Today is a holiday in Fiji and around the world..Diwali…Festival of Lights…

Suddenly, these petit orange flowers appear in these white blooms.

Today is a special day in Fiji for many Fijians, Diwali, the Festival of Lights, celebrated by those of the Hindu religion. Forty percent of the population throughout all of Fiji is Hindu and many of the locals with whom we interact are of the Hindu faith.

This tree has changed over these past few weeks as this drooping greenery has grown.

From this website, the following regarding Diwali:

“Diwali (or Deepawali, the “festival of lights”) is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn (northern hemisphere) or spring (southern hemisphere) every year. Diwali is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of good over evil. The preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November.

Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate, and decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family puja (prayers) typically to Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After puja, fireworks follow,  then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Deepavali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.

Pretty purple flowers on the grounds of the resort.

Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days, as well as the rituals of Diwali, vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of India, the festivities start with Dhanteras (in Northern & Western part of India), followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on the second day, Deepavali on the third day, Diwali Padva dedicated to wife-husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister-brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanteras usually fall eighteen days after Dussehra.

On the same night that Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavira, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali remembering Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism.  Diwali is an official holiday in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.”

The Rangoli of Lights.jpg
Rangoli decorations, made using colored powder, are popular during Diwali. (Not our photo).

Diwali is a big day of celebration in Fiji.  As we’ve wandered through the village these past months we’ve noticed numerous signs posted about Diwali and special attire in window displays that the local women and men of the Hindu faith may purchase to celebrate this special holiday.

These flowers grow prolifically throughout Fiji.

All the shops in the village are closed today. Most of tonight’s celebrations will occur in private homes with family and friends throughout the islands (and throughout the world), with massive fireworks displays an integral aspect of this special time of observance.

Unfortunately, it’s raining heavily today.  Fireworks may be hard to see throughout the island tonight, but we shall see.  We’ve been told that homemade sweets are the highlight of the celebration. 

This morning’s view of Savusavu Bay when the clouds had cleared for a short period.

Ratnesh was heading out to a family celebration on the opposite end of the island and won’t be available to take us to the fireworks festival in the village after dark. Hopefully, depending on the weather we’ll be able to see a few from our veranda after dark.

As we sit here writing now at 8:20 am, we can hear fireworks every few minutes. Surely, it will be much more lively after dark which at this point is around 7:30 pm.

The special clothing in this shop window is often purchased for Diwali celebrations.

Last night at midnight, just about the time I began to doze off, a round of fireworks lit the night sky with loud booms filling the air.  Tom never heard a thing, while deep in sleep.

Speaking of Tom…he’s doing well so far. Part of the swelling in his mouth has receded and we’re hopeful that by Monday when we return to the dentist, he’ll be told he can wait two months until he has this area treated by a periodontist in New Zealand.

Special clothing for men is offered for “Mystical Diwali.”

Rain or shine, we’ll be heading out tomorrow to grocery shop and to possibly go sightseeing, weather providing.  For today, we’re hanging out, hoping that by dark we’ll be able to see the fireworks.

Best wishes to all of our Fijian readers, their families, and friends during this special time of celebration!  And a happy day to everyone else!

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

Maalaea Marina near our temporary home in Maui. We’d planned an outing that day but important family matters took precedence. For details, please click here.

Medical emergency!…Off to local hospital for care…

Tom checked in at the reception desk at the dental office located on the hospital grounds, providing only his name.

Sooner or later medical emergencies arise. Regardless of how hard we try to attain and maintain good health, our bodies are subject to maladies we can’t always control on our own.

So was the case yesterday, Monday morning, when Tom confessed he’d been concerned about a huge bump on his gums beneath a molar with a crown. He never said a word about it all weekend knowing that most likely no dental office would be open over the weekend. He didn’t want me to worry.

Tom was his usual cheerful self even under these worrisome circumstances. 

For me, it’s not about worrying. It’s about taking action to get an appointment as quickly as possible. I can handle being worried. I can’t handle avoiding issues.

Within minutes of him alerting me to the situation I sent Mario an email, asking him for the name of a dentist and then proceeded to look online, calling the only clinic I found. They were closed for another year but referred me to the local hospital, of which we’d posted a few photos last month while on a tour of the city.

The treatment room was spacious and seemingly well equipped.

Calling the hospital I was transferred to the dental clinic to discover, “No appointments necessary. Come in between 8 to 3:30 but, not at lunchtime, 12 to 2.” Fijians value their lunch breaks as a time for nourishment and socializing. This left us with a 5 1/2 hour window. Rasnesh was available to pick us up at 2:00 pm, giving the staff time to return from lunch and get settled.

Once we arrived at the hospital, Rasnesh walked with us to the dental building on the hospital grounds as we dashed from the car in the pouring rain. He said he’d been going to the hospital’s dental clinic all his life and they do a good job. With no other options within a four hour round trip drive, we didn’t hesitate.

We could only hope for sanitary conditions.

There was no doubt Tom had an abscess which can be very dangerous if unattended causing serious and even life-threatening systemic toxicity. I was not happy he hadn’t said anything sooner but, he claims he didn’t see the necessity of me worrying over the weekend. 

Good grief. I’m not that delicate. We’ve since agreed to hold nothing back in fear of worrying one another.

Luckily, he didn’t have one of these dreaded injections.

There was no waiting room. Instead, there was a long bench outside the clinic with a reception desk a few feet inside the door. Within minutes of giving only his name, with no address, no medical history, no passport or ID check, we walked into a treatment room with a Fijian dentist.

Explaining that I was in attendance to aid with Tom’s sketchy hearing issues (years on the railroad), especially with the thick dialect of many Fijian people which he particularly struggles to hear distinctly, the dentist directed most of his comments my way as I “translated.”

The dentist handed Tom a mirror and showed us both the issue with three of his back teeth, where a raging infection was causing the teeth to be “mushy” in the gums from the infection. 

The used sponge on the sink could instill a degree of concern for sanitation.  Then again, we Americans may be overly concerned about germs.

Only a few months earlier, we had our teeth cleaned while living in Trinity Beach, Australia. At that time Tom had been warned about this area as being vulnerable to infection, eventually requiring gum scaling. He sloughed it off for the future, thinking he could take care of it after we left Fiji and moved to New Zealand. Well, it didn’t wait that long. We won’t be living in New Zealand until January 19th.

Had we been in the US, the treatment would have been more comprehensive than yesterdays. I had an abscess several years ago and the area was treated and injected with antibiotics directly into the site, spending two weeks on oral antibiotics.

The dentist wrote Tom two different prescriptions for antibiotics along with a packet of non-narcotic pain meds and sent us to the hospital pharmacy across the parking lot. Now for the bill.  We had no idea how much it would be and nearly broke into laughter when we were handed the invoice for FJD $6, USD $2.76. 

The bill for the dentist visit was surprising at FJD $6, USD $2.76.

Tom started digging through his small change when I said, “How about giving them a $10 and they’ll give you change. Save the coins for the Farmers Market.”

“Good idea,” he responded and handed over the FJD $10 bill. 

Profusely thanking the dentist and receptionist we dashed across the parking lot in the rain to the pharmacy.  The prescriptions were “free,” even for us foreigners. We were shocked and surprised by the small token payment at the dentist’s office and also the free medication.

We were told to return next Monday for the dentist to determine if the infection is improving which we’ve already arranged with Rasnesh. If it’s not better, the alternative is frightening…pulling three teeth. If that’s the case, I think we’d try for another round of a different antibiotic and decide an action plan from there. 

