europe Northern Europe 2012 172
Lithuania 6.7 202 Europe Northern Europe 2012 173
Norway 2.2 111 Europe Northern Europe 2011 174
Sweden 0.7 68 Europe Northern Europe 2012 175
United Kingdom 1.0 653 Europe Northern Europe 2011 176
Albania 5.0 157 Europe Southern Europe 2012 177
Andorra 1.3 1 Europe Southern Europe 2010 178
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.3 51 Europe Southern Europe 2011 179
Croatia 1.2 51 Europe Southern Europe 2012 180
Greece 1.7 184 Europe Southern Europe 2011 181
Italy 0.9 530 Europe Southern Europe 2012 182
Kosovo 3.6 64 Europe Southern Europe 2010 183
Malta 2.8 12 Europe Southern Europe 2012 184
Montenegro 2.7 17 Europe Southern Europe 2012 185
Portugal 1.2 122 Europe Southern Europe 2012 186
San Marino 0.7 x Europe Southern Europe 2012 187
Serbia 1.2 111 Europe Southern Europe 2012 188
Slovenia 0.7 14 Europe Southern Europe 2012 189
Spain 0.8 364 Europe Southern Europe 2012 190
Macedonia 1.4 30 Europe Southern Europe 2011 191
Austria 0.9 77 Europe Western Europe 2012 192
Belgium 1.6 182 Europe Western Europe 2012 193
France 1.0 665 Europe Western Europe 2012 194
Germany 0.8 662 Europe Western Europe 2011 195
Liechtenstein 0.0 0 Europe Western Europe 2012 196
Luxembourg 0.8 4 Europe Western Europe 2011 197
Monaco 0.0 0 Europe Western Europe 2008 198
Netherlands 0.9 145 Europe Western Europe 2012 199
Switzerland 0.6 46 Europe Western Europe 2011 200
Australia 1.1 254 Oceania Australasia 2012 201
New Zealand 0.9 41 Oceania Australasia 2012 202
Fiji 4.0 35 Oceania Melanesia 2012 203
New Caledonia (France) 3.3 8 Oceania Melanesia 2009 204
Papua New Guinea 10.4 713 Oceania Melanesia 2010 205
Solomon Islands 4.3 24 Oceania Melanesia 2012 206
Vanuatu 2.9 7 Oceania Melanesia 2012 207
Guam (US) 2.5 4 Oceania Micronesia 2011 208
Kiribati 8.2 8 Oceania Micronesia 2011 209
Micronesia 4.6 5 Oceania Micronesia 2012 210
Nauru 1.3 x Oceania Micronesia 2012 211
Palau 3.1 x Oceania Micronesia 2012 212
Cook Islands 3.1 x Oceania Polynesia 2012 213
French Polynesia (France) 0.4 1 Oceania Polynesia 2009 214
Niue 3.6 x Oceania Polynesia 2012 215
Samoa 3.6 7 Oceania Polynesia 2012 216
Tonga 1.0 1 Oceania Polynesia 2012 217
Tuvalu 4.2 x Oceania Polynesia 2012

There is no country, city, locale, or venue that is entirely safe. We need only keep an eye on the news to discover this reality. For us, a vital aspect of travel has been being as diligent as possible in regard to our personal safety, and yet, we still run the risk of becoming victims of crime, no matter where we may travel. 

After all, our own home country, the US is ranked #91 on this list, certainly on the higher end of the scale.  Seeing Australia ranked as #201 is not surprising to us. Also, with Fiji ranked at #203, which we’d checked long ago before booking Fiji, gives us peace of mind.

The beginning of the driveway heading down the hill doesn’t look steep in this photo, but it’s very steep.

Although we don’t spend time worrying about crime, we feel that knowledge is power. Protecting our stuff has been relatively easy with all the safety measures we have in place, which we’ll be sharing in tomorrow’s post along with a horrific vacation rental story that was in the news. It’s in protecting our physical selves that leaves us at the most risk.

Traveling to relatively safe countries certainly reduces those risks and staying away from high-risk cities, especially at night reduced the risk. No matter how diligent any of us maybe we’re never exempt from risk.  We often hear of tourist attacks on the news and pay considerable attention. The fact that we seldom dine out, walking streets at night to get to our car or a taxi, also reduces the risk. 

We’ve yet to use the hot tub in the yard for a few reasons, neither of us cares to use hot tubs and secondly, the cost to heat the hot tub and to keep it heated, if we used it, would be outrageous for the owner who pays all the utilities. 

We’re not implying that one shouldn’t dine-in at restaurants. (We tend to avoid restaurants when the food is a potential risk for me which varies from country to country based on how they season and add sauce to their protein sources. Australia is big on marinating and saucing their food). However, it may be safer dining out during daylight hours and avoiding dark spaces at night. 

The side yard off of the kitchen. Many of the huge plants in Australia are used as small houseplants back in the US.

Then again, we hear horrible stories of daylight hours incidences in cafes and on buses. One could make themselves crazy worrying about every potential situation. We ran some of the same safety risks in the cozy town where we lived in Minnesota, USA.

