Reinventing ourselves in a new locale…Tolerance and patience for this new way of life…

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 15, 2015 with 2 Comments

The rainy view of what is aptly named, Double Island, as seen from our veranda.

It’s been raining every day since we arrived. We’ve heard this is unusual for this time of year. For now, we don’t mind. Let’s get the rain out of the way while we become acquainted with life in our little corner of the world.

This surf and dive shop were having what they referred to as a “Killa Surf Sale.” I giggled when Tom didn’t get it right away. It’s Australian lingo for a “killer of a sale.”

It’s 2:00 pm and Tom is sitting outside under cover of the veranda roof, safe from the rain, listening to his favorite radio show. The wifi signal is better outdoors that inside the house.

As a matter of fact, today, we purchased a SIM card for one of our mobile hot spots at the local phone store. We stopped by the phone store several days ago, but they required a passport in order to purchase the card which we failed to bring along. We had forgotten in our muddled state of mind that one must show a passport in order to purchase a new SIM card.

Peering out to the mall from inside the Telstar phone and tablet store where we purchased a SIM card for our hot spot device which we don’t yet have working. I’ll work on it later today and if it doesn’t get going, we’ll head back to the store tomorrow, bringing the hot spot and my laptop.

Once we have the hot spot working, which hasn’t transpired as yet, we can drive anywhere with navigation working on our phones. To explain that further, we have no cell service on our phones. Since the cost of calling the US is too high via the use of a cell phone with a SIM card, we’ll continue to use Skype and our Skype phone number for calls to family and friends.

This morning the service was fast and friendly at the Telstar store in the Smithfield Mall.

For local calls here in Australia, we’ll use our Skype phone number which is only US $1.25, AUD $1.61, per hour or by the minute proportionately. As for the navigation working while we’re in the car, it goes like this:

1. Turn on the hot spot until a signal is indicated.
2. Connect the phone to the hot spot until the signal is indicated.
3. Use MAPS on phone to set the desired trip location. Navigate as usual as one would with an active data account on the phone.

In our old lives, we rarely shopped at K-Mart but here is Australia, it made sense when we needed a few household items. We spent US $23.14, AUD $30 for four iced cube trays with lids, two jumbo iced tea pitchers, two pans for the oven and one microwave cover. Tomorrow, we’ll tell you what we couldn’t find anywhere!

This makes life considerably easier for us. In some countries we cannot purchase SIM cards, including in the US when we were in Hawaii. This is odd to us. Eventually, required cell contracts will disappear, allowing users to have access to local signals using online downloads and/or SIM cards.

A cosmetic store in the mall carrying many popular US brands. Shops are similar to many in the US but aren’t necessarily familiar chain stores. Australia has many of its owns brands and providers.

In some ways, we’re impressed with how readily available technology is in Australia compared to other countries we visited. No, they don’t have high speed services where we’re located and the service is slow to say the least. But, we’re in a mountainous ocean village which typically have poor signals this close to the ocean and with this type of terrain.

In some ways, service is tricky when Andy explained how when the Internet goes down at the shopping mall, business literally stops and the shops may close. Isn’t this the case in most countries anyway? We’re all subject to modern technology.

This appears to be a parasite type plant growing on a palm tree in the yard.

Its easy for us to recall how in Kenya, both the Internet and the power would go out almost daily. That experience made us more tolerant when these unforeseeable situations occur. With our own working hot spot we hope we’ll have better control of mapping our future exploration, even if we have to drive a distance to acquire a decent signal.

Tom’s water shoes were on the veranda. When he move them, what appeared to be a lizard took off out of sight, leaving behind this live tail that wiggled around for about 10 minutes. Can’t imagine what this was.

Resting over these past four days, we’re finally headed to the grocery store to try to shop again today. We can’t wait to take photos of the abundance at the mall where the Woolworth’s market is located and also the mall as we walk through there once again to the Telstar store.

Candle holders? Not quite sure…

With a trip to K-Mart for a few pans and ice cube trays, we discovered a missing element of life in Australia that requires an adjustment we’re surprised to be making.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the important part of our daily lives that we’ll be missing in Australia that requires a huge sacrifice.

Photo from one year ago today, June 15, 2014:

We were on our way to Funchal to renew the rental car, a task that won’t be required here in Australia where we were able to rent it for the full three months. For details and more photos from that trip, please click here.

Counting down the days with a bit of trepidation…What do world travelers like us do without a primary care doctor?…This morning’s new photos….

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 12, 2015 with 0 Comment

This Cattle Egret is sitting atop a tree in the backyard, a usual sight to see. Most often, they are on the ground near where there is landscaping, grading, and excavation in the process. They seem to know that such scenarios are excellent opportunities for foraging for bugs and worms.

After a fitful night of listening to science podcasts, at 6:00 am, I literally rolled off the edge of the bed, exhausted and wishing I could lay back down for a few more hours.

My mind was doing a number on me. I had to get up and try to call the doctor again with no response after yesterday’s call. ER doctors don’t usually participate in any aftercare for patients they’ve seen on an emergency basis.

We no longer have a primary care doctor. It’s simply been too long since we last visited our former doctor in Minnesota, which was in September 2012, a month before we left.

The egret couched down watching me open the door to take the photo.

I knew he wouldn’t participate in any health care questions at this late date when several months ago, I inquired to the Minnesota clinic with an online request for a relatively innocuous medication refill, never receiving a response. At that point, I knew he was no longer in our court. Too much time had passed. We get this. They have “rules.”

Travelers maintaining a home base would have no difficulty contacting their primary care physician for advice. Although in Hawaii, prescriptions can’t be “called in” from an out-of-state physician.

It’s a little late to establish a relationship with a doctor in a private office or medical clinic in Kauai. Besides, none of the testing equipment required for a diagnosis is readily available at any of the local clinics and a trip to the Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihue would be required.

This morning’s view from our lanai while it rained off and on.

From what we’ve discovered most doctors refer patients to the hospital if their condition can’t readily be treated with meds. I suppose this is not unlike many clinics worldwide, let alone in the US.

Finally, this morning at 7:00 am I reached the ER doctor I’d seen on Friday asking for a different, perhaps more effective antibiotic. This is often necessary with a variety of infections, which don’t respond well to a particular drug which seems to be my case at the moment.

Ah, the perils of world traveling without a home base! We knew this going in. We also knew that having only major medical insurance (which pays 100% of any hospital stays, doctors, tests, and medications rendered while in the hospital) would be a risk.

