Another challenging day in paradise…More challenges to come tomorrow…

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We drove through the village of Urata.

Our refrigerator died overnight. Luckily, it wasn’t the freezer that was packed with meat. Just the refrigerated portion. Two days ago, we purchased groceries and roasted chickens, much of which has now gone into the garbage having spoiled overnight. We can’t take a chance with any of it. 

We put everything we could in the freezer, packing the tiny space as tight as possible. Some items couldn’t be frozen and joined the rest into the garbage.

Upon arising yesterday, I commented to Tom that the fridge didn’t seem cold. It had been so hot and humid these past days we thought we may have overloaded the small fridge with the addition of the hot roasted chickens and piles of room temperature vegetables which may have caused it to cool down.

We kept checking the butter. As the day wore on, we knew it wasn’t going to get cold when eventually the butter was as soft as if it was sitting out. We didn’t have a thermometer or means of checking the temperature.

It appeared that the residents of Urata are into fishing as a primary source of income.

Around noon, we contacted Mario and within minutes Junior arrived to check it out. With the freezer working full speed, Junior adjusted some settings and said he’d check back by 2:00 pm at which point, we all agreed something had to be done to keep our food from spoiling.

By 4:00 pm, a serviceman was here much to our surprise.  At Fiji time, it could have been days. By this point, we’d begun tossing food, leaving items we knew would be safe to eat such as butter, cheese and sour cream.  Earlier, we’d already placed all the hard cheeses into the freezer, squeezing to make room.

He asked us to remove every item from the freezer which as tight as it was packed was a task in itself.  With Junior’s help we got it all removed and temporarily stored it in the insulated Costco bag.

We’d had no choice but to toss the recently made jar of our salad dressing and the remaining opened mayonnaise. Luckily, we still had unopened mayo and sour cream to use to make another batch.

The service guy got the fridge working again and waited along with Mario and Junior long enough to ensure it was working. The refrigerator was new when we arrived almost three months ago and shouldn’t be having problems this early. By 5:30, we were back in business, although cautiously optimistic. Today, it’s working again.

Although citizens of Fiji are often poor, living off the land and sea, they never fail to observe and appreciate the beauty surrounding them.

Having tossed our chicken dinner along with the mushroom casserole I’d made to go with it, we had few options for dinner this late in the day with everything frozen. We decided to take out a small portion of leftover cooked taco meat adding an extra package of beef mince for a meal of taco meat topped with pizza cheese, a side of cabbage salad which I chilled before dinner in the freezer in baggies, bacon and onion green beans and muffins. 

The dinner was fine although taco salad without tomatoes and lettuce, neither of which we had on hand made it less enjoyable than usual. We only purchase tomatoes when we’re having certain meals. Lately, quality lettuce hasn’t been unavailable. Cabbage has been our go-to salad vegetable in all of our travels since it keeps well for many days in the fridge but cabbage used for taco salad didn’t quite fit the bill.

My concern until the fridge was working again was a back-up plan. I’m the queen of back-up plans, not hysterical, not panicky, just desiring a plan. Mario managed to get the repair guy to agree to bring us a small hotel-sized refrigerator from his shop by dinnertime if he couldn’t get the fridge working again until we’d get a new fridge on Monday.

But, the day’s events didn’t end there. When Junior arrived around noon, he informed us there’d be an entire power shut down in Savusavu on Sunday (tomorrow) from 8 am to 6 pm. All businesses will be closed including all restaurants, markets, and shops. 

Handmade fishing and transporting rafts in Urata.

Today, I’m cooking enough Asian burger mix to make dinner for a few days, freezing any leftovers after tonight’s meal. The freezer, if left closed, should make it through the day without defrosting during the 10 hours. At 5:00 pm tomorrow, we take out more of the burger mix from the freezer for Sunday’s dinner. 

With the power supposedly returning by 6:00 pm making dinner should be fine. If not, I’m making a meal we can reheat on the gas stove lighting it with a match.

With no power, nowhere to go on Sunday (Rasnesh spends most of his day at church and with family) we have no choice but to stay put. In this scorching heat, without power, we won’t be able to use the fans. Even today, with the use of the overhead and standing fans, the heat and humidity is very uncomfortable.

With the mosquitoes on a frenzy after days of rain and humidity, its nearly impossible to sit outdoors right now. unless covered in DEET. We’ll remain indoors during the 10 hours power outage frequently showering to stay cool. Also, the ants have returned after the rains and with today’s cooking, we’ll be busy tonight washing everything to keep them under control.

The lush jungles surrounded every area are a constant reminder of the beauty Fiji offers its people.

No doubt, our laptop and phone batteries will die halfway through the day, even if we manage to darken our screens. I guess we’ll be playing Gin for the better part of the day.

Last night around 7:15 pm, the power went out for 20 minutes while we were watching an episode of the UK mini-series “Banished” (worth watching) on my laptop. We continued to watch the show in the dark.  I’d wondered if when the power is out the dongles will still work for Internet access. We tested it and, to our surprised discovery, that at least without power, the dongles may work.

However, if you don’t see us here tomorrow with the entire city’s electricity down, which may have an effect on Vodafone towers, you’ll know we couldn’t get online to post and we’ll be back the following day.

Whoever said living in Paradise doesn’t have its ups and downs, hasn’t stayed in Paradise for very long. We tend to look at it this way: We have our health, we have a roof over our heads, we have food and water and most of all we have each other. Our goal for tomorrow…staying cool, keeping our food safe, and no whining.

There it is folks. Back at you soon.

Photo from one year ago today, November 21, 2014:

The beauty of the Maui we know and love isn’t always only the sea and sand. The countryside and mountains create a picturesque scene. For more details and Maui photos, please click here.

Quite a day in the neighborhood…”Looking up”…

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This seaweed was offered for sale at the Farmers Market for FJD $5, USD $2.32 for a kilo (2.2 pounds). We didn’t purchase this.

Where do I begin? Yesterday, was quite a day. First off, it was the hottest day we’ve had in Fiji to date. It wasn’t only the temperature, which hovered around 90F, 32.2C, it was the humidity that also hovered around 90% on an otherwise sunny day.

In order to dry off after showering, we used the fan in the bedroom to get the sticky moisture off our skin. With no AC in the house, by the time we headed out the door at 1:00 pm for our weekly shopping trip to the village we were sweaty and sticky.

In our old lives, we often suffered from such humidity amid the worst of Minnesota’s summer heat, especially before and after a bad storm when the power was knocked out, often for days at a time. Once we got the generator going, the first to power up was the refrigerator and the AC.

Since the onset of our travels over three years ago, we’ve either didn’t have access to AC or didn’t use it during the day. If we had AC, to avoid high electrical costs for the owners of the properties, we seldom used it. There were AC units built into the wall in the bedrooms of only a few houses we’ve rented along the way.

Are we used to the heat? If we didn’t get used to it in Kenya, we never would. To a degree (no pun intended) we finally were able to tolerate it without complaint, accepting it as a part of our new lives. 

Yesterday, I sat on a bench waiting for Tom to return from the ATM after I’d purchased data from the Vodafone kiosk. He’s on the sidewalk across the street wearing a white shirt, carrying the Costco bag on his right shoulder.

Living in Kenya was two years ago and yet today, this much later, we still feel the brunt of the heat and humidity although not as badly as in the beginning. It’s kind of like hunger, thirst, or the need for sleep, it’s constant. I suppose the tolerance comes when one makes a decision not to notice it or discuss it as often.

