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

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Workers in the rice fields in Bali.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lovely beach scenery while driving along the highway.

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

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

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

Temple and Hindu celebration on the beach.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy day!

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

Vegetation abounds in Bali…Recovery continues with hope…

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Upon closer inspection, we’ve been thrilled to see the detailed beauty of a red dragonfly that visits each day. More below.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Bonfire over the river near the beach.

As I wrote today’s heading as shown above, I’m reminded about how “life” and its quality and quantity rules our daily existence…not only our own lives but the beauty and essence of life surrounding us, in creatures big and small and in that which is growing around us.

The endless varieties of “growing things” Mother Nature bestows upon our earth is astounding.

It’s easy to forget to appreciate the exquisite varieties, in numbers beyond our comprehension, of living plants, trees, flowers and creatures we encounter in one form or another every single day when we step outdoors and at times, living amongst us indoors.

Numerous varieties of coconut palms are present worldwide. This is a different variety than we’ve seen in other countries with softer flesh.

Billions of life forms, therefore are infinitesimal that we are unable to see to the naked eye and others so massive, we run in fear for our lives. In every case, they all serve as food in the food chain and to protect the integrity of their race. 

This frog is not unlike the frog visitor, we saw almost every day in South Africa in 2014.    She/he would disappear for several days, only to return to exactly the same place.  See this link at the end of the post for that photo. Even the smallest creatures have their own routine.  As I write here today, she’s sitting in the same spot by the Koi pond as when we took this photo a few days ago. 

None are insignificant, even those we fear, incapable of imagining what purpose they accomplish upon this earth when they so frighten us. The vilest venomous snakes and insects, bushes and thorniest trees all occupy an essential place on this earth.

Plumeria is often used to make leis in Hawai. Here in Bali, they are also used for offerings and decorations as we have shown in our recent station photographs.

I could get into our responsibility in maintaining a status quo of that which thrives and is becoming extinct in this world. But in a way I believe that the comings and goings of certain species (by natural causes only) is part of the “big plan”. 

Its the sorrowful destruction of our wildlife and vegetation perpetrated by humans that leaves us bemoaning the desire for more money, personal comforts and power over this earth and its inhabitants. Much of this is impossible to comprehend. A great deal of that is beyond comprehension. 

From the bougainvillea in Kenya three years ago, to the same here in Bali, we’ve found these pretty flowers throughout the world.

From the bougainvillea of Kenya three years ago, to the same thing here in Bali, we found these lovely flowers around the world. Instead, I choose to embrace that which we have before us at this time in our own lives that has the ability to bring us considerable joy and appreciation in ways we never imagined possible.

In our old lives, before traveling the world, we easily found ourselves stopping to appreciate a bird, a fish jumping in the lake, a coyote hovering near our property seeking a tasty “little dog lunch.”  All of it caught our attention.

The smallest and simplest of flowers can be awe-inspiring.

Now, as we explore our surroundings with camera in hand, able to preserve the memory of life’s treasures, we’ve come to observe each encounter with a more curious eye and an open heart while selfish longing for more.  If we take a photo of one amazing praying mantis, the next day, we look for another, bereft it hasn’t returned.

In the case of the photo below and in today’s main photo of this red dragonfly, we’ve been gifted with an almost daily appearance in the very same spot near the villa’s front entrance. I ask, “Dear Dragonfly, how long will you continue to return to this very same spot? And, what inspires you to return day after day?” 

And what inspires you to come back time and time again?”When we first arrived for our second stay in Bali about one month ago, I noticed this red dragonfly as shown in today’s main photo, fluttering around the two Koi ponds by either side of the front entryway. Much to my delight, it returns almost every day to the exact same location. 

My heart sings each day when I find her/him fluttering near the vegetation in the two Koi ponds on either side of the front steps. The mystery, the uncertainty is intriguing to me and also to Tom, who is equally fascinated by life surrounding us.

And, speaking of life, I’d like to share the quality of my own since we’ve had many readers writing to us inquiring as to how my spine injury from June 1st is healing. I’ve hesitated to say much over these past few weeks, you know, that goofy perception many of us possess that if we say something too soon, we’ll jinx it.

How can leaves be so symmetrical?

I’ve been pain free for three straight days.

It’s not to say I’m no longer aware of the delicate nature of my spine as it’s healed, but I can literally walk, sit and maneuver about my day without giving it much thought. 

This has transpired over the past two weeks when I’ve had an intermittent days of relief during any given week, never two days in a row. Now, with three pain free days in a row, I’m more optimistic than at any time in the past four months since the injury occurred in the pool here in Bali. 

This flower reminds me of zinnias. With the slow Wi-Fi here, it’s difficult to research the names of plants and flowers. We love seeing them none the less.

It’s been a long, tough haul, the worst period of back pain I’ve ever experienced. My fear of it ending our journey was foremost in my mind. Over these past weeks, I’d decided to let the fear waft away and to focus on feeling well and free of worry. Most certainly, fear and worry may have exacerbated and ultimately extended the discomfort of my lengthy painful scenario. 

However, during this entire four months, we’ve continued to enjoy our lives, to laugh, to treasure our surroundings and of course, to take endless photos of the wonders of the world around us.

These remind us of the popular shady area flowers, impatiens, we often planted in Minnesota.

May your days be filled with life’s wonders!

Photo from one year ago today, October 3, 2015:

The marina in Savusavu , Fiji is used by many part-time and year round residents. From our veranda we were often able to see these sailboats heading out to sea. For more details, please click here.

Tom’s second biggest scare of his life?…In his own words…Three days and counting…

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This buffalo was not happy to see him. Tom used no zoom to capture this photo when suddenly this monstrous agitated animal approached him.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Hauling a heavy load of vegetation on the beach.

