Part 2…An old friend from Africa…Playing with my phone

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Lipstick Palm with a bright red base.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is unreal!  Ulysses “mows” the entire massive yard using this tiny weed wacker. He’s wearing protective gear, including a rubber apron and face mask.  It takes him a whole day to trim all of the grass.

This morning, I wrote an email to Marian asking her to contact Henry for us to explain we need a pick up at a specific time, 9:45 am, to meet the car rental guy at the cafe at Supermercado Coopeatenas to sign for and pick up the first of two rental cars. 

Today, we’re heading to the small town of Curridabat for our 1:00 pm dental appointments at the most prominent dental clinic in this part of Costa Rica, where English is spoken by nine highly regarded dentists. We’ll have our teeth cleaned and a few fillings repaired, one for me, three for Tom. 

Since we’ll be leaving Atenas by 10:30 am, and the appointment isn’t until 1:00 pm, we’ll have plenty of time to stop along the way for photos (roadway providing) and to find the dentist’s office.

Hazy morning view of the valley.

We’ll return this first rental car at Surpermercado Coopeatenas on Saturday. Then following Monday, Henry, the taxi driver, will transport us to San Jose, near the airport, to pick up the second car we’ll keep until we leave on November 22nd. 

Why rent two different cars? It worked out that way when we first booked the dental appointments keeping the car for five days, allowing us time to get out sightseeing a little.

When we stumbled across the excellent rate for our remaining time in Costa Rica, we locked it in when we couldn’t get the great rate if we added the extra week. Go figure. We jumped all over the great rate. Please click here for more details on the pricing, and good luck getting a fantastic rate.

This palm tree’s silver base is flat, not rounded.

As for the continuation of yesterday’s post about our dear friend Anderson, our safari guide in Africa, here we go:

Over these past four years since Anderson was our guide in the Masai Mara, Kenya, at Sanctuary Retreat’s Camp Olonana along the Mara River, he’s stayed on our minds. We all hoped that somehow our paths would cross again. Staying in touch via Facebook chat, occasionally, we said hello and exchanged heartfelt wishes for good health and well-being. 

Once while on a cruise, we heard other passengers talking about him. We politely interrupted and shared how much we all appreciated having him as our guide. His knowledge and skills far surpassed our expectations, especially when he has a magical way of endearing past guests to him forever.

This plant has an interesting leaf pattern.

Once Tom surprised me while we swam in the pool in Bali, with our upcoming return to Africa for my upcoming 70th birthday in February, I messaged Anderson that we’d be returning to Africa in 2018. At that point, it was a long time away, and we weren’t 100% certain of what our plans would be. 

After many discussions between Tom and me over this past year, we decided to see the gorillas in either Rwanda or Uganda, both countries highly regarded for these experiences.

Another variety of Bromeliads.

As it turned out, when Anderson and I chatted on Facebook in the middle of the night when I wasn’t able to sleep, I explained we’re returning to the Kruger Park area of South Africa for our first three months with a plan for several side trips when we’ll need to leave the country for short periods for immigration purposes and to fulfill our dreams of more to see on this great continent.

Anderson explained he is again working for our favorite tented resort company, Sanctuary Retreats, who facilitated our safari and stayed in the Masia Mara in October 2013. It was very pricey but worth every last dollar spent. It was at that time we were assigned Anderson. 

Partial view of the center courtyard at the entrance to the villa.

Now, we discover through our Facebook chat that Anderson is also working for Sanctuary Retreat’s Gorilla Forest Camp in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where gorilla treks of only eight guests are undertaken daily. With Anderson as our guide for yet another life-changing experience, the prospect of this adventure is taken over the top.

Suddenly, the concept of this experience took on an entirely new demeanor. We love the attention-to-detail and adequate care that Sanctuary Retreats provides each of their guests, and coupled with the fact that Anderson will be our guide, it’s over the top.

After three takes off and three landings, we finally arrived to meet our guide, Anderson, who’s lived in the Masai Mara region all of his life. What a guy!  We loved him the moment we met him!  Click here for the post from October 5, 2013.

It was our time in the Maasai Mara that we came up with our frequently used “safari luck” since it was with Anderson, during our first 10 hours on safari, that we saw the “big five” indeed an outrageously fortunate opportunity. 

So here again, “safari luck” prevails, and we get the double whammy; Sanctuary Retreats and, of course, Anderson. We couldn’t be more thrilled.

Soon, we’ll need to book this event since so few guests are allowed to see the gorillas each day due to strict guidelines to protect their wild habitat. We can hardly wait for this experience.

We were both excited to meet Anderson, our safari guide who’s stayed in our minds these past four years, and now, we’ll meet again when he is our guide for the gorilla trek in Uganda.  Click here for the post which included these two photos and MUCH more.

So, now back to the moment on a beautiful day after last night’s major thunderstorm and pouring rains. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until we return to the villa later today after our long drive into the countryside, mountains, and rainforest. 

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with details of our day and, hopefully, lots of great new photos. As I’m sitting here now on the veranda, I can see a huge brown cow across the way mooing up a storm. Maybe I’ll get up and take a photo!

Happy day!Photo from one year ago today, August 21, 2016:

Before entering the grounds of Friendship Beach Waterfront Resort, we asked permission to tour the property to take photos. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1 of 2…An old friend from Africa…Playing with my phone…

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Are these Daffodils?

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Click on our video of a fast-moving weather phenomenon in Atenas.

Playing around with my phone when we have a good Wi-Fi signal keeps me occupied during quiet times of the day and night. There are a few foolish games I play, one of which is a “jelly” thing that cuts me off after about 15 minutes requiring I wait for more opportunities to play or…pay. I don’t pay. I wait, entertaining myself elsewhere in the interim.

Then, of course, there’s email, Facebook, and various news apps I’ll read day or night, keeping me informed of what may actually be embellished, untrue, or blatant out-and-out lies. Oh, I won’t get into that.

Long driveway to a villa in the neighborhood.

