Part 3…Visas…Not a good day for Tom!…Visited Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery!…Check back tomorrow for my embarrassing cultural experience!

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For more information and details on the Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery, please click here. The cost to visit the site was a donation of IDR $50,000, US $3.68 for both of us.
Stats were a little outdated, but the efforts of the staff appeared dedicated to the project from what we could observe.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
It wasn’t Tom’s favorite day.  As a matter of fact, it was his third less than a stellar day since we arrived in Bali almost one month ago. The first was the four-hour harrowing drive from the airport in Denpasar to the villa, with the remaining two to Lovina this week (four-hour round trips ) for our visa extensions.

We arrived at the Reef Seen Resort, the location for the Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery in Pemuteran Village, Gerokgak, Singaraja, North Bali.

As an aggressive driver, albeit a good driver, not being at the wheel for long road trips leaves him with a degree of angst only he and others like him can understand. Surely, many of our readers can relate to this.

This is the sandbox where the recovered turtle eggs are placed while they mature.  There were 126 eggs maturing in this enclosed area.  Once hatched, they’ll be moved to the pools and later released to the sea. Turtle meat is a delicacy in Bali.  Fishermen are paid to bring the eggs and baby turtles to the hatchery, more than they’d be paid as “food.”  This hatchery isn’t as natural an environment as we’d like to have seen, the intentions are good and the concept suitable for saving the lives and further preservation of many sea turtles.

With him in the back seat, upon his insistence, allowing me to take photos from the front, I can feel his discomfort especially when the cautious drivers we’ve had drive too slowly or someone darts in front of us, a common occurrence here in Bali. He doesn’t need to say much when the faintest of sounds escape his lips, perhaps only audible to me.

Looking closely at the sand, there was no indication or sign that turtle eggs are incubated here. Often, dogs, other predators, and humans dig up the eggs on the beaches for food. This is a good alternative for the turtle’s eventual survival. The optimum temperature as would be in a natural environment is between 30 and 32 degrees. If the temperature is predominantly 30 degrees, it’s like the eggs would all be male. At 32 degrees they’d be female. 

Oddly, his angst doesn’t make me anxious although I do feel bad that he can’t relax and enjoy the drive, regardless of where we’re going. Of course, the purpose of yesterday’s second trip to Lovina in three days only added to his discomfort of visiting the immigration office for trip two in the three, five-day process. 

There were over 100 baby turtles maturing for future release attracting tourists to the venue.

No doubt, it’s not a pleasant concept…spending an entire week, out of eight weeks, messing with this process.  Then again, as we sat there with others who’d also chosen to abide by the country’s immigration laws, we both wondered why such a process isn’t observed and respected (by many) throughout the world, let alone in our own USA. Following the “law of the land” isn’t all that difficult.

Baby turtles that had hatched in the hatchery, not quite old enough for release. We’d hope to release a few but they weren’t quite ready.

For tomorrow’s third and final trip, we’re waiting to hear from Gede that a driver will go to Lovina to pick up the final documents with a letter from us in hand authorizing him to do so.  The immigration officer explained this is acceptable for this third trip only.

There were three mature turtles on display (not the parents of the baby turtles) which we’d preferred were instead out to sea but were used as mascots to inspire donations for the baby turtle release program.

Luckily, we were photographed, fingerprinted, and out the door within about an hour before lunchtime began, after paying the required IDR 710,000, US $52.14 in fees for the two visas. 

The other two confined turtles used as mascots to promote the hatchery.

We’d planned to visit two points of interest on the return drive but I was willing to forgo that idea if Tom would have preferred we immediately begin the drive back to the villa (considering another two hours on the road).  He insisted we continue with our original plans to visit the Monkey Temple (shown in tomorrow’s post) and the Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery, both on the return drive to the villa.

The hatchery is located on the beautiful grounds of the Reef Seen resort, known for its scuba diving and snorkeling.

It was an hour’s drive from Lovina to both venues within minutes of each other. Over the next several days, we’ll continue to post the many photos we’ve taken this week, still leaving us with dozens more we’ve yet to share. There’s certainly been no shortage of photo ops in Bali.

Religious statues on display at the resort.

Today, we’re blissfully staying put. The weather isn’t as humid as usual, the sky is clear and the crystal clear pool awaits us. We have a bit of “work” to accomplish for future planning that we’ll tackle in the afternoon while sitting in the cabana after our exercise and fun in the pool. 

There’s a variety of flowers blooming at the Reef Seen Resort.

We started our day as usual in the chaise lounges at 6:45 am savoring Tom’s perfectly brewed French press coffee, watching the activity on the beach and the sea including dogs howling and playing, passing boats and barges and who knows what else may come our way today?

The road we drove to the Reef Seen Turtle Hatchery,

Tomorrow, I’m sharing an embarrassing culturally motivated event that occurred to me yesterday, one I hesitate to mention but, let’s face it, life’s not always a “walk in the park.” Sharing such experiences are all a part of the reality of traveling the world which isn’t always pleasant.

May your day be pleasant wherever you may be in the world!


Photo from one year ago today, May 26, 2015:

One year ago today, we boarded Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas in Honolulu on its way to Sydney, Australia with 1400 Australians on board for one of the most fun cruises we’d experienced. Here’s our balcony cabin before we messed it up with our stuff!  For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…A cultural day…A mixed bag of pleasure and red tape..

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While shopping at the Carrefour market, I couldn’t resist stopping to admire these colorful Dragon Fruit.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

In yesterday’s post, we shared a photo of two buffalos wandering by during dinner and here are four buffalos on a hike from the river.

Upon returning to the immigration office for the second time in one day, again we took a number and waited our turn. We’d arrived about five minutes prior to the end of lunchtime at 1:00 pm hoping to have a short wait. 

Alas, “island time” prevails as the various officers mulled around behind the service desk until they close to 1:30 pm, although the posted sign clearly stated they’d be open for business at 1:00 pm. Again, we waited patiently with nary a comment about the time. The next number up was 025.  Our number was 027.  Certainly, we wouldn’t have to wait too long.

A room was offered for rent at this property for IDR $150,000, US $10.97!
At 2 pm we were called to the desk. With our copies, passports, and documents in hand, we were fully prepared. Fifteen minutes later we were out the door with a receipt for our passports. We won’t get them back until Trip 3 on Friday.

And again this morning, we’re heading back to Lovina for Trip 2 (two hours each way) for fingerprinting and photos. We’re not looking forward to the four or more hours on the same road. 

