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Today’s photos are from May 14, 2015. Please click here for more details.
It was one year ago that we began a three-month stay in beautiful Connemara, Ireland. In many ways, it seems so long ago, as well as all the places we stayed in this past year since leaving Ireland, which includes (see below):
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| A small lagoon between Anini Beach and Ke’e Beach while we were in Kauai, Hawaii, on this date in 2015. Please see our link here. |
August 2019: Amsterdam for a 12-night Baltic cruise to St. Petersburg and other cities
August – September 2019: Cornwall, UK, where we stayed in two-holiday homes over one month, Falmouth and then on a farm in Witheridge
September – October 2019: Devon, UK, for three weeks on a farm
October 2019: Wales in a holiday home for 11 days
October 2019: Southhampton in a hotel for two nights and then sailed on a 15-night cruise to Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
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| The reflections in the water caught our eye as we walked along the beach. |
November 2019 – January 2020: USA – Visited family in Minnesota, Nevada, and Arizona
January – February 2020: We flew from the USA to arrive in Mumbai on January 31, 2020, to begin a journey on the Maharajas Express, followed by a scheduled 55-night tour of India, which we ended abruptly.
March 14, 2020: We began self-isolation in hotels in both Chennai and Madurai until March 18, 2020, when we flew from Madurai to Mumbai.
March 18 – March 20, 2020: We stayed in a hotel until our scheduled flight to South Africa prevented us from boarding after arriving at the airport at 3:00 am.
March 20 – March 24, 2020: Stayed in a hotel in Mumbai in self-isolation until they closed when we had to find a place to stay
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| There’s an expanse on Kuhio Highway a few miles outside of Princeville, where the scenery is breathtaking with many Acacia trees. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single spot for a car to stop to take a photo. I’d tried taking the photo from the moving vehicle, as in this case, unable to capture the expanse of the beauty below this bridge. |
March 24 – May 14, 2020: Stayed in the Marriott Hotel in Mumbai until the present day. We may have to stay for months to come until international flights begin to depart Mumbai once again and an airport opens in one of the countries we’d like to visit. We’re keeping our options open.
The time we spent in Ireland is somewhat of a blur. I was still on many heart medications, which caused me to sleep half of each day and could barely move my legs and walk.
Feebly, I attempted to walk each hour, but it was painstaking and left me breathlessDuringng that time in Ireland, I realized the drugs were causing me pain, weakness, and lethargy.
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| Ke’e Beach in Kapaa. |
Slowly I began weaning myself off of pain medication and the three heart drugs, following the guidelines I’d found at various reputable medical sites. By the time we reached Falmouth, UK, I had noticed a marked improvement in my well-being.
Over the next few months, I began to walk without so much pain, stay awake throughout the day, and start feeling like myself again. But, it’s been the walking I’ve done here in this hotel that escalated me to the next level.
Although I’m walking for only 5-minute stints once an hour (10 times a day), I now feel I can handle walks over more extended periods. I prefer to do the hourly walk rather than walks for more extended periods when it gets me up and out of my comfy chair. Each time I walk, I attempt to increase the pace.
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| It’s not unusual to find free-range cattle in Kauai. |
In this one way, being in isolation has been good for me, forcing me to become motivated to get some exercise. It’s now a habit I hope to maintain going forward regardless of where we live in the future.
Also, not having access to food in a cupboard or refrigerator and while eating the limited portions served during breakfast and dinner, I’ve been able to lose 4.5 kg, 10 pounds in the past month since I quit eating the overly fattening Paneer Makhani.
Oddly, many open-heart surgery patients gain 9 to 11 kg, 20 to 25 pounds while healing from the surgery, mainly due to the slowing of one’s metabolism, from the heart medications that slow down activity. With the continued walking and smaller meals (all the while maintaining my usual way of eating), I’ll surely continue to lose weight to get back to my old self once again.
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| A relatively young calf is in the foreground. |
I am hoping by the time we leave here. I can lighten the weight of my suitcase by donating the clothes I can no longer wear. Then, I can toss all the “Heidi” clothes (my sisters and I always called larger-sized clothing as “hide-y” clothes which mask one’s added weight, often loose and in dark colors). In this respect, the lockdown has been good for me.
Again, thanks to our many readers who continue to write the kindest and most supportive email messages. Each message means so much to us.
Hang in there, everyone. This too shall pass in time.
Photo from one year ago today, May 14, 2019:
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| Due to the high outdoor winds, I took this photo from inside the house in Connemara, Ireland. To the left is organic salmon fishing which is common in IrelandMany more and better quality photos will follow. . For more details, please click here. |