Immigration news…New photos of us and Bob…

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Our kindly and thoughtful landlord, Bob with Tom.
We returned from the Manly Ferry and bus ride back to our holiday home at around noon. It’s a bright sunny day without a cloud in the sky and we’re on CLOUD 9!!!

We’re no longer illegal immigrants!  No words can say how happy we are to have this dreadful, worrisome situation behind us. The staff at the Australian Immigration Office couldn’t have been more helpful. 

In only took about 30 minutes to receive a new Bridging Visa that will last until April 22nd when we’ll board the ship that will hightail us out of Australia and bring us back to North America for our upcoming Alaskan cruise and nine weeks visiting family.

We were happy to have photos of Bob with each of us.

This morning at 7:45 am we met Bob at his door ready to go. He drove us to the Manly Ferry and only five or six minutes later we boarded the ferry to Circular Quay in Sydney, a 30-minute ride.

No doubt, both of us were worried about the outcome of our 10:00 am appointment, but we both attempted to remain upbeat and hopeful. I continued to take photos on what proved to be a sunny day, the first we’d experienced in the past two weeks since our arrival in Sydney by cruise ship.

Once we arrived at Circular Quay we took a taxi to immigration, a traffic-congested 20-minute ride in Monday morning rush hour traffic at a cost of AU $17.50, US $13.33. We arrived with an hour to spare decided to head to a local coffee shop for a cup of tea for me and coffee for Tom.

We sat outdoors at this cafe sipping coffee, tea and chatting with an American couple we met.

The instructions for our appointment clearly stated we were not to arrive any sooner than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment. With comfortable seating at an outdoor cafe, we met a wonderful retired couple from the US and the lively banter began. 

Before we knew it, it was 9:45 and we needed to make the short walk for our appointment. I felt my heart rate increase in worrisome anticipation of a poor outcome. In no time at all, we were seated in a waiting area on the fourth floor where others with similar immigration status were also waiting for the outcome of their situation. 

Our ticket number was 001. Surely the wait wouldn’t be long. Moments later, we heard our number being called to find the kindly rep who’d worked with us the first time we arrived at immigration almost two weeks ago in an attempt to sort this out.

Within 15 minutes, we were told with smiles on their faces that they’d provide us with a new Bridging Visa and within 30 minutes, we were out the door with documents in hand giving us an extension, good until midnight on April 22nd.

Tom and I with Sydney behind us on another cloudy day., taken a few days ago.  Today, finally, we have sunshine!

Thank goodness, the upcoming cruise didn’t include any Australian ports of call. Had that been the case, we may have had an even more serious situation. Luckily, this particular cruise itinerary didn’t include any stops in Australia. We were good to go.

We thanked the rep and her assistant profusely. Tom even put his hands together and bowed as he’d so graciously done time and again in Bali, in gratefulness for a service well provided. We both chuckled over the fact that some habits are hard to break, especially one as special as that bow.

Now, back home after a pleasant outdoor ride on the ferry and a quick bus ride, I began today’s post excited to share our good news. Once I wrap this up, we’ll get back to work on ordering Tom a new laptop we found online with expedited international shipping.

Now, we can go back to thinking about our missing shipment from Nevada that included all of our tax documents, our two new driver’s licenses, my new phone, and a variety of other items we’d included in the package. One thing at a time, please.

Thanks to all of our wonderful readers who sent us good wishes for today’s outcome. Your concern meant so much to both of us! Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 26, 2016:

Taking photos of the two pink cockatoos at the alpaca farm in New Zealand through the narrow chain link fence was tricky.  This unedited photo illustrates the tightness of the fence and the beauty of this pink bird.  For more photos, please click here. 

Working on our immigration issue…Five days and counting….

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The sun peeked out for a few hours while we were in Manly making our way to the ferry.

When we left the Australian Immigration office in Sydney nine days ago, we were told to watch for the Bridge Visa we’d received via email by the end of the day.  The officer at immigration had given us a phone number to call if we had questions in the interim.  We had many questions when we’d had a difficult time understanding the vague and complicated instructions given to us by the immigration officer who, with the best of intentions, was unsure as to how to handle our case.