If time allows, we’ll stop for a few photos after we’re done at the immigration office. Again, we’ll wear long pants as required to enter government buildings bringing shorts along for any sightseeing stops we may make on the return drive.

As we drove past this decorative wall, I asked Gede to stop for a close-up photo as shown below.

On Monday, after the second visit to the immigration office, we stopped at the largest supermarket in Lovina.  For the first time since our arrival in Bali, we found a few grocery items we hadn’t been able to locate during other outings. These included a ball of gouda cheese, cheddar cheese, and two little bottles of baking soda.

We’d hoped to find baking soda, an important ingredient in making homemade toothpaste since last night we’d run out of the organic nonfluoride toothpaste we’d purchased at the health food store in NZ. 

So beautiful.

We’d already used the entire batch we’d made while in NZ. When we ran out of baking soda shortly before we left we purchased the organic toothpaste as a backup from the store. Unless kept cold, the toothpaste is runny and could make quite a mess in our luggage thus, it doesn’t travel well.

We’d never seen a flowers-only farmer’s market.  Flowers are commonly used as offerings to the Hindu temples and at many of the resorts and villas.

Yesterday afternoon, I made the new batch of toothpaste, enough to last during our remaining weeks in Bali.  Here’s the link with ingredients, photos, and instructions for making the toothpaste if you’re so inclined.

Simply lovely.  I could smell them from across the street where I stood taking these few photos.

On Monday, we didn’t return to the villa until 5 pm. Gede stopped at a few worthwhile points of interest which greatly attributed to the 100 photos we took that day. Also, he asked if we could stop so he could eat his lunch. 

Goofy us!  We may not eat breakfast or lunch but most people do. We encouraged him to stop anywhere he’d like for as long as he’d like. As it turned out, he stopped at the beach where we were able to get out, walk and take photos, one of the highlights of the day.

When we entered the villa, two Ketuts were busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. By 5:45 we were seated at the big table for eight, facing the sea, both of us starving after the busy day with lots of walking and riding in the car.

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.

Today, providing we’re done with time to spare before “rush hour” in Lovina we’ll make several stops hoping to see a few sights that Gede had suggested and particularly appeal to us. 

We crossed a modern bridge in Lovina. Many bridges and overpasses are marked by Hindu statues although this newer bridge was not.

Again, our goal is to return to the villa around 5:00 pm so the “girls” (as they’re so-called by other staff) can get home to their families at a reasonable time. Most tourists dine at 6:00 pm but we’ve chosen to dine at 5:00 pm to allow them to be done with the cooking and cleanup and out the door by 6:00.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with the update on today’s Trip 2 journey to immigration in Lovina, and we’ll see how plans for Trip 3 rollout for Friday.

We hope our US friends/readers have safe and meaningful plans for the upcoming long Memorial Day weekend. And also, safety and well-being for all of our friends/readers worldwide. 

Photo from one year ago today, May 24, 2015:

When we were back in Honolulu, we took the Ala Moana bus to the mall to purchase a pair of white jeans for me. Before dark, we arrived at our favorite restaurant in Honolulu, Cheeseburger in Paradise, for another great meal; burger, fries, and onion rings for Tom and fabulous Cobb Salad for me.  For more details from that enjoyable day before we sailed on the cruise to Australia, please click here.

Part 1…A cultural day…A mixed bag of pleasure and red tape..

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Sorry for late posting. Wifi issues.
Gede with his gracious parents.
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Every evening when we dine at the large table facing the pool and the sea, at least two. Sometimes four buffalos pass on the beach. We’ve never watched buffalo while dining. It’s quite entertaining!

Who are we to say that obtaining a visa extension should be doable in one stop? We’re from a one-stop society.  You stop at a market, cash, or credit card and walk out the door with your groceries in hand. You visit a doctor and walk out the door with a prescription. Isn’t that what most of us throughout the world expect in our daily lives?

Expectations? They don’t apply when traveling the world as we do. Each country has its own manner of conducting business and we’re the captive audience stepping in line to comply whether we like it or not.

On our walk down the narrow road to visit Gede’s family home, he pointed out this temple where his family worships.

Yesterday we headed out with Gede at 9:00 am, wearing long pants, in the hot weather, as required when entering a government building in Indonesia. With our passports in hand with copies made (they keep our passports over the three-step/visit process over the five-day period), we were on our way.

As we’ve traveled the world over these past 43 months we’ve come to the conclusion regarding what we like and don’t like. We’ve discovered since our arrival in Bali that we’re not keen on long road trips unless we’re traveling for a specific final destination, not a round trip excursion. 

We walked down this road to Gede’s parent’s home.  In Bali, most citizens don’t own the land on which their home is located but they have the right to live there for life, paying taxes, and upkeep.

What does this mean? For us, it’s simple. We prefer a road trip that doesn’t require us to turn around and return to our original destination. We like new scenery. 

I suppose in part it’s due to the fact that we’re always searching for new photo ops and material for our posts.  Heading back and forth to the same location provides little stimulation and excitement when we’ve “been there, done that!”

The entrance gate to Gede’s family home includes his parent’s home and his brother’s separate home.

Sure, we’re “mental stimulation junkies.” Otherwise, we’d be living in a retirement condo in Scottsdale, Arizona, looking for the next coupon for seniors for breakfast at Denny’s.

As we review the types of activities that “trip our trigger” we both agree that local culture, history, wildlife, and other animals, vegetation, and exquisite scenery fall into the category of our deepest interests and hunger for life-changing experiences. 

The kitchen in Gede’s parent’s home.

Due to my physical limitations of a precariously delicate spine and neck, physical adventures don’t fall within that realm. We’ve accepted this reality embracing the things we can do as opposed to the things we can’t. 

How often we explain ourselves when others suggest we scuba dive or try white water rafting. Even snorkeling has its risks when a sudden movement could put a fast end to our travels.

The bed where Gede’s mom sleeps and rests, day and night.

Instead, we embrace the endless array of other types of “adventures” that stimulate our minds, leaving us with some of the best memories we could ever dream of carrying with us in our hearts as we continue on.

Thus, in essence, yesterday’s somewhat painstaking visit to the Immigration Office in Lovina Bali proved to be an unusual, albeit annoying, interesting experience that befell us. 

Gede’s brother’s home where they’re building a cement wall.

