Part 1…Challenges along the way…Comments on new cruise bookings…Lost a loved one…

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La Panera Rosa, deli market, is similar to Panera in the US. “Bebidas con alcohol,” translates to
“drinks with alcohol.”  Tom had a beer while I had a glass of red wine. 

We apologize for today’s late posting and other day’s late postings since we arrived in Buenos Aires. Today, as it turned out, I spent most of the morning trying to purchase a Visa gift card for our granddaughter Maisie’s upcoming birthday but could not do so.

The deli was packed with patrons, and the only available table for us was in a highly trafficked area by the front door. Yesterday’s temps were well into the 90’s, and it was hot where we were seated.

There is some block preventing online purchases of Visa gift cards in Argentina, perhaps a result of fraud. We’ve experienced this a few times in our travels, even while using our VPN, Hotspot Shield. It still picks up that we’re in this country.

Complimentary bread is served with a pink-colored, beet flavored “butter,” which is, in fact, fake margarine.  Tom passed on it, asking for real butter he didn’t receive instead of getting some gummy concoction.

With no other alternative, I’ve asked our daughter-in-law Camille if I can send her a Bill-Pay check which she’ll cash, placing the money into the online card we’ll send Maisie. The challenges of traveling the world can easily present these types of issues. However, there’s always a workaround.

Instead of butter, he was served this margarine which he didn’t use.  We’ve yet to see real butter since we arrived in Buenos Aires, except at La Cabrera, a high-end restaurant.

Today, we planned to mention new cruises we’ve listed in our recent upcoming 852-day itinerary in this post.  None of these particular cruises have been described in prior posts yet were all a driving force in determining our lengthy itinerary. Tomorrow, we’ll post the cost and itinerary for a few of these cruises.

Tom ordered a barbecue pork sandwich which came with three onion rings.

One of these cruises listed in the itinerary embarks from Southampton, England, on October 24, 2019, with a port of call in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 31, 2019 (the seventh anniversary of our world travel). We’d hoped we’d be able to visit beloved Uncle Bernie, my father’s brother, in the 100th year of his life.

In September 2014, we purposely selected a cruise from Harwich, England, which ended in Boston to see Uncle Bernie and my dear cousin Phyllis. Sadly, a few days ago, Uncle Bernie, 98 years old, passed away, and our hearts are broken. We won’t get to see him one more time. 

I ordered gluten, sugar, and starch-free salad.  When it arrived, it was topped with these breadsticks. I sent it back, explaining I needed an entirely new salad due to the contamination from the flour.  We saw some appealing plates being served. Had we ordered differently, we may have had an altogether different experience.

Of course, when we left after a three-day visit, we were realistic in understanding we may never see him again. My father passed away in a tragic work accident in 1960 (see the story here), and Uncle Bernie was his last remaining brother. Our dream of one more visit with him was dashed when he passed away on January 2nd.  

We’ve decided to keep the cruise booking with Boston as a port of call, hoping we’ll see cousin Phyllis for a few hours when we’re in port that day. That cruise ends in Fort Lauderdale on November 8, 2019, at which point we’ll fly to Nevada for a few weeks stay to visit my son Richard and renew our driver’s licenses; visit my sister Julie in California and also visit Tom’s sisters and their husbands in Arizona. 

Decorated shelves in the restaurant.

Our upcoming itinerary will keep us very busy over the next two years. It will be a busy few weeks until we depart for South America for more sites we’d like to see. Now, as we busily work on bookings for these upcoming dates, we’re comfortable and content to do so while here in Buenos Aires.

Tomorrow, weather providing (it’s raining today), we plan to head out sightseeing after uploading the day’s post. After so much sightseeing on the recent 30-night cruise, we’ve been content to stay in the hotel lobby during the days and head out on foot each night to peruse the lovely Palermo area and find a new spot for dinner. 

A refrigerated case was filled with yummy-looking desserts.

So far, we haven’t dined at the same restaurant twice.  We’ll begin returning to favorites in a week or sooner as the time quickly winds down until the Antarctica cruise. 

Today’s photos include a restaurant we visited last night with a few disappointing results, which may have been an entirely different experience during a less busy time and in ordering additional menu items.

A tower of pancakes for dessert for other patrons, not us.

Have a blissful day, rain or shine!

Photo from one year ago today, January 5, 2017:

Tasmanian Devils aren’t as ugly we’d expected, except when showing their teeth when threatened. The photos we took of the rescued animals, the intent of Wing’s Wildlife Park, left them little reason to feel threatened in the spacious habitat in which they comfortably live among other animals. For more details, please click here.

Tom’s Buenos Aires haircut…An experience well beyond a haircut…

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This sticker-decorated refrigerator in the barbershop was filled with Budweiser beer for patrons. What a great idea!

In most cases, when I begin to prepare the day’s post, I start with the heading and then the “photo from one year ago today” set it up at the bottom of the post. 

An antique barber chair.

Coincidentally, today after we decided to post Tom’s Buenos Aires haircut story, when I found the year-ago post for today’s date, it was for Tom’s haircut in Penguin, Tasmania. How goofy is that? We often run into such coincidences.

A stuffed pig head with a thong.

Most people don’t track every day of their lives as we do, so easily referenced by a click or two. As a result, we often run into such situations, brushing them off as pure coincidence. But, in reality, perhaps they aren’t as much of a coincidence as they are our built-in routines, many of which we nurture by certain practices we’ve established along the way.

A shrine and other items.

Part of those routines are a means of creating order in our otherwise extraordinary lives and, another aspect may be a result of living life itself. I do not doubt if everyone documented each day of their lives. You, too, would find uncanny repetition. After all, we are creatures of habit, aren’t we?

Tom was drinking his beer before his haircut.

