What’s it really like?…

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This giraffe was having a “bad hair day!” The hair on the female giraffe’s ossicones is usually short and straight up. 

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Cape buffaloes on the Sabie River in Kruger.

In 2012, when we booked our first holiday home in Kenya and then Marloth Park, it was hard for us even to imagine what it would be like living in this type of environment. 

Unaware at the time as to the degree of potential risks, inconveniences, and challenges we might face spending three months in the bush, we forged ahead tentatively optimistic, hoping to fulfill my lifelong dream of visiting Africa. 

A dazzle of zebras hanging out near the road in Kruger.

Although Tom was somewhat skeptical and fearful of the unknown, he willingly agreed to visit the mysterious continent. We spent almost nine months on the continent living in three countries; Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco.

Many travelers never consider visiting Africa due to their fears. The distance is also a factor, along with the high airfare costs from many parts of the world. But, fear seems to be the most significant deterrent based on conversations we’ve had with travelers from all over the world.

And yet, millions of tourists visit Africa each year, statistics for which may be found here. Tom had never known anyone who’d visited Africa in our old lives, and I only knew a handful, all of whom had an extraordinary experience.

A crocodile was lounging on the bank of Sunset Dam.

And now, almost six years have passed since we arrived in Kenya in September 2013, which we’ll soon visit again in less than seven months. It feels as natural for us to be in Africa as anywhere else in the world, if not even more.

Over and over, we’ve mentioned the challenges and inconveniences; the insects; mosquitoes; malaria, and other disease risks; rampant crime in specific areas; the excessive heat in the summer months; and a small but realistic risk of injury from wildlife (snake bites, insects bites. poisonous vegetation and close encounters with dangerous animals).

Yellow-billed storks and other birds are not easily identifiable due to the distance when taking this photo across the lake at Sunset Dam.

We’ve even heard local stories of residents in Marloth Park unwittingly being “stabbed” by the horns of male kudus, male bushbucks, and wildebeest when they got too close. These animals generally don’t attack humans unless injured or provoked.

Then, of course, we all proceed with caution when lions or leopards have been spotted in the park, which poses the most risk at night in the dark. There are curfews imposed against walking on the roads at night. Logical, eh?

We surmised this elephant might have been ancient based on its size and its bright white tusks.  Scientists can better gauge the age of an elephant by its teeth, as described on this site.

All of these aside, we do not live in fear under any circumstances, although we use reason, caution, and care in many situations that could pose a problem. 

Yes, when walking through the heavy bush on our perpetual search for photo ops, we watch where we’re walking not only to avoid spraining an ankle from the uneven terrain but always on the lookout for snakes.

Hippos on the bank of the Sabie River.

On the positive side, nothing, anywhere in the world, can compare to the joy we experience every day. From watching the birds enjoy our bird feeder to the nine kudus who visited first thing this morning to the many trips to Kruger as shown in today’s photos.

This morning while we had breakfast on the veranda (which we now do each morning), we delighted in the kudu’s presence, totally entertained by their interactions and gentle antics. I stand at the edge of the veranda, and my favorite kudu licks the toes of my stocking feet.

This was the first time we’d seen giraffes at the Vurhami Dam, located about 10 minutes on the paved road from the entrance to the park at Crocodile Bridge.

It’s cool here now in winter. Most days are sunny and comfortably warm, not hot. There aren’t many insects buzzing around our heads in the winter months, which will end in September. 

We aren’t dreading the onset of the hot and humid summer. We experienced it in 2013/2014 and knew what to expect.  

Wildebeest lounging in the savannah.

Soon, we off to the hustle and bustle of busy, cultural Komatipoort and Lebombo, the streets packed with locals selling their wares and others buying them. Even shopping day is an adventure unto itself.

We continue to be grateful and humbled by this life. We pray good health will keep us traveling for as long as possible.

Several giraffes attempting to drink at the Vurhami Dam.

May each of you have good health and fulfillment!

Photo from one year ago today, July 26, 2017:

Two Mallards sitting on rocks in one of the eight ponds in the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Nevada. For more photos, please click here.

Not wishing our lives away or time to fly…(No pun intended)….Easy date-to-date free app…

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Handmade fences using tree branches. Very innovative!

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This pair of Inca Doves returned for another visit.

Often, when we mention how long it will be until we leave a location to move on to another, both of us wonder if our readers perceive we’re anxious to get going. Of course, in some circumstances, we are, but certainly not in most.

A hazy day in the country.

In many countries, we continue to revel in our surroundings; the wildlife, the culture, the scenery, and the people. But, no doubt, the quality of the property we live in is also a significant factor.

Junkyard.

Here in Atenas, Costa Rica, we’re rather content, although a little disappointed the road is too steep for daily walks and the high cost of long-term rental cars. As for the remainder, we’ve felt comfortable and quite “at home” in this exceptional property.

Our hosts, owners Bev and Sam, have provided the utmost details and amenities to create a highly pleasing environment. Although we’re here during the rainy season, we’ve managed to spend plenty of time in the pool (often as long as two hours) and sunning in the chaise lounges when the noontime sun stays out long enough for our 30-minute stint. It’s been grand.

Basilica Nuestra Senora de las Piedades church in Naranjo.

Thus, why do we often check as to how many days we have left until we depart? Based on this simple app on my desktop, it’s but a few clicks to enter today’s date and the date we’ll be leaving.  Click here for the app, which may be used on any device.

This app has been handy for us when booking future vacation homes, hotels, cruises, and flights allowing us to know precisely how many days, weeks, or months it will be until our next move or adventure.

The outdoor pulpit in Naranjo is used while the church is being renovated.

By clicking here, you’ll be able to see how this app calculated from today’s date until the date we leave Costa Rica on November 22, in 32 days. This app may be handy for any user, even for those who don’t travel but maybe looking forward to a specific date. It’s easy to use.