Without a particular plan in place, long ago, we decided to be as tough and resilient as possible, which over time has escalated bit by bit. We’re not totally mindless of physical discomforts, but we continue to strive toward that ultimate goal which may in fact never occur. After all, we are human. 

And, when Tom didn’t complain for days about his abscessed tooth and the resulting discomfort, knowing it was the weekend and there was nothing we could do or… When over the past several days, I was suffering severe pain in my neck from bending my head down for days working on my dysfunctional computer, I, too, kept it to myself until finally the ice pack came out of the freezer and I had no choice but to explain.

Of course, we each prefer to provide love, care, and support to one another during periods of discomfort or pain. But, we’ve found that our own tolerance level can be exacerbated by quietly figuring it out on our own for at least a short period of time.

With the ice pack as my giveaway, I told Tom the issues with my computer which appeared ready to crash, and the resulting “pain in the neck” over the past several days.

My neck joins in with the horrible spinal condition I’ve had for 25 years for which the pain in my back has been remedied by a diet in reducing inflammation. But, the neck, with overuse, seems oblivious to the diet, and every six months or so I find myself hardly able to move my head for a few days.  

The sunny day’s heat in Savusavu was one of the hottest and most humid to date. It felt great to enter the New World Market, which is located across the street at the furthest corner.

My solution to the neck pain is clear; stop looking down…ice often for 20 minutes every few hours…and much to my dislike, take Aleve (after eating) for a few days. This morning I’m greatly improved after ramping up my usual treatment plan.

Yesterday, when we headed out with Ratnesh, I was uncomfortable, in pain, and feeling the heat and humidity more than ever. 

“Let’s get this shopping over as quickly as possible,” I told Tom and also Ratnesh particularly with the intent of alerting him that it wouldn’t be a good day to leave us waiting outside New World market in the heat while he took another distant fare, leaving us to wait for 40 minutes. He readily agreed to pick us up within minutes of our call.

Luckily, the shopping zipped along quickly and easily with no queue at the Vodafone store; the vegetables we wanted were readily available in the Farmers Market; New World grocery had 90% of the items on our list, and Helen at Fiji Meats had returned from the bank and our meats and roasted chicken were packed in minutes.

A mere 75 minutes after we left we were back home. The AC in Ratws34wnesh’s car helped cool us off for a while and although still uncomfortable, we unpacked the groceries and I started the time-consuming process of washing the many bags of vegetables. 

With no pesticides or preservatives used in growing produce in Fiji, cleaning produce is a laborious process ensuring each and every bug is removed and the dirt is carefully washed away. With only 24 inches (.61 meters) of kitchen counter space to work with, the task is particularly challenging.

Yesterday morning, we posted an early photo of Sewak’s garden. In the afternoon, they brought us a bag of produce. Today, I’ll roast some of these for tonight’s dinner.

In many countries produce is sprayed with water and preservatives. When purchased it looks bright and fresh. In most countries we visit, produce isn’t washed arriving at the market straight from the fields, dirt, bugs, bug eaten leaves and all. 

Overall, we love this fact. Yesterday, with bags and bags of dirty, bug covered vegetables in front of me, the heat and humidity at the peak of the day, and my inability to “look down” into the sink, I decided to only do what I could, finishing the rest today.

Tom offered to do it. Since I’ve always handled this task, I knew his frustration level and the time it would take wouldn’t be worth the angst it would cause him (and me).  Luckily, earlier in the day, I’d made dinner’s side dishes; salad and mushroom casserole. With the roasted chickens we’d picked up at Helen’s, dinner would be easy.

Before tackling the task, Tom poured me a fresh mug of iced tea while I changed into one of my cool long sleep shirts. As I cleaned the veggies with my head up, never looking down, I thought about the problems with my laptop. I’m a big user. I usually download no less than 40 gigs of movies and shows a week utilizing many added downloaded apps. None of this should be an issue.

The simple fact is that Windows 8.1 touchscreen is an unstable operating system, plain and simple. After reading about upgrading to Windows 10, we decided against it when it still has numerous bugs yet to be resolved. “Love the one your with,” so I say. Next time we purchase we’ll have few options but for now, we do.

The facts were clear. I had to “refresh” my computer which would remove all my downloaded apps from various websites but would save all of my files and photos (all of which are backed up on a cloud and external hard drive). It would be a time-consuming fix, putting everything back in order and hopefully starting fresh. I started the process after I cleaned the bulk of the veggies.

Tom’s midday snack includes streaky bacon and slices of Haloumi cheese sautéed in ghee.

Sweating like crazy, still “looking up,” hair in a bundle, wearing my “pajamas,” I cringed when I heard voices along the side of the house approaching our veranda. Sewak and his wife, Lita, whom we’d yet to meet, who’d been visiting family in Australia, stopped by for a visit with Badal, our friendly nightly visitor, wagging his tail as they approached.

“Oh my goodness,” I whispered to Tom under my breath, “We have company.” There was nothing I could do but greet them in my nightshirt, sweat pouring down my temples and still “looking up.”

They’d brought along a bag of produce from their garden; white eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini. They also offered us a bag of leftover sweets from Diwala, the Indian holiday celebration for which we posted a story last week. I sadly stated I can’t eat sweets or grains but was grateful for the kind offer. Tom grabbed the bag out of my hands saying, “I’ll eat that!” 

Offering them cold glasses of iced tea, they sat on the sofa and chatted for about an hour. Never mentioning my neck problem or discomfort, I cringed when I had to attend to my laptop a few times that required my attention as the “refresh” process continued. I apologized for the few moments I took my eyes away to attend to a few required clicks.

Then I cringed again when Sewak mentioned they were having trouble getting Skype to work on their ancient laptop which I’d fixed a few months ago. But, not unlike many seniors in today’s world and especially with technology relatively new to Fiji, they didn’t have a clue what to do when they couldn’t seem to be able to call their daughter.

Of course, I offered to fix their computer today at 1:00 pm. Hopefully, by then, the pelting rain will have stopped and I’ll be able to “look down” long enough to walk the treacherous path to their house and to be able to get their laptop working properly. If necessary, we’ll bundle up in our hooded jackets to make our way up the steep walk up the hill to their home.

My laptop is back in business, happily humming along with its “fix” along with the hours I spent late yesterday putting it all back in order. In the heat, I stacked two-bed pillows on my lap to raise it high enough that I only had to divert my eyes, not my neck downwards.

Today, again hot and humid the two pillows are still on my lap and after a fairly restful night, things are finally “looking up.”

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

Maui never disappointed with mostly sunny days, perfect warm weather, and gorgeous views. For more details on this date one year ago, please click here.

The nuances of managing our site…

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The bright blue sea usually indicates a coral reef of which there are many in Fiji.

Having the daily responsibility of keeping a website fresh and packed with information can be a daunting task.  Never interested in learning web design and HTML, I’ve preferred to pay attention to the “content” aspect of our blog as opposed to its design, hoping it’s an easy appealing place for our worldwide readers to visit.

Over the past years, our web developers,  Smitten Blog Designs, have done a great job for us and we’ve been thrilled with their great service and ingenuity. If you’re considering a website or blog, they’re happy to assist and continue to answer questions long after the design is established and the site is live.

Brooke, our web person at Smitten Blog Designs has suggested we move over to WordPress, another blog management site, that although it may cost a little more, is easier to manipulate, correct errors, and manage day-to-day postings with photos.  (FYI, we don’t use the help of our web developer when posting each day, only when we have design changes we’d like to make).

