Counting down the days with a bit of trepidation…What do world travelers like us do without a primary care doctor?…This morning’s new photos….

This Cattle Egret is sitting atop a tree in the backyard, a usual sight to see. Most often, they are on the ground near where there is landscaping, grading, and excavation in the process. They seem to know that such scenarios are excellent opportunities for foraging for bugs and worms.

After a fitful night of listening to science podcasts, at 6:00 am, I literally rolled off the edge of the bed, exhausted and wishing I could lay back down for a few more hours.

My mind was doing a number on me. I had to get up and try to call the doctor again with no response after yesterday’s call.  ER doctors don’t usually participate in any aftercare for patients they’ve seen on an emergency basis.

We no longer have a primary care doctor. It’s simply been too long since we last visited our former doctor in Minnesota, which was in September 2012, a month before we left. 

The egret couched down watching me open the door to take the photo.

I knew he wouldn’t participate in any health care questions at this late date when several months ago, I inquired to the Minnesota clinic with an online request for a relatively innocuous medication refill, never receiving a response. At that point, I knew he was no longer in our court. Too much time had passed. We get this. They have “rules.” 

Travelers maintaining a home base would have no difficulty contacting their primary care physician for advice.  Although in Hawaii, prescriptions can’t be “called in” from an out-of-state physician.

It’s a little late to establish a relationship with a doctor in a private office or medical clinic in Kauai. Besides, none of the testing equipment required for a diagnosis is readily available at any of the local clinics and a trip to the Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihue would be required. 

This morning’s view from our lanai while it rained off and on.

From what we’ve discovered most doctors refer patients to the hospital if their condition can’t readily be treated with meds. I suppose this is not unlike many clinics worldwide, let alone in the US.

Finally, this morning at 7:00 am I reached the ER doctor I’d seen on Friday asking for a different, perhaps more effective antibiotic. This is often necessary with a variety of infections, which don’t respond well to a particular drug which seems to be my case at the moment.

Ah, the perils of world traveling without a home base!  We knew this going in. We also knew that having only major medical insurance (which pays 100% of any hospital stays, doctors, tests, and medications rendered while in the hospital) would be a risk. 

I edited this photo to be dark in order to show the two rainbows that developed after the rain.

By purchasing the international policy, we chose the option of major medical only or paying outrageous fees to include doctor visits. However, if we had made a choice to include doctor/outpatient services, the policy still didn’t include any necessary medical care as long as we’re in the US, as we are now. 

Since Medicare doesn’t pay outside the US, we opted out of Medicare’s Plan B which pays doctor visits with a copay of as much as 20% for which most seniors purchase an additional policy. This would not be a sensible option for most senior travelers especially those who periodically return to a home base. They can easily purchase a specific travel policy for their trips, event by event.

This individual trip policy was also not available to us when our lives consist of one continuous “trip.” No such policy exists for us other than the 12-month international policy that we purchased almost three years ago and renew each year.

It was raining when we got this rainbow shot. If the hill and the trees hadn’t been in the way we’d have been able to see the end of the rainbow in the ocean.

When we consider the potential out of pocket costs for tests at a hospital, we cringe but fully accept that potential no matter where we may be. We’ve dodged a bullet to date but, we knew sooner or later the scenario could change on a dime.

In any case, the ER doctor refused to “call-in” a different prescription without my having additional tests. We understand her dilemma. As an alternative, I presented her a list of all of the antibiotics we currently have on hand and she suggested Cipro, the “big guns” for infections. 

She emphatically stated that if I’m not better 48 hours after taking Cipro which will be Thursday, we’ll be heading to the hospital for more tests. Both Tom and I agree that this is our only option. At that point, it will be only 10 days until we depart on the cruise. 

It’s hard not to appreciate the seeming magic of a rainbow.

What do ex-pats do in these cases? They either purchase insurance available in the country in which they live, purchase international insurance such as ours, or in some cases, pay for medical care out of their pocket when medical costs in some “retiree friendly” countries are surprisingly inexpensive. 

From what we’ve read online to date, a typical doctor’s office visit in Australia may be around US $50, as opposed to $100’s in the US. Once we arrive in Australia, we won’t hesitate to see a doctor if we deem it necessary at the time.

These berries on this plant remind me of Christmas.

If this illness had occurred a few months ago I would have followed the doctor’s instructions and not given it much of a thought. The current time constraint is weighing heavily on my mind at the moment.

My sister Julie worriedly reminded me of how many times we’ve been sick since we left the US, more often me than Tom. I must admit that at least twice a year I’ve picked up some type of infection, viral or bacterial.

With a history of inclement health for most of my life (mostly due to heredity and inflammation), my immune system continues to remain vulnerable regardless of how hard I’ve tried to offset it. It was equally precarious when we lived in Minnesota, still contacting some type of virus, sinus infection, or respiratory infection once or twice a year. 

Sunset from the front lanai.

Then again, how many of us don’t “catch” something once or twice a year? Tom would push through such conditions and continue to work as did many of the guys he worked with on the railroad, often infecting one another while working in close quarters on a train. 

Having a home base has what we now refer to as “luxuries” that come with it; easy access to medical care, cable TV, working cell phones, appliances such as a clothes dryer, quality Internet services, shopping centers, and grocery stores with familiar products and services.

We don’t share this personal story to elicit sympathy, although bless the hearts of many of our readers for sending their good wishes. We continue to tell our story for the purposes of sharing both the good and the bad of what it’s like to be traveling the world without a home base. 

And, we appreciate the beauty of flowers blooming in the treetops at a distance from the lanai.

The vulnerability we express here at times even surprises us when in our old lives, we only shared a degree of personal information with our close family members and friends.

How foolish we’d be to hide the realities of our daily lives only sharing the details of the most exciting of locations and adventures. With that, we’d only be a travel log, extolling the virtues of where we’ve been, and what we’ve seen, a place for a degree of braggadocio. The manner in which we share our lives is done so with a much bigger intent; truth and reality.  

We have no doubt that at times, some of our readers may become bored with our truth, reality and mindless drivel. Then again, daily life for most of us is mundane at times, isn’t it?

We’ve come to appreciate the simplest of life’s amenities, never taking for granted that which is available to us, including the potential of more medical care in Hawaii. If we must go, we will. If we luck out and I’m well again in a few days, it will be time to rejoice and start packing!

Have a superb day!

                                             Photo from one year ago today, May 12, 2014:

A year ago today, we were three days from leaving Morocco. We were definitely ready to be on the move. For details on that day, please click here.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there…Have a beautiful day!…Expectations….

Could this Yellow Candle flower be more exquisite with its white blooms?

Special days such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can easily result in high expectations. Will the kids call?  Did they send a card or greeting? Will they show for a hug and expression of love? Will the Dad of the young ones make an effort to make them aware of this special day for Mom and, vise versa for Dad on Father’s Day?

We all make the assumption that most moms are anxiously waiting at home to be honored on this special day when for some, the day becomes sorrowful and disappointing. Then again, some moms have an expectation that the husband, partner or significant other will create a degree of hoopla only to be disappointed as the day wears on, that no such event or celebration will occur. I do not have that expectation.

