Part 1…A long ago story to tell…Beginning in 1972 – Jess’s story…Tom’s story follows…

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Beautiful colors and scenery at high tide.
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Today, dozens of school kids walked along the beach while on the equivalent of a field trip to celebrate the end of the school year. In the next few days school will be out for a one month holiday. When they return, they’ll enter the next grade as they continue their studies. Wearing school uniforms is required with a color change on different days of the week.
The kids were happy and playful as they chatted with one another on their field trip.

In 1972, as a young mom, I got my first “corporate job” working in a small real estate investment firm in Edina, Minnesota. I’d be hired as an assistant to the president of the company. Within a few months, I became property manager and a few months later I received my real estate license to begin working in the process of acquisition and sale of both residential and commercial real estate. I was 24 years old and was excited to have landed a career.

One day, when the owner was leaving, he asked me to enter the day’s transactions on the computer system. I’d often wondered about the room with the locked door, filled with floor-to-ceiling machines with endless reels of tape, as daunting and untouchable.

“I have no idea how to use that,”  I said in a panic.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll show you!”

The colors and shadows change in the constant daylight sunshine.

Thirty minutes later he left me with handwritten notes as to how to operate the complicated computer system.  I was the only person remaining in the office. I nervously stared at an extra-wide keyboard with the documents at my side, knowing I had to enter the vital information. 

As a poor typist (still today), I began picking away at the keys frequently referring to the handwritten instructions hoping I wouldn’t make an error. Making corrections in those days wasn’t as easy as it is today. 

My knees were knocking, my heart was pounding. But soon, I realized it wasn’t from fear but excitement. After I’d entered the information, I noticed a file folder labeled “Computer Entry” noting numerous files had yet to be entered. Immediately called home to tell my then-husband to make dinner, put the kids to bed, and expect me home at a very late hour. I was hooked.

This breathtaking view never ceases to amaze us.

At 6:00 am I pulled my car into the driveway, exhausted with bloodshot eyes but excited beyond belief. I was anxious to shower and dress, make the kids breakfast and head back to work to see how my boss reacted to my self-imposed additional project. As soon as the babysitter arrived at 8:00 am, I was out the door, alert and surprisingly awake.

As soon as I walked in the door of the office, he was standing there, obviously waiting for me. He shook my hand as a wide smile spread across his face, “Well, kid,” he said, “You have an even brighter future ahead of you than I thought. I’m impressed.”

Less than 18 months later, I owned my own real estate company, was the youngest broker in the State of Minnesota, and on my way to an interesting and illustrious career as a business owner. 

Each day, we’ve rescued many grasshoppers who are drowning in the pool.  Once we take them out, they dry off for a while and then fly off.  Some appear dead but often come to life after a while.

Unfortunately, the cost of filling a room with computers was outrageous at that time and beyond my reach as a fledgling company. I knew in time it would change, as other technology had been changing in the ’70s and later in the ’80s and ’90s. My first microwave was US $800, IDR 10,640,000. Our first VCR was US $1200, IDR 15,960,000 and it went on and on.

Divorced during this period, my kids and I glommed on to anything to do with technology; movies and video games especially at arcades where we could play pinball machines, more fascinated with the technology than the game itself.

Our first at-home video game, Pong, was pricey when purchasing the complete Atari set.  \My kids and I spent hours together and with each other, staring at the rounded-faced TV screen as we bounced the imaginary ball back and forth. It was all just the beginning. 

This grasshopper was lethargic after I rescued him/her from the pool but soon flew away.

A decade passed as more and more technology became available. In the 1980s I had my first personal DOS-operated IBM computer, more fascinated than ever over the ability to keep valuable records for the business.

It was in 1991, the year Tom and I met, that I purchased my first modem which was the size of a large word processing machine (which I also had) along with a new 100mhz personal computer. 

My friend Brian, married to my dear friend Lisa, was a nerd like me.  \He gave me a phone number I could call telling me to be patient, using the phone handset attached to the modem to gain access to the Internet. I had purchased a designated phone line for this sole purpose. 

Over the past few days, we’ve seen the highest tides since our arrival.

I’d often dial that phone number over and over for many hours in the middle of the night, attempting to “get in.” When I’d finally gain access, I’d often be “kicked off” in minutes. I devoured the “library type” information that popped up on the screen, in awe of how this whole thing worked. I was obsessed, to say the least.

As my and Tom’s relationship developed, eventually, he became interested along with me in an online  BETA game, called Netplay. This was one of the first online interactive multiuser games on the Internet. It took eight hours online to download the game which we did overnight. When updates occurred, it required an all-new eight-hour download.

As the technology improved, we purchased a second 500 MHz PC, giving Tom my older PC, again downloading the game. Subsequently, we installed another designated phone line, spending hours (in our off time) playing that game. We lost an entire summer in 1992 playing that game in the breakfast room at our individual desks/workstations.

The view directly in front of our villa as the tide rapidly washes closer to the edge of the infinity pool. Logs and ocean debris often accompany the incoming tide which later disappears as the tide rolls back out to sea.

The game required the user to snail mail the company, then Broderbund Software, a headshot photo of the player which they scanned on one of the first scanners that were the size of a ping pong table. A week later an avatar popped up in the game with each of our faces atop a cartoon-like character. Wow, this was impressive! We couldn’t help but show it to anyone who came to visit. For the era, it was hard to believe. Today, it’s commonplace.

The game was simple although advanced for its day and age, a place where one’s avatar could play a variety of card games. We choose to play poker in any of a few poker “rooms” which included green felt tables, chairs for eight players, and a picture on the wall of dogs playing cards.  \We were able to communicate with one another via word balloons.  \We were totally hooked.

