Booked three more cruises…Returning to US for a family visit…New beach photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 13, 2015 with 0 Comment

Surfboard menu at a local restaurant in Trinity Beach.

There was no doubt in our minds that sooner or later we’d return to the US to visit family. We visited my cousin and uncle when our cruise ended in Boston staying for three days last September. We’d chosen that specific cruise in order to see them with my uncle who’d recently turned 95 years old. Who knows when we’d ever be back in Boston? It was a wonderful visit and then we were on our way once again.

Holloways Beach.

At that point, we didn’t stop in Minnesota since most of our kids and all of our grandchildren were coming to see us in Hawaii for Christmas, only seven months ago.

A two week stay in Minneapolis can easily run over US $5000, AUD $6734 with the high cost of hotels, rental cars and meals. With the cost of bringing 12 family members to Hawaii, we had to tighten our belts and stick with the budget and the itinerary (as we always attempt to do) preventing us from any other stops along the way at that time.

House on a hill in Yorkeys Knob.

It will be wonderful to see our family and friends and most assuredly, our stay will be a flurry of non-stop activity however long we may stay. As time nears, we’ll pin down the dates we’ll be in Minnesota, Nevada and Los Angeles.

Planning this far in advance is crucial for us when we notice cruises posted as “sold out” or cabins we may have wanted to book already taken. Early booking is vital, especially around the South Pacific, where all of these newly booked cruises will be sailing. Aussies love to cruise.

A sunbather on the beach.

Not counting the upcoming Vietnam cruise next year we have six cruises booked in the South Pacific. After considerable research, we discovered that Australia is too huge to tour by car with visa restrictions preventing us from staying more than 90 days.

With Australia the size of the US with the major points of interest around the perimeter, driving for foreigners like us is not a likely nor affordable way to see this massive continent. Cruising is the ideal way to see it. Two of these cruises we booked over the weekend, visit the entire perimeter of Australia.

A camping area in Trinity Beach.

We’ve seriously investigated renting an RV but the cost, is outrageous, more than the daily cost of cruising. And, honestly, driving an RV for months no longer appeals to our way of life. We don’t liked feeling locked in for so long.

As much as we prefer not to bring up expenses as often as we do, the reality is clear…there’s no way to do what we’re doing long term without constantly being aware of the expenses.

Camping and caravanning is popular in Australia.

There’s no way we’d want to put ourselves in a position of “worrying” about finances. Currently, the way we budget and carefully follow that budget, we have nothing to worry about. We remain concerned and diligent neither of which elicits a sense of worry in our case.

Rather than list the finite details of each cruise here, which can be less interesting for those who don’t cruise, tomorrow we’ll post a brief synopsis of these three new cruises.

This sign is posted outside a restaurant in Trinity Beach.

Soon we’ll be posting our general upcoming itinerary which encompasses over 600 days, including two gaps we’ve created by booking these cruises which we’ll fill in time, most likely staying in Australia or its surrounding islands.

The interior of Lunico restaurant in Trinity Beach.

Tom has been busy for weeks planning all of these cruises busily typing away on his laptop on Cloud 9. He loves doing this. On the other hand, I have little interest in booking cruises. Point me in the direction of a cruise ship and I’m content.

This reminds us that we could dine out on occasion. But, with my restricted way of eating its not so appealing.

Thus, the total number of cruises we have booked at this time, including the Mekong River cruise is a total of seven. This reminds me of our early days when we had eight cruises booked right out of the chute even before we originally left the US.

Sitting outdoors at the restaurant overlooking the ocean is appealing now that it’s not raining almost every day as it has since we arrived one month ago.

We’ve loved every single cruise each with their own unique merits, including the experience of three days and nights of raging seas, on the Norwegian Epic in 2013. It’s all been a part of our vast experiences of traveling to see the world.

There are lots of pizza and pasta restaurants along the beaches.

What better way is there to see a lot at one time than cruising? Yes, there are crowds, germs, mediocre food and occasional periods of waiting to board and disembark.

We always giggle over seniors partaking in “early bird specials.” Now that we’re in that category, we totally get the benefit of early dining, often finding ourselves at the dinner table by 6:30 at the latest. We’ve haven’t tried the 5:30 dining time yet but most likely its in the future.

Overall, cruising has provided us with many memorable experiences of making new friends and seeing so much of the world which far surpasses any potential annoyances. Plus, we had a blast with the Aussies on this last cruise to Sydney and we can’t wait for more social interactions with these warm and friendly people in this highly conducive environment.

The sky will be blue as shown in some of these photos and in a short period its raining again. Many days, I’ve put on my swimsuit in the morning, hoping the sunny day will continue and we can sit outdoors for 30 minutes (sun too hot here for longer) for a dose of Vitamin D. Invariably, by the time I upload the post, its cloudy or raining and I change into my clothes.

This afternoon, we’ll head back to the doctor for my test results and then get to work on Tom’s upcoming exams and tests. Hopefully, all will be good and we can continue on with added peace of mind.

We’ve been here over a month and how the time has flown. We like it here. It’s an excellent place to live and we’re content. What more could we ask for?

Photo from one year ago today, July 13, 2014:

Tom always says I don’t post enough photos of myself. I’m not your basic “selfie” type person obsessed with photos of myself. There’s a lot more interesting scenery than me posing for one of Tom’s less than stellar photos, many of which I’m compelled to delete. Here I am in front of a decorated tree trunk in Ribeira Brava, Madeira last year. For more details, please click here.

Planning ahead for the future…An ongoing process that never ends…Planning the future end of our time in the South Pacific…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 10, 2015 with 0 Comment

We searched online, but can’t seem to find the name of this grass or weed. This is commonly found along the highways and country roads in this and other areas of Australia.

With a plan to post and then head out sightseeing we realized we had to change our day when rain is pelting in buckets. Of course, the weather here can change on a dime so we shall see how the day rolls out. At the moment, the clouds and fog are so thick, we can’t see much further than beyond our house.

As I’ve mentioned recently and in the past, Tom is the official cruise planner in this family. He loves spending endless hours online calculating every option, pricing, and itinerary.

Since my hands are full with other tasks, namely sitting at my laptop every morning posting and dealing with hundreds of photos, record keeping, and my share of the many tasks associated with simply living life; household tasks including laundry (which I like doing) and cooking.

Sunny day at the beach.

Tom does his share of tasks including handling the investments, heavy lifting, all the kitchen clean up, trash removal (which requires a drive down the steep road), and his endless pursuit of the next cruise or cruises.

Together, we clean the house once a week, tidying up daily and every other week Andy comes and vacuums and washes all the floors. It’s a perfect compromise of tasks and responsibilities with neither of us ever feel we are doing more than our fair share.

Plus, Tom drives me everywhere I want to go, nary with a complaint. I could never drive here, sitting on the right side of the car, shifting with my left hand (not coordinated), and maneuvering all the roundabouts.

The boat launch at Holloways Beach leading to a river that leads to the sea. That’s not an animal hanging from the tree, just an unusual root clump.

Oh, good grief. Even when I’m the passenger I keep thinking he’s going the wrong way, when in fact he’s going the correct way. I’d end up going the wrong way on the road, risking life and limb. I keep my mouth shut to avoid startling him.

It’s a good mix, us two. But, when it comes to cruises, he’s on his own. I only care about the price and the itinerary. He’s perfect at the rest, including figuring out the dates that fit within our already set itinerary.

We’ve been using Vacationstogo.com since we booked our first cruise. We adored working with our former rep, Joaquin, who later left the company. Since then we’ve moved around a few times to different reps, never quite getting that same kind of relationship we so loved with Joaquin.

This sign painted on the paved road at the boat launch says, “Be croc wise in croc country.” It would be rather terrifying to encounter a croc while launching a boat into the water

Preferring not to switch companies, we wrote to Anna, a manager, requesting a few things; one, find us a new person we can work with long term and two, we need them to match cabin credits we’ve noticed offered by some other online cruise booking agencies at times.