Later in the day the email arrived stating we had another appointment at the same office on March 27th at 10 am. That was clear to us.  Thus, we didn’t call the phone number which we’d left on the kitchen table which continued to nag at me.  Should we call?  Or should we wait until our appointment?

Yesterday morning, we decided to call to see if there was anything additional we could do or prepare for the upcoming appointment on Monday.  After waiting on hold for 20 minutes in the queue, finally a friendly rep came on the line.

Sailing on a windy day.

In reviewing our file, she adamently stated we needed to apply for Visitors Visa #600 before our appointment on Monday.  When we asked this same question to the rep at the immigration office “Should we apply for the visa online?” the she wasn’t sure if we should or not, leaving us confused when we left.

Calling might provide us with an answer.  There was no way we wanted to show up on Monday having failed to do something required in this complicated process.  Yesterday, we were relieved we’d called when we were told we better not show up on Monday without having applied online for Visitors Visa #600, a necessary adjunct to our Bridge Visa which was in place for only two weeks (ending on March 27th).

If we didn’t get the Visitors Visa, we’d be in big trouble next Monday when the Bridge Visa expires at midnight.  The phone rep immediately sent us the link to apply for the Visitors Visa. 

An appealing candy kiosk in at the Manly Ferry station.

We each followed the link in the email deciding to complete the form simultaneously on each of our laptops in order to aid one another in ensuring accuracy.  There was no margin for error in this process and lately, as error prone as I had been (you know…wrong day at the opera), following along together made sense.

Before we could even begin the 20 page process, we had to sign up for an online immigration account which required a series of seven or eight security questions. 

Having to deal with answering security questions can be a tricky process.  If an answer is off by only one letter, one number or a single aspect of the answer, it may result in total frustration when trying to recall what was originally intended.  

Manly is a charming beach town with shops, restaurants and water activities.

We didn’t want to make a lengthy handwritten list for each of us.  We’d already written down the complicated passwords including all types of characters, capital and lower case letters and numbers.  You know how that goes.

It ended up taking at least a half hour to getting our individual accounts set up.  As we’ve mentioned, its been very rainy and humid since we arrived.  When we were 10 minutes into this process, I suggested we turn on the air con.  We were both drenched in sweat.  Oh, I don’t like this stuff.

Immediatey Tom turned on the air conditioning.  Besides, we’d done two loads of laundry hanging it indoors on the portable rack making the humidity all the worse in our little apartment. The air con was a welcomed relief.

Yummy looking mounds of interesting flavors of ice cream at the Manly Wharf.

Once we’d established the accounts, we proceeded to begin the 20 page online document.  It was a slow process when we continually received error messages for entering words in unacceptable formats.  We plodded along.

Once we completed page 4 and hit the “continue” button for page 5, we both received an error message, “You cannot continue from this point based on your current status.  Call the immigration office immediately.”  Oh, oh.

We called again, waiting on hold on Skype for another 30 minutes only to be told, when a different rep came on the line after looking up our file, that were not supposed to fill out this form.  We were to wait and see what transpires on Monday. Oh.  She was very kind and apologetic that we were told otherwise.  We asked her to note the conversation in our file which she promptly handled.

After dark this cruise ship headed out to sea from the Sydney Harbour.  Hopefully, that will be us one month from today on April 22nd.

In one way we were relieved to avoid completing the remaining 16 pages but in another way, we were further concerned as to the outcome on Monday.  There was nothing more we could do at this point.

Worse case scenario…we could be told to leave the country immediately and not return for three years, missing our cruise on the April 22nd, forcing us to fly to New Caledonia, book a hotel  for almost a month and wait for the ship to arrive at a port of call three days after the cruise begins and then have to load our bags on a “tender boat.” 

Best case scenario…we’ll get another Bridge Visa, good until April 22nd when we’ll board the ship in Sydney.  There’s another possibility that we’ll have to leave the country, fly to another country and return a day later.  Also, there are possible fines, penalties and circumstances we aren’t aware of at this point which by Monday, we’ll be well informed.