Yesterday, we posted our upcoming 852-day itinerary. In case you missed the new itinerary, you can click here to see it. We received so many positive comments on Facebook and via email. Feel free to add Tom or me as a Facebook friend. 

Do we remember these?

If you type in “Jessica Lyman” in a Facebook search, you’ll see a photo of Tom and me seated at a table since there are multiples individuals with the same name. As for Tom, his says, “Tom Lyman, De LaSalle high school, worked at Burlington Northern.” 

Tom was explaining to the English-speaking barber how he’d like his haircut.

We’d love to be Facebook “friends” with more of our readers. Most days, we add a snippet of what we’re doing or new posts, often including a photo and a link.

Tom’s wild hair before the haircut.

Well, anyway…getting back to Tom’s haircut in Buenos Aires. Looking at google maps, Tom found several “barberia” (barbershops in Spanish) located in the Palermo Soho area, not too far from our Prodeo Hotel.

A bronze turtle atop an old phonograph.

We set off on foot for the closest barbershop on Tuesday after finding they didn’t open until noon. Tom had an idea where others were located just in case they weren’t open based on published hours of operation, which we’ve found to be a common practice in Buenos Aires. Also, businesses often close for “siesta” between 2:00 and 4:00 pm.

Tom and barber Emi chatted during the haircut.

Several restaurants in Buenos Aires state hours of operation online, only to find they aren’t open as indicated.  We lucked out when we arrived at “Chopper Cuts” to see two patrons already in the chairs getting their haircuts. 

The two-chair barbershop was small but seemed to have everything they needed.

We were welcomed upon entry by the two barbers as we sat on the antique 1920’s type red velvet sofa to await Tom’s turn. Camera in hand, I couldn’t resist taking photos of the attractive surroundings, definitely possessing a “Sons of Anarchy” chopper-type feel.

Check out the precision of this haircut!

Moments later, the owner opened the decorated refrigerator as shown in our photos and offered each can of Budweiser beer. We laughed out loud. What a great idea! Never in this past over five years of haircuts have we been offered a complimentary beer throughout the world.

We both agreed this was Tom’s best haircut since the onset of our travels, so it was reasonably priced at US $21.56 (ARS 400) with a tip.

The haircut took about 45 minutes while I waited patiently. I enjoyed watching Emi’s attention to detail, who, as it turned out, was previously a professional dancer for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Another coincidence.

The beer-stocked refrigerator.

Once done, we were both thrilled with his cut, which will be much easier to manage with “hat hair” on the upcoming Antarctica cruise beginning in 19 days. What another wonderful experience!

Some antique ship item had been turned into a beverage dispenser.

Today, we’ll continue to work on future planning while replying to numerous email messages from our worldwide readers. We never mind taking the time to respond to messages we receive from our dear readers. It’s always a joy to hear from YOU! We’re heading out sightseeing on Saturday.

The exterior of Chopper Cut barbershop in Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 4, 2017:

In Penguin, Tasmania, Linda, the barbershop owner, and sole employee, and Tom, before his haircut. For more details, please click here.

Part 2…Our year in review…Photos of us…Busy preparing new itinerary, ready for tomorrow’s post…

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In July, we had a great evening at The Elephant Bar in Henderson, Nevada, with friends that live in Las Vegas.

New Year’s Day proved to be another good holiday. We stayed busy posting until later than usual and then spent the rest of the afternoon making future travel plans.

Why do we plan so far ahead? Our lifestyle gives us tremendous piece-of-mind knowing what’s coming down the road. Also, it gives us an opportunity for good prices for upcoming venues.

Tom standing next to the Giant Bamboo tree to gain a perspective of its massive size. The vegetation at Zoo Ave in Costa Rica was almost as interesting as the wildlife.

Although we’ll post the itinerary tomorrow, we’ve yet to book all of the vacation homes for the upcoming visits to various countries, but the cruises are already booked. Over the next few months, once we’re in Africa, we start booking vacation/holiday homes in these various locations.

As we’ve mentioned in the past, cruises are a driving force in our decisions to visit certain countries, although as shown, we don’t hesitate to fly when necessary.

I used repellent while at Zoo Ave in Costa Rica but still got a few mosquito bites.

Planning is a daunting task, and today, we’ll continue with the preparations for tomorrow’s post. We’re happy we’d committed to posting the itinerary. It motivated us to “get the show on the road” and finally decide for the future.  

By no means, our failure to get this done wasn’t due to any lack of enthusiasm on our part. Instead, it was based on the simple fact that we’ve been rather busy this past month with the cruise and socializing. 

We set up the tripod to take this photo of us in Costa Rica on October 31, 2017, the fifth anniversary of our world travels.

All along, we have intended to post a new itinerary around the first of the new year. We’ll have this accomplished by tomorrow as we joyfully share it with all of our worldwide readers.

As for yesterday, New Year’s night, we ate the remainder of the food purchases we’d made for sharing with Margaret and Con. By 7:30 pm, once again, we gathered in a big booth in the Prodeo Hotel’s dining room with food which included roasted chickens, coleslaw salad which I made in our room, olives, cheese, meat, and nuts.  It was another fine evening.

On formal night aboard Celebrity Infinity only weeks ago. My teeth were purple from the glass of red wine I’d just finished.

By 11:00 pm, we were sleeping, and although intermittently, I feel hangover-free and refreshed today, ready to tackle a new day in Buenos Aires. In a short time, once we’ll upload today’s post, and we’ll head to a local barbershop for Tom’s haircut, which opens after 12:00 pm.

He hasn’t had a haircut since October. He’s facing “hat hair” on the upcoming Antarctica cruise when we’ll both be wearing hats for several hours each day. This is less of an issue for me when a few swipes with the flat iron and I’m back to normal. 

