Along the Hibiscus Highway with all new photos!…

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Digicel SIM card sales office and The Canteen, a quick and easy shop, used primarily by tourists and locals needing to purchase a few items when the stores are closed.
With cloudy weather continuing day after day, much to the surprise of the locals, we hesitate to explore with the prospect of rain. Many of the roads on this fairly remote island are rough and uneven, making rainy day travel illogical.

Each day we wait to call Ratnesh to determine if the clouds will cover what appears to be an otherwise sunny morning. By the time we finish posting the clouds have rolled in for yet another cloud-covered day.

Boats at the marina in the village.

As much as we love getting out, we don’t mind the cloudy days, keeping ourselves busy at home as many retirees do some days each week. We don’t all get out every day. 

When living in a metropolitan area, one can wake up rain, shine or snow and decide to make a trip to Costco, Sam’s Club, Starbucks or have lunch with a friend or significant other, none of which are available to us in most areas of the world we visit.

An old structure that may or may not be utilized.

If we were still living in Minnesota as retirees, an experience we’ve never had, when we left on the day Tom’s retirement began on October 31, 2012, we’d be busy with family and grandkid’s activities, visiting with friends, going to Target, Costco and Home Depot. 

In addition, we’d be spending considerable time with maintenance and upkeep of our home both inside and out; snow removal in the winter, gardening in the summer, making endless repairs throughout the year. 

Greenery along the Hibiscus Highway as we head to other villages.

We’d have been busy like most retirees who are fortunate enough to have good health and a modicum of financial stability to be able to enjoy a variety of activities. 

Instead, here we are, living in the second-largest island of Fiji, Vanua Levu, a quiet, unhurried life with no Home Depot, no Costco, or familiar chain restaurants with a gluten-free low carb menu. Our new “friends” are the lovely Fijian people we’ve met and with whom we interact almost daily. 

Cows are often found grazing close to the highway.

Over these past three years we’ve learned to find joy and contentment in our simple, unobstructed surroundings, the beauty in a newly discovered plant, bird, or tree, or in idle chatter in communicating with our family and friends through the magic of the Internet. 

Life isn’t always about the next “big” thing, the next adventure, the next unique sighting, or the next life-changing experience. For us, it’s the simple aspects of life that bring us the most overall joy and fulfillment; love, companionship, good health, a roof over our heads, availability of fresh food, and the blessed opportunity to share our story with all of you.

Thank you for traveling along with us, in good times and not-so-good times, as we continue on this journey.  You all mean “the world” to us!

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

It was one year ago that we found ourselves worried about the flow of the lava from erupting Mount Kilauea heading in the direction of the houses we’d rented for the upcoming family visit in December. In the end, it all worked out but not without a bit of worry along the way.  The lava continues to flow at this time. For more details and maps, please click here.

The nuances of daily maid service…Its different for us…

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A glimpse of loveliness.

We’re a bit ambivalent regarding daily maid service which has been provided in many countries we’ve visited to date. We’re still uncertain if we prefer this often included daily benefit or not.

It may be surprising, but in most vacation homes providing housekeeping services, the renters have no alternative but to accept it. After all, this is how the staff earns a living.  To say we don’t want the service, or if we prefer it less frequently would create a dilemma for the owners or property managers with the potential loss of income for the staff, which we’d never want to occur.

They can’t reduce the employee’s wages commensurate with a renter’s preference for “less” service. The employee’s workdays are centered around servicing all the properties in a resort, such as in this property with a total of four units: the separate house called the Blue Banana (where we live), two units on the pool level, and a third top floor luxury unit located in the single building up the hill from us.

There are two housekeepers, Shalote and Usi, that alternate a three-day shift for a total of seven days of coverage. As a result, we have daily maid service.

Bananas growing outside our window.

For us, staying almost three months, it’s different than a two or three days or even two-week stay for most tourists. Our cleaning needs become more comprehensive over time as dust accumulates throughout the house which may usually only be attended to during the time of a turnover. 

The usual daily service includes; making the bed, adding fresh towels and toilet paper, and a quick wiping around the bathroom. Floor sweeping and washing are done based on request. Laundry service is provided at an additional charge, although this has been included based on our long-term stay.

Renters, in some properties, may be expected to do their dishes and keep the kitchen clean if used. From what we’ve heard over these past years, many may leave a mess in the kitchen for the staff to handle. Many other renters rarely use the kitchen, preferring to dine out for most meals, only using the refrigerator for breakfast foods and snacks, and rarely, if ever using the stove. 

When we lived in Marloth Park in South Africa at African Reunion House, a glorious upscale property, Zeff was our daily housekeeper. His job included not only cleaning and laundry each day but also washing, drying, and putting away dishes from the previous night’s meal and a comprehensive kitchen cleaning as needed. We never left dishes or a mess for Zeff.

Orchids blooming due to Junior’s green thumb.

Neither of us leaves dirty dishes in the sink overnight and we have always cleaned the kitchen after food prep and dining, regardless of the availability of housekeeping services.

Now, here in Blue Banana, we leave the kitchen spotless in the evening after dinner.  Tom washes the dishes, leaving them to drain. Later in the evening, I dry them and reset the table putting pots and bowls away. It’s a simple process requiring little time and effort. Neither of us can imagine leaving the mess for a housekeeper even if our visit was only for a short period.

In Morocco, we had a household staff which included a cook and support staff. We’re weren’t permitted to cook, do dishes or prepare anything other than coffee and light snacks that didn’t require cooking. We accepted this situation with the grace and dignity expected from the refined staff.

It’s a little ambiguous here in Fiji.  As we’ve noted in many other countries, including maid service although usually kind, responsible, and competent, is often inconsistent, not only in arrival time but in performing various tasks.

These lovely flowers emit a stunning fragrance.

Preferring not to “ask” for much based on the included daily maid service, we usually do most of the cleaning ourselves; the bathroom daily, the space where we sit in the living room including the glass coffee table and the entire kitchen including washing the refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, and countertops. 

We sweep the entire house almost daily especially after a busy day of food prep. With the tiny counter space, it’s easy to make a mess on the floor while chopping and dicing. With the ongoing ant situation, keeping all areas clean is crucial. 

