Today’s the day…It’s been a long wait…Test results to follow as soon as we know…

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Day #160 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…The frightening reality…
Walking down the street from our hotel in South Kensington, London.

Last night’s attempt at sleeping was fitful, filled with short naps and vivid dreams. As it turned out, I forgot to remind Tom to put “Do Not Disturb” on his phone, and every few hours, it beeped, waking me up when a message came in. Since he doesn’t hear the beeps with his impaired hearing and without his hearing aids while sleeping, he doesn’t notice.

But my sharp hearing picks up every little sound during the night, especially since I am a light sleeper. It was a long and uncomfortable night. I imagine that, with a bit of anxiety about today’s appointments flooding my thoughts when awake, I couldn’t find a way to escape them, regardless of how hard I tried to reframe my thinking.

When I got up this morning, I felt better and ready to tackle the realities of today, but going downstairs for a big breakfast in the restaurant was the last thing on my mind. Instead, Tom brought me decaf coffee from the complimentary service in the lobby. I ate one of my new favorite, very healthy protein bars, IQBar, which can be found at Amazon (please click our Amazon link on our site) and here.

These bars have the most healthy ingredients of any bars I’ve tried and are delicious, a perfect meal replacement or snack. That was all I needed today. The “My Chart” notes didn’t indicate that I’d need to fast for any blood test. I’m sure I’ll have many blood tests down the road, but not today.

Using the HDMI cord, we’re watching the “Garage Logic” podcast from the Minnesota State Fair on the TV monitor. It’s fun to see the guys at the fair. Had I not been having the breathing issue and needing a wheelchair, we certainly would have gone to the fair to see them. Joe continues to mention “the Traveling Lymans” every broadcast, five days a week, which always brings a smile to our faces.

At 11:00, we’ll call the front desk to have them order the Cleveland Clinic shuttle, which will take us to the building specified in “My Chart” for my first appointment. My last appointment is scheduled for 3:30 and lasts one hour. We should know something by the end of the day, but we are prepared that we won’t know much until the next round of tests, the dates for which are yet to be determined.

We should return to the hotel by 5:00 when we assemble a roast chicken dinner from the grocery order we placed yesterday. There will be enough chicken, rice, and salad for a few dinners. At that point, we’ll settle in for the evening and stream a few shows. Without a car, we would not be interested in going out for the evening.

That’s all we have today, folks. Soon, we’ll order the shuttle and be on our way. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 28, 2014:

Ah, my heart flipped at the sight of this warthog at the Museum of Natural History in South Kensington, Londo. The first time we had seen a warthog was in October in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, while on safari. Of course, later in South Africa, we joyfully saw them several times a day. Click here for the first time we saw a live warthog (scroll down the page. For more photos, please click here.

Nine days until departure…11 days and counting until Cleveland Clinic…

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In the city of Paris, we never saw a free-standing single home. All the housing consists of apartment buildings such as this. We’ve found living in apartments such as these unappealing. We’re glad we stayed in Paris for this shorter period than our usual two to three months. Apartments such as these are costly.

Right now, I am struggling with topics for our daily posts. We’ve bombarded you with travel-related topics, and we prefer not to be redundant any more than is happenstance as we cover topics we’ve covered in past posts.

In the past 12 years, we’ve published 4,366 posts, much more than most online resources of our size. Recently, I’ve changed some of the daily format to elicit more interest from our readers. No, we haven’t been losing readers. If anything, we’ve added more new readers during this dull period than we’d expected. We appreciate every one of you and your continuing readership.

The bottom line is that I am facing a challenging time until we arrive in Cleveland, and then, although feeling safer being there, I will be dealing with the news on how they’ll proceed with my case. No, it’s not keeping me awake at night or impacting my appetite, and much to my surprise, I don’t feel depressed or suffering from anxiety.

However, it’s unnerving when I become breathless from putting on my shoes, making a salad, or walking to the car outside the door of our hotel room, no more than 20 paces. Each time I get up from my secure and comfy spot on the sofa in the living room to go anywhere in our hotel room, I hesitate, wondering if whatever I am about to do is necessary.

I wouldn’t be so careful if my heart didn’t react each time I became breathless. I can feel it struggling to get blood flow to my legs. Of course, my caution is centered around avoiding a heart attack. Otherwise, I feel fine when staying relatively still and like my usual upbeat self most days. Tom and I continue to laugh, tease one another, and enjoy quality time together.

Now, I understand more fully how others feel when facing serious illnesses of one type or another, regardless of their age or situation.