As we entered the hospital’s pharmacy. We only waited a moment for service. The medications he received were already packaged and ready to go. Only the label was added with Tom’s name and instructions.


At this point, we’re trying to be optimistic and not project as to the possibilities. We don’t take this lightly and will do whatever is necessary to protect Tom’s health, even if it means flying back to Sydney a month earlier than planned to get to a private dentist. For now, we’ll play it by ear. Isn’t that what we always do anyway?

For now, he’s comfortable, pain-free, and diligently taking the two antibiotics as prescribed. Stuff happens. This could easily have occurred had we still been living in the US, although a more radical treatment plan may have been implemented along at a considerably higher cost.

Tom’s free prescriptions, two antibiotics, and one packet of non-prescription ibuprofen.

The cost for treatment in the US might now be as much as US $1000, FJD $2175, or more, based on the bill I received several years ago for a similar situation. In any case, we’re grateful we had an option here in Fiji, regardless of the cost, that didn’t require leaving the island at this point.

We’ll be back next week on this topic after next Monday’s visit to the dentist to see if there’s been any improvement. 

Have a wonderful day!

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

The blue water in Maui, Hawaii changes with the sky which more often than not, is clear and sunny. For more details on last year’s post, please click here.

Good thing we verified our information…

There are numerous creeks and rivers on the island.

There’s no doubt we’d have looked at our flight reservations at some point before departing Savusavu in 27 days. Usually, our flight information is online, making it easy to check details as time nears.

While living in Trinity Beach, Australia, with several flights necessary between leaving there and arriving in Sydney on January 4, 2016, we’d used a travel agent for the first time in our travels with paper copies as opposed to our easy- to-review online bookings in our account at Expedia. 

We found the agency at the local mall in Trinity Beach many months ago and thought how easy it would be to have someone else book the five flights we needed starting with the departure from Trinity Beach, Australia on September 7, 2015. Overall, it was easier. Booking multiple flights with an erratic Internet connection is frustrating and time-consuming.

When we weren’t responsible for booking the flights we didn’t have the ingrained knowledge of the details we’d have had if we’d booked the five flights on our own.

A cloudy day view across Savusavu Bay.

Arriving to Nadi Airport on September 8th, after an overnight stay in a hotel in Sydney, once we arrived in Savusavu we gave little thought to future flights until it was nearing time to book an airport transfer in Nadi (so we thought) to our next vacation home in Pacific Harbour on December 6th.

We originally arrived in Nadi, Viti Levi, the largest of the Fijian islands and then took the small prop plane to Savusavu, the smallest airport we’ve experienced to date. 

In our minds, we’d fly out through the same airport and perhaps a similar flight and the plane we’d used for our arrival. Few flights arrive and depart this small island each day, most flying in and out of Labasa, a village larger than Savusavu, a two hour drive from here. 

There are only two flights out of Savusavu on Sundays, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. We see and hear those prop planes twice a day, assuming those are the only two flights when in fact, on certain days of the week there are a few more flights. 

These cloths are hung at a cemetery, a tradition in some Fijian cultures.  Having asked several locals as to their purpose without a specific answer, we’re still uncertain if there is a distinct purpose other than decoration on burial grounds.

Yesterday, we decided it was time to remind ourselves of the upcoming flight particulars to Viti Levu, especially when we were attempting to book airport transfers to and from Nadi to Pacific Harbour which required the inclusion of dates, times and flight numbers.

When reviewing the several page flight itinerary, we’d kept tucked away in the leather computer bag, we were shocked to see we weren’t flying to Nadi as a layover, when we originally arrived.

Instead, in checking our paperwork, we discovered we’re flying to Nausori Airport in Suva (Savusavu and Suva can be confusing. These are two distinct villages at each of the two main islands in Fiji).

There’s no way we would have missed this when it’s necessary to check our flights in more detail before booking an airport transfer to drive the 2.5 hours from Nadi to Pacific Harbour.

When the documents clearly stated we’d arrive in Nausori Airport instead of Nadi, reducing the drive time by over an hour, we were thrilled. At that point, we began the process of finding a company that could handle our round trip airport transfer both into and out of Nausori. 

Junior stopped by offering us these two papayas.  Unfortunately, we had to decline when papayas although possessing many nutrients are loaded with sugar and carbs as are most other tropical fruits, restricted in my way of eating.  Tom doesn’t care for fruit.

After finding a few options, I proceeded to make online inquiries. In both cases, the website inquiry pages didn’t work. This wasn’t a good sign deterring us from phoning or researching their options further. In this day and age, if a “company” doesn’t have a working website, we’d question the condition and quality of their vehicles.

Our options were becoming more clear. Either grab a taxi at the airport or rent a car at the last minute. We decided to try one more thing…contact Susan, the property owner and see if she knows someone who’ll collect us at the airport.

Most of her vacation home renters/tourists fly into Nadi which would have made booking a professional transfer a breeze. To fly into Nausori, a much smaller airport in Suva is not as easy. Susan was more than happy to assist and is checking for us today. We’ll see how that rolls out.

The cost of renting a car in Suva is outrageous. With taxes and fees for the 29 days, we’d pay around FJD $4209, US $2000, more than we’re willing to pay for a rental car. Generally, in most locations, we pay less than half that amount. A taxi might have been our only option.

We realize that our desire to live in many remote areas puts us in this position. Yet, we’d trade this minor challenge for gridlock traffic, lengthy queues wherever we go, increased crime rates, and higher prices on vacation homes one finds in large cities.

Badal visits us almost every day checking out what may be on the menu. We never fail to give him a plate of something delicious. After he does, he sits on the veranda looking at me with his legs crossed, hoping for second helpings. He looks fit and healthy compared to many dogs we’ve seen in the village.

As we’re writing here today, we received an email from a transfer company Susan found for us. The rates are as follows:

Suva Airport to Pacific Harbour
·
Private Car – FJD $231, USD $107.21 per vehicle (seats 1-4 passengers)
Pacific Harbour to Suva Airport

 

·     Private Car – FJD $231, USD 107.21 per vehicle (seats 1-4 passengers)

Since receiving this above information moment ago, we’ve already confirmed we’d like to book this reservation, including all of our flight information and will pay in advance today for the round trip as required. At FJD $462, USD $214.42 for the round trip, this is fine. Renting a car in Suva averages at FJD $148.69, USD $69, per day.  In only three days we’ll recover this entire cost, as opposed to renting a vehicle.

A great solution, a helpful property owner and an apparently well respected company will handle our transfer needs. Its these aspects of our travels, that inspire us to push ourselves (and others at times) for resolutions.  Many come quickly and easily and others may be more time-consuming and tricky to accomplish.

Today, another dark, dreary day and rainy day, we’re staying in. As I write, Tom is watching the Minnesota Vikings football game on his laptop using his headset. He’ll be busy for the next few hours while I make every effort to avoid disturbing him with comments or questions. 

Sometimes, that’s challenging in itself.

Have a beautiful day!

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

Moonlight over Maalea Bay in Maui as we enjoyed each and everyday of our six weeks on the island. For more details, please click here.

we’d plural of “I” More (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)

“Getting our ducks in a row…”

Tom shot this photo from our veranda of a barge, the ferry and a tugboat passing by. Great shot, Honey!

With only 28 days until we depart this island, its time to begin planning our next month on the main island in Fiji, a short tiny prop plane flight away. It goes without saying that a one month holiday or vacation would require a certain amount of planning beyond the initial research and booking.

I try to imagine what it would have been like in our old lives if we were planning a one month vacation in a remote area of an island when we were only four weeks from departure.

