It’s been a busy morning in the bush. First off, I postponed doing the post since my space bar isn’t working due to the humidity. I can’t tell you how hard it is to write anything. Hopefully, it will resolve soon. I’ve had this happen here, and a few days later, it improves. I’ve tried all the fixes to no avail.
Once we get to the USA, I may need to purchase a new laptop. Two years ago, while we were in Udaipur, India, this cheap laptop I bought may have seen its better days. However, it was only US $365, ZAR 5662, so I may not flinch from replacing it to make life easier. I am constantly having trouble with the keys.
I’ve finally become used to using a Chromebook, and since we often replace our old laptops every few years, another Chromebook would be my choice. When checking out similar models on Amazon.com, I see they are no more expensive than what I paid in India. Since we won’t be returning to the US for a while, this might make the most sense.
In any case, I am banging the spacebar with enthusiasm to write here today. I may end up giving up a little short of our usual post. We’ll see how it goes.
When we arrive in the US, we’ll need to head to a Costco store and check out laptops there, along with purchasing some vitamins we take and other miscellaneous items we use. Of course, we can’t buy much since we’ll be flying again in a few months with strict weight restrictions.
It seems the airlines are charging more and more for luggage, which will only worsen as oil prices rise due to inflation and the war in Ukraine. We have to consider the added expense of traveling as we add more to our itinerary. We’ve noticed the prices of holiday homes have increased, especially in the UK where we recently searched in light of our upcoming trip.
Bang, bang, bang, on the spacebar!
Right now, it looks as if staying in England for a few months is not unlike staying in Hawaii. The cost of living is very high. Based on our number of upcoming cruises and those related expenses, we may decide not to stay in the UK for the entire two months.
We may visit our friends in Jersey for a week and return by ferry to England to see Ken and Linda a week later when they return from Holland. We are considering heading to other non-Schengen countries, so wait out the next cruise at the end of June.
Schengen visas rule visitors’ visa rights to most countries in Europe, allowing visitors only to stay for 90 days out of 180 days. Due to the itineraries of many of our cruises, we cannot stay in any Schengen countries before the cruises begin to ensure we don’t violate the ruling.
Here is a list of non-Schengen countries in Europe:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- Ireland
- Kosovo
- North Macedonia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- The United Kingdom
- Vatican City
Of course, some of these countries are foolish to visit due to the war in Ukraine. We are considering the other options to see if it makes sense to visit them during this gap in our itinerary. We will figure it all out in the next few weeks, hoping to have established some bookings for the next few months. But, in the worst case, we can always do some booking while on the cruise across the Atlantic Ocean when we have some free time during the day.
Enjoy the exterior photos of the house we’ve booked for our return in December. Have a safe and purposeful day!
Photo from one year ago today, March 2, 2021:
