Two days and counting…Moving right along…The SHED…

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The alpaca in the middle here has a tendency to hog the food from my hand, never giving the others a chance.

Our goal had been to post favorite New Zealand photos today, but I’ve decided to do that tomorrow. Yesterday, when I’d intended to go through the zillions of photos we took here in New Zealand, I found myself distracted with organizing our stuff, tidying the house and preparing the final expenses for our last New Zealand post upcoming in two days.

Today, after we upload this post we’ll drive into town to purchase roasted chickens for the next two evening’s meals and to make a quick trip to the health food store to restock probiotics.

Hand feeding the alpacas has been pure joy! Often they “honk” at one another as they try to have a turn.

When we return we’ll finish packing, weigh our bags and pay the excess online to save 10% on the baggage fees as opposed to paying at the airport. Last night, Tom completed the online check-in for the cruise and tomorrow, 24 hours prior to the flight to Sydney, I’ll check us in for the flight. As always, it’s all coming together as we each undertake tasks we usually handle.

As Tom busied himself chatting with other passengers at CruiseCritic who are booked on the same upcoming cruise he discovered the following after posting an inquiry. He wrote:

“Last year, May/June, we were on a cruise from Honolulu to Sydney.
There were about 1400 Aussies on this cruise making it one of the best cruises we’ve ever been on.

On sea days at 14:00 or 15:00 there was a SHED get together for guys only.
All the problems of the world were solved each and every time we met.

Being a Yank, I didn’t know what the SHED was.  It was very enjoyable.

After the first get together ended I met up with my wife and she asked, “What is the SHED and what we did we discuss?”

I told her what the guys told me to tell her. “What happens in the SHED stays in the SHED.  If I tell you I’d have to kill you.”

I sure hope some of the Aussies set up a SHED get-together for sea days. It was very enjoyable.”

None of the youngsters are interested in being hand-fed.

A short time later, he received a response from another cruise passenger which read:

“Tom,
The shed meeting is on the ship’s Compass Magazine every afternoon at the Pig and  Whistle Bar on the Voyager. You will have your man shed for sure  🙂

Great< looking forward to them!  :)”

This made Tom smile from ear to ear.  Actually, it makes me equally thrilled to know he has a chance to interact with other guys without me always at his side. It’s a much-needed break for him although he’d never put it that way.
Many of the adult moms are shy and have no interest in being hand-fed.
The SHED will be scheduled on the daily “Compass Magazine” for mid-afternoons, usually around 3 pm, on the nine sea days during the 14 day cruise. During this two hour period, I’d often stay in the public areas reading, working on the next day’s post and photos.
More often than not, I’ll busy myself conversing with other women who’s significant others are also at the SHED. This was a good time for us to each have a little time apart.
This alpaca who’s name we don’t know if quite interested in the food.
Luckily, neither of us are the types that require “alone time.” I can’t recall either of us ever saying, “I need time to myself.”  If we feel compelled to get away from one another for a bit, we’ll naturally gravitate to some sort of project to work on without any analysis of any particular emotional need at the moment.
Over the years we’ve learned to give each other “space” when we’re engrossed in reading, writing or talking on Skype. It’s these commonalities that add to the ease of being together 24/7 as we live this peculiar life on the move.
A few will come to the deck after the hand-feeding ends to eat the scraps that fell during the process.

Speaking of this life on the move, as these last days wind down, we still spend as much time as we can interacting and observing the beautiful alpacas. Without a doubt, it will be hard to say goodbye but we look forward to all the wonderful people we’ll be meeting in the next few weeks aboard the ship.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with our favorite photos of New Zealand and on the following day, the final expenses of spending 87 days living on the farm.
Have a beautiful day!
Photo from one year ago today, April 13, 2015:
This photo from the Princeville Botanical Garden was a favorite from the venue. The Jackfruit is known for its health benefits. See this link for nutritional details. Please click here for more photos.

A great afternoon at Okurukuru Winery…Unexpected encounters…

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Nothing is like crystal-like sparkles on the ocean on a sunny day.

With a dinner reservation for 7 pm last night at Okurukuru Winery and it getting darker earlier each night with fall fast approaching, we decided to change our reservation to a late lunch instead of dinner. 

The red, blue and black on these birds is an interesting combination.

It was a beautiful sunny day and spending time at the winery would certainly be more enjoyable in the sunshine. We weren’t disappointed with our decision. The views were breathtaking as we’d observed on our last visit when we’d only stopped by to check it out.

The menu was a bit tricky for me with most options including one form of starch, flour, or sugar as a part of the lunchtime choices. As a result, I selected a Thai Beef Salad while Tom went “hog wild” selecting a pizza with a huge bowl of fries on the side. 

There were four of these large birds playing in a garden.

The food was good, although my salad with a suitable dressing was a bit dry. Tom, on the other hand, took a doggy bag with the remainder of his fries, which he ate instead of dinner, which I’d offered to make along with the light meal I’d made for myself.

It was nice to see Tom order a beer. He hasn’t had any drinks other than on the few nights we’ve dined out.

After lunch, we wandered about the massive facility taking photos, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the scenery. As we walked along the veranda overlooking the vineyards, cows, and the sea, we heard American accents from three people chatting at a table, two young women seated and one gentleman our age standing.

As we walked by it was irresistible to say hello which magically resulted in a lengthy conversation with Rachel and Regan, sisters originally from Texas and Ed, from Connecticut. Ed had happened to stop by the winery had also just met the young women after hearing them speak with their southern-tinged American accents.

My Thai Beef salad made to my specifications.

This is the first time since our arrival in New Zealand that we’ve met any Americans. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t necessarily feel Americans have more to offer in conversation or friendship than citizens of any country, especially those with whom we can speak some degree of English. 

Tom’s Meaty Pizza.

Sharing commonalities with those from our same country or origin, elicits an amount of conversation of particular interest, especially, “What brought you here, so far away from the US?”

Of course, as often transpires, we encountered a coincidence of which we seem to expect when meeting other Americans. You know, the “Kevin Bacon, six degrees of separation” thing.

Tom was especially thrilled with the big bowl of fries, too large to eat with a pizza but good cold later back at home.

As it turned out Regan and her husband, a physician, have been living in Opunake for many months on a one-year contract. Her husband is practicing medicine through a project that brings doctors to small communities throughout the world where healthcare is desperately needed. 

View of the landmark smokestack and Sugarloaf Islands in downtown New Plymouth.

Coincidentally Regan is working as a volunteer at Everybody’s Theatre, which we visited and wrote a story only a few days ago. See our story here.  Small world.

We got a kick out of watching these cows wander back and forth through the barren vineyards maneuvering through the stake, fertilizing the soil.

Rachel became engaged only a few days earlier at a romantic spot on the South Island for which we enthusiastically congratulated her. Her fiancé had headed back to the US a few days earlier while she stayed behind to spend quality time with her sister.

