An outing filled with culture and unique and unusual finds…Fun photos to share today!…More to follow…

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As we slowed down the car to take photos of the sea, my eyes caught something black moving at a distance. Getting out the car where there was no fence to keep these piglets contained, we squealed with delight, as did this little white piglet who seemed happy to see us.

With a mostly sunny day, we could hardly wait for Ratnesh to arrive to take us out to tour the local scenery. This island and this particular area are most commonly visited by tourists who are avid scuba divers, snorkelers, and seminar attendees at the world-renowned speaker Tony Robbins at his resort, Namala (more on that later after our upcoming visit and tour).

There aren’t as many tourist attractions here with a total of only 14 listed on Trip Advisor’s website that doesn’t include scuba diving. We already visited a few of these sites and will partake in some of the others that don’t include scuba diving.

I guess those who’ve been following us know that I love pigs.

Instead, we immerse ourselves in what appeals to us more than any tourist attractions, the life of the people of Fiji, living for generation on this small island of Vanua Levu, living a life of joy and happiness, always with a warm smile on their faces and a heartfelt “bula!” 

If seeing and being only a small part of their lives during our short three-month stay is all we do, we’ll have experienced more than any brochure or promo piece could ever have accomplished. 

To our good fortune, with Ratnesh as our guide and driver, a kindly and good soul with powerful religious convictions, we are allowed an inside peek into the lives of his people going back many generations. He shares snippets of their traditions with us as we drive.

It appears there were no less than five piglets.  The mom was contained within this wood structure, but the piglets could easily wander about.

Although we ask him questions as we drive, we respect the boundaries of those areas he chooses not to discuss, instead of focusing on that area in which he takes great pride, like yesterday when he shared the stories of the harsh treatment of Fijians before they gained their independence on October 10, 1970.

Included in this link is the detailed history of the Fijian Islands that history buffs may enjoy reading. Reading this site gave us a clearer perspective of Fiji’s history, its resourceful people, and its long road in the development of its independent status. 

With the holiday upcoming in a week, we’ll ask the locals as to the expected celebrations and how, if possible, we may participate, only possible for us with transportation. Next time we see Ratnesh, we’ll ask about his plans for that day, if in fact there is a big celebration in Savusavu.

There was no fence keeping the piglets from wandering off. This wood structure was located on the ocean side of the road with no house nearby other than those across the main road that led to the village.

Yesterday, we drove for two hours to see those areas that Ratnesh explained we may find most interesting. He reveled in our enthusiasm over the “simple” aspects of life in Fiji, whether it be an unusual rock formation, a minuscule island with three trees growing, or a blue lagoon, one would imagine only in their dreams.

It was a glorious day followed up by him dropping us in the center of the village to tend to another customer, promising to return in an hour, giving us plenty of time to wander about the village, stopping in shops and various establishments leaving us ample time to purchase vegetables in the Farmer’s Market and a dozen items in the tiny three aisle grocery store.

The closer we approached, the closer these two came to toward us. We stayed back to avoid disturbing the huge mom contained in the pen.

Much to our delight, two of the several grocery store helpers pointed out that fresh mushrooms had arrived (we purchased all three packages) and two other others we’d previously been unable to find;  cream cheese (we purchased all four packages) and a “turner” (spatula for flipping eggs). 

The helpers were thrilled that the items we inquired about had arrived. Maybe it’s pompous to suggest they ordered these specifically for us but, by the way, they expressed such enthusiasm when we put them into our trolley, we imagined they did in fact have influence in the arrival of these items. We expressed our gratitude with multiple “vinakas” and smiles on our faces.

As we walked away, the adorable white piglet came toward us, “Hey, where are you going?”

As planned, Ratnesh returned in less than an hour as we were checking out. We loaded the car with our stuff and off we went to see Helen at Fiji Meats much further down the road. 

When we arrived to a sign on the door stating, “Back at 4,” we only had to wait a couple of minutes until her return. By the time she had the door open, no less than a half dozen shoppers were waiting to make their meat purchased. The two roasted chickens we ordered early in the morning were ready to go in the heated roaster. 

The ferry that was awaiting passengers for its daily run to the main island of Viti Levu takes several hours.

A pair of anxious tourists ahead of us in line expressed their desire to purchase the chickens in the roaster that were earmarked for us. Helen politely explained she was holding them for us from our order early in the day.  They run out of these chickens each day and it’s imperative to preorder if arriving at 12 pm.  

Had we not planned our entire week’s menu and already shopped for all of the ingredients, we may have been willing to share. But, with no car of our own, and Thursday, our new shopping day when mushrooms arrive at the market in the morning, we’d have been one day short of making it to next Thursday.

The small freezer packed with ice cube trays prevents us from “stocking up” on anything more than what we’d use in one week. We’ve got meal planning worked out, down to a science.

The beach along the drive to the village.

On the way home, I checked the camera to discover I had enough photos to share for many days to come. Before bed, I went through every photo, eliminating the “duds” leaving those in place we’re excited to post, today’s is no exception.

As we share these photos over the next several days, the theme and accompanying stories will evolve, as we continue to discover more and more about this lovely island and people of Vanua Levu and this sleepy village of Savusavu and its surroundings.

Enjoy the day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2014:

Here we are in Hilo on the Big Island, one year ago, when our ship docked at the port. Although we’d be living in Hilo for six weeks beginning in December when our family would begin to arrive, we decided to take a bus which proved to be the wrong bus and we ended up at an odd location. Check here for details as we laughed over faux pas.

Part 2…A look at “real life” in the Fijian Islands, often centered around farming…

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Today’s late posting is a result of a poor wifi signal which has made posting photos and line spacing difficult.  We apologize for the delay.

This duck’s unusual crown caught our attention. He seemed proud of his facial characteristics.

Once we arrived at Kusma’s house to purchase the eggs, we waited outside taking photos of the various chickens, roosters, and ducks wandering about her front yard. 

We weren’t certain if there were more chickens at the back of the house. We preferred not to intrude asking to see more. There were plenty of chickens, gathering around our feet, pecking here and there, seemingly content and busy in their simple chicken lives.

The several roosters began to crow, taking turns at the spotlight.  One, in particular, appeared to be the “cock of the walk” strutting about with a sense of confidence we’d only seen in lions, not necessarily in chickens. It was highly entertaining.

Not only were there chickens wandering about the yard, but there were also a few ducks.

A dear friend of mine in Minnesota lived five minutes from us. She had a well-equipped chicken coup, kept suitably warm in the frigid winters. When I’d visit, she’d holler, “Chickens!” They’d come running, making me howl. She also had a few adult goats, two sisters, that would sit on our laps while in lawn chairs in the garden, while we chatted with cups of coffee in hand. Even then, I couldn’t get enough of animals, regardless of their species.

Kusma came outside and Ratnesh introduced us.  She spoke a little English but not much. “The overwhelming majority of Indo-Fijians speak Fiji Hindustani or Fiji Hindi. This language developed out of contact between speakers of different dialects of Hindi/Urdu (one of the native languages of India) and their bosses on the colonial-era sugar plantations.”

She shook our hands with a hint of trepidation, looking at Ratnesh, a relative whom she knew well, for his approval. He nodded assuring her we were good. In as few words as possible, I explained we’d be staying here in the neighborhood of Korovesi, (comparable to a suburb) for a total of three months and would like to buy her eggs regularly if that was acceptable to her.

The chickens were nibbling on something in this tin bowl. The contents could certainly be a determining factor if the eggs would be considered organic, although they wouldn’t be “certified” by any means, a process not done here in Savusavu.

As best as I could, I explained that Usi would pick them up for us in the future with the ride too difficult in a vehicle. We didn’t see any cars or trucks in the yards of the houses in that mountainous difficult-to-reach area.

I kindly asked for four dozen eggs, for now, knowing we still had the rough walk back up to the car and Ratnesh insisted he carry them.  We’d brought along the cloth bag we purchased in Kenya that has traveled well, laundering it on occasion and happy it’s worn so well for a $2 purchase so long ago. The four dozen eggs fit perfectly into the bag.

She charged us FJD $20, USD $9.20 which translates to FJD $5.00, USD $2.40 a dozen. Not too bad a price for free-range and antibiotic-free eggs. She may charge the local less, but we were content to pay her whatever she deemed fair.

It looks as if a pair of shorts fell off the clothesline and one of the birds dragged it away from the line.

Whether or not her eggs could have been classified as organic under other circumstances remains to be seen, as described below, for example from the USDA (not necessarily our favorite government entity):

“The label USDA Organic is your best bet when buying chicken or eggs. In terms of chicken, it means that your bird has been fed a vegetarian diet that is also organic and therefore does not include any GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or chemical pesticides.

It also means that the birds must be raised according to organic standards within two days of being born, are not fed any hormones, antibiotics, or drugs, have access to outdoor space, clean drinking water, and be raised “per animal health and welfare standards” according to the USDA.”

The roosters were competing for crowing rights, each taking his turn.

We highly doubt Kusma’s chickens are given hormones, antibiotics, or any other types of drugs. We witnessed the free-roaming aspect when we arrived unannounced to a few dozen chickens and several ducks wandering in the front yard. We noticed a faucet with spring water provided for the chickens and the household. There’s no city water in the area. (We’ve had no problems drinking the spring water, although if in town, we’d only drink bottled water).

We also noticed a large tin bucket filled with some type of feed.  We can’t assume the feed in that bucket was non-GMO. But, pesticides aren’t used in Fiji or, for that matter, in many other parts of the world. Most free-range chickens are fed some type of feed when the immediate surroundings may not provide enough nutrients to produce good eggs. (Kusma’s yard had been well pecked to the bare soil in spots).

We observed this with feral chickens in Kauai, in the thousands or more, skinny and malnourished living off the land, still able to produce offspring and survive. Residents we spoke with explained that many have tried catching and cooking them only to find they’re tough and relatively inedible.

Homes with tin roofs, many worn and old, maintained to the best of the ability of the owners over decades.

Perhaps the bucket a few of the chickens were nibbling from contained Kusma’s leftover food scraps for all we know. Goodness, when I cook each day, I have enough leftovers to feed that many chickens bits of meat and vegetable scraps. We didn’t ask. Many local people don’t have a lot of resources to purchase chicken feed and may easily manage off of what is available in their daily lives or growing under their feet. 

Kusma took the Kenya bag from us, entered the house, and several minutes later returning with the four dozen eggs in used crates (which we’ll return) neatly fitting into the bag. It was heavier than one might expect. 
Taking several photos, eggs in hand, we said goodbye thanking Kusma with a heartfelt “vinaka” (thank you in Fijian), and began the muddy trek back up the hill to the car. Luckily, Ratnesh has cardboard for floor mats in his car. We tried getting the mud off our shoes as best as we could on the wet grass, unable to completely do so.
We made it back without slipping or falling and once again were on our way to the village for the rest of our shopping. The cloud cover had returned and the air was thick with humidity. 
These large pots in the window of the hardware store inspired me to stop in to look for a kitchen utensil.
Ratnesh dropped us off at the Farmer’s Market where we could easily scurry about to our favorite vendors finding everything we purchase each time. Then, we made the short walk across the road to the small grocery store for the balance. 

When checking out, I called Ratnesh to pick us up. With disappointment in his voice, he explained he wouldn’t be able to pick us up for another 25 minutes. He was picking up a customer for a ride to the airport.

We’d told him he’s free to take other fares after dropping us off, not asking him to wait for us. We’d anticipate the shopping would take longer but having gone shopping only four days earlier we needed only a dozen items at the grocer. Thus, we called him 30 minutes earlier than he’d expected.

After paying for our food, the clerk told us we could leave our food inside in the trolley inside the AC store while we waited.  The trolleys aren’t allowed outside nor could they make it down the several steps to the street. Hands-free, we stood outside the building for 25 minutes waiting for Ratnesh.

Easily entertained while people-watching, the time passed quickly. I ran across the street to a hardware store while Tom stayed behind. Would they carry a “turner” (spatula) used for flipping eggs? They had some huge pots in the window as shown in the above photo. Surely, they must have kitchen wares.

Houses in the surrounding area.
They didn’t have a turner or any other kitchenware and suggested we try the grocery stores which we’d already done without any luck. There is no kitchen wares type store anywhere in Savusavu.  Why would they when such items are handed down from generation to generation or otherwise shipped when foreigners decide to make Fiji their full or part-time residence? Tourists don’t typically purchase kitchen utensils. 

When Ratnesh returned we head directly to see Helen at Fiji Meats, who was holding two roasted chickens for us after we’d called earlier in the day with the request. They’re delicious, wheat-free, and easier to purchase already roasted rather than using the portable atop our kitchen counter, making the house hot on these hot humid days.   

Once back home by 4 pm, I was busy until dinnertime, washing all the veggies and attempting to make room in the tiny refrigerator for everything we’d purchased. The fridge and freezer are the same sizes we had in Trinity Beach and many other locations.  I’m getting good at this task, somehow managing to fit everything inside, fresh washed and ready to prepare.

Yesterday afternoon, I washed the outside of two dozen of Kusma’s eggs in a  bowl of lukewarm water with a little sink soap.  Getting the exterior clean is important when cracking open raw eggs to avoid contamination.

Taking a better part of the afternoon, I cooked four packages of streaky bacon (10 slices per pack) to make another batch of Tom’s favorite breakfast quiche (crust-less), dicing each slice of bacon into bite-sized pieces, hand grating the cheese, dicing and precooking the onions. Cracking the 24 cleaned eggs, I was pleased not to find a single bad egg.

Unusual marking on this duck gave him the rights for the main photo today.
Baking the egg dish in three batches since I only had the two pans we’d shipped from Australia, the end result was 20 portions which I  always freeze in sandwich bags for three days portions, taking out a new bag each three days to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Tom has this every morning for breakfast. Although I love this dish, I’m never hungry in the morning.

With the leftover cooked bacon I’d diced, I made the Ghee, Garlic, and Bacon Green Beans with lots of spices. I’d carefully washed the green beans but when done cooking the dish while placing it into a container, I spotted a worm I’d cooked in the pan while sautéing the beans. I flicked it away and continued on. We reheated a batch to have with dinner last night and will do so again tonight.

I feel like a farm wife in some ways. Although I don’t clean much, other than after cooking and only hand wash kitchen towels and my underwear, I find myself spending the better part of each afternoon preparing food that may have already been prepared when purchasing it years ago in the US.

The only thing missing from being a real farm wife is the mashed potatoes, homemade bread, and of course, the apple pie with hand-rolled crust. I made those in our old lives prior to eating this way. Instead, now, we have mashed cauliflower on occasion, low carb grain free muffins, and coconut cookies for dessert. No complaining here. It’s all good.

For those of our readers disinterested in food, we apologize for this extended period of stories about purchasing and preparing local foods. For now, we’ll move on to other topics. Thanks for hanging with us.

For the foodies out there, we often receive comments and support for our discussions about food shopping and prep particularly from those attempting to adopt a more healthy manner of eating. Thank you all for the positive feedback.

Have a fun-filled safe weekend, treasuring every moment. It’s raining again today. So it goes…life in the tropics.

Photo from one year ago today, September 27, 2014:

Rough seas and all, the Captain’s Club party aboard the ship carries on as we continued on course to Hawaii. For more details, please click here.

Part 1…A look at “real life” in the Fijian Islands, often centered around farming…

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As we approached this pair atop this table turned away from us while others curiously meandered toward us.

The longer we’ve traveled, the less interest we’ve had in traditional tourist points of interest, other than the often revered scenic beauty at particulars sites and the viewing and photographing wildlife indigenous to the country.

As we shape our “travel personalities” we’ve found a gradual change over time, one in which we’re often unaware until…a scenario is presented to us and we are overwhelmed with a sense of intrigue, compassion, and enthusiasm to gain insight into the lives of the true locals, generations of families working hard to survive in an often difficult environment.

So it was yesterday when we stumbled upon such an opportunity when all we wanted was to purchase fresh, free-range eggs. Since our arrival, buying eggs at the market, we’ve found at least two of each dozen to be rotten like we’ve never seen before. Rotten eggs (black on the inside) are most likely caused by bacteria. 

This is the beginning of the dirt road we traveled to Kusma’s house. Bouncing in the car made it impossible to hold the camera steady.  Thus, a few blurry photos today.

We realize this is a risk when buying free-range eggs from a market when we have no idea how or where they’ve come from or how long they’ve been sitting on the shelves. In asking around, we discovered from our sweet housekeeper Usi, that there’s an egg farm nearby, not necessarily easy to get to. 