This is not to say that we haven’t felt that we’ve received overall great pricing. We’re not foolhardy and won’t necessarily pay higher prices for loyalty on a regular basis.

Any suggestions on the name of these flowers?

We look at the overall picture. Did they give us a special break on the last cruise that was beyond what anyone else may have offered? It all comes “out in the wash.” We keep good records, making it easy to look back and see what we’ve paid each and every time.

But, now as Tom regularly checks cruisecompete.com who actually has numerous companies “bid” for our business, we wondered if perhaps we can do better elsewhere.

This morning, we heard back from Anna and she’s agreed to allow our new rep to match any published price we find online including cabin credits. With this information, we look forward to a relationship with our new person and the best possible price in the world.

The pile of huge rocks appeared to have been placed at the edge of the rainforest to keep people out.

After all, in the past 33 months, we’ve sailed on 11 cruises, have four more booked, and have an additional three we hope to book in the next week. Why do we like cruising so much? It’s a chance to see more of the world in a shorter time period and we love the people we meet aboard ships. It’s too much fun.

No, we don’t like the lines, the waiting to board and disembark, and the occasional “cruise cough.” After mentioning this to the doctor the other day, she explained that it’s not that we particularly have weak immune systems.

The cough is a by-product of being in a “crowd” day after day in air conditioning and tight quarters.We’ve had the cough a few times out of the 11 cruises but have avoided the Norovirus entirely.

A pretty house as we drove along the beach.

We’ve also become infected with colds and flu while sightseeing in a crowded venue, while not on a ship. I suppose most people around children and crowds get a cold or virus once or twice a year.

While we were on the last cruise from Honolulu to Sydney on May 24th, arriving on June 11th, Tom had visited the future cruise booking department while I sat in the bar doing the day’s post.

When he returned to the bar, he was frustrated when he explained that he was unable to purchase any future “open bookings” using their usual USD $100, AUD $134 per cruise per person, enabling us to avoid paying a larger deposit of USD $900, AUD $1207 deposit to book any cruise for two.

This root laden tree is unusual, reminding us of Banyan trees in Hawaii although with smaller roots.

Why should we lay out that much money often as much as two years in advance if we don’t have to? By purchasing these “open bookings” we only pay USD $200, AUD $264 per cruise, paying the balance 90 days before we sail.

Over the past several days, he’d been in touch with Royal Caribbean explaining he’d been refused an opportunity to purchase any open bookings (meaning no specific cruise is selected yet) on the last cruise. They profusely apologized and agreed to book three “open” cruises for us using our credit card on file. We were thrilled.

The outlay of USD $600, AUD $805 instead of USD $2700, AUD $3621 was a great relief. The transaction was completed. We worked things out with Anna and now we’re ready (Tom’s ready) to book three future cruises, the last of which will take us out of the South Pacific entirely, a long-term adventure finally ending.

Trees with unusual roots growing along the beach.

Once these three cruises are booked, we’ll share where we’ll be going on the third cruise, which may be surprising. However, we prefer not to mention future booking until all of the details are firmly in place. Hopefully, over the next week, we’ll be sharing this information.

Tomorrow and the next day, (for us, Saturday and Sunday and for others, Friday and Saturday) we’ll be posting our long-overdue wildlife photos which we can’t wait to share.

Have a terrific day!

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

It was one year ago today, July 10, 2014, that we firmed up our booking for the house in Bali where we’ll be heading next April 30th. For more details and photos, please click here.

A special day with some very special creatures, both human and animal…Stories coming soon…Doctor appointments?

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 8, 2015 with 0 Comment

This adorable Kookaburra posed for me in the yard while sitting on the fence next to the rain gauge. These birds are much larger than appears in this photo.

No grass grows under our feet here in Australia. It seems that we’re out exploring every few days, more than we’ve done in other countries.

There’s so much to see here compared to many of the remote areas we’ve lived around the world. We’ve always stated here that sightseeing on occasion was befitting our lifestyle, but not doing so quite as often as we’ve done so in Australia.

After a while she/he relocated to the roof, looking down for a possible morsel of food. They are known to snatch food off of plates when cooking on the “barbie.” More on Kookaburras will be coming in a few days with our wildlife posts.

Who goes sightseeing, several times a week in their everyday life? And part of our lives is simply the “every day” not necessarily filled with typical tourist activities. However, we’ve found plenty to see several times a week, sharing it here with our readers.

While in Australia we’ve made a choice to avoid spending money on tourist attractions when possible when we’ve been busy pre-paying for vacation rentals and cruises as much as two years in advance. Tom is on one of his cruise booking frenzies and I don’t moderate what he chooses for us.

Growing like crazy in the yard are these common Yellow Allamanda.

All I do is document the booked cruises in our master excel spreadsheet in a manner in which my brain is able to decipher dates and dollars. It’s from these calculations that we determine how much we can spend on “extras.” At the moment, it’s limited.

We’ve yet to dine out when groceries have been very affordable. If we can dine at home for US $30, AUD $40.28 a day as opposed to spending US $60, AUD $80.56, in a restaurant, it’s a no-brainer, especially when much of the food in restaurants these days have few items I can order.

Bottlebrush blooming in the yard.

We’ve been able to find a wide array of activities we can do without cost other than for gas to and fro. Also, writing stories and posting photos for a variety of tourist attractions in many countries with our vast and growing worldwide readership, we find our entrance is often hosted by the venue’s management, as in the case for any “journalist.”

As was the case yesterday, when we were provided an extraordinary experience at the Cairns Tropical Zoo. Over the next few days, we’ll be preparing the story and hundreds of photos to present in a two-day story of our appreciated and educational tour, meeting many interesting and endearing Australian animals, we’ve never seen in our travels.

We drove up the mountain behind the market to Kuranda. When we began the steep and winding trek it was sunny. By the time we arrived at the first overlook, it was cloudy and rain began to fall. We turned back with a plan to return to see the village at the top on a sunny day.

Hold tight, dear readers. In the next week, our two posts about the zoo will be online with many details and some photos that make me swoon, recalling “meeting” the loved and well-cared-for animals in this magical place.

We could imagine how beautiful this expansive view will be when we return on a sunny day.

In the interim, we continue to drive to more and more special locations searching for the scene that swoops in and captures our hearts and well as our camera.

Today, with much encouragement from responses from many readers, I have a medical “check-up” at the local doctor clinic. Feeling well, I don’t know what to “complain about” but a check and blood tests are in order.

The mountain and ocean view reminds us of Kauai, Hawaii.

When my appointment and tests results are completed, we’ll schedule Tom’s similar appointment and then we’ll be done, except for the soon to be booked dentist appointments which we’ll schedule shortly before departing Trinity Beach in two months. Then, we can be off to Fiji, where medical care will be limited and perhaps uncertain.

This afternoon after the doctor’s appointment I’ll get back to work on the zoo stories and choosing our favorite of the many photos.

The sections of land always create such an interesting view both from the air and overlook at higher elevations.

Yesterday, we had a tremendous response from our old friends in Kauai and our readers in regard to the story of the Laysan Albatross chicks fledging and Bob Waid’s fabulous photos. Thank you for sharing that meaningful event with us.

Have a wonderful day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 8, 2014:

One year ago today, we booked and posted the cruise information for Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas for next April with its itinerary mostly traveling part of the perimeter of Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, recently the cruise line canceled the entire cruise when the ship had been reserved for a private event. We found a replacement cruise and our deposit was transferred over. With Australia as huge as the US, cruising is the best way to see as much as possible. Please click this link for details.

Pure joy!…Photos of two of the fledging Laysan Albatross chicks in Kauai…Vinny and Nash…The culmination to our passionate observation…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 6, 2015 with 0 Comment

For the purposes of illustration and the difficulty of determining which bird is Vinny and the other Nash, we’ve taken the liberty of speculating which of the two birds are shown in these photos, although each photo is one of the two. Also, due to the poor internet connection and the number of photos our line spacing may appear inaccurate.