The expansive views from the Okurkuru Vineyard are lovely.

While I chatted with the girls, Tom and Ed chatted endlessly, obviously also having a great time. This morning, Tom received a friendly email from Ed and we hope to see him again before he leaves within a week.

Another view of the pasture.

Finally, we were back on our way home unable to wipe the smiles off our faces, happy to have had a perfect day at the winery, a good meal, each other’s companionship, meeting new people, and some exquisite country and ocean views interspersed with a few birds and cows, always a favorite.

As we pulled into the narrow road to our temporary home on the farm, we turned to each other with that wonderful sense of joy we always feel each time we behold the precious alpacas, as many approached the fence when they saw us return.

The view at an overlook on the drive out of the Okurukuru Vineyard on the winding road.

Today, very cool and cloudy, we’re headed to town to shop with multiple stops on our “to-do list”, another simple activity we thoroughly enjoy each week. May the simple activities of your day bring you joy and purpose!


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

The orchids in Hawaii are amazing. In this post, we were preparing for a houseguest, my sister Julie who came for a much-needed vacation. For more details, please click here.

Credit card compromised…How to handle…Out to dinner with friends in Fiji…

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Danny, Samantha, me, and Tom, standing outside our house in Pacific Harbour, Fiji.

Handling our five credit cards requires a certain amount of attention other than merely paying off the balance each month. The vast amounts we charge on the cards often including rents for three months, full cruise fares, pricey airline tickets, long term car rentals, groceries, and dining out. The new statements can be well into the thousands in a given month.

Keeping an eye on these expenses for their accuracy and for any potential unknown expenses, excess fees or instances of fraud drives me to check online every few days. 

With a tile for each credit card company on my touch screen desktop in Windows 8, it takes only seconds to log in and check each of the five cards with the fact they’re all from only two banks making the process easier. We seldom find an error.  When we do, we contact the toll-free number on the card and get to work to solve the problem.

Last year around this same time, one of the credit card companies had contacted us by phone and email to notify us of fraud charges that hadn’t yet posted in “pending transactions” making it impossible for us to see online. 

Danny’s curry dinner, which he said was good.

The credit card company’s system is sophisticated enough to be able to pick up “test” charges used by credit card fraud companies and individuals to determine if they will in fact be able to use the card for larger purchases.

Over the past year, most of our cards have been replaced with the supposedly more secure cards containing “computerized chips.” However, having these cards with chips hasn’t prevented fraud on the cards.

A few days ago, we received a fraud alert to which I immediately responded with a phone call. Yes, Tom’s card number with a chip that replaced his compromised card last December was compromised and charges had started rolling in, first in “test” charges for $1 and then hotel bills and fuel charges in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. 

How did this happen? This occurred both last year and this year (in December) on the card, we use most often when Tom usually handles the checking-out using that particular card when we’re dining out and purchasing products and groceries. 

We’ve been in Fiji for almost four months. Most likely at some establishment where we’d paid using the card, the number was noted and “sold” to those who conduct such illegal behavior across the globe. 

The upper portion of my plate contained the salad with the entrée on the bottom right. There was a tiny portion of squid, perhaps a tablespoon. To balance my meals carbs and protein, I must eat a larger portion of protein at least 6 ounces. Thus, I ordered a small steak, which worked well. (The plate appears larger in this photo).

The fact that we’re in Fiji didn’t necessarily create a greater risk. This transpires throughout the world with billions of dollars each year. No one is exempt from the potential risk.

It may surprise some, but when this happens, it’s not a personal serious situation. It is definitely not as serious and destructive as “identity theft” when a person’s entire credit profile is compromised, which may result in the life-changing destruction of one’s entire creditworthiness. A compromised credit card is a simple process for the customer:

1.  Immediately respond to the email and/or phone card from the credit card. Those with late payments or a poor credit card history may hesitate to return the call when they may assume the call is for collection purposes. Failure to respond to the inquiry can, in fact, create a more difficult situation after the fraudulent charges have been posted.

2. The quicker one returns the call, the better, using the phone number on the back of the card (for added security). The bank’s fraud department wants to decipher which charges the customer actually made as opposed to those charges made fraudulently to avoid further fraudulent charges. When doing so, the customer will not be charged any amount for the fraudulent charges. The concept that you’ll only be charged the first USD $50 is not true unless you are aware of some obscure stipulation in the bank’s regulations that allows for such a charge.  It’s unlikely.

3.  Carefully review all the charges you’ve made with the fraud department representative We’ve read online that there have been a few rare instances whereby customers of less than ideal ethics attempted to pass off some of their own purchases as fraudulent when they were not, hoping they’d “go away” during this process.  This behavior, in itself, is fraud and may result in termination of the card, bad credit ratings, and possible legal charges. 

4.  Upon the bank’s recommendation destroy the card from which the charges were made and any other cards with the same number. The card will no longer work after the company has posted the number as compromised. We usually cut the card into tiny pieces and dispose of the pieces. Even if the card could be pieced together as in a puzzle the fact the number has been flagged, it would never work anyway.

Tom and Samantha had the burger topped with egg and fries.

5.  When the new card arrives in the mail, immediately sign and activate the card which has a new number.Visit every website where you may have stored the card for frequent purchases, and change both the number and expiration date which will also be new, or the next time you make a purchase it will be declined. The three or four-digit number of the back near your signature will also have changed. Use your best judgment, only releasing this number of highly secure and reputable sites.

Done and done. When chip technology is used on a shared account, Tom and I each have a separate number as opposed to sharing the same card number. Thus, my card, a different number, wasn’t compromised. Until we receive the new card in an upcoming supplies shipment while in NZ, we’ll use other cards or my same card for this particular account.

While traveling, every 60 days, we contact the credit card companies either by phone or online to notify them of “travel alerts,” specifically in which countries we’ll be using the card including when we’re in the US in May 2017. The alerts only last 60 days. This information prevents the card from being declined when rightfully making purchases while traveling. This must be done each time one leaves their home country to avoid the resulting embarrassment and delays.

Feel free to contact us if any of this is confusing, or better yet, your credit card provider with specific personal inquiries.

On to the second part of today’s post. First off, our newly made friends, Samantha and Danny (he’s from Minnesota, she’s from Wisconsin, small world) have left Fiji to return to their new home in Seattle, where Danny returns to his medical residency (sure, Tom asked if Danny worked at “Seattle Grace”) and Samantha to her social work practice.

We noticed the lily pad flowers close at night as darkness fell while we dined at Oasis Restaurant.

You may ask, “How do we refer to people we met for short periods as “friends? Doesn’t a friendship require time and nurturing?”

In this life, with access only to short term relationships, we prefer to call those with whom we especially connect and interact in social settings, as friends. For us, these short-term interactions possess a special meaning often staying in touch for years to come. 