To answer our question above, “Why do we often check as to how many days we have left until we depart?” the answer is simple. We often have many preparations necessary for the next leg of our journey, requiring we pay attention to how many days, weeks, or months are left until we depart.

Turtles are fascinating creatures.

Also, I’ll readily admit, it’s fun to contemplate our next adventure, however much we’re enjoying the moment. So you bet we’re excited about the fact that in 33 days (after one night in a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida), we’ll be boarding Celebrity Infinity for a 30-night cruise to South America. 

A turtle was seeking sun on a raised divider in the pond. Note the Koi fish were making their way over this obstacle.

How could we not be excited? It’s all a part of the overall excitement as we travel the world…simply…what’s next? Once the cruise ends in Buenos Aires, we’ll only have 31-nights in a hotel until we depart for Ushuaia, Argentina, to embark on the Antarctica cruise aboard Ponant’s Le Soleil. So here again, we’re outrageously enthused about this upcoming expedition cruise.

It’s tough not to continue to calculate upcoming dates. We’ve even gone as far as figuring how many months until we return to the US to visit family, which is in roughly 18 months (not sure as yet to our exact arrival date).

More fish in the pond.

Calculating these dates doesn’t diminish the quality of our everyday experience. If anything, it enhances it, making us aware of striving to make each remaining day unique and memorable.

Koi pond in a park in Naranjo.

Speaking of dates, one week from today, we’ll be flying to Nicaragua for our visa extensions and a two-night stay. During this period, we’ll be taking plenty of photos to share in our posts over the remaining 25 days we’ll be in Costa Rica. (See, I used the app again).

Church along the highway.

Whether one calculates future dates or lives at the moment with nary a thought about what’s transpiring in the future is entirely a matter of personal preference. But, for “number crunchers” like us, it’s one more element of our world travels we continue to incorporate into our daily lives.

Have a beautiful weekend, whether you were anticipating it or not!

Photo from one year ago today, October 21, 2016:

In Sumbersari, watching the buffaloes walk along the beach each evening never stopped giving us a thrill. Where do you see such a thing?  For our favorite Bali photos as we wound down our stay, please click here.

Scary repeat experience…Alarming reminder for Tom…

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Big Buffalo was not happy to see Tom once again, coming out of the water to show his displeasure.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Note this little kid in a narrow part of the river as this motorbike with a family of four. We’ve seen six on one motorbike but have yet been quick enough to capture it.

It was about three months ago that Tom had the scary buffalo-ready-to-charge experience when he went for a walk to explore a dirt road he was curious to see. At the time, he said it was the “second biggest scare of his life.” See the link here.

Of course, the biggest scare of his life was while we were living in Marloth Park, South Africa when a Mozambique Spitting Cobra dropped from the ceiling and landed (alive) close to his bare feet as we lounged on the veranda waiting for “visitors” to arrive. Some visitor, eh?  See the link here.

The boys were walking the buffalos along the beach.

In the late afternoon, a few days ago, we were both standing at the edge of the veranda watching a wide array of activities on the beach; people swimming in the ocean and river; motorbikes zooming by, some popping wheelies; fishermen pulling in their nets and a variety of walkers with an end of day purpose in mind.

As soon as they entered the water facing our direction, the big buffalo Tom had previously encountered spotted him standing on the edge of our veranda.  We could hear him snorting, the buffalo, not Tom.

Camera in hand, we were at the ready for any interesting or unusual sightings we’d like to share with our loyal readers some of whom may have wondered if we’d have anything worthy of posting on a second two-month visit to Bali.

Now, with 25% of our time on the island behind us, we’re piling up photos and stories we’ve yet to share with the hope that our readers will enjoy, along with that which we’ve posted to date. 

Tom stepped back several meters.  Big Buffalo did the same. Smaller buffalo was oblivious.

In actuality, personally, I’m having almost as much fun this time in Bali with our photos as I’ve had when we were living in some of my favorite places. Our long term readers know exactly which locations are forefront in my mind. Hmm..

Tom stepped up on the short stone wall of the veranda. Big Buffalo comes out of the river, moving toward us.

As we stood on the veranda observing the beach, two familiar buffaloes were being led to the river by boys, who most likely are sons of the buffalo owners. Noting the red wooden bells they were wearing Tom was immediately startled. No other buffaloes in the area wear those red wooden bells. 

Tom was certain the larger of the two bulls was the one who’d just about broken loose of his rope only three months ago with the intent of charging Tom. It was a frightening experience as Tom slowly backed off, hightailing out of the area, returning to the villa sweating and out of breath, anxious to tell me what had transpired.

Big Buffalo inched forward as Tom did the same.

The buffaloes didn’t see us as they walked along the beach in front of the villa. Heads down, they were busy sniffing the sand and most likely anticipating cooling off in the river. 

Tom backed off less than a meter.  Big Buffalo did the same.

Although Tom was a little guarded, we held our ground and continued to watch them entering the river while I was hoping to get a few good shots. Only moments after they entered the river, everything changed.

The larger of the two, Big Buffalo, spotted Tom. Keep in mind, there were other humans on the beach and at least of dozen motorbikes driving on the sand close to the river. It wasn’t as if we were the only people in the vicinity.

Testing further if this was really happening Tom again inched forward no more than a meter toward Big Buffalo as he stepped right out of the water.

Apparently with great vision, Big Buffalo never took his eyes off Tom. Oddly, from a distance we could easily tell his serious gaze was directed at Tom, not me. He must have had a good memory, still angry from their last encounter three months ago. That’s not surprising. We often underestimate the ability of animals to recall past encounters.

Tom, feisty sort that he is, and curious to determine if the bull did in fact recognize him, only moved a few feet (less than a meter) toward the river and boom!…the Big Buffalo snorted, coming straight up and out of the water toward us. 

“I’ve had enough of you,” said Big Buffalo as he totally emerged from the river.

