Carving out time for other things?…Should we be doing more?…

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Traditional Maori meeting house near Oakura Beach. Visit this site for more information.

In speaking on Skype with my sister Julie yesterday, an avid reader of our site, she asked, “When are you guys going to travel the country and visit some other gorgeous areas? Don’t your readers want to see you traveling?”

My answer to my sister allowed me to say aloud something we’ve both thought and spoken only to one another and now to all of you. We love sharing our story, our story of living in different locations all over the world embracing our surroundings, and learning to live in a manner comparable as to how the locals may live, not as a tourist.

The Maori had set up tents for a special event.

No, we don’t visit a lot of tourist attractions, although we visit some. No, we don’t eat out a lot, although we do on occasions. No, we don’t go on lengthy road trips staying overnight in hotels, spending budgeted dollars on attendance at popular venues that tourists often flock to, rightfully so, when they travel for short periods of time.

We don’t consider ourselves tourists. Instead, we’re visitors, temporary residents, respecting the laws, culture, and traditions of the locale, the people, and the surroundings while we live life on our terms. 

Is defining our lives important? For us, not so much. As committed as we are to providing interesting stories and photos for our readers, it would be unrealistic to say that our personal desires don’t come first. For true happiness, one must consider the ways in which to choose to navigate life, not always an easy task. 

We’ll continue to return to this site of Oakura Beach in hopes of spotting blue penguins.

We appreciate every one of our readers but we truly believe based on responses we continually receive from those treasured readers, that they accept the fact that they are following the simple story of our daily lives.

We’re an older couple, unencumbered with “stuff,” as we move from country to country sharing the nuances, challenges, and joys of our surroundings which may not appeal to some. We don’t expect everyone to find our story interesting. 

We looked for the blue penguins but doubted we’d see any with people in the area.

Long ago, when we decided to travel the world, part of our motivation was to feel free to live how we choose.  After spending the majority of my adult life with chronic pain from which I am now “free” we decided we’d live life to the fullest spending each day doing exactly what we feel like doing. It could all change in a day or an hour.

Some days, we feel like getting out to see what’s around us. Other days, we don’t feel like doing anything other than hanging out together, outside as much as possible, taking walks, taking short drives to explore the area, and visiting our “temporary” town or village.

On each drive through the country, we find many rivers.

In essence, this site is not as much of a “travel log” as it is a “lifelog.” Should we ever decide to write a book (which we’re not interested in doing at this time), it wouldn’t be entitled, “A Guide to Traveling the World to See the Most Popular Sites.”  That’s been done over and over again in books and websites.

It may be entitled, “Wafting Through our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy, and Simplicity,” as indicated in our mission listed at the top of each page in our heading. 

We hadn’t seen a pinecone in a long time.

We wrote that motto in 2012. It remains the same for us today. Nothing has changed in our beliefs. Everything has changed in how we respond to our surroundings; adapting, accepting, learning, and growing.

Sure, we have quiet days without a smidgeon of excitement or adventure. Who doesn’t? But, here on the Alpaca Farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and in many other parts of the world we’ve only needed to step outdoors to find our hearts soaring with a sense of pure pleasure and joy. 

A river under a bridge when we drove down an unmarked road.

Being able to share that joy with all of our readers, each and every day only enhances the experience.  If in a small way, we bring a smile to the face of one reader a day, we’ve been gifted with an opportunity we never imagined possible. Thank you for sharing “our world” with us.

We smile with you…there’s so much more yet to come.

Photo from one year ago today, February 16, 2015:

One year ago, in Princeville Kauai, where we lived for four months, an albatross chick safely nestled in the grass under mom or dad’s legs. It’s these kinds of experiences that make our travels especially meaningful. For more photos please click here.

Romantic Valentine’s dinner at “Table” Restaurant at “Nice” Hotel in New Plymouth…Wonderful year ago video at end of post!

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A portion of the outdoor dining area where we dined last night at Table.

Yes, Table is the actual name of the restaurant where we dined last night to celebrate Valentine’s Day, located at the Nice Hotel, its actual name. Quaint.

The well-stocked bar at Table.

It was our first meal in a restaurant since we arrived in the Taranaki area almost a month ago. Having enjoyed the abundant offerings in the variety of markets in New Plymouth, we’ve had little desire to dine out.

There’s a wide array of wines on the menu.

The month of February brings Valentine’s Day, my birthday on the 20th, with our wedding anniversary on March 7th.  Within this three week period each year we often dine out for all three occasions ensuring we try a few local dining establishments.

Perusing reviews on TripAdvisor’s site, making a decision as to which restaurants to choose seems to work best for us.  Asking locals for their preferences works well for casual dining. 

Several massive bouquets of flowers adorned the restaurant.

However, we often find locals prefer the more casual and familiar dining experiences where they can mingle with friends and neighbors as opposed to tourists and celebrants of a variety of occasions in the more “fancy” local restaurants. 

The front dining area.

TripAdvisor seems to provide a varied range of diners, many who have traveled extensively having visited many of the best-reviewed restaurants in various popular tourist locations plus reviews from an array of locals who’ve frequented such restaurants on special occasions.

As soon as we walked in the door of the boutique hotel we entered into the restaurant area which encompassed a plethora of separate dining choices easily befitting any dining experience one could desire; a romantic dinner for two, a business meeting, a wedding party, a groom’s dinner or a gathering of friends.

Another more secluded dining area.

For the couples, like us, there were several areas from which we could choose to be seated.  Arriving early we were able to select the table, we preferred in the outdoor dining area. 

Before leaving the house I’d applied repellent as I do a few times each day to avoid thinking about sandfly bites when the restaurant is located only a few blocks from the ocean. Much to our surprise during dinner our flawless server Amy, brought a spray can of repellent to our table to see if we needed a spray or two. This was a nice touch  Already prepared, we declined.  Tom, who rarely is bitten, never uses repellent.

Pretty service area near the kitchen.

