Challenge at the grocery store…Adapting to food differences presents challenges…How much did we spend?

Aussies we met on the ship suggested we try kangaroo meat.  I haven’t convinced myself to try this yet.  Tom is definitely not interested.

For those of our readers who have little interest in food, the cost of food, the availability of food, and our ability to find foods appropriate to our way of eating, this post is not for you. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more non-food related conversation.

Let’s face it, food is a big part of all of our lives. We may find pleasure in what we chose to eat. Food has the ability to provide us with good health. Some revel in the shopping and preparation of food. Food may accompany certain recreational occasions. Food and wine (or other drink of choice) may represent romance and celebrations.

We can’t escape from food, even if we want to. We have to eat to survive. We may choose to enjoy the process of figuring out our next meal or we can struggle with guilt and angst (or not) over a stop for fast food or other less than healthy pre-made and restaurant food. 

Ground beef is referred to as mince in Australia as we found in some other parts of the world such as in Africa, Italy and Portugal.

Some who prefer not to cook may have found excellent sources of pre-made or pre-cooked meals that fit both their survival and goal of good health. There are many who may choose ways of eating that have no rhyme or reason or may prefer a wide array of eating options to include: low carb, low fat, paleo, low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegetarian, vegan, and many more that have brought them to a point of good health. 

Wouldn’t all of us choose to eat in a manner that brings us good health, longevity and also a level of enjoyment in eating our chosen type of diet? For many younger people (and older as well), little thought is given to what they eat or the long-term consequences of their choices. That, too, becomes a choice in itself.

I’m not here to preach any particular manner of eating. If I’ve seemed to do so, as we’ve traveled the world, striving to maintain a level of health that will allow us to continue on for years to come, I apologize for “stuffing” you with our choices and opinions. The bottom line, what works for each of us?

You can easily enlarge this receipt to read the details of yesterday’s grocery shopping at Woolie’s. The AUD $227.57 for Woolie’s translates to US $175.86.  This total didn’t include the veggies at US $32.77, AUD $42.41, and Italian sausage at US $13.45, AUD  $17.40.

In the past few weeks, Tom has returned to my way of eating beginning back on the ship on the last few days when he’d had his fill of bread, sweets and starchy foods.  He’s since lost 15 pounds of belly fat. His shorts and pants now button easily. 

I look at him several times of day, in awe of the reduction in the size of his waistband, surely an indicator of future good health. Extreme amounts of belly fat has been proven, over and over again to have a bearing on health, well being and life span. 

I wouldn’t care about the appearance of a big belly if it was an indicator of good health. But, unfortunately, it is not. And nothing gives us both more joy than knowing that our continued good health is the primary reason we’ll have the opportunity to continue on our journey long into the future. It is only poor health or serious injury that will put an end to this life we live.

Fallen coconuts sprouting into what will eventually be coconut trees.

Yesterday, we headed to Woolie’s, a popular supermarket in Australia. Having visited a few other markets, we found that overall Woolie’s has the best selections. 

Over the past week, I’d made a list of several items we’d needed to purchase for meals that we particularly enjoy befitting our chosen diet that we’ve mentioned many times in these posts; one, our grain, starch, and sugar-free sausage, mushroom, onion, and olive pizza made with a cheese and egg crust and two, a staple for us, our “unwich,” a bread-free sandwich wrapped in parchment paper using large romaine lettuce leaves to hold it together. 

Here’s the link to our gluten-free pizza recipe.

Here’s the link to instructions and recipes for making our bread-less sandwiches.

We hadn’t had either of these meals in over a month and were looking forward to having them again, leaving leftovers for a few more meals. As I mentioned in the past, we have little room in the small fridge and freezer making it challenging to stock up for a week or more.

With metered wifi, we won’t be able to spend time online looking for names of plants and flowers. We saw this particular bloom in Hawaii but can’t recall the name of it. Any suggestions?

On our menu for the upcoming week, we’d planned for the following meals:
1.  3 nights:  Unwich, made fresh each night. The fresh deli meats only last four days before spoiling and thus it makes sense to have this for three nights
2.  3 nights:  Homemade pizza
3.  2 nights:  Homemade coconut chicken tenders
All of the above includes a side of vegetables and a salad, made fresh each day. This menu plan allows for eight dinners and few, if any, trips back to the market except for a few fresh veggies.

As I wandered through the market while Tom sat on a bench nearby ready to help me when I was done, I found myself at a loss when I couldn’t find many of the items necessary to make the above meals befitting my way of eating.

All of the pasta sauces necessary for making the pizza were loaded with sugar, starch, wheat and chemicals. At the deli, all but one type of the deli meats (a bland-looking ham) we typically use in making the sandwiches; roast beef, turkey, ham and salami had massive amounts of sugar, gluten and chemicals. 

Tropical flowers proliferate in tropical climates such as here in Trinity Beach in the northern part of Australia which is warmer year-round than many other parts of the continent. This is a bottle brush flower which we’d also seen in Kauai at the Princeville Botanical Gardens.

Deli meats should have no added sugar and less than one gram of carbohydrates per serving. Many of the meats were 5 carb grams per serving indicating large amounts of additives. Plain beef, pork, chicken, turkey have zero grams of carbs per serving.

After driving the deli guy crazy asking him to look up the ingredients in the meats, which appeared to be freshly-sliced meat, we discovered that the meats were filled with grains and sugars of varying types, none of which I could or would be willing to eat other than the bland ham. 

Since Tom doesn’t react to small amounts of sugar or gluten, I purchased the usual items for him. Would I not be able to have an unwich, one of my favorite items, while we live in Australia?

The only solution that would work for me was to make my sandwiches with cooked uncured streaky bacon, avocado, natural Jarlsburg cheese without additives, the gluten, the bland ham, spinach, lettuce, tomato and onion, an alternative that proved to be delicious.

We’d never seen anything quite like these growing fruit or pods as in this tree in the yard.  Any ideas?

As for the pizza that we’ll make in a few days, I will forgo the sauce, instead spreading a bit of our homemade ketchup (I made this the first few days we arrived), seasoned with Italian spices. This will ensure I won’t be consuming gluten, additives, or sugar. Luckily, I found free-range organic chicken without added hormones and won’t have any trouble making our coconut chicken tenders. 

I must admit I scoured the market attempting to find more appropriate items. We use a few pre-made products. A few nights ago, I used a bottle of what was referred to as “American” mustard that I’d purchased, never thinking to read the label. American mustard is usually made with mustard seeds, vinegar, salt, and water. 

When I squeezed a glob of the mustard onto my plate and dipped my gluten-free sausage into it, taking a bite I was shocked by the sweet taste. It was loaded with sugar, one portion including four grams of sugar compared to a teaspoon of sugar. I wiped the mustard off my plate, later tossing the squeeze bottle into the trash.

We’ve yet to use the pool when its been cloudy or raining most days since we arrived, including today.

In all, my disappointment is over the long list of ingredients in many foods which includes chemicals, grains, starches, and sugar that are entirely unnecessary in our diets. This is not an Australian thing. It is universal in many countries throughout the world many of which we visited over these past few years.

As a result, I’ll stick to my usual “food in its natural state” as best as I can while avoiding items loaded with ingredients unsuitable for my way of eating. I’m certainly looking forward to a repeat of last night’s unwich. Of course, Tom was content with his giant bread-free sandwich.

Otherwise, I was thrilled over the mostly organic vegetables we purchased at the indoor farmers market which when I washed at home, made me smile over the worms and bugs I encountered. The uneven sizes of the produce and the bugs assured me that few if any, chemicals were used in the growing process.

These lovely gladiolas are growing in the yard.

Finally, when I wasn’t able to find Italian sausage of any type in the market, I was ready to give up the idea of pizza entirely. Tom doesn’t care for pepperoni or other meats on pizza. After we paid for the veggies at the farmers market and Woolies, I headed to the nearby meat market in the mall. 

They not only had the Italian sausage but it was gluten and sugar-free. The butcher explained that a small amount of rice flour was used in the preparation to hold it together which is a very small amount, won’t have a negative impact on me especially with the small portion I’ll eat. Also, this meat market had all the grass-fed meat, both beef, and lamb, that we could possibly want during our three months in Trinity Beach. 

Included today are photos of the receipts for the meat market, Woolie’s, and the farmer’s market. Overall, we spent US $238.66, AUD $308.88, an amount with which we’re pleasantly surprised. That averages at US $29.83, AUD $38.61, keeping in mind this included paper products and a few non-food items as well.

Today, we’re off to the fitness center where I’ll sign up for a membership and do my first workout while Tom waits for me, reading his book. Later, we’ll take a drive to check out more scenery in the area. Tomorrow, weather providing, a road trip may be in order. It’s raining today.

Have a day filled with wonderful surprises!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, June 23, 2014:

The soccer world cup was in full swing and the citizens of Madeira were excited and engaged in the process.  For details for this date, please click here.

Happy Father’s Day to those where it’s Sunday, June 21st…The shortest day of the year here in Australia…The longest for others…

View from our veranda. 

It’s a weird phenomenon for us. Today is June 22nd here in Australia, June 21st in many other parts of the world. For those for which it is June 21st, it is the longest day of the year.

For us, yesterday on June 21st, it was the shortest day of the year with the least amount of daylight. It’s now winter here. The longest day of the year in Australia will be December 21st when summer begins.

Colorful plants surround the yard,

In our old lives, we never gave any of this a thought. We lived our lives with a calendar commensurate with what we saw when we looked out the window; all four seasons with June being the beginning of the short Minnesota summer months.

By late August the leaves began to fall, the temperatures quickly began to change and less than two months later, we would turn on the furnaces and prepare for the long winter months.  

On occasion it snowed on Halloween with the trick or treaters wearing coats over their costumes, the house becoming chilled each time we opened the door to hand out the candy. That was our old life. This is our new life.

The high humidity is a perfect climate for mushrooms.

It’s Monday morning here.  Sunday afternoon, we took a drive looking for the fitness club that I plan to join in a few days. I’ve put this off since we arrived 10 days ago and the time has come for me to face the music. 

It’s so easy to lose the momentum for working out. I worked out on the ship but most likely lost a certain amount of my fitness level by missing over a week. With the high-intensity interval training I do once every six days as recommended by scientific research, with lots of walking and activity, I am not as far behind as I may have been in my old style of working out five times a week, an hour and a half each time. Those days are long gone.

Wildflowers in the yard.

It was tricky finding the fitness center which was closed by the time we arrived. Like typical seniors, we like to scope out where what we’re looking for in the area. We’ve already noticed that driving directions may be off in this area when using online maps. After navigating a few roundabouts (common in Australia), we finally found it and hope to return tomorrow so I can join and do my first workout.

Now as we reflect, we don’t think we had jet lag. In reality, we were off an entire day after crossing the International Dateline plus a few hours. Not enough to cause jet lag. The entire day time difference wouldn’t result in jet lag. It’s just a different day on the calendar. In any case, we’re back to our “old” selves, cheerful, feeling great, and anxious to see more of our immediate surroundings.

We spotted these White Ibis on the front lawn of a house near the fitness center.

Australia is considered one of the most expensive areas to live and visit in the world. As we’ve investigated what we hope to do we’ve decided it makes sense to stay within a day’s drive of our current location. 

Investigating trains to other larger cities, the cost for a round trip 24 hours train ride with a modest reclining sleeper was US $1165, AUD $1500 (for two, round trip).  By adding the cost of accommodations, other transportation, dining out, and various tourist venues a three-day visit could easily cost US $2500, AUD $3216.

The beak on White Ibis is long and hooked, ideal for catching fish.

Driving the same distance would take six days round trip plus the cost of gas, accommodations, meals, and venues and result in our being gone for nine days. Paying rent for our house in Trinity Beach makes no sense for us to be gone for nine days. Our budgetary concerns must always prevail.

Instead, we’ve booked several cruises that travel around the continent allowing us to “live” on the ships with no other rents paid at that time and to see the majority of the larger Australian cities on tours. For us, this is an economical and logical alternative. 

In the interim, there’s an abundance of sights to see within a one day drive in this amazing area with beautiful weather during its winter months. Today we awoke to exquisite sunshine and ideal temperatures.

A kangaroo posing for us. They aren’t a friendly as warthogs in South Africa or birds in Kauai so I won’t go overboard with kangaroo photos. I can’t wait to see a “joey” in a pouch.

As soon as I upload today’s post, we’re off to Woolie’s and the farmer’s market. We’re literally out of any options for tonight’s dinner. The last time we shopped was six days ago and with the tiny freezer stocking up for longer periods isn’t possible. Tomorrow, we’ll post a photo of our receipts.

However, we have no concerns that this will be an issue for us. We try to make each planned meal last for no less than two nights, made fresh each day. When we enjoy our meal as much we do we actually look forward to repeats.

Again, Father’s Day to all the dads out there on the opposite side of the International Dateline including our two sons, both of whom are great dads and to whom we send our utmost love and affection.     