Complain? We could have. Tom’s bubbling annoyance was palpable. Mine was tempered by my usual “overly bubbly” mentality that all will work out in the end, which in itself could be annoying to him, although he keeps it to himself. How does one criticize a relatively optimistic cheerleader?

When we were turned away at the Lovina Immigration Office for missing copies (we had no idea these were required) of our airline reservations for our route out of Bali, we had one choice but to head to a local “Internet-shop” where I actually struggled bringing up our reservations to enable us to print the required copies. 

The computer was old with a version of Windows I hadn’t seen in decades and I had trouble using a mouse with my obvious lack of dexterity. Unable to get into Expedia, I found my way to Gmail, where I was finally able to dig up the tickets we’d received by email when we booked the reservations months ago. 

A bird in a cage at his brother’s home.

We printed multiple copies of the tickets at a total cost of IDR $10,000, US $.74. Where else could one buy anything for 74 cents? That even included my sweaty 15 minutes (sitting outside in the heat) on the old PC attempting to get my Gmail account to pop up.

While I was sweating on the computer, Tom and Gede were nearby while Tom was also sweating while busy filling out a double-sided questionnaire for each of us that we also had to complete and return to the immigration office after they returned from lunch at 1:00 pm.

This photo of Gede’s grandfather on the wall in his family home.

With almost an hour to kill before we could return, Gede suggested we stop and meet his parents who live nearby. He grew up in Lovina. We couldn’t have been more thrilled. This is the kind of experience that we treasure as opposed to a visit to a local tourist-jammed attraction.

Minutes later, we were walking down a narrow road to his parent’s home as Gede pointed out the homes occupied by a variety of his relatives.  n Bali, the locals tend to live together in clusters of individual homes. 

I took these photos without flash to illustrate the darkness of the living area in Gede’s family home.

We were a little concerned to barge in on their day unannounced. Gede’s mom is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and he had no doubt they’d be home and happy to greet us. As we entered the gates, his dad immediately approached us with a welcoming “hello” (the same English word used in the Balinese language) and a gracious bow with the meeting of his hands. We returned the same greeting as an added warmth washed over us. The grace of the Balinese people is breathtaking.

For us, it was an honor to be able to visit his parents, see where he grew up, and grasp a better understanding of life for the people of Bali. As Gede explained during the many hours in the car, in Bali, there are only rich and poor, nothing in between. The concept of a middle class is unheard of in Indonesia, particularly in Bali as we’ve seen on the many occasions we’ve been out and about.

On the narrow road, we walked to Gede’s family home in Lovina.

As it neared 1:00 pm, we headed out to return to the immigration office with heartfelt goodbyes and thank you’s.  Although his parents speak no English, the communication was clear, kind, humble people appreciating every moment of life, regardless of how tenuous it may be at times. It was a valuable reminder for us, especially on such a hot, humid, and at times, strenuous day.

Tomorrow morning, again leaving at 9:00 am, when we must return to the Lovina Immigration Office for Trip #2 once again we’ll post earlier than usual sharing the “rest of the story” and more sites we’ve seen in our full 9 to 5 travel days. Back to you soon.

Photo from one year ago today, May 24, 2015:

We posted this last video of the Laysan Albatross mating dance as we shared our final expenses for the four months we spent living on the Hawaiian island of Kauai as we prepared to leave for a cruise to Australia. For details, please click here.

Time to extend our Indonesian visas…Four hour round trip to Lovina…Photos while we’re away…Back with more tomorrow…

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One of the narrow roads we walk in the area.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

The midday sun reflecting in the river running along the neighboring property.

At 9:00 am this morning Gede is picking us up for the two hour drive (each way) to his hometown of Lovina Beach where we’ll visit the local immigration office to extend our visas an additional 30 days. As mentioned in an earlier post, we weren’t able to extend the visas at the airport upon our arrival.

The details we share today will have to be repeated midway through our second stay on this island beginning on September 1st when most likely again, we’ll be unable to get more than the 30 day visa at the airport. 

So it goes. We knew this well in advance, when we’d investigated the visa requirements for Bali as we do before booking each new location.

Each house’s style is quite different from others with the most common feature, the Hindu statues in the front yard.

The odd aspect in Bali is that extending the visa for an additional 30 days requires three and yes, I mean three, visits to Lovina to accomplish this for each of the 60 day periods we’re here:

Trip 1:  Apply for visas
Wait one day
Trip 2:  Return to Lovina, get fingerprinted and have photos taken.  Pay the fees.
Wait one day.
Trip 3:  Return to Lovina, pick up visas

Each of these three days and the days in between are required with no exception. Gede explained that Trip 3 can be accomplished by hiring one of the workers to make the drive for us to pick them up. We’ll choose this option. 

Blue Gecko is the name of a neighboring villa.

We don’t want to have to return three times if we can avoid it. Much to our dismay, we have to leave our passports at the immigration office for pickup on Trip 3. Neither of us is thrilled to be without our passports in our possession during this five-day period. We’ve made copies in the interim.

Trip 1 and Trip 2 require that we are personally in attendance. Guess we’ll be on a road a bit this week. Luckily, there are a few good sights to see along the way and we’ve decided to spread them out over each of the few days.

Here’s a map of Bali, we found at this site. Lovina is located in the north:

We’re currently located 35 minutes north/northwest of Negara as shown in the southwest. Lovina is almost centered in the north. Denpasar, the four-hour harrowing road trip is located in the south. Luckily, we don’t have to drive all the way back to Denpasar until we eventually leave the villa for the airport in approximately five weeks.

“Lovina Beach is a laid back 12 km stretch of coast to the West of Singaraja in North Bali. It is a welcome break from the bustle of the South. These days the mix of tourists is mainly families and couples rather than the backpackers of yesteryear. It is comprised of several narrow stretches of black volcanic sand. Lovina, like most of Bali, fills up with tourists from all over the world in August and Australians at Christmas.

Kalibukbuk is the largest and most developed village, but it is just two streets of hotels, bars, restaurants, and dive shops running down to the beach. There is a wide range of accommodation and restaurants to suit all budgets and tastes. There are two clubs and several bars, but the nightlife is generally low key and easy-going.”

Although sardine factories may appear run down on the exterior, apparently they are run safely and efficiently supplying sardines to many parts of the world.
Realizing the necessity of this trip, we prepared today’s post in advance to ensure we wouldn’t fall behind in posting. Consistency is very important to us and as we’ve seen, many of our worldwide readers may stop by each day to see what’s going on. We wouldn’t want to disappoint a single reader’s expectations if we can help it. 

