Search Results for: Medical Issues

Political views online?…Will we or won’t we?

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These flowers are often seen growing along the highways.

Based on the fact we don’t discuss politics here, a reader might speculate that we’re out of touch.  At times, we haven’t had a TV and have had to rely upon online news which is often “fake” news, as they say, or biased in one way or another.

Years ago, I had no interest in politics.  However, one can’t be married to or in the daily presence of Tom Lyman and avoid endless conversations about a plethora of topics, including politics. 

Small meat pies are popular in Australia.

In a way, his enthusiasm for world and local news has inspired me to research with an innate desire to acquire sufficient knowledge and understanding about politics to engage in lively conversations on a daily basis.

As for sharing our views online, I stay mum regarding my political views on all forms of social media, including in our posts, while Tom is highly vocal on Facebook. 

Sailing is a popular activity in Tasmania.

We may not always agree on certain topics but we both tend to base our views on our personal research based on combination of varying sources of information both online and on TV news as available. 

The bottom line for both of us is clear…we avoid getting into deep and lengthy political conversations with people we meet along the way.  There are plenty of other engaging topics to discuss while on cruises and when meeting people in our daily lives.


Farm view from a hill.

Of course, I do occasionally spew out a few choice comments about the production of food, the overuse of statin and other drugs and the medical profession’s slanted view that only prescription medication is the solution for all that ails us. 

The bright blue Huon River which is not muddy and murky like some rivers throughout the world.

Sure, there are times prescribed medication is a solution to health issues that otherwise can’t be resolved with diet, exercise, low stress and a healthy lifestyle.  I’ve certainly fallen into that realm, taking three little pills a day and a handful of supplements. And, believe me, I’ve tried to eliminate these three meds with alternative solutions, to no avail. 

Tom only takes three 50 mg B6 each day (spread throughout the day) to prevent kidney stones.  For him, its worked for the past 12 years after three surgeries in three years in 2003, 2004, and 2005.  (Our comment is not intended as medical advice.  Please check with your doctor about B6 treatment if you are prone to kidney stones).

Blacksmith shop.

Why is the mention of politics and medicine in the same post?  Simple answer.  They’re closely related.  Through considerable research over these past years, its become clear to us.  However, we won’t get into all of this here in our posts. That’s never been our intention nor will it be in the future.

Our goals for our site remains constant…to share the nuances of dally life as world travelers.  In an email we received today from one of our new readers who began reading our posts from the beginning on March 15, 2012, we’ve evolved in many ways.  

View of the Huon River between the trees.

However, our goals, our joys and our appreciation for this life have remained the same.  We continue to be humbled and in awe of the world around us, its people, its diversity and its wonders of nature.

May your day bring you joy and appreciation.

____________________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, February 3, 2016:

Colorful apartment building in New Plymouth, New Zealand.  For more details, please click here.

What do cherries and helicopters have in common?…Photos close to home…

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While we were preparing dinner, we heard a noise from a helicopter. 

A few nights ago, as we were preparing dinner, we heard the roar of a helicopter in the vicinity. Immediately outside, we were shocked by how close we were. 

We watched in wonder as the helicopter turned, making several swipes of the massive net.

At first, we assumed it had been dispatched to a nearby medical emergency when getting to a hospital in Hobart in a 45 minute drive from this area. 

Anne explains that the helicopter’s roaring blades, dry out the net to prevent cherries from spoiling after the rain. Who knew?

Were we surprised when we observed its intent, to dry the cherry trees located beneath a massive series of nets protecting a grove of cherry trees across the street from our vacation home.

Finally, with its task finished, the helicopter was on its way, possibly to other similar cherry trees or other fruit farms.

From this news story, it was evident this is a costly solution for farmers hoping to dry their cherry crop after heavy rains, before they’re destroyed from too much moisture as described below this photo, in part from a story published a few years ago.

A black duck on the dock.

“Helicopters are busy today in the Huon Valley helping orchardists save the remaining cherry crops after a severe rain event.

Farmers in southern Tasmania assess damage to fruit crops as a result of heavy rains and estimate that up to 70 per cent of the remaining cherry crops could be affected. Parts of the Huon Valley received more than 70 ml in the deluge on Tuesday night, which hit cherry growing areas at the wrong time. (Continued below).

This lily couldn’t be more exquisite.

Howard Hansen of Hansen Orchards was supposed to start picking fruit this week, but said the rain damaged most of his crop. This morning a helicopter was used to get water off the cherries, and down the road at Lucaston Park it was a similar story.

Matthew Griggs called in a helicopter at first light to hover above the cherry trees and keep them dry.

Park bench on the grounds for lounging while enjoying views of the Huon River.

“We still have around 80 tonnes to pick and many of the cherries left on the trees have split because of the rain,” Mr. Griggs said.

Mr Hansen said the rain was good for the upcoming apple harvest, but would not make up for the damage to the cherries.” (The remainder of the story is here).   (Continued below).

Beautiful Huon River views.

We contacted Anne to confirm our suspicions and indeed we were right, the helicopter had been hired by the cherry farm owner to make many passes over the grove after heavy rains. This must be a pricey solution, but it certainly makes sense.

Seagull on a post at the end of the dock at the property.

How little we know about farming! And yet, we’re both fascinated by farms for both their crops and livestock as we’ve shown in many of our posts. Most recently, we were in awe of a pig farm in Penguin, Tasmania. Please see this link for details on the Mount Gnomon Farm.

Tom checks out the dock.

As we travel through country after country during our worldwide journey, in this case the state of Tasmania, Australia, we feel fortunate to have an opportunity to learn about farming. How did we spend nearly a lifetime consuming produce and animal products with so little knowledge of many of the major aspects of farming?

Huge daisies growing on the grounds.

Today, with Anne’s assistance and Telstra, the provider, we’re addressing some of the Wi-Fi issues we’re experiencing. Hopefully soon, we’ll have a resolution.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 22, 2016:

This modern kitchen had everything we needed in New Plymouth, New Zealand when we lived on the alpaca farm. For more interior photos, please click here.

Day 25…Circumnavigating the Australian continent..Deaths aboard ship…Change in course…Bad weather…Rough seas…

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The Art Gallery of South Australia has many things to offer art lovers.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Classic car display on stairways.

As we wandered along the main boulevard in Adelaide we were excited to spot the Art Gallery of South Australia.    We were surprised that admission is free because in many cities around the world there are entrance fees. That is not to say we would not have agreed to pay fees. 

Australia’s history is rich, adored by its citizens.

Australia is proud of its rich history and we’ve found that many historic venues are free to enter as we’ve traveled from city to city. Welcomed by an enthusiastic staff as we entered, we were encouraged to explore at our discretion.

Interesting sculpture.

From this site:
“The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is one of three significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the second largest state art collection in Australia. It was known as the National Gallery of South Australia until 1967 when the current name was adopted.

The art is appealing as well as the thoughtful displays.