In a short period, we embraced the Internet, even going as far as in 1997 when each of us purchased new 1998 model cars all online, choosing all the options, negotiating the pricing while awaiting the email notifying us the cars had arrived at the dealership ready for pickup. It was fascinating to both of us.

A praying mantis on the glass door.

I was one of Norwest’s Bank’s (no longer named) first online BILLPAY customers in the early 90s when all the kinks had yet to be worked out. I had no fear of the technology and we continue to use this service today, which is vital to our world travels.

We’ll continue this story tomorrow as we moved into the next technological era, day by day, piece by piece, making every effort to stay abreast of the latest innovations. 

Today, we read about technological advancements online in computing, science, and medicine, finding it helps to keep us informed of what’s transpiring in the field and how and what will be available to us in the future to aid us in our ongoing travels and daily lives.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with Tom’s introduction into the world of computing and how he’s adapted in the process. See you again soon!

Photo from one year ago today, June 10, 2015:

A passenger on the ship became ill and had to be airlifted off the shop.  He was wrapped in exterior covering over the basket with a paramedic holding onto him. Looked scary to us. For more on this story and photos, please click here.

Cambodia visas arrived by email!…Vital passport information, a must see for long term or world travelers! A second passport?

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A temple on the busy main street in Negara.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Most mornings we see one of the local workers walking on the beach to a nearby temple with a platter of colorful flower offerings. At first, we thought she was bringing food to a neighbor, but when we asked Gede he explained this ritual. 

Many countries don’t require an actual passport to be sent to a visa procuring company or an embassy. For those in their home countries who must apply for visas, which requires they snail mail their actual passport, and with ample time to do so, (preferably by registered mail) it’s no big deal.

A less crowded road while on the way to Negara.

By snail mailing all the required documents, a week or two later, passports are returned to your mailbox along with the required visas. For us, this prospect is impossible when living outside the US. “Why not?” you may ask? Why not send in our passports as required in ample time requesting a rush return? For us, the answer is clear. 

The closer we got to Negara, the traffic picked up.

What if one of us became ill and had to fly out of the country for more appropriate medical care and, we didn’t have our actual passports in our possession while they were in transit, instead, having only copies? The potential delays in dealing with such a situation could be life-threatening.

Also, if there was political unrest in a country (entirely possible in today’s world) in which we were living and the embassy had to assist us in getting out of the country. Here again, a possible life-threatening situation without the actual passport in our possession.

We’re located in Melaya Beach as shown in western Bali. Negara is south of Melaya with a population of approximately 220,000.

When we first started traveling we had two passports; our main 10-year passports and second two-year passports. This would allow us to feel at ease if we needed to send in the second passports in order to apply for a visa. If an emergency arose, we’d still have the 10-year passport in our possession.

Once we arrive in Negara, the traffic crawls.  

As it turned out during our first few years of travel we never needed to use the second passport for such a purpose. Instead, during the first two years, we used the second passports to get visa stamps at airports, while on cruises, and at cruise ship terminals as opposed to using up pages in our 10-year passports. When the two-year passport expired we began using the 10-year passport.

We thought about continuing to apply for two-year passports, but based on the fact that we never used it for the intended purpose of applying and mailing in documents for visas, we decided against incurring the additional cost of US $340, IDR 4,488,850 every two years for the two of us. 

With only two lanes roads and little to no shoulder, passing could be frightening. But, these drivers on motorbikes, in cars and trucks seem fairly adept at passing on the narrow roads.

Also, if we had the second passports we could use for snail mail, for example through VisaHQ, who just completed our online Cambodia visas (all of which we were able to do online without any snail mail), we’d still have to find post offices, pay for taxi services to and from post offices, and pay for pricey shipping fees both ways. It would still be a “pain-in-the-butt.”

A traditional daytime wedding celebration outdoors at a restaurant.

Based on the fact that we’ve been traveling for almost 44 months and only recently had to address visa issues of any major degree, we’ve accepted the reality of applying for visas at embassies in other countries or, if necessary at immigration offices in the country in which we’re residing at any given time if an extension is required. 

Dozens of trucks were lined up on the highway in the town of Gilimanuk where it required they stop at a weighing station. 

It’s the “nature of the beast.” No one ever said it would be easy.  Then again, no one ever said anything.  Every step of the way in our world travels we’ve been on our own, figuring it out step by step, piece by piece. 

Thank goodness for the Internet. Without it, this amount of travel would have been difficult, if not impossible for us, when quickly our interest would have waned over the challenges of figuring out the endless tasks (and costs) by phone call and snail-mail. 

With as slow as this lineup was moving we imagined the truckers could easily wait all day or overnight for the weigh-in.

We so admire the travelers before us, decades ago, whose sheer determination and desire to see the world took them on a laborious adventure we can only imagine. We’re grateful for our ability to use computers and the Internet with ease which we acquired long before we ever conceived of traveling the world. 

Another decorative archway wishing good fortune to those departing the village.

We have somewhat of an unusual story to share, one we’ve never told here before, of how we developed such an interest in the internet so long ago, for me, beginning in the early 1970s. Please check back tomorrow as we share our story.

Do you have an Internet story to tell? Please share in our comments section at the end of any post. You may do so anonymously if you’d prefer.

Photo from one year ago today, June 9, 2015:

Beautiful sea and mountain view as our ship sailed away from Fiji, one year ago. For more photos and details, please click here.

So much is on the horizon…Perusing culture on a walk in the neighborhood…All new photos…

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We spotted this friendly neighbor (no English) making bowls as shown in her hands that are used for offerings at the Hindu temples.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This flat-bottomed fishing boat wafted by a few mornings ago.

