Not wishing our lives away or time to fly…(No pun intended)….Easy date-to-date free app…

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Handmade fences using tree branches. Very innovative!

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This pair of Inca Doves returned for another visit.

Often, when we mention how long it will be until we leave a location to move on to another, both of us wonder if our readers perceive we’re anxious to get going. Of course, in some circumstances, we are, but certainly not in most.

A hazy day in the country.

In many countries, we continue to revel in our surroundings; the wildlife, the culture, the scenery, and the people. But, no doubt, the quality of the property we live in is also a significant factor.

Junkyard.

Here in Atenas, Costa Rica, we’re rather content, although a little disappointed the road is too steep for daily walks and the high cost of long-term rental cars. As for the remainder, we’ve felt comfortable and quite “at home” in this exceptional property.

Our hosts, owners Bev and Sam, have provided the utmost details and amenities to create a highly pleasing environment. Although we’re here during the rainy season, we’ve managed to spend plenty of time in the pool (often as long as two hours) and sunning in the chaise lounges when the noontime sun stays out long enough for our 30-minute stint. It’s been grand.

Basilica Nuestra Senora de las Piedades church in Naranjo.

Thus, why do we often check as to how many days we have left until we depart? Based on this simple app on my desktop, it’s but a few clicks to enter today’s date and the date we’ll be leaving.  Click here for the app, which may be used on any device.

This app has been handy for us when booking future vacation homes, hotels, cruises, and flights allowing us to know precisely how many days, weeks, or months it will be until our next move or adventure.

The outdoor pulpit in Naranjo is used while the church is being renovated.

By clicking here, you’ll be able to see how this app calculated from today’s date until the date we leave Costa Rica on November 22, in 32 days. This app may be handy for any user, even for those who don’t travel but maybe looking forward to a specific date. It’s easy to use.

To answer our question above, “Why do we often check as to how many days we have left until we depart?” the answer is simple. We often have many preparations necessary for the next leg of our journey, requiring we pay attention to how many days, weeks, or months are left until we depart.

Turtles are fascinating creatures.

Also, I’ll readily admit, it’s fun to contemplate our next adventure, however much we’re enjoying the moment. So you bet we’re excited about the fact that in 33 days (after one night in a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida), we’ll be boarding Celebrity Infinity for a 30-night cruise to South America. 

A turtle was seeking sun on a raised divider in the pond. Note the Koi fish were making their way over this obstacle.

How could we not be excited? It’s all a part of the overall excitement as we travel the world…simply…what’s next? Once the cruise ends in Buenos Aires, we’ll only have 31-nights in a hotel until we depart for Ushuaia, Argentina, to embark on the Antarctica cruise aboard Ponant’s Le Soleil. So here again, we’re outrageously enthused about this upcoming expedition cruise.

It’s tough not to continue to calculate upcoming dates. We’ve even gone as far as figuring how many months until we return to the US to visit family, which is in roughly 18 months (not sure as yet to our exact arrival date).

More fish in the pond.

Calculating these dates doesn’t diminish the quality of our everyday experience. If anything, it enhances it, making us aware of striving to make each remaining day unique and memorable.

Koi pond in a park in Naranjo.

Speaking of dates, one week from today, we’ll be flying to Nicaragua for our visa extensions and a two-night stay. During this period, we’ll be taking plenty of photos to share in our posts over the remaining 25 days we’ll be in Costa Rica. (See, I used the app again).

Church along the highway.

Whether one calculates future dates or lives at the moment with nary a thought about what’s transpiring in the future is entirely a matter of personal preference. But, for “number crunchers” like us, it’s one more element of our world travels we continue to incorporate into our daily lives.

Have a beautiful weekend, whether you were anticipating it or not!

Photo from one year ago today, October 21, 2016:

In Sumbersari, watching the buffaloes walk along the beach each evening never stopped giving us a thrill. Where do you see such a thing?  For our favorite Bali photos as we wound down our stay, please click here.

Checking and rechecking…Errors are to be expected from governmental agencies…Waiving Part B Medicare…

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New sprouts on a coffee bean plant.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Although this Flame Tree appears to sprout bananas, these yellow pods are the flower before blooming. It’s a favorite spot for birds that stop for a visit, including another variety of the popular Flycatcher.

Three weeks ago, Tom contacted the Railroad Retirement Board (opposed to Social Security or Medicare) as required for retired railway workers. The intent was to inform them of his intention to waive Part B Medicare which would automatically kick in on his upcoming 65th birthday on December 23rd.

If he didn’t do this, there would be a deduction from his pension on the first of every month in the amount of US $109 (CRC 62,113), which may vary based on certain circumstances. But, unfortunately, Medicare doesn’t provide us with any benefits outside of the US (with a few rare exceptions).

Nor do we purchase the additional “supplemental” insurance to cover that which Medicare doesn’t cover. Please keep in mind. This is a generalization. Individual cases may vary. Please contact Medicare via this link if you have questions.

I was driving along a mountain road.

Many tourists can purchase “trip insurance” when they travel. However, this type of insurance is not available to us on an annualized basis since we don’t go on “trips” per se but are continually moving from one location to another outside of the US.

We’ve spoken to other long-term travelers who’ve stated they have purchased trip-by-trip “trip insurance” to receive the benefits of the more comprehensive coverage than we have on our “major medical” annual policy. For us, this would be an outright fabrication. But, this requires informing the insurance company that we are taking individual trips instead of living outside the US.

The problem with doing this is, if they discover a traveler has been traveling non-stop, they could refuse to pay a considerable claim, leaving the traveler with a monstrous bill to pay out of pocket. So we chose not to “lie” to the insurance company or run this type of risk.

In Costa Rica, many homes are located beyond entrance gates.

Instead, we have less coverage that doesn’t pay for doctor visits, prescriptions, or vision care. In most countries, we’ve found doctor visits usually run under US $100 (CRC 56,985), if not less. This works for us. 

If we needed to visit an emergency room or stay in a hospital, have surgery or treatment, our policy covers 100% of the cost. To date, thank God, we’ve never filed a claim, although we’re well aware it’s entirely possible at some point in the future. 

Our policy provides no coverage while we’re in the US, which leaves us with only Medicare Part A, which covers only a portion of a hospital or emergency visit. However, we choose to take that risk when visiting family rather than pay thousands of dollars per year for coverage in the US we cannot use in other countries. I hope this all makes sense to our readers. 

Arriving at the end of a paved road, we turned around and retraced our tracks.

In any case, we called and asked Railroad Retirement to send us the appropriate form to waive Part B. This is a government agency. They were unable to email us the single-page form. Instead, they stated the only way to receive the blank form was to receive it via snail mail. Go figure.