The Art Gallery is located adjacent to State Library of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide, AGSA is part of Adelaide‘s North Terrace cultural precinct and had 712,994 visitors in the year ending 30 June 2011. As well as its permanent collection, the AGSA displays a number of visiting exhibitions every year, and also contributes travelling exhibitions in regional galleries.

Collection of portraits.

The gallery was established in 1881 and opened in two rooms of the public library by Prince Albert Victor and Prince George, later George V of Great Britain. The present building dates from 1900 and was extended in 1936 and 1962. Subsequent renovations and a significant extension of the building which opened in 1996 added contemporary display space without compromising the interior of the original Victorian building.”

Modern art.

After the gallery we continued on the main road finding more points of interest in the beautiful city of Adelaide. More photos will be presented in future posts.

Wall of Australian leaders and dignitaries.

Now, an update on the ship’s situation. A few scenarios have occurred during this cruise we’d yet mention. Sadly, two elderly passengers have passed away on this 33 night cruise from health issues. One of them, we’d discussed in  a prior post as shown here in early November. 

Antique chair.

The second death occurred a few days ago when we all heard the emergency call, “alpha, alpha” followed by a cabin number on the 8th deck. We were saddened to hear this second person also passed away.

A short time ago, the captain made an announcement that it’s necessary to make a change in course.He stated that bad weather in the Tasman Sea is the reason for the change. But we’re speculating that the recent damage from several earthquakes may have compromised a few upcoming ports of call, particularly Wellington on the South Island of New Zealand.  We may never know.

Variety of artistic glassware.

In the interim, a change in course will result in the ship visiting the North Island of New Zealand, where we recently spent three months living on the alpaca farm.

Statue of two oxen merged together.

We’ll keep our readers updated as we continue on over these next several days.

May all of our readers in the US have a very happy Thanksgiving, enjoying time with your family and friends.

Be well.

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

In Fiji, last year, it appeared that bread fruit trees continue to produce fruit all year long.  For more photos, please click here.

Fishing near the shore…A team effort…Another cultural experience…

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There were at least eight fishermen on that boat upon their arrival on the shore.    A few arrived on foot and on motorbikes shortly after the start of the process. Before coming to shore, they threw the nets from the boat into the ocean, spreading them out as much as they could.    Once ashore, they grabbed the ropes attached to the net to extend the nets as long as possible. The white items shown in the above photo. are floats. attached to the nets.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

As we watched the fisherman manning their nets, we noticed this thing in the background. It turned out to be a part of a tree with trash hanging.  We called it a “trash tree.”

It continues to amaze us how we can spend the better part of each day watching for activity on the beach. It’s almost an endless stream of sightings we’ve rarely, if ever, seen in other parts of the world.

Certainly, it helps that we’re so close to the shore. At high tide, we only need to walk about 21 feet, 7 meters, to dip our toes into the water. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the camera at our side as we move from spot to spot outdoors to get out of the sun as the day wears on.

They commenced the process of pulling the huge net ashore.

In the mornings, after our walk, we lounge on the chaises on the veranda which is shaded in the mornings. Once the sun hits that area, we swim and exercise in the pool. In order to dry off and get our daily dose of Vitamin D, we each spend about 20 minutes in the sun. With my recent injury I haven’t been able to flip over so easily, so I’m tan only on the front. Oh well, who cares?

Between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, we wander over to the covered cabana where I usually read aloud a few chapters in a book we’re sharing at the time. Reading aloud has always been enjoyable and we share many articles, newsletters, and news stories by reading aloud to one another several times each day.

Each man had to hold tight to haul the net into the shore.

As we lounge in the cabana, we usually have the camera with us. In the early mornings and during this period under the cabana we’re able to spot the most exciting of activities on the beach.

A few days ago we captured today’s photos of local fisherman dealing with the nets and subsequent catch. It further reminded us of how much fishing in Bali and, in other parts of the world, is conducted from the shore where certain types of fish are found in somewhat toxic waters. 

The boat with one outriggers stayed in shallow enough water, preventing it from drifting out to sea.

We must avoid these types of fish, for the potential of causing bacterial infections our immune systems may not be able to fend off. For this reason we now avoid consuming any fish other than large tuna.

Lately, with rough seas, the usual barrage of fishing boats we previously had seen lit up at night haven’t been out. Also, the recent holidays in Bali may have kept some of the fisherman heading out overnight to fish halfway between Sumbersari and Java.

In this photo we counted 10 fishermen.

Today’s photos of this group of fishermen appeared determined to leave with a decent shore catch. Seeing how committed they are to the process and how much work they do, reminds us of the work ethic of the Balinese people.

Catching fish for their families is, also a part of daily life for many fishermen as well as for earning a living. Gede explained that many collectives of local fisherman’s ship considerable amounts of their catches overseas. 

Our photos were taken in succession of the activities. At this point, it appeared they were managing the last edge of the net where the fish would be located.

In certain countries imported fish are often frozen and periodically inspected for bacteria and it;s safety for consumption. Before purchasing imported, frozen fish, it may be wise to investigate its source, the type of fish, where and when its been caught and the packing and freezing dates. We can’t ever be too cautious.

We’ve discovered by the larger fish while fresh (not frozen), smelling it for freshness and cooking it promptly has prevented us from any fish related health issues. For us, we’ve chosen not to consume any farmed fish.

We spotted a few young boys attempting to help. Most likely, this is how they learn this vital means of food and income as they mature.

Worldwide, the most important fish species used in fish farming are carp, tilapia, salmon and catfish. It;s easy to read the label identifying if fish is farmed in many countries, but we’ve found that many markets don’t include the identity of the source of the fish. 

There are literally millions of web pages with information of fish farming that may apply to your purchasing options. Many don’t find it matters to them whether fish is farmed or fresh caught fish. That’s entirely a personal choice. 

We couldn’t zoom in close enough to see that they’d caught, but with the green cool box nearby it appeared they’d caught something.

For us, far removed from good medical care in many locations, and working hard to maintain our health to the best of our ability, we lean toward a more cautious scenario.  Only you can make the appropriate choice for you and your family when purchasing imported and farmed fish.

As for these fisherman, they are doing the very best they can, to provide food and income for their families. We commend them and appreciate their diligence and commitment. The Balinese people continue to amaze us in their hard work and self sufficiency as we often observe while peering out at the beach, day after day.

The large basket, shown near the center of this photo, is used to carry their equipment.

May you have a productive day!

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

Pineapple growing in the yard in Fiji, one year ago.  Click here for details.

A potentially life saving tool for yourself and others in the event….

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This morning’s view as I sit at my new ergonomically correct spot under a cabana by the pool.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This morning, three dogs running and playing on the beach.

Today’s story is about saving your life, the lives of your loved ones and the lives of others in the event of a disaster when a fresh water supply isn’t available. But first, a little background on how Tom (and eventually me) came to a point of following Bob Rinear’s daily posts, not unlike how many have many readers throughout the world have been following our posts.