Up until yesterday morning the most frightening experience of Tom’s life occurred while we were sitting on the veranda in Marloth Park, South Africa and he spotted a Mozambique Spitting Cobra next to his bare foot. Here’s the link with photos to that story.

His second most frightening experience since that event in South Africa occurred late yesterday morning when he decided to take a walk in the neighborhood to check out the main road currently under construction which lead to the villas. We’ve walked that road many times and he was curious to see how it was coming along.

This is the beginning of the paver road under construction at this time.

I was busy attempting to get a good enough signal to upload the post and suggested he go without me. He grabbed the camera expecting to return within an hour. I never gave it a thought.

Thirty minutes later he returned, sweaty and flushed. “You won’t believe what happened,” he said, his voice more intense than usual.

Several workers were involved in the project to pave the road.

“What?” I asked with the utmost of concern while quickly scanning his body up and down for any possible injuries. In a flash of 10 seconds, I wondered if he’d fallen, although he’s as surefooted as anyone I know.

This is the grassy path Tom took in search of photos, never realizing what lie ahead.

Here are his words as to what transpired on the walk:

“The road construction is a 20 day project using pavers/cobblestones. While the work is being done cars have to drive on a small grassy trail (as shown above) to get to the highway.  

On Monday, when I went with Gede to the ATM, he drove on this path (not really a road) which is used by motorbikes and walking the buffalo down to the beach and the river located near us.

This buffalo snorted and stomped his feet ready to charge.

After taking photos of the road construction, I decided to walk the secondary path to take photos of the cows and buffaloes I’d seen on Monday when I rode in the van with Gede.

As I walked down the path, I noticed two male buffaloes laying down on the backside of a property. I was walking on the grassy path about 10 meters, 33 feet, from the buffaloes when they first saw me.

This is the second buffalo who considered getting into the action. A cow is behind him seeming totally uninterested in what was transpiring.

One buffalo appearing agitated, immediately standing and snorting. He was only standing on  three legs since the rope he was tied to was caught and wrapped around his left rear leg. 

Being tangled and seeing me simultaneously obviously added to his agitation. I stopped dead in my tracks unsure of how secure his thin rope really was and what it was secured to. My first thought was that he was getting ready to charge me. This all transpired in a matter of seconds.

He untangled his fourth leg and aggressively began to approach me. I started walking backwards, keeping my eyes on him the entire time. Adrenalin kicked in as my heart started racing and I was sweating profusely.

Cows were contained in this roughshod enclosures.

My eyes scanned the area looking for a safe place to retreat in case he got loose. At this same time the second buffalo, about 30 meters, 98 feet away, stood and approached using all the slack he had available in his rope.

At this point, I slowly backed up out of sight from the buffaloes still checking for a safe exit strategy if either of them charged. At the same time, I was thinking to myself, “I’m glad I’m by myself and Jess isn’t here!” This way, I was only concerned for my own safety instead of worrying about her safety too.

Finally, I was out of sight of the buffaloes with vegetation blocking our view of one another. Then, I decided to carefully approach in order to take these photos. I sound like Jess who takes every precarious situation and turns it into a photo op!

Cows often look to see who’s passing by but seldom show signs of aggression. 

Originally, my plan was to walk the entire length of the grassy path and return the same way. So far, I was only one quarter of my way down the path but decided I didn’t want to take the risk of passing the agitated buffaloes again, especially when at one point, I’d end up between them on the path, not a good place to be.

I cut the walk short, retracing my steps back down the path constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure the buffaloes weren’t following me, all the while thinking how grateful I was to escape and that Jess wasn’t with me.

Finally, Tom had returned to the entrance to the villas and the beginning point of the road under construction. He’s was relieved and grateful to have avoided injury.

As I breathlessly told Jess the story, she asked, “Which situation scared you the most, the cobra in South Africa or the two buffaloes in Bali?” I had to think about it. In both cases we were in remote areas far from emergency medical care. These thoughts entered my mind. 

Both situations were equally frightening. But, with the buffaloes I was only fearful for my own safety and didn’t have to worry about Jess. So, for that reason, the cobra was scarier and the buffaloes are a close second.” 

As Tom told me the story, my own heart was racing over the thoughts tumbling through my mind over what could have happened.  Once again, “safari luck” kicked in and much to my surprise…he still got the photos!

Photo from one year ago today, June 24, 2015:

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

Attempting to avoid “whinging”…A tiny annoyance…

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Ants carrying off a dead gecko.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Last night’s sunset.

Chere Bork, a dear friend of mine from Minnesota with whom I’ve stayed in touch by email on almost a daily basis over these past 44 months of travel, reads our daily posts reveling in our travels along with us. 

As a busy and much sought-after full-time registered dietician, national speaker, life coach, consultant, and blogger, Chere has all-encompassing experience and knowledge in the field of health and well-being. 

Our online conversations are lively and animated not only centered around our mutual beliefs in living a healthy life to the fullest, each with quality of life and husbands/family we love and adore. And, also we share in the challenges we all face regardless of any degree of joy we experience in everyday living.

Dragonfly on our chaise lounge.  These eat mosquitoes. 

Regardless of the gorgeous beaches, exquisite scenery, the interesting worldwide environment we explore and embrace, some days are better than others, some experiences not worth repeating, and others that grip our hearts and minds longing for more.

From time to time, my friend Chere suggests a subject for a story that we take seriously following suit within a few days on her suggestion. Other readers have suggested content through an email or a comment at the end of a post. 

We welcome such suggestions and if befitting our site we look forward to the next opportunity to incorporate their ideas into a post. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and suggestions with us at any time.

Snake run over by a car or motorbike.