OK, I’ll stop whining, or “whinging” as the British and Aussies say in this slang expression, about the wifi problems in Bali. Although no rep has been here to make repairs yet we were able to manage a weak enough signal last night to download today’s photos which took a few hours. The result? A workaround for now. 

I’ll shut up about it. If you don’t see a post at any time over the next 19 days, you’ll know why…no signal at all. We looked up the worst wifi locations in the world and Indonesia was #4. Now we get it. 

Each time we walk by her home, a few blocks from the villa, we find her working.

With few remaining suitable tourist venues for us to explore, we’ve decided to save these for our next period in Bali beginning in September. For now, most likely we’ll stay put other than embark on a few short road trips during these remaining 19 days. 

This is a temple in the neighborhood where locals congregate for prayer and meditation. 

We have plenty to do in the interim, especially if the WiFi comes back stronger (oops, sorry) after the supposed upcoming repairs. We have several future bookings to arrange which we’d planned to tackle while here, poolside in the shade of the cabana. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do as many as we’d hoped on the outstanding “to do” list.

One year from now we’ll be arriving in Minneapolis, give or take a few days. We’re hoping to rent an RV in Seattle, returning it in Las Vegas with approximately a five or six-week stay in Minneapolis in between. Once we arrive in Nevada, we’ll return the RV, rent a car and stay with son Richard in Henderson. 

Low tide from the second story of the villa.

With our US arrival less than a year away, we need to book one of these vehicles soon when many RV rentals are snapped up well in advance for the busy summer months in the US. 

An extended one-way rental contract requires a phone call to make the arrangements. We haven’t been able to remain on a Skype phone call long enough to make the arrangements. We’re hoping for a better scenario at one of our next locations to wrap this up before we head back to Bali.

Abandoned old barns and buildings may be tucked away behind vegetation.

Over the next few months beginning on June 28th we’ll be busy with many flights and experiences taking us to a multitude of locations in Southeast Asia, part of which is included in the Mekong River Cruise: 

1.  Fly to Singapore – stay 7 nights in a hotel (apply for three visas at various embassies)
2.  Fly to Hanoi – stay 5 nights in a hotel (cruise/tour starts on the 3rd day)
3.  Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia – stay 3 nights in a hotel (part of cruise/tour)
4.  Mekong River Cruising to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 7 nights on the riverboat until cruise ends
5.  Ho Chi Minh City – stay 2 nights in a hotel
6.  Fly to Phuket, Thailand – stay 41 nights in a vacation rental
7.  Fly from Phuket, Thailand back to Bali, Indonesia for another 59 nights beginning September 1st.

Most Hindu homes have an elaborate family temple on site.

Whew!  This all transpires over a period of 124 days. This may be one of the busier travel periods in a short duration we’ve experienced to date. Although, as I write this while discussing it with Tom, he easily rattles off an earlier busier period in 2013 when we were on six cruises over a 69 day period including only one flight from Dubai to Barcelona. 

When we look back at our past posts which we do almost daily, not only as we’re posting but, also for our personal enjoyment, we can’t believe what we’ve done so far. How did this happen?  How did we do this?

We enjoy walks in the neighborhood although early mornings are best before it gets too hot.

We’re undoubtedly mindful of possibly boring our readers with our lazy days by the sea and/or pool but we need only look back at where we’ve been, what we’ve seen, and what we’re yet to see in the future. Hang on, folks, the adventure continues…


Photo from one year ago today, June 8, 2015:

A year ago today our ship docked in Suva, Fiji. The Fiji Police Band played on the pier as a welcome to the ship. The band was undercover due to the pouring rain. We didn’t get off the ship when we had an upcoming one-month booking in Pacific Harbor, Fiji, later visiting Suva on a few occasions. For more details, please click here.

Cost of living in Bali as compared to other locations we’ve visited…

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Due to a poor WiFi signal, we are unable to post any photos today. Gede has contacted the service provider who’s explained that some of the routers on the tower between the house aren’t working. They’ve promised to make a service call from Java within 24 hours to make the repairs. However, as always, “island time” takes presence over all else.  We’ll see how this rolls out. We were able to acquire a signal strong enough to post the text only. We’ll keep trying throughout the day attempting to upload the photos. Thanks for your patience and we’ll be back with an update tomorrow.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

With only 20 days until our departure from this wonderful property in Sumbersari in west Bali, we’ve had an ample opportunity for a comprehensive take on the cost of living here in a vacation home.

Keeping in mind, living in a vacation home is a whole lot different and less expensive than staying in a resort or hotel. Also, flying to this island can be costly and time-consuming for those living long distances away such as Europe and the US.

A round trip, for example, from Minneapolis to Denpasar would cost approximately IDR 26,676,000, US $2,000, or more for the shortest economy class flights taking no less than 17 hours with some cheaper flights over 30 hours. Most working travelers don’t have (or want) two or three extra days spent traveling.

For us, it’s worked well since we were already in the South Pacific getting as close as Singapore by a much desired and enjoyed cruise. For travelers in Australia and New Zealand, Bali can be a good choice for an
extended holiday when it doesn’t take long to fly here and the cost is reasonable under US $350, AU 475.

Then the costs include accommodations, transportation, meals, entertainment, recreation, and tips.  Many travelers enjoy shopping in the capital city of Denpasar where prices for clothing and trinkets are low compared
to other destinations.  We heard several cruise passengers mention they bring an empty piece of luggage to contain the items they’ll purchase when they come to Bali.