We were with our wonderful new friends, Lisa and Barry, whom we hope to see in June in South Africa.

But for him, his hair tends to be spikey when either too short or too long. He’s thumbing through past posts right now to see how short he wants it cut today. We’ll post photos soon.

Tonight, we’ll walk to Serrano Plaza, our favorite area for dinner. There are many restaurants we’ve yet to try.  After eating in these past few nights, we’re looking forward to getting out again. Now that the holiday season is over, we expect to find more dining options.

On the ship’s deck as we sailed through the Chilean Fiords on the most recent cruise.

May your new year begin and end with considerable contentment and joy in all of your endeavors, whatever they may be. Happy day to all 

Photo from one year ago today, January 2, 2017:

Green/spring onions were being processed for wholesale distribution at a Penguin, Tasmania vegetable processing farm. For more details, please click here.

Part 1…Our year in review…Photos of us…Happy New Year to all!…Photos from last night’s celebration in Buenos Aires…

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Us, last night on New Year’s Eve 2017.

There are a few things we’d like to mention as we begin today’s post. One, we aren’t able to post the entire year’s photos of us in review due to Wi-Fi issues with so many people online in the hotel right now. 

Our second concern is that yesterday we’d promised to post our new itinerary for the future but, for those same reasons and the need for us to pin down a few more ideas on this topic, which we’ll do today and tomorrow, we won’t be posting it until January 3rd. Sorry about that!

Margaret and Con, our new friends from the UK, joined us for dinner in the dining room at the wonderful Prodeo Hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires. See more New Year’s Eve photos below.

Also, in our year in review photos, we did not include photos of our family during the six-week Minnesota visit. To see those photos, please visit our archives on the right side of the main page under the Amazon link, where it reads “Previous Posts.” There were so many photos it wasn’t easy to pick and choose. The dates to search are from the end of May 2017 to July 6, 2017.

Cute, boys and their cars!  Tom and a 1962 Ford Galaxy 500 in Franklin, Tasmania.

Tom and I had grocery shopped yesterday to purchase food and drinks for the evening’s activities which we were sharing with Margaret and Con in the hotel’s dining room (with the owner’s permission) since the items on their menu didn’t comply with my way of eating.

Since it would be a long night until midnight to welcome the New Year, we decided to meet in the hotel’s dining room at 8:30 pm with the food and drinks that Tom and I set up shortly before Margaret and Con arrived.

We were happy to have photos of Bob, our dear friend, and the landlord in Fairlight, Australia, in 2017. Sydney is in the background.

We’d planned on meats, cheeses, nuts, bread, and crackers (for them) as appetizers, followed up by roasted chicken and salad later on. We never got to the roasted chicken and salad after eating so many appetizers. 

Christina, a new friend we made aboard the ship, hung out with us on silent disco night while her fiance slept. 

Tonight, we meet again, this time at 7:00 pm, eat the balance of our food and hang out for more delightful conversation. The time to midnight flew quickly, and before we knew it, Linda and Bill stopped by our table to invite the four of us to join their group of friends on the rooftop for the fireworks display.
Tom was standing by the king on the giant hand-carved chess set at Butchart Gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Of course, the four of us were thrilled by the invitations as we made our way up to Michael’s penthouse apartment on the fourth level. Michael is a full-time resident of Argentina and conducts his business from here.  The family is from New Jersey in the USA, with homes in multiple locations.
My friend Chere with me when we had our Minnesota Readers Get-together. Chere and
I have stayed in very close touch during these years of travel.

The display was breathtaking during the 40 minutes we spent on the rooftop. I haven’t taken many fireworks photos, so I was challenged a bit with the settings in the dark, which I’d failed to do in advance with such short notice. As a result, I didn’t get many great photos.
Our waiter took this photo of us on our 26th anniversary of the day we met in Minnesota at this exact location, now a different restaurant.

After the display, the four of us returned to our table in the dining room to finish our many bottles of red wine.  When I occasionally consume red wine (local Malbec is popular here), I usually don’t have more than one glass. 

Colorful fireworks display in Buenos Aires on New Year’s Eve.

Last night, while caught up in the flurry of the fun activity over the evening, I actually drank three glasses.  Ouch. I’m sure feeling it today. I suppose it’s a typical red wine hangover. I guzzled down my mug of turmeric tea following by copious glasses of bottled water.

Big splash of light.

An hour ago, I headed up to our room to eat a few slices of cheddar cheese we have in our tiny fridge. Later today, a nap will be in order. We never got to bed until 2:00 am, reminiscent of many nights on the most recent cruise when we were having “too much fun.”

Fireworks were on display in many areas of the city, and we were in a perfect spot for viewing them, along with Margaret, Con, Linda, Bill, and their and Michael’s friends.

Tonight, I’ll drink water instead of wine, and hopefully, we’ll get to bed a little earlier. One thing I’ve always known about a hangover, nothing like a good night’s sleep to cure it. This doesn’t mean I won’t have a single glass of Malbec while out to dinner over these next three weeks until we fly to Ushuaia.

Linda and Bill, owners of the hotel, invited us up to son Michael’s penthouse to watch the fireworks at midnight. What a spectacular view and display!

So…how was your New Year’s Eve? We’d love to hear from you, either by email or posting on the “comments” section at the end of the post.  We wish the very best to every one of our worldwide readers and again thank all of you for making 2017 very special. Love and hugs always!

Photo from one year ago today, January 1, 2017:

The photo we posted last New Year’s Day of a local deli we frequented in Penguin, Tasmania. For more photos, please click here.

Happy New Year to all!…Tomorrow’s big reveal of future plans and “year in review” photos……

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A colorfully painted wall on a narrow street in the Serrano Plaza area.