The food was exceptional, especially when the chef reviewed the food list on my phone and had no problem preparing my luscious massive filet mignon without any floury sauce or sides. Amy was extremely helpful in ensuring my meal was befitting my restrictions. Tom ordered the same entrée inclusive of all those items for which I had to pass.

Here’s my Valentine’s Day date, smiling as always.

We’ve found it amazing that most menus in New Zealand and Australia include choices of multiple courses, more than we’ve seen in other parts of the world, as is the case at Table. Please click here for the menu.

It was fun to be out to dinner.

Neither of us ever has room to order multiple courses, other than perhaps a side salad for me and “fries” for Tom as we’d each ordered last night. Tom, picky about desserts and often stuffed after a huge entrée as in the case last night, ordered an extra plate of beer-battered fries but had little interest in even reviewing the dessert menu.

Tom’s potato amuse bouche.

Since it was Valentine’s Day, we each were served champagne flutes with pink sparkling wine.  I drank half of my glass, pouring the remainder into Tom’s glass. It tasted good to me but I detected way too much sweetness in the wine which in general keeps me from drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverages.

Tom’s entrée of steak filet with mushroom au jus, Bernaise butter and small cup of fried potatoes.

As a result of this complimentary offering, Tom didn’t order a cocktail considering the 25 minutes drive back to the farm. One certainly wouldn’t want to fall prey to a DUI in a foreign country (or anywhere for that matter).  He only drinks alcohol when were out and I’ll drive home. Lately, not driving on the opposite side of the road with ease, that wasn’t a good option, although if I had to I certainly could and would.

My entrée (or main as referred to on the menu), steak filet, broccoli, flourless au jus. I ate both mine and Tom’s Bernaise butter with my steak. I ordered a small side salad of fresh greens without dressing.

Our total bill for the lovely meal was only NZ $86, US $57. It was hard for us to believe how reasonable it was.  Then again, without ordering “starters,” an entrée, (we ordered from the “mains” choices), alcohol or desserts, our bill didn’t add up as it may for others.

Back home slightly before dark (its summer here in the South Pacific) we spotted Trish and Neil outside by the mating paddock. They’d been to an alpaca show and had won several awards for some of their herd they’d brought along. We chatted at length sharing the stories of our “babysitting” over the past few days and the joy we’d experienced in doing so.

Tom’s side order of beer-battered fries.

Having moved the alpacas to a side paddock, we won’t have easy access to them as we’ve had these past many days. The paddock had to be vacated to allow the grass to regrow especially with a lack of rain over these past weeks. We’ll miss them being that close at hand. But, a 50 meter walk out the front door brings us back in close proximity. No doubt, we’ll be heading out the door many times each day.

As promised in yesterday’s post, we wrote a review on TripAdvisor this morning before posting. Although they’ve acknowledged receipt of our review, its yet to be published on their site as its being approved by their staff, a usual step in the process that may take several hours. As soon as it’s live later today, you’ll be able to find our review at this link. We’ll also re-post it in tomorrow’s post.

For those in the other side of the International Dateline, one day behind us, we wish each of our readers a very Happy Valentine’s Day. 

Photo from one year ago today, February 15, 2015:

It was one year ago today, we posted this video of the amazing albatross in Kauai, Hawaii where they nest each year to have one chick. They’d shown in our video celebrating their lives, the hatching of their chicks, practicing for future mating and happy to be together. What an extraordinary experience for us! For more details, please click here.

New life in photos!…Today’s Valentine’s Day in this part of the world…Happy lovers day to all!

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Love comes in many forms.

One never knows for sure when they get married, live together, or commit to a long-term relationship how it will manifest after a number of years. We can only hope that the relationship will continue to grow and thrive. Many almost “leave it to chance” in hopes of it surviving through good times and bad.

However, like a garden, it needs to be cultivated and cared for on a daily basis and the treasures harvested will be hearty and constant. Most certainly, weeds will grow from time to time, and occasionally we ‘”forget” to nourish it with water in times of drought. 

Then, we watch it begin to wilt as we rush to set it right, perhaps even overwatering, drowning it with attention and adoration. This is love. Not perfect and, not always romantic but always a part of who we are as individuals and as a couple.

As the mom cleaned up the baby alpaca, another mom and cria born two days earlier came to help and observe. The two-day-old appeared excited to have a playmate. Wait until she/he sees the fifteen babies in the paddock in our back and side yard!

To think that one special day of the year, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or an anniversary can cement the depth of such love is foolhardy. Celebrating these special occasions need only be a gentle reminder of that which is already firmly implanted into the hearts and minds of the participants.

When Tom was sick this past week, each day I considered canceling our dinner reservation for tonight, worrying he wouldn’t feel up to going out so soon after a week’s illness. He continually insisted we leave the reservation in place. 

Had it been necessary to cancel I wouldn’t have been disappointed to be unable to “celebrate” this Hallmark promoted occasion. I’d only been disappointed that he still wasn’t feeling well. Neither of us requires a special day to express our love and devotion to one another. 

The goal is to get the cria on its feet within 20 minutes of birth to ensure the highest neurological functioning.  If, she didn’t stand, we’d brought along a towel to help as we saw Trish and Neil had done for an earlier birth we witnessed.

As it turns out, he’s totally well again and tonight we’ll head out for our dinner reservation at the positively reviewed restaurant, the Table, according to these reviews on TripAdvisor located in downtown New Plymouth. 

Tomorrow, we’ll post photos of our food, a link to our newly written review on TripAdvisor, and an overall review of our experience, our first night out to dinner since our arrival on January 19th.

A few minutes ago, I walked to the far paddock to see if more of the six remaining pregnant alpacas are in labor and to check on the two new babies. I zoomed in with the camera to check if any of the six were in labor and to observe how the two new crias were doing. All was well. 

We laughed as we watched it tentatively struggle to get on its feet approximately 22 minutes after birth. We decided to continue to watch to ensure all was well.