In essence, that’s us each time we move. This morning I wrote to the owner asking the address of the property which generally owners don’t divulge until close to the rental period for the sake of some perceived security in waiting to do so. 

After recently watching a David Attenborough documentary on the in-depth life cycle of caterpillars, we had an entirely new perspective on these amazing creatures with two entirely different lifecycles as they eventually morph into butterflies.  We spotted this one on the veranda a few days ago.

Once the final payment is made in full which we paid a few months ago, most likely there’s little risk for an owner in the renter having the address. The bigger risk for the owner is once the renter moves in if they fail to be responsible. That’s never us.

As for a renter, there’s a degree of risk:
1.  The property could not be there. It could have been a scam for which we’re prepaid $1000’s. We take that risk each time we move. There’s insurance for this risk, for which we’ve evaluated the cost via risk factor and for us, it would be $1000’s per year, not worth the expense.
2.  The property could be different than as described in the listing.  his happened to us in January 2013, on our first vacation home outside the US in Belize. We left in a week, losing one month’s rent, but couldn’t get out of there fast enough. We found a fabulous resort where we lived for two remaining months with the ocean outside our door.  It was glorious.

Never again, did we suffer such disappointment. We have no doubt it will occur sometime in the future and stay mindful and prepared for that eventuality. We’ve budgeted for this type of potential loss. 

A Paul Gauguin cruise ship sailed by our view. It would have been fun to take a cruise in this area, but we’ve already done so and will do so again on our several upcoming cruises touring the perimeter and surrounding islands in Australia.

The best way for the average traveler to financially prepare for such an occurrence is to purchase the insurance, but the time and effort to find another location on short notice is an equally big risk, especially for us when we stay for extended periods in most locations.

We’ve come to accept that if we plan to stay for less than a month, it may be easier and more suitable to stay in a hotel, as we’d done over a year ago in Paris and London for a little over two weeks in each city. 

Dining out for every meal is the only obstacle of staying in a hotel and of course, the cost which is generally higher than a vacation home of some type. The space limitations of a hotel don’t bother us. After all, we easily spend weeks on a cruise in an under 200 square foot (19 square meters) cabin, managing fine without feeling confined.

Closer view of the cruise ship with passengers on their verandas. We always book a “veranda or balcony cabin” as opposed to those shown below the veranda levels which include “ocean view” and “inside cabins” none of which has appealed to us. Being able to stand outside day or night has been a highly enjoyable aspect of cruising.

As for “getting our ducks in a row,” preparing for the next location requires considerable online research along with many conversations by email with the owner or manager. 

In the case of the upcoming next house in Pacific Harbour, Fiji, we’ve already had numerous chats with Susan, the owner, who’s been very helpful and informative.

With the house 89 miles, 144 kilometers from the airport, prearranging transportation is vital. It’s not a “grab a taxi” kind of ride. Susan suggested an air-conditioned shuttle service which most likely is a van type vehicle.

A tug boat passing at a distance.

How easily we recall the shuttle service we used for the four-hour drive on rough roads with no AC from Belize City to Placencia in 90F, 32C. We assumed at that point that this would be our reality for the long haul and anything better would be a bonus. We assumed correctly. Anytime we have a vehicle with AC for long drives, we’re pleasantly pleased and surprised.

Also, in many taxis and shuttles, if we’re getting a “deal” for the transportation we don’t ask the driver to turn on the AC with the outrageous cost of fuel on many islands. For example, here in Savusavu with Rasnesh, our round trip cost to the village including helping us carry the groceries to the house totals USD $13.92, FJD $30.  We don’t ask him to turn on the AC.

Originally, he’d quoted us USD $9.28, FJD $20 for the round trip. But, after a few trips, we negotiated upwards if he’s helped carry our entire week’s groceries up the long, steep, and uneven path to the house. It takes him, young and strapping as he is, an extra five minutes and worth every penny of the extra USD $4.64, FJD $10 to us.

A barge passing at a distance.

As for transportation in the upcoming Pacific Harbour, Susan suggested it’s not worth renting a car when there’s plenty of equally low-cost drivers in the area and many markets and restaurants within walking distance. 

The thought of being able to walk to go out to lunch or dinner, if we can find a suitable restaurant for my diet, is exciting. Here, we don’t attempt an evening out when the walk to the house in the dark would surely be too treacherous along with the fact that we’d been unable to find suitable dining establishments for my needs. 

Don’t get me wrong, there appear to be some excellent restaurants in Savusavu as reviewed by tourists on TripAdvisor. It’s just the tricky diet that keeps us from trying, when this area is less populated by tourists than many others thus, most restaurants serve the local starchy, sugary sauces and foods I can’t eat, savored (rightfully so) by most tourists.

If I didn’t eat this way, surely I dragged Tom out to lunch for which he’d go kicking and screaming when he can’t stand the taste of the spices in typical tropical meals. 

This doesn’t mean I don’t season our food. I do so with gusto. Over the years I’ve learned how much he’ll tolerate while still enjoying the meal. Undoubtedly, his taste buds have branched out but, curry and/or Moroccan seasoning is not his thing. 

With the mosquitos on a rampage after dark,  as food for the bats, we’ve had difficultly standing outside to take photos of the flying bats we see through the windows as darkness falls. We took this photo through the glass door, excited it came out as well as it did.  Having had a fear of bats most of my life, I am no longer fearful of these important mammals, vital to the ecosystem.

Today, we’ll arrange the shuttle from the airport in Nadi (pronounced Nan-di in Fijian) to Pacific Harbour and once settled, a taxi to the market to purchase groceries and supplies for our first meal in the new location.  Much of this, we’ll figure out as we go. 

With our experience these past three years, we’ve been able to take many of the steps in these transitions in our stride. Moving and packing everything we own every few months has its challenges, more in the anticipation than in doing so. 

Packing takes no more than an hour at most, unpacking 30 minutes. “Getting our ducks in a row” in a new location seems to take a few days as we become familiar with the new property and its surroundings. 

For the most part, we enjoy the process, especially once we’ve arrived in the new location with all of our bags in tow and discover the property is what we’d expected.  We both sigh with relief knowing one more step in our journey has brought us to our “new home” wherever that may be.

Its been raining for the past three days and nights. The heat has lessened although the humidity is high. There are no ants or fruit flies in view. We’re content. May all of you be content as well!

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

The Maui countryside took our breath away as we drove on roads far from the main highways. For more details, please click here.

Good luck or rightful circumstance?…Accepting old age…Choices we make…

A rusty sailboat remains on the shore.

With only 29 days until we depart Savusavu to fly to the largest island of Viti Levu, in the Fiji chain of over 330 islands, we’ve started to feel as if time is flying faster now. 

The grocery store where we shop for a few items each week.

Living life in chunks of three months or more, or at times less, seems to have an effect of speeding up our sense of time, more than at any time in our lives. Perhaps, its as simple as old age creeping up on us interspersed with a lifetime of varied experiences that has a tendency to feel as if each day flies by way too quickly when little time is needed for thoughtful consideration of what comes next.

As one ages, generally, we know what’s next, barring any of life’s curve balls which often come hard and fast. In our youth, each day was a new challenge and we often felt we needed “good luck” to move through the paces.

We walked along a side street after spending time at the lagoon.

Now older, we realize that good luck is nice for fantasizing but pointless to expect. Our lives are what we make of them.  As much as we extol the virtues of “safari luck” much of it has occurred due to our efforts to be in the right place at the right time due to careful and diligent planning.

Did that unbelievable sunset photo magically appear for our photo taking?  Or, had we been watching for days to get the perfect shot?  Most often, it’s the latter. Serendipity is lovely. Coincidence is thought-provoking. None of it would transpire unless we made the effort to put ourselves in an advantageous position to grasp all of their benefits.