Today, as a mom of two sons and step mom to a son and daughter all in their 40’s I have no expectations. We left. We left behind the circle of life and in doing so, perhaps all of those expectations were left behind. 

A single plumeria bloom.

We said we expected nor wanted cards or gifts and not to worry about birthdays and holidays. None of that is necessary to know we are loved. It’s all OK. (We continue to send gifts to our grandchildren on birthdays and holidays and acknowledge all of our children and significant others on their special days).

We chose this life. They did not. In their perfect world, we’d have been those available doting grandparents.  But, we chose a different path for these years of our lives after my decades of ill health. Do it while we can. Life is short. We’ll see them again in the future. We are not lost forever.

Regrets? None.

Do days like today make me sad? No, not at all. But, I do think of them a little more today than yesterday.  They are truly loved, all of them, and will always be loved.

A miniature daisy?

Tom and I both became parents in our teens. At such an early age, we had responsibilities resulting in few worldly experiences in our 20’s other than attempting to live up to those responsibilities. We were young. It wasn’t easy. We did our best. 

In reality, these facts brought Tom and me together. We had the commonality of being such young parents, working too much, and maybe had our priorities mixed up…work…provide…work…provide. 

As a single mom for many years after an early divorce, I did what I thought was right at the time. I was present and then again, I wasn’t. I was so wrapped up in surviving, let alone “making it” as a single parent that at times, I fell short. Tom expresses a similar sentiment.

Luscious hot pink blossoms.

We seldom traveled (one vacation in 20 years) due to my health and we lived a life of expectations that somehow could never be fulfilled. As we’ve aged, the expectations continue to grow…out of reach…perhaps unrealistic.

Still under the weather today, I’m reminded of how fragile our lives really are. One bad illness, surgery or injury and it all could be over, possibly for good. We could be forced to settle somewhere, living a life of doctor appointments, dealing with insurance, medications and medical care.

As much as we may try to avoid that possibility, I have to face the facts that I’ll be 70 in a few years and for many this is when ill health begins (or sooner for some). No matter what measures one may take to stay healthy, we still can fall prey to an unexpected illness.

Plumeria trees are on a blooming frenzy now that spring is here.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit concerned that I haven’t yet “turned the corner” after almost 48 hours on antibiotics. Our cruise departs two weeks from today. If I’m not on the mend by tomorrow, I’ll have no choice but to call for a different course of antibiotics which of course, I despise taking. Without them, it would only get worse.

Today, we continue to hunker down while I rest, drinking tons of water, hoping that at any moment, I’ll discover that the pain is gone and I’m on the mend. This, dear readers will be cause for celebration on this day or the next.

Again, we wish all of our mom readers a Happy Mother Day by lightening up on the expectations and living another fine day filled with love. I know I will.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, May 10, 2014:

Near the entrance to the Medina in Marrakech, we stopped at the ATM. For details as to why we wrote about “sexist steak portions,” please click here.

Oh, oh!…First trip to a doctor in almost three years!…An expensive medical appointment…

Tom waited with me in the exam room at the urgent care center in Kapaa. Photo taken with my phone.  Notice our Africa bag on the floor that we purchased for $2 in Kenya many moons ago.  Its holding up quite well.

Traveling the world for years without a home base to return to for doctor and dentist appointments, is challenging at times. Somehow, over these past two and a half years since leaving Minnesota, we’ve managed to figure out health concerns on our own.

Before my health was renewed almost four years ago, via an extremely low carb, grain, starch, and sugar-free diet, often referred to as a ketogenic diet, I’d often seen our local doctor once every month or so. (For the detailed documented science on ketosis, please click here. We are in no manner associated with the sale of this book).

I was a mess of pain and chronic illness, all precipitated by the hereditary inflammatory disease often becoming further ill with infections, viruses, and myriad symptoms.

Three months after embarking on this restrictive way of eating, never faltering by ingesting a grain of sugar or rice, I awoke to good health, pain-free, symptom-free, and feeling better than I’d felt in decades.

Since that day, I’ve felt wonderful almost every day, continuing to be pain-free and healthy. Occasionally, I fall prey to a virus or infection, most often when exposed to other people’s germs or bad food. In our travels, I’ve been ill twice a year, not unlike many of you. 

As for Tom, he’s been ill a few times, once in Morocco, once after a cruise but seems to recovery more quickly than I do. I suppose my immune system may take a little longer to recover from a lifetime of illness. I’m patient in the interim, knowing that without this miracle (for me) way of eating, we wouldn’t be traveling at all. Who’s to complain?

So, on Tuesday when I developed a horrible pain in my left groin that neither Tylenol nor Motrin would help, we became concerned. What would it be? Of course, I spent hours online looking for possible causes and came to the conclusion I either had a kidney stone on the move or a UTI (urinary tract infection).

In my research, I discovered that on a daily basis I consume an inordinate amount of oxalates especially drinking lots of brewed tea and spinach, both huge contributors to the formation of kidney stones. 

Just in case, I immediately stopped drinking tea switching to plain water, and tossed out my remaining container of organic baby spinach, knowing no matter what, I may have done so too late. The pain continued and worsened over the next few days and nights, resulting in little sleep.

Oh gosh, I was thinking to myself, trying not to worry Tom, we have to be on a cruise in a little over two weeks. What if I needed surgery? What if we couldn’t go on the cruise and lost our $6010, non-refundable at this late date? Where would we stay? What about our upcoming 89 day rental on June 11th in Australia for which we’ve already paid in full? 

Rather than do a number on myself worrying, I became proactive drinking tons of water, moving about as much as possible, and praying for a speedy resolution.

Yesterday morning, after three nights of this dreadful discomfort, it dawned on me that it could be a UTI. It felt like a UTI which I hadn’t had in many years. Looking online, I realized that if it was a UTI it was unlikely it would resolve on its own.I can’t drink cranberry juice with all of its sugar. By noon yesterday as the pain escalated, I told Tom who of course was very worried, we needed to do one of two things:

Option 1:  Drive to the hospital in Lihue (one hour drive) which would result in a urine test and a pricey CAT scan.
Option 2:  Drive to the urgent care center/tiny hospital in Kapaa (30-minute drive) and get a urine test. If it wasn’t a UTI, I’d wait for the kidney stone to pass at least for a few more days, and then if it didn’t, we’d have no choice but to go to the hospital in Lihue.

We waited for the test results and the doctor in this typical exam room.

The cost of option two would be considerably less than option one. We only have major medical insurance that only pays for hospital stays (80%), not urgent care or doctor visits. 

Yesterday afternoon at 1:15, we headed to the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital (more of an urgent care facility than a hospital) in Kapaa, easily finding it, by taking a right turn near the end of the Kauai Path which we visited a few days earlier before the pain developed.

The process was easy with prompt service, a kindly male nurse, and an amazing female doctor, Dr. Betty Dilley.  Within a half-hour of our arrival, as we sat in the exam room awaiting the test results, the doctor entered telling us I did in fact have a UTI and that one week on the antibiotic Keflex would take care of it.

We both smiled, relieved that it wasn’t more serious, We then had a laugh-fest with the doctor and in no time at all, we were on our way to the business office to pay our bill and then head back to Princeville to the pharmacy at Foodland. 

The receipts for the two prescriptions we purchased yesterday. Pricey.