A highlight of playing with my phone is at night when I can’t sleep. I attempt to avoid the bright screen facing Tom while he sleeps and stay huddled on the edge of the king-sized bed, facing away from him. It’s during those periods when sleep escapes me, often for a few hours during the night that my phone brings me much solace and entertainment. 

Over these past few years, I stopped worrying about being awake in the middle of the night.  If one studies anthropology and early humans, you’ll discover that millennium ago, humans often were awake in the middle guarding their camp, tending to the fire, and handling the myriad tasks required for basic survival. 

This is referred to as a “first” and “second” sleep. It may not be in our DNA to lay down and sleep for eight hours or more. Information on this topic may be found here at this site and many others.

Villa in the neighborhood.

Knowing this gave me peace of mind in not worrying about being awake at 3:00 am. Of course, the typical working life of citizens in many countries and its subsequent stressful lifestyle may require that they pack in as many hours of sleep as possible in order to manage the upcoming day.

Now, as a somewhat retired person, I rarely need to be concerned with how much consecutive sleep I accrue during the night. Although not much of napper, (neither is Tom) we both, with the same habit of waking up midway through the night, seem to do fine staying awake and alert during the day.

Hibiscus.

Most nights I fall back asleep at some point ending up with about six to seven hours of sleep, all I seem to need, especially when we’re having lazy days at the villa without a huge amount of physical activity. 

Oh, I’m no couch potato. Each day I end up putting thousands of steps on my Fitbit, at times as much as 10,000 only from moving around the villa. This is a huge house and I’ll have 2,000 steps knocked off before 8:00 am from just getting the day started. That’s a good thing.

There must be some type of solar panels on this roof.

Anyway, back to the phone at night…With friends all over the world, it’s not unusual for me to get a message on Facebook during the night. I keep the sound notification off to avoid waking either of us while sleeping. 

But, it’s kind of fun to begin chatting with a distant friend during those wide wake middle-of-the-night stints. I take my contact lenses out at night and need to use reading specs to read anything on the phone during the night. I keep a sturdy pair under my pillow for just such occasions.

Lavender Bougainvillea.

A few nights ago, I found myself chatting in Facebook Messenger with our safari guide, Anderson, with whom we’ve stayed in close touch since we worked with him in 2013. He left an indelible mark on us with the hope that should we return to Kenya, we’d definitely have him work with us again.

As we’ve contemplated future travels and our return to Africa we came to the conclusion that we won’t be returning to Kenya. We have other plans for Africa when we return in a mere six months. As a matter of fact, six months from today will be my 70th birthday which we plan to celebrate with our many friends in Marloth Park, South Africa.

Pretty little purple flowers.

The date is set for my party at Jabula Lodge in Marloth on February 20, 2018, and many of our wonderful South African friends already have it on their calendars. Thank you to my dear husband for offering me this extraordinary 70th birthday gift, a return to my favorite place in the world. 

I can’t wait to dine on Peri-Peri Chicken Livers at Jabula’s fabulous restaurant and spend time with owners Dawn and Leon with whom we became great friends. It was at this very location that we met and became friends with so many amazing people who taught us the ways of life in the bush. To see their faces in person, once again, is  truly a treat we look forward to with considerable enthusiasm.

These orange flowers were often seen in Hawaii. My friend Colleen who lived in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands for decades, wrote and explained that this flower is an Ixora. Such an unusual flower and name. Thanks, Colleen!

Tomorrow, before we head out to pick up the first rental car, we’ll complete this story, particularly as to how it relates to our dear old friend Anderson, our guide in the Masai Mara, Kenya, and how and if we’ll meet again.

May your day be fulfilling and pleasant. Ours certainly will be. We’re sitting here on the veranda now listening to one noisy cow or bull obviously suffering some degree of discontent or another. Along with all the sounds of the birds singing, the roosters crowing and the water bubbling in the pool, it’s all music to our ears.

Photo from one year ago today, August 20, 2016:

Colorful shrine in front of a private villa in our area in Phuket Thailand. For more photos and our story of how I dropped my phone in the toilet and the end result, please click here.

Today is post #1850…In touch with the world in a small way, matters in such a big way…

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The first time we started noticing Bougainvillea was in Kenya in 2013. They grow prolifically in the hot, humid climate. They aren’t relatively as abundant in Costa Rica but do thrive in this humid rainforest climate.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

The mountains impede our view of the final set of the sun, but we do get some gorgeous color in the process.

As I began today, I noticed that this would be post #1850. To think that 1850 times I’ve sat at my laptop sharing morsels of our everyday lives of world travel, including the seven months before our ever leaving Minnesota in 2012, it seems overwhelming. The first post was on March 14, 2012, which may be found here. We left Minnesota on October 31, 2012, and that day’s post may be found here.

Yesterday, when speaking with my sister Susan (Las Vegas), she asked, “If someone hired you to write 1850 stories with photos, every few days at the onset and every day a short time after that, could you have been able to do it?”

As we continued on our steep walk, we spotted a small vineyard in the neighborhood.

I contemplated the answer for only a moment to emphatically state, “There’s no way! The stress I would have felt to work at such a daunting task continually would have left me exhausted, stressed, and frustrated.”

Funny thing. Without a boss, along with the opportunity to write here at my own pace, in my own time, without pressure and expectations, this daily (seven days a week) undertaking never feels stressful or demanding.

In every direction, we’re surrounded by greenery. It’s breathtaking.

Preparing for each day’s story and photos has become a full-time job in many ways. The actual writing of the day’s story takes little time compared to the required research and fact-checking (thanks, Tom!), the editing, the manipulation of the appearance of the story and photos, looking for photo ops, taking the photos, managing the photos and then putting it all together. 

After completing the post, usually by noon or earlier (on days I have an early start), I respond to dozens of email messages and comments. (We receive many more email messages than comments on the posts). Many of the responses require additional research from our prior posts on the web.

Some of the homes in this gated community are not within the confines of a private gate. Nevertheless, it’s a safe area, and many residents aren’t concerned about an added layer of security.

In many ways, it’s a full-time job, one we’re both thinking about and planning, along with all the details of planning our next move in our travels while living amid the location-of-the-moment. Over this past 65 months of doing the posts, it’s become as much of an integral part of our travels as the travel itself.