So, three weeks ago, when our mailing service in Nevada received the snail mail from Railroad Retirement, they scanned it and sent it to us via our file in their system. We printed it on the villa’s printer, and Tom promptly signed it. At that point, we used our portable scanner and sent it back to the mailing service via email. Within 24 hours, the mail service had snail-mailed the signed form to Railroad Retirement. Thus, the envelope would take one or two days to arrive from Nevada to California.

Yesterday, three weeks after the snail mail was sent, we called to see if the waiver was processed with our usual mistrust of any governmental agency and certain other types of businesses. Alas, not surprisingly, they had no record of it. 

With no shoulders on most roads, we’ve had to search for a spot like this when attempting to turn around.

A similar scenario occurred when Tom applied online to renew his Nevada driver’s license. All the documents we’d sent never showed in their email. We’d forwarded them a copy of the email we’d sent with all the records, and still, they explained it was never seen and subsequently never processed. Go figure. Eventually, the second batch of documents resulted in Tom receiving the renewal.

Yesterday, we contacted our mailing service asking them to fax the document to Railroad Retirement, at an expense to us, since Railroad Retirement would allow a fax in this particular case instead of waiting for “another” snail mail. Later in the day, the mailing service notified us to say the fax was sent, and they received a confirmation stating it was received.

On Monday, we’ll call Railroad Retirement again to confirm it’s done. But, of course, one can’t ever be sure without confirmation. Over the past five years of world travel, I can’t possibly describe all of the scenarios when errors have been made in handling our “business-related” transactions. 

This fast-growing tree on the coffee plantation shot up this tall in only a few years.  Variety unknown.

Antiquated systems and incompetency are often the cause of such extra work we experience in handling everything from afar. When one dreams of traveling the world for years to come, it’s always essential to consider handling transactions of any type.

Whether we find PayPal is blocked in a particular country, have forms to be signed for financial matters, or are required to change passwords periodically. In addition, on certain accounts, they require we have a text number to send us a code. 

We don’t have a cell phone contract with access to a US phone number that allows texts other than through Skype or Facebook Messenger for these purposes. Businesses don’t use these mediums for communication. We often have to figure out a frustrating, time-consuming workaround.

Mountains are prevalent in most areas of Costa Rica.

In years to come, this may be easier, but for now, as we continue on our otherwise blissful journey, we remind ourselves we chose this lifestyle, and with it comes several challenges. 

Once such a cumbersome task is re-done or completed, we sit back and smile for a second time, grateful we figured out a solution and get back to swimming in the pool or searching for photo ops.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 20, 2016:

In Bali, the view changed dramatically as the tide rolled in.  For more photos, please click here.

Traipsing around the town…Why visit Atenas?…

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This morning when I perused through our photos to see what to post, I stumbled across this funny photo showing my hands and camera in the rearview mirror while taking the photo of this rug vendor walking along the street. Vendors don’t pester passersby, asking only once if interested.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Cattle sheltered under the shade of a massive tree during a sunny morning in Atenas.

Walking through the town of Atenas is quite entertaining. The endless array of shops lining the streets, many worn and tattered on the exterior but bustling with energetic business on the interior, creating a fascinating peek into the daily lives of “Ticos,” the acceptable and unoffensive nickname for the locals.

Few tourists are to be found when walking through the town although it’s reported there are about 1500 expats in Atenas of its population of about 5000.

Although an older comment, this quote from a contributor on TripAdvisor provides a reasonable explanation about Atenas. We can’t imagine it’s changed much over the past six years. (See selection below this photo).

A sign was announcing at the Patron Saint Festivities from October 14 through 24. 
Re: Things to do around Atenas
Oct 07, 2011, 11:43 AM
Atenas is a quiet town, authentic Costa Rica, and it could be used as a home base.
Many “well-to-do” Ticos who work in San Jose choose to live there and commute. Kind of like folks living in CT and commuting to New York in the USA.
No crime to speak of, lots of farms, some great locally grown coffee. The area produces five different varieties, only 3 of which are exported (they save the best for local consumption)
I dig it. I used to live in a bustling tourist town here. When I left the coast, Atenas is the town I moved to for a time. I was looking for a city that had zero tourism and found it. I then bounced over to Grecia, but now live in between the 2.
IMO an interesting choice but a good one. No tourist crowds, down-to-earth pricing compared to towns more tourism-oriented. Not much in the way of local attractions, Poas mentioned by ex-beachers is probably one of the closer ones, the metal church in Grecia is something to see and not far away, also there is a great little central park full of green parrots in the town center of Atenas. 
If you are looking for an authentic Costa Rican experience, then it is a good choice.
Cheers”

This is our kind of town, quiet, attractive, friendly and filled with a variety of treasures that easily keep us entertained and engaged (including many birds) during this extended 113-night stay. 

In almost every case, when we chose an extended stay over 90 days, we encounter visa issues.  We’re inclined to avoid such extended stays when possible. But, when we opt for an extended stay, we do it for a reason, often to accommodate the next leg of our travels.

However, the time spent here has definitely been worth the hoopla of having to leave in nine days to fly to Nicaragua to get our passports stamped. Besides, with our five-year anniversary on October 31st, we’ve usually done something special to celebrate…a mini vacation…a special night out, etc. The two-night stay in Managua will fill the bill.

Don Juan Pharmacy where I purchased a bottle of contact lens solution for US $20, (CRC 11,401) usually priced at around US $7.95 (CRC 4,932).

We’ll be back at the villa on the 30th, most likely staying in and celebrating here at the estate on our actual anniversary date on October 31st. It will be easy to celebrate in this outstanding property which far exceeds any five-star hotel we’ve seen to date. 

Would other travelers be content in this small town? Yes, in many ways. Its central location makes it a good base for sightseeing and if one enjoys traveling on mountainous roads the scenery is exceptional as we’ve shared in many posts. 

Atenas is conveniently located near the airport. There are seven hotels listed in Atenas, at this link with more in surrounding areas, some modest and unassuming and others more deluxe (none are five-star rated). Most are well under US $75 (CRC 42,752) per night. 

We’ve heard parrots may be seen in the trees in the park.  We’ve visited several times to no avail.  We’ll keep trying.

There are 39 restaurants listed in Atenas which may be found at this link. These restaurants don’t work for my way of eating but for most, they’ll be ideal with fresh local ingredients and flavors commensurate with local tastes and customs.

Of course, for those interested in the privacy and convenience of a vacation/holiday villa, nothing can beat this exceptional home with three large bedrooms, each with an en-suite bath, plenty of storage space, ceiling fans, and ultra-comfortable beds and bedding. We love the “screening room” with a large flat-screen TV, surround sound, and comfortable seating.

The granite and stainless steel gourmet kitchen with a second “clean up” kitchen is over-the-top with every imaginable amenity and kitchen tool and gadget.  Well, I could go on and on but most of you have read our comments in past posts about how much we’ve loved this property and location.

Nothing is as pleasant as a blue sky during the rainy season.

The downsides are few in this area. However, if dancing until dawn is your “thing” you may be better off staying in the “big city” of San Jose which has every type of nightlife one can imagine.

