Photos of the beautiful grounds…Pool…Booking dinner reservations…Outing today…Back tomorrow with photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
A bouquet of these scented flowers awaited our arrival.

It feels good to be settled in, unpacked, and becoming familiar with our surroundings. After posting today, we’ll be heading to the Arts Village, a local arts and crafts area with a variety of shops including a farmers market and grocery store. 

Right now, we need to fill in our grocery shopping when we weren’t able to find a number of important, although basic, food items necessary for our way of eating. Hopefully today, we’ll be able to pick up what we need.

Table and chairs on the veranda. 

We’ve arranged with the driver to pick us up today at noon. Again, we checked out car rentals in Pacific Harbor hoping to rent a car for a few days. At USD $80, FJD $171 a day, it’s just not worth it when the cost of the driver is less overall. 

We booked with the same tour company (by email) for today’s outing and Saturday night’s transport to a popular local restaurant. We’ll be back on Sunday with photos and details of our first dining out experience since the day of our travel anniversary on October 31st. Both of us are excited to be dining out after such a long haul. 

The veranda winds around the entire house.

Generally, dining out in Savusavu was tricky with few food options that worked for me. Here in Pacific Harbour, there are many resorts that welcome “outsiders” to dine in their restaurants whereby in Savusavu, the resorts were all-inclusive and less amenable to outsiders. 

We’ve always found resorts more able to accommodate my way of eating than local restaurants when they often have guests staying at their facility and must accommodate the religious and health preferences of many cultures.

These doors lead to the master bedroom, but with no screens, it’s unlikely we’ll use them.

As a result of this availability in Pacific Harbour, we’re thrilled to be able to dine out at least once a week if not more. By purchasing two roasted chickens each week we’ll only have to make the sides dishes to accompany them, resulting in making only four complete meals a week. Less cooking. Less ants. Life in the tropics.

In some countries and vacation homes with pools, we’ve noticed the pools aren’t regularly cleaned and may not have adequate filter systems. Dumping a dose of chlorine and sifting out a few leaves doesn’t indicate a thorough pool cleaning. 

Side view of the house.  The landscaping is lovely with many nice shrubs and flowering plants.

Having grown up in California with a pool and me designated as the “pool guy” I remember only too well the work required. Sure, that was many years ago and equipment has greatly improved.  Still, pool maintenance requires a pool service or homeowner dedicated to conscientious attention to detail. 

As a result of some pools not properly being cleaned regularly, we’ve avoided using them. Can you imagine the bacteria that lurk in stagnant pool water? When we arrived here the pool looked a little murky, mostly due to leaves and bugs floating on the service. 

Rearview of the house with the pool hidden behind the bushes. No fences are required to enclose pools in Fiji.

We wrote to Susan, the attentive owner asking as to the pool maintenance. Within five minutes of my inquiry, a pool guy appeared spending several hours tending to the pool, leaving it impeccable.

A short time later she replied assuring us that regular pool maintenance comes by a few times a week. I apologized for “jumping the gun” explaining the pool frustration in some prior vacation homes.

Front view of the house.

Today, the lawn maintenance person is here and the smell of fresh-cut grass is wafting through our senses, actually a pleasant smell. It amazing and actually quite wonderful that none of this work is up to us. We need only to make the bed, clean up after cooking and eating and do our laundry.

The washing machine is outdoors as shown in this photo with clotheslines and plenty of clothespins to handle however much we may have. After living in Savusavu I finally accepted the fact of how unimportant it is to do laundry daily when laundry was handled twice a week presenting no issues for us. We certainly have enough clothing to last three or four days. 

View of the pool and patio from the veranda.

In this house, there are enough bath towels and kitchen towels (including our own we carry with us) that we can make it several days without doing laundry. The hardest part is keeping the dish towels away from the house after use during food prep. 

The ants love the kitchen towels I use to wipe food off of my hands or clean up spills while cooking when attempting to keep the use of paper towels at a minimum for both ecological and financial reasons.

This roofed area is where the washer and clotheslines are located, perfect for drying clothes on rainy days.

As I sit here now in a relatively comfy leather chair, the overhead and two-floor fans cooling us while we enjoy the French press coffee Tom has meticulously made again today, we have the TV on in the background to Nat Geo Wild, with one interesting wildlife series after another. 

How enjoyable this is while I work frequently lifting my head to check out the story! I guess we’ve missed having a TV these past three months. When we return late in the day from our outing, we’ll turn on BBC world news, keeping us well abreast of what’s transpiring in the US and throughout the world. 

Another view of the pristine cleaned pool.

It’s important for us to see which countries may be unsuitable for future visits at this time while it’s saddening to see what’s transpiring throughout the world. We don’t watch any other programming when we have plenty of our own shows and movies to watch in the evenings. 

Tom was able to watch Sunday’s disappointing Minnesota Vikings game on the TV instead of the laptop using the HDMI cable.  Last night we watched two shows using the HDMI before heading to bed, The Blacklist (season 3) and Scandal (season 4). I use an app on my phone to track the last episodes we’ve watched for every series we’ve seen referring to it nightly to ensure we watch episodes in the correct order. Lots of record-keeping in this life.

A suitable deck area allows for sunning near the pool.

After logging many expenses and upcoming destinations into our Excel document with many worksheets, we’re entirely up-to-date. Now caught up, we need only to log expenses as they occur over this next month or, any other bookings we may make while here. 

Yesterday, we paid the balance for three months’ rent in New Zealand. In the next several weeks, we’ll pay the balance for the first stay in Bali. We’ve already paid the balance for our upcoming cruise in 28 days. 

Two comfortable chaise lounges await our use providing both sunny and shady areas.

At this point, we’re paid for rent, car, and cruises through April 15, 2016, including the upcoming flight and one-night hotel, stay in Sydney on January 4th, the cost of the cruise on January 5, 2016, the three-month rental car in New Zealand, the three month’s rent for the alpaca farm in New Zealand. 

All we left to pay during this time period (between now and April 15th) is for one more night’s hotel in Sydney, another cruise on April 16th from Sydney, and the rent for Bali. It’s comforting to know we’ve paid so much in advance although, at times, we cringe at the prospect of deposits paid for rentals well into the future.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos from today’s outing which we’re both excitedly anticipating. Please check back for more.  Happy day!

Photo from one year ago, December 8, 2014:

Our first whale sighting in Big Island, Hawaii, spotted by our grandson Jayden. Good eye, Jayden. And Nik spotted the first sea turtles. Guess “safari luck” is hereditary. We were having a fabulous time with the first of our family to arrive. For more details, please click here.

Part One…Reviewing the criteria we established in March 22, 2012…Are we still on track?

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments
Fiji is lush, green, and beautiful. There are no snakes here and few biting insects other than mosquitoes. Flowers bloom year-round, views are breathtaking, products and services are reasonable and there’s free medical care for all locals and visitors. Sounds like an ideal country for retirement for those seeking a permanent location.

It’s raining again and although today we’ll return to the dentist for Tom’s abscess check, we’d hoped we could do some sightseeing. With fog, dense clouds, and rain, it doesn’t appear sightseeing will be on the agenda. 

We can’t deny we may be running out of photos as we wind down to less than three weeks remaining on this island of Vanua Levu. With limited photos, we must admit, writing a story each and every day can be challenging at times especially when we haven’t been out much.

With Tom on massive doses of antibiotics and the bad weather, we haven’t been out since shopping on Thursday. Laying low always seems like a good idea when one has a raging infection and trekking through a rainforest in the rain just didn’t seem like such a good idea. We’ll head out on the next sunny day.

The view from atop the hills in our area.

During quiet times such as these, we often read past posts getting a kick out of our thoughts and ideas from long ago. With today’s post as #1201 having begun posting on March 15, 2012, long before we left Minnesota, we’re often astounded by how we’ve changed in some ways and how we’ve stayed constant in others.

One post that Tom stumbled upon yesterday, caused both of us to laugh out loud over how little we’ve changed in the criteria we established 44 months ago when we wrote the post for  March 22, 2012.