We’ve been checking every few hours since Trish and Neil left for the weekend, enjoying a little sense of “babysitting” dozens of alpacas, although the neighbors come to feed them bales of hay and bowls of grassy meal scattered about the paddock.

As I walked past them on the short trek down the driveway to the “y” in the road, they approached the thin wire fence chomping on the grass and raised hay containers, happily picking up their heads to look at me. 

They no longer move away as I pass. Their eyes twinkle with acknowledgment and familiarity, shy creatures that they are, as my heart feels a pang of love for these gentle animals. It will be hard to leave them in two months.

A short time later, the cria was on its feet, frequently plopping down to rest as they seem to quiet down a bit in their first 24 hours of life.

Love comes in many forms and for us in our ongoing worldwide travels, we’ve been gifted with the love of one another, the love of wildlife, the love of nature, and the love of the special people we’ve met along the way. We don’t need a heart-shaped box of chocolates or a red card to express our love.

When I came downstairs this morning to find Tom making coffee, his eyes twinkled with acknowledgment, familiarity, and love as he wished me a happy Valentine’s Day…in the same way they do each and every morning of our lives. Grateful..in awe…in love…never taking our lives and each other for granted is the essence of our blessed lives.

Have a beautiful Valentine’s Day today and tomorrow for those in other parts of the world, and have a loving special day each day of the year!

Photo from one year ago today, February 14, 2015:

In Kauai, we discovered this unusual plant which reminded us of sweet corn which appears to be covered in a velvety cloth. It is called the Zamia Furfuracea. Vegetation all over the world is often surprising.  For more photos, please click here.

Dealing with life’s everyday challenged while traveling the world…

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A billy goat tied to a tree.

Finally, Tom is on the mend. After considerable research, we speculate that the abscessed tooth he had pulled may have resulted in the gastrointestinal infection that began to plague him 48 hours after the extraction, lasting for almost a week.

He suffered from severe gastric symptoms, fever, chills, body aches, and weakness. He took over-the-counter medications to alleviate the fever every four to six hours for the first few days until the fever subsided, sleeping most of the day on the sofa in the living room.

A bubbling brook.

The simple fact is that pulling the tooth released bacteria from the abscess in his bloodstream and stomach, resulting in what appeared similar to the bacterial infection I had in Marrakesh, Morocco after eating raw vegetables in a restaurant the first day of our arrival. 

After traveling for 17 months at that point, I should have known better. Now, we’re more cautious than ever in less developed countries. I had waited three weeks before succumbing to a three-day dose of Cipro which we’d brought along for exactly this reason.

Recently, we read a study that discovered the depth of the intellect of horses and their innate ability to connect with humans, even reacting to expressions on a human face.

Within hours I began to feel relief. In Tom’s case, we didn’t want him to take antibiotics a third time since his first dose for the abscess was in November, the second in January, on two occasions when the abscess flared up. Thus, he waited.

It wasn’t until he started feeling better yesterday that we conducted research to make the connection to the abscessed tooth extraction and the gastric. Had we suspected this earlier, calling the dentist to inquire, most likely he’d have recommended antibiotics, which we didn’t want Tom to take once again unless it continued for more than a week.

A creek we encountered on a drive.

Its in these types of scenarios that not having a “regular” doctor and dentist puts us in a tough position. In our old lives, if we were sick for more than five days we’d make an appointment to see the doctor often having tests and leaving with a few prescriptions. 

We don’t have this luxury now, 40 months after leaving Minnesota. For those family members and friends who are reading today…please don’t worry…if one of us exhibits life-threatening symptoms, we’ll immediately find our way to an urgent care facility or hospital. 

Even on cloudy days, the countryside has a special charm.

It may seem as if we’re often sick as we share the details of our daily lives. Most likely it’s no more than most of our readers. The difference is that few document each virus, infection, injury, and days of being under the weather. Most likely, twice a year we experience a malady of one sort or another.

After considerable discussion, we’ve come to the conclusion that moving from one location, one country to another, we have little time to build an immunity to local viruses than those who live in one location occasionally traveling who seem to build an immunity.

Stopping to admire cloud-covered Mount Taranaki.

On cruises, passengers are exposed to a variety of illnesses from living in tight quarters for a few weeks.  Luckily, we’ve never had Norovirus even during periods when there’s been an outbreak.

Although on four of our past cruises either one or both of us has developed the common “cruise cough,” the worst of which was on the cruise from Hawaii to Sydney with horrible symptoms lasting three weeks after the cruise ended. By far, that was the worst illness either of us has experienced since we left the US. 

Horses we encounter are animated and friendly.  Check out the cute pink spot on his nose.

When the ship disembarked we were so sick with a fever and a cough neither of us hardly recalls the time we spent picking up the rental car at the Cairns airport and finding the house in Trinity Beach.

We caught this awful virus toward the end of the cruise when a woman coughed on me in the elevator which, once my symptoms manifested, Tom was infected developing into the same whirlwind of awful symptoms.  

We each spent the last few days of the cruise in the cabin (it was an 18-day cruise) in an attempt to avoid infecting others. Otherwise, this was one of the most enjoyable of our 12 cruises to date, making many new friends with whom we’ve continued to stay in touch.

Another creek we crossed on a drive.

Most recently with Tom’s abscessed tooth, we ask ourselves what we may have done differently once the symptoms manifested. We were living in a remote area of Fiji. We visited a dentist within days of the first symptoms, taking antibiotics as prescribed. 

His second bout of symptoms occurred on the day we boarded this last cruise from Sydney to Auckland. The only solution was another round of the same antibiotics. As required in the case of antibiotics he continued with the full course of the medication. 

Once we arrived in New Plymouth, within two weeks of arrival, we were in the dentist’s office when at that time, no new symptoms were present. We feel we did everything we could. Then, he developed the awful gastrointestinal infection plaguing him for almost a week. 

A winding country road.

Now, he’s able to eat again, is feeling well and life will continue on as always, always, stress-free, filled with simple daily pleasures and the comforts of living in the countryside in this beautiful country. Soon, we’ll head back out to tour more of this exquisite location, sharing new photos along the way.