The interaction and test of wills continued. This time, on the safety of the veranda (supposedly), Tom was a bit more daring. However, this didn’t diminish his caution in us staying safely out of range of being charged if Big Buffalo became angry enough. 

This all transpired in only a matter of minutes consisting of Tom never moving more than three feet, one meter, from our original position. I didn’t know if I should have tried to stop Tom in his somewhat subtle buffalo game or if I was so excited taking photos that I kept my mouth shut.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Tom is going for another walk where Big Buffalo lives!

Finally, we had to go indoors for dinner and Big Buffalo returned to the river for his swim as we began to walk away.

Soon enough, the two Ketuts alerted us that dinner was ready and we went indoors for yet another wonderful dinner and evening. Ah, we anticipate the adventures in Bali will surely continue as time marches on during our remaining 45 days.

Yesterday, prepared to leave for Negara, we noticed the van had a flat tire. As a result, the trip was postponed until today. Ribut removed the tire and took it to a repair shop, returning it later in the day. 

With an early start today, (we were both awake before 5:00 am) we’ll have this post uploaded a few hours earlier than most days and be on our way by 10:00 am, back tomorrow with more photos we’ll enthusiastically share.

Have a lovely day!

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

While living in Savusavu, Fiji we visited the hot springs located in the village where locals who don’t have a stove cook their vegetables in heat proof bags.  For our video, please visit the year ago post, here.

Part 3…Visas…Not a good day for Tom!…Visited Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery!…Check back tomorrow for my embarrassing cultural experience!

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For more information and details on the Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery, please click here. The cost to visit the site was a donation of IDR $50,000, US $3.68 for both of us.
Stats were a little outdated, but the efforts of the staff appeared dedicated to the project from what we could observe.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
It wasn’t Tom’s favorite day.  As a matter of fact, it was his third less than a stellar day since we arrived in Bali almost one month ago. The first was the four-hour harrowing drive from the airport in Denpasar to the villa, with the remaining two to Lovina this week (four-hour round trips ) for our visa extensions.

We arrived at the Reef Seen Resort, the location for the Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery in Pemuteran Village, Gerokgak, Singaraja, North Bali.

As an aggressive driver, albeit a good driver, not being at the wheel for long road trips leaves him with a degree of angst only he and others like him can understand. Surely, many of our readers can relate to this.

This is the sandbox where the recovered turtle eggs are placed while they mature.  There were 126 eggs maturing in this enclosed area.  Once hatched, they’ll be moved to the pools and later released to the sea. Turtle meat is a delicacy in Bali.  Fishermen are paid to bring the eggs and baby turtles to the hatchery, more than they’d be paid as “food.”  This hatchery isn’t as natural an environment as we’d like to have seen, the intentions are good and the concept suitable for saving the lives and further preservation of many sea turtles.

With him in the back seat, upon his insistence, allowing me to take photos from the front, I can feel his discomfort especially when the cautious drivers we’ve had drive too slowly or someone darts in front of us, a common occurrence here in Bali. He doesn’t need to say much when the faintest of sounds escape his lips, perhaps only audible to me.

Looking closely at the sand, there was no indication or sign that turtle eggs are incubated here. Often, dogs, other predators, and humans dig up the eggs on the beaches for food. This is a good alternative for the turtle’s eventual survival. The optimum temperature as would be in a natural environment is between 30 and 32 degrees. If the temperature is predominantly 30 degrees, it’s like the eggs would all be male. At 32 degrees they’d be female. 

Oddly, his angst doesn’t make me anxious although I do feel bad that he can’t relax and enjoy the drive, regardless of where we’re going. Of course, the purpose of yesterday’s second trip to Lovina in three days only added to his discomfort of visiting the immigration office for trip two in the three, five-day process. 

There were over 100 baby turtles maturing for future release attracting tourists to the venue.

No doubt, it’s not a pleasant concept…spending an entire week, out of eight weeks, messing with this process.  Then again, as we sat there with others who’d also chosen to abide by the country’s immigration laws, we both wondered why such a process isn’t observed and respected (by many) throughout the world, let alone in our own USA. Following the “law of the land” isn’t all that difficult.

Baby turtles that had hatched in the hatchery, not quite old enough for release. We’d hope to release a few but they weren’t quite ready.

For tomorrow’s third and final trip, we’re waiting to hear from Gede that a driver will go to Lovina to pick up the final documents with a letter from us in hand authorizing him to do so.  The immigration officer explained this is acceptable for this third trip only.

There were three mature turtles on display (not the parents of the baby turtles) which we’d preferred were instead out to sea but were used as mascots to inspire donations for the baby turtle release program.

Luckily, we were photographed, fingerprinted, and out the door within about an hour before lunchtime began, after paying the required IDR 710,000, US $52.14 in fees for the two visas. 

The other two confined turtles used as mascots to promote the hatchery.

We’d planned to visit two points of interest on the return drive but I was willing to forgo that idea if Tom would have preferred we immediately begin the drive back to the villa (considering another two hours on the road).  He insisted we continue with our original plans to visit the Monkey Temple (shown in tomorrow’s post) and the Proyek Penyu Turtle Hatchery, both on the return drive to the villa.

The hatchery is located on the beautiful grounds of the Reef Seen resort, known for its scuba diving and snorkeling.

It was an hour’s drive from Lovina to both venues within minutes of each other. Over the next several days, we’ll continue to post the many photos we’ve taken this week, still leaving us with dozens more we’ve yet to share. There’s certainly been no shortage of photo ops in Bali.

Religious statues on display at the resort.

Today, we’re blissfully staying put. The weather isn’t as humid as usual, the sky is clear and the crystal clear pool awaits us. We have a bit of “work” to accomplish for future planning that we’ll tackle in the afternoon while sitting in the cabana after our exercise and fun in the pool. 