I edited this photo to be dark in order to show the two rainbows that developed after the rain.

By purchasing the international policy, we chose the option of major medical only or paying outrageous fees to include doctor visits. However, if we had made a choice to include doctor/outpatient services, the policy still didn’t include any necessary medical care as long as we’re in the US, as we are now.

Since Medicare doesn’t pay outside the US, we opted out of Medicare’s Plan B which pays doctor visits with a copay of as much as 20% for which most seniors purchase an additional policy. This would not be a sensible option for most senior travelers especially those who periodically return to a home base. They can easily purchase a specific travel policy for their trips, event by event.

This individual trip policy was also not available to us when our lives consist of one continuous “trip.” No such policy exists for us other than the 12-month international policy that we purchased almost three years ago and renew each year.

It was raining when we got this rainbow shot. If the hill and the trees hadn’t been in the way we’d have been able to see the end of the rainbow in the ocean.

When we consider the potential out of pocket costs for tests at a hospital, we cringe but fully accept that potential no matter where we may be. We’ve dodged a bullet to date but, we knew sooner or later the scenario could change on a dime.

In any case, the ER doctor refused to “call-in” a different prescription without my having additional tests. We understand her dilemma. As an alternative, I presented her a list of all of the antibiotics we currently have on hand and she suggested Cipro, the “big guns” for infections.

She emphatically stated that if I’m not better 48 hours after taking Cipro which will be Thursday, we’ll be heading to the hospital for more tests. Both Tom and I agree that this is our only option. At that point, it will be only 10 days until we depart on the cruise.

It’s hard not to appreciate the seeming magic of a rainbow.

What do ex-pats do in these cases? They either purchase insurance available in the country in which they live, purchase international insurance such as ours, or in some cases, pay for medical care out of their pocket when medical costs in some “retiree friendly” countries are surprisingly inexpensive.

From what we’ve read online to date, a typical doctor’s office visit in Australia may be around US $50, as opposed to $100’s in the US. Once we arrive in Australia, we won’t hesitate to see a doctor if we deem it necessary at the time.

These berries on this plant remind me of Christmas.

If this illness had occurred a few months ago I would have followed the doctor’s instructions and not given it much of a thought. The current time constraint is weighing heavily on my mind at the moment.

My sister Julie worriedly reminded me of how many times we’ve been sick since we left the US, more often me than Tom. I must admit that at least twice a year I’ve picked up some type of infection, viral or bacterial.

With a history of inclement health for most of my life (mostly due to heredity and inflammation), my immune system continues to remain vulnerable regardless of how hard I’ve tried to offset it. It was equally precarious when we lived in Minnesota, still contacting some type of virus, sinus infection, or respiratory infection once or twice a year.

Sunset from the front lanai.

Then again, how many of us don’t “catch” something once or twice a year? Tom would push through such conditions and continue to work as did many of the guys he worked with on the railroad, often infecting one another while working in close quarters on a train.

Having a home base has what we now refer to as “luxuries” that come with it; easy access to medical care, cable TV, working cell phones, appliances such as a clothes dryer, quality Internet services, shopping centers, and grocery stores with familiar products and services.

We don’t share this personal story to elicit sympathy, although bless the hearts of many of our readers for sending their good wishes. We continue to tell our story for the purposes of sharing both the good and the bad of what it’s like to be traveling the world without a home base.

And, we appreciate the beauty of flowers blooming in the treetops at a distance from the lanai.

The vulnerability we express here at times even surprises us when in our old lives, we only shared a degree of personal information with our close family members and friends.

How foolish we’d be to hide the realities of our daily lives only sharing the details of the most exciting of locations and adventures. With that, we’d only be a travel log, extolling the virtues of where we’ve been, and what we’ve seen, a place for a degree of braggadocio. The manner in which we share our lives is done so with a much bigger intent; truth and reality.

We have no doubt that at times, some of our readers may become bored with our truth, reality and mindless drivel. Then again, daily life for most of us is mundane at times, isn’t it?

We’ve come to appreciate the simplest of life’s amenities, never taking for granted that which is available to us, including the potential of more medical care in Hawaii. If we must go, we will. If we luck out and I’m well again in a few days, it will be time to rejoice and start packing!

Have a superb day!

Photo from one year ago today, May 12, 2014:

A year ago today, we were three days from leaving Morocco. We were definitely ready to be on the move. For details on that day, please click here.

You’re cancelling on us?…How can that be?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 30, 2015 with 2 Comments

We never tire of this amazing view of Hideaways Beach and Hanalei Bay.

We knew the possibility existed that a vacation rental, a flight, or a cruise could be canceled over which we’d have no control. If it were a flight, in most cases that would be remedied within 24 hours. If it were a vacation rental, especially if we’d booked it for weeks or months, it would be a difficult scenario to resolve the above three possibilities.

If it was a cruise, leaving two weeks or more of our lives with a hole in our schedule, this could be costly in trying to fill the period of time. Besides, we often use cruises as a means of getting us to one location or another resulting in added airfare expenses.

The combination of colors of the sea and the vegetation is always breathtaking.

The worst-case scenario would be the necessity of paying for a hotel, airfare, and meals for two weeks, which if planned carefully, we could accomplish for a cost similar to the cost of the cruise. Inconvenient? Yes. Costly? To a degree (see below).

Yesterday, we discovered that our booked cruise was canceled, scheduled from Sydney to Perth from April 12, 2016, to April 28, 2016, for a total of 16 nights.

Tom had been reading comments online at cruisecritic.com about this possibility. We were never notified directly nor were our online friends, Staci and Glenn, who were also scheduled on this cruise, whom we were looking forward to meeting in person.

Beautiful orchids.

Yesterday, Tom called our rep at Vacationstogo.com to inquire as to the status of the cruise. They weren’t notified either. Or perhaps with the thousands of cruises in their system, it could easily have been missed.

In any case, it was canceled, as we’ve discovered due to it being booked in its entirety for a private charter. If a wealthy individual or company chose to book an entire ship for an event, someone would be inconvenienced. They often begin to book as soon as they posted at a time two years out. In this case, the inconvenience lies with us. Good thing we didn’t wait any longer to find out.

Remote Hideaways Beach, accessible only by a steep partially paved path.

Yesterday, after speaking with our rep about alternatives, Tom went ahead instructing her to book us on a similar cruise that Royal Caribbean was offering as one of three options for replacement, all different dates, all different itineraries. Should we choose one of these three options, we’d been given a $200 onboard credit.