Kookaburra atop the roof of neighboring house.

We’re surprised how we’ve been able to still enjoy our time in Fairlight, Manly and Sydney based on our concern over this situation.  We’ve taken many photos, seen so much and have been out and about reveling in this beautiful area.  Also, we’re still able to laugh and maintain a hopeful and positive perspective. 

After all, the results of this scenario whichever way it goes, won’t cost us more than money, time and inconvenience.  In the realm of things, as we always say, “If we have our health, we’re safe and we have one another, we can handle it.”

So it goes.

May you have good health and be safe with those you love.

________________________________________

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

Many farms in New Zealand have ocean views adding another layer of beauty to the scenery.  For more photos, please click here.

Today is our fifth anniversary of posting…Photos of our new home for the next 38 nights…We hope…

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We “borrowed” today’s photos from Bob, our landlord here in Fairlight/Manly. Last night, while dark and cloudy we spotted two cruise ships leaving Sydney Harbour heading out to sea.

With our current immigration issues in Australia (see yesterday’s post here for details) we are doing everything we can to maintain our usual optimistic attitude. 

Today, we’re heading back to Sydney, taking the Manly Ferry for more immigration handling and to meet with old friends Linda and Ken, from Marloth Park, South Africa for lunch at a popular pub near the port of Sydney.  We’ll be back with photos tomorrow.

The house from the lower road.  We entered the property from the upper road to facilitate hauling our heavy bags.

Yesterday, the entire day was spent attempting to resolve another unexpected business matter, a technical issue with PayPal which prevents us from being able to send payments to property owners (who don’t accept credit cards) since we don’t have a US phone number that receives texts.

Our phone number with Skype doesn’t allow the use of texts. Without a phone number, we can’t use Skype when their new identity check requires the use of a text to confirm identity. We’ll share more on this in tomorrow’s post when we see what rolls out today after trying for another solution again later today.

The master bedroom is spacious with en suite bath and suitable closet space for our needs.

With space at a premium in this fabulous holiday home and our stuff cluttered about, we decided to use our landlord’s photos which we’re sharing here today. Once we encountered the immigration and PayPal issues we were too busy to clear all of our “stuff” in order to take our own uncluttered photos.

The house is newer and in impeccable condition, a pure delight for our needs.

We couldn’t be more pleased with the “apartment” although it’s not an apartment in the typical sense. It’s a large home, converted to include a separate apartment on the ground floor level which we’re currently occupying.

The upper street level is where our kind and thoughtful landlord Bob lives which also includes a bed and breakfast which he offers to tourists coming and going for long or short periods visiting this beautiful area.

There are no bug screens here but there are few insects. Bob said we won’t see the dreaded Funnel Web Spider in this area of Sydney. Few mozzies and flies enter during the day with the door fully open as shown.

We’ve never rented a bed and breakfast space when we prefer not to share living quarters with others, whether it’s a landlord or other guests. In this lovely lower floor unit, we have total privacy and all the necessary amenities and more; great WiFi, flat-screen TV with HDMI plug-in, washing machine with a portable hanging rack, full kitchen and en suite bath with spacious shower, and more.

Please click here for more details on this special property which we highly recommend for either short or long-term travelers. For those comfortable with a bed and breakfast, this link will also direct you to that option by contacting Bob Reed, the kindly owner. How did we get so lucky to have yet another amazing property owner determined to provide us with an outstanding experience?

A comfortable Italian leather sectional and coffee table is located at the end of this room, beyond the table and chairs, all the space we’ll need during this relatively short stay, should we be allowed to remain in the country.

Today is the fifth year anniversary of our first post on March 15, 2012. Please click here for our first post on this date. We can hardly believe it’s been so long. By next week, we’ll hit our 1700th post which is comparable to writing 1700 chapters in a book with photos.

Seeming to be a daunting task, for us, it continues to be a labor of love. Even today, with so much on our minds, we’re happy and grateful for the opportunity to share our journey with our many worldwide readers, whose numbers continue to grow each and every day.

With Bob living upstairs, he’s happy to supply any kitchen items or anything else we may need while here. 

We continue to maintain the philosophy that as long as we’re safe and healthy, challenges we encounter along the way such as the current immigration issue, always have a solution one way or another. 

Sure, the solution may be costly or inconvenient but we’ve planned for such potentially unexpected scenarios. If we end up having to leave the country, lose money for this rental, pay for a new rental and airfare to another country and miss a portion of the upcoming cruise from Sydney since we can’t stay in Australia to board the ship, we’ll survive, won’t we?

Only stepping outdoors from the kitchen to the lawn we’re provided this amazing view and private yard.

We never fail to be grateful for one another, our loved ones, good health, and the ability to fulfill our dreams of world travel. Please continue to follow along with us as the story continues to unfold.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 15, 2016:

The beautiful tree clusters created a pleasing scene for our photos at sunset in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

March 7th…Our 22nd wedding anniversary…History of New Caledonia…Two fun photos from one year ago…

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Do you see the rainbow in the background in this shot of New Caledonia?
Today is a sea day.  The Wi-Fi signal is marginal due to the number of passengers on their phones, tablets, and laptops. I attempted to speak to my sister on Skype, but I could not hear anything on this end, although she could hear me. 

Having ended the antibiotics last night while increasing the dose of the PPI, which I’ll continue to take for two months, I’ve definitely had a good result. 
I’d been suffering from Helicobactor Pylori for the past 15 months. Still a little sluggish from the meds, I’m not missing a beat of the varied activities we enjoy aboard ship, often hanging out with our new friends.

We inquired as to the cost of renting one of these little vehicles in Noumea, New Caledonia, the capital city.  At AU 132, the US $100 per hour, we decided to walk, which certainly was more beneficial.

Speaking of not “missing a beat,” last night, we danced the night away. Tom was doing his usual “dancing to the music” for a solid two hours standing by me while occasionally I had to sit down to recover. 

The boat harbor in Noumea.

After lounging for many months to get well, my energy level wasn’t my usual 100%. On the other hand, Tom never ceases to amaze me with his relentless enthusiasm and high energy when it comes to any activity.  For a guy that likes to lounge, he sure can kick it up a beat when needed.

Tomorrow, we’ll share a video on the post, including photos and stories of an exceptional night we’ll always remember, spent with many of the new friends we’ve made during this cruise.

Freighter in the port in New Caledonia.

Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary. In actuality, we’ve been together almost 26 years. What a fabulous way to celebrate…on a ship with my renewed health as I continue to build back my strength more each day.   Happy anniversary to my lively, energetic hubby, who never fails to make me laugh, smile, and feel in awe of our great relationship.

Local catamaran.

With a one-hour time change last night (loss), little sleep from staying out late, we’re glad to have a sea day. We missed breakfast in the dining room but will soon head in for a light lunch. Now that I can eat a little more, having two meals a day is appealing, especially while on the ship with someone else preparing it.

Last night, the pastry chef made me a dessert..an almond sponge cake made with eggs, almond flour, vanilla, cream, and chopped nuts. It was absolutely unbelievable.  It was the first time in over five years I had a “cake feel” in my mouth with ingredients acceptable to my way of eating. I wonder if I can get the recipe from him.

Our ship, Celebrity Solstice, after we returned from walking through the small town.

Tonight, I’ll bring the camera to dinner to take photos of our meals and my dessert. Alfredo, a restaurant manager, has gone over the top to ensure I’m happy with my meals, typically salmon or chicken, prawns, spinach, and mashed cauliflower. 

Views out to sea from Noumea.

I’ve avoided beef and salads while recovering to keep the volume of food and digestibility under control. Perhaps soon I’ll be able to add a small green salad with a steak.

Below, we’ve included some information about New Calendonia and photos we’d taken both on and off the ship for our history buffs in cyberspace. As always, thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you again tomorrow with our fun video and photo of us on anniversary night.

New Caledonia consists of several islands in the archipelago.

