Part 2…New bookings…A new country…A new lease on life!…More tomorrow…

 
India is a huge landmass proving us with endless opportunities to explore.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Ireland’s
flag has three colors for a reason. The green represents the Gaelic tradition
of Ireland, the orange is meant to represent those who followed William of
Orange and the white stripe in the middle represents peace between both.”

____________________________________________


This morning we took off early and headed to Clifden to grocery shop.  We’re having company for dinner tomorrow night and although we promised to make an easy meal, we still had to pick up a number of items at the market.

After my quick stop at the pharmacy for more bandages for my leg, while Tom went to the ATM for cash, we met at the market and breezed through our shopping list which I keep on an app on my phone. 

I’ve been using a grocery shopping app for at least the past 12 years, finding it so much easier than a handwritten list, especially since I can’t read my own scratchy handwriting.

In no time at all, we were back on the road for the 40-minute drive back to Glinsce and our holiday home.  We quickly put everything away while Tom worked on removing the ice from the tiny freezer.  We needed all the room we could get in the small space.

After the big chest freezer in Marloth Park, it’s quite a difference only having a freezer the size of a small chill box.  With the trays of ice and a bag of ice, there’s little room for food.  When he was done removing the ice, I got to work organizing the items and somehow managed to get everything inside including the ice.

In my life, before heart surgery, putting away groceries wasn’t a task.  But now, any activity that requires standing for long periods, bending down to put food into the below-counter refrigerator becomes a major undertaking.  But, I push myself to accomplish every task before me, knowing in time, all of these activities will only add to the rebuilding of my strength.

Today is our 28th anniversary from the night we met. We’re making a special dinner and will enjoy some quality time together reminiscing and thinking toward the future. 

Most prevalent in our minds are the bookings we made in the past several days; the luxury train in India, the Maharajas Express, the “Heritage of India” and a cruise, a fantastic 29-night cruise we can’t wait to share in tomorrow’s post.


In yesterday’s first post about the train, we promised to share more details of our upcoming train expedition beginning on February 2, 2020, a mere seven months from now.  It’s not that we’re wishing time to go by quickly.  Instead, its fun for both of us to plan into the future, knowing we have so much to anticipate.


We selected the deluxe cabin in order to keep the price down.  Sure, we’d love to have chosen a suite but the added cost is just not worth it to us.  
The main differential in cost is the size of the cabin and we’re fine in tiny spaces when we spend so little time in our cabin.


So here are the pricing details for the Maharajas Express, the “Heritage of India“:  

Prices Valid From 01 October 2019 Until April 2021

 Price in Sterling Pounds Per Person

Price Per Person Per Journey Deluxe Cabin Junior Suite Suite Presidential Suite
Twin/Double Cabin £ 5072 £ 7915 £ 11040 £ 18960
Single Cabin £ 8944 £ 15040 £ 22080 £ 37920

 Price in US Dollars Per Person

Price Per Person Per Journey Deluxe Cabin Junior Suite Suite Presidential Suite
Twin/Double Cabin $ 6340 $ 9890 $ 13800 $ 23700
Single Cabin $ 11180 $ 18800 $ 27600 $ 47400

  
Included in the above pricing is the following:

Price / Cost Includes

*** Accommodation in Air Conditioned Deluxe Cabin or Junior Suite or Suite or Presidential Suite with attached Bathroom on board The Maharaja Express
*** All meals including tea, coffee, and mineral water and house brands of Indian wines, beer, and spirits during The Maharaja Express
*** Transport for sightseeing with Deluxe Coaches during The Maharaja Express for Deluxe Cabin and Junior Suite Clients
*** Transport for sightseeing with Private Vehicle & Private Guide during The Maharaja Express for Suite and Presidential Suite Clients
*** Entrance fee to palaces, museums & parks during The Maharaja Express
*** English speaking guide during The Maharaja Express
*** Bulter Service for Suite and Presidential Suite Clients
*** Service of the Tour Manager on Board
*** One Transfer in Mumbai and One Transfer in Delhi by Private Vehicle with Driver


Of course, the most exciting aspect to the train excursion is the itinerary as follows:

Day 1 – Mumbai – Sunday

  •  09:00 Welcome and Registration at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel
  •  10:30 Proceed for Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus Railway Station, Mumbai
  •  11:30 Maharajas’ Express proceeds to Udaipur
  •  12:30 Lunch onboard
  •  19:30 Dinner onboard

Day 2 – Udaipur – Monday

  •  08:00 Breakfast onboard
  •  10:00 Arrive at Udaipur. Proceed for a boat ride on Lake Pichola followed by a visit to City Palace and Crystal Gallery
  •  13:00 Return to the comforts of Maharajas’ Express
  •  13:15 Lunch onboard. You may choose Optional Activities – Spa at a hotel or Local City Tour
  •  18:15 Proceed for an Exclusive Dinner at Satkar Hall of Fatehprakash Palace or Jagmandir Island Palace
  •  20:30 Returns to comforts of Maharajas’ Express
  •  22:00 Maharajas’ Express proceeds to Jodhpur

