Upcoming cruises with visits to many locations…A year ago…interesting new visitors…

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Another of Tom’s exquisite sunrise photos.

Yesterday, as we sat in the lawn chairs whale watching with fervor, we realized that in only a few days, we’ll no longer be this close to the ocean, able to watch for the gentle giants when we see signs of life whether we’re peering out the window or sitting outside.

In our new home, a condo in Princeville, Kauai, it will require we walk across the street, carrying lawn chairs in order to get close enough to take photos of the whales.  We’ll have views of the sea from the condo but it will just be too far to see from what we can determine from the photos.

We’ve been spoiled these past months since we arrived in Maui on October 16th when our close proximity to the ocean made every view exquisite.  Now, three months later, we move along to live on the last of four Hawaiian Islands arriving in Honolulu on October 5th, off the Celebrity Solstice after a 12 day cruise from Vancouver.


Its winter in Hawaii and yet the hearty Hibiscus flowers continue to bloom.

And again, as we mentioned in the past two posts, we’ve now booked two more cruises on this same ship, one we’ve found ideal for our liking.

Today, as promised we’re listing the five upcoming cruises we’ve booked, each of which offers its own unique ports with only a few repeats here and there.

Let’s face it, the major cruise lines only take so many routes worldwide.  Although it may appear they travel all over the world, they do not.  They have specific routes, repeated over and over again.  Frequent cruisers are aware of this fact, often experiencing similar cruises several times, including visiting the same ports of call.

At this point, we’re satisfied if a new cruise takes us to two or three new ports of call.  When we visit ports we’ve previously experienced, we usually stay behind, enjoying the quiet on the ship, choice of chairs by the pool and the good WiFi signal for posting using the rented MiFi.  In any case, we enjoy it all.

As promised, here is the information on our five upcoming cruises including the cost:














































Honolulu
to Sydney		 18 days 5/24/2015 6/11/2015   $  6,010.64
Sydney to
Auckland		 14 days 1/5/2016 1/19/2016   $  4,771.32
Sydney to Perth 16 days 4/12/2016 4/28/2016   $  4,714.20
Singapore to Sydney 14 days 10/31/2016  11/14/2016 $  4,143.81
Sydney to
Sydney		 12 days 3/1/2017 3/13/2017 $  4,820.36


Total for five above cruises:          $24,460.33
Average cost per day for 74 days: $     330.55 (for both of us)

Our usual average cost per day while living in vacation rentals is approximately $200 per day including meals, dining out and rental cars.  In this case, cruising is $130.55 more per day plus additional charges for WiFi and beverages at an average of $78 per day for an additional total of $209.55 per day x 74 days, equals an additional $15,506.70. 

As a result of the added expenses of cruising, we’ve managed to find vacation homes, buying groceries and rental cars at reasonable enough prices to bring down the average daily costs around the $200 each.  The magic of diligent planning enables us to cruise and to live comfortably all over the world.


A palm tree, a Hibiscus plant and a blue sky.  Many days are cloudy on this island, as much as 60% from what we’ve seen over these past six weeks.  A sunny day is glorious!

As I write this, Tom suggested we list the ports of call for all of these cruises to illustrate how much of the world we have an opportunity to see while cruising, adding considerable value to the process.

Here’s the complete list some of which may include more than one stop at a specific location as mentioned above, that ports of call may be repeat visit on various cruises:

  1. Moorea, Society Islands
  2. Papeete, Tahiti, Society Island
  3. Bora Bora, Society Islands
  4. Savu, Fiji
  5. Ill des Pins, New Caledonia
  6. Sydney, Australia
  7. Melbourne, Australia
  8. Hobart, Tazmania, Australia
  9. Milford Sound, New Zealand (cruising only)
  10. Doubtful Sound, New Zealand (cruising only)
  11. Dusky Sound, New Zealand (cruising only)
  12. Dunedin (port Chalmers), New Zealand
  13. Akaroa, New Zealand
  14. Wellington, New Zealand
  15. Tauranga, New Zealand
  16. Bay of Islands, New Zealand
  17. Auckland, New Zealand
  18. Picton, New Zealand
  19. Adelaide, Australia
  20. Perth, Australia (Fremantle, Australia)
  21. Singapore, Indonesia
  22. Benoa, Bali, Indonesia
  23. Darwin, Australia
  24. Cairns, Australia
  25. Airlie Beach, Australia
  26. Brisbane, Australia
  27. Nounea, New Caledonia
  28. Lifou, New Caledonia
  29. Mystery Island, Vanuatu
  30. Lautoka, Fiji

Only approximately six of these are repeats for us.  How in the world would we have every been able to visit these 30 locations without cruising?  The time, the cost and the effort would far exceed the glorious 74 days of cruising which we so thoroughly enjoy?

Add the facts that cruising enables us to meet so many fabulous people, many of whom we’ve stayed in touch with over these past two plus years, enhances the experience beyond our wildest dreams.  These are the reasons we choose to cruise.

The tiny cabin, often around 194 square feet, the risks of rough waters, the difficulty of managing my way of eating, the constant WiFi issues and the lack of dressy clothing for the formal nights, the crowds at certain venues, all are manageable for us.  We don’t complain.  When weighing the pros and cons of cruises, the pros win for us.  We love every moment, rough seas included.


We’ve noticed this peculiar drooping plant on the past three islands we’ve visited.

Today, perhaps a little organizing, a little tossing of worn clothing and a little time in the lawn chair whale watching.  Tonight and tomorrow night, we’ll fire up the charcoal grill to make the last of the frozen hamburger patties we’d made and we’d stored in Ziplock bags in the freezer.

We’re happily using most of the perishable food, leaving some non-perishable foods for the next occupants of this house and sending the remainder to ourselves in Kauai.

It’s all good.  Good as it can be.

Happy Monday to all!
_______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, January 12, 2014:

It was exciting one year ago, for the visit of hundreds of these grasshopper visitors in our driveway in Marloth Park.  Everyday provided an exciting new experience.  We spent the day watching and videotaping the activity of this “family” of grasshoppers including their babies.  To see the videos from that date, please click here.

“Another boring day in Paradise,” he says…Maui never stops giving…More photos…

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“Another boring day in Paradise.” Ha! No boredom here!