We feel blessed and grateful for each and every day of our lives. But, no one “said” life of world travel would always be easy.  It’s not. And, it’s the times it’s not easy that make us appreciate greater periods of good health and simple pleasures. Overall, we were very fortunate during these last 40 months.

Thanks to all of our readers for sharing this journey with us during periods of both excitement and the mundane events of daily life.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2015:

Thousands of feral chickens populate the island of Kauai. It is speculated that Hurricane Iniki in 1991 blew away hundreds of chicken coops, letting them loose to proliferate. It’s quite a sight to see! For more Kauai photos, please click here.

Answering the question from readers, “Where should I travel?” Our top 13! Link to our world travel map…

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The Treasury in Petra, Jordan after a very long, hot walk. Click here for one of two posts.  This sight made us gasp with our hearts pounding wildly, less from the walk, more from sheer joy!

Frequently, we receive email inquiries from our readers asking for suggestions for the best places to visit in the world based on what we’ve seen to date. 

That’s a tough question to answer.  Its almost as complex as asking a person what they like to read, to eat and what they prefer for recreation.  Its all a matter of personal preference.

Zef, our houseman, held this monstrous insect Tom had fished out of the pool with the net.  Not only did living in Marloth Park include daily visits from big wildlife but also the smaller world of many insect such as this enormous rhino beetle.  For more details, please click here for one of our three months of posts.

Keeping in mind that our primary interests (although we’ve enjoyed many other aspects in the world which we’ll also include here) revolve around observing wildlife, vegetation and naturally created scenery which limits more than half of the popular “places to see” in the world.

With our goal to visit every continent, choosing countries/regions within that continent we strive on making decisions befitting our personal interests.  To date, we visited 49 countries as shown in our map on Travelers Point.  Please click here to see our map.

A container freighter ahead of us in line to enter the first set of locks, the Miraflores Locks as we entered the Panama Canal.  See here for one of the posts.

When reviewing our map its clear to see how we’ve yet to visit most of Asia (we’ll be visiting a few Asian countries soon), South America (upcoming in 2017) and Antarctica, upcoming in 2017 or 2018 (cruises yet to be posted).

Sure, we’ve found many big cities interesting, romantic and exciting: Paris, London, Sydney, Vancouver, Barcelona, Dubai, Venice, Marrakesh, Cairo, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Reykjavik, Cork (Ireland) and on and on…too many to list here.

This female lion as all animals in the wild in the Masai Mara, Kenya, is constantly on the lookout for the next meal to feed her cubs.  It was a memorable, life changing experience we’ll always treasure.  See here for more details.

Our readers continue to ask for our favorites and for many of our regular readers you may already be familiar with our preferences. For our less frequent visitors, here are a few suggestions that not only include remote areas of particular interest but also cities/areas we found especially exciting:

1. Marloth Park, South Africa:  Abundant wildlife, friendly people, plenty to see and do, reasonably priced
2. Panama Canal cruise:  Making a transit through the canal is quite an experience.  The cruises include many stops to other interesting countries.
3.  Masai Mara, Kenya:  Photo safari one of the top experiences in our lives; pricey.
4.  Petra, Jordan: Visit the Treasury, one of the most amazing man made structures in the world, breathtaking.  Getting there can be pricey.
5.  The Middle East cruise:  (May not be safe at this time).  Traveling through the Red Sea, the Suez Canal (loved this) and the Gulf of Aden proved to be our most adventurous cruise to date.

After we traveled through the Suez Canal, we entered the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden, requiring “pirate drills” and special forces onboard with the “packages” including armory to protect the ship and passengers.  Very exciting.  See the post here.

6.  Venice, Italy:  Amazing, must-see for those who don’t mind “tourist” attractions with huge crowds, long queues, and bumping elbows. 
7.  Mykonos, Greece:  (Sardinia is reputed to be even more exquisite). Mykonos has gorgeous scenery, interesting shopping, great restaurants with many delightful hilly walks.  Expensive.
8. Placencia, Belize (a peninsula):  Our first stay outside the US with a bad start for during the first week in a less desirable house – moved to fabulous property – remote, had an exquisite stay; great people, reasonably priced.  Quiet life with a week or two of sites to see. There are many islands in Belize such as Ambergris Caye that tourists often choose over Placencia.  We prefer more remote locations.  Not recommended for those with precarious health issues when its a rough four hour drive or an infrequent flight on a small plane at a local airport to a hospital in Belize City (city is rough and best to avoid for extended periods). 

As our ship made its way to the port of Venice, our mouths were agape in surprise a the feast before our eyes.  Click here for one of two posts.

9.  Sydney, Australia:  One of the most beautiful cities in the world; expensive, good local transportation, fabulous shopping, hotels and restaurants, lots to see, far to travel from many parts of the world.
10.  New Zealand:  This country has so much to offer one could easily stay busy and in awe for many months touring both the North and South Islands, especially if you enjoy road trips.  For us, staying close to New Plymouth and the alpaca farm has totally fulfilled us, although we plan to do some touring in the near future.  Reasonably priced.


The Harbour Bridge.  Wow!  It was extraordinary.  We look forward to returning to Sydney in 2017 for 40 days to fill a gap in our schedule.  For the link to this post, please click here.

11.  Dubrovnik, Croatia:  The must-see walled city may not require a long stay but a few days to a week could be highly gratifying.  Pricey.
12.  The countryside in France and the UK:  We’ve visited many small villages but will someday return for a more comprehensive tour. Expensive.
13.  Kauai, Hawaii:  Extraordinary island offering the “naturalist” a wide array of sightseeing opportunities, scenery and unique wildlife.  Expensive.



The walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.  For more photos of this breathtaking historic city, please click here.

We could go on and on.  We’ve provided a few links in the caption of today’s photos for our visits to these special places. If you’d like to see more photos, please search on the right side of our daily homepage and you’ll find a ‘SEARCH” box directly below the listed archive dates (for more past posts). 