Usi suggested we ask Ratnesh to drive us up the mountain to a little village of approximately 60 homes and see Kusma, whose entire family income is derived from the sale of eggs. The thought of being able to add even a tiny bit to that income, purchasing her free-range, chemical-free eggs during our remaining time in Savusavu, only added to our enthusiasm. 

Buying local has been an ongoing objective as we’ve traveled the world, supporting the hard-working local farmers and food producers in our desire for chemical-free, fresh foods befitting our way of eating.

I’d wished we could stop for photos but Ratnesh had to maintain momentum the higher we climbed.

Yesterday, when the sun peeked out for a short period with a downpour predicted in the afternoon, we called Ratnesh to take us to the egg farm and another trip into town for the Farmer’s Market, grocery and meat market. 

It makes us smile at how little we typically purchase at the grocery store, using yesterday’s purchases as an example; bar soap, paper towels, plastic bags, sponges and sink soap, locally made cultured sour cream (used in making salad dressing), canned coconut cream (without added sugar), real cream from New Zealand for coffee, ground coffee (only one brand available), sea salt (we’re almost finished with our Costco container of Himalayan salt) and Italian spices.  

Many items are simply not available here: Parmesan cheese or any similar cheese, grated cheese (we grate chunks of “pizza cheese” by hand); cream cheese; onion or garlic powder (used in many of our recipes); fresh mushrooms, romaine lettuce, parchment paper or a metal spatula, to name a few.

There are approximately 60 homes in this area, Ratnesh explained, many of them his relatives.
Over 40% of people living in Fiji today are descendants from India: See below for details:
“Most Indo-Fijians are the descendants of indentured laborers brought to Fiji during the nineteenth century by the British. In the system of indentured labor, workers (who had been moved to a new country against their will) were forced to perform a job for little or no pay until they earned enough money to buy their freedom. The system was created to provide cheap workers for British colonies after the abolition of slavery in Britain and its colonies in 1833.

The first indentured laborers from India arrived in Fiji in 1879 and the indenture system lasted until 1916. Other immigrants from India arrived in Fiji in the early twentieth century, and they opened small shops in the coastal towns. The Indo-Fijians are part of the South Asian diaspora (a community of ethnically related displaced peoples) that includes the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, Trinidad in the Caribbean, Guyana in South America, South Africa, and North America.”

The only produce we’ve purchased at the grocery store has been celery which is unavailable at the Farmer’s Market. We purchase no meat or frozen products only buying fresh at the other locations.

One might think, reading here, that we’re obsessed with food. Perhaps, we are. But, a huge part of the lives of locals centers around the production and sale of food products. Why not embrace these foods into our lives as well, when we can’t eat out much due to our diet and, we love our homemade meals using the products that are available?

The beautiful vegetation we see in our yard extends to all areas.

For us, purchasing and preparing food has become of even greater interest than years ago when anyone that knew me knew I was a “foodie.” Just because the types of foods I can eat have changed, my interest and desire remain firmly in place to create great meals providing us with nourishment and pleasure. For most of us, we derive tremendous pleasure from food. Why not enjoy good food as opposed to unhealthy?

Over these past months, watching Tom continually lose weight, a little each month, eating exactly what I eat with the exception of some vegetables, has only added to our combined interest. Seeing his belly shrink month after month, only makes me happy in one regard…perhaps he’ll be healthy and around longer. 

Selfishly, I want him around and free of the health problems often associated with belly fat which also indicates fat wrapped around one’s internal organs. Also, he seems to like it when his pants fit. We don’t have the privilege of hauling clothing in various sizes to accommodate a change in waist size (for either of us).

With clothes dryers an unnecessary luxury in third world countries, clotheslines are seen in most yards.

I don’t give a hoot about the “look” of the big belly, it’s only what it represents that worries me, and hearing him huff and puff carrying our bags when he’s also carrying extra poundage on his body is also worrisome as we age. With the belly gone, his strength and ability to haul the bulk of our heavy bags have only improved.

When Ratnesh arrived and we explained our desire to go to Kusma’s farm for eggs, he hesitated. We sensed this immediately, quickly explaining if he didn’t want to make that drive, no problem. Usi had offered to bring us Kusma’s eggs the next time she walks up the mountain to visit her family who lives nearby. We knew it was going to be a steep drive on a muddy, pothole, dirt road, a challenge, based on what Usi had told us.

Ratnesh thought it over and in his desire to please, he insisted it would be OK as long as we didn’t mind bouncing around up the steep and uneven road. We didn’t mind. We gave him several opportunities to decline.  He turned them all down and off we went. 

This was the first of many goats we encountered in the area.  The only meat the locals eat is goat, lamb, fish (they catch), and chicken. 

I realize we wrote that the drive up the mountain with Sewak as the steepest road we’ve traveled in a vehicle.  Now, we can add, that the road to Kusma’s home was the most uneven, steep, rutted road we’ve traveled on during these past years. Wow! The ride in itself was an adventure. 

Sitting in the backseat by myself with Tom in the front with Ratnesh, I practically hung out the window taking photos. It was impossible for Ratnesh to stop for my photo taking or he’d lose his momentum. We continued on for some time until finally, he parked on a patch of wild grass when we could go no further.

We had no choice to walk up the remainder of the muddy hill to Kusma’s house. There was no way either of us were going to say we wouldn’t walk up the dangerous balance of the hill when Ratnesh worked so hard getting up the hill. Tom hung onto me most of the way with much younger Ratnesh offering another hand over a  few particularly rough spots. 

Finally, we arrived at Kusma’s house after we navigated down this slippery hill, still wet from all the rain.

I could easily have made it up the hill on my own but we’re extra cautious to avoid me falling, which could topple my delicate spine putting a fast end to our travels. We easily recall when the steps collapsed under our feet in Belize in 2013. Click here for that story with photos, if you missed it.

Recalling the hike to the Queen’s Bath in Kauai (click here for the story, if you missed it as well), I knew we could make it. By far, that was much more treacherous. This was a “walk in the park” comparatively. For these young fit Fijians who walk up and down these hills all of their lives, this hike is a normal course of life.

Finally, we arrived, shoes muddy, bodies sweaty and filled with excitement. The level of excitement we felt wasn’t about eggs. It was about being in this tucked away village with Fijians who’d spent their lives in this remote area, often living off the land. Tomorrow, we’ll share the continuation of this story with many more photos including the trip into the village after the visit to the farm.

It’s these types of experiences that make all of our travels meaningful and purposeful; the people, their lives, their love of nature and their surroundings, and their willingness to share even a tiny piece of it with us. How did we get so lucky? 

Photo from this date one year ago, September 26, 2014:

It was one year ago aboard the Celebrity Soltice, on our way from Vancouver to Honolulu, that we experienced some rough seas. Check out this video. For more details, please click here.

Hot…hot..hot…and humid…Visit to the village to meet with customs officer…Busy productive day!

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The main street in Savusavu is always a flurry of activity with more locals shopping than tourists. 

When packing the box in Australia to be shipped to Fiji, we couldn’t help but be concerned that we’d have trouble getting it through customs when there are many restrictions on food items that may be brought into this country.

With no known venomous insects, snakes, and flies in Fiji, certain types of food may potentially be carriers of eggs and larvae. Of course, we carefully perused the list of prohibited items not noticing any specific comments regarding any restrictions on anything that could be construed as nut flours, coconut, extracts, and ground flax meal.

We included several non-food items in the box: the camera tripod, a measuring cup and spoons, a spatula, and one bottle each of shampoo and conditioner, none of which were restricted.

This is the market where the local people shop. It doesn’t work for us when it mostly includes packaged food whereby we purchase most fresh items. However, I’ve checked it a few times for specific ingredients with little luck.

With a maximum value of FJD $1000, US $463 allowable to avoid customs fees for a single box entering the country, we didn’t expect there to be much in the way of fees. But, having experienced custom inspections and resulting fees on previously shipped supplies to other countries, it was the roll of the dice.

Our new neighbors, the lovely couple we met a few days ago from the US, Judy and Chris, asked if they could share the ride with us to the village since they, too, had to go to the post office. Ratnesh was waiting for all of us shortly before 11 am.

We didn’t mind sharing the taxi, especially when we all agreed during the ride that once we parted at the post office, we were on our own having Ratnesh return us home separately at our leisure. Well, not entirely leisurely.  It was one hot and busy day. With the humidity at 100% and temps at a peak for Fiji, the air was thick with our clothes sticking to us.