Then again, Hawaii never stops giving. Every morning, as soon as we awaken, we open the doors at either end of the condo, the sliding door in the living room, and the main entry door, for the trade winds to waft through for what feels like the most stupendous breeze on the planet.

Greenery at the Maui Tropical Plantation.

Who needs AC in Hawaii if this breeze is available? Surely, when we were in that tiny studio in Honolulu, we had the AC constantly running when we were perpendicular to the ocean with no chance of a cross breeze.

Cotyledon Flower.

The weather in Hawaii, although rainy at times, is the most perfect we’ve experienced thus far. In Belize, although wonderful while we were located on the ocean, it was hotter and more humid. In Madeira, on the sea, it was too cool, even in the summer often requiring that we kept the screen-less windows and doors closed. 

Tom was on the move searching for points of interest.

We’ve lived in many varying climates, these past two years, many of which were unbearably hot, without AC, and most without screens. Without a doubt, Maui has been our first perfect weather location, easily explaining why so many travelers throughout the world dream of living here.

Humor me! I can’t ever resist admiring any living being.

Is it doable to live here? The answer lies mostly in the cost of housing and utilities. Fuel, food, and sales tax are tolerable even though literally everything is taxed at a rate of:

The Hawaii sales tax rate is 4%, and the maximum HI sales tax after local surtaxes is 4.35%.
  • Counties and cities are not allowed to collect local sales taxes
  • Hawaii has 69 special sales tax jurisdictions with local sales taxes in addition to the state sales tax
  • Hawaii has a higher state sales tax than 86.5% of states
Haapala, an Orange Trumpet Vine.

Utility costs are high although from what we’ve been able to determine it isn’t more costly than what we paid in Minnesota two years ago. Few residents of Hawaii use AC frequently to keep costs at bay.  So far, we’ve only seen window AC units and no central AC.

Zebra Dove Geopelia Striata.

Once we were settled in, we decided eating out in Maui wasn’t important to us. So far, after a little over a month, we’ve dined out twice at a total cost of $110 without drinks, appetizers, or desserts. It just wasn’t worth it to us to dine out when we could finally cook our own meals after a 77-day hiatus due to past travels and cruises.

Various ducks, so comfortable around humans at the plantation, that they didn’t mind our intrusion.
This guy was particularly friendly.
Our grocery bill will be approximately $1600 in total for the 6 weeks including all the excess products we purchased at Costco in preparation for Hurricane Ana, much of which we’re mailing ahead of us to the Big Island.
Another cooperative duck.
The actual cost for our food for this period, including some household goods, is closer to $200 per week, a similar amount to that which we’d spent in our old lives in Minnesota.
Another body of water on the grounds of the plantation.
Keeping in mind, that we purchase organic and free-range, grass-fed meat, eggs, and produce when available, we’re thrilled with how much we’ve spent on food here. We’ll end up at no less than $1600 under budget on food alone.
This restaurant on the right was in the process of being remodeled.
Housing in Hawaii is by far the most costly aspect. However, as we perused booklets with houses for sale, we’ve been surprised how a buyer can easily purchase a one or two-bedroom condo with ocean views in the $235,000 to $250,000 range in many lovely areas.
The roof on this building near the footbridge was covered in greenery.
Rentals (non-vacation rentals) are expensive from what we’ve perused online. Buying appears to be the most practical means of affording housing. 
I can’t resist admiring chickens and roosters.
This guy was checking us out, not happy we were walking across his road.
He wandered over to the dirt and greenery for some pecking.
Would we consider living here? If we were interested in buying and staying put, possibly. However, buying a home is not on the horizon for us. Neither is staying in one place. Sure, down the road, old age and bad health may require a less mobile lifestyle. 
The zip line store on the premises.  No thanks.
At this point, we prefer not to speculate that eventuality, although we’ve discussed emergency back-up plans at length. As far as we’re both concerned, this life, for now, is the life we choose.
Another view of the main pond with sugar cane gears.
And, as the days in Maui wind down to a mere 12, we look forward to our next adventure; Big Island, our family, the excitement of the lava flow, and seeing the whales that according to a news story daughter Tammy sent us today, have arrived in the islands. We were already watching for them and will continue to do so with considerable enthusiasm.
An old fashioned windmill that was pumping water on the premises.
The mechanics of the water pumping windmill.
Perhaps in 12 days, we’ll be sitting on the lanai at the first house in Big Island overlooking the ocean to see the whales breaching the water. That, dear readers, is why we live this crazy life!
The koi pond.
                                         Photo from one year ago today, November 19, 2013:
Colorful sky at night at sunset as we wound down our time in Kenya, one year ago today.  For details, please click here.

Hello, Kona, Big Island, Hawaii…We’ll be back soon…

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Sunset from our veranda.

After sailing all night, yesterday morning, we arrived on the opposite side of the Big Island to the city of Kona, the second largest city on the Big island with Hilo as number one.

This particular port requires passengers to board a “tender,” a smaller boat used to transport passengers to the shore when the ship is too large to dock at the pier.

Is this a houseboat, island or floating property? Once we can get a better signal we can figure it out.
They used the ship’s lifeboats as the tenders, as opposed to using locals tender boats that are often contracted to facilitate the needs of the various cruise ships arriving in the port.

Although we wanted to avoid the crowds on the tender boats knowing we’ll be on this island beginning on December 1st for a period of six weeks, we decided to go ashore to check out the city of Kona. 

View of a small portion of Kona’s shoreline.

Once we arrived at the pier we boarded the local trolley for a 90-minute ride around the Kona area, taking many good photos. Unfortunately, the poor WiFi signal on both the ship and the MiFi has prevented us from posting many photos. 

(It’s taken hours of persistence to post the few photos we’ve included here each day. We’ll catch up and post some great new photos once we get on land for a better signal. Thanks for your patience).

Again, Wednesday night was “formal” night, the third on this 12-night cruise, an unusually large number for this length of cruise. Of course, we no longer have formal wear or in Tom’s case, not a tie, dress shirt, or sports coat. Instead, he has worn his white long sleeve BugsAway shirt on each of the three formal nights.

Kona shoreline.

For me, formal night is easier. Wearing one of my three “roll-in-a-ball” long skirts with a tee-shirt, a long scarf, a belt, and a few pieces of costume jewelry and I’m as formal as I can be with what I have on hand. Many men were dressed in tuxedos and women in sparkly evening gowns.

