A kudu dancing in Chobe National Park in Botswana.
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Today’s photos are from May 25, 2015, from Negara, Bali. Please click here for more details.
One of the highlights of our day, along with our two meals, is preparing and drinking coffee which we both enjoy along with the two or three mugs of green tea I may consume each day.
 Buffalos, escorted by pre-teens, wandering along the beach on their way to a nearby river. |
We’ve found the complimentary instant coffee provided in our hotel room is acceptable in flavor. Tom enjoys “regular” while I drink “decaf.” In normal times, decaf wouldn’t be my first choice.
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| As we drove past this decorative wall, I asked Gede, our houseman, to stop for a close-up photo as shown below. |
But, when I stopped caffeinated coffee after heart surgery 15 months ago, I’ve never returned to “regular,” figuring I’d get jittery now that so much time has passed. Green tea or other teas may have caffeine but they don’t seem to elicit the typical caffeine response when consumed in moderation.
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| So beautiful. |
Here are the variances of the two products:
“Coffee has between 95 and 200 milligrams of caffeine. black tea has between 14 and 70 milligrams of caffeine. green tea has between 24 and 45 milligrams of caffeine. white tea has between 6 and 60 milligrams of caffeine.”
These figures may vary substantially based on any particular product, how long the tea steeps, or how the coffee is prepared. Throughout the world, we’ve experienced a wide array of coffees. Over these past years of world travel, we’ve made an effort to try the local coffee as well as varying methods of preparation.
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| A room was offered for rent at this property for INR 834, US $10.97! |
When we visited Australia off and on in 2015/2017, we were surprised to find that traditional coffee-making products were very different from what we’ve been used to drinking in other parts of the world which included on-the-stove coffee pots, drip coffee makers, pod coffee makers, and our favorite French press coffee maker (Tom is masterful with the French press).
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| We’d never seen a flower-only farmer’s market. Flowers are commonly used as offerings to the Hindu temples and at many of the resorts and villas. |
Instead, in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand the islands in the South Pacific, instant or dried coffee was most commonly consumed. Here in India, in all the hotels, we observed large coffee makers in the restaurants and instant coffee in the rooms.
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| Simply lovely. I could smell them from across the street where I stood taking these few photos. |
In this hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport, the coffee that was served in the restaurant, before it closed weeks ago, was the barista-type coffee machines capable of frothing milk, making espresso, and cappuccino.
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| We stopped at the curb on the outskirts of the village so I could take a photo of the flower market. Instantly, we were approached by a “traffic cop” asking for money for parking and two others asking for money, unrelated to the traffic. |
Although we could order the specialty coffees at breakfast, we’ve opted to make coffee/tea in the room. If we were to request specialty coffees, it would delay the time in receiving our breakfast, which we call and request each morning, based on when we’re up, showered, and dressed for the day. (We request dinner at the same time each evening, placing the same orders each evening by 6:00 pm for a 6:30 delivery).
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| We crossed this bridge on our way to Lovina where it took five days to renew our 30-day via. |
Two or three times during the day, we each make coffee. With no snacks available, the ritual of preparing and drinking the coffee is a pleasant break from our otherwise relatively dull days.
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| While shopping at the Carrefour market, I couldn’t resist stopping to admire these colorful Dragon Fruit. |
I read today that alcohol purchases for home consumption will be allowed in South Africa beginning on June 1st. This is great for all of our friends there. Oh, that I wish we could be there with our friends, even with social distancing, sipping a cup of coffee, or perhaps even a glass of wine.
Stay safe, dear readers!
Photo from one year ago today, May 25, 2019:
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| The entrance to the Connemara Heritage and History Centre located near Clifden. For more photos, please click here. |