Tom has been reading Bob Rinear’s financial newsletters, Invest Yourself, for the past eight years.  The first few years Tom only read the free edition and later, convinced it was well worth the expense, signed up for the for a lifetime membership for access to the full site and more in depth newsletters. It’s served us well. 

Bob’s newsletters not only discuss financial issues in the US and the world, but also includes topics relevant to many of us far beyond the scope of financial matters.

Although Bob is not a stock broker or a licensed financial planner, he shares with his 1000’s of readers “what he does” not what “we should do.” Thus, there’s no pressure to buy investments from him. He doesn’t sell them, nor give advice. However, his wisdom is vast, and we’ve learned a lot from Bob continuing to do so over time. 

The first view of the ocean of the four to five hour harrowing drive.

Today’s post is not intended to advise our readers to pay for a website. That’s entirely up to you and we reap no financial or other gain should you eventually decide to do so.

You may or may not agree with some of Bob’s philosophies, although his well thought out, researched concepts and opinions make for some interesting dinner table conversation. You can decide on that.

What makes us excited about Bob are the truisms he espouses that at many times can easily be incorporated into our lives of travelers.  On August 24th, he posted a story about how to save lives in the event of a disaster when fresh water supplies are unavailable.

In reading his post, we were literally in awe of the wealth of information and we encourage our readers to read his post as we’ve shown below, quoted directly from his site, the post entitled:  The Water Story.

Next view of the ocean during the long drive to the villa.

Here’s Bob’s post (although very long), is well worth reading in its entirety:
“8.24.2016 – Financial Intelligence Report Bookmark

on August 24, 2016 in Free Newsletter by BOB RINEAR

The Water Problem

Here it is, late August and the West coast of Africa is tossing off a line of unsettled weather, that crosses the lower Atlantic and ends up as a depression, Tropical storm or hurricane on our shores. I’m pretty darned familiar with such things as living through Super Storm, Sandy was the ultimate teacher of Preparedness.
 
I mentioned the other day that I think some form of “event” is going to take place over the next 6 months. Whether that’s a war, an economic disaster, a political assassination, etc., it just has a creepy feeling to it. So, with Hurricane season on us, the insane flooding in Louisiana, the fires out west…I figured it was time to do some articles about self preservation, both physical and financial. Let’s start with the most important life force….water.

Water is the most amazing fluid on earth, and yet we take it for such granted that no one gives it a moment’s thought. It isn’t just the “cool” facts about water that make it intriguing; such as the fact it is one of the only substances that exists in three states, being liquid, solid and gas without needing extreme temperatures to create each state. Water, for instance, is the only natural substance found in all three physical states at the temperatures that naturally occur on Earth.

 
But water is much more than “some wet stuff” we use to drink, cook and bathe. Studies have shown that water actually has a form of memory. Water can dissolve more substances in it than any other material known to man. Water is somewhat unique as it is one of the very few materials that increases in volume as it freezes. By expanding in volume by up to 9%, the density of water in its solid state is lower than it is in its liquid state. This gives ice the ability to float. Water has even been found to have “memory” something scientists are working with. (Continues below photo).
During the long drive, we crossed over many rivers, streams and waterways.

I could go on and on about the mystery that is indeed plain simple water, but for today I want to focus on the importance of it when we’re faced with a situation where there doesn’t seem to be any. Imagine for a moment if you will, a power outage that stops the town pumps from operating or your well from operating. Or maybe a disaster situation such as a flood, or Hurricane, or tornado.

While we take for granted the availability of water; when something ugly happens, water soon becomes a very serious focal point in your immediate life

Not to get terribly graphic, but even such things as personal hygiene become an issue when there’s no water around. Not only can’t you brush your teeth or bathe, the act of “going to the bathroom” becomes a major problem. If the toilets can’t flush, it won’t be more than a matter of a single day for a family to find out that they’ve got a serious sanitation problem. So, not only do we need water to survive, as the medical folks tell us that we can only last about 5 -7 days without water… We need it for much more than simply drinking.
 
So here’s the question. If something ugly happened… Say some natural disaster did knock out the power in your area for several weeks, and you were faced with the fact that the faucets weren’t going to work for quite a while, what would you do? Standard disaster preparing suggests that you have a gallon of water per person per day stored up, and you should have at least 3 days worth. Well, that’s fine if the disaster only lasts 3 days and all you’re doing is drinking it. Again, I’ll ask… How do you flush the toilets???
 
(Note… A lot of folks don’t know this, but you can flush your toilet simply by dumping a gallon and a half or so of water quickly -right into the bowl from a bucket. The toilet doesn’t care where the water comes from to flush, it works by water pressure in the bowl).  (Continues below photo).
A stream we crossed on the long drive.

If your home is secure, meaning you can live there, then, any old water will do as far as flushing the toilets. Get a 5 gallon bucket and fill it from the pool, a stream, a retention pond, a creek, a lake, Rain water you’ve collected etc. It doesn’t matter, you’re simply dumping it to flush the toilet. While certainly not convenient, just about everyone lives within a short walk of “some” body of water. Be creative in your thinking. When Sandy hit in NJ, and knocked my house down, my son and I had to move into an RV we had in a local campground. We had to take turns carting water from a small lake nearby, to keep the toilets functioning. It sucked… But it works. 

But what about drinking water? What about that morning cup of coffee or mixing up a can of soup? (Yes, I know this will require “cooking” and we’ll explore that in another issue. We’ll talk about easy ways to boil water and cook in the future) If you don’t have a store of water built up, are you destined to dry up and blow away? Not at all. But here’s why it is called “prepping” folks. You have to prepare ahead of time and have what you need on hand for when the disaster, outage, etc., hits. Once the power is down, once the water isn’t flowing, it is too late. You’re stuck.
 
I am certainly not against storing up gallons of water in your garage (again, remember seasonal temps …frozen water is a real problem if your house is just as cold as it is outside) or basement or what have you. The problem is of course that it is bulky stuff. It’s heavy and takes up a lot of space. You can easily store up enough to get you through a few days. But after that?? Now what? So what you need to do is have the tools on hand that allows you to “make” drinkable water from unlikely sources.
 
One of the remarkable things about our advancements in technology is that things that were impossible just 100 years ago, are very possible now. In the field of water purification, that is very evident. So let me ask you something. Did you know that there’s a water filter so advanced, that you can take stagnant creek water, and in ten seconds, produce clean clear drinkable water? Well, there is. In fact, there’s several ways to do this and we’re not talking about some thousand dollar giant set up here folks. I’m talking under 200 bucks. Later I’ll show you how to cut that to under 20. (Continues below photo).
This morning as the tide rises.