Although I wish to implement more of the following suggestions, I am doing my best.

Staying strong in serious medical issues is a profound challenge, but it’s possible to find strength through a combination of mindset, support, and self-care. Here are some strategies that might help:

1. Acknowledge Your Emotions  

  • Allow yourself to feel: It’s okay to feel scared, angry, or sad. Acknowledging your emotions rather than suppressing them can prevent them from overwhelming you.
  • Seek understanding: Educate yourself about your condition. Knowledge can reduce fear and give you a sense of control.

2. Build a Support Network

  • Lean on loved ones: Share your journey with friends, family, or a support group. Talking about your struggles can ease the burden.
  • Professional help: Consider seeing a therapist or counselor specializing in chronic illness or trauma. They can provide coping strategies tailored to your situation.

3. Focus on What You Can Control

  • Healthy lifestyle choices: Eating well, resting, and staying active (within your limits) can improve your physical and mental resilience.
  • Mindfulness and meditation: Practices like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can help you stay grounded and manage stress.
  • Routine and structure: Having a daily routine can create a sense of normalcy and control, even when much feels uncertain.

4. Stay Connected to Your Purpose

  • Reframe your goals: Adjust your goals to fit your current reality. Small achievements can bring a sense of accomplishment and forward momentum.
  • Find meaning: Finding meaning in your experiences can foster resilience and hope, whether through faith, creativity, or helping others.

5. Celebrate Small Victories

  • Acknowledge progress: Every step forward is worth celebrating, no matter how small. Recognizing these moments can boost your morale and encourage you to keep going.

6. Self-Compassion

  • Be gentle with yourself: Understand that it’s okay to have bad days. Treat yourself with the kindness and patience you would offer a dear friend.
  • Positive affirmations: Regularly remind yourself of your strengths and the progress you’ve made.

7. Prepare for the Unexpected

  • Flexibility: Life with a serious medical condition can be unpredictable. Being adaptable and open to change can reduce frustration and stress.
  • Emergency plan: Having a plan for flare-ups or emergencies can give you peace of mind.

8. Maintain Hope

  • Hope is vital: Even in difficult times, maintaining hope can be a powerful source of strength. This might be hope for better days, comfort, or moments of peace.

9. Stay Connected with Your Medical Team

  • Communication: Regularly communicate with your healthcare providers. They can adjust treatments as needed and provide reassurance.
  • Advocate for yourself: Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek a second opinion if something doesn’t feel right.

10. Engage in Life

  • Pursue passions: Engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment, even if you need to modify them to suit your condition.
  • Stay social: Connecting with others, even in small ways, can be crucial for comfort and strength.

Staying strong through serious medical issues isn’t about denying the reality of the situation but finding ways to live fully and meaningfully despite it. Resilience comes from a combination of inner strength and external support, and it’s okay to lean on both as you navigate this challenging journey.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 16, 2014:

With almost 13,000 restaurants listed on Tripadvisor in Paris, deciding where to dine is tricky. For more photos, please click here.

Moving day…All packed and ready to go…Family dinner and concert tonight…

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It gets very foggy in the hills of Madeira, as shown in this photo of the veranda of our holiday home in Campanario.

It was easy to pack for today’s move since we’re only moving to another nearby hotel with a kitchen. This hotel, Hyatt Place, only has a small refrigerator but not a microwave. If we want to heat something, we must take it down to the main floor and use the microwave in the breakfast kitchen.

Lately, we haven’t been eating the included breakfast when the food is unhealthy, with premade processed eggs and greasy sausages appealing to neither of us. I have kept some protein bars, yogurt, and cottage cheese in the refrigerator in our room, which serve as meals when I am in a pinch.

Tom eats the donut holes he gets in the morning when he goes downstairs to get coffee before 9:00 am when the included breakfast ends. Lately, we’ve been going out to dinner most evenings. We’ll see if having a kitchen will inspire me to cook some meals. But I don’t feel like cooking right now.

Many people in our situation would eat some frozen items from the supermarket, but none of them are suitable for my way of eating, and Tom’s not a fan of frozen dinners. When we considered ordering “unwich” sandwiches from Jimmy John’s, we found the total cost for one breadless sandwich for each of us was over $40. When Tom had Wendy’s last week, he spent $20, as mentioned in a prior post.

