Four days and counting until the four hour harrowing drive…Tools for staying organized…

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We printed all the paperwork and documents we could possibly need for multiple upcoming flights and visa applications which will be required on paper at the embassies. Placing each in its own unique envelope seemed to be the easiest way to find what we’ll need. Also, included are the necessary documents for us both of us to apply online for the renewal of our Nevada driver’s licenses, Tom in six months, mine in eight months. The blue envelope contains extra passport-type photos we purchased here for use in applying for the three visas in Singapore.
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Kids on the beach, making sand castles. This is universal worldwide.

Originally, when we booked two separate two month stays in Bali at the same property, we were hesitant, asking ourselves, “What if we didn’t like it? What if for some reason we were miserable?”

At the time, with the commitment to finalize the booking imminent, we decided to take our chances. If we didn’t like it, we’d find a way to make it tolerable. In most cases, if a location isn’t a favorite, we end up spending a good chunk of our time making plans for the future while we stay busy enjoying the location as much as possible.

Fluffy flowers.

That concept is predicated by a good wifi signal, allowing us to do research while the time whittles away. Although we totally loved the house and the staff in Marrakech, Morocco in 2014, we stayed a little too long for the venue, a total of two and a half months. 

But, here in Bali, in this lovely villa, we feel comfortable and at ease. Certainly, the WiFi signal could be better. Gede hopes there will be a resolution by our return. If not, we’ll live with it. We haven’t been unable to post something each and every day during these past almost two months. 

This flower design is commonly used at the ends of posts in Balinese construction.

Sure, there’s always nuances we’d prefer to be different; no flies while we’re dining is probably the biggest one. But then, it’s a reality of life in many parts of the world. 

While living in Australia, we quickly realized that the flies bite so we had to leave the screen-less doors closed in the heat of the day. Here in Bali, only on a rare occasion do we feel a nip from a fly, perhaps from a different variety. I’ve been able to use only a tiny amount of repellent to keep the mozzies at bay, especially early in the morning and late in the day during dinner.

A wide array of tropical flowers bloom in each location we visit.

No English speaking TV?  No big deal. Four hour harrowing drive from Denpasar to the villa (each way)?  Annoying. Visa extension requiring three round trips at a total of four hours of driving time along with hours of waiting time on each of the three days in order to complete the process?  Bothersome. Poor WiFi signal? Frustrating. No opportunity in this remote area to dine in a restaurant from time to time?  Unusual.

On the flip side, we’ve loved so much about this location; the fabulous staff and their attentive care; the outrageous food; the exquisite accommodations; the infinity pool; the ocean views including daily wonders on the beach; the local people and interesting culture; and the unusual experiences we had almost daily in one way or another.

Birds and beasts are symbolic in Indonesia designs.

A few nights ago, there was a crab in our bedroom. That made us laugh. When does one find a crab in their bedroom? With a handful of paper towels I picked it up, depositing it back to the beach.  Buffalo on the beach every evening? Where does one see this? We’ve never lost interest in watching them meander along the shore. It goes on and on which we’ve shared in post after post.

So now as we wind down the remaining four days at the villa we smile with the knowledge and the acceptance of the few obstacles, while for the first time in our travels, we know what to expect upon our return…another two months in Paradise. 

Neighboring villas also have neatly trimmed landscaping.

Will are readers be bored when we’re back here with “same old, same old?” We hope not and, we have a plan. During the upcoming two whirlwind months of activity after traveling to Southeast Asia we’ll be thrilled for a little downtime while back in Bali to begin sharing stories we’ll have saved for our readers. 

We’re planning to save many of our Southeast Asia cultural stories especially from the Mekong River cruise (to eventually be posted when we return to Bali), writing the stories as they occur while the information is  still fresh in our minds. 

Bus stop in the neighborhood.

Of course, we’ll prepare a shorter daily post in “real time” while on the Mekong River cruise as we experience Vietnam and Cambodia both by land and water since we’ll be out on tours most days during the cruise itinerary.

As for Singapore, starting in five days (we’re spending one night at a hotel in Denpasar, Bali before the flight), where we’ll be for one week, we’ll prepare our usual posts with photos as we visit three embassies for the required three visas we need, incorporating sightseeing along the way. This should be quite an experience it itself.

The Hindu temple often has scary statues to drive away evil spirits.

Today, we’ll both pack and weigh our bags, pay the online excess baggage fees and be done. Once again, this will give us peace of mind allowing us to thoroughly enjoy our remaining few days at the villa. 

May your day bring you peace of mind!


Photo from one year ago today, June 23, 2015:

Shopping in Trinity Beach, Australia was as unique as it has been in most new locations.The AUD 227.57 for Woolie’s Grocery Store, (aka Woolworth’s) translated to US $175.86. This total didn’t include the veggies at US $32.77, AUD 42.41 and Italian sausage at US $13.45, AUD  17.40. For more details, please click here.

Losing 32 pounds, 14.5 kg, between us while in Bali for less than two months…What? How’d that happen?

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This was a woman on a motorbike transporting vegetation to feed animals.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This wild or stray dog was digging in the sand looking for food.

Tom gained quite a bit on the past few cruises which he never seemed to lose after even with my diligent efforts in cooking a LCHF (low carb high fat) diet which is grain, sugar, and starch free. Over time, he noticed he was gaining weight when he had trouble buttoning his pants.  I noticed it in the protrusion of his belly.

Then again, I’d gained about 12 pounds, 5.4 kg, over these past few years, especially after I discovered a few baked goods recipes that are sugar, grain, and starch free including cinnamon swirled buttery almond flour coffee cake recipe which totally appropriate for my way of eating but eventually packed on a few pounds. 

Also, prior to coming to Bali, we’d regularly been having a homemade almond flour, lemon poppy seed muffin with dinner (again befitting our dietary restrictions) that was irresistible with gobs of butter. The butter wasn’t the issue. It was the muffin.

Tom’s tuna, rice, and veggie dinner last night.  He lost weight, eating these plentiful and flavorful meals.

I noticed I was gaining weight, 1.73 meters, when I felt I noticed I was getting the much-maligned “muffin top” appropriately named from eating those muffin type foods while wearing low slung pants. I didn’t like putting on nice clothes to go out to dinner when nothing fit me. I felt like a stuffed sausage. 