Dinner at the Oasis Restaurant at the Art Village was enjoyable with the lively conversation between the four of us. Tom enjoyed his burger, as the best of the three burgers he’s had to date in Pacific Harbour. 

My entrée was tricky; the portion tiny although tasty, a spicy squid and vegetable stir fry (no sugar, starch soy sauce or rice). It was no more than one cup of food with a small side salad without dressing. 

As an “intermittent fasting” advocate consuming one meal, no snacks a day, a one-cup portion of food with a salad without dressing won’t cut it. After the small entrée arrived, I ordered a steak, which was quite good, cooked to perfection. 

We shared a taxi ride home, hugged goodbye, and had the driver take today’s main photo of the four of us, once outside our house. It was wonderful to spend time with this lovely honeymoon couple and we’re grateful to our host Susan who encouraged our meeting.

Last night, we dined at Baka Blues in the Arts Village, which we’ll share photos and stories in an upcoming post in a few days. For today, we’re content to stay in on a rainy, hot, and humid day preparing enough of a dish to last for a few upcoming meals and to freeze the balance for a later date, as we wind down the time in Pacific Harbour, Fiji.

For our readers, take a break from the busy activities of the holiday season, grab a cup of coffee or tea and read our posts as they’ll continue through each day of the season with Tom’s upcoming birthday celebration on the 23rd, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Photo from one year ago today, December 20, 2014:

Tom is at the far left.  TJ is in the middle and Jayden is on the far right after they decided they also needed haircuts. Three generations of Lymans having haircut simultaneously. Too cute! This was the last day, the hair salon was taking customers. They were closing the next day for the arrival of the lava flowing from Mount Kilauea. For more info and close up photos, please click here.

Its a small world, after all…

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This is the menu from the “roasted chicken store” where we’ll purchase two chickens each week. For a point of reference on pricing; FJD $10 is equal to USD $4.66 as of today’s exchange rate, changing daily. As shown, prices for whole chickens are somewhat high while many other items are reasonable. Other than the chickens, there’s nothing on this menu, we’d eat. Chickens were slightly lower cost at Helen’s Fiji Meats in Savusavu at FJD $20.

When the time was nearing for us to move to this island, Susan, the owner of the property wrote to us explaining a lovely newlywed couple, daughter of her best friend would be staying at her other house two doors down the road. She suggested we meet them since, although much younger than us, we’d all get along famously.

Yesterday, on our first walk in the neighborhood, which was both invigorating and interesting, we were reminded of our walks in the neighborhood on the Big Island of Hawai’i one year ago. It had a similar look and feel with a variety of styles of houses, many built years ago with a few newer homes and a few in the process of renovation at this time.

We took many photos which we’ll share in the days to come. On our way back home as we walked back down to the road, toward our temporary home, we saw a couple walking toward us; a young couple, wearing jogging clothes, looking happy. It must be the newlyweds!

Local handmade crafts in one of the touristy shops.

I spoke first saying, “Hello, where are you from?” 

With much enthusiasm, Samantha answered, “We’re from the US!”

They were indeed the newlyweds, Samantha and Danny, and, of all things, Danny’s from Minneapolis, where Tom grew up and Samantha is from Wisconsin, the state neighboring Minnesota. They now live in Seattle. Small world.

A lively conversation ensued as we shared our stories. We couldn’t have enjoyed them more. Having their wedding six months ago, they are taking a late honeymoon and had arrived the prior day from visiting India.  How exciting! Having considered India as a down-the-road option, we had many questions for them. 

The popular Fijian Lali, a wooden bowl, handcrafted from a single tree trunk, creates a pleasant sound used to announce events.

In the evening after dinner, they stopped by for an enjoyable visit. Again, the conversation was animated and entertaining and we had a wonderful time. I felt like a chatterbox, so excited to speak to others that so related to from-whence-we-came, not only the country but also the general area.

We don’t want to intrude upon their honeymoon and suggested they contact us if they’d like to go out to dinner or exploring. We’ll let them decide. Danny is a resident doctor with long hours and Samantha is a social worker.  They sure can use this time alone together.

By the time they left, it was 9:30 pm. We finished watching one show on the flat-screen TV using the HDMI. I stayed up later than usual finding overall I’d slept better. Hmm…maybe I amble off to bed too early and should stay up until 11:00 pm. With the furniture more comfortable here, it’s easier to stay up later than in the last house.

Catching Tom grab a trolley for the market, unprepared for a photo with a toothpick in his mouth and no smile. Notice the trusty Costco bag.

The cleaning lady, Paeta has arrived. Early this morning, we washed the sheets and hung them to dry. As soon as they’re dry she’ll remake the bed after I explained how we like it; no excess folded sheet at the top, don’t tuck it in.

Normally, the cleaners stay all day cleaning, while waiting for the sheets to dry on the line. We’d prefer she leave as early as possible. There’s no way there’s more than a few hours of cleaning in this house. It almost looked spotless before her arrival barring a few crumbs on the floor and a little bit of dust here and there. We’ll happily pay the full day rate of FJD $30, USD $14, and let her leave as soon as the work is completed.

Currently, we’re in the process of washing, drying, and hanging all of our cruise clothing. After sitting stuffed in our suitcases for the past six months, although clean when we last packed those items, a good washing is definitely in order. 

The market in the Arts Village has few items suitable for our diet, but ideal for most tourists with lots of “western” snacks, chips, soda, and other processed and packaged items. They don’t sell “real” butter, only tub margarine, which we won’t buy. 

Once dry we’ll hang them in the closets.(Yeah for closets and hangers)! The humidity will take out the wrinkles over these next weeks. Soon, we’ll purchase garbage bags to wrap each item to keep it wrinkle-free after repacking, which we’ll wait to do the day before we depart for Sydney and the next day’s cruise.

Although it rained early this morning, the sun is shining for yet another beautiful day. Perhaps another walk is on the agenda, a swim in the pool with a short stint in the chaise lounge, or to sit at the outdoor table while we continue our ongoing, never-ending research.

We are so content it’s indescribable. In many ways, this lifestyle has been instrumental in our ability to appreciate the simple things in life, like umping for joy about hanging our clothes on hangers in a closet is a perfect example.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2014:

We visited the 442 foot, 135 meters, Akaka Falls in the Big Island with the family for another fine day. For more details and photos please click here.

Catching up on Facebook with a reader…The one week countdown has begun…

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A bulk freighter passing as seen from the veranda.

As a relatively fast reader, I don’t spend a lot of time in Facebook. I can quickly scroll through the posts and photos in no time at all. Every few days I may post a photo and comment, mostly relatively generic about our travels with a link to our site. 

Perhaps my FB friends tire of my perpetual posting of links to our site as we strive to build our readership as well as keep friends and family informed as to our whereabouts and to see what others are up to.  