Knowing many of our readers have joined us partway through our journey, having never read the earlier posts, we share this post again today. With each and every one of our past posts located under “previous posts” (click on the little black arrow) on the right side of the page, we realize many readers never read archives, not on our site nor any other site.

Too often, we’ve been sightseeing on rainy days. Photos are more appealing on sunny days.

Ours is a continuing story.  However, it may be picked up partway through.  We often provide links to past posts which may help the reader “catch up” to a degree. We rarely upload a prior post’s text as we’re doing today.  This won’t be a regular habit but, the content may be of interest to new readers who joined along the way.

Today, we’re copying and pasting the criteria we posted on March 22, 2012. All of the text copied will be in italics with comments at the end. If you recall this portion and prefer not to read it again, you call pass over all of the italicized portions to our comments at the end.

Here it is, a post from 44 months ago:

Our strict criteria, March 22, 2012:
 
 At the end of my last entry, I promised to explain the strict criteria we have established to ensure the financial goal of our world travel:  our total travel expenses would not exceed the expenses we would have incurred to live in a $1500 a month condo in Arizona or any tax-free state such as Florida or Nevada.  
 Using an Excel spreadsheet we listed the normal expenses we would experience in our new retirement lifestyle, entitled “Basic Living Expenses”  

  1. Rent or mortgage payment:  include association dues, if applicable
  2. Taxes: federal, state, and property, if applicable
  3. Groceries: to include specialty items for our restrictive organic, gluten-free, low carbohydrate, sugar-free, wheat, and grain-free way of eating.  All meals are homemade (no processed foods) utilizing grass-fed meat with organic produce, dairy, and eggs.
  4. Auto expenses: payment for a newer vehicle still under warranty, gas, maintenance, insurance
  5. Health: insurance premiums, co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, health club dues, alternative therapies, and supplements
  6. Other insurance
  7. Cable and Internet: including a few premium channels (we love Dexter, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire and Shameless)
  8. Cell phones: a smartphone with unlimited data
  9. Utilities: gas, electric, water, trash 
  10. Entertainment and dining out (carefully limited)
  11. Clothing, personal effects, toiletries, and grooming (all items discounted and purchased at the best possible price)
  12. Gifts: for family members/friends for birthdays/holidays, greeting cards, postage
  13. Publications: magazines, newspapers, online subscriptions
  14. Miscellaneous:  occasional purchase or replacement of household goods, donations, cash for incidentals
  15. Pet care: food, treats, toys, groomer, and vet (no pet now since we lost our WorldWideWillie last April) but we would have a new dog if we settled into a retirement lifestyle
  16. Banking fees; interest on credit cards, if applicable; 
  17. Savings
Upon keeping our costs as low as possible, in an effort to live a relatively conservative retirement lifestyle we had a total. Thus…

Criteria #1:  Do not have a permanent home!

With these numbers in mind, we created the next worksheet in our Excel workbook, entitled “Fixed Living Expenses” which were those we’d incur if we traveled but didn’t have a permanent home. Although we are not accountants nor possess a degree as such, we labeled the tabs that we felt best represented the analysis we chose to perform. These were expenses we’d have whether we were on a cruise, temporarily living in Spain, or on a safari in Africa that didn’t include travel expenses.
  1. Taxes: federal, state, and property, if applicable
  2. Groceries: to include specialty items for our restrictive organic, gluten-free, low carbohydrate, sugar-free, wheat, and grain-free way of eating. All meals are homemade (no processed foods) utilizing grass-fed meat and poultry with organic produce, dairy, and eggs.
  3. Health:  insurance premiums, co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, supplements 
  4. Other insurance 
  5. Cell phone (one between us):
  6. Clothing, personal effects, toiletries, and grooming (all items discounted and purchased at the best possible price)
  7. Gifts:  for family members/friends for birthdays/holidays, postage
  8. Banking fees;  interest on credit cards, if applicable
  9. Savings
Criteria #2:   Do not own cars!  (And resulting payments, depreciation, storage, insurance, gas and maintenance)

We will sell both of our cars before we step foot out of this country, instead, renting a car if necessary. While calculating our auto expense, considering the two payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance, the total was $1523 per month which more than covers all of our upcoming flights, trains, ferries, taxis, and rental cars (three of our credit cards provide free rental car insurance when the card is used for the rental car charges)!
Then we took the “Fixed Living Expenses” and created an “Average Daily Expense” which, no matter our travel expenses or living arrangements, would always be relevant numbers in our financial planning.

Criteria #3:   Do not stay in hotels other than a short term! How is it possible to travel without staying in hotels? Sleep in a tent?  Hardly!  Rent an RV?  Too expensive! Mooch off people you may know that life in exotic places? Never! Staying in a hotel requires the expense of meals in restaurants, tips, city, county, state, and local taxes, outrageously priced cocktails and beverages, and of course, the tempting “tourist trap” shops and services. 

Simple answer:  Only stay in houses, condos, townhouses, villas, apartments, and other such property owned, but not currently occupied, by private parties. Property owners are often anxious to rent their own homes and rental properties at reasonable rates knowing full well that the distraught economy and worldwide strife has tempered world travel.  We have found that we prefer to rent houses and villas as opposed to apartments, which are often noisy and offer fewer amenities.
Criteria #4:  Do not pay more than what we were willing to pay for rent in our chosen retirement community!  The above described $1500 month was the magic number that fit into our predetermined budget.  How is this possible? Only $1500 a month for a house? Yes, the gorgeous 17th century, totally renovated villa in Tuscany, Italy is $1400 a month! Yes, the amazing little beach house in Placencia, Belize is $1250 a month!  Yes, the charming house in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, surrounded by the free-roaming Big 5, is $1387 a month! We will share more of these astounding rentals as we continue here.
There is so much more to share including the remaining Criteria, how to calculate total expenses, why we have booked five cruises thus far with two more waiting to be posted.  How and why we have booked ahead 571 days from this coming Halloween, Tom’s retirement date. How we will experience the first 10 months of our adventure without ever stepping foot onto an airplane.  

Certainly, we have a “to-do” list that is daunting. Certainly, there is a degree of risk  Certainly, there is some blind faith that we are going to enjoy our new lives, free from all the familiar comforts that we have reveled in all these years. And most certainly, our love and devotion to one another will see us through all the challenges we encounter along the way.  

We have mutually agreed that if at any time, one of us is tired, bored, or tired of being on the move, we will stop and find “home’ wherever that we may be.
Through the mist and clouds…

It’s hard to believe that so little has changed in our criteria over these past almost four years since we began posting. Certainly, we could go back over there and see we’ve changed especially in the amount of rent we’re willing to pay. 

The most we’ve paid to date has been slightly over USD $3,000, FJD $6,488 a month in Morocco over a period of almost three months. Overall, our vacation home rent generally runs about 20% to 30% less than in Morocco.

Over time, we did adjust the budget’s annual estimates upwards to compensate for this increase although all other estimates and final numbers have fallen within the original budget. Each time we add a new location, we check transportation, entertainment, and food costs in order to be able to enter realistic estimates. 

As we incur each expense while living in each location, we keep a running tally of every last cent spent, entering it as final expenses at the end of the rental period which we always share here with our readers on the day or our departure.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the second portion of this post which we entered the next day and we’ll provide an update on the results of Tom’s dental appointment today after we discover if his infection is gone needing no further treatment or, treatment down the road.

Have a fulfilling day. Thanks to each and every one of our readers for being at our sides as we continue on.

 Photo from one year ago today, November 16, 2014:

Mike, the condo manager, explained the interesting story of the Milo tree, detailed in this post. 

Our three year anniversary…A special day out…Total expenses for three years of travel and lots more stats…Hold on to your seats!

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Us in Hawaii, one year ago. Tomorrow, we’ll post a new photo of us together from Namale Resort. Here’s a link to our two year anniversary.

This morning, we awoke simultaneously at 5:45, both of us saying “happy anniversary, lover!” It’s a special day for us. It’s the third year anniversary of our world travels, beginning on October 31, 2012, the day Tom retired and we left Minnesota to begin our journey.