A few nights ago, I took Maisie to dinner at Maynard’s and accidentally left a credit card behind. Yesterday, when I realized I didn’t have that card, I called to find out they had it. Tom and I decided to go there to get it and stay for dinner. I picked up my card, and he and I had a great dinner for $50.75, including tax and tip. With this, it doesn’t pay to get carry-out food, which isn’t as healthy and costs over $40.

Tom had grilled walleye and soup, and I had a fantastic seafood salad. It was well worth it. We’ll certainly return there once again. On Sunday night, my grandson Miles, 16, and I are going out to dinner. I offered that we could go to a movie, but he was content to dine with his grandma. I enjoy individual time with my grandchildren and spending quality time together.

On another note, we’re checking out of this hotel at 2:00 pm, with a late check-out provided by the general manager, Wade. Then, we’ll head over to the other nearby hotel. I’m sure, within a day, we’ll decide if we want to move back here when we finish booking at Residence Inn by Marriott. We managed to get an excellent price at $84 a night. Our booking there ends on June 13.

I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll return here to the Hyatt at that point. Here, we have a king-sized bed, and there, only a queen. However, I will ask for an upgrade to a king bed when we check in later today. We shall see how it goes.

Last night, when we returned to the hotel, we watched the basketball game when the Minnesota Timberwolves were playing the Dallas Mavericks, the first of a new series in the playoffs. Sadly, Minnesota lost, but it was an exciting game, nonetheless. The next game is tomorrow night, Friday, at 7:30. We should be returning from Billy’s by the time the game starts.

The family had planned to play dice at Patty’s house after the dinner at Billy’s, but she’s been sick with the flu, and we won’t go if she still has symptoms. There’s no way we can risk getting sick at this point.

Tonight, at 6:00, we’re meeting Greg and the kids for dinner at Rey Azteca in Chanhassen, and at 8:00, we’re all heading to Chanhassen High School, where Madighan will be performing in a choir event. It will be another enjoyable evening for all of us.

That’s it for today, folks. Next time we post, it will be from our new location with comments about how we feel about the new hotel.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 23, 2014:

The old stone tunnel in Madeira was used until the newer, longer tunnel was built in recent years. For more photos, please click here.

New booking for June…Are we still nomads since we’re staying in the US for so long?…

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The beautiful terraced gardens on the island of Madeira, Portugal where we stayed for almost three months, beginning in May, 2014.

Tom’s sister Betty, a retired nun living in a retirement facility for nuns in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be celebrating her 70-year “Jubilee” since joining the sisterhood when she was 18 years old. At that time, Tom was only 18 months old. Of course, he doesn’t remember that time other than knowing that his elder sister was a nun as he grew up.

The family is invited to attend this special celebration in Milwaukee on June 15. Thus, we’ll make the less-than-six-hour drive to Milwaukee, staying in a nearby hotel to attend a special mass and a dinner. As it turns out, we’ll have to stay in Milwaukee for two nights.

Since hotel prices are high in the area, we thought we’d use some of our accumulated rewards points from one of our credit cards to cover the $617 for the two nights. We booked the same Fairfield Inn where we stayed last time we visited Sister Beth in 2021 while we were in the US for a family visit.

We don’t know yet if any of Tom’s siblings or other family members will attend the event since there are two grandchildren’s weddings they’d planned to attend on the same date, making the trip to Milwaukee impossible.

We will enjoy spending time with Sister Beth and her friends, as several other nuns also celebrate this special date with their family members.

On another note, lately, we wondered if any of our readers may assume we are no longer “nomads” when now, and over the next six months or so, we will be staying in the US. Is our travel site a misrepresentation of who we are at this time? In conducting research as to what constitutes a “nomad,” I found the following:

“A nomad is someone who prefers to travel and move around rather than settle down in one place. The word “nomad” comes from a Greek word that means “roaming about for pasture.”Traditionally, nomads were tribes of people who moved in search of food, water, and shelter. They would often travel seasonally or annually and traditionally used animals, canoes, or walked. Today, some nomads travel by car, air, train, or ship.

Both football teams, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, are staying in our neighborhood for the Super Bowl…

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The Hilton Lake Las Vegas, one of the two hotels where one of the teams will stay during Super Bowl week, is very close to our location.

As it turns out, the two teams playing in the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, will be staying in hotels in Lake Las Vegas, the Westin Lake Las Vegas, and the Hilton Lake Las Vegas, only .6 miles from us. The NFL doesn’t want the players gambling in the casinos on the Lake Vegas Strip. These two hotels don’t have casinos.

