How we’re spending the two month gap between two visits to Bali…Partial Itinerary…Moo…baa…neigh…

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This is our favorite cow to visit when we’re on a walk.  She always sticks out her tongue and does a little dance when she see us.

When preparing yesterday’s post, we realized it may sound a bit confusing regarding our back and forth for two trips to Bali. The bulk of the decision to go back and forth revolved around the fact that Indonesia has strict visa regulations with stays only allowing for 30 days (with 60 days possible). We’ll figure that out soon.

Recently, these fillies/colts were born.

As a result, we thought it might clarify the plans we made for the almost two-month gap in between the two separate bookings for the same property. In part, the owners gave us an excellent price on the villa with a full staff but preferred to get more for the high season. 

The walk in the area is always lovely.

If we’d leave and return, they could get higher rates than we’re paying during the peak season, resulting in excellent pricing for us during the two separate visits on either end of the peak season.

Also, during this two-month gap, we found a two for one special on a Viking Mekong River cruise, providing we paid the cruise fare in full at the time of the booking which we were happy to do for the savings.

Cattle seem interested in humans as we’ve found on walks and drives through the countryside.

In these two transactions, we saved several thousand dollars for venues we may not have found affordable at the full rates and fares. The more countries we can visit at the best possible prices and terms the greater our worldwide experience. 

There are numerous varieties of long-horned cattle in New Zealand.

It’s not that we’re on a mission to visit every country in the world. It’s not practical in today’s world of war and terror.But, we are on a mission of visiting the countries we find interesting and enriching as we continue on our world journey.

The gap between the two Bali stays made sense when by coincidence and admittedly diligent planning and research, we’re not only excited about the time we’ll spend in Bali but also the two months in between and shortly thereafter, as shown below:
                                                                                         # days                        Dates





































































 Sydney Hotel 1  4/15/2016 – 4/16/2016 
Cruise –  Sydney to Singapore  14  RC Voyager of Seas   4/16/2016 – 4/30/2016 
 Bali House  59  4/30/2016 – 6/28/2016 
 Hotel Singapore 7  6/28/2016 – 7/5/2016 
 Hanoi Hotel 3  7/5/2016 – 7/8/2016 
 Cruise –  Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City  15  Viking Mekong    7/8/2016 –
7/22/2016 
 Phuket House  41  7/22/2016 –
9/1/2016 
 Bali House  59  9/1/2016 –
10/30/2016 
 Sydney Hotel  1  10/30/2016 –
10/31/2016 
 Cruise – Sydney to Perth  16  RC Radiance of the Seas   10/31/2016 – 11/16/2016 
 Cruise – Perth to Sydney  17  RC Radiance of the Seas   11/16/2016 – 12/3/2016 

Luckily, the time in Bali will be low-key and relaxing while the interim period will be a whirlwind of flights, hotels, cruises, and comings and goings. Having this hectic schedule is good for us when at times, we can easily fall into the “homebody” mode staying put in one spot for a while. 

Discovering these horned cattle was a first for us in New Zealand.

The above itinerary over a period of seven months requires seven flights, four of which we’ve yet to book. We have plenty of time to book the remaining flights.

Don’t get me wrong…we love quiet times in the country. Without a lazy bone in our bodies, we keep our days full of activities we love to do, ultimately highly fulfilling. 

Many cattle are dehorned.   But, we don’t believe that process is done on this breed.

Although it may appear we’re occasionally “couch potatoes” which on occasion we are, we’re actually quite active most days of the week, not unlike many of our readers, who say they’re busier in retirement than when they were working.

Young bulls down the road from our house.

Of course, living on this farm in itself provides enough daily stimulation, activity, and entertainment as we spend considerable time outdoors enjoying every single moment. 

They often approach to check us out.

With the diligent use of repellent I’m able to spend all the time I’d like outdoors, as was the case when we lived in South Africa, Kenya, and other parts of the world where mosquitoes, biting flies, and sandflies are an issue.

On our usual walk, Mount Taranaki with our favorite cow on the right and a few sheep who often baa at us.

Today, it’s raining with heavy winds with more rain in the forecast. As summer winds down in New Zealand, apparently the much-needed rains have arrived. Knowing this is good for all the grazing animals in the countryside, we’re happy to see the rain, greening their pastures.

Tomorrow, on the day of my birthday we have a planned evening out and a special story with new photos we hope our readers will find entertaining. Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, February 19, 2015:

It was one year ago today, we made the treacherous trek to the Queen’s Bath in Kauai, a known dangerous place to visit. Making our way down this area was challenging. Had we known how dangerous it was, we’d probably wouldn’t have done it. At times I grabbed any sturdy branch I could hold onto and when possible hung onto Tom to keep from falling. When we were done, I was glad to have challenged myself but also realized the practicality of such risky treks makes no sense at this age.  For more photos of Part 1 of this story, please click here.

What a night!…Storm over Taranaki!…

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The gardens are creatively designed with colorful groupings.

When the heavy glass and metal patio table and chairs had flipped during the night from the high winds and the house was literally shaking, we knew we were in the midst of a huge storm.

Thinking about the alpacas, especially the little crias during the night, I worried if they could blow away. When looking outside this morning as the sky attempts to clear, everyone looks fine.

Its interesting to see the blue flowers.

Soon, I’ll walk down the road for a head count for the herd that is located in a nearby paddock having been moved to “greener pastures” a few days ago. I think it would be hard for me to be the owner of such a herd. I’d always want to put them indoors in storms requiring a huge barn with bales of their favorite hay and water.

Colorful mix of rhododendron.

I guess I’ll never need to be concerned about that. We hardly have a desire to settle down to own a farm or any house for that matter. Often, we’re asked if we’re looking for a place to eventually “settle down.” Who needs to settle down? Not us.

When we first began our travels, we had a romantic notion that somewhere along the way, we find a location that would make us realize we’d want to stop and make a home of our own again. 

Many of the walkways in the Pukeiti Gardens are easy to navigate.

As time marches on, now well into our 40th month since leaving Minnesota, we’ve never felt the urge to contemplate a “permanent” home anywhere.  Sure, I’d like to return to Marloth Park for another 90 day stay at some point which may happen in the distant future on another trip to Africa. 