Although there are a number of clothing, souvenirs and “sports” shops in town in the area, if shopping is high on your list of priorities, a trip to San Jose would satisfy even the most enthusiastic shopper. Atenas lacks in this area.

Also, for the more extended stay, one must consider that its best to arrive in Costa Rica with every possible item you’ll need during your stay. Prescriptions cannot be mailed into the country, although non-narcotic items can be purchased at several pharmacies without a prescription. Keep in mind that brand names and many ordinary doses for many things are impossible to purchase.

There are many tall trees at the central park.

Shipping supplies into the country will result in long delays due to customs with high tariffs on items that may not be worth shipping into the country with the added expense. From what we’ve been able to perceive to date, Costa Rica is very protective of what enters their land for a few primary reasons.

One, they don’t want any hazardous products entering their country possibly affecting the delicate ecological system. Two, they prefer to sell locally grown and manufactured products offered by their vendors. Three, they can collect taxes on locally sold items.

As a result, expats, used to shopping on Amazon, for instance in their former lives, may become frustrated knowing they have to return to the US or their home country to load up on supplies. 

A water fountain at the park.

We particularly understand these restrictions when we realized I’d run out of my one of my regular prescriptions (I take three) while we were here when unable to purchase an alternative in any close proximity to the original dosage. Thus, I am spreading what I have left, missing one pill every fourth day to no ill effects so far. This plan will get me to Florida where my prescriptions will be waiting in our box of supplies at the hotel.

I could go on and on about Atenas and add more information over our remaining days in Costa Rica until we depart on November 22nd. For those considering moving to Costa Rica, we’ll discuss more on this topic in future posts.

Have a lovely day! 

Photo from one year ago today, October 19, 2016:

In Bali, a large visitor came to call after high tide during the night. Check out those eyes! For more photos, please click here.

Celebrations in Costa Rica…Cultures National Day…

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This reminded me of the “Tilt-A-Whirl” at Disneyland (in my youth).  Tom remembered it as a “Sit and Spin.”

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

The hummingbird feeder has started leaking terribly, bringing bees and flies. We’ve been washing the tile on the veranda a few times a day. Today, we tossed it but hope to find a new feeder next time we head to town.

On Monday, when we went to town, we were thrilled to see evidence of “Cultures National Day,” which is described as follows from this website:

“Cultures National Day was once “Dia de la Raza,” a day to commemorate the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the subsequent spreading of Spanish culture in the Americas. However, since 1994, the holiday’s name has been “Dia de las Culturas” or “Day of the Cultures.” This is to recognize the place of multiple, highly diverse cultures in Costa Rica’s history.

Spanish, other European, African, Amerindian, and Asian cultural influences all contribute to modern Costa Rica. And all of these cultural influences are on full display during Cultures National Day.

We walked down this narrow sidewalk next to the booths from the holiday festivities to avoid fast-moving cars on the street.

But despite the name change, the day still also honors Christopher Columbus. Columbus visited the area twice on his voyages to the New World, and he even named the coast of modern Costa Rica well, “Costa Rica” (Rich Coast).

Car-type Merry-Go-Round for the little tykes.

There will be singing, dancing, eating, and various cultural celebrations throughout Costa Rica for days on end for Cultures National Day. But Limon Province, where Columbus once made landfall, is the center of the celebration.

A carnival is held there during the week leading up to October 12th. You will see colorful costumes, hear marching bands, see teams of dancers dance down the streets, and much more. It is undoubtedly a unique experience you will not soon forget.”

These long corn-type doughy things were being fried in hot oil.  It sure smelled good.

The celebration in Atenas is much smaller than in Limon Province. However, over the weekend, we could hear the sounds of drums and fireworks, which we hear many days each week, holiday or not. The Ticos (citizens of Costa Rica) certainly like to celebrate. Therefore, we often hear music, drums, fireworks, and various explosive sounds that leave a puff of smoke in the low-lying clouds.

Does anyone know what these are? 

Here’s a list of annual holidays in Costa Rica:

Public Holidays in Costa Rica

  • January 1: New Year Day
  • April 11: Juan Santa Maria Day
  • Good Thursday (Holy or Great Thursday, Thursday before Easter)
  • Good Friday (Holy or Great Friday, Friday before Easter)
  • May 1: Workers or Labor Day (May Day)
  • July 25: Guanacaste Day
  • August 2: Virgin of Los Angeles Day
  • August 15: Mother´s Day
  • September 15: Independence Day
  • October 12: Cultures National Day (Columbus Day)
  • December 25: Christmas Day
This vendor was frying pork skewers.
We were disappointed we hadn’t made an effort to attend the festivities on their Independence Day on September 15th. But with my continuing recovery and lack of a rental car, we decided to stay behind. Now, as I continue to improve, we can anticipate me becoming more active in the future. 
A carnival was set up for the kids with a variety of rides.
 
Today, we’re staying in, hoping to use the pool. Yesterday, the pool guy told us to wait three hours before going in the water due to chemicals he’d used, which wouldn’t be until 1:30 pm. By that time, the clouds had rolled in with thunder at a distance. So we opted to forgo the pool.
Cotton candy for sale at the food kiosk on the street.
In 10 days before we leave for Nicaragua, we plan to use all the frozen food in the freezer in the event of a power outage while we’re away for two nights. We’ll leave a container on a shelf in the freezer filled with frozen water with a coin on top of the ice.
More rides on the ground of the church.
If the penny is on the bottom of the container when we return, we’ll know the power had been out for some time, and we’ll dispose of all of the perishable items in the refrigerator. Tom had heard about this logical method some time ago, and it makes sense to us!
Have a blissful day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 18, 2016:

Handmade fishing boats at the shore, made of plastic tubing in front of our villa in Sumbersari Bali. Click here for more details.

A special story about a precious little life…”Small Things”…

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This is the video we took yesterday when a little Flycatcher hit the glass wall, was knocked unconscientious, and made every attempt to recover. This video is 16 minutes and 42 seconds, so you may want to scroll through it to see the best parts.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica

Many times, the simplest acts of nature astounds us.

While we lived in the bush in South Africa, we did a series of stories on “Small Things,” adding additional stories with new photos as time passed. This topic could be relevant anywhere globally but seems to be of most interest to us when wildlife and vegetation are abundant.

Check out our first story from December 2013 about “Small Things…A world of small wildlife and vegetation for some fantastic photos of small things we discovered while living in Marloth Park game reserve.

In less than four months, when we return to South Africa, instead of our current feature, “Sightings from the Veranda…” we’ll create a new feature, entitled “Small Things…” since Africa is abundant in fascinating small creatures and miracles of nature.

It would be a moot point to include “Sightings from the Veranda…” when many of the photos we’ll post while in South Africa will be taken directly from the veranda when we aren’t out on safari or visiting other countries for additional exotic exploration.

