We’re here!…Power is back on after 10 hours…We’re off to the big city…More Atenas Friday Farmers Market…

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When this sweet and friendly butcher at the Farmers Market spotted me with the camera, he willingly posed! The people of Costa Rica are approachable and warm.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

A breathtaking ridge of low-lying clouds.

Two things are of most concern to us when there’s a power outage; one, that our food in the refrigerator and freezer will spoil, and two, the prospect of boredom at night in the dark.

Check out the size of those bananas!

We can easily entertain ourselves during the day by playing cards, chatting, sunning and swimming in the pool.  But, once darkness falls, life without power is daunting.  Our phone batteries are usually dead by dark, and thus we’re unable to read online books, and our laptops may only have enough juice to watch one to two downloaded shows or one movie.

Last night would have been incredibly annoying in the dark had the power not come back on at 1:00 pm yesterday. As it turned out, my laptop, which contains all of the downloaded shows, was dead when I attempted to fire it up when the power returned.

Some vendors offered handmade crafts.

Somehow, on Saturday night, the plug-in came loose, totally draining the battery. We wouldn’t have been able to watch a thing or…to transfer a show to Tom’s laptop. Thank goodness we got the power back yesterday.

These handmade shoes were beautifully made.

In the realm of things, none of it’s a big deal. We could be like the folks dealing with floods and devastation after massive Hurricane Harvey over these past days. Who are we to complain?

Then again, with us humans, it’s all relative. We each live in our moment in time, and although we may feel empathy for those less fortunate, we do tend to get caught up in our own “dilemma of the moment.”

Handmade candles.

Besides the 10-hour power outage on Sunday and the resulting lack of WiFi, which doesn’t work without power, the three sinks in the kitchen had begun leaking on Saturday night to the point where we can no longer use them. Julio is coming today to make the repairs.

These perfectly shaped tomatoes may have been imported, which we’ve discovered is not unusual at markets throughout the world. Instead, we purchase a big bag of uneven, less perfect tomatoes, as shown below.

Luckily, we already had last night’s meal prepared, which required reheating the meat for our taco salads.  No worries there.  We’d have managed even without power when the gas range still worked, power or not.

On Saturday, when we went to Supremercade Coopeatenas, we waited at the outdoor cafe for the rental car #1 guy to pick up the car at 10:00 am after our five-day rental. (This morning at 8:30 am, taxi driver Henry picks us up to get rental car #2 near the San Jose airport).

These are the tomatoes we purchased.

While we waited, we met a lovely couple Pat and Jim, from the US, who owns a home nearby but happen to be returning to the US this week for an extended stay. Gosh, it was fun chatting with them. Their five years of experience living in Atenas were helpful to us. 

They even followed us into the market to show us where to find whole cream and unsweetened coconut milk. Yeah! The cream wasn’t located in a refrigerator section but instead was on a dry shelf in a shelf-stable container. The coconut milk was situated in the liquor section near the rum. Oh, I get it.  In three and a half months, we’d never have found those two much-needed items.
There are many apple orchards in the area.

While checking out, we met another lovely person, Sarah, who wrote down her phone number and whom we’ll call for a get-together in a few weeks. Her husband had just had surgery and needed a few weeks to recover before socializing. Most certainly, we’ll make contact.

Gorgeous flowers for that special occasion.

After the visits with the ex-pats, we purchased several kilos of organic chicken breasts and pork chops when the market was having its special Saturday sale. We filled our insulated bags to the brim, grabbed a taxi in front of the market, and were back to our villa a little after midnight.

We purchased six heads of this lettuce for our big daily salads.

With no car over the weekend until we pick up the rental this morning, we felt a bit stranded on Sunday, exacerbated by the lack of electricity. If we’d had wheels, we could have gone into town to buy bags of ice to keep the food cold. 

Instead, we dumped all the ice from the ice maker into a large cooler and added all the perishables from the refrigerator. Everything survived, and the frozen meats in the freezer stayed frozen. 

More locally grown fruit.

I’d prepared a short post yesterday to inform our readers that we weren’t able to post. I’d considered doing the post in the afternoon. Still, after changing my usual morning posting routine, I decided against it and took the rest to re-organize after the power outage and get caught up on a few tasks.

Now that we’ll have a car, we have many exciting tours on the horizon. Please stay in touch as we continue to share them with all of you.

Have a wonderful day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 28, 2016:

The elaborate sign at the entrance to the Muay Thai Kickboxing facility down the road from us. Many nights we can hear the activity. For more photos, please click here.

A small Farmers Market with a big punch!…Wow!…

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This is, by far, the largest carrot we’ve ever seen. We couldn’t stop laughing over the size of this!

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Last night’s violent thunderstorm was one of the worst we’ve seen.  Check out our video from the veranda.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, we were out the door by 7:00 am to get to the Atenas Farmers Market which is highly regarded by locals, expats, and tourists who have the opportunity to spend time in this cozy community.

Check out the size of these radishes!

Although the market wasn’t huge like Rusty’s Market in Cairns Australia, the largest we’ve ever seen, it was diverse in a way that piqued our curiosity as well as sending us on a shopping spree to partake and savor many of the fine products offered by local farmers and vendors.

There’s something magical about visiting farmers’ markets throughout the world. It gives us an inside view of the foods the locals consider most likely to provide them with sales but also indicates those products they use in their day-to-day lives. 

These, too, are some of the enormous carrots we’ve seen.  The others in the bin are typical full-sized carrots.

Indeed, some of the non-food items, mostly local crafts and handmade goods, are expensive and often rightfully so, based on the quality workmanship and attention to detail we often see exhibited. 

The produce, both fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced. We purchased a wide array of food items from quail eggs (a first for us), to homemade Italian sausage. 

CRC 1000 is equivalent to US $1.75. Prices are very reasonable at the Atenas Farmers Market and the organic products are excellent. We’ll be returning every Friday morning from here on.

Lately, as mentioned, with Tom finding he can eat fruit without gaining weight or suffering ill effects (lucky Tom), we purchased apples, bananas, and watermelon. 

We hadn’t purchased a watermelon since living in the US. Once he finishes the cut pineapple that’s in the fridge, I’ll cut and seed the watermelon for him. Much to our delight, this villa has numerous large Tupperware-type containers that will work perfectly. 

