Local shopping…Only one tunnel…A year ago in Dubai….

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This is the gorgeous rose that Gina picked for me from her Mother’s garden. Her thoughtfulness warmed my heart.

Yesterday morning, anxious to get out for a few minutes, we made our way through a local tunnel to a quaint local grocer. Saturday morning, a flurry of activity surrounded the store with locals and tourists sipping coffee and eating at the outdoor café.

The local bakery and market are next door to one another, a short distance from our home.

The bakery next door to the grocer was packed with tourists who’d arrived on a small bus, most of which were drooling over one of the most delicious looking bakery displays I’ve ever seen. Wanting to ogle the myriad forbidden-to-me delights, we opted to hit the grocery store first to avoid the crowd swarming the bakery.

Would that I could. Oh, how we find comfort and pleasure in such treats!  It’s funny that eggs are also sold in this case.

Upon entering the small market, we didn’t expect much. At first, it reminded us of the tiny markets we frequented in Belize with limited options meeting our needs. The further we entered the store, we realized it was “L” shaped with a reasonably complete produce area and fresh meat counter. 

The smells in the bakery were heavenly as well as the sights!

Always preferring to support local businesses we quickly realized we could easily get many of the items we use in this little market with an occasional trip to the larger supermarket in Ribeira Brava. Other than bottled water, paper, and cleaning supplies (which we provide) prices at the little store were comparable to the supermarket.

All we needed were tomatoes, lettuce, and cabbage. The ripe red tomatoes proved to be the most flavorful we’ve ever had, all locally grown. The tomatoes we’d purchased in the US were mostly imported from Mexico, pale and flavorless. These were a rare treat.

The chocolate muffins and those below looked particularly appealing.

Tom grabbed some not-so-healthy snacks for himself (I kept my mouth shut) and shortly we were on our way to check out the bakery, now cleared of the tourists. 

After our “no photos” rules in Morocco, I hesitated when approached the bakery counter tentatively asking if I could take a few photos of the gorgeous confections. The baker spoke English. Smiling warmly he invited me to take all the photos I wanted. I explained that I was “gluten and sugar-free” but, if I hadn’t had these restrictions, I’d have been a good regular customer.

Looks as if the tourists arriving before us partook of these delights.

Over and again, much to my surprise, Tom prefers “junk” processed and packaged treats to a chemical free freshly baked confection. He says, “It’s what I’m used to.”

I don’t get that. I didn’t buy that “junk” in our old lives. I’d baked all the treats that I packed into his lunch each day or served on his days off. In later years, he confessed to stopping at the SuperAmerica (food and fuel) to purchase donuts and bismarcks when I wasn’t around, eating them in the car on the way to work. 

Close up of one of the muffins in the above photo.  Yes, I do miss this stuff although my health is a greater priority than my taste buds.

Our family members always called me “the food police.” Why did I do this? I only wanted them to live long and healthy lives free of the ravages of a poor diet.  In time, I did lighten up.  But, as our children well know, from time to time, I toss out a stern but loving warning about eating “junk.” 

Gina stopped to visit after picking spinach from the garden located on our property. She reminded us to take what we’d like. Her father tends to it, requiring no time from us at all. We won’t take advantage of this, leaving the bulk of it for his family and of course, offering to pay for anything we take. In any case, it’s enjoyable to watch the produce grow over these next months.

Look at the cream-filled items on the left.  I couldn’t believe Tom didn’t want any of these as opposed to processed packaged “junk.”

Later in the day, Gina appeared at the door with this beautiful rose she’d plucked from her Mother’s garden.  Once again, we’ve been fortunate to have found yet another kind and generous landlord, overseeing our comfort and pleasure for our entire stay in their properties.

As we sit here now, writing for today, we can hear the Sunday morning mass which is broadcast through loudspeakers through the entire village. Perhaps next weekend, we’ll be able to attend the mass.

Tom got a kick of the names of some of the alcohol offered for sale in the well-stocked market.

Later in the day, we’ll hear the loud music blaring from the speakers on the little white vans that drive through the area selling produce and fresh fish caught early in the morning. Gina suggested we stand on the road when we hear the sound and the driver will stop when he sees us. 

The spinach that Gina plucked out of the garden in our yard.

I can hardly wait to purchase freshly caught fish! She explained that negotiating was not typical in Madeira and that prices are reasonable avoiding the necessity of haggling, which neither of us enjoys.

This was everything we purchased after a visit to the local market.  I purchase vanilla and baking soda to make a coconut flour flan for me. Coconut, almond flour, and other nut flours are acceptable for my way of eating, only in moderation.

Still recovering we’ll spend another day at home, jumping up every hour or so to enjoy the views, the sights, and the sounds of this exquisite island. 
_________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, May 25, 2013:

This photo was from the prior date due to a lack of photos on that date.

The tan building toward the right was the building in which we’d rented a unit for the 13 days we spent in Dubai. It was beautiful, the unit was located on the 47th floor of a 91 story building and was modern with all possible amenities including a pool. Dubai was interesting to see but, we’re not city people. On a few occasions, we put on our swimsuits heading to the pool, only to last a short time due to the extreme heat. For details of the story we posted on May 25, 2013, please click here.

Finding our way around the steep mountainous roads of Madeira…Photos of us…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
“Nemo” was headed my way as I leaned into the aquarium inside the restaurant, his cute little mouth, sucking in the shape of an “O.”

Online maps in Madeira, Portugal don’t easily provide directions from our home to where we’d like to go. The paper maps we have, don’t show the smaller streets. Many roads are one way with no seeming way to get back to where we started.

Although the weather was warm, we’ve been cold while attempting to acclimate after the extreme heat we’d experienced in Morocco, South Africa, Kenya. Thus, Tom’s long sleeves. We both had jackets with us which we will again today with it cool and windy.

With a dinner reservation last night and a red spot on Google Maps, showing that the restaurant was on the ocean in Ribeira Brava we figured we could find it. Gina explained there was a parking ramp below the restaurant. After a 15 minute drive from Campanario to Ribeira Brava, we were excited to find the parking ramp with the restaurant above.

Taking this photo of us by the boat reminded us of a similar photo in Hopkins Belize over a year ago.

Parking the car in the ramp after taking a ticket (how modern!) the guard motioned us to the elevator to go two floors up to the restaurant. Meandering out the elevator, we searched for a sign with the name of the restaurant. Alas, it wasn’t the restaurant where we had a reservation.

When we spotted this sign, we knew we found the “wrong” restaurant deciding to stay for dinner anyway.

We looked at one another, shrugging our shoulders, deciding this looked like a great place to dine as we moseyed to the huge chalkboard menu in both English and Portuguese. We decided to stay.

As soon as we perused this boarded menu we knew we’d be staying for dinner, although we weren’t in the restaurant for which we had a reservation.

The day had been perfect at 72F, 22C and the thought of sitting outdoors along the ocean was appealing. I felt like a kid in a candy store with a pocket filled with money, flitting about taking photos, practically squealing with delight over the 6:00 pm sunshine, the sound of the surf, the dogs running about, and the birdcage and aquarium in the restaurant. 

Dining in the interior of the restaurant may be necessary on rainy or windy days. 

Tom had one of those ” _ _ it” eating grins on his face that wouldn’t stop. We sat at a comfortable table for four with a crisp linen tablecloth. 

The restaurant view from the sidewalk. More photos will follow tomorrow with too many to post in one day.

As it turned out, the restaurant, Restaurant and Grill Muralha was listed as #2 on TripAdvisor’s rated dining establishments in Ribeira Brava. What a stroke of luck! The restaurant where we’d intended to dine was listed as #4. We’ll find it next time.