Happy day to all!
New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie) is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 1,210 km (750 mi) east of Australia and 16,136 km (10,026 mi) east of Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea. Locals refer to Grande Terre as Le Caillou (“the pebble”).

New Caledonia has a land area of 18,576 km (7,172 sq mi). Its population of 268,767 (Aug. 2014 census) consists of a mix of Kanak people (the original inhabitants of New Caledonia), people of European descent (Caldoches and Metropolitan French), Polynesian people (mostly Wallisians), and Southeast Asian people, as well as a few people of Pied-Noir and Maghreban descent. The capital of the territory is Nouméa.

History

The earliest traces of human presence in New Caledonia date back to the Lapita period. The Lapita were highly skilled navigators and agriculturists with influence over a large area of the Pacific.

Two Kanak warriors posing with penis gourds and spears around 1880. Duh, not our photo.

British explorer Captain James Cook was the first European to sight New Caledonia, on 4 September 1774, during his second voyage. He named it “New Caledonia,” as the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland. The west coast of Grande Terre was approached by Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse, in 1788, shortly before his disappearance, and the Loyalty Islands were first visited in 1796. However, from then until 1840, only a few sporadic contacts with the archipelago were recorded.[ Contacts became more frequent after 1840 because of the interest in sandalwood from New Caledonia.
 
As trade in sandalwood declined, it was replaced by a new form of trade, “blackbirding,” a euphemism for enslaving people from New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, New Hebrides, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands to work in sugarcane plantations in Fiji and Queensland. The trade ceased at the start of the 20th century. The victims of this trade were called “Kanakas,” like all the Oceanian people, after the Hawaiian word for “man.”

The first missionaries from the London Missionary Society and the Marist Brothers arrived in the 1840s. In 1849, the crew of the American ship Cutter was killed and eaten by the Pouma clan. After that, cannibalism was widespread throughout New Caledonia.”

For more historical information, please click here.

Photo from one year ago today, March 7, 2016:

Tom was holding a gold Oscar statue look-alike at Everybody’s Theatre in Opunake, New Zealand. Click here for the story and more photos of this quaint movie theatre.
Sitting in the “photo booth” on our first visit.  Shortly after our first visit, we returned for a second visit on a special movie night with photos we’ll share shortly as the one-year-ago post approaches.

Day 4…Circumnavigation of the Australian continent aboard RC Radiance of the Seas…Wine drinking…

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The sun is setting over the industrial area at the port of Brisbane.

“Sighting on the Cruise in Australia”

Interesting metal “chair” art.

It’s already Day 4 on this Australian cruise. It’s a sea day today and tomorrow resulting in a flurry of activity in all areas of the ship as passengers mull around partaking in every possible activity and venue.

At the moment we’re situated in the Latte Tudes coffee shop overlooking the Centrum, a central area with lots of seating where passengers flock to listen to presentations, dance, drink, and commiserate.

We’d love to be able to sit in that area while preparing the post but the seating isn’t adequate for working on my laptop. In this café, there are tables and chairs along the railing overlooking the Centrum. Today, unlike other days, we were fortunate to find two available seats at a small table.

From the ship as we pulled away from Brisbane.

While I worked on today’s post Tom waited in line for the required onboard immigration processing. On many cruises it’s required to part with our passports for a few days, picking them up after they’ve been processed for upcoming ports of call.

Today’s particular immigration process is for Indonesia (here we go again, more Indonesian immigration) since we’ll be arriving in Benoa, Bali in a few days. Based on the four months we’ve already spent in Bali, we doubt we’ll get off the ship in this congested port and town. Most passengers do so for shopping based on Bali’s bargain pricing on many types of merchandise (mostly brand name knockoffs).

Last night we had yet another fine happy hour in the Diamond Club lounge and also during dinner in the dining room. For the first time in many years, I ordered a mixed cocktail, vodka, and Sprite Zero on the rocks. I rarely consume any types of soda so this was a stretch for me.

Freighter and tug boat in the bay.