I’m tall for a woman at 5’8″ (shrinking daily) although I have a somewhat smaller frame, making 12 pounds, 5.4 kg quite evident. As for Tom, he’s not naturally a “burly” type guy and at barely 6 feet tall, 1.83 meters, weight losses are also obvious both to the fitting of his clothes and good health. When he’s been on the heavier side, he’ll huff and puff hauling our heavy luggage. That can’t be good.

Had we continued on that path, none of our clothing would have fit. We both had to lay on the edge of the bed to zip our jeans. I hate that!  It’s not as if we have a closet in a guest room with larger-sized clothes for those less than lean periods.

The last month in New Zealand I tried losing weight, especially after I stepped on the travel scale to discover I was 12 pounds 5.4 kg, heavier than I’d been when we began our travels. It’s not as if I’ve been eating bread and pastries. 

Small buffalo neighbor.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to lose an ounce, while living most recently in New Zealand. Slim most of my adult life, I was worried when I’d always been able to lose a few pounds easily. I’d begun to wonder if it was time to accept advancing age as a reality that was continually going to make the scale and my waistline rise. 

Was the same true for Tom? Was the rotund belly a simple fact of advancing age? Was this our fate until we were old enough when many seniors naturally lose weight when cooking and eating become less appealing? We didn’t want that to be us if we could avoid it.

Then we arrived in Bali. No more low-carb muffins, coffee cake, and mushroom soufflé with dinner.No more low carb desserts for Tom. No more piles of sour cream which I’d been putting atop almost everything I ate as a “special treat. They don’t have sour cream, almond flour, coconut flour or the ingredients required to make any low carb desserts anywhere within a four hours drive of here. 

Fortunately, even when I incorporated these muffin-type foods into my diet I remained in control of my pain-free existence. Otherwise, I’d have immediately changed what I was eating.  No food is worth feeling pain.

My tuna and veggies dinner last night.

Continuing to feel well hardly triggered any motivation for us to change. We all like the taste and feel of “bread-like” substances in our mouths from time to time. However diligent we were in maintaining the list of acceptable foods, we simply ate too much food. 

Not unlike many others who adopt a “way of eating” over time, it’s human nature that we try to adapt it more to our liking and we start gaining back all the weight and then some. Statistically, as many as 90% of dieters regain all the weight they’d lost within three years, although stats on this are all over the place. Only we know our own reality.

For us, gaining weight is a serious issue both in health in our continuing travels and in our clothing continuing to fit. What, am I going to pop into the GAP to buy the next size up in my required extra long blue jeans? I can’t remember the last time I was in a GAP store…duh, maybe four years ago. 

Freighter passing by.

Bottom line, literally and figuratively is this…we both need to be able to continue to fit into the clothing we have on hand and for health reasons, stay within that range which is ideal for our body types. We each know where that is.

Then, we came to Bali where we were unable to purchase the above-mentioned ingredients nor was I cooking a single meal. Even on Sunday’s, the two Ketut’s day off, we ate a meal leftover for us to reheat that they’d prepared for two nights on Saturdays.

Beaches are seldom populated by bathers and sun worshipers.

Suddenly, we both started losing weight. We didn’t notice it at first. It just fell off, me more slowly than Tom but a little each week. We started stepping on the travel scale (suitable for both humans and luggage) squealing with delight over each pound lost.

In less than two months, Tom lost a full 20, 9 kg, pounds, down to his lowest weight since Belize in 2013 and I’m back to my weight of many years prior to traveling. Our clothing fits perfectly. We both tried on pants and shorts thrilled at how comfortable they’ve become once again. 

Tom’s big belly is gone, gone, gone.  My muffin top has all but disappeared when wearing those goofy low slung pants (I despise those low hip hugger type pants. What’s the deal there? Is it the ’60s again? When will women’s waist high jeans, pants, and shorts become available again which are so much more comfortable?).

Entrance to temple in the neighborhood.

How did we lose weight so easily is a result of our eating the following over the past almost two months in addition to our morning two cups of coffee with the whole cream:

1.  Huge plate of coconut oil stir-fried vegetables with Balinese spices.
2.  Protein sources cooked with butter or coconut oil, including fresh fish (usually blue tuna), grass-fed ground beef, prawn stir fry atop the above veggies, and chicken made in a variety of ways.  , we may have boiled eggs with dinner or bacon with bun-less burgers (tonight’s dinner).
3.  Coleslaw with homemade dressing.
4.  Rice for Tom on occasion. (He gave up the occasional treat of French fries/chips when they caused acid reflux which kept us both awake all night). He’s continued to lose weight while eating the rice a few times a week. 
5.  Natural cheeses for our nightly “cheese plate” as a dessert/treat after dinner.

That’s it. We eat nothing else. If we’re hungry during the day or feel a need for something, we have a bite of cheese or a hard-boiled egg. No more homemade low-carb baked goods, no more gobs of sour cream, no more nightly dessert for Tom other than his little plate of cheese.

Gone…32 pounds between us. We’re shocked and pleased to have learned an important lesson. As we age, regardless of how much exercise we get (we walk a lot and work out in the pool daily), it’s what we put in our mouths both in quality of food (we already had that under control) and in the amount of food we consume.  There’s no magic here.

Temples and Marlboro signs are everywhere.  Cigarettes are cheap in Bali at IDR $20,000, US $1.51 per pack.

It’s not about calorie counting which we don’t do and don’t believe is important or necessary. It’s not about eating low fat which decades-old myth is now being disproved by massive scientific studies worldwide.  

As for carb counting, even that’s not required when we eat only what’s on the above list. Nor, is it about eating tiny portions. We eat until we’re comfortably full and satisfied. The only reason we eat once a day, plus our cheese plate after dinner, is that we simply aren’t hungry. 

If all of us made one tiny change in our diet…never put a morsel of food in our mouths when we’re not hungry, rampant diabetes, obesity, and other diseases could be dramatically reduced making all of us more healthy.

The area near the beach where we stopped for photos.

For us, it was going back to that which we already knew and failed to do consistently over these past few years:

  • Eat food in its natural state; as healthfully grown and raised as possible.
  • Stop eating when full.  Eat only when hungry.
  • There’s no need for baked goods, treats, and sweets, even when they’re gluten-free, sugar free, grain-free, starch-free, and low carb.