While cooking a few days ago, I found hundreds of ants trying to get inside the refrigerator as on the indented handle (a groove) on the door for opening.  My hand must have been greasy when I opened the door, leaving the tiniest bit of grease behind, not visible to the naked eye. 

Opening the fridge, I found the entire gasket seal’s grooves filled with ants. Taking everything out of the tiny fridge, we washed everything, including the rubber sections in the gasket, using a rag over a top of a butter knife to gain access. We could hardly have left this for the staff to clean.

We’d love to be able to feast on these coconuts but opening them isn’t possible without a machete and an accurate swing.

Since that occurrence, I make a concerted effort to wash the entire exterior of the refrigerator after preparing meals to ensure this doesn’t occur again. This morning there were multiple long trails of ants on the bathroom counter, including a few in an empty contact lens case I had drying on a paper towel. 

One morning I awoke to find a dead ant swimming in the saline solution along with a contact lens (I tossed the lens and sterilized the case). We can’t expect or wait until housekeeping arrives to handle these scenarios, nor do we even mention it to Mario. The ants?  It’s life in Fiji. 

The longer we’re here, we learn ways to keep them under control without the use of toxic chemicals. We purchased a small spray can of a toxic chemical using it only when washing with hot soapy water won’t suffice, removing all food, dishes, and appliances in the area and staying outdoors until the fumes have fully dissipated.

Our bed is made daily, sheets changed every three days. We receive two fresh towels every other day which we’ve learned to use twice when in our old lives we used bath towels only once. We also received a few kitchen towels upon request but never quite enough as I continue to hand wash the towels almost daily.

These exquisite flowers are easily spotted by peeking over the veranda railing as we look out to the sea.

We certainly don’t mind doing some housekeeping. It keeps us moving, as opposed to sitting on our butts all day. Fortunately, cooking everything from scratch does require a fair amount of time standing in the kitchen keeping me active most days. With no fitness center anywhere to be found, days spent cooking keep me from sitting too long.

The laundry service provided is working well. Usi provides same-day service while Shalote delivers the neatly folded items the next day. Either way works for us. Other than underwear (I hand wash mine), we wear most of our tee shirts twice and shorts several times, hoping a little less washing will extend the life of our clothes.  

In a perfect world, we like having a comprehensive cleaning once a week. Whenever we’ve had that service, we’ve paid for it ourselves when in many vacation homes, it’s not provided.  When we move to Viti Levu in less than two months, we’ve asked the owner to arrange a weekly cleaner for us, for which we’ll cover the expense for the one month stay.

The aspect we continue to enjoy the most with household staff is the interaction with these lovely people including occasional visits from Junior. All locals, with deep roots in Fiji, continue to offer us history and insights into their daily lives which we’ll continue to share over these next months.

Happy day to all.

Photo from one year ago today, October 11, 2014:

Tom was smiling at the menu at the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant in Waikiki one year ago. The food was excellent and we returned night after night for dinner. I ordered a perfect Cobb salad every night with the big chunks of well-seasoned chicken and ripe avocado. Tom had the burger, fries, and onion rings since he splurges in restaurants and on cruise ships  For more details, please click here.

Oh no, not again!…

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This popular “island with three trees” is mostly underwater at high tide.

Technology is vital to our way of life. It is imperative for us as a means of transportation or a place to live.  Without it, we can’t research. We can’t manage our finances. We can’t source entertainment. 

Unless, we were willing to do it the “old way” the way it was done in years past when travelers wrote letters or sent telegrams to homeowners in various countries asking if they could rent a room, apartment, or house for a long term holiday.

Cross atop a distant rock on the shore at low tide.

As time progressed, most travel arrangements were often made through travel agencies. But for those seeking a vacation home, one was basically on their own. It’s only been through the magic of the Internet that short term rentals of fully equipped properties have evolved into a major industry, allowing travelers such as us, the luxury of using technology to connect “us” with “them” all the way across the world.

No, we’d never have been interested in this degree of travel by researching the old ways, via letters and static riddled long-distance phone calls. No, thank you. Also, the means of transportation have vastly changed over the decades, making it possible to fly to at least within a day’s car ride to almost anywhere in the world, so to speak.

We drove by the runway our plane used when we arrived at the tiny airport in Savusavu.

Thus, when you read, day after day, our ongoing struggle with attaining a sound Internet connection, please know, it has a tremendous effect on us. Do we spend a small fortune to call our bank when we’re overcharged for getting cash or do we go online, send an email to receive an adjustment within hours? Then again, how would we know we were overcharged? By waiting up to three months to receive a bank statement via snail mail? 

The backside of the tiny Savusavu airport.

How would we get cash? Walk into any bank expecting them to hand over cash from our account in the US?  Hardly, we’d have to set up special communications between the banks after weeks of waiting to be able to get cash for daily living. Not the case today, with technology. Yesterday, Tom slipped his debit card into an ATM machine to walk away one minute later with FJD $600, USD $283, thanks to technology.

Without this, without technology, our hands would be tied.  This life we live requires constant diligence is researching the next phase of our journey, maybe not daily, and at times, not weekly.  However, everyday we handle some aspects of our upcoming travels.

A large  inflatable raft for use of guests of nearby resort.

Everyday, we look up exchange rates.  Everyday, we research numerous web pages to assist us in accurate representations in our posts.  Everyday, we post, uploading photos and stories we’d surely never write without technology .  Instead we’d be using a paper journal with my scratchy inept handwriting, nearly impossible to decipher.

No crocs are to be found in these waters in Fiji.

Photos would have been a nightmare to handle.  Would we carry scrapbooks or photo albums with us all over the world?  We take approximately 10,000 photos a year.  How much would it have cost to have them printed in those days?  Technology.  For us, the answer is clear.

Far across the bay as we drove on the highway.

When we continually mention issues with technology, we anticipate our readers may cringe upon noting the post’s topic and say, “Oh no, not again!”  For this, we apologize.  But, we made a promise when we started this life, documenting our daily lives as we go that we’ll always tell it like it is.  No fluff, no embellishment, no painting of an unrealistic picture of pure bliss.  Telling it like it is, isn’t always interesting and glamorous.

Yesterday, when we visited the village, we purchased two wifi dongles at the Vodafone store for FJD $88, USD $41.51 including 10 gigs each of data, the local cell phone and Internet provider.  When we returned home, we had a strong signal up until around 7 pm. 