We certainly appreciate the value to being able to bring up our favorite sites to read the latest posts, especially when we’re in locations such as Bali where we can’t understand the language on the TV resulting in no news updates, no entertainment and no channel surfing. Reading news and the posts of others is a good alternative for those quiet times.

Sardine factories line the beach in a few areas.

I suppose in a way its not unlike this three day visa application process. There are no alternatives. Instead of grumbling, we’ve decided to take it in our stride as one more opportunity to take photos and visit a few points of interest on the way.

Of course, we’ll be back tomorrow with another new post and the story of Day 1 on our trip to Lovina and back.  Hopefully, all goes as planned and we don’t encounter any issues. This reminds us of when we also had to renew our visas while living in Belize in January 2013. 

A local mosque. We can hear the call-to-prayer from a mosque near the villa several times a day. 

In Belize we had to go on a very small boat packed with people, called the “Hokey Pokey,” to get to the mainland to apply for the visas. For the humorous details of that outing, please click here.

We hope you find your day brings you humor in recalling your past experiences.

Photo from one year ago today, May 22, 2015:

Another breathtaking sunset in Kauai when we’d posted some of our favorite photos with only one day until departure. For more favorite Kauai photos, please click here.

Settling in…Two Ketuts getting it right…Tom’s losing weight!

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This close up of my dinner from a few nights ago appears there’s a lot of chicken on this plate. But, once I dig in there’s only a few good bites on each leg and thigh section. Tom eats the two breasts which are a little meatier but the dark meat which I prefer, is sparse as a result of locally lean free range chickens.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This is nature, a first for us, a mating pair of dogs stuck during sexual activity. We’d heard about this but hadn’t ever witnessed it. The dog on the right looked on, seeming concerned. They stayed this way for a howling 10 minutes and then were able to separate. Although one was collared they could have been wild. There was nothing we could do to help. One more unusual (to us) sighting on the beach!

I guess it took getting me out of the kitchen to help Tom lose a few pounds. Over the past year, we’ve been on three cruises during which Tom gained a few pounds, never quite getting rid of them with me doing the cooking.

Oh, it’s not that I wasn’t preparing our usual low carb, moderate protein, high-fat meals. It was due to the fact that he simply was eating too much food on any given day. There’s no manner of eating that allows for an all-you-can-eat mentality. Too much of any food raises insulin, resulting in fat storage, subsequent weight gain, and possible health issues.

We love all the flowers beginning to bloom.

The fact that I tried not to tell him to cut back to avoid “preaching” which I can easily do given the opportunity, gradually he gained a few more pounds here and there.

Well, it’s entirely different here in Bali when some of the low-carb, sugar-free, grain-free snack items he usually enjoys aren’t available in the tiny markets. When we’re shopping and cooking in many countries, the availability of foods we enjoy is a lot different than in Bali. It’s sparse here, particularly when we’re so far from the biggest supermarket Denpasar (the four-hour harrowing drive). 

The local markets where the two Ketuts shops only have basic items: eggs, vegetables, fish, seafood, and chicken. Since we don’t eat fruit due to its high sugar content and carbs, our choices are few. 

Not only are there lovely plants and flowers on the grounds of the villa but they’re easily found on a walk down the road.

Shopping at the largest markets within a 45-minute drive left us with few items in our basket. They don’t carry cheese of any sort other than the highly processed individually wrapped packages many tourists purchase. A portion of natural unprocessed cheese is always a nice treat if hunger pangs although not available for us here.

As a result of the lack of snack options and with the intent of dropping these excess pounds, unprovoked by me, Tom has steadily lost weight over these past three weeks since our arrival. 

Against a white stucco wall in a neighboring villa…

As we readily fell back into place on our 24-hour-intermittent-fasting, dining on one hearty high fat, veggie laden and moderate protein meal each day, Tom has since lost 16 pounds, 7.26 kilo, 1.14 stone. The bulging belly is gone, gone, gone.

For me, it’s not about the “look” of the belly that is of concern. As far as I’m concerned he’s always adorable to me. It’s the medical issues that may result from belly fat that easily could put a fast end to our world travels. 

We both share the responsibility of staying healthy, utilizing every aspect of good health within our control, to ensure we can continue for as long as we’d like. We don’t take this lightly. In reality, at this point, the only thing that would stop us is a medical issue that we couldn’t resolve on our own. 

Although there aren’t a lot of chickens at the villas on our road, there are many on the side streets. Most aren’t meaty like this one.

I can’t tell you how many times over these past years that we would’ve visited a doctor in the US had we still be there. It was so easy to do. Spend three or four days coughing, having a sore throat, or feeling some new type of pain or discomfort, and off we’d go (in our old lives). 

Now, it’s different. If something doesn’t feel right, we don’t rush to a doctor or urgent care. Of course, if it felt outrageously serious, we would. Only twice in our travels have we visited a medical facility; once when I had a groin pain in Kauai (since resolved, nothing serious) and again when we had physical exams and tests last July in Trinity Beach, Australia. 

A type of orchid, perhaps.  Sorry folks, I just don’t have a knowledge of flower types and the wifi is too slow for research.

Plus, we’ve both had our teeth cleaned and, Tom had issues with an abscessed tooth which was since pulled in New Zealand months ago. Not every country is suitable for dental work and cleanings.

Do we worry about being in Bali with less than stellar local medical care within reach? Worry causes stress.  Stress causes illness. Why worry? Just taking good care of ourselves is our best worry reducer. Sure, something unforeseen beyond our control could transpire. We have an emergency plan in place, just in case. But worry?  Nah, not worth it.

This cat wanders about the neighborhood.

Instead, I’m reveling in his weight loss, as he is too, feeling it’s one more layer of health we embrace as we continue to travel the world. In the process, I too, have lost a few pounds I’d gained in Hawaii last year, now back to my comfortable clothes-fitting weight. 

Perhaps, the two Ketuts are getting it right after all! Maybe I’m learning something from them, less protein., more fat (coconut oil), and more veggies!

We hope your day finds you feeling well!

Photo from one year ago today, May 22, 2015:

A year ago today, we were almost at the end of our four-month stay in Kauai posting favorite photos such as this newly hatched albatross chick, nestled under a parent. What an amazing experience we had in Kauai in many ways. For more, please click here.