There’s a variety of flowers blooming at the Reef Seen Resort.

We started our day as usual in the chaise lounges at 6:45 am savoring Tom’s perfectly brewed French press coffee, watching the activity on the beach and the sea including dogs howling and playing, passing boats and barges and who knows what else may come our way today?

The road we drove to the Reef Seen Turtle Hatchery,

Tomorrow, I’m sharing an embarrassing culturally motivated event that occurred to me yesterday, one I hesitate to mention but, let’s face it, life’s not always a “walk in the park.” Sharing such experiences are all a part of the reality of traveling the world which isn’t always pleasant.

May your day be pleasant wherever you may be in the world!


Photo from one year ago today, May 26, 2015:

One year ago today, we boarded Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas in Honolulu on its way to Sydney, Australia with 1400 Australians on board for one of the most fun cruises we’d experienced. Here’s our balcony cabin before we messed it up with our stuff!  For more photos, please click here.

The rough waters continue…We keep having fun!…A year ago, more photos of the Indian Ocean…

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Please click this video for the swimming pool’s reaction to rough seas on the Pacific Ocean.

In two and a half days, we’ll be in the Hawaiian Islands hopefully in calmer seas. The rough seas have continued for four days although much less so than on the second day which was very unpleasant for most people
onboard (except Tom).

The rolling seas seem to affect me more than the slamming waves on the Norwegian Epic 18 months ago when I was never affected (nor was Tom). On this cruise, I spent only a few hours on the second day laying in bed in our cabin, napping off whil the storm was at its worst.

During a ship sponsored a party for Captain’s Club members for passengers who’d experienced multiple Celebrity cruises. Free drinks and appetizers were served.

We haven’t missed a beat other than during that one afternoon. We’ve been to two parties, done three Pub Poker Crawls, one Slot Pull lasting a few hours of outrageous laughing and fun, attended one late-night comedy show, attending four friendly shared table dinners in the main dining room, attended one interesting class on the history of volcanoes in Hawaii, had breakfast in the buffet each morning.

Most of all, we’ve met dozens of amazing people of all ages and have had a variety of enjoyable and meaningful conversations. No grass grows under these feet, rolling seas or not.

We laugh, we giggle, we cajole one another, never failing to enjoy and appreciate one another, knowing that in no time at all, it will be just the two of us once again and we’ll be each other’s main source of
entertainment barring any good fortune we may have, making new friends while in Hawaii.

Posting here continues to be a challenge but, somehow we’re managing to stay in touch with our appreciated and devoted followers all over the world. Please note that on the right side of our page, there is a link for
both Tom’s and my email. If you have a comment or question you’d rather we not post, please write to us there. 

Twenty-eight of us participated in the Slot Pull in this Cruise Critic event. We each contributed US $15 and received 15 pulls after which the winnings or remaining money was paid out. We each lost US $6 but had so much fun it was well worth it over the two-hour event.

If you’re comfortable sharing your questions or comments with all of our readers please feel free to comment at the end of each post. bou may do so easily and anonymously if you choose. Please keep in mind, that we receive and review each comment before it is posted. We do not post comments from “haters” or “nasty” critics, feeling that the nature of our site doesn’t include “shouting” matches or an arena for anger and hostility. 

We have received a handful of hateful comments and we’ve chosen to send them to the “spam” file rather than post them and engage in such unnecessary banter. However, we are open to suggestions, ideas, and thoughtful
critique. Kindness prevails in all areas of our lives.

We apologize for our inability to post many photos using the ship’s WiFi. It just won’t allow the upload of more than two or three photos at a time. However, cruising in the open ocean is not particularly a great environment for photo taking. It took a few hours of WiFi time to post the rough seas video on Thursday. 

The waves were rolling and the wind was blowing but, a few of us ventured outdoors to see the first sunlight in days.

It’s hard to believe that with modern technology, cruise ships don’t improve the quality of their signal. It all boils down to their unwillingness to spend the money to make it more efficient and based on demand by their clientele. 

We doubt that most senior passengers on cruises have a huge need for WiFi other than for email and
Facebook entries whereas, we are data hogs when posting with photos each day. We’ve met some equally frustrated business owners/managers/professionals in the senior age range that are unable to conduct business as needed.

We’ve had three-time changes since we boarded this ship. So far, so good. We’ve been sleeping enough and sleeping soundly through all the noise in the cabin from the rolling seas.

So far we’ve attended two classes on Hawaii, during which time I’ve taken notes on my laptop of which we’ll share as we build our stories about Hawaii’s over the next eight months. Hawaii has a fascinating history that hopefully with peak the interest of our readers when we’re able to add photos to supplement the
stories.

Never a day passes that we don’t think of our readers and how we can add photos and information appealing to the senses in one way or another.

Have a lovely weekend. Waves or no waves, we plan to do so.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, September 27, 2013:
 

A year ago in Diani Beach, Kenya, we visited this resort/restaurant for lunch on the Indian Ocean. For details of that date, please click here.

 

Part 2…Last of Icelandic 4×4 tour photos…Happiness?…Fleeting or constant?…

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Update: Not to our surprise, the waters are rough crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Many passengers are sick in their cabins, and walking from area to area is challenging. As on our last transatlantic crossing in April 2013, with 50-foot swells, the 25-foot swells we’re having today are not quite as bad to us. We aren’t seasick, continuing to enjoy the wonderful people we’ve met while onboard.

In October of 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met in the Summit Meeting in this building which was formerly the French Consulate.  The meetings broke down to be carried on at a later date. See this link for details.

Happiness is fleeting. At times, it wraps around our hearts during a special moment or it entirely surrounds us on a day when everything in the world is right.

Shops along the boulevard in Reykjavik. Many Icelanders travel to Europe and the US to shop when prices are outrageously high.

We experienced our fair share of those special moments in our old lives. However, the challenges of everyday life often prevent us from maintaining a perpetual state of contentment. 