Again after two drinks stretched over several hours, I was feeling it. Although I’ll admit having a cocktail was rather enjoyable especially while we were sitting with others doing the same. 

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty of good times not drinking alcohol.   don’t need it to have a great experience. But, it’s fun to “step outside the box” and partake of the festivities after all these years of almost completely avoiding alcoholic beverages.

I’ve avoided drinking alcohol for health reasons although my way of eating allows it in moderation. I suppose two drinks a day during cruises only isn’t imbibing in excess and shouldn’t have a deleterious effect on my overall health in the long run.

We’re having no trouble getting in the 10,000 steps a day on the FitBit when we often walk down these long hallways.

After last night’s foray into drinking a mixed cocktail, I intend to stick to with wine. It affected me less than the cocktail and I can nurse a single glass for a few hours. 

White wines have slightly fewer carbohydrates and sugar than dry red wines although I’d always preferred reds in my old life. Twenty-plus years ago I loved having a tasty glass of red wine prior to and during dinner.

Here’s information on the carbohydrate content of red vs. white wine from this site:

“Dry wines contain minimal sugars. Choosing red or white doesn’t matter as much as opting for dry over sweet. Dry wines generally have less than 1 gram (g) of carbohydrates (sugars) per ounce while the carb content of sweet wines can be upwards of 1.5 to 2g per ounce. These sugars can add up quickly: Technically one serving of wine is five ounces, but six to nine ounces is generally more realistic, especially when you’re pouring a glass at home to unwind. However, it is impossible (and unnecessary) to avoid sugar completely, so just adjust your wine intake to fit your personal sugar guidelines.

Dry Reds
Pinot noir: 0.68g carbs per ounce
Cabernet franc: 0.71g
Merlot: 0.74g
Cabernet sauvignon: 0.75g
Shiraz/syrah: 0.76g
Zinfandel: 0.84g
Dry Whites
Pinot blanc: 0.57g carbs per ounce
Sauvignon blanc: 0.6g
Pinot grigio: 0.6g”

Shared puzzle making where anyone can pick up where others left off.

With the intent of keeping my daily carbohydrate count under 20 grams and the efforts I’ve made on this cruise to go a bit lower based on eating twice a day, as opposed to my usual once, I have sufficient room to factor in two glasses of wine each evening. 

The differences in carbs from white to red is relatively insignificant. I think I’ll give a glass of Cabernet or Pinot Noir a try sometimes in the next few days, maybe this evening if the mood strikes me. 

A few of our readers have thoughtfully inquired as to how my spinal injury is doing. It’s not 100% improved but at this date, five months later I’m feeling much better. Certain activities (or inactivity) seem to exacerbate the issue, mainly when sitting too long.

This morning’s breakfast table in the Cascades dining room.

This morning I worked out for the best session I’ve had since resuming nine days ago. Usually, I  find myself returning to a decent level of fitness after about three weeks of working out regularly. 

Today I began the HIIT (high-intensity interval training). I’m not certain I’ll ever be able to return to my highest performance but I’m carefully working on it with the intent of continuing after we arrive in Tasmania.

Tom is doing great after a smidgen of “overly grumpy” during the first day on the cruise as he became familiar with everything. The smallest inconsistencies and nuances may contribute to his angst-ridden state but now, he’s his otherwise usual chipper self and we’re having the time of our lives.

Tom, during this morning’s breakfast.

We’ll be back with more each and every day. If you don’t see a post in the usual time frame please keep in mind we’ll be posting a few or several hours later. A late posting will be due to our participation in activities, conversations, seminars, and tours.

Thanks to all of our readers for following along with us and a special thanks to all of you who have written. We always delight in hearing from YOU!

_

                                           Photo from one year ago today, November 3, 2015:

A blowhole spouting in Fiji. For more photos please click here.

Harrowing drive completed…Grateful to be back at the villa…The old rat race or gerbil on the wheel…How did this happen to us?

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Giant abalone shell sinks on the grounds of Puri Bagus Lovina.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali“

Tom spotted a local woman with straw on her head after we went back to Sumbersari.