Day 3 – Jodhpur – Tuesday

  • 07:30 Breakfast onboard
  •  09:15 Optional Tour to Bishnoi Village (De-board at Rohat Railway Station)
  •  13:00 Lunch onboard
  •  14:30 Proceed to visit the Mehrangarh Fort followed by a Walking Tour of the Old Clock Tower market and enjoy a joy ride on Tuk Tuks
  •  17:30 Proceed for an exclusive cocktail dinner at Hanwant Mahal or Khaas Bagh
  •  20:15 Return to the comforts of Maharajas’ Express
  •  03:00 Maharajas’ Express proceeds to Bikaner

Day 4 – Bikaner – Wednesday

  •  08:00 Enjoy the countryside while having breakfast onboard
  •  10:00 Arrive at Bikaner. Relax onboard or you may choose Optional Activities – Visit Lalgarh   Museum or Local City Tour
  •  13:00 Lunch onboard
  •  14:00 Visit to Junagarh Fort followed by sundowners at Sand Dunes
  •  17:30 Arrive at the Sand Dunes followed by cocktails, bar-be-que, and folk dances
  •  20:15 Return to the comfort of the Maharajas’ Express
  •  21:30 Maharajas’ Express proceeds to Jaipur

Day 5 – Jaipur – Thursday

  • 08:00 Breakfast onboard
  •  09:30 Arrive at Jaipur. Proceed for a visit to Amber Fort
  •  12:30 After sightseeing proceed to Rambagh Palace hotel for lunch
  •  16:00 Return to the comforts of Maharajas’ Express
    You may choose Optional Activities – Spa at a hotel, with a visit to the City Palace Museum and Observatory or Local City Tour
  •  20:00 Dinner onboard
  •  21:30 The Maharajas’ Express proceeds to Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore)

Day 6 – Ranthambore and Fatehpur Sikri – Friday

  •  06:30 Proceed for an exciting Game Drive at Ranthambore National Park
  •  09:30 Return to the comforts of Maharajas’ Express
  •  09:45 Breakfast onboard
  •  10:15 Maharajas’ Express proceeds for Fatehpur Sikri
  •  13:30 Lunch onboard
  •  14:30 Arrive into Fatehpur Sikri
  •  15:30 Visit the deserted Mughal City of Fatehpur Sikri
  •  18:00 Return to the comforts of Maharajas’ Express
  •  19:30 Enjoy an “Indian Evening” followed by dinner onboard

Day 7 – Agra – Saturday

  •  06:45 Arrive into Agra and proceed to visit Taj Mahal
  •  09:30 Champagne Breakfast at Taj Khema
  •  10:45 Return to the comforts of Maharajas’ Express
  •  11:05 Maharajas’ Express proceeds to Delhi
  •  13:00 Lunch onboard
  •  15:30 Disembark and bid farewell to the Maharajas’ Express as your journey comes to an end
We’re in the process of deciding where we’ll visit during the two months we’ll have in India while we await the cruise (see tomorrow’s post) that begins on April 3, 2020.  It’s exciting to research different locations and decide what appeals to us the most.

No doubt, we’ll be booking a safari in India with a search for tiger sightings in mind.  Oh, my, this is exciting!  I can’t wait to hopefully post photos of tigers we’ve spotted in the wild.

Happy day to all. We’ll be back tomorrow with more and…soon we’ll post our new itinerary.
__________________________________________
Photo from one year ago today, June 28, 2018:
“The foot of the giraffe reaches a diameter of 30 cm (12 in), and the hoof is 15 cm (5.9 in) high in males and 10 cm (3.9 in) in females. The rear of each hoof is low and the fetlock is close to the ground, allowing the foot to provide additional support to the animal’s weight.”  For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…New bookings…A new country…A new lease on life!…More tomorrow…

The Maharajas Express Luxury Train* in India.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Even though legend says that St. Patrick cleared Ireland of snakes, the truth is that these slithering creatures were never able to make it from Britain to the island.”

__________________________________________

*Please excuse the quality of today’s photos.  They were taken from the train’s website and aren’t clear when enlarged.


With our hesitancy to book future travels due to my recent health fiasco, the nature of our travels had changed dramatically.  At one point since we arrived in Ireland, we had no idea where we’d go in December 2019 after leaving Minnesota, Nevada, and Arizona to see family.


After days of research and planning, as of late yesterday, we’re booked until May 2, 2020, almost a year out but also have a few cruises beyond that date which we may or may not take. 


We have moveable deposits on all of our remaining cruises with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines.  We have a Euro 731, US $900 deposit, paid for a cruise we’d booked from Lisbon to Cape Town on November 2020.  At the time we booked that cruise, we had no idea about my heart issues.

One of several lounges on the train.

When we went through immigration in South Africa on May 11, 2019, we were classified as “undesirables” since we overstayed our visas by the three months we had to stay in SA while I recovered, unable to fly during that time.  This classification would prevent us from returning to South Africa for 5 years.  Subsequently, we’ ll miss this particular cruise.

We were provided with documentation to allow us to apply for a waiver that could potentially allow us to return sooner.  Immediately after we arrived in Ireland, we put together the detailed packet required to apply for the waiver and sent it via email as required.