Currently, we’re using Blogger and over these past 44 months of posting, we’ve found it tricky and frustrating at times, especially in regard to posting photos and especially in line, paragraph, and photo spacing. 
Our readers may notice that at times we have too many spaces between paragraphs and photos which is entirely a Blogger related issue. Add in a poor Internet connection and I can spend hours attempting to edit a single post.

The hard part for us is letting go of our stats and losing a few readers.  Our web address will always be www.worldwidewaftage.com. Moving to WordPress won’t change that. If you’ve bookmarked our site, it will still take you wherever we may be by using our web address regardless of which blog editing software we may use.

Sewak, our neighbor, planted this garden a few months ago.

Since the onset of our posts in 2012, there are statistics that only we have access to located in the operational “dashboard” of the editing area of the site. If we move to WordPress, those stats will start all over again from zero.  

Losing the stats and beginning again is purely psychological for us. It would have no bearing on the site itself or its readership, only in the pleasure we’ve had in watching our readership grow to over 354,000 readers. 

Each day, we watch the stats, hoping to learn which topics and photos appeal most to our readers. If we move to WordPress the stats will begin anew and we’ll continue to be able to observe the daily activity as we’ve done in the past. All archives (previous posts) and comments will remain intact.

In the realm of things, our readership is minuscule compared to the millions of hits many other sites receive in a year. Even a single YouTube video can receive millions of hits in a matter of minutes. Then again, there are millions of blogs that only receive a few hundred hits per year.

An old shed on the property further up the hill.

When we started and as we continue today, we never expected to make money from our site. To date, we’ve never made enough to cover even our blog design and maintenance expenses. 

Some may assume, we’ve earned enough revenue from our advertisers to pay for our travels. Not the case. We don’t ever expect that to occur, nor do we experience any frustration over not earning enough to offset our travel expenses. This was started as a “labor of love” and continues in that context yet today.

Sure, it would be great to earn enough from our advertisers to cover the costs of the blog itself. The only way this is possible is to substantially increase our readership and for our readers to use the links provided on our site. Doing so simply takes the reader to the main site of the advertiser. Prices and features are the same. The difference is, we may receive a tiny commission if a reader makes a purchase.

We can use your help in increasing our readership by forwarding the link to our site, www.worldwidewaftage.com to your email contacts to those who enjoy travel and of course, “armchair” readers which comprise a huge majority of our readers. 

The view from higher up the hill from our house.

Posting our link on your Facebook page is another great way to increase our readership. Many “stay-at-home” seniors and others, unable to get out, read our daily posts. As a continuing story, many get a kick out of reading the latest, as we do in reading other blogs.

Instead, we’ve used this valuable platform to reach out to friends, family, and all the wonderful people who’ve visited us online to share our story of two senior citizens traveling the world, without a home, without a car, without storage somewhere, and with only three pieces of luggage and a few carry on bags.

The feedback we continue to receive from our readers on a daily basis via email and comments on the site has nourished our souls and spurred us on when at times, we’ve experienced angst and frustration, especially on travel days.

We’ve gleaned a substantial amount of comfort after any experience, knowing we’ll be able to share the story the next day with people who care, people who take their precious time to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea to read our endless ramblings and to see our photos. We are very grateful for each and every visitor that stops by our site.

View of the color changes in the sea from atop a hill in our area.

Our web address, as mentioned above, will always be available at www.worldwidewaftage.com regardless of which blog editing software we use, Blogger or WordPress. Should we decide to switch, it won’t be until after the first of the year and everything will remain the same for our readers

In case you’ve may have wondered, each day after we’ve uploaded a new post, if you enter www.worldwidewaftage.com you will be taken to the newest post we’ve done today. Yesterday’s post will have a different address along with our address, which will include words from the heading to differentiate it from the over 1200 posts we have done to date.

You can always reference past posts from the link of “previous posts” as we mentioned a few days ago by clicking on the little black arrow to get to an older post. Also, it’s easy to search for a particular post using the “search” box on the page.

A natural spring is located on Sewak’s property providing water for all of the neighbors in Korovesi. He shares the unfiltered water at no cost to the neighbors other than the expense to bring it to their properties and store it in tanks. We began drinking the pure water the day we arrived with no ill effects.  This isn’t always possible in many countries.

In the past few days, our web designer Brooke has added a feature for translation and updated the look of our advertisers.  For now, we’re staying put since making such a change would require time spent on our part. 

With only 17 days remaining until we depart Savusavu, Vanua Levu to head to the bigger island of Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, we’ll keep our time free to prepare for the upcoming move.

Have a meaningful day filled with thoughts that bring you peace and comfort!

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

Tom got a kick out of this old Ford “woody” that was on display at the Maui Tropical Plantation. For more photos from the tour of this facility, please click here.

Staying abreast of the news…You can run but you can’t hide…Out and about on a cloudy day…

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The Montfort Technical Institute in Savusavu assists poor children academically and economically to gain skills to prepare them for a productive adulthood.

While living in most vacation homes, in the mornings after showering and dressing for the day, we pour our coffee and sit down to work on our laptops; me, preparing the day’s post; and Tom, conducting research for future travels, communicating with friends and family and checking out what’s new at Ancestry.com, a favorite pastime.

The entrance to the Montfort Technical Institute.

Once comfortably situated, we’d turn on the TV, when we’ve had one, to check on the day’s news, during which I’d often find inspiration for the day’s story. With no TV here in Fiji, we’ve spent the past almost three months reading news online which as far as we’re concerned, is often “spun” to appear one way or another.

Online news is not much different than TV news. It too may be slanted to appeal to the provider’s and the viewer’s political and social preferences. It’s difficult to ascertain what is fact and what is exaggerated (or minimized) as truth or fiction. I suppose it’s the same for viewers all over the world.

We passed the small village of Jerusalemi.

Whether we have a TV or not, we stay well abreast of what’s transpiring throughout the world with or without “spin.” In some countries even the modest local news programs gives us a fair perspective of events occurring in the US and other countries, enough to inspire us to investigate anything that we’d like to further explore.

Many of our family and friends may think we’ve been out of touch with world affairs when in many ways we’re more aware now than we were in our old lives when the hustle and bustle of daily life kept us from watching much news. Although, Tom avidly read the Minneapolis StarTribune newspaper for years. 

Instead of suburbs small groupings of homes are in a specific area, often designated as a village.

I never took the time to read the newspaper but Tom kept me informed as to world events. It was only after we connected almost 25 years ago, that I became interested in politics, financial markets and world affairs when he often discussed these hot topics.

For a period of time after we left Minnesota, Tom subscribed to the newspaper’s online edition but, later lost interest when Minnesota news became less interesting to him the further and further away we traveled. 

As a Minnesota transplant in the late 60’s, I was less connected to Minneapolis with no childhood experiences and memories. My personal memories revolved around the life I built in Minnesota as a single mom with two sons, making it on my own, at times stressful and angst-ridden and at other times, fulfilling and successful. I guess that’s how life is anyway, isn’t it?

This area is a chicken farm with cages for the chickens.  Not all chickens in Fiji are free-range. Although they aren’t injected with drugs or fed chemicals, they may eat grains. There’s no way to be 100% certain that eggs we purchase are from free range chickens when crates aren’t labeled at the farmers market.  So far, I’ve suffered no ill effects from consuming the unknown eggs sources.