Some people have heard of the “life straw”, but many haven’t. While not the ultimate solution, this thing is cheap, works incredibly well and will keep you alive in ugly situations. It is a filter used by one person, to get a drink out of creeks, lakes, ravines, you name it. For 20 bucks a pop, it is something that everyone should have a few of. But they also make bigger units for filtering enough water for families to use.

http://www.vestergaard.com/our-products/lifestrawThe unit they call the “Lifestraw family 1,” will produce enough clean water for a family of 5 for 2 years. Yet it costs just 80 bucks. So “technically” you could go to a rain puddle, scoop up a couple quarts of dirty water, pour it through this thing, and end up with a quart and a half of clean drinking water. I quotation marked “technically “ simply because I’d take it one step further and boil the water that comes out, to make 100% sure it is sterilized and completely healthy. 
These units are used all around the world in humanitarian situations where they’re trying to help folks in Africa and other far off places with no clean drinking water, and it works. Is it perfect? No. It takes quite a while for 2 quarts of water to filter and although 99.99999 % effective, I’d want the last step of boiling or at least adding a drop of chlorine bleach just to kill that last chance something got through.
 
There’s another choice in the “portable” water filtering arena that bears mention for sure. This is called the Lifesaver Bottle. And it costs considerably more. It is 169 bucks for the personal version. But, I quote from the front page…
 
The LIFESAVER® bottle is the world’s first portable water bottle to remove all bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites, fungi and all other microbiological waterborne pathogens without the aid of any chemicals (like iodine or chlorine) or the need for any power or UV light. Filtering down to 15 nanometers, that is 0.015 microns. With the smallest virus known being Polio at 25 nanometers, you are safe in the knowledge that LIFESAVER® filters all bacteria, viruses, cysts and all waterborne pathogens from your water.  (Continues below photo).
Ocean view when we stopped for one break during the drive.

On the site, they show the inventor drinking out of a polluted tank that they’ve tossed garbage in, rabbit poop in, you name it. He puts the bottle in, pumps the handle and drinks the clean water. It is quite amazing and yes,they have a larger version for more than personal use. It costs 209 dollars, and holds 18 quarts at a time. It too comes with the guarantee of removing virtually everything that can hurt you from a supply as ugly as swamp water. Amazing technology. Find it here…

www.lifesaverusa.com
Now for the more “handy man” of you out there, you can actually build something fairly similar to the Lifestraw family 1, for about 40 bucks. All you need is two food grade 5 gallon buckets, and a couple of these filters…
 
http://www.amazon.com/Doulton-Sterasyl-Ceramic-W9121715-W9121709/dp/B003VT5TEY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
What you do is take one 5 gallon bucket and drill two holes in the bottom. Take these filters, and “stand them up” so the black plastic flange goes through the holes you just made and use the nut that comes with them to hold them in place. Take that bucket and place it on top of the other bucket. Pour your dirty water in the top bucket, and it will be forced by water pressure through the filters and drip into the bottom bucket. While certainly not as well as the lifestyle or lifesaver, if you started with relatively clean water, all you’d need to do is boil the cleaned water for 3 minutes and you’d have perfectly drinkable water.
 
For those of you with a few extra dollars to spend, you can make that same sort of bucket to bucket filter system with Berkey’s integrated filters. They cost about 107 dollars for two, but they are indeed state of the art. They not only get rid of parasites and bacteria, they remove like 70 different chemicals to “undetectable amounts”. You can find them here…
 
http://www.directive21.com/products/black-berkey-elements/
If you really want state of the art filtering, then you want one of the true life savers like the “big Berkey”. It will filter out the chlorine and other chemicals you don’t want to be drinking. They’re expensive units, but pretty attractive and work very well. Many people buy them just to run their household water through to get rid of fluoride and chlorine, etc. This is my favorite system, especially for a family.
 
http://www.berkeyfilters.com/
So obviously here’s my point folks. Yes, you should have some bottled water on hand for an emergency. But if the emergency outlasts your supply, you have to have some way to make water for hygiene and drinking/cooking. Those methods exist and they’re what I’d consider dirt cheap.
 
As far as finding water, again, most of you live at least “nearby” a stream, lake, pond, creek, retention pond, storm run-off pond, etc. From there you can get creative. Do you know how much water falls on your roof during even a small rain shower? It’s hundreds of gallons. Take one of your downspouts and run it into a food grade barrel or even buckets. Use one of the filters I mentioned to clean it up and then finally boil it for a few minutes for absolute safety.
 
I mention boiling because I’m paranoid. Yes, these filters are amazing, but I don’t want that one lone “tough guy” bacteria getting past it and infecting me. Science says boiling won’t reduce chemical pollution, but it kills viruses and bacteria. So if I can find what I might consider chemical free water, such as rain run off, then all I have to do is filter and boil and I’m good to go.
 
As you can see, the technology exists to take virtually any fresh water source and turn it into life saving, life sustaining drinkable water. It isn’t as convenient as turning on your tap, of course, but when the taps don’t work, it’s a true life saver. For the prices we’re talking, how could you not want a few of these things on hand?   (Continues below photo).
The river created by high tide waters next to the villa which is filled at low tide as well.

So here’s an action plan for you all. Get one lifestraw for each member of your family.They’re 20 bucks a piece. Keep them in your glove compartment or your kids backpack or whatever. They’re for emergency use only, of course, and not the most elegant way of getting water. But if you were stranded somewhere, it could keep you alive.

 
Buy either the lifestraw family 1, or the Lifesaver “Jerry jug”, or the Big Berkey for your family. The Lifestraw family 1 is 80 bucks, the Jerry jug, about 200, Big berkey about 230. They’ll all work well, I just give the edge to the Berkey.Then get yourself some food grade 5 gallon pails with lids. I get mine from the local “firehouse subs” joint. They’re the ones they get their pickles and other stuff in. They charge 2 bucks for them.
 
Look around your immediate block for sources of water. Because you usually view a little creek or pond as “icky” you probably didn’t pay attention to how many of them there really are. Find the closest one to you and then figure out the best way to transport water from it to your house. You might use a pull along wagon, your car if it has gas, a wheelbarrow, etc. Get yourselves a few larger food grade barrels, and figure out how to divert rainwater into it. You can grab it coming off a shed, your house roof, etc. If you only need it to flush toilets, toss a bunch of bleach in it, and it will stay for a long long time.
 
As you can see, there is now NO reason to not be able to produce drinking water for washing, bathing, drinking and cooking. A few simple steps now could mean a big difference in your quality of life in a bad situation. So, do some research on the things I’ve presented and get “prepared”.”
 

Tom reads Bob’s newsletters aloud to me a few times each day. After reading this newsletter about water we, along with many of his other readers, were appreciative of having this invaluable information.

Today, continuing our time in Bali, water surrounding us more than ever we find ourselves grateful for this useful and meaningful information. As a result, today’s new photos are all about water since we arrived in Bali a mere four days ago.

You can easily sign up (without any spam) for Bob’s free newsletter, if you’d like by clicking here.

Have a safe and refreshing day with ready access to a fresh water supply at your fingertips.