Bluish purple rhododendron.

For now, we have lots of world to see with absolutely no desire to stay anywhere for longer than 90 days.  Upcoming, we have two 60 day stints in Bali with a 60 day gap in between (due to visa status) more from the excitement we felt for the yet-to-be seen property. 

With a map in hand and clearly marked areas, it was easy to find our way in the gardens.

Looking back at that decision, we ended up choosing the two separate stays based on reasons we may need to rethink in the future, anticipating a property to be so irresistible that we need to stay longer. 

We spotted only a few other tourists.

As much as we loved the four months we spent in Kauai, we’ve decided all bookings beyond our current commitments (we’re currently booked to October 31, 2017, the five year anniversary of our world travels) may not exceed 60 days. Soon, we’ll begin booking beyond that date.

A few paths are grassy.

The exception to this would be when we need time to “recover” from a huge expense, such as the cost of the cruise to Antarctica (which we’ll be booking as soon as new postings are listed) and can find an extremely affordable and appealing location such as this alpaca farm where 90 day stay may make sense. 

Pods on an unusual plant with fern backdrop.

I love it when I’m disappointed to be leaving a property and a country, such as in the case of South Africa and now, here in New Zealand. I’ve avoided figuring out how many days we have left here, when every single day is a gift, not only in our daily lives in general but when we’re living in a place that brings us such simple joys and happiness.

Most likely these are Maori translations on this stone tribute.

Each day we’re entertained by the precious animals and we appreciate the comforts and quality of this house and location making daily life relatively easy, a far cry from the four months we spent in Fiji. 

A pretty orchid.

Overall, we had a good experience in Fiji but there were definitely some challenges that made daily life much harder than it is here. This house, with its comfortable bed, a TV, working WiFi no power outages to date, no ants and mosquitos (only sandflies which repellent keeps away) and many modern conveniences have made living easy. Its usually cool here with low humidity, especially now as the summer begins to wind down.

Many area don’t have blooming flowers although beautiful with the diverse greenery.

Bali will present many challenges of its own, comparable to Fiji such as heat and humidity, mosquitoes and ants. The difference will be onsite daily household help to assist with the ants and air conditioning, TV and tons of room in a huge house with the ocean and a pool a step outside the door. 

Another pretty orchid, we’d posted with a bee in yesterday’s post.

Speaking of TV, we currently have no satellite service as of yesterday afternoon when a SKY TV guy came to change out the “box” being replaced by a more updated version. He couldn’t figure out how to install it and we were left with no TV service until hopefully, someone comes soon to fix it today, as promised.

These tall stalks are eye catching.

I’ll admit…we like having a TV for those days and nights when its rained hard and we’re staying indoors. We’re avid Nat Geo, Discovery, History Channel and news junkies especially now with all this US political news keeping us informed, as best as biased news channels are capable of presenting. (No political opinions discussed here). 

Another simple tall stalk.

Also, we love the local New Zealand news with their playful banter, humorous expressions and not necessarily PC comments. With few dreadful murders and riot stories, the majority of the news in New Zealand is light hearted and refreshing. 

A variety of small orchids?

Of course, there’s always the sad, heart wrenching stories when the newscasters put aside their good humor to become sensitive and emotional when sharing those stories. We’ve found the “kiwis” (which they call themselves) as open and loving people.

We’ve come to the conclusion that having a TV helps keep us informed and entertained at times that has now jumped to our list of criteria in future booking. In additions, its important for us to know what happening in other parts of the world which may impact future decisions on where we’ll travel.

Low lying flower beds.

We certainly can watch news online but with costly metered wifi it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have to “pay” for news when most news stations throughout the world can provide us with what we need to know about world and local affairs. 

That’s it for today, folks. Enjoy the remaining photos from Pukeiti Gardens and Rainforest and have an excellent day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 18, 2015:

The rich colors of the rocky cliffs in Kauai. A year ago, we headed out on a mini vacation/holiday to another part of the island of Kauai to spend a night at a hotel for my upcoming birthday on the 20th.  For more details, please click here.

Yesterday’s road trip…Mount Taranaki, a rain forest and a botanical garden…More garden photos tomorrow…

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Our favorite photo of the day.  Zoom in to see this bee’s facial features.  Amazing!

After writing yesterday’s post which we uploaded by 10 am after a very early start, we looked at one another and said, “Let’s head out!” We’d written about how little we’ve been traveling while living here in New Zealand enjoying our surroundings to the degree that we haven’t been motivated to leave for even a day.

We crossed numerous streams and rivers on our way up the mountain, including driving over this one-lane bridge.

When we do travel, we prefer sunny days for better photos and viewing scenery, but after being in for many days after Tom’s over-week-long illness, except for a night out for dinner and another outing for grocery shopping, we were excited to get on the road. 

We read this sign to get a lay of the land.  Inside this building, we were able to grab a map of the gardens to assist us on our walk.

Without a big plan in mind, we headed on to the long drive through winding country roads to steep winding mountain roads, not unlike those we experienced long ago when we spent three months in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy in 2013. 

We got a kick out of this display for free coffee.  With no receptionist in attendance, one could help themselves.

By far, those mountains in Italy had some of the steepest winding roads we’d driven in our travels, except for the Atlas Mountains we traveled in Morocco in April 2014. 

Not a huge fan of driving through mountainous roads, yesterday I was at ease with the automatic transmission of our rental car and the lack of the necessity to pass slow-moving vehicles in front of us. We didn’t encounter more than a half dozen vehicles through the mountains making the drive relatively easy and comfortable.

As we commenced our walk, we spotted this gardener at work.

We hoped to get to the Visitors Centre partway up Mount Taranaki but when it began to rain during our walk through the Pukeiti Gardens and rainforest we decided it might be wise to head back down the mountain, realizing that scenic views would be impossible on the cloudy rainy day.

The Pukeiti Gardens is known for its world-class rhododendron collection exquisitely set within a rainforest with the flowering season from July through March. We were grateful to have arrived during the season to be able to see and take photos of the beautiful flowers and gardens. Every so often, the sun peeked out, allowing us a few better quality photos as shown here.

The rhododendrons are in full bloom at this time of the year, summer in New Zealand.