I explained to Susan that knowing we have readers worldwide “traveling along with us,” we never feel lonely or isolated. No, I don’t often “go to lunch with the girls,” and Tom doesn’t meet “the boys for coffee” amid railroad talk. 

Photos don’t depict how steep a road is when walking. The road leading to our villa is a nearly impossible climb for the faint of heart.

We also have readers contacting us every day with precious morsels of wisdom, suggestions, and assisting us in naming birds and flowers, as was the case of friend Louise from Kauai, who wrote that yesterday’s bird photo was a Hoffman’s Woodpecker.  Thanks, Louise!

And then, of course, there’s Facebook, which I must admit I don’t spend much time working on, although I’m quite the lurker.  Adamantly opposed to negative political talk, regardless of political affiliation, I love the playful and often funny videos, along with the more severe wildlife photos and videos.

Many homes have pools that are meticulously maintained.

I’ve recently had considerable pleasure in watching “live” safari videos from Kruger National Park, where we’ll be in a mere six months, again living next door to the massive reserve in my favorite place in the world Marloth Park, South Africa. Soon…

As our saga continues, we often shake our heads in wonder over the vast number of readers who’ve followed us from the beginning. Who knew? We never planned it that way, and yet, here we are feeling so much a part of all of you in whatever small role we may play in your daily online reading.

We walked down this steep hill beyond the bend but then had to walk back up.  Whew!

We have all of our readers to thank for becoming such a vital part of our day-to-day lives, regardless of how quiet and mundane some of our days maybe, to the more adventuresome and entertaining aspects that other days present.

The next day, we’ll share an exciting and advantageous experience we’ll be adding to our repertoire of world adventures. Please check back!

Photo from one year ago today, August 19, 2016:

This martial arts ring in our neighborhood in Phuket, Thailand, was quite s surprise to find.  Martial Arts is a highly regarded sport in Thailand. For more photos and details, please click here.

Gentle musings on a quiet day…A walk along the steep road in the neighborhood…

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Each home in our gated community has exquisite and well-maintained landscaping befitting the rainforest surroundings. We don’t always live in such desirable surroundings, as seen in our photos in Thailand one year ago.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Our friend Louise, whom we met in Kauai, Hawaii, identified this bird as a Hoffmann’s Woodpecker. Thanks, Louise, we appreciate the information. I took this photo while sitting on the sofa on the veranda while working on a post. I knew if I stood, it would fly away, so I stayed put. 

This morning by 5:00 am, we were both up and out of bed, ready to start our day. With no daylight savings in Costa Rica, it was already light, and we could hear the cows mooing, the roosters crowing and endless varieties of birds singing their usual tunes. It’s a great way to start the day.

Costa Rica is all about lush greenery and other bright colors.

Oh, I don’t mean to imply everything is perfect in Costa Rica. Like any country we encounter in our world travels, each has its problems; poverty, crime, environmental issues, and more. 

But, sitting atop this hill, partway up a mountain in this dreamy property, it’s easy to let the realities of everyday life waft away. Yet, oddly, the responsibilities and tasks we’ve been undertaking since our arrival have grounded us as they have throughout this past almost five years. 

We had to walk up some seriously steep hills to take today’s photos, quickly as vertical as they are, in Campanario, Madeira, where we lived for almost three months in 2014.

In a good way, it’s been helpful we haven’t had access to a car which has kept us on point and determined to complete all the financial tasks and “paperwork” we’ve had before us. 

By the time we pick up the more permanent rental car in San Jose on the 28th, we’ll be prepared to change our focus on exploring and enjoying ourselves more freely, especially knowing we can come and go at a moment’s notice.

Many of the homes in the gated community are also gated for an added layer of security, as is the case of our villa. The main gate is operated by a guard 24 hours a day.

We never wanted our lives to feel as if we’re living in some dream or fantasy. Instead, it’s the harsh realities we discover in each country coupled with those of everyday life that we all experience, including rare illness and discomfort, that allow us those special moments, that unique sighting, and that perfect photo that makes this life feel “real” and purposeful.

Embarking on this life is not unlike falling in love. In the beginning, the adrenalin is flowing, the hearts are beating, and the enthusiasm is difficult to harness. Now, like after being in love for a while, we’ve settled into a gentle acceptance and appreciation that far surpasses that initial sense of obsession and heart-pounding passion.

Although not seen in this photo, there are dozens of butterflies fluttering nearby wherever there are flowers. 

We no longer think about how “brave” we are (we were) to tackle this lifestyle. Instead, we now think of making logical and practical decisions that ultimately will enhance our experiences.

Oh, don’t get me wrong…we haven’t lost a morsel of our enthusiasm and excitement for living in the moment nor in imagining the next.  But, it’s become like that magical moment when the in-love couple is in a crowd, each engaged with others to suddenly look up when their eyes lock in a knowing embrace that only time and memories can understand. We do that with each other and with our lives.

We notice various types of “clay” roofs on the homes in the gated neighborhood, including this less rounded style.

This early morning when I found myself peering over the veranda railing mesmerized by the sights and sounds of the vast Alajuela Valley that stretches much further than the eye can see, a wave of wonderfulness washed over me.

A profound awareness flooded my mind as I was reminded that we don’t have to live close to the sea in our world travels.  Contentment and total fulfillment may be found inland as long as we’re surrounded by nature.

This appears to be an older type of roof material, more rounded with natural clay.

Perhaps, that’s why when we select a home for a two or three-month stay, 90% of the time, we choose houses, not apartments or condos. At the first light of day, the views we embrace become imprinted in our hearts and minds as the purpose and powerful meaning we glean from our world travels.

Today, as always, we continue, our eyes peeled to the canopy of this rain- forest-lush country, our ears peaked to the slightest new sounds, and our hearts filled with the wonders of it all. We’re grateful. Eternally grateful.

Thank you for sharing it with us!

Photo from one year ago today, August 18, 2016:

The unique shell on the left is US $722, THB 25,000, with the shell on the right at US $808, THB 28,000.  They’d fit in the palm of one’s hand.  Interesting to see.  For the last of the seashell photos, please click here.