Many local farmers bottle their own products such as this spicy sauce and bottles of honey (to the right).

Unlike the US, none of the watermelon grown is seedless. Whenever I’ve cut watermelon with seeds, I’ve permanently removed every source, which I’ll do again. The hard part will be to avoid snacking on it while preparing it for Tom. Indeed, my mouth will be watering over the watermelon although I won’t take as much as a taste.

There are 18 grams of sugar is one typical sized slice of watermelon, equivalent to 4.5 teaspoons of sugar, with 21 grams of carbohydrates. When consumed, the body doesn’t perceive the fructose in the fruit any differently than it would if one downed the sugar it contains in teaspoons. Research is now coming to the forefront to substantiate these facts about the dangers of sugar in any form, fruit and starches included—enough about that.

The last time we saw dragon fruit was in Australia. 

As we walked through the rows in the farmers market before we put anything into our grocery cart, we had a hard time deciding where we’d purchase such items as tomatoes, lettuce and purple onions. Each stand looked lush and ripe with its variety of succulent produce. 

It was easy to determine that the produce was organic when we discovered bugs and worms as we handled the products when making our selections.  Also, the uneven shapes and sizes further exemplified that few, if any chemicals were used in growing these products. They reminded me other organic produce we’ve purchased from farmers in countries throughout the world.

These red beets are enormous.  I love beets but they contain too much sugar for my way of eating.

Back “home” a few hours later, with Isabel still here engaged in her usual cleaning frenzy, we monopolized the kitchen while we washed, prepared and bagged the clean produce. 

We always eyeball the baked goods but never purchase any.  These buns looked delicious.

She usually cleans the kitchen last so we had plenty of time to get everything under control and put away. I chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and purple onion for last night’s taco salad dinner. 

Within an hour we were done in the kitchen allowing time to finish posting yesterday’s story and photos and uploading it close to our usual time. I’d prepared part of it prior to leaving the house making the completion easy and less time-consuming.

These red hairy-looking fruits are rambutan. Atop the rambutan is an adorably decorated squash.

This morning at 10:00 am we’re meeting the car rental guy at Supermercado Coopeatenas, to drop off car #1. Afterward, we’ll arrange a taxi to return us to the villa where we’ll be stranded over the weekend. On Monday, we’ll take a cab to San Jose to pick up car #2 which we’ll keep for our remaining time in Costa Rica.

Tom checked out the cafe in the Farmers Market.  He’s always on the lookout for donuts.

So far, after last night’s wild thunderstorm, the sun is shining and the day is lovely. May you have a sunny and bright day!

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

Chalong Bay in Phuket.  For more Thailand photos as we wound down our time in the country, please click here.

Continuing photos from visit to Zoo Ave in Costa Rica…Off to Friday morning Farmers Market…Back tomorrow with photos…

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This was a first for us, seeing red bananas, which are supposedly sweeter than yellow bananas.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

We were in awe of this view from the veranda when the afternoon clouds roll in each day.

This morning at 7:00 am, we took off for the Atenas Friday Farmers Market. A few weeks ago, we attempted to visit the market in the early afternoon, only to discover the times posted online were incorrect. Its correct hours of operation are from 6:00 am, closing at 1:00 pm, Fridays only.

We’d heard this was a familiar spot to meet ex-pats and locals;  buy produce, flowers, and spices, and get the natural feel of the energy of this small town with a population of about 5,000, with 27,000 in the entire district of Atenas.

Isabel and I couldn’t figure out what type of fruit this is.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos from the Atenas Farmers Market. Although we’d grocery shopped on Tuesday, purchasing most of our needed produce and other items, we made a list of a few things we’d buy at the market to last over the weekend until we shop again for next week. 

We hope to redo our grocery shopping day to Fridays, enabling us to purchase all of the produce at the Farmers Market. Most of the produce is locally grown and organic when shopping at the local grocery stores, although not explicitly certified in Costa Rica from what we tell thus far.

We were disappointed not to get a better photo of this sloth. Nevertheless, they are fascinating animals commonly found living in the trees in the jungles and forests of Costa Rica.

This weekend we plan to make one of our favorite dishes, taco salad, using grass-fed ground beef, lettuce, olives, onion, tomatoes, avocados, and homemade taco seasoning. I often add hard-boiled eggs to my salad and a little homemade salad dressing.

It’s now 10:00 am, and we returned from the Atenas Farmers Market about two hours ago, loaded up with goodies we’ll share with photos in tomorrow’s post. It was a great market!

Another failed attempt at a sloth photo when we were trying to shoot through the fence.

Once we returned, we found Isabel, our cleaner, chatting with Ulysses and just about ready to enter to clean our villa.  She has a key and doesn’t need us to let her in. So, loaded up with our fruit and vegetable(Tom’s been eating some fruit since we arrived) and other foods, we hustled to get indoors to wash the produce, put everything away, and start the pot of meat cooking on the stove for tonight’s taco salads.

We wanted to hurry and get out of the way to allow Isabel space to clean. But, this house is so big, it would be hours before she’d get near the kitchen. So, busily, both Tom and I got to work washing, drying, and dicing vegetables for the salad. What a treat it is that there’s a salad spinner here. We hadn’t had one of those since Trinity Beach, Australia, in the summer of 2015.

This Giant Bamb0o tree, as shown in the two photos of us, was no less than 4 meters in diameter.

Finally, we got the meat cooked, and it’s now cooling in the refrigerator to be reheated later for dinner.  We love hot taco meat topped with melted cheese atop the other salad ingredients. In addition, two ripe avocados are waiting to be sliced that I’d left out to ripen these past few days.

While we were gone, we downloaded season eight of Master Chef, another bit of mindless drivel we enjoy from time to time. Part of the simple pleasures of our daily lives includes a day just like today. 

Tom is standing next to the Giant Bamboo tree to gain a perspective of its massive size.  The vegetation at Zoo Ave was almost as interesting as the wildlife.

We were out the door at 7:00 am to head to the Farmers Market. We took tons of photos and spoke to many locals in our very choppy Spanish as best as we could. We’re prepared, chopped, and diced vegetables for a beautiful dinner tonight, somewhat befitting Costa Rica’s style of food. 

At the moment, the sun is shining with rain predicted, as always, in the afternoon. Around noon, I’ll call my sister Julie in California to wish her a happy birthday and then, shortly after, call my sister Susan to remind her to contact Julie. Since Susan had a brain bleed six months ago due to a severe fall, her memory isn’t quite so good anymore, and I’ve made a point of calling her to remind her of important events.

I used repellent at the facility but did get a few mosquito bites but indeed not as many as expected on the hot, humid day.

Oh, we all must grab what we can from life, living it to the fullest, embracing every single moment to fill our hearts and minds with good thoughts and great memories.  Our lives are but fleeting moments in the realm of the space and time of the world around us. Grab it all. Treasure it…for as long as we can.

Photo from one year ago today, August 25, 2016:

BBC news photo of earthquake rubble as rescuers search for victims of that week’s 6.2 catastrophic event. See details below. For our post about this disaster, please click here.

A dream kitchen adds to the experience in Costa Rica…

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The end of the island with the sinks has a stepped-down countertop with a shorter barstool.  This spot is ideal for sitting and chopping and dicing or sitting for a quick meal.
“Sighting from the Veranda in Costa Rica”
Two more birds perished from hitting the glass wall in the veranda. It’s heartbreaking to witness these while sitting right here.
These two pigeons flew into the glass at precisely the same moment and died immediately from what we could tell. Ulysses, the groundskeepers removed them to prevent the vultures flying overhead from stopping by.  Audubon Society approved stickers on the glass,s but they don’t deter the birds entirely. Although our friends/property owners, Bev and Sam, stated the stickers have helped considerably. Crashes and two deaths since we arrived.

Today, we’re rushing a bit. At 11:00 am I have a phone conference with our accountant in Nevada and shortly after, we’re heading to the popular local Farmers Market in Atenas that occurs every Friday.

This “Caterer’s or Baker’s” extra kitchen includes a newer model dishwasher, coffee maker, toaster oven, toaster, microwave and number varying sizes of plastic containers with lids.  Plenty of kitchen towels and supplies are in drawers and cabinets below. Tom rinses the dishes here and then fills the dishwasher.

Up and out of bed by 5:30, I did our laundry (the cleaner does the bedding when she comes tomorrow), made the bed and tidied up the house (as we do each morning). Tom emptied the dishwasher which we run every other day to save on power. 

The over-sized oven is perfect for us as well as the double door refrigerators with water and ice dispenser on the door. What a treat!

I continued to find household tasks to accomplish while Tom happily watched last night’s Minnesota Vikings pre-season football game using the GamePass app and the HDMI cord for the 80″ TV screen while drinking his morning coffee. (I’ve yet to have coffee when we haven’t been able to find real whole cream. I wonder what Costa Ricans use to make whipped cream desserts). 

We’ve noticed a ton of readers reading our site in Costa Rica. Can anyone near Atenas suggest where we can purchase real full-fat cream (whipping cream, unsweetened), the real deal, not Cremora or a powdered chemical laden alternative? Gosh, I’d love a cup of Joe.

This island includes a new model four-burner self-igniting gas range, wine cooler at left end, bucket with kitchen utensil and Chicago Cutlery knife block. Both islands have granite counter tops.

It’s hard to believe we have both a dishwasher and a clothes dryer, luxuries we’ve lived without most of this past almost five years. In our old lives, we took such conveniences for granted.  Now, we almost use them hesitantly after all this time of managing without them.

There’s no doubt, they both save considerable time although I never minded hanging the clothes outdoors and Tom never complained about washing the dishes by hand. 

There’s every sized bowl, plate, and glass we could possibly need or want.  Check out the huge pot on the top shelf.  That’s been sorely lacking in most vacation homes.

Over these past 11 days since arriving in Atenas, we’ve come to appreciate the many fine features in this property while accepting the reality that many of these are truly luxuries that we won’t have available to us in the future, at least not quite in the same way. So we’d better not become spoiled!

Today’s photos include not only those for the main kitchen but also the additional cleanup kitchen aka, Baker’s or Caterer’s Kitchen, now found in many higher end houses as well as in some old kitchens of decades past, often referred to as a “pantry kitchen.” 

There are actually two center islands in the kitchen. This island includes three barstools and a double sink with instant cold/hot water dispenser.

See this article below I spotted in an online magazine:

A Second Kitchen for Dirty Dishes

BY MARY CANDACE EVANS PUBLISHED IN D HOME MARCH-APRIL 2009
First, it was two ovens, then two dishwashers, we knew it wouldn’t be long before a high-end home genius somewhere said, why not two kitchens? From Long Island to LA, the two-kitchen trend—called a Bakers’ or Caterer’s Kitchen—is creeping into high-dollar homes to contain the cooking chaos. For as little as $15,000, homeowners can add additional “closed” kitchen space to their “open kitchen.” Some are pantry-sized with minimal appliances, like the secondary draft kitchen in one North Dallas home created to vent while cooking Indian cuisine. Others are larger than the main kitchen itself, decked out with granite slabs, custom cabinetry, and top-of-the-line appliances.
“The main kitchen has become co-mingled with the family room,” says Tatum Brown Custom Home’s Mark Danuser. Kitchens today are equipped with televisions, fireplaces, stools, and sofas. As a result, the room is sometimes overcrowded and it’s almost impossible to, well, cook in. Tatum Brown has built three Dallas custom homes with what Danuser calls “hybrid kitchens”—second kitchens that do double duty as the craft room or caterer’s kitchen. His high-end buyers love them.

Yes, we do love this extra kitchen which is larger than many of the galley-type kitchens we’ve had all over the world.  I particularly recall the tiniest of them all, the kitchen in Diani Beach, Kenya.  Click here for the link to the house photos which includes two photos of that tiny kitchen which is much smaller than the “Caterer’s Kitchen” in this villa in Costa Rica.

In many kitchens that were larger than in Kenya, many were lacking in equipment such as in the first house in Fiji which we discovered had no oven at all. So the owner, Mario, went out and purchased a counter top oven for our use during the three months. 
We squealed with delight when we noticed the whisk, the garlic press and the stainless steel measuring spoons in upper left corner.  There’s even a meat thermometer!

We can’t imagine functioning well without an oven for a three month period when many of our meals and side dishes require some baking or broiling. Unfortunately, not everything can be cooked in a peeling Teflon pan (yuck). At times, we’ve asked for a better quality pan or even purchased one ourselves which ultimately, we left behind.

Another area of concern in most vacation homes is the lack of mixing bowls. Oh my goodness, we’ve had kitchens that didn’t have a large enough bowl to toss dressing for a salad for two. We often tossed salads in tin foil pans we’d purchased to use for baking when no baking pans were available either.

As for knives…yikes…I’ve cut myself more times than I can count using dull and unpredictable knives when each day I usually spent most of my cooking prep time in chopping and dicing, a by-product of making lots of fresh produce and unprocessed foods. 

We were so excited when we saw this egg slicer, the first we’ve had to use in years! There is even a peeler and micro plane. We’ve been carrying around a peeler, measuring cup and turner all these years.

But, dear readers…not here in La Perla! This kitchen practically has every imaginable kitchen tool, knife, bowl, pan, gadget and major appliance. There’s even a wine cooler built into the kitchen cabinets! 

And, of course, there’s the second kitchen where Tom can be busy loading the dishwasher contained therein, while I scrubbing down the sink and counters with hot soapy water every night after we eat. 

A few nights ago I got distracted for a short while and hadn’t yet wiped up the granite counter tops and the sink. Around 7:00 pm when I finally wandered into the main kitchen to do my part of the cleanup, three giant bugs jumped up out of the sink aiming for me. 

Oh, good grief. I didn’t scream. I’m preparing myself for Africa once again…no shrieking, no screaming. Instead, I grabbed a paper towel and scooped them  out of the sink and squeezed the paper towel until I was sure they were “gone.” Then, I threw them into the trash and scrubbed my hands in hot soapy water.

Wine cooler in the kitchen at the end of one of the two center islands.

Sorry, bug lovers, I can’t quite get a fix on the type of insects although I’m much more compassionate about most of Mother Nature’s creepy crawlers. We often scoop up insects we find indoors with a broom and dustpan and send them outdoors where they belong.

Anyway, back to La Perla’s kitchen…need I say? It’s divine and I’m finding cooking our daily meals easier and more delightful than its been in years.  Thanks to Bev and Sam for their creative ideas, tasteful design and well-stocked kitchen which these travelers are appreciating more than most (since we cook much more than tourists who typically stay a week or two).

Soon we’re off to the Farmers Market and we’ll be back with more new photos tomorrow. Also, more La Perla photos will continue in days to come.

Have a happy weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, August 11, 2016:

No disrespect intended here when Tom wanted to illustrate the size of this statue while also making me laugh at his copycat antics. For more photos from Phuket Thailand, please click here.

Trip into town…Interesting market..SIM card giveaway…Adaptation…

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There’s a cafe in front of the Supermercado Coopeatenas. We shopped on Wednesday, and the store was busy.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Most likely, this is a Common Tody-Flycatcher we spotted sitting on the railing.

Once we’re unpacked and settled, we must do the first thing in most countries to go grocery shopping. I know this topic may not be of interest to some readers, so we ask those of you to bear with us. 

Many travelers dine out for most of their meals when they’re on a vacation or holiday for a week or two. For tourists, there’s no point in spending money on kitchen staples and ingredients to make meals as we do each time we move to a new country.

This is the Atenas Central Park located in the center of town.

Each country offers its challenges on the availability of certain foodstuffs based on their local diet. We discovered that the largest market in town, Supermercado Coopeatenas, doesn’t carry several items we use regularly. Why would they? They don’t necessarily cater to the whims and desires of foreigners when most visitors rarely grocery shop.

The ex-pat population living in Atenas is:

“Out of a population of approximately 27,000, in the central valley, an estimated 1,500 international ex-pats live in Atenas full-time, most of whom are retired.”

As we drove down the road toward the shops, we realized it is comparable to many towns in many places we’ve lived over these past years.

This small percentage (5.5%) makes no sense for the grocery stores to carry products used by those from other countries. We wandered through the good-sized market at a loss in attempting to find many of the items on our list.  We expected this.  We’ll adapt.

As a result, as is often a necessity in many countries, we’ve had to adapt to the local food and culture. As an example, there was no whole natural cream for our coffee. I decided to give up coffee while we’re here since I don’t care for it without cream. Tom is less picky and drinking it black.

Driving o one of the main streets in town.

There are no choices of “natural” products that work for me, such as coconut flour, almond flour, unsweetened coconut, or ground flax seeds, items we often use for various recipes. Marian told us there’s a health food store in town that we’ll check out on Monday. 

There’s no deli, no Italian sausage in the supermarket, and only one option for bacon, a fatty variety we purchased anyway. We won’t be making many of our favorite dishes here, such as our low carb, grain, starch, and sugar-free pizza, and others.

The roasted chickens were small and overcooked, appearing to be covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Instead, we purchased two raw chickens cooking them in the modern oven with a suitable pan we were thrilled to find in the cupboards. We decided on roasted chicken one night and chicken salad the next (stuffed into an avocado for me). We’ll adapt.

Motorbikes aren’t as prevalent here as they are in many other countries.

A staple of my diet is sour cream (which I use to make salad dressing) which they carry but its runny consistency and taste entirely different than the sour cream we’ve purchased throughout the world. I mixed it with mayonnaise, seasoned it well, and we’ve used it with hand-shredded cabbage, diced carrots, and celery to make coleslaw. That works here and has worked in many other countries when there’s no bagged cabbage.

As we’ve discovered in many countries that don’t consider a lettuce salad an essential side dish to lunch or dinner, the options were limited to small, wilted clumps that, once cleaned and prepared, would result in less than a tiny salad. We’ll see what we can find next Friday at the farmer’s market.

Lukas, a surf and casual attire shop.

Before shopping at the supermarket, we stopped at Goya, the appliance and furniture store, to purchase a SIM card for my phone. We don’t need one for each of our phones since we’re always together. And, if I grocery shop with the driver leaving Tom behind, I can call him on the house phone. 

We have no idea how much data or calling is available on the SIM card which the employee gave to us at no charge. Indeed, we’ll find out soon enough when it runs out when we’ll add more. 

There are plenty of aisles in the market, mainly with Costa Rican and imported processed foods and goods.

The language barrier could be challenging for some. None of the locals speak English, not the lovely cleaner Isabel, who was here for seven hours yesterday (big house, lots to clean), not the taxi driver, not the employees in the shops, the banks, etc. 