I assume that most, including us, who post on Facebook have some sort of agenda whether it’s to share their daily meanderings, photos of kids and grandkids, places they’ve been, people they’ve met, and of course, their views on almost every imaginable topic.

A new bloom in the yard.

In a way, Facebook is a means for all of us, ourselves included, to boast a little about who we are and what we believe, which isn’t always possible in the arena of our day to day lives. When are any of us in front of an audience of 100’s able to spew out our often mindless drivel or to boast about events in our daily lives? 

Of course, providing support to those in pain or in sorrow is another way to express ourselves in Facebook.  Offering a heartfelt happy birthday, anniversary wishes, wedding good fortune or return to good health is often one of the most altruistic means of sharing who we are in this medium.

On occasion, we see a friend sharing highly personal details of their lives, beyond the usual scope of sharing such as in berating a spouse, family member, or friend or at times, their own personal failings. I’m often amazed at how quickly their “friends” respond, offering support without judgment, at least not on my FB page. 

Flowers blooming in the yard.

Every morning before I begin the day’s post I check out Facebook, curious to see what’s going on. For us, with no face-to-face contact with any of our family and old friends, it’s interesting to see how everyone is doing, where they’ve been, along with their myriad photos. It’s especially enjoyable to see posts and photos of our kids and grandkids.

This morning, after a fitful night’s sleep, I didn’t get out of bed until 7:30. Feeling as if half the morning was half gone, I rushed to shower and dress and begin the day’s post. Opening Facebook, I noticed a new friend request from a woman Tom had met on a prior cruise sometime ago. Here’s what she wrote (for her privacy, I’ve left out her name):

The neighbor’s newly planted garden coming to life.

“Really enjoying catching up on your adventures. We chatted with your husband Tom aboard Brilliance of the Seas (just a short conversation) as I had been reading posts on Cruise Critic and I believe we were on a cabin crawl together. I lost your website info until I found a post on Repositioning cruises yesterday. I’ve been reading ever since… You are doing exactly what my husband and I want to do when we retire. Right now we cruise about 8 weeks a year. We just got back from your favorite place, Petra and our next trip is aboard Explorer of the Seas transpacific to Australia in April (I see you are aboard in 2017) Anyway, keep up the posting and pics…really enjoying them. I especially like it when you give up your tips/secrets to travelling. Continuing good health to both of you.”

With enthusiasm, I accepted her “friend request” and look forward to responding to her after I’m done posting today. (Most often, I respond to FB comments and emails after I’m done uploading the day’s new post. Focus is imperative in order to get it done in a timely fashion).

Another cloudy day as we road along the beach road.

Her post put a smile on both of our faces. How magical it is, all the people we’ve met in our travels, some of whom we’ve been able to stay in contact via Facebook and many via email. In many ways Facebook has proven to be an excellent medium for us to stay in contact with friends and family and, to make new friends along the way.

One week from today, we’ll be flying to Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, for another  one month stay. By next week, we’ll be posting preliminary expense totals for the time we spent on this island. When leaving the next island, we’ll post the grand totals for the four months we’ll have spent in the Fijian Islands. 

Have a glorious day! 

Photo from one year ago today, November 29, 2014:

One year ago, we stopped to admire more beaches in Maui. Most are sandy, pristine and still unspoiled, one of the many treasures of the Hawaiian Islands.  In a few days, we were heading to the Big Island of Hawai’i to await our family member’s arrival for the holidays. For more details, please click here.

Differences of life in the islands…Are we as happy here as compared to Hawaii?

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We stopped on a bridge for this photo.
How can it be that is has been one year ago that we arrived in Hawaii, precisely Waikiki Beach, where we stayed for 11 nights in a less than desirable condo?

After Waikiki, we lived on three more islands in the Hawaiian chain over a period of almost eight months, which seems so far behind us as now we live on yet another island, this time in Vanua Levu, Fiji while enjoying its unique charms, unlike Hawaii in innumerable ways.

The weather may be similar. The tropical plants and flowers may be familiar and the ocean views still draw our eyes countless times a day. But, it’s different…rugged…less populated…less modern.

Here in Fiji, we find ourselves entrenched in the life of the locals, surrounded by their cultures, their lifestyles, their language, and grasping at snippets of what life may be life for them, as opposed to the life we lived in Hawaii.

Rock formations, a tiny island, as shown on the beach at low tide.

In Hawaii, we rarely met a citizen of native Hawaiian descent. The reality over these past centuries has been the immigration of people from Polynesian and Asian countries and other countries worldwide. Hawaii became similar to the “melting pot” of many cultures in many big cities.

In addition, many have moved from the US mainland to live in Hawaii to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, only to discover that the island paradise, a traveler’s dream of island living, has traffic, commotion, lines at the Walmart and Costco stores and the hassle one experience in many larger cities.

Yes, there are the quaint little shops, malls, and farmer’s markets, but prices are set for the tourist trade that locals have no choice but to incorporate into their own bulging budgets. It’s expensive to live in Hawaii, more than we’ve seen anywhere in the world to date.

In essence, the “new” and continually growing population of Hawaii leaves a resident with many of the stresses they’d hope to leave behind. However, they have the opportunity to partake in some of the most exquisite scenery to be found anywhere in the world that takes one’s breath away on a daily basis. 

If that’s enough to keep a “transplant” happy along with the friendly nature of others who have moved to Hawaii, then a wonderful life is to be had. The ideal weather, the flowers blooming year-round, the excitement of erupting volcanoes, and the availability of almost anything one could want or need, makes Hawaii an ideal home for many who’ve moved to its resounding shores.

In Fiji, it’s an entirely different scenario. Most of the locals, as described in yesterday’s post, have lived in the Fijian Islands for generations resulting in the majority of the population.

Also, like Mario, our landlord from Germany, and his wife, Tatyana, many have traveled from foreign lands in hopes of living a more simple life but found themselves engaged in property ownership and management of vacation rentals when their ultimate desire to stay active and fulfilled overruled their desire for the “simple life.”

But, life isn’t so simple in Fiji, certainly not on this more remote second largest island and especially so for the new resident used to abundance and availability in their homeland. 

New photo of the Blue Lagoon. 

There isn’t a fast-food restaurant or big box type store to be found. If I needed to buy a mascara, I’d be hard-pressed to find any brand other than Maybelline with only one or two since discontinued options.

We scoured every one of the tiny markets, housewares, and hardware stores in the village hoping to find parchment paper and the egg turner. Fijian people don’t use parchment paper for baking. They grease the pan and then scrub, scrub, scrub to get it clean, exactly what we’re now doing.

The streets in Hawaii were filled with newer cars, imported or purchased locally. In Fiji, the vehicles on the roads are mostly trucks, mostly older, mostly four-wheel drive to accommodate the rough roads, steep inclines, and muddy driveways in rainy weather.

