Update on lava flow on the Big Island…

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A lava flow advances across the pasture between the Pahoa cemetery and Apaa Street, engulfing a barbed wire fence, near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii on Sunday.
Lava flow from Mount Kilauea. (Not our photo).

It’s hard for us to believe that at this time when our family members begin to arrive in a mere six weeks on the Big Island for the Christmas holiday that the two houses we’ve rented may ultimately be in the path of the lava flow from Mount Kilauea as it moves at a rate of 10 to 15 yards an hour.  

However, based on the topography and other conditions the direction of the flow could change at any time.  

Why don’t we bail on the two houses now?

For a few reasons. First, we’ve paid huge deposits in the $1000’s on both houses and until more is known and definitive, we won’t be getting these deposits back. If the reports indicate further that those two houses are in danger, we have no fear that we won’t get our deposits back. Secondly, why change our plans when we don’t know for certain that these houses and neighborhood is at risk?

Thirdly, finding a location for so many of us is a daunting task during the holidays when everything is already booked. We both have spent several hours online researching possibilities. Until we know the course of the lava as it nears the ocean, we cannot commit and lock in another property with a deposit, even if something was available.

When all is said and done if Tom and I have to bear the added expense, we’ll all stay in hotel rooms somewhere on the Big island, eating out every meal. That’s the worst-case scenario which we’re prepared to handle if necessary.

At present, the lava is currently seven miles from the ocean where these houses are located. The lava could completely stop, reroute, or escalate. Who knows what Mother Nature has in mind? Here in Hawaii, the locals speak of Pele, the Goddess of Volcanos, and rely upon her favor to determine the outcome.

It’s volcanos, earthquakes, and weather conditions that formed the world around us. Who are we to question the course of these events? All we can do is, everything possible to keep all of us safe from harm. That’s our objective.

As for the rest, it’s an inconvenience. Considering all the “safari luck” we’ve had in our travels so far, we have little room to complain. As for worrying, we’re not. Of course, we’re concerned and on alert. However, we have no doubt that our family will be safe and in comfortable accommodations to fully embrace our upcoming time together. 

Admittedly, if and when we find out that we need different accommodations on the Big Island, we’ll quickly get to work to find an alternative that works for all of us.

Thanks to all of our readers who have contacted us both online and by email with their concerns for our safety.  It means “the world” to us to know you care!

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more photos of Lahaina, Maui which we’re excited to share.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, October 27, 2013:

It was two years ago on this date, that we had Tom’s retirement party. There were over 150 in attendance. It was a fabulous party. For details, please click here.

What we love about this condo…What?…We done our own cleaning for the first time in two years! Third shark attack!

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The sky at sunset.
We don’t have access to the sunset view from our condo in Maui. There’s a monstrous hill blocking the view which would require a lengthy drive. However, we are able to see glimpses of the sky at sunset which is a good alternative.

Without a doubt, this condo is one of the most well equipped vacation homes we’ve rented in two years, so much so that we haven’t minded being “house bound” during Hurricane Ana and now recovering from our recent virus.

Lots of gadgets along with our own stash.

We continue to cough all night (Tom more than me) making us feel exhausted during the days and we’re anxious to get out and do a little exploring in Maui. Soon, we’ll feel well enough to get out and share lots of new photos with our readers. Please bear with us and our current lethargy.

The condo feels like a home with artwork and decorative items on the walls and tables in each room.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the casual ease of everyday living which we find to be pleasant. This morning, after only about four hours of sleep, we decided it was time to clean having arrived one week ago today and it was time.

We flipped when we saw this tidy “junk drawer,” a must in every home.

We washed and dried the bedding and remade the bed, swept and washed all the floors, dusted, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, and “windexed” every glass surface in the entire condo including the table on the lanai.  Tom swept the floor of the lanai while I washed the sliding glass door inside and out.

Memories of our old lives with a drawer designated for plastic bags. Nice.

As we busied ourselves with the cleaning, it dawned on me that the last time we didn’t have a cleaning person(s) or service was two years ago when we spent from November 3, 2012 to January 1, 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona finishing our paperwork and digital needs. 

There’s plenty of kitchen utensils.

In every other location in which we’ve lived (except Waikiki), someone else has cleaned and scrubbed our surroundings with us only tidying up after ourselves from day to day, periodically doing laundry, and washing dishes.

High quality dinnerware.

Comparable to driving a car, one doesn’t “forget” how to clean and we breezed through the process with ease and good humor. In no time at all, we were done.

Tiled showered with great faucet, plenty of fluffy towels, drawers and spotless countertops.

In a funny way, we kind of like doing our own cleaning after this long hiatus. I’m always cleaning before the cleaning help arrives to avoid embarrassing myself making it a welcome break to be unconcerned about preparing for their arrival and getting out of their way.

A table and chairs for dining wasn’t always available in every vacation home.  This is ideal for our meals. 

However, part of our rental agreement of this lovely condo includes one complimentary mid-rental cleaning by a professional company hired by the kindly owner. That’s two weeks from now. If we clean at least two times after the mid cleaning, we’ll have it covered.

With the cupboards filled with dinnerware and supplies, there’s literally not a single cupboard for food supplies. In this case, we’re messy, leaving everything in easy reach on the kitchen counter. Tom wanted us to buy Spam for Hurricane Ana which now he’s eating a little each day. It’s gluten-free and low carb so I don’t complain.

When the cost of a cleaner here in Maui is $100 to clean this small space, we opted to do it ourselves. The most we’ve paid for a full house cleaning in the few countries where it wasn’t included in the rent, was $25 for about three hours.

The owners went over the top including these high cotton count Charisma sheets and so comfortapillowcases which I used in our old lives. Comfy bed and covers.