If you’ll type in the name of any of the above cities/countries/locations, you’ll find a list of every post in which we’ve visited these areas.  If you have difficulty with this, please send an email and we’ll be happy to assist in finding the appropriate posts containing many photos.


Not wanted to awaken her/him, I kept my distance although I’d have loved to see more of the rarely seen Hawaiian Monk Sea at the beach at the Napali Coast, Kauai.  Click here for more details.

Actually, it would take writing a comprehensive travel book to describe the details of these experiences and more.  Instead of writing a tedious time consuming book, we’ve chosen to share  our story each day. 

For now, our goal is to assist our inquiring readers on areas they may find suitable for their needs and desires. We hope today’s story helps for those who are considering traveling if possessing some criteria similar to ours.

Have an interesting day whatever you choose to do!

__________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, February 12, 2015:

A final view of Hanalei Bay before we exited an open house in Kauai.  For photos of the house we toured, please click here.

An unusual event in the paddock!!…Check out these photos!…Correction from yesterday’s insurance post…

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Is that a smile on the face of the “stuck” alpaca? 

Correction from yesterday’s post:  The bereavement coverage in our policy with Healthcare International does include coverage for both of us to return to the US (or your home country) in the event of the death of an immediate family member. I had stated based on my incorrect assumption it would only include the actual relative of the deceased.  However, the policy provides for both of us to return to the US for the NZ $7502, US $5000, benefit. Any excess beyond that amount would be our responsibility.  Thanks to the staff at Healthcare International for reading our post and informing us of this correction.

Now, on to yesterday afternoon’s adventure in the paddock. It’s practical to state that I spend several hours each day observing the alpacas. With two patio chairs with footrests on the veranda and the often warm sun, it’s easy to become lost in watching the adorable antics of both the female adults and the adorable youngsters.

Growing so quickly, it’s becoming more difficult each day to decipher the difference between the one-year-old cria and those born shortly before we arrived. Those born since our arrival three weeks ago are getting tall seeming to nurse less and graze more.

The larger alpaca was getting annoyed with the situation and was making lots of noise. The others, always concerned for one another, looked on with concern over the tricky situation. The tan-colored baby of the stuck mom approached, wondering “What the heck?”

Males are kept in a separate paddock. We’ll soon be posting our amazing video of the mating process with is orchestrated by Trish and Neil when they decide the time is right. More on that later!

Late yesterday afternoon with the sliding doors wide open, I heard the sound of an alpaca cry. Grabbing the camera on my way out the door, I was shocked by the situation at hand. I wish I’d taken a video. However, I was more concerned they’d need help to become untangle and was preoccupied watching if they’d be able to resolve the tricky situation.

Tom came outside when I called him and he too was shocked by what we were watching, hoping they’d soon resolve the situation on their own. It appeared if they’d both lay down, they could untangle. 

Finally, to our great relief they untangled. Having taken two photos and knowing they were both safe, we couldn’t stop laughing over the peculiarity of the situation. Apparently, those long necks can be a hazard!

The young bulls always seem happy to see me. 

Once back inside and feeling relieved over the two alpacas seeming to be fine, I downloaded the two photos and laughed over and over again, especially with what appears to be a smile on the face of the alpaca caught on the bottom of their tangled bodies.

I hope Trish and Neil don’t think we’re awful finding humor in this situation. We only laughed after we saw they were fine. Having observed wildlife over many months in Africa, we often found wildlife getting into predicaments that elicit laughter from us humans, often reminding us of our own foibles.

Let’s face it, all of God’s creatures (including us) may find ourselves in tricky situations simply from living life.  We can only hope that somehow we can maneuver our way out of the situation with a positive result as in the case of the two adult alpacas managing to do so yesterday.

The lily pond in a stone basin.

We’ve stayed in most of this week. Tom’s been a bit under the weather with an intestinal thing with a fever since Sunday. He’s improving each day without the necessity of a doctor visit. 

Traveling the world with good health doesn’t make us exempt from occasional viruses or bacterial infections. It’s easy to pick something up when we out and about around people. 

We considered the possibility of a bacteria from something he ate at home. However, we’ve both eaten exactly the same meals and I’m feeling fine. We took special precautions during the past several days, including sleeping in separate bedrooms. 

These alpaca sculptures are also located at the “y” in the road, one road leading to our home and the other leading to Trish and Neil’s home.

We hear that a number of couples sleep in separate rooms when sleeping together impedes the quality of their sleep. That’s not us. We both tossed and turned all night sleeping in separate beds, hoping I wouldn’t “catch” whatever it is he’s had. So far, so good. We look forward to getting back to normal.

Today, we’ll forgo our usual shopping day since Tom’s not up to getting out yet and I have no interest in driving to the grocery store myself on the opposite side of the road. I’m an awful driver as it is. Plus, when we rented the car for three months, we didn’t pay the extra fees to include me as a driver. Tom’s hardly eating and we have enough on hand for several more days.

Back at you tomorrow with more…

Have a fabulous day wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, February 11, 2015:

One year ago today, we’d driven by this nesting site many times not seeing any chicks. And yet, we returned once again to see this adorable chick safely under the shelter of her/his parent. This was the beginning of one of the most enjoyable wildlife observation experiences we had in our travels. Click here for more photos.

What are the benefits of our international health insurance?…

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On a cloudy day, beachgoers still took advantage of local beaches.

We’ve written about international health insurance in past posts. As we acquire more worldwide readers including an increased number of ex-pats and baby boomers retiring and deciding to travel long term, we felt it was time to review this once again, especially in light of yesterday’s annual premium payment.

We paid NZ $5855, US $3745 for the upcoming 12 month period. This insurance doesn’t cover us while in the US. I’m not quite certain, why not, but with little time spent in the US during these past 40 months, with only a few months to be spent in the US upcoming in the summer of 2017, we aren’t worried about it at this juncture.

We drove to Wairau stream to check out the scenery.