A magical cloud experience in the mountains of Atenas Costa Rica…

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Moment by moment, the clouds grew thicker and thicker.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom was standing on the veranda as the clouds began to roll in.

Last evening around 5:30 pm, just about the time we were thinking about having dinner, we looked outside (unavoidable with all the glass walls in this fine villa), and we thrilled to see fast-moving clouds that we could almost touch from the veranda.

We’d experienced a similar phenomenon when were lived in Madeira, Portugal, in the spring of 2014, for which we’ve included the photo of Tom on the veranda with the link to that post and video. Yesterday, we were as excited to see this event as we were over three years ago….our heads in the clouds!

Tom on the veranda in Madeira Portugal during a similar cloud “white-out.”  For more photos and a video, please click here.

Since we’re partway up the mountains here in Costa Rica (698 meters, 2261 feet, above sea level) in much cooler weather than by the sea (an hour and a half drive), such attractive weather conditions seem to be more prevalent.

Standing on the veranda as the clouds quickly moved across our view, we felt as if we could reach out and touch them. They rolled across the veranda at one point, and we were able to walk through them.

We gasped when we felt the cool, moist air, unlike anything we’ve ever felt before. It was breathtaking. Oh, some might say, “No big deal.  It’s just a bunch of clouds.”

For us, it’s these same experiences that make our travels rich and filled with wonder, so much so that we quickly and easily found our link from our similar experiences over three years ago.

It was stunning to watch the views dissipate and the clouds thickened.

It’s not easy taking photos of clouds right in one’s face, but we did our best.  Had there been more warning, I’d have taken a video, but it came up and dissipated so quickly, I barely had time to load the camera to take these few shots.

Within 15 minutes, the views across the valley cleared, and once again, we could see our surroundings. As a result, today’s “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica” and other photos result from this event.

When it cleared, we moseyed off to the kitchen to reheat our leftover pizza, cook the green beans and toss the salad. Unfortunately, the pizza wasn’t quite as good as it was in Nevada weeks ago since we couldn’t find the right type of Italian sausage here in Atenas.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes to cover the entire Alajuela Valley.

The only Italian-seasoned sausage we found here had no casing. That was weird. Since it required cooking before placing it on the pizza, it ended up tasting somewhat like hot dogs, which we don’t usually eat. Maybe next time, we’ll try it using the local Spanish-type sausages with casings.

Also, we couldn’t find parchment paper at either of the two markets and had no choice but to use tinfoil (they don’t have non-stick foil here) which we coated with olive oil to no avail. It still stuck to the tinfoil.

Once the pizza was done, we had to peel the foil off the bottom crust, often in tiny pieces. Maybe we shouldn’t have pizza again while we’re here. Or, perhaps we should start packing parchment paper, an item we often use in cooking low-carb items but have difficulty finding in many countries.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed our dinner and a quiet evening watching a few favorite shows on the big screen TV in the comfy screening room. We’d signed up for Netflix last week and had been watching a few choice shows.

It wasn’t quite as thick as it had been in Madeira Portugal, but it was similar. We could still see the light at a distance on the far right.

Whenever we sign up for Netflix, we do so for short periods, watching everything that appeals to us over one or two months, after which we cancel it and sign for HBO or Showtime while we binge watch other favorites.

Right now, we’re waiting for season 7 of Game of Thrones to complete its season, at which point we’ll sign up for HBO and be able to binge-watch the entire final season of this fantastic series. We rarely watch any shows during the day to avoid starting a bad habit that could prevent us from paying attention to our surroundings. Once it’s dark, we’re content to “settle in” for the evening.

Today is another quiet day. Isabel, one of the sweetest and most competent cleaners on the planet, is here today, recovered from her case of “gripa,” a bad cold she had last week when she was only able to work for part of the day. Thank goodness neither of us caught it from her.  She’s busy cleaning now in her cheerful good-natured manner. What a treasure she is!

We’ll have the first of the two rental cars in only four days, one for five days and the second for the remainder of our stay. So we’re looking forward to being mobile again but not so much for the dentist appointment scheduled for Monday.

May your day be filled with natural wonders, whether it’s a bird alighting on your window sill, big droplets of rain on a cloudy day, or a pretty cloud formation wafting through the skies. Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 17, 2016:

One year ago, while we were in Phuket, Thailand, it was only six weeks after I’d seriously injured my spine, which took five months to heal. We didn’t do much while there, so I continued to post photos from the Phuket Seashell Museum. I’m sure all of our readers have seen enough seashells, then and now, with only one more day of these appearing tomorrow. But, if you’d like to see more, click here.

We rented a car for the remaining period in Costa Rica…Until November 22, 2017…

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I’ve been anxious to get photos of unusual frogs in Costa Rica, especially the colorful species. But that will have to wait until we get out soon. We’ve yet to see a colorful frog at the villa. But, this plain frog attached to Henry’s left rear bumper satisfied me for now. Check out those toes!

“Sightings from the Veranda In Costa Rica”

The clouds that roll in each day create many gorgeous scenes.

We awoke this morning to one of those special days with the most perfect weather we’ve experienced in a very long time. The sky is clear, scattered with a few white pillowy clouds. Most likely by early afternoon, it will cloud over and rain as always.

There’s a balmy breeze rustling through the rainforest of over 100 species of indigenous trees. The temperature hovers close to 75F, 24C. Although the humidity is a high 86% right now, the comfort factor is not only bearable, it’s enticing and pleasurable. 

“They,” say that Costa Rica has the most perfect weather in the world and today, more than any day since we arrived over two weeks ago, further exemplifies this fact. It couldn’t be more to our liking.

The only aspect of our stay thus far that has been disappointing has been feeling a being a bit stranded with only a taxi driver at our disposal. At anywhere from US $15 (CRC 8665) to US $20 (CRC 11,553) each time we go to the village (a 10-minute drive plus the cost of waiting time for the driver), we found ourselves avoiding any long distances knowing the price would be pretty high. 

