Bad news from the cruise line impacting many passengers on our upcoming cruise….

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This tucked-away restaurant in Atenas is reported to have good food.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

It’s no wonder these birds are called “Social Flycatchers.”  They stop by each day to visit and sing.  As described here: In appearance, the social flycatcher resembles a smaller boat-billed flycatcher or great kiskadee. The adult is 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) long and weighs 24–27 g (0.85–0.95 oz). The head is dark grey with a robust white eyestripe and a usually concealed orange to vermilion crown stripe. The upper parts are olive-brown, and the wings and tail are brown with only faint rufous fringes. The underparts are yellow, and the throat is white. Young birds have a paler eye mask, reduced crown stripe, and have chestnut fringes to the wing and tail feathers. The call is a sharp peeurrr, and the dawn song is a chips-k’-cheery. As the specific epithet similis (Latin for “the similar one”) indicates, this species looks much like its closest living relative, the rusty-margined flycatcher (Myiozetetes cayanensis), and also like the white-bearded flycatcher (Phelpsia inornatus), white-ringed flycatcher (Conopias albovittatus) and lesser kiskadee (Pitangus/Philohydor lictor). In fact, except at close range, these are all but indistinguishable from appearance alone. They and the two larger similar species mentioned above share much of their range. Though they all are relatively close relatives, the group they seem to belong to also includes species with a somewhat different head pattern, like the Grey-capped flycatcher, which also belongs to Myiozetetes.

Yesterday, we received an email (as indicated below) from the Celebrity Cruise line regarding our upcoming cruise sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 23rd. As previously mentioned, we’re leaving Costa Rica on November 22nd (two weeks from today) and flying to  Miami, spending one night in a hotel, and then taking a taxi to the port. 

A few days ago, once again, we walked through the Atenas Central Park searching for colorful birds, which we’d heard often stop here. After many such visits, we’ve yet to see any birds we hadn’t viewed from the veranda.

It’s a rarity that any cruise line has contacted us regarding any changes on an upcoming cruise that may impact the cruise in one way or another. In most cases, it’s been regarding lousy weather or political unrest at a particular forthcoming port of call.

Tall palm trees line the walkways at the park.

Here’s the message we received from Celebrity:

“Dear Valued Guest,

We look forward to welcoming you aboard your 15-Night Panama Canal and South America cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale on November 23, 2017. Still, first, we have some vital information to share with you.

 To ensure that you have the best experience on your vacation, we’ve changed your debarkation port from Valparaiso, Chile, to the stunning seaside town of San Antonio, Chile. San Antonio has a dedicated cruise ship pier and guest terminal that will make getting off your ship as carefree as your vacation.

 If you’ve booked transfers with us, there’s nothing you have to do. We’ll take you directly to the airport from San Antonio. If you’ve booked transfers independently, please get in touch with the company you’ve arranged your transportation with and have them pick you up in San Antonio instead of Valparaiso. Also, if you’ve booked any debarkation day shore excursions with us, we’ll automatically adjust them to accommodate your new debarkation port.

For your convenience, we’ve included your current itinerary and your newly revised itinerary below.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-280-3423.”
A government building in the center of town.
In a split second, Tom, the cruise expert between us, sighed with relief.  He said, “This does not affect us other than missing Valparaiso as a port of call beginning on the second leg 
of our back-to-back cruise from December 8th to December 23, 2017.
 
Immediately, we checked to see the itinerary change on our newly revised cruise confirmation document we received shortly after that from Vacations to Go
as indicated below:
Fri, Dec 8 Santiago (San Antonio), Chile 9:00pm
 Sat, Dec 9 At Sea
 Sun, Dec 10 Puerto Montt, Chile 10:00am 7:00pm
 Mon, Dec 11 Chilean Fjords (Cruising)
 Tue, Dec 12 Strait of Magellan (Cruising)
 Wed, Dec 13 At Sea
 Thu, Dec 14 Punta Arenas, Chile 7:00am 5:30pm
 Fri, Dec 15 Ushuaia, Argentina 10:00am 7:00pm
 Sat, Dec 16 Cape Horn (Cruising)
 Sun, Dec 17 At Sea
 Mon, Dec 18 Puerto Madryn, Argentina 8:00am 5:30pm
 Tue, Dec 19 At Sea
 Wed, Dec 20 Punta del Este, Uruguay 9:00am 7:00pm
 Thu, Dec 21 Montevideo, Uruguay 7:00am 5:00pm
 Fri, Dec 22 Buenos Aires, Argentina 5:00am
 Sat, Dec 23 Buenos Aires, Argentina Disembark
The change is only for December 8th from Valparaiso, Chile, to Santiago (San Antonio port of call), Chili. The only way this change has an impact on us is the
We were looking forward to the stop in Valparaiso, known as a fascinating and steeped-in history city.
The Atenas Central Park is a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists.
After Tom conducted considerable research, he discovered that many cruise lines might no longer use this city as a port of call due to port charges, labor issues, and
preferences over cargo ship business instead of that of cruise ships. At this point, there’s no way we can confirm these reasons or if the
changes will be permanent. Valparaiso is listed as the port of embarkation on a cruise we’ve booked for March 2019. We’ll see how that rolls out in due time.
A restaurant on a side street in Atenas.
After reviewing comments in CruiseCritic.com (the online cruising forum for passengers), he discovered numerous posts from angry passengers who’d prepaid-in-full for hotels for several nights in advance of the December 8th embarkation. These non-refundable hotel fares and prepaid tours may be impossible to recover, even under these unforeseen circumstances.
In Spanish, “calle” means “street.” Thus the “calle” are numbered accordingly.
Here are a few comments from passengers booked on this cruise:

“We are in quite a fix because we have booked a night in Valparaiso, hoping to explore the city on our disembarking day. Now we have a three-hour drive if we can find transportation and make it through traffic and religious celebration to spend a short time in Valparaiso before heading back to ship.”

“Bit disappointed with Celebrity at this point right now after receiving the email about the change of disembarkation port. I phoned the toll-free number – longer than expected delays on hold.”

“We had booked a two-day non-refundable hotel in Valparaiso.  If you check out San Antonio, it has one hotel with terrible reviews. It’s 55 miles from Valparaiso.”
One must walk carefully on the uneven sidewalks in town.
For us, it’s but a slight disappointment since we won’t be losing money or having to change any of our plans. We hadn’t booked anything in Valparaiso when we’d planned to hire a taxi and tour the city on our own.
There’s little to do in the new port of call of San Antonio, Chili, as indicated in this link at TripAdvisor. One cruise passenger stated this port of call hadn’t been used by cruise ships in over 50 years. We aren’t able to confirm
this either.
Christmas decorations in front of an upscale spa/salon in Atenas.
In any case, we’re still excited about the cruise and grateful we hadn’t made unique plans.
Happy day! 


Photo from one year ago today, November 8, 2016:

This hallway is to the Shops of Centrum on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas on our 33- night cruise one year ago. Would you please click here for more photos?

Results from appointments with Dr. Candy in Atenas…

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The clinic has an ambulance, ready to go in an emergency.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Once back at the villa, the clouds started rolling in from the mountains.

Yesterday afternoon, with a bit of trepidation, we took a taxi for our appointment with Dr. Candy Midence Noguera, Medico Cirijano Cod, 7620, Consulta Medica – Ninos – Adultos (for children and adults). Phone: 2446-7440 or 2727-6868.

We’re posting the above information if any of our readers visit Atenas and its surrounding areas in the Alajuela Valley, Costa Rica, and need to see a physician. The delightful, bi-lingual Dr. Candy was the perfect choice for our needs. 

The reception desk at Dr. Candy’s office, Linea Vital de CR.

We couldn’t have been more pleased with the quality of service we received from Dr. Candy. She brought both of us (on time) into her office, conducting an exam, and walked through each question on the detailed forms with us. 

The cruise line, Ponant, requires the exam and accompanying documents to be completed anywhere between 40 and 90 days before the cruise date. This worked out perfectly for us when we’re leaving Costa Rica in 19 days. 

The waiting room at the doctor’s office.  A patient came out of an appointment with the doctor with an IV bag attached to her arm.  She sat on this sofa while the IV bag was hung on a small hook attached to the bulletin board.

As of today, we’ll sail on the Antarctica cruise in 82 days. (The upcoming 30-night cruise to South America sails in 21 days, for which we needed no such documentation).

Fortunately, we passed the exams without any issues. Neither of us has any conditions that might prevent a traveler from embarking on such a cruise that travels well outside the scope of air ambulance service while in one of the most remote areas in the world, Antarctica.

As usual, the afternoon sky was cloudy, and rain had begun to fall when we arrived by taxi from the villa. The round trip taxi fare with tip was US $7.03 (CRC 4,000).

Our total doctor bill for both of us was US $120 (CRC 68,297), not covered by our major medical insurance.  Had we been in many other countries, the bill could have been considerably higher. We paid with a credit card and were on our way after big hugs from Dr. Candy.

We now have all the completed documents in hand. Today, we’ll scan and email the medical forms and other forms we had to complete in this time frame, including passport and additional general information. It will be a relief to have this out of the way today, along with all the other “paperwork” we mentioned in yesterday’s post.

Now, during these remaining 20 days in Costa Rica, we only have to scan a pile of receipts, make one more dental appointment for me (something’s wrong with another crown), grocery shop on two more occasions, and of course, pack.

View across the street from the doctor’s office.

We’ve accessed the food on hand and what we’ll need to purchase as we’ve scheduled meals on our calendar for each of the remaining days. After I make tomorrow’s pizza (enough for three nights), we’ll only cook dinners for two more weeks. 

This morning it dawned on me that we won’t be cooking for another long stretch, this time from November 23, 2017 (sail away date) until we arrive in South Africa (on or about February 10, 2018), for a total of 80 days. 

This won’t be the most extended period we haven’t cook. When we left New Zealand on April 15, 2016, and eventually ended in Phuket, Thailand, on July 23, 2016, we didn’t cook a single meal for a total of 100 days.