Yesterday, I called to see how our file was progressing and was directed to another email address for a status update which I did, attaching all the relevant documents once again.  I was told we’d hear back in 24 to 48 hours.  But, I doubt we’ll hear by then, based on history in dealing with governmental processes in South Africa.

One of several dining venues.

If we don’t hear by the time the final payment is due in July 2020, we’ll have no choice but to cancel the cruise, losing a portion of the deposit and not able to return to Marloth Park South Africa until May 2024.


In the interim, we’re proceeding as if this isn’t an issue, leaving a gap in time for the Africa cruise and the three months we’ll have spent in Marloth Park.  We have a year to hear from immigration.


In order to get “back on track,” we decided to proceed with events we’ve longed to do.  Yesterday morning, we booked the first of these exciting venues on the Maharajas Express, the India equivalent of the Orient Express.  We couldn’t be more excited.

On one of many included excursions, close to the Taj Mahal.

We’ve talked about visiting India at some point but neither of us has been interested in experiencing the massive population as shown below:

“The population of India 2019: Looking into the latest UN data, the approximate population of India is 1,350,438,098. The population of India is rising at an alarming rate and this is why the country is known as the second most populous country in the world after China.”


This is a big chunk of the world’s population as shown below:

“The current world population is 7.7 billion as of June 2019 according to the most recent United Nations estimates elaborated by Worldometers. Thus, India possesses 17.7% of the world’s population.”

One of many dining carriages.

Based on our plans for India, we’ll be able to avoid some of the traffic and commotion in the larger cities, although we’ll visit some of them along the way.  No doubt, the crowds, and traffic are all part of the experience in India.

We plan to spend two months in the country, from traveling to different locations we’re considering now.  But, as mentioned above, one of the most exciting elements of our time in India is starting on February 2, 2020, with a six-night excursion on the Maharajas Express from Mumbai to Dehli, stopping at outstanding points of interest along the way.

In the past several days, we spent hours researching pricing, accommodation, amenities, and routes and decided on the Maharajas Express’ Heritage of India which provides us with the most exciting and comprehensive experiences.

With so much information to share here, we’ll return tomorrow with more photos, pricing, amenities and the itinerary of the Heritage of IndiaWe couldn’t be more thrilled, especially after this long haul of only focusing on my health.  This is exactly “what the doctor ordered.”

See you soon!
__________________________________________
Photo from one year ago today, June 27, 2018:
Elephants crossing the road in Kruger National Park.  That vehicle stopped too close to them putting themselves at risk.  For more details, please click here.

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

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.

Photos taken this morning…An early morning on another rainy day…A blazing year ago photo below!

Breadfruit growing in the yard, a popular item in the islands. Here’s a good article on breadfruit. We’d love to try this which is the size of a grapefruit but, it contains 26 grams of carbohydrates and 11 grams of sugar in 1/4 of a fruit.

Cabin fever hasn’t set in yet. We’re good. The cool breezes, the sound of the rain pattering on the tile roof, the birds singing, and the contrast of colors in the bright green vegetation inspired me to take photos at 6:30 this morning.

Already showered and dressed after a 5:45 bolt out of bed, following Tom’s 5:30 rising, our day began on a bright note, as usual, rain or shine. With 70% to 90% rain expected over the five-day forecast, we keep our chins up, knowing eventually this will end. 

Part of us accepts the premise that nature needs the rain as we watch the vegetation bloom and brighten into a plethora of shades of color. Each rainy morning, we notice subtle differences as they escalate into a splash of colors some hardly recognizable to our eyes. Who’s to complain?

The kitchen towels never dried in the rain.  Today, we’ll hand these off to Usi with our dirty laundry and she’ll dry them.

When the sun shines again, we’ll begin to tackle the list of sites to see during our next outing with Ratnesh.  In the interim, we’ll continue our regular and highly entertaining visits to the village, rain, or shine. No doubt, it’s good to get out. 

Not having a rental car could be challenging for most long term travelers.  Somehow, we established a level of acceptance of this fact, that sometimes renting a car doesn’t work. In the case here, as we’ve mentioned in the past, a four wheel drive vehicle would be required. 

Such a vehicle is outrageously expensive in the long term on this small island, higher than the rent on the house. We were well aware of this when we booked this location when Mario had explained in an email that we’d have a great driver. We have no regrets now.

Ratnesh is comparable to having a personal tour guide. Having lived here all of his life, he’s educating us as we travel about, not only on local customs and lifestyle but also, on the scenery. Also, many rough roads are best avoided on one’s own, due to navigability issues. On our own we wouldn’t have had a clue as to which roads to avoid, driving beyond the Savusavu area.

The local ferry travels from Savusavu to Nadi in Viti Levu. It’s a long overnight trip arriving at 5 am.  Sleeping cabins are available for an additional cost.

We’ve had drivers in Belize, Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco. Not having a rental car in these countries never impeded our ability to embrace our surroundings and in most cases, enhanced it with the competency and knowledge of our drivers. 

How easily we recall Okee Dokee in South Africa, with whom we’ve stayed in touch as she prepares for her upcoming wedding. We happily watch for photos and the progression of her plans on Facebook and also write back and forth in email. We couldn’t be more thrilled for her!

The times we spent, the three of us, driving through Marloth Park and the surrounding areas will always remain as some of the favorite memories of our world travels. At times, we all laughed so hard, we cried. 