Today, I downloaded an English to Spanish translation app that, when shaking the phone, will allow me to speak in English to translate into spoken Spanish. This should do the trick, at least enough for us to get by. Here again, we’ll adapt.

We weren’t able to find “organic” laundry soap.  Instead, we chose a bottle of Tide.

We’re still looking into sightseeing options. So far, the cost for about a three-hour outing is expensive at US $200 (CRC 114,917). At nearly US $70 (CRC 40,220.95) an hour for the two of us, we need to consider other options, which may require renting a car for some time. 

We love this exquisite property, the scenery, the sounds, and the wildlife easily finding ourselves bird watching throughout the day. The local people are friendly, and somehow we manage to communicate.  Adapting to a new environment is part of the joy we experience as we travel the world. It stretches us, challenges us, and opens up new worlds we never imagined we’d explore at this time in our lives.

May new worlds open up for YOU! Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 5, 2016:

Lots of motorbikes are parked at the beach in Phuket, Thailand. For more photos, please click here.

Visiting my sister in North Las Vegas…A meaningful and yet sorrowful experience…

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The extreme heat creates a cloudy appearance in the desert, fog, blowing sand,  clouds, and/or smog in the valley.

Visiting my sister Susan (four years my senior) was one of our two reasons for coming to Las Vegas during this time in the US, spending time with my son Richard as the other. We have a few friends and a nephew of Tom’s we’ll also see while here.

My dear sister has been lying in bed, unable to walk for the past 12 years, suffering from the same spinal condition I have for which I have no pain after changing my diet in August 2011, almost six years ago.

Once I became pain-free (after three months on the “diet”), and Tom faced retirement, we decided to travel the world “while we can.” At any given time, I could awaken one morning and be faced with the return of the excruciating pain affecting what felt like every nerve in my body. 

We hope to dine at this restaurant when they have several options that work well for my way of eating, based on their menu found online.

That is the reason I so diligently follow this low inflammation diet excluding all sugar, fruit, grains, and starches, limiting my daily carb allotment to 15 grams, fat to 100 grams, and protein to around 65 grams. 

These restrictions leave me eating only grass-fed meat (when available), organic free-range chicken and eggs, organic non-starchy vegetables, and a small amount of full-fat dairy. 

Tom follows suit with me in this manner of eating when I’m cooking most of our meals, as we’re doing now during this three-week stay in Nevada. When we dine out, he prefers to indulge in some starches to supplement his meals, such as a bun on a burger, fries, and rice included with some dishes. 

In years past, when we visited Henderson, we dined at this popular restaurant and meeting spot, Elephant Bar.

I don’t have the liberty even to take a bite of such “luxuries,” and because I’m pain-free, I have no desire to taste any items not included in my plan. I haven’t had so much as a tiny bite of a cookie, cake, or fruit in these past six years. Why take the risk? 

Unfortunately, my sister has chosen to continue to find pleasure in food and, in reality, cannot prepare the sometimes more elaborate dishes that may require time standing in the kitchen chopping and dicing to put together an occasional interesting dish. She has health care helpers preparing her meals, not professional cooks, and they prepare only basic meals.
 
I understand how food can be such an important aspect of one’s life. As a long-time “foodie,” I may appreciate that fact all the more. As a former avid and enthusiastic cook with an attitude (at the time), “healthy whole grains,” fruits, and starches were good to incorporate into one’s meals.

Years ago, we frequented this popular chain restaurant.  But, with many choices of local establishments, we doubt we’ll return during this visit.

These days, I cringe over how I continued to literally “poison” myself with foods that ultimately caused a rise in blood sugar resulting in an inflammatory response.

This may not be true for everyone. Our bodies are unique in our response to a variety of foods. We see healthy individuals able to eat whatever they want, or a diet comparable to that in my “old life” who continue to thrive on a lower fat, high carb, and high sugar diet. 

There’s no benefit in my “preaching” to my sister on how she may be able to find substantial pain relief over the long haul in following this way of eating. She already knows, having tried it for a year to find her pain too, dissipated considerably, if not entirely. 

A stone marker designating the entrance to the Green Valley Ranch area in Henderson, where we’re located at this time.

Yet, with severe damage to her legs and feet from diabetic neuropathy, she was still unable to walk. This fact would hardly motivate a person to restrict their diet to such a huge extent. A short time later, she returned to the typical American diet (SAD, standard American diet) of high carbs and many sugary foods, starches, and grains. In no time at all, the pain returned. 

Of course, it’s difficult for me to see this lovely woman, a former highly successful businesswoman of the world, who traveled extensively and played a hand in many exciting business transactions, now lying in bed, basically helpless and in pain.

Her beautiful spirit and upbeat demeanor make being with her purely delightful. Few individuals could maintain such a positive attitude with her current situation. Somehow, she revels in the experiences of her long-ago past and seems to live vicariously through the joy and excitement of our world travels. 

One of the roads in The District in Green Valley Ranch where there are unique shops and restaurants.

There’s not one iota of sadness or jealousy in her demeanor when she asks many questions about our world travels. Having owned a major travel agency in her past, she too had an opportunity to travel the world and loves sharing stories of places we’ve mutually visited, only at different times.

On Monday, I visited her for three hours and will head out soon to see her again. The drive to her home is over 30 miles away and takes approximately 45 minutes, considering some traffic on the freeway. 

Driving all the way on Highway 215 seems to be the best route but is a boring drive through the barren desert with not much in the way of interesting scenery. But, once I walk in the door to her apartment and see her smiling face, the boring drive is long forgotten, and all is right with the world.

May your day be filled with events that make your day feel “right” for YOU!

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

It was scorching and uncomfortable on the long walk to and around this site, The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. For more photos, please click here.

We made it to Las Vegas after a frustrating experience at the McCarren Airport…Glad to be getting settled…

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Tom’s taco salad at Lindo Michoacan in Henderson, where we all dined last night.
After my flight booking error, we were hoping for a seamless experience in getting to Las Vegas on the early flight I’d booked on Thursday night when I realized I had booked the original flight for the wrong date, August 1st, as opposed to July 7th.

My error cost us $719 since the flight I’d booked in June for July 7th was entirely non-refundable. Human error.  Plain and simple. By the time we arrive at Terminal 2 in Minneapolis, I’d decided to stop beating myself up.  After all, we hadn’t made a booking error in almost five years. It was inevitable that eventually, that would happen. 

