Photo of us dressed for a Hindu holiday in traditional Balinese attire!

Tom and I dressed for a Hindu holiday in traditional Balinese attire.
Tom and I dressed up for a Hindu vacation in traditional Balinese costume.
Fishing nearby the shore in these tiny plastic floating boats home.

A couple of days ago, Gede suggested that we attend a Hindu religious celebration on Saturday (yesterday) in a temple just after the end of the paved road. He’d asked the two Ketuts to bring the traditional colorful clothing for us to wear which is required to enter a temple which includes sarongs, special shirts, lacy women’s tops, colorful silk sashes and for the men, a cloth hat called a udeng.

We were excited at the prospect of dressing in the beautiful clothing and taking photos of the special annual festival, Sharad Purnima, which includes offerings of food, incense and flowers, music, dancing and a prayer service.

Ketut, one. 

Sharad Purnima is described here:

Here is a description of Sharad Purnima: It marks the end of the monsoon. There is a traditional celebration of the moon and is also called the ‘Kaumudi celebration,” Kaumudi meaning moonlight.

At night, goddess Lakshmi is worshiped and night vigil is observed. According to a folk-tale, once a king fell on evil days, and was in great financial straits, but then his queen observed this fast and night vigil, and worshiped the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Consequently, they were blessed by the goddess and they regained their prosperity.

It is also believed that on this day as the moon and the earth are very close to each other, the moon rays have certain healing properties of nourishing the body and the soul.”

Regardless of one’s personal faith and spirituality, its difficult to find fault with the teachings and philosophies of the Hindu way of life.  Hinduism, when practiced and fully embraced results in the astoundingly truthful, gentle, loving and thoughtful nature of these special people as shown below:

“Truth, kindliness, austerity, purity, forbearance, discrimination (not in a negative manner against  discrimination of others), control of mind and senses, ahimsa, compassion, contentment, detachment, and devotion to the Supreme Lord are some of the virtues that Narada talks about. Among the basic virtues that testify to one’s integrity, being truthful and honest tops the list.”

Ketut, two.

As we were about to embark on the long walk to the temple, it began raining in buckets. (With no parking available at the temple, we’d have no choice but to walk). Only recently have I started to recover from my June 1 injury. Tom suggested we not go out into the rain. The muddy road is slippery when wet and I would run the risk of slipping or falling.  

After a recent rain storm we’d attempted our usual walk on the only road from the villa, but had to turn back when it was simply too slippery for me at this time. We just couldn’t take any chances after over four months of pain and discomfort which finally began to abate in these past two weeks. 

Usually I’m not that sensitive, but we’ve had to make some hard decisions about what I can and can’t do at the moment. We decided that while we waited for the rain to dissipate, the road would remain slippery. It just didn’t make sense.

We’ve never minded getting wet as evidenced in this and many posts of our past adventures. In Paris in 2014, we visited Versailles (see photo below) after spending no less than 90 minutes in the pouring rain at the exquisite Gardens of Versailles, a venue not to be missed.

Here are our favorite views in the Gardens of Versailles.All of our photos shown on this post were taken during a torrential downpour. By the time we entered the Palace of Versailles we were soaked through to our underwear. It was worth every moment.

Getting soaked on the promenade here in Bali was not our preoccupation, other than to prefer not to ruin the beautiful clothes. This special dress is required to enter a Hindu temple, especially wearing a sarong. 

There are umbrellas in the villa, but the use of one would barely have had an impact on the reduction in the probability of falling. Sadly, we stayed behind. Instead, the two Ketuts created a special celebration with us as they “dressed us” in the layers of traditional clothing and took today’s included photos including a lovely offering bouquet with incense and flowers they’d picked for the occasion.

In our travels around the world, we have been limited in participating in some activities that other tourists can participate in such as bungee jumping, zipline, scuba diving and snorkeling.

Tom, dressed and ready for the Hindu celebration in proper attire.

As much as we’d enjoy some of these activities, we accept my limitations as a result of my precarious spinal condition. Not an excuse. Just a reality. A single injury worse than the most recent could put a quick end to our travels. This possibility became especially relevant over these past months.

I’d rather be a joyful world traveler continuing with our plans and dreams for the future than one who is required to abruptly discontinue traveling due to a single incident. We’ve hardly spent these past four years avoiding many activities as illustrated in our over 1500 posts, nor will we in the future.

Today is Sunday, our staff-free day. It’s sunny, hot and humid.  Yesterday’s temps rose into the 90’s F, 32’s C which is expected to continue through the week with humidity averaging in the 80% range creating hot and relatively uncomfortable days.  Today, at 11:00 am, it was 88F, 31C, feels like 102F, 39C.

But, folks, we’re in gorgeous Bali for 11 more nights and pay little attention to the weather as long as we stay safe. Hot?  Dripping in sweat? No matter! Be happy!

May you be happy as well!

Photo from one year ago today, October 16, 2016:

Coincidentally, one year ago today it was raining so hard in Fiji, we couldn’t see the ocean. For more photos, please click here.

 

It’s a hard act to follow…Is a second round worthwhile? Photo, last night’s American style dinner…

Workers in the rice fields in Bali.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

These men were getting ready to go snorkeling with the aim of fishing with nets.