Since neither of us had been to a doctor in almost three years, we asked the doctor to renew our Epipen prescription which had long ago expired. We’re both allergic to bees, wasps, and hornets. Australia is filled with these buggers (as Australians would say). At the end of our appointment, Dr. Dilley handed us a prescription for both the antibiotic and the Epipen.

On the way to the business office, we discussed the reality that this was going to be one pricey doctor visit.  Compared to the $1000’s it would have cost to go to the hospital, whatever it was, we would be fine. Let’s just pay and get out of here!

I suggested Tom wait for me in the car while I took care of the bill. I started up a lively conversation with friendly Brenda the billing clerk. We heartily laughed and commiserated while she figured out our bill. 

The moment I sat down at her window she warned me that the fee would be outrageous. She explained that today we’d pay the hospital charges and later we’d be billed (to our mailing service) for the doctor’s intervention which would most likely be under $300.

When she mentioned the total of $456 (excluding the doctor’s fee), I cringed. She looked at me and smiled, saying, “I like you so much I’m going to give you a discount.” However small it may be, I was appreciative.  After a 35% discount (more than I’d expected) the bill was down to $296.40! 

The bill from the urgent care facility in Kapaa, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. Notice the discount we received which was appreciated.

I was so grateful I offered her a  tip which she refused, warmly grabbing my hand and thanking me for our business and the friendly chatter. Wow! That’s Hawaii for you! These people are amazing! We’d never have received a discount at the urgent care in our old lives.

Back in the car, I shared the good news with Tom as we headed to Foodland to fill our two prescriptions. The antibiotic was a reasonable $32.41 and the EpiPen two-pack was $485! I almost fell on the floor when I heard that. There was no way we couldn’t buy it. It’s a matter of life and death.

Overall the costs for the day including hospital bill, estimated doctor bill at $300, and two prescriptions totaled $1113.81 plus, while at Foodland, although I wasn’t up to par I quickly purchased groceries spending another $232.34 for the day’s grand total of $1346.15. 

Now, we have groceries for the next week while I recover. Taking my third dose of the antibiotics upon awakening this morning, I can already tell that I’m on the mend. Thank goodness. 

Once again, “safari luck” prevailed and this relatively innocuous illness, easily remedied, will be long gone by the time we board the ship, two weeks from tomorrow. We’re leaving Kauai two weeks from today.

Laying low for the next few days, we’ll cover our previously mentioned story of sugar plantations in Kauai and before too long be back out and about for more photos.

May all the moms out there have a fabulous Mother’s Day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, May 9, 2014:

We posted this photo last year that surely resonates with our lifestyle. For details on this post, please click here.

Trip to a doctor?…What about a dentist?..How does this work in foreign lands?…

The path that we’ve walked these few rainy days where we’ve found many beautiful plants and flowers.

This morning, I was responding to an email to our dear friend and 26-year neighbor Sue in Minnesota. She has homes in both Florida and Minnesota and will soon return to Minnesota now that the horrific winter has finally ended.

As I reported that we’re feeling well and healthy, I was reminded by the fact that neither of us has been to a doctor in a long time, me in September 2012 and Tom in December 2012 (he had tests while we were in Scottsdale) when we both received a clean bill of health.

It wasn’t as if we never intend to see a doctor. We simply decided that we won’t do so unless we can’t manage an injury or illness on our own. With plenty of antibiotics in our possession, we feel relatively secure, never taking them unless absolutely necessary.

These pretty pink flowers, Double Hibiscus, have begun to bloom right outside our door.

We’ve only used the antibiotics on a few occasions since we left when I couldn’t kick a three-week old sinus infection and again in Morocco a year ago when I had tried to recover for two weeks from a horrible intestinal infection I’d picked up from a salad on our first day there. I never ate a salad or uncooked item in a restaurant again while in Morocco.

There have been a few occasions that seeing a doctor came to mind, especially when we were injured on the collapsing stairs in Belize on our anniversary in 2013. Please click here to read about and see photos of what transpired.  

I had hurt my back and neck so badly, I thought I broke something. It took over a month to recover with self-care. To see a doctor in Belize required a four-hour drive each way. We didn’t go based on my insistence.

Chi’a Flower blooms in many colors.

In our old lives, especially when I was suffering from chronic pain and abnormal blood tests, it wasn’t uncommon for me to visit the doctor once every month or so. Once I began my way of eating in August 2011, within three months I no longer had the abnormal blood tests nor any pain, resulting in only visiting the doctor before we left Minnesota for a general physical and multiple immunizations in preparation for traveling to Africa.

Tom, who’d followed along on the diet with me and is doing so now, had lost 40 pounds, dropped seven medications a day, and no longer had IBS, GERD (heartburn), or Barrett’s Disease (an inflamed esophagus). To this day, he has no symptoms and in December 2012 when he had his final tests everything was normal.

Sure, a physical check-up, mainly for blood tests, would be good to do at some point. For now, we feel no need to do so other than to get a new prescription for our two Epipens which have both expired. Both allergic to bees (hornets and wasps) and with the huge bee population in Australia, we may need to make a doctor appointment in Cairns, shortly after we arrive.

This is the ever-blooming Ixora a widely used plant in landscaping in Hawaii.

My insurance doesn’t pay for office visits since Medicare doesn’t work outside the US. Plus, I waived Part B when discovering it won’t pay. Instead, we purchased international major medical for me and a policy for Tom as well, although he still has insurance that may or may not pay outside the US. Once he turns 65, his insurance drops and he’ll continue on with our international policy which offer emergency evacuation as well.

The fact that we don’t have insurance to pay for doctor visits has had little effect on our decision to avoid doctor visits other than consideration of the cost in Hawaii. We’d have gone here for the Epipens but, from what we’ve read online, the required office visit will cost considerably less in Australia than it would in the US, let alone Hawaii.

The bark on this live tree was peeling making us wonder if it was a seasonal thing.

We aren’t concerned that we haven’t been to a doctor all this time. We both feel wonderful healthy. Why would we? When we were kids we hardly ever saw the doctor unless we had a high fever or couldn’t shake an infection after many days, often weeks of waiting for it to subside. Those of you in our age group can relate to this.

As for the dentist, we tried once in Maui. But, Tom didn’t feel right when we arrived at the peculiar office arrangement to be told we’d have to wait an hour for our appointment. Somehow, red flags popped up for him.  We canceled and left, especially after we were told to wait for our appointment at the senior center across the street. 

More stunning anthurium flowers.

I would have been OK going ahead with it. Long ago, we agreed that if one of us doesn’t feel comfortable with an activity, we won’t do it, avoiding any argument, feelings of being pressured or shaming one another.
 
In the interim, we continue to spend tremendous effort in caring for our teeth. Currently, neither of us has any issues with our teeth or gums. At some point, we’ll arrange a cleaning in another country.

A Brown Gecko is commonly seen in the Hawaiian Islands.

This philosophy continues to work out well for us. It also works the other way around as well; if one of us longs to see a certain part of the world, then we’ll go. It’s always about safety and passion, safety first, passion second.

Again today, it’s raining off and on as it had for over a week. Although I’ve continued to work out at the Makai Golf Course’s fitness center and pool, we’ve only lounged by the pool on one occasion in the past week. 