Cows grazing in our gated neighborhood on the return drive from the doctor.

These long stretches seem to trigger my enthusiasm for cooking once we’re settled in a new location and have begun thinking about some of our favorite meals. Years ago, I loved to cook, but once we left the US, my interest seemed to wane due to the difficulty in finding ingredients we use for our cooking style.

Today, we’re hoping the sun will continue to shine long enough for pool-time, after which I’ll get to work on scanning all the documents and receipts. It will be good to have this task off my mind.
Have a peaceful day.

Photo from one year ago today, November 3, 2016:

View one of the 70 islands in the Cumberland group as we sailed by early in the morning. This is one of the main reasons we prefer a balcony cabin. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…Contemplating our lives in the water…On the water…How many nights have we been at sea?

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Great Green Macaw.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Thanks, Atenas neighbor Charlie for identifying these birds as the Gray-headed Chachalaca. They visit flocks every few days but are difficult to photograph when they’re constantly on the move and hidden in trees.

In yesterday’s post, we discussed the number of cruises we’ve sailed over these past five years, a total of 19. With the upcoming back-to-back (two cruises) by the end of 2017, we’ll total 21 cruises. 

In all, not counting future cruises, we’ve been a passenger on a ship for a total of 244 nights which accounts for 13% of our time from October 31, 2012, to October 31, 2017 (1826 nights from start to our fifth anniversary of world travel). 

A pair of Harlequin Macaws.

On Tom’s Cruise Critic website listing 18 cruises are listed since the site doesn’t include river cruises, of which we’ve completed one, in July 2016, on the Mekong River. 

Many of those nights counted as “time at sea” weren’t all “at sea” when us 58 passengers  (of a possible 60) were on buses and tours in Vietnam and Cambodia. Many river cruises spend fewer nights on the water when docking at ports of call may transpire over several nights.  Nonetheless, we count the Mekong River cruise in our totals.

Our dear friend Louise in Kauai Hawaii wrote to tell us this is a Fiery-billed Aracari. What a fantastic bird! Thanks, Louise!

When we sail on Ponant’s Le Soleil in January for the Antarctica cruise, it also won’t appear in Cruise Critic’s count of the number of cruises we’ve been on. The system used to list cruises in Cruise Critic only accommodates the major cruise lines.

For more details on the exceptional cruise, please click our link here and the following links listed in our archives when we posted photos and stories over weeks with further information of the 15-night “cruise” from start to finish.

An Owl on the lookout.

The remainder of our cruises were on huge ships with a few different cruise lines to include:  Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity. After these experiences, we’ve settled on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity as our favorites, with RC having a bit of an edge with perks provided to its Crown and Anchor members, of which we are classified as “Diamond.”

On Celebrity, we’re Elite Captain’s Club members. These designations are predicated on the number of nights at sea and specifications as to cabin selections, not the number of actual cruises.  More on this topic when we’re on our next cruise, and we discover any changes in perks since our last Celebrity cruise to Alaska in May 2017.

A pair of Green Parrots.

At this point, although we’re enjoying every day in Costa Rica, we’re chomping at the bit to board the upcoming 30-night South America cruise on Celebrity Infinity which begins  28 days from today. 

A Harlequin Macaw.

We’ve never sailed on this particular ship with a passenger load of 2170 with a crew of 999, a perfect size for easy socializing, attending various events and venues, and providing the best service.

If you’d like to view information about our “listed on Cruise Critic” 18 cruises in the past five years, please click here. Here is an example of what you’ll see when you click on the link:

Past Cruises
2017
May 17th, 2017
Celebrity Solstice – Celebrity Cruises
Alaska – All
Celebrity Solstice
Ports of Call: Vancouver, British Columbia;  Ketchikan, Alaska;  Juneau, Alaska;  Skagway, Alaska;  Hubbard Glacier, Alaska;  Sitka, Alaska;  Victoria, British Columbia;  Seattle, Washington;
April 22nd, 2017
Explorer of the Seas – Royal Caribbean International
Repositioning
Explorer of the Seas
Ports of Call: Sydney, Australia;  Isle of Pines, New Caledonia;  Noumea, New Caledonia;  Mystery Island, Vanuatu;  Suva, Vita Levu;  Kailua Kona, Hawaii;  Lahaina, Hawaii;  Honolulu, Hawaii;  Seattle, Washington;
March 1st, 2017
Celebrity Solstice – Celebrity Cruises
South Pacific – All
Celebrity Solstice
Ports of Call: Sydney, Australia;  Noumea, New Caledonia;  Lifou, New Caledonia;  Mystery Island, Vanuatu;  Suva, Vita Levu;  Lautoka, Fiji;

At this link, you’ll also be able to see details of all of our past and future cruises (except the upcoming Ponant). Hopefully, this information will provide a little insight to those who have yet to cruise and maybe consider the possibility of those who have sailed and enjoy seeing what others have done.

We’ve found that reading about the experiences of others at Cruise Critic has been helpful for us in many ways, including the get-togethers suggested by members for upcoming cruises where we’ve had an opportunity to meet other passengers we’ve seen posted at the site online.