It’s almost like I can’t find words after yesterday’s post that got answers from around the world. We both received many comments and likes on Facebook, comments on posts and many emails wishing us well after posting our new 669 day itinerary. 

If you missed the itinerary yesterday, please click here to see where we’ll be heading over this next extended period.

Our friends in South Africa have made the upcoming return to Marloth Park in 16 months all the more exciting by their enthusiastic responses and arms opened wide to welcome us back to their little piece of heaven. 

One of our Ketuts sweeping the grass with a handmade broom.

We even went as far as booking Jabula Lodge & Restaurant in Marloth Park for the evening of my 70th birthday on February 20, 2018. Leon and Dawn, the owners who became dear friends during our last stay in 2013/2014 confirmed our reservation for the group of us or any more who’d like to attend. 

I can’t wait to feast on a big plate of Peri Peri Chicken Livers while Tom devours Espetada, a huge upright skewer speared with chunks of roasted meat. The food was always cooked to perfection for my way of eating.

The people, the food, the service, the ice cold drinks are exceptional at this fun restaurant where we’d previously dined a few nights a week and we’ll dine once again when we’re back in their midst. Maybe I’ll only have to cook a few nights a week when we return!

Our close up of a grasshopper. Each day while in the pool we rescue several grasshoppers and other insects who accidentally ended up in the water and appear to be drowning when they can’t get out.

There are so many aspects about Marloth Park that call to us.  There’s the people; friendly, warm and so willing to include us in their lives. Laughter and merriment come easily for these dual language citizens who speak fluent English and Afrikaans. Then, there’s a few gringos, like us, who possess the same outrageously welcoming persona.

But, then, dear readers, is the infinite delight when the wild animals visit us each day wherever we may live within the game reserve, who make our hearts race with excitement when each day they “come to call.” 

Adding to that daily joyful experience is visiting Kruger National Park, a short distance away, entering Crocodile Bridge to see the cross languishing on the shore and the hippos bellowing. 

Lovely beach scenery while driving along the highway.

Upon entering the massive reserve we’ll be spotting elephants, lions, cape buffalo, leopards and rhinos, the proverbial “Big Five” and more which we’ve been fortunate to see many times in our past visit to Africa.

Whether its my favorite warthogs with growing babies following moms close behind or a herd of male zebras who come to scratch their backs on the trees, drink from the swimming pool and look for a handout.

They all love the taste of the pellets we’ll have handy in 88 pounds, 40 kilogram bags that we’ll offer to every visitor, except the giraffes who can’t bend down to eat from our hands or from the ground. And yet, they, too, still “come to call.”

Temple and Hindu celebration on the beach.

From the best biltong (jerky) in the world and fresh meat at the local market, to the organic vegetables from the farmer next door, the tiny Marloth Park Shopping Centre is charming and fun to visit. Every other week, we traveled to Komatipoort to the supermarket and data store to add data to our devices. Again, we’ll do the same.

We haven’t selected a vacation home yet for either of the two stays in 2018. Louise and Danie, our hosts and landlords who also became dear friends, own and manage a number of properties (click here for their site with numerous options) and have promised we won’t have to sleep in a tent. 

Then again, in the nearby Kruger National Park, many tourists do exactly that. We aren’t slightly concerned, certain Louise and Danie will ensure we’re able to stay in wonderful homes in Marloth Park. We’ll surely pin something down as the time nears.

What a fine meal we had last night and will again tonight using the mince (grass fed ground beef) we’d purchased in Denpasar the day we began the drive to the villa;  a hard boiled egg stuffed, bacon wrapped meatloaf with homemade low carb ketchup, coleslaw and sautéed Balinese vegetables. The cooks did a fabulous job making our American style recipe.

Well, I suppose that’s enough about Africa for now. We still have “lots of fish to fry” in the upcoming months and years.  wo weeks from today, we’re leaving the villa to begin the two travel days required to make our way to Sydney, Australia for the 33-night cruise.

We’re cherishing every last moment of these two remaining weeks in Bali when now as we speak, we’re comfortably ensconced in chaise lounges overlooking the infinity pool and the sea, with little doubt that sometimes, maybe sometimes, a second round may be worth it all.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 15, 2015:
Horses on the grounds of Namale Resort in Fiji owned by the speaker/writer Anthony Robbins where we later visited on our three year anniversary on October 31st. For more photos, please click here.

Worst storm in our travels, yesterday in Bali…Flooding in the streets…Photos…


We haven’t seen a flood like this since we lived in Minnesota, USA, a lot of moons ago. We took this shot from the front of the villa.

“Sighting on the Beach in Bali”

A rainbow at the end of the storm.

During our four years of world travel, we’ve experienced a tremendous number of storms, winds and hurricane scares, all of which we survived unharmed and without serious consequences, unlike millions who are suffering in the eastern seaboard in the US, Haiti and many other islands in the Caribbean Sea.

We extend our deepest sympathies for the loss of loved ones, their homes and all their belongings. Most are uninsured and can only pray for ways to sustain their lives as their shelters, towns and villages are rebuilt. 

The road facing our villa was flooded during the storm but had retreated this morning.