The remaining fuzz doesn’t deter Nash from being ready to go. Only five months old, he’d yet to shed his chick fluff, but the dark lined eyes are very grown-up.

On Saturday morning as we began our day, sipping coffee and getting online Tom asked if I’d seen my email yet. I hadn’t. Instead, I was busy checking photos for the day’s post and contemplating the storyline.

Vinny awoke this morning and decided, “Today’s the day,” and begins the long walk to the edge of the cliff.

Most days, I have no idea as to our story instead, using the most recent photos to lead the way into the day’s story. Posting with photos each day can be rather challenging at times, especially when we don’t always have enough good photos on file to share.

It’s a long walk for Vinny from the nest to the edge of the cliff.

With today’s scheduled appointment for an interview at the Cairns Tropical Zoo (see this post for details on why we’re going to a zoo) after which we’ll tour the zoo to take many photos of Australian wildlife which we’ll share here in the days to come, we thought having a story and photos to post early in the day would get us out the door on time.

Nash begins to hike from the nest to the cliff’s edge.

At times, we plan ahead by preparing a post a day or two early when we have something specific scheduled in the morning when I usually prepare the post. Luckily, we’re able to schedule the post to automatically upload at a designated time making it possible for it to upload while we’re away.

“This looks scary,” says Nash. “It’s a shame I’m having a bad hair day!”

Today’s story is such the case when Saturday morning’s email from our dear friend Richard in Kauai, sent both of us these awe-inspiring photos of Vinny and Nash as they fledge the nest and head out to sea to fen for themselves.

“So what if I don’t look very grown up! I can do this!”

These amazing photos were taken in the past few days by Bob Waid, albatross expert and photographer, who lives in the special neighborhood in Kauai (along with Richard) which we frequently visited to see the progression of the life cycle of the Laysan Albatross.

“I’m almost there.”

Somehow, from years of experience and sheer luck, Bob was able to take these photos that brought tears to my eyes. Bob Waid wrote the wonderful book on the life cycle and nesting habits of the intriguing Laysan Albatross which we read shortly after our arrival, relishing every photo included in the beautiful story.

It’s a big commitment, worthy of contemplation.

“I can do this,” says Vinny.

While we lived in Kauai, Hawaii, USA for over four months before taking the cruise to Australia, we had the exquisite opportunity to visit the albatross, often several times each week, from the incubation stage when the many sets of parents were taking turns sitting on their solitary eggs, through the date in early February when the chicks finally hatched.

“Hey Ma, hey Pa! Look what I can do!”

From there, we had the joy of watching the chicks mature as they sat on their nests growing plumper and plumper each day as the parents took turns flying out to sea to feed.

It’s a whole new world for Vinny and Nash

The parents were often gone for many days, leaving the chick returning to regurgitate the seafood to feed their precious chick. Watching the feeding in itself was a mind-boggling experience, one we treasured along with each step in the growth cycle.

What a gorgeous young Laysan Albatross, minutes before fledging!

Having had the opportunity to meet both Bob Waid and later, Cathy Granholm, a docent with the Los Angeles Zoo (see this link for some photos, a video, and our story) both of whom live in the neighborhood only added to our extraordinary and memorable experience.

Vinny leaping off the cliff to a new life.

Cathy is the record keeper for the progression and growth of the Laysan Albatross chicks and families. Tirelessly, she’s wandered through the neighborhood twice daily, spending hours recording the growth and behavior of the chicks, their parents, and yet to mature offspring many of whom return to this magical neighborhood year after year.

A running start for Nash.

Cathy has managed this daunting task for the past 10 years, making it her way of life for seven to eight months of the year. What dedication!

On Saturday morning when Tom suggested I immediately check my email with a huge smile on his face, I knew it was something wonderful as opposed to disturbing news of any type.

Almost over the edge!

Opening the message from Richard, my breath caught in my throat and I loudly gasped when I saw the photos as Tom spewed out the words, “It’s the chick named Vinny who is fledging.”

“Hmm… It looks like I need to try again.”

Then again yesterday morning we found the second batch of photos of Nash fledging sent to us once again by Richard. I’d contacted Bob by email to ask him if he’d give us permission to post his photos. He was thrilled to share them with us and our worldwide readers.

Finally Nash is on his way.

After over four months, (nothing compared to Bob or Cathy’s commitment) of following the growth and progression of the chicks and taking endless photos and videos, the experience had finally come to fruition, even with us now living so very far away.

“Finally, I’m free!”

Having the opportunity to see these photos sent me over the moon in a swoon of joy. For those of our readers who followed the albatross journey with us, who perhaps tired of our constant comments, and photos, humor me one more time and check out these photos knowing they are posted with a love of wildlife and a passion for the mystery of life itself.

Vinny takes flight!

We both want to thank Bob, Cathy, and our friend Richard for introducing us to this extraordinary annual event that magically worked out perfectly during the time of our lengthy stay in Kauai.

“Weee… This is fun!”

By the time you see this post, we’ll be on our way to see the wildlife of Australia. Although, we’d have preferred for the opportunity to see the animals in their natural habitat, as we’d watched the Laysan Albatross for months and as we experienced in both Kenya and South Africa, we’re grateful for this inside look into life in this environment.

Vinny’s off to his new life at sea.

Although the Cairns Tropical Zoo may be a controlled environment, we have no doubt that the wildlife is nurtured with the care, compassion, and expertise of many dedicated individuals who appreciate each and every creature

Check out that wingspan on a five-month-old Laysan Albatross chick Nash as heads out to sea.

Most of all, as we wind down our story of this memorable experience, we want to express our love for the Laysan Albatross parents and chicks for giving us the glorious experience of witnessing a vital part of your life that in essence, has changed ours.

Off to the sea, perhaps to return to the neighborhood when they mature in four to five years to have their own chicks to nurture and love.

The last video we took of the albatross before we left Princeville, Kauai.

Photo from one year ago today, July 7, 2014:

One year ago today, we’d booked an Australian cruise on the Celebrity Solstice, a ship on which we’ve sailed in the past on January 5, 2016, a mere six months away. How the time flies! For more details on this cruise, please click here.

Part 2…The gap is filled!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 6, 2015 with 2 Comments

The house in Phuket, Thailand was built around its private pool.

With the decision and full payment made for the Viking Mekong River cruise next July our next decision was to decide on where we wanted to stay for the remaining 41 days until we return for our second leg in Bali, we perused the map and literally 100’s of vacation homes in the countries we were interested in visiting.

The dining room overlooking the pool.

Based on a 10 day gap in the itinerary prior to the cruise which we’ll fill with a hotel in Hanoi with an excellent opportunity to tour the city and the duration of the cruise, we had 41 days yet to fill after the cruise ended and before returning to Bali.

There are several areas to lounge by the pool.

When considering vacation homes, the close proximity to the location before and after is usually a huge factor along with an attempt to get the best possible property for the best possible price with the amenities that are important to us.

Most often, close proximity to the ocean when possible has been a driving force. However, as we searched for Southeast Asia, oceanfront and ocean view properties were through the roof.

An additional seating area in the dining room.

We asked ourselves this question, “Would we be willing to forgo an ocean view for a mere 41 days to be living in a beautiful house with a pool, in brand new condition with all of our favorite amenities and with an opportunity to drive a short distance to the ocean at will?”

Our answer was “yes” especially when it would take us to a new country we’d yet to explore together, Thailand, a country I’d visited 30 years ago BT (before Tom).

A modern kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.

The island of Phuket, Thailand suffered a tremendous loss of life when a tsunami ravaged the island in 2004, a story that was heard around the world. We recall watching the devastation on the news, hearts breaking over the horrific stories told by those who were thrust into the disaster and miraculously survived, many losing loved ones or seriously injured.

This might have been a good spot for countertop dining. But, from what we’ve seen throughout the world, that concept is not always popular.