Popular church in downtown Reykjavik.

A pipe broke, spewing water all over the basement. An error on our cable bill threw us into a frenzy to correct it, and we felt a sense of frustration and angst perhaps throughout the day. Day-to-day life has many challenges, often completely out of our control or beyond our realm of responsibility.

Additional view of a church.

Of course, the greatest angst of all is when we do make a mistake, an oversight, or an unintended spontaneous blurb that may hurt the feelings of a loved one or friend. It is during these times that we may feel as if it will never be right again, and happiness becomes a fleeting memory.

In many countries we don’t see this much use of color in the buildings when many are brick and stone from centuries ago. One gets the impression that much of Reykjavik has been built over the past 50 years.

When we left life in Minnesota almost two years ago (October 31, 2012), we had no expectations of happiness being a daily state, of being consistent, or even somewhat dependable. 

More buildings finished in varying colors add a certain appeal to the city.

After being ill for many years and suddenly becoming well in August 2011, we both felt a sense of urgency to take advantage of my renewed health by living “outside the box” for as long as health allowed. It could all change in a day, a week, or a month. We chose happiness as a way of life.

Shops in the busy downtown area. Many sidewalks are heated, and the geothermal pipeline is used to keep them safe, free of shoveling, and manageable during the frigid winter months.

We asked ourselves how we could best achieve such a state of happiness. The answer in our hearts was being free of most responsibilities, certain obligations, and the tasks of maintaining a house, a car, and a lawn. 

This is the prison in Reykjavik with few prisoners. The crime rate is one of the lowest in the world.

We were left with only the responsibility of financial matters, planning and following our travel schedule, and, of course, to one another.  

An intersection in the downtown shopping area.

Communicating with our faraway loved ones has been nothing but pure joy. Yes, we occasionally feel a tinge of guilt for leaving everyone. But it doesn’t consume us when we’re committed to loving them all with open hearts, not guilt or sorrow, both of which impede happiness. They know we love them. 

Photo op for tourists in downtown Reykjavik.

Ah, the old clichés, such as “live life when you can,” “live life on your terms,” or “live your dreams,” are terms we often espouse when speaking to others, seldom adopting these principals for ourselves.

Busy commercial corner in Reykjavik.

So, here we are, “living life on our terms,” pleasing some, frustrating others, and leaving some curious as to how we could dispose of everything we knew and love to make a life of happiness.

Icelanders believe Leif Erickson, represented in this statue, discovered America, not Christopher Columbus.

Whatever comes, we’ve been exquisitely happy these past almost two years. We often look at one another with expressionless faces, eyes locked upon each other, when suddenly a wide-tooth-baring grin, almost from ear to ear, fills our aging faces with pure and simple happiness. 

Silver art, along with the shore representative of the Vikings that came to Iceland.

“Pinch me,” I often say. “Is this well-organized, meticulously planned, and executed life ours?” Yep. That’s us.  And for however long it lasts, we’re grateful. 

Two huskies on a walk in the town.

We love it now as much as the first day we left the US on January 3, 2013, after spending two months back and forth between Arizona and Nevada, planning our final details. In many ways, we love it more now, with the experience under our belts, the kinks worked out, and the fear all but gone.

Colorful office buildings in Reykjavik.

I no longer fear flying in tiny airplanes, scorching hot weather without AC, lack of screens on windows, scary bugs, or rough conditions or roads. We carry on, putting it in God’s hands, coupled with common sense to keep us safe.

Our tour guide explained that this was a building where a bank was located, a fiasco when the market crashed, whereby an angry customer drove his car into the lobby.

Today, we share the last of our photos from Monday’s Iceland tour. Monday night, we departed Iceland and will be out to sea for five days. I won’t have WiFi until Sunday morning at 8:00 Eastern time when we dock in Boston. If anyone needs to reach me, please email me here, which I’ll check daily.

Flowers on the side of the road in Reykjavik.

Posts and photos will continue daily when we’re out at sea, during which I’ll use Tom’s computer with the ship’s slow WiFi signal. In the meantime, we’ll continue to have fun, cherishing each moment, every week, every month, every year of happiness for however long we’re gifted with the desire to continue on.

On the return drive to Reykjavik, we spotted several lakes and ocean inlets.
We returned to the ship in time for the mandatory 4:30 boarding.

Photo from one year ago today, September 9, 2013:

In Kenya, we dined at Sail’s Restaurant at the Almanara Resort, famous as the resort where Kenya’s president has stayed. The food was excellent. To gain entrance into the resort behind it’s heavy wood doors, locked and guarded, we had to provide our passports and show evidence of a reservation. It was this restaurant that was bombed recently, months after we’d left. Security is tight in many places in Kenya but brutal incidents continue to occur.. For photos and details from that date, please click here.

Activities and perks aboard ship…Faroe Islands photos…A few ship photos…More to come…

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As we approached the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.

With school starting this month in most parts of the world, there are probably less than a dozen children aboard this cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.

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We were amazed by the gorgeous scenery.

Overall, we’ve surmised that 80% of the ship’s passengers are over 60 years old with many, well into their 70’s, 80’s, more. For once, we’re not the oldies of the crowd. Our time will come.

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The ship slowly moved past the smaller islands.

This cruise has been one social fest after another with friendly and approachable passengers of all ages. On several occasions, we’ve been approached by couples saying they’ve “heard” of us or read our website. We’re shocked and humbled by this.

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Beautiful!

We passed out more business cards on this cruise than any in the past. We’re not newbies as much as we were when we sailed on our first cruise 20 months ago through the Panama Canal.

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The sun peeked out.

This is our ninth cruise since January 3, 2013. Based on the frequency of cruising by many people we’ve met, we’re cruising newbies. Many of the more seasoned cruisers of 25 or more cruises have already seen most of the world. We love hearing their stories as well as sharing our own.