It’s hard to believe that Western Union store still exists.

On the way to the post office, Tom jumped out at ATM to ensure we’d have plenty of cash for the post office, should we be charged a customs fee. A few blocks further down the main road in the village, we arrived at the post office. 

Expecting a tiny post office and photo op, we were surprised to find a good-sized facility, not necessarily photo-worthy. There were lines for purchasing stamps, mailing packages, and reloading phone SIM cards with a separate area for receiving international packages.

The customs guy is only available on weekdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. We arrived at 11:30 to a fairly long slow line. With the packaging weighing 22 kilos, 49 pounds, and with food shopping on the agenda, we asked Ratnesh to wait for us so we could put the box in the trunk of his vehicle leaving it there while we took care of other shopping.

Next door to the bottle shop is another clothing store and a restaurant.

Unsure as to how long it would take to pick up the package, we planned to get it first to avoid having the groceries waiting in the car in the heat.  A to-do list for the day included another trip to the Vodafone store when I’d accidentally used all the credit by leaving the phone on after hanging up from Ratnesh on a prior call. Lesson learned.

As we waited in line for 25 minutes, Ratnesh explained we could buy data at the other window, avoiding another long line and wait at the outdoor Vodafone kiosk near the Farmer’s Market. With me having to do the “sell job” to the customs guy that we weren’t resellers and had shipped the products for our own personal use, Tom waited in the SIM card line to reload the phone card.  One more item ticked off the “to do” list.

Finally, it was my turn. The receipt Mario had dropped off in the morning stated they needed our tax ID number, there again assuming the multiple bags of food products were for resale. 

Tom has yet to purchase a bottle of alcohol in these past months since arriving in the South Pacific. He says he doesn’t have a taste for it now. In January, back onboard a ship, he’ll fire it up again, when the drink package is included in the price of the fare. Tom’s always been a lightweight drinker.

Having brought along passports and the doctor’s list of the foods I can consume which included many of the products in the box, I easily explained to the two customs officers that we weren’t a business selling food and that the products would go directly into our kitchen as prescribed in the attached “doctor’s list.” 

They opened the huge box, rifling through its contents looking for contraband or other non-allowable items.  This wasn’t easy to do as tightly as we’d packed it. After several minutes and a few questions, they taped up the box, stamped a form, and charged us the standard post office package pickup fee of FJD $4.50, USD $2.09. 

Within minutes, we were back on the road again to be dropped off at the Farmer’s Market to purchase produce, walk to the New World grocer, where Ratnesh would pick us up when we were done.

There’s a variety of clothing stores in the village, mostly to appeal to tourists.

Wandering around the huge Farmer’s Market we had a little trouble finding everything on our list but managed to find everything except celery which we later found at the grocery store; limp and a few days old. After a good wash and a soak in ice water, it revived nicely. We were never able to find celery in Belize or Kenya. 

We were surprised by the price of red bell peppers at FDJ $25, USD $11.59 per kilo at the Farmer’s Market, appearing to be the most expensive item in the market. Since a kilo is 2.2 pounds, it doesn’t seem to be quite as expensive by the pound. We paid FDJ $10, USD $4.63 for one large pepper, referred to as capsicum in Fiji, as well as in Australia where they were considerably less expensive.

Each week, I’ve been cooking a pan of diced roasted vegetables including red bell pepper, eggplant (aubergine), carrot, and onion, all well seasoned with whatever we have on hand, cooked in healthy ghee. Reheating a portion each night, goes well with any meal. Tom won’t eat this dish.

Another clothing store appealing more upscale based on its nice signage. However, once inside there more typical tourist type wear, tee shirts, shorts, dresses, and swimwear.

It’s not easy finding items at the three-row grocery store but, it was air-conditioned, making the task easier. With no fresh meat department, a tiny produce department and a single refrigerated dairy section the pickings are slim.

The only hard cheeses available are chunks of a local “Tasty” brand and “pizza cheese,” no specific mozzarella, cheddar, or Parmesan. There’s no grated cheese although they carry Crème Fraiche and Marscapone which is squeezed from small tinfoil packs. We purchased both of these as alternatives to cream cheese which we use in preparing some dishes.

For several recipes, we use homemade ketchup which I’m making today. The low carb recipe calls for onion and garlic powder. After searching four markets, these items were nowhere to be found. I wish I’d thought of this before we shipped the box. I’ll improvise using fresh garlic and onion, straining the ketchup when it’s done cooking using a small strainer I found in the cupboard.

It was impossible to avoid stepping inside the Hot Bread Kitchen when the smells wafting through the air as we walked by brought back memories of bread baking days.

What else do I have to do when there’s no housework required, other than clean up after cooking, hand washing kitchen towels, and my limited supply of underwear? I don’t mind these types of tasks which keep me busy for most afternoons on rainy days, such as today.

When the shopping at New World was completed, we called Ratnesh.  He’d taken another customer to the airport and would arrive in about 12 minutes. With no “trolleys” allowed outside the market, we stood outside in the heat with all of our produce and grocery items.

As we stood waiting, we couldn’t help but observe the hustle and bustle on a Monday in the little village of Savusavu. The storefronts, worn with unrestricted signage cluttering the exteriors, reminded us of many villages we’ve visited in our travels. 

It’s fun to look, not touch.

And yet, Savusavu is unique in its own special way. The colorful clothes of the locals, the friendly smiles and greetings of “bula!” by passersby and the general feeling of safety in this tiny community reminds us of how lucky we are to be traveling the world, experiencing even the simplest aspects of life in other lands.

As we become familiar faces to the locals in the markets, we begin to feel as if we’re fitting in and somehow belong here, at least for now. When I dashed across the street to another market in search of a few items, while Tom waited outside, I ran into Salote in the other market, used mostly by the locals. Giving her a warm hug when she spotted me, further added to a sense of belonging.

On the way home, we stopped at Fiji Meats purchasing enough meats to last for a week. Helen, the store owner, recognized and welcomed us while we asked her about her recent vacation/holiday when Louisa had handled our purchases while she was away for a week.

We walked up a steep flight of stairs to check out a few shops above lower-level shops. 

When we arrived home by 2 pm, Ratnesh carried the heavy box down the long walkway from the road to the house. We paid him well for the extra waiting time, FDJ $40, USD $18.54.  He said it was “too much.” We insisted. 

Back at home in the heat, we cranked up the fan in the living area, poured ourselves fresh glasses of iced tea and I busied myself for the remainder of the afternoon; putting away the groceries, washing and cutting veggies, making a big salad for dinner, and unpacking the big box. 

Only one package of coconut flour was damaged when the shampoo leaked and the coconut flour spilled mixed with shampoo over the exterior of most of the packages. It took an hour to wipe off each of the individual bags ensuring none of the shampoo had leaked inside. We only lost one bag of coconut flour.

Its not that hard to find a parking spot on the street even on busy days. Many locals travel on foot and by bus with the bus station in the center of town.

When done unpacking everything, I baked 20 low carbs (2 grams each) coconut macaroons to be savored at two cookies each in the evening after dinner as a treat. Placing four cookies in small bags to be frozen I take out one bag each afternoon to defrost. In five nights we’ll have consumed all 20 cookies. 

It’s no wonder we included 18 bags of unsweetened shredded organic coconut in the parcel.  One batch of 20 cookies uses one entire bag of unsweetened shredded coconut. As a result, the 18 bags we shipped will last the entire time we’re here. We’d done all of these silly calculations when we purchased the products in Australia.

With heavy rains again today, we’re staying put, the content we have almost everything we need for now including the necessity of a few “workarounds.” This, dear readers, in essence, is a part of what makes our lives of travel interesting to us and hopefully to some of YOU! 

                                            Photo from one year ago today, September 22, 2014:

View over the bay in Vancouver from the high rise condo.  In a matter of days, we’d board the ship to Hawaii.  For details, please click here.

Part 2…Road trip…Port Douglas…Lots to share after a perfect day…Photos shown in progression…Cecil, the slaughtered lion…One of our lion photos..

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A number of visitors were lounging in this beach park in Port Douglas.

As we toured the town of Port Douglas we were amazed at how easy is was to navigate the many points of interest. Although the downtown area was packed with tourists it had a laid back, unhurried feel uncommon in tourist beach towns.