Photo from one year ago today, September 5, 2015:

The sun rising over Yorkeys Knob, photo taken from our veranda as we wound down our time in Trinity Beach. For more photos, please click here.

Cambodia visas arrived by email!…Vital passport information, a must see for long term or world travelers! A second passport?

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A temple on the busy main street in Negara.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Most mornings we see one of the local workers walking on the beach to a nearby temple with a platter of colorful flower offerings. At first, we thought she was bringing food to a neighbor, but when we asked Gede he explained this ritual. 

Many countries don’t require an actual passport to be sent to a visa procuring company or an embassy. For those in their home countries who must apply for visas, which requires they snail mail their actual passport, and with ample time to do so, (preferably by registered mail) it’s no big deal.

A less crowded road while on the way to Negara.

By snail mailing all the required documents, a week or two later, passports are returned to your mailbox along with the required visas. For us, this prospect is impossible when living outside the US. “Why not?” you may ask? Why not send in our passports as required in ample time requesting a rush return? For us, the answer is clear. 

The closer we got to Negara, the traffic picked up.

What if one of us became ill and had to fly out of the country for more appropriate medical care and, we didn’t have our actual passports in our possession while they were in transit, instead, having only copies? The potential delays in dealing with such a situation could be life-threatening.

Also, if there was political unrest in a country (entirely possible in today’s world) in which we were living and the embassy had to assist us in getting out of the country. Here again, a possible life-threatening situation without the actual passport in our possession.

We’re located in Melaya Beach as shown in western Bali. Negara is south of Melaya with a population of approximately 220,000.

When we first started traveling we had two passports; our main 10-year passports and second two-year passports. This would allow us to feel at ease if we needed to send in the second passports in order to apply for a visa. If an emergency arose, we’d still have the 10-year passport in our possession.

Once we arrive in Negara, the traffic crawls.  

As it turned out during our first few years of travel we never needed to use the second passport for such a purpose. Instead, during the first two years, we used the second passports to get visa stamps at airports, while on cruises, and at cruise ship terminals as opposed to using up pages in our 10-year passports. When the two-year passport expired we began using the 10-year passport.

We thought about continuing to apply for two-year passports, but based on the fact that we never used it for the intended purpose of applying and mailing in documents for visas, we decided against incurring the additional cost of US $340, IDR 4,488,850 every two years for the two of us. 

With only two lanes roads and little to no shoulder, passing could be frightening. But, these drivers on motorbikes, in cars and trucks seem fairly adept at passing on the narrow roads.

Also, if we had the second passports we could use for snail mail, for example through VisaHQ, who just completed our online Cambodia visas (all of which we were able to do online without any snail mail), we’d still have to find post offices, pay for taxi services to and from post offices, and pay for pricey shipping fees both ways. It would still be a “pain-in-the-butt.”

A traditional daytime wedding celebration outdoors at a restaurant.

Based on the fact that we’ve been traveling for almost 44 months and only recently had to address visa issues of any major degree, we’ve accepted the reality of applying for visas at embassies in other countries or, if necessary at immigration offices in the country in which we’re residing at any given time if an extension is required. 

Dozens of trucks were lined up on the highway in the town of Gilimanuk where it required they stop at a weighing station. 

It’s the “nature of the beast.” No one ever said it would be easy.  Then again, no one ever said anything.  Every step of the way in our world travels we’ve been on our own, figuring it out step by step, piece by piece. 

Thank goodness for the Internet. Without it, this amount of travel would have been difficult, if not impossible for us, when quickly our interest would have waned over the challenges of figuring out the endless tasks (and costs) by phone call and snail-mail. 

With as slow as this lineup was moving we imagined the truckers could easily wait all day or overnight for the weigh-in.

We so admire the travelers before us, decades ago, whose sheer determination and desire to see the world took them on a laborious adventure we can only imagine. We’re grateful for our ability to use computers and the Internet with ease which we acquired long before we ever conceived of traveling the world. 

Another decorative archway wishing good fortune to those departing the village.

We have somewhat of an unusual story to share, one we’ve never told here before, of how we developed such an interest in the internet so long ago, for me, beginning in the early 1970s. Please check back tomorrow as we share our story.

Do you have an Internet story to tell? Please share in our comments section at the end of any post. You may do so anonymously if you’d prefer.

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

Beautiful sea and mountain view as our ship sailed away from Fiji, one year ago. For more photos and details, please click here.

Its a better day…Yesterday can easily be forgotten…Power outage adding to the frustration level…

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This scary looking carving is located on the iron fence of the house next door.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

We did a double take when we saw these two young guys walking their inner tube type boats along the beach. Later, we saw them fishing from these tiny watercraft.

Let’s face it, living in less developed countries presents issues many don’t find in their home country. We accepted this reality long ago when the first country in which we lived outside the US, Belize in Central America, formerly known as British Honduras, taught us that lesson hard and fast.

It’s not as if we expected a life of world travel to be as easy as life in the US. We knew there’d be challenges, and sacrifices and we’ve faced them with as much grace and dignity as we’ve been able.

The house next door to us is at the end of this narrow road of this private villa neighborhood.

Sure, we’ve whined a bit and sure, we still cringe when there’s flies on our food as we dine (in excess amounts over these past few days) and, sure, we gave each other “the look” when the power went out shortly after dinner last night. You know, the look that says, “Here we go again.”

But we didn’t say much about it.  Instead, we made a plan. The two Ketuts found candles but no candle holders. We opted for saucers. There were no flashlights or torches, in the house, no screens on the bedroom windows if the outage lasted through the night as we’d be without AC or a fan to keep us cool.

We easily both recalled living in Kenya almost three years ago (for a full three months) when there was no AC and the power would often be out all night. It happened over and over again. We had no living room, only a veranda where we sat in the dark by candlelight, bugs swarming around us until we gave up and went to bed to the protection of the mosquitos netting. We survived. 

Spiky branches of this flowering plant.

Not only did we survive, we became tougher, more resilient, more tolerant. But all of that doesn’t mean the sting of a fly bite or other insect or, the heat of a breeze-less night doesn’t impact our comfort level. We’re human, after all.

In part, the frustration level during outages revolves around the fact that we don’t know how long it will last.  Will it be hours? Days? What about the food? What about being out of touch without Skype or a working phone when the WiFi signal is also non-existent during a power outage? (We’ve yet to find SIM cards for our phones in this remote location).

Pretty flowers growing along the wall lining the neighborhood.

What about a medical emergency? The next door neighbor died 18 months ago when he couldn’t get to a proper hospital in time for treatment when he was having a heart attack. The doctor “was out” not returning for several hours. He lay on a gurney and passed away without treatment. (Tomorrow, when we head to Negara, we’ll find a SIM card).

The two Ketuts left after bringing us the candles, saucers and matches. At least we’d already had dinner. At least, my laptop was fully charged and we could watch shows until the battery died. At least, we had already cooled down the bedroom a little for after dinner lounging where we now go to relax in the evening, free from the flies and mozzies. 