Low tide presents some interesting islands.

Today is a holiday, Fiji Day, the celebration of the nation’s independence.  As a result, Fijians are home for the holiday weekend and getting online on their phones and making calls.  The already congested Internet was so poor this morning we had no signal at all.  Now, we’re back up, perhaps temporarily, hopefully long enough to upload this post.

We have no doubt that once the weekend ends, we’ll be online again with more ease, using the technology available to us, conducting necessary banking and checking credit card balances, making free Skype calls to family and friends, posting photos and stories and resuming the search for the next opening in our itinerary, as we continue on our journey.

We never tire of ocean views.

So, after today, we’ll put an end to our endless comments about wifi during the remainder of our time on this island of Vanua Levu.  If you don’t see a post on a particular day, please accept our apologies and know, baring any unforeseen incident, most likely, we were unable to post due to a lack of signal and we’ll be back as quickly as possible.

Thanks to all of our loyal readers and followers.  If you’d like to receive each day’s post in your email, please enter your email address in the box provided on the main portion of any day’s post.  You will not be contacted by us or any other entity by doing so. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

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

Waikiki Beach and Honolulu are a photographer’s dream as shown in our photo at sunset one year ago.  For more details and photos, please click here.

Living in a third world country has its ups and downs…

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Tourist information at the police station.

When a tourist is visiting a third-world country partaking in its historical beauty with the intention of expanding their personal horizons through exposure to a land far removed from their own reality, they have an opportunity to experience life from an entirely different perspective.

Although we’ve had a tendency to avoid visiting war-torn countries, we have been to many countries where armed guards were stationed at every corner and safety could easily be compromised in the blink of an eye.

We’ve had the experience of having our driver’s car searched upon entry to a strip mall’s parking lot. We’ve been frisked when we entered the market, the chemist and the phone store. 

The local courthouse has few cases.

Two years ago we were living in Kenya when the horrific attack on a mall in Nairobi occurred. Although we were many hours drive away, our family and friends expressed concern as to our presence in a relatively high-risk environment. We have no regrets for the experiences of living in that and other countries.

But, that’s easy for us to say when our three months living in Kenya passed safely for us. We’ve visited war-torn countries, countries of political unrest, countries with riots in the streets, all with high risks of carjacking, bombings, and gunfire.

What constitutes a third world country? In some older references, it’s stated that a third world county is a “nonaligned nation, often developing nations” based on associations to other industrialized nations. Today, the definitions are vague. The term is used less often. But, the concept seems to revolve around economics and growth.

In those respects, Fiji, especially Vanua Levu is a third world country. The word “industrialization” is far removed from a description of this nation as a whole. 

There are no factory workers, no factories, no rail lines, and most modern products are shipped into the country via containers on ships, including household goods, furniture, cars, most clothing, technological equipment, and all packaged food products. 
 
From the perspective of a tourist, typically staying in a modern hotel, many of these aspects are less apparent.  They dine in the quaint local restaurants, shop in the locally owned shops, visit the typical tourist spots and come away with a perspective of comfort, luxury and abundance, much of which is provided by the hotel or resort and its tour relations.  

Hotels and resorts in their efforts to build their own economic wealth often provide an “all-inclusive” environment, often keeping tourists utilizing their amenities rather than seek outside local resources to enhance their vacation/holiday. 

Yes, they employ the local people surely adding a benefit to the nation’s economic growth as well as enhancing the quality of life for its employees. For visitors who stay for extended periods, such as us, don’t have the luxury of these pre-arranged price-included services and amenities. 

But, the “real” Fiji is its natural beauty, its warm and welcoming people, its exquisite ocean views, and its simplicity in that “less is more.” With a “less is more” mentality comes challenges often far removed from the reality of life in many other lands.

For us, for now, we live here.  Three months is a short period compared to a lifetime for the locals and their generations-long passed. But, three months is long enough to acquire the “flavor” of both the good and, the not so good, which connotes an aspect of living in this lovely nation with power outages, slow arrival of products, slow snail mail, poor wifi signals, and less advanced medical care.

The city provides housing for the police department and their families.

In these past five days as we’ve mentioned, we’ve experienced an eight-hour power outage and five days without a wifi signal. Instead, we’ve had no choice but to use a phone for a weak signal and for receiving email for which we’re very grateful. For the long haul, more is needed. 

To date, this hasn’t occurred as we continue to wait patiently as Mario scrambles to discover a possible viable solution. We appreciate his diligent efforts.

Soon, we’re headed to the village for shopping which is one of our favorite activities of living in a less modern environment. Shopping in Savusavu is both rewarding and enriching and we love every moment of wandering through the local shops, talking and smiling with the locals, and extending our heartfelt “bula” along with theirs.

A portion of the barracks provided for the police force employees.

With clouds overhead, we doubt we’ll do any sightseeing today.  Shopping is our second priority when we’ve consumed almost every morsel we’ve had on hand. Ratnesh is picking us up at 11:00 am for today’s list of priorities to include:

1.  Stop at ATM for cash
2.  Visit both digital data stores
3.  Visit the pharmacy for a pair of reading specs (mine broke, which I use at night after removing my contacts)
4.  Shop at the Farmers Market for produce for a long list
5.  Shop at the grocery stores with a shortlist
6.  Stop at the meat market to pick up the chickens Helen is holding for us and to purchase more streaky bacon and ground grass-fed beef and pork.

In essence, living in a so called “third world” country for a period of time fulfills exactly the types of experiences we find to be ultimately rewarding and memorable. With that, the challenges become a part of normal, everyday life. We continue to accept these challenges while seeking solutions that may, in the long run, make it just a little easier.

Have a fabulous new day in your life!

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

A huge banyan tree in Waikiki, commonly seen in the Hawaiian Islands. For more details, please click here.

Abundance is in the eye of the beholder…

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Ratnesh explained that before dark all the goats return to this abandoned house where they sleep at night. 

They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In our lives, we find that “abundance is in the eye of the beholder” is a more befitting observation we’ve found as we travel the world, especially in the hearts and minds of the local people. This has, without a doubt, rubbed off on us as we discover less and less becomes more and more appealing.