We realize our perspective in definitely unrealistic and impractical for many tourists that want an all-encompassing travel experience including all of the above expenditures and amenities.

In today’s world of the fast-growing retiree population, others travelers are like us in many ways…desiring to spend less and, get the most out of the experience not necessarily staying in a busy, more populated and
subsequently, more expensive areas where “all the action is.”

Those days for us passed a long time ago, long before we began this journey. We don’t need discos and noisy dining establishments to entertain us at night nor are we interested in shop after shop of similar looking items.  These facts alonechanges everything.

A wonderful aspect to Bali is the affordable household help, including cooks, also included in the rental cost of many vacation properties. We couldn’t get better meals at a restaurant than we’re experiencing here, served hot and fresh daily at a cost that is unbelievable.

Again, we’re different than the average traveler, dining only once a day when most would enjoy three meals a day and perhaps a beautiful fruit plate as an afternoon snack.

Even so, in this villa two people could dine three times a day keeping the cost under US $25, IDR 334,000, a far cry from what they’d spend dining in restaurants plus transportation. For our one meal per day, we’re spending less than we’ve ever spent for food anywhere in our travels.  At the upcoming end of our stay, 20 days from today, we’ll post our total expenses, as we always do.

We haven’t dined out once since our arrival on April 30th. There aren’t any suitable restaurants within a two hour drive of this area. For the average traveler, the comprehensive menu for the villa could easily satisfy
one’s desire for great food for even an extended stay.

Sure, its fun to get out, have a few drinks and enjoy an evening out. We always find great pleasure in doing so. Although my restrictive way of eating makes it difficult in some parts of the world especially when a lot of starch and sugar is used in traditional spices used in local and regional food prep.

Also, for us, using the services of the villa’s drivers has made a lot of sense. Never once, have we wished we had a rental car, especially considering “google maps” wouldn’t be much help in this part of the world. Of course, one could use a “paper” map if they so choose.

The cost of most drivers for a full day in Bali is under IDR 1,000,000, US $75. One could easily spend at least half that much per day for a rental car sitting in the driveway when its not in use.

Another factor we highly considered when we booked this location is the quality of this fabulous vacation home, at a reasonable price for which we would have paid three or four times as much in a busier and considered “more convenient” location. Check out the link for the excellent prices for this property.

It all boils down to what’s important to you as travelers.  Here they can snorkel, scuba dive, fish, visit rainforests, temples and much more. Mainly, its a lively nightlife lacking for those desiring action in the evenings.

Overall, our time in Bali may prove to be one of our less expensive vacation homes to date offering an abundance of features we’ve thoroughly enjoyed. The WiFi? Not so much. The rest? Heavenly.

Please mark your calendars to check back on June 27th (the 26th for those on the opposite side of the International Dateline) when we’ll share the total expenses for our almost two months in Bali. You may be pleasantly surprised as we make the final tally!

May your day provide YOU with a pleasant surprise or two!

Photo from one year ago today, June 7, 2015:

The pilot boat. A pilot boards the ship to assist in getting the ship away from the pier, a common occurrence in most ports. For more photos, please click here.

Handling issues and challenges on an ongoing basis…A very odd fact about “time” at the end of today’s post…

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Our cabana in the afternoon sun.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

A young woman carrying a large basket on her head, a young boy playing on the beach and a driver on a motorbike, all commonly seen on the beach in Bali.

Getting online and staying online is an ongoing source of frustration here in Bali. On Sundays, when no staff is around we get a decent signal 90% of the day. When the staff is on duty six days a week they hang around next door in an area designated for their use while they stay on site for their workday.

If there are no guests staying in that villa, they hang around inside and outdoors the villa next door all day using their phones for email and Facebook. Some have SIM cards on their phones, others use the villa’s signal. There’s a huge data tower between the two houses but the signal is not sufficient for everyone to be online simultaneously.

The general service to the area is poor, but with as many as seven users online at any given time between the two houses, let alone the activity from other users in the general area, we can’t get online many times during the day.

The narrow road we walked with Gede to his family home.

As a result, we attempt to do research and planning a little at a time. When applying online for visas this past week, we often found ourselves kicked off in the middle of preparing an online form, unable to save our work, and having to start all over again. What easily could have been a 30 minute process proved to take four or five hours each day.

As I prepare today’s post, I’m doing so in LiveWriter, an offline program,  when I can’t trust work being saved writing in Blogger.com. Although Blogger automatically saves edits, if the connection disappears midstream, the work is lost, had it not been able to save it in the interim.

WiFi has been a major issue in many areas in which we’ve traveled. We accept that our choice to live in more remote areas is definitely a contributing factor. And, without a doubt, we can  handle a “slow” service. It’s the “no” service factor that provides the greatest degree of frustration.

An electric generating plant along the highway.

Of course, we’ve tried other options including buying a SIM card for our own device. This also only works intermittently with a relatively poor signal as well. It isn’t entirely due to the two villa’s sharing the pole between the two villas and two routers…it’s the signal to the area in general which has to travel across a 1.5 mile, 2.78 km, stretch of sea to Java, Indonesia as described here from Wikipedia:

“Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of over 141 million (the island itself) or 145 million (the administrative region) as of 2015 Census released in December 2015, Java is home to 56.7 percent of the Indonesian population, and is the most populous island on Earth. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is located on western Java.

Much of Indonesian history took place on Java. It was the center of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, the Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Java was also the center of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930s and 1940s. Java dominates Indonesia politically, economically and culturally.”

There are no regulations regarding burning garbage in Bali.  This is a common scene.

As shown above, Java is “the most populous island on Earth” which is the reason we have no interest in taking the ferry across the bay to see it. We hear the traffic is worse than on this island.  That’s just too many people for us!