The main street, Macrossan Street, in Port Douglas consisted of one store, shop, and restaurant after another.

Whether we wandered the quaint streets or walked the Four Mile Beach we always felt safe and comfortable.  The only fear was going into the water where stingers lurked in abundance awaiting their next brush against human skin to leave their indelible mark. 

Taking photos was easy on a sunny day.

We surmised that the possibility of being stung by one of many of a variety of stingers keeps swimmers out of the water at all of the pristine beaches we’ve visited over these many weeks. 

More shopping continued on Wharf Street.

We noticed that there are no vendors lining the beaches in Queensland scrambling in an attempt to sell their wares. Either there are laws regarding this or, we are in an area of less poverty than many other areas of the world we’ve visited in the past. 

There are almost 100 restaurants in Port Douglas.

Its become familiar to us to being approached by locals trying to encourage us to purchase their handmade crafts and local trinkets. With no room in our luggage and no home to eventually use or store such products, buying anything doesn’t fit into the realm of our lives. 

Many of the restaurants are huge and elaborate attracting the most finicky of diners.

Without question, we certainly appreciate the diligence and hard work of those vendors throughout the world.  But, for us, practicality must prevail.

As we wandered on foot a beach area, we spotted the historic Court House and museum. Unfortunately, it was closed or we’d have loved to go inside.

As we wandered the main streets in Port Douglas, we realized that no matter how much “sightseeing” we do, we don’t fit into the typical tourist category. Walking past the shops we chuckled over how unlikely it is that we’d purchase any of the clothing, bags, shoes, and household goods.

Tom was admiring the trees at the beach park.

And, the many charming beachfront restaurants didn’t appeal to our senses either when we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that dining in restaurants in Australia may not be possible for me. 

An unusual tree with a portion of its root system above ground.

Checking out every posted menu as we walked, we further confirmed this fact. Most of the meats offered on the menus are coated in sauces and battered in a manner that doesn’t work for me. The side dishes are starchy and often tinged with sugar. 

It’s winter in Australia and we don’t see as many of flowers as there are in the spring.

The thought of spending US $22, AUD $30 for a unseasoned slab of barramundi and a plain lettuce salad doesn’t appeal to me when we can go to our favorite fish market and purchase barramundi for under US $5, AUD $9 a serving, seasoned by us to perfection, with a side of sautéed veggies, a salad with homemade dressing and a coconut flour muffin slathered with grass-fed butter.

We wandered about this beautiful beach park.
When dining in restaurants we have the concern of the food having been cooked in the same pan as those items I cannot have. The risk of contamination is high. Nor do we expect restaurant cooks and chefs to make special accommodations for me with the use of their cookware.
The views from every direction were breathtaking.

Sure, we’d love to visit a fabulous beach area and sit down for meal.  But, we always remember that we wouldn’t be traveling the world if it weren’t for my strict low carb, grain free, starch free, sugar free and chemical free way of eating that brought me to exquisite good health after years of suffering. 

A buoy to mark low water.

If Tom would like to dine out, I’m happy to join him and order that plain steak or fish and plain salad with nary a complaint. Surprisingly, after all of this time, Tom doesn’t feel shortchanged. Perhaps, that is why he loves cruising. 

The tide was low giving us an entirely different perspective of the beach.

While on a cruise, Tom can order anything he wants without concern or worry when the ship’s chefs manage to make everything work for me as they do for many other passengers with special diets.

There are many beaches that are covered with rock but, overall the beaches we’ve seen are sandy.

Without shopping, without dining out, without spending on pricey tourist attractions we happily find an entire world of wonder that we easily appreciate and cherish for its natural and unique beauty. 

This enormous Banyan Tree reminded us of the tree across the street from our condo in Honolulu.

In our old lives of seldom traveling, we’d often spend considerable time at the hotel, the pool, the hotel’s beach, a wide array of local restaurants, and visiting a few choice attractions popular in the area. This gave us a limited perspective of the area.

Possibly, a memorial for a beloved individual lost to the sea in this location.

Now, we live in an area shopping in their shops, cooking their locally grown foods, meeting the locals, wandering through their farmer’s markets, and most of all visiting those special places that Mother Nature created for us to respect and, for us to appreciate with love and care.

For this, we are grateful and for this, Port Douglas never let us down. 

From this view, we were seated in white chairs facing the ocean, left from a recent wedding. It was a perfect spot for a wedding.
It was these rose petals on the ground that made us realize that a recent wedding had been held in this spot.

On Cecil the lion: We can’t avoid addressing the recent heartbreaking slaughter of Cecil, the lion, in Zimbabwe, Africa.  Rather than rant our personal views which our many worldwide readers can easily imagine, we share this well-written tribute by Simon Espley to Cecil on my personal favorite website, Africa Geographic:

“While that rich American dentist and the hunting industry at large, scramble for excuses and justifications for their actions, your rivals will already have killed your cubs and settled into your territory. Yes, those weak ones who could not challenge you now run your kingdom. See more at http://africageographic.com/blog/rip-cecil-lion-king/#sthash.KHlfCBVR.dpuf

You, Cecil, are the reason I am a proud African. Your spirit, your grace, and your courage epitomize my Africa. You are the reason my team and I do what we do. I am so sorry that you had to endure 40 painful hours with an arrow lodged in your body, that you were then shot, beheaded, and skinned – turned into a trophy for a man whose only understanding of Africa is that our laws cannot protect you from his money.

 I am sorry that more was not done to protect you and I am outraged that you and your kind are seen not as kings, but as commodities. On a selfish level, I am sorry because I will never see you with my own eyes.

RIP big guy, and know that many of us humans DO care, and we are trying, desperately, to fight for you and yours. A luta continua!”  (translated:  the fight goes on)

Last photograph of Cecil with his pack friend Jericho (standing) a month before he was killed
Last known photo of Cecil (lying down) and Jericho who both protected their 25 cubs. Now, with Cecil gone, Jericho may not be able to protect those cubs on his own, resulting in their death. (We borrowed this photo from the UK Telegraph).
We took this photo as one of many lion photos that we had the gift of seeing in the Masai Mara in October 2013 while on a photo safari. This experience forever changed our hearts and minds with love and appreciation of these magnificent beings. For more photos and details of our safari which we spread over many posts, please begin by clicking here and continuing on from there.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, July 30, 2014:

Our last night in Madeira, Portugal as we’d begin the trip to Paris in the morning. It was a memorable two and a half months but, as always, we were ready to continue on.  For that final post with some of our favorite photos, please click here.

Challenge at the grocery store…Adapting to food differences presents challenges…How much did we spend?

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Aussies we met on the ship suggested we try kangaroo meat.  I haven’t convinced myself to try this yet.  Tom is definitely not interested.

For those of our readers who have little interest in food, the cost of food, the availability of food, and our ability to find foods appropriate to our way of eating, this post is not for you. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more non-food related conversation.

Let’s face it, food is a big part of all of our lives. We may find pleasure in what we chose to eat. Food has the ability to provide us with good health. Some revel in the shopping and preparation of food. Food may accompany certain recreational occasions. Food and wine (or other drink of choice) may represent romance and celebrations.

We can’t escape from food, even if we want to. We have to eat to survive. We may choose to enjoy the process of figuring out our next meal or we can struggle with guilt and angst (or not) over a stop for fast food or other less than healthy pre-made and restaurant food. 

Ground beef is referred to as mince in Australia as we found in some other parts of the world such as in Africa, Italy and Portugal.

Some who prefer not to cook may have found excellent sources of pre-made or pre-cooked meals that fit both their survival and goal of good health. There are many who may choose ways of eating that have no rhyme or reason or may prefer a wide array of eating options to include: low carb, low fat, paleo, low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegetarian, vegan, and many more that have brought them to a point of good health. 

Wouldn’t all of us choose to eat in a manner that brings us good health, longevity and also a level of enjoyment in eating our chosen type of diet? For many younger people (and older as well), little thought is given to what they eat or the long-term consequences of their choices. That, too, becomes a choice in itself.

I’m not here to preach any particular manner of eating. If I’ve seemed to do so, as we’ve traveled the world, striving to maintain a level of health that will allow us to continue on for years to come, I apologize for “stuffing” you with our choices and opinions. The bottom line, what works for each of us?

You can easily enlarge this receipt to read the details of yesterday’s grocery shopping at Woolie’s. The AUD $227.57 for Woolie’s translates to US $175.86.  This total didn’t include the veggies at US $32.77, AUD $42.41, and Italian sausage at US $13.45, AUD  $17.40.