Hindu statue along the wall in the neighborhood.

Luckily, it wasn’t a all night affair. A few hours later, shortly before total darkness, the power came back on.  “Whew,” we both said simultaneously. We’ve said this many times in the past. And, we have no doubt, we’ll say it many times in the future, not only here in Bali but in many other countries along the way.

Now, as we bat off about half as many flies as yesterday, with a clear blue sky, power back on and the humidity a touch lower, we look forward to the later part of the morning when the sun and the day reduces the flies dive bombing antics and once again we can experience another sunny day in Paradise.

May your day be sunny and bright!

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

The morning view from our lanai in Kauai as it rained off and on. We were counting off the day until our departure after a blissful four month stay. For more details, please click here.

Response to requested shopping photos, cars…Preparing for the next location…Three year ago photo from Tom’s retirement party…

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We now purchase all of our eggs from this vendor at the Farmer’s Market closest to the door when the local egg lady, Kusma, was too hard to get to up the steep mountainous road, even for Rasnesh’s vehicle. The tray of two and a half dozen tray of chemical and antibiotic-free eggs is FJD $12.50, USD $5.36.  To date, we haven’t encountered one bad egg.

A week or so ago, one of our readers posted a comment requesting we include more photos of the village of Savusavu, the cars, and the stores where we shop each week. We hadn’t paid much attention to the types of cars in Savusavu. With the suggestion from our reader, we made an effort to notice finding they are the same types of cars and trucks found in any city, nothing unusual. 

This is the Vodafone kiosk where we purchase data almost every week. There is a friendly and fun rep in this store that we’ve come to know, a young woman in her 20’s, very adept and knowledgeable making the experience enjoyable. Usually, there’s little waiting.

Based on what Mario explained all vehicles imported to the island may be as much as 20% higher than the cost in larger countries. Then again, most vehicles are imported to their final destination in today’s day and age.

We spotted no American models with the steering wheel on the right-hand side. Most were models manufactured in Asia and Europe. Few native Fijians drive. Most cars and trucks are owned or driven by ex-pats, rentals, farmers and taxis, local businesses including resorts and hotels, police, and medical services.

This tiny chemist shop has more inventory packed into this tiny space than imaginable. One need only ask for an item and they happily scrounge around until they find it. The owner, of Muslim heritage, refused to allow interior and staff photos which we’ve encountered and respected in Morocco and other Muslim countries. 

As we’ve mentioned, we didn’t rent a car here when the steep dirt road to the house requires a four-wheel-drive including in dry weather. With the outrageous cost of renting a four-wheel drive for three months, well into the $1000’s per month, we opted for highly regarded and never disappointing Rasnesh.

In the past several days, we began researching our next location in Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu.  It’s hard to believe that in 39 days we’ll be leaving Savusavu and flying out on the little airplane to Nadi. We were checking on whether we should rent a car there or not.

This is an example of cars we’ve seen in Fiji, not necessarily including the exterior décor.

Contacting Susan, the owner of the house, she suggested a shuttle company for the 95km drive from the airport to the house and local drivers as opposed to renting a car for local trips. 

The Hibiscus Highway runs through the village.  It was quiet when we took this photo last week.

Checking rates online, the lowest we were able to find was USD $1,400, FJD $2,988 for a one-month rental, plus taxes and fees, most likely ending close to USD $2,000, FJD $4269. Also, many of the shops and restaurants are within walking distance of the house or only a short ride. For the reasonable prices of drivers in Fiji, if we went out every day we’d never spend half as much as we would for a rental car. 

The front door of the Farmer’s Market.  No signage is posted at this entrance.

Apparently, Pacific Heights shopping and tours will be comparable to what we’ve found in and about Savusavu.  For our grocery needs; meat, veggies, and some dairy, even the smaller markets will be able to accommodate us. Susan explained there are a few vegetable stands within walking distance.

A side entrance to the Farmer’s Market. To the far right are the freezers when fresh-caught fish is stored.

As for the local shopping in Savusavu, we’ve managed to find everything we could possibly want or need between the meat market, Farmer’s Market, and the three aisle grocery store as shown in today’s photos. In reality, my way of eating makes grocery shopping easy. What location doesn’t have a source of animal protein, vegetables, and dairy?

The Farmer’s Market is huge with dozens of vendors offering fresh produce. Most of the vendors purchase the produce directly from the local farmers to sell here each day.

Recently, we were asked if we eat dairy. Many have chosen to avoid dairy entirely for health reasons. Were either of us sensitive to it, we’d do the same. We aren’t. We use thick whole cream for coffee and cooking; full-fat cheese, full-fat sour cream (for salad dressing recipes), and full-fat cream cheese (when available), mostly in cooking as opposed to eating individually. 

A vendor stocking his freezer with fish. We’ve chosen not to purchase this fish when most of it is “reef fish” which can cause bacterial infections when sewage flows to the sea, staying in the reef areas.

Neither of us has any issues with digestion. We avoid yogurt when most have added sugars, even in the plain full-fat version. Cultured full fat sour cream provides good probiotics without added sugars. Many sour cream brands sold in the US are not cultured unless specifically stated on the label.

This vendor has been our first stop each week. Typically, we purchase cabbage and tomatoes from her. Last week, we passed on the tomatoes when they weren’t ripe enough for our immediate use.

Many may say, why do we consume dairy when we basically consume a very low carb, starch-free, sugar-free, and grain-free “paleo” type diet?  The limitations of the way we eat including full-fat low carb dairy in moderation have added much-desired variety avoiding boredom from eating a slab of protein, a veggie, and a salad night after night.

These Fijian women were sitting on the floor while one gave the other a massage.

With many recipes in a folder on my desktop including various combinations of the above items including some dairy, we’re able to enjoy a varied and fulfilling diet, many of which can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, including chopping and dicing time. A few take longer but, what else do I have to do with my time?

Taro, a popular starch product commonly used in Fijian cooking.

With Shalote and Usi handling the cleaning and laundry, I have the second half of each day to do as I please. The only cleaning I tackle is sweeping the floor after preparing meals and cleaning the kitchen and bathroom after use. 

Almost daily, I hand wash kitchen towels hanging them outdoors to dry mainly as a means of keeping the ants under control. With a few newly implemented procedures we’ve successfully kept the ants away over the past several days. 

As mentioned, the New World Market has three grocery aisles and is often out of products we use. There’s been no “plunger” coffee for the past three weeks.  We buy celery and carrots here as opposed to the Farmer’s Market.  For some unknown reason, these two items are fresher here.  The woman leaning against the produce bin assists with bagging the produce and then weighs it on a hanging kilogram scale. Tom always pushes the trolley.

After dinner, Tom does a thorough cleaning of the dishes, the countertop, and washing the placemats while I scrub the dining table with hot soapy water to ensure not a single crumb remains. By washing the exterior of the refrigerator each day and washing the handle after each opening, we haven’t seen an ant on the fridge in days.