Although some of our photos appear that we are messy, we aren’t. At times, we don’t have ample storage for all of our stuff, especially those items we often use. We don’t leave dishes in the sink and we clean the kitchen each day. We make the bed everyday. We frequently empty the trash and we clean the bathroom everyday.

The owners explained this is a new bed. It is the most comfortable bed we’ve had in a long time, perhaps over two years.

In other words, it may be a little cluttered with our stuff but it’s always clean. The exception to that may have been that little condo in Waikiki where we spent 11 nights which was nearly impossible to keep it clean with no broom, cleaning supplies and it was old and worn. It’s hard to clean “old and worn.” 

This large sturdy chest of drawers was a delight to fill with our clothes.  Tom took the bottom three drawers, leaving me the top three (as he always does).

On another note, yesterday afternoon, a third shark attack occurred in this area of Maui. Click here for the article. With this news as in the case of the last two incidents, we continue to have no interest in entering the ocean once the beaches are reopened after yesterday’s temporary closing. 

Neither of us particularly cares to swim in the ocean especially when each time we lived walking distance to the beach there’s either been sharks, stingrays, or jellyfish, none of which we care to bump into. 

There are actually four chairs for this table.  These are comfortable swivel chairs.  Plus, the view is amazing.

The lava flow on the Big Island continues to advance toward the main road in Pahoa after a few day break in its movement. For details, please click here. We continue to keep a watchful eye on the lava flow hoping it won’t be an issue for the two houses we rented in Pahoa in the Puna District on the Big Island for our family for Christmas.

Have a happy day, dear friends.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, October 23, 2013:

We were excited while living in Kenya to finally see the elusive Bush Baby while dining outdoors at a resort. For details and more photos, please click here.

Changing posting time…Heavenly…Settled into domestic life…

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A snail we found on an exterior wall.

We’ve tried to accommodate early morning readers in the US, other countries and for those in all time zones throughout the world by scheduling automatic uploads at 3 am mountain time. The problem with continuing to do so requires me to write today for tomorrow’s post.

This boat takes tourists out for various adventures.

Life happens as it happens and we prefer to post each morning immediately after we’ve written a new post. As a result, today, you’ll see two posts. Going forward you’ll see a new post each day. You can continue to read each morning to see a new post from the prior morning.

By posting twice on October 17th, it enables us to avoid missing one day’s post as we strive to maintain continuity.

Tom walked toward our private beach near the breakwaters.

We apologize for the inconvenience but we’ve found it better to post in “real-time” as opposed to 24 hours before it is seen.  The news will be newer, the events more relevant time-wise. Thank you for your understanding.

The post you saw this morning was written last night on Thursday. As I write this now it’s early Friday morning.  Not much has transpired since last night other than at 9:30  pm we hunkered down to watch an episode of Hell’s Kitchen on my laptop. Perhaps boring to some but, it was fun for us!

The beach for our building only.  As nice as this is, we prefer to sun and fun by the pool.

Finally falling on our faces we headed to bed after 11. Oddly, the bedroom has no AC and the single unit in the living room is too far away to have any impact on cooling the bedroom. With the threat of Hurricane Ana still looming, supposedly heading our way tonight or tomorrow, the air is thick with heat and humidity.

We anticipated that sleeping would be difficult after 77 nights in AC comfort. In Madeira, the last vacation house in which we lived, the temperature rarely was higher than 75F, 24C during the day cooling down considerably at night.  With Maui daytime temperatures as high as 88F, 31C, it was still 79F, 26C when we went to bed, leaving us anticipating a fitful night.

Aside from our occasional fits of coughing, we slept well, finally cool enough to pull the covers over us in the middle of the night. Perhaps, once this storm passes it will cool down a few degrees.  Here are the average year-round temperatures for the general area:

Annual averages temperatures in Kaanapali Beach, which is approximately 20 minutes from our location

Awakening this morning, I was impatient to get up and get the day going. First things first, I turned on the burner for the whistling teapot, an item I drooled over when we first walked inside the condo. I haven’t had a real teapot to use for so long I can’t remember. 

We know we should be drinking Kona coffee while in Hawaii but with Tom cutting out sugar, starch, and carbs as of today, he has no interest in coffee without two spoons of sugar per cup. 

Views from the private beach.

In support of him, I won’t drink coffee as he’s supported me in my diligent observance of this way of eating.  Tea is a fine substitute for me. Of course, when the family arrives for Christmas, we’ll certainly have Kona coffee available. (I doubt Tom will stick with the plan over the holidays and will join in on the Kona coffee).

Another aspect of an easy life in this lovely condo is the ice. Although the freezer’s ice machine doesn’t work there are six ice cube trays. This means we’ll only have to make ice once per day. Add the huge pitcher we found, we’ll only have to make iced tea once a day

As we roamed the grounds at our building, we spotted this warning sign.

I couldn’t get the washer going fast enough. With only enough dirty laundry for one load, I was excited to use the stackable washer and dryer in the unit. We haven’t had a dryer in a vacation home since November 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona as we busily prepared to leave the US. 

In a little over 75 minutes, the laundry was washed, dried, and put away. How wonderful! Ah, the simple things. They mean so much.

The surf outside our door.

As for Hurricane Ana, some of the news people are still calling her Tropical Storm Ana while others say, Hurricane Ana. Her winds are 70 MPH, heading our way. Once it hit 75 MPH which is expected today, she will officially be called Hurricane Ana. She has yet to hit the Big Island, her first target in the chain of islands. 

Also, the lava flow continues on the Big Island with little hope that the torrential rains will have any impact on the flow. 

A closer view of the flow front courtesy USGS HVO, burning vegetation at its flow margin.
The lava flow is currently 150 yards wide heading toward Pahoa, where we’ll live beginning December 1st. Helicopter operations to view the flow have been suspending due to Ana.