With sheer will and determination, I plugged away online to find an alternative flight. I couldn’t believe the high prices for last-minute flights to Las Vegas. I’d always assumed that last-minute flights to Las Vegas would be a bargain. Not the case.

Awakening at 4:30 am, I bolted out of bed and showered and dressed as quickly as I could to allow Tom plenty of time to do the same. By 5:30, after packing the last of the toiletries and digital equipment, we were out the door and on our way, hoping to arrive at the airport two hours before the domestic flight.

Recently, we’ve discovered that getting to the airport one hour before a domestic flight isn’t possible anymore.  With beefed-up security, long lines, and passengers paying for their baggage, the wait can be longer than anticipated.

Richard, at dinner last night.

Tom dropped me at the terminal, leaving the three checked bags and two carry-on bags with me while he returned the red SUV.  In no time at all, he returned, and we headed to the ticket counter to check our bags. We willing paid $5 for a cart to hold the bags since we were both a little sluggish and didn’t feel like wheeling the five pieces. 

In other countries, there’s no charge to use luggage carts. Why do they charge so much for these in the US, we wondered? When our bags were overweight by a total of seven pounds (based on the allowable 50-pound max per checked bag), the ticket agent suggested we unload the seven pounds. 

There was no way either of us felt like digging through the tightly packed bags when we had no room for seven pounds in the checked bags. On many international flights, the checked bags can weigh up to 70 pounds each. 

Had our bags not been overweight, our cost for baggage would have been $85, $25 for each of two allowed bags, and $35 for the third checked bag. Instead, we agreed to pay the $135. With the last-minute booking, we hadn’t been able to choose our seats or prepay the bags. The agent gave us good seats in row 4 at the bulkhead, which worked well for us with the extra legroom.

From there, we found our gate and settled in while I prepared yesterday’s short, photo-less post. Sorry about that. I hope to do better going forward, but I must admit this 115F, 46C weather in Las Vegas hardly motivates either of us to get out sightseeing.  We’ll see how it goes.  It’s in the ’80s every day in Costa Rica, our next stop in our journey.

Tom, last night at dinner in Henderson, Nevada.
“Las Vegas Temperature Yesterday, July 7, 2017”

Maximum temperature yesterday: 115 °F (at 4:56 pm)
The minimum temperature yesterday: 90 °F (at 4:56 am)
Average temperature yesterday: 104 °F”

The flight was pleasant and uneventful. I sat next to a lovely woman from Minnesota, living in Las Vegas for 30 years. The time flew by as we chatted endlessly on a variety of topics.

Getting off the plane was also uneventful. We carefully followed the signs to “baggage claim,” taking a tram to the baggage pickup area. The flight attendant announced our bags would be arriving at Carousel #25. When we arrived at the baggage claim, there was no Carousel #25. 

Searching for an information desk, we were told by the rep that we were in the wrong terminal, and based on having left the secured area; we’d have to make our way to Terminal #3, very far away. The only means of getting to Terminal#3 was by taking a bus. 

Then, we had to make our way (another long-distance) to the waiting area for the bus to take us to Terminal #3.   After a 15 minute wait outdoors in the heat, the bus finally arrived. We boarded the bus, which took no more than 10 minutes to arrive at Terminal #3.

There were many other travelers on the bus who’d done the same thing we’d done, following the signs that said “baggage claim” upon exiting the plane. They, too, were baffled that their checked bags ended up in another terminal.

I had my usual shredded beef salad with lots of sliced avocado.

We entered Terminal #3, easily finding Carousel #25 to discover there were no bags on the carousel.  Apparently, so much time had passed since we got off the plane that the bags were moved to an office within the terminal, where we were relieved to find our three bags. 

Since we couldn’t take the cart with us, we finally had to pay for a third cart, another $5, which we eventually ditched when we had to board another bus to the car rental area.  Oh, good grief. This was by far the most confusing airport we’d ever seen. 

We’re hardly inexperienced travelers. We’ve never encountered such a mishmash of “where to go and how to find it” at any airport in our past years of world travel. 

Finally, we made it to the rental car area, found Avis, and picked up the little white car into which we managed to fit all of our bags. Thank goodness we hadn’t booked through Budget, where there was at least an hour-long line.

We were first up at the Avis counter, and twenty minutes later, we arrived at Richard’s lovely home in Green Valley Ranch, which he’d remodeled and also added a gorgeous pool and landscaping since we were last here in 2012.

We’re unpacked and settled. We grocery shopped yesterday, purchasing enough food to last a few days when I was determined to make a few home-cooked meals for all of us. Last night we dined out with Richard at yet another Mexican restaurant and had a very nice evening. It was so much fun catching up with him!

We are as comfortable as we could be at Richard’s home, anticipating the next three weeks will also fly by in a blur. On Monday, I’ll drive 45 minutes to see my sister Susan.

Have a great weekend!


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

While at a museum in Vietnam, we learned the following; In the countryside, when an elder reaches 60 years of age, a coffin is made for them and kept under the house until they pass away. Once they’re buried, three meals a day are delivered to the burial site to support the deceased in their journey to heaven. After three years, a special celebration is held, and the soul is released to heaven. For more photos, please click here.

Final Expenses for six weeks in Minnesota…Tomorrow, we’re off to Las Vegas!…Busy day!…

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Tom, Tammy, and Vincent last night when we all said goodbye.

Here we are, posting late again today. This morning we had our hands full packing, running out to Goodwill, and making a stop at Target for a few last-minute items. 

While preparing today’s post and our final expenses, we decided to include our living costs during these six weeks and how much we spent on replacing our wardrobes in their entirety.

Vincent’s teeth were hurting a little after the morning’s visit to the orthodontist. But, he enjoyed his meal (I forgot to take a photo), his chocolate milk, and time afternoon and evening with us.

Over these past years of world travel, we’ve found it impossible to find proper sizes and clothing suitable for us when we felt a need to replace certain items along the way. I’m not an easy fit with my above-average height, long legs and arms, and clothes for Tom are equally challenging to find for various reasons.

We’ve found clothing purchased in many countries to be less durable at the prices we’re prepared to pay. Even in Australia, with their modern stores, the cost of many items was two to three times higher than a similar product in the US.