It’s difficult to climb up to the rainforest in the backyard.  Without trails, it would be tricky to explore.

For us, we choose to opt on the side of seeing that which we’d love to see, whether it’s a busy high-risk marketplace, a stroll along a potentially risky beach, or a visit to a country in which we can see wildlife. After all, we’ve already been to Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Jordan, Tanzania, and on and on…all in the higher-risk categories.

We’ll continue to stretch ourselves to see that which appeals to us.  Last night on TV, we watched a fabulous TV show, “The Lost City of Petra (Jordan)” which seeing in person was one of the major highlights of our journey to date. We’d have missed this life-changing experience had we let fear rule our decisions.

Had we been too cautious in our travels, we’d have missed the opportunity to see this unbelievable site and to enjoy our photos for the rest of our lives of The Treasury in Petra, Jordan. For our Part 1 Petra on this memorable day, please click here. For Part 2, please click here.

If you have the opportunity to review these two above referenced posts, it becomes evident why we often choose to pull something out of the “bucket list” although there may be some risks, resulting in an extraordinary experience that we’ll never forget.

We continue on tomorrow with a scary vacation rental story, a must-see for all travelers who use online vacation rental sites.

Photo from one year ago today, August 17, 2014:

The Eurostar formerly referred to as “The Chunnel.” We were excited for a chance to travel on this train, one year ago, when we needed to get from Paris to London. Traveling on a train under the ocean was definitely a mode of transportation we anticipated with excitement. We weren’t disappointed, although many of our perceptions were dispelled.  For more details, please click here.

Nuances of vacation homes…One year ago…Total expenses for 16 nights in Paris…Check it out below!

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This cockatoo settled on the fence at the pool.

Only once, since beginning our travels outside the US, did we vacate a property when we weren’t happy with the accommodations. We stayed for a painstaking week while we furiously scoured every possibility to find another affordable rental. Prices were high in Belize during the season, winter in the northern hemisphere.

Belize, located in Central America, had become popular over the prior decade with its relatively short distance from the US making it a popular mid-winter vacation destination. Availability was limited on the more affordable properties especially with our short notice request for occupancy.

We discovered a new beach on a return drive from cairns, Machans Beach which is a modest beachside community the closest beach to Cairns City. Travelers staying in Machans beach usually do so to escape the busy hustle and bustle and a large number of tourists that flock to Cairns and many of the other northern beaches each year. Due to staunch protests from the locals at Machans Beach tourist infrastructure such as hotels and resorts have remained at bay creating a tranquil and unspoiled hippie-style beachside community.
There were several issues with the property, making it inhabitable for us.  The city water was shut off most of the day (a long term, ongoing situation), on for about one hour and then off again. We were supposed to collect water to use for the toilet when the water would be off for the remainder of the day and night.  If we didn’t shower when the water magically came on at an unpredictable time to a dribble, we were out of luck. 

Doing the laundry was nearly impossible. Simple things like washing our hands become a luxury. We felt dirty and our surroundings felt unsanitary. It only took a few days for us to realize we had to leave permanently as fast as possible. 

Although Machan’s Beach has been subjected to substantial erosion that has been rectified by a rock wall and the slow but gradual return of lost sand, there is still plenty of beaches to enjoy and a lush grassy playfield by the beach that is great for playing sports, picnics or spending time with the family.

On top of it all (long term readers, please excuse the repeated story) the no-see-ums were swarming us when there were either no screens or the holes in the few screens were too large allowing the sand flies them to freely enter. It was hot, humid and we wanted the windows open which was impossible. 

I had no less than 100 inflamed sand fly bites making me miserable both during the day and at night. I was unable to sleep for more than a few hours a night for an entire week. 

It was an awful seven days until we finally found a fabulous resort to rent for the remaining two-plus months and quickly moved out, losing our first month’s rent which the owner had promised to refund.

Recently, the completion of the rock wall ended with a well deserved party for the locals who tolerated the trucks coming and going over an extended period as the wall was built.

Of course, we’d never have rented the property had we known of these issues. We weren’t naïve in assuming that living in other countries would be easy. But, we weren’t willing to risk our health as a result of improper sanitation and lack of cleanliness without water. We’d purchased several huge jugs of bottled water at times having no choice but to use it for the toilet and cleaning what we could.

We never saw a refund. What were we to do? Sue them? Did we want to start our world journey with a lawsuit in a foreign country? Hardly.

If you’re interested in reading the story about the fiasco in Belize and seeing the photos from this period, please begin by clicking here.

A lone sea bird at Machans Beach.

That was our first vacation home outside the US. At that point, it would have been easy to pack it up and head back to the US. But, that never occurred to us. We knew we’d encounter some less than desirable situations and we were committed to figuring them out along the way.

If money were no object, we’d run into less of a risk by renting only upscale properties. And, although at times we’ve been able to negotiate some upscale properties, most of our vacation rentals are in the mid-range and overall, very nice with amenities we’ve found to pleasing.

Here in Trinity Beach, Australia, this property has been much more desirable than we’d expected. We’ve learned to keep our expectations at bay and were pleasantly surprised when we arrived continuing to further appreciate it here the longer we stayed. 