Here in Costa Rica, from our high vantage point, the likelihood of small things has been limited. Instead, we’ve focused on those sightings we gleaned while spending the majority of our days outside on the veranda or near or in the pool on sunny days.

There are many varieties of the Flycatcher. This little bird flew into the glass wall, was knocked unconscious, standing in this position for some time as it tried to recover.

Yesterday was such a day. Earlier in the day, we walked through the town of Atenas, stopping for photos and a bit of shopping along the way, with images we’ll share in tomorrow’s post. 

When we returned to the villa, we quickly put away the groceries. With the sun miraculously still shining at 1:30 pm and with both of us hot from walking in the hot sun, we decided to get directly into the pool, sidestepping any time in the chaise lounges.

The pool water was warmer than ever. There had been three or four partial days of sunshine, leaving the water almost too warm since the pool is already heated. 

One might think it not necessary to heat a pool here during this time of year. But, it gets very cool at night and during the many hours of rain and clouds occurring most afternoons. After a loss of power due to the recent storms, we could hardly stand to stay in the water for more than a few minutes when it was so cold.

Yesterday, when we entered the pool feeling the ultra-warm water surrounding us, we figured we’d stay for some time, swimming, talking, and laughing over the trivialities of our day. No more than 10 minutes after we entered the pool, we heard a ‘thump” against the glass wall in the living room.

A tiny green bird had hit the glass and was knocked unconscious onto the tile floor next to the pool only a few feet from us. As we moved closer, watching intently, it started to move into an upright position after a few minutes.

Their eyes opened and closed periodically while attempting to recover.

Tom jumped out of the pool, grabbing the beach towel to grab the camera from the kitchen counter. Drying my hands on his towel while still in the collection, I positioned the camera to take a few photos and, moments later, a video. 

What if this precious little bird fully came back to life and flew away, and we’d have it all on video? This may not sound like much of an event to most people. But to us, with our passion for even the tiniest of creatures, our hearts were pounding, hoping for its recovery and the opportunity to film the entire event.

Thus, was born the most extended video we’ve ever taken, 16 minutes and 42 seconds. We don’t expect our readers to watch the entire video. There are moments when nothing is happening.  However, other moments that those who love nature and particularly birds will find sweet and heartwarming.  Feel free to scroll through the video for some favorite scenes.

Last night, we played the video with the HDMI cord plugged into the TV, watching every moment with sheer delight. Bear with us, dear readers. It’s these types of “small things” that make our lives of world travel all the more meaningful.

May your day bring you a “small things” treasure to enjoy!

Photo from one year ago today, October 17, 2016:

In Bali, we worried this package was lost. Finally, it appeared after many weeks when shipped three-day international priority. This is a common occurrence for international shipping.  For more details, please click here.

How much have we spent on groceries in Costa Rica thus far, as compared to other countries?

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Rest Ding Wong restaurant next to a souvenir shop and next, a salon in Atenas.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

A parasitic plant was growing from a tree in the yard.

As soon as we upload today’s post, we’re heading to town to shop for a few items from the pharmacy and a huge grocery list for the market. We haven’t grocery shopped in 10 days, making “Mother Hubbard’s cupboard” quite bare.

With only 37 more days until we leave Costa Rica, we’ve begun to consider the items we’ll need to last until we then. Also, we’ll be gone for two nights at the end of the month for our visa stamps, leaving us with only 35 days of food and supplies required to last.

A chicken crossing the road.

After all these years, we’ve become adept at these calculations, leaving behind basic staples such as spices, a few canned goods, paper products, and laundry soap for the staff or the next occupants.

Groceries haven’t been as low cost as one would expect based on the “press” about Costa Rica as being a “cheap” place to live. In some ways, it may be more costly for us than others when we buy organic/grass-fed when possible. 

But then, we don’t eat breakfast, lunch, or snacks and don’t buy sodas, alcohol, or cleaning supplies other than laundry and dish/dishwasher soap. Tom’s been eating fruit but has decided to stop after today to lose the five (2.27 kg) pounds he’s gained since we arrived. 

It was roads like this that cause landslides on the highway during Cyclone Nate a few weeks ago.

He’d like to lose about 10 pounds (4.5 kg) before the upcoming cruise in 38 days. After all, we’ll be aboard ship for 30-nights when the food options are tempting and readily available.  He never overeats on a cruise but adding ice cream, sugary desserts, and alcoholic drinks certainly contribute to weight gain. 

Neither of us can afford to gain weight, or our clothing won’t fit. That would be a costly and frustrating dilemma, especially since we just purchased all the dresses for the Antarctica cruise in our regular sizes. That, too, would be a fiasco. Nothing is more uncomfortable than wearing clothes that don’t fit.

Corn growing wild along the guardrail.

Since we arrived in Costa Rica 76 days ago, our grocery bill is a total of US $2,364.05 (CRC 1,349,700).  We’ve only dined out once (for lunch) since we arrived, and I never ordered when nothing on the menu worked for me. 

This averages US $31 (CRC 17,699) per day, higher than we’ve spent in most countries since the onset of our travels, except for Hawaii, where we averaged US $47 (CRC 26,834) per day. Even in Australia, known to be expensive, we averaged US $32 (CRC 18,270) per day.

In South Africa, we spent an average of US $21  (CRC 11,990) per day. Do you see why we’re looking forward to spending less in Africa, upcoming in four months?  Yes, it was almost four years ago, and prices undoubtedly will have increased but most likely not more than 10% or 20%.

We continue in the rainy season, keeping vegetation lush and green.

We’re glad we’ve saved all of these stats on our master spreadsheet. It’s exciting and informative to review expenses in other countries as the years fly by.

Of course, this doesn’t factor in the cost of dining out, which we frequently did in South Africa. Surprisingly those meals rarely exceeded US $25 (CRC 14,273), including drinks and tips. We rarely dined out in Kauai, Hawaii, when the cost for a good meal, with taxes and gratuities, was usually exceeded US $80 (CRC 45,675).

A small business along the highway.

At some point in the future, we’ll share a detailed analysis of the cost of groceries and dining out, including all the countries in which we lived. However, this may not be relevant to most travelers when my dietary restrictions play a considerable role in both groceries and dining.

Again, as we’ve experienced many times in the past, we won’t be cooking a single meal from November 22, 2017, to around February 10, 2018 (when we expect to arrive in Africa), for 80 days. We’ll be dining out during the 31-nights in Buenos Aires, during travel days, and on the two cruises, 30-nights and 17-nights.

With daily heavy cloud cover and rains its seldom it’s evident in the distance.

I surprise myself with literally no anxiety or concern over “what I’ll eat” dining out each day.  Somehow, it manages to work out well, which is especially easy on cruises. In Buenos Aires, I’ll happily dine on those famous Argentinian steaks with a side veg and salad every night if necessary. Most likely, Tom will do the same.