Scarlet Macaw.

Tom is the Cruise Critic enthusiast. I’m but a lurker occasionally stopping by out of curiosity to read passenger’s comments on past and future cruises. 

That’s it for today, folks. In a mere two days, we’ll be on our way to Nicaragua, returning on October 30th with lots of new photos to share with all of you.

Have a lovely day! 

Photo from one year ago today, October 26, 2016:

Pretty statue near the hotel pool at the Hilton Garden Inn in Denpasar near the airport where we stayed before leaving Bali. For more details, please click here.

Part 1…Contemplating our lives in the water…On the water…

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Old sewing machines, comparable to those we’ve seen in our home country.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Sunny morning view of only a tiny portion of the exquisite grounds of this exceptional property, La Perla de Atenas.

Today’s photos complete the series we’ve shared over many days, which we’d taken weeks ago at Atenas Railway Museum. Costa Rica is located in the town the Río Grande of Atenas.

A bulk oil dispenser and a variety of other equipment.

Based on Tom’s over 42 years working on the BNSF railroad in Minneapolis, we’d decided to share these photos with those of our readers who worked with him, worked on other railroads, and other railroad enthusiasts.

More different types of jacks, a scale and odds, and ends.

Also, many of our readers have written over the years stating they enjoy museum photos. We apologize for this seeming repetitious presentation for those of our readers who don’t care to see photos from museums in other countries. After a while, all the new photos we’ve posted (no repeats) may appear to be “more of the same.”

Now, we’ll move on to another topic on our minds over the past several days as we quickly approach the time for our next cruise (a 30-night back-to-back)beginning on Thanksgiving Day (US holiday) on November 23, 2017.

A hydraulic railroad switch/stand.

Each sunny day while here in Atenas, we’ve spent about two hours in the swimming pool, swimming a bit and performing our own versions of simple water exercises. It’s relaxing, refreshing, and great fun. What makes this period most enjoyable is our non-stop conversations.

Various types of rails (frogs).

No topic is off-limits, and it’s during the times we’ve spent in various pools throughout the world we’ve had an opportunity to share the most intimate details of our lives, our dreams, our hopes, our successes, and our failures.

Neither of us has ever shared so many details with another human being. Funnily, it’s become somewhat of a “hobby” or pastime, making pool-time all the more meaningful. 

Staff handbrake for boxcar or locomotive.

We may often tell a sad memory from our childhood or an exciting adventure we experienced as adults. We laugh and say that as we age, we’ll never run out of stories to tell when our memories begin to fail. At that point, neither of us will remember which stories we’ve already described, and we’ll let them know once again with the same sense of delight. 

Close to the center of this photo is a drawbar and knuckle coupler used to connect two boxcars or boxcar and locomotive.

Not unlike the stories we post each day, pool-time discussions seem to follow a “theme for the day,” which we generally follow while splashing about. It’s when our fingers and toes become wrinkled and waterlogged or, when the rain begins to fall, we finally get out of the pool.

Different types of tongs are used to pick up rails and, below, heads for pickaxes.

Yesterday’s discussion centered around how many cruises we’ve been on since the onset of our travels on October 31, 2012. As we approach the fifth anniversary, we find ourselves reliving many of the life-changing experiences we’ve had during this blissful period.

As cruise time approaches, we began counting the number of cruises over the past five years, which we’ve done in the past but hadn’t done so recently. In all, including the Mekong River Cruise, we have been on 19 cruises, averaging almost four per year. 

An old student desk.

This number includes back-to-back cruises, which means (for those who haven’t cruised) two cruises booked together, one after another. Each cruise has its fare, perks and can include the same cabin if secured properly. 

In the three instances we’ve booked back-to-back cruises, we’ve made a point of ensuring we’ve been able to keep the same cabin, avoiding the inconvenience of moving our belongings. 

Old adding machines and typewriters.  Gee…we’ve come a long way.

The cruise line requires back-to-back passengers to get off the ship when one cruise ends and the second begins. In each case, we’ve been OK getting off the boat when it’s been convenient to take care of things we need to do or purchases we may need to make. However, we’re aren’t required to go through the lengthy, time-consuming check-in process, only security when we return to the ship. 

Tomorrow, in Part 2, we’ll review our past cruises with information taken directly from Tom’s Cruise Critic listing, which is easy to read and we hope our readers find interesting.

Soon, we’re off to the Supermercado Coopeatenas for groceries. We’d hope to wander through the town, but heavy rain is expected and has just begun to fall. It appears we won’t have pool-time today after all. 

Enjoy your day, rain or shine!

Photo from one year ago today. October 25, 2016:

During our last meal in Sumbersari Bali, this fish soup was served at our table. It looked delicious but contained a small amount of flour for thickening, so I avoided it.  For more photos, please click here.

Shopping done… Not always easy from afar… The big balance is now due for the Antarctica cruise…Ouch!

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*Please see our comments below as to these included photos.

Puente Ferrocarril Rio Grande Museum in Atenas.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This pudgy blue and gray bird was the first sighting for us.  This may be a Blue-Gray Tanager. 