The first few years we didn’t make much of a deal of the anniversary when we hit the road, leaving our lives in Minnesota behind, leaving behind all we knew and loved.

Our kids, now all in their 40’s had built their own lives with their families, filled with activities, their own traditions, fully embracing the hurried and at times, the frantic pace of life in the US. 

After working all of our lives and living that frenzied pace at times, we were ready to expand our horizons and step outside the “expected” box of retirement and old age. 

What contributed to our choosing this life evolved more from our mutual desire to do so than anything else. In many marriages, one may like the idea, but the other spouse wouldn’t consider it. With my renewed health beginning 11 months before we left, it was three months later until we even conceived of the idea. 

It was hard leaving everyone we love behind.  We didn’t take it lightly. We just did it differently than many Minnesotans who choose to escape the frigid winters and short, hot, humid summers.  Instead of buying a condo in Arizona or Florida as many retirees often do, seeing family once or twice a year, we chose to see the world, although the stretches between visits are further apart.

The kids and grandchildren visited us in Hawaii last December, a little over two years after we’d left and we’ll see them again in 19 months. They’re doing fine without us. A call on Skype is all it takes to see a smiling face and hear a familiar voice. 

Many ask, “When will this end and you move back to the US?” When one is happy and fulfilled, it’s a tough question to answer. Our answer is vague at this point, “When we have to (due to health) or when we want to.”  Neither of those scenarios is in front of us now as we enter into our fourth year.

Although not specifically an anniversary photo this was taken in January, 2013 in the days when we had lots of luggage. We believe we had a total of 17 pieces including several carry-on bags.  Now we have three checked bags and a two carry-on items each.

When we began this journey three years ago we made a pact: If one of us wants to stop traveling, the other will agree. Of course, if health becomes a serious issue we’re unable to address from abroad, we’d have no choice but to return to the US.  Perhaps, after a period of time and recovery, we can continue again.

However, part of the joy in our lives is the uncertainty of the distant future, an odd sensation for two people who liked to plan well into the future, especially me. And yet, I’m totally at ease moving every few weeks or months. 

Other than missing the people we love, we miss nothing in our old lives. Sure, a TV would be nice or AC on hot humid days but now, we see those as frills we easily live without. Getting dressed is easy each day: shorts and tee-shirt, or…tee shirt and shorts. Life is simple and uncomplicated.

We wish we’d taken more anniversary photos on years one and two but, often alone, we settle for what we can, often taking photos of ourselves individually or on occasion, asking a stranger. We’ll try to do better on future anniversaries. 

Tomorrow, we’ll definitely post a photo of us together after today’s upcoming celebration at Namale Resort where we requested an exception to allow “outsiders” to dine in their restaurant when it’s exclusively intended for “all-inclusive” guests only. 

Luckily, our offer of doing a story on Namale and today’s experience will be posted online tomorrow which results in great exposure for their resort to our worldwide readers. We’re appreciative of the opportunity to visit this world-famous resort.

Now, for the part most of today’s readers are anticipating…the numbers. Yesterday, after reviewing our spreadsheets with every facet of our travels, including all expenses and every aspect of our itinerary.

Tom at the beach at the Indian Ocean on our one year anniversary in 2013. Here’s a link to our one year anniversary.

Also, we’ve included the totals for each expense for “everyday” living with such items as medical, supplies, insurance, toiletries, groceries, data, clothing, dining out, entertainment, postage, miscellaneous fees, and on and on.

Many of you will be shocked when you read these numbers. Others may be pleasantly surprised. But, if any of our readers were to add up every last cent they spent in the past three years their numbers may not be whole lot different than ours.

I’ll lighten the shock of the total by sharing the 37 month total (we’ve included estimated costs for our remaining month here in Savusavu based on averages on our spending to date):

  • Monthly cost (37 months):  USD $6,880, FJD $14,772
  • Daily cost: USD $225, FJD $483:
  • Three year total (37 months): USD $254,572, FJD $546,582

The monthly total was higher than we’d originally estimated. But, when 12 family members came to Hawaii at our expense, our monthly averages increased exponentially. 

Into the future, we should be able to keep our monthly cost around the USD $6,000, FJD $12,882 thus reducing our daily total expense at USD $197, FJD $423, a number we feel comfortable to strive toward into the future.  As we peruse our budget, we see this is entirely likely once we’ve passed 2015. 

As for other numbers, here are a few facts we gathered from the past three years as well:

  •  21:  vacation homes we’ve rented
  •  56:  nights spent in hotels
  •  14:  flights we’ve taken (roundtrips count as two)
  •    1:  trains we’ve taken (the Eurostar, Paris to London)
  • 119: nights spent on a cruise ship
  •  11:  cruises we sailed
  •    7:  rental cars (total number rented, not number of days rented)
  • 16:   total months with a rental car (leaving 21 months using a driver)

None of the above surprised me based on the fact that I’ve been entering these numbers for over three years.  Tom was surprised at first at the grand totoal but as we discussed it further, he was easily able to see how it adds up.

Two years ago, on our one year anniversary on the beach at the Indian Ocean in Kenya.

None of these totals include deposits we’ve paid for future travel. Those numbers will be calculated into new totals for each year as the rentals, cruises, and expenses occur.

There it is, folks. Without storage and a permanent home in another location, its affordable for us to continue to travel the world. Never for a moment do we take from granted our ability to do this. Never for a moment do we take for granted the good fortune, safari luck, we’ve experienced in these first three years.

And most of all, never for a moment to we fail to appreciate each other’s bravery and determination to live a joyful life “outside the box” or our ongoing good health.

Thus, to my loving husband, I say “thank you” for this extraordinary experience. To our family and friends, “thank you” for accepting our decision to travel the world. And, of course, to all of our worldwide readers for “traveling along with us” from your comfy armchair, your ride on the bus, or with your morning coffee or tea at the kitchen table. We have loved sharing each day with all of you.

Photo from one year ago, October 31, 2014:

We didn’t make much of our deal about our two-year anniversary last year which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post for the one year ago photo. It’s a special milestone for us each year and for us, is deserving a bit of hoopla. For details from last year, please click here.

Sightseeing day!..Stop back tomorrow for photos!…Paying upcoming balances for cruises…Fares for seven upcoming cruises…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 4 Comments
The sign at Savusavu Hospital reads, “Harvest the Wellness Within You!,” a good motto to follow. Many Fijians suffer with diabetes with a diet rich in sugar and high amounts of starchy foods.

Cruises have become an integral aspect of our travels. It provides us with an opportunity to visit more countries and their points of interest than any other means of travel.

Also, as we’ve attempted to avoid the “big bus” experience with a preference for the six or eight-person van excursion, it’s given us a better opportunity to make new friends during a day’s outing and to see the sights with more ease and level of enjoyment.

On some cruises, we’ll continue to attend group excursions such as next year’s Mekong River cruise where all excursions are included in the cost and others, when safety in numbers may be advised.

As we look over our upcoming cruise list, we’re enthusiast over the wide range we’ve selected to ensure we’ll have seen most of the major cities in Australia, New Zealand and many islands.

Each cruise is unique in its own way, although there are a few repeated ports of call from cruise to cruise, locations we’ll have already visited, unavoidable when attempting to circumvent the huge continent of Australia and its surrounding islands. For an example, a few of these cruises, have the port city of Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji as a port of call.

The entrance to the hospital in Savusavu.

After four months in Fiji, we may not be interested in touring Suva when its a city we’ll be visiting biweekly for shopping when we move to Pacific Harbour, Fiji, located on the main island, an hour’s drive from the house we’re renting.

Nadi (pronounced “nan-dee” in the Fijian language), where the airport is located, won’t necessarily be on our radar either with its increased levels of crime and population as mentioned in yesterday’s post.

During those repeated ports of call, we may decide to stay onboard the ship to enjoy the glorious quiet while many passengers have gone ashore to board those big buses for excursions and shopping.