Oddly, we observed many homeless people living on the beaches and on the streets in Hawaii. We haven’t seen one here.

Oh, I could go on and on. But, why compare any further? I only do so to compare the differences we’re experiencing as world travelers sharing our ongoing story having spent eight months in the Hawaiian Islands and now with a total of four months in the Fijian Islands.  

Now as time has quickly passed, we’re down to three months, two more in Vanua Levu and one month upcoming in the mainland of Viti Levu. We’ll be boarding Celebrity Solstice on January 5, 2016.

Viewing spot for Namale Resort guests at the edge of this unusual rock formation.  More on Namale soon.

Were we happier in Hawaii than we are in Fiji? Socially, yes. Thanks to friend Richard, we became engaged in a large circle of friends, either from the US mainland or other cities of the major populace. Everything we could possibly need was at our fingertips. 

Although it was a glorious experience living in, particularly Kauai (for four months), there’s something about Fiji that extends the sense of our desired world travel adventure. 

We assume it lies in the simplicity, the slow pace (even including the fact that the phone company didn’t show yesterday to fix the signal), the charm of the local people, and the scratching to find what we need or want.

We learn when we struggle, not when life is easy and good. When we recall the experiences in our travels, only two years ago, that stick with us the most, it was when we were batting off the flies and mosquitoes, sleeping inside mosquito netting with only a slow-moving overhead fan to cool us in the heat and humidity that lingers at night.   

We easily recall that for three months we lived without a salon or living room, spending  16 hours a day outside on the veranda without screens, never without shoes on our feet, as poisonous insects crunched under our feet as we walked in the dark. We recall taking our shoes into the bed in case we had to go to the bathroom during the night. 

What did we learn in those scenarios? Possibly, the greatest lessons we’ve ever learned in our lives; that we can change, we can adapt, that we can accept and we can live “without.”

Now, the only thing missing is our ability to easily share this story with the readers of our ongoing personal growth and exploration, which is a good wifi signal. It’s definitely available here in Savusavu. It’s just not available to us right now. Hopefully, a resolution will be coming today. 

Once that’s resolved, we can sit back and truly relax, embracing that which is before us in its simplest forms; that our hearts and minds have become full with the reality that perhaps life isn’t meant to be so complicated.

The power’s been out for the past hour, which is expected to be down most of the day. Life in Fiji…

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

Its hard for us to believe it was a year ago that we spent 11 days in Waikiki Beach, this view of the beach from our veranda. For more details, please click here.

More socializing…Improved technology…Back to research…Exterior views of our house in Savusavu…

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This is the view of our house from the upper unit of the three-unit house higher up the hill.

When I began today’s post at 7:00 am, it was a sunny day. Putting on my swimsuit this morning, I decided to spend a half-hour in a particular spot on the veranda that appears on sunny days around 10:30 am. With my feet on the veranda railing while sitting in a chair it will almost be comparable to a chaise lounge.

Mario sent us a message that he received a notice that our package of supplies arrived at the post office.  Tomorrow between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, the customs officer will be there and inspect the contents; baking pans, a muffin tin, a measuring cup, a peeler, coconut flour, unsweetened coconut flakes, ground flaxseed, almond flour, and various spices and extracts. 

The view from the top of the three-unit house behind our house. Mario and Tatiana had lived in this beautiful top unit up until a few days ago when they moved to the small house shown below to accommodate the couple we met from Nevada, Judy and Chris.

Hopefully, with the value of the contents well within the allowable shipping ranges, we shouldn’t have to pay any customs fees. It will be good to have these familiar items on hand to round out our diet to provide more variety.

Although I didn’t want to say this too soon, when everything could change in a moment, the wifi is working better today. Mario wrote to us last night explaining he’d seen the phone company (who supplies the Internet) working on the lines to this property. 

With the plugin router, Mario installed specifically for our use only, which I’ve had to monkey with on numerous occasions to reset, we finally have a strong signal. This afternoon, we can start researching locations to fill the two major gaps in our itinerary over the next 21 months.

Mario brought this router that plugs into an outlet, providing us with a private connection not shared with other guests.  Since he’d purchased the device in Germany, his home country, he had to add an adapter to make it plug into the outlet.  The weight of the device using the adapter, made it keep falling out enough to lose the connection.  Tom placed this stack of books under it to hold it in place.  The signal goes to “limited” quite often, but overall it’s working.

Ratnesh, our driver, is having a family day today (Sunday) and with other taxi drivers refusing or unable to navigate the steep hill to the house, we have no choice but to stay home until tomorrow when we head out for sightseeing, the post office, and shopping. We haven’t shopped in a week and are down to the last of the produce. 

With our coffee supply running low, I’ve made tea these past few mornings leaving the remaining coffee for Tom who only drinks two small mugs each morning, using one tablespoon of grounds in the tiny one-person pot.

This is the newly built house Mario and Tatiana moved into in the past few days while guests occupy their house over the next six months.

Not having a car doesn’t really bother us. Surprisingly, having been in this position in more countries than not, we’ve become used to planning our trips to fulfill our needs and expectations. If we run out of something, we improvise, seldom making a trip for only a few items. 

We’d heard from Salote, one of our daily maids (they added Usi to Saturdays and Sundays), that a couple from Nevada was staying in the upper-level apartment of Mario’s three-unit property up the hill from our house. With a little social directing from Salote, we arranged a get together at their place yesterday morning.

When visiting Judy and Chris I spotted something in the ocean below.  See the next photo for a closer view.

Judy and Chris are our ages, retired, and have their primary residence in Carson City, Nevada. They also own a wonderful old house in Brittany, France which they visit several times each year. 

They, too, like us, live away from family and frequently travel. Both born in the UK they both still possess the charming British accents we’ve come to know and admire. Chris was a college geology professor and shared many interesting stories of his world travels on various geological research expeditions. 

It was fascinating spending time with both of them hearing their stories of trips to Africa together in their youth and the myriad adventures they experienced. The time flew by as we shared our stories and before we knew it, almost two hours had passed.

Returning home with a smile on our faces, we realized how fortunate we are to meet people in our travels.  Although tourists usually stay only a short time, as is the case for Judy and Chris, the encounters are pleasurable and memorable. 

These two guys were fishing in the fish abundant waters of the sea surrounding the island. Coincidentally, in this photo is Usi’s brother, Johnny, and his friend Siri.  She explained they had considerable success.

Last night’s dinner of leftover uncooked tough steaks was greatly improved over the prior night’s meal when I cut off every morsel of fat and grizzle and marinated chunks of meat all day in olive oil and spices. When it was time for dinner I cooked them quickly, medium rare, on the highest heat the stove would allow. 

With propane as the source of fuel for the four-burner stovetop, the burners don’t seem to get as hot as when the source is natural gas, requiring I start cooking sooner than I may have in the past. Most days, I prepare everything well in advance leaving the actual cooking for the last minute to ensure everything is hot and fresh. 