The online shopping hasn’t been easy.  Some items weren’t available in correct colors and sizes. Tom ordered an item and received an email stating it had been shipped and only moments later, received a second email stating it wasn’t available in his preferred color.  We contacted Amazon requesting further information.

I ordered a few items and received a message stating the package was lost in the mail and I had to reorder elsewhere. The multiple items don’t arrive in one package.  Often there are many packages arriving over a series of days.

Railway photos from decades past.

One has to be careful items aren’t shipped from China or other international locations which may take weeks, if not months, to arrive.  Shopping online requires checking and re-checking.  We’ve each ordered at least a dozen items.  It can be tricky.

We’re hoping everything will arrive before November 12th when we’ll have the package shipped to the hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  Timing is everything in this case. 

If any item is missing, we’d have to purchase it in Buenos Aires during our one month stay prior to the cruise.  We don’t want this hanging over our heads during a time we’ll prefer to be sightseeing and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of this big city.

Various paper money over the years.

Yesterday, I made our doctor appointments for complete physical exams by November 2nd, a few days after we return from Nicaragua.  Ponant, the cruise line, requires several medical forms be completed and sent to them between 45 and 90 days prior to the cruise. 

This is to ensure passengers are in sufficiently good health to embark upon this expedition cruise.  There will be a doctor-on-board but based on the location, deep in Antarctica, emergency evacuation isn’t possible.  Of course, having such an exam is by no means a guaranty a passenger won’t have a medical emergency, as we so well know. 

Telegraph machine.

Apparently, the local doctor we chose speaks English so we’ll be readily able to explain what we need and provide a medical history as required with her signature.  Doctor Candy is highly regarded in Atenas and we anticipate this process will go smoothly.

Speaking of this cruise, the final payment is due on Monday, October 16th.  This morning I wrote to our rep at Vacations to Go as to which credit card to use for the balance of US $13,875 (CRC 7,964,736). 

We’re relieved we’d already paid US $20,625 (CRC 11839472) over this past year toward the grand total of US $34,500 (CRC 19,804,208) fare for the two of us.  We’ve never paid so much for any cruise or venue of any type.  This is a huge chunk out of our budget.

Old photos of the train station.

This was one of those items on our preferred locations list to visit as we travel the world.  This seemed to be one of those items one must accomplish “sooner, rather than later” when medical issues might prohibit such an expedition, especially in getting off the ship onto the Zodiak boats to spend two to three hours standing outdoors in the cold on an island or ice floe.  This may not be possible for the average 80-year-old.

One additional motivator (among many others) in deciding to return to Africa after this cruise is to “lick our wounds” to recover this huge expense when the cost of living is much less in Africa than in many other parts of the world.  Then again, there are those amazing animals, those amazing friends we left behind and an endless array of unique experiences awaiting us.

The train was a big point of interest for the community.

During our remaining time in Costa Rica, as we’ve done so far, is to maintain as tight a budget as possible.  No more rental cars, no more tours or outings requiring an outlay of cash. 

Its only with this careful planning and budgeting that we can and will continue on these adventures which ultimately require some sacrifices along the way.  It’s not as if we can stay “home” and save for a big trip.  We have to do it as we go wherever we may be at any given time. 

Going forward over these next 41 days, until we finally leave Costa Rica, our belts are tightened.  As a result, we won’t be getting out much over these next weeks, other than the round trip to Managua Nicaragua on October 28th staying for two nights.  Of course, we’ll continue to make weekly trips to Atenas for shopping and taking photos.

Juan Ramon was thrilled to show us old photos.

*Subsequently, over these next six weeks we’ll be posting photos we’ve already taken (no repeats, although they may be similar to photos we’d posted earlier) from our various sightseeing outings up to this point.  We apologize for this and hope you’ll continue on with us until once again we’re on our way to yet another cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires over 30-nights. 

We’ll be getting off the ship at every port and much to our delight going through the Panama Canal one more time.  Talk about new photos!  When the cruise ends in Buenos Aires we’ll be staying there for another 31-nights while awaiting the 16-night Antarctica cruise.  Surely, Buenos Aires will inspire many new photos of the fabulous city.

Please stay tuned.  There’s so much more on the horizon!  Happy day to all!

_________________________________________

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

It was easy to spend lazy afternoons lounging on the cabana in Bali, one year ago.  For more photos, please click here.

Shopping online for Antarctica…Quite a challenge…

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Ulysses dropped off these tangerines. Tom will eat them when they ripen.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom took this beautiful photo in the early morning as the moon was setting. Nice job!

It’s been nagging at us to get to work to purchase the clothing we’ll need for the upcoming Antarctica cruise.  These days, neither of us cares to shop especially considering we’re stuck with whatever we buy. Returning items that don’t fit isn’t an option due to our lifestyle.

On Friday, we talked on Skype to a lovely couple Tom had communicated with on CruiseCritic who’d already done a similar cruise. Al and his wife Donna gave us a list of everything we’d need for the many hours we’ll spend outdoors on the Zodiak boats and standing on ice floes and ice-covered islands.