                                              Photo from one year ago today, June 22, 2014:

Water in the creek in Campanario, Madeira after a night’s heavy rains. For more details of our life in Madeira, one year ago, please click here.

What we’re missing so far in Australia…Guess we need to accept and adapt…

The seafood is offered by the kilo (2.2) pounds in AUD. As a result, these prices are not bad. For example AUD $20 is USD $15.51.

Every country has its nuances and its lifestyle commensurate with centuries of history and tradition. We try as much as we can to adapt to these differences that we find wherever we may travel.

As our long term readers know we’ve sacrificed many aspects of our lives in order to have the joy of traveling the world, few of which we ever find difficult to change after a few weeks have passed.

These sacrifices may include many items of which we become glaringly aware the first few weeks in a new location. Here in Australia, a few items stand out that may take some getting used to such as a lack of international news on TV (we’re news junkies). 

At first glance, these also look pricey when in reality, they are lower priced than we paid in many countries, especially in Hawaii. All the fish is wild-caught.

We like to stay abreast of international news, which keeps us in touch with the outside world as well as keeping us aware of where we shouldn’t travel due to intense political unrest.

On a lesser scale, Australians don’t drink much coffee. We can’t find an electric or appropriate stove top coffee pot. Arriving here last Thursday, we’ve scoured several stores, (no less than five) to discover that Australians don’t brew coffee as we know it, in a pot with or without a filter.

They do use a few pricey apparatus such as the French press machine which we did find at a pricey kitchen store for US $54.31, AUD $70, which based on its small size would be cumbersome when we each may drink three cups in the morning. Pressing for this amount of coffee would not be worth using the small press.

Some of the fish products are pre battered.  If we use a batter, we’ll make it using coconut or almond flour both of which I’d been able to purchase at the Woolworth’s grocery store.
We both like our coffee hot and this style of coffee making leaves it greatly cooled by the time it’s served. We used such a press in Morocco but found it made the coffee too strong and subsequently cold.  Neither of us wanted to spend that amount of money on a device we didn’t like using. Even K-mart didn’t have many possibilities. They didn’t have a coffee machine section nor could the rep suggest where we’d find such a thing.

We could send for a coffee maker from Amazon.com but, by the time we receive it after paying high shipping costs, we’ll be used to living without it and nearly be ready to move along. At the grocery store, there was a small coffee section with bags of beans, none of which works for us. We’ve decided not to drink coffee in Australia and may encounter the same scenario in other locations in the South Pacific.

As I scurried about K-mart, looking for an electric coffee machine, Tom reminded me to stop asking for an electric coffee pot. He assumed such questions and ancillary comments would make me appear as the “ugly American.” I stopped asking now that I understand that primarily, Australians drink tea. When we saw many Aussies drinking coffee on the ship, we assumed this was a popular morning beverage.

Next time, we shop for groceries, I’ll be purchasing some of this fresh fish from this local fish market located in the mall.

Since I like tea, giving up coffee won’t be too difficult for me. Although most mornings I like to drink coffee, I usually have tea at 4 pm each day, not unlike the British way. Maybe it’s harder for Tom, who doesn’t like tea as an alternative. For some reason, I can’t seem to get the coffee out of my head. Perhaps it due to the fact that we have one bag of delicious Kauai coffee with us and no way to brew it.

On the ship to Australia, I never had coffee when it was made too strong for my liking. Tom drank it using half decaf, half regular, adding real sugar and fake cream (no real cream was available). 

At least now he won’t be consuming six teaspoons of granulated sugar each day, hardly befitting our way of eating a low carb, starch-free, grain-free, and sugar-free diet. The lack of coffee for me is only psychological since I haven’t had a cup since we were in Hawaii, 24 days ago. “They,” say it takes three weeks to “break a habit.”

Speaking of “cruise food.” Tom has already lost all the weight he gained on the ship. In reality, he didn’t go overboard (no pun intended) eating starchy, sugary, carb-laden foods. He never had an ice cream cone and had few desserts. Instead, he ordered margaritas and Mai Tai’s which were included in his drink package. 

An indoor farmer’s market in the mall.

I didn’t gain an ounce and as a matter of fact lost a few pounds although I had a substantially large breakfast each morning along with a cup of homemade hollandaise sauce served with each dinner to keep my fat consumption at high levels which is a requirement of my diet, referred to as LCHF (low carb, high fat with moderate protein).

Cooking again has been good. Last night, we made organic burgers (no grass-fed ground beef available so far) with avocados, homemade ketchup, sautéed mushrooms, onions, organic sliced tomatoes topped with fine cheeses, and some of the best “streaky” bacon we’ve had in a long time. 

We haven’t seen bacon referred to as “streaky” bacon since living in Kenya, almost two years ago. Streaky or not, the deli is the only area in the grocery store the bacon can be purchased. There is none of the expected pre-packaged bacon. The streaky deli bacon is smoky flavored and delicious.

Yesterday’s grocery shopping trip worked out well. With only a tiny space in the freezer, we can’t purchase meat other than that which we’ll consume in a few days, another challenge and change from what we’ve done in the past.

Although I don’t eat fruit, this red dragon fruit certainly looks appealing.  Here again, prices are per kilo (2.2 pounds). 


Today returned to the Telstra phone store. The SIM card we purchased wouldn’t work on either of our hot spots devices. Much to my delight and surprised when they couldn’t get our devices to work, they gave us a loaner to use while here in Trinity Beach. 

The rep didn’t require me to pay a deposit or sign a form for the “loaner.” How unusual is that? He stated that he had no fear that I’d return it before we eventually leave.  Where in the world does this happen? We’re both in awe of the trust the rep exercised in letting us walk out the door with the pricey device.

That’s the nature of the Australian people; kind, friendly, and trusting. So, if we have a few inconveniences, they are more than balanced out by all the pluses of living in this wonderful country.

To sum up a few of the new sacrifices we’ve discovered for life in Australia:
1.  No morning coffee  (there are a few coffee shops but not something we’d spend money on each day).
2.  No purchasing protein beyond what we’ll use in a few days.
3.  No international news unless we watch news online.  With the poor wifi signal, this isn’t a good option.
4.  No screens on doors and windows.
5.  No grass-fed beef other than a few steaks offered at US $34.87, AUD $44.95 per kilo (2.2 pounds).  Mostly I’ll focus on the huge selection of wild-caught fish and free range chickens, having beef only occasionally.