There’s always the good and the bad, the yin and the yang, and the ups and downs in life. Hawaii is no different in that manner than anyplace else in the world. We chose to spend this period of time on these lush tropical islands. With that comes a price to pay, as is the case with almost everything in life.

Happily, we pay that price, hoping in the long haul, the benefits outweigh the worrisome aspects. We’ll continue to stay in touch sharing what we discover along the way.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

                                                Photo from one year ago, October 17, 2013:
In today’s earlier post we included a photo for this date. With the above-described readjustment of uploading time, we included another photo from that date. For details of that post, please click here.

The chef at Camp Olonana made every effort to prepare delicious well-seasoned meals for me. He succeeded beyond expectations. For details from that day’s post, please click here.

Hurricane Ana on its way to Hawaiian Island…Lava, hurricane…Oh, my!…Final expenses for Honolulu! One year ago photo with Chief Richard…

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Sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Today, we’re on our way to the island of Maui where we’ll spend six weeks in a first-floor condo on the beach.  With more space than we’ll have had since July 31st when we lived in Madeira, Portugal in a three-bedroom house. With closer proximity to the sea than in Honolulu, we’re excited to move on.

We’re grateful our flight is today as opposed to Friday or Saturday when Hurricane Ana is on her way to the Hawaii Island expected to reach landfall over the weekend.

Another evening’s sunset over the beach.

Although the news is reporting that the Big Island will be hit first, the other islands including Maui is in her path. Between the lava flowing to the neighborhood of the houses we rented on the Big Island and this hurricane, the adventure has picked up the pace.

Who knows what will transpire over the next several days?  With Hawaiian residents “batten down the hatches” in preparation for the hurricane, our plan is to pick up the rental car at the airport, drop off our luggage at the condo, and head directly to the grocery store.  Will it already be low on food when area residents are preparing for the hurricane?

The dilemma is, do we buy lots of food to see us through or a small amount?  If the power goes out, we’d lose the perishable food. After careful consideration, we’ve decided to be optimistic and purchase enough groceries to last for a few weeks, much of which will be non-perishable which we’ll use in six weeks in any case.

Sunset Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.

We don’t eat processed foods. Once we’re situated in a vacation home doing our own cooking we usually don’t have to be concerned about keeping non-perishable foods on hand in case of an emergency. 

We discussed the possibility of a power outage in Maui and came up with the following items for meals which can be prepared without power. When we shop today, we’ll be purchasing these:

1. Canned ham (small sizes) with canned veggies
2. Canned tuna with celery, onions, and mayo (we’ll purchase several small jars of mayo since it won’t keep without refrigeration once opened) and canned veggies
3.  Herring in a jar with canned veggies
4.  Nuts and salmon, beef and turkey jerky
5.  Bottled water

We had all of these sunset photos in Oahu accumulating, deciding to share them on our last day on this island.

We’ll purchase enough of the above to get us through two weeks without power. At this point, we’re not worried. We continue to watch news updates on the progression of Hurricane Ana.

We aren’t thinking beyond two weeks without power. Of course, if the power is out, the WiFi won’t work and we won’t be able to post. 

Cloudy evening sunset Waikiki Beach.

If you don’t see a new post for Saturday, Sunday, or Monday one can assume that we’re unable to post. Please keep checking back. As soon as the power and WiFi are working again, we’ll immediately post an update with our hurricane experiences and photos. 

Our three camera batteries will be fully charged, easily lasting for a week or more. And yes, if the hurricane hits, we’ll be taking many photos. If it doesn’t make landfall,  we’ll still be taking many photos in our new location, the beautiful island of Maui.

The sky looked as if lights were turned on.

Yesterday, we did the laundry and packed, leaving out clothing and toiletries for the morning. At 10:30 am, we’ll grab a taxi to head to the airport. We’ve weighed all of our bags and they comply with the maximum 50-pound weight. We’ll see how that goes.

Of course, this sky was more unreal in person.

As for our final Honolulu expenses, here are the total expenses:

Vacation rental:  $2,137.00
Airfare to Maui:       218.58
Taxi fares:                55.00
Tours:                    165.74
Laundry:                   19.74
Meals & Groceries     598.99 

Total:                $3,195.06

Waikiki Beach on a cloudy evening.

The average cost per day (11 days) was $290.46. When looking at these numbers it’s important to consider the reasons why our cost per day may be less than the average tourist visiting Hawaii:

1.  Low airfare – We’ve only included our cost to fly from Oahu to Maui since we arrived by cruise ship.  Most tourists would be flying in and out from much further away increasing airfare costs considerably.
2.  Low taxi fares – We only dined in restaurants we could reach on foot and explored the general area.
3.  Low sightseeing costs – With the upcoming family reunion in December, we chose to keep our costs to a minimum.
4.  Meals and groceries – Here again, with a goal of eating in restaurants that work for my way of eating. When we found one, particularly, Cheeseburger in Paradise, we stuck with it for over half of our dinners when they have the best Cobb Salad and bacon cheeseburgers on the planet which we each enjoyed. Also, we only eat one meal a day and don’t order appetizers, beverages, or desserts with our meals, keeping the cost as much as 50% less. If a couple were to eat three meals a day, with beverages and an occasional appetizer of desserts, they’d easily spent a minimum of $150 a day, dining in the most economical restaurants.

Although the sun wasn’t visible its impact on the clouds was breathtaking.

We’d estimate that the average couple would spend no less than $7,000 for 11 nights in Honolulu (depending on their selected hotel), including extra airfare, tours, shopping, and dining expenses.  A Hawaiian vacation/holiday is definitely expensive.

Washington Place, the Governor of Hawaii’s residence.  For details, please click here.

