Final Cruise Expenses – See totals here…Off we go to Sydney/Manly…Favorite cruise photos…

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View of Sydney from the ship on embarkation day.

Let’s start with our expenses for the 12-night cruise on Celebrity Solstice from March 1, 2017 to March 13, 2017 as follows:

Expense US Dollar Australian
Dollar
Cruise Fare-Concierge Class  $            4,505.36  $         5,992.52
Airfare   $                241.68  $             321.46
Taxi   $                  45.11  $               60.00
Cabin Credit  $              (375.00)  $           (498.78)
Wi-Fi          included            included 
Gratuities          included            included 
Premium Beverage Pkg          included            included 
Additional Gratuities  $              100.00  $           133.01
Cruise Bill for Purchases  $                   8.94  $             11.89
Total  $            4,526.09  $        6,020.10
Avg Daily
Cost – 12 days		  $               377.17  $           501.68

This life seldom leaves us feeling sad when one adventure ends, knowing another begins the same or the next day. We never experience that slump that we recall from our old life when we traveled on a rare occasion many years ago.

The dreaded pile of unopened mail and unread newspapers, the phone messages on the home answering machine, the unpacking, the mountains of dirty laundry, the immediate need for grocery shopping, and the rotting food in the refrigerator all left the returning traveler in a tizzy upon returning home.

The pastry chef prepared this suitable dessert for me each night.  It was amazing!

The lawn’s desperate need of mowing and trimming or the piles of snow on the steps, walkways, and driveway requiring immediate attention only added to the stress of returning home after a time away.

Another view of Sydney.

In this life, we only need to unpack, wash one load of laundry (as Elite members, we’re entitled to 30 free laundry items on the ship), and grocery shop upon arrival. That’s it. Oh yes…get the WiFi working and familiarize ourselves with our new home for weeks or perhaps months yet to come. Easy.

It was such fun to spend time with new friends Christine and Harold and to be able to enjoy dinner in their Penthouse Suite.

Today, we’ll arrive in Sydney/Manly Beach, where we hadn’t arranged for a rental car. So instead, we’ll use the Manly ferry and public transportation (both walking distance to the vacation property) to take us anywhere we’d like to go. 

Our favorite sea and city photo of Noumea, New Caledonia, from the ship with a rainbow in the background.

Once we’re settled, we’ll head out on foot for the local bus to take us to the closest Woolie’s market.  Most likely, by 4:00 pm, we’ll be back with roasted chickens, fresh veggies, and salad fixings for our first night’s meal in our new home for the next 40 days.

We love this face at Luna Park, located in Sydney Harbour.

Each time we make our way through this exploratory process, we do so with the wonder of a wide-eyed child, eager to know more and more. So, instead of having angst about the vacation/holiday period ending, we’re excited as the new leg of our journey begins.

This sugar-free vanilla latte has been a delicious treat for me.

No doubt, as we mentioned many times in our posts, we love cruising and the outrageous amount of socialization we readily embrace. However, when it ends with a degree of commotion required to disembark the cruise, it’s a bit cumbersome and, at times, annoying.

We can’t wait for the “night at the opera” for which we have tickets on March 18th.

Once we’re on our way in the taxi or rental car, our hearts flutter with enthusiasm. Hopefully, today won’t be an exception. Over time, Tom has experienced less and less “overly grumpy” periods while I’ve maintained my usual “overly bubbly” demeanor, making the end of yet another travel day relatively painless.

We are never tired of the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of our new location, hopefully at ease and content in all that it has to offer. See you soon!

Photo from one year ago today, March 13, 2016:
Upon arriving “home” after a drive to the countryside in New Plymouth, NZ, we laughed over this photo of Belted Galloway cattle that appears to be what??? A six-legged bull? No. The photo was a fluke with one bull standing behind the other. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay longer for better photos when they began showing signs of aggression. For more details, please click here.

Final expenses for six weeks in the Huon Valley…Final favorite photos…This morning we’re on our way to Sydney for a cruise…

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This is one of our favorite photos in Tasmania, taken through the living room window glass as the sun began to set. 

By the time you see this post, we’ll be on our way to Sydney, flying from Hobart International Airport. Upon arrival and after a 25-minute cab ride to the pier, we’ll immediately board the ship, Celebrity Solstice, a boat on which we’ve sailed on two prior occasions over these past years of world travel.

Boats in the river channel on a cloudy day.

We’ve loved this particular ship on the past sailings, especially the Cafe Al Bacio, where we’d sit each morning while I prepared the day’s photos and post while we sipped on the most delicious coffee we’d had on a ship.

Church located outside of Geeveston, Tasmania.

Now that I’ve given up caffeine, coffee, and tea (due to the acidity), for the time being, it’s going to be tough to resist, but I have no choice. So instead, I’ll focus on having fabulous conversations with guests while they walk by as we lounge in the cafe.

After a significant rain, helicopter blades dry the cherry orchard across the road.

We plan to get off the ship at several ports of call in countries we’ve yet to visit. We’ll be staying aboard the boat when we arrive in two different ports in Fiji. Right now, I’m associating Fiji, which we enjoyed at the time, with having contracted this awful digestive issue while there for four months on two different islands.

A calf is nursing an almost same-sized mom.

Yesterday, by noon, we were almost wholly packed less the items we were wearing, with fresh clothing set out for today’s travel day. We weighed our bags, and each of the three bags weighed slightly less than 23 kg (about 50 pounds), the maximum allowance for the two free checked bags with Virgin Australia. So the charge for the third checked bag is AU 70, US $54.  That’s fine with us!

Also, we were able to eliminate one of our carry-on bags, the duffel bag, which we’ve hauled with us since the onset of our travels. It’s been loaded with jeans, shorts, and cargo-type pants too heavy to place in our checked bags. 

Calla lily in the garden.