As a result, the wifi signal coming across the ocean from Java is impeded by distance and also by the necessity of traveling across the sea. We just have to live with it. 

We only expect it to get worse when other guests are arriving to the villa next doors in a few days and when again we return in September when both villas will be fully occupied during those two months.

Kids are heading to school wearing required uniforms, required for all age groups.

Otherwise, we had a pleasant Sunday with clear weather at 92C, 33C, a fascinating high tide and more interesting action on the beach. We were able to complete the online application for the visa for Cambodia and now must wait five business days (beginning tomorrow, Monday in the US) to receive the actual visas via email.

Other than the necessity of booking our favorite hotel today in Sydney, Holiday Inn Old Sydney the Rocks, for our next cruise, a “back-to-back” (two cruises, one after the other) for 33 days departing on October 31st, we anticipate another quiet and low stress day in paradise.

Driving over a river on the road to Negara.

This cruise will commence on the exact date of our four year anniversary of beginning our worldwide travels. It will be a day to celebrate as we embark on our longest cruise to date.

Sure, the wifi issues are annoying and cumbersome. But, it appears there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re locked in for our return and refuse to let the issues prevent us from further enjoying our otherwise ideal time in Bali.

We hope no annoyances prevent YOU from enjoying your day!  Be well.


Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2015:

There was no post one year ago on this date due the fact that while we went to bed before midnight it was June 5, 2015. At midnight, it became June 6, 2015.  At 2:00 am, we crossed the International Dateline and it became June 7, 2015.  We slept through the two hours it was June 6, 2015. Funny, eh? 

Here’s the post from two years ago with two fun videos while in Madeira, Portugal when we purchase fresh caught tuna from the traveling fish guy. Oddly, this morning, the two Ketuts brought home fresh caught tuna for tonight’s dinner. Another coincidence!

Another excellent capture by Tom!…A video worth checking out!…A day in this life in Bali…

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Last night as we exited the bedroom to make our cheese plate, we spotted this huge Nursery Web Spider. Although their bite may be painful apparently its not life threatening.Tom was able to scoot it outside with the broom.  No screaming.  Just photos.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Tom’s video taken yesterday at high tide. It’s hard to believe how close the water comes to the villa.

Lounging in the comfy chaises facing the ocean, watching the activity on the beach is rather entertaining. Who knew there would be so much to see? 

We have dozens of photos backed up for future “Sightings on the Beach in Bali,” the heading we’ve been posting since three days after arriving in Bali. One might say, “Don’t they have anything better to do?” 

There’s not a whole lot more we need to do to entertain ourselves when several times a day our mouths are agape in awe of a new sighting, unlike others we’ve observed on beaches in the past.  Then again, maybe we didn’t pay as much attention as we do now.

Elaborate temple near the beach.

Our first beachfront location was in Belize (in Central America, formerly known as British Honduras) beginning in February 2013 when we spent over two months at the Laru Beya Beach Resort in Placencia, a peninsula village that required yet another harrowing four-hour drive from the capital city of Belize City.

There, we spent most of our days outdoors as we do now. By 7:00 am each morning, sometimes earlier, we’re situated in the chaise lounges facing the beach while I begin to sort through photos for the day’s post while Tom starts his day checking through Facebook and his email.

A mosque in the village.

Rarely, do I ever respond to emails or engage in “pleasure browsing” until after I’ve completed the day’s post. It’s so easy to get sidetracked. Instead, I focus on the post most often able to have it uploaded by 11:00 am. Then, for the next hour, I read and reply to dozens of email messages from readers, friends, and family.

By noon, having stayed undercover in the shade all morning, we’re both ready to tackle an hour working out in the pool. After the pool, we each spend no more than 20 minutes in the sun. Oddly, with this short period of sunning each day, we’re both as tan as we’ve ever been. 

South of the equator by eight degrees the sun is a scorcher in Bali. We prefer not to use sunscreen based on its awful chemical structure instead, staying in full shade for the remainder of the day.  We get a huge dose of Vitamin D in those paltry 20 minutes, a nice bit of a tan with the pleasure of being outdoors most of the day.

Entrance to Bali’s largest water park.

After drying off it’s time to get some work done, most recently booking flights and preparing applications for the four visas we’ll need over the next few months. We’re almost done with this tedious work, but with yesterday’s poor wifi signal we’re left to complete the online Cambodia visa today.

By 3:0 or 4:00 pm, we head in to shower and dress for dinner as skimpily as possible, again wearing swimsuits. Tom always wears a tee-shirt while dining which I’ve always considered thoughtful. Why is that?

Entrance to unknown compound.

The two swimsuits I’ve been wearing are fast losing their elasticity although ideal when no one but the staff is around. Tom pulls up the back of my suit several times a day while I do my share of tugging and rearranging. I only have two relatively unused swimsuits left which I’m saving for upcoming cruises. 

I may have to order a few more swimsuits when these two soon become threadbare. I’d prefer not to have to purchase swimsuits online without trying them on but that’s necessary for this life. Sometime over the next four or five months, we’ll order a new shipment for which we’re now making the list which will include swimsuits and a few other clothing items we’ll need by that time.

Lifeboat used for training exercises in Negara.

Tom has five swim trunks he alternates which are holding up fairly well. Since guys don’t have much elasticity in their suits they seem to last longer. He’ll also need to replace a few pairs of swim trunks by the end of our second stay in Bali beginning in September. 

Unless we’re on an outing or a walk, we don’t wear street clothes or shoes. In Bali, shoes aren’t worn inside the house, a tradition we’ve always favored in our old lives. 