Soon, we’re out the door to shop. We’ll have the taxi driver drop us off in the center of town so we can walk on this gorgeous sunny morning enjoying the surroundings, taking photos, and saying “Hola” or “Buenos Dias” to those we pass along the way.

When visiting local businesses, parking is at a premium.

Happy day to YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, October 16, 2016:

Crab prints on the sand on the beach in Sumbersari Bali. For more photos, please click here.

Gorgeous flowers…Budgeting this way of life…Comfort food recipe for a low carb diet…

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Lipstick palm in the yard. The owners, Bev and Sam have these on the grounds of their fabulous home in Kauai Hawaii which formerly was a botanical garden.  This wonderful couple certainly understands how to create beauty and balance in home design and landscaping.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is the first blackbird we’ve seen in the tree nearest the veranda.

Based on our budgetary restrictions due to the recent payments on the Ponant Antarctica cruise with the final payment paid a few days ago, we’ve had to limit our spending over this past year as described in this post and others.

 We’d decided that our time in Costa Rica, Buenos Aires and upcoming in Africa would give us time to restock our coffers for future tours and spending.  Had we not booked the upcoming the back-to-back 30-night South American cruise at a cost of  US $8,388 (CRC 4,802,886) plus the Antarctica cruise at US $34,500 (CRC 19,804,208) totaling US $42,888 (CRC 24,557,245), we’d have been able to spend more on tours and rental cars.

 Also, we’re budgeting for spending in Africa for safaris and tours that inspired us to return for an extended visit.  We’d missed so much the first time when we became obsessed with staying in Marloth Park living among the animals. 

These Hydrangeas in the courtyard are exquisite.
As for the South American 30-night back-to-back sailing on November 23rd, US Thanksgiving Day we’re using this cruise as a means of transportation to get us to Buenos Aires and also to spend 30-days visiting more new (to us) ports of call and sailing through the Panama Canal for the second time.  How enjoyable this will be!

As a result of this budget-tightening, we’ve found other ways to embrace our time in lovely Costa Rica.  We’ve already done quite a bit of sightseeing as you’ve seen from our photos.  

But, we’ve also focused on making the very most of our time at this exquisite villa by bird watching.  It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve managed to do close to if not more than 10,000 steps a day on my FitBit by running from one edge of the property to another to get photos of the stunning birds that grace us with their daily visits.


Impatiens are commonly used in shady areas.
Regardless of what we’re doing, when we hear a new bird sound, we immediately dash from one area to another, hoping to be able to take a photo of the latest visitor. 

Many local residents have lived here for years with extraordinary experiences of seeing many more species than we have in our short time here in Atenas.  But, that doesn’t diminish the joy we’ve had in hearing and seeing what we have thus far.

As for the remainder of our time in Costa Rica, we revel in the tremendous enjoyment in planning, preparing and dining on special meals befitting our way of eating.  Many tourists without dietary restrictions are able to dine out frequently.  Based on my extensive list of restricted foods, dining out in the casual restaurants in Atenas has not been a good option.


Gorgeous purple hydrangeas growing in the center courtyard.


Instead, we focus on making meals which include variety and we never hesitate to try new recipes.  The Internet provides a wealth of low carb recipes befitting my way of eating, many of which we’ve modified to our tastes and my restrictions.

Yesterday, we made a recipe we particularly love that we found last year and made for the first time in Penguin Tasmania. While in Penguin we mentioned we were trying this recipe but failed to post it when we became sidetrack with the other wonders of Penguin.

After a few modifications and making this recipe with enough to last for three meals, last night our mouths were in “taste bud frenzy” over the deliciousness of this dish.  I’ll admit it does take to prepare this recipe, at least an hour for all the steps but a few steps can be eliminated as I’ve indicated below reducing the time by half.  Thirty minutes of prep time for three or four night’s dinner is ideal for us.  

Or, if one prefers, the meal can be divided into the eight servings by freezing additional portions for future meals.  This is great for busy working folks and most likely is the perfect “comfort food” cold winter options.  Since we never live in cold climates, we’re enjoying it in tropical climates!


Here’s the photo and recipe with easier options in parenthesis:

One of three pans of last night’s dinner of Low Carb Chicken Pot Pie.  Recipe follows.  (We couldn’t find the correct sized tin foil pans to use.  Instead, we used three baking pans.  But the recipe is better baked in individual serving pans since it tends to fall apart when scooping it out from larger pans).

Jess’s Low Carb, Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pies

0 ratinYield: 8 – 10 Pot Pies
Serving Size: 1 Pot Pie
For the pot pie filling
·         6 T. butter or organic coconut oil
·         1 cup onion, diced
·         1 cup celery, sliced
·         1 cup cooked carrots, diced (can use frozen)
·         1 cup cooked green beans, diced (can use frozen)
·         6 cloves garlic, minced (can use already minced)
·         salt and pepper, to taste
·      24 oz. cooked chicken, cubed small (can purchase already roasted or cubed cooked chicken)
·         1.5 cups full fat coconut milk, unsweetened
·         1 cup organic chicken stock
·         4 T. Dijon mustard
·         1.5 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
·         1 cup frozen peas
For the dough
·         3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
·         6 T cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
·         1.5 cup almond flour
·         2 large eggs
·         2 tsp garlic powder
·         2 tsp onion powder
·         1 tsp Italian seasoning
·        2 tsp sea salt
·         1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
For the pot pie filling
1.   Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and a little salt and pepper to the pan. Sauté until the vegetables are soft.
2.   Add the chicken to the pan and sauté until it’s cooked through.
3.   Add the coconut cream, chicken stock, and Dijon mustard to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
4.   Mix in the cheese until melted.
5.   Stir in peas.
6.   Divide the mixture into 8 (or 10 depending on preferred portion size) separate tin foil bread or pie pans for individual servings.  These freeze well when wrapped in foil or plastic and can be defrosted overnight in the fridge and baked as described below for individual servings.
For the dough
7.   Preheat oven to 375°
8.   In a large mixing bowl, combine mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine and microwave 1 additional minute.
9.   Mix in almond flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, sea salt and black pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. If it gets stringy or is not quite melted enough, put it back in for another 30 seconds.

10. Make the dough into clumpy balls and top each of the eight pans with the clumpy balls, fairly close to one another.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Per serving – net Carbs – 11g
Have a safe and fulfilling day!
                            _____________________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, October 15, 2016:

Tom and I dressed for a Hindu holiday in traditional Balinese attire.  For more photos please click here.

Forgetfulness and aging…A story from long ago changing our lives…

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Photo of the railroad guys at the train station.  Year unknown.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is a Clay Colored Robin, the national bird of Costa Rica.

Two weeks from today, we leave for Nicaragua for two nights, returning to the villa on the 30th.  The next day, October 31st is our five-year anniversary of traveling the world.