On the last cruise, we purchased a new carry-on wheeling bag easier to manage than the duffel bag, which had impossible wheels to drive. Instead, Tom ended up carrying it by the strap. My new black carry-on bag can fit our “pill bag” (includes prescriptions, emergency medical supplies, Epipens, and a few over-the-counter products) plus all the jeans and pants. 

A decorative item they’d purchased in Africa, at the entrance to Anne and Rob’s garden.

I’d always carried the pill bag while Tom insisted we carry the heavier Costco bag, the duffel bag, and the computer bag. Now, we’re down to two carry-on bags, one each, since I don’t own or carry a handbag. This will make a massive difference for us making our way through airports. No longer do we need or use the metal cart we had in the beginning.   

View of the Huon River from the front lawn.

We were able to fit the Costco bag into one of the checked bags and the cloth Africa bag, and one small insulated bag, all of which we use in every country for grocery shopping. They add less than one-half kg (1.1 lbs) to the checked bags. So in all, we have five pieces; three checked and two carry-on bags. This is the lightest we’ve been since day one.

As mentioned, below is our chart of total expenses for the six weeks we spent in the Huon Valley of Tasmania. To see the final costs for Penguin, Australia, please click here.

Expense US Dollar Australian
Dollar
Vacation Rental  $                  3,490.99  $                        4,550.30
Airfare   $                     241.68  $                            315.02
Taxi   $                                   
Rental Car/Fuel  $                  1,979.2  $                        2,579.86
Wifi   $                        48.00  $                              62.57
Groceries  $                  1,174.96  $                        1,531.49
Dining Ou  $                                 $                                     
Cleaning  $                     191.50  $                            250.00
Medical & Pharmacy  $                     709.51  $                            924.80
Total  $                  7,835.91  $                      10,214.04
Average
Monthly Cost		  $                  5,554.21  $                        6,964.12
Avg Daily
Cost – 44 days		  $                     185.14  $                            232.14
Wood carvings with historical themes are found throughout Tasmania.

These costs fall into the mid-range for our vacation/holiday home living, comparing them to all of our past expenditures. We stayed within our budget of AU 7,807, US $6,000 per month, and thus are pleased with the result. But, of course, adding cruises to holiday home living has quite an impact on annual total costs.

Next time you “hear” from us, we’ll be posting from the ship at the usual time other daily posts are uploaded.  See you soon!

Be safe. Be happy!

Photo from one year ago today, March 1, 2016:

One year ago today, we lost our dear friend Richard, who made our four-month stay in Kauai a glorious social stay on the gorgeous island. We’ll always miss him and his lovely wife, Elaine. Please click here for details.

Happy Australia Day to our Australian/Tasmanian friends and readers…Saving more of $$$$…

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Our friend Terry (and past landlord in Penguin) sent us this beautiful photo of another seal on Sisters Beach, Tasmania where he and his wife Fran are spending time at their cabin. Thanks, Terry!  This is quite a gem!

Today is Australia Day, a national day of celebration. This morning while researching online for information Australia Day to share with our readers, I stumbled across this interesting article as shown below at this link (edited to fit our page):

“Australia Day 2017: What does the average Aussie really look like?

Matt Wade
        
by Matt Wade                                        

Numbers can paint a vivid picture of how a nation has changed.  A century ago the average Aussie was a 24-year-old male farmer. Fifty years ago, it was a 29-year-old male office clerk. But today, it’s a 38-year-old female sales assistant.

Australia reaches population milestone

Earlier this year, statistics confirmed what we already knew, Australia’s population is rapidly growing; but you might be surprised to learn which city will be our biggest by 2050.

Let’s call our typical Aussie Rebecca – that was the most popular name for girls born in 1979 (it was Michael for boys). She is married and lives with her husband and two children, a boy and a girl aged nine and six, in a stand-alone house with three bedrooms in a suburb of one of Australia’s capital cities. They have a pet.

Rebecca completed year 12, has a Certificate in Business and Management and is employed as a sales assistant – the nation’s most common occupation for women and men these days. She does 32 hours of paid work each week (the average is 41 hours for men) and another five hours or more unpaid work around the house. The household’s annual disposable income is $88,500 (after tax). Rebecca takes five days of sick/carers leave each year and 16 days of annual leave.

Demographer Mark McCrindle estimates that Rebecca’s family has lived in the house for five years and is paying off a mortgage. They have $427,847 equity in the property, which is the bulk of the family’s wealth. They have another $65,880 worth of household possessions such as furniture and equipment.

Rebecca was born in Australia – despite our cultural diversity the average Australian was born here, as were both of their parents. But it’s a very different story in some parts of our big cities. In Sydney’s Haymarket for instance, 88 per cent of the population were born overseas.
Rebecca’s household has two cars which each travel an average of 14,000 kilometers (8699 miles) a year. Over the past 40 years the share of households with two or more motor vehicles has doubled, from 26 per cent to around 54 per cent. Like 69 percent of all commuters, Rebecca drives to work.

Despite the growing proportion of Australians with no religion, or a non-Christian religious affiliation, Rebecca is a Catholic and speaks only English at home. She has “English, Australian, Irish, or Scottish ancestry” according to the Bureau of Statistics. Rebecca is 164cm tall (5’4″) and weighs 68kg  (150 pounds). The average man is 178cm (5’8″) and weighs 85kg (187)pounds. She exercises three times a week and gets 7.2 hours of sleep per night.

Rebecca can expect to live until 85.3 years – about four years more than her male counterparts. Mr. McCrindle said demographic averages shed light on Australia’s collective “personality”.

“These statistics show we are working hard, we are saving hard and we are juggling multiple roles,” he said.

“It points to a pretty conscientious, busy nation that is just getting on with it.”

View from the highway as we head back from Huonville.

This above article defines life for the average Australian, although the lives of many may vary substantially based on income and lifestyle. In the next few days Australia’s population will reach 24,000,000.