Our single chaise lounge is available for sunning when the suns appear.

Each week she and I traveled the long distance to Komatipoort to grocery shop and to purchase more data.  During those drives, we engaged in typical “girl talk” as well as stopping for wildlife photos. She’d help me find items at the market which often left us in fits of laughter.

Often, we stopped to check out the products offered by farmers and vendors who’d sit on a box on the side of the road for hours at a time. She’d purchase lychee nuts and I’d purchase avocados in a huge bag of 10, always more than I could eat which I shared with her and the household helpers. We’ll always remember those special times with Okee Dokee.

Each country we’ve visited has left us with special memories. We anticipate this will be the case as we continue on our journey. When perusing our itinerary this morning, I couldn’t fathom how quickly the time has passed and how soon we’ll be in New Zealand (in three months) and Bali (in less than seven months).

Having the experience of seeing so much of the South Pacific by the time we depart in 18 months, with six upcoming cruises a few of which will circumvent Australia, surely we’ll feel satisfied that we’ve had a good perspective of this part of the world.

A colorful little orange flower blooming on this white lily.

So much more of the world awaits us. Had we started this journey 20 years ago, we’d still have only been able to see a portion of what the world has to offer. The time we have left is in the hands of our higher power and the degree to which we can maintain a level of good health.

With our diligent budgeting, which we’ll continue to adjust for inflation and the value of the dollar throughout the world, we expect it will become more challenging to find affordable options in years to come. Rather than risk our financial stability, we’ll continually adjust our expectations accordingly.

For today as we sit back on yet another rainy day, we’ll resume our search to fulfill the one remaining gap in our schedule (39 days) over the next 18 months. From there, we’re watching for new cruise postings yet to appear, to take us back out to sea to continue on our chosen path.

Have a happy and fulfilling day!


Photo from one year ago today, October 13, 2014:

How can it be a full year ago that we took this photo in Waikiki Beach?  The time has flown. For more details as we wound down our time in Oahu, soon to move to Maui, please click here.

A new day…A new dawn…Booking plans for the future…A challenging task in the South Pacific…

I talked Tom into posing in front of this beautiful palm frond. We hadn’t seen this type of frond since we’d been in Belize in early 2013, taking a similar photo of me at that time.

It was a fitful night after the hottest day and night we’ve had in a long time. The humidity was at 94% making otherwise moderate temperatures in the high 80F’s, 30C’s, feel somewhat uncomfortable.  

Lipstick plant, commonly seen in tropical climates.

With no AC, we cranked up the one ceiling fan in the main area of the house, stripped down to the skimpiest of clothing and distracted ourselves. When the wifi went out, we played Gin. Tom’s on a winning streak again. He beat me in Australia and is ahead already in Fiji. 

When the WiFI returned I spent a few hours searching for vacation homes in other parts of the South Pacific with little luck. I went as far as inquiring to a few properties both writing back explaining they weren’t interested in long term rentals during the peak season. 

Palm trees produce a variety of colorful seed pods in tropical climates.

Our open dates of December 3, 2016 to March 1, 2017, are considered peak season, not so much due to the Christmas season, as it is to it being summer in the southern hemisphere. Property owners can get higher rates for short term rentals than we’re willing to pay for the long term. 

Finding a house in any area in Australia is entirely out of the question. The prices are even higher than any of the surrounding islands. They’re some of the highest prices we’ve seen anywhere in the world. We’re lucky to have stayed in the great property in Trinity Beach at a reasonable rate to at least ensure we had the experience of living on the vast continent. 

The verandas for two of the units in the large house behind us.

It appears that now we’ll have no choice but to expand our horizons and find other locations in the South Pacific to fill this and the other gap, prior to our last cruise in Australia ending up in the US where we’ll be visiting family and then be back on to other adventures outside the US.

In communicating with another world traveler Tom met on cruise critic with plans to travel for a total of two years, she wrote “I find myself working on the booking details in the middle of the night.” We know that booking multiple locations, one after another is a daunting task, nothing we take lightly.

We can use this pool if we’d like, but with no lounge chairs on the edges, we have little interest.

Luckily, we’ve been able to gradually add new locations, mostly filling in various gaps from time to time.  It’s easy to recall before we left the US, when I worked on my laptop 12 hours a day for many months booking two years into the future. 

Planning even a single two week holiday/vacation is a huge task, ensuring visas, hotels, transfers and transportation are in order, even when using a travel agent. 

View from the veranda of the upper unit in the house behind us.

Only once, in these past years have we used a travel agent, when we booked the flights to Fiji with an agent in Trinity Beach when our connection was too slow to book online. We’ve become fairly adept at booking vacation homes as long as we have a good wifi connection which right now, holding our breath, is working well.

Over these next months in Savusavu, we’ll continue to conduct more research, hoping to fill this first gap. If we can accomplish filling the second gap from March 13, 2017, to April 22, 2017, it will be a bonus.

A type of rose at the end of the season.

Today is a busy day. Ratnesh is coming to pick us up at 11 am to take us to the ATM, then to the post office to pick up the package we shipped from Australia with supplies.