When we were seated at the sharing dinner table for 10 with our less than formal wear, it only took a few minutes for us to settle in with the formally dressed others to become comfortable. 

When asked where we’re from and we explained our nomadic lifestyle, they all agreed that hauling a tuxedo and evening gown around the world made no sense at all. In moments, we were entrenched in delightful conversation and our attire, although clean and tidy, was quickly forgotten.

We took one of these lifeboats, used as tenders to get passengers from the ship to the pier.

Last night, Thursday, we dined with a fabulous couple we met earlier from Cruise Critic, Susan, and Mark, who hosted the slot pull last week. We took an instant liking to them and were excited to dine with them as a foursome in the dining room (casual, last night).

We couldn’t have had more fun, laughter, and also deep and meaningful conversation. How fortunate we’ve been to meet so many wonderful people on cruises, many of whom we remain in touch from as far back as our original cruise in January 2013.

Almost every morning at breakfast and every evening at dinner, we’ve met new people, each with their own interesting story to tell. We find that in many cases people are curious as to how we manage our lives without stuff or a home. They ask many questions that we happily answer candidly including the hard parts. 

I suppose if the tables were turned we’d be asking the same questions. At times, even Tom and I look at one another asking, “How in the world are we pulling this off?” 

A very dear friend from Minnesota wrote to me a few days ago, telling me I could share with her in an email “what it’s really like” as opposed to the relatively cheerful tone in most of our posts, which she reads almost daily.

I wrote back to her, unable to wipe the smile off of my face, telling her there is no “what it’s really like” other than that which we share here. Tom and I are not fighting in the background. We’re not running out of money.  We aren’t ill and hiding it. We aren’t wrought with worry and concern, keeping it to ourselves.

Our posts are presented in a vein of “what you see is what you get.” There’s no hidden agenda, no mask or veil from which we hide our true selves. Many wonder if we have an end date in mind that we don’t reveal. Not at all. Our answer to this query is simple, “We’ll keep going as long as our health is good enough to continue on.”

Maintaining our budget ensures we never run out of money, although with inflation, surely in time, we’ll have to trim some of our expenses to account for the differences. But, even that, doesn’t intimidate us. We know how to sacrifice and trim. After two years of living on a strict budget, we’re getting good at this, if we do say so ourselves. 

Tightwads? Maybe a little. Frugal? Maybe a lot. But, the motivation is sound and the result is rewarding. At the end of this month on October 31st, we’ll have been gone from Minnesota for two years. 

Time flies when you’re having fun.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, October 3, 2013:

When our driver Edmond drove us to the market in Diani Beach, Kenya, we usually spotted baboons on the side of the road. On this particular date a year ago, the power was out in the house in Kenya as we packed for our upcoming safari in the Maasai Mara, a few days later. Please click here for details.

Tomorrow’s cruise to Hawaii…Total expenses for Vancouver…Worrying?…

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Sunset in the Vancouver bay.

The departure checklist begins once again:

  • Do laundry – We found a laundry near the computer store that will do it for us for US $1.83, CAD $2 per pound in two hours.  Today, we’ll drop it off, picking it up later in the day.
  • Fill pill cases for the next two weeks
  • Do manicure and pedicure
  • Pack everything except Tuesday’s clothes and toiletries
  • Notify family that we’re leaving Vancouver – We do this each time we’re on the move
Sunny day skyline.

Gosh, this list is much shorter than in the past. We’ve already printed out cruise tickets. The hotel checkout is electronic with a copy coming to my email which I’ll save in a folder. It gets easier every time we move.

Colorful sky at sunset.

Our total expenses for Vancouver are estimated at US $2050.86, CAD $2247.35 including the hotel bill, airfare from Boston (one way), taxis, meals, laundry, and tips. At this total, our daily cost was approximately US $341.81, CAD $374.56. We’re actually pleased it wasn’t more costly than this. 

Lonely looking boxer waiting for his family who was inside the restaurant where we had lunch.

We’ve made every effort to keep our costs to a minimum during this six-day stay and the three days in Boston to offset the WiFi and beverage fees on the upcoming cruise which are typically close to US $900, CAD $986.  We’re actually, $600 under budgets expenses for Vancouver

The South Tower on the Sheraton Wall Centre where we’ve stayed since last Wednesday, with a blackbird in the photo.

There’s never a day that passes that we aren’t in tune with our expenses. It is this diligence that allows us to continue on our journey without financial stress. For homeowners and renters worldwide this type of diligence may serve them well in keeping living costs within one’s means.

Dining outdoors on an upper floor in the Sheraton Wall Centre South Tower.

Of course, there’s also the painful reality for those who’ve lost their jobs in this precarious economy or are unable to work due to illness. It’s difficult to commit to budgeting when there’s little to no income. 

On a walk, we passed by this Cannabis shop.

At some point in our lives, for some of us, we recall the angst and worry associated with not generating sufficient income to cover one’s living expenses, a dreadful state of being. For those of our readers in this precarious position we hope and pray that you find a resolution.

Distant small marina.

We always hear that good health is the most important aspect of our lives. And, unquestionably, it is. In our minds, freedom from worry is next in line. Worrying is disastrous for one’s health and sense of well being. Worrying is a roadblock to happiness.

Community garden.

That’s not to say that we don’t worry at times. Either of us can awaken during the night wrought with worry that is often exacerbated at night in the dark. Tom worries about the little things. I tend to worry about the big things. Together, we’re an “efficient worrying machine.” That’s teamwork!

Photo from one year ago today, September 22, 2013:

The table was set on the well-manicured lawn. With the balmy breeze and the fire roaring, the mosquitoes stayed away, although we were well-armed wearing our BugsAway clothing. For more photos, please click here.
Day #160 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…The frightening reality…

Total expenses for 15 nights in London…Leaving tomorrow morning for long drive to cruise pier in Harwich….Cheerio, London…Hello world…

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Its a beautiful area with most of the buildings well maintained in black and white.

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 am, the private shuttle we’d arranged long ago, picks us up from the hotel for the two and a half hour drive to Harwich, the cruise ship pier in England.  

Yesterday, we walked down this road toward Bobo’s Bubbles to do our final two loads of laundry. 

It will be wonderful to see the ocean once again after leaving Madeira a month ago. While in both Paris and London we came to the decision that no matter how appealing big cities may be to many travelers, they are not for us. We’re loving the country, the bush, the ocean and anywhere far from the hustle and bustle of city life.