As we live on a remote island in Fiji, where peacefulness and an easy pace is the order of the day, where police officers have plenty of time to drink coffee and commiserate with their people, where crime is almost non-existent, we languish in this simple life. Since we arrived, we haven’t heard a single siren of any sort.

But, the realities of news throughout the world is never far from our range of vision. It’s easy to become wrapped up in what’s transpiring in our home state, home country and other parts of the world.

I always had a perception that living on a remote island would keep one free from the strife and horrors throughout the world but the simple saying, “You can run but you can’t hide” is more true than I ever imagined.

Savusavu has an industrial district mainly consisting of lumber yards

The very thing that makes our world travel possible…the Internet…proves to be the very thing that keeps us feeling concerned over what’s happening in the world. 

Many would think that we sit back in idle contemplation of our next photo taking opportunity, our next sightseeing expedition, our upcoming location and the locations we’re yet to see in the future.

Undoubtedly, those aspects of our lives are the forefront of our minds and will always be so as we continue to travel the world. But now, we think in terms of where it is safe to travel, how we’ll reduce the risks with wars and strife surrounding us throughout the world.  Some countries previously on our “wish list’ have now been eliminated.

A lumberyard in the industrial area of Savusavu.

No, we don’t attempt to avoid exposure to the news. No, we aren’t free of the same concerns many citizens of the world experience as they live their daily lives, listening to, watching and reading news. 

For now, the amazing Fijian people have inspired us. Few have TV’s and access to world news. Their passion for life is astounding. We try, if only for a little while, to embrace their joie de vivre, living in the moment, treasuring everything in front of us; the beauty of a country one imagines only in a dream of a tropical island. 

For us, for now, we call it home.

Photo from one year ago today, November 18, 2014:

The old Wailuku Courthouse, built in 1907, is located on the US National Register of Historic Buildings. We visited this quaint town of Wailuku one year ago today. Please click here for details.

Part Two…Reviewing the criteria we established in March 22, 2012…Are we still on track?

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A few other boats dock at this pier.

Good news! Yesterday, in the pelting rain, wearing jackets with hoodies, we returned to the dentist at the hospital in the village. By the time we reached the driveway where Rasnesh was parked, we were soaked, drying off in no time in the hot weather.

Arriving at the dentist’s office in a matter of seconds, not minutes, we were whisked away to a treatment room.  Immediately, the same Indo-Fijian dentist entered the room with a wide bright white toothy smile seeming to remember us from one week ago when we had the last five minute appointment.

He looked in Tom’s mouth happily stating it appeared the infection was gone and the mushy gums were healing. The three teeth were no longer as loose in the previously infected spongy gums and would continue to tighten over time.  

This boat navigates to the pearl beds.

The dentist suggested Tom use Listerine mouthwash to kill bacteria. For awhile, he’d stopped using the coconut oil, teeth pulling ritual but is back at it again since the infection had begun a few weeks ago. Organic, unrefined, food-grade coconut oil is a known antibacterial with no added chemicals.

Once we get situated in New Zealand, he may decide to make an appointment for a periodontist for further treatment which most likely would have prevented the infection in the first place. Traveling the world has a tendency to cause us to be less mindful of “preventive” care beyond that which we’re able to accomplish on our own.

Thanks to all of our wonderful readers who sent email, posted comments and sent prayers and good wishes his way. 

Living in a third world country can easily incite a little nervousness when it comes to medical care of any type.  We’ll take this into consideration more as we age planning the distant future itinerary. 

This long pier leads the Fiji Pearls boat where tourists can visit the pearl beds after which tourists typically purchase pearl jewelry. 

Continuing on in part two of yesterday’s discussion of the criteria we’d established for our travels in March 2012, on March 26, 2012, we posted a second portion and a summarization of all of the criteria as shown below, again in italics with comments at the end on areas in which we’ve changed:

The remaining criteria:
 Criteria #7:  Never stay in a vacation rental for less than one month. The rationale behind this rule is simple.  Staying in one location not only reduces transportation expense but provides us with the opportunity to negotiate better rates when staying a month or more.  
 Many of the property owners allow a stay of as little as three or four days requiring added paperwork, liability and cleaning. Their piece of mind is a substantial motivator for them to accept a lower rent for their property.  As each month’s stay is extended in the negotiations, the price goes down proportionately. This will be illustrated by the rental amounts we will post with the itinerary.
 Criteria #8:  No trinkets! As tempting as “bargains,” “souvenirs” and local “handicrafts” appeal to us during our travels, we will resist the temptation. The cost of excess baggage along with the horror of hauling some heavy wooden object all over the world is preposterous!
 We will make a list of the items we encounter that tempt us. Once we settle someday, we will easily be able to find similar items online or in some cases, purchase them from the actual vendor’s website. Often these tempting artifacts can be found for half the price on eBay, from sellers who found themselves tempted during their travels. Most often, when we look back at such a wish list at a later date, we’ll find that we have lost interest anyway.
 Criteria #9:  The availability of Internet/cell phone access with us at all times. This was a tough one. I spent no less than an entire week researching various options. We now have discovered solutions (of course, subject to technology changes over the next several months). For Internet access, 24/7, in our rental, on the road, and part-time on cruises, we’ll use MiFi Rental with XCom Global. In a future post, I will write about the cost and how this works.  
 As for cell phone service, we will be buying an Unlocked International cell phone into which we can purchase and install a local SIM card using the available local network (which is what most cell phone users in many countries use for service). SIM cards result in considerably lower rates, all without the use of a contract. Here again, I will write an entire post on this subject.
 Criteria #10:  Cook and eat in!  Due to health concerns we live a low carb, wheat-free, starch-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free lifestyle. Occasionally Tom will indulge along the way!  He won’t be able to resist pasta in Italy or a baguette in France. But, for me, my ongoing health from this way of eating it a huge motivator. Cooking and eating in the kitchen of our vacation rental will save us $1000’s along the way.  

Criteria #1: Do not have a permanent home!
Criteria #2: Do not own cars!
Criteria #3: Do not stay in hotels unless absolutely necessary!
Criteria #4: Do not pay more than that which we were willing to pay for rent in our chosen retirement community!
Criteria #5: Use the cruise!
Criteria #6: Bag the excess baggage!
Criteria #7: Never stay in a vacation rental less than one month!
Criteria #8: No trinkets!
Criteria #9: The availability of Internet/cell phone access with us at all times!
Criteria#10: Cook and eat in!

The heavy rains and cloud-covered sky preventing us from sightseeing.

As we peruse the above list, there was one item we failed to note which applied to us: Don’t have a storage facility with “stuff” from our old lives. The only storage we have are tax records and a few bins of memorabilia at son Richard’s home in Henderson, Nevada and another few bins at Tom’s sister’s home in Minnesota. We have no storage anywhere else. What would be the point of saving furnishings, old clothes, and household and kitchenware?

Considering Criteria #7, we’ve faltered a few times, once staying in a vacation home in Waikiki for 11 nights and another in Vancouver for six nights. We didn’t care for the Waikiki property and later wished we’d stayed in a hotel. But, the Vancouver property was fantastic with no regrets there. If we ever take a cruise out of Vancouver in the future, we’d happily stay at that property.

Otherwise, every item on the original criteria list at this link written over four years ago, still stands today. Of course, between the lines, we’ve learned a lot and in our then inexperience, we’ve discovered so much along the way. 

Steam escapes from underground hot springs in this area near the village.

When we think in terms of traveling for ten years or more, good health providing, we have no doubt some of these criteria may change one way or another. 