Preparing a post late in the day…Time of day matters….

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This was the highway in the small town of Negara, not Denpasar, jammed with motorbikes, cars, buses and constant traffic. 

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

The photo was taken at 4 00 pm of cloud reflection in our pool. 

Most days, I get busy preparing the post in the early morning, WiFi connection providing, starting around 7:00 or 8:00 am, depending on a few factors. Many days, we prefer to drink our coffee sitting in the cabana, chatting and looking out to the sea.

A small temple along the highway? 

At other times, when we have projects to tackle or activities planned, I may begin earlier or later. With the huge time difference making calls on Skype is best handled early in the morning when it’s actually evening for our family members in the US with the 12 to 15 hour time difference.

A typical “strip mall” with vendors parked to deliver their products.

With business-related tasks requiring phone calls, we must determine the hours the business is opened to be able to reach a live person such as when we call our cruise rep at Vacations to Go. or deal with financial stuff. 

A small shop along the highway.  With cigarettes cheap here as low as IDR $25,515, US $1.87 per pack many Balinese people smoke. Tom, always struggling not to smoke, checked the prices and was tempted but didn’t buy.

Each time we’ve moved to a new location I create a time difference chart for our family members and email it to all of them, also having it for our own use making time difference calculations easier. Here is the chart we created for family in both Minnesota and Nevada:

Minneapolis, Minnesota time to Bali time converter    -13 hours
7:00 am CST in Minneapolis =
8:00 pm in Bali
                            10:00 am CST in Minneapolis =
11:00 pm in Bali
1:00 pm CST in Minneapolis =
2:00 am in Bali
4:00 pm CST in Minneapolis =
5:00 am in Bali
7:00 pm CST in Minneapolis =
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Las Vegas, Nevada time
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10:00
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1:00
pm PST in Las Vegas =
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4:00
pm PST in Las Vegas =
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7:00
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4:00
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With three of our adult children and all of our grandchildren in Minnesota and our eldest son in Nevada, this chart has served us well. Each time we move to a new part of the world we edit this format and rename it accordingly.

In attempting to translate this yellow sign, it appears to be a bank.

Tom is great at making these calculations in his head.  I, on the other hand, have a part missing in my brain that can easily calculate time differences. Ask me to figure out a detailed expense analysis of our world travels over the past 43 months and I can rattle off these numbers in a flash. 

A tattered bus stops providing shelter from the hot sun while waiting.

Ask me what time it is in Los Angeles or Boston and I have to look at these charts or take time to do the calculations. Go figure. Maybe there’s some truth to the fact that the male and female brains work differently. 

 We were unable to decipher the type of business is conducted in this building.

No, my intent is not to be sexist with this type of comment but after watching animals in the wild these past years, there certainly are varying behaviors in the sexes as is also the case for humans, whether we like it or not.  OK, I won’t go there.

In certain areas the homes are less decorative, often one story, as seen anywhere in the world. Most Balinese people live in houses, not apartments, as we mentioned in a prior post. 

The point I’m trying to make, feebly at best, is that our state of mind when posting in the morning may vary from how we’re feeling and what we’re thinking in the late afternoon. Most certainly, I feel more creative in the morning.

A security building at a sardine factory near the beach.

Now, as I sit in our bedroom at 4:40 pm in air-conditioned comfort while we wait for dinner to be ready, I find myself struggling to write. Maybe all I need is some caffeine. Our iced tea is caffeine-free and I gave up drinking afternoon tea when I couldn’t find any I liked at the local markets in Bali. I have no interest in teeth staining Lipton.

A newer structure utilizing the Balinese/Hindu design and vibrant colors and of course, with a satellite dish on the roof. Modern technology is prevalent in Bali, although services may be slow in some areas.

Maybe I need to resign myself that this is a “morning thing” not a “late in the day thing.” We all have our times of the day when we’re at our sharpest. Hopefully, you’ll bear with this post when you think of your times of the day when you’re at your brightest and realize it does in fact vary based on the time of day or night.

May your day be bright regardless of how sharp you’re feeling at any given moment!

Photo from one year ago today, May 21, 2015:

Grass-fed bull in Kauai poses for a photo. Everywhere in the world, we find grass-fed beef at reasonable costs, and yet, in the US, it’s outrageously priced.  It’s all about money, money, money. Our health has a price tag on it. For details, please click here.

 

Its a new day…Problem solved!…Enough about technology!

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Fisherman huts located close to the sea where many spend their days after fishing in the early morning and late night hours.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

The young white horse and the boy return for a swim in the river.

Yesterday’s late posting was predicated by the fact that we were unable to get online for several hours to upload it. There was no signal at all. A few days ago, Gede had contacted the service provider located across the bay in Java, the Indonesian mainland, requesting a user name and password be designated for each of these two villas.

When we arrived almost three weeks ago we were concerned over the fact that no user name and password were required to log on. As a result, we continually used Hotspot Shield, the pay-for VPN (a virtual private network) we’ve had these past years to provide us with an added layer of security.  

A paddy field during the harvest season.

Using a VPN has a tendency to slow down web browsing by about 25%, but was necessary under these circumstances. Foolish us, when last week we were concerned that six local teenage boys were sitting on the beach in front of our house for hours wondering why they were there as they continually faced the house, looking our way.

Now, we get it. They were on their phones using our unsecured wifi connection. Why we didn’t think of this slays me. Instead, we assumed they were “casing the joint” as we stayed on alert until they left after dark. Surely, other locals were aware of this easy-to-use network. It’s no wonder we couldn’t get online.

The lush greenery of future fields to be harvested by hand with power lines impeding the view.

When we started out yesterday morning, I was able to write the post but unable to upload a single photo. We realized Gede had made the call having no idea when the new user name and password for our exclusive use would be made available. 

When we hadn’t been able to connect at all after waiting for over two hours, I called Gede, using the SIM card we placed in my phone last week. The reception was poor when he picked up. All I could understand is that he was at a doctor’s appointment with his wife (not urgent). At that point, we knew it was a waiting game until he showed up or called back.

A ride down a wide side street.

Dependable that he is, within an hour, we heard Gede’s motorbike come up the road and park in front of our villa. He’d been notified by email that our private user name and password were ready for our exclusive use. 

He’d also explained that he’d arranged a separate user name and password for the staff next door which enables all of us to be online at our discretion without lessening the quality of the signal. That was yet to be seen.

There’s plenty of spaces between most houses to accommodate motorbikes.