Then, we’re off to purchase more data for my phone (which I accidentally burned up leaving a call online), the farmer’s market, the grocery store and the meat market. Food shopping requires these three stops when there’s little choice of produce and only frozen meat at the tiny grocery store.

None of these berries are edible.

On Wednesday, Ratnesh will return to take us sightseeing and when done we’ll stop to pick up two cooked chickens at the meat market which we’ll reserve.  The chickens we purchased and cooked had little meat and were dry and tough.  The cooked chickens made fresh daily at the meat market, are moist, meaty, and delicious. 

Also, in this warm weather, it makes no sense to have the counter top oven on anymore than is absolutely necessary. If we purchase two cooked chickens each week, we only have to cook five more dinners.The less we cook, the less ants come to call.  Plain and simple.

These orange pods contain the seeds for future palm trees of this variety.

This morning Mario stopped by with the post office receipt for the package and to check on how well the wifi is working.  His care for his guests is beyond reproach. How fortunate we’ve been to have quality landlords in the majority of the vacation homes we’ve rented these past years.

Have a fabulous Sunday or Monday, depending on which side you’re located on the International Dateline! 

Photo from one year ago today, September 21, 2014:

The Sheraton Club Intrawest located in the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre was a great place to stay for six days while awaiting the upcoming cruise to Hawaii. For more details and photos, please click here.

See our itinerary below!…One 67 day gap yet to fill…A trip to a local health food store in Kilauea…

Actually, this is the only health food store within a half-hour drive, Healthy Hut. The inventory is ripe with fresh locally grown organic produce, grass-fed meats, free-range chickens and eggs, and food and health supplies one would find in a much larger location in a big city. Pricey? Yep!

Good morning, World! It’s Monday! It looks like it will be a sunny day and we’re feeling good!  Today, we’re sharing photos of our recent trip to Healthy Hut, a great little health food store in Kilauea, a 10-minute drive from our home in Princeville.

After a lazy Easter, both of us a little under the weather, Tom with an achy shoulder (better today) and me, tired from a poor night’s sleep, today is a new day and we’re rearing to go, feeling great once again. 

Red ginger plants in front of Healthy Hut.

Some of our readers, new to our site haven’t seen our upcoming itinerary, meaning the bookings we have made well into the future. The end of this list isn’t the end of our travels by any means.

It simply means that it’s as far out as we’re booked into the future. Within the next year, we’ll begin booking beyond the last booking well into the following year and so on. It’s an ongoing process, adding new bookings as time marches on.

As much as we love Kauai, we’re almost at the three-month point and through the natural pace and progression we’ve established of three months max in each location, we’re beginning to look forward to our next adventure, the South Pacific. 

Seeing pumpkins and squash reminds us of crisp cool fall in Minnesota as I stood admiring this at a comfortable 82 degrees.

This morning, as we made the bed, I asked Tom, “Are you feeling ready to move on?” It’s the first time I’ve asked him this question.

He looked up at me and smiled that wide toothy grin, “Yes, I am. Three months is really the magic number.”

We’ve been in the Hawaiian Islands since September 29, 2014 (by cruise ship) for a total of 190 days. We have 47 more days until we depart Kauai to head to Honolulu/Waikiki, Oahu for an overnight stay when the next day, May 24th, we’ll board Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to head to Australia.

This is not to say we haven’t had a fabulous time in the islands or in Kauai where we’ve made many friends and had many memorable experiences. It’s just the length of time we’ve been in Hawaii that is beginning to feel like it would feel if we stayed put on one location, something neither of us cares to do at this point in our lives.

I was surprised to find many of the products I needed to make my recently posted recipe for Low Carb High Fat Protein Bars, my new favorite recipe.  Click this link if you missed the recipe.

We’ve tried to avoid counting days to the next adventure but after this extended period it reminds me of the last few times we counted the days; when we left Minnesota 2 1/2 years ago, dreading the part about saying goodbye, and, when a year ago, we felt cooped up in Marrakech for the two and a half month stay.

We’ll sadly say goodbye to the many wonderful people we’ve met on this island who may, one never knows, visit us along the way. After all, our readers Staci and her husband Glenn, whom we’ve come to know and adore by chatting online, will be on a cruise at the same time as us one year from now. How fun will that be? As we always say, “You never know who’s paths may cross in the future.”

The shelves were packed with beauty products, snacks, and treats, none of which we purchase.

The upcoming “booked” itinerary below begins on May 24th on the upcoming cruise to Sydney. As evident in this itinerary, we have a gap from 6/26/2016 to 9/1/2016, precipitated by our two separate stays in Bali at 59 days each. 

Oh, here we go, contradicting ourselves further down the page, staying a total of almost four months in one location, separated by two months due to visa constraints. We only chose to stay in Bali twice because the property is exquisite, as you’ll see as the time nears…an extraordinary paradise we couldn’t resist.