Following is the list of upcoming cruises, the number of days of the cruise  and dates for which we’re booked all the way into 2017:

 Sydney to Aukland            USD $4,771 14 1/5/2016 1/19/2016
 Sydney to Singapore         USD $3,869 14 4/16/2016 4/30/2016
 Sydney to Perth                 USD $4,557 16 10/31/2016 11/16/2016
 Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City  USD $6,597 15 7/8/2016 7/22/2016
 Singapore to Sydney         USD $4,144 14 10/31/2016    11/14/2016
 Sydney to Sydney              USD $4,820 12 3/1/2017 3/13/2017
 Sydney to Seattle              USD $5,995 24 4/22/2017 5/15/2017

It may seem that 2017 is a long time away, especially when we arrive in the US in May, 2017. But, its only 19 months from now until we land on US soil at the port of Seattle, Washington to make our way to Minnesota and Nevada to visit family and friends.

The total cost for all of the above cruises (for two, in select balcony cabins only) is USD $34,753, FJD $74,037, undoubtedly a huge chunk. Based on our budget, we tend to look at this total on an annualized and monthly basis which in doing so, averages at USD $1,819, FJD $3896 per month.

On a more remote island one may worry that their aren’t readily available medical services. We’re always pleased to discover hospitals, ambulances and adequate medical care in case of an emergency.

Based on having selected this vast number of cruises, we’ve been extra careful in selecting vacation homes, car rentals and general expenses to ensure “doing what we love” (cruising) doesn’t create any undue financial stress in going over our budget.  In no case, do any of these cruises result in a deficit impacting our quality of life.

Without a doubt booking this number of cruises has a bearing on the vacation homes we select. However, we tend to stay in a general range for each location based on our needs, practicality and budget. 

We don’t require a luxury four-bedroom house with a full staff, although at times, we’ve been fortunate (and will be so in the future) to have negotiated a price befitting our budget for such types of vacation rentals. 

Here in Vanua Levu, Fiji at USD $2,000, FJD $4,260 per month, we have all we need or want while we’re able to maintain our average monthly/annual cost to offset the cost of the cruises.

Yesterday, we paid the balance of USD $3,871, FJD $8247 of the first cruise on the above list, after paying a deposit of USD $900, FJD $1,917 when we booked it some time ago.

Its that very cruise that ends in Auckland, New Zealand on January 19, 2016 where we’ll stay for 89 days, renting a car in Auckland to drive to the north island city of New Plymouth where the farmhouse awaits us, again an affordable property.

Several emergency vehicles were on the hospital property. Locals don’t hesitate to call in an emergency and feel the local care is adequate for many conditions.

Typically, final payments for cruises are due 80 days before the departure dates. Vacations to Go (still our preferred cruise booking agency) keeps a credit card on file for us, using it automatically to make the payments when due. 

When booking multiple cruises such as the above, we consider the spacing and the dates the balances are due.  Our next cruise final payment won’t be due until January 23, 2016.

In most cases, we’ve paid the required USD $900, FJD $1,917 deposit at the time of booking the cruise with our preferred cabin number. If its a ship we’ve never sailed in the past, Tom reads reviews on cabin numbers in Cruise Critic and other resources while looking at the posted “deck plan” listed in the Vacations to Go website.  Selecting the right cabin is vital to a good experience (more on that later in a future post).

On certain cruises, we’re able to purchase “deposit vouchers” for USD $200, FJD $426, that can be used in place of paying the USD $900, FJD $1,917.  Why would we want to cruise line to be holding that sum of our money for these extended periods?  If we can pay a smaller deposit, it is preferred.

Of course, there’s always the added “bill” we get at the end of each cruise for any extras: Internet access, cocktails for Tom, specialty restaurants and a rare  purchase in the shops. 

Many times tips and alcoholic beverages are included in the fare when offered as a special promotion. We’ll share the inclusions and extras as we cruise on each of the above.

Then again, we often pay huge deposits on vacation homes booked way down the road. Its the nature of the beast, a constant outflow of cash paying for services well into the future.

In reality, its not unlike the lives of many of our worldwide readers who pay monthly for rent or mortgage payment, utilities and maintenance. The only difference for us is the fact that we pay for all of this well in advance. In Fiji, until January, when we depart from Sydney for the first listed cruise, our rent and airfare is already paid in full.  We continue to pay in advance for the many upcoming months and often, years.

As “they” say, “it all comes out in the wash.” It works for us.

Shortly, we’ll be heading out for the day with Rasnesh for photos of more beautiful scenery in Vanua Levu, ending up at the end of the day for our usual shopping: Vodafone kiosk, the pharmacy that has everything (one only need ask), the Farmer’s Market, New World Market and Fiji Meats where Helen has a order we placed awaiting our pickup. 

The sun was shining when we awoke but the clouds have rolled in as I write this. If it rains, we’re still going! Over the past few days, it’s been hot, hot, hot. The mozzies and ants are on a rampage after the weeks of rain but we’re handling them. Our Internet is working well. Lots more new photos coming soon. We’re feeling great and life is good.  Hope its the same for all of you!

Photo from one year ago today, October 22, 2014:

Tom was looking for the daily visit of sea turtles at the shoreline outside our condo in Maui. The skies had begun to clear and we looked forward to walks along the shore, whale watching  and hanging out at the pool. It was on this date a year ago, that I drove a car for the first time in two years. I was still the same awful driver I’ve always been! For more details, please click here.

Photos taken this morning…An early morning on another rainy day…A blazing year ago photo below!

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Breadfruit growing in the yard, a popular item in the islands. Here’s a good article on breadfruit. We’d love to try this which is the size of a grapefruit but, it contains 26 grams of carbohydrates and 11 grams of sugar in 1/4 of a fruit.

Cabin fever hasn’t set in yet. We’re good. The cool breezes, the sound of the rain pattering on the tile roof, the birds singing, and the contrast of colors in the bright green vegetation inspired me to take photos at 6:30 this morning.

Already showered and dressed after a 5:45 bolt out of bed, following Tom’s 5:30 rising, our day began on a bright note, as usual, rain or shine. With 70% to 90% rain expected over the five-day forecast, we keep our chins up, knowing eventually this will end. 

Part of us accepts the premise that nature needs the rain as we watch the vegetation bloom and brighten into a plethora of shades of color. Each rainy morning, we notice subtle differences as they escalate into a splash of colors some hardly recognizable to our eyes. Who’s to complain?

The kitchen towels never dried in the rain.  Today, we’ll hand these off to Usi with our dirty laundry and she’ll dry them.

When the sun shines again, we’ll begin to tackle the list of sites to see during our next outing with Ratnesh.  In the interim, we’ll continue our regular and highly entertaining visits to the village, rain, or shine. No doubt, it’s good to get out. 

Not having a rental car could be challenging for most long term travelers.  Somehow, we established a level of acceptance of this fact, that sometimes renting a car doesn’t work. In the case here, as we’ve mentioned in the past, a four wheel drive vehicle would be required. 

Such a vehicle is outrageously expensive in the long term on this small island, higher than the rent on the house. We were well aware of this when we booked this location when Mario had explained in an email that we’d have a great driver. We have no regrets now.

Ratnesh is comparable to having a personal tour guide. Having lived here all of his life, he’s educating us as we travel about, not only on local customs and lifestyle but also, on the scenery. Also, many rough roads are best avoided on one’s own, due to navigability issues. On our own we wouldn’t have had a clue as to which roads to avoid, driving beyond the Savusavu area.

The local ferry travels from Savusavu to Nadi in Viti Levu. It’s a long overnight trip arriving at 5 am.  Sleeping cabins are available for an additional cost.

We’ve had drivers in Belize, Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco. Not having a rental car in these countries never impeded our ability to embrace our surroundings and in most cases, enhanced it with the competency and knowledge of our drivers. 

How easily we recall Okee Dokee in South Africa, with whom we’ve stayed in touch as she prepares for her upcoming wedding. We happily watch for photos and the progression of her plans on Facebook and also write back and forth in email. We couldn’t be more thrilled for her!