The significance of Australia Day, is described as follows from this site:

“On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian. It’s the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It’s the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
 
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander, Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).

Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in the future.

On Australia Day, half of the nation’s population of 24 million attend either an organized community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating our national day. Many more, spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.

Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks. It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.

At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.”

The Huon River is very wide in this area.

We’re honored and excited to be here in Australia on this special day in history. Today, we’re off to the celebrations in the town of Franklin, returning tomorrow with photos. 

As to the mention in today’s heading regarding our “Saving more $$$$” we’re pleased that Tom’s diligence in checking daily for price reductions on our already booked cruises have benefited us to such a degree.

Over this past month, the cruise from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina we’ve saved a total of AU 2,641, US $2,000.  We’d booked the cruise while aboard ship which provides an added opportunity for perks and yet, still allows our rep at Vacations to Go to receive full credit for the transaction.

The dock on the property here in Castle Bay Forbes on the Huon River.

To reap the benefits of these price drops, which in this case was a total of three price reductions, we contact Brooklyn/Shanon, our rep at Vacations to Go who immediately gets to work to confirm the price drop with the cruise line (Celebrity in this case) and then issue new documents at the lowest price which are promptly sent to us via email. 

During this particular price drop we were able to maintain the perks we received at the time of booking which included free Wi-Fi, paid gratuities and AU 396, US $300 cabin credit. We’re thrilled to say the least.

Our vacation/holiday home on the Huon River, as shown from the river side. We live on the top floor with a second bedroom and en suite bath in our lower level while the owners, Anne and Rob, live on the lower level.

The skies are cloudy now, but we expect it to clear by the time we head out for Franklin. However, rain or shine, we won’t miss this special event.

Have a sunny day wherever you may be both in your heart and in your skies!

Photo from one year ago today, January 26, 2016:

Although a little tough to see with the long lashes, Mont Blanc had blue eyes.  (We fell in love with him, but sadly, he eventually died).He was the “cria’ that had escaped the paddock leaving us in a quandary with the owners at work. For the rest of this story as to how he was returned to his mother, please click here.

Remaining all new photos of Penguin…Today, on our way to Huonville…Final expenses for Penguin, Tasmania…

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The high iron content in the rocks created this colorful scene.

We’re anxious to get on the road today. So, as a result, today’s post will be to the point. Also, Terry has more guests moving in later today, so the sooner we’re gone, the sooner he’ll be able to prep for their arrival.

The surf has been impressive on many days. Surfing is popular in Tasmania.

We rushed about the house, gathering last-minute items, attempting to leave the house as tidy as possible. I’d packed my clothing on Saturday, leaving out a few items for Sunday and today’s road trip.

Since we don’t have to have our luggage weighed, it was the easiest packing ever, taking only 10 minutes to put the clothing in my one suitcase. This morning I packed our third bag with supplies, shoes, and toiletries which takes a little longer than the clothing bags, especially when we don’t want any liquids to spill.

Check out this surf!

It takes time to put the following expenses together from the various sheets in our Excel spreadsheet to ensure the final numbers we post here match the numbers on the entries in the various spreadsheets. 

Views in Binalong Bay in Tasmania.

We keep miscellaneous expenses on a separate sheet in the workbook and the food, which numbers are transferred to the main sheet at the end of a stay in a vacation home, with separate line items for cruises. It’s hard to explain without seeing it, but it’s working well for us.

In this particular case, we can bring leftover food items with us, so we packed our remaining oversized tinfoil pans with items for the cupboard in the next house with a few perishable items (cheese, butter, etc.). Packed in a cooler bag packed with ice.

Wildflowers growing along the beach.

Below are the total expenses for the six-week period we spent in Penguin, Tasmania. This includes airfare from Sydney (where our 33-night cruise ended). Also, the expense for the rental car includes fuel for the trip from Hobart to Penguin and that which we used while here. 

Neatly planted fruit trees.

The cost for the rental car was considerably more than we’ve paid in many other locations, greatly impacting the total figures. Also, groceries were higher than usual, especially when we’d purchased expensive cheese we had shipped to us from a Tasmanian dairy farm. 

Over the holidays, we purchased some pricier foods as special treats, including filet Mignon, jumbo prawns, and scallops, all throwing off the usual lower costs. However, we didn’t eat out much due to the difficulty in ordering meals befitting my dietary restrictions, which has always been a little tougher to accomplish in Australia. 

Not only are there gorgeous white sand beaches in Tasmania, but there are also many rocky shorelines.

The “tips and miscellaneous” category included some clothing we purchased, toiletries, and various products from the pharmacy.  As shown, there was no cost for the excellent WiFi Terry provided with the availability of 200 gigs of data usage per month. 

In total, we’re not disappointed by these totals. But, of course, Australia is more expensive than some other parts of the world. Still, it’s a tradeoff with the quality of the experiences, wildlife, scenery, and, most of all, its people, some of the warmest and friendliest on the planet.

Expense US Dollar Australian
Dollar
Vacation Rental  $   3,143.80  $  4,228.38
re   $      241.68  $     325.06
Hotel (St. Helens)  $      133.33  $     180.00
Taxi  $      100.72  $     135.47
Rental Car  $   2,642.77  $  3,554.50
Wi-Fi  $           0  $          0
Groceries  $   1,470.65  $   1,978.01
Dining Out  $         84.21  $      113.26
Tours  $         34.17  $        45.96
Tips & Miscellaneous  $       523.45  $      704.03
Total  $   8,374.78  $ 11,264.67
Average
Monthly Cost		  $   5,789.38  $   7,786.66
Avg. Daily
Cost – 44 days		  $      190.36  $       256.02

Usually, when we’re leaving a location, we’ll post favorite photos.  However, based on this short period in Penguin, we’ll save those for our final post when we leave Tasmania, which will include the Huon Valley favorites as well.