In the past few weeks, Tom has returned to my way of eating beginning back on the ship on the last few days when he’d had his fill of bread, sweets and starchy foods.  He’s since lost 15 pounds of belly fat. His shorts and pants now button easily. 

I look at him several times of day, in awe of the reduction in the size of his waistband, surely an indicator of future good health. Extreme amounts of belly fat has been proven, over and over again to have a bearing on health, well being and life span. 

I wouldn’t care about the appearance of a big belly if it was an indicator of good health. But, unfortunately, it is not. And nothing gives us both more joy than knowing that our continued good health is the primary reason we’ll have the opportunity to continue on our journey long into the future. It is only poor health or serious injury that will put an end to this life we live.

Fallen coconuts sprouting into what will eventually be coconut trees.

Yesterday, we headed to Woolie’s, a popular supermarket in Australia. Having visited a few other markets, we found that overall Woolie’s has the best selections. 

Over the past week, I’d made a list of several items we’d needed to purchase for meals that we particularly enjoy befitting our chosen diet that we’ve mentioned many times in these posts; one, our grain, starch, and sugar-free sausage, mushroom, onion, and olive pizza made with a cheese and egg crust and two, a staple for us, our “unwich,” a bread-free sandwich wrapped in parchment paper using large romaine lettuce leaves to hold it together. 

Here’s the link to our gluten-free pizza recipe.

Here’s the link to instructions and recipes for making our bread-less sandwiches.

We hadn’t had either of these meals in over a month and were looking forward to having them again, leaving leftovers for a few more meals. As I mentioned in the past, we have little room in the small fridge and freezer making it challenging to stock up for a week or more.

With metered wifi, we won’t be able to spend time online looking for names of plants and flowers. We saw this particular bloom in Hawaii but can’t recall the name of it. Any suggestions?

On our menu for the upcoming week, we’d planned for the following meals:
1.  3 nights:  Unwich, made fresh each night. The fresh deli meats only last four days before spoiling and thus it makes sense to have this for three nights
2.  3 nights:  Homemade pizza
3.  2 nights:  Homemade coconut chicken tenders
All of the above includes a side of vegetables and a salad, made fresh each day. This menu plan allows for eight dinners and few, if any, trips back to the market except for a few fresh veggies.

As I wandered through the market while Tom sat on a bench nearby ready to help me when I was done, I found myself at a loss when I couldn’t find many of the items necessary to make the above meals befitting my way of eating.

All of the pasta sauces necessary for making the pizza were loaded with sugar, starch, wheat and chemicals. At the deli, all but one type of the deli meats (a bland-looking ham) we typically use in making the sandwiches; roast beef, turkey, ham and salami had massive amounts of sugar, gluten and chemicals. 

Tropical flowers proliferate in tropical climates such as here in Trinity Beach in the northern part of Australia which is warmer year-round than many other parts of the continent. This is a bottle brush flower which we’d also seen in Kauai at the Princeville Botanical Gardens.

Deli meats should have no added sugar and less than one gram of carbohydrates per serving. Many of the meats were 5 carb grams per serving indicating large amounts of additives. Plain beef, pork, chicken, turkey have zero grams of carbs per serving.

After driving the deli guy crazy asking him to look up the ingredients in the meats, which appeared to be freshly-sliced meat, we discovered that the meats were filled with grains and sugars of varying types, none of which I could or would be willing to eat other than the bland ham. 

Since Tom doesn’t react to small amounts of sugar or gluten, I purchased the usual items for him. Would I not be able to have an unwich, one of my favorite items, while we live in Australia?

The only solution that would work for me was to make my sandwiches with cooked uncured streaky bacon, avocado, natural Jarlsburg cheese without additives, the gluten, the bland ham, spinach, lettuce, tomato and onion, an alternative that proved to be delicious.

We’d never seen anything quite like these growing fruit or pods as in this tree in the yard.  Any ideas?

As for the pizza that we’ll make in a few days, I will forgo the sauce, instead spreading a bit of our homemade ketchup (I made this the first few days we arrived), seasoned with Italian spices. This will ensure I won’t be consuming gluten, additives, or sugar. Luckily, I found free-range organic chicken without added hormones and won’t have any trouble making our coconut chicken tenders. 

I must admit I scoured the market attempting to find more appropriate items. We use a few pre-made products. A few nights ago, I used a bottle of what was referred to as “American” mustard that I’d purchased, never thinking to read the label. American mustard is usually made with mustard seeds, vinegar, salt, and water. 

When I squeezed a glob of the mustard onto my plate and dipped my gluten-free sausage into it, taking a bite I was shocked by the sweet taste. It was loaded with sugar, one portion including four grams of sugar compared to a teaspoon of sugar. I wiped the mustard off my plate, later tossing the squeeze bottle into the trash.

We’ve yet to use the pool when its been cloudy or raining most days since we arrived, including today.

In all, my disappointment is over the long list of ingredients in many foods which includes chemicals, grains, starches, and sugar that are entirely unnecessary in our diets. This is not an Australian thing. It is universal in many countries throughout the world many of which we visited over these past few years.

As a result, I’ll stick to my usual “food in its natural state” as best as I can while avoiding items loaded with ingredients unsuitable for my way of eating. I’m certainly looking forward to a repeat of last night’s unwich. Of course, Tom was content with his giant bread-free sandwich.

Otherwise, I was thrilled over the mostly organic vegetables we purchased at the indoor farmers market which when I washed at home, made me smile over the worms and bugs I encountered. The uneven sizes of the produce and the bugs assured me that few if any, chemicals were used in the growing process.

These lovely gladiolas are growing in the yard.

Finally, when I wasn’t able to find Italian sausage of any type in the market, I was ready to give up the idea of pizza entirely. Tom doesn’t care for pepperoni or other meats on pizza. After we paid for the veggies at the farmers market and Woolies, I headed to the nearby meat market in the mall. 

They not only had the Italian sausage but it was gluten and sugar-free. The butcher explained that a small amount of rice flour was used in the preparation to hold it together which is a very small amount, won’t have a negative impact on me especially with the small portion I’ll eat. Also, this meat market had all the grass-fed meat, both beef, and lamb, that we could possibly want during our three months in Trinity Beach. 

Included today are photos of the receipts for the meat market, Woolie’s, and the farmer’s market. Overall, we spent US $238.66, AUD $308.88, an amount with which we’re pleasantly surprised. That averages at US $29.83, AUD $38.61, keeping in mind this included paper products and a few non-food items as well.

Today, we’re off to the fitness center where I’ll sign up for a membership and do my first workout while Tom waits for me, reading his book. Later, we’ll take a drive to check out more scenery in the area. Tomorrow, weather providing, a road trip may be in order. It’s raining today.

Have a day filled with wonderful surprises!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, June 23, 2014:

The soccer world cup was in full swing and the citizens of Madeira were excited and engaged in the process.  For details for this date, please click here.

Busy days…Some costs for life on this exquisite island…An open house with a view!…

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Yesterday we visited an open house for which we’ve included several photos today. This is this fabulous view from the lanai of the house of Hanalei Bay.

Yesterday, when we visited an open house in Princeville, we were reminded of how expensive living in the Hawaiian Islands can be. Sure, we’ve wondered what it would be like to live in Kauai permanently. Almost every visitor may ask themselves the same question. Who wouldn’t want to live in paradise permanently?

As we’ve described many times in our posts, we have no interest in settling down now or in the near future, not even on this glorious island. But, as many tourists consider their options for the possibility of living in Kauai they must also consider the high cost of living in the Hawaiian Islands.

The view of the yard and pool of the open house we visited yesterday.

Today, we’ll share a few costs with you and will continue to do so as we continue during our extended stay with 101 days remaining until departure. It’s hard to believe that by this Sunday, we’ll have been here an entire month. 

Luckily, long ago we’d paid our entire rent for the four months in this wonderful condo which we couldn’t be more thrilled to have pinned down for this extended period. Although small, with only four rooms, we’re content with the space that works well for the short term for the two of us. 

In each direction, the view keeps on giving.

In reality, this is all the space we’d ever need, except, and I stress “except,” if this was a year-round permanent home. We’d eventually feel cramped. But, for many living on fixed incomes, a small space is all that is affordable and, the price one pays to live in paradise. 