Dozens of cockatoos have been swarming the yard over several of the past late afternoons, stopping to check out the pool.

The owners, Sylvie and Andy, have gone overboard to ensure we have an excellent experience and unquestionably, we have. The well equipped property; the cleanliness; their providing additional items we’ve needed; their vacuuming and washing the floors for us every two weeks (while we sweep and dust in the interim) and their warmth and friendliness, all have contributed to a highly positive experience.

When we look back at past vacation rentals, overall, we’ve had great experiences once that first week in Belize was behind us. Now, as we look to Fiji, we realize were in for a totally different way of living than we’ve experienced thus far in modern, abundant Australia.

These birds are very noisy wasting no time in announcing their arrival.

I added a measuring cup and measuring spoons to my next grocery list to include in the box of food items we’re accumulating to ship to Vanua Levu, Fiji.  People don’t bake while on vacation/holiday. We don’t expect there to be a muffin tin, baking papers or lemon extract for our Low Carb Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, one of which we have each night with dinner as the ultimate two carb treat providing us with that sense of a small bread item with the meal.

We won’t have a clothes dryer and will hang our clothes outside to dry as we’ve done in most parts of the world. Having a dryer here has been a rare treat. We won’t have a TV and unable to hook up our HDMI to watch our shows, nor will we be able to watch news which we often have on in the background on a staying-in day. 

The biggest challenge will be not having a car. Mario, the property manager, explained that navigating the steep hill to the property requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle which to rent for three months would be outrageously expensive. He further explained that a highly competent driver will be available for our all of needs at reasonable rates. 

With the fees we’ve paid for rental cars in the past, we can easily use a driver five times a week for less than we’ve paid for the rentals. Most likely, we’ll negotiate set fees with the driver (to include a tip) to various locations avoiding the necessity of discussing the rate each time we go out.

This appears to be an agave plant. Agave sugar was the rage a few years ago. But, now its been found to cause a higher spikes in blood sugar than high fructose corn syrup causing weight gain and inflammation.

Also included in Fiji is daily maid service which is a mixed bag for us. I like running around and tidying up. I don’t even mind cleaning and making the bed, tasks we both share. With daily maid service, each day, we’ll have to get out of the way for whatever time it takes for the maid to clean up. 

Since both of us arise early and are showered and dressed by 7:30, most likely we’ll arrange a set time making it easier for all of us. While living there, my household tasks will consist of cooking and laundry while Tom will continues to do dishes.

The remainder of our time will be spent doing what we love to do; posting here, sightseeing and taking photos, searching for future travels, shopping at local markets, walking the beach and enjoying the tropical climate and the beautiful surroundings. 

Wildflowers growing in the yard.

Some have mentioned, based on personal experience, that they don’t like Fiji mainly due to the poverty. We’d decided long ago to accept the reality of poverty we’ll see throughout the world. 

Although we don’t necessarily live in the poverty-stricken areas, we often shop in the same markets and make purchases from the same vegetable stands and from the same vendors utilizing the products and services offered by these hard-working locals.

Not every vacation home has all the amenities we’d chose in a perfect world. In essence, its the imperfections in the world that ultimately we find the most interesting and its our own imperfections within that world that we strive to improve as we adapt to yet another new way of life.

Photo from one year ago today, August 16, 2014:

Tom’s last dinner out in Paris ended with this banana split. While dining out during the month we spent between Paris and London, Tom ate whatever his heart desired. It wasn’t until we settled into our next vacation home in Maui, Hawaii in October 2014,  that I started cooking again and he joined me in my way of eating.  For the final expenses for our costly 16 nights in Paris, please click here.

Hotel bookings…How to get free rooms!…Hotel nuances…One year ago, great last photo of Paris…

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Note the wide beak on this beautiful duck.

There’s no magic, coupons, or complicated processes required to acquire free hotel nights when traveling. It’s a matter of a few steps to get the process rolling.

We have a link on this website to the right of what you’re reading now for Hotels.com. You may wonder why we suggest you use the link on our site. Simple answer. We receive a small commission (very small) for every one of our readers who uses the links on our site.

There were several bodies of water along the edges of the rainforest.

These small commissions help pay a tiny portion of the cost for maintaining our site on a year by year basis.  Using our links does not result in your paying higher prices for products or services than you’d pay to go directly to the web addresses for these various companies. It just helps us in a small way.

For those of you who use our links, we really appreciate you clicking on our site as opposed to clicking somewhere else. That’s all it takes. We thank our readers for participating in our links.  Also, we have multiple travel-related links on our site. For today’s purposes, we’re describing one of those which we used yesterday to book a hotel.

The most exciting aspect of our rainforest hike was spotting pelicans.

Today, we’re going to take you through the necessary steps to acquire free nights in hotels that may work for those who travel only a few times each year:

1.  Click on the hotels.com link on the right side of this page.
2.  Sign up for an account, saving your user name and password, keep in a safe place.
3.  Feel free to add a credit card to be saved for future use. This is a secure site and sure, things can happen, but we’ve felt comfortable doing so. 