With the toxic water supply after such catastrophes, the lack of food and medicine, the suffering lived by these lost souls can only be imagined in our worst nightmares. May the souls of the world’s genres come together to help bring some semblance of stability and security to their lives as soon as possible. We pray for the safety and well-being of these people.

Based on the latest online news report 13 died in the United States as a result of Hurricane Matthew with 900 deaths reported so far in Haiti.    The numbers keep increasing as more and more news comes in. Millions of people have no electricity with a lot of houses under water. Many view their personal belongings and the debris of their homes floating away.

View to the lawn from the kitchen window.

Nothing we have experienced over the past few years of traveling the world can be compared to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew and other natural and human-inspired disasters. Our hearts break for the suffering of other people around the world.

But, as we continue to share the details of our lives in our daily posts, which under the above circumstances seem trivial and unimportant, nonetheless, with the utmost of respect, our lives and yours continue on. 

The details of our experiences seem to be the driving force to bring back our faithful readers day in and day out for both the exciting and surprising, the mundane. 

Another view of flooding on the road into the next door neighbor’s gate.

In fact, I often feel like we all enjoy the mundane. Everyday life, as such, for most of us is relatively mundane. We humans, more or less like animals, find great comfort in the familiarity of our routines. 

Judge us, you may, you constant-adventure-seekers… You are the exception to the rule. We admire you for your bravery and sense of wonder that takes you on one exciting trek after another, one life endangering adventure after another as you explore your surroundings with a passion that few of us know or fully understand. Go for it! Be as safe as you’re able! Share your stories and photos with us!

For the rest of us, we’re able to find excitement and adventure in other ways, based on our level of desire for challenge, our age, our limitations (at times, self imposed) and above all our fear.    We all have the right to choose where we fit into this realm.

Last night, the two Ketuts walked in bare feet in this rain flooded road to the villa to make our dinner, leaving their motorbikes elsewhere on higher ground.

Overall for us as world travelers, we’ve opted on the safer side. After all, we decided long ago that this adventure would be on our own terms, not what others may do or expect. We don’t feel we have to prove anything to anyone as to how brave and fearless we are, we have been and we may be in the future.

One needs only to be investing our archives to find endless risky experiences we’ve consistently embarked upon along the way with many more such adventures yet to come. It’s only been during these past four months we’ve been hindered by my recent spinal injury (on June 1st) which continues to improve each day.

As we share yesterday’s storm experience, it is in no way intended to imply we were in any danger or could possibly grasp the magnitude of the devastation to the lives of those having experienced Hurricane Matthew and other such heart wrenching disasters.

We’re here to report the mundane, the exciting and the adventures of our lives, of world travel whether its an interesting insect on the veranda, a beautiful flower blooming on the grounds or an angry buffalo in the river anxious to chase my husband at his earliest convenience. 

This monstrous beetle was hunkered down on the veranda during the storm.

We report it all here for our readers to decide (if in fact, deciding is relevant) which aspects of our lives appeals to them and which do not. We easily can decipher from our stats which topics seem to attract more readers as we strive to appeal to many readers at any given time. 

We appreciate each one of you whether you like certain topics or not.

For those of our regular readers, you well know, we’re only one day away from a new topic which may prove to be more appealing to your interests than the current day’s post.

At any time, please write to us if you like us to cover topics appealing to your senses. Although, we tend to shy away from highly controversial and politically charged topics on this site, we aren’t exempt from sharing some thoughts and opinions. Otherwise, our posts would read like a dictionary.

This morning we found this leach type creature in the house, after yesterday’s storm.

This site in not intended for us to spew our perhaps one-sided opinions on certain delicate topics. That’s not to say we’ve never espoused opinions on the healthful growing of produce and meat along with the efforts we make in hoping to maintain good health through what we perceive as good nutrition and quality of life. We have… And most likely will continue to do so as our travels carry on.

May your day bring about a lively conversation or a quip you’ve read or heard that holds your interest! Be safe.

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

In Savusavu, Fiji, tourist information was available at the local police station. For more photos, please click here.

Harrowing drive completed…Grateful to be back at the villa…The old rat race or gerbil on the wheel…How did this happen to us?

Giant abalone shell sinks on the grounds of Puri Bagus Lovina.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali

Tom spotted a local woman with straw on her head after we went back to Sumbersari.

What a unique feeling it was, returning to the villa, after a five day stay in Lovina that we completed the visa extension process. It was like coming home. At 2:00 we picked up our stamped passports for a departure from Indonesia on October 30. Four weeks from today we’ll be heading to Kuta to board the red eye flight to Sydney after midnight on the 30th.

In four weeks, we’re going to Kuta to board the Red Eye flight to Sydney after midnight on the 30th.Boats on the waterfront.

In our old lives, after a short vacation/vacation, it was easy to fear the return to reality; its piles of mail, messages and back-to-work responsibilities. Then there were the piles of laundry, the old food to throw in the refrigerator, the need to quickly get to a grocery store and fill the car with fuel. 

Statue with a lei of fresh blooms on the lawn.

Sunday nights were particularly difficult as memories of time away would waft from our minds and the painstaking process of getting up and ready for work to face yet another day of the necessary grind most of us have experienced in our daily lives.

Flowers by the sea.