So, here it is folks, the itinerary:
                                                                          # Days

 Cruise Honolulu to Sydney 18
 Australia Rental  89
 Fiji Rental  89
 Fiji Rental #2  29
 Sydney Hotel  1
 Cruise Sydney to Auckland   14
 New Zealand Farm  83
 Sydney Hotel  1
 Cruise Sydney to Perth  16
 Bali House  59
 Gap : 6/26/2016 to 9/1/2016  67
 Bali House  59
 Cruise Singapore to Sydney  14
 GAP 11/14/2016 to 3/1/2017  107
 Cruise Sydney to Sydney  12
Total number of days booked (so far) 658

Adding our remaining 48 days in the Hawaiian Islands and we’re basically booked for the next 706 days except for the 67-day gap as shown above that we’ll soon fill as we contemplate our options.

Ah, life is good. No complaining here. Surely, we’ll enjoy the next weeks in Kauai with each other and our new friends, meeting more along the way while continuing to cherish the beauty of nature surrounding us at every turn.

In our remaining time in Kauai, we’ll continue to take new photos to keep our readers engaged. Plus, we’ll have a few surprise outings we’ll be excited to share very soon.

We’d use their organic hair and body products but the prices are very high in a little shop such as this. Costco in Lihue has some lower-priced similar products, although their selection is limited.

Of course, we can’t wait to get to the Outback to check out the wildlife and we hear that kangaroos will become regular visitors to our new home in Trinity Beach, Australia beginning on June 11th. Gee, that’s only two months from now. 

We hope those of you who celebrated Easter and Passover had wonderful experiences with your families and friends. Happy day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 6, 2014:

It was a year ago in Marrakech that we posted this photo of a horse’s injuries. It was heartbreaking to see. For details from that date, please click here.

An add-on to the itinerary…What could we possibly add to two years of bookings?…

“Got any treats?” he asks.  Sorry, we no longer carry pellets in our pockets. With little wildlife on the island we were excited to spot these geese hanging out at a wildlife area we stumbled upon while on a drive.

We both thought that we were done with booking cruises and vacation homes for awhile. We were both satisfied with the point that we could sit back content with our choices.

This unusual palm tree was worth a photo.

Alas, the wanderlust bug, rampant for the past month as we researched like crazy, hit us once again as both of us started rethinking the house in Bali, the Negara Villa. 

The geese seemed to enjoy hanging out by this tree.

With strict immigration laws allowing a maximum of 60 days in Indonesia at a time which we’ll apply for in advance when one receives a 30 days visa in the country at the airport, our short time at the gorgeous property was making us think we wished we’d had more time in Bali.

These two came running toward us as soon as we arrived. Although cautious, they were looking for food other than picking at the grass.

After considerable conversation and online research, we decided that if we left the country during the owner’s more expensive high season and returned when the low season began again, perhaps the kindly owner would provide us with the same excellent price.

Curious about us as we watched them, some moved close in.

This would mean that we had to find a place to park ourselves outside of Indonesia for 67 days to return to the house in Bali for another 59 days. This accomplishes three things, as shown below:

We had no idea as to the type of birds we saw in the wildlife area.

1.  We have the opportunity to return to the Bali house which we know we are certain that we’ll love.
2.  While still in the South Pacific we’ll have an opportunity to visit yet another nearby country.
3.  We’ll save money traveling when the round trip airfare from Bali to Malaysia, for example, is only US $331, EU $243.24 round trip per person. Plus living in Malaysia for 67 days will be very affordable.

This goose refused to stand still for a photo.

The tricky part, so we thought, was asking the owner if we could return for the same price we agreed upon for the first 59 days. As it turns out, last night we’d paid the second 10% deposit and have a new rental agreement in hand for September 1, 2016, to October 30, 2016. We couldn’t be more thrilled.

This goose is pigeon-toed.  Oops, wrong bird.

At some point, we’ll need to fill the above-mentioned gap in our itinerary from June 26, 2016, to September 1, 2016. Based on our research so far, Malaysia does in fact look like our best option. We’ve noted our calendar for this upcoming September, to make a proposal on a particular house we found. 

The local children must have decorated these tree trunks in Ribeira Brava.

Once we get that wrapped up or another, if that doesn’t work, we then can sit back and relax that our upcoming bookings are in order and we can breeze through the next year enjoying ourselves. A year from now, when we’ll be in Trinity Beach, Australia we’ll begin the process again.

Several tree trunks were decorated for a special occasion.

Tom and I both agree that we’d rather work for a year at a time, over a short period as opposed to always looking to add on one at a time. It frees up our time and our thoughts to relax and enjoy the moment.

Tom insisted I stand in front of this tree for a photo.  Always camera shy, I don’t enjoy posing for photos.

Plus, we lock in prices that could easily increase if we waited too long due to inflation. Also, waiting could result in a lack of availability. The rationale that one gets a better deal by waiting until the last minute is foolhardy.  There are no “deals” to be had on vacation homes or cruises that are already sold out.

Photo from one year ago today, July 13, 2013:

Not our photo.  There were no photos posted on this date a year ago.  This photo is from the next day, the 14th, illustrating types of insects found in Tuscany during the summer. For details of our story and rental car issues, without photos. on July 13, 2013, please click here.

Tom’s evening photos…Fine tuning future bookings…One year ago today….Multiple photos from Mykonos, Greece…Wow!

Tom’s getting good at taking these sunset photos.

Shopping for food is more productive when by myself than with Tom pushing the cart. No offense intended for my DH who’s intentions are always thoughtful and supportive.

Sun and shadows, typical of the island of Madeira.