With only one load of laundry each week we only need to hand wash the swimsuits using laundry soap which, when purchased in Bali, comes in a stiff plastic bag to avoid the use of more plastic.  The bag is a bit tricky to handle, but the concept makes it worth the effort. Few grocery items in Bali are contained in typical plastic containers.

The owner’s residence next door also used as a vacation property which is similar to our villa but has three bedrooms as opposed to our four bedrooms and has a smaller pool. 

After we’ve finished dinner by 6:00 pm, discussed and planned the next day’s meal with the two Ketuts, we give them money in Indonesian rupiah for the necessary groceries, we head to our bedroom, turn on the AC and blissfully relax in cool comfort. By 7:00 pm, we’re ready to watch a few downloaded shows or a movie. 

By 10:00 pm, I’m drifting off while Tom’s busy checking the NYSE (stock market) which opens at 9:30 pm here and closes at 4:00 am, Tuesday through Saturday.  ‘m easily able to sleep while he’s busy clicking on his computer usually until 11:00 or midnight.

Restaurant on the beach.

It’s a simple existence, albeit the tasks we must accomplish in the process for future travels. While anticipating non-stop action for the upcoming two months when we leave here in three weeks, we’re quite content to lounge now.

Today, the staff is off. We have most of tonight’s dinner prepared and ready to be reheated. Other than the salad I’ve yet to toss with homemade dressing, there’s little food prep. Tom keeps our mugs filled with iced tea and we both keep our hearts filled with the joys of the moment and the joys that are yet to come.

May you find joy on a simple day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 5, 2015:

Tom, at the miniature golf course on the ship.  He won, much to my dismay. For photos of Bora Bora, please click here.

Tripping up a trip…Staying calm and cool…

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An elaborate Hindu temple at the beach.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Yesterday’s walk on the beach.

A year ago while living in Trinity Beach, Australia we booked a Viking Mekong River Cruise for July 8th upcoming in a little over one month. Over these past years with 13 cruises behind us and with 10 more pending, we’ve had tremendous success and satisfaction with Vacations to Go.  

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to go through our regular cruise rep when river cruises are handled by another department. The river rep we received didn’t seem as knowledgeable as our regular cruise rep, but we didn’t complain and forged ahead.

Tourists walk along the beach area to shop at the many reasonably priced shops.

Cruise documents from Viking are not sent by email whereby other cruise lines readily make all necessary documents available online. As we’ve mentioned in the past, we haven’t been bringing paper documents to check in on cruises for the past few years when we discovered that only our passports and the reservation number are required to check-in at the port. 

When we discovered the river cruise rep has been out on medical leave off and on over these past few months, with nothing specific required until now, we hadn’t requested another rep. Now, only one month from the sail date, a new rep has taken over handling our booking.

Motorbikes line every road and highway, mostly owned by locals with some rented by tourists.

We’d asked many times via email and phone that the cruise documents NOT be snail-mailed to us to our mailing service in Nevada, USA. Alas, based on a Skype call we received from VTC during the night, the documents have been mailed to us in Nevada. What will we do with them? Pay to have them shipped overnight internationally for huge fees? That makes no sense.

Actually, the only reason we wanted the documents sent to us via email was for the confirmation for one flight included in the cruise fare. We’ll need proof of an airline ticket for the Vietnam flight when we apply for the visa in Singapore when we arrive in 24 days. Most immigration offices require proof that the visitor has a prepaid “way out of their country.” 

These little umbrellas are often used in decorating worship areas. Here, they are, outside a little restaurant at the beach.

Today, with a new contact person at VTC, we hope we’re on track to receive a document we can use when applying for the Vietnam visa. Once we have this, we’ll rest easy. In the worst case, we can have the mailing service scan and email copies of the itinerary but there again, we’ll have to pay for the scans as required by the mailing service.

Yesterday, we completed the documents for the three visas for which we’ll apply in Singapore.  Today, we’ll apply online for Cambodia which doesn’t require that we mail in our passports.

Hamburger night!  Tom had homemade burgers with cheese, fries, veggies, coleslaw while I had everything minus the fries. We’ve noticed he coughs from acid reflux at night after eating fries. No fries? No cough. Humm…what does that tell him?

This may all seem very confusing and we apologize to our readers for the redundancy and perhaps unclear representation. If you find yourself in such a pickle, please feel free to email us with questions. We’ll do our best to answer them clearly based on our experience and/or point you in the right direction for assistance.

Dolphin statue at the beach.

A dear friend wrote to me a few days ago saying, “most people would give up with all of the challenges you often face n continuing to travel the world.” That may be true for some. But, for us and perhaps others, it’s better than mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or shoveling the snow in the winter.

The beach in Lovina.

Our attention, our interest, and our enthusiasm remain constant as long as we have each other, good health, and the love and support of those who follow us along the way.  Thanks to all of you for that!

Photo from one year ago today, June 4, 2015:
“The International Date Line (IDL) explained:
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line of longitude on the Earth’s surface located at about 180 degrees east (or west) of the Greenwich Meridian.

Illustration image
One year ago, as we crossed the International dateline, we posted this map illustrating where this imaginary line is located.  For more details as we made the crossing, please click here.

Tom’s amazing photo for “Sightings on the Beach in Bali”…Impressive macro skills!…Small things…

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This is a common site on the road, a motorbike loaded with vegetation for the local’s cows and buffalo, which they harvest at no cost from the forests including designated locations in the national parks.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This praying mantis actually looked at Tom while he took this photo. Good shot, Honey!  He was as big as the palm of my hand.