It’s always tricky taking photos from a moving car, especially when we’re sensitive about opening the window while we’re in air-conditioned comfort. 

This puts a damper on our desire of getting out to explore and taking photos while being able to stop at our leisure or quickly turn around when an ideal photo op is in sight. Tom’s is the best driver in accommodating my photo taking.

Besides, it doesn’t make sense to pay US $15 (CRC 8655) each time we realize we need a single item we forgot to purchase or a recipe pops into mind that requires a return to the market for ingredients. 

In many parts of the world, such a taxi ride might be only a few dollars making those single item outings worthwhile. In Australia, we had easy public transportation which isn’t as prevalent here.

But, adding a premium of US $15 (CRC 8655) or more to every few items purchased significantly throws off our food budget. So, we knew we needed to make a change and proceed to rent a vehicle for our remaining time in Costa Rica.

Typical shop along the road into the village.

No doubt we’ve become a bit spoiled after the nine weeks in the US with the red SUV in Minnesota and the little white car in Nevada, able to head out at any time we chose. Taxi fares in either state would have been prohibitive as they were in Australia.

At times, while in Minnesota, we wished we’d had a second vehicle but the cost of renting two cars was impractical. So for a short period, we borrowed a truck belonging to son Greg’s that helped in a pinch but we knew he needed to use and we didn’t keep it long. 

While in Nevada, Tom was content to stay at son Richard’s home in air-conditioned comfort while I flitted around to shop, visit sister Susan and even embark on a few sightseeing missions on my own.  It worked well.

We’re committed to a five-day car rental starting on Monday, August 21st, which Aad the property manager arranged for us. At 10:00 am we’ll take the taxi into Atenas to pick up the car at the cafe at SuperMercado Coopeatena and then head out of town to our dentist appointment at 1:00 pm. We’ll have plenty of time for sightseeing and photo taking along the way.

Typical house in the gated neighborhood.

Last night after 10:00 pm, while a bit bleary-eyed and tired, I decided to check prices one more time for rental cars from our favorite site, rentalcars.com which we’ve used since the onset of our travel. 

I was shocked when I saw the low prices which included all of the taxes and fees, to discover we could rent a car beginning on Monday, August 28th for US $783 (CRC 440,762) for the remaining 87 days in Costa Rica (at that point) which totaled US $9.10 (CRC 5257) a day. I had checked pricing a few days earlier and it was twice this amount. I asked Tom to verify the details with me. Was I too tired to access this carefully? He was wide awake and concurred with the pricing, dates, and conditions.

We quickly booked the car and paid the fee. The rental car company, Europcar, is one we’ve used approximately 60% of the times we’ve rented cars and never had any type of issues. This time, as always, we read all the terms and conditions of the rental.

Europcar require a US $1,500 (CRC 866,505) deposit which might be off-putting to some renters and, included in the above price is a surcharge of US $150 (CRC 86,651), for drivers over 64 years of age, at US $5 (CRC 2888) per day for a maximum of the US $150 (CRC 86,651), for the entire period). 

We couldn’t tell if this is a house or a business based on the sign on the front wall. 

We’re OK with these conditions, especially when the contract stipulates that all other fees and taxes are included in the base rate of US $633 (CRC 365,665). The surcharge for the senior factor might also be off-putting to some renters but for us, the grand total most appealing and, the fact that we’ll be getting a car with AC and automatic transmission ideal for driving on all the hills and mountains in Costa Rica.

We’ve been warned about “bait and switch” type car rentals in Costa Rica but with this familiar website and Europcar which we’ve used so often, we feel safe. In the worst case, if we discover we’ve been defrauded or misrepresented in some manner, we won’t take the car and/or take it up with the credit card company. We shall see what transpires and report back here.

We’re both excited at the prospect of being able to get around on our own for the weekdays next week and from there on, from August 28th until November 22nd.

Today, we’re staying in again working on financial stuff.  But now, with a solution on the horizon enabling us to explore our surroundings and take many photos we can share, we’re content to wait it out until Monday morning when we’ll once again have wheels and “be on the road.”

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, August 16, 2016:

These are 400 million-year-old fossils seen at the Phuket Seashell Museum. For more photos, please click here.

Learning to speak a little Spanish in town…Nature along the way…

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Check out those ears. They certainly were flicking back and forth when we stopped to say “hola!”

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

If you look carefully, you can see the butterfly atop this cracked piece of fruit lying on the ground that I shot when I just happened to look over the railing for photos for this feature.  We’ve seen more butterflies in Costa Rica than we’ve seen anywhere in the world.  

Yesterday morning Henry arrived at 11:30 am to take us into town.  We had four stops in mind, including the pharmacy, the cell phone store for more data and calling, the health food store for more almond flour and organic nuts, and the Supermercado Coopeatena for groceries.

 Last week we’d tried the warehouse-type MaxiPalil, but it didn’t seem to have as much variety as the Supermercado Coopeatenas.  We still can’t find whole cream, parchment paper, and imported cheeses between both major markets in town. 

 In Costa Rica, there are certain cheeses, types of queso, that the locals use that aren’t necessarily good for snacking. We tried a few different brands of Gouda and Edam, but they didn’t taste quite right. Also, they all have a thin layer of paper under the wax covering that’s difficult to remove.

We love cows, and all barnyard animals, as our long-time readers are well aware.

Since we only eat one meal a day, usually about every 24 hours, a little cheese plate after dinner is a nice touch. Unfortunately, we’re not doing so well in that department right now. So instead, I purchased a few organic unsalted nuts at the health food store, which I’m having instead of the cheese. Tom doesn’t seem to mind picking off the bits of paper. I have no patience for that.

We entered the pharmacy looking for some over-the-counter meds for my continuing gastrointestinal issue and were surprised to find an armed guard at the entrance who opened the door for us. Upon entering, the pharmacist and other staff were behind windows with steel bars to secure the inventory, comparable to those found in banks of yesteryear.

 This was a first for us. I contemplated taking a photo but knew there was no way it would have been allowed, so I didn’t ask or take out the camera. However, the pharmacist spoke a little English, and together with my sketchy Spanish, we managed to communicate well.