If you prefer not to leave a credit card on file on the site, you can add it each time you book a reservation and you’ll still receive full credit. Suggestion for those worried about security: Talk to your credit card company asking their policy if your card number is stolen. They will explain that you are not responsible for any charges you did not make. 

A number of ducks hanging out in the freshwater lake at the edge of the rainforest.

Our credit card numbers have been stolen twice in the past three years and have been easily resolved by the credit card company canceling the old card and immediately shipping us a new card, usually overnight. We were not responsible for any of the unauthorized charges. 

We check all of our credit cards online by setting up a “favorite” with the link. Every few days we check to be assured that no charges are posted that we didn’t make. It takes less than one minute. 

Most likely, this was the mate of the pelican photos we posted today and yesterday, found in the wild.

It’s easy to set up a request with each of your credit and debit card companies to send you an email each time a charge is made if you prefer not to check it online. We live in a world that is high risk of identity theft. Taking the initiative to ensure your safety and security is entirely up to you.

4.  Once your account is set up, you can proceed to check for hotels entering your preferred dates and location.  If you choose to check at a later date, click on the link on our site to enter to check hotel prices at any time.  Once you stay 10 nights at a hotel you’ve booked through the site, you get a free night. Easy. You can easily access your Rewards status at any time by logging in and selecting the link on the site under “Your Account.”

When booking your free night, make sure, once you’ve selected the hotel and date for the free night, that you check the box that asks if you want to use the Rewards you’ve accumulated. Otherwise, your credit card will be billed.

Another unusual palm trunk.

Yesterday, we booked a hotel in Sydney on January 4, 2016, when we’ll have flown in from Fiji, spending one night in Sydney until January 5th when we leave on a cruise from Sydney Harbor.

The hotel is near the port, not quite walking distance but no more than a two-minute drive. Most likely the hotel will have a shuttle to the pier. If not, minimal taxi fare will get us there.  Our bags are too heavy to haul the several blocks.

Fallen bamboo

Hotels in Sydney are expensive. Using our Rewards credit toward a free night, which varies depending on how much you’ve paid for past reservations, required we pay a small amount as shown below in our receipt:

Hotels.com Confirmation Number : 123456789 (number changed for security)

Booked: Online – Friday, August 14, 2015 3:50:26 PM GMT+10:00

Booking Details

Guest Name:  Thomas Lyman Room Type: Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking – Advance Purchase
Check-in: Monday, January 4, 2016 Check-out: Tuesday, January 5, 2016, Number of Nights:1, Number of Rooms:1
Hotel Details: Holiday Inn Old Sydney the Rocks
55 George Street
The Rocks
AU+61292520524
Charges: Monday, January 4, 2016: $248.99 (AUD $337.90)
Hotels.com® Rewards free night applied: -$202.43 (AUD $274.39)
Sub-total:$46.56 (AUD $63.11)
Total Price:$46.56
Amount paid:$46.56
Amount still due:$0.00
The sun peeking through the rainforests at certain times of the day plays an integral role in the growth and development of the forests.
Many hotels booking have the option of choosing a non-refundable rate or a fully refundable rate. If you feel there’s a possibility your plans could change, pay the slightly higher amount for the refundable rate. For us, we always choose the non-refundable rate based on our intent of getting the best rates. This fact is universal on all websites used for booking hotels. 
As shown above, yesterday we paid the excess amount, over and above our Hotels.com Rewards credit of US $202.43, AUD $274.39 which was the additional US $46.56, AUD $63.11. Had the hotel been a lower cost than the US $202.43,  AUD $274.30 we wouldn’t have had to pay anything which is usually the case.  But, as mentioned above, Sydney is more expensive than many cities, comparable to the rates we paid in Paris and London a year ago.
Soon, we’ll be booking 10 nights in a hotel in Vietnam to fill in a gap until the upcoming river cruise. Every 10 nights we book, pay for, and use, we’ve received one free night. In essence, this results in a 10% discount which may not seem like much. One doesn’t receive credit for the free night when it’s used, only for the paid in full nights.
The grounds of the swampy area were covered with fallen leaves and branches, suitable habitat for many small creatures.
However, travelers all over the world are booking hotel rooms with no credit. Of course, we always verify that this site is providing us with the best possible price plus…the accumulation of paid nights for an eventual free night.
If you have questions or need assistance with this, please comment at the end of today’s post. We will reply and share our combined comments with our other readers who may have the same questions.
We may not stay in any more hotels in a year than the average traveler. It may, in fact, be less often. We spend most of our nights in vacation homes or on cruises. 
A considerable part of rainforests consists of swampy areas.
Most years we don’t spend more than four or five nights in a hotel, usually between cruises or for long flights such as is coming up when we fly to Sydney, staying overnight in a hotel and flying to Fiji the next day.  Otherwise, we’d have had to wait at the airport for 10 hours, not our cup of tea.  
Whenever we encounter the possibility of knowingly spending more than eight hours in an airport awaiting a flight, we opt for a hotel stay, always considering our objective of reducing the possibility of travel stress. With easy hotel check-in and checkout these days, this usually makes sense for us.
The trunk of a species of a palm tree in the rainforest.
How picky are we in choosing hotels? Here are our criteria for selecting hotels:
1.  Location:  Convenient to modes of transportation, next flight, cruise pier, and activities we plan
2.  Reviews: In most cases, we don’t select anything under four stars unless it’s a short overnight stay awaiting a flight or cruise.  In these cases, we’ll consider a 3.5 star. As in the above-stated reservation, its list as a 4.5 star (out of a possible 5 stars). (Cleanliness and good repair are indicated in the star ratings).
3.  Availability of wifi: Preferably free although at times we’ve paid a fee when other good options weren’t available.
4.  Bed options: Tom and I do fine in a queen bed and for short stays that works fine. In many vacation homes, including here, we only have a double bed and somehow we make that work. However, we’d never chose that option in a hotel which may indicate a lack of replacing the beds and poor updating and maintenance. In many countries, bed size is a cultural thing. We don’t expect king beds as we travel.
Pelicans are beautiful up close.  Little do we realize their exquisite markings when seeing them at a beach.