This glorious life we live requires changing our needs and wants almost every few months, finding “workarounds” that suit us in the interim. Oh, one more workaround for Tom that he’s experienced many times in these past 32 months…he’s now driving on the opposite side of the road and shifting using his left hand (he’s right-handed).  

Now, my big challenge is walking up to the correct side of the car to open the passenger door and get in. In three months, I should be able to get this under control.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, June 16, 2014:

The fog rolled in while Tom stood on our veranda in Madeira, Portugal. It was quite a sight to see. For details from that date, please click here.

Wrapping up Sydney…Final cruise tally…Shocking numbers…New Sydney photos…

The early morning lights of Luna Park, Sydney.

Spending only a half a day in Sydney, viewing the amazing port, as seen from the ship, and driving through the city to the airport gave us a perception that it is truly an amazing city. 

We’ll be returning and staying overnight on several occasions as we board more cruises to tour this amazing continent. Australians spend a lifetime scouring this vast continent never feeling they’ve even scratched the surface. 

Image showing Australia and the British Isles sizes compared
Australia compared to the size of the US is nearly as big.  Our perception may have been it’s a large island. From this map, it’s evident that not the case, and its vastness and wilderness are unique in many ways as we’ll illustrate over the next many months.

As the world’s sixth-largest country after Canada, Russia, China. USA and Brazil, its size exceeded our perceptions of years past. For us, as visitors for so little time, we’d decided cruising around the country would give us a better opportunity to explore its many major states and cities. 

At some point, down the road during gaps in our schedule, we may decide to rent a “caravan” (an RV) to further explore the mysterious barren Outback which intrigues both of us.

Even the glow of the ship against the backdrop of the beautiful harbor was appealing.

For now, we’ve moved into our Trinity Beach home for the next three months and as soon as it stops raining, we’ll begin taking endless photos of the exquisite beauty surrounding us. The property is exactly as shown in the photos and the owners, Sylvie and Andy, living quietly above us, are even more charming than expected.  It couldn’t be more desirable. Photos to come tomorrow.

Getting here was challenging. We were exhausted and hungry after a long 12 hour travel day. But we always recall the 36 hour travel day to Africa to remind ourselves how short, these less trying days can be, comparatively.

Buildings line up along the shore.

On the way from the airport to Trinity Beach, we stopped at a Woolworth’s grocery store to buy bottled water, cream, roasted chickens, and salad for dinner. We hadn’t had a bite all day and needed quick sustenance. The store was much more well-stocked than we’d expected and today we’ll return to do the first big shopping. 

Renting the car was somewhat of a fiasco when our prepaid reservation was missing which finally they found after considerable time and effort. They rented us our usual smallish vehicle, some Mazda model into which our luggage manages to fit.

There’s no doubt that Sydney is one of the most beautiful port cities in the world.

By the end of today, we’ll be totally unpacked and situated, with piles of laundry to wash and dry. With our own washer and dryer right outside the front door, it will be a breeze.

We’ve always heard about the Harbour Bridge but had no idea how impressive it would be in person.

With the rush over the past few days, we had little opportunity to elaborate on our final cruise expenses. Here they are in detail including the cruise fare.
USD               AUD
Cruise fare including taxes, fees, and gratuities:           6,011.63       7,754.39
Final bill from 17 nights incl. wifi, cocktails, spec. din.:  1,577.19        2,034.41
Additional out of pocket cash gratuities:                         200.00          257.97
Tours, not included in the bill:                                         75.00           96.74
Grand Total:                                                            $7,863.80   $10,143.50
Average Cost per day (for two):                                $   462.58   $     596.68

Our usual average cost per day when living in rentals, paying for rental cars, groceries, tours, dining out, and miscellaneous is approximately US $200, AUD $257.97. By cruising, as opposed to flying, which may have been as much as US $3000, AUD $3871.12 we really didn’t pay much more at approximately an extra US $86, AUD $110.97 per day than our usual living costs.

Another view of the famous Sydney Opera House.

For the extra difference, the extraordinary experience made it well worth the expenditure. We’re pleasantly shocked by these numbers.

We’ll be back tomorrow with photos of our new home as we wait for the rain and cloudy skies to clear. You won’t be disappointed. Nor are we!

                                                 Photo from one year ago on June 12, 2014:

We drove to the village of Boa Morte to check out the scenery. For details, please click here.

Photo from one year ago today, June 11, 2014:

We never thought we’d have views comparable to those in Madeira but we’re beginning to think that the views here in Trinity Beach may compare. For details, please click here.

The end of an era in paradise…How to make Kauai work for a vacation or holiday…Two days and counting…Favorite Kauai photos…

The view from our lanai.

For those living in more beautiful places than Kauai, do tell me where you are and we’ll hope to visit someday soon.  For those living in barren, desolate areas, we appreciate the beauty of those places too.

The beach at Hanalei Bay.

Our hearts skipped a beat over the barren desolation in three countries in Africa, finding an indescribable beauty that will linger in our hearts and minds forever, hoping to return to Africa sometime in the future.

An albatross parent looking happy.

It isn’t always about ocean and mountain views, lush greenery, and blooming tropical flowers. It can be sand blanketed desert or rocky tumbleweed covered plains and the unique beauty is evident. 

An Eyebrowed Thrush we spotted in the yard.

Wherever we may travel, we find ourselves in awe of Mother Nature’s bounty of terrain and vegetation appropriate to a climate and elevation. How magical is that fact in itself? 

Anini Beach on a cloudy day.

As for Kauai, its truly a paradise and if scenery provides the traveler with a much needed respite from the rigors of daily life, Kauai is the place to visit. Many assume that it’s hard to travel to Kauai when in fact there are direct flights from some major cities. 

The dry caves at Tunnels Beach.

In the worst case, a short layover in Honolulu will result in a short 30-minute flight heading this way every few hours. Car rentals are reasonable, especially if booked online at such sites as rentalcars.com. We were able to rent a car in Kauai for under US $700 a month, surprisingly reasonable. (For shorter rentals, the rates may be slightly higher on a per-week basis).

Birdie added a lot of fun to our stay in Kauai.

Accommodations are plentiful in Kauai whether one chooses to stay in Princeville, Hanalei, Kilauea, Kapaa, Poipu, Waimea, or any of the other resort areas. Prices vary from as little as $120 a night to $1000’s per night.  Overall, most average rates are around $265 a night for a well-equipped condo that may include an ocean view. 

African Tulips bloomed and not bloomed.

By staying for a week or more with a full kitchen one can keep the costs at a reasonable level by cooking some of the meals. Our average cost for groceries has been under $50 a day as opposed to approximately $200 or more (for two) who may choose to dine out twice a day. 