According to reports, they’ll likely stay in Lake Las Vegas for Super Bowl week as they practice and prepare for the upcoming game on February 11. I doubt we’ll see any team members unless they decide to walk through and shop in the Village, down one flight of stairs from us. Of course, while they are here, we’ll head down there to see if we can see any team members and take some photos without being too intrusive.

We won’t be heading to either of the hotels since they will be heavily guarded and careful about who they let in. It wouldn’t be us. But the excitement in this area is palpable. Many restaurant and shop owners hope for increased sales during the week.

When we decided to stay in Lake Las Vegas, we chose this location because it is quiet and remote from the strip, where we seldom go when visiting the area. On occasion, in past years, we’ve seen a few shows, but many of those same shows are still playing. Prices for entertainment have increased tremendously over the years, and we’re not interested in spending $500 or more for a night out.

Photo
The Westin (Marriott) Lake Las Vegas is one of the two hotels where one of the teams will stay during Super Bowl week.

Richard is making fun plans for my birthday later this month. We’ll share details later.

As for today, we’re doing laundry, prepping for a nice dinner, and hanging out as usual. I’ve already done the banking and credit card pay-offs for the month.

I haven’t heard anything about my enrollment for Part B Medicare. Finally, I received a return response from the Railroad Retirement Board that my application was received on January 3, 2024. I won’t be processed for six to eight weeks, which could take me to the end of the month with my benefits to start on March 1 since today is already February 1. I’d hope this would all be processed by February 1, but it’s taking much longer than anticipated.

Here’s a recommendation for a fantastic Netflix show, especially for history buffs…”Alexander, The Making of a God.” It’s a docu-drama since it requires explaining what transpired when there’s too much information to be included in a regular drama. It’s a limited series of six episodes. Usually, we don’t care for the docu-drama format, but it’s been exciting and entertaining in this case.

We only watch shows in the evenings after dinner but go through many series when binge-watching movies and series we find interesting.

That’s it for today, folks. We hope you have an excellent day and evening doing what you enjoy!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 1, 2014:

At Khaya Umdani, this was the first outdoor grilled dinner since leaving the US. None of our past vacation/holiday homes had outdoor grills that we’ve found suitable. This was a rare treat. The chicken gizzards and livers are wrapped in foil on the side grate, which I’ll eat with tonight’s repeat dinner. Tom only eats white meat, and I like dark meat, making a whole chicken perfect for us. Zeff cleaned it this morning! For more photos, please click here.

Flying away tonight…Can’t wait to get down to sea level…Final photos from Galapagos Islands…

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Blue-footed booby on a walk, although they are excellent flyers.

Note: Our naturalist, Orlando, took today’s photos, which he sent me daily via WhatsApp. Thanks, Orlando!

Shockingly, I haven’t suffered with Afib while we’ve spent five days total at an altitude of 9350″, as I’ve mentioned repeatedly since we arrived in Quito on October 11, 12 days ago. During the five nights we’ve spent at the JW Marriott in Quito, Ecuador, we’ve both felt the effects of the altitude in many ways, more for me than for Tom.

Tom gets out of breath during exertion, and my heart races when I walk or move about the hotel room. Fortunately, once I rest, it goes back down to normal. However, when we got off the boat on Saturday, my heart rate hovered between 85 and 100 all night, high for me. Last night, for the first time in 12 nights, we both slept well.

Salted lagoon, Floreana Island.

For the first of the five nights in Quito, my heart rate was normal, which allowed me to sleep. My Fitbit says I slept for a much-needed eight hours. But now, at noon, almost two full days since we returned from the boat and its frequent seasickness, I must admit, I am looking forward to getting down to sea level and situated in our new holiday home on the sea.

The smell of the fresh ocean air and the use of the infinity pool will be such a welcome relief which I hope to do daily, weather permitting, for exercising my legs, hoping for some improvement in walking. All of my whining is related to having had open heart surgery in 2019 and the lingering effects that have impacted my (our) lifestyle to a great degree. If I walk too much, I get Afib. If I don’t walk enough, you know what I mean.

Gorgeous scenery at Floreana Island, a millions-of-years-old volcano.

I apologize for whining. Once we get settled, I will be a new person. In 24 hours, we will go to Mirador San Jose, Manabi Province in Ecuador, a gated community with a beautiful property. Many photos will follow. It will be delightful to grocery shop at the nearby supermarket (supermercado) after we’ve seen how much space there is in the refrigerator and freezer.