Tammy and Vincent at Avenida with us last night for dinner.

As a result of this visit, we’ve decided we’ll stick to buying clothes in the US, especially when we’re hoping to return for a visit every two years. With our recent purchases, we have no doubt our items will last until 2019.

When considering that we’ve spent $2,062.79 for both of us for all of our new clothing and shoes, replacing almost every single item, that translates to only $1031.40 for each of the two years at a total of $515.70 for each of us per year. That’s very reasonable.

 Expense   US Dollar 
 Hotel – 42 nights    $                  4,494.00
 Flight + Bags-Seattle to MPS  $                     478.20
 Rental Car    $                  1,758.00
 Fuel   $                     390.16
 Clothing to restock luggage   $                  2,062.79
 Restaurants   $                  1,502.29
 Grocery   $                     294.13
 Pharmacy, luggage, misc.  $                  1,983.68
 Laundry, tips for hotel staff   $                     368.94
 Total   $               13,332.19
 Avg Daily Cost    $                     317.43

Of course, everything we purchased was a bargain when Macy’s was practically “giving away” quality, name-brand items during several sales. Add a trip to the Albertville Factory Outlet Mall, and we replaced everything. 

Another expense listed on today’s final costs as shown here as “pharmacy, luggage, toiletries, misc.” included hundreds of dollars I’d spent for expensive probiotics that I will continue to take over the next six months and the replacement of expired and dwindling supplies of toiletries, cosmetics, and over-the-counter emergency medications. It all added up quickly.

These types of expenses will continue to be necessary when we return to the US. With the high cost of shipping items to us, we’ve decided to wait to make purchases if at all possible. Although, at times, we’ll have no choice but to continue to ship items we may urgently need, such as a replacement laptop and other digital equipment we unable to find outside the US that suits our needs.

Tammy’s tacos looked terrific with the blue corn taco shells in the metal holders, rice, and beans on the side.  We’ve noticed how significant portions are in the US as compared to other countries.

As an example, a few days ago, our portable Doxie scanner died while I was scanning all the receipts we’d accumulated here in Minnesota. Today, I’ll order a new scanner and have it shipped to our mailing service in Nevada for pick-up while we’re there, along with several other items included in today’s total expenses (in an attempt to keep our baggage weight under control from MSP to LAS).

This morning we completed our packing, weighed our bags, and headed out to a nearby Goodwill store to drop off our old clothes and shoes. In the afternoon, we’ll take off to say goodbye to more family members.

With all but the third checked bag already packed and weighed, tomorrow morning won’t be stressful, especially when we’ll leave the hotel two hours before our flight. Tom, the proverbial early bird, prefers to arrive long before necessary, and I go along willingly (without complaint) to avoid adding to his usual “travel day” stress.

Tom ordered his usual sweet and sour chicken without peppers.

In almost every case, once we settle at a restaurant in the airport to wait for our flight, I’m usually happy we arrived early, allowing me additional time to complete the day’s post in the event I wasn’t able to upload it before we left our accommodations.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon with grandson Vincent. We met up with Tammy for dinner at our favorite Avenida, an Asian/Mexican fusion restaurant not far from the hotel where we dined on many occasions. The four of us had a pleasant dinner while I took today’s included photos.

I ordered my usual chopped salad minus corn, minus beans, and minus tortilla strips with a side of shredded beef and sour cream. As always, it was delicious.

We’ll be back tomorrow with our final Minnesota post, and then, on Saturday, we’ll be checking in from Henderson, Nevada. I received a weather warning on my phone in the past hour stating, “Excessive Heat Warning” for tomorrow in Las Vegas, Nevada, with highs expected at 114F, 46C, 4 degrees lower than the recent all-time high of 118F, 48C. Oh, boy! 

______________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, July 6, 2016:

This, dear readers, so much bespoke Vietnam in today’s world. For more Vietnam photos, please click here.

Down memory lane…How did it feel to return?…Four days and counting…

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From left to right, Doug, Jamie, Tom, Sue, Nelleke, Dave, our dear old friends, and neighbors are on the point.

Not only did we leave all the people we love behind when we left Minnesota and the US almost five years ago, but we said goodbye to all of our worldly possessions; home, cars, and all personal belongings.

My happy guy, enjoying time spent with old friends.

We gave the family the memorabilia and physical photos (all of which we scanned) and sailed away with only that which was contained in an overabundance of luggage at the time.

Now, pared-down considerably with only one large clothing suitcase each, a third smaller bag with supplies, and two carry-on bags, our worldly possessions are few.

Our former home.  Respecting the new owner’s privacy, we didn’t bother them to see it.

I won’t imply that any of that was easy. It was more difficult than we can ever express. But, somehow, we both knew that this new life was meant for us. And yes, it was a process. Freeing ourselves from “stuff” didn’t come easily.

Little did we know, as we suffered the angst of “letting go,” how meaningful and purposeful our new lives would become, providing both of us with a sense of joy, contentment, fulfillment, and happiness neither of us ever anticipated in these later years, especially after all this time has passed.

Our former home is on the opposite side of the peninsula.

We had no doubt we’d return to our old neighborhood to see our friends, and we wondered how we’d react to returning after almost five years. We knew it would be no different for us than when anyone returns to a home in their long-ago past. Doing so will always have the potential to bring up emotions many of us may have put aside for a time.

Alternate view of Jamie and Doug’s home with Nelleke and Dave’s next door.

As we stood on the road with our friends, looking toward our old house, we surprised ourselves when we each smiled, remembering the great times we shared, leaving us with memories we’ll always cherish. There was no sadness.

Jamie and Doug, two doors down from our former home. Thanks for inviting us to the “cocktail cruise.”

However, we weren’t sad in any way or even felt nostalgic to any degree. Later, when we discussed it, we equated it to how one might feel when they see an “old flame” while happily ensconced in a relationship with a “new love,” eliciting not much of a reaction, not a glimmer of sorrow…we’ve moved on.

And move on, we have, into another chapter of our lives for which we’ve adopted with grace and ease, knowing we made the right decision for us, not necessarily that which many others would care to adopt.

Doug, driving their spacious pontoon boat.

The people? We miss them and always will. Spending Saturday night with our old friends and, after spending many other days and nights with other friends and family members, our emotions regarding all of them remain in tact, filled with love and admiration for who they were when we left and who they’ve become in our absence.