There are numerous old hotels in the Kensington area.

This gave us a new perspective in our travels, that we won’t want to spend a week or two in Sydney or any other big city in Australia or any other parts of the world. We’re certain they are filled with much to see and do.  But, that life is not for us. Plain and simple.

Many street lamps and building fronts are decorated with colorful flowers.
Occasionally, we spotted a brick building mixed among the white buildings.

We have three big cities ahead of us soon, one in Boston on September 14th for three nights; two in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 17th for six nights; and lastly, in Waikiki/Honolulu on October 5th, Hawaii for 11 nights. Boston will be a breeze when we’re busy with family. Vancouver is a relatively short stay until we board the ship to Hawaii and Waikiki. Well, it is Hawaii after all.

This was the shortest (height) car either of us has ever seen. I can only imagine that getting out of it would require rolling out the door onto the street and then standing up. 
South Kensington consists of one pretty street after another, parking always at a premium.

Today, as I write here, I’ll be flipping back and forth to our comprehensive Excel workbook to finalize our expenses for the 15 nights in London. As we share these expenses, one may assume these totals are realistic for any traveler to London, on a budget.

Tom’s haircut was only US $16.60, 10 pounds including the tip.  Not bad.
When we stopped at the market for a few items Tom decided on a haircut before the cruise.

We must admit that our total expenses may be misleading for the following reasons especially when dining out for all meals.  Here’s why:
1.  We only eat once a day due to our commitment to intermittent fasting for our health (two meals per day while on cruises).  A typical tourist dines in restaurants two to three meals each day, as we would have in years past.  Please take that into consideration when reviewing the totals. Also, we don’t order starters or desserts which I can’t have, and Tom doesn’t want, never liking the available options.
2.  Another factor in regard to restaurant dining:  Tom ordered one beer on four separate occasions.  Since I don’t drink alcohol I usually have tap water (when its safe to drink) such as in London and Paris.  By not adding cocktails and other beverages to our restaurant bill, we’re usually saving as much, if not more, than 40% on the bill. Tom rarely drinks alcohol when we’re dining in making this no sacrifice to him.  On the cruises, he’ll enjoy cocktails at the table during dinners (at an additional cost).
3.  No extra charges were added to  the hotel bill:  In the case at the Regency Hotel, Queen’s Gate, they’ve waived our entire WiFi bill upon my request this morning based on the daily issues getting online.  We don’t order room service, have spa treatments, order cocktails, coffee or tea.  We use the complimentary coffee and tea in the room. 
4.  We save money by walking as opposed to taking taxis when the distances are manageable, using public transportation when possible.
5.  Keeping the cost of sightseeing and tours expenses to the budgeted amount.
6.  We’re willing  to pay a little more for better hotels with at least a four star rating which are in good neighborhoods, such as in South Kensington.  The hotel becomes our “home” for a period of time with comfort and convenience most important to us.

The street corner where last night’s restaurant is located.

Here are our expenses for the 15 nights in London:

Hotel:              US $3,312.26, 1,995.40 pounds
Transportation:          455.29,    274.28
Tours:                       451.81,    272.18
Groceries:                 240.34,    144.79
Restaurants:              850.46,    512.34

Grand Total:     US $5,310.16, 3,198.99 pounds
Daily Rate:         US $354.01, 213.27 pounds

In London, there are no large trash bins for residents in which to place their garbage.  Instead, they put the bags on the sidewalk or street where they’re picked up a few times a week from what we’ve seen. 

In this particular case, we’re under budget by 7%.  Having a budget helps us to curtail spending.  Although, we frequently commented as to how expensive dining out is in London, the only reason our daily average was this low was due to the facts above; no beverages, no starters and no desserts.  

Last night, we tried a new restaurant, Wildwood several blocks from our hotel.
Wildwood had a comfortable ambiance but, the food and service was mediocre.

Without a doubt, once we’re on the two upcoming cruises, we’ll be having breakfast and Tom will order starters and desserts (few starters will work for me). After all, our meals with multiple courses are included in the cost of the cruises (the actual costs hidden from our view).  We’re free to dine as we so choose, (cocktails are extra), although we’ll only do so twice a day, breakfast and dinner. 

Tom order Beef Bolognaise which he said was good.
I ordered this chicken Caesar salad, minus crouton adding avocado.  The chicken was fatty, poorly trimmed and hard to cut.  Had it contained boneless, skinless chicken breasts this would have been a great salad.

Now that our laundry is done at US $33, 20 pounds, to wash and dry two loads, we’ll be packing our bags as soon as we’re done posting.  We’ve reconfirmed with our driver for tomorrow’s 10 am pickup.  Our hotel bill is completed.  Tonight we’ll dine at Byron, one last time (included tonight’s dinner in totals above).

This was the lowest dinner bill we had in London at US $32, 19.30 pounds, plus tip for a total US $35.36, 21.20 pounds

Sunday’s post with new and exciting photos will be available late in the day after we’re checked in and we’re situated on the cruise. 

And tomorrow, we’ll be on our way.  Once again.
__________________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, August 30, 2013:

This pile contained all the clothing I owned one year ago.  Now, the pile is one half this size.
This photo was on the last few days we were in Italy preparing to depart on September 1, 2013 for Kenya.  For details from that date, please click here.
DSC02162

More new photos…Total Expenses for 16 nights in Paris….Hotel review…Tom’s pizza and dessert for the last dinner n Paris…

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Of course, we had to end with a photo of the Eiffel Tower.  It seems to have a personality of its own, offering varying views based on weather, crowds and time of day.

By adding every last Euro we spent for the 16 nights in Paris, our grand total is as shown below with a breakdown of the expenses. We were over the budget by US $250, $187, the approximate amount we paid at the airport for our overweight baggage.

Included in the total is the following:

US $3352, EU $2511 Hotel Eiffel Seine
         211, EU $158 Taxi, train fare
         644, EU $483 Tours and sightseeing
       1438, EU $1077 Dining and groceries including all taxes, fees and tips
         959, EU $719 Airfare and baggage fees

Grand Total:
US $6604, EU $4948 Grand total at an average cost per day for two of US $413, EU $310.

Wow! The architecture is breathtaking.

The total cost for this period of time in Paris is comparable to the estimated cost per day of our upcoming cruise on August 31st of US $417, EU $312 including Internet fees and non-inclusive alcoholic beverages.