A pair of Myna Birds on the hunt for food.  Not too much available in this parking lot.

When the sun peeks out for a bit and it often does, we head out for a stroll in hopes of getting a dose of Vitamin D, considerably important for the senior population. Here’s an excellent article on a study on the benefits of Vitamin D for both seniors and the younger population.

With a busy social weekend ahead on both Friday and Saturday night, we’re looking forward to seeing many of our friends once again. We’ll report back on these two events.

Be well and enjoy a wonderful Wednesday!

                                            Photos from one year ago today, April 29, 2014:

These clumps of yarn were hanging outside to dry on this railing outside the souk creating this scene. For details from this post, one year ago, please click here.

Part 2…Why would YOU want to visit Kauai?…Today, the flip side…Any reasons, “why not?”

Overcast days at the beach still present a pleasant experience.

Whenever we make suggestions or recommendations we consider that many people may not be candidates for our suggestions for any number of reasons. Under certain circumstances, travel may not be an option due to health issues or concerns, personal finances, or merely a distaste for the nuances of travel of which there are many.

We also understand that a certain faction of our readers have no interest in travel itself but enjoy following our day to day activities. Our vast number of readers are somehow inspired to follow our day to day posts for which we are very grateful for their interest. 

These downed trees not only provide shade but also a habitat for insects and small critters of which there are few in Kauai.

As a result, we feel it is only fair for us to disclose our perceptions on the flip side of any suggestion we may make. What are the drawbacks? Within that framework, if only one reader decides against following our recommendations and chooses an alternative path, then we’ve done our job by showing both the good and not so good.

Isn’t all of it about perception anyway?  If someone had told us, “Kauai is mostly for serious hikers with many dangerous trails and tide pools from which many tourists are killed each year,” we may have stayed away.

There’s always a chicken on the beach.

Instead, we came to Kauai, safely experiencing a few of the more difficult trails realizing that tough trails aren’t for us. However, Kauai offers so much more than tough hiking trails and dangerous tide pools as shown in our past  months of daily postings with hundreds of photos.

Please click these three links for disheartening news stories on injuries and deaths that incurred on the rough trails in Hawaii, not exclusively in Kauai:

News story #1
News story #2
News story #3

What are the drawbacks to visiting Kauai from our perspective which, please keep in mind, maybe very different from yours after staying here for this extended period of time? (However, we’ve yet to meet one person who doesn’t love Kauai).

These billowy white clouds are seen almost daily.  There’s rarely a time of solid blues skies in Kauai for longer than a few hours.

Let’s take each point, one by one:

1.  Price of vacation rentals: Renting a modest single-family house under $10,000 a month is difficult if not impossible to find.  However, if two couples shared in the cost of a multi-bedroom house for a few weeks it becomes more affordable, certainly no more costly than a hotel. For an average condo rental, small such as ours at 700 square feet, the rental rates vary from approximately $150 to $200 per night. Many offer special weekly and monthly rates.  In our case, due to our frequent mention of the condo here on our site, providing great exposure for the landlord in addition to our long-term stay enabled us to benefit from a significantly reduced rate which is often the case for our long-term rentals. You know…a bird in the hand. Having a condo with a full kitchen cuts down on the necessity of dining out for each meal.  More on that in a moment.
2.  Price of hotels: St. Regis in Princeville starts at about $550 per night, the Westin Princeville at $337 per night, and the Hanalei Bay Resort at $199 with numerous other options in between. Other areas such as Lihue, Kapaa, and Poipu Beach have prices beginning at $175  a night on up. Of course, staying in a hotel adds to the rate when including WiFi fees when not included, tips, taxes, resort fees, meals, and tempting purchases.

Zooming in on a tiny bud.


3.  Cost of meals in restaurants with tax and tips: Considering each time we’ve dined out, each at mid-range restaurants, we’ve spent an average of $72 per restaurant visit, keeping in mind I don’t drink alcohol and Tom never ordering more than one cocktail. Also, we don’t order appetizers or desserts.  That’s for one meal for two people. If one had two or three meals out per day at mid-range local restaurants the cost would be from $125 to $200 per day or more depending on alcohol, sides, and desserts. However, these costs may be typical for most resort type areas. Dining in the hotels is considerably more costly, as much at 100% higher.

4.  Cost of groceries for dining in: In reviewing our Excel spreadsheet with the cost of literally every expense for food including trips to Costco, farmer’s markets, health food stores, produce stands, and grocery stores, we’re currently averaging at $47 per day. Considering that I only eat one meal a day (intermittent fasting) and Tom has one main meal and two light low carb snacks/meals, the cost for three meals a day could reach the $80 per day range. The fact that we eat no processed or packaged foods, soda, fruits, or snacks also reduces costs.  In part, our costs may be slightly heightened by eating mostly organic locally grown foods which are approximately 10% higher than mass-produced foods. The grass-fed meat we’ve been purchasing at the gas station from Curly’s Princeville Ranch is no more expensive than the grain-fed meat at Foodland. These figures may not be considered high for some travelers but for many, they could be prohibitive.

These pods are less than one inch long.

5.  Cost of airfare: Let’s face it, Hawaii is not conveniently located. From most locations, it requires multiple layovers and high fares. The average cost for each of our 12 family members that visited at Christmas was $1300 per person, round trip. In the off-season, the fare is as much as 40% less. For senior travelers with medical concerns, multiple layovers and long flights may present a problem. Also, fees for checked baggage and overweight baggage is a factor to consider.6.  Recreational Activities: If we were to list the most popular tourist activities in Kauai, as much as 85% require some level of fitness, especially the treacherous and difficult hiking trails. Many resort areas throughout the world have museums, art galleries, historical buildings, and sites easy to navigate. Hawaii, especially Kauai, is mostly about nature, although there are a few small museums. Yes, there are many tours in vans and buses but, many of these include getting out of the vehicle to view the scenery. For some seniors, this may be an obstacle and result in frustration. Many of the boat tours include rough waters with considerable bouncing about which may be difficult for some.

It’s not unusual to see many downed trees still showing signs of life along the beaches.

7.  Medical care: Most residents of Kauai with whom we’ve spoken, young and old, fly to Oahu for medical care at a cost of around $150 or more, round trip per person, for a daytime flight. If one requires frequent doctor visits, this cost and inconvenience can add up. When adding the cost of taxis, tips, and meals when arriving in Oahu, for those on a fixed income, these only increase the expense. Of course, emergency medical care and medical clinics are available on the island but, from what we’ve determined one may be more inclined to head to Oahu, if possible. It isn’t unusual for a patient to be airlifted from Kauai to Oahu for medical care. This type of insurance is vital for average travelers. (Our insurance policy includes these fees).

These downed trees are perfect on sunny days for those seeking a respite from the bright sun.