Often, refrigerators in holiday homes are small. But, if so, we will manage and simply shop more frequently—no big deal. Also, there is often a lack of storage space for non-perishable food items, but here again, we’ll make do. We’ve hired a three-hour cleaning person every Tuesday morning at 8:00 for $20 per week. In the US a year ago, we paid $25 an hour, as we did when we had the cleaner once a month when we stayed in The Villages in Florida three months ago.

 A Galapagos flycatcher. Adorable.

Gee, I haven’t cooked a meal since then, and I look forward to making a special home-cooked meal at least five nights a week after we investigate to determine if dining out is a good option in that area. If so, we’ll dine out every Friday and Saturday night, which might allow us to socialize with locals and tourists.

It’s funny how I remember several Spanish words we learned when we spent four months in Costa Rica. I can easily read a menu and road signs and understand short sentences. I can’t necessarily speak it well in sentences, but with the help of Google Translate on my phone, we’ll be fine.

Speaking of my phone, I couldn’t get into our Google Fi account to access WiFi once we left the hotel after using their WiFi for five days, which was very good. I tried everything I could to get it to work, to no avail. I had no choice but to call Google Fi, which quickly responded, but when we were halfway through the troubleshooting process, the call dropped. I called back and again, and a rep responded quickly.

A wave albatross flying back to Espanola Island, the oldest island in The Galapagos.

We resolved the issue quickly when I had to select an arbitrary network Google Fi uses in Ecuador, Claro. I’d never have known this if I hadn’t called. Good thing I called, or we’d had a nightmare on our hands tonight when driving in the dark to the hotel and tomorrow, driving to the house without the ability to use Maps. Any time we’ve tried to use “Maps” in many countries without being able to connect to Google Fi,  depending on satellite conditions, we often hear “her’ say, “Make a U-turn,” over and over again. This drives us crazy.

Well, enough about all of that. In less than seven hours, we’ll be on the plane, pressurized for easy breathing, and God willing, all will be well. It’s only a 50-minute flight. We’ll most likely miss dinner again tonight since last night, I wasn’t feeling well enough to go to the restaurant and couldn’t find anything on the room service menu. It will be close to 10 00 pm by the time we get to the hotel in Manta. So, well miss two dinners, two nights in a row. That’s no big deal, either.

After grocery shopping and unpacking a bit tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be back with a new post with some photos of our new home. Stay tuned for more.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 23, 2013:

A bushbaby with a banana was next to us last night as we dined outdoors at the Leopard Beach Resort in Diani Beach, Kenya. A small platform was set up for the bushbabies, loaded with bananas to encourage them to visit the guests while dining. For more photos, please click here.

Day 2…Henderson, Nevada…Posting photos from Norway starts today….Comfortably situated in the fabulous Green Valley Ranch Resort…

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Tom’s Rueben sandwich and chips, a favorite dinner, last night at Lucky Penny in Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, Nevada.

No words can express how relaxed and at ease we are now that we’ve arrived at the beautiful Green Valley Ranch Spa, Resort and Casino in Henderson, Nevada. Last night, I slept for about 11 hours. I fell asleep at about 7:00 pm and awoke a few times during the night but for short times only. Gosh, that feels good today!

Tom is doing great, and he, too, is happy to be at this beautiful resort with fun get-togethers planned over the next nine days until we depart on Saturday, September 9, to fly to Minnesota for one month. The time is flying by quickly, but we are savoring every moment in front of us.

Delicious Cobb salad is one of my favorite dinners.

Last night and again this morning, we ate at the Lucky Penny Restaurant located in the resort. We love their food, and as Expedia VIP members, we get 20% off on food in the resort’s restaurants. Plus, we are entitled to early check-in and late check-out.

I managed to get the resort to reduce their nightly resort fee of $50 to $25 a night, which puts a dent in the cost of meals we eat in their restaurants. We’ll have breakfast here each morning but most likely dine out several nights with Richard and our friends in Henderson. It will all be quite enjoyable.

Sample of colorful cakes the resort will make for special occasions.

It’s great to catch up after all the late nights out on a month of cruises. We often didn’t get to bed until 1:00 or 2:00 am, getting up early for coffee and breakfast. I only ate lunch and dinner since the breakfast options on the cruises were limited for my way of eating. Lunch had many excellent options I enjoyed, but I often ate a little too much and wasn’t hungry for dinner.

Fortunately, neither of us ever gained an ounce on the cruises, which we strive to accomplish each time we cruise. It would feel awful to gain ten pounds cruising and then trying to fit into our clothes. For us, with our limited wardrobes, that could be a serious problem.