The cozy bar on the interior of the restaurant.

Not only was the menu filled with numerous suitable options for me but also for Tom. We weren’t certain as to spices used in Portuguese cooking, wondering if we’d be disappointed with overwhelming flavors for which we’d soon tire. Alas, we were in luck. Portuguese food is lightly seasoned with spices we found to be not only palatable but familiar, enjoyable over the long haul.

Portugal is known for its fine wine worldwide some of which the restaurant proudly displayed.

Tom ordered a beer while I ordered the usual bottle of bubbly water. The food was beautifully presented, promptly served, and hot, mouth-watering, and delicious. The portions were huge as shown in these photos.  We devoured every morsel on our plates. The service was impeccable, friendly, and English speaking, to our surprise.

A decorative shelf on the interior of the restaurant.

It was so good that we commented that the others may be a hard act to follow. With only nine major restaurants in the area with many smaller café and eateries, we’ll return in the future.

Tom ordered the Mixed Grill which he thoroughly enjoyed.  They had swapped the lamb for more steak. He’d had his fill of lamb in Morocco. Of course, more “chips.”

Our bill plus tip was close to the highest we’ve paid since the onset of our travels, US $62.27, EU $45.47. We didn’t flinch. Able to cook our own meals, most likely we’ll dine out twice a week.  If all of our restaurant meals were of a similar price, we’ll spend approximately US $1200, EU $876 during our time in Madeira, for both homecooked and restaurant meals, an amount we’ve budgeted knowing that prices would be higher on this island than in many other countries we’ve lived thus far. 

This was the most delicious and sizable salmon steak I’ve ever had in a restaurant. 

Based on our research there are only a few restaurants on the island where one could spend more, most of which are in Funchal, a long drive from Campanario. We’ve always preferred to dine within 15 to 20 minutes of home when, here, for example, the mountainous drive is not suitable after Tom after consuming a beer or two. 

My salad and cooked vegetables we fabulous. I know, I shouldn’t eat raw vegetables but we’re hearing the water is fine here, although we continue to consume bottled water. There were no comments in the TripAdvisor reviews indicating anyone became ill after eating at this restaurant.

(Since I haven’t driven a car in 16 months, let alone a stick shift which I do know how to drive, we didn’t add me to the contract leaving Tom as the only driver. In an emergency, I could drive a stick shift if I had to).

This yellow parakeet at the restaurant was checking me out as I attempted to whistle.

After I finish writing today, we’re heading back to the supermarket, the largest in the area, to search for the items we either couldn’t find or forgot to buy in our exhausted state on Friday afternoon. This time, we’ll translate all the items we couldn’t find into Portuguese hopefully aiding in our search for certain items.

While dining, this fluffy dog came by staring at me, hoping for a morsel. The waiter scooted her away. She reminded us of a bigger scruffier version of Jessie of Gucci and Jessie, the two dogs we loved in Kenya.

So far, so good. We love Madeira, the scenery, the house, the food, and the friendly people. A few days ago, we saw Gina’s dad gardening on the steep hill across the street. I yelled out to him, “Olá, como você está?” which translates to “Hello, how are you?” Later, he told Gina, “She speaks Portuguese!” Ha! We shall see!
                                               ______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, May 20, 2013:

Our last night on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Sea left us feeling a little sad as the end of the most extraordinary cruise we could ever have imagined.  The Pyramids, The Suez Canal, The Lost City of Petra, and the Treasury where Indiana Jones was filmed, the excitement of The Gulf of Aden and so much more, added to our wealth of growing experiences. For details of that final night as the ship made its way to Dubai where we’d stay in a condo for two weeks, please click here.

Portuguese grocery shopping…Trying to read labels…Making mistakes…Learning as we go…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This little bird stops by each day for a walk on the railing on the veranda and to show off her catch of the day.

Although some Europeans speak English it doesn’t appear to be the case in Portugal and certainly not in Madeira, a small island that appears to be inhabited by traditional old world citizens and tourists, usually staying in hotels that often accommodate many languages.

For us, living in a neighborhood of local citizens and a few tourists, the language barrier presents a number of issues. How arrogant of us English speaking people from various parts of the world to assume a country’s people would know our language. Why don’t we know their language?

One of the several tunnels we took to get to the grocery store.

Luckily, our delightful landlady Gina speaks a bit of English peppered with a few Portuguese words that make her all the more charming and adorable. On Saturday, Gina stopped in to introduce us to our cleaning lady Judita who doesn’t speak a word of English.

Judita will work for us on Thursdays each week washing floors, windows, changing bedding, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms which we’ll keep tidy in between her visits. 

The temperature is rarely higher than 77F, 25C in Madeira and yet the parking lot at the supermarket has covered parking which we’ve never seen at a market.

Meeting Judita reminded us of the upcoming challenges in communicating with the local people from whom we seek services or assistance. As always, we’ll figure it out as we did when grocery shopping on Friday afternoon, the day we arrived.

Gina had left a map, making the 15 minute trip to the supermarket relatively easy. As we approached the main door, we noticed that the carts were similar to those in Italy, requiring a coin a Euro $.50, US $.70 to unlock the handle as shown in this photo below.

Tom putting the EU $.50, US $.70 into the slot to release the grocery cart.

At this point, we’d yet to acquire any Euros luckily finding an ATM inside the store. Tom pushed the cart, as usual, while I attempted to read labels. With the handy grocery app on my phone, I easily referenced my shopping list. 

There were several items we couldn’t find; baking soda, baking powder, coconut oil (although we did find unsweetened coconut flour), real cream (for me), Cremora (for Tom), Hydrogen Peroxide (for teeth), avocados, and sour cream.

Since we usually purchase a few packaged items, the label reading is kept to a minimum. Mostly, I check to ensure there are none of the items I can’t eat; sugar, gluten, starch. 

A goat lives next door on a hill with a few other goats which we can hear baaing during the day.  The sounds are music to our years, reminiscent of the goats in our backyard in Kenya.

Needing to fully stock the cupboards with basics such as spices, olive oil, and paper products, we shopped in two batches, per Tom’s suggestion. We loaded the cart to the brim with the non-perishables and checked out. Tom loaded them all into the car, returning with an empty cart ready to tackle the perishables. This is only necessary the first time we shop in a new location when we purchase the most items.

I screwed up on only one purchase, the shampoo, and conditioner, assuring Tom that the one bottle that said “Hydrante” was shampoo and the other saying “Crème” was conditioner. I thought this was a logical translation when, as it turned out, I discovered when washing my hair, that they were both shampoos. Today, we’ll buy a conditioner at the pharmacy. 

A good-sized Gecko stopped by for a visit, an obviously different variety from those we’d seen in Africa. There are few insects here, none of which are a concern, other than the occasional bee or hornet.

The total bill for our two full carts of groceries was US $309.76, EU $225.94, slightly less than we’ve paid for our first load in other countries. I don’t believe the prices were less but we’ve fine-tuned our shopping. Prices seem comparable to Italy although much higher than South Africa.

Overall, the supermarket was satisfactory with a fabulous fresh seafood counter which had a long line preventing us to attempt it in our exhausted state with only three hours of sleep. Also, the deli was filled with gluten-free and nitrate-free meats along with a vast array of cheeses comparable to Italy. 

We love this huge roll of quality paper towels that we purchased for only US $2.74, EU $2 when we grocery shopped.