In no way did our budget impede the quality of the experience for us. Other than being sick for four days (during which time we continued to go out for dinner each night), we’ve had an excellent time in Oahu, easily anticipating our return in May to be equally pleasurable.

Iolani Palace, the only palace now a part of the United States.  Click here for details.

Look for us tomorrow with Maui photos, the results of our first trip to the grocery store, our new accommodations, and of course, updates on the hurricane.

Aloha.
                                                 Photo from one year ago today, October 16, 2013:

We were inside one of the mud huts in Chief Richard’s Maasai village. It was really hot that day.  We were wearing our BugsAway clothing when the mosquitoes and flies were heavy in the village with the abundance of livestock. For details on the peculiar diet of these healthy people and more information about their lifestyle, please click here.

Kilauea lava flow heading toward the vacation homes we booked for our family vacation…Cause for concern…A year ago…A meal in the bush with wild animals surrounding us…

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October 8, 2014 - small scale lava flow map
By drawing a straight line to the ocean from the current northeast flow of the lava to the darkened rectangular area on the coastline, this is the area where the two houses, next door to one another are located. This is a current map from the National Park Service.

When the lava from the Kilauea volcano on Big Island changed directions on June 27th and lava began to flow toward the village where the two houses are located that we rented for the holidays with our family, of course, we were very concerned.

When the varying daily lava flows slowly worked its way to the ocean near the two houses, we started following updates on a variety of websites including the National Park Service and United States Geological Service. 

The current narrow lava flows from Kilauea heading to the northeast. (Not our photo.)

Maps on both of these sites indicate that the lava is flowing to the neighborhood where the houses we’ve rented are located.
 
With poor WiFi signals on the past two ships, we were frustrated and worried over the almost month at sea. It wasn’t until we arrived in Honolulu on October 5th, that we had a strong signal and more than anything, have been able to get daily updates on the activity of the flow on the local news.

The two vacation rental houses are in the village of Pahoa as shown in the upper right of this map.  (Not our photo).  Please click here for notes from a meeting held in Pahoa in the Puna District on Friday evening with professionals on hand to discuss the status of the lava flow.

Why didn’t we post our concern? We didn’t want to alarm our family, many of whom read our daily posts until we had more information. 

Our biggest concerns have been as follows:
1.  The lava flow could wipe out the houses or we’d have to evacuate while in the houses.  (The lava flow is 100’s of feet per day at most providing ample time if evacuation is necessary).
2.  The road to the houses would be inaccessible when we arrive or are ready to depart
3.  We’d have to find another house large enough for our family that is still available for the Christmas holiday, a difficult proposition or, hotel rooms if necessary.

Thermal image of the lava flow.  (Not our photo).

As of this point with $1000’s paid in deposits and airline tickets, the owners of the two houses aren’t prepared to return our deposits until more is known over the next few weeks. The lava flow is difficult to predict. 

Last night an announcement was made on the local news that an emergency access road is in the works and will be completed in 45 to 60 days. This fact provided us with considerable relief. But, until we know the final course as the lava flows to the sea, we will stay on alert, prepared to make alternate plans as quickly as possible.

“A view into one of the skylights of the lava tube supplying lava to the June 27th lava flow.” (Not our photo).

Everything we’ve heard and read is that the flow will make it to the main road two weeks from now, giving us time to make backup plans. It won’t be an easy task although we have no doubt that we’ll figure it out.

Obviously, our first concern is the safety of our family and secondly, to provide a worry-free environment in which we all can enjoy our precious time together.

Hawaii in general is a geological hot spot. The islands were created millions of years ago as a result of volcanic eruptions beneath the sea. Earthquakes are common on all of the islands. Please see this article for detailed information on the formation of the islands. Each of the islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago maintains active and currently inactive volcanoes as indicated in this article.

We’ve had “safari luck” in our travels, safety being the number one priority. We can only hope and pray that “safari luck” continues and soon, we can put the worries behind us to enjoy an amazing experience with our family.

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

A specially made breakfast was prepared for our safari group of six, with our guide Anderson happily preparing our table. We were excited to experience our first meal in the bush, the wild animals all around us in the Maasai Mara. What a glorious experience!  For details, please click here.

Hello, Kona, Big Island, Hawaii…We’ll be back soon…

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Sunset from our veranda.

After sailing all night, yesterday morning, we arrived on the opposite side of the Big Island to the city of Kona, the second largest city on the Big island with Hilo as number one.

This particular port requires passengers to board a “tender,” a smaller boat used to transport passengers to the shore when the ship is too large to dock at the pier.

Is this a houseboat, island or floating property? Once we can get a better signal we can figure it out.
They used the ship’s lifeboats as the tenders, as opposed to using locals tender boats that are often contracted to facilitate the needs of the various cruise ships arriving in the port.

Although we wanted to avoid the crowds on the tender boats knowing we’ll be on this island beginning on December 1st for a period of six weeks, we decided to go ashore to check out the city of Kona. 

View of a small portion of Kona’s shoreline.

Once we arrived at the pier we boarded the local trolley for a 90-minute ride around the Kona area, taking many good photos. Unfortunately, the poor WiFi signal on both the ship and the MiFi has prevented us from posting many photos. 

(It’s taken hours of persistence to post the few photos we’ve included here each day. We’ll catch up and post some great new photos once we get on land for a better signal. Thanks for your patience).

Again, Wednesday night was “formal” night, the third on this 12-night cruise, an unusually large number for this length of cruise. Of course, we no longer have formal wear or in Tom’s case, not a tie, dress shirt, or sports coat. Instead, he has worn his white long sleeve BugsAway shirt on each of the three formal nights.

Kona shoreline.