Fresh bakery items are offered in the restaurant each day.

In a few days, after Labor Day weekend ends, we’ll head to a local laundromat to wash our clothes. We won’t do it again until we get to Minnesota, where we’ll have access to coin-operated laundry facilities at the Hyatt Hotel in Eden Prairie, where we’ll stay once again.

Today, when the housekeeper comes to clean our room, we’ll head out to our bank to get cash and change and then make our way to a pharmacy for a few items we need before we head to Minnesota. We won’t buy much since our luggage is already overweight and we don’t want to add to the weight. We’ll reduce our load by taking some items to Goodwill while we’re here.

More pricey but delicious-looking baked goods, averaging about $5.50 each.

In reviewing the photos we hadn’t been able to post, it appears it will be very time-consuming and complicated to return to each post and add the photos we couldn’t post. As a result, we are posting some of the photos under the heading of each town over a period of days, which can be found after each new day, listed as Part 1, Part 2 Norway, for example.

The new post with the photos is located here:

Part 1…Unpublished photos from the Azamara cruise to Alesund, Norway…

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 1, 2013:

The dissipating smoke from the fireworks set off for a wedding. Both sets of bells in the bell tower rang simultaneously. Tom timed the bell ringing at 20 minutes! We giggled when saying that the bells were ringing as a goodbye to us! For more photos, please click here.

Botswana…The African Quadripoint…Chobe Safari Lodge…An exquisite environment..

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“The African Quadripoint. Are there any 4 way borders? Around the world, there are more than 150 different tripoints—borders where three nations meet—but only one international “quadripoint.” This is a spot in the middle of the Zambezi River, in southern Africa, where Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana all touch.”

This is the fourth time we’ve traveled to Zambia and then Botswana. Two Chris Tours drivers, Gordon and O’Brien, were waiting for us at the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Airport in Livingstone. They loaded up our two bags and two carry-on bags and we were on our way for the one-hour drive to the Botswana border, where a tour representative and her driver would take us to Chobe Safari Lodge, another 30-minute drive.

Two drivers, Gordon on the left and O’Brien on the right, who works for Chris Tours.

The immigration process was entirely different than on the past three occasions when we crossed the border between Zambia and Bostwana, where four countries meet as described here as the African Quadripoint:

“THERE ARE A NUMBER OF instances where the borders of two or three nations touch, but the rare confluence of a total four nations coming together on one spot only exists in Africa where the corners of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia meet.

Unlike the touristy spots where states come together in America, which are usually decked out with monuments and bronze medallions, the African quadripoint sits in the middle of a river that cuts between the countries. It has been theorized that the point is not a true quadripoint but instead a pair of tri-points separated by thin strips of real estate. Regardless of the quibbling, the obvious jurisdictional headache of having four countries so close to one another has resulted in some conflict.”

What an interesting tidbit!

When we arrived at the border, it was very different than in the past, where cars and trucks were everywhere, as well as people, and there was chaos in getting onto a small boat with our luggage to cross the Zambezi River to Botswana. The bumpy ride in the rickety boat reminded us of many such boat rides during our world travels in various countries. Now, the new bridge is completed, as shown in our photo and described as follows:

Crossing the new Kazungula Bridge in Botswana.

“Kazungula Bridge is a road and rail bridge over the Zambezi river between the countries of Zambia and Botswana at Kazungula. The Kazungula Bridge under construction over the Zambezi, at the quasi-quadripoint between Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The bridge was opened for traffic on 10 May 2021.”

In the past, we crossed the river, where we were picked up by another driver and taken to the even more chaotic immigration office, where it took about 30 minutes while we stood in line in the heat. This time there is a slick new air-conditioned immigration building. Yesterday, we moved in and out of there in five or six minutes. There were no lines.

We had to walk onto a chemical pad to clean the bottom of the shoes before we were approved for entry. That wasn’t so odd since we’d done this in the past here in Botswana and Antarctica. But in this case, we were told to open our luggage and take out all of our shoes to do the same thing. We’d never been asked to do this before anywhere in the world.

Our lovely room is on the ground level with a river view. See the next photo for views from our private veranda.

Soon, we were on our way again, directly to Kasane to the Chobe Safari Lodge, and once again, we weren’t disappointed with our room and the surroundings. It was as pretty as ever.

There are two chairs on our private veranda and these views of the Chobe River.