The statue we passed on the drive from Hobart to Penguin.

Instead, today, we’re posting photos we’d yet to share from our original road trip from Hobart to Penguin and more photos we’d taken while in Penguin. There were too many photos to share as we posted each day with the continual flow of new stories and adventures we encountered in this wonderful area.

White sand beaches are commonly found in Tasmania.

Will we return to Penguin someday? No doubt, we’d love to. But, as always, the reality remains that we still have a lot of worlds to see. So it’s a stretch that we’re returning to Marloth Park next year, coupled with the serious intent of traveling to other African countries to observe more exciting wildlife and scenery.

A special thanks to Terry for his conscientious attention to every detail to ensure a phenomenal experience we’ll always treasure.  We’ve “friended” one another on Facebook and look forward to staying in touch for many years to come, as we have with most of our past landlords/property owners.

This cove view was taken in Burnie, Tasmania.

If you’re looking for a fabulous place to stay in Penguin Tasmania, please click here to reach Terry. We have no doubt he’ll be happy to provide you with the same amazing experience.

Entering the city limits of Penguin.

Goodbye, Penguin. Hello Huon Valley! We’ll be back tomorrow from our new home located on the banks of the Huon River!

Thanks to all of our new and long-time readers for sharing this special six weeks with us.

The charm of this town celebrating its fairy penguins is whimsical.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 16, 2016:

The men’s Nautica store on the ship had nothing that appealed to Tom, although he liked this brand name in our old lives.  For more cruise photos, please click here.

Final expenses for six weeks in Phuket, Thailand…Departure to Bali today…12 hour travel day…Final favorite Phuket photos…

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We stumbled upon the scene in Phuket.

By the time you see this post today, we’ll already be at the airport in Phuket awaiting the flight to Singapore with a three hour layover until the final leg of the flight to Denpasar, Bail. 

Colorful shrine in front of a property!  Wow!

Neither of these two flights are very long, the first only 1 hour, 50 minutes; the second under around 2 hours. These shorter flights shouldn’t be too hard on me. Once we arrive in Singapore, we’ll get a passcode for the free WiFi, find comfortable seating in a restaurant in the terminal and busy ourselves online while we wait.

Many fruit and coconut stands are found along the road.

Although it will be a long day, expecting to arrive at the hotel in Kutu, Bali around 8:30 pm after departing the house in Phuket at 7:00 am, there is a one hour time difference resulting in a 12 hour travel day.

We’ll always recall the 34 hour travel day from Venice to Kenya in 2013 making this 12 hour travel day seem like “a walk in the park.” We don’t anticipate too many more lengthy travel days in the immediate future when we only have a few more flights until heading back to the US for a family visit via a cruise embarking in about 8 months.

In rained and was cloudy almost every day for a period of time. 

Once we arrive in Bali we only have a few more flights pending until we head to the US in April, 2017:
1.  Bali to Sydney:  October 30, 2016 (Yuck! A red eye)
2.  Sydney to Hobart:  December 3, 2016
3.  Hobart to Sydney:  February 28, 2017

Well care for wood boat tied to a tree in the bay.

Now for the final Phuket expenses, keeping in mind that these expenses are less than expected and budgeted when we weren’t able to get out to dine and do much sightseeing based on my health condition. 

Colorful shells from the Phuket Seashell Museum.

Most tourists stay in resorts with minimal cooking facilities (if any), dine out for most meals, pay for a more expensive rental car or multiple taxi rides and go out on a number of tours and sightseeing adventures.

Blue-green water at a distance.  Sandy beach at the shore.  Beautiful!

Here are the total expenses:

Expense
US Dollar
Thai Baht
Vacation Rental  $            2,603.19     89,994.51
Airfare   $               830.00     28,693.81
Visa  $                 74.14       2,563.08
Taxi (inc. tips)  $                115.75       4,001.58
Rental Car  $                260.33      9,000.00
Wi-Fi  $                    0                0                  
Groceries  $                948.60      32,793.92
Dining Out  $                     0                         0                  
Miscellaneous $                    24.12            833.85
Tips (for cleaners)  $                  115.50         4,000.00
Total  $             4,971.63      172,196.91
Average
Monthly Cost		  $             3,688.30      127,747.61
Avg Daily
Cost – 41 nights		  $                 121.25           4,199.60 
Spiky colorful shells.

In the next few days we’ll be writing an online review for the vacation rental at the owner’s preferred site. Soon, the cleaners will arrive and we’ll present the four delightful helpers with tips as indicated above.

Had I been feeling well, this 41 nights in Phuket would have been an entirely different experience.  Hopefully, as we go forward and the healing continues, we’ll be able to return to our former more active experiences.

No disrespect intended.  When I spotted Tom posing next to this statue, it was a LMAO experience. He’ll do anything to make me laugh during these challenging months of healing. I couldn’t resist taking a photo.

Thanks to all of our loyal readers for hanging in with us during this very quiet, relatively uninteresting period in Thailand. I know you may be anticipating that the upcoming two months in Bali won’t be much different. But, we promise to make every effort to share great new photos and experiences as circumstances will allow. 

Midway through the next two months, we’ll be spending four nights in a hotel in Lovina, Bali in order to acquire the necessary visa extensions. While there, we should have some new and exciting photos and stories. Please stay tuned.

Back at you soon!

Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2015:

Clear blue skies contributed to our colorful beach photos of our final days in Trinity Beach. For more photos, please click here.

Two more bombings in Thailand…”I’m not a celebrity but get me outta here!”…Seven days and counting…

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Elaborate exterior of oceanfront property.

Yesterday, there were two more bombings in Thailand. Click on the following link for details. When I read this article this morning I was reminded of a TV show called, “I’m a celebrity get me out a here” and although we’re certainly not celebrities we’re kind of looking forward to “getting outta here.”