Flexibility and a willingness to change is a vital aspect of successful long term travel. Every day, we strive to maintain open minds and hearts, knowing this adventure requires the ability to adapt, grow and learn along the way.

The perception for most senior citizens is that we’re “set in our ways” but, this may not be true for all of us. For even our treasured armchair readers, they too may change in their attitudes and beliefs about traveling the world as they share this journey along with us. 

Have a glorious day! It’s raining in buckets here and we’re as content as we could possibly be.

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

We were in awe of this exquisite and unusual Monkey Pod Tree in Maui. For more vegetation photos in Maui, please click here.

Part One…Reviewing the criteria we established in March 22, 2012…Are we still on track?

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Fiji is lush, green, and beautiful. There are no snakes here and few biting insects other than mosquitoes. Flowers bloom year-round, views are breathtaking, products and services are reasonable and there’s free medical care for all locals and visitors. Sounds like an ideal country for retirement for those seeking a permanent location.

It’s raining again and although today we’ll return to the dentist for Tom’s abscess check, we’d hoped we could do some sightseeing. With fog, dense clouds, and rain, it doesn’t appear sightseeing will be on the agenda. 

We can’t deny we may be running out of photos as we wind down to less than three weeks remaining on this island of Vanua Levu. With limited photos, we must admit, writing a story each and every day can be challenging at times especially when we haven’t been out much.

With Tom on massive doses of antibiotics and the bad weather, we haven’t been out since shopping on Thursday. Laying low always seems like a good idea when one has a raging infection and trekking through a rainforest in the rain just didn’t seem like such a good idea. We’ll head out on the next sunny day.

The view from atop the hills in our area.

During quiet times such as these, we often read past posts getting a kick out of our thoughts and ideas from long ago. With today’s post as #1201 having begun posting on March 15, 2012, long before we left Minnesota, we’re often astounded by how we’ve changed in some ways and how we’ve stayed constant in others.

One post that Tom stumbled upon yesterday, caused both of us to laugh out loud over how little we’ve changed in the criteria we established 44 months ago when we wrote the post for  March 22, 2012.

Knowing many of our readers have joined us partway through our journey, having never read the earlier posts, we share this post again today. With each and every one of our past posts located under “previous posts” (click on the little black arrow) on the right side of the page, we realize many readers never read archives, not on our site nor any other site.

Too often, we’ve been sightseeing on rainy days. Photos are more appealing on sunny days.

Ours is a continuing story.  However, it may be picked up partway through.  We often provide links to past posts which may help the reader “catch up” to a degree. We rarely upload a prior post’s text as we’re doing today.  This won’t be a regular habit but, the content may be of interest to new readers who joined along the way.

Today, we’re copying and pasting the criteria we posted on March 22, 2012. All of the text copied will be in italics with comments at the end. If you recall this portion and prefer not to read it again, you call pass over all of the italicized portions to our comments at the end.

Here it is, a post from 44 months ago:

Our strict criteria, March 22, 2012:
 
 At the end of my last entry, I promised to explain the strict criteria we have established to ensure the financial goal of our world travel:  our total travel expenses would not exceed the expenses we would have incurred to live in a $1500 a month condo in Arizona or any tax-free state such as Florida or Nevada.  
 Using an Excel spreadsheet we listed the normal expenses we would experience in our new retirement lifestyle, entitled “Basic Living Expenses”  

  1. Rent or mortgage payment:  include association dues, if applicable
  2. Taxes: federal, state, and property, if applicable
  3. Groceries: to include specialty items for our restrictive organic, gluten-free, low carbohydrate, sugar-free, wheat, and grain-free way of eating.  All meals are homemade (no processed foods) utilizing grass-fed meat with organic produce, dairy, and eggs.
  4. Auto expenses: payment for a newer vehicle still under warranty, gas, maintenance, insurance
  5. Health: insurance premiums, co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, health club dues, alternative therapies, and supplements
  6. Other insurance
  7. Cable and Internet: including a few premium channels (we love Dexter, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire and Shameless)
  8. Cell phones: a smartphone with unlimited data
  9. Utilities: gas, electric, water, trash 
  10. Entertainment and dining out (carefully limited)
  11. Clothing, personal effects, toiletries, and grooming (all items discounted and purchased at the best possible price)
  12. Gifts: for family members/friends for birthdays/holidays, greeting cards, postage
  13. Publications: magazines, newspapers, online subscriptions
  14. Miscellaneous:  occasional purchase or replacement of household goods, donations, cash for incidentals
  15. Pet care: food, treats, toys, groomer, and vet (no pet now since we lost our WorldWideWillie last April) but we would have a new dog if we settled into a retirement lifestyle
  16. Banking fees; interest on credit cards, if applicable; 
  17. Savings
Upon keeping our costs as low as possible, in an effort to live a relatively conservative retirement lifestyle we had a total. Thus…

Criteria #1:  Do not have a permanent home!

With these numbers in mind, we created the next worksheet in our Excel workbook, entitled “Fixed Living Expenses” which were those we’d incur if we traveled but didn’t have a permanent home. Although we are not accountants nor possess a degree as such, we labeled the tabs that we felt best represented the analysis we chose to perform. These were expenses we’d have whether we were on a cruise, temporarily living in Spain, or on a safari in Africa that didn’t include travel expenses.
  1. Taxes: federal, state, and property, if applicable
  2. Groceries: to include specialty items for our restrictive organic, gluten-free, low carbohydrate, sugar-free, wheat, and grain-free way of eating. All meals are homemade (no processed foods) utilizing grass-fed meat and poultry with organic produce, dairy, and eggs.
  3. Health:  insurance premiums, co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, supplements 
  4. Other insurance 
  5. Cell phone (one between us):
  6. Clothing, personal effects, toiletries, and grooming (all items discounted and purchased at the best possible price)
  7. Gifts:  for family members/friends for birthdays/holidays, postage
  8. Banking fees;  interest on credit cards, if applicable
  9. Savings
Criteria #2:   Do not own cars!  (And resulting payments, depreciation, storage, insurance, gas and maintenance)

We will sell both of our cars before we step foot out of this country, instead, renting a car if necessary. While calculating our auto expense, considering the two payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance, the total was $1523 per month which more than covers all of our upcoming flights, trains, ferries, taxis, and rental cars (three of our credit cards provide free rental car insurance when the card is used for the rental car charges)!
Then we took the “Fixed Living Expenses” and created an “Average Daily Expense” which, no matter our travel expenses or living arrangements, would always be relevant numbers in our financial planning.

Criteria #3:   Do not stay in hotels other than a short term! How is it possible to travel without staying in hotels? Sleep in a tent?  Hardly!  Rent an RV?  Too expensive! Mooch off people you may know that life in exotic places? Never! Staying in a hotel requires the expense of meals in restaurants, tips, city, county, state, and local taxes, outrageously priced cocktails and beverages, and of course, the tempting “tourist trap” shops and services. 