Getting our laptops and phones online was tricky, not as simple as entering the user name and password. Oddly, it requires we login each and every time we get online. But, who’s complaining? Once we figured it all out, during which time Gede stayed with us, we were confident the issue had been resolved. 

Now, the test was determining if our signal would be impacted by the use of the staff when they’re next door, four or five people using data on their phones all at once.

Information on many statues is hard to find online.

By the end of the day, we were satisfied with the connection, not complaining when we couldn’t get online around 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm when locals return from work and the system is overloaded for a few hours. 

We can live with this. We shower and change for dinner at 4 pm and dine at 5 pm (so the two Ketuts can go home early). By 7:00 pm, we’re looking forward to watching a couple of our downloaded shows which don’t require an Internet connection once downloaded. 

Buffalo calf on the side of the road.

By 9:00 pm, we’re back online able to conduct financial matters with a reasonably good connection. By 9:30 pm, I’m reading a book on my phone and fighting to stay awake until 10. Sound familiar? I imagine many of us throughout the world have a similar routine. Any comments? We’d love to hear from you!

This morning I was easily able to download the photos for today’s post in 10 minutes as opposed to taking two or three hours. Now we can spend more time in the pool or taking walks in the interesting and unusual neighborhood. We’re looking forward to sharing many of these photos in upcoming posts.

Desa Baluk, a small village in the Negara region, noted by a statue along the highway.

Yesterday, when we weren’t able to be online, Tom asked, “Are you bored?”  Thinking for a moment, I answered, “No, I’m never bored. I’ve got plenty going on in my brain to keep me entertained!” He laughed and wholeheartedly agreed.

As is the case on many tropical islands, papayas grow with little care, free for the picking.

Enough about technology for a few days. We don’t want to bore YOU!

We hope your day is varied and entertaining! 

Photo from one year ago today, May 20, 2015:

One year ago I shopped at this boutique in Kauai, Azure, which had a fairly good selection of women’s and men’s clothing. As it turned out most of which I purchased at that time had been washed so many times that recently I’ve given most of it the “heave-ho.” I purchased a few new items recently in New Zealand but have found shopping for clothing only once a year spending under IDR $2,714,000, US $200, doesn’t quite cut it. At this point, I’ll wait until we get back to the US in 2017 to update some items in my aging and worn wardrobe.  For details, please click here.

Unwanted Windows 10 update…Big trouble in Paradise…

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Today’s late posting and lack of detailed information in captions is a result of today’s poor signal.  It appears we may have these issues resolved.  More on this later.

Decorative clock in the center of a roundabout.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Shells and debris on the beach.

With the slow WiFi we’ve experienced over these past years of travel we hadn’t considered updating to the free Windows 10 upgrade from our usual Windows 8.1. Many online comments for potential issues have been a huge deterrent.

While living outside the US far from familiar PC repair shops it made no sense to take the risk. Imagine if here in this remote location in Bali if something went wrong with either of our laptops, we’d have quite a challenge on our hands.

Upgrading to Windows 10 could be disastrous, to say the least. Besides, we’ve had few issues since we purchased these two Acer Aspire V touch screen laptops at the end of 2014 when both of our older models bit the dust at about the same time.

Huge statue located in town near the main highway.

We’ve come to accept that every few years we must replace our laptops not only for newer, faster technology but as a result of wear and tear and constant humidity. They aren’t intended for these weather conditions and rough treatment our devices experience while we’re frequently on the move.

This morning, as usual, I booted up my fully charged and still plugged-in laptop while I was getting ready to start the day. At one point, I walked past it sitting on the desk in the bedroom noticing a white box on the screen, choosing to ignore it, not giving it much of a thought.

Elaborate design on building in Negara.

As it turned out, much to my later surprise, it was the Windows 10 upgrade that is soon losing its free status, starting up on its own. This had never happened nor had I solicited this response at any point, always saying “no” to the upgrade when occasionally it popped up.

I guess today was different for some reason and although I didn’t approve the install of the upgrade, it started on its own. This angered me. With the slow connection here, it was an accident waiting to happen. 

Ceremonial spot at the temple.

All I could envision, after reading considerable negative reviews about installing the Windows 10 upgrade is that I wouldn’t be able to post today, find all of our files and photos and that we’d lose all of our 30.7 gigs of downloaded shows we use to entertain us in the evenings.

Luckily, a few days ago, I backed up everything on the pay-for OneDrive cloud and also on our external hard drive. But, the thought of restoring all the downloaded apps I’ve accumulated over these past 18 months and getting to know a new operating system wasn’t anything I was interested in doing while here in Bali.

Old tree supported with bamboo.

Ironically, it was only yesterday, I started researching new laptop models to see of any improved technology over this past year or so that may appeal to our needs. We discussed our plan to replace these two machines when we arrive in the US next year, most likely making a purchase at Costco or elsewhere online.

Ironically, it was only after yesterday’s research that I mentioned to Tom, “There’s no point in upgrading to Windows 10 when we’re content with Windows 8.1, and next year we’ll replace these PCs.” Coincidence.

River bridge at a temple in Negara.

Alas, this morning Windows 10 was jammed down my unsolicited throat and starting downloading of its own volition. Go figure. Why did this happen? What could I, should I, have done to prevent it?  I guess going forward I won’t boot up my computer without it sitting in front of me so I can say “no.” 

At the end of July, the free version will no longer be offered and this will become less of an issue when surely I’d have to come up with a payment method to pay whatever fees MS will be charging. It’s not going to happen.

Hindu décor in the city.

So, once it started loading, I was stuck. It was too risky to try and stop it.  For almost three hours it ran slow and inconsistently attempting to grab at the weak WiFi signal to complete the process.

In the interim, Tom stayed offline although he had numerous tasks of his own to complete. At almost 10:00 am, almost three hours after the download started, several error messages appeared indicating a “system failure” and the inability of Windows 10 to complete the upgrade. Surely, it was a result of the slow Internet connection.

A decorative door at the archway at the temple in Negara.

In addition, on a few occasions, blue screens appeared indicating my computer was experiencing the possibility of a crash due to the failure. I had overseen this process by going in and out of the bedroom where I kept it plugged in hoping to complete the download without incident. 

Outside, it was so hot and humid I knew if there was trouble I needed to be inside in the bedroom in air-conditioned comfort. Possible computer crashes make me hot and sweaty.