There’s no guaranty Tom won’t indulge on the next round of cruises. Most likely he will. That’s his choice and there’s nothing I can or will say to change that. We each have to choose our own path. But, I’ve learned these valuable lessons after having the lovely two Ketuuts doing all the cooking.

And, if Tom gains back some of the weight, at least we’ll be back here in a few months for him to start over again. As for me, I’m not interested in going through this “clothes not fitting” scenario again. I’m staying firm on this path going forward.

May you chose a path to healthfulness that works well for you.

Photo from one year ago today, June 22, 2015:

In Trinity Beach, Australia, we noticed these White Ibis on the front lawn of a house near the fitness center. For more photos, please click here.

Unusual photos….Six days and counting…A full moon and Summer Solstice coincide after many decades in the Northern Hemisphere only…

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These photos could have been used for “Sightings on the Beach in Bali” but we preferred to show the progression when we spotted this unusual display.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

After watching this local citizen for awhile with his plastic bags on the beach we couldn’t quite determine what he was doing.

Time to depart Bali has seemingly cropped up suddenly. Usually, we comment one week before departure which is a week from today when we’ll fly to Singapore. 

However, in six days we’ll leave the villa at 10 am for the four-hour harrowing drive to Denpasar where we’ll spend the night in a hotel. Unable to book a flight to coincide with the long drive with a reasonable flight time, again we chose the hotel option, to keep stress and rushing at a minimum.

Zooming in, this contraption appeared to be holding some sort of vegetation.

We’re hoping the drive won’t be quite as harrowing as when we arrived almost two months ago now that we’re more familiar with the roads and drivers in Bali and also that we’ll be more rested than we were upon arrival.

Yesterday, when Gede stopped by, we asked if we could leave the duffle bag at the villa in order to lighten our load during the two months until we return on September 1st. 

“No problem!” Gede enthusiastically stated, “We have a storage room to hold it for you.” 

One of our cooks went outside to greet the vendor and made a purchase.

We’re thrilled to lighten our load by at least 20 pounds, 9 kg, for all the flights we’ve booked over the next two months resulting in fewer excess baggage fees. We’ve already filled the duffle bag with heavy clothing, jackets, jeans, cruisewear, and slightly warmer clothing that we won’t need in Southeast Asia. 

It’s only casual attire on the upcoming Mekong River cruise with no formal nights. We’re each bringing one pair of jeans and a couple of pairs of long pants just in case it’s extra cool in the dining room for dinners on the ship. 

Up close the peculiar display looked smaller than it appeared from afar.

Based on the nature of this river cruise, we’ll only spend seven nights on the boat with the remainder in hotels as we continue on the cruise/tour to Vietnam and Cambodia, many evenings dining in restaurants off the ship. 

With lots of mosquitoes in these countries and many restaurants outdoors, we’ll be happy to have brought along our BugsAway clothing with long pants and long-sleeved shirts. We already have plenty of repellent with us.

As our travel and subsequent packing experience has escalated over these past years, I’ve now come to realize if I had to I could pack in 20 minutes. This results in my spending less time thinking about packing, although we still prefer to be packed a few days ahead of departure to weigh our bags and pay the fees in advance online resulting in a discount from most airlines. 

Ketut purchased these raw peanuts which would have to be roasted prior to consumption.

Our handy under .5 kg travel scale continues to serve us well for weighing our luggage and ourselves from time to time. It’s especially been useful recently when we both lost considerable weight while living in Bali. More on that in tomorrow’s post.

As for the full moon and the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, an odd pairing over the past many decades, here’s a bit of info we discovered at this website explaining it more succinctly than I could have:

“Watch for a full-looking moon on the eve of the June solstice (June 19, 2016) and a full moon on the solstice itself (June 20). From what we’ve been able to gather, this is the first full moon to fall on the June solstice since the year 1967, which some recall as the year of the Summer of Love, a social phenomenon centered on San Francisco, London, and other places around the globe.

There was nothing in his display that was befitting our way of eating. He took off for other opportunities seeming content with his peanut sale.

There’ve been a number of near-misses of full moons on June solstices, however. And we are indeed talking about the June solstice, not solstices in general. In fact, there was a full moon eclipse on the December solstice in 2010.
Reliably, the phases of the moon recur on or near the same calendar dates every 19 years.

It’s the “or near” that causes the full moon to miss the solstice on that 19th year, sometimes. Nineteen years from this year’s solstice – on June 20, 2035 – the full moon will not fall on the same date as the June solstice. It’ll be another near miss, with the full moon falling on June 20, 2035, and the solstice arriving one day later.

It appears as if the full moon and June solstice won’t fall on the same calendar date again until June 21, 2062.”

A young male buffalo neighbor.

Although we won’t have been able to observe this occurrence here in Bali (besides, its already a day later here), it’s interesting to read about this phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere. 

If you’re able to take any good photos of the supposed “strawberry moon,” please send them our way via the email link on our homepage and we’ll be happy to share them with our readers with your permission and your name if you’d like. (Please specify if you’d prefer anonymity).

Shortly, Tom is off with Gede to the ATM. With generous tips we’ll be leaving for the wonderful staff, we’ll need millions of IDRs. I’ll stay behind to complete today’s post and to work on a few necessary pre-departure tasks.

Each evening during dinner, a pair of geckos appear which we hadn’t seen all day.  Once we uncover our food, zillions of flies bombard our plates.  We’ve actually watched the two geckos catch some of the flies.  Conclusion:  geckos smell our food and come “out of the woodwork” hoping to catch some of the flies attracted to our meal.  Nature…amazing!

It’s funny, how different this stay in Bali has been as opposed to many others knowing we’ll be returning in two months. Based on our itinerary it was a logical decision while we needed a place to park ourselves in-between cruises especially when we’re already in this part of the world. 

As always, we’ll be back tomorrow with our weight loss story, one we never expected or intended while in Bali. 

We hope all the dads out there in those countries observing Father’s Day had a very special day with their loved ones.

Photo from one year ago today, June 21, 2015:

Tom’s homemade dinner while in Trinity Beach included one pork chop, three gluten-free cheese sausages, one gluten-free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a side salad, and a muffin with New Zealand grass-fed organic butter. Was there something I was doing wrong in my cooking that prevented him from losing weight which has changed here in Bali? More on that tomorrow.  Click here for this past post.