The produce appeared organic although they don’t label it as such. It’s always easy to detect chemical-free produce when leaves have numerous holes from insects chowing down, an inconsistency in the shape and size of the various items, and a degree of wilting with an occasional spot of mold or slime. 

We’ve learned that this is the reality of chemical-free produce in other countries. In the US, prices are exceedingly high for organic produce when they often dispose of the less attractive items. In other countries, they put most of the harvest out for sale, letting customers pick and choose what they’d like, keeping the cost down. 

This morning’s view from the kitchen window.  Washing dishes is not so bad with a view such as this.

All in all, this is appealing to us. We certainly don’t mind finding worms or bugs in our produce, knowing that pesticides weren’t used. Of course, we wash all of our produce in purified water, placing a few cups of the water in a large bowl and rinsing each piece, changing the water as needed. 

Yesterday, Gina popped in making a reservation for us at a restaurant she recommended located in Ribeira Brava, a 10 to 15-minute drive. She suggested we ask the owner where the health club is located nearby.  Hopefully, we’ll find it.

We’ll never tire of this view which seems to call to us several times a day. I took this photo a few minutes ago as the sky began to clear from the morning’s haze.

She used a phone located in the house that we hadn’t realized was working. As a result, it won’t be necessary for us to purchase a SIM card for our smartphone. She explained that the phone was included in our rent as long as the calls were local. 

We use Skype for long-distance calls which we discovered works well from here after both of my sisters called yesterday for very clear conversations. The WiFi in the house has the strongest signal we’ve had in 19 months, showing five bars. We can both listen to podcasts simultaneously, a rare treat. 

We’ll be back tomorrow with photos from out and about today as we explore the area, find another grocery store, tackle a few of our errands, and dine out for the first time. Ah, life is good.
                                          _____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, May 19, 2013:
No photo was available on this date.  Lack of photos on certain dates will soon cease as we move further into the year when we soon started using the new camera.

As it turned out, we both became ill aboard the ship from other passengers coughing and sneezing around us all day and night. 

Many cruises result in either a respiratory or intestinal illness. As often as we washed our hands, we’ve since learned a few lessons: Don’t handle spoons or forks in the buffet without a napkin covering our hand which we immediately toss when done filling our plates or by asking the food be placed on our plates by the servers. 

Also, we will not, in the future, use the public restrooms instead, going back to our cabin as needed. We never eat dinner at the buffet, only breakfast. For our upcoming two cruises, we’re contemplating having breakfast in the main dining room instead of the buffet, where the food is served. For details of the story from that date, please click here.

Contentment in our new home…One year ago today…Adventures at high seas….

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The view of the Atlantic Ocean from our veranda. (Borrowed photo. Hazy today).
In our last post, I’d planned to tell the rental car story. Not enough for a full post, I’ll include the story in tomorrow’s post with photos of the car, all the fees, and more house photos. 

Where do we begin? We’re living in a beautiful house in the Campanario area of Ribeira Brava, Madeira, Portugal about 30 minutes from the pier and the airport. The house is overlooking the Atlantic ocean with every modern convenience; a microwave, high-speed Internet, a soaking tub (heavenly), a dishwasher, and oh my, a newer front loading washer (our first load is on now).

This is where we’re sitting now as I write this. We covered the glass coffee table with a black throw enabling us to put our feet up with our shoes on.  The sofa and pillows are very comfortable much to our delight.

There’s no clothes dryer, but instead one of those racks we used in Dubai and Italy. I can’t wait to hang the clothes outside on the veranda using colorful clothespins. Ah, how we’ve come to appreciate the simple things in life. 

Still tired today after yesterday’s exhausting unpacking, grocery shopping and totally settling in, today, I’m still a bit sluggish and slow-moving even after sleeping seven hours last night, not quite enough. 

Last night’s dinner wasn’t the feast we’d anticipated when we were too pooped to make anything other than cheese and sautéed onion scrambled eggs topped with Greek yogurt with a side of Portuguese sausage. That’s all we could muster. Tonight will be better.

Our new clothes dryer. At 70F, 21C it was pleasant hanging our first load of wash outdoors. The darks are in the washer now. I left room on the rack for the second load soon to be hung. 

Later in the evening, I had a plate of small bites of some of the finest cheeses Portugal has to offer, reminiscent of the cheeses in Italy. What a treat! Tom had microwave popcorn and this morning donuts with his coffee. (Darn, my guy won’t give up the junk food)! He hasn’t had a donut in a year. 

The view from the floor to ceiling glass windows and doors is breathtaking. Unfortunately, it’s been a bit hazy these past two mornings and I haven’t been able to get any clear shots of the ocean. As soon as it clears, you’ll see them here. 

See Tom’s donuts on the right in our new kitchen. Ugh!

I borrowed the above veranda photo from Gina, who visited this morning and will answer all of our questions via email. We met her a year ago when our ship docked at the pier in Funchal for the day. She picked us up from the pier showing us the island and the house. We adored her, the house, and the island.

Granite countertops, microwave, dishwasher, great gas stove and oven, and views of the mountains and the ocean when washing dishes. Once the haze lifts we’ll include more photos of views from inside the house.

Yesterday’s grocery shopping was a challenge which we’ll explain further in the days to come. Surely, in time, we’ll figure it all out. It’s all about the layout of the store, the unfamiliarity of products, reading labels, and the fact that they don’t carry some items we use. We did find unsweetened coconut flour, but not coconut oil or avocados. We’ll keep looking.

My view into the dining room while sitting on the sofa in the living room.

The bed isn’t as comfortable as the bed at Dar Aicha. It’s a reality we must accept living in other people’s houses. In time, we’ll adapt to the thinner harder mattress. 

The wood-burning fireplace in the living room. Its cool here now and warming up each day I doubt we’ll use it.

Otherwise, the house is comfortable including the leather sofa in the living room with plenty of soft and fluffy throw pillows and a coffee table which we moved closer to the sofa for our feet when lounging. 

The second living room upstairs holds less appeal for us when we love the views on the main floor. There are TVs in each living room with a few English speaking channels, mostly news. That’s fine.

The dining room where we’ll have all of our meals. Tom reset the table this morning after emptying the dishwasher.

Last night we dined at the dining room table; placemats, nice flatware, and plates. For the first time in two and a half months, we watched the show Shark Tank on my laptop while we dined. It was delightful to be back to some of our familiar routines.

We’ve made a list of errands we’ll tackle next week; a trip to a computer store (Tom needs a special screw for his laptop), a store where we can purchase a needle and thread, (Tom ripped his Travel Smith shirt pocket when we were at the airport. With the right color of thread, I can easily sew it).  

Also, we need to find a health food store and a health club for me. It appears all of this may be possible in Madeira. There are numerous shopping malls.

In time, we’ll visit some of the popular tourist spots; the farmer’s market, the shops along the sea, the mountains, mainly revolving around amazing scenery. 

The view from the opposite side of the dining room toward the sea.

The island is breathtaking with us situated at a prime location to enjoy the views. Although not isolated, we are within 30 minutes of anything we’d like to see, restaurants and shopping. The people are friendly and oddly, the communication is not as difficult as I’d thought it might be. The Portuguese language has similarities to Spanish which I understand well enough to manage. 

The problem I experienced at the grocery store yesterday as tired as I was, I kept saying “grazie” (Italian), “merci” (French) and “obrigada” (for thank you, one of few words I know so far in Portuguese) with a little English throw in.  It was confusing when my brain wasn’t working well anyway due to the exhaustion. 

Tom’s view from his spot on the sectional sofa. Once it warms up a little, we’ll surely spend time sitting on these lawn chairs.