When we first began traveling in 2012, we hadn’t imagined we’d last five years.  At that time, we “qualified” our long-term plans by saying we’d find somewhere along the way where we’d eventually settle down or we’d return to live in the US, location to be determined.

Settling down at some point is no longer a topic of interest or discussion.  We’ve accepted the reality when health fails for either of us (which eventually will), we’ll have to make a decision.  Do we worry that such a sudden decision will overwhelm us especially under the duress of a medical problem? 

Locomotives, back in the day in Atenas.

Not really.  Why worry about a situation over which we have little control other than to take good care of our health and well-being each and every day?  When it happens, it happens.  We’ll figure it out from there.

An important aspect of managing such a situation is predicated on the ability of one of us to be able to make decisions in the event of a medical issue for the other.

In our old lives, at one point, I was concerned about developing memory loss issues as I’ve aged.  Dementia was a common condition on my mother’s side of the family. 

Horn off a locomotive.

Once I hit the age of 50, I found myself becoming forgetful…walking into a room and not remembering why, starting a project and getting sidetracked on another project, forgetting where I’d left off.  These were subtle changes I was embarrassed to mention,  not even to Tom.

In 2011, when I dramatically changed my way of eating from a ‘low fat, low protein, high carb, healthy whole grains” diet to a “high fat, moderate protein, very low carb diet,” not only was I pain-free three months later but over the next several years, my memory improved to an astounding rate, comparable to when I was in my early 20’s.

No longer did I find myself losing things, wondering where I’d left something, or forgetting what I’d done the prior evening.  Was it due to the diet as explained in Dr. David Perlmutter’s book “Grain Brain” or was it due to the fact that in early 2012 I began the 12-hour-a-day process of planning our world travels keeping my brain whirring in a plethora of new knowledge?

Model trains on a shelf.

Dr. Perlmutter included the story of my success with this way of eating on his website as shown in this link here.  We also shared the story in one of our previous posts as indicated here in this link. 

The smidgeon of notoriety I gleaned from this article only mattered to me in that it might inspire one more individual to embark on this way of eating to improve their health as well.  When readers wrote asking questions, it was so rewarding.

No, this way of eating doesn’t make me exempt from injuries (obviously) such as in Bali when I hurt my spine (fully recovered now) or in developing Helicobacter Pylori from tainted food in Fiji from which I’m still recovering. (It may take a few more months).

Toy truck and more trains on a shelf.

However, being pain-free and regaining my memory has truly been an awe-inspiring result which ultimately allowed us to travel the world and recall the most finite details of our lives of travel.

Plus, it’s allowed me to post our daily stories which require a tremendous amount of recall.  Tom, on the other hand, inherited great “memory genes” and does equally well.  Tom’s mother, at 98 years old could recall names, birthdates, and events of her huge family and her life over the prior 11 decades.  Tom’s eldest brother Jerome, at almost 89, has an equally finely tuned memory. 

Ironically, Tom with the greatest of ease, remembers dates of past and upcoming events, places we’ve visited and our numerous cruises while I recall names of places, people, expenses, and miscellaneous oddball items. 

Coin collection at the museum.

Long ago, when we began our travels, we each gravitated toward that which we’d prefer to recall most readily.  Thus, we can always depend on one another to fill in the blanks.  As we all can recall from our schooldays, we tend to recall topics of the most interest to us.

Each day as it comes and goes, with a bit of serendipity thrown in, we’re left with memories we’ll always cherish as part of this wondrous life we’re blessed to live.

May your day be filled with wondrous memories.

_________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, October 13, 2016:

Workers in the rice fields in Bali.  For more photos, please click here.

Culture, fun facts, odd facts and superstitions in Costa Rica… on Friday, the 13th…More historical photos…

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In Costa Rica…could this be one of the first Foosball/football/soccer games?

 “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Another little bird was lost when hitting the glass wall on the veranda.  There are Audubon Society approved stickers on the glass but still, birds still fly into the glass, some of which recover and others which do not, such as this.  It’s always heartbreaking for us to see this happen.

Each country has its own superstitions along with those of various cultures and religious affiliations which ultimately influence the country as a whole.  Many include today’s date, Friday the 13th, as being a day of considerable risk and superstition. 

Machete.

Here’s an interesting article dated today from Live Science that delves into the when and how this superstition was created.  Please click here for the story from this popular publication.

Mortar and pestle.

As we spend our remaining 40 days in Central America, we embarked on research to discover traditions, peculiarities, customs, and superstitions typical for the “Ticos” (native people of Costa Rica) and stumbled across this excellent collection of items we’d like to share with you today.

Here they are, thanks to this site:

Fun, Goofy, & Weird Stuff about Costa Rica

In any website like this, there are bound to be a bunch of silly, maybe irrelevant, but often interesting tidbits that simply do not fit well under another location… so here are the Odds and Ends.  Little known, but true… and generally useless… facts about Costa Rica!  If you live here… you probably have your own!  Send them to me and I’ll add them.

In absolutely no particular order….

  1. In Costa Rica, it is not uncommon to give coffee to babies (in their bottle, with milk) and to young children.  I found this astonishing!  Having had the “pleasure” of a two-year-old a few times in my life, I simply could not imagine a two-year-old on espresso!
  2. MANY Costa Ricans use their credit cards for everything. What do I mean by everything? Well… a newspaper, a candy bar, a pack of gum, etc. I mean things as low as just pennies in cost! It is truly bizarre to be in line behind a Tico and watch him whip out his card to make an eighteen cent purchase.
     
  3. MacDonald’s, Burger King and all the others have HOME DELIVERY in Costa Rica!  This is not a good thing if you are on a diet.
  4. Ticos are short-statured people in general. Therefore, chairs, couches etc are built about 6-8 inches (sometimes more) lower than furniture say from the USA. If you are tall, you will find that the act of just getting up is an effort. If you have a…ummm… a weight issue as does this writer, it is handy to have a helper nearby!
     
  5. Cigarettes are only about $1.65 per pack.  Another thing to place under the ‘not good’ category.
     
  6. Naming conventions are very different here.  Children take their father’s name but add their mother’s maiden name to their full name.  So when you see a name on a business card like Carlos Jose Gomez Guzman, this person name is Carlos Gomez and the Guzman is his mom’s maiden name.  Often this is abbreviated as an initial thus: Carlos Jose Gomez G. or even more commonly, Carlos Gomez G.

    Costa Rican women do not take their husband’s last name.  The woman uses her full maiden name for life.  No changing of national ID cards, drivers licenses, etc.  She also adds her mother’s maiden name.

    Rarely now, women WILL use the old Spanish naming convention and add a  “de ” and her husband’s name.  Thus, Maria Gomez when she marries Carlos de la Torre, will become  Maria Gomez de La Torre.

    This system does not work well with most North American names, especially ethnic names and would be as dumb as all that hyphenating malarkey in the USA. Imagine Doris Kaspinski de Czezniekevich?
     