Could this be a mom and her calf?

Afterward, we headed to the Macrobiotica, a health food store where they now knew us. Unfortunately, they speak no English, but I’ve since learned “harina de almendras,” which translates to almond flour, and also “nueces,” which is “nuts.”

Oh, dear, I won’t bore our readers with the Spanish words we’re learned, nor will we start writing in Spanish but, I’m determined to learn as much as possible while we’re here when South America is on the horizon. 

Although, surprisingly, slightly more than half the citizens of South America speak Portuguese. We tried learning that language while we were in Madeira, Portugal, in 2014 and never got much further than “obrigado,” which translates to “thank you.” In every country, the first word we make a point of learning is “thank you.” 

A fence around a property on the way to the village.

Tom is still messing up his “gracias” (Spanish) and “grazie” (Italian) from the summer of 2013 when we lived in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy, for three full months. 

He always makes me laugh when he says “grazie” here in Costa Rica, but the locals seem to get it. But then again, he was still saying “grazie” (from habit) when we were in Kenya which followed Italy.  

It’s not easy learning a new language at our ages. However, we realize how beneficial doing so is for our aging brains, along with all the other morsels we learn every day, all stimulating to the ancient neurons in our heads.

 After the health food store, we had to find where we could recharge the free Movistar (yes, that’s spelled correctly) SIM card we were given at the appliance and furniture store when we first arrived. We didn’t want to run out of data using the SIM when we drive the long distance to the dentist on Monday. That would not be good. 

A newer building at the end of the tiny strip mall we entered for the “Pharmacia.”

They don’t use “Maps” here in Costa Rica.  Instead, they use an app called “Waze.” Hopefully, this will help us get to where we’re going on Monday, a 45 minutes drive from Atenas. 

On Monday at 10:00 am, we’ll be meeting the rental car guy outside at the cafe at the Supermercado Coopeatena, who apparently speaks English. From there, we’ll take the car and find our way to the small town where the large dental clinic is located with nine English-speaking dentists.

 We imagine visitors may come from the US to this clinic for dental work when prices are considerably lower than in the US and other countries. We’ll let you know how it goes after our appointment, with photos, of course.

Recharging the SIM card was painless when the rep spoke a little English and reloaded data, and called on the card for US $17.37 (CRC 10,000). We have no idea how much data or calling we have, but it should be enough for next week when we have a car for five days.

Most of the buildings in town are old and well-used but not nearly as much as we’ve seen in many other parts of the world. As a result, it feels safe in the village, and we can freely walk from one location to another.

From there, the trip to the market went fine. We got most items on our list now that we’ve excluded items we know they don’t have available. Henry waited for us in the car during each of these trips and helped us load the bags into the trunk when we were done. 

 Once back inside the gated neighborhood, Henry promptly stopped when he heard me squeal with delight when I spotted the two cows close to the road, as shown in today’s photos.

Back at the villa before 2:00 pm, we put everything away while we spent the remainder of the day preparing dinner and researching. I spent some time in the outdoor Jacuzzi, which was lovely. No complaints here.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 15, 2016:

While in Phuket, I was recovering from an injury to my spine and couldn’t get out much, although we had a rental car. However, we did tour some sites, including the Phuket Seashell Museum.  For more photos, please click here.

It’s time to start planning clothing for the Antarctica cruise… Different for us than most other travelers…

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This is a variety of Bromelaid.  This stunning bloom is located  on the grounds of the villa is over-the-top!

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This was a perfect opportunity to get a photo of Ulysses, our groundskeeper, and maintenance person, who lives in an apartment on the property.  We wish we could chat with him freely but we are able to communicate sufficiently to ask him questions and make requests.

It’s not as if we can jump in the car and drive to REI or Cabella’s to purchase clothing for our upcoming Antarctica cruise in five months. And, realistically, we need to start planning now knowing anything we purchase will have to be shipped to Buenos Aires and go through customs which can take a long time, as we’ve experienced in past situations.

There are several options for handling the required items of clothing considering we’ll be leaving the ship on Zodiac boat for several hours at a time while we visit various islands, ice floes, and glaciers. Waterproof gear is a must.

Another Bromeliad with patterns appearing more like fabric for curtains than an actual plant. Wow!

Over the past several days, we’ve begun conducting research to discover the following options since the Ponant Cruise Line doesn’t handle rental clothing as do most other Antarctic cruise lines:
1.  Rent from one of a few companies that handle such clothing, all of which require the clothing to be sent to us in Buenos Aires. Downside: Clothing of this type can easily be stolen in transit; customs can cause delays; the clothing is rented for a specific period and penalties will incur if there are delays in transit times;  the clothes must promptly be returned at the end of the cruise, adding one more project to handle when we need to be on our way.
2.  Purchase the clothing from the US at lower costs. Downside: The above shipping and potential theft issues would be unavoidable. Plus, when we’re done, shipping the clothing back to the US to be held by our mailing service until we need it again someday.
3.  Purchase the majority of the clothing through Ponant. They’ll have it waiting for us in our cabin when we board the ship. Purchase odds and ends in the US and have them shipped to our hotel in Florida on November 22nd where we’ll stay for one night before boarding the back-to-back cruise the next day. This results in a two-step process. Downside:  Ponant’s items are expensive.

These waxy flowers almost look like Begonias we’d plant years ago in shady areas in Minnesota.

Originally, when we booked the cruise, we budgeted US $1,000, (CRC 57,594) for each of us for clothing rental as a necessary element of this expensive cruise, which is pretty much the going rate per person for all items. If we purchase some of the items separately and ship to Florida, we may be able to save a few hundred dollars each.

After considering all of the above options, we’ve definitely decided to go with purchasing the bulk of the major items directly from Ponant and the balance  (long-sleeved shirts, socks, glove liners, etc) from Amazon in the US with free shipping with our Prime membership directly to the hotel in Florida.

These orange flowers, Lobster Claws, against the palm background create an appealing scene.