The reflection of the blue sky on the still water in the Savusavu lagoon.

The rest? Such as good health? Is that luck? Is it luck that the person who ate junk food all of their lives lived to the ripe age of 95, quietly passing in their sleep? Is it bad luck that someone like me who made a concerted effort all of my life to avoid illness and attain good health spent many years with illness and disability?

With my bad health reversed for over four years from a drastic change of diet, do I live on the precarious edge in anticipation of the “other shoe to drop?” I can’t. My newer, healthier self knows full well that stress can easily exacerbate any condition regardless of diet or lifestyle adaptation. It’s not luck. It’s a choice. And even then, with all my best efforts, it could change in a single minute.

A skinny nursing dog scrounging for food among the rocks.

As Tom walks this course with me varying only when dining out and aboard ship, he too knows the fragility of good health. For him, he’s developed a certain sense of confidence in the fact that good genes may play a role when his mother was 98 when she passed away in May 2008. I remind him he can’t count on his genes alone.  Lifestyle dictates the greater influence.

How do I know this? I’m no expert. But, it doesn’t take an expert to look around a roomful of seniors at a retirement community to see those enjoying life the most are active, conscientious about diet, and possessing a positive outlook on life. 

We often wonder who owns these boats?  Are they ex-pats, living in Fiji or visitors stopping for supplies after being out to sea?

Sure, in old age the skin may sag, the faces become lined with a lifetime of expression and sunlight, and the teeth yellowed if they’re still their own. But, the smiles are still the same, the love and hope in their hearts are still the same, and the desire to live every moment of life to the fullest remains constant, however much time is left.

Do we all naturally come to some peaceful acceptance that at some point, we’ll no longer be on the earth?  Yes, to those of us who find a spiritual path along the way which we particularly hang onto as the time nears, giving us hope that when “the fat lady sings” (please, excuse the expression), we’ll see the white light as the doors open to welcome us inside.

Some of the sailboats are in pristine condition.

For us, these thoughts and realities mean one thing…live to the fullest. And if that means working in a soup kitchen to feed the poor, delivering meals to the informed, or taking photos to share the treasures of this bountiful earth with others, we all have a privilege of making choices befitting who we are and who’ll we’ll eventually become. 

For those unable to reach out, perhaps sitting in a chair day after day, watching the latest talk show, old reruns on TV, or listening to the radio, unable to go out without help or not at all, they too are deserving of life’s bounty, if only in recalling and if possible, sharing those times of their lives that held meaning and purpose.

View across the Savusavu Harbour to Nawii Island where property is currently under construction.

Who are we to judge anyone’s choices? We live in a world of “political correctness” to the point of ad nauseam leaving us bereft of what we can and can’t express in our next breath when all that’s really required is dignity and respect ingrained into our beings, not all this rhetoric about “who’s right and who’s wrong.” 

We, Tom and I, are judged by others on occasion for our lifestyle…how could we possibly leave family behind to fulfill our own dreams? We could spend hours “defending” our choices. But, we choose not to do so. We simply chose a powerful overriding sense of adventure that we somehow had to fulfill…while we can.

View of Nawii Island across the harbor.

No luck is involved here. No good fortune was required for us to live this life on the move. It was earned. It was nurtured. We sacrificed a lot to achieve it, none of which we regret. It all revolved around choices and a desire for happiness and fulfillment in our older years that when we “stepped outside the box” was staring us in the face. We merely followed the path.

We can’t and don’t judge those who choose to spend their retirement sitting on a barstool in a local pub gabbing with old friends or hovering over the next episode of Dr. Phil. We all have the privilege of defining who we are through our daily lives and actions. 

If happiness is on the menu, choose it at your own discretion when, in doing so, there’s a price to pay. Hand over your cash or credit card without regret, knowing every moment was well worth every last penny spent.

Photo from one year ago today, November 7, 2014:

Every afternoon the sea turtles swam to the shore outside our condo in Maui. To see a video we shot of the turtles and more, please click here.

Tom’s haircut in Fiji…Deal of the century…A weird day with some glitches…

Tom, standing outside Kumar’s Hair Salon which generally attracts more men than women. We awaited Tom’s turn while sitting on the bench to the right.

Tom hadn’t had a haircut since July when we were living in Trinity Beach, Australia. It was a typical haircut in a chain type shop not unlike one would find in many major cities that offered both women’s and men’s cuts.  There are no chain-type shops, restaurants, or fast food establishments here in Vanua Levu, Fiji.

A few days ago, Junior decided it was time to fumigate our house after we’ve already been here a full two months. Insect control is often handled in between guest’s coming and goings. After these two months, we’d begun to find black fruit flies with the nastiest bites, comparable to bites from the sandflies in Morocco. 

With dozens of red inflamed bites on my hands, arms, legs, and feet we didn’t hesitate to have Junior fumigation the house. I didn’t ask what chemicals he uses. There was no point in making a big deal. It simply had to be done. With a plan to be shopping part of the day on Thursday, the fumigation at 11 am would be ideal.

View of Savusavu Bay lagoon while we waited for Ratnesh.

He’d planned to run the floor fan for hours afterward ensuring the air was cleared as much as possible.  Considering we don’t even have fruit in the house, it was odd we had fruit flies. 

The only reason we could surmise was from the veggies we continually purchased at the Farmers Market each week. Although I always wash everything as soon as we were home, it’s possible fruit flies could nest in the house.

These insidious creatures are nearly impossible to swat and when I was able to kill a few on my skin, my blood gushed out of them onto the bitten spot. Yuck. When we returned home we could already feel the difference in the air. As much as we’d prefer to live a low chemical lifestyle sometimes we have to weigh which scenario is ultimately more harmful. We opted for chemicals over bloody fruit flies.

Shoppers walked along the short strip mall.

Most often when Rasnesh drops us off in the village, we can plan he’ll be able to pick us up outside the door of the New World Market within 10 minutes of our call to let him know we’re ready. 

The grocery trolleys aren’t able to go outside due to a flight of steps and we have no choice but to carry all of our groceries outside to wait under the overhang in the shade while we wait. This would also include all the produce and eggs we’d purchased earlier at the Farmer’s Market.

After he collects us and our many bags at New World Market we then head a kilometer down the road to Fiji Meats where Helen keeps our standing order under refrigeration. It’s a good plan.

The strip mall is next door to the side entrance to the Farmers Market where we stopped for veggies after the haircut.

I started shopping at the Vodafone kiosk to purchase data while Tom ran across the street to the ATM.  Our only credit card purchases in the village are at the modern grocery store and the pharmacy. The rest, including Vodafone, require cash.  

In most cases, we can complete our litany of shopping stops in about an hour; Vodafone, Farmers Market, and New World in that order. With plenty of cash on hand, we headed to the barbershop Ratnesh had recommended seeing his friend Kumar, the most popular barber in the area. Rathnesh alerted us to the cost for a cut and suggested we let Kumar know we were friends. It helps to “know someone.”

After a few minutes of waiting outside the tiny shop, Ratnesh appeared explaining he had a fare that would take a few hours. He explained he’d return to pick us up as quickly as possible. 

Tom explained his haircut preference to Kumar, who listened attentively to ensure he’s getting it right.

At that point, the later pickup seemed inconsequential. It was a little after 11:20 am and he expected to be back by 1:30 pm, more time than we needed to shop. We’d find a way to stay busy.

There were a few men ahead of Tom. We sat outside the shop on a wobbly wooden bench people watching. The village is packed with the locals doing their shopping. We seldom observe travelers from afar. 