As I’ve prepared the post, the clouds have returned and the sun is no longer shining, typical for island living.  So it goes. I have other “fish to fry” today anyway. 

Enjoy the weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, September 20, 2014:

One year ago, we arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada after flying from Boston. This was the view from our luxury condo we’d booked for six nights while we’d wait for an upcoming cruise to Hawaii. For more details, please click here. 

An unexpected unique day…Plus, a tragic loss of life remembered in Boston one year ago…See ending photo below…

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Yesterday, Tom took this stunning photo of the coral reef from the highest peak he climbed with Sewak.

With the wifi not working, yesterday at noon we ventured off the property for a walk. The steep rocky mountainous road prevented us from walking far but we’d noticed a short area, we could explore enabling me to take some photos.

Our landlord Mario has five properties on this land, two houses, one of which we’re living in, the other which he and his wife Tatiana occupy and three lovely apartments, all of which are occupied with tourists at this time. 

The house we’re in is secluded from all of the others and we’d have to walk around the back of the wraparound veranda to see the three-unit building tucked away in the trees further up the hill.

Sewak’s home of over 40 years includes a separate Hindu temple area and family shrine which he happily showed us. 

There’s a swimming pool with no chaises or lawn chairs and we doubt we’ll ever use it. Instead, we’ll grab a chair on the veranda moving it into the sun which hopefully soon appears. The sky is overcast again today with a scattering of blue mixed in between billowy clouds.

When it’s not pouring rain Tom spends a lot of time sitting on the veranda with his laptop in an attempt to get a better signal and to enjoy the ocean views. Two years ago, after living in Kenya for three months without a living room, spending 16 hours a day on the veranda without screens, he seems to have developed a habit of spending most of his days outdoors, weather permitting.

With the mozzies generally loving every morsel of my exposed flesh, I tend to stay indoors on humid buggy days. Seldom using repellent, recently the bites have been few as I continue to be convinced that taking daily doses of vitamin B1 is doing the trick.

The side yard at Sewak’s home.

We’d hope to do further sightseeing with Ratnesh this week. The rainy weather has prevented it. Today, he’s out of town so if the sun peeks out, we’ll be staying home anyway, waiting for the next sunny day. We’re scheduled to tour with him every Tuesday if the weather’s good and to shop when we’re done.

Vanua Levu is shaped like a thin triangle, 30 to 50 kilometers, 18 to 30 miles wide and 180 kilometers, 112 miles long. Most of the island is unpopulated with dense rainforests and is unique in its lack of tourist infrastructure. Its slow pace is typical of many secluded islands throughout the world. 

Living in exquisite surroundings can easily inspire one to slow down to reflect on the beauty as opposed to the usual hustle and bustle of city life. We’ve become good at this over these past three years of travel.

The hill we drove up, in Sewak’s truck toward the top.

Back to our walk, walking up from the house to the road requires several uneven steps, a stint on rocky gravel and maneuvering more rocky gravel that’s uphill. In the reviews for this property, we noted a comment made by a past tourist that they’d fallen on the road. We proceeded with caution, mostly Tom hangs on to support me, as he always manages to do with  the utmost of care. 

Of course, I had the camera in hand as I always when we leave the house, regardless of where we may live at the time. Assuming I’d at least find some vegetation as photo subjects, we teetered along, mindful of our steps in the process. 

First, we investigated Mario’s apartments and the pool area which I’d yet to see. (Tom had checked it out days ago). It appeared no one was around so we could peek in the windows. 

Some of my photos are slanted.  I was standing on a steep hill and didn’t properly adjust for the angle.

Although the apartments appeared lovely, we were thrilled we’d managed to book this private house as opposed to an apartment.  We can clomp around on the floors all we want and Tom can spew his disgusting expletives when he loses at a hand of Gin.  No one can hear us.

With a variety of pretty flowers blooming, we found ourselves wandering toward the single reachable neighbor’s house nearby. Not wanting to intrude, we trod carefully not getting too close to the house. Within moments, a man came running toward us. He seemed excited to see us immediately welcoming us indoors to visit with him.

With family roots in India, Sewak explained that he’d never lived in the country of his ancestors, but possesses a strong Indian accent speaking English, Hindi and Fijian.  Although a bit tricky to understand everything he says, we all became engaged in a delightful conversation while sitting in his clean but cluttered living room filled with stuffed animals and the relics of a lifetime.  

Recently, Sewak sold two acres of his land which is yet to be developed.

Sewak’s enthusiasm for visitors was evident. His wife whom he misses terribly has been in Australia visiting family for the past month soon to return. We look forward to meeting her as well. 

After about a 20 minute chat, Sewak insisted he take us up to the highest point of his six-acre property (he recently sold two acres) to see the views. Getting into his older well worn four-wheel drive truck, we embarked on the steepest drive of our lives!  It was hard to believe the truck could make it up the recently excavated dirt road. 

The wind was blowing requiring me to ask Tom to hold this perfect flower for my shot while we toured Sewak’s grounds.

Minutes later we were atop the hill with mind-blowing views of the scenery below. Once we reached the top, a steep climb was required to go a bit higher on root covered, rocky terrain. I let Tom, holding the camera and Sewak take that portion of the hike without me, while I waited with his dog, Badal, who’d run up the steep mountain with the greatest of ease barking alongside the truck the entire way.

We spent considerable time overlooking the scenery while Sewak explained the story of his land which he acquired in the 1970’s. With a natural spring running through his property he provides water not only for his house but, Mario’s property  as well, for which he’s never required him to pay. 

That’s the fresh-tasting water we’ve been drinking since our arrival. Without it, we’d be purchasing bottled water carrying it up the long walk from the car to the house. How fortunate we’ve been for this!

Close to the top of the hill overlooking the sea.

Before we left his house, he mentioned he was having trouble with getting online to be able to Skype his wife and family. I sat down at his computer  moments later I was able to get him online with Skype ready to go. He was very grateful but, then again, so were we.

After a few hours of pure pleasure, we profusely thanked Sewak for his friendliness, the tour and his time.  We’re always sensitive about cultural differences and proceed carefully with shows of affection and gratitude.  When a kiss and hug comes my way, my arms are open. Sewak offered me both as he generously pumped Tom’s hand. We’d made a new friend.

Later in the early evening, Mario stopped by with a new router exclusively for our use. Sitting on the floor by the electrical outlet for over an hour, he manipulated the device hoping to get it working. While he was working on the device, Sewak appeared at the door, carrying a handful of white radishes, the first of his crop in his recently planted garden. 

Badal, Sewak’s dog, bounded up the steep hill with ease.

As a vegetarian, typical for the people of India, he’d planted an extensive garden, kindly offering to share its bounty with us during our stay. We couldn’t have been more appreciative. We washed and cut a large radish and had it with dinner, leaving enough for tonight and again tomorrow.