Tom corrected me over yesterday’s post…”We do gamble,” he says!…An element of our lives we seldom mention here…

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A little hut in the neighborhood managed by a woman and her daughter where they sell SIM cards for data and phones and a few other products.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This large rock formation has formed on the beach visible only at low tide. 

After Tom read yesterday’s post, he said, “You’re wrong, Sweetie. We do gamble, big time.”

I thought for a moment trying to jog my memory over the past many years when we were in a casino and played a few games.  I couldn’t recall a single occasion.

He laughed and said, “We gamble every day playing the stock market! Isn’t that gambling when all is said and done?”

“You’re absolutely right, Honey,” I replied nodding my head in agreement.

Sunset view and reflection in the infinity pool.
Once Tom retired and rolled over his 401K to an online brokerage company we could easily access in our travels, this type of “gambling” has served us well. Armed with a plethora of knowledge he’s gleaned from a few extraordinary experts, he’s become quite good at it.  (We’re not talking about that guy that screams on TV or on any other TV celebrity or supposed finance guru).
With my daily photo taking, posting, management of spreadsheets, financial records, banking, and accounting for our travels, overall I paid little attention to what he was doing other than to listen when he wanted to share interesting details.

I didn’t want to hear when it wasn’t going well so he stayed mum to keep me from worrying.  But, as his expertise and desires for diversity have grown and we’ve made our way to the plus side at the moment, my interest has peaked. Over this past year, I’ve taken a greater interest while Tom makes all the moves.

Some mornings humidity, fog, and smoke from local fires create a fuzzy scene on the beach.

Sure, with stocks, options, longs/shorts, and a wide array of other financial products, one is taking an enormous risk.  We see this each week when, for example, we go online after 9:30 pm (Indonesia time) five nights a week when the stock market opens in the US. 

Based on this huge time difference the US market closes at 4 am when we’re sleeping. But, it’s not entirely unusual for either of us to be awake during the night or very early in the morning unable to avoid firing up Tom’s laptop to see what’s going on. 

The ups and downs are not for the faint of heart. We’ve both had to learn to avoid letting the downs become upsetting. I suppose it is gambling, after all, except in a  much bigger way than putting a few dollars on a blackjack table, poker table, or in a slot machine. One may be “gambling” with their life savings.

Another larger shop in the neighborhood carrying many tourist-type needs, beverages, and snacks.

Also, we had no desire to turn this process over to a “financial advisor” paying fees and commissions while allowing someone else to make decisions on our behalf. For many, this is their only option when they have investible funds but little education, time, or interest in handling it on their own.

Over these past 44 months of world travel, Tom has had all of the time and interest necessary to further educate himself to a point of feeling confident in making important decisions. 

Flowers blooming from a small tree.

Tom’s favorite source of education has been with Bob Rinear on this website. Bob’s information and education have provided valuable information. Tom followed Bob’s website and free newsletter long before we retired. 

About one year before Tom retired in 2012, he paid for Bob’s annual yearly subscription, “The Insiders Club” which has ultimately served us well. Tom also participated in the comprehensive training course, again proving to be a valuable tool.  (In no manner are we involved in any revenue or proceeds from Bob’s website. We’re simply subscribers as are many others throughout the world).

Since I’m way more frugal than he is, it’s best I continue to stay out of the day-to-day decisions, although he shares details of every transaction with me prior to making any changes. In the process, I too, am getting an education through my savvy partner.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

We won’t draw any money out from these funds until after Tom turns 70.5 years old (7 years) at which point US tax laws require annual minimum withdrawals be made along with the payment of required federal tax (and state taxes, if applicable). If we lost it all, we could still survive and continue to travel the world.

It’s only under these circumstances that we feel comfortable taking the risks. If one wouldn’t be able to cover living expenses if they lost it all in a stock market crash, which may be likely at some point, they shouldn’t be investing. (We’ve also decided it’s wise to secure some of one’s investments into less vulnerable assets).

The stress of potentially losing everything could be unbearable making the later years of one’s life, less than enjoyable. We’re not offering any investment advice here.  We’re explaining how we perceive “gambling” in our lives.

A modest well cared for Hindu home in the neighborhood.

The excitement of it all is certainly comparable to winning at a casino and the disappointment perhaps even more devastating than when losing at a poker table. 

With a tough hide, diligent attention to market fluctuations, world affairs and a degree of knowledge and expertise and, an enormous amount of interest and desire to make it work, its an exciting area of our lives we seldom, if ever, mention here.

No, we don’t sit around all day playing games on our phones. Even on those sunny outdoors-all-day days, the wheels are always in motion as we continually reach for safety, security, and peace of mind achievable in many ways in our lives of travel.

In Bali, it’s common to see trash fires burning along the road or in yards.

One more point, we use a VPN, a virtual private network, to further secure our access to financial websites (which are supposedly secure) but this added measure of security provides us with further peace of mind.

Without a doubt, life is a gamble in many ways for every one of us; our health, our well-being, our sense of security, our financial health, basically all aspects. The degree to which we proactively pursue enhancing each of these areas is entirely up to us.

May your day provide you with an opportunity for peace of mind.

Photo from one year ago today, June 20, 2015:

This is the noisy night bird, the bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) that kept us awake the first week in Trinity Beach, Australia after which we became used to it, sleeping through the noise. It’s a nocturnal, ground-dwelling bird that makes its home in Australia’s open forests, grasslands, mangroves, and salt marshes. (Not our photo). We never saw one during the day.  For more details please click here.

Las Vegas…Here we come!!!…Gambling?…

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Often, we see motorbikes loaded with products being delivered to a variety of the tiny shops in the neighborhood, which sell candy, soda, cigarettes and snacks.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Colorful fishing boat with the crew at the end of a long night.

We don’t gamble, not in casinos. One could say we gamble with the quality of our lives every single day. We’ll agree with that. However, we have no interest in sitting at a slot machine or card table, giving away money we’ve carefully budgeted for many more interesting events in our lives.

Many people love gambling in casinos. Their occasional wins interspersed with more losses keep them engaged in the concept that it’s a worthwhile pleasurable activity. If one can do so without serious consequences in their lives, have at it! 

Decorative hand-carved door in the neighborhood.

If we gambled and lost US $300, IDR 4,001,250 at a poker table that would be groceries for two weeks outside the US or 10 separate day trips with a driver in Bali or the cost of excess luggage fees on Qantas airlines for a flight to Sydney from wherever. 