It is these expenses that motivate us to stay put for two to three months at a time when we have time to recover from the higher costs for hotels and cruises. At the end of the year, it all averages to an average monthly cost we’d budgeted long ago, so far, very close to our target.

Hand made pasta in the window of a local restaurant/deli.

Where are the days of “see Paris on $20 (EU $15) a day? ” Or even US $100, EU $75 a day? In what century was that possible? 

We stayed in a mid-range hotel, dined in mid-range restaurants (except for three occasions), walked everywhere seldom taking a taxi, and made no frivolous purchases.

There’s a pharmacy every few blocks.

In all, the VAT taxes, city taxes, and built in “service charges” attributed to the high cost of our grand total, which is as much as 40%. It’s no wonder that travelers stay in Paris for short periods. 

The total cost for the outstanding two and a half months on the island of Madeira, Portugal was US $10720, EU $7979 at an average daily rate of US $139, EU $104. 

We were able to flag down a taxi as we stood at this corner after dining at La Fontaine de Mars on Tuesday.

Also, the total cost for the extraordinary three months we spent in Marloth Park, South Africa was US $11070, EU $8294 at an average cost of US $123, EU $92 per day.

Is it any wonder that we’ve chosen to stay put as often as we can? Without doing so, we’d hardly be able to continue traveling for the long term.

With almost 13,000 restaurants listed on Trip Advisor in Paris, it’s tricky deciding on where to dine.

Of course, these decisions were made long ago when we knew full well that cruising would always require staying in a vacation home for two to three months. We’ve had the good fortune of having mostly extraordinary experiences in the vacation homes we’ve rented. 

As for the Hotel Eiffel Seine, we’ve found it to be a good boutique hotel with excellent front desk service by knowledgeable English speaking staff always willing to help in any manner. The cleanliness of the hotel was superb, although the room was seldom cleaned by 2:00 pm.

Most of this perfect-looking fruit has been imported to Paris as is the case in many other cities throughout the world.

As is the case in most boutique hotels, breakfast is available at an additional cost per person at US $12, EU $9 for continental and US $21, EU $16 for a small buffet with few options: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cold cereals, toast and basic French pastries, juice, coffee, tea, and milk. 

We only had breakfast once, early on, provided gratuitously by the hotel when our bathroom ceiling had been leaking for days. Had it been more appealing, we may have had it again, especially when we booked late dinner reservations in finer restaurants and for the River Seine cruise. 

Beautiful fruit for sale along the boulevard. 

Yes, we’d recommend this hotel without hesitation. With its free WiFi, high level of service and cleanliness, the most comfortable bed and covers in which we’ve slept in two years, proximity to the train station (across the street) and buses. Of course, the three-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine, the Hotel Eiffel Seine only adds to the motive to stay in this hotel for the mid-range traveler.

During our 16 day stay, occasionally we had entertained the thought of having breakfast in an outdoor café. But, after many less than memorable dining experiences in the neighborhood, we decided against it. Why pay for less than desirable food when one isn’t hungry?

In the city of Paris, we never saw a free standing single home. Literally, all the housing consists of apartment buildings such as this. We’ve found living in apartments such as these unappealing to us. We’re glad we stayed in Paris for this shorter period than our usual two to three months. Apartments such as these are very expensive.

Tom and I calculated how much more we could have spent if we were like most travelers eating three meals a day. It could easily have been as much as an additional US $100, EU $75 per day (for two) for an extra US $1600, EU $1196 bringing the grand total up to US $7604, EU $6644.

We realize that most people coming to Paris as a vacation/holiday don’t stay for over two weeks. From what we’ve gleaned from sitting in the lobby posting each morning, many from the US for example, stay for a weekend or a maximum of five nights. However, the average daily cost would be the same.

Carved door to a city business center.

We’ve spoken to others stating they’ve allocated $1000’s for a special occasion trip to Paris to celebrate an anniversary or a birthday. Simply put, one must be prepared to spend approximately US $500, EU $374 per day to do so comfortably, in a mid-range hotel with more than one meal per day and one bottle of wine per day, including airfare, hotel, dining, transportation, tours, and entertainment.

I must add that Tom drank alcoholic beverages less than four times at dinner, our only meal, usually having one 50ml beer averaging US $11, EU $8.24. I don’t drink alcohol and on a rare occasion, I order tea or mineral water at about half the cost of beer. It’s our responsibility to research restaurants before choosing them to ensure they fit our guidelines.

Tom was ready to dig into his large pizza at Amalfi.

Had Tom consumed three beers each night, the additional cost would have been approximately US $352, EU $264.  We can only imagine how much more it would have been, had we ordered wine or two to three cocktails with dinner. (Tom doesn’t avoid ordering a cocktail due to the cost. It is his dislike for the available options.  Often, I encourage him to have a beer or cocktail but he declines, content to drink water with dinner).

Oh sure, we sound “nitpicky,” nickel and dime-ing ourselves to the hilt. However, we tend to order food off the menu that we truly want, not the lowest priced items, and never making any type of fuss about the bill or prices of the food, services, or products. 

The dish of Italian grilled calamari (squid) in a gluten-free chunky tomato sauce with a side of green beans and salad was one of the best meals I’ve had in Paris.

Diplomacy. This is crucial for us, for our personal enjoyment and integrity.

We may seem as if we’re “tightwads.” We’re not. We’re careful and most of all appreciative of the opportunity we’ve created for ourselves to travel the world for as long as we can, for as long as we chose, only possible with our diligent record-keeping while maintaining a budget that impacts every expenditure.

Last night Tom had this pizza topped with an egg at Amalfi, our favorite local restaurant.

So, dear readers, that’s the scoop of our time in Paris. Today, we’re off to London on the Eurostar, eyes wide open for pickpockets and for the excitement of traveling on this unbelievable train that travels under the English Channel. 

By late afternoon, we’ll be situated in our London hotel, expecting similar expenses with very otherwise different experiences.  We’ll be back tomorrow morning with our first post from London, photos, cost, and description of traveling on the Eurostar plus, our first peek at the London scenery.

Tom’s last dinner in Paris was topped off by a banana split. Our total bill for the above dinner US $50, EU $37.50 which we considered reasonable especially including this US $12, EU $9 banana split. Tom said it was well spent. Nary a taste for me but, the viewing was lovely.