8.  The weather: Kauai is the garden island. It rains a lot. We’ve seen our next-door neighbors arrive for a week’s vacation and never experience a sunny day. For us, this is fine. For those spending upwards of $3500 for a week’s vacation, this could be very frustrating. Many of our neighbors haven’t minded the rain and have still spent every day exploring the island. But, for serious hikers, which many are, the trails are slippery and dangerous when wet. A few of our neighbors have experienced minor, non-life-threatening injuries on the trails on rainy days. For us, rainy days as for many retirees is a good day to stay home unless we’re committed to attending a social event. We’ve also experienced several sunny days in a row. During our 75 days on the island, it’s been the rainy season. With spring in full bloom, we expect we’ll see more sunny days. But, even the summers in Kauai may be rainy. If one is looking to lounge in a lawn chair by a pool, drinking tropical cocktails, occasionally walking along the beach, and dining out in fabulous restaurants, Kauai may not be a perfect choice.  Maui and Oahu may be better choices during their prime seasons with less rain. Of course, it can rain in the morning on any of the islands and become sunny for an hour or more, which is more common than not. The trade winds result in drastic weather changes in a matter of minutes. Many days, we put on our swimsuits hoping for a visit to the pool, only to change out of them a short time later when a dark cloud cover has suddenly appeared. 

The rope of this tree is ideal for a swinging splash into the water.

9.  Long drive to Lihue from many locations for shopping: Princeville has a small shopping center. One may purchase a good pair of walking shoes for $195, a dress or men’s shirt for a special occasion for $175 or more, and a pair of costume jewelry earrings for $65. The shopping center in Princeville is not unlike shopping centers in other pricey resort towns. For a 35 minute drive, one can head to Kapaa where there’s a more well-stocked larger grocery store, Safeway, Long’s Drug, and a GNC, and more, none of which are located in Princeville. If one desires to make a trip to Costco, Walmart, or a regular mall with chain type stores, a trip to Lihue, a long hour’s drive in traffic, is necessary. We’ve been to Lihue on two separate occasions to go to visit Costco and to Kapaa three times. 

None of these “flip side” observations should prohibit most tourists from visiting this glorious island of Kauai. If only to drive around the islands as far as the roads go, only occasionally getting out of the car, one would see scenery the likes of which they’ve never seen before. 

A downed tree on Anina Beach.  Children were playing off to the right.

Even sitting on the quiet, easily accessible Anini Beach on an overcast day is a pleasing experience that Julie and I enjoyed when she was here. Add the friendly people everywhere, and there’s no place on earth that we’ve seen so far that compares to Kauai.

Oops, although I’m dressed for the day, the sun just peeked out. Should I change into a swimsuit? We’ll keep an eye on it and perhaps a trip to the pool and a walk later in the day may be on the agenda. If not, we’re still content.

After all, we’re in Kauai and the view from where I am sitting at the moment is unbelievable.  Check out these two photos below for that view.

This is the view with the screen door open from my seat on the sofa as I post each morning.
By standing up and walking a few feet we’re on the lanai for this view.  It’s obvious why we love Kauai.
 

Photo from one year ago today, April 1, 2014:

Tom’s eyes scanned the interesting décor in the restaurant. For more photos, please click here.

Up close and personal…We saw the lava!…Local stores clearing out and closing for the upcoming arrival of the lava…Link to Tom’s Irish Cream recipe…

There’s no part 2 from yesterday’s story. We had “bigger fish to fry” today regarding the lava

This is a photo I took of a photo of when the lava crossed Apa’a Street on October 25th. See this link for the news report.
Smoke rising from the lava.

It’s hard to believe that we are in Pahoa, Hawai’i as the lava approached on its mission to reach to the sea.  Here we sit at its final destination, expecting it to arrive in our area between February and March or sooner if another eruption sends a faster flow of lava.

Signs such as this are posted everywhere.
Apa’a Street was closed for months, other than for local traffic up until yesterday morning. It’s now open all the way to the Pahoa Transfer Station, where a viewing station had been set up for the public. The lava had crossed the road as shown in our other photos here today. Previously, this road had to be secured by National Guards, preventing anyone other than homeowners from approaching. It is down this road that a house was taken out weeks ago.

Yesterday, Sarah and I headed to the Longs Drug Store, quasi mini Target, that has everything imaginable, only to discover there was nowhere to park. What was going on with dozens of cars touring the huge parking lot for a spot?

To see the red hot lava between these lava rocks only required a bit of zoom.

We had no choice but to park in the Burger King parking lot where we noticed others doing the same, walking the distance to Longs. As it turned out, the entire store was on sale, much for 90% off. 

With the viewing area opened yesterday morning and without the announcement yet on the local news, the visitors were at a minimum to the lava viewing area.  We can only imagine the crowds over the next few weeks as visitors fly into Hawai’i for the sole purpose of lava viewing. We are grateful we had the opportunity to see it before the arrival of the huge crowds. The blue tent is a security area set up by police and National Guard.

We were too late. All the goodies were in carts of anxious shoppers in lines 20 people deep with regular-sized shopping carts overflowing with nary a one for our use, while we meandered about the store, filling our arms with food and supplies we could use while our family is here over the holidays.

Sarah and Jayden walking in front of us on the long walk down Apa’a Street toward the lava viewing area at the Pahoa Transfer Station.
A portion of the viewing area at the Pahoa Transfer Station where experts and guards were on hand to answer questions and show various photos.

Of course, the reason Longs Drugs was selling out their merchandise was clear. The lava is coming. Although, the drug store is a few blocks from the Pahoa Marketplace that was also evacuating (more on that shortly), apparently the drug store is closing as well to make way for the fast-approaching lava, only days away.

A secured main power pole built up to prevent the lava from taking out the electric power for the area which could impact all of us.
Information as to how to protect the power poles from the lava flow.

Sarah and I spent no less than 90 minutes waiting in line. Fortunately, the upside was that we had the amazing opportunity to speak to locals, one couple who didn’t have to evacuate and another whose house is across the road from us here, who moved out in the past month, in preparation for the lava’s eventual arrival in this neighborhood.

Some vegetation survived along the edges of the lava flow.

The kindly gentleman, my age, retired, explained he found a place to live in a safer area and had decided to pack up everything he owned and leave his house for safety. 

A barn or garage that survived the lava flow as it crawled down the road.

He explained that most insurance companies have canceled homeowner’s policies over the past few years, leaving him and thousands of others, uninsured. He’ll get nothing for his home when it burns to the ground as the lava envelopes it in days to come. 

The swirls in the lava are interesting to see firsthand.

It was heartbreaking to hear his story, as we’ve heard others over our past almost three weeks in this forsaken area; loss of homes, job, and security. Very sad. But, the amazing attitude of these people is a treasure to behold as this kindly gentleman wanted to hear more of our story than tell his. “You are doing what?” he asked when I continued to ask him to elaborate on how he made the decision to move out sooner rather than later.

Parts of this lava that had crossed Apa’a Street in October were still hot and flowing.

When he was gone, we spoke to a lovely woman and her husband who shared their cart with us, Mee Ling and John who have lived in the islands for decades, have 10 grown children, seven of which still live with them  To earn a living, Mee Ling is referred to as “The Jamming Lady,” making exquisite homemade jellies and jams using local produce, phone 808-965-9119 and John, owns a company, Hawaii’s House of Gold who sells and distribute health products.

Peeking into this spot I saw red hot lava as shown in the above photo.

As they showed us their bargains, they offered to give us several items in their cart they’d found before we’d arrived. Of course, we refused their kind offer. They needed every item for their big family as well. While Sarah held our place in line with Mee Ling, John showed me where to find many items including pretty Christmas paper plates and napkins at $.14 a package. I grabbed all that remained.