Of course, there are those of you who love your work and feel no anguish at the return of a journey. For the rest of us, it was only after several hours back into the groove that we could finally relax accepting our 40, 50 hours or more of the weekly “rat race.” 

Small lily pond.

The rhythm of life in this period escapes me almost now after all these years free of such responsibilities and constraints. Returning from the resort yesterday we experienced none of the above frustrations. 

The infinity edge of the pool at Puri Bagus Lovina.

We loaded the laundry hamper with our dirty clothes that the two Ketuts will make on Monday. Our dinner was prepped and ready for us once we unpacked and changed into our bathing suits.    There was no snail mail, messages we had not already processed, no need to go grocery shopping or fill the tank with fuel.

Boat and tower in the bay. Gede, the resort manager at Puri Bagus Lovina suggested patrons don’t go into the ocean due to poisonous coral.

“How did this happen to us?” We’ve often asked ourselves this question. At dinner over these past nights at the resort, we often discussed how we remain in awe of our lives, affordable with a strict budget, freeing in ways we never imagined and filled with endless experiences far exceeding any expectations we may have had in our lives and ultimately in our travels. 

Statue in the garden.

Yesterday, with a late 1:45 pm checkout in order to get to immigration by 2:00 pm, I spent the morning in the bar preparing the post. On several occasions, a variety of resort managers stopped by to thank us for our posts and for highlighting the resort.

A father, a son and a nephew serenading diners during dinner.

As we were leaving, they all were present to wish us well. Gede, the general manager, asked to take a photo with us for his own keepsake. We were flattered by their appreciation as we were appreciative of their kindness and attentiveness.

Heart shaped flower arrangement left on our bed in the resort.

Today our own Gede, visited to ensure we’d enjoyed his recommendation of the resort in Lovina located in his home town where he’d grown up and his parents and siblings are still living. We couldn’t thank him enough for the fabulous recommendation.

Tangle of trees along the shore.

Today? Easy day. Sunshine. Happiness. How did this happen to us? May it happen for you as well!

Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2015:

This was actually a dine in restaurant in a small strip mall in Savusavu, Fiji, with two tiny tables for diners and minimal cooking space for the cook.  For more details, please click here.

Part 2…Balinese food prep and arrangement…Expenses for four night resort stay…

Bruschetta was served at our table each evening. Tom ate my share the way he often does when such items are served.

This morning, after we finished our final included breakfast we walked up the steep stone steps to the lobby to checkout and pay the balance allowing us to quickly be on our way by 1:45, hoping to be early in the queue at the immigration office.

This plate of mixed seafood was my favorite during the four dinners.

The fee for both visa extensions was IDR 710,000, US$54.63, which we paid for Wednesday’s tour. Our hotel bill at Puri Bagus Lovina in its entirety, including the room rate, two pairs of pants, one shirt and bottle of custom made Balinese body oil came to a grand total of IDR 10,313,030, US $793.49. 

Avocado salad with feta cheese.

We were pleasantly surprised with the total and couldn’t have found a more enjoyable and affordable alternative to driving back and forth to Lovina three times in five days for the required process. 

Although this doesn’t appear to be sweet and sour pork, it was indeed. Tom said it was wonderful to order it for two consecutive nights.    Notice what’s under the green cone on the following picture.

When we return to the villa we’ll pay for the rental fee for the van which will be IDR 200,000, US $15.39, per day for five days totaling IDR 1,000,000, US $76.94, plus fuel at IDR 200,000, US $15.39, bringing our grand total for the entire experience to IDR 12,223,300, US $940.47.

The server removed the green cone to display the rice beneath.

It was a lot easier than flying out of the country as some tourists may choose to do in order to get a new visa stamp allowing an additional 30 day stay, depending on one’s passport of origin. 

I ordered these roasted vegetable skewers along with the yellow tuna salad shown above and in the next photo below.

We’ve had an exceptional experience at Puri Bagus Lovina  with all the thoughtful attention we received from the management staff in appreciation for our four days of stories highlighting their exquisite property. We could not be more grateful for the many ways they have reached out.

That rare tuna salad I ordered was amazing.

Today we display pictures of delicious and beautifully presented meals during the four-night stay. Not only was the food in the superb category, but the gracious service and attention to detail further exemplified the objectives of this Balinese resort abundant in charm, ambiance and service. 

The western-style omelet bar where custom omelettes are prepared to perfection.

We were never disappointed with a single meal. Tasty, fresh and well-seasoned dishes were placed in front of us, of course afterwards, never weakening in perfect timing and courtesy. Drinks were served just as we prefer with plenty of ice (an American thing) and in large iced glasses. 

Tom and I both ordered the surf and turf platter. He gave me his prawns, squid and veggies while I passed him my fries, flat bread and onion rings, requested on a separate plate. The steak was a filet, cooked to perfection and the most tender we’ve had for a long time.

We were encouraged by management to inform them about any less than ideal food or service. Long ago, we accepted the realities of “island time” because we did not need or want to mention what is simply cultural in Bali… no rush, easy does it. 

There are several fixed price three course options on the varied menu. We were allowed to mix and match items we preferred. Tom ordered this salad, unbeknownst to me, with the intent of giving me all the prawns. What a guy! He’s always thinking of me.