A few days ago, after a comment I made to Chere in an email, she suggested I be more explicit on this topic in a story for our readers. “Hogwash,” I said. Our readers don’t want to hear us whine (“whinge” in Aussie or British speak) anymore on this topic.

Chere went on to explain, that our readers may prefer to “Hear it like it is, the good, the bad and the ugly.” And, folks, at times, I’ll admit to avoiding mentioning a lot of the ugly because, a) I’m “overly bubbly” attempting to look on the bright side and, b) We’d prefer our site not to become a deterrent for future renters for our thoughtful landlords and property managers who make every effort to create as perfect an environment as possible during our often lengthy stays.

Chere‘s preferred topic for today? Ants. Yep, ants. Those measly annoying, crawling relentless worldwide buggers…ants. They’re everywhere, especially here in Bali. (We’ve included no photos of ants today. Everyone knows what they look like).

Some type of cocoon we spotted in the ceiling of the cabana. 

Perhaps you aren’t interested in hearing about ants. We had enough ants in Fiji to last a lifetime when on the first night of our arrival, zillions were living in the mattress and bedding.  Yikes! What a night that was!  Read here for details. There have been no ants in the bed in Bali, just everywhere else.

Its not as if we didn’t write about ants earlier.  However, we’ve been avoiding too much discussion on ants since our arrival in Bali, feeling as if our loyal readers may have had their “fill” during our four months in Fiji.

OK, Chere. Here’s our Bali ant story and then we’re done with ants until the next ant-infested society in which we’ll live. For easy reading of Bali ant experiences, I’m listing a few here in bullet points for your perusal, or not, whichever you prefer.  Here goes:

  • Although we don’t cook, nightly I toss our coleslaw salad with dressing I’ve made. When tossing the salad using the cut-up veggies the two Ketuts have prepared, I have to hurry to avoid ants crawling into the bowl. They don’t like cabbage and carrots but they love dressing. While I’m tossing the salad hundreds of ants are running all over the granite countertops. They crawl up my arms.   don’t scream.
  • When showering in the very clean en suite master bath, there are hundreds of ants running up and down the shower walls. Tom can’t see them when he’s showering while not wearing his glasses. I can and I do.   don’t scream.
  • Last night, when I opened my contact lens case there was a red ant inside. I didn’t scream although a little moan escaped my lips. I must have left the lid slightly ajar during the day. That won’t happen again.
  • On numerous occasions, while lounging in the chaises by the pool, it’s not uncommon for either of us to jump up and start brushing hundreds of ants off our legs. They crawl up the legs of the chaises and for some reason love nibbling on dead skin on our legs. Yuck. We don’t scream.
  • Ants on our keyboards and monitors which we clean daily.  They still come to call.
  • Ants crawling up the side of our plates while we’re eating (lots of flies too). Ants on our food. Flies on our food. If there’s more than one ant in on my food, I don’t eat that bite. We no longer comment during these incidences.
  • Red ants crawling around the cabana and the cushions.  Each day, we ask Ribud to spray the area but, by the time we use it in the afternoon after time in the pool, they’re back. 
  • Ribud cleans the pool six days a week. It’s impeccable. By the time we go swimming each day, there are lots of ants gathered along the edges and in the corners. We rescue the drowning grasshoppers but not the ants.

You get the drift, right?  Chere, here’s your ant story. Oh, there’s probably more we can tell but I need to get the disgusting scowl off my face and get back to staring at today’s high surf, blue sky, warm weather, pristine infinity pool, and the cool guy at my side, who for the moment is enjoying an ant-free zone.

We save several grasshoppers from drowning in the pool each day.

May your day not include ants and other such annoyances!


Photo from one year ago today, June 13, 2015:

As we settled into our new home in Trinity Beach, Australia, we were thrilled to see the pool.  For more photos of our first home in Australia, please click here.

Photos of road trip continue…One year from today…Fulfillment, happiness and knowledge…

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This appears to be a Balinese boat, called Madurai, one of many designs that we spotted in the fishing harbor in Negara which is quite a site to see.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

  At first, we thought this might be a log or debris, but when we saw it moving quickly from left to right, we knew it was a sea creature.

Our lives are filled with milestone dates as we continue to travel the world. Whether it’s an anniversary of the date we first left Minnesota, first left the US, embarked on our first safari, walked the hills of Tuscany, wandered the lost city of Petra, or sailed in the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden in the Red Sea.

As our journey continues, we find the true meaning of our passion and purpose to become one with the world in ways we can maneuver based on our personal desires, our ages, our health, and our financial considerations.

This appears to be a Muslim Madurai boat design.

In our minds, we’re doing it well, better than we anticipated, better than we dreamed possible. It’s not a case of flattering ourselves for a job well done thus far. 

A similar design is common on these Madurai boats located in the fishing villages of Pangambengan and Perancak.

It’s merely a matter of acknowledging to ourselves and to one another that we’ve reached the pinnacle of our intent…fulfillment, happiness, and knowledge of a world we never knew existed until 43 months ago. How naïve we were. How educated we’ve become, and yet, with so much more to learn in the future.

Today is a milestone that in one year we’ll be back in the US, arriving in Seattle, Washington after a 24-day cruise from Sydney, Australia. For the time being, we’ll have scoured the South Pacific as much as we desired and may, with so much world yet to come, never return. 

Smaller boats docked along the breakwaters.

We’ll stay in the US for two months visiting family and then, off we go again, bookings and plans already intact with the same degree of excitement we’ll have begun, at that point, almost five years ago.

As we peruse our travel map located to the right of today’s post (feel free to click on it for details), good grief if the completion of seeing the world were our entire objective, we’ve only experienced the “tip of the iceberg” so to speak…and that, too, coming up on January 23, 2018, on our booked Antarctica cruise.