Here’s a little info from the Taranaki Regional Council’s website about the origination of the beautiful gardens:

“A vision fulfilled:
One man’s dream has literally flowered at Pukeiti on the slopes of Mount Taranaki — a garden renowned worldwide for its stunning collection of rhododendrons and other plants, and an institution that is much a part of the region as the mountain itself.

Founder William Douglas Cook’s vision was a vast natural garden of rhododendrons. Today that vision is a reality, thanks to the efforts of Cook and countless volunteers and members of the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust through the decades since the garden opened in 1951.
(To read some stories from the early days, click on “History and culture” in the navigation panel at left.)

Pukeiti has the largest collection of rhododendrons in New Zealand, its sub-tropical vireyas known as the world’s finest. It also boasts major displays of cardiocrinum, hostas, hydrangeas, magnolias, primulas, liliums, bulbs, and alpine and herbaceous plants, all against a backdrop of luscious native bush and dramatic Mount Taranaki.

The Taranaki Regional Council assumed ownership of and responsibility for Pukeiti on 1 July 2010, as a result of an approach from the Trust. The move secures the future for Pukeiti and its unique collection of plants.

The Council also owns and operates Tupare, and Hollard Gardens, Kaponga, on behalf of the people of the region.”

The walkways were easy at the beginning of our walk.

Had it not rained, we’d certainly have stayed longer walking further along the many kilometers of trails. But soon, as we began trekking through mud and slippery rocks, we knew it was time to get back on the road.

We continue to be in awe of the maintenance and care in this lovely country. There appear to be few, if any, rundown properties, bad roads, or trash on the sides of the road. We’ve yet to encounter a “bad” or unsafe-feeling area in the Taranaki Region. At public venues, such as Pukeiti Gardens, clean restrooms are readily available. No fees are required to enter the gardens and rainforest.

The rainforest is beautiful. Well coated with repellent I never received a bite. Tom, without the use of any repellent, was never bitten. Surprisingly, we didn’t sense any biting flies, mosquitos, or sandflies in the rainforest.

We only encountered two other parties and one gardener in the gardens on the less-than-ideal day but never felt ill at ease in the secluded rainforest. Back home in the later afternoon we were pleased for the experiences and look forward to more similar outings.

Today is by far, the rainiest day since our arrival, much-needed rain to provide a greener pasture for the grazing alpacas and other grazing animals throughout the country. 

Unable to find the name of this structure online (metered wifi), we assume it may be a Maori (indigenous people to NZ) tribute. Please correct us if we are wrong.

As I listened to the pelting rain pounding on the metal roof during the night, I thought about the alpacas. This morning, as I stepped outdoors to see how they’re doing in the heavy rain, they were all busy munching on the grass picking up their heads to look at me, with the adorable funny little smirk on their faces, none the worse for the wear.

Feeling relieved, I wiped my bare feet and returned back indoors for what will surely be a quiet day at home.  We don’t mind a bit. Each day is a treasure.

We hope today will be a treasured day for YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, February 17, 2015:

The Nene Bird is the Hawaiian Island state bird, evolved from the Canadian Goose with which we’re very familiar after living in Minnesota. These geese are commonly seen in Kauai, where we lived for four months a year ago. Please click here for more details.

Carving out time for other things?…Should we be doing more?…

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Traditional Maori meeting house near Oakura Beach. Visit this site for more information.

In speaking on Skype with my sister Julie yesterday, an avid reader of our site, she asked, “When are you guys going to travel the country and visit some other gorgeous areas? Don’t your readers want to see you traveling?”

My answer to my sister allowed me to say aloud something we’ve both thought and spoken only to one another and now to all of you. We love sharing our story, our story of living in different locations all over the world embracing our surroundings, and learning to live in a manner comparable as to how the locals may live, not as a tourist.

The Maori had set up tents for a special event.

No, we don’t visit a lot of tourist attractions, although we visit some. No, we don’t eat out a lot, although we do on occasions. No, we don’t go on lengthy road trips staying overnight in hotels, spending budgeted dollars on attendance at popular venues that tourists often flock to, rightfully so, when they travel for short periods of time.

We don’t consider ourselves tourists. Instead, we’re visitors, temporary residents, respecting the laws, culture, and traditions of the locale, the people, and the surroundings while we live life on our terms. 

Is defining our lives important? For us, not so much. As committed as we are to providing interesting stories and photos for our readers, it would be unrealistic to say that our personal desires don’t come first. For true happiness, one must consider the ways in which to choose to navigate life, not always an easy task. 

We’ll continue to return to this site of Oakura Beach in hopes of spotting blue penguins.

We appreciate every one of our readers but we truly believe based on responses we continually receive from those treasured readers, that they accept the fact that they are following the simple story of our daily lives.

We’re an older couple, unencumbered with “stuff,” as we move from country to country sharing the nuances, challenges, and joys of our surroundings which may not appeal to some. We don’t expect everyone to find our story interesting. 

We looked for the blue penguins but doubted we’d see any with people in the area.

Long ago, when we decided to travel the world, part of our motivation was to feel free to live how we choose.  After spending the majority of my adult life with chronic pain from which I am now “free” we decided we’d live life to the fullest spending each day doing exactly what we feel like doing. It could all change in a day or an hour.

Some days, we feel like getting out to see what’s around us. Other days, we don’t feel like doing anything other than hanging out together, outside as much as possible, taking walks, taking short drives to explore the area, and visiting our “temporary” town or village.

On each drive through the country, we find many rivers.

In essence, this site is not as much of a “travel log” as it is a “lifelog.” Should we ever decide to write a book (which we’re not interested in doing at this time), it wouldn’t be entitled, “A Guide to Traveling the World to See the Most Popular Sites.”  That’s been done over and over again in books and websites.

It may be entitled, “Wafting Through our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy, and Simplicity,” as indicated in our mission listed at the top of each page in our heading. 

We hadn’t seen a pinecone in a long time.

We wrote that motto in 2012. It remains the same for us today. Nothing has changed in our beliefs. Everything has changed in how we respond to our surroundings; adapting, accepting, learning, and growing.