Many tourists fail to accept such cultural differences when coming from a hustle and bustle lifestyle in their home country.They want something and they want it now. This is not to imply service was slow at Puri Bagus Resort & Spa. It wasn’t. It was gracious and done in a manner that never made us or the attentive staff feel rushed or stressed.

Tom’s said his French onion soup was divine.  He hadn’t had this soup in quite some time.

The Hindu culture centers around a gentle, low key sense of peace and well being. Puri Bagus Resort & Spa definitely exemplified this culture with ease and seamlessness in not only its good service but also in its traditional focus on nature, cleanliness incorporating the Hindu and the Balinese ways of life.

Last night I ordered this platter of three types of fish, including John Dory, halibut and snapper with a few prawns and grilled squid rings.  Fabulous!

We’ve packed our belongings and will be ready to head out the door in time to make the 2:00 pm appointment at the immigration office. Shortly, thereafter, we’ll change into our shorts for the long two hour harrowing return drive to the villa. It’s ironic the roads are so crazy when the people of Bali are so calm and peaceful. There again, its purely a cultural thing.

Tom’s Western style dinner last night; steak, onion rings and twice baked potato. Again, he passed me his veggies.

We’ve yet to share many other photos we’ve taken over these past days, which, as we continue with our stories in Sumbersari, Bali, we’ll incorporate into future posts. 

Tom’s dessert… crème Brule, around profiterole cookie with a white frosting base and bits of fresh fruit. He enjoyed every morsel.

Stay tuned, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow with lots more photos and new “Sightings on the Beach in Bali.”

A special thanks to all of our loyal readers for traveling with us wherever we may go! We always feel your presence at our side. Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, September 30, 2015:

Savusavu, on the island of Vanua Levu in Fiji is a busy little village. We loved going to town to shop at several locations for our week’s groceries. Many locals and some tourists take buses to other parts of the island. Our driver Ratnesh, took care of all of our transportation needs. For more details, please click here.

Part 2…A visit to new friend’s home in Sumbersari…A walk along the beach to more visions of paradise…Interior photos today…See yesterday’s post for exterior photos…

Private outdoor massage space at Pia & Thomas’ house, often used when a massage therapist visits the house several times a week.
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
On the walk along the beach to Pia and Thomas’ home we spotted these two coconut shells. The one with the water had mosquitoes prospering in its contents and the other?  Who knows what may be living therein?

Today, as you read this post you’ll notice it was posted earlier than usual since soon we’ll be on the two hour road trip to Lovina where we’ll spend four nights in a one of the most highly rated hotels in the area, the Puri Bagus Lovina. We’ll be posting photos of our room, the hotel and highlights of Lovina over the next several days.

We couldn’t get over Pia and Thomas’ outdoor kitchen and the fact there was no indoor kitchen, a unique feature that only a climate such as found in Bali allowing this ideal scenario. It’s easy to imagine the pleasure of dining at this handcrafted table.

Returning to the villa on Friday afternoon, after the five day visa extension process, hopefully we’ll have the visa extensions in hand.  We’d intended to leave early this morning. However, yesterday I hadn’t completed the two comprehensive posts (click here for exterior photos) for our new friend’s, Pia and Thomas home on the beach. Thus, we decided to leave a little later while I finished the post as Tom watched the Minnesota Vikings football game.

Granite countertops and built-in grill.

As it turned out, we spent more time packing for this four night trip than we usually do when packing for our final departure in any location. Picking through our limited wardrobes, packing toiletries, computers, digital equipment, power adapter, HDMI and extension cords proved to take more time than expected.

The Balinese styled cabinets are a special touch.

Yesterday, alone in the villa all day with the staff off on Sundays, we had a wonderful day although it rained off and on. During a short period of sunshine, we swam in the pool and later chatted seated under the cabana thoroughly enjoying each other’s companionship. Gosh, we’re lucky we never tire of hanging out together! We never seem to run short of playfulness or topics of conversation!

Balinese statues welcome guests as they enter the side of the property from the front entrance.

We observed this same type of companionship, love and devotion between Pia and Thomas. They, too, love spending time together reveling in the joys of their daily lives, never failing to appreciate the gifts each day brings. 

We fell in love with the open air master bathroom.

In a few years, Thomas will retire and their lives will not be too different from ours, except that they plan to stay put in Bali for part of the year, traveling from time to time. 

Décor in the master bathroom.

As much as we loved their house, easily seeing we’d enjoy such surroundings, neither of us ever thought for one moment, that we wished for a house we could call our own even as a part time “home.” We like, no we love life just as we’ve chosen to live it on the move every few months or so, just as it is now.

The tastefully appointed master bedroom.

A few days ago while speaking to daughter-in-law Camille, she asked how long we may be traveling as we are. Admittedly, we miss family very much and also bear a certain degree of guilt for being away. That’s to be expected. As we all so well know, we can’t live our lives motivated by guilt or regret. Passion and joy must be the common denominator to attain great happiness.

The second level living room/lounge.  We sat on this comfy sofa while we chatted, enjoying the ocean breezes that cooled the humid air.

But, we’re indescribably happy, incredibly happy. How does one change what is working so well, so blissfully when life, so fleeting, so unexpected, often has other plans for us?

Inviting guest room with mosquito netting for breezy nights with windows wide open.