In reviewing the three options, only one offered dates similar to the canceled cruise, the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas, sailing from April 16, 2016, to April 30, 2016, for a total of 14 nights, the price slightly less for the shorter by two-night cruise.

Another portion of Hideaways Beach.

Originally, we paid $4714.20 for a balcony cabin with taxes and gratuities included. The new cruise at $4510.36 for the same type of cabin, is not an appreciable difference although shorter by two days. The $200 credit will be sucked up in the first 30 minutes on a cruise when we order the $800 Internet package.

Sure, we could call RC and make some noise. Then again, what’s the point? Plus, that’s just not our style. In reality, we’re being compensated and for most of us, kinking a cruise a few days, a year in advance for $200 may not seem to be such a big deal. Although, we wonder how long they’d have waited before telling the passengers?

Zooming in, we spotted these sunbathers on the beach. Looks like the guy standing is adjusting his snorkel.

For us, it presents a few issues, none of which we can’t manage with relative ease. One, we need to stay in New Zealand at the alpaca farm for four more nights or, if not available, a hotel in Sydney. On the other end, we’ll be two days late in arriving for our booked rental in Bali. They will either accept our change of dates or we’ll have to pay for two nights that we won’t be there.

In all, this could cost us for six nights somewhere at an average cost of $200 per night, including housing and meals. It’s the nature of the beast. We budgeted for scenarios such as this and have seldom had to tap into that. Who’s to complain? Instead, it becomes a matter of figuring it out on both ends and biting the bullet for the added costs.

Future lily pods. They almost look like apples and are almost as large.

So far, we’re waiting to hear back from the property owners to see what transpires. We’ll post updates as to how it is resolved. In the meanwhile, here is the itinerary for the canceled cruise and then, the new cruise:

Canceled cruise itinerary:
Royal Caribbean – Explorer of the Seas, departs 4/12/16, 16 nights
Tue Apr 12 Sydney, Australia 9:00 pm
Wed Apr 13 At Sea
Thu Apr 14 At Sea
Fri Apr 15 Wellington, New Zealand 3:00pm 10:00pm
Sat Apr 16 Picton, New Zealand 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Sun Apr 17 At Sea
Mon Apr 18 Dunedin (Port Chalmers), New Zealand 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Apr 19 Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Cruising) 9:00 am 10:00 am
Tue Apr 19 Doubtful Sound, New Zealand (Cruising) Noon 1:00 pm
Tue Apr 19 Milford Sound, New Zealand (Cruising) 4:30 pm 5:30 pm
Wed Apr 20 At Sea
Thu Apr 21 At Sea
Fri Apr 22 Melbourne, Australia 8:00am 7:00pm
Sat Apr 23 At Sea
Sun Apr 24 Adelaide, Australia 8:00am 7:00pm
Mon Apr 25 At Sea
Tue Apr 26 At Sea
Wed Apr 27 At Sea
Thu Apr 28 Perth (Fremantle), Australia 6:00 am

New cruise itinerary:
Royal Caribbean – Voyager of the Seas, departs 4/16/16, 14 nights
Sat Apr 16 Sydney, Australia 5:00 pm
Sun Apr 17 At Sea
Mon Apr 18 Brisbane, Australia 7:00am 4:00pm
Tue Apr 19 At Sea
Wed Apr 20 At Sea
Thu Apr 21 At Sea
Fri Apr 22 At Sea
Sat Apr 23 Darwin, Australia 9:00am 5:00pm
Sun Apr 24 At Sea
Mon Apr 25 At Sea
Tue Apr 26 At Sea
Wed Apr 27 At Sea
Thu Apr 28 Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang), Malaysia 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Apr 29 Singapore 10:00am Sat Apr 30 Singapore Disembark

As shown, this second cruise is by no means as exciting as the first with considerably fewer ports of call and yet the price is comparable. Based on visa restrictions we must proceed with this new cruise or we’ll end up staying too long in either location.

Pools refilled each day from the surf at high tide.

We booked it. Our previously paid $900 deposit transferred over, the $200 cabin credit is listed in our new cruise documents and the balance is due on the same date, January 16, 2016. Yesterday, I entered all the changes in our spreadsheet in several locations: itinerary, Deposits Paid, and Balances Due, Cruises.

There it is, folks, the realities of the possible inconveniences of living a life in motion. We both took this in our stride. I suppose if this was our only vacation for a year or more, we may have felt differently. But, in this life, it goes with the territory. Literally.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, May 1, 2014:

In between the enclosed area of the souks were outdoor areas where more products are offered for sale. For details from that date, please click here.

For our US friends…Its tax day…Responsibilities continue…

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 15, 2015 with 0 Comment

The waning sun on a less cloudy evening.

This day, April 15th is the dread of many US citizens for a few reasons:

They haven’t completed and submitted the complicated forms and are scrambling last minute to get them postmarked by midnight tonight to avoid penalties and fees.
They owe money and may not have the funds to pay.
They have yet to file an extension (Site not guaranteed. Please check for alternate options as well)) to prolong the process and don’t know how to go about doing this.
They have completed the forms, but are working today, their kids have a game tonight and they have to find time to complete the forms and submit them on time.
Most state tax forms (where applicable) must also be completed and submitted.
How does one file a return electronically? The thought of this is frightening to some who aren’t familiar with the web or, based on recent news reports, feel unsafe putting their private information out there.

Dozens of tourists and locals flock to the overlook to catch the sunset. This sunset of a few days ago was not to be missed.

The US federal tax code is 74,000 pages. How is the average American supposed to figure this out? We hear endless stories on recent news of how those needing tax preparation assistance are unable to get through on the phone to a representative, often on hold for hours at a time.

When this occurs, they hear a re-coding recommending that those with questions go to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) website for answers. Not everyone has access to the Internet or would feel competent to peruse the website for answers. It’s a no-win situation for many.

The setting sun, stuck between the palm trees.

Our posts are never intended to be political. Nor will today’s post be political. I write this in frustration for all the taxpayers that are struggling today to find answers to these issues.

Not everyone can hire an accountant to do their taxes or, has access to a chain type tax preparer. Not everyone is able to purchase a tax preparation software application and feel confident answering the endless questions.

And then, it was gone.

To avoid a political rant on these issues, I choose to turn the direction of this post to a question we’re often asked by both US citizens and citizens of other countries, “Do you have to pay taxes while living outside the US?”