School children heading home. Kids attend school six days a week and only have off one month during the summer (on this side of the equator) with many holidays off in between.

Luckily, after the half dozen or so scary blue screen threats and warnings, the system reverted to its former 8.1 version and it appears everything is working properly again at the moment. We’ll see how this transpires throughout the day as I, too, have multiple travel-related tasks to complete, once this is posted.

Tentatively, I forge ahead hopeful for a good outcome. In the meanwhile, the sun is out having burned off some of the hazy humidity, a balmy breeze has picked up and in a few minutes I can head outdoors to enjoy yet another “lazy day in Paradise.” Well, not quite that lazy!

We hope you have a pleasant day as well, lazy or otherwise!

Photo from one year ago today, May 19, 2015:

One year ago we wrote about the movie, The Descendants, filmed in Kauai with scenes from this pool at the famed St. Regis Hotel which was a short walk from our condo. For more details, please click here.

Ironing out the kinks…Rice paddies and fish distribution…

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The fish are brought in from the various boats at the Negara Harbour to be distributed to a multitude of vendors. 
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
This fishing boat with its pink and black sail passed by a few days ago.

We’re working with Gede on the wifi issues. As it turns out this house and the owner’s house next door share the local Internet connection. Many service providers claim their routers may handle five devices online simultaneously, but this is often a fallacy in the most remote areas of the world. 

A waiting area at the Negara fishing harbor as fishermen and vendors work on the distribution of thousands of fish caught overnight or in the morning.

The pole for the signal is located between the two houses. The signal, even when it’s only the two of us using it, is weak at best. No less than half of each day we’re unable to get online. On many occasions, we’ve had to get up during the night to handle bookings, inquiries and financial matters.

The pier at the Niagara Harbour.

We knew there’d be a weak signal here which we were prepared to accept. But, the bigger connection problem we’ve encountered has been escalated by the use of the house’s WiFi by staff onsite next door during daylight hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, when staff is off for the day, we have fewer issues.

Off and on, the staff is working on some remodeling at the owner’s house. (The owners are gone at this time).  Throughout the day, they’re taking breaks to get online checking Facebook, playing games and engaging in other online activities. Most can’t afford to purchase data for their phones or don’t have the availability of data at their homes.  We appreciate this and fully understand.

These ducks hang out at the rice paddy fields awaiting their share of rice which the locals provide.

But, as part of our vacation rental contract, wifi is provided. With the staff online, we have little ability to be online at the same time resulting in our spending no less than half of each day attempting to get a connection.  This has been frustrating to say the least.

Over the past several days, Tom walked over to that house, asking if they could be offline so we can do our work. Although some of our readers may assume we’re also “playing” online, most of our online hours are spent on research, bookings, banking, investments and working on this site. 

Huge bags of rice, ready for processing, at the side of the road awaiting pickup.

This life we live, although at times playful and unstructured, requires diligent daily communications with a plethora of websites to keep our travel plans intact and on target. Recently, with a slow connection, it may take hours to handle a single transaction. 

Add the staff’s seeming constant use of the shared signal and we’re in a tough situation. Recently, we spent an entire two days, almost three, figuring out how to handle upcoming visas when we kept getting “kicked off” during daylight hours.

Note the hat on the woman in red, known as  sedge hat, rice hat, paddy hat, bamboo hat or raiden hat, is carrying more rice from the fields while the guy in blue talks on his phone.

At the end of any given day, we not unlike most of the working world, like to wind down to watch a few shows and get mindless for a few hours. With the frustration surrounding this situation, yesterday we beaconed Gede to discuss the situation in person. He couldn’t have been more interested and willing to work out an equitable solution.

The best solution is to separate the two houses into two routers as opposed to sharing one. Then, the staff can continue being online status quo. In the interim, we’ve asked Gede for a solution and he offered to explain to staff, “No use of the house’s WiFi at all.”

The rice paddies ready for planting.  See this site for more details.  “The Balinese system of irrigating their rice terraces is known as Subak. It is such an important part of Balinese culture that in June 2012 it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status. This method for irrigating the land was inspired by an ancient Hindu philosophy, and it has been used since at least the 11th century. Using this method the rice fields were built around temples and the allocation of water is the responsibility of priests. In order for this management of irrigation to work successfully it has required that members of each community cooperate with one another and work in partnership. Each member of the community takes responsibility for maintaining the systems integrity, and this is why the terraces tend to look so well maintained. The rice farmers work as a unit to create appropriate canals and dams. Another important element of the Subak system is the religious festivals that mark the cycle of the year.”

Instead, we suggested they can be online from noon to 1 pm during their lunch break each day when we’re usually exercising in the pool. In the interim, Gede will continue to work with the service provider to figure out an alternative solution. He’s already called and is on track to figure out a few options. Apparently, we’re not the first guests in these villas who’ve had these issues. 

We’ve offered to contribute financially to resolve the issue, at least for the excess data we may use monthly which can be as much as a maximum of 100 gigs between us.

The lush greenery coupled with the irrigation views creates an appealing scene. “Paddy fields refer to any parcel of arable land that is devoted to rice farming. The most common form of paddy field will be on flat land, but it is also possible to have paddy terraces that follow the natural contours of hills. Bali offers both type of paddy, but it is the terraces that visitors usually most want to see because these tend to be the most stunningly beautiful. The rice terraces have been here on Bali for at least 2,000 years, and they were originally carved into the hills using hand tools.”

This morning, with the staff aware of our concerns and now staying offline, we’ve already observed a vast improvement in the connection. This could easily be the solution for us for our remaining less than six weeks until departing the island.  

Our bigger concern is when other guests and the owners will be at the villa next door when we return on September 1st for another two months. When the owners were here when we first arrived and they too, busy with online work, we had no choice but to use the Internet during the middle of the night.

Also, I had to use an alternate offline program to post each day. It was frustrating and time consuming to say the least having an impact on the quality of our time here.

The rice begins to grow for eventual harvesting by hand.  Rice paddies are a prolific source of business in Bali and many other parts of the world.

Gede’s concern for our enjoyment and well being assures us both that he’ll figure out a solution for both our time here now and into the future.  In the meanwhile we’re enjoying a good connection this morning, soon to be happily sharing the service with staff from noon to 1 pm this afternoon.

There are always solutions to every problem. The reality is, we may not always like the solution. We hope your day brings solutions that work for you.

Photo from one year ago today, May 18, 2015:

This pretty gazebo was located on a private ranch we spotted in Kauai as our time on the island was winding down. Click here for more details.