Beautiful, the name escapes

Many condos with full kitchens are equipped with basic spices and condiments. Being able to avoid purchasing paper products, cleaning supplies and condiments keeps the costs at bay. It may be worth asking if any of these items are included in the rent.

A newly hatched albatross chick, nestled under a parent.

With our long one to three months stays in mostly houses, we have no expectations of the owners providing us with paper products, laundry and bath soaps, shampoo and cleaning supplies. However, these items may all be included for the one to two-week stay in a vacation property.

A Princeville shore.

Dining out is sketchy at best in Kauai. It’s important to check the reviews on TripAdvisor for restaurants in Kauai to decide what will fit your budget and food preferences. For us, there were few good options, mainly due to my way of eating.

A waterfall on the treacherous path down to the Queen’s Bath.  We can’t believe we made that hike!

Will we ever return to Kauai? The answer would be “yes” if we didn’t have so much world yet to see. At this point, we’ve seen so little of the world and have many plans in mind for the future which doesn’t include returning to Hawaii.

During our visit to the southern shore of Kauai, this horse seemed happy to see us.

Would we ever live in Kauai, if and when health requires we settle down, which, let’s face it, most likely will occur at some point? If that occurs, most likely we’d prefer more convenient access to competent medical care.  Who knows?  Preferably, we’ll be able to stay fit and healthy and when our final days near we’ll be situated in a favorite location for a 90 day or longer stint.

The Spouting Horn in Poipu.

Kauai is not necessarily suitable for those with chronic health conditions who may need frequent access to treatment and facilities which, if needed can be found an hour’s drive from Princeville in Lihue or perhaps taking a flight to Oahu. 

Rainbow Eucalyptus tree. 

We’ve spoken to some locals that travel to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona for annual physicals and treatment and others who fly to Honolulu for care. That may be too cumbersome for long-term residents.

This Kauai sunset will remain a favorite.

If, as a traveler, walking is your preferred activity, Kauai offers the utmost in trails, designated sidewalks, beaches and tourist towns for some of the finest walking to be found anywhere. 

A clear pool of water at high tide.

If all one did when coming to Kauai was to walk, partaking in some of the many trails based on the level of fitness, and spent time gazing at the scenery, the sunrises, and sunsets, it would be an extraordinary and memorable experience. It isn’t necessary to spend much if any money on tours if one is on a budget and longs to visit Kauai.

This shot was taken on our hike down the steep path to Hideaways Beach.

We leave Kauai with happy hearts for an experience we’ll always cherish for its constant beauty and for the many friendships we’ve made and the memories we’ll always treasure.

                                                Photo from one year ago today, May 21, 2014:

We took this photo from a steep road on our way to Ribeira Brava in Madeira, Portugal. For more details from that date, please click here.

Sugar Plantations in Kauai…Are there any left in Kauai?…

Locomotive and coach formerly used for tours of the Kilauea Sugar Plantation, now closed for many years.

Several days ago, I’d mentioned posting information about sugar plantations in Kauai. Unfortunately, under the weather the past several days has left me feeling a little less creative in the writing equivalent of an essay on the topic of which I knew very little, having visited only one plantation in Maui.

An abandoned sugar plantation from 1905.

We’d hoped to visit a sugar plantation before we left the island of Kauai to have our own photos and story to share. However, after considerable research, we discovered that all of them have closed, the most recent in 2007.

As a result, I’ve borrowed the following information and photos from this site which tells the story better than I could have, especially after not being able to visit a sugar plantation while here in Kauai. I’ve changed the font for easier reading.

“Sugar cane, or Ko in Hawaiian, is a perennial grass that can grow up to 20 feet high. Imported by the original Polynesian inhabitants of Hawai’i the plant was believed to have medicinal properties in addition to its sweet flavor. Once harvested the stalks are ground up and the liquid extracted by rollers to obtain juice, which is then slowly boiled down to create raw sugar.

The first commercial sugarcane plantation was started at Koloa, Kauai in 1835. Early sugar planters faced a multitude of challenges including shortages of water, limited labor, and due to their isolated location a lack of markets for their sugar.

It takes approximately 5 million gallons of water per acre to bring a crop of sugar ready to harvest during a two-year growing cycle. Just 20% of that amount comes from rain so the pioneer sugar planters solved water shortages by building irrigation systems that included aqueducts (the first built on Kauai in 1856), artesian wells (the first in 1879), and tunnels and mountain wells (the first in 1898).
 
The 1876 Treaty of Reciprocity between the United States and the Kingdom of Hawaii eliminated the major trade barrier to Hawaii’s closest major market for its raw sugar and a new industry in Hawaii was born. In just 60 short years raw sugar production reached 225,000 tons and by 1932 had grown to one million tons. 

As the major commercial enterprise in rural Hawaii the plantations were cities unto themselves employing the majority of island labor force, providing housing, transportation, entertainment and later even electricity to the residents of Kauai through the power generated at their sugar mills. The first train came to Kauai in 1881 and served the Kilauea Plantation with 3 miles of track and five engines.
For over a century, sugar cane was the state’s leading economic activity providing Hawaii’s major source of employment and tax revenues. It takes approximately three feet of cane to produce one cube of sugar. On Kauai alone, there were over 70,000 acres dedicated to sugar with up to nine major plantations operating across the island at any given time from the Hanalei River to the Mana Plain. 
Former Kauai Sugar Plantations
Gay and Robinson
Established 1889 at Makaweli, Kauai
Grove Farm Plantation
Established 1864 at Lihue, Kauai
Kekaha Sugar Company
Established in 1856 at Kekaha, Kauai
Kilauea Sugar Plantation
Established 1877 at Kilauea, Kauai
Kipu Plantation
Established 1907 at Kipu, Kauai
Koloa Sugar Company
Established 1835 at Koloa, Kauai
Lihue Sugar Plantation
Established 1849 in Lihue, Kauai
McKee Plantation
Established 1877 at Kealia, Kauai
McBryde Plantation
Established 1899 Eleele, Kalaheo, and Lawai, Kauai”
It doesn’t appear that the plantations closed due to a lack of good product, weather conditions or demand for sugar in the world’s market. In researching online, we found these answers that make the most sense as to the decline of the plantations in the entire state of Hawaii, including Kauai:

Decline of plantations in HawaiiAs the prevalence of sugarcane in Hawaii deteriorated, tourism was promoted to take its place.