It takes time to fully embrace a new country and find our way around especially when Gina told us not to bother to use “navigation.” It doesn’t work well on the island of Madeira as we’ve already observed when Google maps aren’t able to readily pinpoint locations. We’ll figure it out. We always do with Tom’s amazing sense of direction.

Over the upcoming 75 days, we’ll continue to post daily with more house photos (today we’ve included the main floor only) and many photos of our exploration of this lovely island. Stay tuned.
__________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, May 17, 2013:

As the mercenaries boarded the ship one year ago today carrying the “package” in order to protect us in the event that pirates attempted to board.  Over a period of days, we had several “pirate drills” to prepare passengers in case of an “event.” Last year a movie with Tom Hanks, Captain Philips, was a true story of just such an incident in the Gulf of Aden.  Pirating in this area has continued as recently as January 2014. Many passengers said they wouldn’t have gone on the cruise had they known of the risk. For us, it added to the experience and we felt safe. Miles out at sea, we were surrounded and protected by several military ships escorting us through the dangerous Gulf of Aden.For details of the story, please click here.

Two days ago, on May 15, 2014, the US State Department issued a warning to US citizens and others not to travel to Kenya, mentioning Diani Beach, the area in which we lived for three months, from September 2, 2013 to November 30, 2013. We chose to live in Kenya for the opportunity to go to the Maasai Mara on safari which was number one on my bucket list. 

Thank God, mission accomplished, as the most treasured experience in our travels, along with the next three months we spent living in Marloth Park, South Africa. 

Thursday, we left Africa after living in three countries for almost nine months: Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco. We are grateful for the experiences and for our continued safety during the entire period. When traveling to high-risk countries, one must seriously weigh the benefits and the risks and carefully consider and ensure that security measures will be implemented during the entire visit. 

We are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had and wouldn’t change a thing, even our most recent time in Marrakech, all of which round out our continually growing collection of amazing experiences.

First trip outside the Medina, the walled city, to the modern area…A special treat for Tom on our anniversary…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments

Thanks to all of the warm anniversary wishes we received yesterday as we celebrated 19 years of marriage (together 23 years)
Also, for our readers in the US, with changing clocks overnight tonight for Daylight Savings Time (where applicable), we will be seven hours later than the West Coast, five hours later than the Midwest, and four hours later for the East Coast.  s an example, those of you in the Midwest will see our newest post, no later than 8:30 am your time. 

Yesterday, Friday, the souk is closed due to Friday as the Holy Day. It was odd walking through the area when it was quiet.

Yesterday afternoon, we decided it was time to leave the walled city to find a supermarket for purchasing cheese and nuts. There are many snack type vendors in the Medina and Souk, but, all that we’d purchased thus far were unsalted nuts.

The “petit taxis” are smaller than what is shown here. But, all taxis, large and small appear to be this same beige color, making them easy to spot.

With my limited food options due to my way of eating, nuts with salt are a treat for both of us. Everywhere we’ve traveled we’ve been able to find nuts that are salted without the use of wheat as a stabilizer. 

To the right, is a petit taxi as we maneuvered through the traffic near the entrance to the Medina.
Cheese is not a commonly utilized food item in Morocco none of which we found in the souk. Thus, a trip to a grocery store was inevitable. For us, the simple trip proved to be another learning experience.
Non Muslims are not allowed to tour the many mosques in Morocco.

With no taxis allowed in the Medina, and the long walk from Dar Aicha to the street outside the walled city, we realized we couldn’t purchase more than we could easily carry back.

This is one of many newer condo complexes with units available for sale that we noticed on the way to the grocery store. The streets in Marrakesh are meticulous, free of trash or litter. It’s obvious the Moroccan people take great pride in their surroundings.

Samir, our kind and dignified houseman, had explained that there are “petit taxis” (small taxis) on the street outside the Medina with drivers prepared to negotiate a round trip and who are willing to wait while we shop.

As a business hub, there are many fine hotels in Marrakesh for both business and pleasure travelers with the convenience of the nearby airport.

Moments after stepping off the curb, we were approached by Simone, a French speaking driver with whom we were able to communicate with my limited French. He agreed to take us to the “supermarket,” 15 minutes away and back for a negotiated price of MAD $80, US $9.63 and was to wait 30 minutes or more while we shopped.  We paid him MAD $100, US $12.04 including a well deserved tip. 

At the entrance to the Marjane Mall where the Hypermarket is located on a lower level with elevators for wheeling carts to one’s vehicle.
This could have been any mall, anywhere in the world, newer, convenient and with many stores, some of which were “chain” stores that we’ve seen in other African countries. We didn’t see any US chain stores.
Only a small number of the mall’s stores were open due to the Holy Day.

As we drove further and further away from the Medina, the city changed dramatically from old to new with modern buildings, hotels, newly built condo communities. It could have been anywhere in the US except for the interesting architecture of the structures, following the pleasing Moroccan theme. 

No pork or pork products (bacon, sausage, chops) are available in Morocco. Muslim people do not eat pork. Beef, chicken and fish comprise most meals.  Many of the body parts of cows and chickens are savored.
These are steaks with all of the fat removed. In South Africa, fat is considered a delicacy and is left on the meat. Apparently, that is not the case in Morocco when all of the beef appeared to be very lean and free of visible fat.

With the temperature at 85F, 29C, I was warm in my bundled up attire that I’ve worn in an attempt to keep me warm in the riad which stays very cool day and night. Tom had worn short sleeves instead of layers and was comfortable as we walked, while I was sweating in my heavy layers. 

Driving through this modern area reminded me in many ways of Scottsdale, Arizona where we lived for two months as we prepared to leave the US.

Off putting to some, I was intrigued by all the parts of the fresh fish which are utilized in cooking in Morocco.

Simone dropped us off at the new shopping mall where upon entering the modern facility, we found our way to the Marjane Hypermarket on a lower level. Upon entering the giant facility, it reminded me of any Target Superstore in Minnesota, where both grocery, clothing, electronics and household items can be purchased under one roof.

It was hard for me to take my eyes off the fresh fish, a favorite.
Various sundries are also sold in the Hypermarket.

Having been an avid Target shopper in my old life,  a wave of excitement washed over me, quickly dispelled by the reality that we are only able to purchase that which we will consume before we leave Morocco in a little over two months. 

After exiting the mall, we didn’t see Simone, thinking he may have had to park in another area when we didn’t see any taxis on the street. After waiting for five minutes, Simone appeared on foot and walked us to his vehicle further down the road.

With cheese spoiling quickly with less preservatives used in Africa, we only purchased enough cheese that would keep for the few weeks until we venture out for groceries again. Of course, we’re able to keep the cheese in the refrigerator, as we do our iced tea, along with ice made in trays.

It wasn’t long before we approached the Medina for our long walk back carrying heavy the groceries. I suggested to Tom that we take a horse and buggy or a tuk tuk, but, he insisted he was doing fine carrying the bulk of the load.

I must admit I felt like a kid in a candy store. Had we been cooking here, we’d have been able to find most of our usual ingredients. As for prices, as I clicked away on my smartphone for the currency conversion app, they were higher than South Africa and more comparable to Kenya.  The produce was cheap, meat was reasonable (both locally grown) and packaged goods were high (mostly imported).

Here is everything we purchased in the Hypermarket. Although I’m not a big fan of Lipton tea, I am very picky about flavors of tea and chose what I knew I’d drink and use for iced tea if necessary. I miss my old favorite, Pouchong but, am unable to find it anywhere outside the US. The coffee we purchased was the same brand that we’d used when we lived in Tuscany last summer. The receipt and conversion for our entire purchase is listed below.
This chunk of Gouda was US $11.11, MAD $92.30.  It was .63 kg, 1.38 pounds, which we agreed was a reasonable price. The name on the label, Carrefour, was the same store name where we’d made purchases in Dubai, UAE, last May.