With the rent paid in full, our only other expenses are the rental car, fuel, groceries, and entertainment (including dining out). With the rental car under $700 a month, fuel under $75, groceries to be determined, an occasional tour, and dining out, we expected we’d be spending an additional $2500 a month at most for the four months (excluding rent already paid).

The living room is long and somewhat narrow.

Little did we anticipate we’d spend so much on groceries keeping in mind that we eat only one major meal a day plus Tom’s occasional breakfast to hold him over. 

With my way of eating, I rarely feel hungry during the day and I’m not one to eat when not hungry. The human body is masterful at informing us when we need food. I pay careful attention to those signals responding accordingly when necessary. 

Most often, houses sold in Princeville include furnishings. In this case, the house was relatively empty.

As a result, one would think our grocery bill would be considerably less than others who may prepare something to eat three or four times a day. However, the difference for us is the higher cost of grass-fed meat, free-range organic chicken and eggs, mostly organic vegetables and cheeses. 

We’ve already spent $1927 for groceries in the first month (including non-edible groceries) and $212 for dining out, adding more to that total tonight when we’re meeting more new friends at a local dining establishment.  The total thus far is $2139, which is high for two.

Den or dining room.  Tom’s shoulder in the photo.

Sure, included in that total is enough toilet paper, paper towels, zip lock bags, and laundry soap to last us the entire four months (due to an initial Costco run). 

View from the large lanai on the second floor.

At this rate, we anticipate we’ll spend close to $8000 for our entire period in Kauai which is $2000 over our budget of $6000. What was I thinking to anticipate only $1500 a month for groceries and dining out?

The en suite master bath.

You may ask why I don’t simply take four times what we’ve spent thus far to estimate the grand total? The reason; our first grocery trip in any new location requires an additional expenditure to stock up on the basics including the above-mentioned paper products and other household supplies. Once, those are purchased the monthly expenditure is reduced accordingly.

Bedroom on the second floor.

At the new estimate of $8000, we anticipate spending $1954 each of the three remaining months in Kauai. Of course, this includes dining out once every other week. We can’t do so more often, a): It’s not worth it with my way of eating and b): It’s not worth it.

Second bath.  Oh, you can see me in the mirror!

For the average retiree, this type of expenditure on groceries isn’t practical or affordable. Although, there’s no question that the way we eat is more costly with my requirement of grass-fed meat and organic foods, increasing the cost by as much as 30%.

Most homes in Kauai use little air conditioning with the trade winds providing considerable comfort. Another bedroom on the upper level.

Then again, many vacation destinations aren’t practical for year-round living and beautiful Hawaii is no exception unless one can readily afford the higher cost of living. 

The kitchen hadn’t been renovated in many years as indicated with the ceramic tiled countertops, common in the 1980s.

This is not intended to discourage those who long to live in this “heaven on earth.” With the proper funds, careful planning, and some good luck, many have found a way to make it work for them for the long haul.  Many spend less on food and dining out. As for housing, that becomes the bigger challenge.

Here again, views of the dated kitchen. The space was acceptable for remodeling.

Yesterday, when we visited this shown open house offered by a lovely agent, Jacque Shockley at Ocean Front Realty we particularly enjoyed the views. Today, we’ve included the photos as we toured from room to room.  Undoubtedly, it’s a “fixer-upper” needing a considerable amount of renovation. The detailed listing information can be found here.

The pool, although not huge, appeared to be in good condition but, it too may require renovation as does the remainder of the house.

The price at $2,495,000 was surprising but, we have limited knowledge of prices as yet having seen only a few open houses. But, the view made this situation ideal for the only one buyer it takes to make a sale. Surely, at some point, it will sell when that right buyer makes the right offer to satisfy the seller.

One last shot of the view of Hanalei Bay before we exited the open house.  Several other couples stopped by to look while we were there.

As we say, the cost of living in Kauai, as well as on the other Hawaiian Islands is higher than most of us can afford for the long haul. However, in the interim in our remaining time here in Princeville we’re enjoying every moment; the views, our cozy condo, a bit of wildlife, the quality food we’re able to buy and attempt to afford, and of course, the friendly people we meet everywhere we go. That, above all, is the greatest treasure.

We continue on…

                                            Photo from one year ago today, February 11, 2014:

The table was set at the African Reunion house for a company breakfast we’d planned. We loved being in the third of the three houses in which we lived while in South Africa, all within the same area of Marloth Park. For details from that date, please click here.

Beauty surrounding us from every direction…The cost of living in Princeville Kauai is off the charts…

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The area of Princeville was named in honor of an 1860 visit by Prince Albert Kamehameha, son of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma. It was then a plantation owned by Robert Crichton Wyllie. He named another part of the plantation Emmaville, but that name never stuck. Originally the land was planted with coffee, which was not suited to the wet lowlands. Later sugar cane was planted with some success. Wyllie’s nephew inherited the land, but committed suicide in 1866. In 1867 it was purchased by Elisha Hunt Allen to later become a cattle ranch. It was sold for development in 1968 and became a golf course and resort called Princeville at Hanalei.

We’ve never seen anything like it. Every direction one turns, the views are unique and breathtaking. Kauai is truly a paradise. Princeville is exquisite.

Across the Prince Golf Club to the ocean (while driving with no possibility of stopping with the amount of traffic in this area).

Would we consider living here? No. The cost of living is too high, especially here in Princeville where high-end living and a degree of upscale opulence is the order of the day. That doesn’t fit our lifestyle. Plus, who’s thinking of settling down? Not us.

Statue at the entrance to Princeville.

Yesterday, while on a much-needed walk in the area, we visited a real estate open house. With no agent on the premises, we had free reign to walk about taking photos. When the agent returned after showing the grounds to prospective buyers, we explained that we are just “lookie-loos” not interested in buying.

There are ponds and statues at the entrance to Princeville.
View of tiers landscaping to the pond.

Not only is the cost of the unit high at $1,206,900 but, the taxes at $8000 a year and association dues at $11,400 year ($950/mo.) are as well. The property was unfurnished although many in the area are sold completely furnished as vacation homes. Plus, it appeared that particular property appeared to need some updating and renovation. (There was no active MLS listing available at this time).

View to the beautiful beach below the cliffs.  How we’d get down to that beach appears to require cliff climbing. There are many nearby easy access to beaches to visit.
Building style at the Princeville Shopping Center.

As we researched, we did find many much less expensive properties, not oceanfront as the property we’d seen, that were priced in the $360,000 range for those choosing the Princeville location in a more modest range.

For photos of our condo in Princeville, please click here.

The living area in the “open house” we’d wandered into yesterday while on a walk.

We always get a kick out of checking on the local real estate, not due to possible future interest but, instead as a result of curiosity for an area in which we’re living at any given time, especially for extended periods.  Familiarity with the area only adds to the level of enjoyment during extended stays.

The dining area in the house for sale in the neighborhood.

Back on the walking path again, with views in every direction, we didn’t know which way to turn. With many days and walks ahead of us, we have much to anticipate. On many occasions, we had to move out of the way for bikers and others walking along the designated walking path.

The kitchen had an unusual design.

After walking on the edge of dangerous roads throughout the road, it was a pleasant change to be walking along a path for the sole use of walkers, joggers, and bikers. Many times, we stopped along the way for photos of the sea and the beaches below the steep cliffs.

The full view of the bathroom was blocked by the stackable washer and dryer. The condo had two bathrooms.

Later in the day, we headed to the Princeville Shopping Center located in another elite area. The shops were upscale versions of those we seen in many tourist locations; pricey beautiful merchandise, often impractical and hardly suitable for our way of life.

The small second bedroom in the house for sale.

However, the Foodland grocery store, crammed with locals and tourists on a Saturday afternoon, was exactly what we needed to fill in the items we hadn’t been able to purchase at Costco in smaller sizes.

The master bedroom with a clawfoot tub in the en suite bath.

After spending yet another $226 we were out the door with only four of our cloth bags filled. So far, since arriving here, we’ve spent almost $1500 on groceries and household supplies. 

The master bath had no shower.

Yesterday, we’d mentioned that we’d have a special post for today. As it turns out, we’ll need to do a little more research and hopefully a video if the opportunity presents itself today. Please check back tomorrow.

It was cloudy yesterday. In the future, we’ll have plenty of sunny day photos to share.  We took this shot on a walk across the street from our condo.