I prefer to push the cart myself in my less than a methodical pattern of flitting from one spot in the store to another in a somewhat haphazard pattern only I can understand. Yesterday, I asked Tom to bring his phone in order to read his Kindle book while waiting in the car for 40 minutes while I shopped. He made no objection. He hates to shop. 

A distant view of our house which is to the left of the white house next door to us, both of which are owned by Gina’s brother Carlos.

I slipped the half Euro coin into the slot to release the red plastic shopping cart and off I went. Having learned where most items are in the medium-sized grocery store, my cart was full by the time Tom found me 40 minutes later. With only a few items left to add as shown in the grocery shopping app on my phone, we were done in no time.

White hydrangeas.

Two hours from the time we’d left the house, the groceries were put away, the vegetables were washed (in bottled water) and drying on paper towels. I had put a dent in the chopping and dicing for dinner and finally, we could get to work on the future bookings that had been nagging at us these past few weeks.

The following items were on the “to do” list:
1.  Book tickets on the Eurostar, formerly known as the Chunnel, the under-the-English-Channel-train from France to the UK. (Apparently, it’s tacky to continue to call the train, the Chunnel). On August 16th we’ll be leaving Paris after a two-week stay to then make our way via the Eurostar to London for yet another two weeks. Are we really going to be in Paris in a little over two months?
2.  Arrange a driver from London on August 31st for a two and a half-hour drive to the pier in Harwich, UK for our next cruise, UK to Boston, USA. It’s hard to believe that we’ll be cruising again in a little over two and a half months.
3.  Rent another car online for our upcoming next 30 days in Madeira. On Saturday, we’ll return the current car and if possible, extend this particular car’s rental once we arrive at the airport in Funchal, which is easy to find.  (I apologize if this sounds confusing but, we must book the next 30-day car rental online first for the better rates). If we do it this way, we save 25 to 30% as opposed to extending the booking online or phoning. This is as a result of the long term booking.

It changes so quickly, it’s easy to take several photos.

Simultaneously, we went to work researching online in the above order, booking one after the other. With Tom’s experience in reading reviews on Cruise Critic, he found a suggestion on how to save on the price of tickets on the Eurostar at this link. We ended up paying US $210.89, EU $155.56 as opposed to US $300, EU $222, a savings of 30%.

Tom enjoys taking photos of the changing sky at sunset.

Several months ago, Tom also found a suggestion at Cruise Critic for a reputable company to drive us to Harwich, UK to the cruise pier. This was a bit pricey at US $252.21, GBP $150, EU $185.65 but was our only option unless we shared with others. We’d have gladly done that had it not been difficult to find passengers coming from the same general area in London.   

Next, we got to work on the link on our site to Expedia to book a rental from June 14 to July 15th. I handled this booking and totally screwed up the booking, making the dates from June 14th to August 15th, when we’ll be long gone from Madeira. 

At the end of the day, the ever-changing sky.

Good thing I caught my error (after the fact) and was able to cancel it in order to rebook it for the correct dates. Luckily, we weren’t charged in advance for the car rental making the cancellation seamless. I clearly knew the correct dates but I’d hit the wrong key.

He captured a puff of pink from the setting sun behind us.

The only other must-do booking in the next few weeks is our flight from Madeira to Paris on August 1st which is only a little over seven weeks away. It’s amazing to see how fast the time flies, especially when we’re loving Madeira.

By the time we finished these three tasks, it was time to finish making dinner, take a Skype call from my sister in Nevada, USA. 

Easter lilies growing nearby.

After dinner, I received another Skype call from my other sister living in California, a TV producer who was recently nominated for an Emmy Award (already a past winner).  Congrats, Julie!  Win or lose, you’re a winner in our book!

The evening zoomed by. By 11:00 pm, I was ready for bed while Tom stayed up until midnight as usual.

Colorful.  What are these?

Today, is another busy day with household tasks, laundry, and cooking, all of which I’m finding pleasant these days, more based on the expenditure of energy than the accomplishment of getting things done.

No complaints here. Not a one.
                                                     _________________________

Photos from one year ago today, June 10, 2013:

Mykonos was so amazing, we couldn’t resist posting multiple photos.
We walked through narrow paths like this for a few hours in a maze-like fashion, enthralled with the beauty of this island.
Mykonos was beyond our expectations. For more photos and details from that date, please click here.

New feature to our daily postings…Today is a sightseeing day!…A peculiar coincidence…

Beginning today, we’ll be posting one photo that we previously posted one year ago on the exact day and month. We’ll also include the link from that date, for any of our readers who may have missed it at that time. 

This particular photo will be our chosen favorite from that date and will be placed at the end of each day’s post. For example, scroll to the end of this page, to find last year’s photo with a caption.

We’d appreciate any feedback if this is something you’d like to continue to see by commenting at the end of today’s post.  It’s easy to comment!

We’ve yet to take one of these horse and buggies when we prefer walking in the Medina. Also, we feel uncomfortable with these poor horses working for hours in the hot sun, often without water.