Its hard to conceive of the time and effort to create these detailed decorations.

But then, seeing the entire world is entirely impossible, even if one began decades before us. It’s a big place.  Does spending time in a few cities in a country, on a continent constitute really “seeing” it? Or, does living there for two or three months at a time determine how well we’ve come to know the life, the culture, and the treasures it offers for us to behold? 

Many of the boats are similarly designed with attention to religious detail.  Some are of Hindu design and others are of Muslim design.

To us, none of this matters. What matters is the fulfillment, happiness, and knowledge we glean along the way, at times with a degree of angst and discomfort and even, at times a degree of disillusionment and disappointment.

This appeared to be a maintenance/utility boat.

Then again, even these types of perceptions are all part of the process of learning and growing as human beings, of stretching our wings to soar above these vast lands with grace, humility, and awe.

The number of fishing boats in the harbor is astounding.

Yes, we are in awe of it all even with the biting flies, the relentless mozzies, the muddy paths, the steep roads, the hours-long harrowing drives, the scorching heat, the suffocating humidity, and at times the seeming to never end cloudy and rainy days and nights. It’s all a part of the experience.  If it were perfect, it would have little meaning after a while.

We couldn’t believe how much creativity was required for the designs of these fishing boats.

So, yes, we’re in Paradise here and again in Paradise wherever we may be at any given time, for the experience, for the selfish joy, for a starlit night like none other where we need only reach to the sky for a handful of stardust we sprinkle in our own eyes as we smile in pure wonderment.

Some of the boats in the harbor were small and less decorative.

Today, we share more photos of that joy we’ve encountered here in Bali, Indonesia in a remote location far from the popular tourist points of interest making our own way to see that which becomes closest to our hearts, a simple beauty, a profound opportunity, to discover what life is really like in faraway lands. 

Gratefulness. It prevails.

Photo from one year ago today, May 16, 2015:

As we were winding down our time in Kauai, the albatross chicks born in early February would begin to fledge within a month. It had been an amazing experience to watch them grow over the many months and finally to see their fluff fall away as their feathers suitable for flying grew in.  For more photos, please click here.

Heartbreaking “Bali Sighting on the Beach”…Paradise isn’t always as pretty as it seems…

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We’ve seen no less than 20 dogs wandering the beach each day, some looking fit and healthy while others are scrawny and unfit. The beach in front of our house is clean and pristine, cleaned daily by house pool guy, Ribud. However, other beachfront areas aren’t maintained and are littered with trash and various items washed ashore.

Watching beach life in this remote location is different than observing beachgoers anywhere else in the world we traveled to date.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

Sorry, the photo isn’t clear. We were too far away and my hands were unsteady after seeing the dog shot.  This guy picked up the dead dog by one hind leg and placed him in a laundry bag as he carried him away. More on this below.

Before we get into today’s story, I want to mention that we placed an order from BaliBikeRental.com for a hot spot rental for the remainder of our time in Bali. Their driver made the four hours (each way) harrowing drive to deliver the device for which we paid IDR $3,885,577.50, US $291 plus an additional IDR $1,068,200, US $80 for a deposit.

Alas, the driver arrived with two devices to ensure at least one would work, but neither would acquire an adequate signal. At that point, we were worried we wouldn’t get our money back or be charged a high transport fee. Much to our surprise, we were refunded the entire amount including the deposit 

Although these dogs seem friendly and harmless, many have rabies and other diseases.

Of course, we felt bad. It wouldn’t work in this remote location for us and for the efforts of the company. But, the honorable company, BaliBikeRental.com, immediately refunded our entire payment inspiring us to mention them here. 

If you’re looking for a motorbike or hotspot rental while in Bali, this company appears highly reputable. They’ve never had a request for a device from this remote area in the past and didn’t realize it wouldn’t work. Apparently, they work well near the resorts and Denpasar, the capital city. 

As a result, we have no choice but to use the slow wifi signal in the house, which works off and on.  Downloading photos is challenging which I will do late at night for the next day’s post. We’ll do our best to get at least six or seven photos posted each day along with our stories.

Not only do the dogs wander the beaches searching for food, they often play together and roll in the sand. They drink the water in the river and go into the river water to cool off but we’ve yet to see one enter the ocean.

On to our story of the day…

As much as we’d like to assume living each day in Paradise is perfect, as our regular readers so well know from experience, we tell it like it is…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The beach in front of our house is a constant stream of activity, some interesting, some mundane, and some shocking. We’ve seen children as young as four or five years old, alone playing on the beach with no parent in sight. 

We’ve seen naked young boys between five to nine years old, swimming and playing in the river for hours at a time, alone without adult supervision, later to throw on their shorts and wander away. 

As we closely watch the activity on the beach, we wonder which dog will be “next.”

We’ve seen “seedy” looking characters on the beach, occasionally looking our way. We’ve seen an endless stream of motorbikes traveling up and down the beach all day, into the early evening. 

We’ve seen moms and kids walking along the beach, women with pots on their heads, and as shown, buffalo and horses being escorted to the river for a cooling soak.

Of considerable interest to us both, dog lovers that we are, we’d enjoyed watching the seemingly friendly busy dogs running up and down the beach, searching for tidbits of food and companionship, mostly with one another.

The dog on the right is with the guy who brings the buffalo to the river each day. She plays with the other dogs while he cools down the buffalo, catching up with him when he departs. 

For safety’s sake, we’ve avoided getting too close not knowing if they’d become aggressive with humans, although they seemed oblivious of people on the beach. 

Nor, did we want to encourage any of them to hang around refusing to leave. We made the wrong assumption that most of them belonged to local homeowners. How wrong we were! We’ve since discovered most are feral dogs, born near the beaches and left to fen for themselves as soon as they stop nursing. 