Much of the loss of life has been local people, not the intended tourists in many cases. In addition to the horrific loss of life and injuries, these incidents have a deleterious effect on tourism, preventing many tourists staying away entirely or ending their vacations/holidays earlier than planned. The locals pay the price when their many small businesses suffer under these circumstances.  .
 
That’s not to say that Bali is exempt from bombings and a variety of terrorist-type attacks. And yet as we speak people are being murdered as a result of heinous radical behavior all over the world including in our own USA.

Gated oceanfront property.

We won’t elaborate this topic today since we covered it in detail over these past week. Most of us have access to news from a wide array of media outlets that keeps us informed, biased or not, as to what horrific events are transpiring throughout the world. It’s heart wrenching.
 
One week from today will be heading to Phuket International Airport for 10:15 am flight, including one layover to return to the capital city of Denpasar to the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. We’ll spend one night in a hotel in Kutu before we commence, the next day, on the four or five hour harrowing drive. 

We weren’t certain of the purpose of this trellis or the plastic bag (sometimes used to “catch” grasshoppers or crickets) when it appeared mostly weeds were growing beneath it.

Before we head out from Denpasar we’ll stop at the Carrefore Market to purchase food items that are unavailable anywhere close to the villa in Sumbersari. At all costs we want to avoid having to return to Denpasar for another long drive during our upcoming two month stint in Bali prior to returning to Australia for a number of cruises, vacation home stays and more.

Between October 31, 2016 and April 22, 2017, we have four cruises booked around Australia, the fourth of which sails from Sydney to Seattle.  t’s hard to believe this is coming up after spending 23 months in the South Pacific having satisfied our curiosity and our interest as to what this part of the world has to offer.

Travelers could easily spend a lifetime exploring many more islands and considerably more of the continent of Australia. We have no delusions that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. With visa restrictions allowing us entry into Australia for a continuous period of three months we’re disappointed we never made it to the Outback.

The exterior of many homes are adorned with elaborate decorations, doors and artwork.

We’d investigated the possibility of renting a caravan/motor home but found the cost prohibitive and the time constraint restrictive. Although the concept of renting a caravan/motor home has some appeal for the future when we’ll for the US, at this point doing so is not a priority.

With only a week until our departure from Thailand we’ve begun to think about our final meals, packing and preparations for our departure. As always, on the last day, we’ll be posting the final expenses for the six weeks we’ll have spent in Phuket, Thailand.

The expenses will be considerably less than our usual expenses based on the fact that we haven’t done much while we’re here do my current condition; no restaurants, no tours and few tourist venues. The low cost of the less-than-stellar rental car will be included. Overall, the car has served us well.

Many residential streets are narrow with room for only one car to pass without a bit of maneuvering.

I wish I could say we’ll be heading out to take more interesting photos but right now, it’s simply not on the agenda in light of recent attacks in tourist areas.  We have enough new photos yet to share over this next week and with only one more quick trip to the market we’ve already begun the process of winding down.

Thanks to all of our loyal readers for sticking with us during this quiet time. Hopefully, as I continue to improve we’ll be able to share more interesting photos and events in our lives.  Much more excitement will begin on October 31st when we board Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas for the 33 day cruise circumventing the Australian continent. 

We’re very excited about this cruise and being back aboard ship. This will be quite a test for us to see how we feel about long cruises. The longest cruise we’ve experience to date was the 18 days from Honolulu, Hawaii to Sydney Australia in June 2015. 

Entrance to apartment building under constriction.

Tom says, “One of those days was only two hours long when we crossed the international dateline making that cruise only 17 days.” The cruise line unfairly referred to it as an 18 day cruise. Hmm…

Returning to the US in eight months, we’ll recover the lost day for a 24 day (or will be two hours of the 25th day?). Confusing. We’ll report back on that as it occurs.

May your day be filled with wonderful surprises that make you smile.

Photo from one year ago today, August 24, 2015:

Fresh greens appeared to be a little higher priced than the grocery stores at the farmer’s market in Cairns. For more photos, please click here.

Excitement over future US plans…An unexpected oops in the villa…Fabulous food photos

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Yes, I ate this entire plate of spicy Balinese chicken atop a bed of stir-fried vegetables along with a salad. This is one of our favorite meals. Yes, this is an entirely sugar-free, grain-free, starch-free, gluten-free meal with under 10 grams of carbs (carbs coming from vegetables only). See Tom’s plate below.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This group of cute Balinese kids stopped for a photo with their white horse who also wanted to get in the photo.

We’re thrilled to have worked out the details for our upcoming stay in the US in 11 months. As mentioned in a previous post, we ditched the RV plan for a hotel and have since negotiated the particulars with Country Inn and Suites in Plymouth, Minnesota from May 26 to July 7, 2017 for a 42 night stay.
 

Our link for Hotels.com here on our site led us to their corporate division for “group rates” when we entered the information for the extended stay. Although we’re hardly a group, the longer stay put us into the group pricing category enabling us to save almost US $100, IDR $1,333,750 per night.

A few mornings ago when Tom was opening the accordion doors as he does each mornings, suddenly wood and plaster fell to the floor.  Constant humidity certainly attributed to this occurrence in the four-year-old villa.

Over a period of the past week, the corporate site rep sent us numerous possibilities that would accept a corporate discount. We’d hoped to stay close to Highways 100 and 394 in Minneapolis that would accept a corporate discount. But the options were few, resulting in costs of at least 50% higher than other areas.

Also, an aspect we found especially exciting was the fact that we negotiated a price to include three children in our reservation. With our six grandchildren, if any would like to stay overnight, swim in the two huge pools while hanging out with us, there will be no questions asked.

Within an hour Ribud was on a ladder making temporary repairs allowing the doors to be fully operational until the plaster repair can transpire, most likely after we leave.