Sure, we have quiet days without a smidgeon of excitement or adventure. Who doesn’t? But, here on the Alpaca Farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and in many other parts of the world we’ve only needed to step outdoors to find our hearts soaring with a sense of pure pleasure and joy. 

A river under a bridge when we drove down an unmarked road.

Being able to share that joy with all of our readers, each and every day only enhances the experience.  If in a small way, we bring a smile to the face of one reader a day, we’ve been gifted with an opportunity we never imagined possible. Thank you for sharing “our world” with us.

We smile with you…there’s so much more yet to come.

Photo from one year ago today, February 16, 2015:

One year ago, in Princeville Kauai, where we lived for four months, an albatross chick safely nestled in the grass under mom or dad’s legs. It’s these kinds of experiences that make our travels especially meaningful. For more photos please click here.

Romantic Valentine’s dinner at “Table” Restaurant at “Nice” Hotel in New Plymouth…Wonderful year ago video at end of post!

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A portion of the outdoor dining area where we dined last night at Table.

Yes, Table is the actual name of the restaurant where we dined last night to celebrate Valentine’s Day, located at the Nice Hotel, its actual name. Quaint.

The well-stocked bar at Table.

It was our first meal in a restaurant since we arrived in the Taranaki area almost a month ago. Having enjoyed the abundant offerings in the variety of markets in New Plymouth, we’ve had little desire to dine out.

There’s a wide array of wines on the menu.

The month of February brings Valentine’s Day, my birthday on the 20th, with our wedding anniversary on March 7th.  Within this three week period each year we often dine out for all three occasions ensuring we try a few local dining establishments.

Perusing reviews on TripAdvisor’s site, making a decision as to which restaurants to choose seems to work best for us.  Asking locals for their preferences works well for casual dining. 

Several massive bouquets of flowers adorned the restaurant.

However, we often find locals prefer the more casual and familiar dining experiences where they can mingle with friends and neighbors as opposed to tourists and celebrants of a variety of occasions in the more “fancy” local restaurants. 

The front dining area.

TripAdvisor seems to provide a varied range of diners, many who have traveled extensively having visited many of the best-reviewed restaurants in various popular tourist locations plus reviews from an array of locals who’ve frequented such restaurants on special occasions.

As soon as we walked in the door of the boutique hotel we entered into the restaurant area which encompassed a plethora of separate dining choices easily befitting any dining experience one could desire; a romantic dinner for two, a business meeting, a wedding party, a groom’s dinner or a gathering of friends.

Another more secluded dining area.

For the couples, like us, there were several areas from which we could choose to be seated.  Arriving early we were able to select the table, we preferred in the outdoor dining area. 

Before leaving the house I’d applied repellent as I do a few times each day to avoid thinking about sandfly bites when the restaurant is located only a few blocks from the ocean. Much to our surprise during dinner our flawless server Amy, brought a spray can of repellent to our table to see if we needed a spray or two. This was a nice touch  Already prepared, we declined.  Tom, who rarely is bitten, never uses repellent.

Pretty service area near the kitchen.

The food was exceptional, especially when the chef reviewed the food list on my phone and had no problem preparing my luscious massive filet mignon without any floury sauce or sides. Amy was extremely helpful in ensuring my meal was befitting my restrictions. Tom ordered the same entrée inclusive of all those items for which I had to pass.

Here’s my Valentine’s Day date, smiling as always.

We’ve found it amazing that most menus in New Zealand and Australia include choices of multiple courses, more than we’ve seen in other parts of the world, as is the case at Table. Please click here for the menu.

It was fun to be out to dinner.

Neither of us ever has room to order multiple courses, other than perhaps a side salad for me and “fries” for Tom as we’d each ordered last night. Tom, picky about desserts and often stuffed after a huge entrée as in the case last night, ordered an extra plate of beer-battered fries but had little interest in even reviewing the dessert menu.

Tom’s potato amuse bouche.

Since it was Valentine’s Day, we each were served champagne flutes with pink sparkling wine.  I drank half of my glass, pouring the remainder into Tom’s glass. It tasted good to me but I detected way too much sweetness in the wine which in general keeps me from drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverages.

Tom’s entrée of steak filet with mushroom au jus, Bernaise butter and small cup of fried potatoes.

As a result of this complimentary offering, Tom didn’t order a cocktail considering the 25 minutes drive back to the farm. One certainly wouldn’t want to fall prey to a DUI in a foreign country (or anywhere for that matter).  He only drinks alcohol when were out and I’ll drive home. Lately, not driving on the opposite side of the road with ease, that wasn’t a good option, although if I had to I certainly could and would.

My entrée (or main as referred to on the menu), steak filet, broccoli, flourless au jus. I ate both mine and Tom’s Bernaise butter with my steak. I ordered a small side salad of fresh greens without dressing.

Our total bill for the lovely meal was only NZ $86, US $57. It was hard for us to believe how reasonable it was.  Then again, without ordering “starters,” an entrée, (we ordered from the “mains” choices), alcohol or desserts, our bill didn’t add up as it may for others.

Back home slightly before dark (its summer here in the South Pacific) we spotted Trish and Neil outside by the mating paddock. They’d been to an alpaca show and had won several awards for some of their herd they’d brought along. We chatted at length sharing the stories of our “babysitting” over the past few days and the joy we’d experienced in doing so.

Tom’s side order of beer-battered fries.

Having moved the alpacas to a side paddock, we won’t have easy access to them as we’ve had these past many days. The paddock had to be vacated to allow the grass to regrow especially with a lack of rain over these past weeks. We’ll miss them being that close at hand. But, a 50 meter walk out the front door brings us back in close proximity. No doubt, we’ll be heading out the door many times each day.

As promised in yesterday’s post, we wrote a review on TripAdvisor this morning before posting. Although they’ve acknowledged receipt of our review, its yet to be published on their site as its being approved by their staff, a usual step in the process that may take several hours. As soon as it’s live later today, you’ll be able to find our review at this link. We’ll also re-post it in tomorrow’s post.

For those in the other side of the International Dateline, one day behind us, we wish each of our readers a very Happy Valentine’s Day. 