Tom will continue to be covered by the health insurance from his prior work until he turns 65 in December 2017. In the interim, we’ve both been covered by this annual ex-pat policy with Healthcare International.

What happened to Medicare for me when I turned 65 almost three years ago? Every US citizen is entitled to Plan A which covers hospitalization in part. See here for details.

Why didn’t we just go with Part A for me?  Simple answer: It doesn’t provide coverage outside the US in most instances. Plus, monthly payment for Plan B is required at NZ $158, US $105.  See here for details. 

Most beaches in this area are rocky, but this popular location is preferred by many surfers and sunbathers.

As a result of this monthly expense, useless in our case, while traveling the world long term, we opted out of Part B by signing a waiver document explaining why we weren’t willing to pay. There are penalties for opting out which will result in a higher premium should we decide to activate it at some point. There again, we aren’t concerned about penalties at this point.

Plus, most Medicare recipients add a “supplemental policy” to cover some deductibles and ancillary costs, here again, an unnecessary expense for us considering none of these would apply to our out-of-the US needs. Had we included these, we’d have been paying as much “out of pocket” annually as we’re currently paying for our annual policy with Healthcare International.

Surfing and kayaking are popular in both New Zealand and Australia.

These drastic measures would not make any sense for those living in the US or US territories where Medicare would pay. Such action is only beneficial for those with very good health who don’t visit doctors frequently, take a lot of medication, and often have medical tests and treatments, since none of these are covered by our current policy.

If we visit a doctor, regardless of the reason, we pay out of pocket as we do for my few prescriptions. Such payments have proven to be approximately 25% of the cost for the same services in the US in most countries as we experienced in our 2015 medical exams and tests in Australia.

This is a first for us, spotting a tractor hauling a boat along the beach.

Our situation is unique and does not apply to most travelers nor to most Medicare recipients in the US. Even those US citizens embarking on a one-year trip outside the US are best to keep their existing insurance (including Medicare Part B and supplement) in place, adding emergency travel insurance as an adjunct.

Our policy with Healthcare International includes coverage for both of us for hospitalization with NZ $3014, US $2000 deductible per hospital stay, emergency evacuation, and bereavement expenses for travel in the event of death of an immediate family member only (sibling, child, parent) covering up to NZ $7536, US $5000 in travel expenses. 

We were intrigued by the stone roof on this oceanfront home.

This benefit is only available for those who are the physical relative of the deceased family member.  In other words, if one of Tom’s family members passes away, the benefit would cover his costs to return to the US, not mine, and so on.

Our decision to choose this type of policy was wrought with considerable research and consideration over an extended period. Each year we’ve researched other options but, to date, this plan makes the most sense for our needs and appears to be the most cost-effective.

  Many homes in New Zealand have metal roofs helping maintain warmth in the cooler winter season reducing heating costs. For the warmer sunny days, as we’ve experienced, it gets hot indoors requiring the opening of screen-less doors and windows.

Of course, when we soon file our taxes for 2015, we must provide “proof of insurance” to avoid paying penalties to the US government. I have a copy in our tax prep file which we’ll soon forward to our accountant along with other pertinent documents.

This can be confusing. Finally, we feel we have a handle on it although it took time to decipher the various options.  If any of our readers have questions, most of the links we’ve provided here will assist you. If you have questions we can answer please post a comment at the bottom of this post and we’ll be happy to answer to the best of our ability and/or provide you with resources to aid in your decision.

Energy efficiency is exercised by most residents in New Zealand from what we’ve seen thus far.

We realize this topic is dry and relatively boring especially for those who aren’t living outside the US for the long term.  For those in other countries, we can only suggest you contact your home insurance, your government-provided insurance, and Healthcare International or another such company. Most likely they’ll be able to assist you based on benefits you may currently have available.

We’re staying in today watching the political caucuses in New Hampshire, USA which is on TV during the day here based on the time difference, although it’s Wednesday here in lovely New Zealand.

Have a great day!

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

One year ago, this albatross is sitting on an egg. Both the male and female sit on the nest, the other heading out to sea for food. For more details and map of our location while in Kauai, please click here.

Paying for health insurance from abroad…Signing documents online?…A credit card compromised again!

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View from our area.

I love technology. Without it, our lives would be much more complicated. As an example, our health insurance policy’s annual single premium is due on March 1, 2016, and we’re able to sign online and provide credit card information as securely as possible. The ability to sign online has been available for approximately the past 10 years but many have never used it and are hesitant to do so. Today’s post may ease your mind.

Preferring to pay the insurance bill a bit early, this morning I worked on sending the payment. A few days ago we destroyed the credit card that Healthcare International had on file for us when we received a notice that charges were made on the card in Texas, USA.

Country view.

We’d hardly purchased fuel and spent NZ $281, US $186 at a Walmart store in Houston, Texas. Every few days, I check all of our credit cards online to ensure everything is accurate without any suspicious charges.

As it turned out, on a day I hadn’t checked, I received an email from the credit card company inquiring as to suspicious charges on the card. Their files indicate we’re in New Zealand at this time and it was unlikely we’d flown to Houston overnight to shop at Walmart.

We keep “travel notifications” updated for each of the credit cards we use, requiring updating every 60 days. To remind me to do so, I have it marked on my online calendar with a pop-up reminder. When we first began traveling, we were annoyed with having to log the travel notifications on the credit card company’s online site for every country we’ll be visiting over the next 60 days. 

View of downtown New Plymouth.

Now, with our third incident of fraud in the past 40 months, we understand the benefit and necessity of updating these notifications. Also, updating the travel notification prevents a “decline” at the register when the card’s system doesn’t recognize the current location for which the charges are attempted.

In each case, a new card has been sent to us wherever we may be at the time. The credit card company pays the fees to mail it. Since we don’t need the card quickly with other cards we can use in the interim, we don’t incur any overnight shipping fees. 

Credit card companies may charge when a new card is shipped overnight internationally.Thus, we didn’t request an overnight shipment when the fees can easily top NZ $151, US $100. The new card will arrive here at the farm in NZ within three weeks.