Tomorrow and on future January firsts, we will post “our year in review” with photos.  We haven’t been consistent in posting this feature but plan to do so in future years. Please check back tomorrow to see our year in review. 

Colorful painting on walls in Argentina is a popular cultural activity.

Last year, while in Penguin Tasmania, New Year’s Eve was on December 30th due to the International Dateline.  Subsequently, the photo below from one year ago, listed as the “one year ago” photo was posted on December 30th.  We apologize for the confusion.

Most likely, we won’t be on the other side of the International Dateline again until a much later date in the future, not necessarily in the next few years.  Also, tomorrow, we plan to post our upcoming plans for the future.  Please check back to see!

Everywhere we walk, we encounter wall painting of this type.  Very entertaining!

Yesterday, we took a taxi to the other end of Palermo to Jumbo, a large supermarket, where we purchased food and drinks for tonight’s New Year’s celebration with our new friends and past cruise-mate, Margaret and Con. Again tomorrow we’ll repeat the same meal, based on the lack of availability of opened restaurants over this holiday.

The “Jumbo” supermarket is located in a mall.

As always, it was fun to visit a huge supermarket in another country.  The types of foods vary along with the prices.  Unfortunately, we were so busy trying to find the items, including drinks, on our shopping list for the four for of us for tonight’s and tomorrow’s celebrations, we were too distracted to take photos once inside the market. 

It was a huge market although not as well laid out as some markets in throughout the world.  We managed to find most of the items on our list but couldn’t find all of the ingredients to make my special turmeric tea which I’ve been having each morning instead of coffee. 

We wandered around the mall where the Jumbo market is located.

Drinking the tea has become quite a treat for me and each morning, instead of eating (not hungry), I consume a mug of the healthy tea which includes cinnamon, turmeric powder, pepper (pepper increases the bio-availability of the turmeric), unsweetened organic cocoa powder, powdered ginger and unsweetened organic coconut cream along with your preferred sweetener. 

A deli located in the mall.

We were only able to find a few of these ingredients at the market. It made no sense to buy some of the ingredients, never knowing if we’d ever find the balance.  At that point, I decided I’d give up the tea and wait until we arrive in South Africa where I’m certain we’ll find everything needed.

After we returned to our room and rearranged the tiny refrigerator, we managed to fit everything except the roasted chickens we’d purchased.  The hotel staff offered to store them for us and reheat them in their microwave each of the next two evenings.

Tom checked out the McDonald’s but didn’t order a thing.  Good.

Fortunately, in this wonderful boutique hotel, we’ll be allowed to use our own food for this particular occasion when no restaurants are open.  We’ll dine in one of the large booths in the bar.  As typical in boutique hotels, the small restaurant has nothing on the menu that I can eat nor anything Tom likes.

We took the cart up the steep escalator in the mall.  We’d seen a similar set-up in Bali, Indonesia and Fairlight, Australia.

This plan works well for the four of us.  Tonight, we plan to get together with Margaret and Con at 8:30 pm to dine, a little late for us but, fine if we all plan to stay up for the midnight fireworks.

The seafood display was filled with many types of fish and shellfish.

Yesterday afternoon, after putting everything away, we moseyed back to the lobby to continue working on future planning in order to fine-tune some of our objectives over the next few years.  This end-of-the-year objective provides us with peace of mind and joyful anticipation of what is yet to come.

These salmon kabobs looked great, priced at US $2.09 (ARS 39.99) per 100 grams which would be US $20.87 (ARS 399.90) for one kilo (2.2 pounds).

By 5:30 pm, we headed out the door to once again to return to the Serrano Plaza area to find a spot for dinner and further explore this exciting area we’ve visited over the past few nights. 

Once we discovered this trendy area, it’s been hard to stay away from the lively streets, colorful graffiti painted on walls, with dozens of restaurants and shops all of which possess a typical Argentinian feel.

The exterior of Bulls BBQ Smoke House.

After wandering the streets for a while we spotted a  lone diner sitting at an outdoor table with a plate of barbecue ribs that looked great. We couldn’t resist checking it out further.  Once inside the restaurant, we noticed that Bulls BBQ Smoke House not only offered exquisite barbecue ribs and other meats but also a smoked chicken breast Caesar salad.   Perfect!

Meat cooking on the wood-fired stove at Bulls BBQ Smoke House.

We ordered and paid for our food and bottled water (cash only) at the counter and found a table in the back of the restaurant.  The owner was delightful, paying special attention to my dietary needs and Tom’s upcoming plate of beef ribs, fries, pickles, and coleslaw.  See photo below.

Tom, waiting for dinner to be served last night.

The meal was exceptional as was the reasonable cost at US $25.57, (ARS $490).  We hope to return at least one more time before departing Buenos Aires in 23 days.  I devoured Tom’s coleslaw, along with my salad and, he ate everything on his plate, leaving him feeling stuffed.

The restaurant is small but friendly with the freshest of well-prepared food.

After dinner, we decided to walk off our meal, meandering further through the area.  By coincidence, we stumbled across an upscale gourmet “spices and oils” shop noticing they had unsweetened coconut cream but none of my other tea ingredients. 

Tom’s monstrous meal.  I ordered the guacamole for my salad and ate all of his sugar-free coleslaw.

The lovely shopkeeper who spoke some English suggested we walk back to the direction from which we came to find a health food store that may have the remaining ingredients we’d need. 

By adding the guacamole and coleslaw I had plenty to eat.

After a two block walk, we found the health food store.  Alas, they had everything I needed!  All of the remaining organic ingredients were available in bulk and the friendly two shopkeepers engaged with us in chatty broken English while weighing the items we needed, wishing us a heartfelt “Feliz Ano Nuevo” as we headed out the door.