All the fresh foods were beautifully displayed and carefully handled. The cheese display was extensive with as many options as we’d found when we lived in Italy this past summer. The packaged nuts were a little pricey, mostly locally grown. We were thrilled to find salted nuts.

The total grocery bill for cheese, tea, water and nuts converts  to US $149.71. It’s unlikely we’ll need to shop again for several weeks.

The big mistake we made was in purchasing two five liter bottles of water, hoping to make Samir’s task of going out to buy water for us easier for a few days. Carrying the big jugs of water along with the other items, certainly made the return walk cumbersome. We’ve learned our lesson. Samir has kindly offered to get all of the bottled water for us, for which we’ll reimburse him.

Last night’s delicious anniversary dinner made by Madame Zahra included: clockwise from the bread, to the pepper salad (not hot peppers), marinated beet salad, egg battered Aubergine (my favorite) and a cabbage and olive salad. The item below the beets was Tom’s favorite, battered and fried cauliflower (containing flour so I didn’t try it) up until the item shown below was served. 

It never occurred to us that the walk through the Souk yesterday would be less crowded. With Fridays, as the Muslim Holy Day, many of the vendors had closed their shops, allowing us to quickly move through the Medina and the souk upon the return. We’ve decided that in the future, grocery shopping will take place on Fridays.

French fries for Tom, called “chips” in Africa remain as one of Tom’s favorite. Although he didn’t have Heinz ketchup for dipping, he thoroughly enjoyed these.

Once back at Dar Aicha, and finding spots for the snacks, we settled in, as our anniversary dinner was being prepared. The smells wafting from the kitchen had us both famished. 

Last night’s dinner was our favorite thus far with Madame Zahra making “chips” (French fries) for Tom and sautéed egg battered Aubergine (eggplant) for me, a special treat.

When Adil asked us for an entrée preference, we suggested this grilled chicken, made by Madame Zahra on a grill on the rooftop. Once again, it was wonderful.

Today, we’ll head out again to further explore the Medina and to find a new restaurant for dinner. We’re committed to trying new restaurants each of the three to four times we dine out each week. Later, when satisfied we’ve tried most of them, we’ll do repeats of our favorites. Already, the first two restaurants we’ve tried is on the “favorites” list.

As I wandered upstairs to change into my pajamas I only needed to look up to see a crescent moon through the open air roof of our riad.  We can hardly wait to see the full moon as it  soon will cast a shadow inside the house.
The nearly invisible wire covering the roof opening is to prevent branches and animals from falling into the house. So, we suppose.

Yes, we’re settling in after arriving one week ago today. For us, part of the process revolves around becoming familiar, as most of us do, in developing somewhat of a routine. As we’d observed in nature over the past three months in South Africa, animals, like humans, find extraordinary comfort in familiar routines.

We dine, trying new places and foods. We explore, to learn about the area and the culture. We interact with locals, as often as possible. And, we document our experiences in photos and stories which, we joyfully share with our readers each and every day. 

A reason to celebrate…Spending our anniversary in a foreign land…Life is different for us now…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Yesterday, we dined at Le Jardin, a lovely restaurant that had good reviews. The food and ambiance were excellent in this “riad,” a building with an open-air, center courtyard, as is the design of our current home. Tonight, for our anniversary dinner, Madame Zahra will prepare and serve yet another fabulous meal which we’ll savor by candlelight in one of the most romantic settings in town, Dar Aicha, our home for the next 10 weeks.

Spending 24 hours a day with another human being could be challenging, whether a spouse, partner, child or family member, business associate, roommate, or friend. 

Seated next to a birdcage with two parakeets, Tom got a kick out of their playful antics.
When there are no giraffes, kudus, or warthogs to watch, birds can be fun!

Retirement often brings couples together around the clock, creating an environment for stress and disharmony. We’re not totally retired, spending half of each day researching, writing, taking, and posting photos, in the ongoing documentation on our website keeping both of us busy half of each day.

No more than two minutes after we were seated, we noticed this turtle on the floor, on a mission. In search of crumbs, he moved rapidly.
Later, during our meal, these two turtles were hanging out together.
Later, they basked in the sun in close proximity to one another.

Although Tom doesn’t write here, he is actively involved in researching information about the city and country in which we’re currently living and the research as to where we’ll live in the future. 

Few Moroccan citizens own dogs, perceiving them as unclean. But, a foreign customer allowed her Jack Russell Terrier to wander about while she dined.  Oddly, (duh) his name was Jack.

Together, we research through 1000’s of future possible vacation homes in many countries, available transportation, cost of living, while continually checking on activities available in our current country. 

These common Tibbit birds frequent the riads in search of food, as they do in our temporary home.

One huge benefit of our daily postings is the manner in which it inspires us to get out and about in order to explore the area in which we’re currently living, taking photos along the way, while soaking in the glory of the experiences. 

Fresh produce from the farm, used in the menu items, were freely on display in the restaurant.

It would be easy to fall back into the “staying in” mode we thoroughly enjoyed in our old lives. But, we get out, as we doing here in Morocco with the colorful culture at our fingertips, a few steps from the door of Dar Aicha.  We’ve been out almost every day.

This was Tom’s lunch, Moroccan seasoned penne and meat sauce.  Asking for half as much spices as usually prepared, he liked this dish. No comment from me on him eating pasta.

In Marloth Park, South Africa, most of the entertainment came to us. Although, we regularly went out. We took a separate three day trip to Blyde River Canyon, several outings in Kruger National Park, attended game drives/bush braais, dined out three times per week, spent a night in a tent on the Crocodile River, and spent many days and evenings in the company of friends all while living in three different houses.

My dinner was this mouth-watering Moroccan seasoned chicken Caesar salad, minus the croutons The black items are dried black olives which I can eat.The homemade salad dressing was on the side. 

Here in Morocco, we’re busy researching possible overnight trips in order to experience the desert and mountains, further away from the city. Samir is organizing possibilities as we also research online what may appeal to us the most. 

After our meal, we explored new other areas of the Medina and the souks, discovering more interesting items along the way. The huge maze-like Medina can present difficulty in finding one’s way back. Tom’s good sense of direction once again served us well when it was time to return home.

Each time we go out, we find ourselves in situations that we find “photo-worthy” inspiring our daily stories. How amazing that years from now, that we, as well our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, will be able to look back at our worldwide travels in stories and photos, let alone the joy we feel in sharing it with our worldwide readers as we post each and every day.   

The top of this mosque in the background serves as a landmark for finding one’s way to through the Medina.

Some have said that we should “get out more.” But, this is not a “vacation” or “holiday.” This is our daily life. Who amongst us, went sightseeing every day in the city, town, or village in which we lived? We shopped, we dined out, we saw a movie. We attended a sporting event, a wedding, a birthday, or a retirement party. 

Did you ever have a fantasy as a child of riding a magic carpet?

We spent time with our family and friends either in their homes or ours. We attended a grandchild’s soccer, football, or softball game. We attended doctor and dentist appointments. We had a medical test, anxiously awaiting the results.

Vendors sit on the ground as they await their next customer.

–

Had we been cooking our food while here, it would have been fun to shop from these vendors.