We don’t purchase much in this aisle, the center of three aisles in the market. It contains laundry and cleaning products on this end and soda and chips on the other end, none of which we use.

It’s taken a while to figure out this ant thing but now, we think we’ve got it covered. We have a small can of ant killer spray which Tom uses outside around the trashcan after a thorough washing in hot soapy water. Daily trash removal is vital to keeping the ants under control.

We purchase little in this aisle when it contains toiletries, candy, paper products, and canned goods. At the far end is another small section with baking supplies, and freezers with frozen meat and vegetables, ice cream, and miscellaneous items, none of which we purchase.

Today and over the next several days, we’re including all new photos of outings and road trips we’ve taken in Vanua Levu, not necessarily related to one another. We’re coming up to two outings, one tomorrow (Thursday) and another on our upcoming three-year anniversary on October 31st (Saturday) with many new photos to share. Please stay tuned.

Have a fabulous day! 

Photo from one year ago today, October 28, 2014:

A lava flow advances across the pasture between the Pahoa cemetery and Apaa Street, engulfing a barbed wire fence, near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii on Sunday.
A year ago, we were worried about the flow of the lava from Mount Kilauea which at the time was heading directly to the neighborhood where the two houses we’d rented for the upcoming family visit over Christmas. Luckily, after arrival in Pahoa on the Big Island, the lava diverted its flow and we could stop worrying. Please read here for details.

 Photo from three years ago, taken at Tom’s retirement party, only days before we left Minnesota:

At that point, we were using my cell phone for photos. Oh, how times have changed. Please click here for details.

Venomous snakes and snake bites in Australia…First aid for snake bites information…A personal venomous snake encounter 17 months ago…

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The most venomous Australian snake: the Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake
(Not our photo). The Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake reported as the most venomous snake in Australia.

Yesterday’s Sydney Herald newspaper posted this story we’d also seen on the news throughout the day about a Fremantle woman who was apparently bitten by a snake while on a walk on the beachfront esplanade, a paved boardwalk generally free of high grass and brush.

After being bit, she walked home to her husband showing him the bite, an ambulance was called. She later died at the hospital. (The hospital is yet to confirm that her death is a result of a snake bite until after an autopsy is performed).  She had a penetration mark on her foot. Had she not walked home instead, immediately calling for an ambulance, she may be alive today. We extend our deepest condolences to her family.

Then again, we don’t know all the facts and can only surmise based on what’s being reported in the news.  Apparently, from what we’ve read online snakes are often seen in the Perth metro area especially as the weather warms. 

The second most venomous Australian snake: the Eastern Brown Snake
(Not our photo). Eastern Brown Snake, purported the second most venomous snake in Australia.

Paying attention by diligently watching for snakes in high-risk areas has been on our radar these past several years especially after spending so much time in Africa where 3,529 people die each year (or much more unreported) from snakebites as opposed to considerably fewer fatalities in Australia:

Australian Snake Bites

“In Australia there are about 3,000 snake bites per year, of which 200 to 500 receive anti-venom; on average one or two will prove fatal. About half the deaths are due to bites from the brown snake; the rest mostly from tiger snake, taipan and death adder. Some deaths are sudden, however in fact it is uncommon to die within four hours of a snake bite.”

From the World Health Organization (WHO):

“Envenoming resulting from snake bites is a particularly important public health problem in rural areas of tropical and subtropical countries situated in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. A recent study estimates that at least 421,000 envenomings and 20,000 deaths occur worldwide from snakebite each year, but warns that these figures may be as high as 1,841,000 envenomings and 94,000 deaths. The highest burden of snakebites is in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Snake bite is primarily a problem of the poorer rural populations in these regions and affects mainly those involved in subsistence farming activities. Poor access to health services in these settings and, in some instances, a scarcity of antivenom, often leads to poor outcomes and considerable morbidity and mortality. Many victims fail to reach hospital in time or seek medical care after a considerable delay because they first seek treatment from traditional healers. Some even die before reaching hospital. Hospital statistics on snakebites therefore underestimate the true burden.”

With our second highest worldwide readership at this time from Australia, (the first highest from the US), we decided it was important to post this snake bite information from Dr. Struan K. Sutherland, gleaned from published university papers.  This comprehensive report appears to be the most highly informational and detailed we’ve found in Australia.

If only one Australian or citizen of other countries learns how to respond to a snake bite from reading this post, our post was well worth the time and effort. For our readers in areas with low risk of snake bites, we’ll be back tomorrow with a more generalized post.

Included in this report is first aid for snake bites as follows and also includes more photos of venomous snakes in Australia:

First Aid for Snake Bites:
“Do NOT wash the area of the bite or try to suck out the venom!

It is extremely important to retain traces of venom for use with venom identification kits.

Do NOT incise or cut the bite, or apply a high tourniquet!

Cutting or incising the bite won’t help. High tourniquets are ineffective and can be fatal if released.

Stop lymphatic spread – bandage firmly, splint and immobilise!

The “pressure-immobilisation” technique is currently recommended by the Australian Resuscitation Council, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

The lymphatic system is responsible for the systemic spread of most venoms. This can be reduced by the application of a firm bandage (as firm as you would put on a sprained ankle) over a folded pad placed over the bitten area. While firm, it should not be so tight that it stops blood flow to the limb or to congests the veins.

Start bandaging directly over the bitten area, ensuing that the pressure over the bite is firm and even. If you have enough bandage you can extend towards more central parts of the body, to delay spread of any venom that has already started to move centrally. A pressure dressing should be applied even if the bite is on the victims trunk or torso.

Immobility is best attained by application of a splint or sling, using a bandage or whatever to hand to absolutely minimise all limb movement, reassurance, and immobilisation (eg, putting the patient on a stretcher). Where possible, bring transportation to the patient (rather then vice versa). Don’t allow the victim to walk or move a limb. Walking should be prevented.

The pressure-immobilization approach is simple, safe, and will not cause iatrogenic tissue damage (ie, from the incision, injection, freezing, or arterial tourniquets – all of which are ineffective).

See the AVRU site for more details of bandaging techniques.
This poster from thefirstaidshop.com.au is worth keeping.
Bites to the head, neck, and back are a special problem – firm pressure should be applied locally if possible.

Removal of the bandage will be associated with rapid systemic spread. Hence ALWAYS wait until the patient is in a fully-equipped medical treatment area before bandage removal is attempted.

Do NOT cut or excise the area or apply an arterial torniquet! Both these measures are ineffective and may make the situation worse.
Joris Wijnker’s Snakebite Productions has more information on envenomation and he can supply a suitable first aid kit and booklet.”

Had the above mentioned woman seen this information at some point, she may be alive today. Walking home increased her heart rate and could easily have contributed to having the venom flow through her bloodstream more quickly.  The patient should be immobilized until emergency professionals arrive on the scene. 