It’s been over 10 years since the devastating tsunami and Phuket has been rebuilt to become one of the choice islands in the world to visit. My fond memories of its wonderful people and the astounding beauty of this special place surely was instrumental in my suggesting it to Tom, as we searched for the ideal property for many hours.

Sipping a cup of coffee while lounging in these chairs in the morning will be easy to take.

Finally, we landed on this home that is more than befitting our needs and wants to give us a chance to visit yet another country on our worldwide journey. Yes, there are other countries in Southeast Asia that would have worked for us, but Phuket stood out among the rest.

Here is the link to the listing of the house we chose in Phuket, Thailand.

View of the living room with a flat-screen TV and hopefully comfortable furniture.

We’ll rent a car during our stay enabling us to explore, shop in the outdoor markets, and see the points of interest. Many who visit Thailand often visit Bangkok (on the mainland) as I did years ago. With the congestion, traffic, and noise of the big city, we’ve opted to stay away and will choose a flight directly to Phuket.

Alternate view of the living room.

During our expansive search, we attempted to find a vacation home in Vietnam but were unable to do so at a price in line with our budget. They were either very inexpensive apartments in the center of the cities or outrageously expensive massive homes in the countryside, neither of which worked for us.

Both bedrooms have king-sized beds and overlook the pool.

It was at that point we began perusing the bordering countries, any of which would be easy to navigate and with affordable flight fares. We’re confident it all will work out well.

Master bedroom alternate view. Both bedrooms have en suite bathrooms.

Enjoy these photos today that we “borrowed” from the property owner’s listing on TravelMob, a newer vacation home rental site we’ve only recently utilized, owned under the umbrella of our favorite HomeAway site which owns many of these types of websites. The property owner, Gregory, has been wonderful to work with, and based on reviews he continues to provide excellent service throughout the rental period.

Jacuzzi tub and separate walk-in shower in master bath.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with a very special story of an event that literally brought tears to our eyes with a sense of joy and a feeling of awe that we’re excited to share.

Outdoor dining.

Photo from one year ago today, July 6, 2014:

The mountains and hills of Madeira were often shrouded in dense clouds, creating a magnificent scene, one we never failed to notice. For more details, please click here.

Part 1…The gap is filled!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 5, 2015 with 0 Comment

Viking Mekong Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review | CruiseMapper — The Viking Mekong

With the gap looming next summer for 65 days, we were anxious to find a way to fill it, especially when we noticed that a number of vacation homes were already booked during this period. We asked ourselves, “Had we already missed the window of opportunity?”

Our location at the beginning of the gap had been of vital concern. We’d be leaving Bali with two factors in mind; one, what flights out of Bali would be cost-effective when it’s far from many areas, and two, what flights wouldn’t require long travel days?

When reviewing a map of the South Pacific our options appeared limited based on countries and areas that we’d like to see along with being conveniently located. Hovering in my mind had been a visit to Vietnam.

When I mentioned this to Tom last year, he was adamantly opposed even cringing at the idea. His brother-in-law Ernie from his first marriage, was killed in Vietnam when he was only 19 years old.

This had a tremendous effect on Tom and over the years he expressed considerable reverence and respect for fallen soldiers when it was “close to home.” He’s often stated that his two children had lost the opportunity to know an uncle they’d never met and cousins they never had.

After hearing from many travelers that their own visits to Vietnam were often their favorite travel experience, I had a hard time getting it out of my head. After mentioning it a few times to Tom this past year I could tell how hard he was trying to let the negative perceptions waft away. Although I don’t nag, I gently mentioned it a few more times.

On several occasions during this most recent cruise to Australia including at “The Shed” (guys only meetings) aboard ship, he had an opportunity to speak to veterans, both Australian and US, who emphatically stated that visiting Vietnam was a profound and memorable experience that under no circumstance should be avoided.

When I noticed his acceptance of this possibility, recently when we began searching, he mentioned we could consider the possibility of a trip to Vietnam. I was elated. The most logical way for us the see the full range of possibilities in the country was a cruise on the Mekong River.

Here are the details of the cruise:
“River Cruise Itinerary

Day 1 Hanoi, Vietnam
Fly to Hanoi, the former capital of French Indochina, then transfer to your hotel.* Check-in for a 2-night stay, then relax or take a walk to stretch your legs and get acquainted with the city.

Day 2 Hanoi, Vietnam
After breakfast, take a tour of this unique, thousand-year-old Asian capital, where old and new combine in a lush setting of parks and lakes. Visit the Museum of Ethnology, which includes a number of fascinating exhibits that bring Vietnam’s history and astonishingly diverse culture to life. Then tour the notorious “Hanoi Hilton,” the H Lò Prison, where American POWs were held captive during the Vietnam War. In the afternoon, visit Hanoi’s Temple of Literature. Founded in 1070 as Vietnam’s first university, this maze-like compound features inviting courtyards, gateways, pavilions, walkways, lakes, and a museum. Continue on to the One Pillar Pagoda, an 11th-century monument that was rebuilt after being destroyed by the French in 1954. En route, pass some colonial landmarks such as the magnificent Opera House and St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Relax this afternoon before dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 3 Hanoi, Vietnam
In the morning, take a leisurely ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter by “green” electric car. Enjoy some free time before your short afternoon flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Check in to your hotel for a 3-night stay; tonight’s dinner is accompanied by a traditional Apsara dance show. (B, D)

Day 4 Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Begin your day with a visit to one of Angkor’s largest Khmer temples, Angkor Wat, built for King Suryavarman II in the 12th century AD. With its beautiful proportions and extensive, intricate bas-relief, stone carvings, it is one of the most spectacular sights in Southeast Asia. Spend some time exploring the fortified city of Angkor Thom, which houses several of Angkor’s most popular sights such as the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King with their dramatic bas-reliefs. Today you also visit the mysterious Bayon Temple, known for its giant, stone-carved faces with their enigmatic smiles. Dine at a local restaurant and relax this evening. (B, D)

Day 5 Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Today, ride to the spectacular 10th-century Hindu temple Banteay Srei (“Citadel of Women”) to see magnificent carvings of Shiva and Vishnu. Then, journey to Ta Prohm, one of the most popular of the Temples of Angkor. Unlike many other buildings, it has been left as it was discovered, with trees and large shrubs growing over the ruins.
After lunch on your own, visit a local village supported by Viking River Cruises, observe school children at work, and find out how you can “adopt” a child to help support their education.
This evening, enjoy dinner in a local restaurant followed by a Cambodian Circus show, which uniquely blends together theater, music, dance, acrobatics, hugging, and aerial acts. (B, D)

Day 6 Kampong Cham, Cambodia
After breakfast, visit a local village supported by Viking River Cruises and spend time with children at one of the village schools. Check out of your Siem Reap hotel and begin your coach tour through the Cambodian countryside, which brings you to your ship in Kampong Cham, via the provincial capital of Kampong Thom. Due to its central location, this area is rapidly becoming an important hub for fishing and agriculture. It also has a rich archeological heritage, to which the 200 temples, some of which predate the Khmer Empire, attest. This afternoon, board your ship. After you get settled in, meet the ship’s officers over a welcome cocktail. (B, L, D)

Day 7 Kampong Cham, Cambodia
This morning visit the Twin Holy Mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey with their many temples and pagodas, still used during traditional Khmer festivals. After, visit a Kampong Cham orphanage where students create beautiful paintings that are available to purchase. This afternoon the ship will set sail toward a silk-weaving village. Take a walk through the village and admire the rich silk fabrics. (B, L, D)

Day 8 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This morning’s excursion takes you through a Cambodian village. After, take a short ride to Udon Monastery for a tour and to receive a blessing by the monks. Then continue to the next village, famous for its silversmiths. Rejoin your ship and have lunch as we cruise into Phnom Penh.
Your afternoon is free to explore Phnom Penh’s historic riverfront area with its restaurants, art galleries and silk shops, or perhaps visit the distinctive Central Market or the “Russian Market” where you can buy jewelry, curios, clothes, and souvenirs. You might prefer to visit more of the city’s wats (monastery temples): Wat Langka, Wat Botum, Wat Koh, or Wat Ounalom, each with its own special character and purpose. Late this afternoon, there will be an onboard presentation about recent Cambodian history by a local expert. Dinner is served aboard the ship. (B, L, D)