For me, formal night is easier. Wearing one of my three “roll-in-a-ball” long skirts with a tee-shirt, a long scarf, a belt, and a few pieces of costume jewelry and I’m as formal as I can be with what I have on hand. Many men were dressed in tuxedos and women in sparkly evening gowns.

When we were seated at the sharing dinner table for 10 with our less than formal wear, it only took a few minutes for us to settle in with the formally dressed others to become comfortable. 

When asked where we’re from and we explained our nomadic lifestyle, they all agreed that hauling a tuxedo and evening gown around the world made no sense at all. In moments, we were entrenched in delightful conversation and our attire, although clean and tidy, was quickly forgotten.

We took one of these lifeboats, used as tenders to get passengers from the ship to the pier.

Last night, Thursday, we dined with a fabulous couple we met earlier from Cruise Critic, Susan, and Mark, who hosted the slot pull last week. We took an instant liking to them and were excited to dine with them as a foursome in the dining room (casual, last night).

We couldn’t have had more fun, laughter, and also deep and meaningful conversation. How fortunate we’ve been to meet so many wonderful people on cruises, many of whom we remain in touch from as far back as our original cruise in January 2013.

Almost every morning at breakfast and every evening at dinner, we’ve met new people, each with their own interesting story to tell. We find that in many cases people are curious as to how we manage our lives without stuff or a home. They ask many questions that we happily answer candidly including the hard parts. 

I suppose if the tables were turned we’d be asking the same questions. At times, even Tom and I look at one another asking, “How in the world are we pulling this off?” 

A very dear friend from Minnesota wrote to me a few days ago, telling me I could share with her in an email “what it’s really like” as opposed to the relatively cheerful tone in most of our posts, which she reads almost daily.

I wrote back to her, unable to wipe the smile off of my face, telling her there is no “what it’s really like” other than that which we share here. Tom and I are not fighting in the background. We’re not running out of money.  We aren’t ill and hiding it. We aren’t wrought with worry and concern, keeping it to ourselves.

Our posts are presented in a vein of “what you see is what you get.” There’s no hidden agenda, no mask or veil from which we hide our true selves. Many wonder if we have an end date in mind that we don’t reveal. Not at all. Our answer to this query is simple, “We’ll keep going as long as our health is good enough to continue on.”

Maintaining our budget ensures we never run out of money, although with inflation, surely in time, we’ll have to trim some of our expenses to account for the differences. But, even that, doesn’t intimidate us. We know how to sacrifice and trim. After two years of living on a strict budget, we’re getting good at this, if we do say so ourselves. 

Tightwads? Maybe a little. Frugal? Maybe a lot. But, the motivation is sound and the result is rewarding. At the end of this month on October 31st, we’ll have been gone from Minnesota for two years. 

Time flies when you’re having fun.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, October 3, 2013:

When our driver Edmond drove us to the market in Diani Beach, Kenya, we usually spotted baboons on the side of the road. On this particular date a year ago, the power was out in the house in Kenya as we packed for our upcoming safari in the Maasai Mara, a few days later. Please click here for details.

Hello Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii!…An unexpected outing!…New photo of us in Hilo…

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Here we are at Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo. Sam, our overly friendly taxi driver, took the photo.

It was tempting to get off the ship to go see the two houses we rented on the Big Island for the holidays with our family. But, we’ve decided to wait in order to be surprised.

The scenery along the shores of Hawaii is lovely.

The pier in Hilo is located in a highly industrial area and we’d have had to walk for miles to get to any points of interest. 

As we entered the Port of Hilo, Hawaii.

Also, we’ll be back on the Big Island for six weeks in less than two months, saving sightseeing to do with our family members when they start arriving on December 6th.

The last time we went to a Walmart, a store we never visited in our old lives, was in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico on January 6, 2013, when we got off the ship, the Celebrity Century, to purchase our first camera. Here’s Tom in front of the Hilo, Hawaii Walmart. See below as to how we ended up at this store, an entirely unplanned outing.

However, we decided to take the free shuttle into downtown Hilo. Well, of all things, we accidentally got on the bus going to Walmart! We couldn’t have laughed harder. 

Leis for sale in a refrigerated case at the Walmart store.

After spending $126 in Walmart, we weren’t laughing quite as hard. We purchased nuts, a couple of shirts, self tanning cream, shampoo, toothpaste and a few odds and ends.

Our ship is behind the Pacific Princess in the foreground.

Tom got “overly grumpy” when we had to buy a cloth bag to carry our purchases since Walmart in Hawaii doesn’t use plastic bags. I couldn’t have been more thrilled with their concern for the environment. 

Near the Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo.

After we made our purchases, we found our way to the waiting area for the free shuttle to return us and others to the ship. The expected wait time was 15 minutes at most. 

At the Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo.

As we waited while sitting on a bench, a friendly-looking taxi driver asked if we wanted a ride back to the pier.  Did we have food stuck in our teeth proving we were passengers of the latest cruise ship to arrive in Hilo?

I asked Sam, “How much?” 

Sam answered, “$12.”

I answered, “Na, too much!”

Sam answered, looking at the camera hanging from my shoulder, “How about $10 with a stop at a gorgeous site to take photos?”

The park was lovely.

We couldn’t have jumped up quicker, taking Sam up on his kindly offer. As soon as we got into his air-conditioned minivan, we all engaged in animated chatter as Sam drove us to the Liliuokalani Gardens, an exquisite park on the way back to the ship.

Oddly, Sam told us he lives on “Lyman Ave” in Hilo, pulling out his driver’s license to show us. Serendipity.  We’re hardly wanted to say goodbye to Sam after an outrageously fun time with him during the drive and at the gorgeous park. Its funny how the least expected situations turn into the most fun of all. 

An enchanting footbridge in the gardens.

Over the extended periods we’ll spend on each of three of the four islands we’ll have plenty of time to see everything that appeals to us. No paid excursion would have been more fun than our time with Sam.