“Sugar plantations suffered from many of the same afflictions that manufacturing market segments in the United States continue to feel. Labor costs increased significantly when Hawaii became a state and workers were no longer effectively indentured servants. The hierarchical caste system, plantation managers had worked hard to maintain began to break down, with greater racial integrations as a result, ironically, of the sugar plantations. Workers began to discover they had rights, and in 1920 waged the first multi-cultural strike. Additionally, global politics played a large role in the downfall of Hawaiian sugar. Shifting political alliances between 1902 and 1930 permitted Cuba to have a larger share of the United States sugar market, holding 45% of the domestic quota while Hawaii, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico shared 25%.The Big Five slowed the production of sugar as cheaper labor was found in India, South America and the

Caribbean and concentrated their efforts on the imposition of a tourism-based society. Former plantation land was used by the conglomerates to build hotels and develop this tourist-based economy, which has dominated the past fifty years of Hawaiian economics. [These statements are disputed and not verified or confirmed.” 

In Hawaii, tourism has taken over as the primary economy and rightfully so. As for Kauai, its inordinate beauty more exquisite than any island we’ve seen to date is evidenced by the number of travelers who continue to visit

  The Lihue Museum houses considerable information about the sugar plantations of decades past.

Much to our surprise, Kauai doesn’t have a feeling of tourists crowding every venue; it’s easy to book vacation homes and hotels (except over the holidays) and reservations are seldom required at restaurants. Other than difficulty we experienced in gaining access to the Kilauea Lighthouse, we’ve never waited in a long line at any tourist attractions.

The only other difficult to access location has been the parking at the end of the highway heading northwest from Princeville to the Napali Coast and Ke’e Beach which we visited on several occasions. I’d love to return one more time to see if there’s one more Hawaiian Monk Seal lying on the beach. Please click here to see the photos from the day Julie and I had “safari luck.”

A special heartfelt thank you to all of our family members who contacted me yesterday to wish me Happy Mother’s Day and all of our friends and readers worldwide wishing me good health. I received more email than I could count making an effort to reply to each and every one. 

Happy Monday!

Photo from one year ago today, May 11, 2014:

Today, I wouldn’t post this blurry photo from one year ago today which was Mother’s Day. My photo taking skills have improved a little since that time with much more learning on the horizon. For details from that day’s post, please click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s the deal about applying for visas for various countries?…

Fisherman casting toward the huge surf.
Long ago, we applied for second passports, which basically consists of a US two year second passport with different passport numbers from our main passports. Most US travelers aren’t aware that a US citizen can apply for a second passport.

Why did we need a second passport? Two years ago, it was necessary to send in one’s passport to a consulate in order to get visas from some countries. We didn’t want to be stranded in a country without a passport in our possession while a visa was being processed through snail mail. 

Tourists stopping to read a sign on the Kauai Path. Notice the cross on the shore, most likely as a memorial to a swimmer’s death in the sea in this area.

Over these past few years, most countries have since begun issuing electronically produced visas for travelers to their country, making it unnecessary for us to send it in to acquire a new visa.

Over these past two years we’ve used these second passports for all of our entries and exits to about 40 countries, resulting in our main passports, which don’t expire until 2021, having no stamps posted as yet.

In December, the second passports expired. As a result of the use of electronic filing for visas, we decided not to renew it. When we soon leave the US, for the first time we’ll use our 10 year passports.

Tiny green balls growing along the beach appear to be some type of weed.
How have we been able to get visas in all of our travels to date? We’ve been able to acquire 90-day visas when we arrive at immigration at any airport, train station or port. The ease of this was surprising to us. 

This easy process doesn’t apply to every country’s immigration process. For some odd reason, US passport holders seem to be presented with an easier process to enter and exit most countries.

If you have a passport from any other country, please check with your travel agent, passport office, immigration or consulate for the country you’d like to enter to determine the process applicable to your country’s passport in regard to obtaining visas. This can vary from country to country.

The Kauai Path is an easy to walk path along Donkey Beach and other beaches.

Thus far, for us, its been a breeze. When traveling to multiple countries via a cruise ship, the immigration staff aboard the ship collects all of our passports. When we arrive at a particular port of call, an immigration officer boards the ship and processes all of the passenger’s and ship staff’s passports for entry and exit.  

Prior to reaching a country’s port, our passports are returned to us, in most cases which we bring with us on our tour whether arranged by the ship or a self guided tour. 

There’s never a shortage of roosters wandering about.

When arriving in a country, we wait in what is usually a long line at immigration processing, tell the agent how long we’d like to stay and as long as the stay doesn’t exceed their set duration of 60 or 90 days, we receive a dated stamp providing us with a visa which is stamped in our passports.

Australia, where we’ll be arriving in little over a month on June 11th after an 18 day cruise from Honolulu, Oahu to Sydney, Australia requires a pre-arranged visa before entering. If we arrived at our ship without processing the visas the cruise line wouldn’t allow us to board. 

The wind and waves were substantial on Monday which has since settled down. 

In reality, a more stringent process may be wise for most countries to follow for obvious reasons I won’t get into here. Here’s a quote from Tom:

“When we applied for our driver’s license in Nevada before we left the US, they asked me to take off my glasses when they took the photo.  I said that I needed to wear my glasses to drive. They said it’s not for that reason. This is a facial recognition photo. Why isn’t this technology used for passports?”

Good point! Why isn’t it?

Last night, we visited CIBT at this link. In less than 10 minutes, with our passports and a credit card on hand, I completed the online documents separately for each of us and our individual visas for Australia were processed, completed and confirmed at a cost of US $45 each.

This view at the Kauai Path is similar to the views we had from the two houses we rented on the Big Island in December.

(By the way, once we arrive in Australia, we’ll be entering all dollar amounts posted here in both USD and AUD (Australian dollars) as we ‘ve done in all other countries which use a alternate form of currency).

The visa process will be slightly more complicated for some of our upcoming stays including both Fiji and Bali.  We’ll report back the processes for those. 

The vast expanse of the ocean never disappoints.

Our Australian visas were issued last night for which we won’t need a piece of paper. It’s recorded electronically in the Australian immigration department’s system and will appear when we check in at immigration at Sydney.  The visas are good for one year until June 10, 2016. 

With our visa on file in Australia we’re allowed 90 day visits only and in one year we’d have to file again which may be more complicated the second go-around. Before we book more time in Australia, we’ll figure it out. At this time, we are only booked for 89 days in Australia (leaving one extra day for cancelled flights, etc.). 

Alternate view of the above fisherman.

We decided that we’ll investigate other options in Australia once we are there and get a feel for the “lay of the land.” Prices on vacation homes are as much as 100% higher than other countries in which we’ve lived, making it difficult to rent vacation homes to fit within our budget. 