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There were no trees on any of the islands.

Each cruise line offers perks based on the number of cruises and days at sea. (Please click the link to see benefits). This is only our second Royal Caribbean cruise. With only 15 prior days at sea on the RC’s Mariner of the Seas in May 2013, we’re only in the Gold category in the “Crown and Anchor Society.” At the end of this cruise, we’ll have 29 days logged, one short of moving up to the next category. 

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The sun cast shadows on the lush green islands.

Some of the perks include free drinks at certain venues during certain periods of time, discounted cruises, robes in cabins, and more than we can mention here. Some perks have little value while others result in substantial savings and benefits.

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Love this view of the Faroe Islands.

When we booked our first eight cruises we’d decided to try several cruise lines based on the locations we intended to visit. With the expectation of eventually picking one or two more cruises over time, it would enable us to accumulate additional points to move up the ranks to higher categories.

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Numerous waterfalls ran down the hills.

The difficulty of this is our preference for certain cruise itineraries. We try to use a cruise as transportation to or from a location where we’re potentially interested in living for two to three months.

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When we returned to our cabin, this cute fellow was sitting on the bed wearing my shades.

Many people have asked us if we’d prefer to cruise constantly. Tom said that he’d love it if it included laundry service. For me, not so much. It’s the restrictive food thing and never being able to cook our meals. As much as I love it, I’d tire of cruising in no time. However, although many believe it is affordable to cruise constantly for us, it isn’t.  It simply doesn’t fit into our budget.

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This is the area where we lounge in the mornings when not out on tours.

As it turns out, we stay in affordable vacation homes for as long as we do which allows us to cruise from time to time. In essence, the cruise becomes the equivalent of our “vacation/holiday” if there is such a thing for world travelers such as us.

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Many lounge areas have complimentary coffee, tea, and juice stations.

We hadn’t been on a cruise since we disembarked the Norwegian Spirit through the northern Mediterranean ending in Venice, Italy on June 16, 2013, after which we spent the summer in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. From this point forward we have four booked cruises ending in April 2016 from Sydney to Perth Australia.

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The Windjammer Café is a buffet.

Of course, we have the upcoming cruise from Vancouver, BC to Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii beginning on September 23rd, in a mere two weeks with the next in May 2015 from Hawaii to Sydney, Australia.

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Particular attention must be paid to handling common items such as salt and pepper shakers and tongs for various items. We wrap a cloth napkin around our hands tossing it when we’re done gathering our food.

The only issue of cruising for us, other than the cost, is the constant problems with WiFi aboard the various ships. The tech guy aboard this ship explained their system was 12 years old being upgraded in a month. That doesn’t help us. I still can’t get online on my laptop and must use Tom’s laptop to upload posts when we’re out to sea, upcoming from September 9th to September 14th, the day we disembark in Boston.

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The outdoor dining area off the Windjammer Café where it is too cool to sit most days.

When we’ll be in port on Sunday and Monday, I’ll be able to upload a few posts using our rented MiFi. As mentioned earlier, our goal is to continue posting for any of these upcoming dates. Once in Boston, we’ll also post each day. Hopefully, I won’t have WiFi issues on the next ship to Hawaii, the Celebrity Solstice.

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Another view of outdoor dining and lounging areas where it’s too cold to be now.

The food situation has been manageable for me. Tom has been enjoying the options and even trying a few new items.  We’ll be sharing food photos in a few days and the joys and perils of eating aboard ship. By the time we prepare that post, we’ll have tried two to three specialty restaurants whereby I’m able to be served higher-quality food specially prepared for my way of eating. The option in the main dining room has been bland and flavorless.

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More waterfalls.

As we prepared this post on yet another cloudy day, we’ll be perusing the ship taking photos to upload with overcast skies which may impede the quality. We’ve had a few sunny days since we left Madeira well over a month ago.

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Rita’s Mexican Cantina.  There’s a US $2 charge for most meals.

Cruising is schmoozing. It’s fun. We’ve met dozens of couples and singles each with their own story to tell, all of which revolve around the love of travel. We’ve yet to meet one person or couple who is on their first cruise.

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Bar at Rita’s Cantina.  Cocktails are not included in the cruise fare.

Many people we’ve met are curious about our lifestyle and some ask us questions as to how we managed to make it happen. Many women say they couldn’t leave their homes and their stuff. Some can’t leave aging parents unattended for more than short periods. Some won’t leave their families.

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Looking down into the center courtyard from the upper level.

It’s all very personal. Many men have said they would love to travel non-stop but their wives won’t do it. It’s all interesting to us. We respect and admire their lives for their choices for happiness. We don’t expect that others would or could do what we’re doing, nor do we speak about it in that context.

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The long hallway walk to our cabin.

We speak of living life “on your own terms” for whatever will make one happy. If it’s cuddling with a blanket into a comfy chair with a good book, taking daily long walks with their dogs, or playing cards in their retirement home with their neighbors. One must choose their own path.

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Display area of directions to find areas in the ship.

As one enters their 60’s and 70’s it’s a time when we suddenly realize our mortality. Life is short. Health may be precarious. Finances may be limited. However, each one of us must choose the path that speaks to our dreams and our interests. Clearly, we’ve chosen ours. Yes, it’s wrought with a certain amount of sorrow for leaving those we love behind. 

But, wherever we go, our loved ones are with us, in our hearts and minds and soon, in a mere three months, we’ll all be together again.

                                        Photo from one year ago today, September 7, 2013:

The road outside our house in Kenya. For details from that date, please click here.

Part 1, Stonehenge…

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Stonehenge…

After yesterday’s ship WiFi fiasco, I’m still struggling with getting online on the ship’s WiFi. Hopefully, these issues will not impede getting online to post daily as usual. I spent over a half-hour with the ship’s tech guy and he suggested I download Firefox which hopefully will solve the issues. We’ll keep you updated through Tom’s connection.