The times we spent, the three of us, driving through Marloth Park and the surrounding areas will always remain as some of the favorite memories of our world travels. At times, we all laughed so hard, we cried. 

Our single chaise lounge is available for sunning when the suns appear.

Each week she and I traveled the long distance to Komatipoort to grocery shop and to purchase more data.  During those drives, we engaged in typical “girl talk” as well as stopping for wildlife photos. She’d help me find items at the market which often left us in fits of laughter.

Often, we stopped to check out the products offered by farmers and vendors who’d sit on a box on the side of the road for hours at a time. She’d purchase lychee nuts and I’d purchase avocados in a huge bag of 10, always more than I could eat which I shared with her and the household helpers. We’ll always remember those special times with Okee Dokee.

Each country we’ve visited has left us with special memories. We anticipate this will be the case as we continue on our journey. When perusing our itinerary this morning, I couldn’t fathom how quickly the time has passed and how soon we’ll be in New Zealand (in three months) and Bali (in less than seven months).

Having the experience of seeing so much of the South Pacific by the time we depart in 18 months, with six upcoming cruises a few of which will circumvent Australia, surely we’ll feel satisfied that we’ve had a good perspective of this part of the world.

A colorful little orange flower blooming on this white lily.

So much more of the world awaits us. Had we started this journey 20 years ago, we’d still have only been able to see a portion of what the world has to offer. The time we have left is in the hands of our higher power and the degree to which we can maintain a level of good health.

With our diligent budgeting, which we’ll continue to adjust for inflation and the value of the dollar throughout the world, we expect it will become more challenging to find affordable options in years to come. Rather than risk our financial stability, we’ll continually adjust our expectations accordingly.

For today as we sit back on yet another rainy day, we’ll resume our search to fulfill the one remaining gap in our schedule (39 days) over the next 18 months. From there, we’re watching for new cruise postings yet to appear, to take us back out to sea to continue on our chosen path.

Have a happy and fulfilling day!


Photo from one year ago today, October 13, 2014:

How can it be a full year ago that we took this photo in Waikiki Beach?  The time has flown. For more details as we wound down our time in Oahu, soon to move to Maui, please click here.

Upcoming payments for vacation homes and cruises…How much is the rent here in Vanua Levu and the upcoming rentals?

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Junior, the thoughtful head maintenance and landscaping guy on the property explained how he nurtures the orchids by adding coconuts as the ” parasitic” to enhance the growth of the orchids.  See photo below.

Yesterday, we paid the balance of the payment due for the next house, when we move to Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji in a little over two months.  The USD $1,800, FJD $3,919 was the balance due on a total rent for one month of USD $2800, FJD $6,096. 

At the time we booked the second house, we hesitated a little over the price, higher than the rent for the house here in Vanua Levu at USD $2,000, FJD $4,354 per month for a grand total of US $6,000, FJD $13,063 for the entire three month period.

Based on the fact that we stay in most locations longer than the average traveler’s one or two weeks, we’re often given a discounted rate.  Although the owner may not bring in as much income from our rental period, they can’t ever count on having the property rented 100% of the time.  Also, there are additional expenses accrued in the turnover process.

It wasn’t easy finding a good house at an affordable rate near the ocean yet far from the hustle and bustle of Nadi, the capital city.  Once we arrive we’ll rent a car for the 95 mile drive from the airport.


We posted this photo earlier when we weren’t sure of its species.  Yesterday, when Junior stopped by to see if we needed anything, he explained that he’d tied this coconut to the orchid tree which enhances the growth and beauty of the orchids via the nutrients of the coconut. 

With the house a short distance to a beach we can walk at our leisure with hotels on either end it will be quite different than this house in Savusavu where its impossible to walk on the beach in the mountainous region, although there are beaches in other areas.

Also, the house in Viti Levu it has a pool and patio furniture outside the living room door. The pool here, although adequate for swimming, has no space for lawn chairs or chaise lounges, making it less appealing for us.  There’s nothing like a swim in the pool followed up by a drying-off while sitting in a chaise basking in the sun for a short period.

Every location has its pluses and minuses and the minuses are often only a matter of perception and lifestyle.  Undoubtedly, we have peculiarities and preferences that may not matter to the next visitor.  In essence, this house in Savusavu is ideal for many travelers who prefer a quiet location.

As for upcoming payments due by the end of 2015, having just paid the above mentioned balance, we only have two more payments due:

1.  USD $3,871, FJD $8,428 – 14 day cruise on the Celebrity Solstice – Sydney to Auckland (Total fare USD $4771, FJD $10,387
2.  USD $4,616, FJD  $10,050 – 3 month (88 days) rental for the alpaca farm in New Zealand (Total rent USD $5,615, FJD $12,225)

Badal, Sewak’s dog has been visiting us almost every evening.  We’d love to give him affection but in the pouring rain he’s been quite a mess.  Once it clears we’ll happily spend time with him.  He lives entirely outdoors but is well fed and cared for.  With Sewak and his wife vegetarians, we wonder what Badal eats. 

The thought of only having to pay out USD $8,487, FJD $18,478 by December 31st gives us a little peace of mind.  Also, the way my little brain works inspires me to figure out the daily rental (per se for the cruise fare, too) for the above mentioned 14 days and 88 days, respectively, which translates to USD $83 a day for “rent.”  Not too bad by our standards.

Of course, once January arrives, we’ll have a ton of expenses to shell out for several upcoming cruises and rentals in 2016.  We’ll get back to those costs in the new year.  I can’t think about that now.  We’ve carefully budgeted all of these expenses resulting in no need for worry or concern.

The rent itself is only a part of the expenses we bear each month:  groceries, dining out, transportation (car rental and driver as applicable), airfare, excess baggage fees, entertainment, shipping fees, insurance for health and belongings in our possession and a glob of miscellaneous items as we continue to replenish supplies and products we regularly use.

Keeping track of these expenses in quite a task that only works without stress when handled as the expenses occur.  Letting them pile up, which we don’t do, would certainly be instrumental is causing angst and frustration. 

As the rains continue, flowers are blooming throughout the yard.

If our website and travel writing small business weren’t subject to a small (and I mean, small) write-off each year, we’d still keep track of every expense.  How easy expenses could get out of control, beyond one’s means, putting a fast end to the affordability of continuing on?

With our careful and diligent planning and documenting of every last expenditure, we’re always at ease knowing we can afford the next month, the next leg and the next year.  That type of worrying wouldn’t fit well into our motto of “stress free” living. 

As a result, we have no option but to be frugal by our own self-determined standards; avoiding wastefulness, not choosing luxury over peace of mind, selecting affordable rentals and at times, forgoing convenience.

Beautiful colors.

For example, we could have rented a four wheel drive vehicle while in Savusavu which is required to make it up this mountain from the main road.  The rental fees for such a vehicle made no sense at all.  Were such a vehicle available the monthly rental fee would be in excess of USD $3,000, FJD $6,531. 

With Ratnesh’s hourly rates at USD $13.78, FJD $30 for driving to sightsee as opposed to USD $9.19, FJD $20, for round trips to the village, we could use his services for three hours a day for USD $41, FJD $90 and still get nowhere near the cost of a monthly car rental.  Plus, Vanua Levu is a small relatively low population island, not warrantying that amount of travel by any stretch of the imagination.

Thus, a sensible decision was made, especially since we’d would have hardly used a rental during these past three rainy weeks.  As we’ve mentioned in the past, we don’t feel trapped having been without a car on many occasions either walking (where applicable) or utilizing the services of a taxi or driver as needed.

Bananas growing in the yard.

Are we “tightwads” in the truest sense of the word?  Not at all.  We purchase any food items our tastes so desire when cooking or dining out (where possible), we generously tip the support staff and driver at the end of each stay, we pay substantial shipping and excess baggage fees (now with less cringing) and, we continue to book balcony cabins on every cruise our hearts so desires. 

These expenditures certainly don’t fall into the category of “tightwad.”  For us, these “extras” are a way of life that contribute to the ease of travel and above all, the degree of enjoyment we glean as we continue on.