As we traveled along the road with Ratnesh he takes us to special places he knows we’ll find appealing. He’s quickly learned what appeals to us, not the usual tourist spots, but that which other tourists may find mundane and hardly photo-worthy.

Cows munching on greenery along the road.

Our tastes are simple, often wrapped around the sightings that so well bespeak the lifestyle and work of the people of Fiji, a few cows grazing near the road; a flock of chickens wandering about with chicks in tow, rooster-dad watching for danger; a herd of goats, knowing exactly where to return as darkness falls.

Our minds wander to who these people are, whose lives depend on these animals for sustenance, for income, and for an opportunity to live a life comparable to the unencumbered lives so many freely live here on this quiet island. 

These goats were on the shoulder of the road, free to roam.

Abundance is in the eye of the beholder. Over these past years on the move, we, too, have filled our hearts with a sense of abundance that doesn’t include flat-screen TVs, DVRs, central air conditioning, or closets filled with clothes.

We ask only for a clean, comfortable temporary home, working plumbing, power, and blessed be WiFi, so we can share our story as it unfolds each day, in itself providing us with a sense of abundance with thoughts of how many citizens of the world have read our posts, some once, others over and over again. For us, that’s abundance.

Hopefully, motorists kept a watchful eye when driving past them.

Is it well deserved?  Perhaps not, at times as we waft through the mundane of daily lives, without a single exciting adventure or photo to share. And at other times, perhaps yes, when we have an exciting story we can’t wait to spill, a jaw-dropping experience we’d only imagined in our dreams.

I write this post on October 7th at 5:30 pm, rapidly stroking the keys, hoping to upload a few photos tonight, all for an early upload in the morning. We don’t choose to alter the consistency of our posting, when we’ve diligently exercised every effort to be on time each and every day, except at times on long travel days.

There were several moms, kids, and a few dominant males in the group, always watching for potential dangers.

Why prepare a post the evening before its expected upload date? Today, Thursday, the WiFi to the area will be shut down in order to bring in a new line to our house to ensure we’ll have a viable connection during our remaining two months in Savusavu. We appreciate this greatly, Mario’s willingness to go to these lengths.

We’ve waited patiently for days. I’ve read six books in the past five days, my speed-reading ability learned decades ago, coming into play when I’ve been unable to be online, devouring page after page on the tiny screen on my phone. 

My fingers tire of “turning” the pages in the Kindle app long before my eyes tire of the printed words and at times, the stories are less than perfect, ranging from fluffy romance novels to gripping international intrigue and espionage. My tastes are varied. It’s the “page-turner” aspect I hunger for, hopefully well written. If not good after the first few pages, I permanently remove it from my phone. Garbage, I can’t read.

They munched and began the easy climb up this hill to their “home” as shown above in the main photo.

With a US $10, FJD $21.52 monthly fee with Amazon, I can read up to 10 books at any given time, returning each as I finish to grab another in its place after it’s returned online. How have I managed to download these books with a bad connection? 

Magically, using the Vodaphone SIM on Tom’s phone to connect to my phone which has worked for downloading books, although patience is of the utmost importance as I often wait as long as 20 minutes to download one book.

Hopefully, by late in the day, this waiting game will be over and we can go back to our usual lives of research, watching movies, and ease of use, taking this month-long focus on a bad signal well into oblivion. If not, I don’t know what we’ll do. 

Hurriedly, I wrap things up now, knowing by 9:30 the tech is scheduled to arrive to begin the work. As evident, he didn’t arrive yesterday to upgrade the lines. I called the phone company three times asking when a tech would arrive. 

This baby goat, no more than a few weeks old, was crying when it couldn’t easily get down the hill to join the others.

Finally, Mario received a call from the phone company’s tech guy asking him to pick up the tech guy in town to bring him here. The truck broke down and he had no transportation to make the appointment. 

I wonder how would he make the repairs today without his truck and equipment? But we shall see. I’d like to be optimistic. Surely, if and when this job is completed, a sense of abundance will once again prevail.

Will you find abundance in your life today?

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

The sunset in Hawaii was always worth checking out each night as we walked to a restaurant for dinner. We didn’t cook any meals in the tiny condo, finding it too confining. For more details and a sunset video, please click here.

Patience prevailed on a challenging day!…

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Ratnesh stopped along the highway to show us this lily pond.

We realize all of our readers must be tired of hearing about our wifi issues. Hopefully, by the end of today, we’re hoping to have working Internet. Right now, as I’ve done over the past several days, I’m using “Internet sharing” off of the Vodaphone Fiji SIM card installed in Tom’s phone in order to upload our posts.

The SIM card expires tomorrow and we still have 28 unused gigs we’ll lose when the data is only usable for 30 days. The signal was too weak to use much of the 30 gigs we purchased when we arrived. Tomorrow, we’ll “top off” the card with less data than the original purchase. 

Using wifi in this manner results in the slowest connection I’ve experienced since 1991 when it took hours to connect to the Internet via a landline. Yesterday, it took 30 minutes to load each of a few photos.

In late 1991, in the early Internet days, Tom and I each had a desktop computer. We’d play one of the first games offered online, Netplay. It took eight hours to download the game and it required a re-install many times when it would crash. We’d leave the computers on all night attempting to re-install it, often finding it wasn’t done in the morning.

On Monday, the phone company was supposed to come here to resolve our issues. Their truck broke down.  Then they were scheduled again for Tuesday. Alas, at 9:00 am yesterday, the power went out. There’s no way the phone company could work on providing us service without power.

Badal stops by every night while we’re having dinner. We give him something good to eat, the usual meat off of our plates. This photo was taken a few days ago when oddly, he arrived earlier than usual, just before sunset, enabling me to take a photo. 

We didn’t realize the power had gone out until about 30 minutes later when we tried to turn on the overhead fan and it wouldn’t start.  Checking a few outlets, we realized what had happened.  A short time later, Junior popped in to tell us the power would be out most of the day.  They were working on the lines.

Oh.  No power and no wifi. That makes for a fun-filled day. We thought about calling Ratnesh for a day’s outing, but if the power returned, the phone company could arrive and we needed to be here.

Quickly, we dimmed the brightness settings on our laptops and phones to a point of being barely readable, checking how much time we had left on the batteries on each, planning our day accordingly, mixed amongst playing Gin, playing games, reading a book on our laptops and phones. 