Here is a link for detailed information about Stonehenge’s history and preservations.

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Alternate view of Stonehenge.

As for Tuesday’s tour to Stonehenge, we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. We’d wondered if we’d find a visit to a collection of large rocks as appealing as it proved to be. Stonehenge remains to be a mystery, although, over the past few centuries, many scientists and researchers have speculated as to its origins.

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Additional rock was discovered.

However, scientists do know that Stonehenge is an ancient temple aligned with the sun’s movements. Over 4500 years ago, intelligent prehistoric people designed and raised the stones to their present configuration as a memorial to their dead where many remains are buried.

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Tom, at Stonehenge.
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Me, at Stonehenge.

An “English Heritage” designation exists to protect and promote England’s historic treasures and England makes every effort to ensure that these treasures are researched and revered to the utmost. In the case of Stonehenge, located in North Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, the project has continued for years to maintain a sense of dignity to this wonder of human endeavor.

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Birds at Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is surrounded by well maintained green lawns with cordoned off areas to prevent erosion of this mysterious ancient burial ground created as a tribute to the ancestors of the creative designers, builders, and people of the region.

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Alternate view.

At first glance, one may easily ascertain that this seeming, unorganized arrangement of ancient rocks is mere folly. But, as we made our way along the long walkway surrounding Stonehenge while listening to the presentations on the headset we each were each given upon entry it was easy to grasp and understand the powerful nature of this unusual display that most of first became aware of in grade school or middle school.

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Another view as we walked around the stones on a designated path.

Yearly, over 5 million visitors visit Stonehenge, many seeking healing from its mystical energy and others visiting out of curiosity. We were somewhere in the middle. To our surprise, the hour-long walk around the display was never boring or leaving one feeling as if they’d had enough.

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View from the opposite side.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of theories regarding Stonehenge.  We don’t profess to have formulated an opinion as to its complex origins. All we can say is that we’re grateful for the opportunity to see Stonehenge by the small eight-person tour meticulously arranged by our tour mates, Carolyn and Ron, each half of a couple that toured along with us with their spouses and another couple.

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Large stone recovered from the area to illustrate the massive size of the stones.
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One could pull this rope hanging from the left on this stone to determine how many workers it would have taken to move this stone, based on one’s strength. 

The eight of us got along tremendously and the conversation was lively and animated during our three-plus hours riding in the comfortable 18 person van. Our tour guide, Steven, was knowledgeable and helpful ensuring we were able to easily navigate the day’s points of interest which also included an unexpected visit to the village of Salisbury to explore the renowned Salisbury Cathedral.

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Zoom in to read this text of the skeletal remains of a man found in Stonehenge.

In Part 2, Stonehenge, which we’ll present in a few days, we’ll share our photos of the massive ancient Salisbury Cathedral, built beginning in the year 1220. We had to good fortune to explore this stunning Cathedral which contained one of three worldwide copies of the Magna Carta.

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More skeletal remains found in Stonehenge.

Please check back as we continue to share our photos of these enjoyable private day-long small group tours.  Having experienced these past two days in eight-person tours, we’re convinced that we’ll have little interest in the 60-people-on-a-bus tours in the future. Today, we’re off to Cork, Ireland, and the Blarney Castle.

Once again, we apologize for missing a few days of posting due to both our tight touring schedule and constant WiFi issues.

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

The outdoor living where we spend considerable time during our three months in Kenya. For details, please click here.

Part 1…A day in Normandy..Profoundly moving experience…

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The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.

Tom has always been the war buff in this family. His knowledge of wars astounds me at times. Having never taken a particular interest in past wars, other than feeling pride and compassion for our loyal soldiers, I didn’t expect I’d find the 10 hour day exploring Normandy interesting.

The region of Normandy is rich in history and charming for its appealing French architecture of the century’s past.

Not only did we both find visiting Normandy interesting, but our hearts were embraced by the way France and the US have maintained a peaceful and respectful tribute to our fallen soldiers from World War II.

Of course, we’re anxious to share some of the many photos taken throughout the day. Unfortunately, we just returned from our small group of eight chartered tour and time is short. 

The fog rolled into the Normandy region as shown in our early morning two-hour drive

It’s almost 7:45 pm Monday evening and our dinner reservation is at 8 pm tonight leaving little time to complete today’s post with photos before getting changed and ready for dinner. Most likely, we’ll return to our cabin after 10:00 pm tonight with another early morning chartered tour. Sleep will be the first priority.

As in many other areas of Europe, many of the homes and buildings are attached, each with its own definitive front.

This Thursday will be our first “sea day” and Friday, our second, during which I’ll finally have time to complete Parts 2 for today’s, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays tours. As a result, over the next few days, there will be a short post each day with only a few photos with more following upon completion, each of which will be clearly marked as to the event and part number.

Once these are posted, we’ll be back to our normal daily schedule with many sea days as we sail across the Atlantic Ocean sharing information as to the ship, the wonderful people we’ve met, the activities, and of course, many food photos.

The area is filled with tourists from all over the world.

Please check back tomorrow at about this same time for Part 1 of the short post regarding Tuesday’s chartered tour to the Stonehenge in England. By far, this will be the busiest cruise we’ve ever experienced, and look forward to sharing details with our readers.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2013:

The final goodbye to the house in Boveglio as we began the drive to Venice to spend the night and begin the 22 hour flight to Kenya.  For details of that date, please click here.

The cost of booking rental cars in Hawaii for almost 7 months…Two days until we “sail away”…

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This is a Pangolin, one of the most elusive animals on the planet, seen by very few.  Perhaps, someday when we return to Africa, we’ll have a chance to see one. These animals are poached for their scales believed by certain cultures in Asia to have medicinal properties which, after intense scientific research, do not provide any benefit to health. And yet poachers kill these interesting animals in the anteater family for-profits compared to the senseless slaughter of rhinos and elephants for their tusks. It’s heartbreaking. Soon, they, too, will become extinct.