  7. If you should die while here, you are buried here on the same day you die… no embalming… nada.  They just plant you!   Everyone looks to see your obituary on TV several times per day!  (This can occur easily if you buy the cheap cigarettes and have your Big Macs sent to the home!).  More info click here.
     
  8. There are few street signs in Costa Rica and even fewer addresses.  Read that as almost none.  Just about all addresses are in terms of a well-known building or landmark; often the local Catholic Church, cemetery, or another fixed location.  But just to keep things interesting, some addresses are phrased in terms of building that may have burned down 20 years ago!  Also, when you see an address that says 200M west of something, that normally means 2 blocks and NOT a true 200 meters. Now is a good time to read about driving in Costa Rica.
     
  9. Diet Pepsi here tastes better than Diet Coke.
     
  10. Instead of saying “my other half”,  Ticos often refer to their significant other as their “media naranja” or the other half of their orange.
     
  11. Many (honey) bees in Costa Rica are of the Africanized variety i.e. killer bees.   The older species were bred out years ago.
     
  12. Tangerines are called mandarins (mandarines) here. Limes are limónes.  And you can’t buy lemons here… or at least I have never seen them.  So, if you want a lime, ask for a limón (lee-moan).
     
  13. Candy and cookies manufactured here are to Tico tastes and have a LOT less sugar (and maybe fat) and thus a lot less flavor.  If you have a sweet tooth, it can still be satiated as nearly all the popular candy from the US (I am a Snickers freak), is available.  However, if you’re a cookie lover, your pretty well outta luck.  Not much available except Oreos and a handful of others.

    Also, non-sugary drink mixes like Crystal Light is not available, so if the Crystal Light folks read this, I would like Lemonade, Grapefruit, Orange, and Citrus Splash, please!
     

  14. Locks (houses, gates, etc.) in Costa Rica almost always work (turn) backward.
  15. We say in English “She had a baby” or “She gave birth”, but in Spanish, it’s, “Ella dio a luz” or translated, “She gave light.” Perhaps more accurately, “She gave light to her baby” indicating that she brought the baby from the darkness of the womb to the light of day.
  16. Want another one? Bienes raices is the word for Real Estate. Bienes means property or possessions and raices means roots. So there you have “property roots!”. Gives meaning to the expression “laying down roots”.
  17. Front doors of almost all commercial establishments almost always open INWARDS. This is against every fire code in the USA, but here, perhaps because they have never had a tragedy in which hundreds died because the door could not be opened outwards, there is no such code. As you have become “programmed” to Pull when entering and Push when leaving, plan to feel silly as you tug or push in the wrong direction.
     
  18. If you go to the immigration office for any reason or to the police station for fingerprinting (as part of your residency), do NOT wear shorts!  They will turn you away!  Shorts are considered disrespectful. Update 2009! Read This
     
  19. There are Bullfights in Costa Rica, but the bull is never hurt and often, the bull wins!  I love payback!  Read more here.
     
  20. Milk, eggs, and many other items that you have been trained all your life to refrigerate are available off the shelf (un-refrigerated) at almost every supermarket.  This, of course, flies in the face of everything you have learned about storing these products, but I have bought them every week for the past four years and I have never been sick, nor has anyone I have ever met. Go figure.
     
  21. The word for HOT, in Spanish, is caliente.  Caliente begins with a “C”.  Water faucets imported from the USA almost all have a “C” on them.  If your Hot Water never seems to get HOT in Costa Rica, try the handle with the  “C”.  Note, this may change from bathroom to bathroom within the same house!
     
  22. Ants are everywhere here, and they outnumber us about a zillion to one.  You will have two real choices as I see it!  Spend about all of your entire life trying to kill them all… or just realize they will be part of your diet while living here!  The tiny ones are flavorless, and probably add a tiny bit of protein to the diet!  The bigger one’s crunch.
     
  23. You will see a LOT of folks carrying machetes… those really long, sharp knives.  You see this especially in the country and areas away from San José.  The machete is the Costa Rican equivalent of Duct Tape.  It is used for everything, but almost never as a weapon… so relax!!
     
  24. Chinese food tastes funny in Costa Rica.  Not BAAAAD… just funny!  I am also not hungry an hour after I eat Chinese food here.
     
  25. Burger Kings here taste just like Burger Kings in the US.  MacDonald’s do not.  Colonel Sanders is better here. So is Diet Coke.
     
  26. Generally, meat is kinda crummy here.  Just not enough fat cows.  Thankfully, the Peruvians and the Brazilians have arrived to open restaurants where you can get a good piece of meat.
     
  27. Costa Rica is smart enough NOT to export all the good coffee!  This is meaningful if you have ever lived in Idaho and wanted a good baked potato.
     
  28. In many countries, pedestrians have rights.  Drivers must yield to them or suffer the consequences.  In Costa Rica, the Spanish word for a pedestrian is “Target”.  Be real careful when walking around… especially in San José and especially at street corners.
     
  29. At 7 AM every morning, most if not all Costa Rica radio stations broadcast the exact same program.  It begins with the Costa Rican National Anthem and provides the government and other authorized entities a way to send messages or information nationwide.
     
  30. The meter in a taxicab is known as the Maria… apparently a loose reference to the Virgin Mary and her presumed honesty.
     
  31. We call them Speed bumps!  To Costa Ricans, son muertos…  or in English… “(they are) dead persons”.
     
  32. I get asked a lot about all the street vendors who wait at the traffic lights to sell you stuff.  Everyone wants to know if this is a rip-off and if the food will kill you.  Well, I buy stuff from those folks all the time… mostly because these folks work their butts off trying to make a living.

    As for buying food, I know a lot of folks that do.   I do not.  Just not sure about the cleanliness of the kitchens used to prepare the stuff.
     

  33. Nearly all Catholic Churches in Costa Rica face to the WEST.  This is a handy thing to know as if you read #4 above, you know that knowing directions is critical and that many addresses in CR are based on distance and direction from those churches.
     
  34. Q. What about all those cute kids running around barefoot and begging especially in San José?

    A. Many of them (sadly) are put out on the streets to beg by their parents.  They are pros at giving you the sad eye thing.  Often their shoes are hidden in a nearby bush.  Now saying that some are really desperate.  How do you know?  You don’t.  And now you have a problem!

    My suggestion is to do nothing, but that is really hard for some folks, so if you just HAVE to do something, here is a suggestion to do ONLY if you are in a very public location with many people around. Offer to take them to get something to eat.  NEVER EVER do this when you are in your car or alone.  NEVER touch them in any way.  NEVER let them get into your car as Costa Ricans seem to think all North Americans are here for sex transactions with children, and it would be really easy to get into serious problems if a child gets into your car.

    However, if you are walking, and there is a nearby soda (small restaurant), you can ask if they are hungry, then walk with them to the soda.  The really hungry kids will want to eat.  The pros will not.  They want money. AGAIN! Do not touch them in any way.  Let them order, you pay, then you leave.  If they refuse, just walk away and offer nothing.