We couldn’t open the refrigerator to start preparing the salad for dinner, not wanting any of the coolness to escape, although we did so a few times for iced tea and ice.

We began planning the evening should the power not return before dark.  We had a delicious leftover entrée we could easily heat in a pan on the stove with some side dishes already made to accompany. When the power was out a week ago Shalote had brought us candles and matches so we could easily light the gas stove to reheat the meal. At 4:00 pm, I made my tea, as usual, heating the water in a pot on the stove as opposed to using the electric teapot.

If we left enough juice on my computer we could watch one or two videos we’d saved from Graboid. If we left enough juice on our phones we could read after dinner after watching a few videos.

At certain points, we discussed how the roads could have been anywhere in the world such as in this photo.

By 2 pm, we were almost out of juice, phones down to 20%, laptops not lagging far behind. If the power didn’t return it would be Gin only by candlelight, no books, no games, no mindless drivel. My laptop and Tom’s phone were nearly depleted of power from using his phone to prepare and upload the post which hogs data and energy.

Being together 24/7 doesn’t leave us hours of idle chatter over the events of our day to share with one another.  Although, throughout the day, we somehow found ourselves chatting over endless topics we may not have discussed most recently.

At 4:00 pm, Junior stopped by again to let us know if the power returned before 4:30 the phone company would still come out to work on the signal. Otherwise, they’d come out first thing today. 

Well, 4:30 came and went…no power. At 5 pm, almost to the minute when the electric company employee’s shift ends, the power returned. We still had no wifi, other than the weak signal returning on Tom’s phone as it began to recharge. 

We’ve learned to keep all of our electronics fully charged at all times for this very purpose. Had we not done so, we’d have run out of juice much earlier and those hours of solitaire on our laptops, whiled the time away, sort of.

Beach view. Seldom have we’ve seen people on the beaches.

We didn’t complain to Mario or Junior. We didn’t complain to one another in an effort to keep each other’s spirits up.  In these cases, it’s always comforting to know if the power will return before dark. But, one never does.

This isn’t comparable to living in one’s home when the power is out at night. We’d have gone down to the basement with an enormous flashlight, gathered our trusty Coleman battery and gas lanterns, and been set for the night. We’d even have had the opportunity to power up the generator we had for such occasions, returning the refrigerator to full operation along with many lights and other appliances.

During the day, we could have cleaned cupboards, rearranged dresser drawers, and busied ourselves in certain household tasks. In this life, we have no basement with lanterns or battery or gas operated devices to light the night. We had no shelves to rearrange and we don’t have a dresser with drawers, just a few shelves in a closet without hanging space. 

We had two tall skinny candles without candle holders and a book of matches. We’d do the “melt some wax into a plate and set the candle into it” thing and we’d have light.

This is the life we’ve chosen. And, sometimes, it’s not convenient. And sometimes, it’s annoying. And yes, sometimes we do complain. After all, simply because we’ve changed the roof over our heads, and the country in which we’re living, we’re still human and subject to frustrations, just like everyone else.

It was a beautiful day to be out. Hopefully, tomorrow’s outing will be equally sunny when today is overcast and windy.

We’re still us and although we’re more tolerant than in our old lives, our feathers do get ruffled from time to time.

So, while the power was out, I went on an ant killing rampage. Using the remaining hot water and soap, I washed everything where I saw a single ant, the exterior of the refrigerator, the cabinet door fronts, the wood countertops, the stovetop where they were marching in a straight line looking for a sloppy morsel I may have left behind. 

By 5:00 pm, on the nose, the power returned. The fact that we still had no wifi was incidental at that point.  We’d be able to enjoy our evening, have a nice dinner, watch our two remaining shows, an episode of Shark Tank and another episode of season two of Scandal (without a good wifi signal we haven’t been able to download movies and TV shows).

As always, Badal, Sewak’s dog, arrived at our door at 6:30 pm for a bite to eat which we freely offered and, we had a lovely meal, smiling and giggling over the excitement of the returned power, being together and our good fortune, good health and a roof over our heads.

Today, we wait even more patiently for the phone company to fix our issues but for now, with power, we’re fine. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Photo from one year ago, October 7, 2014:

Sunset photo we took standing on the shore of Waikiki Beach, one year ago. For more details, please click here.

Differences of life in the islands…Are we as happy here as compared to Hawaii?

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We stopped on a bridge for this photo.
How can it be that is has been one year ago that we arrived in Hawaii, precisely Waikiki Beach, where we stayed for 11 nights in a less than desirable condo?

After Waikiki, we lived on three more islands in the Hawaiian chain over a period of almost eight months, which seems so far behind us as now we live on yet another island, this time in Vanua Levu, Fiji while enjoying its unique charms, unlike Hawaii in innumerable ways.

The weather may be similar. The tropical plants and flowers may be familiar and the ocean views still draw our eyes countless times a day. But, it’s different…rugged…less populated…less modern.

Here in Fiji, we find ourselves entrenched in the life of the locals, surrounded by their cultures, their lifestyles, their language, and grasping at snippets of what life may be life for them, as opposed to the life we lived in Hawaii.

Rock formations, a tiny island, as shown on the beach at low tide.

In Hawaii, we rarely met a citizen of native Hawaiian descent. The reality over these past centuries has been the immigration of people from Polynesian and Asian countries and other countries worldwide. Hawaii became similar to the “melting pot” of many cultures in many big cities.

In addition, many have moved from the US mainland to live in Hawaii to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, only to discover that the island paradise, a traveler’s dream of island living, has traffic, commotion, lines at the Walmart and Costco stores and the hassle one experience in many larger cities.

Yes, there are the quaint little shops, malls, and farmer’s markets, but prices are set for the tourist trade that locals have no choice but to incorporate into their own bulging budgets. It’s expensive to live in Hawaii, more than we’ve seen anywhere in the world to date.

In essence, the “new” and continually growing population of Hawaii leaves a resident with many of the stresses they’d hope to leave behind. However, they have the opportunity to partake in some of the most exquisite scenery to be found anywhere in the world that takes one’s breath away on a daily basis. 

If that’s enough to keep a “transplant” happy along with the friendly nature of others who have moved to Hawaii, then a wonderful life is to be had. The ideal weather, the flowers blooming year-round, the excitement of erupting volcanoes, and the availability of almost anything one could want or need, makes Hawaii an ideal home for many who’ve moved to its resounding shores.