He and Tom talked on the veranda while Mario and I stayed indoors as he worked on the router. By the time darkness fell, the device was working, albeit in and out (I had to reset it again this morning) and both he and Sewak left at the same time leaving us to our dinner and the evening.

In less than 10 minutes, we’d reheated the leftover grass-fed taco meat, took out the previously diced tomatoes, onions, olives, grated cheese, and lettuce, reheated my roasted veggies, placed my laptop on the end of the kitchen table playing season 4, episode 2, of the popular British TV show, Doc Martin, while we dined.

It was a good day.

Photo from one year ago today, September 18, 2014:

One year ago today when we visited my father’s gravesite in Boston, we posted the story about his tragic death when I was 12 years ago. This is his wedding photo from his marriage to my mother in 1942. He had an exemption for going off to fight in World War II when his company was commissioned by the US government to manufacture ammunition. My sisters and I inherited the entrepreneurial spirit from him, each of us having our own businesses for most of our working careers. For details from that post, please click here.

What we love about the Australia people…Friends we’ve made throughout the world…Year ago link to expenses for 15 nights in London…

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We’re always fascinated with these puffy flowers, often found in tropical climates.

There are so many aspects to living in Australia that we find endearing, humorous, and pleasantly surprised that it would take days to write about them all.

Instead, today, we’re sharing some of those thoughts and perspectives. Sure, our opinions are tainted with our long-established Americanized views (some of which are wafting away as we travel the world) but, after traveling to countless countries we’re beginning to feel we’re acquiring an ability to make a fair observation.

This creature was in the living room with us.  We scooped it up in the dustpan putting it outside on the grass. Immediately, it ran back toward the open door to the house. Picking it up a second time, Tom took it out to the rainforest in the back yard. We’d expected to see more insects in the house in Australia and although we’ve seen quite a few, there hasn’t been nearly as many as there were in Kenya and South Africa. As we were warned, flies are rampantly preventing us from keeping the doors open. There are no screens in the house other than two small windows, one in the living room and another in the bedroom.

And for those of you out there that always hover on the side of being “politically correct,” which we strive to accomplish in a subtle manner, we may seem to be generalizing and stereotyping an entire continent and culture.

We can’t help it. Australians are simply unique in many wonderful ways! To say everyone falls into the wonderfulness category would be foolhardy since every country has some less than desirable types. Thus, we don’t include them in this category. 

Sunrise, this morning, which ultimately brought a sunny day.

However, there is a common thread that appears to run through the Australian people that we’ve observed over and over again, everywhere we go, in literally everything we do. 

Australians are fun, friendly, generous, and considerate people. Their manners are impeccable. They laugh easily and find a way to bring humor into many situations and yet remain sensitive, often easily showing emotions in times of worry, compassion, and sorrow.

When we spent 18 days on the cruise on our way to Australia with over 1400 Australians on board, we had the most fun we’d ever had on a cruise, day after day, night after night. 

Limes grow in the yard ready for picking.  Guacamole, here we come, using pork rinds for dipping.

Early on in that cruise, Tom and I both noticed our feet were swollen, a condition neither of us normally experienced. It was due to sitting with people all day long, drinking our iced tea (and other beverages for Tom) while engaged in lively conversations, often laughing our butts off, hardly moving from our seats. 

After a few days, we made a point of getting up and walking around a bit while the other of us held our seats and the ongoing delightful banter. The swelling dissipated in a few days while we continued having such an extraordinary time.

Tom, reaching up to pick a lime.

Living in Trinity Beach we didn’t have an opportunity to make new friends. The privacy of the house and the fact that we hadn’t gone out to meet people at social functions and various establishments was entirely our own fault.

By perusing menus at dozens of local restaurants, we realized it was too risky to dine in restaurants while here.  Although the options sounded tasty, many included sauces with ingredients I can’t have. 

Also, when foods are cooked in pans with gluten, sugar, or starch, my food could easily be contaminated if cooked in the same pans. Few restaurants throughout the world make this accommodation, although, we’ve been lucky on cruise ships and dining in some restaurants.

On a walk in the area on this narrow road.

Had we gone out to the pubs and casual dining, most assuredly, we’d have made new friends. I practically made friends while grocery shopping at Woolie’s (Woolworth’s) or the pharmacy where even the other shoppers often started up conversations, let alone the friendly staff.

Whether we were walking on the beach running into others doing the same, sitting on a bench in a park, or walking down the street, friendliness is the expected norm in Australia.

In our old lives, I walked almost every day, often in cold weather. Living in the same neighborhood for 26 years, I’d often encountered the same people on a regular walk. 

It’s hard to avoid taking more photos of these Flintstone’s character statues in a nearby yard.

A friendly nod or hello may have been in order, but a conversation was seldom to be had. The busy nature and fast pace of life in the US, often attributed to keeping people constantly on the move, seldom with time for idle chatter. We were no different. The pace of that life contributed to our desire to travel the world.

But, that life was our norm. We never questioned it. We had our own little neighborhood and circle of friends, rarely stepping outside that safe cocoon of people we knew and loved, still staying in touch with many of them today.

This is not to say that people haven’t been friendly in other countries. We had a phenomenal time we’ll always treasure with many new friends we made in South Africa, hopefully, to return someday to see them all; Okee Dokee, Louise and Dani, Dawn and Leon, Linda and Ken, Hettie and Piet, and Kathy and Donald. The list could easily continue on and on.

Most yards are left relatively wild in order to embrace the local vegetation. However, this neighboring home has a more manicured yard.

Also, as any of the readers who followed us through Kauai, Hawaii will recall, we made more friends than we can count, particularly our dear friends Richard and Elaine.

Richard proved to be the best social director in the world by virtue of a kind and loving nature that made him revel in bringing good people together. We easily recall countless great social events and ongoing connections with Pat and Brenda, Vicki and Jerry, Cathy and Rick, Bev and Sam, Alice and Trevor, Louise and Steve and Cheryl and Paul (who are from Minnesota). Here again, the list could easily continue on and on.

We miss Richard, frequently touching base by email, as we do with many of the other friends we’ve made in various countries and of course, those we’ve met and come to love, having met them here online; Liz and Dave, Staci and Glenn, Pat and Dan, Joanette, Jodi and countless more, too many to list.

(We apologize for not mentioning everyone’s name).

A funny-looking tree with a type of fuzz wrapped around the branches.

Of course, the closest to our hearts on the most recent Australian cruise from Honolulu, Hawaii to  Sydney, Australia was Reene and Geoff, a couple we hope to see again in our many future travels in Australia. We couldn’t have had a better time with them.

We could go nuts listing all the new friends we made on cruises and even some we’ve met online and will meet in person on an upcoming cruise next year, Staci and Glenn. Much to our delight, Laura and Michael, a fabulous couple we met on the cruise from London to Boston, one year ago, were considering visiting us in Bali in 2016.