Once back on the street we headed back to the upscale spices and oils stop which luckily was still open so we could purchase the remaining coconut cream from her.  After all, she was kind enough to point us in the right direction of the health food store which we appreciated and, we decided to give her the business.

The shelves of the gourmet spices and oils shop are neatly lined with cooking treasures.

Luckily, we had the small cooler bag with us as Tom carried the heavy package as we walked back to the hotel.  By the time we returned to our room it was 8:30 pm. 

We hunkered down for the evening to watch two shows on my laptop; season two of “Top of the Lake” (exceptional); and season one of Damnation” (good but not great).

What a pretty display!

Tomorrow, New Year’s Day, we’ll be back with our “year in review” photos, plus photos from our New Year’s Eve celebration and our new loosely planned itinerary for the next few years.

May each and every one of our dear readers/friends have a safe and fulfilling New Year’s Eve and year to come.  You mean the world to us!

___________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, December 31, 2016:

Due to the International Dateline, we posted the “year in review” photos on December 30th.   From that date’s post, we included this photo of our visit to the Monkey Temple in Bali in May wearing the required sarongs.  For more of last year’s photos, please click here.

Part 2…Bookings for South Africa…The “adventure” and it’s “paperwork” never ends…

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Orange.....more than just a colour!
The entrance to our new vacation/holiday home we’ll be renting in Marloth Park beginning on February 11th, aptly named “Orange…More Than Just a Colour.”  For the link to this listing, please click here.

Yesterday, much to our delight, we wrapped up the first 89-day vacation/holiday rental for Marloth Park. Louise had promised she’d find us a great property that would work for our budget and yet meet our criteria.

This property she chose for us more than met our criteria. It’s a virtual dream house in the South African bush, possessing all the features that make a living in the rugged terrain more comfortable and experiential.

In Africa, many houses have a name, especially in the Conservancy of Marloth Park. The house on which we paid a 50% deposit yesterday is peculiarly and perhaps aptly called “Orange…More Than Just a Colour.”

Fully equipped self catering kitchen
We’re looking forward to cooking again in this modern kitchen after an 80-day hiatus.

The exterior orange-based color certainly prompted the house’s name, but there is nothing gaudy or outlandish in its appearance or design. It is pure bliss by our standards, and we gratefully thank Louise, our friend, and property manager for Marloth Park, for making this happen for us.

Not only did she make this outstanding property affordable for us, but she also locked up our time slot from February 11, 2018, to May 11, 2018, a total of 89 days.  Once we arrive, we’ll work with Louise to wrap up this or other properties we’ll rent during our one-year stay in Africa.

We’ll travel in and out of the country to satisfy the immigration requirements of a maximum of 90 days while we visit many other countries on the continent to fulfill our goals of expanding our African horizons.

Outside pool under roof
Most of the pools in Marloth are plunge pools intended for cooling off instead of swimming laps.

Of course, we’ll share many more photos of this spectacular property located in our dream location during our lengthy upcoming stay, along with photos of our daily “visitors.”

Our inspiration to return to Marloth Park was precipitated by two aspects. One was the bush setting with wild animals walking around the house, and two, the amazing friends we made while there in 2013/2014, all of whom we’ll see when we’re there and have stayed in contact with during the four years since we left.

Today, here in Palermo, Soho area of Buenos Aires, once again, we’ll take off on foot and walk the streets of this fascinating area. Once the holidays end, we’ll do a bit of sightseeing.

Tomorrow, we’ll share most of our dining experiences over these past few days and more photos of life and culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 Have a blissful day.

Photo from one year ago today, December 28, 2016:

On a walk across the street in Penguin, Tasmania, which is lined with a wide variety of blooming flowers, we spotted this unusual plant. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…Bookings for South Africa…The “adventure” and it’s “paperwork” never ends…

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We find these colorfully painted buildings interesting and befitting the somewhat flamboyant nature of Buenos Aires.

Where do we begin and end? This outrageous lifestyle only knows an end when we “can’t do it anymore.”  Surely, someday this will come. But, for now, we keep planning and booking one adventure after another.

I used the word “adventure” based on our perception of what adventure may be. To many, experience connotes white water rafting, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, and other physically related risk-taking events.

There are many designer-type furniture shops in the area.

For us, an adventure may be defined as follows from the dictionary:

adventure
ədˈvɛntʃə/
noun
  1. 1.
    an unusual and exciting or daring experience.
    “her recent adventures in Italy”
    synonyms: exploit, escapade, deed, feat, trial, experience, incident, occurrence,
    the event, happening, episode, affair;

Well, not totally. We focus more on the above-stated, “an unusual and exciting” experience and less on the “daring.” Couldn’t “daring” be described as selling everything we owned, leaving our family and friends, as traveling the world for years to come; homeless, without a car, with no storage anywhere, no apartment/condo to return to, to repack and take care of things?  I guess so. 

Perhaps, for us, all of it is an adventure. We’ve never considered we must put our physical beings in harm’s way for our lives to qualify as an adventure. 

Colorfully painted buildings are a common trend in Buenos Aires.

Along that path is the future planning for what we consider the ultimate adventure…re-visiting Africa (we were there four years ago), which will transpire in a mere 46 days (with the cruise to Antarctica in between in only 27 days.) Good grief! Could it get more exciting for us in this short period?

Finally, yesterday, after checking prices for a few months, we booked our flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Nelspruit, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga,  South Africa, a location other “adventurers” fly to embark on their journey on an insatiable quest for adventure.

Another colorfully painted building.

The cost for the one-way economy flight for two was shocking. We’ve never paid this high a fare for a one-way flight.