Keeping track of all of this seems to add an another element of pleasure, one that we derive from knowing where we stand and the accompanying peace of mind that comes with it. 

___________________________________________

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

One year ago, we were fast approaching the Hawaiian Islands, where we lived for a total of eight months during which our family visited us on the Big Island.  Its hard to believe in a few days, we’ll be sharing photos of Honolulu when our cruise ended on October 5, 2014. Where has the time gone?  For more details, please click here.

 

Final expenses for Australia…Leaving Trinity Beach today!…Last favorite photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Pond view at the Cattana Wetlands.

It’s 7:45 am as I begin here today. I have the final load of laundry going, I’m showered and dressed back into my nightshirt while the clothes I’ll wear for the next 48 hours spin in the washer.  

A huge croc was found here in Deadman’s Gully last year which was later found and moved to another less populated location.

Packing the duffel bag for the overnight in Sydney is challenging when it already contains all of our jeans, both shorts, and heavy long pants in order to lighten the weight of the checked bags. We always carry-on the duffel bag. With two pairs of blue jeans each, plus three pairs of jean shorts each, it’s a heavy load.

Another of Tom’s sunrise photos.

Also, I’ve packed my large Costco beach bag, which is a temporary-for-travel-days-only handbag with a few toiletries we’ll need in the hotel:  toothbrushes and toothpaste, shavers, contact lens case filled with solution for tonight only, antiperspirant, and my small black cosmetic bag. No fluff. No creams, lotions, or potions for us.

An eye-catching orchid found at Rusty’s Farmers Market.

The three bags to be checked need to be arranged and weighed one last time to fit what we’re currently wearing and any last-minute items. Tom’s busy in the kitchen washing our iced tea pitcher which we’ll pack with clothes and place in a bag. I just packed the half-full large grinder from Costco containing Himalayan salt.

It was cloudy and rained almost every day during our first month in Australia. Once it cleared, the weather was nearly perfect day after day.

Sleep was fleeting last night as it always is before leaving. Tonight won’t be much better when we have to awaken at 4 am and be out the door of the hotel at 4:30 am. We’ve timed ourselves and when necessary, both of us can manage our entire time in the bathroom in the morning to less than 20 minutes. No dawdling here.  Efficiency is the name of this game.

A final visit to Trinity Beach on a sunny day.

Today, we plan to be out the door at 3:30 pm for our three hours 5:20 pm flight to Sydney. Based on what we have left to do, getting out the door won’t be rushed or stressed.

As for the expenses, there aren’t any surprises. We were very close to the amounts we’d budgeted, except for the medical exams and tests which we hadn’t originally included.

Last week’s full moon over the bay.

Here are our expenses for the past almost three months:

Rent:                  USD $7,058  AUD $10,207
Car Rental:          USD $2,628  AUD $3,512 (fuel costs included)
Airfare:               USD $   477  AUD $   690
Entertainment:    USD $   553  AUD $   800
Groceries:           USD $2,854  AUD $4,128
Dining Out:                        $0
Misc.*                 USD $5128   AUD $7,413
Total:             USD $18,698   AUD $27,032

*The above mentioned miscellaneous is a category we’ll add to the future final expenses posts as we’ve done today. In this case, it included all of our medical expenses,  medical tests, prescriptions, the cost for SIM data, clothing and supplies we had shipped to us from the US, shipping fees, various toiletries we purchased at the local pharmacy, clothing at a local store, etc. 

Standing on the pier at Green Island, the expanse of this tiny portion of the Great Barrier Reef was breathtaking.

We’ve always kept track of these non-rental related expenses but haven’t included them in the totals we’ve posted in the past.

Peeking through the trees to Double Island on a cloudy day.  Sunny or cloudy, we took many photos while in Trinity Beach

Bottom line, the above totals are every last cent we spent while living in Australia. Of course, these totals do not include deposits and payments we’ve paid for future rentals and cruises while living in Australia. 

Kangaroo family resting under a tree on a hot day.

For example, we did not include the final payments for the rental in Fiji or for the paid in full cruise to Vietnam.  Those figures will be reflected at the end of each of those experiences as we’ve listed these today.

Feel free to inquire if any of you have questions regarding any of these expenses. We’ll always happy to answer any of our readers’ questions in regards to costs.

Local Bluewater Marina.

Also, please note that we haven’t dined out while living in Trinity Beach, not once in an entire 88 days. This is a first and it’s unlikely this will occur again. As mentioned in a prior post, we’d been unable to find suitable restaurants for my way of eating. We could have found a few options but with the beautiful organic vegetables, free-range chicken and eggs, grass-fed meats, and fresh fish, we had little interest in dining out.

There are warning signs at each of the beaches regarding crocs and stingers when an encounter can be life-threatening.

Also, with an enormous outlay for future venues, we tightened our belts and ate meals at home. We could easily add another USD $1500, AUD $2169 to the above totals and with the outlay of funds, we felt it was a good time to cut back.

Each of the many beaches in the area had its own unique appeal.

With Fiji on the horizon and many expenses behind us, we can look forward to dining out each week if we’d like, using the driver to take us back and forth. From what we’ve heard the cost of the driver several times a week will be considerably less than what we’ve paid for rental cars. We shall see.

Many homeowners become annoyed by cockatoos who can be noisy and destructive. Many afternoons they arrived in the yard in huge flocks. The noise is deafening but it was always fun to see them.

One odd item, we decided to try while here: Could we get by entirely using credit cards only, never stopping at an ATM? We did! The only cash we have is a refund given to us by Woolies for bacon we’d purchased that was slimy. Not only did they replace the bacon with fresh bacon at no charge, but they also gave us back the entire amount for the cost of the bacon. 

Exquisite Holloways Beach view from atop a steep hill.

At first, I refused the AUD $12, stating they’d already replaced the bad bacon at no charge and I didn’t require more. But, the store manager insisted I take the ziplock bag of cash, explaining it was their policy to not only replace the item at no charge but also, give the customer back the money. Only in Australia!  Now, we have some cash for tips at the airport.

That’s it for now, folks. Back to wrapping things up, finishing the laundry, packing the odds and ends scattered about the house, and cleaning the house as much as time allows. Sylvie insisted we do not worry about cleaning but, we always like to leave the property somewhat clean and definitely free of trash and debris.

Kookaburra stopped by the yard to sit atop the fence, next to the rain gauge.

Thanks to Sylvie and Andy, our wonderful hosts. If the Cairns area is on your mind for a future visit, you too could enjoy spending time in this lovely property. Click here for details.

Soon, we’re off to the airport to pay for our excess baggage and await our flight to Sydney. If time and WiFi allow we’ll do a quick post with photos.  f not, we’ll be back in 48 hours from our new home in Fiji.

Thanks, again to all of our loyal readers for staying with us during crazy, exciting, and also mundane times as we slowly make our way around the world.

Photo from one year ago today, September 7, 2014:

Standing on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, one year ago. We were in awe of having the opportunity to visit this profoundly emotional historical site.  For more photos and details, please click here.

Living within our means…More new Port Douglas photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
A small pier for boaters at the marina in the Port Douglas harbor.

As we near the end of sharing our photos of Port Douglas, we begin to think about where we’ll visit next.  Quickly, time is marching on as we approach our final month in Trinity Beach when our departure date is September 7th (son Greg’s birthday) and arriving in Sydney. We’ll stay overnight in Sydney, departing the next day on September 8th, (daughter Tammy’s birthday) for Fiji.

We spotted this kilometer distance meter at a scenic overlook which illustrates distances to various cities throughout the world.

If we didn’t see another tourist attraction we can leave here happily knowing we experienced quite a bit and knowing we’ll be touring the entire perimeter of the continent of Australia via six upcoming cruises over the next less than two years. 

Buoys in the water off the beach in Port Douglas.

With seemingly endless ports of call on those six cruises, we’d like to leave a few of the highlights for the cruises, especially when we usually meet people with whom we’ll most likely enjoy touring the various points of interest.

Another Banyan Tree along the beach.