When life is so simple that we spent the better part of a day watching and taking photos of the interaction between a female and a male praying mantis positioned on the infinity edge of the pool, we know we’re in paradise.

As I spent my usual 35 minutes exercising in the pool, it was hard not to notice the two good-sized creatures seeming to be keeping an eye on one another over a period of hours, long after we got out of the pool and our short stints in the sun to take cover under the cabana.

The vegetation in Bali is breathtaking staying lush and green with fairly consistent short bursts of rain. We haven’t experienced one entirely cloudy day in over a month.

As they waded in the water on the stone edge of the infinity pool I made my way as close as possible. The larger of the two which I assumed was the male, seemed to look me in the eyes, totally unafraid of this huge being in his presence. 

While in the pool I asked Tom to get the camera and take a photo of the praying mantis from the ocean side of the pool, never expecting it would come out so well.  When he got this great shot, I couldn’t stop smiling.  h, nature. Even in its most primitive form of insects, there’s magic to behold.

It’s common to see these archways upon leaving a town or village. Selamat jalan means “have a good journey” in Indonesian.

In my old life, if I’d seen anything crawling, walking, or flying in my close proximity, I’d have screamed and run for cover. Now, in this life, I can’t grab the camera quickly enough to take a photo, whether it’s an ugly scorpion as shown in this photo I took in the bathroom or a butterfly we attempt to capture near the blooming flowers.

This scorpion was in the master bath, very close to the hanging bath towels. Since that time, we have been shaking out our towels and clothing before use.

No, we’ll never have the skills of a professional photographer using the relatively inexpensive lightweight cameras we replace every 18 months or less due to humid conditions. But, taking photos nonetheless provides us with some pretty wonderful memories we delight in sharing with our readers.

Yesterday morning when Gede stopped at a few choice spots on the trip to Negara. In this short period since our arrival, he’s come to understands how much we love taking photos of the simple aspects of life in Bali as opposed to the typical tourist locations.

On yesterday’s trip to Negara, Gede stopped so I could take this photos of workers planted rice for the new season.

Of course, we’re far from many of the typical tourist locations which for us isn’t disappointing. We still have hundreds of photos we’ve yet to share as we continue to explore a few times a week whether on a road trip or a walk in the neighborhood, both of which are equally interesting.

Yesterday as planned, we completed the paperwork for one more of our required embassy visits while in Singapore, the 60-day extension for our second trip to Bali beginning on September 1st.  As required by the Indonesian immigration department, we must provide proof of our flights both in and out of the country during that period.

The rice paddies are meticulously designed for perfect crops.

After completion of the necessary applications and printing them on the villa’s printer, we got to work on the flights we’d yet to book. September may seem like a long time from now but time flies quickly this needed to get accomplished before we depart at the end of this month.

Finding good flight times is always tricky when neither of us likes flying in the middle of the night. We don’t sleep well on a flight making the following day challenging while we’re in a state of sheer
exhaustion. 

Note the scarecrow in another area where the workers were planting rice for the new season.

As we’ve aged staying up all night isn’t as easy as it used to be in our youth.  On several occasions, we’ve traveled overnight which after one good night’s sleep we return to feeling well and energized.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the details of our required early departures, losing a few days of prepaid rent in order to accommodate our itinerary. We don’t expect or ask property owners to credit us for a day or two early departure (or late arrival). This isn’t always a scenario we can easily anticipate a year or two in advance when booking vacation rentals and flights much later.

Calamari and prawns over a bed of stir-fried vegetables, a wonderful meal made by the two cooks that we both enjoy.

Today, we’ll prepare yet another batch of “paperwork” for the third of our four required visa
applications. We can’t wait to be done with this stuff to be able to go back to our previous level of
mindless drivel as we continue to search our surroundings for more “small things” photo ops.

May your day present you with “small things” you find interesting.

Photo from one year ago today, June 3, 2015:

The waterfall in a park in Tahiti we visited with our friends, a popular tourist attraction. For more Tahiti photos, please click here.

Movin’ right along…First one done!…More new photos…

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After reading the menu at this quaint restaurant on the beach in Lovina, it made us wish the drive wasn’t quite so far from the villa. For us, a meal doesn’t warrant a four hour round trip.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

 A large fishing boat from quite a distance.

As it turned out there was an issue with the villa’s printer. We’d completed the online visa application for Vietnam, converted it into a PDF and tried to print the required two copies on the older Epson printer.

A quiet, pristine beach in the town of Lovina, a two hour drive from the villa.

The black ink had run out. The two Ketuts had no idea what to do. With the language barrier they ran to get Ribud, the lawn guy who’s also a “master of all trades” who was working at Egon’s house next door.

Looking over the old printer, Ribud, who also speaks little English took off to return 10 minutes later with another guy who’s name I didn’t know and didn’t ask. 

More views of the beach in Lovina.

As far from a bigger city as we are (the four hour harrowing drive), I didn’t expect a resolution. We assumed we’d have to wait until arriving in Singapore to print the entire litany of documents we’ll need for the visas. We dreaded the idea of taking even more time when we’d already have to accomplish getting the three visas during the one week stay.

Another interesting looking restaurant on the beach in Lovina.

The two guys left the house for about 10 minutes, returning with a wide mouth bottle of black printer ink. We were impressed they had this on hand. But, how in the world would they pour from this wide mouth bottle into the tiny opening in the printer’s black ink reservoir? 

Leave it to these resourceful Balinese workers. They made a funnel from a piece of cardboard and gingerly poured the required amount of ink into the printer. I’d gone rummaging through the kitchen cupboards looking for a funnel with no success. 

Many small boats dock at the harbor in Lovina.