A quiet side street in the center of town in Atenas.

They suggested the following items:

1.  Waterproof pants
2.  Waterproof gloves with liners
3.  Warm hat
4.  Gator (neck wrap)
5.  Warm socks
6.  Ski goggles
7.  Sweatshirts
8.  Sweaters
9.  Trekking poles 
10. Waterproof backpack
11. Long underwear

There are numerous one-way streets in town.

The cruise line provides a waterproof parka for all guests and boots sized upon boarding the ship. We can keep the parkas but return the boots at the end of the cruise.

We’ve decided to ship all the cold weather clothing back to our mailing service while we’re in Buenos Aires.  They’ll hold these items in our large box until we embark upon some adventures to the Arctic or other cold climates in years to come.

Kids are playing at the central park.

We were grateful for Al and Donna’s suggestions. They also mentioned long underwear, but instead, I’m purchasing a tall-sized pair of yoga pants to wear under the waterproof pants. This will keep me warm and be less bulky than wearing jeans underneath the pants. 

Tom never wore long underwear when working outdoors on the railroad for over 42 years, even when temperatures were as low as forty degrees below zero. Instead, he stayed comfortable with jeans on the bottom and sweatshirts and a jacket on the top. After all, we’re from Minnesota and know how to dress appropriately for cold weather.
As we walked through the park on a cloudy day.

The coldest periods in Antarctica will be the Zodiac boat rides out to the islands and ice floes due to the added wind chill factor from the fast-moving boats. However, once we’re situated, we should be comfortable when the temperature is typically in the “freezing” range, but not much less, based on the islands we’ll be visiting. (We’ve looked up each stop along to way to confirm this fact).

Over the past few days, I finally got to work making my purchases. Unfortunately, the only pair of women’s tall waterproof pants in my size (considering the bulk of the yoga pants underneath) was at Eddie Bauer at the cost of US $179 (CRC 102,853), much more than I wanted to spend. 

Grafitti on a wall on the way to town.

For the remainder of my items, I made most of my purchases at Amazon (here on our site at this link) with a few brand-new labeled items on eBay. So, besides the cost of the pants, I spent an additional US $250 (CRC 143,650) for a total of US $429 (CRC 246,504). 

Had I made the purchases through Ponant’s online shop, I’d easily have spent over US $1,200 (CRC 689,520).  The prices for the remaining items include all of the above-listed items except the poles and backpack (Tom is buying the backpack since we only need one) and the long underwear, which I replaced with yoga pants I’ll keep on hand and wear in the future.

More graffiti on the wall.

Today, as I write this, Tom clicks away on his computer and just purchased two much-needed dress shirts for the upcoming cruises. Once I’m done here, I’ll get to work with him to help him find his remaining items.

Hopefully, by the end of today, this task will be completed.  Once we receive the package with our clothing in Miami on November 22nd, we’ll take a photo of everything and post it here.

May your day be filled with accomplishments providing you with peace of mind. That’s what we’re striving for!

 Photo from one year ago today, October 10, 2016:

In Bali, while on a walk, we encountered this cow. She said, “What are you looking at?” “Your beauty and charm,” we replied. She smiled, and we continued on our way. For more photos, please click here.

A new month brings a new perspective…Hello October!…

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Cactus plants are scattered throughout Costa Rica, growing prolifically in the tropical climate.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Low-lying morning clouds as seen from the veranda.

It’s hard to believe it’s October 1st today. Where did the time go? Finally, on the last day of this month, we’ll joyfully celebrate our fifth anniversary of traveling the world. We left Minnesota on Halloween 2012.

In 53 days, we’ll sail away from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a 30-night cruise to South America as we begin making our way toward Buenos Aires, Argentina. Then in 114 days from today, we’re off toward Ushuaia, Argentina, to embark on the Antarctica cruise.

Costa Rica is clever in using waste products as an alternative to expensive resources.

We’ve hardly given much thought to the fact we’ll be spending 30-nights in a lovely hotel in Buenos Aires beginning on December 23rd (Tom’s 65th birthday). In our old lives, that leg itself would have been considered the “trip of a lifetime.” 

From there, in roughly 132 days from today, we’ll arrive in the somewhat remote area of Mpumalanga/Nelspruit to make our way to Marloth Park, South Africa, a 90-minute drive from the airport where we’ll be renting a car for the many months we’ll spend in the country. 

Old tires are used as a retaining wall.

There are no words to express our enthusiasm for what is upcoming in the future. However, it’s hard, if not impossible, to temper one’s excitement when contemplating what the future holds.

It’s not as if we constantly talk about these adventures. On the contrary, we’ve always made a concerted effort to live in the moment, relishing in our current surroundings. It’s not hard to do in Costa Rica with the easy flow of life in this beautiful and friendly country.

The dirt-covered road after a rainstorm. The rain has been outrageous during the “green season” over these past months and is expected to continue through October.

There’s no denying that we’ve limited ourselves by not having a full-time car rental while we’re here.  Taxi fare is cheap in town but gets pricey when going sightseeing in distant locations. 