Tom used to enjoy playing blackjack. Years ago, he gave it up when one day it dawned on him that his losses were greater than his wins and it just wasn’t a logical way to spend hard-earned money. 

Even I had my days, way back when, of playing on occasion at one of the American Indian owned casinos in Minnesota or in Las Vegas when visiting eldest son Richard, a successful real estate agent, who’s lives in Henderson, Nevada (a suburban city near Las Vegas) for over 30 years. 

A local gathering place and temple.

For the past 20 years, neither of us has played a single casino game, not in casinos, not on cruise ships, and not at a single slot machine at the airport in Nevada. Nada. None. That’s not to say we wouldn’t play a friendly game of cards or dice with family or friends. We’re OK losing a few bucks to people to love. That’s different.

Why are we discussing gambling? After yesterday’s posting of our plans for visiting Minnesota for six weeks beginning next May, we’d be amiss not to mention where we’ll be spending our remaining three weeks during the 2017 trips to the US. 

Statues to be mounted in front yard temple at a house construction site in the neighborhood.

It’s hard to be in Las Vegas and not visit some of the new hotels we’ve yet to see while wandering through casino after casino. We’re confident we won’t have any trouble avoiding the tables and slot machines.

By the time we arrive in Las Vegas on July 7, 2017, we won’t have been there since December 2012 when we rented a vacation home in Henderson not far from Richard during which time three of Tom’s sisters and two brothers-in-law came to stay with us. 

Also, members of my family visited for Tom’s birthday on December 23rd and for Christmas a few days later. It was a memorable time spent together especially when we were only days away from leaving the US to begin our world journey.

If cows can be pretty, we thought this is quite lovely.

(By the way, when we count how long we’ve actually been gone, we consider the day we left Minnesota on Halloween, October 31, 2012. We spent two more months in both Scottsdale, Arizona, and Henderson, Nevada making final preparations to leave the US. 

On January 3, 2013, (here’s the post from that date) after driving to San Diego, California we sailed on our first ever cruise which fulfilled one of Tom’s dreams of traversing the Panama Canal. Son Richard and sister Julie said goodbye at the pier which meant so much to us).

This road we walk in the neighborhood has a fair amount of motorbike traffic.

Next July after we’ve completed the six weeks in Minnesota we’ll be visiting son Richard in Henderson, sister Susan in Las Vegas, and seeing sister Julie, who’ll fly in from Los Angeles for a visit while we’re there. During the three-week stay (until we fly to Costa Rica to our next vacation home in our itinerary on July 31, 2017), we’ll stay with Richard at his home in Henderson. 

Three weeks is a long time to stay in the home of others. Many have offered that we stay with them during these past years but we’ve always turned them down politely, appreciating the kind offer. 

There are several factors that make staying with Richard easier for all of us:

1. He doesn’t have a cat. I’m allergic. I can spend a few hours in a home with cats but never overnight when allergies are always worse.
2. He has room for us.  We refuse to ever allow any family member to vacate their room, their personal space for us. It’s simply not fair, especially for extended periods.
3. He doesn’t cook and doesn’t expect or want us to prepare food. We’ll either bring in something or eat out, hoping he’ll join us when it works for him.
4. He has a pool. We love pools.
5. He has a weekly cleaning person. There’s no expectation that we’ll be “earning our keep” by cleaning.
6. He’s gone all day working and we’ll have the house to ourselves with less time for us to annoy him with our daily routine.
7.  He has a hysterical pug, Monty, whom we adore. It will be enjoyable taking him for walks and hanging out with him. We wonder if he’ll remember us from almost five years ago.

Elaborate front yard temple.

For these above reasons, staying with Richard will be relatively easy. No doubt, it’s never easy to stay with anyone in their home for three weeks. I’ve heard nightmarish stories from friends when family came to stay for extended periods. However, we’ve stayed with him in past visits and it worked out well.

So, there it is folks, our US visit wrapped up in two neat little bundles with a goal to spend most of our time with family and also to spend some of our time with our dearest friends, many of whom we’ve stayed in close touch over this long period. 

We hope you’ll spend quality time with those you love, especially on Father’s Day in the US tomorrow. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Photo from one year ago today, June 19, 2015:

Trinity Beach, Australia has a lot to offer; ocean, mountains, and plains with gorgeous scenery. We enjoyed our three months in the lovely, relatively serene area. For more photos, please click here.

Excitement over future US plans…An unexpected oops in the villa…Fabulous food photos

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Yes, I ate this entire plate of spicy Balinese chicken atop a bed of stir-fried vegetables along with a salad. This is one of our favorite meals. Yes, this is an entirely sugar-free, grain-free, starch-free, gluten-free meal with under 10 grams of carbs (carbs coming from vegetables only). See Tom’s plate below.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

This group of cute Balinese kids stopped for a photo with their white horse who also wanted to get in the photo.

We’re thrilled to have worked out the details for our upcoming stay in the US in 11 months. As mentioned in a previous post, we ditched the RV plan for a hotel and have since negotiated the particulars with Country Inn and Suites in Plymouth, Minnesota from May 26 to July 7, 2017 for a 42 night stay.
 

Our link for Hotels.com here on our site led us to their corporate division for “group rates” when we entered the information for the extended stay. Although we’re hardly a group, the longer stay put us into the group pricing category enabling us to save almost US $100, IDR $1,333,750 per night.

A few mornings ago when Tom was opening the accordion doors as he does each mornings, suddenly wood and plaster fell to the floor.  Constant humidity certainly attributed to this occurrence in the four-year-old villa.

Over a period of the past week, the corporate site rep sent us numerous possibilities that would accept a corporate discount. We’d hoped to stay close to Highways 100 and 394 in Minneapolis that would accept a corporate discount. But the options were few, resulting in costs of at least 50% higher than other areas.

Also, an aspect we found especially exciting was the fact that we negotiated a price to include three children in our reservation. With our six grandchildren, if any would like to stay overnight, swim in the two huge pools while hanging out with us, there will be no questions asked.

Within an hour Ribud was on a ladder making temporary repairs allowing the doors to be fully operational until the plaster repair can transpire, most likely after we leave.