    I am SURE someone will disagree with me on this, and with some justification, but I have a tough time as many of them REALLY look like they could use a meal.  Just be real careful!  A LOT of them are drug users even at very tender ages.  The best and safest thing, sadly, is to do nothing.
     

  35. Q. I see painted designs on some highways and streets.  They look like a big gold or yellow heart with a crack in it.  Sometimes there are hearts with halos.  What are they?

    A. Broken hearts.  These are painted on the road where someone lost their life.  When you approach an intersection or a road that has a bunch of these painted, drive more cautiously.


As for today, our lovely cleaner Isabel is here spending no less than eight hours working both indoors and on the veranda.  Although we’re very tidy and clean up after ourselves, sweeping the floor, doing our own laundry and dishes and leaving no clutter behind, there’s lots of dust and insect residue typical for this part of the world.

Some type of washing machine?

When she enters the house each week we both jump up to hug her with a mix of English and Spanish gibberish we can all manage.  Her sweet smelling perfume permeates the air for hours after she’s left reminding us of her, along with the fine cleaning job she does in eight hours of backbreaking work.

Handmade masks for Halloween and other festivities.

We’re so grateful to have her services once each week which is included in our monthly rent, along with Ulysses’s meticulous lawn and grounds care and  Balfour, the delightful Tuesday pool guy who always smiles and warmly greets us.  None of these fine locals speak English but somehow we manage to communicate.

Could this have been a copy or printing machine?

These past two gloriously sunny days (it rains later in the afternoon) we spent hours in the pool and hope to so do again today.  It’s such a good time for both of us while we’ll chatter endlessly reliving stories of our lives before we knew one another after we met and over this past almost five years of world travel. 

More Costa Rica masks.

We’re also grateful and continue to be humbled by our lives together and the world around us, its cultures, it’s beliefs and even its superstitions.  Today, we expect another relatively uneventful day interspersed with bird sightings and gentle musings with our Spanish speaking helpers.

May your Friday the 13th be pleasant and relatively uneventful.

_________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, October 13, 2016:

In Bali, from the veranda, a muddy white horse was getting a bath in the river.  For more photos, please click here.

Shopping done… Not always easy from afar… The big balance is now due for the Antarctica cruise…Ouch!

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*Please see our comments below as to these included photos.

Puente Ferrocarril Rio Grande Museum in Atenas.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This pudgy blue and gray bird was the first sighting for us.  This may be a Blue-Gray Tanager. 

The online shopping hasn’t been easy.  Some items weren’t available in correct colors and sizes. Tom ordered an item and received an email stating it had been shipped and only moments later, received a second email stating it wasn’t available in his preferred color.  We contacted Amazon requesting further information.

I ordered a few items and received a message stating the package was lost in the mail and I had to reorder elsewhere. The multiple items don’t arrive in one package.  Often there are many packages arriving over a series of days.

Railway photos from decades past.

One has to be careful items aren’t shipped from China or other international locations which may take weeks, if not months, to arrive.  Shopping online requires checking and re-checking.  We’ve each ordered at least a dozen items.  It can be tricky.

We’re hoping everything will arrive before November 12th when we’ll have the package shipped to the hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  Timing is everything in this case. 

If any item is missing, we’d have to purchase it in Buenos Aires during our one month stay prior to the cruise.  We don’t want this hanging over our heads during a time we’ll prefer to be sightseeing and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of this big city.

Various paper money over the years.

Yesterday, I made our doctor appointments for complete physical exams by November 2nd, a few days after we return from Nicaragua.  Ponant, the cruise line, requires several medical forms be completed and sent to them between 45 and 90 days prior to the cruise. 

This is to ensure passengers are in sufficiently good health to embark upon this expedition cruise.  There will be a doctor-on-board but based on the location, deep in Antarctica, emergency evacuation isn’t possible.  Of course, having such an exam is by no means a guaranty a passenger won’t have a medical emergency, as we so well know. 

Telegraph machine.

Apparently, the local doctor we chose speaks English so we’ll be readily able to explain what we need and provide a medical history as required with her signature.  Doctor Candy is highly regarded in Atenas and we anticipate this process will go smoothly.

Speaking of this cruise, the final payment is due on Monday, October 16th.  This morning I wrote to our rep at Vacations to Go as to which credit card to use for the balance of US $13,875 (CRC 7,964,736). 

We’re relieved we’d already paid US $20,625 (CRC 11839472) over this past year toward the grand total of US $34,500 (CRC 19,804,208) fare for the two of us.  We’ve never paid so much for any cruise or venue of any type.  This is a huge chunk out of our budget.

Old photos of the train station.

This was one of those items on our preferred locations list to visit as we travel the world.  This seemed to be one of those items one must accomplish “sooner, rather than later” when medical issues might prohibit such an expedition, especially in getting off the ship onto the Zodiak boats to spend two to three hours standing outdoors in the cold on an island or ice floe.  This may not be possible for the average 80-year-old.

One additional motivator (among many others) in deciding to return to Africa after this cruise is to “lick our wounds” to recover this huge expense when the cost of living is much less in Africa than in many other parts of the world.  Then again, there are those amazing animals, those amazing friends we left behind and an endless array of unique experiences awaiting us.

The train was a big point of interest for the community.

During our remaining time in Costa Rica, as we’ve done so far, is to maintain as tight a budget as possible.  No more rental cars, no more tours or outings requiring an outlay of cash. 

Its only with this careful planning and budgeting that we can and will continue on these adventures which ultimately require some sacrifices along the way.  It’s not as if we can stay “home” and save for a big trip.  We have to do it as we go wherever we may be at any given time. 

Going forward over these next 41 days, until we finally leave Costa Rica, our belts are tightened.  As a result, we won’t be getting out much over these next weeks, other than the round trip to Managua Nicaragua on October 28th staying for two nights.  Of course, we’ll continue to make weekly trips to Atenas for shopping and taking photos.

Juan Ramon was thrilled to show us old photos.

*Subsequently, over these next six weeks we’ll be posting photos we’ve already taken (no repeats, although they may be similar to photos we’d posted earlier) from our various sightseeing outings up to this point.  We apologize for this and hope you’ll continue on with us until once again we’re on our way to yet another cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires over 30-nights. 

We’ll be getting off the ship at every port and much to our delight going through the Panama Canal one more time.  Talk about new photos!  When the cruise ends in Buenos Aires we’ll be staying there for another 31-nights while awaiting the 16-night Antarctica cruise.  Surely, Buenos Aires will inspire many new photos of the fabulous city.

Please stay tuned.  There’s so much more on the horizon!  Happy day to all!

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Photo from one year ago today, October 12, 2016:

It was easy to spend lazy afternoons lounging on the cabana in Bali, one year ago.  For more photos, please click here.