The cost of partial day tours in Costa generally runs over US $100 (CRC 57,232) per person plus the cost of getting to and from the tour pickup and drop-off locations. At this point, with a considerable outlay of funds for the upcoming adventures, we’ve had to curtail our spending.

An old shack along the mountain road.

Even the US, $162.50 (CRC 93,001) for the five-day rental car, is too expensive for us at this point. Moreover, the monthly cost, close to US $1,000 (CRC 572,315), doesn’t fit into the budget.

We’ll need to buy the cost of clothing for the Antarctica cruise (which we’ll ship to our mailing service in Nevada to hold for us for our next “cold weather” expedition) is expensive. We’ve considered renting the clothing, but we’ve discovered it’s more cost-effective and time-saving to purchase the necessary items after considerable research. 

We’ll make the necessary purchases online and have all the items shipped to our mailing service and then shipped in one package to the hotel in Fort Lauderdale. From there, we’ll board the 30-night South America cruise without any baggage constraints.  

A shriveled banana blossom, parts of which is used in cooking in certain parts of the world.

When the 30-night South America cruise ends in Buenos Aires, we’ll begin our month-long stay at the hotel. When we fly to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires to board the cruise to Antarctica, we’ll leave most of our baggage behind at the Buenos Aires hotel, which has agreed to hold until Antarctica cruise ends. There is a strict baggage weight restriction on the flights to Ushuaia and back.

We’d decided to begin making the clothing purchases this month to ensure everything arrives on time and have the cumbersome task behind us. At one time, shopping online would have been fun, but I’ve lost interest in shopping altogether other than for groceries. Likewise, Tom never enjoyed shopping of any type, let alone online. So we’ll get it done.

A cloudy mountain scene.

Today, after a hugely stormy night and equally cloudy day with rain on the horizon, we’re hunkered down. Soon, Tom will watch the Minnesota Vikings football game. At the same time, I’ll head to the kitchen to start preparing today’s meal consisting of baby back ribs, an egg and bacon quiche, roasted vegetables, and salad, often checking back and forth to see how the game is going.

Have a happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2016:

A man of the beach collecting miscellaneous items from the beach placing them in this cart attached to his motorbike. For more Bali 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.

Day 5 Minnesota…It couldn’t be better…More photos from Butchart Gardens…Dinner with friends…

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This was my favorite photo from Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia.

Please note: We’re finalizing the headcount for the “Meet & Greet” for our readers in Minneapolis on June 9th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at:
Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill
220 Carlson Parkway N, Plymouth, MN 555447


Please RSVP my by email if you plan to attend and haven’t already done so. Hope to see you then!

The well-arranged paths made it easy to see the entire facility in about two hours.
Seeing this garden reminded us of the rainy day we spent in Versailles in 2014. Click here for details of the most extraordinary gardens we’ve ever seen anywhere in the worldTodayay we’re continuing with more photos from the exquisite Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to provide a break from our ramblings on family events.
A garden viewing house.

It was a day we’ll always remember which was cool and sunny, a perfect scenario for an afternoon in the world acclaimed gardens. Please see this list where Butchart Gardens is listed as one of the top 10 in the world.

Each unique garden was followed by another on the blissfully sunny day.

Another major garden we’re looking forward to seeing is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina where we’ll be staying for 30 days beginning on Tom’s 65th birthday, upcoming on December 23, 2017. For the link, please click here.

The crowds were huge but we tried taking photos without obstructions.

We still have many photos to share on Butchart Gardens and we’ll continue to do so when we take breaks from sharing family event details throughout our remaining 37 nights in Minnesota. Please bear with us as we attempt to “mix it up” a bit during this period of family visits.

Faces…

Last night, we had our first dinner with friends Chere and husband Gary at their lovely home in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Chere and I met years ago in a work situation that caused us to immediately delve into a meaningful and lasting friendship. 

Colorful collection.

Now almost 20 years later and throughout mine and Tom’s years of travel, we have stayed in close touch never seeming to miss a beat in the events of our daily lives. 

Perhaps, the last of the spring tulips, these flowers were so dark they were almost black.

Chere is a successful well-known national speaker, registered dietician with contemporary views, motivator and lifestyle coach. Her upbeat attitude and enthusiasm for “living life to the fullest” is illustrated here in her comments on her website:

“I Make Positive Change Easy
I love the challenge of working with busy, successful people that are tired of living a ‘ho-hum” life, tired of feeling low on energy and having no time to do the things they truly want to. Sounds impossible for most, not for me.
I believe that knowing your purpose, energizes your life, which creates your happiness which you need in order to live healthily and then you can truly feel balanced and authentically love your life.”

Miniature garden in the carousel building.
Pretty merry-go-round at Butchart Gardens.

It’s not hard to see why Chere and I have easily connected with one another with our mutual “overly bubbly” attitudes about life. Last night, at dinner at their home, made to perfection for my way of eating, both Tom and Gary rolled their eyes a few times over Chere and my many likenesses and enthusiasm.

Hand painted horse in the merry-go-round.
Painted Panda on the carousel.