Trees along the rocky shore in the town.

When a credit card is compromised, in some cases the credit card company will pick up the fraud when most theft systems charge $1 as a test to see if the card will work. Once that works, the process of making additional illegal charges begins which may result in thousands of dollars in charges.

It’s imperative for the customer to check their charges on a regular basis and report any suspicious charges immediately and report them promptly. If the charges are made in your home country while you’re residing in your home country, these charges are all the more difficult for the credit card company to catch. You may be using the card while on a local weekend away.

For those outside their home country, this is all the more likely to occur when devices are set up at fuel stations, restaurants, shops, and other establishments where one uses a card. 

Lava rock along the shoreline.

Note:  You will not be charged for any of the unauthorized (illegal) charges providing that you notify the company in a timely manner. Waiting months to do so could result in the customer’s responsibility for the charges.

The new “computer chips” offer no protection in avoiding theft. In each case we’ve experienced theft, we always had the card in our possession. Often, it isn’t the physical card that is compromised, only the number

The rocky beach in New Plymouth.

Now, on to our annual health insurance bill…Each year, when the annual premium is due,  Healthcare International (in the UK) has used the credit card on file to pay our bill. 

I’d contacted them by email asking for the last four digits on the card they had on file to pay our premium.  When the email arrived this morning with the information, I realized it was the “stolen” card that had been canceled a few days ago.

Sugarloaf in downtown New Plymouth.

It’s important to avoid sending a credit card number, social security number, or any other pertinent ID information via email without special security measures in place. Email isn’t secure as much as one may assume. Scammers have equipment breezing through email worldwide attempting to “pick up” such information for illegal purposes. 

Luckily modern technology has provided for secure options but only when certain the message you’ve received is valid from the source you requested. This can be tricky. If uncertain, contact the company on an approved phone number and provide the information in that manner.

Mount Taranaki after more snow on a cool day.

Our bill for the upcoming year including air ambulance, major medical, and other benefits is NZ $5855, US $3745. Luckily, this year, Healthcare International provided an app via Adobe ID to securely assist in entering a new credit card number and to be able to accept an online signature. 

Familiar with this app which we’ve used in the past when an online signature is required, I was comfortable using it again to send via a secure link the app easily provided to be sent by email to Healthcare International.

Yesterday, we posted a photo with eight baby alpacas. This morning, we took this photo with nine babies, although there appears to be eight. Can you find the ninth?

It seems as if I’m contradicting myself by sending this information by email. However, Adobe ID is as secure as any other “secure” site but, let’s face it, any website can be compromised and data were stolen. I completed the necessary information and forwarded it to Healthcare International via a “secure” email through their account with Adobe.

The reason I bring up credit card fraud and this insurance bill together is simple. Paying this amount of money using a credit card is safe for the consumer if any fraud is reported promptly. We were not responsible for any portion of the illegal charges on our credit card, nor would we be for future such charges. This gives us peace of mind.

A moment later a head plopped down on a playmate.

Having one’s identity stolen is another entirely different matter which we won’t get into here today.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the benefits of the policy along with any of the negative aspects of buying health insurance while traveling for extended periods when one doesn’t have other health insurance or has limited coverage outside their home country, as is in our case.

Happy day!

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

The residents of Hawaiian are very proud of their love and preservation of wildlife and their land.  For more photos, please click here.

A simple life in the country…

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Sunset at the alpaca farm.

The house has a metal roof and it’s a veritable hot box on hot days. We have no choice but to leave the sliding doors open. The flies and sand flies are bad. I wear repellent round the clock, re-applying it three times a day. 

This alpaca, Amber Rose, who recently gave birth, often looks at me through the kitchen window while I’m preparing meals at times pressing her nose on the glass.

Last night, a dragonfly was flying around the bedroom making noise as it bumped into the walls keeping me awake most of the night.  With no screens on any of the doors or windows, we can’t open any of the bedroom windows at night to cool off the hot room. 

The fan moves the hot air around but doesn’t seem to cool it down. We’ve only used the comforter on a few occasions. 

The WiFi is metered and we can’t download as many of our favorite shows as we’ve often been able in other locations. We’re in a tough position when we know we won’t have good enough WiFi in Bali to download shows.  We’d hoped to download everything we’ll need while we’re here to later watch in Bali. That may not happen.

Each sunny afternoon, the alpacas crowd to the side of the house to find shelter in the shade.

I love it here. Tom loves it here. Adaptation.  It’s a simple life in the country.

There’s a lot to love; the alpacas; the many comforts in the house; the ever-changing exquisite scenery surrounding us; the sound of the flowing nearby river; the kind and helpful owners, Trish and Neil; the New Zealand people; the ideal shopping fulfilling all of our needs from the health food store to the grass-fed only meat market to the weekly farmers market with the best eggs in the South Pacific.

The number of alpacas in the shade from our house grows with the heat of the sun.

Yes, there is a lot to love. Yesterday, I filled a bowl with a special grass mix for the alpacas and hand-fed it to them as my feet dangled over the edge of the veranda.  I couldn’t take photos while my hands were otherwise busy. It didn’t seem to matter at the time. Sorry about that. Sometimes the experience supersedes all else.

Hanging the laundry on the clothesline is a pleasant experience in itself as is each time I step outdoors in my bare feet to check to see if it’s dry. The feel of the soft neatly trimmed grass under my feet sends my senses reeling, reminding me of the yet unproven philosophy of “earthing” or “grounding.” that may have some truth to it. (See here for details).

The grouping of cria started with these four.  They love sitting in this dirt, rolling around, and getting dirty.

The rental car sits in the driveway, used only three times a week for a variety of local trips. We don’t want to leave more often. Everything we could possibly want is right here within a few hour’s drive. 

In minutes, the group of cria grew to eight.