All of this is different for us now. Neither of us has seen a doctor or dentist since December 2012. Fortunately, we feel well, energized, rested and healthy. If we felt otherwise, we’d see a doctor. In seven months, we’ll be in the US, in Hawaii, where we’ll see a dentist, a doctor if need be, or have a test if warranted.

Finally, we found our way back to familiar territory to begin the trek through the busy souks to return to our home. We were never concerned about being lost. It’s best not to ask passersby for directions to avoid paying for an answer.

In nine months, we’ll be together with our family during the holiday season. Of course, we can hardly wait to see each and every one of them. But, life is different for us now.

When my eye caught this Chameleon, the friendly shop owner noticed my camera, offering a “free” photo. Some shop owners won’t allow photos without paying a fee which we discovered when we tried to take a photo of a meat market.

Samir suggested one only buy spices at “certified” shops to ensure quality and freshness.

These similar items are offered in one spice after another, all with prices subject to negotiation.

The shop owner gave me this palm-sized clay holder. The color in it is actually a Moroccan lipstick made from poppy seed flour, activated when water is added. We offered a tip but he refused, hoping we’d return another day.

After they fly away, we’ll continue on our worldwide travels, living our lives to the fullest, exploring that which we find most interesting, trying that which we may never have imagined, in places we’d never expected to see.

Pashmina scarfs, popular in the US years ago.
 Sandals in many styles and sizes, tempting to me in my old life, not at all now.
Lighting fixtures galore.
Bean pods, herbs, and carrots for sale in the souk.

As we celebrate this 19th wedding anniversary (23 years together), we celebrate with love, with gratitude, and with passion for our lives, for each other, and for living life to the fullest.

Happy anniversary to my husband, lover, and friend for sharing this outrageous adventure with me; for your continued optimism, your cheerfulness, your humor, and for most of all your love.

A precious photo from a friend… Food prices in Marloth Park, an affordable place to live…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 4 Comments
Our new friend Ken also loves warthogs, as shown in his photo at his home in Marloth Park. Thanks, Ken for sharing this special moment. See, I’m not the only one that loves the warthogs in Marloth Park. These homely animals have adorable personalities making it possible to differentiate one from another, as they visit almost every day. The female in the background is on her knees eating pellets. As shown in the past, warthogs usually eat on their knees, adapted since birth with “built-in” callouses.

Not only is Marloth Park one of the most amazing places to live on the planet, but it is also surprisingly affordable. Based on our expenses to date, we expect to be under budget by US $2500, ZAR $26,620 for our three months here.

Most of the savings we’re seeing have been as a result of the reasonable cost of food, both at the grocery store, averaging at about US $150, ZAR $1597, per week and dining out two to three times per week at an average of US $30 per evening out including beverages, tax, and tips.

This small female warthog has been visiting with the huge camera-shy male who’s butt is to the left. She often stands looking at us, hoping for a pellet, while he stays back in the bush. They are always together. We’ve yet to determine their relationship since males leave the family unit once the female is impregnated. They may be courting, resulting in a rather long courtship. The impala in the rear was waiting to see what the warthog was going to do. 

Whether dining in or out, the cost is approximately the same. When budgeting for this 90 day period, we’d anticipated the remote location would result in higher food prices than most countries.  

Little did we know that the cost of food in South Africa would be affordable, as much as 50% less than we paid in the US. The produce is grown without pesticides, the meat is grass-fed and the chickens are free-range.

Duikers are loners. We’ve yet to see a baby, a pair, or a group.  Very shy, they rarely get close, preferring to observe us from afar.

Tom’s typical mixed drinks in most bars and restaurants, brandy and Sprite, are usually less than US $3.25, ZAR $34.61. My bottled water is usually US $1.13, ZAR $12. Tom says, “I can’t afford not to drink!” Two-liter bottles of a quality brandy at the local liquor store were priced at US $20.61, ZAR $220 including taxes. 

Since arriving in Marloth Park, we’ve purchased meat at the local meat market, The Butchery, next door to the Farmers Market where we buy our produce. It’s hard to believe the cost of these items. 

There are four packages of lean grass-fed ground beef in this batch, referred to as “mince” in Africa.  The total cost of these huge packages was US $17.23, ZAR $183.50. The forward huge T-bone steak is US $3.43, ZAR $36.47. In the rear of this photo is pork chops and lamb chops.  All of this meat will feed us for eight dinners, enough for two weeks considering our three-nights of dining out per week.

In browsing in a few local boutiques, we’ve found prices on clothing and accessories equally affordable. If we had room in our luggage, we’d most certainly purchase some much-needed items for our upcoming cruises in less than eight months.  

The total cost of meat for eight dinners for the two of us combined is US $37.04, ZAR $394.40, an average of US $4.63, ZAR $49.30 per dinner. Although the many familiar cuts of meat aren’t available, we’d been able to adapt quite easily.

Services are equally inexpensive as well.  Included in our rent is twice a week cleaning service. Zef, our house person, does a flawless job. Should we have wanted him for additional days beyond the included two times, the cost would be US $4.70, ZAR $50. He cleans the entire house and all three of the verandas and the pool.

As quickly as the mongoose moves about, making a delightful sound as they communicate with one another, it’s been difficult to take photos of multiples.  Yesterday, our yard was surrounded by a few dozen shy mongooses, happily chirping among themselves. They eat snakes making them welcomed visitors.

Our time in Marloth Park, including a few side trips, is proving to be more affordable than any country in which we’ve lived thus far. Add the beauty of the area and the ideal weather only hot a few months a year, temperate the remaining months. Of course, for us, the wildlife roaming freely around the house makes a return visit to Marloth Park in the future, rather tempting.

We have wheels…Lots of “extra” charges and fees…Local markets.. Losing a dear family member…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment

Early this morning, our dear our sister-in-law Lee Lyman, wife of Tom’s brother Jerome, passed away in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Although a vibrant 85 years old and a great-great-grandmother, Lee gave so much of herself to her beloved husband, children, grandchildren, and family. We offer our heartfelt love, prayers, and sympathy to Jerome and all who were blessed to love and know this fine woman. She will be dearly missed.

On the way to Nelspruit with our driver Okee Dokee, she stopped to buy lychee nuts from this adorable girl, who was selling them on the side of the road with her mom.
Having just returned from shopping, we’re late writing today’s post, but as promised, we planned to post after we returned with the rental car.

 

Yesterday, our plan was to pick up the car, check out the town of Nelspruit, grocery shop, buy more data at the Vodacom store, and find a store in order to purchase white socks. All we accomplished was sock purchase at a sporting goods store and a portion of the groceries.

By the time we drove away from the Mpumalanga/Nelspruit airport with the car in our possession, it was already 2:30 pm. We’d hope to get our errands done, have dinner at the popular Hamilton’s Restaurant in Malelane and be back on the road before dark.  

There was captivating scenery along the way to Nelspruit but the heavy flow of traffic during the start of the weekend before Christmas prevented us from stopping.

Although there was no line (referred to as a queue outside the US) at the Budget location, considerable time was spent as the rep explained all of the “extra’ charges over and above the basic car rental fee we’d prepaid online of ZAR $5300, US $519.47.

Notice the scowl on Tom’s face as he’s opening the door to the driver’s side on the pink rental car.

Renting a vehicle for a week or two is no big deal. Renting a vehicle for over two months is tricky since the rental car companies don’t want to honor the great online rates from outside travel sites beyond a 28-day period.  

If yesterday, when picking up the car, we’d chosen to extend the rental beyond the 28-day period, the cost per day would have jumped from ZAR $189.26 US $18.55 to ZAR $310, US $30.38! With a total of 41 days remaining until we go back to the airport to fly to Morocco on February 28, 2014, the additional cost would be ZAR $12,710, US $1,245.70. 