Jayden, in front of the lava.  In years to come, he’ll look back to this experience with wonder.

We hugged goodbye when they were checked out and ready to go. Who gets to hug people in a drugstore that we just met? How lucky can I get? The 90 minutes of waiting proved to be enjoyable especially when Mee Ling and John told us the Pahoa Transfer Station had opened that morning for lava viewing.

Tom, Nik, TJ, Sarah, and Jayden in front of a lava area.

No sooner did we load our stuff into the car, Sarah and I headed back to the house to unload, get the rest of the family, and head back to the Pahoa Transfer Station cameras in hand to take photos.

Tom, his new haircut, and me, in front of the fenced-off lava area.

Today, we share these photos with many more to come over the next several weeks. We’ll make every effort to get photos of the lava after it envelopes the shops of Pahoa, the gas station, and the grocery store.

More tomorrow on the last days of the Malama Grocery store in the Pahoa Marketplace, when we spent two hours shopping yesterday afternoon engaging in their 50% off sale of groceries. Unbelievable. Long lines.  Friendly people.

This beautiful orchid was growing only feet from the lava flow.

Wow!  What a great experience for our family! They will always remember their time in Hawai’i as the lava flow from Mount Kilauea came our way. 

We began the long trek back to our car, parked at quite a distance.

Back with more tomorrow. May your Thursday be a day of accomplishment and pleasure.  We’re striving for that!
                                           Photo from one year ago today, December 18, 2013:

It was one year ago today, that we posted Tom’s Irish Cream recipe which is at the end of the post.  Please click here for the recipe at the bottom of the page.

Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas photos and review…

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The indoor pool on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.
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The Pacifica, live theatre on the ship.

This is an older ship that was built in 2002, renovated in 2013. Many new updates will be completed in 2015.

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The health club on the ship.

Walking through the ship we find areas that should be renovated to update the décor, although there are few areas showing any signs of wear and tear. The obvious diligent and regular maintenance are clearly evidenced in all areas.

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The views from the treadmills.

The design is excellent, in that it’s easy to find the elevators, and maneuver from one area to the next without aimlessly wandering around as we’ve done on a few prior ships.

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The deck where many passengers take long walks.

The cabins are smaller by approximately 15 square feet as opposed to other cruises we’ve booked in the past and future. At 179 square feet for an E1 category Balcony Cabin, the square footage difference is negligible based on its creative design. We don’t find ourselves feeling cramped at all.

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The outdoor pool.

We each have our own closet and share a series of shelves for the folded items. There are numerous drawers we haven’t needed to use. The bathroom is surprisingly sufficient with shelf space and a roomy medicine cabinet.  The shower is adequate, although water may quickly accumulate on the floor if the shower head isn’t angled correctly or the water pressure is too high.

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Alternate view of the pool.

The bed is comfortable with good covers and pillows. After Gerald, our conscientious cabin attendant, cleans the room, replaces towels, empties trashes, restocks coffee, and tea supplies, we find the cabin comfortable for sleeping and for the few hours we spend inside each day.

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Ship equipment on display near the elevators.

The common areas of the ship are appealing and comfortable with adequate seating and close proximity to an ice machine and complimentary coffee, tea, juice, and water. Each morning, as we worked on our posts, we’ve lounged in the area adjacent to the Windjammers Café with a full wall of windows for sea watching and wide padded chairs at tables for four with soft music playing in the background.

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Viking Crown Lounge on the 13th floor.

As this familiar area has become more familiar, we find ourselves feeling as if we’re in the living room of a home we’re renting, content, as we could possibly, be. The only difference is that from time to time, people stop by, sit in the extra chairs at our table and chat with us which is always enjoyed and appreciated.

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View from the Viking Crown Crown Lounge.

As soon as they leave our table, I’m quickly back at work striving to complete the posts we’ve scheduled for upload through the end of the cruise on September 14, 2014.

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The ship’s superstructure.

We’ve included photos of the main live theatre here today, we’ve yet to watch any of the evening entertainment although we watched a matinee with an Irish comedian on Saturday.

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Cute waiter in the lounge.

We’ve heard tepid reviews as to the various evening shows. Without 8:00 pm dinner reservations, we usually don’t leave the dining room until 10:00 pm or later, when table sharing often precipitates delightful conversations.

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Mannequin of a boy fishing.
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Another mannequin fisherman.

Nor have we yet to watch a movie in either the outdoor or indoor theatres when we’ve already seen all the movies they’ve shown. Too cold outside, no one appears to spend time at the pool although numerous guests have frequented the hot tub, not necessarily our thing.

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The Centrum, or atrium of the ship.

The service aboard the ship is exemplary from what we’ve experienced. From the beverage staff in the Windjammer Café to the tech guy, to the customer service desk, to dining in the specialty restaurants, everyone is knowledgeable, gracious, and eager to please.

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Poolside lounges.

We’ve asked for very little; a credit for US $399 when I couldn’t get online; the three occasions when the tech guy assisted me (he was unable to get me online on the ship’s WiFi); Gerald, our cabin steward, for extra pillows for our cabin; and Anthony, the thoughtful maître d’ who’s assisted with my special diet. They’ve all been thoughtful and kind.

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Vitality at Sea Spa.

The quality of a cruise is also subject to the ease with which passengers are able to disembark the ship at various ports of call. It’s been seamless on this ship, allowing passengers to quickly get off and back on the ship.

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Solarium Park Café.

There are several items for which passengers incur additional costs while cruising including cocktails, sodas, specialty coffees, teas and bottled water (the ship’s water is safe to drink), specialty restaurants, WiFi, spa services, and personal training.

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The Solarium Park Café fresh display all included in the cruise fare.

As on most ships, there is a medical clinic on board with a physician and a few nurses. Unless an illness is a shipborne illness, there are fees to see the doctor, often quite expensive which may or may not be reimbursed by insurance.

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The view across the Centrum.

We’ve never visited an onboard doctor although we were required to see him (at no expense) when we boarded the Carnival Liberty in Belize in April 2013, when security confiscated our bag of vitamins and we were nearly arrested.

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The Casino Royale which we don’t visit other than for an upcoming Slot Pull.

They confiscated the duffel bag with the sealed, labeled bottles of vitamins and minerals asking the ship’s doctor to declare if they were in fact vitamins or dangerous drugs. Luckily, the doctor was equally appalled as we were, over the fuss made over the vitamins and he encouraged the security officers to let us and our vitamins be reunited. It took 24 hours to get the vitamins back. For details of this story from April 10, 2013, please click here.

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King and Country Pub, with a cost incurred for all beverages.

Overall, we’d rate this ship an 8 out of 10, only due to the WiFi issues, the lack of quality food in the main dining room, and the fact that certain areas are outdated.

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The “authentic” English pub as shown above.

Would we book a Royal Caribbean cruise in the future when Celebrity is our first love? We already have done so. Currently, we have two Royal Caribbean and two Celebrity cruises booked into the future, in each case based on good past experiences and the convenience of the itineraries based on our choice of preferred locations at the time.

Yes, there are other cruise lines we’ve yet to experience in our travels, such as the highly regarded Princess and Holland America lines. Perhaps in the future, our itinerary will encourage us to do so. 