Photo from one year ago today, February 15, 2015:

It was one year ago today, we posted this video of the amazing albatross in Kauai, Hawaii where they nest each year to have one chick. They’d shown in our video celebrating their lives, the hatching of their chicks, practicing for future mating and happy to be together. What an extraordinary experience for us! For more details, please click here.

New life in photos!…Today’s Valentine’s Day in this part of the world…Happy lovers day to all!

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Love comes in many forms.

One never knows for sure when they get married, live together, or commit to a long-term relationship how it will manifest after a number of years. We can only hope that the relationship will continue to grow and thrive. Many almost “leave it to chance” in hopes of it surviving through good times and bad.

However, like a garden, it needs to be cultivated and cared for on a daily basis and the treasures harvested will be hearty and constant. Most certainly, weeds will grow from time to time, and occasionally we ‘”forget” to nourish it with water in times of drought. 

Then, we watch it begin to wilt as we rush to set it right, perhaps even overwatering, drowning it with attention and adoration. This is love. Not perfect and, not always romantic but always a part of who we are as individuals and as a couple.

As the mom cleaned up the baby alpaca, another mom and cria born two days earlier came to help and observe. The two-day-old appeared excited to have a playmate. Wait until she/he sees the fifteen babies in the paddock in our back and side yard!

To think that one special day of the year, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or an anniversary can cement the depth of such love is foolhardy. Celebrating these special occasions need only be a gentle reminder of that which is already firmly implanted into the hearts and minds of the participants.

When Tom was sick this past week, each day I considered canceling our dinner reservation for tonight, worrying he wouldn’t feel up to going out so soon after a week’s illness. He continually insisted we leave the reservation in place. 

Had it been necessary to cancel I wouldn’t have been disappointed to be unable to “celebrate” this Hallmark promoted occasion. I’d only been disappointed that he still wasn’t feeling well. Neither of us requires a special day to express our love and devotion to one another. 

The goal is to get the cria on its feet within 20 minutes of birth to ensure the highest neurological functioning.  If, she didn’t stand, we’d brought along a towel to help as we saw Trish and Neil had done for an earlier birth we witnessed.

As it turns out, he’s totally well again and tonight we’ll head out for our dinner reservation at the positively reviewed restaurant, the Table, according to these reviews on TripAdvisor located in downtown New Plymouth. 

Tomorrow, we’ll post photos of our food, a link to our newly written review on TripAdvisor, and an overall review of our experience, our first night out to dinner since our arrival on January 19th.

A few minutes ago, I walked to the far paddock to see if more of the six remaining pregnant alpacas are in labor and to check on the two new babies. I zoomed in with the camera to check if any of the six were in labor and to observe how the two new crias were doing. All was well. 

We laughed as we watched it tentatively struggle to get on its feet approximately 22 minutes after birth. We decided to continue to watch to ensure all was well.

We’ve been checking every few hours since Trish and Neil left for the weekend, enjoying a little sense of “babysitting” dozens of alpacas, although the neighbors come to feed them bales of hay and bowls of grassy meal scattered about the paddock.

As I walked past them on the short trek down the driveway to the “y” in the road, they approached the thin wire fence chomping on the grass and raised hay containers, happily picking up their heads to look at me. 

They no longer move away as I pass. Their eyes twinkle with acknowledgment and familiarity, shy creatures that they are, as my heart feels a pang of love for these gentle animals. It will be hard to leave them in two months.

A short time later, the cria was on its feet, frequently plopping down to rest as they seem to quiet down a bit in their first 24 hours of life.

Love comes in many forms and for us in our ongoing worldwide travels, we’ve been gifted with the love of one another, the love of wildlife, the love of nature, and the love of the special people we’ve met along the way. We don’t need a heart-shaped box of chocolates or a red card to express our love.

When I came downstairs this morning to find Tom making coffee, his eyes twinkled with acknowledgment, familiarity, and love as he wished me a happy Valentine’s Day…in the same way they do each and every morning of our lives. Grateful..in awe…in love…never taking our lives and each other for granted is the essence of our blessed lives.

Have a beautiful Valentine’s Day today and tomorrow for those in other parts of the world, and have a loving special day each day of the year!

Photo from one year ago today, February 14, 2015:

In Kauai, we discovered this unusual plant which reminded us of sweet corn which appears to be covered in a velvety cloth. It is called the Zamia Furfuracea. Vegetation all over the world is often surprising.  For more photos, please click here.

Dealing with life’s everyday challenged while traveling the world…

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A billy goat tied to a tree.

Finally, Tom is on the mend. After considerable research, we speculate that the abscessed tooth he had pulled may have resulted in the gastrointestinal infection that began to plague him 48 hours after the extraction, lasting for almost a week.

He suffered from severe gastric symptoms, fever, chills, body aches, and weakness. He took over-the-counter medications to alleviate the fever every four to six hours for the first few days until the fever subsided, sleeping most of the day on the sofa in the living room.

A bubbling brook.

The simple fact is that pulling the tooth released bacteria from the abscess in his bloodstream and stomach, resulting in what appeared similar to the bacterial infection I had in Marrakesh, Morocco after eating raw vegetables in a restaurant the first day of our arrival. 

After traveling for 17 months at that point, I should have known better. Now, we’re more cautious than ever in less developed countries. I had waited three weeks before succumbing to a three-day dose of Cipro which we’d brought along for exactly this reason.

Recently, we read a study that discovered the depth of the intellect of horses and their innate ability to connect with humans, even reacting to expressions on a human face.

Within hours I began to feel relief. In Tom’s case, we didn’t want him to take antibiotics a third time since his first dose for the abscess was in November, the second in January, on two occasions when the abscess flared up. Thus, he waited.

It wasn’t until he started feeling better yesterday that we conducted research to make the connection to the abscessed tooth extraction and the gastric. Had we suspected this earlier, calling the dentist to inquire, most likely he’d have recommended antibiotics, which we didn’t want Tom to take once again unless it continued for more than a week.

A creek we encountered on a drive.

Its in these types of scenarios that not having a “regular” doctor and dentist puts us in a tough position. In our old lives, if we were sick for more than five days we’d make an appointment to see the doctor often having tests and leaving with a few prescriptions. 