As for Hilo, we searched for a bit of general information on the Hawaiian Islands and found the following. As time goes on, we’ll acquire knowledge that we’ll share with our readers as opposed to quoting other web sites. 

For now, we’re Hawaiian newbies and we prefer to be careful of that which we write until we become more knowledgeable over the next many months:

“The Hawaiian Islands (Hawaiian: Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the island of Hawaiʻi in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll. Formerly the group was known to Europeans and Americans as the “Sandwich Islands“, a name chosen by James Cook in honor of the then First Lord of the Admiralty John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. The contemporary name is derived from the name of the main island, Hawaii Island, as a pars pro toto.
The US state of Hawaii occupies the archipelago almost in its entirety (including the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), with the sole exception of Midway island, which is instead an unincorporated territory within the United States Minor Outlying Islands.
The Hawaiian Islands are the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle. The islands are about 1,860 miles (3,000 km) from the nearest continent.“

In these short few days in Hawaii, it’s odd for us to grasp that Hawaii is a part of the US, other than for its abundance of US products, services and of course, its economy. It appears comparable to other many other resorts/vacation/holiday island we’ve visited in other parts of the world.
 

Of course, we enjoy the easy availability of products and services from which we’ve been far removed for much of the past two years. Seeing the familiar products, chain restaurants, markets, and hotels is both refreshing and disappointing when we’ve found great pleasure is being detached from all the hype.
 
We’ll have ample time in the future to once again feel removed from the hustle and bustle of life in the US when again we take off for more remote locations in not too distant future.  
 
In the interim, we’ll enjoy every aspect of living in Hawaii, experiencing each of these  islands, each with its own unique persona. From what we saw on Tuesday in Honolulu, the prices may not be any higher than we experienced in the past locations.

With only five days and four nights until we disembark the ship, we have that wonderful feeling of not being disappointed that the cruise is ending, knowing that which lays ahead will be equally enjoyable.

                                          Photo from one year ago today, October 2, 2013:
 
None of our photos were posted on this date. However, we did post a story about “worrying” we loved to share with our readers who may have missed it. Please click here for details.

Planning for the future…Food costs…A year ago…Earthquakes in Italy…

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Can’t imagine anyone would cut this down as a Christmas tree.
The strong winds the past few days prevented us from going out to dinner last night.  With the restaurants wide open and mostly outdoors, the cool powerful winds would definitely impede a relaxing dinner. Instead, again we visited the little grocer and purchased two whole free-range chickens for both Saturday and Sunday night dinners. 
With the small refrigerator and freezer in the house, when we purchase meat we try to use it over the next few days as opposed to freezing it. At a cost of US $11.57, EU $8.51 for both chickens, and US $5.76, EU $4.26 per chicken per meal it’s rather reasonable.  
The previous night’s rains brought water to the creek.

With Tom’s white meat preference and mine for dark meat, buying whole chickens is a “no brainer.” The chickens are fully cleaned, ready to cook. I peeled a ton of carrots and onions scattering them around the chicken in the roasting pan.

If we’d chosen to dine out both nights, the cost would have been at least US $130, EU $95.60. We can buy a ton of groceries for that amount.

Bushy.

We often cook the same meal two nights in a row.  I usually cook each night’s portion separately, rather than reheat the meal from the previous night. Some dinners work well, reheated but many we prefer freshly prepared.

For ease, I cut all the vegetables and salad ingredients we’ll be using for both nights to lighten the prep time the second night, making the next night a breeze. We love easy prep these days.

The tile roof, the greenery, and the sea create a colorful view.

Without starch or bread with our meals, prep is quick with the exception of a few meals such as stir-fries, GF pizza, and Mexican each of which require extra chopping, dicing, and general prep.

As much as we’ve both always preferred home-cooked meals to dining out, my interest in spending long periods in the kitchen prepping meal has greatly diminished since we began traveling. I’d much rather spend time experiencing our surroundings as opposed to spending endless hours in the kitchen.

For all we know this may be the fish guy from whom we recently purchased fresh tuna.

Of course, once we’re in Hawaii with family this coming holiday season, with some of the bunch with us for almost a month, my cooking and prep time will be greatly increased with as many as 16 of us for dinner for as long as two of the weeks. 

For easy decision making, I created a folder on my desktop with recipes. Tom and I made a list for each entrée we’ll make, deciding that it makes sense to have the adults prepare breakfasts and lunches for themselves and their kids, while Tom and I make dinners. 

We never tire of the scenery on the island of Madeira.

We’ll keep the refrigerators well-stocked in both houses with simple to prepare foods, snacks, and beverages.  With many of our family members having particular food preferences and with so many of us, it won’t be possible to make separate meals for those with picky taste buds except chicken for Richard, the eldest, who doesn’t eat beef.

It will be easy to have a slew of frozen chicken breasts handy to make each night which may prove to be useful for others who may not like a particular night’s main course. My way of eating will easily incorporate into each meal when I can eat the meat we’re cooking, veggies, and salad.

This must be a variety of cactus.

Each night, we’ll make an entrée, a starch side dish, several vegetables, salads, and bread. Some nights, I’ll make a dessert particularly on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. On other nights, we’ll have ice cream with toppings for cones and sundaes and microwave popcorn. 

I won’t be partaking in my former Christmas cookie baking frenzy. I’d rather spend time with our family than hidden away in the kitchen. 

Oceanview from the road above.

With enough variety, everyone will be able to pick and choose what they’d like. Most nights we’ll cook on the grill which is less time-consuming. I think of it as having a casual dinner party for 15 to 16 every night for approximately two weeks of the time with some family members staying shorter or longer periods than others.  It will all work out.