The other options, although less expensive make no sense at all, especially when there’s the cost of shipping and delays due to customs. If we purchased the bigger items on our own, we’d have no idea of the quality and suitability for the cruise. Most likely, the clothing from the cruise line is suitable.

Most likely sizing will be an issue for me with my extra-long arms and legs. Maybe I’ll be able to tuck my pants into the Ponant provided complimentary boots to avoid the high water look. Hopefully, I’ll have enough layers to keep my arms covered especially wearing the almost elbow-length gloves we’ll also purchase through Ponant.

What was Mother Nature thinking here?

Tom inquired to previous Antarctica cruise passengers at Cruise Critic for more finite details and based on their comments, it appears we’re going down the right path.

It’s considerably easier for those who can jump in the car and drive to local cold-weather-clothing stores to check out the possibilities, try on a few items and purchase their smaller items with ease. Here again, this is one more of the many challenges we face as constant world travelers. 

We love this type of palm tree.  We’d seen many of these in Hawaii a few years ago.

No doubt, we’ll have it all figured out long before we board the ship, Ponant Le Soleil, on January 23, 2018, in Ushuaia Argentina. No worries. It will all work out! 

Have a happy Monday or Tuesday, depending on where you may be in the world, whether it’s approaching the end of your warm summer months or your cold winter months, depending on which side of the equator you may live.

Photo from one year ago today, August 14, 2016:

We visited the Phuket Seashell Museum. It was fascinating to see all of the various seashells indigenous to the area. For more photos, please click here.

Limitations…Living within our means…Not always easy…

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View from the chaise lounges of the pool, the Jacuzzi to the left, and beyond it, the cold plunge pool. Nice.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica” 

Even the entrance to this property is stunning, as taken from the veranda on a cloudy day.

It’s been raining almost every day. We knew when we booked this property during the rainy season, but we decided with as much “work” as we had to do while here, it wouldn’t matter to us so much.

Besides, the likelihood of finding a reputable rental car facility was iffy from what we’d read online and heard from our landlord Aad. Hence, we decided to rent a car periodically (via Aad’s contacts), which we’ll be doing one week from tomorrow for five days.  We’re waiting for the quote and will post it here.

We realized that if we’d paid the premium prices for a decent car for over three months, it would be sitting in the driveway most days due to the rainy days. So it wouldn’t make sense to go sightseeing on these mountainous roads during rainstorms which occur by noon almost every day.

We noticed the times it starts raining since we attempt to use the pool each day, but often I don’t get done uploading the post until almost noon, and by then, the sun is gone with thunderstorms and lightning surrounding us, not a good time to go into the water.

Neither of us cares to go sightseeing in the rain when we can avoid it. Thus, when we have the rental car next week, we’ll try to get out in the mornings, and a few of our posts may be uploaded later in the day. We’ll let you know when and if this occurs.

On Monday, the 21st, the first day we’ll have the car Aad will have arranged for us. In addition, we both have dentist appointments at a distant location at 1:00 pm, giving us ample time to post before heading out.

Pretty plants and trees are scattered throughout the grounds, which Ulysses keeps perfectly maintained.

This past Friday, we’d intended to go to the weekly Farmers Market in the village at 1:00 pm based on times stated in an online ad we’d seen that said it started at 6:00 am and ended at 6:00 pm. 

Well, as it turned out, Marian, Aad’s wife, informed us that the Farmers Market closes at 1:00 pm. So thus, we canceled the taxi driver with a plan to go next Friday, the 25th, when we could go on our own in the rental car, taking our time to mosey around and take plenty of photos.

Many tourists rent cars in Costa Rica without incident. But, there’s a big difference in renting a car for a week or two instead of three and a half months. The agencies tend to give us the least desirable vehicles based on the extended period and the reasonable prices we’ve received online.  Generally, this is fine with us when we’re saving vast sums of money over extended periods. 

In this case, it just didn’t work out, so we’re somewhat stranded in the interim. However, we always strive to live within our means, especially with the pricey Antarctica cruise in five months which we’ll pay off in full by October 16th, in a mere two months.

Our “belts are tightened” during this period to prepare for this significant outlay of cash. Recently, we had a cost of almost US $10,000 (CRC 5,761,850) for our extended stay here in Costa Rica for this fine property. With a strict budget to follow and much upcoming in the future, we live as modestly as we can. 

A careless world traveler could efficiently run through money so fast they’d quickly put an end to their travels. So for us, we carefully manage every dollar we spend to ensure we can continue until we physically can’t go on any longer, not when we “run out of money.” 

The driveway pavers are laid to perfection.

We live off of our fixed monthly income comparable to that of most retirees. Yet, living as comfortably as we often do (with a few exceptions here and there), we must continue to be frugal. That means few expensive professional tours, dining out at a minimum (my diet dictates this more than money), no needless shopping, planning and cooking our meals, and above all, not being wasteful. 

A huge benefit of spending 2018 and part of 2019 in Africa is that it enables us to recover from the high expenses of the three upcoming cruises, all occurring by January 23, 2018. 

When we leave Costa Rica on November 22nd, we’ll fly to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for one night, after which we’ll be embarking on a 30-night back-to-back cruise to South America, finally ending in Buenos Aires, where we’ll stay 31 plus one night, as mentioned in a post of a few days ago, as shown here.

In a 78-night period beginning on November 23, 2017 (Thanksgiving Day in the US) and ending on February 8, 2018, we’ll be cruising for 47-nights.  The remaining nights we’ll be living in Buenos Aires as mentioned above.  Here again, we’ll have a long stretch where we won’t cook a single meal or make a bed.

Once we arrive in South Africa on or about February 9, 2018, we’ll begin to “lick our wounds” and once again be shopping, cooking, and taking care of our day-to-day lives on our own. A cleaner will come once or twice weekly while living in Marloth Park, comparable to here in Costa Rica, the delightful Isabel.

Gorgeous blooming plants.

That’s not to say we won’t have some significant expenses while in Africa with all we plan to do while there, leaving South Africa every three months (visa requirement) for one type of expedition or another that we’ll book once we arrive and settle in.