They left after we expressed considerable gratitude in both words and the traditional Balinese “hands held together with a gentle bow”. In no time at all we had both sets of visa applications for Vietnam printed and ready for the new photos we had taken weeks ago to be attached to the forms. One done, three more to go.

A short pier in Lovina.

Why three more when in yesterday’s post and above, I said we only needed to do three visas? I failed to mention we’ve yet to apply for a fourth visa for Cambodia which we’ll do through a US visa service online over the next few days.

The shoreline at the beach.

Why stretch this process over days as opposed to completing it all in one day? The WiFi is slow, making the process painstaking. In our minds, it’s less confusing and cumbersome doing one such task each day when we still have plenty of time at this point.

This morning at 9 am I went to Negara with Gede, without Tom. Wanting to purchase cheese for an after dinner snack and a few other grocery items there was no reason for Tom to make the harrowing 30 minute drive (each way) when Gede and I did fine on our own. Tom enjoyed having the villa to himself for a few hours.

Fishing boats in the harbor in Lovina.

Making today’s post short enabled me to get it uploaded quickly upon my return. I leave you with more photos from our recent trip to Lovina and look forward to “seeing” you with more tomorrow.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, June 2, 2015:

We were in Tahiti one year ago today, overlooking the sea from a bridge. We toured the city of Papeete with our new friends Rene and Geoff with whom we’ve stayed in touch over this past year.  For more Tahiti photos, please click here.

Planning for the future…Back to work…

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Houses along the river in the village of Malaya.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Low tide at the beach on a cloudy day.

Today, we need to get “back to work.” Enough of this lazy lifestyle we’ve had this past month in Bali. With all of our record keeping and expenses logged and up to date, including the cost of last night’s dinner, it’s now time to look toward the future.

With the necessity of getting three visas while in Singapore for Vietnam, Thailand and Bali’s second visit in September, we have some paperwork to prepare before we arrive. After all, our one week in Singapore begins in 27 days. We’d better get moving.

A small shop next door to the ATM we use in the nearest village.

Each of these country’s visa applications requires proof of airline or cruise tickets showing our departure dates.  These countries want to ensure we high tail out as planned. No lingering illegals allowed.

Luckily, there’s an old printer here (soon running out of ink) that I’ve been able to use with my laptop. I can’t recall the last time we needed to print something other than the documents for last week’s visa extension, now completed.

Watermelon growing in a field, covered to protect it from the heat of the sun.

Travelers often perceive they need paper copies of tickets, boarding passes and cruise documents. We no longer keep any of these in our possession, instead keeping copies on my phone of online documents we’ve either scanned or photographed. 

Ensuring the photos include clear and easy-to-read reservation numbers, we’ve never had a problem with this. On a few isolated  occasions we’ve been asked for paper copies to which we shrug explaining we haven’t had access to a printer which in most cases, we haven’t. This is only the second vacation property where we’ve had access to a printer.

Muddy river we crossed in Malaya.

Isn’t printing becoming somewhat obsolete these days? Isn’t it mostly lawyers who continue to shuffle around hundreds of pages of documents in front of their clients? Oh, yes, and government agencies throughout the world always require paper as we’ve experienced thus far, many still using obsolete operating systems.

This is the reason we’ll need to bring printed papers with us to Singapore when we visit three embassies during our short stay. For each location for which we require a visa, we have an email with a list of the required documents. Ugh, this reminds me of my old working life, always bogged down with paperwork. We’ll be happy when we’re done.

As old as much of the architecture is in Bali, it maintains a style befitting its rich Hindu history.

Also, we need to begin looking for an RV to rent for next summer’s (2017) visit to the US. We’re hoping to pin down a suitable vehicle in Seattle, driving it across the northern part of the US to Minnesota. 

Having an RV prevents us from imposing on family members during the extended visit to Minnesota. Our kid’s bedrooms are full in their homes and with all of our luggage it would be a huge inconvenience to stay with others for six weeks. 

Tiny bananas for sale at a local farmers market.

Nor would we want to impose upon any of Tom’s siblings or our friends who may have available space. Six weeks is a long time. My way of eating, in itself, would be a gross inconvenience for which we’d never expect anyone to prepare. 

Nor would I want to be shopping and cooking meals trying to figure out how to cook for everyone since as a house guest, I wouldn’t feel right cooking only for ourselves. (I’m an awful house guest, feeling as if I need to “earn my keep” by cooking and cleaning. As a result, its more work for me to be a house guest than one can imagine, all by my own design, of course).

We spotted these sardines in the early morning for sale at the local farmers market that most likely had been caught that morning. They weren’t on ice and could spoil quickly in the heat.

We’ll be eating lots of gluten-free cooked chickens from Costco, preparing basic meals in the RV and dining out a few times a week. We’d considered a vacation home or hotel in the metro area but prices were beyond the cost of an RV.  With a small RV we’ll be mobile, can see everyone, go camping with the family and park wherever we can find a suitable spot. 

We plan to keep the RV during the six weeks in Minnesota, dropping it off before flying to Nevada for the last two weeks of our US visit before heading to Costa Rica and then…back to our world journey.

Minnows for sale at the farmers market.

Yesterday afternoon and last night it rained for hours. Surprisingly, the flies aren’t as prevalent today as they’ve been after other periods of rain. I’m trying not to use the repellent as often as during this past month which doesn’t seem to keep the flies off of me anyway. 

We’re feeling well, feeling grateful and ready to get to work. We hope you’re feeling well and grateful, too!


Photo from one year ago today, June 1, 2015:

This is the interior of a lifeboat which tendered us to the pier in Moorea, one year ago today. For more photos and details, please click here.