In Fiji, it’s an entirely different scenario. Most of the locals, as described in yesterday’s post, have lived in the Fijian Islands for generations resulting in the majority of the population.

Also, like Mario, our landlord from Germany, and his wife, Tatyana, many have traveled from foreign lands in hopes of living a more simple life but found themselves engaged in property ownership and management of vacation rentals when their ultimate desire to stay active and fulfilled overruled their desire for the “simple life.”

But, life isn’t so simple in Fiji, certainly not on this more remote second largest island and especially so for the new resident used to abundance and availability in their homeland. 

New photo of the Blue Lagoon. 

There isn’t a fast-food restaurant or big box type store to be found. If I needed to buy a mascara, I’d be hard-pressed to find any brand other than Maybelline with only one or two since discontinued options.

We scoured every one of the tiny markets, housewares, and hardware stores in the village hoping to find parchment paper and the egg turner. Fijian people don’t use parchment paper for baking. They grease the pan and then scrub, scrub, scrub to get it clean, exactly what we’re now doing.

The streets in Hawaii were filled with newer cars, imported or purchased locally. In Fiji, the vehicles on the roads are mostly trucks, mostly older, mostly four-wheel drive to accommodate the rough roads, steep inclines, and muddy driveways in rainy weather.

Oddly, we observed many homeless people living on the beaches and on the streets in Hawaii. We haven’t seen one here.

Oh, I could go on and on. But, why compare any further? I only do so to compare the differences we’re experiencing as world travelers sharing our ongoing story having spent eight months in the Hawaiian Islands and now with a total of four months in the Fijian Islands.  

Now as time has quickly passed, we’re down to three months, two more in Vanua Levu and one month upcoming in the mainland of Viti Levu. We’ll be boarding Celebrity Solstice on January 5, 2016.

Viewing spot for Namale Resort guests at the edge of this unusual rock formation.  More on Namale soon.

Were we happier in Hawaii than we are in Fiji? Socially, yes. Thanks to friend Richard, we became engaged in a large circle of friends, either from the US mainland or other cities of the major populace. Everything we could possibly need was at our fingertips. 

Although it was a glorious experience living in, particularly Kauai (for four months), there’s something about Fiji that extends the sense of our desired world travel adventure. 

We assume it lies in the simplicity, the slow pace (even including the fact that the phone company didn’t show yesterday to fix the signal), the charm of the local people, and the scratching to find what we need or want.

We learn when we struggle, not when life is easy and good. When we recall the experiences in our travels, only two years ago, that stick with us the most, it was when we were batting off the flies and mosquitoes, sleeping inside mosquito netting with only a slow-moving overhead fan to cool us in the heat and humidity that lingers at night.   

We easily recall that for three months we lived without a salon or living room, spending  16 hours a day outside on the veranda without screens, never without shoes on our feet, as poisonous insects crunched under our feet as we walked in the dark. We recall taking our shoes into the bed in case we had to go to the bathroom during the night. 

What did we learn in those scenarios? Possibly, the greatest lessons we’ve ever learned in our lives; that we can change, we can adapt, that we can accept and we can live “without.”

Now, the only thing missing is our ability to easily share this story with the readers of our ongoing personal growth and exploration, which is a good wifi signal. It’s definitely available here in Savusavu. It’s just not available to us right now. Hopefully, a resolution will be coming today. 

Once that’s resolved, we can sit back and truly relax, embracing that which is before us in its simplest forms; that our hearts and minds have become full with the reality that perhaps life isn’t meant to be so complicated.

The power’s been out for the past hour, which is expected to be down most of the day. Life in Fiji…

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

Its hard for us to believe it was a year ago that we spent 11 days in Waikiki Beach, this view of the beach from our veranda. For more details, please click here.

Life for Fijian people…Generations of ethics and values…Blue Lagoon photos!

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This morning Mario and I went to the village to meet with the phone/internet company.  Mario knows them well and they’ve promised to come today is coming to resolve our connectivity issues, whatever it takes. Once this is resolved, we’ll be able to post more photos each day. We apologize for the inconvenience and are exciting to be working well once again.

Seeing Vanua’s Levu Blue Lagoon was pure pleasure.  The color was breathtaking.

It’s only been almost a month since we arrived in Fiji. During this period, we’ve had numerous opportunities to speak with many native Fijians, with an ancestral history reaching back hundreds of years, many of whom were bound by a life of slavery and poverty.

These ancestral roots coupled with newfound freedom from slavery during only the past 45 years bespeaks the demeanor and ethics of a nation of people. Although only witnessed by us on this quieter of the two main islands for this short period, we only reference that which we learned here in this sleepy little village of Savusavu on the island of Vanua Levu.

It was two years ago, almost to the date, that we spent a day in the Maasai village, gleaning every morsel we could gather on their simple lives, their dignity and honor, and their traditions so foreign in our own naivety.

That’s not to say there’s a direct comparison between the Maasai and the people of Fiji. The only correlation I can make is the fact that they maintain a degree of integrity and work ethic befitting their culture and lifestyle, leaving no one in the lurch to falter without the dedication and without commitment in upholding their honorable heritage.

The people of Fiji embrace a life of simplicity only enhanced by the use of technology necessary to fulfill work obligations via the use of cell phones and now computers, not necessarily affordable in their homes but available at certain locations throughout the village; for managing their businesses and to maintain contact with loved ones from afar.

The Blue Lagoon is a popular spot for tourists to visit for sunbathing and swimming but we only saw one person near the water’s edge.

The only Fijians who don’t work are those with a severely disabled and/or the elderly who are unable to care for themselves. In those cases, the family members and friends provide for one another. 

When speaking to Fijians we find that everyone is “related” often referred to as an “aunt” or “uncle” or “grandma” or “grandpa” or other relations. Perhaps, in essence, particularly on this small island, they are related and if not, they give one another the respect in referring to their friends and neighbors as relatives of one sort or another. They all look out for one another. 

They explained that the government doesn’t provide assistance for those who can’t find work. They explain saying, “Everyone in Fiji works. We provide for ourselves. If they can’t find a job, they make a job…go fish in the sea and sell the fish at the market…someone will buy…grow a garden and sell the plentiful fruits and easily grown vegetables in the Farmer’s Market…sell coconuts, free and plentiful for the picking…farm chickens  and goats.” 