Many coming to Savusavu are staying in resorts and hotels, dining out for most meals requiring only tourist type shopping in the clothing and trinket shops. Seldom do we see tourists in the markets other than those who may be sightseeing.

Kumar assessing how he’d cut Tom’s hair.

As we sat outside awaiting Tom’s turn, we chuckled over the irony of our lives.  Who’d have thought years ago, that we’d be sitting on a wobbly bench in the sweltering heat after living on this fairly remote island for two months so far, absorbing the fascinating sights, sounds, and smells as we embrace the local culture and customs? 

For some odd reason, we feel right at home, sweaty clothes and all, swatting off the flies and frequently extending a heartfelt “bula” to a local passerby. Many in the village may have seen us over and again perhaps assuming we’re here for the “long haul” as newly implanted ex-pats. In this small village, everyone knows one another.

When Tom’s was beckoned into the shop, I followed behind finding a cozy spot to sit. Kumar didn’t mind if I took photos and I took these shown here today.

Kumar did a great job of trimming.

Tom opted for the buzz cut, as Kumar took one swipe after another of his long locks as I watched them fall to the floor. It had been four months since his last haircut.  His rationale for his shortest cut to date was simple. In two months, almost to the day, we’d be on our next cruise and his hair would be the perfect length. 

Kumar performed a meticulous cut. With 13 years in business, he easily knew what he was doing. We were impressed by his attention to detail. Here’s the odd part…the cost…for the haircut taking almost 20 minutes as he fine-tuned his work, it cost a paltry FJD $4, USD $1.85! Tom left another FJD $2, USD $.93 tip which Kumar greatly appreciated. Tipping is not expected or required in Fiji. Total haircut expenditure: FJD $6, USD $2.78!

By the time we wandered through the Farmers Market, it was shortly before noon. Making our purchases, we were out the door in less than 10 minutes. With a shortlist for New World Market which wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes, we decided to kill some time wandering along the shore, taking photos.

The tiny shop contained two makeshift barber chairs.  Zoom in for the price list in Fiji dollars.

It was hot, humid, and “buggie.” After sitting in the shade for a while, we made our way to the pharmacy for band-aids and then took off for the market. The cool air-conditioned air was a welcome relief as we wandered as slowly as possible through the three aisles filling our trolley with the few items we needed. 

At 1:10 pm, I called Rasnesh telling him we were checking out and would be waiting for him outside the store in five minutes. He was still one hour away, having picked up a customer across the island in Labasa at another airport.  How we’d keep our food cold standing outside the store escaped us. Ratnesh suggested he’d send a friend to pick us up within 10 minutes.

That worked for us. Ten minutes later Mickey arrived and we loaded the trunk with our purchases. Now, we’d head to Helen’s to pick up our roasted chickens and meat and we’d be done. 

The shop was clean, although tiny including the sale of products including sunglasses.

“Oh, oh,” Tom said, “There’s Helen walking down the road on her way to the bank!” The meat market would be closed in her absence. When we drove up to her shop, there was a note taped to the door that read, “Back at 2 pm.” It was 1:25.

We could hardly ask Mickey to wait for 35 minutes. We asked him to take us home and we’d figure it out later.  As we approached the house, groceries in hand, we heard a loud irritating noise. 

As it turned out Junior had left the fan on high oscillate mode to clear the air after the extermination and the fan broke from the housing causing it to rattle against the cage. We shut it off.

The hot, humid weather inspired Tom to go for the shortest cut he’s had yet.

OK.  We had no dinner prepared when we’d planned to eat one of the two roasted chickens we weren’t able to pick up. The fan we move back into the bedroom at night wasn’t working and we were hot and sweaty with no relief in sight by bedtime.

Once we put away the perishables, I sat down at my computer and notified Mario explaining the fan dilemma.  Then, I called Ratnesh asking if he had enough cash on him to pay for and pick up our meat and bring it out to us before Helen closed the shop at 5 pm. He agreed. Then, I called Helen, who’d returned to the store, letting her know Ratnesh was picking up and paying for our meat.

Within minutes, Junior arrived taking the fan with him to make the repairs. By 5 pm, Ratnesh arrived with the meat. We reimbursed him for the meat, asking him how much extra he wanted for picking up the meat. We agreed to an extra FJD $5, USD $2.36. By 5:20, junior returned with the fan, in tip-top shape after his repairs.  We were thrilled.

Boats in Savusavu Bay lagoon.

By 5:30, the produce was washed and refrigerated, the dinner salad was chilling, the huge bag of green beans was cleaned and washed and we sat down to play Gin for an hour before dinner.

Amid these relatively innocuous inconveniences, we stayed calm and optimistic that all would work out. We were more concerned over the fan than any of it. We could have easily whipped up something for dinner. 

View of Savusavu Bay lagoon.

The biting fruit flies were gone. Tom won the Gin game and we have a lovely dinner of roasted chicken, salad, green beans, and a low carb muffin slathered in New Zealand butter. We watched a few shows after dinner and had a restful night. Life is good.

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

Overall, groceries were more expensive in Hawaii. However, with the fact, as shown here that we purchase no junk food, we can get by for less cost than others may. We used the unsweetened chocolate for making low carb fudge made with cream cheese, butter, and chocolate. We’ve been unable to find the ingredients to make fudge in Fiji. For more details on grocery shopping in Maui, please click here.

A compilation of life changing memories…Triggered by a stunning documentary…

We took this photo of Mount Kilimanjaro from the window of our tiny plane on our way to the Masai Mara for a photo safari, one of many great experiences in our three years of world travel. 

With no TV and staying “home” on rainy days, it’s not always easy to entertain ourselves. Even with the number of books I consume each week from Kindle Unlimited at Amazon for USD $10, FJD $21.46, a month, the all-you-can-read, no-more-than-10-books-at-a-time program, I can only spend so many hours a day reading.

Not one to sit in one spot for hours on end, I find myself busy doing “this and that” when I’m not chopping, dicing, or cooking.  With no housecleaning or laundry to tackle, exterior windows to wash, or yard to maintain, the days we stay home can easily turn into a mindless blur of unimportant trivia. 

With the best of intentions yesterday, I never got around to working on the spreadsheet when more online research for our future foray to South America distracted me for hours. 

During those periods when our brains are deeply engaged in researching a location for which we’re very passionate, the time flies by. Before we knew it, 3:00 pm rolled around. 

We’d planned to watch a documentary we’d recently downloaded, Earth’s Natural Wonders at precisely 3:00 pm to take a break from the research to become entrenched in one more series that are literally mind blowing in their photography and content.

Most often, we watch David Attenborough’s phenomenal series about life and the mystery of our planet. With dozens more of his episodes downloaded, we stepped outside the box to check out this other documentary for which we’d recently downloaded two episodes.

In our old lives, we watched similar documentaries from time to time but, not with the fervor we do now. It was an episode of a Natural Geographic episode that eventually brought us to the Masai Mara and the Serengeti in Kenya to see the Great Migration, of which we only witnessed the tail end, off in our planning by a week. 

We were in awe of this herd of elephants on the road as we drove (self-drive) through Kruger National Park.  Seeing animals in the wild has truly changed our lives.

Instead, we spent the most exhilarating days of our lives on a photo safari, never for a moment regretting we hadn’t seen more of the Great Migration when nature’s bounty lies before us in the savanna, overlooking the flat topped acacia trees.

As if living in a dream, the Big Five was in our view and in our photos in the first 10 hours riding in the open vehicle with our dear friend and guide, Anderson with whom we’re still in touch yet today.