I know this may seem to have an obvious answer for those who travel and are familiar with tax laws to some degree. But, many wonder why in the world would we have to file and pay taxes while living outside the US? Why wouldn’t we file and pay in the country in which we’re living?

The colors remain for a few minutes after the sun has disappeared.

The answer is simple. All US citizens, wherever they manage to live or visit another country are required to file and pay US taxes on or before April 15th of each year unless an extension is filed. Plain and simple.

Another question we’re asked, “If at some point, we’re considered ex-pats (people living permanently outside the country of which they are citizens), do we still have to file and pay? The answer again is “yes.”

The only way to avoid this responsibility of filing and paying US taxes is to become a citizen of another country incurring considerable taxes and fees to do so. (I won’t get into the details of dual citizenship here). Doing so may result in the loss of certain benefits.

The colors of the sea appear to change before our eyes.

For our purposes, the cliché, that one can’t avoid death and taxes is so true. For us as world travelers, we still have the same responsibilities as those firmly implanted in a home and lifestyle; balancing bank accounts, paying bills, managing money and investments, handling insurance, planning for the future.

Although there are some differences for us as we travel the world:

Balancing bank accounts: We perform an almost daily check on our bank accounts to verify all transactions and fees. If anything is off, we address it immediately to avoid waiting until a statement arrives.
Bills: The only bills we have are credit cards, insurance, and taxes, keeping in mind that we charge all of our vacation rental fees, car rentals, groceries, dining out, health insurance, and tax bill on credit cards to be paid off in full each month to make way for new charges. In many cases, we’re paying three months’ rent at any given time, less the prepaid deposit.
Managing money and investments: Tom handles this area which includes planning for the future.
Managing health and personal property insurance: I handle these two items once a year close to the time of renewal, making an annual payment. Together, we assess our future needs. We have personal property insurance for the belongings we carry with us. With no storage, no other such insurance is necessary.

The coral is close enough to the shore that many snorkelers enjoy this area, once they manage to get down the steep cliffs.

Of course, regardless of which of us manages the above, we discuss all aspects of our responsibilities. Wherever we may travel, these responsibilities travel with us. Thank goodness for the Internet. Without it, our lives on the move would be have been considerably more complicated. We may have never chosen to attempt this lifestyle without it.

A sunny day such as this made taking photos of the coral easier from above the cliffs.

A lesson we learned early on in our travels; never wait until the last minute. We acknowledge the fact that stress associated with last-minute preparations and planning is entirely avoidable, no matter how painful the task.

Our rationale is this: if we can somehow find time to accomplish a task today, we could have just as easily accomplished the task a month ago. We must remind ourselves of this frequently.

This pool created at high tide is considerably larger than it appears.

Some may ask, “Why did we wait to file our taxes yesterday, as opposed to a month ago?” We were ready a month ago. But, in the hands of an accountant, her busy schedule dictated when it would be submitted.

For our US friends, we wish you all a relatively stress-free day, responsibilities, and all, and hope you’ll have thoughts of April 15th behind you by tomorrow morning on April 16th.

Photo from one year ago today, April 15, 2014:

One year ago, we had a date night in the souk dining atop a restaurant with this view. For details of that post, please click here.

Clarification about our posts for new readers…One year ago, sick from a salad in Marrakech…

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

There it is, a section of Hideaway’s Beach we discovered when the sun appeared for a few hours, a few days ago.

When we were at the Full Moon Party a few nights ago, a few people we met mentioned they’d seen our site and were confused as to why people like us, traveling the world, we’re writing so much about Kauai, day after day.

For those of our readers who’ve been with us either from the beginning in 2012 or somewhere in between, it makes sense that we’re writing about Kauai every day. But, for those coming in at this point, it may not make sense as to why world travelers don’t talk about anything but Kauai.

The answer is simple, although we do understand why a new reader may have been baffled. We always write about where we are at any given time.

The final path down to Hideaway’s Beach, no longer paved.

On May 24th, we’ll begin writing about the cruise as it occurs on our way from Honolulu to Sydney for 18 days and then about Trinity Beach, Australia where we’ll live for 89 days. We’ll continue from there for our upcoming two-plus years in the South Pacific. Later, when we book beyond that period, we’ll post from wherever we may be at any given time

That’s how that works. At times, as you’ll see, we do mention other places we’ve traveled with links the reader can click to take them back to those other places and times.

For the new reader, we have archives of every single prior post from March 14, 2012, to the present, listed on the right side of the daily post, noting the years, months, and each post’s general topic. All that is necessary to read any of these is to click on the year, then the month, then the post.

These above-ground roots are odd.

It’s easy to go back to the beginning and read, but you wonder how to note where you left off. You can bookmark the last post you read and scroll down to the next one when you return. If you have any trouble with this, please let me know and I’ll be happy to assist using bullet point instructions. Please don’t hesitate to ask.

As for the advertisers on our site, located on the right of any day’s newest post, we kindly ask our readers to click on any of the services provided if you have a need for any of these services or products.

We use them frequently. The prices are the same as if you went directly to the advertiser’s website and we get a tiny commission if you book a trip, a hotel, rental car, or purchase products. Plus, you can use points, coupons, or any other discounts you may have available.

Looking down from the last section of the path to Hideaway’s Beach.

We never intended to make a lot of money from these, nor will we, but the small revenue they generate helps pay a little of our web management costs. We appreciate any help we can get. Thanks to those of you who use them on occasion.

Posting comments is easy. At the end of each daily post, you’ll see what looks like a pencil after it says “Posted by Jessica” at so and so time of the day. Click that pencil and you’ll be able to post a question, comment, or tell us anything you’d like to share with our worldwide readers. If you choose, you can post anonymously without mention of your name. Of you may include your name. You decide.

As for our response to comments: Generally, we respond within 24 hours or less except on travel days when we may not have access to the internet for a day or so. Once we’re settled, we’ll respond promptly. We do not reply to negative ranting, politically motivated comments, or hate mail. This is a place of wonder and joy, and like my Facebook page (feel free to friend me) I avoid whining and complaining and never make negative comments, personal comments, or negative observations about others.

The seawater was so clear we could see little fish swimming in this tide pool.

Sending us email: Both of our email addresses are posted above the photo on the right side of the daily post, of us in Petra. All email you send is kept confidential unless its something you’d like us to share. We always ask before posting specific email comments and await your response before mentioning them online.