The hotel offers the following services and amenities:

  • 24-hour business center
  • 24-hour coffee, cookies and candy (complimentary)
  • Adjacent to Grizzly’s Grill & Bar (room service also provided)
  • Airport shuttle services for individuals and groups from SuperShuttle, based at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Transportation Level (fees apply)
  • Dry cleaning
  • Electronic room locks
  • Fax, copier and computer services
  • Fitness center
  • Forgotten items service
  • Free high-speed Internet access
  • Free weekday newspaper
  • Group rates available
  • Hot Be Our Guest Breakfast (complimentary)
  • On-site parking (complimentary)
  • Read It & Return Lending LibrarySM
  • TourStop® amenities for groups
  • Two laundry rooms, located in the hotel
  • Two indoor pools and whirlpool tubs
  • Weekday local area shuttle service within a five-mile radius (complimentary)
  • Weekend contracted shuttle services to designated venues; reserve with the Sales Department

When Country Inn and Suites offered us an upgraded King Suite with a living room, mini kitchen, and free wifi, all of which included a free hot breakfast for five, any given morning, and much more, it was hard to resist. 

In no time at all, Ribud had the door folding properly for our continued use during our remaining nine days in the villa.

Prices are high to stay in the US for six weeks. Rental cars, city and state taxes, dining out and groceries are much higher than we’re used to paying throughout the world. Currently, we’re researching the remainder of the other expenses although it’s
a little too soon to book our flight from Seattle to Minneapolis.

Within a few weeks, we’ll fall into the 330-day advance flight booking window. An interesting aspect of a long-term hotel stay we hadn’t considered earlier is that in the State of Minnesota, any hotel stays over 31 days are considered tax-exempt for a long-term rental/leased property.

Our meals are always hot, fresh, and delicious.

The corporate account manager at Country Inn & Suites explained in an email that we’ll be credited the full amount of the sales tax at the end of our stay to include the entire 42 nights at a savings of over 7.25% per day. For the purposes of illustration, we won’t include the sales tax in today’s total of US $4,494, IDR 59,938,725 for the 42 nights plus the cost of
incidentals.

Adding the ancillary costs for flights, rental car, fuel, meals (groceries and dining out), entertainment (activities with kids and grandkids), and whatever miscellaneous costs we may incur, we’re anticipating the total cost for the six weeks will be in the range of US $12,000, IDR 160,050,000.

Had we stuck with the original RV rental plan, we’d easily have incurred almost twice the above amount. Gee…we don’t like it always to have to be about money but, living this lifestyle or any lifestyle for that matter, requires one
to consider all the potential costs.

Tom seems to be able to tolerate eating white rice a few times per week while continuing to maintain his newly acquired 20 pound, 9 kg weight loss (since our arrival in Bali.

Since we pay off (in full) all of our credit cards every month, incurring no short or long-term debt, being frugal and sensible is the only way this life is possible.  If we “used up” all of our “available credit” on our cards, we’d be in deep trouble.

If we used all of our available credit on our cards how would we pay for the next three months for a vacation home or an upcoming cruise or flight?  We’ve found such tight budgetary diligence has made our travels as stress-free as possible barring any unforeseen events over which we have no control.

Over the past few days, it rained all afternoon forcing us indoors due to thunder and lightning.  Today, the sky is clear, the sea is blue, there’s the expected heat and humidity and…of course, there’s tons of flies and ants which seem to thrive after heavy rains. But, we’re as content as we can be, especially with these new US plans in place.

We hope your day brings you contentment as well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 18, 2015:

Our second kangaroo sighting of the day at a nearby field in Trinity Beach. The first, we saw in a flash while walking in the rain forest, unable to take a photo in time.  It was exciting to finally see kangaroos in the wild.  For more, please click here.

Amazing “Sighting on the Beach in Bali”…Harmony required for this life!…

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On November 13, 2012, while we lived in Scottsdale, Arizona preparing “paperwork” for our travels, we saw this stone sign in Old Town in Scottsdale while on a walk.  It read: “I have found that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them” by Mark Twain. Fortunately, we continue to like one another after 44 months on the move.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

What a sight this was late yesterday afternoon! What a resourceful biker!

One would think we could easily run out of conversation after
being together non-stop for the past 44 months. We don’t.  Somehow, day after day, we engage in endless conversations, entertaining quips, and surprisingly new stories about our lives before we knew one another which in a week will be 25
years ago. 

New construction in the neighborhood.

We laugh when we say that we’ll be able to retell old stories if and when our memories fail us as we age. As yet, this hasn’t happened. Although, at times, I’ll recall telling Tom a story long ago that he’s since forgotten. 

It’s not that his memory is bad. It’s excellent. Instead, it’s as a result of him not paying attention when I originally told him the story. He calls it selective hearing, some kind of “guy” thing. With his bad hearing after 42 years on the railroad, I may have told him the story, speaking too softly and he ignored the entire thing. I’ve since learned to speak loudly enough.

Temple behind the wall. Tom’s head is to the right in the photo.

At this point, I don’t mind him not recalling some of the stories of my life BT (before Tom). Its makes for a great new conversation. And, not to reveal a secret, but when he retells a story he told me 20 years ago, not recalling he’d already told me, I listen with the same enthusiasm as back then. I’m certain he does the same for me.

Yesterday afternoon as we “played” in the pool and Jacuzzi (no hot water, just bubbling air temperature water) we found ourselves laughing and telling stories we may or may not have told one another in the past. We never seem to run out of good fodder.

Makeshift wall supports.

We even go as far as sharing stories of past loves and dalliances, neither of us the jealous types. Some couples never go there. We do so with aplomb.

When a couple spends as much time together as we do, it seems it can go only one of two ways; one, it can be fun, playful, loving, and substantive, or two,…miserably. We opt for the first.

Elaborate entrance to community temple.

Today’s main photo of the stone inscription we encountered in Scottsdale almost four years ago, as we prepared to travel the world, didn’t scare us at the time. We had a feeling we’d have a great experience together. We’ve never been disappointed.

As for Tom’s occasional “overly grumpy” persona, it really doesn’t have an effect on me.  I’ve learned to ignore him during his short bursts of frustration which I’ve discovered seldom have anything to do with me. 

Noisy roosters kept in basket cages.

Usually, he’s feeling frustrated due to a situation over which he has little control, especially on travel days.  Not to excuse grumpiness but hey, we all have our weird moments, and mine, although not centered around grumpiness can be equally annoying.