Until then, as always, we’ll continue to “love the one we’re with.”

                                               Photo from one year ago today, September 11, 2013:

Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to post on this date one year ago while we were in Kenya.

Cost of fuel at US $8.68 a gallon, EU $2.29 a liter! An exquisite vegetation find…A year ago, arrival at our booked 300 year old stone house in Tuscany…

Yesterday, we climbed high into the mountain on this drive.

When we rented the medium blue car over a month ago at the airport in Funchal, the gas/petrol tank was full.  We were told to return the car with an empty tank at the end of the rental period.

Overlooking rooftops to the ocean is always a special view.

Once we arrived in Campanario, we hadn’t gone out much with my illness. Once I returned to health, we’ve been going out every few days to explore, shop, and occasionally dine out. We didn’t need to refill the tank until yesterday. 

The view is always a complex mix of homes, gardens, and farms of varying shapes and sizes.

Luckily, the medium blue car is a fuel miser, using very little petrol on these hills. Although we were stunned by the cost of filling the tank, the relief of using so little to get around softened the blow. At most, we’ll refill, once or twice until we eventually return the car at the end of our time here

What a wonderful time of year to be in Madeira as we see the terraced hills planted for the season.

When we recall our transportation costs when living in the US with insurance, fuel, maintenance, and repairs, the cost of a rental car and fuel in other countries is less than half the former monthly expenses. It is this reality that keeps us from fussing over these prices. Everything is relative

Once we arrived at the top of a mountain, we spotted these cattails like plants.

Yesterday around noon, when the produce guy never showed, we decided to go out to fill the tank, visit the little market and go for a drive higher up the mountain to a park where we took these photos. 

Of course, I had to get out of the car to inspect these as Tom managed to find a safe spot to park on the steep narrow road.

It’s amazing how our perspective of the island changes from each vantage point as we take off on one maze-like road after another, never knowing where we’ll come out or if we’ll come out, requiring we find a place to turn around. 

This was the highlight of our outing. It’s a close up of the cattail like plants as shown above in the two photos. Who knew these would be so beautiful up close?

As I’ve mentioned, the winding mountain roads on this island don’t make it easy to find one’s way around unless the destination is an easy exit off the freeway.

The locals, familiar with their complex road system, take the difficulty of finding one’s way around in their stride when they’re off the main highway. They tend to point in the direction we should go rather than suggest step by step directions. 

The vegetation changed dramatically the higher we climbed.

Most tourists visiting Madeira stay in hotels where English is spoken, tour guides are available and taxis are a chosen mode of transportation. If we’d had easy access to taxis and the language barrier wasn’t as profound, it may have been wise to use taxis for all of our transportation.

But, this isn’t Kenya or South Africa (we miss Okee Dokee!) where we can easily build a relationship with a driver to take us everywhere we’d like to go with no concern as to how to find our destination. 

Another beautiful view of a village below.

Oh. don’t get me wrong! We’re not complaining. The complexity of the roads in these hills is enchanting, let alone the majestic views! And, most assuredly, we’ll continue to explore each time we go out finding wonders we’ve never seen in the past, as shown in today’s photos.

No, there’s not much wildlife in Madeira other than the goats next door and a few birds we’ve seen on occasion.  But, we recall our original and continuing interests as we travel the world in addition to wildlife; that of exquisite scenery and vegetation of which Madeira has in abundance.

As always, a breathtaking view awaits us as we drive higher into the mountains.

If we find only one new-to-us plant, flower, or special scene on an outing, we’re fulfilled. Mother Nature continues to offer her brilliant treasures almost every time we’re out as we continue on a search of our surroundings of her beauty and riches.

In essence, one doesn’t need to travel to do this. A simple walk in one’s neighborhood or a local park can provide wonders we may never have noticed in the past.

Partway down the mountain after our drive, spotted the back view of our house which we hadn’t seen from this perspective.

For us, our acuity for finding these special sightings has become more intense now than ever in the past, a fact we never anticipated as we planned to travel the world.  When we began the planning process, we thought the renowned locations, historical buildings, and familiar tourist points of interest would highlight our travels. Little did we know how wrong our expectations would be.

When in fact, its been the simple things that have truly brought us the most joy; the kindness of a stranger, the song of a bird, an exquisite flower, or even the blaring music of the produce guy when he makes his way up the hills toward us. Where the heck is he?
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Photo from one year ago today, June 18, 2013:

Up the steep winding road with numerous hairpin turns we made it to our new home in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy, a 300-year-old stone house. For details of our arrival in Boveglio, please click here.

Hard realities of a vagabond lifestyle during sorrowful times…

 As we walked outside between two souk, we spotted these newly dyed bunches of yarn hanging on this fence to dry.

In a perfect world, we could always be there for the people we love when life happens. In the past 24 hours, a daughter-in-law’s father passed away and a beloved friend has gone into hospice care in Minnesota. 

Unable to be at their side, our hearts are heavy for their sorrow. We’re so far away. 

Tassels are a commonly sold item in Morocco often used in decorating the heavy drapery found in many of the homes.

We knew that when we decided to travel the world that we wouldn’t be there for our family and friends during some of life’s painful challenges, special celebrations, and milestone birthdays as much as we’d like to be able to do so.

We purchased insurance that provides for the cost of traveling for up to $5000 in the event of the loss of an immediate family member. Tom has seven remaining siblings all older than he and I have two sisters, one older, one younger. 

Mondays are less busy in the Medina as many of the shops received boxes of merchandise in order to restock after the busy weekend. 

The insurance doesn’t cover the cost of the spouse traveling along. Nor does it cover the cost in the event of a loss of an in-law. This is never an easy topic to discuss with loved ones. Tom and I realize that we have to face the eventually of sorrowful situations occurring and how we will handle them with us so far away. 

On occasion, we review the possibility of these potential scenarios to ensure we both agree and understand how we’ll handle these dreaded circumstances to avoid stress. Also, should one of us have to leave due to these scenarios, the other will be left behind alone in a foreign land.

Often products such as these offered for sale are placed on the ground in the Big Square.

An added element of angst in a family is when a plan is not in place for last-minute decisions often resulting in unmitigated stress and disharmony among family members. We’ve all seen this happen, time and again.

As we continue on, we are faced with the loss of family and friends for which we have no insurance enabling us to be at their side during sorrowful times. With the high cost of last-minute flights and the additional costs, this could result in expenses easily into the $5000 to $8000 range or more. 

Yesterday, it was pleasant to walking through the uncrowded Big Square to a pharmacy to buy shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and contact lens solution for US $11.20, MAD 91.

Wherever one may live, those we love may be living across the country or in our case across the world, leaving us unable to be at their side during difficult times. Few pensioners have the means and many don’t possess good health to be able to travel during these times.

In our hearts and minds, we feel and share in their sadness and sorrow wherever we may be, as they strive to ease their way through the grief laden times, hoping in time they’ll come out on the other side filled with wonderful memories and peace.
                                                 _____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 29, 2013, was not available. We’d posted at night in the dark as we traveled through the Straits of Gibraltar. This photo was taken the prior day:

This boat delivered what is referred to as a “pilot” to navigate the ship to the pier in Madeira Portugal, where we docked for the day. For details of the story without photos on April 29, 2013, please click here.