As for dining out, it’s unlikely we’ll all go out to dinner together. When looking up menus online of local nearby restaurants on the Big Island of Hawaii, the cost for all of us would be well over US $1000, EU $735.36, just not worth the cost for us or for any of our kids. 

Hillside photos may often appear alike but we never post the same photo twice.

If any of our kids would like to take their families out to dine, they are free to do so while the rest of us dine in.  Once they see their first bill, they’ll unlikely choose to dine out again. Dining out and the general cost of living is outrageously expensive in Hawaii on any of the islands, as we’ll soon experience. 

In a mere four months, Tom and I will already have been living in Hawaii for two weeks beginning our four island stint until next May when we leave for Australia. 

Vineyards are everywhere with wine as a popular commodity.

It’s hard to believe we’re rapidly moving into another phase of our worldwide travels. Once we have another year booked in Australia, we’ll feel more at ease. Having no “stuff” and not knowing where one will be living doesn’t scare us. But, with future bookings in place, it provides us with peace of mind.

Let’s face it. Peace of mind is a valuable commodity that in essence, money and effort are able to buy, to an extent.  The challenge for us is always how much money and effort do we want to expend in order to gain peace of mind, sooner as opposed to later.

Today, we’ll be back at it, planning for the future, definitely on a mission to achieve our goals and continue on with the dream. 
                                                           ____________________________

No photo from one year ago today, June 22, 2013:

Last year on this date while living in Boveglio, Italy, we were experiencing earthquakes. It was Tom’s first earthquake experience. Immediately, we began checking online for statistics for our area and found interesting and useful facts some of which we posted as opposed to photos. For the link for that date, please click here

Planning for the future…Eight months and counting…Family time…

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Taking photos in the souk is a huge challenge.  Islamic law prohibits its followers from being photographed. As a result, the shopkeepers, rightfully so, don’t want to be in the photos. As you’ve seen, we’ve diligently respected this. But, in an effort to illustrate the unique offerings and culture in the old Medina of Marrakech, we hesitantly take photos as appropriate situations arise. 

In seven months we’ll land by a cruise in Oahu, Hawaii, where we’ll stay for 11 days. Tom, a history buff, is looking forward to visiting Pearl Harbor. Staying for this period gives us time to soak in the frenzied atmosphere of Waikiki and Honolulu and then we’re off for six weeks in Maui for sun and surf.

Leaving Maui on December 1, 2014, we’ll fly to the Big Island for 46 days, at first renting one house on the ocean and on December 15th, renting the house next door, a weird coincidence, with neither related in any way to the other.

While walking, I often hold the camera and shoot, getting whatever I can get.  Sandals and shoes are a common item for sale in the souk and the Big Square.

Beginning on December 6th, our adult children and their families will begin to arrive. Long ago, we had suggested a family gathering at our expense to enable the time together while each would also have a vacation in fabulous Hawaii.

Little did we realize at the time the skyrocketing cost of airline tickets anywhere in the US mainland to Hawaii, ranging from US $1300 to US $1800 per person especially during the busy holiday season. Of course, we knew it would be outrageous. We carefully budgeted not only for the cost of the tickets but also the two houses, food, two rental vehicles, and on and on. 

Not all areas of the souk are filled with active shops and tourists. When searching for restaurants, we often find ourselves in a quieter, less occupied area such as this, wondering how these shop owners can stay in business with limited foot traffic.

We’ve just begun the process of booking the tickets, with one of our four kid’s family’s tickets already set and more to be booked in the next few weeks until everyone has a ticket. Within 60 days, the tickets will all be purchased.

Several times each day we check prices. We have apps that are checking for us as prices change.  Not much is changing at this time. We need to wrap this up soon since we doubt the prices will drop to any degree. The fallacy about prices being lower on certain times or days of the week is just that, a fallacy. We haven’t seen any differences during any specific periods.  

This shop was mainly offering these colorful rocks for sale. A few cats were playing among the items for sale.

Of course, it’s predicated by some formulas and schedules the airlines use that is unpredictable. What motives would they have to make us privy to their best pricing? Duh. None. So we, captive audience that we are, keep checking, hoping to save a few hundred dollars here and there.

Dismissing this financial part, we can hardly wait to see our family, our four grown kids, significant others, and six grandchildren. My younger sister Julie, who lives in Los Angeles, may be stopping by for a few days. Having all of us together is exciting. 

Finally, we found the restaurant after another long and winding walk through the souk.

Feeding 15 to 16 people dinner each night is a bit daunting, but somehow we’ll manage. For dining out in a nice restaurant in Hawaii, the cost per person is from US $70 to $100 per person. Guess we won’t be doing that!

Although the closest Costco is 90 miles from our location, I’m sure a few trips in the SUV will be warranted.  What we’ll do about Christmas is up in the air, hard to plan or think at this point. Tree? Decorations? Wrapped gifts for the little ones? We definitely don’t want this period of time to be spent “doing too much” while not spending valuable time together. We shall see.

By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the sun began to set and we both were chilled. For the first time since arriving in Marrakech, we are indoors at a comfortable banquet.

Our old days of “doing too much” are over. This may come as a surprise to those of our readers who personally know us. The focus will remain on the quality of time with our loved ones, not spending full days baking and cooking. The name of the game will be simplicity and lots of fun.

Had the fireplace been lit, we certainly would have sat close to it.  We still haven’t acclimated to the cooler (but getting warmer) weather in Morocco after over a year in hot climates.

This morning as we sit in the salon of the riad in Marrakech, Morocco, Hawaii is a million miles away. But as we’ve seen, especially those of you who have followed us since the beginning in March 2012, all of these booked events are coming up, tumbling over one another. In two months we’ll be settled in Madeira.  At one point it seemed so far in the future.