When that time comes, we’ll make changes to accommodate whatever fate has befallen us and move on to the next chapter, whatever that may be. How can one predict? How can one answer when asked what our long range plans may be? We don’t have all the answers.

Another view of the guest room. It would be easy to be a guest in this home!

Spending these past wonderful hours with Pia and Thomas further reminded us that we are hardly alone in our quest for personal growth and discovery in this distant life we live, not intended as a means to be “away” from those we love but to continue on a path we’ve chosen which befits our desires at this time. They, too, experience similar feelings. 

Each space is decorated to perfection.

As we make our way to Lovina during the two hour drive, once again we’ll find ourselves engaged in animated conversation, never failing for a moment to express gratitude for this magical life and the unexpected treasures we continue to encounter along the way.

Another well decorated area in the living room/lounge area.

It’s not always easy. It’s not always exciting.

At times, it’s downright frustrating. But, collectively, it’s a life we wouldn’t trade for anything in the world, as long as we’re healthy and committed to carrying on.

The closet is the size of a bedroom, neatly arranged with clothes they leave behind when they travel to other countries. They only haul carry on luggage when flying to Thailand or Germany.

We’ll be back within 24 hours with all new photos of our “holiday within a holiday,” our “vacation within a vacation,” sharing morsels we find interesting and entertaining along the way.

Happy day to all!

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

A photo from our visit to a local “egg lady.” while living in Fiji. As we approached this pair atop this table, they turned away from us while others curiously meandered toward us. For more photos, please click here.

Visitors dropped by to see us…A pleasant surprise…A cultural occasion…

Gede and his family walked by with their offerings on their way to the shrine a few doors from us.  On the return walk, they stopped to visit with us.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

After the rain, Tom’s sunset photo.

With a slew of ideas for future posts while in Bali, we’ve yet to begin chipping away at the list we created before our arrival. It seems that each day brings a plethora of new photos and stories we can’t help but give top priority.

What a lovely family in their colorful holiday clothing!

Whether or not our recent posts are of interest to our readers, remains somewhat of a mystery, but we can only observe the of number hits in the stats to determine how many people around the world are stopping by. We continue to be astounded by our visitors after posting for 4 ½  years.  Thank you, people!

The offerings are placed at the shrine.

Yesterday morning, as we peered out at the sea from the cabana, we were pleasantly surprised when Gede, his wife and two adorable children walked by in exquisite colorful clothing on their way to the temple two doors from us.

It was beautiful for us to witness the family’s Hindu tradition.

The holiday they are celebrating is as follows with additional information here:
“Galungan is the most important feast for Balinese Hindus, a celebration to honor the creator of the universe (Ida Sang Hyang Widi) and the spirits of the honored ancestors.

The festival symbolizes the victory of good (Dharma) over evil (Adharma), and encourages the Balinese to show their gratitude to the creator and sainted ancestors.”

Two sweet little girls.

Gede’s lovely wife is seven months pregnant and was truly a sight to behold in her festive holiday garb.The two precious little girls were dressed in equally colorful and adorable attire. Gede looked handsome in his special sari all of which is shown in today’s photo. (We asked their permission for the photos).

This particular holiday, as in the case of most Hindu holidays, consists of colorful flower and food offerings again as shown in today’s photos. Yesterday, our own household staff placed flowers and offerings and burning incense both indoors and out.

Seated on the edge of the cabana, we chatted with Gede. His wife, Ayu suriani and two daughters, Kadek siska (younger) and Putu saskia speak no English so it was through facial expressions we were able to express our gratitude for their visit.

Whether the offerings were placed here for us or for them while they worked in the villa, we were honored to partake in the beauty and of course, the intoxicating smell. These are special people, gentle, kind, graceful and peaceful. We love and appreciate all of them.

Even as we lounge on the veranda or the cabana, passersby on the beach including children often yell “halo” while vigorously waving their arms. Where in the world have we discovered such warmth and welcoming?

Look at that adorable face on Kadek siska!

Today is Sunday. The staff is off and we’re on our own. We have a complete meal ready for the microwave and will only need to toss the salad with dressing at dinner time.

Today, its hotter and more humid than it’s been these past over two weeks since our arrival. We’re still in the bedroom in air conditioned comfort, showered and in our swimsuits, waiting for the morning humidity to lessen a little before we tackle the outdoors for the remainder of the day.

Gede’s older daughter, Putu saskia. Stunning!

With rain each day over the past week, the flies have been on a rampage anxious to nibble on human flesh influencing our desire to be outside right now. They seem to reduce in numbers as the day wears on. With a 90% chance of thunderstorms again today, its currently sunny. After each rain storm, the number of flies increases.

Some have asked if there’s a lot of insects here and there are, although most are relatively harmless except scorpions (we’ve only had one in the villa so far) and occasional visits by scary looking spiders. Otherwise, it’s mostly mozzies, flies and ants, lots of ants; huge amounts of ants; a gross amount of ants.

Gede explained that different colors are used during various part of the Hindu ceremony.

Ants in Bali are generally only bothersome around food and prep areas. At any given moment they are all over the kitchen regardless of how clean it is kept. Over these past years of living with ants, we’ve come to just flick them away, even if a few are crawling on our plates of food which is often the case. 