Much to do…Retirement isn’t a free lunch….Photos from dinner in the souk…

A complimentary bowl of spicy olives is served when dining at Arabe restaurant.
There’s never a day that passes that doesn’t require tasks related to our travels. In reality, it’s comparable to a full time job. Fortunately, we don’t mind doing most of the tasks. Although, it’s easy to lie in bed early in the morning thinking about everything that must be handled, we try not to make ourselves crazy or worried with the responsibility of accomplishing them.
The overlook to the shops below from Terrasse des Espices Restaurant.

Let’s face it. There’s no free lunch. We all have many tasks in our daily lives continuing well into retirement, if not until the end of our lives should we be so fortunate to be able to continue to do our own tasks. 

For most of our readers, daily household tasks and maintenance preoccupy a good portion of each day. Add the responsibility of handling medical insurance, medications, health appointments, paying bills, grocery, and other shopping, visiting family and friends who are ill or in nursing homes, and entertaining family and friends, it is exhausting.

Complimentary bread sticks are provided at Arabe restaurant.  The price of cocktails is high in Morocco, as much as US $10 per cocktail. As a result, Tom doesn’t bother to drink any alcohol. With us dining out three or four times per week, him not drinking could easily be saving us over US $100 per week.

Although we have eliminated some of the above items from our “to do” list, since we no longer have a home, we have other tasks to perform that replace them, mostly wrapped around our continuing travels.

In other words, being retired is not being “retired’ from anything other than going to an outside job each day. The perception that many younger still working people may have is that life is free and easy. Ha! It’s hardly the case.

A pigeon we spotted while dining on the rooftop.  Their cooing sounds permeate the air in the riad each day, along with the crowing rooster who crows every 5 or 10 minutes.

Although at times I consider myself in the retired category, I am far from retired. I work half or more of each day with our website, writing, editing, taking photos, and generally being continually aware of the creation of the inspiration for the next story. That’s hardly retired. The fact that I enjoy doing so is incidental.

Add the financial management, record keeping and the daily task of handling of the budget, logging each penny spent, my days are full, leaving a little time for playing Gin with Tom, watching a few shows and of course, getting out to explore.

This is the usual crowd we must maneuver each time we go out to dine, get cash from an ATM, roam around the Big Square, or to exit the Medina in order flag get a taxi. 

This morning I spent an hour placing our few pills into our pill cases. Tom’s case holds two weeks of pills. Mine holds four weeks. The end result is that I have to do pills every two weeks. Now, this should be an easy task. I take a few prescriptions and Tom takes one. Adding the few vitamins and probiotics we have left and it seems that it shouldn’t take so long.

But, as time has moved on, we’ve used all of our US prescriptions and are now into the one year’s supply of the those we’ve purchased from ProgressiveRX, a reputable online pharmacy company. (They don’t take insurance).  Each pill they dispense is individually wrapped in foil requiring a huge amount of time to get each pill out of the right wrapping.

As we dined at Le Jardin, Mr. Turtle stopped by, hanging out for “crumb patrol.” Of course, we complied with his request for vegetable tidbits from our plates as he stared up at us, which he savored with delight, quickly snapping them up. He rested between bites at my feet.

Today, I unwrapped over 100 pills for the six weeks total of pills I placed collectively in the little cases. As I’ve aged, good grief, I’ve noticed my fingers are not as adept as they may have been 40 years ago. Small handiwork is not my forte. 

Also, several years ago I had surgery on my right thumb and it’s basically useless. Try unwrapping those tight little tin foil packs when right-handed and the right thumb doesn’t work. What a time consuming ordeal.

Mr. Turtle and his companion, another male, scour the floor of the restaurant all day, as customers come and go. The staff feeds them their usual diet of fresh greens but they particularly seem to like the cooked vegetables from our plates.

After performing this task this morning, I thought, “Why don’t I unwrap them all and put them in the plastic bottles I saved from the old pills?”  Simple reason. As we are stopped by airport or cruise security, we’ll fare better with them in the labeled foil packs than in the white plastic bottles I saved that I plan to toss before we leave Morocco.

This morning, I performed the pill task earlier than usual after being awakened at 5:00 am by the crowing rooster next door. He’s obviously going nuts now that its spring, continuing to crow throughout the day, until dark. 

Fresh produce is offered for sale at Le Jardin including these pretty oranges.

Looming in our minds has been the car and flight we still need to book for leaving here in 27 days which invariably proves to be a lengthy process when making every effort to get a good deal. We postponed booking these two items as we considered the possibility of leaving a few days earlier. Now, that we’ve re-framed our thinking, we’re content to stay until our departure date of the 15th of May.

In addition, we still have four more family members to book for Hawaii as we continue to watch rates on a daily basis. We plan to have their bookings completed by the first week of May.

Notice the two buds growing behind the flower.  Photo taken from a tree in Le Jardin a restaurant we’ve found that stays open at all hours.

Yesterday, we created a detailed spreadsheet listing all the places we’d like to visit in the next year including prices and details of possible cruises and the flights to travel to those locations, the cost of rent, rental cars, and other expenses. As a result, we created a budget for the next year. It feels great to have accomplished this task.

When realizing that the cost of our “wish list” was more than we’re comfortable spending, we knew that the next step in the process was to whittle it down to an acceptable level. That it itself is a time-consuming process.  However, that business-related part of me still enjoys creating and updating spreadsheets. Good thing. It’s definitely not within Tom’s skill set or desire to learn.

A hand-carved head on display at Le Jardin.

Assigning tasks to each of us helps to avoid redundancy. At the moment, Tom is researching future travels while I document his research. This works well for us. I’m researching the remaining flights for our family, while Tom keeps checking our booked cruises for rate changes. (If prices drop, we get the benefit of the lowered price, if done so prior to 90 days before sailing).

As a result of the division of tasks, neither of us, ever feels there is an imbalance in responsibility, very important in keeping peace when together around the clock. Resentment over the balance of responsibility is often a source of disharmony in relationships which has never been an issue for us.

As I shot this photo of this parakeet in a cage at Le Jardin, she shook her tail feathers.

Without a doubt, I spend more time “working” each day as I write and post photos. But, the fact that it is a pleasant task, doesn’t make it feel as if it’s work.

As much as life for retirees may seem like a walk in the park, most of yours and our days are filled with tasks and responsibilities, none of which we can easily ignore or postpone.

This guy refused to awaken from his nap while I took these photos.

Maybe next time our hard-working, still working, family members or friends comment about the “easy” lives of retirement, they can ask us how we spend our days. Then, perhaps, they may realize it is not as simple or easy as it appears. Sadly, they eventually find out how difficult it is when we get so old that we can no longer perform our own tasks, and they have to take over.

It’s for all of the reasons we must grab at every moment we can, finding joy, pleasure and meaning in our lives.  And, it’s for this very reason, that we find ourselves in Morocco in spring of 2014, living life to the fullest, the best way that we can.
                                              ______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 18, 2013:

Photo Tom took from our balcony at sunrise, as our ship made it’s way to Sam Juan, Puerto Rico where it spent the day. For details of this date, please click here.