Receiving auto-email with our daily posts: Below the “search” box on the right side of the page below the advertisers, is a box that says, ” SIGN UP TO NEWSLETTER.” If you sign up here, you will receive each new post in your email each day. You’ll never have to look for our link again. You’ll click the link in the email and then delete the email. Easy. Also, you can use this email to send the link to a friend who may enjoy our site by simply forwarding the email to them with a short comment from you suggesting they read it.

The “Search” box on the right side of the page. Let’s say you are looking for every recipe or a specific recipe we’ve posted since the beginning. Go to the search box and type in “recipe.” You’ll see a list of every post we’ve written with the word “recipe” in it. Some may have been just a mention of the word recipe. But many will contain actual recipes. If you can’t find something, email us and we’ll locate it for you.

The few hours of sunshine was so exciting after days of clouds and rain. Today, the sun is peeking out and if it holds, we’ll soon head to the pool.

Please keep in mind that I’ve also posted some “not so good for you” old recipes of our that are not gluten, starch, grain, and sugar-free. Not everyone cares for our way of eating so from time to time we post an old favorite.

Copying our photos: On occasion, a reader asks if they can use one of our photos in one way or another. Feel free to do so but please, if possible, put a link to our site in case the observer is curious as to the source. This is not necessary for use of our photos as screen savers or for your personal use, only if you put it out there on the web for publication. We try to provide the same courtesy to other’s photos and videos we post, when possible.

Guest blogger: If you have a story to tell and would like us to post it, please let us know via email after you’ve written it and if you’d like it to be posted in a daily post rather than as a comment. We’ll review the story and if appropriate for our site, we’ll post it. The same with special photos you’ve taken or even videos you’ve made. However, please don’t send us photos or videos belonging to others.

The waves were picking up while we were there.

Many new readers start at today’s post and continue from there, preferring not to go back to the past. However, some amazing experiences have been told and shown in photos in the past with many more yet to come. After all, health providing, we have an entire world out there we’ve yet to see which we’ll share every step along the way.

Some readers read several posts at once and come back weeks or months later to catch up or perhaps, not at all. It’s all personal preference and however, it works for you is fine for us. We often hear from readers saying that each morning they grab their cup of coffee or tea, sit down at their kitchen table, and read our new post. Others have said they read it while doing cardio at the health club, or laying in bed at night reading it on their phone. We appreciate hearing how it works for you. Please, do tell.

Sharing our posts: Although our lives are not as “juicy” as a soap opera, the concept of a continuing story appeals to many. We’ve found that we prefer TV shows with a single story that continues through the season.

These funny looking furry pods were all over the ground when we sat down on a bench overlooking the sea at Hideaway’s Beach.

As is the case with our posts, an ongoing dialogue, hence “blog” of the story of our worldwide travels without a home or a base to return to, owning no car, no storage facility and only three suitcases, a duffle bag (dirty laundry) and a computer bag. That’s all we physically own.

This oddity may appeal to folks you know who are armchair travelers, curious as to the expenses of such travel, or world travelers themselves comparing locations and experiences. Please share our posts with those you know who may find it interesting enough for a single day’s read or perhaps a long term read.

Thanks to our experienced readers for letting us share that which you already knew from reading here and for reading here. And, thanks to our new readers for stopping by, whether for a day or for years to come. We appreciate every one of you.

It’s Friday, time to rev up for the weekend ahead. Whatever you may do, enjoy it with gusto. Tomorrow’s our 20th wedding anniversary but it will be like every other day, worth celebrating!

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

Foolish me. It was this salad I ate, the only item on the menu that fit my way of eating, in a restaurant in the Medina in Marrakesh, that caused me a dreadful intestinal illness lasting almost a month. Finally, I succumbed taking a round of Cipro. Within hours, as I felt my mouth become dry, I knew I was on the mend. Only a few days later I was totally well. Of course, I never ate another salad or raw vegetables in Marrakesh again. You’d think I would have known this when our prior six months were spent in South Africa and Kenya. But, in those countries, we only dined in fine resorts and never became ill. For details from that day’s story and some amazing photos, please click here.

High surf in Hawaii due to storm in Russia…New photos…Why, this life?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on November 12, 2014 with 2 Comments

Although the hills block the sun setting, these beautiful skies give us a peek of what lurks behind the hills.

Forecasters say a powerful storm a few days ago off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia has generated a very large northwest swell. This swell reached the Hawaiian islands Monday evening and persists through Wednesday morning, bringing warning level surf to the area.

A new Coast Guard boat in the marina.

We can’t see the resulting high surf from here. The usual break of medium-sized waves along the shores of Maalaea Beach continues as a steady wake. But, the storm in Russia certainly illustrates how the world around us has an effect on others all over the world.

As a matter of fact, we can “run, but we can’t hide” from the effects that reverberate all over the world from one country to another; political unrest, infectious disease, financial downfall, and as we see here today, weather systems from very far away.

Not our photo. Several times each day we check the surf in hopes of spotting photo opportunities such as this.

Hawaii, not unlike other parts of the world has a variety of newsworthy events occurring due to weather, volcanos, and their lava flow, hurricanes, high surf, and shark attacks. There even a website devoted to reporting on recent shark attacks. Click here for details.

And here we are, Tom and I, safely ensconced in a comfy condo by the sea, perfectly content with the simplicity of this life in the islands, never having to get up and go to work, never having to mow the lawn or shovel snow (especially after recent storms in Minnesota and other parts of the US).

Beautiful colors at dusk at the lava rock breakwaters.

Some may say, “Gee, how did they get so lucky?” In reality, it had nothing to do with “luck” and everything to do with a combined 90 years of hard work and finally throwing in the towel to retire and choose a life “outside the box.”

As glamorous as it may sound, it has required a huge amount of planning and sacrifice which many may hesitate to consider in search of that which may be fulfilled in times of retirement.

Notice how the colors of these flowers progress to a brighter pink at the top. This is a variety of Aloe Vera.

What was it about our lives that made us take such drastic measures to create a new life? The answer isn’t that easy. For us, it was a combination of many life events that made it a possibility.

In part, it was the self-sufficiency of our grown children in creating responsible and fulfilling lives for themselves allowing us to let go. In another way, it was our own “lurking below the surface” desire for adventure.

It’s the same challenge with these which we’re unable to find after searching through hundreds of photos.

In another significant manner, it was a result of Tom’s excellent retirement benefits that enable us to continue with this life as long as we can, as long as we want, providing we maintain a strict budget that we adhere to without failure.