Here are the details:

Price summary
Traveler 1: Adult $1,754.66 Flight $1,301.00 Taxes & Fees $453.66
Traveler 2: Adult              $1,754.66 Flight $1,301.00 Taxes & Fees $453.66
Expedia Booking Fee $14.00
Total US $3,523.3
(ARS 64,934)
All prices are quoted in USD.
 
705 points
for this trip

Travel time:           16 hours total (3 flights)
Depart:                  12:50 PM, February 10, 2018
Arrive in Nelspruit:    9:50 AM, February 11, 2018
Layovers:       2 hours in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
1 hour 40 minutes in Johannesburg, South Africa

Airlines:         GOL Linhas Aereas S.A
                          South African Airways (last two flights)

We flinched paying this high a fare for coach but, we made up for it a little when we were able to rent a car at the Nelspruit Airport for a total of 89 days for only the US $1,750 (ARS 32,252), including all taxes, fees, and insurance which averages at US $583 (ARS 10,745) per month.

We plan to stay in Africa for up to 13 months and share more details as we book further into the future, much of which will be outside South Africa. But, we’ll continue to return to Marloth Park after satisfying visa requirements for a maximum of 90 days as required in most African countries.

There isn’t an abundance of flowers blooming at this time in the Palermo area.

Today, we’re finalizing our vacation/holiday rental details with our dear property manager friends, Louise and Danie Thiart, who can be reached at this site. We’re so appreciative of their friendship and assistance in finding us more outstanding accommodations in Marloth Park.

Tomorrow, we share details of what will be our new home beginning on February 11, 2018.

Thanks for stopping by!

Photo from one year ago today, December 27, 2016:

This was the view from our holiday home from an elevated road in Penguin, Tasmania. For more details, please click here.

We have to laugh…Our weirdest Christmas ever…Perils of world travel…

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Here was our Christmas Eve dinner last night, which we’ll repeat tonight, Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas to all of our readers, family, and friends!  May your lives be blessed with good health, contentment, and fulfillment of all your dreams. 

OK, let’s get into the details of this peculiar Christmas, like none other we’ve experienced since the onset of our travels. When we arrived in Buenos Aires on December 23rd, we knew we were taking a risk in not making reservations at one of the few open Christmas Eve or Christmas Day restaurants.

With the average cost of US $111 (ARS 2,000) per person for dinner plus beverages and tips, we’d have been looking at spending US $300 (ARS 5,360) for Christmas Eve and again for Christmas Day. The thought of spending this much for two meals didn’t appeal to us, especially when many items on the pre-planned menus didn’t comply with my way of eating.

Luckily, we purchased enough for both nights, not knowing it would have to be a “repeat.

When we arrived on the 23rd, we walked the neighborhood, stopping at many restaurants asking if they’d be open on either evening. The only restaurants open were those in this price range. Also, our hotelier Alessandro had spent considerable time researching before we arrived.

However, during our long walk, we stumbled upon “Rave,” which claimed they’d be open Christmas Eve from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am. We were thrilled and decided we’d head there around 6:00 pm for an early dinner.

As for Christmas Day, we were out of luck, and yesterday morning we headed to a local mini-mart to purchase deli meats, canned tuna, and cheese, just in case. Good thing we’d buy those items, or we’d have been without a bite to eat last night and today.

Yesterday, we showered and dressed for Christmas Eve dinner at “Rave,” making the five-block walk only to We headed back to the hotel to start preparing our meager fatty meal of tuna with mayo, deli meat, braunschweiger, ham, and a variety of cheeses. 

This is the restaurant where we’d hoped to dine on Christmas Eve but closed when business was slow.

Oddly, the only place to eat was in the tiny room in our hotel room with the bathtub, which included a table and chairs for two, facing the street. We’d never eaten in a room with a bathtub. Oh, well. We looked at one another, laughing out loud.  It was a small price to pay for the many otherwise beautiful days in our lives of world travel.

We had Christmas Eve dinner and will have Christmas Day dinner in this little bathtub room.

We’ll never forget this Christmas as memorable for its unique experience, along with the endless unique experiences we’ve encountered along the way. This is the sixth Christmas since we left Minnesota on Halloween, 2012. Here’s the rundown on where and how we’ve spent the past Christmases:

2012 – Family get-together at a vacation rental in Henderson, Nevada with three of Tom’s sisters and two brothers-in-law; my cousin Phyllis and her two adult daughters; my sister Julie; eldest son Richard; Tom’s nephew John and his daughter. We had a fabulous celebration! (In those days, we didn’t take many photos).  See the link here.

We made five giant Poppy Seed Strudels, rolling the dough with a tall bottle of water.  For the recipe, please click here.

On our way out the door on Christmas Day, we encountered this kudu. Tom said he ordered this for me for my Christmas gift. I couldn’t have been more thrilled! 2013 – We were in Marloth Park, South Africa, for Christmas and went to Jabula Lodge for Christmas dinner, the day we met and dined with new friends Piet and Hettie, whom we’ll soon see once again.

Our Christmas visitor on Christmas Day, 2013. The kudu’s neck will enlarge during the mating season. From the looks of our visitor, the mating season was imminent.  Look at the muscles on this big guy. Males can weigh as much or more than 700 pounds, 318 kg. This one was smaller than many we’ve seen, weighing perhaps in the 500 pounds, 227 kg range. Kudus can quickly scale a 5 foot, 1.5-meter wall. Soon, we’ll see more of these. For more details, please click here.

2014 – Our family of 12 came to visit us in Pahoa, Big Island, Hawaii, for the holiday season. It was during this period that the lava from Mount Kilauea was flowing toward the town. What an unbelievable experience it was for us and our kids and grandchildren to see lava.