When we first began planning our worldwide travels, we flinched over the cost of rental cars with all of the pumped-up fees, charges, and taxes. At the time, we anticipated it would feel weird not owning a car.  Now, it’s second nature. 

The Dodo bird, extinct for over 350 years.  Sadly, what’s next?

The points we consider for each specific location, each time we book a rental car are simple:
1. Is taxi fare reasonably priced and is it readily available making renting a car unneccesary?
2.  Will we feel trapped in a remote location without a car?
3.  Are there many places we’d like to visit in a specific area making a rental car worthwhile?
4.  Is the car large enough to fit our four suitcases, one duffel bag, one rolling cart, one laptop bag, and handbag?
5.  How safe is driving (in regard to crime, not road conditions) in a specific country?

This is the largest seed in the world from Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

For example, in Kenya, was safer to travel in affordable taxis than it was to drive on our own with the high rate of carjacking and theft, than in many other parts of the world. 

We saw live insects of this size while in Africa. 

In Belize, we used taxis. On an occasion, we rented a golf cart for a week, taking taxis the remainder of the time. The cost of a rental car for 30 days was more than US $3000,1809 pounds per month. The cost of a taxi to a grocery store or restaurant was US $5, 3 pounds each way. It was a no brainer for the two and a half months we spent in Placencia.

Over 100 scientists work full time at London’s Natural History Museum. 

In Morocco, we could walk to most locations. The grocery shopping and cooking were done by Madame Zahra (I think of her often) and the few times we dined outside of the Medina and the souks, the cab fare was fairly reasonable. Also, there was no available parking where we lived in the souk.

A scientist at work in the research area of the museum.  What a fascinating field.

In the remote Tuscan location of Boveglio, Italy we had no choice but to rent a car for the two and a half months we spent in the mountains.

In the Charles Darwin wing of the Natural History Museum, there were many interesting displays of insects, butterflies, and small creatures.

In South Africa, we had a rental car for a month, with Okee Dokee driving us everywhere for the remaining two months. No rental car could possibly replace the pleasure and laughter of riding with her day after day.

Photos through the glass are less vivid.

In that particular case, we chose to forgo the rental car simply since we loved being with Okee Dokee, constantly laughing as we bounced around on the bumpy roads in Marloth Park. It was an emotional decision when none of the above points fell into play.

After many car rental experiences, we’d yet to book rental cars for three of the four islands on which we’ll be living in Hawaii over a total period of seven months. 

This is an actual bee and its size as shown.

Excluding the necessity of a car in Waikiki (Honolulu) for the first 11 days when everything is within walking distance, we knew we’d need cars in Maui for six weeks, the Big Island for six-plus weeks, and Kauai for four months.

Insect displays in the Charles Darwin research area of the museum.

Having budgeted for each of the three islands where we’ll need a rental car, both of us were worried that the actual cost would far exceed the amounts we budgeted. Yesterday, we finalized the bookings for each of the three islands, expecting the cost to average at approximately US $2000, 1206 pounds a month. 

Hawaii is often considered one of the most expensive places to visit in the world when everything other than the fruits and nuts grown in the islands, must be imported as is the case on other islands throughout the world.

Flying insects.

After reviewing many online sites for the best rates in Hawaii (which we’d browsed many times over the past few years), we were able to confirm rates for each of the islands as follows:

6 weeks  Maui          US $1,124, 678 pounds (economy car)
6 weeks  Big Island  US $1,526, 920 pounds (full-sized car)
17 weeks Kauai        US $2,886, 1741 pounds (economy car)
Grand total –          US $5,536, 3339 pounds
(over a period of 120 days at the US $46, 28 pounds, per day). 

There were numerous paintings of animals from artists throughout the world.

We’re thrilled with these prices, expecting to spend thousands more, and relieved to have this piece out of the way at long last. Our flights between the four islands are the only items we’ve yet to book for Hawaii. With frequent flights between islands each day, we can easily wait to book the flights a month before departure in each case.

Had it been 10 months from now, when we’ll be in Australia, we’d already have seen kangaroos!  We can hardly wait!

As soon as we upload today’s post, we’ll be heading out for our final trip to Bobo’s Bubbles to do the laundry. It will be a full two weeks until we can do our laundry again in Boston. In Madeira, I purchased what appears to be a bar of soap which in fact is a bar of laundry soap, used for handwashing. Surely, that will come in handy on the two cruises in September.

In 10 months when we’ll be in Australia, we hope to see koala bears.

Last night, we returned to Byron, a burger restaurant we’ve found to be good with reasonable portions. Although it was over US $50, 30 pounds for a burger and fries for Tom and a salad for me, the salad portion is ample leaving me feeling as if I’ve actually had a meal. 

This is a Genet which we saw in South Africa in the bush.

When we see the price for a burger and fries is US $25, 15 pound, and a Cobb salad is also at US $25, 15 pounds, one can easily understand why we’re “chomping at the bit” to get on board the cruise and dine at our leisure without the added expense of having eaten out every meal for a month.

The fossils from prehistoric times were interesting.  But, we expected these as shown above were also manmade.

It’s hard to believe we’re only two days from sail day. In many ways, it seems as if those past eight cruises were so long ago when the last cruise ended on June 16, 2013. Here we go, another transatlantic crossing. How exciting!

In a way, it left us cold, seeing the manmade animals when we’d seen so many in the wild.

Have a lovely weekend as summer winds down in the northern hemisphere and winter winds crank up in the southern hemisphere. 

The museum itself was worthy of note in its exquisite design.

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

As we busied ourselves getting ready to depart for Kenya and with ongoing WiFi issues in Boveglio Italy, we didn’t post on this date. However, we did a post on the following date. Please check back tomorrow.