Another factor we must consider at this time is the fact that we’ve had to lay out enormous sums for upcoming vacation homes, cruises, and medical care resulting in the necessity of “tightening our belts.” We’re like the rest of the middle-class world, we must monitor our spending to ensure we don’t get in a tight spot.

A view of the Four Mile Beach from a steep road we drove above the town.

Since we live entirely off of our monthly income, laying out thousands of dollars in any given month makes us very mindful the next month or so. We use credit cards for all of our payments and expenses, attempting to pay them off entirely each month. 

At first glance, we assumed the red color in this tree was flowers when in fact it was the leaves changing colors.

In the past few days, we paid off all of the credit card balances except one. Next month we’ll pay off that balance. We feel more secure when we have no balances on credit cards which occurs a few days after the first of each month with a few exceptions. Then we start charging again for all of our living expenses and future travels, racking up big balances again.

View from an overlook.

Most people don’t pay a portion of their rent or mortgage payment as much as two years in advance as we do. Often vacation rental deposits are as much as 50% of the full 90 day rental with the balance paid in full before arrival. 

Most recently, we’ve had to pay in full in advance for the river cruise on the Viking Mekong at a rate of US $6598, AUD $9440 which doesn’t sail until July 8, 2016, and huge sums for future bookings. Last month, we also paid out over US $2800, AUD $3694 for a variety of upcoming airline tickets.

Low tide changing the entire scene at the beach.

We chose to pay in full for this particular cruise since it offered a 2 for 1 sale if paid in advance which was irresistible. Neither of us could imagine laying out twice that amount for a cruise when soon we’ll start saving for the pricey future adventures we’re planning to book down the road after we leave the South Pacific.

Most piers are packed with tourists and locals enjoying the views.  We were surprised that no one was walking along with us.

When we start investigating some of the tourist attractions in this area, including train rides, gondola rides, and boat tours, we see how easily we could eat up another $1000 on only a few attractions.

The pier in Port Douglas has a stairway for boaters or an area for fishing.  We were the only visitors on the pier.

It’s the nature of the beast. We recently saw a lovely story on TV about a younger Australian couple that had been traveling for a few years, occasionally stopping to work to make money in order to continue on. Also, at times, they stayed in campsites sleeping in tents, stayed in hostels, sharing a bath, or staying for free in other people’s homes. They’re young and this works for them.

Low tide created an eerie view.

We don’t want to take odd jobs along the way, sleep in tents, or share a bath in a hostel although, we commend those who do. It’s just not for us. Instead, we prefer living comfortably, living life on our terms. Choosing to do so has a price tag attached to it which we’ve chosen to bear. 

This private catamaran was anchored in the sand at low tide.

That price tag includes us making some sacrifices and often this comes in the way of the “entertainment” category in our spreadsheet which we always include in the budget, which often is used for unexpected expenses.

In Australia, we’ve used that designated entertainment budget for all of our medical exams, dental appointments, and the prescriptions we purchased to last for an additional six months. It quickly added up.

A boat anchored in the bay.

Thus, for the remainder of our 35 days in Trinity Beach, we’re reliant upon continuing to find sites to see that don’t include fees and expenses. This isn’t too hard to do in this beautiful area as we continue our search.

We realized when we began this journey that our priority to see as much of the world as we can, for as long as our health holds out, had sacrifices associated with it, not only in what we left behind but in the quality of life we live each day. Doing so requires that we live within our means. For us, doing so is a small sacrifice in the realm of things.

So, we won’t go on a train ride or take a sunset cruise on a charter boat.  We don’t mind at all.  Each day of our lives is a treasure whether it’s last night’s moonlight, today’s Kookaburra sitting on the fence, or the simple beauty of a flower blooming. Or, for Tom, it’s beating me at Gin two games in a row!

Who’s complaining? Not us!

                                             Photo from one year ago today, August 3, 2014:

A smaller Statue of Liberty stands proud in Paris. We couldn’t believe that we were seeing the familiar sites we’d only seen in print. For more details and Paris photos, please click here.

We left Minnesota 1000 days ago…One year ago…Final costs of 77 days on the island of Madeira…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This flower appears to have the face of a fluffy white lamb. Notice the eyes and nose. We didn’t see this until after we uploaded many photos from our visit to the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

Today is 1000 days since we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012, to begin our new lives, our worldwide adventures, our foray into the unknown. We’d marked the calendar that long ago for the 1000th day, at the time unsure if we’d ever reach it. (Some time ago, we mentioned posting our 1000th post which is different. We began posting seven months before we left so these are two distinct dates).

We had no clue when we posted today’s reminder for the 1000th day if we’d tire of traveling, find our health prevented continuing on, or if we found it financially impossible based on costs and inflation throughout the world. None of these concerns have impeded the joyful continuance of our travels.

On the return drive from Cairns, we stopped to check out this roadside stand.  We didn’t purchase anything when they only had fruit.

We are as enthusiastic in this life now as we were 1000 days ago. The fear is gone with knowledge and experience in its place. We truly feel like experienced travelers and yet, we still have so much more to learn, to see, to explore. 

Many of our readers have been with us since the beginning and we commend you for your loyalty, diligence, and input. What a gift we receive every day in knowing you are there!

We’d driven by this Farm Market many times on our way back and forth to Cairns, deciding it was time to stop to check it out.

Is it possible to imagine that some mornings I load my laptop, connect to the internet and start the app I use to upload this site without a clue as to what to put down in words and photos?

Can you imagine that some mornings when I study the folder on my desktop entitled “photos to post” that there’s only a mishmash of unrelated photos I’ve yet to upload for lack of relevancy to a particular another batch of photos?

Their meat case was filled with many pre-seasoned and pre-coated with flour and breadcrumbs, none of which work for us. But we purchased a few packs of bacon, chicken, and spinach wrapped chicken breasts.

Do I panic?  Not at all.  Do I say to myself, “Gee…I wish I didn’t have to do this every day?” Not at all. My little brain goes to work either from a morning conversation between Tom and me, a tidbit on the news, or at times a light bulb moment popping bright within my field of vision.

Sure, the day could come when the slate is blank and literally not a word, a thought, an urge, or a nuance will waft through my head to reach my fingers on the keyboard, which are usually itching to be in action. That could happen. In reality, someday, this will happen. But, it’s not today.

We hadn’t seen cherries in a long time.  Some veg is organic and others are not which is not evident by signs posted.

Can you imagine that the photo file is nearly empty and we don’t feel like going out on a sightseeing expedition? That’s a relatively common occurrence. Why wouldn’t it be? Do any of us have enough “share-worthy” information combined with photos to share every day of our lives? Hardly.

Neither of us is into “selfies” which eliminates an entire category of photo taking. Nor, am I continually updating my Facebook page with the “photo of the day or moment.” 

This package of crocodile is AUD $15, USD $10.91. Next time we stop by that store, I think we’ll buy one of these and try it.

On Facebook, I tend to post a photo of an inanimate subject that I find interesting such as in today’s photo at the top of this page that I “saved” from the Cairns Botanic Gardens” to post. 

We aren’t quite ready to try eating kangaroo and these sausages contained sugar and wheat.

The main photo was my favorite from the gardens tour day, saved in the same manner that one may save that last tender morsel on their plate to eat as the very last bite…a reward at the end for our patience?

There’s a lot of things we could do today. Sylvie and Andy purchased chaise lounges which they placed next to the pool so we could lounge there for our dose of Vitamin D, as opposed to sitting in a chair on the veranda. We couldn’t be more pleased with the kind and caring attention they’ve given to our needs and wants. Today, we could lounge by the pool for a while.

Tom put his hand out to show illustrate the size of this huge sweet potato.

We could take a drive to a new area further from Trinity Beach to return with hundreds of new photos which could see us through days of posting or, we could make several short trips to unseen spots in the area, although we seem to have already thoroughly scoured the immediate area.

Don’t get me wrong. We love getting out and taking photos. It’s getting us out the door that is always the challenge when it’s so easy to do nothing, one of our favorite pastimes. And doing nothing is not really doing nothing. We seem to be busy all day even when we stay home with the intent of doing “nothing.”