We spent Christmas Day at the beach with the family. It was a great day, although cloudy and rainy. For more details, please click here.

2015 – We were in Pacific Harbor, Fiji, and went out to a buffet dinner at the five-star Pearl Resort. After eating this octopus, I began having issues with my gastrointestinal system, which only recently started to resolve. 

Yum, I said at the time, baby octopus. Those heads were a bit tricky to chew. I ate four of these, less one head. Now, as I look at this, it sickens my stomach.  Never again! For more details of that Christmas Day, please click here.

2016 – Last year at Christmas we were in Penguin, Tasmania. The adorable small town had decorated many of its Penguin statues, as shown in the photo below. Although we spent the day alone, we made a fabulous dinner and walked the town’s streets, enjoying the scenery and decorations. 

Penguin’s mascot, this giant penguin, is decorated for Christmas.  On Christmas Day, we walked through the charming town, enjoying the scenery.  For more details, please click here.

At the moment, on Christmas morning, we are seated in the lounge/lobby area of our boutique hotel. The meat and cheese breakfast didn’t appeal to me, so I stuck with my mug of tea while Tom ate a few hard-boiled eggs, meat and cheese, and coffee.

Adding to the peculiarity of our Christmas was the fact that we were the only guests in the hotel last night. I mean only guests…not one other guest was staying here! How odd is that? It’s another first for us!

Indeed today, we’ll head out for another walk to take photos and enjoy the sunny day in Palermo, Buenos Aires.  Later today, we’ll call and speak to family members on Skype.

May all of you have a spectacular day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2016
(due to the International Dateline, it was one day earlier):
Our Christmas Day meal.  The filet mignon was tender as it could be, the prawns sweet and delicious, and the plate of bacon and sautéed mushrooms, salad, and green beans were added treats.  For more details, please click here.

Merry Christmas to all of our worldwide readers…Settling in for 31-nights in Buenos Aires…Not as easy as it may seem…

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Happy 65th birthday to my darling husband, lover,  travel companion, and forever friend who has made this special and unique life of world travel possible.  

Now that the cruise has ended, we won’t be posting photos from “Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising.” Instead, over the remaining 31-nights, while we’re staying in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires at the Prodeo Hotel, we’ll be posting photos and stories of our day-to-day lives while living in a boutique hotel in this lovely neighborhood, known for its charm and eclectic persona.

We sat at the banquette in the lovely restaurant in Palermo, Lo De Jesus.  It was only ranked #322 of 4,422 restaurant reviews in Buenos Aires on the TripAdvisor site.

We didn’t expect luxury accommodations at a corporate rate of US $2,560 (ARS 45,878) for this extended stay. We needed a few adjustments when we were situated in our spacious room at the impeccable Prodeo Hotel. We made a list for our hotelier Alessandro, hoping he would help resolve the few concerns, which included:

  • Is there ice for our beverages?
  • Is the water safe to drink?
  • How to use the safe?  Directions were unclear.
  • How to use the free phone in the room (local calls only)?
  • Can we get another luggage rack since there are no drawers or ample storage space in the room, allowing us to unpack?
  • Can we have more hangers for the small closet behind a drape? 
  • There’s no small refrigerator in the room. Is it possible to get one?
  • One screw to the toilet seat is missing making the seat slide around. Can this be fixed?
  • Where we’d dine for Tom’s birthday, walking distance from the hotel?
  • Where is there an ATM at a bank?  Fees are generally less at a bank ATM than at a local machine.
    The restaurant’s decor is understated and pleasant.

After taking a much-needed short nap and uploaded yesterday’s post, we headed out on foot for an ATM. We weren’t surprised to discover that each time we’ll use an ATM, the fees will be US $10 (ARS 179) for each transaction, charged by the local machine, more than we’ve paid anywhere in the world.

From what we’ve seen thus far, many restaurants also offer a wide array of Argentinian wines for sale.

We won’t need much cash here since most restaurants accept credit cards. We’ll only need cash for taxis and local mini-marts. It’s a pricey area, so we’ll see how it goes.

Tom couldn’t resist the delicious bread.

Over the next few hours, Alessandro handled each of our concerns with the greatest ease and generosity. We now have a small refrigerator in our room: ice is available at the hotel’s bar upon request (no charge); we now can use the safe and phone; we received many more wooden hangers; the toilet seat is repaired; we enjoyed Tom’s birthday dinner at a fine local restaurant (see photos below); we got cash from the ATM, and all is good.

Two complimentary glasses of dry champagne were presented at our table.  

All we need is another dozen or so hangers which Alessandro will provide for us when he arrives later today and, we’ll be set. Tom has yet to unpack, but somehow we’ll manage to find a spot for everything when there are no drawers and few shelves in the room.

A big sturdy knife was placed on Tom’s table setting for his Argentine steak.

With all of our requests handled, we now feel at ease and confident we’ll enjoy our time in Buenos Aires. Dining out may be somewhat of a challenge for my eating when most meals center around doughy type dishes such as empanadas, tortillas, pasta, bread, and sweets. But as always, we’ll figure it out, one meal at a time.

My main dish was a Provolone cheese baked with bacon, onions, and red peppers, which was delightful.

This morning’s included breakfast was good with hard-boiled eggs, meats, and cheeses. I hadn’t had breakfast once on the cruise, but I had a small bite of ham and cheese to hold me until dinner this morning. We found a nearby restaurant that will be open tonight for dinner, and later today, we’ll figure out what we’ll do on Christmas Day.

I added two fried eggs to my meal to round out my protein requirements of 60 grams per day.

Most days, while on the ship, I had salad midday, but I won’t be doing that now as I work my way back to eating one meal a day which seems to suit me best. Unfortunately, I must always be considering what foods will be suitable for my way of eating. 