Of course, there are many amenities we prefer such as complimentary coffee and tea service in the room, and an on-site restaurant when we’ll be dining. On a single night, hotel stay, a restaurant is less important to us when its nothing to us to miss a meal.

(I don’t eat breakfast except on cruises and when at a vacation home, Tom has a small serving of bacon and egg casserole I make and freeze in packets of three servings which we defrost one package at a time. Neither of us cares for lunch, even while cruising. Our way of eating causes a tremendous lack of appetite and we chose to eat only when hungry). 
This life of travel requires a tremendous amount of work and planning. For us, we enjoy the planning and details. If we didn’t plan well in advance life could be chaotic at times, a situation we prefer to avoid at all costs and efforts.
An ibis pecking on the grounds near the rainforest.
Neither of us succumbs to drama and chaos. Luckily, our personality types have grown to a point of avoiding confrontation, instead kindly asking for what we need and want. Complaining is not a part of who we are. 
If we book a hotel and don’t like it, we express our views in a review. If our room isn’t clean or appropriate, we’d kindly ask for another (which rarely occurs when booking 4 stars or more). If we booked a hotel for a longer-term, we explain why we don’t like it and work toward a refund after we’ve found other options. (This hasn’t happened).
Please feel free to ask any questions regarding this topic (or another topic if preferred) by commenting at the end of today’s post. You may do so anonymously if you’d prefer. We don’t see your email address and can only reply to you here. We usually respond within 12 hours.  We love hearing from our readers!Have a fun-filled weekend!
                                             Photo from one year ago today, August 15, 2014:
We both smiled when we downloaded this photo. It’s so Paris! Two weeks was a long time to spend in Paris and we were ready to head to London the next day, traveling on the Eurostar (the Chunnel train), excited for the first time experience of traveling under the English Channel on a train. For more photos, please click here.

Rainforests continue…Wildlife along the way…What’s next for us in Australia?

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Nothing is more exciting for us than spotting wildlife in its natural habitat as was the case here when we spotted this pelican.

At this point, we’ve decided not to make any long road trips. The little car has trouble on mountainous roads and that’s the only direction we haven’t headed since we arrived in the Cairns area over two months ago.

Exiting a portion of the rainforest we encountered this park-like setting.

Also, we aren’t excited to do a road trip especially when the areas we’ve yet to visit require an overnight stay based on the distance. Perhaps, when our cruise makes a stop in Cairns in November 2016, if there’s anything more we’d like to see here, we’ll arrange a tour at that time.

After exiting the wooden boardwalk through the densest area of the rainforest, we found dirt paths that lead in either direction to the two nearby lakes, saltwater, and freshwater. 

In the interim, we continue to scour the Cairns area and can’t imagine running out of sites to see in our remaining slightly over three weeks in Australia. We’ve tightened our budget to prepare for expenses required to fill in the gaps in our itinerary and also to pay for upcoming vacation rentals and cruises. 

A footbridge over the saltwater creek.

At this point, we have little interest in spending money on overnight stays or sightseeing. It’s the “nature of the beast” if we want to live only on the amounts we’ve delegated from our monthly income, avoiding the necessity of tapping other less liquid resources. Isn’t that what most retirees do anyway, managing a budget to avoid creating stress?

The saltwater creek.

Not surprisingly, we’ve had little trouble finding interesting sites to visit on a budget. Early on, we’d considered the train and Skyrail up to the rainforests, but after hiking through several rainforests we both agree that seeing them on the ground has more appeal to us and provides a better photo-taking opportunity with our interest in “small things.”

Peeking through the vegetation to the saltwater lake.

Some may say there’s nothing comparable to seeing the rainforest from high above the treetops but, considering how many sites we’ve seen worldwide these past three years, we’ve learned to carefully pick and choose that which appeals to us the most.

We’re always drawn to the water.

After all, as much as posting each day means to us and believe me, it does more than our readers can imagine, we’ve chosen our activities based on what we prefer to do as our first priority. We’ve chosen a life centered around our own interests and hope our readers understand and appreciate the path we’ve chosen. 