We still have the over two month gap to fill beginning next June and have yet to decide where we’d prefer to go. We shall see what we decide and of course, report it here promptly. We’re attempting to stay somewhere in the South Pacific, if possible.

At certain areas, the beaches are less pristine as is the case here in the southern end of the Kauai Path.

With the imminent visa task handled for the moment, we’re now beginning to tackle the other items on our lengthy “to-do” list, found here.

We’re down to 17 days until departing Kauai to fly to Honolulu for one night. On the 18th day, we’ll board the ship. We’re excited, to say the least. We haven’t been on a cruise since this past September. Hopefully, we’ll have good weather as we travel so far across the ocean. If not, as always, we’ll just hang on!

Happy Hump Day!

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

Strawberries were small in Marrakech as shown here. They don’t do GMOs (or pesticides). As a result, the berries are small and unevenly shaped. When buying giant, uniform strawberries or other fruit, its easy to assume that nature alone doesn’t make them that huge, uniform and sweet. Remember the strawberries we ate as kids? They were tart and small. For more photos from that day’s post, please click here.

Yesterday, on the road to take photos, shop and have fun, fun, fun…Easy food tips and photo…Good health, the ultimate objective…

Tom walked to the shore to check out the views at the beach in town in Kapaa.

“Fun, fun, fun, my till her daddy takes the t-bird away,” another line from an oldie from our long-ago past released in 1964. Click here for the Beach Boys music video.

It doesn’t take much for us to have fun. Although we’ll have to return to the airport in Lihue to pick up a different rental car and could have shopped at that time, we decided to get out yesterday. 

We visited this beach by taking a road off the main road in Kapaa, close to the business district.

Our original departure date from Kauai on May 15th is the scheduled return date for the Dollar Car Rental. They refused to extend it for the extra eight days we’re staying over the phone (we tried). As a result, we’re returning to Lihue on the 15th to rent a different car (a better deal).

We could have waited to shop, but it felt good to get into the car and head down the Kuhio Highway on a sunny day to Long’s Drug (owned by CVS) for a few toiletry items we needed to take on the upcoming cruise. The cost on cruises for a tube of toothpaste is often two or three times more than a drugstore.

Prices at Long Drugs were lower than at the grocery store in Princeville and of course, the selection was considerably better. We only spent $35 but the trip was well worth the scenery along the way.

We noticed a pole sticking out of the water at a distance, most likely some type of markers on the coral reef to protect boats and surfers.

While I was in Long’s Drugs (Tom stayed in the car reading a book) I was reminded of the day in December when part of our family was with us on the Big Island and Long’s Drugs was closing early that day due to the lava from Mount Kilauea heading to the shopping center. They had a huge sale, but with limited space in our luggage, we only purchased what we could use at the time.

At the time, it was sad to speak to the employees about the loss of their jobs at the local stores. Luckily, the lava never made it to the shopping center, grocery store, gas station, and drugstore. Subsequently, each has since reopened.

Bear with us, you may have seen similar photos in our past posts when we’ve headed south. These we’re showing today and over the next several days were all taken on yesterday’s outing. 

The coconut trees along the shoreline always create a pretty scene.

Making one more stop at the health food store for macadamia nut oil for making our homemade mayonnaise (please comment or send an email to request the recipe if you’d like it) and we were back on our way.

We stopped at every scenic overlook, every beach, and each viewing spot where there was space to park. In the past, when we’ve made this trip it was often cloudy and rainy. Today, the rain is pelting and the air is cool. 

Several times last night, we were awakened by the sound of the rain. We’ve never heard thunder during our lengthy stay in Hawaii nor have we noticed any lightning, which most likely occurs during hurricanes and tropical storms. In the off-season, the cooling and soaking rain further brighten the already lush green terrain.

From one shoreline to another, views at a distance.
Today will be a laid back quiet day. We’ll work on obtaining our visas for Australia online, do some laundry, and prepare another good meal. Tonight, we’ll each have a different entrée which is a common occurrence. Tonight, Tom will have pork chops (there’s no free-range pork available on the island), green beans, muffin, and salad.  I’ll have wild-caught yellowfin tuna, shrimp, mussels, green beans, muffin, and salad.

It has always been easy for me to make two different dinners when the only extra item to make is one extra entrée item when we share the sides. We use two tin foil pans we reuse over and over, covered in tin foil. In one pan I’ll place Tom’s pork chops and the other which will contain my various seafood items on a bed of organic spinach seasoned well with spices and coconut oil. 

We cook many such entrees under the broiler (no grill here), his first and then mine, during the last five minutes.

This beach park provided covered pavilions where we noticed locals and tourists having lunch.

After cooking both entrees we toss the foil, rinse the pans and they’re ready to be reused for the next meal. We could use regular metal pans in this same manner but none is available here in the correct sizes.  

Using the foil, we avoid the necessity of scrubbing pans, pointless and frustrating waste of time. We use parchment paper when baking if the temperature is under 400 degrees (parchment burns at temperatures over 400 degrees) although doing so doesn’t eliminate the need to wash the pan.

Tom, butterflied giant pork chop, and my pan of delectable seafood. Since we eat no starchy side dishes, only salad and veggies, we usually have a good-sized portion of protein. I keep my daily protein consumption under 80 grams, carbs under 20 grams, and fat grams around 125 grams, easily maintaining the strict requirements of my way of eating to avoid inflammation, pain, and resulting illnesses precipitated by chronic inflammation. At home, Tom and I both follow this way of eating. When out, he indulges, especially on the cruises.

Reynolds makes a fabulous non-stick foil. However, using coconut oil on top of the cheaper foil prevents anything from sticking. Reynolds non-stick foil is $7.95 for 25 feet here in Hawaii whereby regular foil is $2.95 for 25 feet. 

You may wonder why we always use coconut and macadamia nut oil (readily available here in Hawaii). Actually, we also use olive oil, walnut, almond hazelnut, and other nut oils. 

Coconut trees along the beach had been trimmed to avoid risk of injury from falling coconuts.

We no longer use any vegetable oils or store-bought mayonnaise which contain dangerous Omega 6’s, soy, seed oils, chemicals, and processing. Click here for more information. There are 100’s of reputable sources of research and information available online. We share this information that we’ve chosen for our health and, if interested, we encourage you to research if you’d like to know more. 

Our goal is to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible in order to ensure our ability to continue to travel well into our 70’s, 80’s or more. Along the way, we’ve met travelers in their 90’s who are fit and healthy.  Here in Hawaii, we’ve seen dozens of people who may easily 20 years older than us, walking at a good clip looking wonderful and joyful. 