Tom’s Argentine steak was a little fatty for him, but the flavor of the meat was otherwise excellent.

In the realm of things, it’s insignificant. After all, it was changing my diet that made it possible for us to travel the world. As a result, I never feel deprived or “sorry” for myself, unable to eat the gorgeous bread, pasta, and desserts offered here and in every city in the world. It’s a small price to pay for this glorious life.

Many buildings in the city have colorful and unique exteriors.

Speaking of “glorious lives,” may we wish every one of our worldwide readers, family, and friends, a joyous holiday season filled with love, happiness, and merriment.

This is where we’ll be dining tonight, Christmas Eve, one of the few restaurants open tonight.

Throughout the year, we never hesitate to feel grateful for this blissful life we lead. Now with the holiday season upon us, we have the further opportunity to reflect on our good fortune of health and well-being, which without, this life wouldn’t be possible.

Another colorful building exterior.

May those of you who celebrate this time of year experience the utmost of good health and well-being as you make your way through this special holiday season and New Year.

Entrance gate to an apartment in Palermo.

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2016:

Finally, we were able to take a photo in the early evening of a fast-moving train decorated with Christmas light. However, each time we heard a train coming in the dark, we quickly ran outside with the camera only to find that particular train wasn’t decorated. We’d hope for a nighttime train for a better shot. We’re content with this shot. For more photos of Christmas in Penguin, Tasmania, please click here.

Day 30…Cruise to South America…One day to disembarkation…About us….Final Montevideo photos…

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Many of the streets in Montevideo, Uruguay, reminded us of other historical cities we’ve visited.

“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising“

We are viewing shipwrecks from our veranda in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The cruise is fast coming to an end. Today, we pack and leave our bags outside our cabin door by 10:00 pm. Tonight’s the last “silent disco,” and we’ll dance the night away with all the new friends we’ve made along the way.

Montevideo, Uruguay, is a charming historic town filled with historical buildings.

It’s the first time I didn’t feel a little nostalgic as a cruise comes to an end. This time, both of us are ready to begin the New Year with many adventures awaiting us, and of course, the celebration of a milestone in Tom’s life, his 65th birthday tomorrow.

Vendors line the streets offering their handmade crafts for sale.

I wish there were a way I could arrange festivities to celebrate his birthday but based on disembarkation tomorrow, preparing the final expenses and post for the cruise and getting settled into our hotel in the Palermo district in Buenos Aires while attempting to find a restaurant for his birthday dinner, our day will be complete.

We walked to a large open market area where dozens of vendors were presenting their goods.

No doubt, the day, like every other, will be spent in the celebration and happiness we feel in being together, grateful for this life we lead and the excellent health and means that enable us to continue. How did we get so lucky?

There’s no room in the luggage for hats, but at US $7, it was tempting.

Perhaps, it was less about “luck” and more about years of hard work and diligent planning that has made this life financially possible. The rest is about the emotional part. We both have contributed to our ability to love and nurture one another, exercise patience and tolerance with our circumstances and with each other. 

Quaint seating area in an outdoor cafe.

Long ago, we both agreed that whining and complaining would be highly destructive in maintaining our commitment to continuing. As a result, in even the most trying situations, neither of us complains. 

Each of the city streets has a unique appearance with the many historical buildings.

Are we stuffing our feelings? Not at all. Through controlling our reactions to difficult situations, we’ve learned to think about solutions to problems rather than complain about them. Over time, this behavior has become a part of who we are, making life easier and, ultimately, happier.

A tall, dark green door.

This process doesn’t make us exempt from having challenges or from worrying from time to time. But, it provides us with the tools to maximize every day to its fullest, even when it feels like a struggle, especially during times of illness or injury.

A fruit and vegetable market on the side of the street.

I often think of times, like last summer when we were in Minnesota visiting family, and I’d booked our flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas for the wrong dates. We ended up losing the full fare of US $719. There was nothing we could do. 

We continued our walk well beyond the areas where all the passengers were shopping.

I was frustrated with myself for making this error, but Tom was loving and supportive, knowing I had made an error and berating me for doing so held no purpose or value. We both had to shrug it off as “one of those things.” 

Soon, there was hardly a tourist to be found.

In no way, as hard as we may strive for accuracy, are we exempt from making occasional errors. We’ve both learned to accept responsibility, fess up, and carry on. 

It’s the combination of these factors we hesitantly share, hoping not to seem braggadocio, preachy or pompous, as we explain how we make this life work for us.

We reached the opposite side of the waterfront and stumbled upon this smokestack.

Last night, during the “full moon party” in the Martini Bar, we had a perfect time, hanging out with new friends, rocking to and fro to the music. It couldn’t have been more fun. By midnight, we were back in our cabin, ready for a good night’s sleep which we both achieved.

As we made our way back to the ship, we could see it at a distance.

Today, we’re docked in Buenos Aires for a final overnight stay on the ship. Many passengers are permanently getting off the boat, but our hotel reservations don’t begin until tomorrow night, and we feel comfortable staying on board on the final night. We won’t be getting off the ship today since we’ll have an entire month to explore Buenos Aires at our leisure.

A turret atop another historical building.

Have a safe and pleasant day and weekend, as the holiday season brings many festivities and celebrations for those who partake.

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2016:

Driving through the countryside a few days earlier, Tom spotted this highly venomous Tiger snake crossing the road. Quickly turning around, as it raced off into vegetation, we were able to get this photo. For information on these venomous snakes, please click here where it’s stated, “Most Australians know of tiger snakes and are aware of their fearsome reputation, though few people will ever encounter one.” Please leave it to us to encounter one after only 20 days in Tasmania! For more details, please click here.