We don’t have this luxury now, 40 months after leaving Minnesota. For those family members and friends who are reading today…please don’t worry…if one of us exhibits life-threatening symptoms, we’ll immediately find our way to an urgent care facility or hospital. 

Even on cloudy days, the countryside has a special charm.

It may seem as if we’re often sick as we share the details of our daily lives. Most likely it’s no more than most of our readers. The difference is that few document each virus, infection, injury, and days of being under the weather. Most likely, twice a year we experience a malady of one sort or another.

After considerable discussion, we’ve come to the conclusion that moving from one location, one country to another, we have little time to build an immunity to local viruses than those who live in one location occasionally traveling who seem to build an immunity.

Stopping to admire cloud-covered Mount Taranaki.

On cruises, passengers are exposed to a variety of illnesses from living in tight quarters for a few weeks.  Luckily, we’ve never had Norovirus even during periods when there’s been an outbreak.

Although on four of our past cruises either one or both of us has developed the common “cruise cough,” the worst of which was on the cruise from Hawaii to Sydney with horrible symptoms lasting three weeks after the cruise ended. By far, that was the worst illness either of us has experienced since we left the US. 

Horses we encounter are animated and friendly.  Check out the cute pink spot on his nose.

When the ship disembarked we were so sick with a fever and a cough neither of us hardly recalls the time we spent picking up the rental car at the Cairns airport and finding the house in Trinity Beach.

We caught this awful virus toward the end of the cruise when a woman coughed on me in the elevator which, once my symptoms manifested, Tom was infected developing into the same whirlwind of awful symptoms.  

We each spent the last few days of the cruise in the cabin (it was an 18-day cruise) in an attempt to avoid infecting others. Otherwise, this was one of the most enjoyable of our 12 cruises to date, making many new friends with whom we’ve continued to stay in touch.

Another creek we crossed on a drive.

Most recently with Tom’s abscessed tooth, we ask ourselves what we may have done differently once the symptoms manifested. We were living in a remote area of Fiji. We visited a dentist within days of the first symptoms, taking antibiotics as prescribed. 

His second bout of symptoms occurred on the day we boarded this last cruise from Sydney to Auckland. The only solution was another round of the same antibiotics. As required in the case of antibiotics he continued with the full course of the medication. 

Once we arrived in New Plymouth, within two weeks of arrival, we were in the dentist’s office when at that time, no new symptoms were present. We feel we did everything we could. Then, he developed the awful gastrointestinal infection plaguing him for almost a week. 

A winding country road.

Now, he’s able to eat again, is feeling well and life will continue on as always, always, stress-free, filled with simple daily pleasures and the comforts of living in the countryside in this beautiful country. Soon, we’ll head back out to tour more of this exquisite location, sharing new photos along the way.

We feel blessed and grateful for each and every day of our lives. But, no one “said” life of world travel would always be easy.  It’s not. And, it’s the times it’s not easy that make us appreciate greater periods of good health and simple pleasures. Overall, we were very fortunate during these last 40 months.

Thanks to all of our readers for sharing this journey with us during periods of both excitement and the mundane events of daily life.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2015:

Thousands of feral chickens populate the island of Kauai. It is speculated that Hurricane Iniki in 1991 blew away hundreds of chicken coops, letting them loose to proliferate. It’s quite a sight to see! For more Kauai photos, please click here.

Answering the question from readers, “Where should I travel?” Our top 13! Link to our world travel map…

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The Treasury in Petra, Jordan after a very long, hot walk. Click here for one of two posts.  This sight made us gasp with our hearts pounding wildly, less from the walk, more from sheer joy!

Frequently, we receive email inquiries from our readers asking for suggestions for the best places to visit in the world based on what we’ve seen to date. 

That’s a tough question to answer.  Its almost as complex as asking a person what they like to read, to eat and what they prefer for recreation.  Its all a matter of personal preference.

Zef, our houseman, held this monstrous insect Tom had fished out of the pool with the net.  Not only did living in Marloth Park include daily visits from big wildlife but also the smaller world of many insect such as this enormous rhino beetle.  For more details, please click here for one of our three months of posts.

Keeping in mind that our primary interests (although we’ve enjoyed many other aspects in the world which we’ll also include here) revolve around observing wildlife, vegetation and naturally created scenery which limits more than half of the popular “places to see” in the world.

With our goal to visit every continent, choosing countries/regions within that continent we strive on making decisions befitting our personal interests.  To date, we visited 49 countries as shown in our map on Travelers Point.  Please click here to see our map.

A container freighter ahead of us in line to enter the first set of locks, the Miraflores Locks as we entered the Panama Canal.  See here for one of the posts.

When reviewing our map its clear to see how we’ve yet to visit most of Asia (we’ll be visiting a few Asian countries soon), South America (upcoming in 2017) and Antarctica, upcoming in 2017 or 2018 (cruises yet to be posted).

Sure, we’ve found many big cities interesting, romantic and exciting: Paris, London, Sydney, Vancouver, Barcelona, Dubai, Venice, Marrakesh, Cairo, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Reykjavik, Cork (Ireland) and on and on…too many to list here.

This female lion as all animals in the wild in the Masai Mara, Kenya, is constantly on the lookout for the next meal to feed her cubs.  It was a memorable, life changing experience we’ll always treasure.  See here for more details.

Our readers continue to ask for our favorites and for many of our regular readers you may already be familiar with our preferences. For our less frequent visitors, here are a few suggestions that not only include remote areas of particular interest but also cities/areas we found especially exciting:

1. Marloth Park, South Africa:  Abundant wildlife, friendly people, plenty to see and do, reasonably priced
2. Panama Canal cruise:  Making a transit through the canal is quite an experience.  The cruises include many stops to other interesting countries.
3.  Masai Mara, Kenya:  Photo safari one of the top experiences in our lives; pricey.
4.  Petra, Jordan: Visit the Treasury, one of the most amazing man made structures in the world, breathtaking.  Getting there can be pricey.
5.  The Middle East cruise:  (May not be safe at this time).  Traveling through the Red Sea, the Suez Canal (loved this) and the Gulf of Aden proved to be our most adventurous cruise to date.

After we traveled through the Suez Canal, we entered the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden, requiring “pirate drills” and special forces onboard with the “packages” including armory to protect the ship and passengers.  Very exciting.  See the post here.