Yesterday, I walked alone when Tom didn’t feel like joining me. As I approached the cattle, my favorite pregnant female immediately spotted me heading to the fence. She literally danced she was so happy to see me, lifting one leg at a time as she rocked in place, shaking her head back and forth, slobber flinging from her mouth in the process. 

My favorite cow separated from who may have been her last offspring.  We often find them close to one another sneaking affection through the fence.

She moaned in frustration as I walked away. Had anyone seen this they would have laughed at this crazy woman communicating with a cow. I’ve often wondered if I should have lived on a farm when I’ve always been drawn to barnyard animals, rolling dough, and baking bread (in my old life when I could eat gluten).

Last year’s young bulls.

Instead, for now, we live this simple life, outdoors a lot, cooking good meals, mingling with the life in the country, taking photos of precious moments with the ongoing joy of sharing them daily with all of YOU, as we’ve shown today.

This mom and son, Mont Blanc, are the pair that were separated by the fence when Mont Blanc had crawled underneath and escaped. Later, Trish and Neil picked him up, placing him over the fence, not an easy task. We often see them in close contact perhaps remembering they were once separated. Although Mont Blanc, the only blue eyes cria in the now group of 12, loves playing with the other youngsters.

For those in the US, may you have a fun-filled Super Bowl Sunday. (We’ll be watching it here). And for our friends in New Zealand, enjoy the remainder of Waitanga weekend. For details of this holiday, please click here.

Have a happy day in the country, city, desert, mountains or plains or, wherever you may be…

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

My delicious lunch, a year ago, at the Kauai Westin Hotel with friends Elaine and Richard included a grass-fed burger with cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and a side salad.  For more photos and details, please click here.

Part 2…Plas Mawr…A step into yesteryear…A historical home in New Plymouth…A day to remember…

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June’s warm and friendly demeanor is a delight to behold.  We feel fortunate to have met her and had the opportunity for this special experience.

As we entered the historic house, Plas Mawr, (which translates to “big hall” in Welsh), owned by June and Simon Moseley, we realized the treasures we found on the grounds continued well into the fine home.

We entered the sun room to find this book, “The Life and Times of James Walter Chapman-Taylor.”

June explained many of the details in the building, upgrading and maintenance of the house while our eyes flitted around the rooms perusing the many amenities the renowned New Zealand architect, James Chapman-Taylor had so thoughtfully included in the design of the home, so well preserved today, over 100 years later.

The home’s Arts and Craft’s woodwork and style is reminiscent of homes, many of us have seen in our past.

Each space had its own personality as the theme of the era followed from room to room never deviating from the concept of his design and the era of the decade and beyond. The popular Arts and Crafts concept was popular in areas of Minneapolis, which we both had seen on many occasions over the years.

This clever seating nook and appropriate narrow table brought visions of “tea time” to mind.

An expensive concept at the time, it required the inclusion of detailed quality, uncluttered woodworking, unique contemporary mechanisms, and the use of nature as a backboard. 

June and Simon have made the historic home comfortable for their needs while carefully maintaining the integrity of the style. 

The Craftsman style of home flourished throughout the world finding its way to New Plymouth, New Zealand by Chapman-Taylor in the early 1900s when he built 80 homes:

“James Walter Chapman-Taylor (24 June 1878 – 25 October 1958) was one of New Zealandʼs most important domestic architects of his time, bringing the Arts and Crafts Movement to New Zealand houses he designed. Chapman-Taylor was also a skilled craftsman, builder, furniture designer, photographer, and astrologer.”

The fireplace behind this copper screen is still used today as the only source of heat in the home.

The world-renowned Frank Lloyd Wright (see below) built many homes of this style in Minnesota and throughout the US:

“Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most important and prolific architects of houses in the U.S., was one of the originators of the Prairie School style, which was an organic architecture outgrowth of both the American Craftsman style aesthetics and its philosophy for quality middle-class home design. Wright’s career spanned through the Victorian, Chicago School, American Craftsman, Prairie School, International style, and Modernism movements. The Robie House is an example of his American Craftsman-inspired Prairie School work.”

Do these light switches bring back memories of long ago?

Having spent 25 years of my career as a real estate broker/company owner, I had many opportunities to see and occasionally sell one of these styles of homes. They often sold quickly although they may have been priced higher than homes of the more ornate style of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Their popularity continues today.

The architect-designed these special windows that remain today as practical and functional.

Plas Mawr is a perfect example of the integrity of the style which we’ve attempted to illustrate in today’s photos. June was the perfect tour guide as we wandered throughout the house stopping on many occasions to talk along the way. 

The Arts and Crafts style are clearly illustrating in the design of the ceilings.

After our tour, we settled in the comfy seating in the sunroom as June educated us on New Zealand’s cultural history which we’ll include in a future post. As a teacher, she was able to present the information in a context of great interest to us both. It’s a highly charged topic for New Zealander’s which we hope to present with the dignity and sensitivity it so well deserves.

When replacing kitchen appliances June and Simon included this “antique appearing” style range and oven.

We shared many of our cultural and wildlife experiences throughout the world with June as she listened attentively and with a natural curiosity as to the unusual lifestyle we lead, very supportive of the choices we’ve made to explore the world for as long as we are able. 

The original cabinets were open without doors and drawers which we added at a later date.
We all giggled when June brought out some postcards from Minnesota from a visit to the US some time ago.

Finally, it dawned on us it was time to go. June had guests arriving for the holiday weekend and we needed to get out of her hair. She insisted we stay longer which warmed our hearts but we preferred to let her continue with her busy day.

Check out the electricity running to this original light fixture.
The beautiful wood cabinetry was carried into the bathroom.

We all enthusiastically hugged goodbye at the gate. We hope to meet again in our next over two-month stay in New Plymouth. Its truly been a pleasure. Thank you, dear June! Thank you, Plas Mawr!

Photo from one year ago today, February 7, 2015

Cattle egret are common in Hawaii and many other parts of the world. In Kauai, they often gathered near construction sites, lawnmowers, and gardeners hoping that the processes will stir up worms in the soil. For more photos, please click here.