The number to call in Australia for emergency assistance is triple zero…000
A Tiger Snake
(Not our photo).  The Tiger Snake.

While we lived in Africa for nine months, much of which was spent in areas with some of the world’s most venomous snakes are found, we made every attempt to educate ourselves immediately upon arrival. 

An important aspect of snake safety is STAY AWAY. Many snakes will not provoke an attack and often bite when aggravated or stepped on. Many reported fatalities are attributed to foolishly trying to kill or handle a snake.

The number to call in Australia if you find a snake in your yard or home is Wildcare Helpline: (08) 9474 9055

One may think we’ve had little exposure to venomous snakes. However, we actually had a personal encounter with the extremely dangerous Mozambique Spitting Cobra in South Africa that fell from the ceiling on our veranda landing next to Tom’s bare feet while we were sitting near each other busily distracted while working on our laptops.

For our personal story and photos of a Mozambique Spitting Cobra experience on our veranda, please click here.

Over these past few days, we’ve focused on recent news stories we’ve gleaned from TV news, all relevant in our travels in one way or another. Soon, in less than three weeks, we’ll be living in Fiji without a TV and be reliant upon online news. We both have auto flash messaging that pop up on our laptops from various news sources worldwide, enabling us to stay well informed.

When traveling the world, we’ve found it vital to stay informed as to world affairs, including political unrest, wars, natural disasters, health-related events, weather-related issues, and financial chaos as in what recently occurred in Greece, all of which may have a huge impact on our travel to a specific location.

We continue to exercise caution and practicality interspersed with an ongoing passion for a certain degree of excitement and adventure commensurate with our interests, abilities, and desires as we continue to explore the world.

Stay tuned for more…

Photo from one year ago today, August 19, 2014:

The busy streets in South Kensington made us thrilled that we could travel almost everywhere we wanted to go on foot. For more details, please click here.

Who are the other travelers out there like us?…Easy to imagine…Final Port Douglas photos…Lots more new photos coming!

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Boats docked at the marina in Port Douglas.
Urgent Note:  This morning our site was down for a short period. If this occurs again, please note that we are aware of it as soon as we fire up our computers in the morning. If for any reason we can’t get it back up again due to a glitch or if blogger.com is down, we will immediately begin working with our web developer to either get it back up again or create an identical site on another server using our exact same website address: www.worldwidewaftage.com  Please keep checking back daily. At this point, we aren’t aware of any possible issues that could cause this to occur in the future. Today’s occurrence may have been an isolated case. Thank you for your patience.

This morning while I was getting ready for the day, Tom hauled his laptop into the bathroom to read something to me. He read aloud a post he’d received from CruiseCritic this morning from a retired couple who’d sold everything they owned and are traveling the world for two years.

Train tracks ran along the edge of the marina.

We couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces when he came to the part that we’ll be on the same cruise with this couple from January 5 to January 19th from Sydney to Auckland. How fun will that be?

Tom has yet to have a single cocktail or beer since we arrived in Trinity Beach almost two months ago. If we do go out to dinner, he can’t drink since I am no longer his designated driver when the driver sits on the opposite side of the car that I’m used to, drives on the opposite side of the road that I’m used to and shifts with their left hand.  I’m not that coordinated! 

To sit face to face with others living the same life as ours and discussing all the pluses and minuses should be enriching and enjoyable. As soon as we’re done uploading today, we’ll write to them and make a plan to stay in touch so we can connect while on the cruise.

With their two year-end time and our indefinite end time, there’s a difference for the long haul. But, having sold everything they own, house, cars, and stuff should create some interesting conversation. We’re curious as to what they’ll decide to do at the end of the two years. We’ll let you know what we find out.

Purple flowers in the park.

We have no doubt that there are many retirees traveling indefinitely like us throughout the world but we’ve yet to encounter such a couple face to face on our past 11 cruises. 

There are plenty of pubs and bars along the esplanade in Port Douglas and at other beaches.

We’ve looked online and found many travelers without a home base with minimal stuff at varying stages and ages and have enjoyed reading their posts, lurking in the background such as the case with many of our worldwide readers.

Is this a cherry blossom tree?  (This photo was taken through the windshield).

In each case, we find similarities that are refreshing and interesting from another’s perspective. Also, there are many differences which mostly include a plan to settle down somewhere in the future.

We continue to spot these African Tulips in one tropical/humid climate after another, originally spotting them in Kenya two years ago.

Of course, there are literally millions of ex-pats all over the world who have left their home country to live in another country, adopting an entirely new way of life. 

Many juice bars and coffee shops lined the streets often filled with tourists.

Many ex-pats buy homes and condos, rent houses or apartments, buy cars and furnishings  Some even acquire work permits in order to get full or part-time jobs to supplement their income. A certain number of ex-pats go as far as to forfeit their home country citizenship to become citizens of their new country.

It wasn’t too difficult to find a parking spot.

It’s highly unlikely that we’d ever settle down in another country (or anywhere for that matter) than the US. In essence, at this point, we can’t imagine that we’ll ever settle down anywhere until we’re on our last leg. 

This boulevard was a clothing shoppers haven with numerous boutiques and shops.

Even if an injury, surgery, or illness stops us for a period of time, our plan will be to take time to recover in a vacation home near medical care and once back on our feet, pick up where we left off.

Once beyond the shopping and dining areas, the streets were lined with vacation properties.

Maybe “talk is cheap” or we don’t have a clue what we’ll be doing in several years. That could well be true. Four years ago, we’d never have imagined we’d be living in Trinity Beach, Australia, heading to the market and fitness center today and in a month from now heading to Fiji for four months where we’ll live on two separate islands.

Who takes a photo of sand?  I couldn’t resist when the sand at the Four Mile Beach was the finest and softest sand we’d ever seen. It was almost as fine as powder.

In a few months, on Halloween, it will be three years since we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012. In January, it will be three years since we left the US. Our family expected we’d give up after a year or two.  And here we are, now planning well into 2017 and soon into 2018 and beyond

It all boils down to only a few aspects for us:

1.  Are we happy? Yes!
2.  Can we afford to continue? Yes!
3.  Are we healthy enough to continue? Yes!

If and when any of the above changes to a “no” we’d have to make a dramatic change in our lives. As for questions #1 and #2, those two are entirely within our control. Number 3 is the challenge and the unknown. 

Yep, there is a Target “Country” in Port Douglas. Target originated in Minnesota, USA, our former home state.

For us, happiness is a choice we make by spending each and every day being grateful and in awe of our lives, in each other, and in the world around us. Keeping our relationship young, vibrant, and harmonious is a huge element of our happiness especially when we’re together constantly, attempting to never take one another for granted.

Then again, no relationship can ever be taken for granted when we heard this morning that Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog are breaking up after 40 years!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, August 5, 2014:

We took this photo of the Seine River from a bridge as we continued on our daily hikes through Paris. For more photos, please click here.