Jamie and Doug’s stunning lakefront home.

Yesterday was a busy “friend” day for me when in the morning, friend Chere stopped by our hotel with gifts, Norwex cloths for our travels. Thanks, Chere, how perfect they are!  

Sue sold her house this past year, five years after our beloved Chip passed away. We shared photos and stories of her new home a few weeks ago. Click here for photos.

A short time later when TJ and grandson Jayden arrived for breakfast, they dropped me off at friend Karen’s home while they headed to Wisconsin to buy fireworks. Spending several hours with her was an unexpected treat when suddenly there was a gap in the schedule.

Tom picked me up at Karen’s home around 3:00 pm. We headed back to the hotel to change and dress for the planned dinner with friends Lisa and Brian at Maynard’s Restaurant in Excelsior, located on Lake Minnetonka, an old favorite haunt. 

Dave and Nelleke, our former next-door neighbors.

We spent hours talking, paying little attention to our food, instead of focusing on one another. It was so good to see them again as it had been to see Chere and Karen one last time and, of course, our old friends Lisa and Brian last night.

Nelleke and Dave’s gorgeous lakefront home.

During this extended stay, I even had an opportunity to see an old friend and former business partner, Theresa, a second time on a whim during a gap in the schedule last week.

Tom’s fish and chips with coleslaw.  He’ll eat healthier food once we start cooking again in Costa Rica in about 28 days.

As this final week comes to a close, knowing we’re leaving in four days, we’ll focus our time and energy, as their work schedules allow saying goodbye to our family. The busy 4th of July holiday puts a slight damper on this process, but we’ll manage just fine. 

Jamie and Doug shared this massive plate of pork chops at Hazelwood Restaurant, where we dined after our happy hour boat ride.

We arrived in Minnesota on a holiday weekend (Memorial Day) and are leaving on the 4th of July week. Soon, we’ll return to the life our Aussies friends always referred to as our “living life on a perpetual holiday (vacation).” 

My usual Cobb salad with a side of sour cream (instead of salad dressing) which I’ve ordered almost every night since we arrived in Minnesota nearly six weeks ago.

For us, it’s not a perpetual vacation. Its a nomadic life filled with adventure as we continue to explore beyond our wildest dreams, a decision that ultimately required a lot of change, sacrifice and adaptation, a decision we’ll never regret.

Thanks, dear readers, for sharing this particular time with us.

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

Historical building in Singapore one year ago. For more photos and final expenses for the week we spent in Singapore, please click here.

An anniversary night where we met 26 years ago…Post #1800 today!

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Our waiter took this photo of us on our 26th anniversary of the day we met at this exact location, now a different restaurant.

Dining out every night over the past 34 nights, except for a few occasions when we’ve eaten at the homes of friends or family, has lost its novelty. No longer do we peruse the menu with renewed interest anticipating something new and wonderful.

When we entered Poor Richard’s, we were reminded of the memorable date of when we met.

With my restricted way of eating and the availability of restaurant menus online, it’s been easy to determine which establishments may work for me and which do not. Also, since I don’t consume foods cooked in vegetable oils (only butter, quality olive oil, or coconut oil), there are few menu items I’d consider ordering.

The easiest and least risky meals for me are salads containing hard-boiled eggs, bacon, fresh avocado, lettuce, tomato with broiled chicken or salmon. This generally may be described as a Cobb Salad or variation thereof.

Tom was all smiles when he perused the menu.

Except for amazing fall-off-the-bone ribs we ordered (without sauce) at Grizzly’s the other night, I’ve only ordered the above-type salads over these many past meals. 

On the other hand, Tom has indulged in a whatever-he-wants mentality, knowing that in a little over a month, I’ll be cooking our meals again, which won’t include fries and other starches, burgers in a bun and other bread products, etc. 

Tom’s puff pastry-topped chicken potpie and garlic mashed potatoes.

During this period, he’s avoided all desserts and sweets, including the home-baked chocolate chip cookies available in the hotel’s lobby throughout the day and evening.

Eating only a low-carb breakfast (no pancakes, waffles, cold cereals, or toast) and no lunch or snacks between breakfast and dinner (or after dinner), he hasn’t gained an ounce while consuming some of this less-than-desirable food. I’ve stayed mum about what he orders (other than perhaps drooling a little when I see what’s on his plate at dinner time).

My seasoned buffalo chicken chopped salad with bacon, avocado, and blue cheese.

Last night was a perfect example of my drooling.  He ordered a puff pastry-topped chicken pot pie with a side of garlic mashed potatoes (skins included). I rated another variation of a Cobb Salad based on the menu offerings at Poor Richard’s Commonhouse in Bloomington, the location of our anniversary dinner as explained in yesterday’s post.  Please click here if you missed that post.

To our local readers: This is not the wrong spot for a reasonably priced and delicious meal.

Tom thoroughly enjoyed his pot pie, while I found the salad to be one step above some of the others I’ve tried since we arrived on May 26th.  Of course, the evening wasn’t so much about the food as it was the experience, dining in the same spot where we met 26 years ago, although the former establishment had been replaced twice; from the former Stonewings to Major by the current Poor Richard’s.

We’d anticipated feeling somewhat nostalgic about the location. Still, unfortunately, it had changed so much in the past 26 years we didn’t see any of the old Stonewings in its shape or design. Considerable remodeling had transpired over the years, making it an entirely new place.

We met in 1991 at this geographical location, not necessarily this same restaurant.

Instead, we giggled over the people we were 26 years ago, chatted about how our lives have changed so much, our time here in Minnesota and upcoming in Nevada, and the continuation of our travels in a mere 32 days when we fly to Costa Rica.

We both want to thanks our readers/friends, our Facebook friends, and our family for all the well wishes, email messages, and comments posted on yesterday’s post (click here to see).  Tom’s photo was quite a hit with the “girls,” and as he’s continued to mature over the years, he’s still quite a hit with me. 

The sign on the outside of the unrecognizable building.

It’s funny how when one is in love, they never mind the apparent aging process and changes that evolve over the years. In our minds, we’re still the 26-years-younger people we were back then with some added wisdom and “seasoning.” 

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, June 29, 2016:

Sri Mariamman Temple in Singapore with its ornate carvings. For more, please click here.