The hotel offers the following services and amenities:

  • 24-hour business center
  • 24-hour coffee, cookies and candy (complimentary)
  • Adjacent to Grizzly’s Grill & Bar (room service also provided)
  • Airport shuttle services for individuals and groups from SuperShuttle, based at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Transportation Level (fees apply)
  • Dry cleaning
  • Electronic room locks
  • Fax, copier and computer services
  • Fitness center
  • Forgotten items service
  • Free high-speed Internet access
  • Free weekday newspaper
  • Group rates available
  • Hot Be Our Guest Breakfast (complimentary)
  • On-site parking (complimentary)
  • Read It & Return Lending LibrarySM
  • TourStop® amenities for groups
  • Two laundry rooms, located in the hotel
  • Two indoor pools and whirlpool tubs
  • Weekday local area shuttle service within a five-mile radius (complimentary)
  • Weekend contracted shuttle services to designated venues; reserve with the Sales Department

When Country Inn and Suites offered us an upgraded King Suite with a living room, mini kitchen, and free wifi, all of which included a free hot breakfast for five, any given morning, and much more, it was hard to resist. 

In no time at all, Ribud had the door folding properly for our continued use during our remaining nine days in the villa.

Prices are high to stay in the US for six weeks. Rental cars, city and state taxes, dining out and groceries are much higher than we’re used to paying throughout the world. Currently, we’re researching the remainder of the other expenses although it’s
a little too soon to book our flight from Seattle to Minneapolis.

Within a few weeks, we’ll fall into the 330-day advance flight booking window. An interesting aspect of a long-term hotel stay we hadn’t considered earlier is that in the State of Minnesota, any hotel stays over 31 days are considered tax-exempt for a long-term rental/leased property.

Our meals are always hot, fresh, and delicious.

The corporate account manager at Country Inn & Suites explained in an email that we’ll be credited the full amount of the sales tax at the end of our stay to include the entire 42 nights at a savings of over 7.25% per day. For the purposes of illustration, we won’t include the sales tax in today’s total of US $4,494, IDR 59,938,725 for the 42 nights plus the cost of
incidentals.

Adding the ancillary costs for flights, rental car, fuel, meals (groceries and dining out), entertainment (activities with kids and grandkids), and whatever miscellaneous costs we may incur, we’re anticipating the total cost for the six weeks will be in the range of US $12,000, IDR 160,050,000.

Had we stuck with the original RV rental plan, we’d easily have incurred almost twice the above amount. Gee…we don’t like it always to have to be about money but, living this lifestyle or any lifestyle for that matter, requires one
to consider all the potential costs.

Tom seems to be able to tolerate eating white rice a few times per week while continuing to maintain his newly acquired 20 pound, 9 kg weight loss (since our arrival in Bali.

Since we pay off (in full) all of our credit cards every month, incurring no short or long-term debt, being frugal and sensible is the only way this life is possible.  If we “used up” all of our “available credit” on our cards, we’d be in deep trouble.

If we used all of our available credit on our cards how would we pay for the next three months for a vacation home or an upcoming cruise or flight?  We’ve found such tight budgetary diligence has made our travels as stress-free as possible barring any unforeseen events over which we have no control.

Over the past few days, it rained all afternoon forcing us indoors due to thunder and lightning.  Today, the sky is clear, the sea is blue, there’s the expected heat and humidity and…of course, there’s tons of flies and ants which seem to thrive after heavy rains. But, we’re as content as we can be, especially with these new US plans in place.

We hope your day brings you contentment as well.

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

Our second kangaroo sighting of the day at a nearby field in Trinity Beach. The first, we saw in a flash while walking in the rain forest, unable to take a photo in time.  It was exciting to finally see kangaroos in the wild.  For more, please click here.

Cost of living in Bali as compared to other locations we’ve visited…

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Due to a poor WiFi signal, we are unable to post any photos today. Gede has contacted the service provider who’s explained that some of the routers on the tower between the house aren’t working. They’ve promised to make a service call from Java within 24 hours to make the repairs. However, as always, “island time” takes presence over all else.  We’ll see how this rolls out. We were able to acquire a signal strong enough to post the text only. We’ll keep trying throughout the day attempting to upload the photos. Thanks for your patience and we’ll be back with an update tomorrow.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

With only 20 days until our departure from this wonderful property in Sumbersari in west Bali, we’ve had an ample opportunity for a comprehensive take on the cost of living here in a vacation home.

Keeping in mind, living in a vacation home is a whole lot different and less expensive than staying in a resort or hotel. Also, flying to this island can be costly and time-consuming for those living long distances away such as Europe and the US.

A round trip, for example, from Minneapolis to Denpasar would cost approximately IDR 26,676,000, US $2,000, or more for the shortest economy class flights taking no less than 17 hours with some cheaper flights over 30 hours. Most working travelers don’t have (or want) two or three extra days spent traveling.

For us, it’s worked well since we were already in the South Pacific getting as close as Singapore by a much desired and enjoyed cruise. For travelers in Australia and New Zealand, Bali can be a good choice for an
extended holiday when it doesn’t take long to fly here and the cost is reasonable under US $350, AU 475.

Then the costs include accommodations, transportation, meals, entertainment, recreation, and tips.  Many travelers enjoy shopping in the capital city of Denpasar where prices for clothing and trinkets are low compared
to other destinations.  We heard several cruise passengers mention they bring an empty piece of luggage to contain the items they’ll purchase when they come to Bali.

We realize our perspective in definitely unrealistic and impractical for many tourists that want an all-encompassing travel experience including all of the above expenditures and amenities.

In today’s world of the fast-growing retiree population, others travelers are like us in many ways…desiring to spend less and, get the most out of the experience not necessarily staying in a busy, more populated and
subsequently, more expensive areas where “all the action is.”

Those days for us passed a long time ago, long before we began this journey. We don’t need discos and noisy dining establishments to entertain us at night nor are we interested in shop after shop of similar looking items.  These facts alonechanges everything.