Getting another rental car at another great online rate is an option but the taxi fare with tip is ZAR $950, US $93.12 plus it takes a half-day of time with the long drive each way.

On the return drive from Nelspruit this sky caught our eye.

On top of all of that, Budget withheld an additional ZAR $11,733, US $1150 for damage, and other miscellaneous against the credit card we used which annoys us. On top of all of that, much to Tom’s dismay, the car turned over to us, the only car available, was PINK! Yep. Pink.

After using it today to finish our uncompleted errands from yesterday, we both decided the pink wasn’t so bad after all. We quickly moved through the Marloth Park security gate with a breeze the second time and, it was easy to spot it in the busy parking lot when we did the errands today in Komatipoort.

On Friday afternoon, we decided to only partially grocery shop, finishing today to allow us time to get to the restaurant, have dinner and get back on the road. After one of the best dinners we’ve had in a restaurant, it was worth the monkeying around.  

Must be a free-range chicken walking around the restaurant.

Although a 40 minute drive to Hamilton’s in Malelane from our home in Marloth Park, we’ll definitely return to Hamilton’s again.  Check out the photos of our fabulous dinner. With one beer for Tom and bottle water for me, plus tax, plus tip, our entire dinner was a paltry ZAR $274, US $26.86!

My dinner was a moist and tender filet with a side of seasoned butter, a small salad, and stir fried veggies. We look forward to returning to Hamilton’s soon.

This morning, we decided to finish our errands, taking off in the pink car down our long driveway to be delighted to find three male kudus munching treetops in our yard. Wow! What a way to start the day!

Marloth Park has a few small strip mall-type shopping areas. Before heading to Komatipoort, a 25-minute drive to the closest large grocery store in the area, we thought it a good idea to check out the Marloth Park shops, as we’re always interested in supporting local businesses.  

Tom enjoyed his tender sirloin steak with mushroom sauce, stir-fried veggies and fries.

Although the tiny local grocery store didn’t carry many items we normally purchase, we knew we’d use it on occasion for staples. But, the separate little meat market was perfect for us, with grass fed meat at unbelievable prices, for example, a 680 gram, 1.5 pounds, Filet Mignon for Christmas Eve was a mere ZAR $110, US $10.71! We purchased enough meat to get us through another week.

The butcher store where we purchased all of next weeks meats.

The Farmer’s Market with fresh-picked, organic produce is a dream come true.This will serve all of our vegetable needs going forward. With both a meat store and produce store next door to one another, we can avoid going to the larger Komatipoort grocery store more than once every few weeks.  

We’d rather spend our time exploring than shopping.  We returned home to put the meat and produce away and took off to Komatipoort to finish. We purchased more data, finished the grocery shopping, found the local “chemist” to purchase, contact lens solution, got Tom a few more bottles of brandy, and returned home to find our veranda a mess.

The baboons had visited while we were gone, taking three cushions off of the outdoor furniture with them. When it cools down, we’ll wander around the yard to see if we can find them.  lus, they pooped on the veranda after literally moving around the heavy Adirondack chairs. 

The cozy storefront Farmer’s Market.
The interior of the local Farmer’s Market with organic produce arriving from the farm regularly.

None of the other animals have bothered or damaged anything thus far. But Louise and Dani warned us to expect this. We’re surprised it took this long before they wreaked havoc.

The small grocery store in Marloth Park has basic food supplies.

The tadpoles are still swimming around in the pool, although still not visible to the naked eye. After reading at length about tadpoles, I am concerned they may not survive due to the chlorine that was already in the pool when the eggs dropped. Apparently, any type of chemical will prevent the life cycle. We’ll keep you updated.

Soon, we’ll dress for dining at Jabula tonight, another of our favorite dining establishments. On our way, we plan to stop at the Crocodile River overlook for happy hour. Tomorrow afternoon, we’re going on yet another Kruger Park game drive and bush dinner with a group of nine.  

The chair cushion we found in the driveway, apparently taken by the baboons while we were out shopping.


Gee, we’re so busy in Marloth Park! Living in the bush warrants “never missing a thing!”

Have a festive pre-Christmas weekend. We plan to do the same and we’ll be back tomorrow with more photos from our visit to the Crocodile River!

Booking for the future…Safari in four days!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 4 Comments
Views from our upcoming hotel, Club Intrawest Condo Hotel in Vancouver. British Columbia.

Wouldn’t life be simple if we decided to travel to a popular destination and at the last minute we could book reasonable airfare and hotels?

Unfortunately, if one is determined to get “the best, for the least” we’ve found, after almost two years of planning, waiting until the last minute leaves fewer options from which to choose. Sure, there may be a few “bargain basement” or “last-minute” prices. But, when all is said and done, you get exactly what you pay for.

When it comes to hotels we prefer four-star customer ratings with free WiFi in convenient locations where we won’t need a car. We prefer flights, where we don’t have to go to the airport at 5:00 am or earlier. These simple choices cost more which we’re willing to pay. Other travelers have different preferences.

A sleek newer building has a certain appeal after staying in older properties.

Thus, we decided that we’d better get on the ball and begin the search for a hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from September 17 to September 23, 2014, less than a year away. Were we ever right to do this early! 

As we searched several of the major hotel booking resources online, many list how many rooms are left at a particularly lower price than would be posted on the hotel’s website. 

Upon entering the dates we’ll be in Vancouver, many hotels were completely booked and, many had listed only 2 or 3 rooms left at the best pricing. Vancouver must be a popular tourist spot in September.

Although not huge, the condo provides us with all the amenities we prefer when staying in hotels.  This is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, convenient to restaurants and local attractions. 

Why are we going to Vancouver? As mentioned in prior posts of two weeks ago, we’ll be working our way across the Atlantic Ocean toward the US to spend Christmas with our kids in 2014. To maneuver in that direction, we’ll sail from London to Boston, spending a few days with family, and then fly from Boston to Vancouver to stay for the six nights, after which we’ll board another cruise heading to Hawaii.

We’ll arrive in Hawaii on October 5, 2014, for which we’re now looking for a place to stay until we take our pre-booked house in December on the Big Island until January 15, 2015, when we move to our pre-booked property in Kauai.

We realized that we must book the following over the next few months:
1.  Hotel for three nights in Boston
2.  Flight from Boston to Vancouver (oddly, under $300 each!)
3.  Hotel for six nights in Vancouver
4.  Condo in Hawaii from October 5, 2014, to December 1, 2014
5.  Flight from Honolulu to Big Island on December 1, 2014 (not necessary to book until we’re actually in Hawaii.

So far, after considerable searching, we’ve booked the Vancouver Hotel. However, our criteria was beefed up.  We’d just come across the ocean for 14 days, later spending three days in Boston. A reality we have to deal with is our laundry. 

There’s no way with our limited clothing supply that we can go 14 days without having laundry done. As in the past, it will be necessary to utilize the ship’s laundry service usually costing from $80 to $100 for a 15 to 18 item load. We’ll hand wash the smaller items as we’ve done in the past. 

(A few cruise lines have coin-operated washers and dryers, mostly Carnival, which overall doesn’t fulfill our expectations).

Thus, our goal for Vancouver, having accumulated many days of laundry, was to find a “suite hotel” with coin-operated laundry facilities either in our suite or available in the building. Mission accomplished.

Here’s the hotel we booked for 6 nights in Vancouver, Club Intrawest which is a condo-hotel with amenities that are perfect for us, including free WiFi, laundry facilities, added space, a kitchenette, walking distance to restaurants, and an easy bus ride to many of the renowned sites in the city. The price at US $188 a night plus taxes brought our total to $1300.44. 