6.  Venice, Italy:  Amazing, must-see for those who don’t mind “tourist” attractions with huge crowds, long queues, and bumping elbows. 
7.  Mykonos, Greece:  (Sardinia is reputed to be even more exquisite). Mykonos has gorgeous scenery, interesting shopping, great restaurants with many delightful hilly walks.  Expensive.
8. Placencia, Belize (a peninsula):  Our first stay outside the US with a bad start for during the first week in a less desirable house – moved to fabulous property – remote, had an exquisite stay; great people, reasonably priced.  Quiet life with a week or two of sites to see. There are many islands in Belize such as Ambergris Caye that tourists often choose over Placencia.  We prefer more remote locations.  Not recommended for those with precarious health issues when its a rough four hour drive or an infrequent flight on a small plane at a local airport to a hospital in Belize City (city is rough and best to avoid for extended periods). 

As our ship made its way to the port of Venice, our mouths were agape in surprise a the feast before our eyes.  Click here for one of two posts.

9.  Sydney, Australia:  One of the most beautiful cities in the world; expensive, good local transportation, fabulous shopping, hotels and restaurants, lots to see, far to travel from many parts of the world.
10.  New Zealand:  This country has so much to offer one could easily stay busy and in awe for many months touring both the North and South Islands, especially if you enjoy road trips.  For us, staying close to New Plymouth and the alpaca farm has totally fulfilled us, although we plan to do some touring in the near future.  Reasonably priced.


The Harbour Bridge.  Wow!  It was extraordinary.  We look forward to returning to Sydney in 2017 for 40 days to fill a gap in our schedule.  For the link to this post, please click here.

11.  Dubrovnik, Croatia:  The must-see walled city may not require a long stay but a few days to a week could be highly gratifying.  Pricey.
12.  The countryside in France and the UK:  We’ve visited many small villages but will someday return for a more comprehensive tour. Expensive.
13.  Kauai, Hawaii:  Extraordinary island offering the “naturalist” a wide array of sightseeing opportunities, scenery and unique wildlife.  Expensive.



The walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.  For more photos of this breathtaking historic city, please click here.

We could go on and on.  We’ve provided a few links in the caption of today’s photos for our visits to these special places. If you’d like to see more photos, please search on the right side of our daily homepage and you’ll find a ‘SEARCH” box directly below the listed archive dates (for more past posts). 

If you’ll type in the name of any of the above cities/countries/locations, you’ll find a list of every post in which we’ve visited these areas.  If you have difficulty with this, please send an email and we’ll be happy to assist in finding the appropriate posts containing many photos.


Not wanted to awaken her/him, I kept my distance although I’d have loved to see more of the rarely seen Hawaiian Monk Sea at the beach at the Napali Coast, Kauai.  Click here for more details.

Actually, it would take writing a comprehensive travel book to describe the details of these experiences and more.  Instead of writing a tedious time consuming book, we’ve chosen to share  our story each day. 

For now, our goal is to assist our inquiring readers on areas they may find suitable for their needs and desires. We hope today’s story helps for those who are considering traveling if possessing some criteria similar to ours.

Have an interesting day whatever you choose to do!

__________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, February 12, 2015:

A final view of Hanalei Bay before we exited an open house in Kauai.  For photos of the house we toured, please click here.

An unusual event in the paddock!!…Check out these photos!…Correction from yesterday’s insurance post…

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Is that a smile on the face of the “stuck” alpaca? 

Correction from yesterday’s post:  The bereavement coverage in our policy with Healthcare International does include coverage for both of us to return to the US (or your home country) in the event of the death of an immediate family member. I had stated based on my incorrect assumption it would only include the actual relative of the deceased.  However, the policy provides for both of us to return to the US for the NZ $7502, US $5000, benefit. Any excess beyond that amount would be our responsibility.  Thanks to the staff at Healthcare International for reading our post and informing us of this correction.

Now, on to yesterday afternoon’s adventure in the paddock. It’s practical to state that I spend several hours each day observing the alpacas. With two patio chairs with footrests on the veranda and the often warm sun, it’s easy to become lost in watching the adorable antics of both the female adults and the adorable youngsters.

Growing so quickly, it’s becoming more difficult each day to decipher the difference between the one-year-old cria and those born shortly before we arrived. Those born since our arrival three weeks ago are getting tall seeming to nurse less and graze more.

The larger alpaca was getting annoyed with the situation and was making lots of noise. The others, always concerned for one another, looked on with concern over the tricky situation. The tan-colored baby of the stuck mom approached, wondering “What the heck?”

Males are kept in a separate paddock. We’ll soon be posting our amazing video of the mating process with is orchestrated by Trish and Neil when they decide the time is right. More on that later!

Late yesterday afternoon with the sliding doors wide open, I heard the sound of an alpaca cry. Grabbing the camera on my way out the door, I was shocked by the situation at hand. I wish I’d taken a video. However, I was more concerned they’d need help to become untangle and was preoccupied watching if they’d be able to resolve the tricky situation.

Tom came outside when I called him and he too was shocked by what we were watching, hoping they’d soon resolve the situation on their own. It appeared if they’d both lay down, they could untangle. 

Finally, to our great relief they untangled. Having taken two photos and knowing they were both safe, we couldn’t stop laughing over the peculiarity of the situation. Apparently, those long necks can be a hazard!

The young bulls always seem happy to see me. 

Once back inside and feeling relieved over the two alpacas seeming to be fine, I downloaded the two photos and laughed over and over again, especially with what appears to be a smile on the face of the alpaca caught on the bottom of their tangled bodies.

I hope Trish and Neil don’t think we’re awful finding humor in this situation. We only laughed after we saw they were fine. Having observed wildlife over many months in Africa, we often found wildlife getting into predicaments that elicit laughter from us humans, often reminding us of our own foibles.

Let’s face it, all of God’s creatures (including us) may find ourselves in tricky situations simply from living life.  We can only hope that somehow we can maneuver our way out of the situation with a positive result as in the case of the two adult alpacas managing to do so yesterday.

The lily pond in a stone basin.