A wonderful aspect to Bali is the affordable household help, including cooks, also included in the rental cost of many vacation properties. We couldn’t get better meals at a restaurant than we’re experiencing here, served hot and fresh daily at a cost that is unbelievable.

Again, we’re different than the average traveler, dining only once a day when most would enjoy three meals a day and perhaps a beautiful fruit plate as an afternoon snack.

Even so, in this villa two people could dine three times a day keeping the cost under US $25, IDR 334,000, a far cry from what they’d spend dining in restaurants plus transportation. For our one meal per day, we’re spending less than we’ve ever spent for food anywhere in our travels.  At the upcoming end of our stay, 20 days from today, we’ll post our total expenses, as we always do.

We haven’t dined out once since our arrival on April 30th. There aren’t any suitable restaurants within a two hour drive of this area. For the average traveler, the comprehensive menu for the villa could easily satisfy
one’s desire for great food for even an extended stay.

Sure, its fun to get out, have a few drinks and enjoy an evening out. We always find great pleasure in doing so. Although my restrictive way of eating makes it difficult in some parts of the world especially when a lot of starch and sugar is used in traditional spices used in local and regional food prep.

Also, for us, using the services of the villa’s drivers has made a lot of sense. Never once, have we wished we had a rental car, especially considering “google maps” wouldn’t be much help in this part of the world. Of course, one could use a “paper” map if they so choose.

The cost of most drivers for a full day in Bali is under IDR 1,000,000, US $75. One could easily spend at least half that much per day for a rental car sitting in the driveway when its not in use.

Another factor we highly considered when we booked this location is the quality of this fabulous vacation home, at a reasonable price for which we would have paid three or four times as much in a busier and considered “more convenient” location. Check out the link for the excellent prices for this property.

It all boils down to what’s important to you as travelers.  Here they can snorkel, scuba dive, fish, visit rainforests, temples and much more. Mainly, its a lively nightlife lacking for those desiring action in the evenings.

Overall, our time in Bali may prove to be one of our less expensive vacation homes to date offering an abundance of features we’ve thoroughly enjoyed. The WiFi? Not so much. The rest? Heavenly.

Please mark your calendars to check back on June 27th (the 26th for those on the opposite side of the International Dateline) when we’ll share the total expenses for our almost two months in Bali. You may be pleasantly surprised as we make the final tally!

May your day provide YOU with a pleasant surprise or two!

Photo from one year ago today, June 7, 2015:

The pilot boat. A pilot boards the ship to assist in getting the ship away from the pier, a common occurrence in most ports. For more photos, please click here.

Final cruise expenses…Disembarkment day….Off to Bali this morning…

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Due to the poor wifi signal, we’re unable to post any photos today, which should all be changing in the next few days once we’re on land.  Thanks for your patience!

The cruise has ended! By the time you see this post, we’ll be disembarking the ship, heading to the Singapore International Airport, and boarding our plane which departs at 10:45 am. 

We’re excited to be on our way to Bali. It seems as if we made plans for Bali a very long time ago.  To actually be heading there at long last leaves us with a little trepidation, but a lot of excitement to once again be settled in a beautiful location.

Once the long four-hour drive to the house is behind us and we’re unpacked and feeling settled with an adequate wifi signal, we’ll be able to catch up on our missing year-ago-photos and conduct research to be more detailed in our information. 

The cost for the cruise itself was as follows:

Total Cruise Costs including all on-ship expenses: $4,475.34
 

Cruise Costs: $3,869.10

 Total Cruise Bill: $606.24

Cost for Cruise for Balcony Cabin #7618

Cruise Charges (includes port charges)    $ 3,846.00
Senior Rate                                                                     – 259.00
Government Taxes                                              282.10
Prepaid Gratuities                                              336.00
Prepaid Gratuities                                            – 336.00
Total Cost (US)                                           $ 3,869.10

As for incidentals we spent when off the ship:
FitBit Device for Jess:                                    $     177.47
Insect Repellent for Bali:                                        17.67
Grand Total for Incidentals:                        $   194.14

Total Transportation/Hotel Costs:
Airfare Auckland to Sydney:                           $    377.00
Hotel Sydney                                                      188.00
Taxi Sydney Airport to Hotel                                  68.47
Grand Total for Transportation/Hotel         $  623.47

Breakdown of Cruise Bill by Category
Port Merchant  (toiletries)                              $      8.25
Laundry (2 times)                                               55.00
Beverage Packages (2-10 drinks each)                138.00
Beverages not included in fare                            347.99
Shuttle bus                                                         20.00
Mascara (3)                                                        82.00
Internet                                                            255.00
Cabin credits                                                   – 300.00
Total cruise bill                                            $  606.24

Grand total for all above expenses        US $ 5,292.85 

Due to the poor wifi signal aboard the ship, we’re unable to convert to Australian dollars at this time.

Well, folks, the next time we “see you” here, we’ll be in Bali writing and sharing better photos of our new home for the next two months. Thanks to all of our loyal friend readers who followed along with us and to our many new friends we’ve met along the way who we hope to see here soon.

Once again, no year-ago photo until we get situated with a better signal soon.

Happy day to all.

Heading out soon…Final expenses for New Zealand…Saying goodbye…The cycle of life on the farm..

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Me and Miss Jessica. I was flattered that Trish and Neil named this sweet girl after me.

Checking and rechecking, I confirmed our final expenses for 87 days in New Zealand. It’s important we keep accurate records for our ongoing world travels.It was a relief to see how reasonably we lived in this lovely country on this equally enchanting alpaca farm.

Then, they named a new male, Minnesota. 

When we originally booked the property, it was evident Trish and Neil gave us special pricing based on our long-term stay. Also, with the added worldwide exposure our landlords receive when we’re frequently posting links for properties in which we live, this becomes an additional factor in providing us with an excellent long-term rate.