We purchased some of the bacon in the rear middle of this case.  Once cooked we realized that the rind was still attached and we had to pull it off like a long leather boot shoelace. Otherwise, the bacon was nitrate-free and delicious. As shown, many of the items for sale are pre-seasoned and coated.

I can imagine that many of our retiree readers totally get what we’re saying here today. Life doesn’t always consist of busy, meaningful, and active days filled with new discoveries and revelations. And, many otherwise quiet days end up a flurry of activity.

So, we’ll see what the day brings. I imagine that tomorrow when you stop by, you’ll see something new and shown for the very first time as we strive to do each and every day. 

Ibis are commonly seen birds in Australia.

Happy day to all of you whether you stay in, head out on a walk, or on an adventure. It all matters.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, July 28, 2014:

As we were fast approaching departing Madeira, we posted all of our final expenses as we do when getting ready to leave each country. For details of those expenses, please click here.

NEW UPDATED ITINERARY!…September 7, 2015 to May 15, 2017…Includes two gaps yet to fill…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The house is surrounded by lush vegetation, including many large coconut and palm trees and endless varieties of shrubs and plants.

With considerable enthusiasm, we share our upcoming itinerary for the next 617 days from the time we leave Trinity Beach, Australia beginning on September 7, 2017:

 Location or Ship  Days  Address or Ship  Dates
 Sydney Hotel   1   9/7/2015 – 9/8/2015
 Fiji Rental  88    9/8/2015 – 12/6/2015 
 Fiji Rental #2  29    12/6/2015 – 1/4/2016 
 Sydney Hotel  1    1/4/2016 – 1/5/2016 
 Sydney to Auckland – Cruise  14  Celebrity Solstice   1/5/2016 – 1/19/2016 
 New Zealand Farm  87    1/19/2016 – 4/15/2016 
 Sydney Hotel  1    4/15/2016 –
4/16/2016 
 Sydney to Singapore – Cruise  14  RC Voyager of Seas   4/16/2016 – 4/30/2016 
 Bali House  59    4/30/2016 – 6/28/2016 
 Hanoi Hotel – to be booked  10    6/28/2016 – 7/8/2016 
 Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City – Cruise  15  Viking Mekong    7/8/2016 – 7/22/2016 
 Phuket House  41    7/22/2016 – 9/1/2016 
 Bali House  59    9/1/2016 – 10/30/2016 
 Sydney Hotel  1    10/30/2016 – 10/31/2016 
 Sydney to Perth – Cruise  16  RC Radiance of the
Seas 		  10/31/2016 – 11/16/2016 
 Perth to Sydney – Cruise  17  RC Radiance of the Seas   11/16/2016 – 12/3/2016 
 GAP 12/3/2016 – 3/1/2017  88    12/3/2016 – 3/1/2017 
 Sydney to Sydney – Cruise  12  Celebrity Solstice   3/1/2017 – 3/13/2017 
 GAP 3/13/2017 – 4/22/1017  40    3/13/2017 – 4/22/2017 
 Sydney to Seattle – Cruise  24  RC Explorer of the
Seas 		  4/22/2017 – 5/15/2017 
Total number
of days		 617

With 128 days in gaps to fill, we still have our work cut out for us. However, the options are many with both gaps beginning in Sydney. With our visas only allowing 90 days in Australia at any one time, we surely can find places to stay in the outlying areas of Sydney.

This colorful plant is eye-catching.

Although Sydney is an amazing city which left us breathless when our ship arrived at the amazing port of Sydney Harbour, it’s expensive to stay in or near the city. There are suburban areas an hour’s drive from the city or more that may be less expensive for longer-term visits.

Also, we’re considering other island countries in the South Pacific.  Soon, we’ll begin looking at our options, especially due to the fact that the first gap falls over the Christmas season

In Hawaii, these red  leaves were growing on Tiki plants. Here, they are called Cordyline.

For now, we’re taking a short break from spending money on deposits and searching for vacation homes online. The cost of the wifi for our “borrowed” hotspots is running around USD $103, AUD $140 every three weeks for 16 gigs which I use almost exclusively. Not one to do much browsing when not preparing for a post, I end up using half of a gigabyte a day for research and uploading each day’s post.

Without the separate hotspot, we wouldn’t be able to post with the poor connection here or, it would take all day to upload the photos. When we’re busy looking for vacation homes, I can easily use a gig or more in a single day.

In the interim, we’re awaiting the posting of new cruises by the cruise lines. Generally, they aren’t available online until 18 months from sail dates. Thus, we’re not too far away from seeing new listings.

Back steps leading to the owner’s area of the house. We’re on the ground level while they are above us.

When we have gaps as indicated about, we enter an estimate on our spreadsheet of how much we anticipate we’ll spend during the gaps, based on our current cost per day. 

Yesterday, we entered all of the important data on the spreadsheet for the three new cruises, three of which we’d yet to enter. It’s a time-consuming process that, if it is for only one cruise, is less intimidating.

With no chaise lounges down by the pool, we’ve yet to use it.  This steep stairway prevents us from hauling chairs down these steps and back up each day.  We’ve been able to get a short stint in the sun on our veranda where there are two chairs.

There are three separate worksheets in the Excel workbook where we log all of our travel and expenses;

  1. The itinerary with booked rental costs and estimated other expenses (based on history)
  2. A record on a separate tab for deposits paid, how paid and balances due with due dates
  3. Another separate tab (worksheet) for cruises only, which includes such items as cost, cabin number and cabin size, tips included or paid separately, name of the ship, and any cabin credits that may be included.

Those of you who are experts in the accounting industry may argue with our record keeping but for us, it works. (We keep a special tab for tax deductible items). We’ve investigated possible travel related apps that may make our record keeping a little less time consuming but at this time we haven’t found one that attributes to the vast amount of travels we’re doing.

A tiny blue flower.

Are there any aspects to this itinerary that we’d change if we could? Our only hesitations have been staying in Fiji for a total of four months, at two different properties which lessen the long period.

And, we also have hesitated over the two separate stays at the same exquisite Bali house broken up into two segments partly due to visa restrictions. However, at certain points, staying put for awhile greatly supports our budget. We’d have loved to spend the entire four months at the Bali house at one time.  

This gulley runs off the side of the property. Situated into a hill/mountain, the runoff is good as we observed with it raining during our first month in Trinity Beach.

However, in Bali, we were able to negotiate an extremely reasonable rate by leaving the property over the expensive “high season” enabling the owner to collect higher rates during the middle three months. Its these kinds of decisions, that may be seen as illogical to some, that allow us to stay in much nicer, higher priced properties that we may have otherwise avoided.

In every case, there’s a motivation to our decisions, none of which we expect to regret in the future provided each of the properties we’ve book meet our expectations based on the online representation. 

More colorful Cordyline.

There’s been only one experience, our very first in Belize, our first vacation home outside the US, that we felt wasn’t fairly represented from which we moved after the first week. There was no running water other than for a few hours a day and the screens (holes too large) didn’t keep out the no-see-ums, making staying there utterly impossible when I had no less than 100 raging, itching bites all over my body.

At that point we lost our prepaid first month. A week later we found a condo directly on the ocean in a fabulous resort for our remaining two months in Belize turning a less than desirable situation into a wonderful memory.  If you haven’t read about that experience, check our archives from January 30, 2013 to February 6, 2013 during that difficult experience, right out of the chute.

A sunny day in Trinity Beach inspired me to take photos in the yard.

Overall, we’ve had our fair share of “safari luck” which we feel continues today while we thoroughly enjoy our Trinity Beach home and our thoughtful and gracious property owners, Sylvie and Andy.

Today, we’re off to explore a little, staying in the north part of town as opposed to the south where the “show” holiday is packed with locals and tourists who are attending the local Cairns carnival and craft shows.

Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers!

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

The pier is Funchal where we boarded the Sea Born catamaran for the whale and dolphin watching. Please click here for details.