Simple answer:  Only stay in houses, condos, townhouses, villas, apartments, and other such property owned, but not currently occupied, by private parties. Property owners are often anxious to rent their own homes and rental properties at reasonable rates knowing full well that the distraught economy and worldwide strife has tempered world travel.  We have found that we prefer to rent houses and villas as opposed to apartments, which are often noisy and offer fewer amenities.
Criteria #4:  Do not pay more than what we were willing to pay for rent in our chosen retirement community!  The above described $1500 month was the magic number that fit into our predetermined budget.  How is this possible? Only $1500 a month for a house? Yes, the gorgeous 17th century, totally renovated villa in Tuscany, Italy is $1400 a month! Yes, the amazing little beach house in Placencia, Belize is $1250 a month!  Yes, the charming house in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, surrounded by the free-roaming Big 5, is $1387 a month! We will share more of these astounding rentals as we continue here.
There is so much more to share including the remaining Criteria, how to calculate total expenses, why we have booked five cruises thus far with two more waiting to be posted.  How and why we have booked ahead 571 days from this coming Halloween, Tom’s retirement date. How we will experience the first 10 months of our adventure without ever stepping foot onto an airplane.  

Certainly, we have a “to-do” list that is daunting. Certainly, there is a degree of risk  Certainly, there is some blind faith that we are going to enjoy our new lives, free from all the familiar comforts that we have reveled in all these years. And most certainly, our love and devotion to one another will see us through all the challenges we encounter along the way.  

We have mutually agreed that if at any time, one of us is tired, bored, or tired of being on the move, we will stop and find “home’ wherever that we may be.
Through the mist and clouds…

It’s hard to believe that so little has changed in our criteria over these past almost four years since we began posting. Certainly, we could go back over there and see we’ve changed especially in the amount of rent we’re willing to pay. 

The most we’ve paid to date has been slightly over USD $3,000, FJD $6,488 a month in Morocco over a period of almost three months. Overall, our vacation home rent generally runs about 20% to 30% less than in Morocco.

Over time, we did adjust the budget’s annual estimates upwards to compensate for this increase although all other estimates and final numbers have fallen within the original budget. Each time we add a new location, we check transportation, entertainment, and food costs in order to be able to enter realistic estimates. 

As we incur each expense while living in each location, we keep a running tally of every last cent spent, entering it as final expenses at the end of the rental period which we always share here with our readers on the day or our departure.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the second portion of this post which we entered the next day and we’ll provide an update on the results of Tom’s dental appointment today after we discover if his infection is gone needing no further treatment or, treatment down the road.

Have a fulfilling day. Thanks to each and every one of our readers for being at our sides as we continue on.

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

Mike, the condo manager, explained the interesting story of the Milo tree, detailed in this post. 

Sorrow in Paris reverberates throughout the world…No place in the world is safe…

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This modern sailboat has been anchored in the bay in front of us since yesterday afternoon. We suspected the crew decided to stay put for a few days in the inclement weather.

With no TV in Fiji, we’ve been watching and listening to the news online at a variety of outlets. The sorrowful loss of life as a result of the horrific terrorist attacks in France has brought the world to its knees in anguish and pain over the pointless deaths of innocent people.

This sorrow, as continually experienced by citizens throughout the world and in the US in 2001 and other periods in time, is only exacerbated by the reality that preventing future attacks seems to be an insurmountable undertaking as the toxicity of this faction escalates.

Although we choose not to use our site as a political or religious medium to express certain views, we can’t avoid expressing our heartfelt condolences and prayers for those who lost their lives, for healing those who were injured, and for the loved ones who bear the agony of such losses and sorrow.

What a beautiful sea as seen from our area!

Having been in Paris only 15 months ago, while there, past horrifying events in the city came to mind as we took the train to Versailles, dined in cafes,]popoo and lived for two weeks in a boutique hotel. No matter how mindful a local citizen or tourist maybe there’s no specific location safe from these attacks.

These types of risks are prevalent in most parts of the world as we easily witness from news reports from many countries. No country is exempt from the wrath of these groups and their indoctrinated often young people, who fall prey to the cult-like belief that death for themselves and others is better for this world than precious life.

How any God would espouse such destruction is beyond the comprehension of any of the majority of the world’s citizens. The promises made to these “destroyers of life and liberty” must be within a realm none of us can clearly understand.

Passing boats always catches our attention, as in this case of a private yacht.

Oh, we could philosophize on why this is possible but, we won’t go there today. Instead, per the intent of our ongoing journey, we think in terms of where we’ll travel in the future and in continuing with our intent to stay away from big cities when possible. 

As Tom always says, “The closer you get to tall buildings, the greater risk lies therein.” As travelers, we find it important as much as possible to live in more remote areas which in essence fulfills our personal goals in any case…stay clear of traffic, noise, and congestion.

But, for many, this is impossible when their lives dictate they work and live in vulnerable locations. Then again, no suburb or remote location is entirely safe. When we lived in Kenya for three months in the “suburb” of Diani Beach, our house was guarded 24 hours a day as well as being in a gated community of 18 homes, as well as being behind 8 foot, 2.4 meter, high iron gates and fences surrounding the property.

The clouds seldom disappear entirely. Over the past several days it’s been very hot, humid, and rainy although today, it’s a little cooler, although cloud-covered.

Entering the strip mall to grocery shop, armed guards inspected the vehicle, using a mirror on a pole with wheels to check underneath the car looking for bombs. We were frisked and our bags inspected as we entered the market and the Vodafone store.

While we lived in Kenya, the attack on a mall in Nairobi occurred. Although we were far from that location, we realized how vulnerable locals and travelers may be in any location. A month after we left Diani Beach, a restaurant where dined regularly was bombed. 

No place is safe. Even when we cruised through the Middle East, our ship was guarded by military vessels as we entered dangerous waters. Looking back, we’re happy to have had these experiences and are glad they are behind us now. That’s not to say, we’d never return to some of those areas but for now, we tread carefully in our future planning. 

Beautiful tree hanging over the inlet, we spotted when we visited the village of Vuodomo.

One could make themselves crazy with angst and worry about such risks. Instead, we think in terms of those who’ve suffered at the hands of these factions and can only attempt to do our best to be safe as we continue on.

In our home country, the US, these attacks continue in both larger and smaller cities and again, no place is exempt from these risks. 

We all have our thoughts and opinions as to how this should or could be contained, none of which we chose to share. In this PC world we live in today, many would disagree regardless of the stance we may take. We each have the privilege of our own opinions, sharing them as we see fit. 

Unless collectively, we take a stance to effect a global change, individually our opinions are just that. Change is possible. It always has been but those in control need to take the risks of forfeiting their “popularity” and rethink the world’s greater good. Therein, lies the answer. Who’s willing to do what’s necessary?

Photo from one year ago, November 15, 2014:

As the sun began to wane behind us in the mountains, we had a glimpse of a colorful sky. For more details, as we began planning for the upcoming flight to the Big Island where our family was coming for the holidays, please click here.

A grain of sand on the beach of life…Who are we?…

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These lipstick plants are growing on the grounds of this resort.

Nothing in life is static. No state of being is guaranteed. All we know for certain is tomorrow a new day will dawn and tonight a sun will set. Even that eventuality is in question by scientific predictions in the millennium to come or sooner.

When we hear of new planets emerging within our range of perspective at the edges of our universe, our earth becomes small and insignificant in the vast expanse of “forever,” a place none of us in this lifetime will ever know.

How do we grasp a news report such as this:

“A rocky Earth-sized planet that circles a small, nearby star could be the most important world ever found beyond the solar system, astronomers say.
The planet lies in the constellation of Vela in the southern sky and is close enough for telescopes to observe any atmosphere it has, a procedure that could help spot life on other planets in the future.
Named GJ 1132b, the alien world is about 16% larger than Earth, and at 39 light-years distant, is three times closer than any other Earth-sized rocky planet yet found around another star. At that distance, it is hoped that telescopes will be able to make out the chemistry of its atmosphere, the speed of its winds, and the colors of its sunsets.”