This palm tree appeared to have been trimmed to result in this peculiar trunk.

Based on our ongoing, continually growing worldwide readership, for which we are very grateful, we make the assumption our readers are OK with our stories and photos. However, we’re always open to suggestions if you’d like to share your thoughts and ideas via comments or email.

Let’s face it until we’re in the rainforests of the Amazon (on our “to do” list) we may not be witness to the degree of wildlife that fulfills us the most in our travels. 

We didn’t spot any wildlife in the saltwater lake although we heard the songs of many birds.

Foolishly, we’d expected Australia to be comparable to Africa in its available abundance of wildlife. In some areas, this may be the case. Here in this beautiful area of Cairns, Queensland we’ve seen few animals in the wild other than birds, kangaroos, and wallabies. Had we not been to Africa, this would be all we’d expect or want to see.

We traversed back over the bridge to the creek to head in another direction.

Ah, Africa…it nags at my heart for the day we return. If it was my choice alone, we’d be returning after we’ve completed our time in the South Pacific. But, this isn’t a one-person operation. And, as much as Tom loved Africa, and believe me he did, he encourages me to have an open heart and mind to explore other parts of the world while we can.

My logical nature totally agrees with him. Don’t get me wrong…I’m loving Australia, the most friendly continent in the world. It’s beautiful, tropical (particularly where we are now), and consists of one exquisite sandy beach after another. 

I literally squealed when we spotted this pelican in the freshwater lake along with a few duck species we’d yet to see. 

Who could ask for more?  Australia is a great place to live. Housing prices may be on the higher side but the cost of products and services seems reasonable to us. We’ll easily stay within our shopping budget while here which will prove to be about 35% less than it was in Hawaii (not surprisingly). 

Probably, one of the most delightful aspects of Australia is its people. Their tongue-in-cheek humor, their ease with voicing their thoughts and opinions, and their easy way of laughing and loving is heartwarming.   

Pelicans are graceful and elegant.

Lately, two evenings a week, we’ve been watching Australia’s version of “The Bachelor,” one of my favorites in the US. Even Tom got on board with this show over the years. Seeing the way the girls interact with one another in a loving and affectionate way is so typical Aussie style. 

We observe this same warmth on the news shows and when we’re out and about finding ourselves laughing over their playful nature. We’ve never experienced such ease and vulnerability of people anywhere in the world. It’s refreshing and, if we leave here with only that in mind, we’ve learned a valuable lesson from its warm, kindly people.

Every so often she scoops up a tasty morsel from the water.

With six Australia based cruises in the future, we have plenty of opportunities to interact with more of these unique people. Without a doubt, we’ll enjoy every moment.

Have a wonderful weekend as summer begins to wind down for those in the uppermost northern hemisphere and for us, winter in Queensland is perfect every day at a sunny 82F, 28C.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, August 14, 2014:

With little humility, I patted myself on the back for managing to take this photo of Venus de Milo at Le Louvre without a crowd hovering around her. Visiting the world-famous museum will remain as a highlight of our travels.  For more photos, please click here.

The rainforest…Where are they?…We hiked in a triple canopy rainforest…One year ago, a favorite photo from Le Louvre…

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As we made our way through a portion of the triple canopy rainforest we encountered two lakes, a creek, and a river. This is the saltwater lake. Tomorrow, we’ll be posting photos of the freshwater lake, the river, and the creek which included a wildlife surprise.

Many of us have the perception is that there is only one major rainforest in the world, the largest in the Amazon River Basin in South America. And yet, there are rainforests throughout the world.

The sign at the entrance to the rainforest boardwalk.

“The largest rainforests are in the Amazon River Basin (South America), the Congo River Basin (western Africa), and throughout much of southeast Asia. Smaller rainforests are located in Central America, Madagascar, Australia and nearby islands, India, and other locations in the tropics.

For more information on rainforests throughout the world, please click here.

As shown in the above map, we’ve already visited rainforests in Central America while we lived in Belize, formerly British Honduras and also as we’ve visited many islands on various cruises and now in our backyard.  If we could climb the steep hill behind the house, we’d be in the rainforest.

Leaves changing color in the rainforest.

As with most forests, walking through a rainforest isn’t easy unless one carries a  machete if the trails aren’t available. Australia, in its infinite wisdom and devoted to its natural resources, makes hiking through many of their rainforests relatively easy.

Spindly tree.

At least on four prior occasions since our arrival over two months ago we’ve had an opportunity to enter rainforests located in Queensland. Yesterday, was no exception when we headed back to the area of the Cairns Botanic Gardens where across the road is the entrance to an extensive trail through an area of rainforest we’d yet to explore.

Sunlight filtering into the dense triple canopy rainforest, which connotes dense vegetation on the ground, the center and the treetops blocking out sunlight.  An occasional opening allowed for sunlight to filter through.
As for the Australian rainforests:

“Millions of years ago, Australia, New Zealand and the island of New Guinea formed part of a great forested southern continent, isolated from the rest of the world. Today these countries contain many different species of animal that occur nowhere else.  Undergrowth in Australia’s tropical forests is dense and lush. The forests lie in the path of wet winds blowing in from the Pacific.