Thank you for “virtually” traveling along with us as we continue on our worldwide journey. Pack your imaginary bags (not too much stuff) and prepare yourself for the next leg!

                                             Photo from one year ago, August 16, 2013:

The view from the 300-year-old stone house where we lived for two and a half months, located in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. We wrote about Tom’s frustration over the poor Internet signal preventing him from watching the Minnesota Vikings football games after paying US $169, EU $126 to the NFL website for viewing games while outside the US.  No refund was provided. As a result, he has given up hoping to watch the games. For details from that date, please click here.

Packing day…Eurostar to London tomorrow morning…Goodbye, Paris!…Tomorow post with more photos and final total costs for the past 16 nights…

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When we finally had a relatively clear night we got this shot from the balcony in our hotel room.
The progression of the sunset in Paris.

Our time in Paris is coming to an end. Tomorrow morning we take a taxi to the Eurostar station. Causing Tom a little bit of angst is the fact that one must be able to carry their luggage onto the train in order to board. 

Many historical buildings line the boulevards.

With our two heavy large bags, two heavy small bags, one duffel bag, my handbag, and the one computer bag, we have quite a load. All of them have wheels so we’ll see how it goes. 

As we walked down a side street.

We’re putting a plan in place, testing it today. Shortly, once I complete today’s post, we’ll walk the several blocks to the laundromat where we’ll spend an hour and a half getting two tightly packed loads washed and dried. 

Tom didn’t order a single pastry from a boulangerie (bakery).
 
As the proverbial food voyeur, I’ve always reveled in looking at pastries, especially in Paris.
Good thing I can’t eat any of this. We’d have spent a fortune and I’d have gained so much weight I wouldn’t fit into my clothing. As it was, we each lost a few pounds while here.

We’ll pack everything once we return to the hotel wearing the same clothes for the rest of the day today that we’ll wear tomorrow, hand washing underwear tonight before bed.

In our travels, we often try to stay close to water, such as the River Seine, which is walking distance from our hotel. In London, we’ll be within walking distance of the Thames River.

These 16 nights in Paris have been one of the shortest periods we’ve stayed in one location, except for past cruises most of which have been in the two-week range and a few single nights in hotels in between flight. 

Renovations on an archway over the River Seine.

It’s hard to be packing again. At least at this point with the lesser amount of stuff, it doesn’t take too long, less than two hours at most. Recently, we’ve been asked if we’ve lightened our load so much, why do we still have such weight?

A street view of the restaurant we visited on Tuesday night, we’d yet to post.

My only response to that is this: If you had to pack everything you needed for the next year into one large and one small bag, could you do it? 

Earlier, I posted a similar photo.  We’ve loved this scene as the sky became blue.

With 12 pairs of shoes between us, two jackets each, everyday clothing, very few casual dressy clothes, two swimsuits each, two beach towels, emergency medical supplies, dental supplies, prescriptions, toiletries and cosmetics, and vital digital equipment. We have nothing we don’t need.

A bee was inside these flowers working on the nectar in the pistil.

As for Paris…have we enjoyed it?  I must say, I’ve loved every moment. For Tom, not as much. He’s only interested in certain sightseeing but, he graciously tagged along with me to see many of the sights I’d longed to see most of my life.

This was the window in a tailor shop we spotted on one of our long days of walking.

When I sensed he’d had enough, we slowed down over the past few days dining out by taxi a few times, otherwise staying close to our hotel taking walks, and enjoying the area. I am no way disappointed in not seeing more. 

These “hop-on, hop-off”  tourists buses are a good way for those who prefer not to walk, to see many of the sights of the city. We’d intended to do a three-day pass. But with the rain on and off almost every day, we never booked it fearful we’d pay and then be stuck inside the bus.

We exceeded our budgeted amount for tours and sightseeing and for me as the budget police, I have little room to complain. Nor did Tom complain about the day-long walks and lines at venues. 

Dogs are allowed in restaurants in Paris. This well-behaved guy was next to us one evening during dinner.

Paris is a complex city. One could spend years and never know it all. For the time we’ve spent here, we feel comfortable that we’ve seen all we’ve wanted to see, getting a feel for its charm and appeal, it’s dark dangers lurking under train stations at night, and its wide array of place to dine.

So typical Paris, motorbikes, and motorcycles parked along a narrow one-way road.

My favorite aspect of Paris, as it is for many, has been the Eiffel Tower both during the day and at night. The light show on the hour after dark made my heart pound with excitement. I’ll never forget that and we’re happy to have two videos of this breathtaking event. 

Cafes and bistros can be found on many corners inviting passersby to stop for a glass of wine or cup of coffee or tea.

It’s unlikely we’ll return to Paris. Yesterday, upon entering where we’ve been into my Trip Advisor profile, using the map to mark cities and countries we’ve visited, it appears we’ve seen so little. We have a lot of world left to see. 

In Paris, there have been restrictions as to the height of buildings in Paris which may soon be lifted. The height limit is 590 feet, 180 meters for office buildings and 150 feet, 46 meters for apartment buildings.

For us, it’s not a sprint nor is it a marathon. It’s a long walk. We work our way from location to location, choosing those which we find most appealing and interesting, from which we’ll hopefully continue to grow and learn. 

Many bridges in Paris have decorative ornamentation.
This artwork on the bridges in Paris is definitely worthy of note.

We stumble along the way, making mistakes, encountering obstacles, and having good days and bad. Life is a life wherever one may live. It just so happens that we’re experience life in locations all over the world.

This appears to be a variety of hibiscus.
A rose growing near the entrance to a bridge.

We’ll be back tomorrow with the final costs for 16 nights in Paris, posting before we leave for the train. And on Sunday, our first glimpses of London.

An orange tree for sale outdoors at a flower shop.

Be well.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, August 15, 2013:

Two weeks before we were leaving Italy for Kenya, we started assessing how much stuff we had to pack. At that point, we had considerably less than when we left the US but still had to unload much more. which we eventually accomplished. For details of that post, please click here.

Final total costs for 77 days in Madeira…A year ago…the walled city of Lucca, Italy…Two more days until departure…

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While on foot we spotted this waterfall.