We’re in a constant state of flux, a state of being we both find exciting and adventurous, definitely not for everyone. However, most humans tend to find great comfort in gaining familiarity with their surroundings and creating a place to call home. 

Perhaps we nomadic humans in this world are more like the wildlife. We tend to go where the going is fruitful, where the going is exciting, continually on the move for the next adventure. So stay tuned, fellow travelers, fellow readers. Much more is yet to come.

Photo from one year ago today, August 13, 2016:

In the 1980’s I stayed in Phuket, Thailand, for a few weeks (before Tom, whom I met in 1991), splitting the time between two gorgeous resorts on the beach. Living in a vacation home in a resort town proved to be an entirely different experience when the front yards of many homes looked like this in the neighborhood of the lovely house we rented. This is the life of world travel, not always dreamy and gorgeous. For more details, please click here.

Future world travelers…What does it take besides a willingness to “let go”?..

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Ulysses, the groundskeeper, brought us these fresh limes this morning plucked from a tree on the property.  There’s an electric juicer here, so I juiced the lime and mixed the juice with my water and a slice of the lime. Delicious!

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Another exquisite sunset from the veranda.

Over these past years, we’ve had countless potential future world travelers contact us with questions. Many have been in the process of selling their homes or contemplating doing so. Some have decided to keep their homes and rent them to see how they feel after traveling for a year or two.

Many “baby boomers” and others have decided to downsize, keep a small apartment or condo with enough of their “stuff” should they choose this life isn’t for them. This way, they can return to a life intact in a desirable location containing their familiar belongings. 

Some who decide to become “homeless,” per se, put their belongings in a storage facility, providing them with peace of mind should they find the nomadic life is not for them in a year or two.

The formal dining room is lovely, but we’ve yet to dine at the table.

Those that can afford to do so may choose to keep their homes as a base and travel outside their home country for a while, returning every few months or so to take care of their homes, spend time with family, attend to their financial responsibilities, repack and plan for the next adventure.

All of these scenarios and many more consist of world travel. All of these scenarios will provide the adventure seeker and self-proclaimed explorer an opportunity to see the world.

However, when many travelers contact us, our answers may not be befitting their chosen path. Therefore, we try to keep this in mind and address the solutions to accommodate their personal choices.

Beautiful built-ins containing many treasures from Bev and Sam’s world travels.

Traveling for a month or two, staying short-term in resorts and hotels in tourist areas, and even perhaps traveling to a new location every week or two is far removed from our reality. 

Of course, we encourage everyone who can get outside of their “comfort zone” to explore whatever it may be that “trips their trigger” (no pun or political reference intended). 

Whether it’s sightseeing in your hometown, something few people ever do or visiting a nearby state for a weekend, we all benefit from getting away from the day-to-day stresses that can be suffocating. Unfortunately, we felt this creeping up during the nine weeks we spent in the USA;  traffic, noise, smog, pushy people, and waiting in long lines for almost everything.

This pretty plant in the dining room is situated next to one of two speakers for the sound system.

We’ve yet encountered a couple who took this leap of faith with no home, no stuff, no storage, with no end in sight; health and longevity providing.  Oh, we’ve met couples “out in the world” who’s let go of all their worldly possessions and plan to travel for a year or two. 

But, we’ve yet to meet the couple who’ve gone to the extremes that we have. That’s not to say there’s anything special about us. There’s not.  Perhaps, we just were in a headspace that has made this life meaningful and comfortable for us.

Indeed, my vastly renewed health after changing my diet (six years ago this month) after 25 years of chronic pain was highly instrumental. Perhaps, Tom’s good pension from 42 plus years on the railroad was highly instrumental. Finally, maybe, my desire to document, write, and share our story played some role.

Bev and Sam have also traveled to Africa, returning with many handmade works of art.

Perhaps, above all, the commonality Tom and I shared and continue to share in our passion for wildlife, nature, and culture was highly instrumental in making us the right couple to live this often challenging and always unusual life…a life of travel with no end in sight.

We had no idea at the onset that both of us would continue to find this lifestyle suitable and fulfilling. While we were planning, we committed to one another that should one of us want to “stop,” the other would agree to do so without issue.  Now we laugh when we jokingly ask one another, “Do you want to stop?”

We’ve heard many stories of how couples who seemed compatible in their travel desires have found after a while. However, they can’t seem to make the 24/7 commitment and decision-making process work for them.

The dining room is decorated with many fine works of art and decorator items.

Regardless of one’s motivation or method of traveling the world, each person/couple will decide for themselves what works for them, economically, emotionally, and spiritually in satisfying what for some is an innate desire to travel. Therefore, the terms and conditions determined and established for such a life are unique from one person, one couple to another.

For us, it’s the uncertainty; it’s the complexity. It’s the sense of adventure. Although to a degree, it’s an element of risk in stretching ourselves to our limits based on our age, ability, and health; all play a vital role in making this life joyful for us.

The sizeable exquisite table seats eight.  It surely could be fun to host a dinner party for eight.

No, we don’t do as much sightseeing as some travelers. But, browse through our archives over this past almost five years, and you’ll find how much we’ve been sightseeing and exploring. 

For us, that’s not what it’s all about. We love being able to immerse ourselves into the daily lifestyle of the locals living nearby us at any given time. We love learning, researching, and exploring to discover the nuances and intricacies of life in other lands.  We come away with knowledge, stories, and photos we’ll be able to carry with us wherever we may go. 

Most of all, having the opportunity to share our day-to-day lives with all of you in words and photos has enhanced our travels in a truly indescribable way. 

The view from the dining room is not unlike the sweeping views from most of the rooms in this unique property.

Even if, our dreams of world travel are different from one another, we’re always delighted to share tidbits of information we’ve gleaned from our experiences, maybe saving you hours of research in the process.

Thanks to every one of our readers for traveling along with us, and please, never hesitate to share your stories or questions with us. We love hearing from YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, August 12, 2016:

Not our photo. Police and investigators searched for clues after a bombing not far from us in Phuket.  Many victims were taken to area hospitals. See this link for details. Here’s our story one year ago.