We made the trek around noontime, when we had an opportunity to see the most with the sun directly overhead. The wooden boardwalk was a little wobbly and unstable at the point but overall safe.

While living on tropical islands in our immediate future, there will be many more rainforests to explore. As we visited several thus far in Australia and other parts of the world we find each to have its own personality, many with considerable wildlife lurking within the canopy and others, such as here in Australia with less visible wildlife as we walked the trail.

Sun filtering through to standing water in an otherwise dry creek bed.

And we stress, “visible,” when much of the rainforests consist of “small things” not necessarily easy to spot with the naked eye. Lately, we’ve been watching episode after episode of David Attenborough’s amazing stories of life on our planet.

A visitor at a distance which illustrates the narrowness of the boardwalk. At times, we had to use our arms to get through heavy vegetation overtaking the boardwalk.

Watching these fabulous documentaries has aided us in the further realization of how small many creatures are in the rainforests, often difficult to spot as we traverse our way through dense vegetation, the narrow manmade path leading the way.

Tom stopping to admire a huge tree.

For our exploration, we revel in spotting unique vegetation and occasional signs of life, other than the occasional hiker walking by us. Oh, I need to mention a fact about Australia that intrigues us. Australians walk on the same side of a path as cars drive on the road. 

Occasionally, a sign was posted naming a particular tree.

As we encountered others on the narrow path, my inclination had been to move to the right to make room for them to pass when in fact, I’ve needed to move to the left. Tom reminded me to avoid making a fool of myself. Duly noted.

This tree was huge, much wider than it appears in this photo. See the above photo for Tom standing next to it.

The wood boardwalk running through a large portion of the rainforest we toured was too narrow for us to walk side by side. As a result, when exploring rainforests Tom walks in front of me stopping when he spots a point of interest.

Vines accumulating on the ground from the tree above.

His eyes are quicker than mine and we often stop when he sees a photo-worthy opportunity. He rarely disappoints. I’m more inclined to spot a more “romantic” sighting than an object of interest. As a result, we’re a perfect match (in more than one way).

We spotted several trees with vines wrapped around the trunk.

The value of maintaining the integrity of rainforests has definitely become known to most of the world although certain factions prefer to ignore the importance of these magical forests for the future of humanity in many ways.  

We wandered through the Lowland Paperbark Forest.
The destruction of rainforests is both political and money-driven and I prefer not to get into that discussion here. However, any of our long term readers easily surmise our stance on the preservation of our natural resources both in wildlife and vegetation, the most important aspects of our travels, that which brings us the most joy.
It was easy to see why the bark of certain trees is referred to as paperbark.

It’s sad that any of us on a smaller scale can only take a stance and have little impact on that preservation. On a larger scale? It’s another matter. Yes, in our selfish existence, we admire, we enjoy, we take photos and we write. 

Fine, flaky bark on this tree.

Perhaps, somewhere along the way, our constant mumblings may have even a tiny effect in some way if only one person who is involved in the depletion of our natural resources is inspired to consider an alternative.

This tree has an usual base of the trunk.

For the rest of us, we can only consider and implement means of reducing our “ecological footprint” by using methods easily incorporated into our lives

This sign introduced us to the Pandanus Swamp Forest.
Today and over the next few days, we’ll be sharing more of our rainforest photos. It was a warm, sunny day with a slight breeze, keeping the mozzies at bay. Neither of us was bitten once as we made our way through the “triple canopy” which proved to be an interesting and rewarding experience.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, August 12, 2014:

We took this photo from inside Le Louvre from an open window. What a scene! What an experience! For many more Louvre photos, please click here.

Mission accomplished…Tip for travelers to Australia…Solutions for us…

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This parasitic plant appears to be a face looking up to the sky with leaves in its mouth and throat.

We apologize if today’s topic doesn’t apply to you. However, in today’s world, this subject is important for both business travelers and tourists, technology while on the move.

Three years ago, we found information on technology in other countries other than our familiar USA often confusing and difficult to understand. Each country has its own means of providing Internet service to its residents and the concept of SIM cards is unheard of in some countries.

Although we’ve covered this topic in the past, with our influx of new readers who may not have had the time to go back and read our prior 1104 posts (duh), we share this update today particularly as it applies to a non-resident traveler to Australia which includes Tasmania and a few other Australian islands.

It’s winter here now with fewer flowers blooming than in spring but we love seeing flowers during the off-season.

A bit of review: When we booked the house in Trinity Beach, it listed free wireless Internet access is included in the rent. For the average user, this may have been ideal.

The signal is available in this property via a router in the owner’s house above us, making the distance alone an issue by providing a strong signal in this large property. This is not unlike a router in your own home not providing a strong signal on another level such as a basement or upper level.

Also, we are sharing that router connection with the owners who are often home and online at the same time as us. This creates a very difficult scenario. If we were typical tourists only needing access to email and occasionally searching for restaurants and  “things to do” this wouldn’t be an issue.