In no time at all, we were checking into the hotel at 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs. Our day started when we left Marloth Park at 8:30 am and arrived at the hotel. By our standards, it took six and a half hours, an easy travel day.

By 5:15 pm; 1750 hrs., we were seated on the veranda for sundowners. I had trouble finding a wine I liked, so I ordered a full bottle of white wine that should last for three nights. There are roughly five glasses in 750 ml wine bottles. Since none of the wine here is low-alcohol, I will drink only two small glasses each night from the bottle they saved for me at the restaurant up the hill, at the A’la Carte,  which we loved last time we were, and we loved again last night.

Last night’s sunset. We were so busy talking, we were late in taking the sunset photos!

There’s a buffet here for breakfast and dinner, but we’ll likely eat at the A’la Carte since at least I can order more easily. I never know what I’m getting at buffets and the ingredients included therein. That’s a bit risky for me. Here are a few photos from last night’s dinner.

We’ll be back with much more. Tomorrow morning, we will go on a game drive, and the new post with photos will be uploaded a few hours later than usual.

We don’t usually take photos of monkeys since they are so pushy and destructive, but this one was kind of cute.

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Photo from one year ago today, August 21, 2021:

A young giraffe and a few zebras blocked the road on our way to Jabula on a Friday night. For more photos, please click here.

New itinerary…We’re booked almost through the end of May!!!…What a task!!!…Hot today, 100F, 38C!!!

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A lone waterbuck on the bank of the Crocodile River at sunset.

We spent most of the day between my walking and posting yesterday, booking everything we needed to get us through May 22. That doesn’t seem far away. But here’s our basic itinerary and what we’d already had booked, including what we booked on Sunday.

  1. March 24 – Arrive in Florida, staying with friends Karen and Rich – Booked: Rental car.
  2. April 8 – Transatlantic cruise, 13 nights, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Southampton, UK
  3. April 21 – 24 – Hotel for three nights in Southampton, UK (no car)
  4. April 24 – Transatlantic cruise, 7 nights, from Southampton to New York – Cunard Queen Mary 2
  5. May 1 – Booked flight from New York to Minneapolis, Minnesota
  6. May 1 – Booked rental car and hotel for 14 nights (staying in Eden Prairie, Minnesota)
  7. May 15 – Booked flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas
  8. May 15 – Booked rental car and hotel in Henderson, Nevada (staying in Henderson, Nevada)
  9. May 22 – Check out the hotel in Henderson – We don’t know where we’re going from there!!

    Tail-less Mom with a muddy face.

All of this is fine and good. But, we still don’t know about the cruise sailing from Istanbul, Turkey, on June 29. We have no doubt; we will know sometime next month how this former itinerary to Ukraine will be rerouted. We will decide from there what we’ll do after May 22.

In prior years, such uncertainty would have been concerning. But now, after two years of uncertainty due to the pandemic and now this war in Ukraine, we take it in our stride.

Two “Go-Away” birds, enjoying the birdbath in our garden.

Yesterday’s booking process was painstaking. Prices for the same cars, hotels, and flights were all over the place. Of course, we sought to find the best possible prices, and we feel comfortable with our decisions. I won’t take the time to go into each one now, except to mention a few for illustrative purposes.

For Minnesota, we booked the same hotel in a central location to our family member’s homes, in Eden Prairie, near a huge shopping mall and dozens of eating establishments. It has self-service laundry, a kitchen with range, oven, microwave, and a full-sized refrigerator, free WiFi, and “to go type’ breakfast included.

Broken Horn and two female kudu sharing pellets.

For Nevada, we were enthused. When checking online for the fabulous hotel where we stayed last July, Green Valley Ranch, and Casino, it appeared the rates had gone up considerably. We ended up booking our flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas for a better rate than what we paid last July at the link to Expedia on our site. We were thrilled to stay in that beautiful resort once again, which we thoroughly enjoyed last time.

It’s a huge relief to have all of this done. All we have to do is pack up this house, leave a few plastic bins with items for Louise to store for us when we return in December, buy clothing in Florida for the Cunard cruise, and apply for the renewal of our passports while in Florida.

Bright sunset at the Crocodile River.

As for today, on this ultra-hot day, we’re laying low. I will do some online research to see if I can find any dresses suitable for the upcoming Cunard cruise. In the past, I’ve had a lot of luck buying dresses online, so we’ll see how it goes. Of course, Tom will have to be fitted for a suit. Buying “off the rack” never seems to work for men.

We hope you have a pleasant day and evening!