Day 9 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
After breakfast, disembark in Cambodia’s lovely waterfront capital and explore the city in style, in a cyclo. This mode of transportation provides many Cambodians with a source of income and visitors with a speedy and enjoyable way to move around. See the magnificent Royal Palace with its spectacular Silver Pagoda, built in the 19th century by the French, but inspired by the centuries-old architecture of the Khmer. Then take a tour of the National Museum of Cambodia, which houses treasures of Khmer art and craftsmanship and also displays art that predates the mighty empire. After lunch, join an excursion to the sobering memorial in the Tuol Sleng detention center, a former high school in which thousands of victims of the Khmer Rouge died, and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, or explore the city’s maze of small alleys, markets and busy streets on your own. Tonight’s dinner is accompanied by a folkloric performance. (B, L, D)

Day 10 Mekong River
Sail down the Mekong, one of the world’s great rivers, toward the Vietnamese border. The Mekong is truly the “Mother River of Southeast Asia,” sustaining civilizations through the centuries. Pass by some of the Mekong rice fields. The Khmer Empire was founded on a rice surplus, and rice is still the main staple of Vietnamese cuisine. (B, L, D)

Day 11 Tân Châu, Vietnam
Today you will have a rare glimpse of rural life as it has been lived for ages. Begin your morning with a ride on a traditional rickshaw in Tân Châu. Afterward, visit the floating fish farm by wooden sampan, then take a boat ride to Vinh Hoa, known as “Evergreen Island.” Here you can take a short walk to see various methods of traditional Vietnamese farming, craft-making, and other daily activities of local people first-hand.
Set sail in the afternoon, observing the daily life along the way. This evening, enjoy a screening of the film l’Amant (The Lover), which will prepare you for tomorrow’s visit to Sa Ðéc. (B, L, D)

Day 12 Sa Dec, Vietnam
This morning, board a sampan to explore the backwaters and canals of the Delta. Small factories line the river channels; get a glimpse of industry in the region with a visit to a brick factory. Stop in Sa Ðéc and see the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, the protagonist in best-selling author Marguerite Duras’s autobiographical novel, l’Amant (The Lover). After lunch, visit the colorful floating market of Cái Bè; see local workers producing rice noodles, coconut candy, and a host of other handmade products. This evening, attend an onboard screening of the 2002 film The Quiet American, based on Graham Greene’s novel set in 1952 Saigon. (B, L, D)

Day 13 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bid farewell to your ship this morning as you cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam comes to an end. Disembark in M? Tho, a busy river port not far from the capital of South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Upon arrival, take a tour of Reunification Palace (also called ? Independence Palace”), the site of South Vietnam’s defeat. See the Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral. After your tour, check in to your hotel for a 2-night stay, then spend the rest of the day at leisure, getting acquainted with this lively city at your own pace. See some of the historic French colonial architecture and soak up some of the city’s youthful energy. Tonight’s dinner is at a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 14 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
After breakfast, check out of your Siem Reap hotel and begin your coach tour through the Cambodian countryside, which brings you to your ship in Kampong Cham, via the provincial capital of Kampong Thom. Due to its central location, this area is rapidly becoming an important hub for fishing and agriculture. It also has a rich archaeological heritage, to which the 200 temples, some of which predate the Khmer Empire, attest. This afternoon, board your ship. After you get settled in, meet the ship’s officers over a welcome cocktail. (B, L, D)

Day 15 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, continue your Southeast Asia adventure with a 3-night stay in Bangkok, Thailand’s exciting capital. (B)

Tour Map

All This Included

Explore the stunningly scenic and culturally distinctive lands that lie along the remarkable Mekong River. On this 15-day cruise tour, from Vietnam’s bustling cities to the tranquility of Cambodia, discover two countries, two cultures, and two ways of life linked by Indochina’s most important river. Encounter ancient Khmer monuments at Angkor Wat and the elegant French colonial capital of Phnom Penh in Cambodia; in Vietnam, visit the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, experience the intimate charm of Hanoi’s old quarter, and tour dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Here you will find gracious hosts and some of the finest cuisines in the world while enjoying the natural beauty and rich history just beyond the banks of the magnificent Mekong.

8-day cruise with river-view stateroom
2 nights in Hanoi’s deluxe Sofitel Metropole; 3 nights in Siem Reap’s superior first-class Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra; 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City’s superior first-class Sofitel Saigon Plaza (or similar)
Fully escorted: 14 guided tours with audio headset
Included meals: 14 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 13 dinners, featuring regional specialties
Complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks with onboard dinner and lunch service
1 intra-itinerary flight
Culture Curriculum: Attend an Apsara dance show in Siem Reap; enjoy lectures on current affairs in Vietnam and Cambodia; visit a local elementary school
All port charges

Accommodations on this Tour

Hanoi: Sofitel Metropole
Siem Reap: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra
Cruising: Cabin onboard Viking Mekong
Ho Chi Minh City: Sofitel Saigon Plaza”

Tom spent days searching online for possible river cruise while, after posting for the day, I joined in searching for possible vacation homes in Southeast Asia either before or after a cruise.

It was challenging to say the least. Although there were hundreds of vacation homes, most of them were apartments in the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, neither of which appealed to us for an extended period.

As we’ve mentioned many times in past posts, we just aren’t “city people.” Plus, with the almost daily ports of call on a river cruise, we’d have had an opportunity to see many of the cities, both large and small, during the river cruise and its subsequent included tours to many points of interest.

In most cases, we don’t care to join in on ship sponsored tour groups. In this case, it makes all the sense in the world when attempting to book all of these events separately would have been a time consuming and costly task. This time, we’ll “go with the flow” knowing we’ll be able to see as much as possible in this short two week period.

After many days of searching, on June 30th, we booked the Viking Mekong for 14 nights from July 8, 2016, to July 22nd with a passenger capacity of 60 with 28 cabins. The actual cruising time is only seven days with the remaining time spent on tours throughout the area, all arranged through the cruise line.

As it turned out the Viking Cruises was offering a “two for one” sale for a limited period of time. As a result, the cruise was almost sold out. If we wanted to book this cruise, we’d have to choose from one of the five remaining cabins.

Since most cabins on river cruises of this size have similar, if not identical cabins, we were happy with our choice. We booked it on the last day of the “two for one sale.” Even with the discount, it is the most expensive cruise we’ve booked to date:

Charges
Package USD $6,998.00 Discount – 400.00 (discount provided by Vacations to Go) AUD $9309.19 Discount – $532.11

Total Sal: USD $ 6,598.00 AUD $8777.09

A condition of the “two for one” discount was the cruise had to be paid in full by June 30th, the same day we booked it. Ouch! We hadn’t budgeted for this early payment in full but, we made it work.