Finally, we have the tally of our total expenses for the 77 days we’ve lived on the island of Madeira, Portugal. The grand total includes the following expenses:

  • Rent
  • Airfare from Marrakech, Morocco to Madeira, Portugal including excess baggage fees
  • Car rental, fuel
  • Entertainment
  • Restaurants (including tax and tips)
  • Groceries including laundry soap, cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries purchased at market
  • Housecleaning service and tips
  • Parking fees
  • Shipping fees (for the package we received)

The grand total:    $10,720.51, EU $7,978.77
Monthly average:  $  4,234.83, EU $3,151.78
Daily Average:      $     139.23, EU $   103.62

We walked through this short tunnel to reach the ocean at the other end as shown in these other photos.

With respect to the property owners, we don’t post the rental amount unless we’ve paid close to the asking price. Living in vacation rentals for these extended periods often enables us to negotiate a rent considerably lower than the price posted on the owner’s listing. If we were to post these prices, other future short term renters may expect these lower prices. 

Nothing is as mesmerizing as the sea.

If anyone is interested in the rental amount for the extended period in Madeira, please contact me directly at jessicablyman@gmail.com. For short term rentals, please refer to Gina’s listing at Homeaway by clicking here. 

Two small waterfalls flow from the rocks in a natural rock wall.

Not surprisingly, the cost of the rental car was almost as much as the rent. Undoubtedly, we could have easily saved quite a bit if we’d used a taxi three or four times a week. In this case, the freedom of coming and going at our leisure proved to be worthwhile.

Clouds rolling in.

We don’t always rent a car. At times, it makes more sense to use taxis or public transportation, especially when we’re walking distance to restaurants and markets. In Paris and London, public transportation will be outside the door of the hotel making getting around easy from what we can determine so far.

At times, the clouds appear as if they were smoke. At times, there is smoke wafting through the hills when residents are allowed to burn off their terraced gardens.

Food costs, including dining in restaurants, can be high depending on the country as was the case here in Madeira.

Our total food costs while in Madeira including dining out:
Grand total:          US $2,329.60, EU $1,733.81
Monthly Average:  US $   920.23, EU $   684.88
Daily Average:      US $     30.25, EU $     22.51

These giant cement forms are used in some areas to protect the beaches.

We’re pleased with the totals especially since early on we determined that dining out was too expensive to do regularly. As a result, knowing we’d be dining out for months to come, we opted to eat in after spending US $65 to US $70, EU $49 to EU $52 for each of the three times we dined out, although the food was excellent.

The preformed cement blocks aren’t attractive but serve a useful purpose.

When one is constantly traveling and with my restrictive diet, dining out is not as huge a treat as one may expect. Although it will necessary to dine out until after mid-October and surely we’ll experience amazing food, we always find our home-cooked meals to be the most rewarding. There’s something appealing about spending 25% of the cost of dining out in order to dine in. 

In Ribeira Brava, we walked through a tunnel to an area where local residents anchor their personal watercraft.

Today, we’ll finish up the laundry, pack the smaller bags and I’ll do my manicure and pedicure. With excellent leftover pizza to pop into the oven, cooking will be at a minimum today, and tomorrow when all I have to do is prepare is a salad and bake the already put together uncooked pizza, ready for the oven.

In Ribeira Brava, we wander into a needlepoint and craft shop finding a new zippered bag as a carry-on for our prescriptions and vitamins when the handle on the old bag broke.

The more often we move, the quicker and more organized we become as departure time approaches. Also, the lightened load is a huge factor in making the task relatively easy.

Back tomorrow with updates as we wind down our final photos. Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, July 29, 2913:

A year ago today on a very rainy day, we visited the walled city of Lucca. Once inside, we dashed through the city in the rain to see as much as we could, stopping to look at this clock, The Pretorio Palace Clock. For many more photos of the walled city, please click here.

Exciting news!…Living on an alpaca farm in New Zealand!…Kiwi lifestyle…Here we come!…

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Pinch me! These are the alpacas that live on the farm we’ll be renting in New Zealand. We’ll be arriving at the time of the year when the babies are born. Could this be more fun?  The owner explained that they are very friendly and will hang out with us as they freely roam about the farm.

After an exhausting search over a period of weeks, we’re delighted to have finally found a home for 83 days in New Zealand. Our original plan was to stay for 89 days which has since changed to accommodate an upcoming cruise.

There were many factors that made the search painstaking with price and location topping the list. Partway through, we decided to reconsider our desire for an ocean view. That in itself was pricey and limiting.

The farmhouse is a saltbox style unassuming but perfect for our needs especially when these friendly occupants hover in the yard.

Renting a house in a subdivision or a condo in the center of a town is definitely not our cup of tea. In reality, it all boils down to having a photo-worthy experience for us and for our readers. We weren’t having much luck finding anything that appealed to us.

As we finally changed directions, we searched through the filters offered in Homeaway.com as to the “type” of property. The options were many, such as villa, castle, barn style, townhouse, condo, apartment, etc.

The living room is ideal for our needs with a fireplace, flat-screen TV and what appears to be comfy furniture.

Something caught my eye, a “farm.” What if we lived on a farm in New Zealand? How exciting that could be!  There were only two possibilities; both expensive and, over our budget. Perhaps a compromise would work.  Both had a lot of appeal to us but for me, one in particular. We appealed to both owners.

One came back at a proposal that was higher than we’d like to pay at US $4500 a month, EU $3296. We always strive to keep our monthly rent under US $3000, EU $2197. Here in Portugal in this gorgeous home, the rent was well under US $5000, EU $3662 total for the full 75 days! This type of reasonable pricing has been the norm for us as we’ve traveled the world.

The second farm came back at a more reasonable price, here again, based on our long term stay, from a kind and generous owner who may have predicted through our email communication, that we’d be decent renters who’d take care of their lovely farmhouse. 

Wonderful kitchen with cozy breakfast bar, modern stainless appliances and all the kitchen items we’ll need.  There’s a dining room table and chairs as shown to the left.

This farm has a magical quality that particularly grabs my heart…it’s an alpaca farm. And, when I saw the photo, although somewhat blurry, of the alpacas staring into a camera, my heart melted, my pulse quickened and I was in love.

Yes, I know dear readers, I’ll try not to bore you with endless photos of every possible pose an alpaca can make. I attempted to control myself with the rather homely warthogs in Marloth Park. Although early on in our arrival, I had a difficult time refraining when I literally fell in love with their adorable personalities.