As we watched the documentary in high definition scanning the globe, our mouths were agape at how many of the locations and wildlife encounters we’ve had in our travels.

From seeing Mount Kilimanjaro from the scratched window of our tiny plane to the giant herd of elephants we encountered on a self drive through Kruger National Park to another larger herd walking by our open camp at night while having dinner in the bush, it all remains in our hearts forever.

The series showed the story of the giant California Condors from the egg to fledging the cliffs of the Grand Canyon, bringing to mind our months of taking photos of the growth of the Laysan Albatross in Kauai, an experience we’ll always treasure.

“Pinch me,” I said to Tom as the show ended, who was as equally entranced, “Did we really do all of this?”

He looked at me and smiled that same smile I recall from almost 25 years ago when we first met, “And just think, we’ve only just begun.”

After those few hours of searching (many more hours/days of research to come) for future explorations to Antarctica, the Amazon, the Pantanal, Machu Pichu, and more, watching the video further confirmed that this life we’re living is definitely for us. We long for more and more.

We have no regrets for the many years that came before our travels. Therein, lies almost a lifetime of experiences and memories. Leaving that life behind in itself elicits a memory, albeit it is painful in some parts, joyful in others. 

How did these two over 60’s individuals, living a relatively “average” life in Minnesota manage to break away from it all as if driven by some unknown force we mutually shared?

To go against everything we knew and loved, to face the dangers and challenges of life on the move, often to not-so-safe places, still baffles us. Was it in our DNA generations passed or was the wanderlust embedded in us based on our life experiences in our distant past? We may never know the answer.

From seeing the newly hatched albatross chicks from the parents sitting on the single egg to them almost ready to fledge by the time we left Kauai after a four-month stay, it was an extraordinary experience.

Perhaps, we’ll never need to know the “why” instead of focusing on the “how” and the “what” that we continue to find thrilling and exhilarating. 

As we quietly sit here in calm and relatively easy living on a beautiful tropical island, we know more is awaiting us down the road. After posting the photos of the house in Costa Rica yesterday, we also researched wildlife tours in that country of considerable wildlife and eco-diversity. Surely, we’ll explore while there.

For now, here in peaceful Vanua Levu, Fiji living in a quaint quiet village, with sounds from the rainforest, more than the sights, calling us to alertness many times each day, we easily languish knowing full well what lies ahead.

And most of all, recalling the wonders of these first three years bestowed upon us by good health and good fortune, we continue to feel grateful for every moment of our world travels including these quiet times.

If it all had to end now, we’ve experienced more than we ever dreamed possible, more than we ever expected from our lives, as individuals and as a couple. For this and more, we are grateful and above all…in awe.

Soon, we’re taking off with Ratnesh, returning with new and fun photos tomorrow! Please check back.

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

We’d made dentist appointments in Maui for teeth cleaning. But, once we arrived, Tom felt uncomfortable with the less than professional setup for the dental office. After asking us to wait for an hour for our two pre-booked appointments, we decided it was an omen that we cancel and find another dentist down the road. For more details, please click here.

Exciting new vacation home location…Photos and more..

Its easy for us to imagine how much we’ll enjoy time outdoors at our new three month booking in Costa Rica while on our way to South America after visiting family and friends in the US.

Twenty one months from now may seem like an eternity to some. For us, its a hop, skip and jump along the way in our world travels. Otherwise, we may not have booked this new vacation property as quickly as we did, shortly after it hit the vacation home market.

Based on its beauty and fair pricing, we figured it would be snapped up quickly when at times we’ve noticed, especially lovely vacation listings booked as far out as two years in advance in popular locations.

Another view of the pool and veranda.

In late May 2017, we’ll arrive in the US (18 months from now), arriving by cruise ship to Seattle, Washington where we’ll rent a car to make our way across the northern part of the US, across Yellowstone National Park, which Tom has yet to see. (I can’t wait to see his face when we drive through this amazing area, my personal favorite US location).

We’ll continue on making our way to Minnesota, where three of our adult children, their spouses, and our six grandchildren reside along with most of Tom’s siblings, other family members, and many of our friends. It will be a busy period and we’re considering accommodations for the weeks we’ll spend in Minnesota. 

We’ll certainly enjoy the hot tub on a moonlit night!

After leaving Minnesota, we’ll fly to Nevada, to visit eldest son Richard in Henderson and eldest sister Susan in Las Vegas, where we’ll stay for another week. As Nevada residents, we’ll renew our driver’s licenses and take care of any “business” matters best handled in person. Then, we’re off again.

We’d hoped for an Alaskan cruise at this juncture, but listings haven’t been posted this far in advance. We’ll see if it’s a possibility in the near future.

The spacious, comfortable living room overlooking the pool.

Hovering in our minds, knowing the above trip to the US is definitely on the itinerary, we’ve been considering possible plans when we’ll leave the US, no later than August 1, 2017. Serendipity. Safari luck. It all comes into play during our world journey.

Whether it’s good luck or fortuitous, we always grateful for the opportunities as they enter our lives.  n part, we always feel we play a role in “safari luck” in that our assertiveness and determination play a role in “being in the right place at the right time.”

Most likely, we won’t use this formal dining room, instead dining outdoors or at the granite kitchen counter as shown in this photo.  The property also includes an outdoor kitchen.

Thus, is the case of our newly booked vacation home with a deposit paid this morning for August 1, 2017, through October 31, 2017 (the day of our five year travel anniversary). We’re renting an exquisite house in Costa Rica, on our way to South America from the US.

How this property materialized is the magical part. While living in Kauai for four months, each month we attended friend Richard’s Full Moon Parties. At the second such delightful party, we met a lovely couple, Bev and Sam with whom we had an instant connection. They’ve traveled the world extensively with many exciting stories to share. 

One of two master bedrooms in the three-bedroom house.

Later, they invited us to their breathtaking home, located in a former botanical garden, for “movie night” in their outdoor “screening room” in a separate building on their grounds established as a technologically advanced movie theatre. 

On another occasion, they invited us to dinner at their home when sister Julie was visiting and we had another enjoyable evening with Bev and Sam. After we left Kauai, we’ve stayed in touch by email occasionally sharing tidbits about our lives and travels. 

Click here for link one and link two to Bev and Sam’s gorgeous home in Kauai for which we included two day’s posts.

The huge en suite master bath with large shower, soaking tub, double sinks and bidet.

From these several interactions with Bev and Sam, a friendship was born that we’ll always treasure, along with many others with whom we’d become close during that special, highly social four month period in Kauai.

Before we left Kauai, Bev and Sam had mentioned their recent purchase of another home in Costa Rica. We were happy for them in their obvious enthusiasm and asked them to send us photos when they could, allowing us to revel along with them in their excitement. Never did we think, for a moment, that their new home in Costa Rica would impact our lives of travel. 

A few weeks ago, I sent Bev an email to say hello. While chatting back and forth, she explained they’d recently listed their new home in Costa Rica on vacation rental site VRBO, (owned by HomeAway, the company we most often use for booking vacation rentals). 

View from the veranda to the valley below.  We don’t mind not having an ocean view on this occasion.

As we opened the link to their new home in Costa Rica, we did so as friends sharing in their joy in reviewing the listing, never thinking it would apply to us. Knowing their fine taste and the magnificence of their home in Kauai, it wasn’t even on our radar as remotely within our budgeted price range.

Once we saw the photos, we fell in love with the property; the location, the house and the grounds, each possessing unique qualities seldom found in vacation homes within a manageable price range.

Click here for the pricing and detailed listing for the home in Costa Rica on VRBO.