In less than 45 minutes Samir will pick us up for a day of sightseeing. We aren’t quite sure what we’ll see. With Samir in charge, we’re confident it will be a good day. We’ll wind up the day at a restaurant we’ve selected, outside the Medina, returning home after dark. He’ll drop us off at the restaurant at the end of the day and we’ll catch a taxi back after a leisurely dinner.

It was early afternoon when we went to the ATM, which are scattered about the Medina. None of the vendors accept credit cards, although a few of the more upscale restaurants do.

We’d planned this outing for last Monday but my illness prevented us from following through. Now, fully recovered, we’re both anxious to get out. Overall, the sights in Marrakech consist of that which one would find in most larger cities; museums, parks, old buildings, and mosques (or churches, in many other countries). 

Various vendors occupy these “stations” during the day in order to sell their wares. Most likely, the use of these spots is on a “first-come, first-serve” basis, although yesterday, we noticed that several were unattended.

As we’ve mentioned in the past, old buildings in big cities, which we fully appreciate for their design and history, are not in our “bucket list.” There are a few exceptions, such as when we’ll be in Paris from August 1 to 15th and then in London, for the remainder of the month. One can’t travel the world and not see Paris and London. Our travels would be incomplete without them.

This park is next to the entrance of the Medina where it appears many locals, especially the older population, find comfort and rest in its familiar surroundings.

For those of our readers regularly reading our posts, this is not new information. For the remainder, we’d decided last fall to spend time in both cities since we’ll be departing on a cruise from Harwich, England on August 31st.  

The men sitting on the ground in the white shirts are snake charmers. They have five or six snakes they use to attract tourists for a photo op. Neither of us has any interest in interacting with snakes after our Mozambique Spitting Cobra experience in South Africa. Also, in Kenya, we did participate in a snake show which satisfied us both for a lifetime. 

In 52 days we’ll leave Morocco for the island of Madeira, Portugal where we’ll stay until July 31st, at which time we’ll fly to Paris, staying in a hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Then off to London and then, the cruise. It all makes sense based on our close proximity at the time.

Many tourists are seated at these umbrella tables getting semi-permanent tattoos.

Plenty of old buildings are on the horizon. But, it’s hard to think about all of that right now. Instead, we have today’s plans as we strive to live in the moment.

We wandered down several similar streets in the Medina in search of a pharmacy.  I needed to purchase a mascara. We stumbled upon a pharmacy with many designer brands of mascara. I opted for Maybelline (Lancôme, was my favorite brand in the old life) when it’s common knowledge that designer labels are often “knock offs.” Why bother making a “knock off” of these already low priced items? The cost of the mascara was US $9.85, MAD $80. Overall, it wasn’t much higher than it would have been at Target.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of sightseeing in Marrakech.  Stay tuned for more.

                                               _______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today. March 24, 2013:

This is a weird coincidence!  It was totally unplanned when we decided to post a photo from one year ago to the date. After writing here today, I looked back for a photo to post from one year ago today, and here’s what I found, a photo from, here at Dar Aicha, our home in Marrakech for which we’d just completed the booking. It was one year ago today, that we posted the first photos of our upcoming home here in Morocco.  How odd.  Tomorrow’s photo will be back in Belize. Here’s the link from one year ago.

Oh, Madeira!…We can’t wait to see you…

The ship’s morning arrival to the island of Madeira, Portugal was cloudy and cool, later to clear and warm up.

This morning at 9:00 am our ship, the Norwegian Epic, entered the port of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, situated 350 miles from the coast of Morocco (where we’ll be living one year from now) offering us one of the most breathtaking views of our lives.

Birds flutter around our ship, searching for a meal as the thrusters stir up the ocean floor, bringing fresh schools of fish to the surface.

The vistas of this mountainous island with peaks at high at 6100 feet is a mere 35 miles long and 13 miles wide.  The hillside is liberally ensconced in one architecturally interesting white building after another.

As the ship, the Norwegian Epic, approached the pier in Funchal, Madeira.

On May 15, 2014, we’ll return to Madeira to a nearby coastal village, Ribiera Brava, where a magnificent home awaits us to enjoy until July 31, 2014, a full two and a half months.  We’ll be arriving to Madeira after spending nearly three months in Marrakesh, Morocco.  At this point we haven’t planned our mode of transportation for this short journey, preferably a ferry or ship but most likely by air.

Our bellies full of a good breakfast in the Garden Café, we are currently situated in our favorite booth, to ensure our most advantageous views while we wait to disembark the ship to meet Gina, the owner of the house we’re renting here next year, to give us a tour of the house and the island. We couldn’t be more excited!

What awaits us today is a similar feeling of adventure we felt upon entering Belize the months ago, almost to the day. Neophytes when we left the US only four months ago, we now have a little experience under our belts with mounting opinions and ideas as to our present and future as world travelers.   

It would have taken eight years of two-week vacations to experience what we’ve done thus far in these four months. With five cruises behind us, we begin to get a “lay of the land” in cruising as well as the experience of living among the locals in a remote underdeveloped country. Our feet are “officially wet” with so much more awaiting us in the future, especially today as we explore this magnificent island.

Our MiFi is working here allowing us to upload photos we’ll take when with Gina today as we explore this tiny island and our future home for 2½ months.

We’ll be back later this afternoon with photos before the ship sails at 6:00 PM while our connection stay in tact.