Peer pressure, moral and spiritual views, strong in Fijians, prevent them from expecting handouts and we see no begging on the streets, no pressure from vendors on the streets as tourists wander about the village.

If a neighbor or friend is without food or shelter, others will come to their aid, offering immediate sustenance and shelter and mostly, offers opportunities to work for a friend or relative.  Ah, would that the world be this way… helping one another…nudging one another to seek love, to seek work, and to live the best life possible.

The tourist trade on this island of Vanua Levu is subtle. As we walk into the village, it appears that 90% of the people are locals. However, these locals, along with the remaining 10% tourists are also consumers of products and services. They serve one another. They serve us. With kindness and generosity.

We asked the question, “When you go home from work at night, what do you do?” They answer, “We have no computer or television. After we cook and have a meal together, we do our work in our home to be clean and then spend time together in prayer, reading, playing a game, and talking about our day. That is our life. We are happy people. We don’t think of bad things and worry.”

Families stay together, all family members sharing in their age-appropriate roles to support the family. Many families include five or six children. They stay close and connected to adulthood and old age.

It’s not an easy life. But, if a life is lived without worry or stress, filled with love, and exercising a sense of responsibility and dedication to attain the best quality of life, happiness and joy is a natural response.

In one of my favorite books, “The Road Less Traveled” by M. Scott Peck, the author espouses, that “love” and “work” are secrets to true fulfillment in life;  loving one another and a higher power to give us strength and meaning; finding value and purpose in our work, as quoted from the book:

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”

“Love is the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth… Love is as love does. Love is an act of will — namely, both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love

To the extent that the Fijian people have embraced in their own knowledge and values, who they are as a people, who they’ve become in this day and age, and who they will be in future generations, we remain in awe.

                                                Photo from one year ago today, October 5, 2014:
Due to the poor WiFi signal, we aren’t able to bring up the year ago photo and link. As stated above: This afternoon, a technician from the phone/Internet provider is coming out to make repairs in our house. Hopefully, we’ll be fully operational by tomorrow’s post. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Most perfect day yet…Minus one amenity…

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Ratnesh showing us the rock formation by the sea.

We awoke this morning to both of our phones displaying a time of 7:30 am. When we got up and checked our computers, the time showed 6:30 am. For the first time since we arrived almost one month ago, it is by far the clearest day we’ve seen to date and yet when looking outside it appeared to be 7:30, not 6:30.

Soon, we discovered, the Internet wasn’t working most likely having a bearing on the clocks on our phones, with the laptops “remembering” the times we’d previously set. I suppose that makes sense.

This morning’s view across the bay.

A few days ago Junior brought us a single chaise lounge, which we’ll take turns using, and now at almost 9 am, I’m hoping that after I wrap up today’s post, the sun will still be out and available in the corner of the veranda where I’ll sit to soak up a much-needed dose of vitamin D, long since ignored and forgotten over all of these rainy days.

We drove into an area by the beach with a massive rock formation.

This house is situated on a huge U-shaped bay. Right now I need only pick up my head to see the other side of the bay as shown in this photo I took a few minutes ago. What a view! At some point soon, we expect simultaneous sunny days and working wifi enabling us to sit outdoors facing the ocean while posting.

We found coral in the tiny pool of water.

How am I writing now when the Internet is down? I’m hooked up to the weak signal from the SIM card on Tom’s phone. Our position on this mountain prevents a clear signal.  However, Blogger doesn’t require a strong signal to open a draft page when no photos are involved.  The writing part is doable on its own. 

The bubbles around the coral led us to believe it is alive.

Although our photos are small files they require a certain amount of bandwidth to upload to the Internet. Right now, using Tom’s SIM, I can only upload one photo at a time, requiring no less than 10 minutes each to complete.

It’s interesting how plants and trees grow from rocks and continue to thrive.

What I have done is post one photo at a time while keeping busying busy preparing tonight’s meal in short spurts in between the uploads. Sitting and watching a slow upload is comparable to watching paint dry.

As Ratnesh held this shell in his hand, the creature therein began to emerge.

At the moment, Mario (Junior is off today) is attempting to resolve the problem by re-establishing a connection to the router in our house which requires numerous settings he updates on his phone. We feel badly having to take his time but, we can’t be online without this device working properly. Otherwise, we’re sharing the connection with all of the other renters in the other building.

When the signal in out for the area, there’s nothing that can be done but wait until it returns whenever that may be. In the interim, being able to post with this weak signal from Tom’s phone will alleviate some of our concerns over getting something posted.

Ratnesh pointed to small shrimp, crustaceans, and a variety of sea creatures living in tiny shells.

We often think of our most avid readers who explain they enjoy that cup or coffee, tea or glass of wine when they sit down to check out what’s going on in our part of the world on yet another day. Although we may not have anything of great interest to share on a particular day, we feel compelled to post something with a few new photos.

A water hole in the rock formation with coral.

I know how disappointed I feel when finding a favorite blog that hasn’t posted anything recently. We’re all creatures of habit to some degree and consistency often provides us with a sense of comfort. Well, whether we have interesting news or not, we definitely fall into the consistency category of blog writers.

We have many more new photos to post but couldn’t resist sharing a few of this morning’s clear day photos of our views.

For tomorrow, hopefully back online with a full signal, we’ll have a post about the lifestyles and routines of the locals. We’ve interviewed several local citizens from generations of history on this small island of Vanua Levu. 

What they’ve shared with us is both interesting and awe-inspiring. Please check back tomorrow for the story and many more new photos.

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

When our ship docked in Hilo, we took a taxi for a tour of the city which included a stop at this same park we’d visited on another occasion when our kids came to visit months later. For details of that date, please click here.

An interesting question posed by a friend and reader…What do citizens of the world think of America?…More new sightseeing photos…

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We stopped along the drive on the Hibiscus Highway, a 70 mile stretch along some of the most exquisite scenery in the South Pacific, to check out the fisherman using nets to catch the day’s bounty.