Here is the detailed information about the ship, the Viking Mekong:

Detailed Information

Deck Plans

Dining Info

Ship Statistics
	Year Built	2012
	Refurbished	2013
	Registry	Vietnam
	Length	180 feet
	Beam	34 feet
	Passenger Capacity	60
	Crew Size	28
	Total Inside Cabins	0
	Total Outside Cabins	28
	Cabins & Suites w/ verandas	0
	Suites	0
	Maximum Occupancy per room	2
	Age Restrictions	All must be 18-20 or one must be 21 or older
	Dinner Seatings	1
	Seating Assignments	Open
	Dining Hours	7PM
	Dining Room Dress Code	1 Formal Night
	Tipping Recommended?	No
	Tipping Guidelines	Europe Sailings: €12-15 per person, per day; Sailings to Russia/Ukraine, China, Egypt and Southeast Asia: $15-28 per person, per day.
	Onboard Currency	US Dollar

Services & Amenities
Bars/Lounges	Yes
Beauty Salon/Barber Shop	No
Casino	No
Chapel	No
Disco/Dancing	No
Elevators	No
Hot Tub	No
Cell Phone Service	No
Internet Access	No
Internet Center	No
Wireless Internet Access	Yes
Laundry/Dry Cleaning	Yes
Library	Yes
Movie Theatre	No
Outdoor Movie Screen	No
Onboard Weddings	No
Self Serve Laundromats	No
Shops	Yes
Showroom	No
Spa	No
Video Arcade	No
Fitness & Sports Facilities
Basketball Court	No
Fitness Center	No
Golf Driving Net	No
Golf Simulator	No
Ice Skating Rink	No
Jogging Track	No
Mini-Golf Course	No
Rock Climbing Wall	No
Swimming Pool	No
Tennis Court	No
Water Slide	No
Water Sports Platform	No
Cabin Features & Amenities
24-Hour Room Service	No
Hair Dryer	No
Safe	Yes
Telephone	No
Television	No
Kids Facilities
Babysitting	No
Children’s Playroom	No
Kiddie Pool	No
Supervised Youth Program	No
Teen Center	No
Special Needs & Requests
Adjoining Cabins (private connecting doors)	No
Kosher Meals	No
Single Occupancy Cabins	No
Single Share Program	No
Wheelchair-Accessible Cabins	No

At this point, we had no idea what we’d do between July 22 and September 1, 2016, still a gap in the schedule. With sheer will and determination along with a willingness to use a substantial amount of data for our search, we went to work with a great result we’ll share tomorrow in Part 2.

We couldn’t be more thrilled in selecting this cruise and also, a fabulous vacation home in an entirely new country located in Southeast Asia which we’ll be posting tomorrow with photos.

Today, in the US is the national holiday, the 4th of July. We wish all of our family, friends, and readers in the US a safe and enjoyable holiday as the fireworks fly!

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

As we drove to the small village of Sao Vincente we spotted this church while I took this lopsided photo while standing on a hill, my lame justification for not straightening the camera!. For more details, please click here.

Breathtaking Cattana Wetlands…Exciting news on the horizon…Stepping outside the box on Tuesday…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 4, 2015 with 0 Comment

The Cattana Wetlands offered excellent expansive views.

Vegetation growing in the lake at the Cattana Wetlands created this view.

Our sense of relief is totally wrapped around a high degree of excitement. We’ve filled the gap in our schedule for next June, July and August and couldn’t be more thrilled with the bookings we’ve finalized as of late last night.

There were numerous signs warning of the possibility of crocodiles as we entered the Cattana Wetlands, none of which we’ve seen as yet.

In tomorrow’s post, we share the first half of the details with the balance the next day, each warranting their own post with the amount of information and photos we have to share.

As it turns out, we have an upcoming appointment on Tuesday morning at the Cairns Tropical Zoo to interview the Mammal Department Supervisor to learn about the zoo, the care, and preservation of the wildlife, and to take photos of the wildlife indigenous to Australia.

Who knows what creatures may lurk beyond the vegetation?

OK, I get it. We’re hypocrites. We said that we “don’t do zoos” and normally we don’t. The reason we haven’t done so in the past is due to our love and respect for the preservation of animals in the wild. After all, we did go on many photo safaris in Africa in both Kenya and South Africa.

The sun reflected in the wetlands creating this orange glow in the water.

However, we feel we could justify, rationalize or in less severe terms, simply explain, why we’re visiting a zoo on Tuesday to write a story about the facility, its operation, and the care for its vast array of Australian wildlife.

The Cattana Wetlands are well arranged with paved walking paths and clearly marked areas.

Many moons ago, we spent days researching possible “safari-type” adventures in Australia, contacting many potential resources to get the same answer each time, “We don’t do safaris in Australia. You can drive to the Outback to possibly see some wildlife on your own.”

The various ponds and lakes were clearly marked.

Frustrated that such a safari wasn’t realistic we gave up searching only to begin again once we arrived in Trinity Beach. After using no less than two gig of data searching online, again I came to the realization that its is not going to happen unless we rent an RV to make the trip on our own.

Peeking through the trees to the main lake in the Cattana Wetlands.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we seriously considered touring the Outback on our own without fear or apprehension. We’d considered using the gap in our itinerary that we’ve since otherwise booked that we’ll present tomorrow and the following day.

Areas were clearly marked with maps and descriptions.

The problem in touring the Outback on our own is the cost of the rental of an appropriate vehicle, preferably an RV with four-wheel drive (although not necessarily required) when hotels and RV parks, although available, aren’t as readily available as one may think.

We expected a beaver to pop up at any moment.

The bottom line for us is the cost. A moderately sized and priced RV with toilet, shower, kitchen, etc. would cost in the range of US $15,000, AUD $19,954 a month when adding RV rental fees, fuel, groceries and RV park fees. The price of fuel alone would be outrageous when the cost here in Australia is twice as much, if not more, than the cost in the US.

This small island was located in the middle of the lake.

In addition to the cost, we wouldn’t be able to get online and, most importantly, we may seldom find wildlife. The Outback is a vast desolate desert. One can drive for hours and hours to never see another vehicle.

A close up of lily pads on which some creature enjoyed lunch.

Here’s an interesting article regarding some of the potential challenges of driving through the Outback.

The lakes were covered in parts in lily pads.

Believe me, this has been a tempting prospect. But, reality prevails, and incurring this type of expense for that which may prove to be a very long drive in a vehicle with little to see, we decided against the possibility.

One of many paths we’ll explore when we return in the future.

Instead, in this almost month we’ve been in Australia, we’ve wandered through many rainforest areas looking for wildlife including the Cattana Wetlands for over an hour (we’ll return again with insect repellent and proper clothing) we only saw a few birds, none of which we were able to get a photo.

It was especially appealing on a sunny day.

As a result of this long and convoluted situation, we decided that the only way we’d see a large amount of indigenous wildlife would be to visit a zoo, one of which, The Cairns Tropical Zoo, is located near the Palm Cove area we visited a week or so ago.

Leave that have changed color.

Contacting the Manager of Wildlife and Operations, we’ve been able to secure an appointment to interview a zoo supervisor to learn what we can about Australian wildlife which we’ll share here with photos and descriptions over a period of several days.

From a distance, we thought these were flowers when in fact, they were colorful leaves.

Sure, we hesitated at this prospect based on our passion for animals in the wild. But, we both feel a tremendous desire to learn more about the exquisite and unusual inhabitants in the wild in this amazingly diverse continent. The only logical means of doing so with the least amount of expense and time is to take the path we’ve chosen, albeit with a bit of trepidation. Hypocrites? Perhaps. Wildlife enthusiasts? To a high degree!

As we entered the wetlands, this was the first path we took toward the lake.

Today, we’re sharing the photos we took a few days ago at the Cattana Wetlands. Here’s a blurb of the story of the wetlands from this site:

“Originally a sugarcane farm owned by Franco Cattana, the site was used as a sand mining quarry resulting in several fresh and saltwater man-made lakes. The land was purchased by the then Mulgrave Shire Council in 1993, primarily to protect the 30 hectares of lowland rainforest on the western end of the site. This forest, described as the Feather Palm Forest, is a remnant of a once extensive forest type that is now confined to only a few remnant patches in the Cairns region. Council has planted over 70,000 native plants and undertaken extensive weed removal enabling existing water bird populations to flourish. As part of the 150th anniversary of Queensland celebrations, Council and the Queensland State Government each committed $1.5 million to the rehabilitation of the site. The works program included the construction of boardwalks, walking tracks, bird hides, and viewing platforms, picnic areas, interpretative signs, car parks, access roads, and toilet facilities. In addition to the amazing wetland habitat, Cattana Wetlands also harbours an impressive range of north Queensland wildlife and significant plant communities.”