In another way, it is our interest and passion for detail, using the internet as a valuable resource that moved us along allowing us access to the world, never to have been available in years past.

The crisp white and yellow of Plumeria.

Would our health allow us to be away from routine doctor appointments, prescriptions, and usual health insurance? For me, it was only through my restrictive diet that I attained renewed health or I’d never been able to tackle this life on the move when a mere four years ago, maneuvering through daily life was excruciating and barely manageable?

Also, it was a combined willingness to let go of routines and familiar aspects of life we’d found fulfilling in many ways. Were two people, rigid in some ways, able to change and find new ways to move through life with happiness and fulfillment?

Sunset over the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Building.

It was a matter of these many factors falling into place that motivated us to choose to enter into this life. And, it was the availability of this amazing world around us, however tumultuous at times; sharks, hurricanes, lava flow, snakes, biting insects, treacherous roads, potential hazards, and risks, that brought us to this place, this date, this time in our lives.

For this, we are humbled.

Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2013:

We never quite figured out these pods growing in the yard of the house in Kenya. For details of that date, as we wound down our final of three months in Diani Beach, please click here.

Our new home in Waikiki…Photos…Views…Gruesome photo from one year ago…Life in the wild…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 6, 2014 with 0 Comment

Volleyball, sunning and funning on the beach.

The condo in Waikiki, south of Honolulu is small, spotless, and satisfactory for the next 11 nights we’ll spend in Oahu. Based on the price of $2197 for this period and the high cost of hotels in this area, we accepted the fact that this wouldn’t be an upscale rental.

Bride and groom crossing the street on Sunday morning in Waikiki.

When we booked our four vacation homes in Hawaii over the past few years, we realized that we’d need to stay within a tight budget considering our family’s upcoming arrival in December; the cost of their airfare, the two houses, groceries, transportation, and Christmas related expenses.

View from the balcony of the condo.

We decided long ago that if we kept our costs down for these 11 nights, six weeks in Maui, and four months in Kauai, we’d help balance out the high costs for the family get together on the Big Island over the holidays.

Tom is busy in the tiny kitchen making ice tea.

As a result, we won’t whine or complain that this clean, oceanview, one-room tiny space is less than our usual expectations. It has AC, an excellent fan, free high-speed Internet, laundry facilities in the basement, a flat-screen TV and a comfortable bed.

Small bathroom sink.

The lobby and hallways are tidy and well kept. It appears that this building was a hotel many years ago, later converted to a condo complex. Having already met a few permanent residents, they seem happy living here, and for 11 nights, so will we.

Another view of Waikiki beach from the balcony.

Oddly, there are no closets, only a bar, and hangers against a wall in the room. We’ve piled up our clothing on the counters that line two walls with shorts, tee shirts, swimwear, and underwear. Surely, this workaround will be sufficient for this short period of time.

“The unique profile of Diamond Head (Le’ahi) sits prominently near the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline. Hawaii’s most recognized landmark
is known for its historic hiking trail, stunning coastal views, and military history.”

The bathroom is minuscule with the tiniest sink we’ve ever seen but, the shower is adequate and well stocked with towels, soaps, and basic supplies, all of which will suit our needs.

The Honolulu Zoo is across the street from the condo. Having spent time in Africa among wild animals in their natural habitat, we’ll never be interested in visiting a zoo.

I doubt we’ll do any cooking here. The kitchen is no more than 3 feet by 3 feet leaving little room for preparing meals of any sort. We’ll dine out when this excellent location offers many restaurants within a 10 or 15-minute walk.

Today, we’ll take a walk on the pier in the right of this scene.

With no sofa or place to sit other than the bed, Tom hauled the patio table and two chairs inside giving us a sense of having a kitchen table where we can work on our laptops and if we choose, eat carryout meals (provided we can find anything that will work for me).

The bed is against the sliding door in the small room.

As I write this on Sunday afternoon, to be posted Monday morning, Tom is happily watching the Minnesota Vikings game to which he subscribes, while I’m content running back and forth to the basement doing laundry.

Tom is munching on peanuts while watching the Vikings game on his laptop. Notice the piles of clothes on top of the counters and the makeshift closet behind Tom.

The front desk didn’t have enough change for us to wash all of our clothing so we left out the jeans and heavy items for another day after we get to change and more laundry soap.

Closer view of the pier in Waikiki.

Today, we’ll find a post office to mail back the XComGlobal MiFi which we’ll no longer need to use, and to explore the areas after which we’ll start checking out the area.

Only steps from the beach, we’ll enjoy the time here as we often do, wherever we may be. With easy access to local transportation, getting around will be a breeze.

A park across the street from the condo-hotel.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more photos of Waikiki. Thanks to all of our loyal readers worldwide for hanging in there with us while we were only able to post a few photos each day while cruising. Now back on land with an excellent high-speed signal, we won’t miss a beat.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, October 6, 2013:

This Crocodile has an Impala he killed in his mouth. We shot this photo one year ago today on Day 2 of our safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya. For details and more amazing photos, please click here.

Part 2…The village of Bampton, where many scenes from Downton Abbey are filmed…Tomorrow…Part 3, Oxford…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 22, 2014 with 0 Comment

This is St. Mary’s church in Bampton, known as Church of St. Michael of All Angels, as shown on the series, Downton Abbey, where Mary married Matthew, Edith was jilted at the alter and eventually Matthew was buried.

The front entrance to the church in Bampton where many scenes for Downton Abbey have been filmed.

After posting yesterday, we were anxious to post the remaining photos of the tour to Bampton, the village of the series Downton Abbey where many church and outdoor scenes are filmed.

Cemetery at the “real” church in Bampton, St. Mary’s.

Having completed the Highclere Castle portion of the tour in Thursday’s post, today we review the visit to the charming village of Bampton with its own story to tell.

The sequence of our 13 hour day was as follows with considerable driving in between:
10:45 -12:45 Village of Oxford
2:30 – 4:30 Highclere Castle, home of Downton Abbey TV series
5:30 – 6:30 The village of Bampton, of the Downton Abbey TV series

Tom, at the side entrance to the church,

Due to several traffic delays, the events of the tour changed when Highclere Castle was to be our last stop. As a result, when we finally arrived in Bampton, many of the sites we were scheduled to see were closed for the day.

The alter inside the church where Mary and Matthew were married.