There are a few ants in the bedroom, but many in the bathroom especially in the shower. The two Ketuks clean the shower six days a week, but there’s still ants crawling up and down the walls.  Even under these circumstances, we’ve come to ignore them. If they’re not the biting red ants, we pay them little attention.
The Ketuks place this beautiful display of offerings in the villa containing food and flowers. Some of the flowers are edible and are consumed during the ceremonies.

Soon, we’ll head back outside for another glorious day in this outstanding villa in Malaya Beach, Sumbersari, Bali. How did we get so lucky to find this fabulous location where we’ll be spending another 38 nights plus an additional four nights at the hotel in Lovina (beginning in eight days)?  Safari luck?

In our old lives we’d never have imagined it would be possible or affordable to be spending 42 nights in Bali under these blissful circumstances.  Yet, here we are, lapping it up, in awe and with tremendous gratitude for every single moment.

May your day be blissful!

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

In Fiji, one year ago, Badal, the neighbor Sewak’s dog, bounded up the steep hill with ease as we rode in Sewak’s truck.   It was the steepest road either of us had ever experienced in a vehicle. Badal came to visit every evening around dinner time hoping for a few scraps which we always provided. We’d asked Sewak if we could give Badal meat, since his beliefs surrounded vegetarianism.  But, Sewak didn’t mind if Badal ate meat.   For more photos, please click here.

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

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

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.

Tom’s short haircut in Phuket…Winding down for tomorrow’s departure…Final Phuket expenses tomorrow…

Shorter than he would normally prefer, Tom’s latest buzz will hold him during the 33-night cruise beginning on October 31st.

Tom needed a haircut before we left Phuket. There’s a little salon at the end of the road where it meets the major highway. We had driven past many times and he thought that it could be a good place for his much needed haircut.

The plan was to have a buzz cut that would be perfect by the time we were ready to board the 33-night cruise coming October 31st. We didn’t know it would have the best cut since we started our travels.

When we drove up to the tiny salon we asked if someone was available. A young woman, named Seven, was ready to get to work on his hair.  We asked for the price of the haircut in advance. Her associate Maw, spoke very little English, but she understood when we asked about “how many bahts.”

The exterior of the nearby tiny spa and salon.

Maw explained the cost of a men’s haircut is THB 150, US $4.34. In Singapore, where he had his last haircut, the cost was considerably higher at US $32.74, THB 1,134 (after a 20% discount for new customers) and the quality of the cut was only a fraction of the quality as compared to yesterday’s meticulous cut. 

The attention to detail was flawless as Seven spent no less than 40 minutes cutting his hair using both scissors and an electric hair trimmer. She was gracious when he included a 35% tip. (Tipping isn’t common in Thailand and any amount tendered is appreciated with a hands-pressed-together-bow-of-the-head).

After the haircut we took off for the pharmacy which can be found in Phuket  every five or six blocks when driving along the main roads. We decided to stop at the same tiny store we’d visited a few times in the past for hydrogen peroxide, Tylenol and contact lens solution.

Tom removed his glasses, closed his eyes and the 40 minute cut began.

This could prevent us from having to make yet another stop (beside the supermarket) on the four or five hour harrowing drive from the hotel in Bali to the villa in Sumbersari. 

Pharmacies in most countries are just that, they carry medicinal items only; no mascara, no shampoo and no razor blades. Most supermarkets don’t carry most of these items either requiring travelers must be well stocked  with such toiletries and supplies when staying in the more remote areas.

During the cut, I asked him to open his eyes and smile for a photo.

Also, we should mention that pharmacies in many countries do not carry commonly prescribed medications one easily finds in the US, Australia, Europe and other parts of the world. It’s best to bring enough of any necessary medications in one’s carry on bags (along with a copy of prescriptions) in the event of lost luggage.

Having found each of the three items we needed, we made our way back to our villa. It was raining hard and we saw no reason to be driving any further than necessary with the poor working windshield wipers in the less-than-stellar rental car. 

Seven analyzes Tom’s hair for his buzz cut.

We giggled over how little fuel we’ve used in the rental car when we filled it upon arrival.  Of course, my desire to stay close to “home” while recovering contributed to this fact.

Today, we’ll finish packing with only a few items we’re still using yet to be added to the bags. Tom will place everything by the front door so we’ll be ready to head out first thing in the morning. 

The interior of the salon area was no larger than a medium sized RV or caravan.  A massage area was located in a back room we didn’t see.

Hopefully, we’ll both sleep well tonight. We have a tendency to toss and turn on nights before departure, especially when we have to use an alarm to ensure we’re up on time.  Invariably, I awaken before the alarm goes off.

Tomorrow, the post with our final expenses for the 41 days in Phuket which we’re preparing today will automatically upload in time for your usual viewing. Please keep in mind that these total expenses are lower than we’d expected when we spent a little during my convalescence. Dining out, boat tours and other tourist activities would have increased the total costs. 

Coconut shells stored on the side of this building near the salon. Coconut shells may be used to make charcoal which is used as fuel.  See here for details.

When we commence the long drive to the villa another new post will upload. As a result, no daily posts will be missed during the two day’s traveling.