But for us, not only posting each day with the inclusion of many data hogging photos and our intensive searching for future travels causes us to run into considerable issues with the slow and inconsistent signal especially if we’re both online on the house’s router at the same time.

Shooting up at our vacation property from our return walk. The owners live in the huge upper level while we live on the ground level smaller though the ideal property.

Within a few hours of our arrival, we realized we had a serious situation that would prevent me from being able to upload our daily posts. As discussed in an earlier post, we had no choice but to head to a local phone store, Telstra, to search for a solution, hopefully using our own global hot spots by inserting one of their SIM cards. 

Simply put, a SIM card is a small card inserted into phones, routers, and various wifi devices that picks up the local wifi signal for which the user is charged for the data via a prepaid or billed service. Please click the link for a more detailed description.

As it turned out, Australia is locked up with cell phone contracts. There’s no such thing as the use of a global SIM card in this country. Either purchase a prepaid SIM card or a two-year contract from one of the local providers or eels one is out of luck. 

Essentially, Telstra allowed us to borrow a hot spot without a rental fee for the device while we paid for the data which we’ve reloaded on several occasions online through their website. As it turned out, I exclusively use the hot spot while Tom uses the wifi in the house. The cost of data for my use is a cost of USD $102.26, AUD $140 for 16 gigabytes of data.

Pretty bougainvillea we found on a walk in the neighborhood.

I use all 16 of these gigs every three weeks, renewing for an additional 16 gig once it gets down below 2 gigs.  Then, I go online to Telstra’s website: m.telstra.com to easily renew. Tom could easily log on to the hot spot but his data use is calculated exponentially.

It took me a few times to figure out that the online data reload won’t accept a credit card issued outside of Australia. As a result, its been necessary to pay using PayPal, a secure service we frequently use for online payments. 

Once we activated our first SIM card in Australia, I’ve never experienced an outage, difficulty getting online, or an issue uploading posts or photos. Simply put, it works well.

However, before we leave Trinity Beach we’ll return the loaned hot spot while we’ll continue to travel in and out of Australia over the next 21 months. How will we handle our wifi needs when our own hot spots won’t work here and we’ll be at hotels, on ships, and at ports of call during which we’ll be required to pay even higher fees for data for often a poor signal?

Pink bougainvillea was in abundance in Kenya during the heat of the late fall season.

The only logical solution was to purchase our own Australian hot spot (they don’t carry unlocked universal/global hot spots) and reload the SIM card as required. Ultimately the cost of the device itself was the biggest issue.  We already knew the cost of the data.

Upon visiting the Telstra store in the Smithfield Mall yesterday, spending considerable time with a rep encouraging us to take a two-year contract, we ending up deciding on the most economical decision…no contract, buy a device, load data as needed.

With a few devices available we opted for the following device as shown in this photo which includes 3 gigs of complementary data which should see me through a few days and must be used within 28 days from purchase.  Once that data is used we’ll reload the SIM card. Once reloaded, the new data expires in a year.

Our new Australia only hot spot purchased yesterday at Telstra.

Thus,  we’ll be able to be online when we go to the airport in Cairns, when we stay at the hotel in Sydney before flying to Fiji when we wait at the airport in Sydney before boarding the plane to Fiji. Once we arrive in Fiji, the device will be dormant during our entire stay, fired up again once we’re back in Australia in January for a cruise. 

Once we arrive in New Zealand later in January, again, we’ll figure out a solution that will work for us. With Fiji upcoming, we’ll do the same. There’s no country we’ve visited in the world where the wifi was an easy option considering our use, even when we were in Hawaii where we couldn’t purchase an affordable SIM card to use in our global hot spots. Luckily, the houses in Hawaii provided strong signals.

We wondered what was beyond this barn in the neighborhood.

The cost of the hot spot was AUD $99, USD $72.33.  It pays for us. You may think that as a traveler to Australia for a two-week vacation/holiday that this won’t pay for you. However, as a traveler requiring considerable data use or those choosing to avoid paying high wifi per day fees at a hotel with a poor signal, this may work for you, especially for the business traveler. 

Unfortunately, once we permanently leave Australia, we’ll have no use for the hot spot. We look at it this way…we could go out to dinner and spend the AUD $99 without batting an eyelash.  At least for now, this is the purchase that keeps giving.

Many travelers don’t realize that using wifi on their phones results in “roaming fees” that may result in $1000’s in surprise fees on their cell phone bill when returning home. 

We’d seen these droopy topped agave plants in Hawaii, also found in Australia.

We’ve heard from others about their lack of understanding in this area only resulted in a later discovery that each time they called, sent an email or uploaded photos or, logged into Facebook while on a cruise or traveling, they incurred huge roaming fees when outside their home country.

It’s an ongoing process as we move from country to country. Technology is not universal and may never be so.  In the interim, we do our best to figure out the most logical, user-friendly, and economical solutions to best serve our needs.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, August 12, 2014:

There we were at Le Louvre. It was hard for us to believe we were actually there. For more details and photos, please click here.