On Wednesday afternoon we were lounging in the cabana with the camera in close proximity. My eyes were peeled on a dog wandering the beach in their usual helter-skelter pattern in a sniffing frenzy. Suddenly, we both heard a quick “splat” and the dog began yelping miserably.

Coconut husks are used in many ways, including being made into fiberboards for construction.

We didn’t know what to do. Watching the dog teeter to and fro, within 30 seconds, it fell to the ground.  Someone had shot the dog! Horrified we looked down to the beach to a house no more than three doors from us to see a guy in a red shirt with some type of pellet gun in hand. We couldn’t do a thing but watch and wait. He saw us watching with our camera in hand.

Moments later another guy walked over to the dog, picked it up by its hind leg placing it in what appeared to be an open weave laundry bag. The dog was dead from what we could tell. Had it been an annoyance? Had it bit someone?

Gede (had also misspelled his name as “Gaday”) was gone to Denpasar and we couldn’t ask him. The two Ketuts don’t speak English well enough to be able to answer our questions. Egon, the owner, was on his way back to Holland with his family. We had no choice but to wait.

Hindu temple on the road into town.

By the next morning, after thinking about this overnight with a heaviness in our hearts, Gede arrived and answered our questions. Rabies is rampant in Bali. Dogs are “culled” in an attempt to lessen the risks to humans and other animals. 

The guy in the red shirt was an indication of a vet using a “tranquilizer” type gun to shoot the dog. Some are tranquilized and tested for rabies and vaccinated if healthy and others are shot to the death if rabies is suspected. 

How this determination is made, is unknown to us. We surmised most are shot to death unless they have a collar, may belong to a local resident, and have already been vaccinated.

It is traditional in the Hindu faith to have numerous statues in the yard of their homes as a means of expressing their love, faith, and devotion to God.

This explained the horrific sighting, but it still left us reeling and sad over this reality. In the wild in Africa, we watched animals hunt and kill, accepting this reality making us able to watch and take photos knowing this is a reality of life. 

Now, as we’ve observed this dog culling, we feel sad over this reality as a part of life in Bali, not only in the busy cities but also in remote areas such as we’re living in Sumbersari, Negara.

Many object to the culling stating it’s a poor means of protecting against rabies. See this link for more information. We’ll reserve our opinions for a future date when we know more as we continue to research and speak to local citizens.

This photo was taken from the backseat of the van of the road as we exit the property to head to the village. 

This morning we noticed two little girls no more than four or five years alone running along the beach.  We’ve never seen unattended children of these ages alone on a beach. Its the nature of life and culture in Bali, one we must accept.

Obviously, if a child or adult needs to be rescued from the sea, we’d be all over it.  We keep our eyes peeled when anyone enters the sea. But, as for the dogs, we can only continue to observe them, never knowing, only accepting, their eventual fate.

We’d planned to get out today or tomorrow but much to our surprise, Tom has a sunburn on his feet (the first sunburn he’s had in our travels) and is unable to put on his shoes for a few days.  In the interim, we’ll stay put until he heals.

Then again, staying put certainly is no hardship. There are plenty of passing pleasant experiences to observe each day on the beach as we continue to revel in these extraordinary surroundings.

May you revel in your surroundings today!

Photos from one year ago today, May 6, 2015:

There’s never a shortage of roosters wandering about in Kauai when there are literally thousands of feral chickens and roosters on the island supposedly as a result of hurricanes destroying chicken coops over the years. For more photos, please click here.

Mont Blanc…A sad story of a little life lost…

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It was hard not to fall in love with this face.

I don’t know how I became so attached to the little guy, alpaca Mont Blanc, born January 10th, nine days before we arrived in New Plymouth. 

Perhaps, it began during the harrowing few hours we spent trying to figure out how to get him back into the paddock when his tiny body easily maneuvered under the wire fence of the paddock next to our house leaving him separated from his mom, Giselle.

They both cried the sorrowful alpaca hum over and over again, afraid and frustrated by their separation, while we stood by helpless to figure out what to do.  We wrote about this event in this post using this photo below.

Mont Blanc’s mom Giselle, standing at the fence (left) was very worried that he’d escaped the fence to the paddocks. The other alpacas looked on, worried as well.

Finally, we called Trish to report the incident. In a short period, she and Neil arrived to gently pick him up and place him back over the fence to reunite with his worried mom and the other equally worried alpacas who cried along with them. 

We’d have lifted him over the fence, but at the time, so new to the farm, we were uncertain as to how to do so safely to avoid hurting him or us with his razor-like hooves. Watching him and his mom reunite was heartwarming. For days, if not weeks, he remained close at her side as shown in this photo below.

We took this photo within a few hours of Mont Blanc and his mom Giselle being reunited. He seldom left her side, although at times he attempted to play with the other crias.

At this point, I was hooked, and with his greenish collar and name tag, I began watching him each day; his gentle demeanor and more than anything… the way he looked into my eyes with his pale blue eyes. His little pink mouth and nose combined with his blue eyes made him easy to spot.

On rare occasions, he’d play with the other cria for short periods. They often ran with vigor through the paddock in the early evenings as the heat of the sun waned but he was unable to keep up.

Mont Blanc would wander off by himself when he wasn’t napping or hugging close to his mom.

When the cria joined together in a pile to rest in the sun, often in the dirt patch outside our sliding door, he’d easily participate in “nap time.” It was during these periods and many others that I could spend hours watching him. 

He was different from the others, not only with his lash-hidden blue eyes, an anomaly in alpacas, but in the way he hung close to his mom and seldom munched on the grass as the other cria had begun after their first month of life.