We’re looking forward to the dinner the two Ketuts which will have waiting for us upon our arrival around 5:00 or 6:00 pm. We’re both anticipating their happy faces, their fine food and again seeing Gede, the house man and Ribud, the pool guy. Of course, seeing the buffaloes walking along the beach during dinner makes us smile as well.

Happy day!


Photo from one year ago today, August 31, 2015:

The view of Double Island and Scout Island are a pleasant beginning to any day in Trinity Beach. For more photos as we began our final week in Australia please click here.

Spending idle time…Two days and counting…Favorite Phuket photos begin today…

Boats anchored in shallower waters.    The owners are welcome to walk to the boat.

Although we rise early most of the time, the thought of setting an alarm is always done with a bit of fear. Having retired in 2011, in my old life, there had been few mornings where I had to get up and be at the door in a rush.

Since beginning our travels in October, 2012, there’s been more mornings than we can count where we’ve had to be up and “at ’em” early in the morning in order to begin a travel day. What time do we consider early? 

Appearing before 5 in the morning is considered early by our standards, especially when we need to be somewhere.  Most mornings, I’m awake that early, but not necessarily preparing to head out. There’s a big difference, isn’t there?

Chalong Beach.

Why I dread those mornings where we must leave early disconcerts me. I find it easy to get out of bed when the alarm goes off. Is this the prospect of another long day on the road? The heavy bags? The long lines? Immigration? Customs? Pay for excess luggage? The tight seats on the flight? Maybe it’s all of those things.

Once we get into the taxi for the ride to the airport, a bit of the angst begins to waft away, escalating further after we’ve checked in for our flight disposing of our three heavy bags, left with only a few carry on bags. 

With international airports requiring arrival two hours prior to a flight’s departure, we’re often left with more than 60 minutes until boarding. In most cases, we find a restaurant, purchase a beverage and get online if the airport has free Wi-Fi, which we find more and more common. Only a few airports charge for WiFi access.

Boats tied to shore at the beach. Life jackets hanging on a post.

The next issue is our laptop batteries discharging. For Thursday’s upcoming flight, we’ll have no less than an hour of waiting time at the airport in Phuket and then another three hour layover in Singapore (our third trip to Singapore in these past four months). 

Some airports have recharging stations, but we’ve seldom needed to use them. In this case, it may be necessary when it seems our laptop batteries are losing life after almost two years of use.

My laptop may indicate I have seven or eight hours on a charge when in fact it’s much less. Tom has a similar laptopm but can function unplugged a few hours less than mine.

Boats in the bay.

These were a time that reading a physical book would have been handy, but there’s no way we’re willing to carry books with us. 

Now that Tom doesn’t have a smart phone until our shipment arrives, he won’t be able to read books on his phone. The charge on my phone may last eight hours if I don’t get online. Good thing, I saved my phone with the rice after dropping it in the toilet, or neither of us would have a working cell phone.

In most cases, I read books on my phone during flights, putting the phone in “flight mode” as required. I usually save the phone for the flight as opposed to reading while waiting in airports. When a flight has individual video screens, a movie is often ideal as opposed to reading.

Entrance to the long pier at the beach.

I suppose we’re not unlike many others who use electronics to whittle away idle time.  Where are the days when we’d sit quietly in an airport reading a People magazine which now holds no interest whatsoever? Where are the days when people watching could occupy two hours of idle time?

We’ve trained ourselves in this digital world to need constant stimulation. Tom and I are no exception. Sure, in Bali again we’ll spend some idle hours staring out at the beach and its wildly interesting activities, which again we’ll continue sharing in our “Sightings on the Beach in Bali” daily feature on the posts.

But, there again, its all about mental stimulation. Neither one of us are inclined toward quiet contemplation without any form of activity for the brain. Maybe to an extent this is good for our aging brains as both of us still possess great memory and recall as we’ve aged. 

Second long pier at the beach.

We can’t believe much of which we read about these topics online when the speculations change week by week. (We’re talking about adults here, not children, which is an entirely different scenario).

What is one to believe? I guess we can leave it to our own devices, figuratively and literally. What gives us the greatest sense of engagement with our surroundings, our world and with each other?  What makes us the most fulfilled?

If spending hours online, on our tablets, computers and phones provides us with a sense of accomplishment and pleasure who’s to argue with this? Then again, perhaps the biggest concern is a lack of physical activity while we’re entertaining ourselves. 

“They” say sitting is bad which may be true. But which group of seniors (or those younger) spends eight to ten hours a day on their feet? Few. Very few.

Fisherman searching for a possible catch.

Off we go in two days, arising at 5:30 am on Thursday to be ready to head out the door by 7 am for our arriving taxi.

 We’ll arrive at our hotel in Bali around 8:30 pm that evening after a very long travel day.  In the morning, we’ll have breakfast at the hotel and begin the four or five hour harrowing drive with a few stops along the way.

I’m a little concerned over how I’ll do over these two extended periods based on my continuing recovery. But, with digital equipment in hand, hopefully, I’ll be able to distract myself well enough to maneuver through the lengthy process.

Be well and stay entertained, however that works for YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, August 30, 2015:

We couldn’t resist taking photos of these Flintstone’s character statues in a nearby yard in Trinity Beach, Australia.  For more photos, please click here.