It was a delightful evening of engaging chatter while seated at their beautifully set dining room table. There’s nothing that can compare to the joy of lively conversation with like-minded friends with whom you share many interests.

A redwood tree.

Thanks to Chere and Gary for sharing their home and lives with us last night. Gary was off on a white water rafting trip leaving Chere and me more girl-time to spend over these coming weeks in between times with family and other friends. More on that later.

What a pretty display at Butchart Gardens.

Soon, we’re heading to grandson Vincent end-of-the-year school picnic at a local park and again we’re thrilled to have a sunny day in Minnesota, each of which is treasured by the locals after the long, cold winters.

See Chere’s overly bubbly smile, with husband Gary, as they prepare the table for dinner.

Later today, Tom will spend some quality time with son TJ and daughter Tammy. At this point, who knows what the evening holds???

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 31, 2016:

In Bali, the Buffaloes stayed relatively calm until it the race began. For more on Part2 buffalo races, please click here.

Victoria, British Columbia…Butchart Gardens…A memorable tour and exquisite place to visit…At Sea-Tac Airport awaiting flight….

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The popular Butchart Gardens sign where visitors often take their photos.

It’s 11:00 am Seattle time. We’re seated in a food court at Sea-Tac Airport while waiting to board our flight to Minneapolis in two hours. Rather than wait on the ship, we decided it made more sense to get to the airport after a $60 taxi fare, $20 in tips for a porter, and a skycap.

Darwin, our tour guide with Surfside Adventure Tours friendly and ultra knowledgeable about the amazing Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Our luggage was overweight, by 10 pounds each. The cost for overweight checked bags is $100 per bag. The skycap had a box where we loaded the extra 20 pounds (6 kg) to avoid paying the excess weight fees. Instead, we paid an extra $35 for the box, which we checked, saving $165. 

Based on time constraints, we won’t be able to identify flowers from the Butchart Gardens tour.

We were stopped at security for the computer backpack, taken aside for inspection. The agent took everything out of the bag to inspect each pocket, the laptops, and other electronics for suspicious chemicals. 

A water wheel near the entrance to the Butchart Gardens.

Of course, we passed inspection and didn’t complain about the time lost, not to the agent nor one another.  We’d rather they were diligent than careless. Lines were long. From the time we arrived at the airport until seated here now, 90 minutes had passed. At least now our wait isn’t too long.

Tom standing by the king on the giant hand-carved chess set.
Of course, I then stood by the queen.
Based on the delays in getting to the airport (35 minutes in traffic), baggage, and security check-in, the idea of leaving the ship early served us well. Now, we can relax and wait for our flight.
It was a good time of year to see the gardens, but we were a little late to see all of the tulips blooming, which occurred a few weeks ago.

The last full day on the ship proved to be absolutely fabulous. The tour we participated in with the other 10 Cruise Critic members was over-the-top. The tour company, Surfside Adventure Tours, with Darwin as our tour guide, couldn’t have been a better experience at the US $57.22 per person, plus the US $48.45 entrance fee (for two) into Butchart Gardens. 

Many tourists wandered through the huge grounds, bumping into one another in the process. We did our best to scurry along after taking photos.

Without the Canadian dollar exchange rate handy, Tom gave the driver a US $100 bill, which in his mind, he was thinking US $77, not Canadian $57.22. Subsequently, that resulted in his paying the driver Canadian $134.50 when he handed him the US $100 bill telling him to keep the change. This resulted in a tip of $43.78, more than we’d usually tip. 

Many unfamiliar flower species enhanced the gardens, but many we’d seen in other botanical gardens worldwide.

Here’s the info for Surfside Adventure Tours:  250-891-7792, and please ask for Darwin. Their website is:  www.surfsidetours.com

It was easy to wander about following the clearly marked paths.

When all was said and done, the tour cost less than half as much as such a tour through the ship, and we had little room to fuss over the cost. An entire afternoon was well spent (literally and figuratively) touring the stunning Vancouver Island city of Victoria, one of the most beautiful cities we’re seen in our world travels.

Sun filtering through the tall trees.

As a matter of fact, we feel determined that at some point down the road, we’ll return for a summer stay in Victoria, perhaps around the time of our next visit to family in the US, whenever that may be in the future.

Interesting shapes and designs are the highlights of many specific areas.

There’s much more to share about Victoria, and we’ll do so during these next six weeks in Minneapolis when we have occasional quiet days with less content-rich information and photos to share.

These tulips remained later in the season, allow they were beginning to wither away.

Enjoy today’s photos as we realize we need to wrap this up. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of our new home for the next six weeks, our response to being back in Minnesota after being gone for the past 4.5 years, and any updates that may occur over the next 24 hours. 

There are numerous shops and restaurants on the grounds of Butchart Gardens.
Entrance into Canada after disembarking the ship to head out on our tour to Victoria.

For our US readers…have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day Weekend. For our friends outside the US, have a fabulous weekend as well!


Photo from one year ago today, May 26, 2016:

We visited a turtle hatchery in Bali on our way to Lovina to renew our vises. There were over 100 baby turtles maturing for future release attracting tourists to the site. For more details, please click here.