If the warthog’s homeliness may have tempered my photo-taking enthusiasm how will I manage to contain myself with these adorable alpacas? Luckily, the area in which the farm is conveniently located is close to many attractions allowing us many photo opportunities of a variety of subjects besides the alpacas.

This the master bedroom with an en suite bathroom. There’s a second bedroom which I’ll use for my clothing and dressing room.

Views of Mount Taranaki provide an excellent backdrop to our upcoming farm living as mentioned on the Homeaway site, as “Just 10 km, 6.2 miles, from New Plymouth, the many attractions Taranaki has to offer are close by such as such as beaches, mountains, gardens, golf courses, parks, museums, art galleries and more.” There are 100 restaurants rated for New Plymouth on TripAdvisor making dining out close and convenient.

We are grateful to have found this setting for the upcoming 83 days from January 19, 2016, to April 11, 2016, when we’ll fly back to Sydney, Australia on a less than four-hour flight to board another cruise that sails on April 12th. Once booked over the next several days, we’ll share the details.

Today, we’re posting photos from the Homeaway listing of the alpaca farm which are a bit blurry. I can only imagine how fun it will be to post our own photos in the future.

We realize that this booking seems so far away at this point in order to garner this level of enthusiasm but, it’s actually we’ll be there in only 18½ months. We left the US 18 months ago today. How quickly that time has passed. Of course, we’re not wishing time to fly by. We have the moment, Paris, London, cruises, Hawaii, family visiting, Australia, Fiji, and now New Zealand ahead of us, all eliciting enthusiasm and excitement.

Even today, as we venture out once again to further explore this magical island posting new photos tomorrow and in days to come, we feel the same sense of excitement we’ve experienced in most places we’ve lived, as we continue to revel in the wonder and beauty in the world around us. 

We’ll be back tomorrow!

Photo from one year ago today, July 3, 2013:

We walked through the narrow alleys of Boveglio on our way to Bar Ferrari, where the locals gathered weekly for a party. For details of that story, please click here.

“Down Under,” here we come!…New booking photos!…Keeping records of our travels…Quite the task…

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The living room is always a crucial area for us for relaxing and enjoying the view. There’s no shortage of either in this wonderful location.

This week, we’ve managed to book two properties for well into the future:

  • June 11, 2015 – September 8, 2015 – Trinity Beach, Australia – which we’ll share here today with photos
  • September 8, 2015 – December 6, 2015 – Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji- which we shared yesterday with photos
Another angle of the main living area.

We’re excited as we enter these two firmed up locations to our ever-growing itinerary which, by the way, we’ll be posting in its entirety once we firm up a place in New Zealand.

Once we settle the details of a new booking there are many steps to enter it into our Excel spreadsheet with many tabs. One worksheet in our spreadsheet is the “Itinerary and Costs” tab whereby we enter information into columns; the dates, location, rental amount, car rental, transportation, entertainment, dining out, groceries, tips, and fees. and miscellaneous.

Although the ocean views are at a distance, we’re looking forward to amazing sunsets. With a pool on the 3-acre property, we’ll be content this far from the ocean. Rental cars are affordable in this area and we can easily drive to a nearby beach to walk along the shore.

Another worksheet in the spreadsheet is “Deposits and Balances” which include: dates, location, total rent, hotel or cruise rate, the deposit paid, date paid, balance due, date(s) balance due (at times, payable in one or more installments).

For cruises, there is an additional worksheet with details of the cruise including dates, name of the ship, total cost including tips and taxes (usually paid at the time of booking the cruise), cabin number and class, balance due, date due, credits, and extras.

We can hardly wait to lounge by this pool in the backyard.

Once these numbers are entered, we make a folder with all documents relative to a particular property, hotel, or cruise and save it on our cloud and external hard drive. Without a doubt, there are numerous steps to logging future travels but we’ve found that this works well.

Of course, I do all of this data entry and oddly, enjoy doing it. Each time I make changes to the workbook, I send a copy to Tom to “save over” his last copy for easy reference for him.  This prevents me from having to look up info anytime he has questions. Each of us references this form frequently, especially these past few weeks as we figure out new dates and locations

Well equipped kitchen with all we’ll need.

When a new reader pops into our site, their immediate perception maybe, “Cool. These old-timers are having an easy life.” Little do they realize until reading further that the planning, recording, and preparation for our travels is a complex undertaking requiring painstaking effort and diligence. 

For us, it’s simply a part of the experience and we make every effort to enjoy it along with everything else

The bedroom with queen bed and doors to patio.

Now, let’s get into Trinity Beach, Australia new booking. I must admit, this was one of the most difficult countries/continents in which we’ve searched thus far.  Prices were high, especially with ocean views. It was impossible to find something affordable located directly on the beach that was nice enough for our liking.

We aren’t willing to live in a dumpy little house, even for a view. In the end, we compromised in a few ways; one, the ocean view is at a distance but a beach is nearby; two, we’re renting a full windowed/glass door home with private access on the ground level “situated on 3-acres of a tropical rain forest with 180˚ views of the Coral Sea and Cairns beautiful northern beaches.”

This hot tub will be used frequently.

How could we resist?  Certainly, it’s more private than a condo or apartment and with full access to the grounds and pool, we’ll be totally at ease. The owners although younger than us, live in a separate property on the grounds and are still working and gone most of the day. They are well-traveled, outgoing, warm, and friendly.  Most likely, we’ll all become friends! 

Roomy shower compared to many smaller showers we’d had in the past.

We couldn’t be more thrilled to have this wrapped up. Now, between this property and Fiji following, we are currently booked out until December 6, 2015. Over the next few months, we’ll continue booking out another six months in order to have bookings through June 2016, almost two years.  Then, we can relax (so to speak) for a year, living in the moment.

The rain forest setting should bring us some visitors!

I must admit, it’s hard to believe that we’ll be in Paris in 32 days. How did this come up so quickly? For now, we continue to stay in tune with our remaining time and surroundings here on the beautiful island of Madeira, Portugal.

Have a warm and sunny weekend!
__________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, June 29, 2013:

This was the veranda where we hung laundry in Boveglo, Italy. This was the second country in which there was no clothes dryer available to us, the first being the United Arab Emirates where we stayed in Dubai for 13 nights the prior month. Now here in Madeira, we use such a drying rack which frequently tips over in the strong winds. For details from that date, please click here.