Expressing our interest in the property to Bev and Sam while curious if somehow it could work for us, they kindly proposed a three-month price for us that fits exactly into our range of affordability. 

As of early this morning, we paid the deposit and signed the agreement online for our negotiated price and entered the deposit with the management company they’ve employed to handle such matters. Its a “done deal.” We couldn’t be more thrilled to have this over-the-top property as our home for a full three months after leaving the US while as we begin our segue to South America.

The gorgeous grounds are professionally maintained.

It’s a reasonable flight from Las Vegas which after checking online shouldn’t be too difficult. Although the rental period is for 92 days, the visa stamp provided ton US citizens at the airport is 90 days. We’ll ask for the extra two days at the immigration counter at the airport and if unable to receive it, we’ll depart two days earlier. Our rental agreement is based on the month, not a daily rate.

We’re grateful to Bev and Sam for making this work for us, as well as excited to be able to spend three months in this special property, treating their home with the same care as we always do for any vacation rental we’ve rented throughout the world.

Costa Rica, known for its abundant wildlife and vegetation particularly appeals to our senses. Able to speak a little Spanish and definitely able to read the written word, it will be relatively easy communicating while there and later in South America. 

Today, we share a few of the photos of this fabulous home and will include many more once we arrive in Costa Rica. Also, today we’re updating our itinerary and budget to include this fine property. With several gaps to fill in our upcoming schedule, our work is cut out for us as always, an aspect of our travels we both find interesting and fun.

Enjoy the day!

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

As the sun began to set, Tom wandered out to the jetty in front of our condo in Maui. With almost a month remaining on the island before departing for the Big Island, we leisurely enjoyed each day in Maui. For more details, please click here.

Life in Fiji?…Would we return someday?…How many miles have we traveled to date?…Final resort photos…

A walkway at Namale Resort & Spa, as described in yesterday’s post, from guests personally making these stones during their stay at the exquisite resort, one of many activities centered around the personalization of guest experiences.

Often we’re asked, “Would you return to Fiji (or wherever we may be at the time) for another visit?”

As much as we’ve enjoyed this island and other locations, it’s doubtful we’ll return to most places we’ve lived in the past. The world’s a huge place. We’ll be lucky to see what comes our way in these hopefully healthful remaining years of our lives, the clock seemingly ticking faster now than 20 or 30 years ago.

The traditional Fijian bell, the lali, is used to alert guests as to activities and meal times at Namale Resort & Spa.

It’s not that we haven’t particularly loved some locations. We have. Fiji has been one of them. Sure, the ants and mosquitoes are rampant. but that would have no bearing on a return visit. At present, I have no less than a dozen itchy two and three-day-old bites that I refuse to scratch, which doesn’t seem to help one way or another. 

The effectiveness of vitamin B1’s warding off mosquitoes has wafted away in Fiji, although it appeared to work in Australia. The “natural” products I have used diligently have no benefit here and the only effective means of keeping them away is the chemical-laden local products, many containing 20% DEET.

The Veidomoni Deck where guests can relax and watch the blow-hole.

Then the question becomes, “Bites or chemicals, which is worse?” I alternate trying to stay free of bites on particularly bad days using the chemical products and on clear sunny days when less are biting, I go without, taking my chances on getting a few bites throughout the day and evening.

Sadly, we’re both unable to sit outdoors in the shade all day, which we’d love to be able to do. When the sun is shining I use a minimal amount of repellent to be able to sit still for 30 minutes on the solitary chaise lounge for my dose of vitamin D. It seems they don’t bite as much in the heat of the sun. In the shade, even “auto-repellent” Tom is getting bitten. 

A walk down this short walkway to the sea, the hot tub, and seating in this area overlooking the blow-hole that can be reserved for private dining or viewing.

Mosquitoes may carry disease, even in pristine Fiji where there are no snakes, few venomous spiders and centipedes, and a few flies. One has to weigh the pros and cons when implementing either option, repellent, or no repellent. 

However, a return to this lush tropical island is highly unlikely. The only places we feel confident we’ll visit again is Marloth Park, South Africa, and then to tour more of Africa, including seeing the gorillas in Rwanda and Victoria Falls which we missed on our last visit.

A luxuriating hot tub at the site of the blow-hole, ideal for cocktails and relaxation.

Kauai, Hawaii is one of our favorite places in the world. Both of these repeat visits are well down the road, long after we’ve swept through South America, next on the agenda as a continent to explore over a period of a few years.

Days ago, on our third year travel anniversary when we posted our expenses and stats, we missed an important fact that Tom mentioned, we’d forgotten hours after the post was uploaded, “How many miles have we traveled to date?”

As the blow-hole spouted…

Of course, off the top of our heads, we didn’t have a clue. On the right side of the page for each new post is a Travelers Point map that enables us or our readers to view our “full-size Travel Map” with a single click. Please feel free to do so. 

We spent several hours updating and correcting this map in the past few days. It’s now accurate and complete to date. For those of you who travel, you can use your own map at Travelers Point for “free” without any annoying advertising. It’s fun to map out your travels throughout your life. We’ve only included where we’ve traveled in the past three years.

The coral reef in the Koro Sea.

By clicking on that link on our site, the full travel map will expand and show everywhere we’ve been. To date, we’ve traveled 128,907 km, 80,103 miles. Many business travelers have traveled over a million miles which for us, will be impossible to achieve. Stopping to live in a vacation home for two to three months along the way makes such a number far from our reach.
 
Then again, this isn’t a marathon, nor is it even a race. We’re just two relatively laid-back seniors leisurely traveling from country to country, continent to continent enjoying the journey along the way.  If we had to stop now, we’d look back on that map and say, “Gee, we’ve certainly traveled our fair share throughout the world.”

A footbridge across a ravine.

And yet, we haven’t been to Asia (other than the Asia side of Istanbul), South America, Russia and so much more, all of which call to us in the future. Plus, we’ll surely return to some parts of the world we’ve visited in the past to “expand our horizons” in new cities, on river cruises

By September 2016, a mere 10 months down the road, we’ll have spent considerable time in Cambodia, Viet Nam and living in Phuket, Thailand, giving us a small sampling of Asia which we’ll further explore in years to come.

At a distance to the building where guests come from all over the world to attend Tony Robbins’ seminars while staying at the resort.

Upcoming in a post in the next few days, we’ll be sharing photos and stories of a new location, where we’ll live for three months beginning on August 1, 2017, a mere 21 months into the future. 

As far off as it may seem, the time flies quickly and we can easily imagine ourselves in the new location, sitting in a comfy chair in the morning again writing to you about all of our adventures, big and small.

As we prepared to leave, this guitar player proceeded to play. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay to enjoy his music.

In the interim, we have many more miles to travel, places to see, and experiences to behold. We treasure each location as if it were our first, as one may treasure on a “vacation/holiday” on which they embark once a year.  But for us, it continues on and on, with no end in sight.

Recently, as we ended a conversation with a couple we met, they blurted out, “Enjoy your trip!” Often we hear, “Have fun on your holiday!” Safe travels on your vacation.”

Fresh locally grown flower arrangements were on display in many areas of the resort.

Later, we often chuckle after hearing these considerate, well-intended comments. This is no “trip,” no “vacation,” and no “holiday.” This is our day to day lives and although challenging at times, we remain joyful, grateful, and in awe of the world around us. Above all, we’re continuing, if not enhancing, being together, day after day, through laughter and a pure sense of appreciating one another.

Thanks to all of you for sharing this life with us!

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

On a walk in the neighborhood of our condo in Maui, we encountered this Cattle Egret, commonly found in the Hawaiian Islands. For more details from the walk, please click here.