We’ll most likely eat dinner out each night, adding approximately another $600 to our expenses, plus an approximate $300 in expenses for entertainment.  Our combined cost per day will be $366.74, comparable to our cost per day while cruising. 

Cruising every day is not economical for us but when added to the great rental rates we’ve been able to book when staying put for 2 to 3 months, it balances out to an acceptable monthly level. Again, it’s all about trade-offs.

This morning, cab driver Alfred drove us to Nakumatt Grocery Store for our weekly errands: grocery shopping, more SIM card date scratch-offs (Tom does this while I shop), and a trip across the street to the ATM for more Kenya Shillings. We don’t carry much cash for security reasons usually getting more every other week as needed. 

When Tom didn’t return to the grocery store as quickly as I’d expected I began to worry.  Usually, he finds me while I’m still shopping. Standing near the front entrance with my grocery cart, a million thoughts ran through my head. 

A little comforting was the fact that we saw numerous armed guards stationed at the intersection and at the entrance to the small strip mall. Our taxi is always inspected when we arrive. For Tom to get to the bank, he only had to cross twice at the intersection to get to the ATM. 

After waiting 15 minutes for him to return, I let out a sigh of relief when I saw him enter the door of the Nakumatt, sweat pouring off of him in today’s’ humid heat. Finding me quickly, he explained that the beefed-up security slowed his time at the Safaricom phone store to purchase more data and at the bank. Plus, the stores were more crowded than we’ve seen.

As we began the checkout grocery checkout process, we were further detained when their computer system was down, unable to read credit card transactions. We waited patiently while they manually processed our total bill of Kenya Shillings $20,568, US $235.39, a typical weekly amount including taxes. 

Today, its really hot and humid, raining off and on, beginning last night. If the rain continues through tomorrow, we’ll have to postpone our planned weekly trip to Madafoo’s for a day of sun, free WiFi, and an early dinner.

We’re excitedly counting the days until we leave for our photo safari in the Masai Mara.

Back at you soon!

Part 2…Internet solutions…Photos of our neighborhood…Monkeys came to call…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 4 Comments
This is a mother Colobus monkey and baby, a photo we borrowed from this link.  How we’d love to find a Colobus Monkey to photograph!
This is a young Colobus Monkey, the endangered species that ran through our yard this morning.  They ran so quickly that we were unable to get our own photo and borrowed this photo from this site.

OMG! OMG! Two monkeys just ran through our yard!!! With the camera several steps away, we missed the opportunity to get a shot! From now on, it will be at my side. 

Researching online, we both found the species of the monkeys as shown above, the endangered Colobus Monkey.  This site is quite interesting, if you have a moment to read it.

Now, on to the rest of our story…

Yesterday, as we exited the main gate to our area, we were on the main road, on a mission to locate the vegetable stand we’d heard was nearby.

Upon awakening this morning, the humidity hangs as a heavy drape over the horizon along with the smoke of fires burning around us. With no ban on burning in Kenya, the acrid smell of toxic smoke frequently wafts through the air.

Cloudy today, the mosquitoes seek refuse by nibbling on our flesh. I killed 3 of them this morning, buzzing around my head as I quickly lathered on the foamy insect repellent after taking a shower. I never feel clean. The bottoms of our feet become black again after a short time causing me to wonder, if perhaps, the black on the floors is actually the soot from the nearby fires.

Our new vegetable stand is a short walk from our home.  Notice the motorcycle.  The produce is delivered by motorcycle each day!

Any of our family and friends reading this may scratch their heads wondering how, Mr. & Mrs. Comfort Freaks, are possibly surviving the hardships of the last several months; the flies, the bees, the scary road, the remote existence in Boveglio, Italy and now…the challenges of Africa, living in the first of three countries on the continent.

Somehow, we are OK, more than OK. Tom particularly surprises me, less than myself. After all, it was my idea to come to Africa. I’d better not complain. In reality, I don’t feel a desire to complain. The annoyances only flutter through my mind momentarily from time to time. 

This is Gabriel, our new vegetable guy, who runs the vegetable stand, a mere two minute walk after exiting the main gate to our complex.  He said he will order produce for us at any time, arriving the next day, fresh from the fields.

Then again, living in extreme comforts in our old lives prompted me to be annoyed from time to time. It’s the human element. We always want better, different or more.

As I sit here in our outdoor living room at 9:00 am on a Sunday morning, when in the past we may have been watching CBS’s show Sunday Morning, with no TV here and little ability to stream videos any longer, we find ourselves somehow at peace.

At the moment, the hoot of morning doves, myriad birds, the occasional howl of a monkey, this mornings two monkeys running past us, the frequent baa of the goats in our yard and the crow of the nearby roosters brings us comfort. 

The anticipated rain has begun to fall creating a pleasing sound of the raindrops on the palms and fronds of the many trees and over sized plants in our yard as they welcome the much needed water. After all, its almost spring here. The full bloom of the flowers is yet to come.

A bee just swarmed my coffee mug. Tom laughed and said “Humm…in the US we worry about the African killer bees. Now we’re in Africa.” I laughed, moving my mug to another spot as the bee flew back out of our screen free outdoor living room.

Without pesticides and chemicals, the produce can wilt quickly and maybe infested with bugs.  These tomatoes had just arrived, actually looking quite good. Notice the molding cauliflower and the brown lettuce.  Gabriel told us his fresh deliveries arrive in each day around 11 am by the guy on the motorcycle in this photo.

As I replaced my coffee for hot tea, I decided to clean a few of the green beans  we’d purchased yesterday as shown in the photo below.  Wrapped around two separate beans were the most outrageous worms I’ve ever seen, black, hairy.  I didn’t scream.  I tossed those beans into the trash. Guess they don’t use pesticides on the veggies from the neighboring produce stand. That’s comforting.

Tom brought up the point to mention the raw cabbage and carrots we enjoy in our daily dose of coleslaw being exposed to the non-purified water when washing.  We’re using bottled water for all of our beverages and cooking.  As for cleaning the cabbage, I tear off the first several leaves leaving the interior leaves for slicing, unwashed.  If I see a bug, toss it out.  We’ve done this everywhere we’ve lived outside the US.

The carrots on the other hand, are more challenging. Without washing them, I peel the carrots after removing the stems. Then, I place the raw peeled carrots in a bowl of purified water to rinse them thoroughly. Then, I wipe them dry with a clean paper towel, promptly storing them in the refrigerator. 

This batch of vegetables was KES (Kenya Shillings) $150, US $1.72.  The more we travel, the more we are amazed by the lower cost of food in other countries as compared to the US.

So far, so good, no illness.  Of course, we brush our teeth using a fresh glass of purified water kept in the bathroom, rinsing our mouths and the toothbrush using our water. Washing dishes is another matter, with no dishwasher (no microwave, either), we used the hottest local water, leaving the dishes to completely dry overnight. No problem doing this either.

Hans, our landlord, explained that the water is safe to drink here in Diani Beach and that many past guests have not used bottled water, without incident. For us, we choose the conservative side, to do the very best we can to protect ourselves. 

The local restaurants use purified water, enabling me to have a salad last night when we dined out.  We’ll write and post photos from our amazing dining out experience on Saturday night in Monday’s post. Too much to tell all at once!

Still reveling in the excitement of seeing the monkeys this morning, the sights and the sounds, the wonderful local people we’ve met thus far further affirms why we don’t complain and…why, our friends, we are in Africa.