My dinner, although small, was good.  Carefully, I avoided the raw vegetables. Luckily, they served nuts and olive as an appetizer which helped fill me up.

Over the past several weeks as we continue to research for the unplanned time after May 2015, we’ve decided to add another element to our travels, winging it. With the excitement over the endless possibilities and after having booked over two years in advance, we are feeling knowledgeable enough with our recent experiences to wait until we pin down what is to follow. 

When Tom heard that the chef was Italian he ordered this lasagna which didn’t disappoint. With bread on the side, he was satisfied.

Doing so, in itself, adds a sense of adventure we both welcome. After spending seven months living on four islands in Hawaii, seeing the sites, whale watching, checking out volcanoes, and reveling in the exquisite scenery, we’ll be ready for the next phase of our world travels. 

With the hope to visit all of the continents, with four under our belts, we still have three more to go. But within each of those continents that we have visited, we have so much more to see. One could spend an entire lifetime traveling and still see so little. 

After dinner, as we were leaving, this colorful seating area jumped out at us. Wouldn’t that be a fun spot for a gathering of friends, food, and drink?

We take it at our own pace, in our own way, seeing what appeals to us, sensing no urgency, with no time constraints other than maintaining a level of health that allows us to continue on. 

Being with our family next Christmas will fulfill a longing in our hearts to see their smiling faces once again, recharging us to continue on and, we will.

Tonight, we’ll dine in while Madame Zahra makes lamb for us. Tom, who doesn’t care for lamb, ordered it on my behalf, knowing how much I love it.

Thanks, my dear hubby!  I owe you one!

________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2013:

The piece of driftwood decorates the beach by our villa in Belize The sidewalk to the center-left is the sidewalk directly in front of our villa. For more photos, please click here.

Itinerary change…Maui, Hawaii, here we come in 11 months!…No photos available due to WiFi issues…

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The rate for the first of two houses we booked in Big Island, Hawaii for our upcoming family visit, is a rental cost of US $101.56, considerably less than we would have paid a small one-room hotel. With a full kitchen and all supplies, we’ll surely love dining on the lanai, with sunset views. We’d never imagined that we could find an affordable vacation home in Maui that would fit our expectation of an ocean view. After searching online to fill the gap from October 5, 2014, when we’ll arrive by cruise ship in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii to December 1, 2014, has been a daunting task.

We’ll be moving to the Big Island on December 1, 2014, with our kids and grandkids arriving around December 20, 2014, for Christmas, living in the two homes we’ve already booked, side by side, on the ocean. The two houses we’ve booked for their visit are described with photos in our post of October 22, 2013.

Deciding that staying in Honolulu in a hotel on the ocean for a short period of time would allow us time to visit Pearl Harbor and other local attractions. Honolulu is a congested city filled with tourists, traffic and noise, not particularly our cup of tea for a lengthy stay.

Looking online for a house or a condo to fit our budget, after an 11-night stay in Honolulu became a source of frustration when we couldn’t find the right property. Both of us spent considerable hours online with our slow Internet connection, finding few options. 

With the high prices for hotels and vacation homes in Hawaii, our preferences for ocean views plus AC, free WiFi, washer and dryer and an updated attractive décor, we considered lowering our expectations and increasing the price we were willing to pay.

Property owners in Hawaii have no motivation or desire to negotiate prices with the high demand for vacation rentals year-round. Early on in our search we made no less than six offers for reasonably discounted rates based on our longer stays than most. None responded. 

Yesterday, out of curiosity, we began searching Maui, the most expensive of the islands in hope that we might get lucky. And, did we get lucky! By evening, we’d paid the requested US $300 deposit for a rental on the glorious island of Maui, in the Maalaea area, 25 miles south of Kaanapali Beach (the most popular but congested area for travelers). 

With a rental car during our 57-night stay in Maui we’ll have the freedom to tour the island at our leisure, visiting many points of interest, fabulous restaurants and larger grocery stores than we’ve had available. 

We’d love to post the photos for the website where the property is listed. But our slow connection prohibits the posting of these difficult to maneuver photos.

Here’s the link to our new condo in Maui which includes photos and a detailed description. 

Here is our total cost for 57-nights:
Rental Amount:  US $5014.00
Cleaning:           US $    90.00
Taxes:               US $  684.96
Total:                US $5,788.96

Now that this gap in time is booked, our next task for Hawaii will be to secure a hotel reservation on the beach in Honolulu from October 5, 2014, to October 16, 2014, when we’ll fly to Maui.

Here’s our five-month rundown of our time in Hawaii, all of which is booked, except the first 11 days in Honolulu Hawaii:

Honolulu , Oahu – October 5, 2014, to October 16, 2014 (not yet booked)
Maalaea, Maui – October 16, 2014, to December 1, 2014 (new booking)
Pahoe, Big Island  (first house) – December 1, 2014, to January 15, 2015 (booked)
Pahoe, Big Island (second house) – December 15, 2014, to January 3, 2015 (booked)
Princeville, Kauai – January 15, 2015, to May 15, 2015 (booked)- Our longest stay in any one location during this period, we’ll be preparing for the next leg of our upcoming travels, at this point yet to be determined. 

In each of these locations, except Honolulu, a rental car will be necessary for which we’ve budgeted.  Obviously, the smaller the island, the higher the costs of rental cars, groceries and dining out.

If you check out the listing on Homeaway, you’ll see that the owner has already blocked off our dates giving us the peace of mind to book rental cars and the hotel in Honolulu.

With yesterday’s booking, we’ve fulfilled our desire to spend time at each of the four largest and most desired Hawaiian islands. During this time, back on US soil, we’ll arrange dental and doctor appointments. 

Now, we’re back to work pinning down the Honolulu hotel for 11 nights. The search never ends as the journey continues on.