Living off the grid…More photos from a road trip…

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We were behind this dangerous situation in the rain on our return drive from Negara. If the truck in front of this motorbike driver stopped suddenly. Yikes!
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Yesterday, this passenger ship sailed on the Bali Sea/Indian Ocean located in front of us.


The dream that many possess of escaping the stresses of everyday life in the big city or a metropolis to hide away on a tropical island may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.

In the short term, it may seem romantic with visions of lazy days and nights filled with hand-made arts and crafts, cooking fish on an open fire, and picking fruits from nearby trees. Find a huge bag of rice and organic vegetables from a local stand and a life of ease and leisure may be found.

For some lofty adventurers, this may work for a while and for others for a lifetime. But, for most of us, however, we might think we’d like to “live off the grid” the reality of such a life isn’t always pretty.

This motorbike loaded with products for sale is typical, in this case, coconuts. (Photo was taken through the windshield while moving fast).

There’s a TV show we’d watched a few times while in Australia called “Off the Grid Living,” amongst other such series produced throughout the world. Often, after participants spent a weekend trial period at their preferred off-the-grid property, particularly those with children, they’ve changed their minds deciding perhaps a few acres of land and a flock of chickens and goats would be more realistic.

When we fantasize about remote “roughing it” island living, we often don’t consider the basic elements of daily life most of us have taken for granted. Even here in Bali, the workers earning around IDR $1,997,714, US $150, a month have cell phones and access to the Internet as we’ve seen from our staff here at the villa.

They drive motorbikes they can purchase for around IDR $19,977,144, US $1500, on credit. They subsist on the most minimal of foods, mostly low cost locally grown white rice, and vegetables and they live in houses filled with multiple family members of many generations. (Seventy-five percent of Balinese people live in houses, not apartments).

Gede explained this outdoor stand is for church donations, comparable to a bake sale. Passersby purchase products to be donated to the church for poor families.

Gede also explained that family members care for the elderly since there is no such thing as retirement pensions or Social Security for the elderly. He and his siblings support his ill and aging parents who are old for their 60 years, having spent a hard life supporting their growing families, now fully dependent upon their children for survival.

There’s nothing romantic and enticing about such a lifestyle. It’s a life of hard work and never-ending hardship and responsibility. And if a person(s) coming from a traditional city or suburban life believes they’ll find ultimate happiness living off-the-grid, off the land, we admire their courage while wondering how long they’ll last. We’re all products of our environment.

We often wonder if the smiles on those beautiful faces of the locals are kindness and appreciation to those who visit their land providing jobs with minimal pay or if in fact, the simplicity of their lives truly brings them joy. If that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that those of us used to “more” of everything would find such a life easy and rewarding, peaceful and stress free.

Once we parked on the distant street we walked down this road to the biggest supermarket in Negara, Beli Lebih, which supposedly carries many “western” foods.  As hard as we looked we were unable to find many items on our shortlist.

Whenever we’ve lived on islands with less available amenities, we’ve met and come to know property owners who have transplanted from other countries to an island with a dream of a different life, stress-free and uncomplicated. Little did they realize what was ahead.

Once their vacation homes were built and occasionally occupied, they had a whole new set of concerns;  finances, power outages, poor Internet connections, storm damage, difficulty finding needed supplies and services, constant wear and tear on their property from humidity and salt air, inconsistent workers and problematic renters. The list could go on and on.

For those who dream of a tent on the beach under a palm tree with minimal amenities, we need only watch a few episodes of  the TV series “Survivor” to see how difficult that life could be for most people. And even on that series, the producers ensure there an adequate water supply and nearby medical care.

This colorful sign was posted regarding an event that occurred over the weekend.

Our words are not intended to squash anyone’s dream of living off the grid. If hard work and constant challenge are befitting one’s demeanor, by all means, go for it. 

If nothing else, it could prove to be a phenomenal life-changing experience for children and adults alike as they grow and mature while roughing it. And yes, there would be endless periods of great joy with a sense of adventure and accomplishment. 

Now, as we live in this exquisite upscale property with a household staff of four, even life here isn’t as easy as one might expect. The bugs, the flies, the poor WiFi connection, the constant heat and humidity and our inability to watch world news is by all means, an adjustment. 

This is the exterior of the photo shop where we each had visa photos taken for a nominal price. The wait was less than 10 minutes overall.

The unavailability of food products we usually use: beef, bacon, unprocessed cheese, sour cream, celery, baking soda, sea salt, Himalayan salt, familiar spices or coconut flour reminds us of how fortunate we’ve been in many locations. 

Soon, we’ll run out of the full-fat sour cream we purchased in Denpasar on the first day of our arrival which we use to make our daily coleslaw salad (lettuce is hard to find but cabbage is readily available). It’s not worth the eight-hour round trip harrowing drive to go get it. At that point, we’ll stop eating salad each day when neither of us cares for coleslaw without dressing.

This fire station in Negara could have been a fire station anywhere in the world.
Unable to watch world news (the WiFi signal too poor to watch online news although we do read highlights each day) or an occasional bit of mindless drivel also presents a reminder of how spoiled we’ve been in many locations with English speaking TV when approximately 35% of our vacation homes haven’t had TV at all.  Perhaps, living off the grid, one wouldn’t want to know what’s going on in the world. Maybe that’s the idea, after all.

For us, for our continuing safety and world travels, for our future financial security, and for our health, we choose not to “live off the grid” instead preferring more remote locations which ultimately require we make some sacrifices.

The pharmacy where we stopped for a few refills.  No prescription required for non-scheduled items.  Good service and prices.

So what? No more coleslaw? No health food store? No Himalayan salt (we’re almost out of our supply)? No homemade toothpaste (requires baking soda and salt)? We’re managing just fine, occasionally noting what we don’t have but overall noticing what we do.

Could it be that essentially, that’s the answer to fulfillment and happiness? Accepting what we do have as opposed to what we don’t? Sure, I’ll go with that premise. It’s working for us. May it work for you as well.


Photo from one year ago today, May 17, 2015:

Our favorite bird in Kauai, aptly names Birdie, who lived in our yard with his significant other, waiting for us each day as we opened the blinds in the morning, visiting us and singing for nuts many times each day and looking at us as we dined each night. For more photos as we neared the end of our glorious time in Kauai, please click here. For the video we made of him singing to us, please click here.