What a unique feeling it was, returning to the villa, after a five day stay in Lovina that we completed the visa extension process. It was like coming home. At 2:00 we picked up our stamped passports for a departure from Indonesia on October 30. Four weeks from today we’ll be heading to Kuta to board the red eye flight to Sydney after midnight on the 30th.

In four weeks, we’re going to Kuta to board the Red Eye flight to Sydney after midnight on the 30th.Boats on the waterfront.

In our old lives, after a short vacation/vacation, it was easy to fear the return to reality; its piles of mail, messages and back-to-work responsibilities. Then there were the piles of laundry, the old food to throw in the refrigerator, the need to quickly get to a grocery store and fill the car with fuel. 

Statue with a lei of fresh blooms on the lawn.

Sunday nights were particularly difficult as memories of time away would waft from our minds and the painstaking process of getting up and ready for work to face yet another day of the necessary grind most of us have experienced in our daily lives.

Flowers by the sea.

Of course, there are those of you who love your work and feel no anguish at the return of a journey. For the rest of us, it was only after several hours back into the groove that we could finally relax accepting our 40, 50 hours or more of the weekly “rat race.” 

Small lily pond.

The rhythm of life in this period escapes me almost now after all these years free of such responsibilities and constraints. Returning from the resort yesterday we experienced none of the above frustrations. 

The infinity edge of the pool at Puri Bagus Lovina.

We loaded the laundry hamper with our dirty clothes that the two Ketuts will make on Monday. Our dinner was prepped and ready for us once we unpacked and changed into our bathing suits.    There was no snail mail, messages we had not already processed, no need to go grocery shopping or fill the tank with fuel.

Boat and tower in the bay. Gede, the resort manager at Puri Bagus Lovina suggested patrons don’t go into the ocean due to poisonous coral.

“How did this happen to us?” We’ve often asked ourselves this question. At dinner over these past nights at the resort, we often discussed how we remain in awe of our lives, affordable with a strict budget, freeing in ways we never imagined and filled with endless experiences far exceeding any expectations we may have had in our lives and ultimately in our travels. 

Statue in the garden.

Yesterday, with a late 1:45 pm checkout in order to get to immigration by 2:00 pm, I spent the morning in the bar preparing the post. On several occasions, a variety of resort managers stopped by to thank us for our posts and for highlighting the resort.

A father, a son and a nephew serenading diners during dinner.

As we were leaving, they all were present to wish us well. Gede, the general manager, asked to take a photo with us for his own keepsake. We were flattered by their appreciation as we were appreciative of their kindness and attentiveness.

Heart shaped flower arrangement left on our bed in the resort.

Today our own Gede, visited to ensure we’d enjoyed his recommendation of the resort in Lovina located in his home town where he’d grown up and his parents and siblings are still living. We couldn’t thank him enough for the fabulous recommendation.

Tangle of trees along the shore.

Today? Easy day. Sunshine. Happiness. How did this happen to us? May it happen for you as well!

Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2015:

This was actually a dine in restaurant in a small strip mall in Savusavu, Fiji, with two tiny tables for diners and minimal cooking space for the cook.  For more details, please click here.

We made it to Lovina…Two hour harrowing drive…Dangerous experience…

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Last evening view from the beach at Puri Bagus at sunset.

Last night seen from the beach at Puri Bagus at sundown. Finding gas stations is not so simple in the remote area of Bali. As it turned out, we had to drive to Lovina in the village of Gilimanuk to find a place to buy fuel.

Crossing over a river.

It would have been very inconvenient to run out of gasoline. Thanks to the “safari luck” we did it on the fumes long after the warning light illuminated. Turning around, in less than 15 minutes, we were back on track to our destination.

Beautiful ocean view along the motorway.

For some ridiculous reason I expected the two hour drive to be less stressful with Tom driving than the drive from Denpasar to the villa with a driver, the four hour harrowing drive. I was kidding myself.

Ocean view on the drive to Lovina.