We’ve stayed in most of this week. Tom’s been a bit under the weather with an intestinal thing with a fever since Sunday. He’s improving each day without the necessity of a doctor visit. 

Traveling the world with good health doesn’t make us exempt from occasional viruses or bacterial infections. It’s easy to pick something up when we out and about around people. 

We considered the possibility of a bacteria from something he ate at home. However, we’ve both eaten exactly the same meals and I’m feeling fine. We took special precautions during the past several days, including sleeping in separate bedrooms. 

These alpaca sculptures are also located at the “y” in the road, one road leading to our home and the other leading to Trish and Neil’s home.

We hear that a number of couples sleep in separate rooms when sleeping together impedes the quality of their sleep. That’s not us. We both tossed and turned all night sleeping in separate beds, hoping I wouldn’t “catch” whatever it is he’s had. So far, so good. We look forward to getting back to normal.

Today, we’ll forgo our usual shopping day since Tom’s not up to getting out yet and I have no interest in driving to the grocery store myself on the opposite side of the road. I’m an awful driver as it is. Plus, when we rented the car for three months, we didn’t pay the extra fees to include me as a driver. Tom’s hardly eating and we have enough on hand for several more days.

Back at you tomorrow with more…

Have a fabulous day wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, February 11, 2015:

One year ago today, we’d driven by this nesting site many times not seeing any chicks. And yet, we returned once again to see this adorable chick safely under the shelter of her/his parent. This was the beginning of one of the most enjoyable wildlife observation experiences we had in our travels. Click here for more photos.

What are the benefits of our international health insurance?…

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On a cloudy day, beachgoers still took advantage of local beaches.

We’ve written about international health insurance in past posts. As we acquire more worldwide readers including an increased number of ex-pats and baby boomers retiring and deciding to travel long term, we felt it was time to review this once again, especially in light of yesterday’s annual premium payment.

We paid NZ $5855, US $3745 for the upcoming 12 month period. This insurance doesn’t cover us while in the US. I’m not quite certain, why not, but with little time spent in the US during these past 40 months, with only a few months to be spent in the US upcoming in the summer of 2017, we aren’t worried about it at this juncture.

We drove to Wairau stream to check out the scenery.

Tom will continue to be covered by the health insurance from his prior work until he turns 65 in December 2017. In the interim, we’ve both been covered by this annual ex-pat policy with Healthcare International.

What happened to Medicare for me when I turned 65 almost three years ago? Every US citizen is entitled to Plan A which covers hospitalization in part. See here for details.

Why didn’t we just go with Part A for me?  Simple answer: It doesn’t provide coverage outside the US in most instances. Plus, monthly payment for Plan B is required at NZ $158, US $105.  See here for details. 

Most beaches in this area are rocky, but this popular location is preferred by many surfers and sunbathers.

As a result of this monthly expense, useless in our case, while traveling the world long term, we opted out of Part B by signing a waiver document explaining why we weren’t willing to pay. There are penalties for opting out which will result in a higher premium should we decide to activate it at some point. There again, we aren’t concerned about penalties at this point.

Plus, most Medicare recipients add a “supplemental policy” to cover some deductibles and ancillary costs, here again, an unnecessary expense for us considering none of these would apply to our out-of-the US needs. Had we included these, we’d have been paying as much “out of pocket” annually as we’re currently paying for our annual policy with Healthcare International.

Surfing and kayaking are popular in both New Zealand and Australia.

These drastic measures would not make any sense for those living in the US or US territories where Medicare would pay. Such action is only beneficial for those with very good health who don’t visit doctors frequently, take a lot of medication, and often have medical tests and treatments, since none of these are covered by our current policy.

If we visit a doctor, regardless of the reason, we pay out of pocket as we do for my few prescriptions. Such payments have proven to be approximately 25% of the cost for the same services in the US in most countries as we experienced in our 2015 medical exams and tests in Australia.

This is a first for us, spotting a tractor hauling a boat along the beach.

Our situation is unique and does not apply to most travelers nor to most Medicare recipients in the US. Even those US citizens embarking on a one-year trip outside the US are best to keep their existing insurance (including Medicare Part B and supplement) in place, adding emergency travel insurance as an adjunct.

Our policy with Healthcare International includes coverage for both of us for hospitalization with NZ $3014, US $2000 deductible per hospital stay, emergency evacuation, and bereavement expenses for travel in the event of death of an immediate family member only (sibling, child, parent) covering up to NZ $7536, US $5000 in travel expenses. 

We were intrigued by the stone roof on this oceanfront home.

This benefit is only available for those who are the physical relative of the deceased family member.  In other words, if one of Tom’s family members passes away, the benefit would cover his costs to return to the US, not mine, and so on.

Our decision to choose this type of policy was wrought with considerable research and consideration over an extended period. Each year we’ve researched other options but, to date, this plan makes the most sense for our needs and appears to be the most cost-effective.

  Many homes in New Zealand have metal roofs helping maintain warmth in the cooler winter season reducing heating costs. For the warmer sunny days, as we’ve experienced, it gets hot indoors requiring the opening of screen-less doors and windows.

Of course, when we soon file our taxes for 2015, we must provide “proof of insurance” to avoid paying penalties to the US government. I have a copy in our tax prep file which we’ll soon forward to our accountant along with other pertinent documents.

This can be confusing. Finally, we feel we have a handle on it although it took time to decipher the various options.  If any of our readers have questions, most of the links we’ve provided here will assist you. If you have questions we can answer please post a comment at the bottom of this post and we’ll be happy to answer to the best of our ability and/or provide you with resources to aid in your decision.

Energy efficiency is exercised by most residents in New Zealand from what we’ve seen thus far.

We realize this topic is dry and relatively boring especially for those who aren’t living outside the US for the long term.  For those in other countries, we can only suggest you contact your home insurance, your government-provided insurance, and Healthcare International or another such company. Most likely they’ll be able to assist you based on benefits you may currently have available.

We’re staying in today watching the political caucuses in New Hampshire, USA which is on TV during the day here based on the time difference, although it’s Wednesday here in lovely New Zealand.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 10, 2015:

One year ago, this albatross is sitting on an egg. Both the male and female sit on the nest, the other heading out to sea for food. For more details and map of our location while in Kauai, please click here.