Tomorrow, as stated above, we’ll be sharing our new bookings. Please stay tuned for much more to come!

Again, to our family and friends in the US, have a safe and memorable Fourth of July celebration.

Photo from one year ago today, July 4, 2014:

There are many tunnels on the island of Madeira, Portugal, located off the coast of Morocco in Africa. We enjoyed every day of the two and a half months we spent in a gorgeous house overlooking the hills and the sea. Also, on this date, one year ago, we posted our upcoming itinerary available at that time. Soon, we’ll be posting an updated itinerary, including the booking we’ll be sharing in the next few days. For more details, please click here.

Confusing flight arrangements…Needed help…More Yorkeys Knob photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 2, 2015 with 0 Comment

There was a wide array of ocean going boats at the marina in Yorkeys Knob.

With the relatively slow wifi in our area and the cost of using the SIM card’s data, we decided that we’d visit Flight Centre, a full-service travel agency at the Smithfield Mall which we’d spotted on our many walks through the large indoor mall.

Also, with the small airports in Fiji, we needed an experienced agent to handle our best way to travel between islands for our two separate vacation homes over a period of four months.

We walked along this pier at the Yorkeýs Knob Boating Club.

Staying in Fiji over this extended period was planned as another opportunity to keep costs down, staying put in a reasonably priced location with reasonably priced vacation rental prices.

The only other agency, we’ve used since the onset of our travels, almost 33 months ago, has been Vacationstogo.com which has handled all of our cruises thus far.

Many of the beach parks we’ve seen thus far as uninhabited and unspoiled.

It hasn’t made sense to use an agency when we stay in vacation homes, which travel agencies generally don’t handle. However, yesterday’s positive experience may inspire us to consider it again in the future when booking tricky flights such as these.

As soon as we walked into the digitally and visually contemporary agency, Flight Centre, we met Helen, who proved to be a highly competent rep. She did it in 30 minutes what could have taken us days with the slow wifi. Plus, she was so fast typing on her keyboard, it made my head swim.

The Yorkeys Knob Boating Club.

Her keen ability to piece the dates, times and necessary flights were uncanny as her fingers flew across the keys. She totally got what we needed to accomplish. Of course, we brought along our passports and a copy (on my phone) of our itinerary with dates and locations and a photo of a map designating our vacation rentals on the two separate islands in the Fiji.

Sharing this map below again provides a clearer perspective of the reason for the number of necessary flights. It’s a little confusing about Suva, on the main island, and Savusavu on the smaller island of Vanua Levu.

1. September 7 – Cairns to Sydney – departing at 5:30 pm, arriving at 8:15 pm – overnight at hotel in Sydney
2. September 8 – Sydney to Nadi – departing at 6:30 am, arriving at 12:20 pm
3. September 8 – Nadi to Savusavu (separate island) – departing at 2:30 pm, arriving at 3:40 pm
4. December 6 – Savusavu to Nadi – departing at 9:20 am, arriving at 10:20 am
5. January 4, 2016 – Nadi to Sydney – departing 11:15 am, arriving at 2:10 pm – overnight stay in Sydney

The next day, January 5, 2016, we’ll board a 14-day cruise at Sydney Harbour to sail the continent and ultimately end in Auckland, New Zealand where we’ll rent a car and drive to our vacation home where we’ll live for 89 days. Whew!

At the time we booked the two islands, flight schedules were different and we wouldn’t have necessarily had to stay overnight in Sydney. However, staying over at the beginning and end of this list of flights ultimately is stress relieving.

According to local weather reports, this June has been the rainiest on record. Hopefully, now that July is here, we’ll see fewer clouds and more sunshine.

We’ll book the first hotel at the airport and the second hotel near the pier further reducing rushing, taxis, and stress. That’s always the plan, especially when we have multiple flights such as indicated here.

Another issue we must face for these five flights is our overweight luggage, based on each airline’s baggage policy. Qantas, handling three of the above flights doesn’t charge for one checked bag each. We have a third overweight bag. There’s no way to avoid this.

Mountains surrounding the area create eye catching scenery.

Rather than break down the cost for each flight, we’re providing a total for both of us for all five flights which are AUD $3448.96, USD $2632.97 plus the estimated excess baggage fees of AUD $1049, USD $800.82.

Although we chose our seats on the flights that we could, we haven’t paid for the excess baggage as yet. Over the next 60 days, we’ll continue to unload what we can from our bags, and a few days before we depart, we’ll weigh everything and go back to see Helen, paying for our bags with her help, which she’s offered to do.

This is a park at one entrances to Yorkeys Knob Beach.

Based on the combined costs of all of these flights and the estimated baggage fees, the average cost per person, per flight is AUD $449.80, USD $343.38. In this context it doesn’t seem like quite as costly.

We’re glad this part is done and paid for. Now, we can return to the planning of the gaps in our schedule. At this point, we have good news to report…we know where we’re going, an exciting new location, and a portion of it is already booked and prepaid. The second leg of the journey is yet to be booked.

A typical street in the Yorkeys Knob area.

Over the next few days, amid trips to the fitness center and more exploration in the area, we’ll be working on the second leg in our 65 day gap. Once that is resolved, we’ll be posting all the news with photos, pricing, and details. Please check back.

Have a great Wednesday or, Thursday depending on your side of the International Dateline!

Photo from one year ago today, July 2, 2014:

Campanario is a quaint little village in the mountains of Madeira. Although little English is spoken in the area or in much on the island in general we had a wonderful time during our stay.For more details, please click here.

Out and about…Always discover something new and interesting…Joined Coast Fitness…

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 24, 2015 with 0 Comment

This pretty restaurant, L’únigo (misspelled in TripAdvisor as L’Unico) is rated #3 of 16 restaurants in Trinity Beach. We’ll try this one also. The sun peeked out for a few hours yesterday!

With dense fog and pouring rain impeding the view of the ocean and the horizon, we’ve decided not to go on the road trip along the ocean that we’d tentatively planned for today.

With the intent of taking photos of the scenery along the coastline to share here, we’ve decided to wait until the next sunny weekday. We prefer not to travel on busy weekends fighting traffic and crowds when we can just as easily travel on weekdays.

I stepped out of the car to take this shot. Tom reminded me that passengers on the ship had told him that the ocean is murky at most beaches in Australia, as opposed to the clear crisp blue waters of Hawaii and other islands. Here’s an article about the murky waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef.

However, yesterday when we took off for me to join a fitness center, we took a drive and stumbled upon a fabulous area with photo ops we look forward to sharing here over the next few days. With wifi limitations and the overall poor signal, we can’t post as many photos as we had in some past locations when we had free unlimited wifi.

Coast Fitness is the closest health club and although modest, it certainly will do the trick. I’ve always found that a health club must be conveniently located in one’s place of residence. It’s hard enough to make oneself workout on a regular basis, let alone having a long distance to drive.

View of the mountains from Trinity Beach.

Working out, although obviously beneficial, requires a degree of self-discipline that I’ve always found to be challenging. Once I’m there and warmed up, it’s all good.

Unfortunately, Tom has to drive me wherever I’d like to go. The car rental required an extra USD $23.22, AUD $30 per day to add me to the agreement. It just wasn’t worth spending an extra USD $2066.58, AUD $2670.36 for me to drive myself to the grocery store and fitness center during the 89 days.

There are warning signs along all the beaches in this area in regard to stingers and crocodiles. We’ve seldom seen anyone in the water or lounging on the beach.

It’s not like Tom has a lot to do to prevent him from having time to drive me around. He brings his phone loaded with books he’s reading staying entertained while he waits. Also, driving a stick shift left-handed and on the opposite side of the road wouldn’t have been ideal for me. In essence, I’m happy I wasn’t included in the agreement. It would not have been pretty.

As we exited the car at Vasay Esplanade, we were excited to see restaurants along the street. Trinity Beach Beachfront Bar and Grill which we particularly liked for their menu is rated #4 of 16 in TripAdvisor. We’ll try this one soon.