Mont Blanc in the left front was smaller than the other cria many born weeks after him. The cria would gather in this dirt spot for their naps, one of few interactions he had with the others.

In his own little way, without ever holding him in my arms, a special affinity grew over these past almost three months. (Alpacas don’t like to be touched by humans but will engage in eye to eye communication with their gentle moans and hums easily expressing interest and love).

And when I began to notice how little he actually nursed while seldom munching on the grass, his tiny stature became more and more evident as the more newly born cria passed him in size when they were but a few weeks old.

Reporting our observations to Trish and Neil they weighed him to discover he was considerably underweight.  Then, when we took this below photo of him trying to nurse while another unrelated fast-growing cria nursed from his mom, we knew something was terribly wrong. We reported this to Trish and Neil immediately showing them the photo.

It was this photo that further prompted us to notify Trish and Neil when we suspected something was terribly wrong when tiny Mont Blanc (on the left) was attempting to nurse from his mom while another born-this-season cria nursed from her as well, an uncommon scene. Even Giselle looks surprised by this event.  Click here for the post on that date.

At that point, Trish and Neil separated Mont Blanc and Giselle from the others in another paddock closer to their house, a distance from ours. Each day, we walked to that paddock to see how he was doing. Once they moved them, he gained a little weight, later losing it all. At times we spotted him with a few blades of grass in his mouth in an attempt to eat as shown in this photo below. 

Last week the vet came to the farm to check on him. The report wasn’t good. Mont Blanc wasn’t thriving. When Trish and Neil had left for the Easter holiday last week, we continued to walk to the distant paddock to check on him.

Recently, we wandered through the other paddocks looking for him. When we didn’t see him, I wrote to Trish asking where we’d find Mont Blanc and she wrote:

“Mount Blanc…. I had the vet look at him and he was very worried.  We discussed ideas and possibilities. I had already realized something was definitely wrong and the vet agreed. I took him to the vet clinic on Thursday where he was euthanized.  Horrible outcome but as it turned out the vet and we knew it was something untreatable – He did a post-mortem and found the outlet from the second to third stomach was restricted to only a pinhole so no food was getting through and no nutrition. We were never going to win with him.  Being blue-eyed may have had something to do with it because they may often have malformations. Sad but he is no longer suffering.”

At this point, we all thought he was doing better.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read her message, my heart heavy for his little life, so sweet, so precious, now taken away. As I write this now, the tears flow once again. 

It’s ironic how when we lose an animal, however short a period we loved them, we are reminded of all of God’s creatures that we’ve lost in times past. It was only a few weeks ago that Tom and I reread the blog I wrote when we lost our last dog, Willie in 2011. 

The five-year anniversary of the day we lost Willie is in a few days and reading it still makes us cry. Here’s the link to the first day I wrote Willie’s blog (the balance follows in the archives) after he was diagnosed with cancer and given only weeks to live. 

For a period of time, he seemed to be doing better. But that soon faded and again he lost weight.  We were so hopeful.

I wrote the blog in the first person as if in his own words, picking it up “in my words” after he was gone. Writing Willie’s blog, my first foray into blogging was a healing process and inspiration in writing here now, all these years later.

In a funny way, writing here today, after discovering that Mont Blanc will no longer be found in any of the paddocks hanging out with his mom, is also a healing process. 

And yet, a sense of sorrow remains; for Mont Blanc, for Willie, for all the other dogs we’ve lost along the way, for all the people we’ve lost along the way, and for all the sorrows we’ve all experienced in our lives.

As happy as we are in our lives of traveling the world, we’re never exempt from the feelings of love or for the caring of those we’ve lost both human and animal, and for those we’ve left behind. Love travels well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2015:

The rushing waters below at high tide in Princeville, Kauai.  For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…Road trip…Many new photos on a perfect day!

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The sign outside the Fonterra Cheese Factory and retail store in Eltham, New Zealand.

With many cloudy days over these past few months, getting out to explore on a sunny day has been limited.  When any particular day started sunny, we’d plan to head out as soon as we finished posting. Invariably, by the time we’ve completed the post around 11:00 am, the clouds would start rolling in and we’d change our plans, hoping for another day.

As I’ve mentioned on many occasions, I don’t like taking photos on cloudy days. I’m just not that good of a photographer to do a great job, nor do I have an interest in spending hours editing dark photos, as more talented photographers may choose to tackle.

There are several refrigerated cases with a wide array of New Zealand made and Fonterra Cheese Factory made cheeses. We only purchased cheese made at the factory when we can easily purchase the others at the local grocery stores.

Based on the fact that we take over 10,000 photos a year, spending time editing photos could take a few more hours each day. When we don’t usually finish posting until around 11:00 am seven days a week, adding a few more hours editing photos each day would definitely cut into the time we prefer to spend doing other things.

Yesterday morning, awakening to a totally clear sky without a single cloud in sight, we knew it was a good day to get out. I hurried through the post using all new photos (most often all of our photos are new unless referencing a past experience), hung a load of laundry on the line and we were out the door before 11:00 am.

We’d never seen these “fruit pastes” which most likely are jam type items.

Over the past few months, we’ve had a few places in mind, we hoped to visit; the Fonterra Cheese Factory in Eltham and also the town of Stratford, fashioned with a Shakespearean theme. As it turned out we saw much more which we’ll share over these next several days.

Small jars of a variety of locally made chutneys, mustards and sauces.  In reviewing the ingredient’ list on these items, most contained sugar or starches.

Actually, over a month ago, we headed out with the same two towns in mind getting sidetracked, which resulted in a visit to Mount Taranaki which took most of the day. We decided we’d visit Eltham and Stratford another time, but only on a sunny day.