As a result of all of our past experiences in making new friends, we never felt lonely not making many new friends in Australia. We’ve enjoyed countless conversations and banter with our landlords Sylvie and Andy, who, although aren’t native Australians, (Sylvie’s from France, Andy’s from the UK), they too possess that warm, friendly and considerate demeanor we’ve witnessed everywhere we go.

Although most homes in the area are well kept and maintained, occasionally we spot a house that could use a little fixing up.

When we shop in the stores, saying “Thank you” to the salesperson for their thoughtful assistance, they always respond, “No worries.” Each time we hear this adorable response (as opposed to “you’re welcome”), we chuckle over its endearing quality. 

Another of the expressions we’ve loved in Australia is “good on you” which indicates “good for you” when we’ve been asked where we’re from and we mention we’re traveling the world. They look into our eyes with an enormous smile on their faces saying, “Good on you.”

In eight days we’ll be flying to Sydney, staying overnight to head to Fiji early the next morning on September 8th. From what we hear the people of Fiji are equally friendly as are those in New Zealand, where we’ll be living in a little over four and a half months. 

The world is a big place and we’re often bombarded with all the bad news, the bad people, and the horrifying events. Amid all of the horror in the world, there are more loving people willing to make new friends, willing to extend their kindness, and willing to make an effort to make the world a better place. 

We continue to be in awe of having had the privilege of spending time in the friendly continent of Australia and similar locations all over the world.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, August 30, 2014:

Tom got a kick out of this car which appeared to be the “shortest” car we’d yet to see in Europe. We were quickly winding down our time in London and had listed all our expenses for 15 nights in South Kensington, dining out for all meals. Click here to see the total expenses.

How did we get so lucky?…A thoughtful purchase and a new friendship that means so much…Photos of last night’s dinner…

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This morning we were excited to have our first cups of homemade coffee in almost a month. It was perfect! Some habits never die and why should they, when a solution such as this was generously provided by our thoughtful hosts?

Yesterday, Saturday here in Australia, was a very good day. That’s not to say that generally speaking, most days aren’t good. They are. But, some days have a special quality that leaves us with a smile on our faces for those unexpected little treasures in life. Yesterday was such a day.

In the morning, our hosts and property owners, Sylvie and Andy sent us a message saying they were coming to clean the house at 8:30. Early birds that we are, the time was no problem for us. We’d be up since 6 am.

Our landlords, neighbors, and new friends, Sylvie and Andy. Sylvie is from France and Andy is from the UK and has lived in Australia for over 20 years.

They offered to wash and dry the sheets, remake the bed, wash the towels, and clean every inch of space.  Wow! That was an amazing offer. However, we’d already done the sheets on Thursday, one week after the day we arrived, all the towels were already in the wash and, the prior day I’d swept the floors and dusted the shelves.

The bathroom and kitchen were already spotless since we clean as we go. When we arrived, we’d inquired as to a cleaning person coming once a week to do the entire place for which we’d pay the cost, if it wasn’t too much. 

With Sylvie and Andy busy working all week, we didn’t want to pester them about a cleaning person, instead, doing everything we could with the cleaning products we’d purchased; bathroom and toilet cleaner and Windex along with a broom and dustpan we found here.

Tom’s dinner last night, included one pork chop, three gluten-free cheese sausages, one gluten-free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a side salad, and a muffin with New Zealand grass-fed organic butter (muffin not shown).

Tidy folks that we are, on any day of the week, there are few areas that require cleaning. The only area of concern was the floors which we’d swept almost daily. 

After over a week of cooking and then eating in the dining room, even after we’d swept the floor several times, it could easily do with a good washing. Plus, the area rug was covered in bits of white lint that I’d tried to sweep to no avail. I hesitantly asked that they only do the floors and the rug. 

At 8:30 sharp they both showed at the door with vacuum and mops in hand. We felt awkward letting them do the work but, they insisted. They explained that any other guests renting the property didn’t have to clean when they stayed for shorter periods.

Tom and I moved outside to the veranda while they worked. About 30 minutes later Andy stepped outside, done with the work, to join us for a lively and animated conversation that we thoroughly enjoyed. Going forward, they’ll do the floors and we’ll do the rest, a fair and easy compromise for all of us.

My dinner last night included two lamb chops, two gluten-free cheese sausage, one gluten free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a salad, and a low carb muffin with grass fed New Zealand butter (muffin not shown in this photo).

A short period after Andy left, he excitedly joined us outside again, holding his tablet anxious to show us an online photo.  He’d found a coffee pot, an actual drip coffee pot! And above all, he was driving to Cairns to buy it for us to use.

Although we hesitated for a moment, not wanting them to spend the money, Tom and I looked at each other, both agreeing it would be greatly appreciated. It made no sense for us to buy a coffee pot that we’d have to leave behind. However, it could be a valuable item for them to include for future renters.

As Tom and I busied ourselves during the day with our usual this and that, the day flew by. While I was in the kitchen making my usual 4 pm mug of hot tea, Sylvie and Andy showed at the door inviting us to their home above us. 

They’d purchased the coffee pot and wanted us to bring our bottle of “thickened cream” to give it a try at their house and then we could bring it downstairs for our use during our remaining time in their lovely property.

The sunrise from our veranda yesterday morning.

We’d yet to see their exquisite modern home and couldn’t help but ooh and aah over their beautifully designed, decorated, and appointed home. The view, one story up, was all the more enchanting. 

Sitting on their veranda we thoroughly enjoyed “happy hour” together, until finally, we had to leave when the mozzies came out in full force and it was time for us to go back downstairs to make our dinner, all of which I’d set up earlier in the day for quick final cooking. I prefer to prepare as much of a meal earlier in the day so that when hunger hits us, the final prep is quick and easy.

As we were about to leave Sylvie handed me a bucket filled with cleaning supplies, a bird book, and a set of measuring spoons for baking the few low carb muffins we make from time to time. Check out the photos below.

This is the bucket of cleaning supplies Sylvie and Andy gave us for our use and also measuring spoons and a bird book.

After the excellent dinner for which we’ve included the above photos, we settled in for the night watching an episode of America’s Got Talent, a highly smile-worthy show that we’ve watched for years.   

Using the HDMI cable daughter Tammy had given us at Christmas which we plugged into the high def TV we enjoyed almost two hours of light-hearted pleasure.

We are grateful to our lovely property owners, Sylvie and Andy, for adding so much to our experience in Trinity Beach, for their kindness and friendship which surely we’ll treasure now and well into the future.

Happy Father’s Day to those dads who are in our current time zone where it’s Sunday!

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

This Bottle Brush plant and its unusual colors particularly appealed to us as we drove through the mountains of Madeira. For more details, please click here.