Leave it to tour guide Paul (pronounced “pool”) he called the vicar of the church and the shop owner to ensure we’d gain access to both. They both happily obliged. Of course, all 60 of us were thrilled (as much as one can be thrilled in a group of 60).

There was a carved bird of prey on the podium in the church.

Paul and Martin, our drivers, both stated several times that such delays were unusual. With diligent planning they made every effort, successfully, to get us to each venue for the time specified in the tour itinerary, although overall the day was longer than planned.

A stained glass window in the church.

We were baffled by the number of detours, roadblocks, and accidents, resulting in hours of sitting on the bus in traffic, especially surprising in the countryside.

This is the Crawley house on the series where Matthew and Isobel (Matthew’s mother) lived here after the announcement that as to the real heir to the Earl of Grantham’s estate after the death of Patrick Crowley on the Titanic.

With the amount of traffic we noticed in London, we both thought these delays may not have been unusual after all. There’s an ordinance in London called the Congestion Free for a vehicle entering certain boundaries of the city of London during weekdays of 11.60 pounds per day, (US $19.24).

The actual library in Bampton is used as a hospital in the series which now houses a gift shop. The owner was notified we were in town and she rushed to open the shop for us.

A sophisticated digital system is in place that ensures no vehicle avoids paying these daily, weekday only, fees, or serious penalties are imposed. The traffic coupled with the Congestion Free is enough motivation for Londoners to avoid purchasing a car and use the comprehensive public transportation.

A sign outside the shop, which appears as a hospital on the series.

Paul explained that he’s never driven a car in his life which apparently is not unusual in London. People walk a lot here in London. We’ve heard on the local news that rising prices for public transportation are creating upheaval and a public discord.

Several houses in Bampton have these thatched roofs some of which have been shown on
the series.

Originally, when we booked the upcoming cruise for Harwich, UK, leaving next Sunday, we’d hope to spend time in the UK, perhaps renting a house in the country for a few months. After weeks of frustration, we gave up the search when prices for even a modest country home were far beyond our budgetary guidelines. The 15 days stay in a hotel was the only alternative.

The photo on display at the gift shop of Edith’s wedding which never took place.

After all, was said and done, we had a great day having learned more about this country, its people, its history, and its modern day lifestyle, in many ways not unlike the lives of citizens from all over the world.

Mr. Charles Carson, head butler at Downton Abbey, and Dr. Richard Clarkson, the family physician in this photo at the gift shop.

Last night, we dined in another French bistro to disappointing meals for both of us. Spending over US $72, 43 pounds (without beverages!) for a mushy burger and a bowl of soup for Tom and, a small chicken breast, a few greasy green beans, and a side salad for me, we were sorely disappointed.

Photo of Mary at her wedding to Matthew, again on display in the gift shop.

Tightening our belts after three weeks of dining out, we’ve lost interest in dining out and will hit the more affordable spots where we won’t spend over US $60, 36 pounds, for dinner without drinks.

Dame Maggie Smith plays Lord Grantham’s mother, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley.

Tom purchased a liter bottle of cognac for US $30, 18 pounds, and will have a drink in our room if he wants one as opposed to spending US $17, 10 pounds for a single cocktail in a restaurant.

Today, we’re off to find a self-service laundry which we’ll visit again a week from today, boarding the ship with clean clothes. The hotel’s cost of laundering one pair of jeans is more than we’ll spend on two full loads at the self serve.

Photo in the gift shop of camera crew actress from series. We couldn’t tell who it was.

Monday is our next full day of sightseeing when we’ll see the highlights of London including the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and a boat ride of the Thames River. (At this point, we have little interest in the interior of yet another palace).

For now, we’re experiencing a little of life in London, barring many of the comforts of our usual homes of the past. We’ve decided living in a hotel in no way meets our criteria of living life in the world with simplicity and ease. However, we’ll never regret visiting Paris and London.

Photo from one year ago today, August 22, 2013:

No photos or story was posted on this date when the Internet was totally down in Boveglio, Italy. At this point, we’d begun assessing and sorting our belonging to lighten the upcoming long flight to Kenya in only nine days.

Part 1…Booking cruises and competitive pricing… How do we book our cruises for the best pricing?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 5, 2014 with 0 Comment

The fact that I was standing on a steep hill is evidenced in this lopsided photo of this steeple in the hills in Sao Vincente. Certainly, I could have straightened the camera to adjust, but I was distracted by the views.

Currently, we have four cruises booked with more we hope to book over the next several months. Yesterday, we posted our upcoming itinerary from July 31, 2014, through April 11, 2016. f you’d like to see it, please click here.

The vineyards, the sparse trees, and the mountains in the background create a pretty scene.

Finding the best possible prices for cruises is tricky and time-consuming. Since we began our travels outside the US 18 months ago, we’ve been on 10 cruises, all of them booked through Vacations to Go where we received the best pricing.

The rich soil in the hills is ideal for gardens and farms in this scene from Sao Vincente.

Now, as time marches on, we’re finding competitive pricing at other sites for the cruises we’re yet to book. Booking cruises is not as easy a task as one might think.

The well-utilized hills illustrate the creativity of the people of Madeira in using their surroundings.

There are several factors that determine the starting prices of the cruises:

Rating of the ship: Rated from one to five stars
Cruise itinerary: Certain itineraries are always more expensive than others
Length of the cruise: Longer doesn’t necessarily equate to a lower price
The popularity of the cruise: Supply and demand
Time of the year: Often the best time of year to cruise is often between Christmas and New Year’s due to lack of demand and in the first two weeks of January when the public is experiencing holiday withdrawal. Or, if one prefers a cruise can be booked during hurricane season in the Caribbean for a better price.
Taxes, fees, including gratuities (which is seldom shown in the advertised price but often is required to be paid to paid at final payment), special promotions, discounts for past customers, coupons, or discounts for special categories such as AARP and others.

More beautiful farming in Sao Vincent.