With each other, we’re tolerant and compassionate, making a concerted effort to avoid unnecessary arguing and conflict. Those who say arguing is necessary for a good relationship perhaps have never experienced the
the joy of near-constant harmony with only a rare “ripple on the pond.”

Most rooftops have a similar design.

Harmony opens opportunities for good decisions, clear thinking, and practical solutions. Disharmony is a breeding ground for impulsive decision making often with devastating consequences. 

This traveling-the-world business requires an enormous amount of self-control, planning, adaptation, tolerance, and quick thinking. In a state of disharmony, all of these can waft away while the parties are wrapped up in
angst, anger, and frustration.

Decorative gates.

To sum it up, we had yet another good day poolside while living in the moment, reveling in the past and looking forward to the future.

May all of you, poolside or not, look forward to the future while embracing your today.

Photo from one year ago today, June 17, 2015:

While on the ship, several Australians mentioned the light color of the ship’s egg yolks. Back on land, Aussie eggs come from free-range chickens and when not fed grains the yolks are dark and dense.  For more food info from Trinity Beach, Australia, please click here.

Change in plans for US visit in May…

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We’re in awe of the ornate detail in the Hindu statues.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

The dogs on the beach show little to no interest in humans. But, they certainly enjoy hanging our together. These five were actually in a group of eight although it was impossible to get all eight in one photo.

From time to time it becomes necessary to change plans for a particular visit to a country. In a perfect world, the decisions we make we can follow through to completion. 

As we all well know, decisions may not be perfect, including ours, when we consider travel plans. Most often when we find it necessary to change plans, it doesn’t have a bearing on others. 

In this case, it does, for which we apologize to our family members if they are disappointed for the necessity of our making these changes. 

Another beautiful statue in the neighborhood of villas on the beach.

The biggest consideration in this change is the cost which escalated greatly over this past year. Over these past many days, we calculated the expenses on a spreadsheet to include the six weeks RV rental period, fuel, campground fees, US $3, IDR $40,004, per hour for generator use fees to run the refrigerator and the AC (at night only), and many ancillary fees that go along with renting an RV.

Recreational building/gathering place for villa owners/residents in the area.  This location is also where the security guards use it as a base overnight during their watch.

The total cost came in at no less than US $20,000, IDR 266,705,981. That included only the time spent in Minnesota.  With meals our daily costs would have been in excess of US $500, IDR $6,660,000 per day, definitely outside the realm of our budget especially for this extended period.

Then, we had to consider the added cost of making our way across the northern tier of the US to drive to Minnesota. In the summer, these expenses are outrageous. 

Hindu offering display.

Instead, once our Alaskan cruise ends on May 26th, we’re flying directly to Minnesota. Although the grandkids will still be in school for a few more weeks, we’ll have time to see them after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. 

During the school day hours, we hope to spend some quality time with our adult kids (if possible based on their work schedules) and visiting Tom’s retired siblings and old friends.

Kitchen on-site for resident’s use for entertaining guests in the recreational center.

The pluses to this big change? We’ve booked a hotel within 25 minutes of all of our kid’s three homes. We can visit them. They can visit us. The hotel has two indoor pools the kids will love.  We’ve booked the hotel reservation as having three children with us, enabling all of us to use the pools at once.

There’s never a shortage of exquisites views as shown from the recreational center.

We’ve negotiated a great rate which we’ll soon share. The car rental for this period will be in excess of US $2600, IDR 34,632,000 for a midsized vehicle for the six weeks, although not quite as costly as some other parts of the world.

As for meals, a complimentary breakfast is included for us and “three kids.” The hotel room will have a small refrigerator and microwave. Costco roasted chickens, here we come! 

Colorful statue in a front yard temple in the neighborhood.

With our intermittent fasting, we may only have a full meal in the evenings when we’re dining with family or friends. We’ll see how that works out. Since we never eat three meals a day (rarely two) our food costs won’t be outrageous.

A more contemporary statue at a new home construction site in the neighborhood.

With the change to a hotel allowing for greater mobility and a certain degree of practicality, we’re able to cut the cost almost in half ultimately making the time in Minnesota all the more enjoyable.

More details will follow. Happy day to all!


Photos from one year ago today, June 16, 2015:

An indoor organic farmer’s market in the mall in Trinity Beach, Australia, where we often shopped for vegetables. For more details please click here.

Our research for the future continues…Saddened by news from the US…

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Late yesterday afternoon during an uncommonly heavy rainstorm, I went out to the freezer in the garage to get some ice. I saw this long black thing, referred to as an omangomang in Balinese, moving along the garage floor. I called out to Tom to come see it. He grabbed the camera and came running. Creepy.  Was that an eye looking out at us?  
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
A perfect sunny day at low tide.

Is there ever a time we can sit back and not be concerned about the “next” location in our world travels? Its not likely at this point in our lives.

As we discuss short term goals (over the next few years) and potential long term goals (who knows where and when?) we realize that our travels are not only determined by cost and desirability but also the general safety of each location.

Suddenly, legs came out of the long black shell and the crustacean began dragging itself along the garage floor.  The two Ketuts explained this is an omangomang which may not be eaten.

Yesterday, Tom spotted this article about the “25 Safest Countries in the World.”  Click here for details.

Over these past several days, we’ve watched online news retelling the horrific story of the mass shootings in Orlando, Florida. Our hearts go out to all the families of victims of this devastation and pray for healing and peace for our nation and nations throughout the world.

An ocean view while the van was moving through traffic.

In the realm of things, our personal travels become small and insignificant amid such sad news. But, as we all know, we must each carry on with our lives with the hope and intent of doing so with love and harmony as our primary goals.

As we reach toward our future, we not only research places “we’d like to see” but also where we can feel relatively at ease if we walk through an open market or stop at a café. 

We have no delusions that anywhere in the world is 100% safe. However, we can improve our odds of remaining safe by considering each future location after considerable deliberation and research.

Gede, our kind, helpful and thoughtful house man, built this house some years ago. He’s been heavily involved with construction and renovation over the years although he’s under 40 years old and quite resourceful and capable.

Another factor we must eventually consider more seriously is proximity to quality medical care. Here in this remote area of Bali, far from any world-class medical facilities, we’d be in serious trouble if we had a life-threatening medical emergency. 