Photo from one year ago today, March 14, 2021:

The mating hornbills continue to return, but no babies yet. For more photos, please click here.

Day #259 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Tom’s Irish Cream recipe…Do we miss the holidays?…

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Tom and I and Lisa and Barry, our new friends. They visited us in Ireland in 2019, and we are close in touch.

Today’s photos are from a South American cruise in 2017 where we met friends Lisa and Barry, as shown in the above photo. Today’s also included is Tom’s Irish Cream Recipe which we’d posted on this date, with the holidays on the horizon. For more, please click here.

As the holiday season approaches, we thought it would make sense to post Tom’s Irish Cream recipe today rather than wait until closer to Christmas, allowing plenty of time for those who may consider giving this as a gift for co-workers, family members, and friends.

Here are our comments and the recipe from that 2017 post, although we’d posted this recipe on posts from other years.

“Each year at Christmas time, we receive many requests for Tom’s Irish Cream recipe, which is comparable to Bailey’s Irish Cream, without all the chemicals and artificial ingredients used in commercial production. 

For those who may want to give bottles of this delicious concoction, glass bottles of this holiday beverage make perfect gifts, generally costing around US $12, INR 921, per bottle. 

Bottles with corks can be purchased at any winemaking store or home good stores at TJ Maxx, where they usually carry very decorative glass bottles.  Tom made about 150 bottles each year that we gave to friends and family, including a non-alcoholic version.

Boat in the harbor in Arica, Chile.

Some years we saved wine bottles as we used them, washing them in the dishwasher and storing them in bottle boxes from any liquor store. This avoided the cost of the bottles.  In those cases, we only had to buy the corks.

Now that some wineries use screw-top caps, avid wine drinkers of those varieties can save those bottles and caps for future use as long as they’re sterilized in the dishwasher or hot water before filling them with the mix.

Also, using our home printer’s label-making feature, we made labels to ensure all recipients were made aware that the product needed to be refrigerated and kept only for 30 days.

The stick-on label would read something like this often with a decorative photo of your choice, which could be a photo of you and your family.

Image result for holly jpg
 Lyman’s Irish Cream
From our home to yours…
Have a happy holiday season!
Please keep this product
refrigerated and stored for
no more than 30 days.

Tom Lyman’s Irish Cream (Comparable to Bailey’s Irish Cream)1 can sweeten condensed milk

1 pint half & half or natural whipping cream

Three pasteurized eggs (important for safety)

1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

One tablespoon chocolate syrup

1 cup Irish Whiskey or other bourbon or whiskey

Blend all ingredients in a blender for 2 minutes, then add 1 cup whiskey, measuring into the empty can of sweetened condensed milk to remove every last drop of the creamy sweetened condensed milk.

Blend for another 30 seconds. Pour into a glass bottle using a funnel with a tight-fitting cork.

Keeps refrigerated for 30 days.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding the preparation of this recipe. We’re happy to assist! Enjoy!

After many years of making these bottles, we stopped making them in 2011, our last Christmas in Minnesota. The cost for such large and continuing-to-grow numbers of recipients became prohibitive.

Although neither of us drank it, we always kept several bottles to share with guests visiting during the holiday season. It was always a welcomed addition to a cup of fresh French pressed coffee.”

Each year we made dozens of bottles to distribute to family and friends in the weeks before Christmas. Tom handled the blender and filled the bottles while I made the labels, rinsed and dried the bottles’ exterior, and placed the labels when dry. Fortunately, we had an extra refrigerator in our basement where we kept them fresh as we distributed them.

It was one of many traditions we had over the holidays, many with family members and friends. Do we miss all of that? It would be impossible not to miss the memorable events with family and friends. But, when we decided to travel the world in 2012, we left that all behind and embraced our new life.

Dinner for one of our tablemates on the cruise, who ordered the roasted duck.

Again, comparable to the Christmas and New Year’s we spent in a hotel in Buenos Aires in 2018, awaiting our upcoming cruise to Antarctica, Tom’s birthday on December 23, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day will be spent in this hotel room, uneventful, without ceremony, while we watch the days tick down to departing India on January 12, 2021.

That will be in 37 days.

Be safe, be healthy, and begin enjoying the holiday season (for those who celebrate), although it will be different this year for all of us worldwide.

Photo from one year ago today, December 7, 2019:

Photo from 2016. Penguin statues were everywhere in the adorable town of Penguin, Tasmania. For more about the year-ago post, please click here.