The following personal preferences determine the final costs for a cruise:

Cabin selection: Inside cabin (no windows), Oceanview (from a small to large window depending on the ship), Balcony (includes a varying in size balcony accessed through sliding doors from inside the cabin), and Suite
Category selection: In each of the above cabin selections, there are Categories with varying pricing which may double the price or more, as in the case of Suites, which can be from a Mini-Suite (extra amenities, slightly larger) all the way to a “Grand or Royal” Suites (apartment/penthouse type suites). Some cabins may have an obstructed or partially obstructed view or be above or below a noisy venue which may or may not have a bearing on the price.
Location of the cabin on the ship: The deck number, proximity to areas customer favors, easy access to stairs or elevators, etc.
Side of the ship on which the cabin is located for best viewing when sailing past points of interest.
Packages and excursions preferred: Beverages package (multiple categories as much as USD $59, EU $43.40 per person/per day!), specialty dining (not all meals are included on cruises. There are often multiple restaurants each with a “fixed price” that can be booked. Excursions at varying ports of call from private tours to bus tours.
Internet: Internet fees are outrageous on cruises, usually at US $.75, EU $.55, per minute to prepaid packages bringing the cost down as much as 50%.
Spa and salon services, personal trainers, specialty training in various categories, personal purchases, photos (often taken without your permission and later offered to you at high prices), casino, art auctions, etc.
Beverages not included in either a pre-purchased beverage package or if no beverage package is purchased, the cost of drinks not included with meals (coffee or tea) or provided at complimentary coffee/tea stations located in the pool and casual dining areas; bottled water, soda, specialty coffees, and alcoholic beverages. These can add to as much as a 25% increase in the overall cost of the cruise plus an added 15% gratuity on both beverage packages and individual beverage purchases.
On many cruises, there are special activities and events that may impose additional costs if the customer chooses to partake such as bingo and other games with cash prices, dance lessons, etc.
Travel insurance: This may be as much as US $50 per person/per day of the cruise. (We never purchase travel insurance on specific cruises. We each have an annual travel insurance policy that provides this type of coverage at a considerably lower price).

As we approached the ocean in Sao Vincente. The road was too narrow to stop. I took this photo while the car was moving.

All of the above come into play when we decide to book a cruise. We have no delusions as to these costs and luckily did our research before booking our first cruise. Having an experienced cruise agent is also a factor which incurs no obvious additional cost.

This was the first swimming pool we’ve seen on the island of Madeira. With the cool climate, a pool, unless heated, wouldn’t be enjoyable. This may be a small hotel or B & B.

Tomorrow, we’ll describe the cabins we typically choose and why, the amenities we prefer, the extras we willingly include and, the cost of a few of our upcoming cruises as listed in yesterday’s itinerary.

Please check back.

Photo from one year ago today, July 5, 2013:

Driving through Collodi, Italy, the village where the author of Pinocchio lived, we spotted the Villa Garzoni, a restored mansion which we believe is now a hotel. For details from that date, please click here.

Less safety precautions in many countries…How do we protect ourselves?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 7, 2014 with 0 Comment

The contrast of the satellite dishes again the backdrop of the setting sun is odd to see.

Yesterday, we posted a photo of a horse we’d seen in the Big Square with a bloodied neck most likely as a result from the constant rubbing of a heavier harness he normally wore when pulling the carriage, day after day.

Reposting it on Facebook as I often do, we received many horrified comments. One in particular caught my eye, prompting the content of today’s post, written by our niece Kari, “Wish laws were in place to prevent animal abuse like it is in the USA. Poor thing!”

The mosque, lighted at sunset.

Oh, do we wish the same, not only for animals but, also for the safety of people, both locals, and travelers? As we began our travels visiting more and more countries, we were surprised at times by the lack of regulations in place for the safety and well being of the public, all so familiar to us in our lives in the US.

Now, we are no longer surprised, having learned to carefully assess situations, adapting our behavior to comply with the conditions on hand to ensure our own safety.

The orange juice vendor is ready for the evening rush as the crowds begin to fill the Medina at night on the weekend.

In a few cases, we’ve been happy to see a lack of laws such as in South Africa, where it is not illegal to park one’s car on the shoulder of the highway in order to pee discretely in the bushes on the side of the road.

In the US, one could be arrested for “indecent exposure” possibly resulting in a criminal record as a “sexual offender.” Good grief, what does one do when stuck in traffic for hours? Let’s face it! We’re a growing generation of baby boomers and senior citizens who may not be able to hold it for hours.

As one perceives about Morocco, lighting is a big factor in creating an inviting ambiance both at home and in public places.

I won’t get into a discussion over the fact that they are too many laws in the US in an effort for the government to rule our lives. I won’t get out the soapbox for this potentially heated topic. But, I will say that there are many laws and regulations in place in the US and many other developed countries that, without a doubt, protect us from harm from ourselves and others.

Here are some of the general areas which we’ve taken for granted in our own countries, which may not be available in other countries as one travels:
1. Provisions or adaptations available for the disabled.
2. Considerations made available for seniors.
3. Even steeps and pavement in both private and public places with appropriate handrails.
4. Sanitary conditions in public areas.
5. Restrooms in public areas.
6. Safe-to-consume foods in most restaurants.
7. Traffic safety, including roads being patrolled, proper signage, and warnings when necessary. Seatbelt and child seats and restraints requirements.
8. Inspection requirements when building and remodeling properties, including regulations for rental properties. (continued below photo)

Many of the structures were built over 500 years ago.

9. Water consumption safety. The public water may not be potable for visitors in many countries.
10. Alternate electrical plugs for which travelers may not be prepared resulting in shock, injury, or death.
11. Rapid emergency medical response. Availability of quality medical care.
12. Easy availability of a means by which to refill a lost of forgotten prescription or medical devices.
13. Readily available access to phone and Internet services.
14. Language barriers making communication impossible in emergency situations.
15. Adequate police visibility and protection in high-risk areas and situations.
16. Laws and regulations applicable to the care of animals, both wild and domestic. Emergency veterinary services.

Early in the day, the souks aren’t crowded, an ideal time to get out for a walk.

Well, I could go on and on with the differences we encounter in our travels. In many countries, there are no laws regulating many of the above items. As a result, we take it upon ourselves to carefully examine the risks before traveling to determine if our willing adaptation will suffice to ensure a safe, healthy, and memorable experience.

Each day, as we head out, wherever we may live, we take the responsibility to examine our surroundings, assessing the necessary measures we must take for our protection.

The further and further away from the most popular areas, the less the crowds, although one must carefully watch for fast-moving motorbikes and carts with donkeys.

If unsure of one’s ability to freely adapt to these possible differences, traveling in pre-arranged tour groups or to more modern environments may be more suitable.

Today, as we head out for the afternoon, we put our bodies and minds on high alert as we look forward to yet another enjoyable day.
_____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 7, 2013:

This palm tree tipped into the sea after a storm during the night as we took our last walk on the beach before leaving Belize two days later. For the full story from that date, please click here.