Savusavu Harbour.

As we simpletons scour the world, the earth, enraptured by its endless wonders along the way, we are in awe of earth’s natural evolution leaving some of the most exquisite scenery in its wake. Imagine all the millions of years that no humans were on this earth to even know it was there. 

With predictions that human life as we know it, from a scientific perspective, has populated the earth for a mere 200,000 years is a “drop in the bucket” in time, a single grain of sand on a beach. 

As the earth has further populated, each one of us has become a grain of sand on another beach of impossible calculations. How many are there now? How many have there been and how many are there yet to come?

Sailing is popular in the Fijian Islands.

And, within our own limited field of vision, we deem ourselves significant and meaningful. Collectively, we matter. Individually, we must seek the power of the masses to hope for change and progression. 

It’s easy to hide away in our own self imposed universe, in our geographic sphere reaching out only to that which is readily available within our grasp. Is it human nature that we tend to cocoon in a limited space and time?

Oh, as I ponder these thoughts, as I write a meaningless timeline of a day in the village as in yesterday’s post, I’m reminded of how infinitesimal our own world becomes in our ambitious desire to see as much as the world as we can as the clock ticks loudly and annoyingly. How much time do we really have to complete this journey?  And what, within this realm, are we really doing?

A creek with rafts used for transporting locally grown produce and for fishing.

I don’t know the answer to either of these questions which in itself is a further reminder of how little power we each have in this world. The mystery.  Is it wrought from a sense of spirituality or simply hard facts? It remains to be seen in this lifetime.

As we continue to explore the significance of every creature on earth and its interrelated purpose, it easy to assume we humans are at the head of the food chain, and yet, life emerged long before we were here. 

The cycle of life and the food chain is magical. Every creature’s design is magical and none of this could happen from an explosion of planets, remnants evolving into planets, remnants evolving into the earth. 

We always preferred motorboats over sailboats.

A power, a spirituality beyond our comprehension created this magical life on this planet, and as we travel we witness the vast array in which each population has formed their own perception of “who” and “what” this may be. They call it religion, faith, and spirituality in a manner they can most easily grasp and incorporate into their beings.

We don’t choose to see ourselves as self-serving individuals lost in a sea of “vacation,” “holiday” and travel options. We see ourselves, all of us, you and us, as on a long journey of personal discovery in pursuit of the answers to our own relevant questions, whether we travel the world or sit back in an armchair, hoping to find answers, if not in this lifetime but perhaps in the next.

Photo from one year ago today, November 13, 2014:

We enjoyed the time we spent in Maui, in a quiet out-of-the-way area of Maalaea Beach which offered plenty of sightseeing, easy shopping, beautiful scenery and the ocean outside our door.  For more details, please click here.

Trip to town…Nuances in a small village…

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A mooring spot for the locals.

Each Thursday Rasnesh picks us up to take us to go to the village to shop after we’ve completed and uploaded the day’s post.  In most cases, we’re done by 11:30 am.

Timing is everything.  We can’t choose just anytime to go when Rasnesh
takes off for lunch each day around noon and Helen is gone from the her store, Fiji Meats, usually between noon and 2 pm.   Fiji meats is always our last stop after the Vodafone kiosk (data), the Farmers Market and New World Market.

If we wait to go after 2 pm, the Farmers Market had thinned out for the day and its difficult to find items on our list.  Each week, we carefully plan the meals before shopping.  Although its often subject to change when we can’t find basic ingredients such as lettuce, which is never available at New World and is hard to find at the Farmers Market later in the day.

As a result, we’ve chosen 1 pm as our pick up time.  We usually arrive at the Vodafone Kiosk at about 1:20.  The time awaiting our turn varies.  Yesterday, we waited in the queue for at least 15 minutes with only two customers ahead of us.

A fishing boat we’ve often noticed on the road to the village.

Even our turn at the kiosk takes a good 15 minutes when the lovely rep we’ve come to know works quickly to upload the data onto our SIM cards.  Yesterday, we added a total of 48 gigs between our two dongles at a cost of FJD $150, USD $69.40, enough to last another week.

We always purchase data using a promo she provides of 8 gigs for FJD $25, USD $11.57 which is available via a scratch off card.  She enters each scratched off PIN into her phone to activate it.  Yesterday, we purchased six cards.  We could easily purchase the cards, take them home and load the data ourselves.  But, she does is quickly so we wait.  By the time we walked away from the kiosk, it was pushing 2 pm.

Upon entering the Farmers Market, we noticed many vendors had already left for the day.  The pickings were slim but we managed to find everything on our list.  The good looking green beans were long gone.  We settled for what we could get, a single somewhat withered batch for FJD $2, USD $.93.

Finding cabbage and cukes was easy.  We lucked out finding six small bunches of lettuce at a total cost of FJD $9, USD $4.15.  As we headed toward the door, the egg man still had a dozen or so of the 2 1/2 dozen eggs flats. We purchased one flat at FJD $12.50, USD $5.77; fresh, free range and antibiotic free brown eggs, always perfect upon cracking.

Yesterday, this cruise ship we often see from our veranda arrived into port. Passengers were brought into the village via tenders.  Displays of handicrafts were scattered throughout the village to accommodate the ship’s passengers as they shopped for trinkets.
With our yellow insulated Costco beach bag filled to the brim, which on ccasion a few Americans have noticed along the way, we headed to New World Market.  Rasnesh informed us he’d be getting a call around 2 pm to transport another customer, another 40 minute round trip.  There was no way we could avoid waiting for him to return.  As we walked from the Farmers Market to the New World, we saw Helen walking quickly rushing to get back in time for us.  It was a long walk back to her store from the center of the village.  We’d called her earlier in the day saying we’d be there between 2 and 2:30 pm to pick up our standing order.  After the long wait at the kiosk later for Rasnesh, there was no way we’d make it in time.

Arriving at the New World Market we were excited to find they had thick fresh cream, sour cream and cheese ensuring we’d be able to make our salad dressing and various dishes planned throughout the week.  They even had fresh mushrooms but we’d recently had our fill and had decided to take a break.

This boat off the back of the ship was most likely taking passengers snorkeling.

As always, we called Rasnesh as we entered the checkout line only to discover he wouldn’t be back to the village another 40 minutes.  We could either wait outside in the heat or stay inside the market air conditioned comfort,  We found an out-of-the-way spot to wait with our trolley and our purchased and bagged items.

Rasnesh finally arrived apologizing for the wait.  Since he’s the only driver in town that can make it up the steep hill to Mario’s properties, we had no choice but to wait for him. Last week, he’d sent a friend to pick us up when he couldn’t make it back in time.  The drive up the hill was a difficult when the unfamiliar driver struggled with a front wheel drive vehicle. We didn’t complain, although deciding we’d never use a another driver again.Once we arrived at Helen’s, she casually mentioned how she’s rushed to get back by 2 for us.  We apologized profusely for being late when the delays at the kiosk and the 40 minute wait for Rasnesh left us behind schedule.  What could we do?  As regular customers spending around FJD $150, USD $69 each week, she’s always happy to see us regardless of the time.  She understood. 
Leftover fireworks from Diwali celebration were on sale at the market.

Back home by almost 4 pm, I spent the next few hours putting away the groceries and sorting and washing our produce.  In all, we spent a total of FJD $416, USD $192 for groceries plus the cost of the data.