The neighbor next door to our villa passed away a few years ago from a heart attack when he wasn’t able to get proper medical care in a timely fashion. He’d been taken to the hospital in Negara and the “doctor wasn’t in yet and not due to arrive for several hours.” Yikes. The man died while waiting.

On the left a restaurant and a data (SIM) card store on the right.

We’re not getting any younger. In less than 20 months, I’ll turn 70 years old (good grief!) with Tom lagging five years behind me. Regardless of how hard we may try to stay healthy, things can happen beyond our control.

Every so often, one of us feels a sharp pain or sense of discomfort that usually dissipates after awhile. Most likely, this occurs for most seniors (and those younger) from time to time. When we’re far from medical care, an added sense of concern washes over us, wondering what we’d do if one of us needed immediate treatment.

Motorbike drivers stop at the beaches along the highway for a lunch break or to purchase products from roadside stands.

Our health insurance provides for air ambulance to the closest world-class hospital paying 100% of major medical costs which gives us peace of mind to an extent although not entirely. It’s the getting there expeditiously that becomes the greater source of concern.

A few stretches of the highway can be less busy although shortly ahead at this location we encountered considerable traffic.

What? Me, worry? Sure, overall, maintaining good health is our primary source of concern. Do we fuss over it all the time? No. We only worry when there’s  a reason to, such as when there’s a lingering sharp pain or a sense of not feeling quite right. 

In the future, we’ve already booked a few more remote-type locations for extended stays and most likely we’ll continue to book a few more remote locations in the future. Many of our upcoming cruises including Antarctica in January, 2018 are considered remote. 

Commercial building along the highway.

The world is a big place. We’ve hardly explored the “tip of the iceberg” (but soon will!). Safety and well being will always be of our utmost concern and never will we take that safety for granted.

May your day provide you with a sense of well being and safety.

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

The rainy view of what is aptly named, Double Island, as seen from our veranda one year ago in Trinity Beach, Australia where we lived for three months. For more photos, please click here.

Working out the physical kinks from excess lounging…

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Two fresh-caught tuna for last night’s and tonight’s meals. Total cost for two fish? The only US, $5.65, IDR 75,000.  We pay the actual cost for food and tip the staff at the end of our stay in appreciation for their excellent service.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

These two women were walking on the beach carry dried vines on their heads. The one in front appeared more adept at balancing while the other kept reaching up to balance the load.

It was 8 am Tuesday when I began today’s post. The two Ketuts had just arrived to clean the villa while Ribud was busy working on the pool and yard. They each wear uniforms that read, “Beach House West Bali.” They always appear fresh, bright-eyed, and ready for the day.

This morning while we languished in bed a little later than usual in air-conditioned comfort, we had Tom’s perfectly prepared coffee. I spilled mine on the bed, later apologizing to the girls for the extra work to change the sheets. They were gracious as always.

The front entrance to another villa a few doors down the narrow road.

It’s cloudy today. We don’t mind at all. If it rains we’ll head indoors until it stops. This island has the best weather we’ve had living on any tropical island in our travels. It rains for short periods once or twice a week, often overnight.

The moment the raindrops begin to fall Ribud suddenly appears to bring in all the chaise cushions, chaise covers, and beach towels. No matter how fast Tom attempts to do this small task Ribud is quicker to take over. We don’t have to do a thing.

Tom had taken an extraordinary photo of Praying Mantis on the edge of the infinity pool.  This is my rendition of his reflection in the water.

Since our arrival, I’ve been sitting too much with all this wonderful household help doing everything for us, which isn’t favorable for my delicate spine. Days ago, feeling stiff and uncomfortable I started walking around the villa for 300 steps (using my FitBit) every 30 minutes during daylight hours. 

By the end of the day, I’ve been accumulating 6000 steps according to the Fitbit in addition to any steps we accumulate when walking on the beach or in the neighborhood. Also, after spending 40 minutes working out in the pool, I’m finally beginning to feel stronger and more fit. 

We have lots of walking ahead of us on the upcoming Mekong River cruise which begins on July 8th. Considerable time will be spent cruising on the river with the rest on tours to see the sites along the way. Sitting around for two months hadn’t prepared me for this amount of walking each day.

A section of the wall consists of this bamboo décor.

Sure, my restrictive diet has been highly instrumental in reducing pain from inflammation but the reality remains…my spine is comparable to a thin reed, ready to collapse at any moment. When we’ve been active I can walk fairly long distances but recently, I’ve been concerned.

This daily lounging had left me feeling relaxed but also concerned over my ability to “keep up” with the others on this relatively active upcoming cruise. In the past several days after instituting this “must-do” walking around the villa every 30 minutes, I’m hopeful I’ll be able to keep up.

Once we arrive in Singapore we’ll be walking every day, although with the three visas we’ll need to get at the three embassies, we’ll be riding in taxis as well. The embassies are too far from our hotel to reach on foot. But, we’ll walk to restaurants for dinner and be out each day to see the sites, taking a taxi or public transportation only as needed.

Decorative wall as we walk along the road to the villas.

When we arrived in Singapore on April 30th, we met a fabulous taxi driver whose card we’ve kept. We’ll contact him soon to pick us up at the airport and continue with him as needed.

We’ll leave the villa in 13 days to spend one night in Denpasar after the four-hour harrowing drive. The next day to fly to Singapore at 2:15 pm on a relatively short 2 hour, 45 minutes flight.

The only tasks we do for ourselves here in the villa in Bali are to make coffee, refill the ice cube trays, pour iced tea throughout the day, and put together our nightly cheese plates. 

Beautifully maintained gardens line the wall along the road.

We don’t ask the staff to “wait” on us. As far as we’re concerned they do enough cleaning the villa and grounds, preparing our dinner and doing the dishes. How much easier could it be?

On July 22nd, we’ll arrive at the villa in Phuket. With only a weekly cleaner, we’ll be on our own to cook, clean, make the bed and wash dishes. Neither of us minds the prospect of taking care of ourselves again, but it certainly has been pleasurable to have others doing it for us.

We hope you have an easy day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 14, 2015:

As much as we’d have liked to leave these doors open in the Trinity Beach property, the flies and mosquitos were outrageous. Over this past year, we’ve become much more tolerant of the flies to the point that we may have been able to leave doors open in past locations. However, the flies in Australia are biting flies which makes all the difference.  For more photos of the house, please click here.