It’s a good thing we chose yesterday for the visit to these two towns since this morning, it was again cloudy as shown in this morning’s photo below. We weren’t disappointed when it stayed clear and cool all day, a perfect day for an outing.

We were happy we decided to go on yesterday’s road trip when this morning, it was cloudy and now raining.

The furthest of the two towns is Eltham where the well known cheese factory is located. Keeping in mind that cheese is one of the few treats I can eat, a plan to visit a factory with a wide array of locally made cheeses has been of particular interest in our worldwide travels.

This was only the third such occasion when we visited a cheese factory/specialty store; one in Belize as shown in this post and on another occasion when we visited Rusty’s Market, a huge farmers market and tourist attraction in Cairns, Australia, to find an extensive cheese vendor on site which prompted us to purchase a huge amount of exotic cheeses as shown in this post.

If we had more time before leaving New Plymouth, we’d surely have purchased one of these avocado oils.

Its not as if we can make an outing for food items other travelers may find worth a long drive; a special restaurant, a popular ice cream parlor or a bakery known for its sweets and bread. 

For our way of eating only these specialty venues work for us including a farmer’s market for fresh produce; a grass fed meat market; a fish wholesaler open to the public; a cheese factory or distributor; and a health food store.

Locally made oils.

When there’s an opportunity to visit any of these types of shops we’re as excited to do so as others may be when there’s “food on a stick” at a state fair or visiting a special restaurant known for foods that don’t work for us.

Yesterday, was no exception when we entered the Fonterra Cheese Factory. Although many of their options in the refrigerated displays were New Zealand made cheeses one may find at the local grocery stores, we asked the staff person to point out the cheeses that were made exclusively at their factory. No tours are offered or we’d definitely have participated.

Old newspaper articles about the cheese factory in Eltham.

After spending NZ $41, US $28, we were surprised how much we actually purchased. We didn’t go overboard in our purchase considering we’ll be leaving New Plymouth two weeks from tomorrow. 

Our day consisted of many more surprises delightful experiences as we continued on our day long tour of the exquisite countryside. We even encountered some funny animals during our fun filled day. More on that yet to come.

We purchased five packages of cheese including that huge round of Brie. I ate part of the smoked Havarti in the car while Tom ate this mint ice cream bar.  We were “out and about” when there are no “rules”  or comments from me on what he chooses to eat. He said it wasn’t that good after all.

May you share experiences with others, whether big or small, with enthusiasm and joy in your heart.

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

A lazy day sitting under a tree with a cold beverage and good book is all many visitors to Kauai require for a glorious vacation. Not everyone is into adventure hikes and sightseeing. Many tourists come to the islands to get away from a “must do” lifestyle preferring to relax and unwind. Lounging on the beach, dining in a popular restaurants and drinking Mai Tai’s is all some travelers need for the perfect vacation. For more details, please click here.

Worried about Mont Blanc…Delilah…Watching over the alpacas this week…

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Little Mont Blanc, dirty from days of rain, still small and fragile.

With Trish and Neil gone for Easter until next Wednesday, we’re keeping an eye out on the alpacas. Their friend Barb is stopping by each day to give them their daily vitamin feed which is placed in dozens of colorful bowls at the edges of the various paddocks.

Mont Blanc’s mom, Giselle’s half-hearted grin.

We don’t have much to do other than to check on pregnant mom, Delilah, who’s due to deliver at any time. Her photo is shown below.

Much to our heavy hearts young Mont Blanc isn’t doing well. He’s now in a separate paddock with his mom and another mom that is also not doing well. Her cria, Latle is also in the paddock.

Latle, the healthy fast-growing youngster with Giselle, Mont Blanc’s mom, in the background.

On Wednesday the vet came to examine Mont Blanc and determined he’s having some type of digestive disorder preventing him from growing and thriving. 

A few weeks ago when we alerted Trish and Neil that Mont Blanc didn’t seem to be nursing or pecking at the grass and appeared tiny and skinny compared to the other fast-growing cria of similar age, they separated him and his mother to another paddock. 

Mont Blanc is much smaller than one month older Latle.

During that period, we’d spotted another cria nursing from Mont Blanc’s mom, leaving less for him. We sent Trish a photo showing the two babies attempting to nurse simultaneously, which proved to be an oddity. Less than a week ago we posted the story with photos as shown here.

Latle is 29 days older than Mont Blanc and is growing well.

At first, once separated from the others, he gained weight and was seeming to improve. Then, a few days ago he began to take a turn for the worse, losing the weight he’d gained, prompting Trish and Neil to call the vet to determine what was wrong. The diagnosis of a digestive disorder left them uncertain as to his fate.

As for Delilah, the only remaining pregnant mom due to give birth this year, she’s yet to deliver her cria.  We’ve been watching her progress daily but see no signs of impending birth. In Trish and Neil’s absence we’ll keep a close watch to ensure all goes well should she soon deliver. She seems fine, is eating well. 

Mont Blanc does appear to munch on a bit of vegetation.

Delilah, pregnant and soon due to deliver, is one of the largest alpacas.  She is a less common rich dark brown. Delilah appears to be the leader of her herd, always at the peak of alertness for any possible intruders.  She’s become used to us visiting the paddock and expresses no concern when we come by.

Yesterday, we walked the distance to the paddock close to their house where Mont Blanc and his mom are located. We made our way over the fence to get inside the paddock and gingerly approached. They didn’t move away as they were unconcerned by our presence having been around us for over two months. Their means of communication, a tender little hum, was escalated by our presence.

Delilah, the last of the pregnant moms yet to deliver this season.

The other youngster in the paddock with his ailing mom is four weeks older than Mont Blanc but was easily triple his size. This is worrisome. We can only hope that somehow Mont Blanc survives this condition and soon begins to grow. He seems alert and active.