Part 2…Best anniversary day imaginable!…Reeling from a memorable experience at the world famous Namale Resort & Spa!

Namale Resort & Spa spares nothing in providing the ideal tropical holiday.

Again this year, Namale Resort & Spa has been the winner of the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame Award and has earned a Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years in the categories of accommodation, romance and luxury.

One of the two pools available for all guests. Some of the villas have private pools.

Whether a guest desires an adventure hike through a rainforest to a hidden waterfall, a horseback ride along the beach or a heart-pounding scuba dive into the Koro Sea, it is all available at Namale Resort & Spa.

Frog statue at one of the pools.

For more low-key activities, a private, secluded meal can be arranged anywhere on the grounds, inside the guest’s bure, villa, or a quiet picnic on the beach or at the deck overlooking the blow hole.

There was a pumpkin carving event scheduled in this recreational area in the afternoon, based on our tour day as Halloween in many countries.  It would be an adult-only event when Namale is an adult-only (16 and over) environment.

For the sports inclined, there’s a nine-hole golf course, fitness centre, volleyball and tennis courts and an indoor basketball court. At the Kava Bowl indoor entertainment center, there’s a golf simulator, two bowling lanes, billiard tables, ping pong, and darts and of course, wifi available in the cool, comfortable surroundings.

Bana, the scuba dive master/instructor and host.  We enjoyed our chat with him as with several other staff members.

As we wandered through the property reveling in one artfully built building after another, it was easy to imagine oneself in this inviting and relaxing environment. Celebrities from all over the world come to Namale Resort & Spa for a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of life in the public eye.

Filo is the perfect tour guide and hostess for our extensive tour of the property.

Then again, those who select Namale for their wedding, anniversary or much deserved respite from everyday life can easily float amid its lush and inviting surroundings to escape the rigors of everyday life.

Guests are encouraged to write their names and date of their visit on these individual stones to remain on-site for years to come. When enough accumulate, they are made into a walking path. How enjoyable it would be to return years later to find one’s stone remaining!  What a unique personal touch while overall signifies the message at Namale.

Let’s face it, we’ve visited numerous resorts throughout our travels, many in the five star category, even one designated as seven-star (go figure) in Abu Dhabi, UAE that we visited in 2013, the Emirates Palace Hotel (click here for our post and photos). 

Tennis courts available for day or night use with equipment on-site, easy to access. 

No other resorts appealed to our tastes more than Namale Resort & Spa, not for its opulence but for the manner in which it embraces nature, and the manner in which every staff member strives to fulfill the needs, desires and interests of each guest for their recurring holiday/vacation or a once-in-a-lifetime visit to this perfect getaway.

This beach scene with comfortable chaise lounges in the sand reminded us of resorts we visited on the Indian Ocean in Kenya.

Our lunch was far beyond our expectations. Having perused many restaurant menus in Savusavu, we decided dining out here (as was the case in Trinity Beach, Australia) would be difficult with my highly restrictive diet.  With good health paramount to our travels, straying from my way of eating is never an option, even in doing so by accident. 

The fitness centre with the latest and greatest equipment.

We must admit that dining at Namale Resort & Spa was our first meal in a restaurant since our last cruise ended on June 11th when we dined aboard ship on the final night in a specialty restaurant with our newly made friends, Renee and Geoff. 

The Kava Bowl (no kava served here, although cocktails are available) is the full service recreational building including two bowling lanes, game tables and golf simulator. 

We’ve had tremendous good fortune with meals on our past 11 cruises with chefs readily accommodating my diet although I must carefully monitor the process at each meal to ensure accuracy. In a single visit to a local restaurant such diligence is not to be expected or likely.  

The second shared swimming pool.

We’ve missed dining out, not so much to give me a break from cooking which I don’t require but, more so for the enjoyment of sitting together in a new setting, enjoying the surroundings and hopefully good service and food.

Namale’s name is derived from the name of this tree, located outside the basketball courts and sports building.

Then again, there’s Tom, who eat whatever he wants on cruise ships and when dining in restaurants with no complaint or evil eye from me.  n fact, I go as far as encouraging him to take advantage of the opportunity and to eat and drink to his heart’s content when he only partakes of my diet when we dine at “home.”

Shivani, the spa director was delightful as she toured us through the exquisite spa.

That’s exactly what he did at Namale Resort & Spa. The bread basket was his first foray into his perception of the ultimate dining experience, replenished once by our lovely and attentive, server Topou, who couldn’t have provided more perfect service. 

An extensive menu of services is offered by the spa including “couples” massages and services.

He didn’t stop eating the soft “squishy” buns until after the fifth and still had room for a frosty banana Pina Colada, his delicious three-course meal, including the addition of my dessert to his dessert plate.

The view beyond the massage tables in the couple’s massage room.

The chef easily accommodated my food restrictions with a perfectly cooked plate of steak fajitas, minus the usual tortillas, and the starter of a grilled shrimp salad, all well within the range of my restrictions.

Villi, our friendly driver, who ensured we had a bit of riding time during the tour of the expansive property which encompasses 525 acres.

The flavor, presentation and service for each of the three courses of our meal couldn’t have been more to our liking as shown in these photos. The timing, an important element in fine dining and multiple course service, was extraordinary, leaving us never feeling rushed or in want of a plate being cleared.  Even my unsweetened iced tea was flavorful with lots of ice, as I prefer.

Tom was thrilled with his first cocktail, since June 10th on our last cruise. He was working on the first of his delicious warm buns slathered with butter.

Whether it was the spa, where we met and were toured by the spa director Shivani through one of the most amazing spas we’ve seen, to the drive in the golf cart by Villi or the walks among the many pathways with Filo to hidden treasures at every turn, we were continually impressed by the staff. 

We both had this refreshing shrimp salad as our first course, all of which worked for my diet.

One of our most enjoyable conversations was with Bana, the scuba dive master who’s warmth and personality kept us longing for more idle chatter with him. Nowdla, the co-general manager, in her obvious love for Namale Resort & Spa and Fiji, couldn’t have been more delightful and thoughtful in providing us with an ideal visit to this special place.

Tom’s beer-battered fish, chips and red cabbage which he thoroughly enjoyed stating he hadn’t had fried fish this good in years.

At the end of our day, we wandered back to the reception area where we again thanked the staff. While Tom sat in the cooling breeze in the outdoor lobby, I wandered through the gift shop wondering, if I was a “usual” tourist, what would I bring “home.” The offerings were many, all of high quality as expected, with many especially intriguing options.

My fajita meal was three good-sized chunks of tenderloin cooked to perfection on a bed of grilled vegetables and salsa. It couldn’t have been more wonderful.

Soon, Ratnesh arrived to return us to our temporary home in Savusavu. The almost four hours from door to door experience had flown by, leaving us with smiles on our faces for an experience and anniversary celebration we’ll always remember.

We’ll continue to post more Namale photos over the next few days. However, we have new stories awaiting upcoming posts that we’re excited to share as we continue on.

Tom’s double  portion of lemon merengue pie with blueberry coulis included my portion which I had to decline.

At the moment, as I prepare this post, Tom is in the chair next to mine as we overlook the sea, while he’s watching the Minnesota Vikings game on his laptop that aired on US TV at noon on Sunday, Minnesota time, which was 7 am here in Fiji this morning, Monday (after yesterday’s time change).  You can take the boy out of Minnesota but you can’t take the Minnesota out of the boy, including eating the five delicious rolls at Namale Resort & Spa.

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

This must have been pretty before it began to fade away. For more details from the post one year ago, please click here.