For those of you who enjoy football in the US, have a great day watching it on TV. Tom is currently situated in his new comfy chair, eye peeled on the TV waiting for the game to begin. Have at it, Mister!

Photo from one year ago today, January 18, 2014:

We were visiting the Elephant Sanctuary in Hazyview, South Africa, we had an opportunity to interact with the elephants. It was an educational and enjoyable experience for both of us.  For more photos and details, please click here.

Settling in…Paradise continues to please…A wonderful memory from one year ago…

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The Red Crested Cardinal is native to South America with this bright red head, crest, face, chin, and upper breast. The upper parts are gray with an incomplete white collar that nearly meets at the back of the neck. It has white underparts, a light gray bill and gray legs and feet. It mainly feeds on plant seeds, fruits, berries, and insects. It has an undulating flight. The sexes are similar. This is a common bird in the Hawaiian Islands and yet each time we see it, we’re in awe as we were when we took this photo from our lanai.

We must admit we were concerned. Four months in one location was a frightening thought. Not only had we decided on staying in Kauai for four months to “lick our wounds” from the holidays but also, the decision was based on our booked cruise from Honolulu to Australia on May 24th and subsequent plans in the South Pacific for the upcoming two-plus years.

Vegetation from the lanai of the condo. Hearing the birds singing from inside the condo is a pleasure!

Our original plan had been to stay in Princeville from January 15th to May 15th returning to Honolulu for nine days, staying in a hotel. After our 11 day experience in busy Waikiki/Honolulu, we reconsidered. 

By the minute the sunset view changes, inspiring us to run back and forth outside.

The only way Honolulu would be appealing to us would be to stay in a hotel. Our last condo in Waikiki wasn’t our cup of tea and for only nine days it’s not worth booking a vacation home, having to stock groceries and household supplies.

The ever-changing view of the mountain from the lanai drives us outdoor to check frequently.

As a result, we’ve asked the considerate owner of this lovely condo if we can extend our stay until May 24th. With his booking calendar online, it appears these extra days may be possible. If not, we’ll head to Honolulu and as always figure out a solution.

A touch of blue sky brightened the view.

Speaking of stocking groceries and supplies, yesterday we drove back to Lihui, the town where the airport is located (45 minutes plus traffic) to go to Walmart to use up a $400 gift card and to Costco to use a $500 gift card from credits on two returned laptops neither of us found acceptable. We saved this gift cards to use for this specific purpose, stock the condo in Kauai with household products and groceries. 

At sunset, the sun’s rays beaming on the ocean. 

After spending $1249.75 combined at both locations, filling the tiny no-automatic-door-locks-vehicle to the brim we were back on the road to Princeville. This condo, although beautiful, has limited storage space.

As the sky clears we have a better view of the green mountains.  That’s why Kauai is known as the “garden isle,” for its lush greenery.

Utilizing the utmost of creativity we’d both used filling the car, once again we did so in putting away all that stuff.  Multiple rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, laundry supplies, cleaning apparatus, and even dish towels and an electric teapot, found their way into tucked-away places. The perishables easily fit into the refrigerator and freezer into the roomy new refrigerator.

Unfortunately, we have a little more organizing of ancillary “stuff” from our luggage in order to take interior photos of the interior of the condo. We’ll do this soon and post the photos.

This morning’s hazy view.

Last night for dinner, we each had a giant slab of prime rib we’d purchased at Costco for a mouth-watering experience. Adding salad, fresh green beans and a half of an avocado (for me) stuffed with one of Costco’s delicious low carb dips, we were full and content.

And still today, after a walk in the neighborhood once this is posted, I’ll need to head to the local Foodland for the first time, located in the Princeville Shopping Center for yet more foodstuffs, when neither store was able to complete our lengthy grocery list, longer than usual with this extended stay.

These nearby billowy clouds reminded us of both Tuscany and Madeira where we spent five month collectively, surrounded by mountains and often these low lying clouds.

Ah, I bet our readers are wondering what we’ll write about for four months. We’ve already started a list of topics and its running wild. We plan to do a fare share of sightseeing, beach visits, researching plants and vegetation unique to this island, historical facts, cultural facts and an upcoming story for tomorrow that may make you smile.

Enjoy the weekend!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, January 17, 2014:

It was quite the traffic jam in Kruger Park as we made our way to the Blyde River Canyon in South Africa for a three day mini vacation. For details and many more photos, please click here

Yesterday, we got close to the lava flow with photos of the smoke!…An accidental scenic road trip with photos tomorrow…

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Looking closely in this photo, there are two National Guards with rifles manning the access to the lava flow, preventing curiosity seekers from nearing the flow. As we slowed to take this photo, they waved at us to get moving along.

Yesterday morning, we headed to the Pahoa Community Pool to check it out for our family’s arrival. We’d heard it was a huge, clean, and lifeguarded pool available to residents at no charge. 

As is the case around the Hawaiian Islands not all streets are marked. Although we had good directions on my phone, there were of little use when there are no road signs. Somehow, we managed to find the community pool. 

Further down this road, which is Apaa St., the road is closed after the lava had crossed the road weeks ago. Click this link for details and photos.

However, during our bit of wandering around the area, we saw the road that was closed off for the lava flow and the National Guards maintaining watch to avoid curiosity seekers from entering the dangerous area. Much to our delight we were able to take these photos included today of the area that we found most interesting including the smoke in the sky from the lava, once we arrived at the Pahoa Community Center to check out the pool.

Inset of a civil defense map posted on Dec. 4. The yellow dot is the location of the distal tip of the active flow front.
Yesterday, we were at the Pahoa Community Center as shown on this map. We were able to see the smoke in the sky from the flow. In the next few days the city plans to allow visitors to see the lava from the Pahoa Transfer Station also shown on this map.

We copied the above map this morning of the ongoing progress of the lava flow. Here’s a link to more information from the Hawaii County Civil Defense.

After checking out the pool (we weren’t allowed to take photos to protect the privacy of the few swimmers in the pool), we began the drive to Hilo to the Safeway store to buy groceries for our four family members arriving tomorrow. 

Numerous power poles located in the path of the lava flow have been covered in fire retardant materials to prevent the flow from destroying the power to the area which has worked.

Along the way, Tom spotted what looked like an interesting road which proved to be one of the most scenic roads on Big Island, the Red Road, Route 137. Go figure, how we ended up on that road. We couldn’t stop oohing and aahing along the way, stopping frequently to take photos which we’ll post tomorrow.

Here’s a link to the Red Road scenic drive.

The house in the background could easily fall prey to the lava should it continue on this path.

After the amazing drive we found our way to Hilo without a map considering that its almost hard to get lost if one follows the coastline on an island. Of course, we always have our personal navigator on board, Tom Lyman, Mr. Sense of Direction, who hardly ever disappoints.

The Pahoa Community Pool.  No photos were allowed inside so we shot this exterior photo.  The pool is huge and will provide hours of fun for our family.

The grocery store was a two hour, two cart, confusing ordeal. Buying foods others eat so different from our usual purchases, plus buying food for us, was quite a challenge. But I stayed “over bubbly” and much to my delight Tom wasn’t his usual “overly grumpy” while in a grocery store. He did well, stayed cheerful and we actually had a good time.

Behind this downed area of vegetation, lays the lava flow.  Soon, we hope to see the actual flow when an area is opened to the public at the Pahoa Transfer Station.

He brought everything inside when we returned “home” and I insisted on putting everything away. It didn’t appear there would be room for it all but, I managed to make space for everything in the small pantry and average sized refrigerator.

The smoke in the air from the lava flow.  We could smell it as we stood in the parking lot of the Community Center.

Once Tom and I move over to the house next door, we’ll be moving over the foods we usually eat making room for the foods in this house for the other two of our families. It will all work out, one way or another.

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll join Tom on the two hour drive to the Kona airport to pick up family tomorrow afternoon. I just may stay behind and prepare dinner, having it ready when they arrive.

There was a reddish tint closer to the ground as shown in his photo.  During this period the sky was otherwise relatively clear.

We’re waiting for the sun to peek through which looks hopeful after several days of clouds and rain. An hour of sunshine would serve us well.

Have a fabulous Friday!
                                        Photo from one year ago today, December 5, 2013:

When Okee Dokee drove us to the grocery store in Komatipoort, we marveled at the wildlife in our neighborhood in the bush. A sight such as this was to be found daily.  For details from that date, please click here.