Considering the reasonable cost of fresh organic produce, grass-fed meat, and free-range chicken and eggs, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the cost of groceries.

One of our favorite scenery photos of the shore close to the town of New Plymouth.

Dining out was also reasonable, although we only dined out on four occasions. Do most people dine out a lot more often than we did here on an average of once every three weeks? We’ve been gone from the US for so long, we don’t have a clue what others may do. 

Most certainly working people purchase ready-made and carry out (takeaway)meals when busy and/or disinterested in cooking. Furthermore, most tourists dine out for most meals except perhaps one meal a day when they a kitchen or facilities in their hotel or vacation rental.

Trish and Neil’s two adorable pink cockatoos.

Then, again, we aren’t tourists. Dining out just isn’t important to either of us nor has it ever been. Even when I wasn’t eating this restricted diet, we seldom dined out, preferring to enjoy homemade meals and to entertain at our home. 

With these two above points in mind, most likely we spend less than most travelers would spend in this time frame. Also, the fact that Tom seldom orders a cocktail when we do dine out (except on cruises) and the fact that I haven’t been ordering wine or a cocktail for many years, that’s another area where we’ve saved tremendous sums over these past years on the move.

This face is too cute for words.  Is she smiling?

Recently, I had some wine while here at the farm, but once the two bottles we shared were gone, a red and a white, we had little interest in purchasing more.  I get drunk too quickly. I‘d have to build up a tolerance to the alcohol in the wine. Is that something I really want to do after my diligent efforts to improve my health?

The Rewa Rewa Bridge in New Plymouth was quite a sight to see.

As a result, we spend less in many areas, one of the reasons we’re generally able to stay within our budget each year. Of course, the pricey Antarctica cruise is an exception we’ve chosen to make for the beginning of 2018 which we’re already considering in our future spending as we continue on.

In the photo booth at Everybody’s Theatre in Opunake.

To avoid prolonging the suspense a moment longer, here is the breakdown of our expenses in New Zealand:

Expense US Dollar New Zealand
Dollar
Vacation Rental  $  4,701.00  $ 6,855.00
Auto Rental & Fuel  $  1,999.00  $ 2,884.00
Airfare (arrived by ship)  $         0     $      0                              
Taxi  $         0                        $      0                              
House Cleaning  $       442.00  $     645.00
Wifi  $       528.00  $     770.00
Groceries  $    2,547.00  $  3,673.00
Dining Out  $       163.00  $      238.00
Clothing  $       263.00  $      384.00
Camera  $       404.00  $      589.00
Pharmacy/ Dental  $       564.00  $      814.00
Total  $ 11,611.00  $ 16,749.00
   
Avg Daily Cost –
87 Days		  $    133.00  $    192.00

Surprising? Perhaps to some, perhaps not to others. For us, we’re pleased. We certainly got our money’s worth out of this extraordinary experience. On numerous occasions, we’ve espoused the virtues of this beautiful, perfectly built, and well-equipped house, let alone the magnificent surroundings, views, sounds, and smells.

A bee on a flower at the botanical garden.

Tom mentioned a few days ago that he’d hesitated over the concept of living on a farm fearing annoying biting flies and the smells one encounters in close proximity to farm animals. Not the case here. 

Tom standing next to a Minnesota State Trooper vehicle when we were at the AmeriCarna show in Opunake.

The smells of the fresh green pastures, the clean air, the blooming flowers, plants, and nature itself were almost intoxicating. I’ll miss that. The alpacas don’t seem to have an unpleasant smell and walking through the paddocks doesn’t present any offensive aroma. 

The lily pad pool on the grounds was always blooming while we were on the farm.

The sounds? Music to our ears. The gentle humming sounds these precious creatures make, which we’ve been able to easily mimic to gain their attention, is unlike any sound we’ve ever heard in nature. I’ll miss that sound.

This Optical illusion photo made us laugh when we stopped to visit the Belted Galloways.

And them?  If a person can miss a razor-sharp-tusked warthog in the bush, can you imagine how easy it will be to recall the joy of the tender nature of alpacas? When people heard we’d be living on an alpaca farm, they warned that they spit and could be nasty. We never saw that, never once. 

Tom, my happy guy, when we were out to dinner on Valentine’s Day.

We laughed over their playful antics, whether young or mature, and the beautiful way they so lovingly relate to one another, even when competing for a handful of special grasses or bumping into one another. 

This is perfect for “overly grumpy” days which could prove to be today on travel day. We shall see how it goes.

In all this time, we never wrapped our arms around an alpaca other than in today’s photo of me and my namesake cria, Miss Jessica, a tribute to my love of them that Trish and Neil quickly discovered through our daily posting and stories.

Our favorite cow and her offspring separated by a fence often stood side by side.

And later, a male was named “Minnesota” which equally warmed our hearts as our home state from many moons ago. These namesakes were a gift handed to us on a silver platter. 

This face…so precious.

And then, Mont Blanc…we never once held him in our arms or scratched his head when alpacas prefer not to be touched by humans. But, the look in his eyes, said it all, and I fell in love with him from the moment he escaped the paddock. And then, he was gone. Tears well up in my eyes over the loss of his little life. He tried so hard to make it.

Alpacas mating.  The male is called the “macho” and the female, the “dam.”

So now, dear readers, we carry on. We learn we grow, we change in the process as we acquire a new perspective of an area of life we’d never imagined or experienced before. 

Mont Blanc and his mom Giselle on the day they were reunited after he’d escaped from the paddock.

We say goodbye to this wonderful life on the alpaca farm where we saw the creation of life, the birth of the cria, and the loss of little Mont Blanc. Once again, we say hello to the world…in awe, in love and eternally grateful.  There’s so much more yet to come.

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

The sea across the street from our condo in Kauai always presented gorgeous views. For more photos, please click here.