It took no more than 10 minutes to pay the required US $177, AUD $230, for the next two months and get my membership card. Not wanting to pay for the third month, my membership will end two weeks before we leave Trinity Beach on September 8th. During that final two weeks, I’ll do the workout at home.

This morning’s view at 10 am.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a facility on the tiny island we’ll be living on in Fiji after we leave here. I’ve already begun searching, contacting various resorts for possibilities, hoping to hear back before too long.

We can’t see beyond the yard.

I hadn’t realized that I’d feel so out of shape when I started yesterday’s routine. I can only attribute it to the fact that I was sick during the final month in Kauai, never working out, and then did a less than stellar attempt on the ship when we were busy socializing each day.

Now I’m totally committed to go to the fitness center frequently and give it everything I have. It’s amazing how energized and strong I’ll feel after a few weeks.

The modest entrance to Coast Fitness. Although unassuming, it has excellent equipment, everything I can possibly use.

As we left the fitness center, Tom, with his keen sense of direction, decided to take us on another drive toward the ocean. Little did we know we’d stumble upon a quaint oceanfront area of Trinity Beach we hadn’t yet discovered. I practically squealed with delight as we parked the car.

The pool at Coast Fitness wasn’t particularly appealing. With the pool here at the house which we’ve yet to use with the mostly cloudy weather these past few weeks, we won’t be using this pool.

Even Tom, who doesn’t get quite as excited as I do, couldn’t get out of the car quick enough so we could wander along the ocean boulevard, Vasay Esplanade, checking out the scenery and the various restaurants and their menus. We found enough restaurants in that one location to satisfy us for weeks to come.

The equipment is up-to-date and adequate.

However, we’ve yet to dine out since we arrived. What can I say? We’ve so enjoyed making our meals and, with Tom losing weight like crazy, it’s pointless to dine out and spoil the momentum. Perhaps soon, we’ll visit one of these appealing options.

We’re content, feeling settled in, enjoying the area. We’ve begun looking ahead to the future when we still have holes in our itinerary that we need to fill. We’ve waited long enough and currently are considering several options. Once, we’ve booked the next round, we’ll certainly be sharing the news here.

Have a warm and wonderful day filled with sunshine in your life, if not in the skies.

Photo from one year ago today, June 24, 2014:

This was the first time we’d seen these Angel’s Trumpet flowers as we drove in the mountains of Madeira. Later, I saw these in Kauai when I toured the Princeville Botanical Gardens to discover that these flowers are used as a hallucinogenic by certain cultures. For more details, please click here.

We goofed!…Not crossing International Dateline until tonight…Dreading the end of the cruise?

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 4, 2015 with 0 Comment

Sunset over Tahiti.

All I can say is that we’re having such a good time, we didn’t pay enough attention to our itinerary over these past 12 days simply due to every moment being filled with pleasurable activities.

As a result, yesterday’s post was inaccurate in stating that we were crossing the International Dateline last night when in fact, we’ll cross it tonight. With a two-hour time change to boot, we’ll be setting our clocks ahead by 22 hours, jumping into Saturday when for many of our readers it will be Friday.

As the ship pulled away from the pier in Tahiti, the sky darkened with remnants of sunset.

Yesterday at 2:00 pm I attended a classical piano concert that was performed by a highly acclaimed pianist from the Philippines while Tom was relaxing in the cabin filling out the required immigration forms before entry into Australia.

At 3:00 pm, he attended “The Shed” while I worked out and later read a book on my phone on our veranda. At 5:00 pm, we met at the bar on the ninth deck and later returned to the cabin to change for dinner.

Shoreline in Bora Bora.

By 6:30, we were seated at the Centrum bar mingling with people we’ve met over these past days, engaging in conversation and laughter. By 7:00 pm, we were seated at a table for 10 in the Romeo & Juliet Dining Room chatting with some familiar and some new tablemates.

Life aboard a ship is easy. As Tom says, “I don’t have to make the bed, do dishes or take out the trash.” Although I don’t mind daily household tasks, this definitely is an easy way of life for both of us.

Tom standing on the miniature golf. He clobbered me.

We’ve spoken to passengers who’ve spent as much as 90 days aboard a ship loving every aspect of the experience. Perhaps someday we’ll take a long cruise. For now, this 18 or shall I say 17 days has been glorious this far.

After another fine dinner with excellent food and friendly people, we went to the live evening show. The performer was an Australian magician although neither of us particularly cares to watch magicians. But, the energy in the packed theatre made the show worthwhile and we left with smiles on our faces.

The scenery along the shore in Bora Bora.

A 70’s disco show was being performed in the Centrum at 10:00 pm. We watched for a while as the singers and dancers performed while passengers danced. By 11:00 pm were back at our cabin, never falling asleep until after midnight. By 6:00 am this morning we were both up and about, a little tired but anxious to begin another day.

Tomorrow will be Saturday for us and we’ll only have five days left until we disembark in Sydney on June 11th. In our old life, as the cruise time would have begun to wind down, we’d have been disappointed and filled with angst to return to the “real world” however pleasant that may have been.

There are numerous small islands in the South Pacific. We find ourselves curious as to what it would be like to stay on such a small island.

We’d have dreaded the pile of mail, the unpacking, the laundry, and the spoiled food in the refrigerator. We’d have dreaded the return to responsibilities and mundane tasks. However, in a few days, most of that dread would dissipate and we’d settle into our daily lives and activities.

Instead, excitedly we’ll exit the ship, go through immigration, grab a taxi to the airport, board the Qantas Airline flight to Cairns for the short (to us) three-hour flight, get our luggage, pick up the rental car to drive 22 minutes to the house in Trinity Beach.

Once we arrive, the owners will be awaiting us to familiarize us with the workings of the property. How excited we are! There’s no mail to collect and sort through since we’ve already reviewed the few pieces we’ve received online in the past weeks from our mailing service. We receive no junk email.

More small islands on a cloudy stretch in the South Pacific.

As for the responsibilities, we’ve paid off all of the credit cards while we were on the ship using our Hotspot Shield for privacy and security. We’re paid up for future rentals well into July. We already paid the doctor bill from my one incident in Kauai at $311.

We don’t owe a dime on any other bills. With no utility, cable, or cell phone bills, mortgage payments, property taxes, car payments or insurance (other than health and our hauled belongings, paid once a year) life seems easier than in years past.

Once we unpack and settle in, we’ll head out to dinner. The next day we’ll grocery shop together. Tom always shops with me the first time in a new location based on the huge amount we need to purchase. He does all the heavy lifting, my own personal “pack mule” as he calls himself.

Another island in the South Pacific.

These tasks aren’t tasks to us. We feel like kids “playing house” as we learn the area, its nuances, and the names of stores and products we’ll typically use in our daily lives.

Later in the day, we’ll check out the health club and most likely I’ll sign up for the three-month membership. I’ve already communicated with the health club confident it will be a good match for me. By the end of that weekend, we’ll be totally settled and able to embrace living in the beautiful resort town of Trinity Beach, Australia.

Another cute towel pet sitting atop our bed when we return to the cabin at the end of the evening. Our fabulous cabin attendant Jill grabbed my sunglasses to top off this cute rabbit.

Dreading the end of the cruise? Not us. We’ll continue to cherish each remaining day on this wonderfully social cruise. If our minds wander to the task of disembarking we can easily toss those thoughts aside knowing the process should be easy and stress-free.

We’ve learned the nuances of exiting a ship with low stress. Even occasionally “overly grumpy” Tom (on travel days only) is beginning to trust the process and go with the flow.

One more day at sea and we’ll reach Fiji, where we’ll be living in a little over three months. We’ll see what the day brings. Please check back.

Photo from one year ago today, June 4, 2014:

This scene of the view from the veranda in Campanario, Madeira took our breath away. Every day provided a new and intriguing view of the mountains and hills. For details from that date, please click here.