At first, when I spotted the trees, I thought woodpeckers may have pecked at the trees. Tom reminded me that the park maintenance staff had used spikes to climb the trees to remove the coconuts. That made more sense!

There’s so much world ahead of us. We’ll continue to strive to be safe from injury and free from disease. Of course, we’re certainly not exempt from an occasional achy joint, cough, cold, or virus. With cruises coming up, we’ll take extra precautions to avoid catching an illness from other passengers. In reality, at times, it’s unavoidable and we do fall prey to illness as we have in the past, taking necessary measures to regain health as quickly as possible.

Living on the move is not unlike living in one location. The daily chores, responsibilities, and trials along the way motivate us to be as creative and proactive as we possibly can to ensure the best possible outcome…for us, the joy of continuing on in our travels and in life…

Have a great day!

Photos from one year ago today, May 5, 2014:

There was a short step when exiting the master bedroom in the riad in Marrakech. Upon exiting the bedroom there was this low railing. One could slip on the step or the long hanging drapes that covered the doorway and topple over the railing. We both reminded each other frequently to exercise caution in making our way around the house to avoid injury. For more details, please click here.

Cruise cancellation and results of vacation rentals date changes…New amazing photos…

This chick was sitting close to the road wondering what I was doing.

As a result of next year’s cruise being cancelled and the necessity of booking a different cruise with two day’s difference in arrival and departure dates we waited anxiously to hear back from the owners.

When he realized I was no threat she relaxed a little.

Would they have availability for us to stay four days longer in New Zealand and arrive two days later to Bali, extending an extra two days at the end to compensate?

With the substantial time differences between New Zealand and Bali, 22 hours and 18 hours respectively, we didn’t expect to hear back for a few days. First, we heard back from the owners of the New Zealand property with a positive response…no problem with staying four days longer than our contract. For Bali, arriving two days later and staying two days longer is also a yes from the owner, neither of which scenarios resulted in any additional costs.

As he moved, we were able to see more of the white and black feathers which will soon replace all of the fluff.

We’re grateful for the availability and the kindness of the owners of both properties for their cooperation.  Problem solved. We had a backup plan ready to implement in the event either of these didn’t work out which included additional costs and monies lost. We’ve found that there’s always a solution. The question becomes, does one want to pay for that solution which is often the case?

Yesterday afternoon, a sunny day, we drove over to the neighborhood to check out the growth of the Laysan Albatross chicks. Being able to watch them morph from fat fluffy balls of inactivity and to actually see their new mature feathers was a sight we’d never expected to see in person.

This parent wandered from the chick for a walk.  Note the feathers on an adult as opposed to the fluff and feathers on the growing chicks.

As we slowly drove through the neighborhood, we spotted one chick after another in varying stages of molting their fluff. It’s crazy how they aren’t disturbed as we stop the car and I get out to take photos. We may be only 15 or 20 feet from them but they are as fearless of humans as the adults. 

They’ve been so loved and respected by the locals, they’ve had no reason to be afraid. Yesterday we watched a homeowner working in his yard with a chick and two parents only three feet away. Neither the human nor the birds paid any attention to one another as they each went about their usual activities.

Check out the chick’s huge beak!

Here’s a quote from National Geographic:

“On the Wings of the Albatross
By Carl Safina

An albatross is the grandest living flying machine on Earth. An albatross is bone, feathers, muscle, and the wind. An albatross is its own taut longbow, the breeze its bowstring, propelling its projectile body. An albatross is an art deco bird, striking of pattern, clean of line, epic in travels, heroically faithful. A parent albatross may fly more than 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) to deliver one meal to its chick. Wielding the longest wings in nature—up to eleven and a half feet (3.5 meters)—albatrosses can glide hundreds of miles without flapping, crossing ocean basins, circumnavigating the globe. A 50-year-old albatross has flown, at least, 3.7 million miles (6 million kilometers).”

One of the main highlights of our long stay in Kauai has been watching the life cycle of the albatross from the parents sitting on the nest when we arrived on January 15th, to the chicks hatching in early February and now the chicks maturing with only a month or more from the time they’ll fledge from the nest. 

Suddenly, she stood up giving me a great shot of the white feathers growing on her underbelly.

Although we won’t be here to witness them fledge which only occurs over a very short period as they run to the edge of the cliff and dive off to soar into the air, we’ll keep an eye out on the live video feed we’ve been watching many times each day at this link.  By watching this live feed with two chicks about 100 feet apart it’s possible to see the permanent feathers coming in and the fluff molting away.

This was our intent when we stopped by yesterday. We’d hoped to take photos of the gradual change in their appearance and were pleased to be able to do so with ease.

When the chicks sit on their back end, their weight causes their huge feet to lift off the ground.

Before we leave Princeville in 20 days, we hope to be able to follow Cathy, the Laysan Albatross expert, and docent, on one more of her two daily rounds as she documents the progress of the chicks, twice each day. She does this for seven days a week over seven months each year when the albatross return to the same neighborhood for the life cycle to begin again, year after year.

After returning home I prepared our pu pu for last night’s Full Moon Party. After attending four of these enjoyable monthly parties (last night was our final party), orchestrated by friend Richard, we’ve found these parties to be highly instrumental in enhancing our social lives. 

We couldn’t stop laughing when we shot these huge paddle-like webbed feet lifting off the ground as she leaned back on her butt.

Holding the party at the Makai Golf Club’s pool was especially fun last night. Although the crowd was slightly smaller than usual with about 20 in attendance, we had a marvelous time, again meeting new people.

Back at home by 8:30, we had a late dinner when I’d left a full meal ready for our return. Popping our precooked (earlier in the day) tasty well-seasoned chicken wings into the microwave (sans sauce), adding a salad and green beans we sat down at the little table to dine and watch prerecorded videos of “Shark Tank” and the new “Beyond the Tank.” Once again we had an excellent day and evening.

Months ago, the chicks slept most of the day. Now, they are alert and awake waiting for the parents to return with more food. They don’t interact with the other chicks although other parents may stop by for a visit.

Today, we’ll take a walk in the neighborhood, watch some golf, prepare Sunday dinner and play with Birdie and his friends, who as usual stopped by this morning as soon as we opened the blinds and the door. 

Have a satisfying Sunday!

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

This broken egg was outside our bedroom door when we awake that morning a year ago. With the riad’s open to the sky center courtyard we imagined that an egg fell from a nest somewhere in the house. How peculiar. For details from that date, please click here.