After checking on Delilah with no obvious evidence of impending birth we headed back home, planning to stay home over the next few rainy days checking on them several times each day.

Happy day to all!


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

One year ago, we met with Curly, owner of the Princeville Ranch, at the entrance that adventure seekers use for the myriad activities offered on the ranch.  He took us on a tour of the vast property in his 4X4 vehicle which was quite an adventure in itself. For more details, please click here.

A heartwarming story of a little life…

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Only a few days ago, Mont Blanc approached the fence welcoming us.  Perhaps somehow he knows how much we care. See his story below

When we first arrived on the Watson Alpaca Farm on January 19, 2016, we had an experience with one of the cria, Mont Blanc, son of Giselle that we’ll never forget as shown in this post from January 26th. 

Mont Blanc was born on January 10th with blue eyes considered an anomaly, which Trish explained could indicate possible future health problems often observed in rare blue-eyed alpacas.

It’s been hard to get a good photo of Mont Blanc’s blue eyes with his long lashes. 

Somehow the tiny alpaca had maneuvered his way under the wire fence and was separated from his mother when they were in the paddock next to our house. 

We were inside when this occurred, but with the doors wide open we couldn’t help but hear his cries, his mother’s cries, and the cries of the others as they all worried about the fate of the separated cria at this point only a few weeks old.

Mont Blanc, the day he was reunited with his mom after escaping the fence.

Inexperienced as we were, we feared lifting Mont Blanc over the fence would be stressful for him or risky for us if Giselle was upset if we’d picked him up. Now we know better. We could have lifted him over the fence, returning him to his distressed mom.

Contacting Trish by phone she explained that she and Neil were on their way home from work to check on the alpacas as they do each day at lunchtime. In no time at all, they arrived, lifted Mont Blanc over the fence as we watched the joyful reunion of mother and son. 

Mont Blanc, on the left wearing his green collar sitting on the patch of dirt with the other much larger, younger cria only a few weeks ago.

We watched Mont Blanc and Giselle for days noticing how he never left her side, remembering all too well the distress of being separated for almost an hour. It was during this period we developed a special attachment to Mont Blanc and his quiet shy demeanor, less playful than the other cria who romped about the paddock in the evenings as the sun began to fade.

Since the alpacas are moved to “greener pastures” every week to allow grass to regrow from their constant grazing and to restore the area from parasites as a natural part of the animal’s defecation contributes to the growth of a variety of parasites that can ultimately affect the health of the alpacas.

Mont Blanc, a few days after he and his mom were moved out of the paddock with a few new moms and cria as opposed to the larger herd. 

Trish and Neil are diligent in managing control over the general health of the alpacas including management of the parasites both in the paddocks and the alpacas to ensure their continuing well-being. We’re continually amazed by the alpaca’s great health as a direct result of their diligent love and care.

When the alpaca group we’ve been observing these past two months spent time in the paddocks nearest the house, we couldn’t help but notice Mont Blanc’s small stature and over time, how he didn’t seem to thrive. 

Mont Blanc, a few days ago, bigger and healthier, nursing without sharing.

The many other younger cria surpassed him in height and weight. He seemed to struggle to get up and down when he hunkered down on the patch of dirt outside our living room door where the babies often cuddle together. Over time, we noticed his rib cage showing. 

When I mentioned our concerns to Trish, she mentioned they’d tried to bottle feed him but with the alpacas at a distance from their house, they weren’t able to see him as easily each day as we were at such close proximity.

About 10 days ago, as I sat on the deck lost in watching the adorable behavior of these precious beings, I observed this unusual scenario, another larger cria nursing off Mont Blanc’s mom. 

Mont Blanc, the smaller of the two in this photo, was being pushed out from nursing by this other youngster. Alpacas only have one cria each year and rarely nurse another baby.

Immediately, I sent Trish the photos, and that evening after work, Trish and Neil came and moved Mont Blanc and Giselle to another paddock where he wouldn’t have to compete for food from his mom. We’d rarely seen him nursing or even grazing that all the younger cria had begun doing regularly.

Each day after they were moved we walked to the distant paddock to see how he was doing and much to our delight, he was often nursing and munching on grass.  In only a matter of a few days, he began to fill out. His ribs were no longer showing. Now, he’s thriving and quickly growing.

Mom growled a little at the other cria when she noticed what was going on.

Yesterday, Trish stopped by to drop off our insurance documents that had arrived in the mail from the UK and to tell us that Mont Blanc has gain 2 kilos, 4.4 pounds since they were moved. 

When she said to us, “You may have saved his life,” our heart flipped in our chests. How much better could this experience have been for both of us? 

The pinkness of his nose and mouth is changing as he matures and grows healthy.

To be instrumental in the birth of a two cria while we “babysat” in Trish and Neil’s absence and then to play a small role in alerting them to the critical situation with Mont Blanc, our experience on the farm is complete. 

Although we haven’t had to “do the work” that Trish and Neil do each day and the work and responsibility of our ancestors living on farms, we’ll be eternally grateful for a new understanding and appreciation for life on a farm.

Mont Blanc with a blade of grass in his mouth is looking great!  His name tag says, “Mt. Blanc” like the name of the pricey pen.

Soon, our journey continues on with more life-changing opportunities to expand our personal growth and embrace the scope of the world around us.

Be well, dear friends…

Photo from one year ago today, March 18, 2015:
One year ago, the food in the Oasis restaurant at the resort was delicious according to my sister Julie who was visiting us in Kauai. Her lunch of fish taco was prepared perfectly. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one item on the menu that worked for me and I wasn’t hungry enough to ask for special modifications. I ordered an iced tea and was content to be with my sister as we looked out at the sea. For more photos please click here.