Overall, we’ve spent no more than this amount on any given week, which for living on a island where all food products arrive by ferry, is reasonable.  We don’t purchase laundry products, most cleaning supplies (other than dish soap and toilet bowl cleaner) or toilet paper which are otherwise provided.  Based on expenditures to date we expect to be under our budgeted allowance for groceries while in Fiji by a few hundred dollars.

As compared to other shoppers throughout the world, we don’t purchase snacks, breads, baked goods, chips, ice cream, potatoes, rice or any type of packaged processed foods which cuts down on the grocery bill.

We were facing this candy display as we waited for Rasnesh.  Tom hasn’t purchased candy or junk food since he purchased fudge in Maui last year.

If we consumed those products, we could easily spend FJD $650, USD $300 per week.  Overall, prices are reasonable in Fiji but, we purchase some more expensive imported cheeses, butter and dairy products, mainly from New Zealand.

At 5:30 pm Junior stopped by to replace our only table lamp which had burned out the previous night.  We’ve used this lamp as opposed to the bright overhead lights when dining and watching our shows in the evening.

By 6:30 pm, we were at the table enjoying our meal of Helen’s roasted chicken, green beans, the last of the mushroom casserole, salad and a low carb homemade muffin slathered in that fabulous New Zealand butter.

A pretty yellow flower on the grounds.

As always, Tom did the dishes.  Unfortunate, a gecko fell into his hot dish water and died.  I scrubbed the table with hot soapy water and Tom washed the plastic placemats.  We’re still holding back on the ants.

In our old lives, I’d have jumped into the car leaving Tom behind driving a short distance to the grocery store.  I’d purchase food for the week, load the car and drive home.  In the house, the cable company provided all the data we could use and all the shows we wanted to watch on Demand or DVRs.  Our cellphone contracts provided calls and data as needed. 

There was no gecko poop in the house and ants rarely visited.  But, somehow we love this life, its nuances, its challenges and its never ending rewards and purpose.   Thanks to all of you for sharing this journey with us.

______________________________________

Photo from one year ago, November 13, 2014:

There were high surf warnings in Maui.  Not our photo but a good shot of an expert surfer.  For more details, please click here.

Facebook…How much do we participate in social media?…

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These flowers seen from the veranda remind us of Plumeria in Hawaii.

We’re disappointed we weren’t able to capture photos of the fireworks we heard from dark until well after midnight. The position of the house, on the edge of a mountain, prevented a clear view of the celebrations surrounding us. We hope all of our Hindu neighbors in Savusavu, Fiji, and throughout the world had a fabulous Diwali celebration.

Overall, on Facebook, I’ve kept a fairly low profile. Mainly, I post photos or stories I deem to be “share-worthy” although that may not always be the case for my FB “friends” who may or may not care about the photos I post.

It’s natural to assume the number of “likes” determines the degree of interest one’s friends may have in viewing a particular post. When there are few, if any likes, it’s easy to wonder as to what didn’t appeal to one’s friends. 

Our single house is located in the far right of this photo, down from the house above that has three rentals, a huge upper floor, and two good sized lower apartments.

The most innocuous posts may elicit a huge number of “likes” and “comments” while other seeming life-altering events may hardly attract a single click of a finger garnering attention our way.

Tom, on the other hand, is a Facebook fan, frequently posting a wide array of views, objections to other posts, and occasionally, bawdy humor. At times, I may mention (in person) that his comments may not be “PC” but he shrugs and reminds me about our civil liberties, seeming to be quickly waning in regard to freedom of speech. 

It’s hard to argue that point. I slither away, keeping my own mouth shut about him tempering his opinions when Facebook certainly inspires us to address our varying views about many topics. 

Another view across the bay from the opposite side. Our resort is located near the open brown spot in the far right in this photo.

With dozens of railroad friends on Facebook, many retirees, Tom is provided with an opportunity to stay in touch with the “guys” which he thoroughly enjoys. The laughter and banter they often enjoyed in the lunchroom at work are now enjoyed online. 

Many of Tom’s many family members are on FB, giving him more opportunities to enjoy time chatting back and forth, staying up on family events and activities. It’s this type of communication that keeps him engaged day after day.

View from the opposite side of the island where slightly to the left-center is Nawi Island and the village.

Occasionally, I can’t resist posting a mention of health or, unhealthiness, in regard to chemicals in food or the overuse of sugar, starch, and grain consumption and the use of certain prescription drugs with dangerous side effects, that a good diet may better serve. I can easily fall prey to the lure of Facebook in stepping atop my soapbox to express my personal causes and beliefs, especially when another post triggers a response.

Before the popularity of the Internet, we saved such discussions for the dinner table or water cooler. Today, social media provides us with the opportunity to bash, criticize or even extol the virtues of anything we believe regardless of the topic. 

As for my number of FB friends, I haven’t really encouraged our blog readers throughout the world to “friend” me on Facebook. There’s no particular reason why not. All of you are welcome to friend me.

As seen from our veranda to the steep grounds below.

If you’d like to “friend” me, please click here, since there are others with the same or similar names.  I’ll happily accept friend requests.

On average, I spend no more than 10 to 15 minutes a day on Facebook, mainly “speaking” to family and friends in the “chat” module or “liking” a variety of posts I find interesting, mostly revolving around travel, nature, and wildlife in an attempt to stay somewhat neutral in this venue.

Believe me, for those who personally know me, I’m highly opinionated on certain topics but, I’ve chosen to temper those opinions since we began traveling the world, especially in the written word. 

Dense vegetation surrounds us providing us with a sense of living in a rainforest.

While on cruises, we often find ourselves with others who are equally opinionated, providing all of us with an appropriate arena in which to express our myriad views without recrimination that may result from posting such opinions on social media.

As for Twitter, we are truly invisible. I have a Twitter account but never use it. Tom doesn’t have an account.  Writing, posting, and searching for photo ops each day occupies enough time that constantly staying in tune with Twitter is not on my radar. Plus, without a phone contract and the high cost of data, it makes no sense to incur additional expenses reading and posting on Twitter.

Plus, I can’t imagine what I could possibly say in a tweet that would garner enough interest or attention when the majority of our time is spent simply “living” and enjoying our surroundings as is the case for many retirees. 

Pineapples growing on the ground of this resort.

We’re not bored in our day to day lives, but others maybe if we tweeted. It’s not as if we’re at a club and have spotted a celebrity or, for that matter, that we’re “persons of interest” with a vast array of snippets each day.  Perhaps, on travels days and when we’re engaged in a variety of activities a tweet would be worth posting.

It’s hard enough to post worthwhile items on Facebook, let alone be bogged down by other forms of communication. We certainly appreciate and understand the enthusiasm others may experience in tweeting and in text messaging, another area in which we don’t participate much.

Again, without a phone contract and the outrageous cost for text messages using a phone SIM card, we see how easily texting could result in an added expense we don’t deem necessary. At no cost (other than data when online), we can private message on Facebook, and for a minimal cost, we’re able to Skype with our family and friends, regardless of where we may be.

View from the highway to Savusavu.

Without a doubt, traveling the world wouldn’t have appealed to us without the availability of the Internet and, with the use of social media, which to some degree, enables us to stay in touch.

It’s especially fun to connect with our readers in a more personal manner via Facebook if you so choose. Hope to see you there soon!

Today, we’re off to the village! Have a blissful day!

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

Beautiful colors at dusk at the lava rock breakwaters in Maui, Hawaii. For more photos, please click here.