A co-worker/friend of Tom’s from his 42 years on the railroad, apparently has been reading our posts. A few days ago, he posed a question in the comments section at the end of a post as follows:

“Jess & Tom: If possible, could you give your perspective of what the citizens of the world think of America. From the most uplifting conversations you’ve had to the most bizarre perspective, you’ve encountered. I know that in your writings you stay away from politics so if you prefer not to answer that’s fine. Rick”

I responded to Rick explaining that over the next several days, we’d respond to his query in the best way we can. We wrote back, his comment below, the following:

On a small island, it’s not unusual to spot abandoned boats, cars, and other vehicles when the cost to dispose of them otherwise could be prohibitive.

“Rick, great to hear from you. We do appreciate that you’re following along with us. It means so much to us both. You posed an interesting point that is definitely fodder for a post. How we’ll do this without imposing our personal political views will be tricky. But, we both feel it’s worth and try and worth a challenge we both would like to pursue. I assure you, Tom will be chiming in during the process. Our response will be online in the next week for sure. Warmest regards, Jess & Tom”

Rick, you are so right. We make a concerted effort to avoid expressing our political views in our posts. Based on the overall content of our site and the nature of our lives, politics don’t play a role of any consequence.

But, the essence of your question is not how we feel about politics in the US, which takes us off the hook in our response, but how America/Americans are perceived by the other citizens of the world.

The fishermen sell whole fish at a section of the Farmer’s Market. Without a good filet knife, it makes no sense for us to purchase an entire fish. Next time Mario fishes, he said he’d save some for us.

Overall, citizens of other countries’ perceptions are that America is still the land of endless opportunity and freedom. But others we’ve met have expressed their concerns for the political and financial climate in the USA. 

Their opinions are purely based on what they hear on the news and from vacations/holidays they take to the US often away from the trials and tribulations of daily life one rarely experiences when staying in a hotel or visiting with friends and family. 

For many, not all, it’s not unlike Americans traveling to Mexico, staying in a nice hotel and never leaving the area, for example, Cancun, a “metropolis of a sort” whereby a traveler never needs leave the area to see how people really live.

This boat was tied to a tree onshore.

We’ve found that perceptions of America are often predicated by their own country’s experiences with America in past wars, conflicts, and economic interaction as to whether their opinions are favorable or unfavorable.

Many countries we’ve visited have been a part of the old European empires. As these countries have gained their independence, including Fiji, our current location, the citizens maintain a negative perception based on the way their ancestors were treated over the generations.

We’ve found that America’s alliances with many of these formerly empire nations have “rubbed off” into the perceptions many citizens perception of the USA. Does this have an effect on us?

Enormous tree roots growing on the beach.

In a way, yes.  Often, their perceptions are tempered based on the fact that many US citizens bring dollars spent during travel into their countries providing jobs and revenue for their businesses. We see this in our daily lives as we are diligently fussed over and cared for by locals wherever we go. There has yet to be an exception to this.

However, the kindness and generosity of time and spirit don’t go unnoticed. We attribute this to the nature of the citizens ingrained in them once again over generations.

The most vehement attitude we’ve experienced over these past three years has been by other travelers. Let’s face it, we all carry certain opinions about citizens of various countries besides our own. These are often difficult to hide. Based on our lives of travel, we strive, every single day to avoid preconceived notions, perceptions, and stereotyping of a race, a country, or a group of people.

Ratnesh explained that there had been a fire on this boat and it has been on blocks in this spot for some time.

Those on vacation/holiday or a cruise may choose not to hold back their opinions. At times, we encounter a rare situation whereby they express many negative comments about the US, its citizens, its politics, and its lifestyle. Often, this occurs when on a cruise, mixed together with citizens of many countries.

Are we ever rejected due to our American status? I wish we could quote specific situations in response to Rick’s questions. However, when we’re privy to such negative comments, we tend to sit back and listen, rather than engage in a negative interaction, presenting ourselves as the “ugly American. At times, quiet and dignity are our best defense. 

For a specific example, which has a tendency to become politically charged, we find a certain area of the world having negative perceptions of US citizens based on the fact that generally, and I stress generally, we choose to speak only one language when many citizens of other parts of the world speak two or more languages, at times as high as five.

A creek running beneath the road we traveled to the sea.

On the flip side, many citizens of the world have a perception that moving to the US would solve all their problems, lighten their political frustrations, and open doors for great medical care, affordable housing, and living costs.

Later, when they travel to the US to find how expensive it can be, they may change their opinions as to the affordability of living in the US. For example, tipping is common in the US, albeit often expected in many service-related industries. 

We’ve found that tips we may offer, (out of habit) are either turned down or expressed as being too generous.  For example, here in Fiji, we will leave tips for our service staff and driver with recommendations from our landlord to avoid setting an unrealistic precedent. We’ve heard this over and over again. At times, we’ve been told, not to tip at all.

The marina is used by many part-time and year-round residents. From our veranda, we saw these sailboats wafting by.

Some citizens of the world have a perception that Americans are “rolling in dough.” This perception can result in our paying higher prices for products and services unless specific prices are posted. Neither of us is naïve enough to fall prey to these scenarios. Negotiation for services in one thing. Refusing to pay a certain price with an argument, is another. We tread carefully to avoid offending anyone or engaging in confrontation.

We must “qualify” today’s comments to a degree. Our observations may be skewed based on the fact that we rarely live in or near large cities. The perceptions of America/Americans in rural areas can be dramatically different than those in large metro areas. The only times we’re around crowds of citizens of the world is on cruise ships and in the hustle and bustle of tourist attractions.

No, America isn’t loved and revered everywhere we travel. However, overall we are treated with kindness and respect, whether or not we are making a purchase or benefitting the party in any manner. Generally, and I stress generally, we’re accepted wherever we may go.

Driving along the Hibiscus Highway is a worthwhile way to spend a day. More new photos tomorrow.

Rick, thank you for your inquiry and we hope in part we’ve answered your questions. If we haven’t, please feel free to email or comment further. We welcome your and other readers’ comments, questions, and opinions and always strive to answer them as promptly and comprehensively as possible.

Please don’t hesitate to request a specific topic you’d like to see us address in our posts.

Have a fabulous weekend as we roll further into October, the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. 

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

Once we arrived in Kona, it was necessary to take a “tender” to shore. Along the way, we spotted this cute little island. For more details of our time in Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, please click here.