At the end of May, we made the same trip when we first had to travel to Lovina to get our first visa extension. Now, we’re here once again for our second and final visa extension requiring three separate trips to the immigration office on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday of any given week in order to complete the cumbersome application process.

Tom is an excellent driver. I’ve said this many times in the past. But, even the best driver has no control over the action of other crazy and reckless drivers. No less than on four occasions, we had “close calls” when motorbikes, trucks and cars were passing with little regard for other vehicles on the narrow two lane road.

Indoor seating area in the villa.

Finally, with a sigh of relief we entered the outskirts of the heavily trafficked town of Lovina with masses of fast moving vehicles comparable to that in wild-ride Denpasar. It took another 35 minutes to reach our destination, the immigration office.

The queen sized bed was comfortable for a good night’s sleep.

With documents in hand, we picked a number from the automated machine. It was 11:20 am. At noon each day, the office closes for lunch reopening at 1:30 pm. If we didn’t get called in time, we’d have to leave and return later.

In no time at all we were called to the counter to begin the process. The kindly English speaking officer handed us applications to be completed and reminded us that we’d have to wear long pants when we returned later in the day.

Tom showered in our outdoor shower.  I opted for the indoor shower.

Oh, good grief! We forgot about wearing long pants to government offices in Indonesian as a requirement. Neither of us had brought along a single pair of long pants. When we were packing Tom suggested we bring our Africa insect repellent long pants knowing we’d be dining outdoors and I dismissed the idea. Had I agreed we wouldn’t have had to figure this out.

There are many shady spots for guest’s use offering protection from the hot sun.

Neither of us remembered from our multiple trips in May that long pants were required. A lot has transpired in these past four months that could easily have contributed to this fact slipping our minds. In our usual way, we don’t do any blaming, instead spending our time considering our options.

As we walked toward the beach.

Since we had to return later with the completed application, we had a little time to find a place to purchase pants. First, we decided to find our hotel, Puri Bagus, located within a kilometer of the immigration office, where we’d complete the application, make a few more required copies and see if they had a gift shop selling clothing.

The veranda view.

Once again, we were in luck when I remembered that Gede told us to look for a very bumpy road, two left turns from the immigration office. The tiny one lane road leading to the hotel was unmarked with no signs indicating the hotel nearby. Luckily, we quickly found the bumpy road making our way to the end to the exquisite Puri Bagus. We were shocked we found the correct road.

Grounds near our villa.  The Hindu/Balinese influence is always present, creating inviting surroundings.

The Puri Bagus Lovina, is gorgeous, more than we expected. The service is impeccable, the ambiance over-the-top. In no time at all, we were in our private thatched roof villa and at works on the forms.  Once completed, we quickly headed to the hotel’s gift shop hoping again, luck might be on our side.

Table and chairs on our private veranda.

Alas, no more than minutes after we entered the small shop we were in the try-on rooms hoping that we’d find long pants to get us through the three upcoming trips to the immigration. The women’s pants were awful, definitely not anything I’d ever wear again with the length too short and the legs way too wide. 

The ocean view from our private villa’s veranda.

Finally, we both found with the exact same pair of men’s pant, a beige linen, mine sized at an XS and Tom’s, a large. I’d never worn men’s pant before, but these with a drawstring fit, although still a little short for me. 

The enticing grounds are neatly trimmed and maintained enticing grounds are neatly trimmed and maintained.

Tom’s fit him well for now anyway, not necessarily at the end of the upcoming 33 night cruise after eating all that food. The cost of the two pairs of pants and a top I purchased, we spent a total of IDR 839,000, US $64.39. We didn’t complain. We avoided the necessity of heading further into the town with much worse traffic to go shopping which neither of us enjoys anyway.

These cabanas are available for any guests’ use.

By 1:30 pm, we were back at the immigration office wearing the long pants much to the pleasure of the immigration officer who joked and laughed with us. By 2:30 pm, we were out the door, anxious to get out of the warm clothing on a very hot day and relax a bit at our hotel before heading to the bar and dinner in the evening.

The sandy beach at the resort.

By 6:00 pm, we were taking sunset and other photos throughout the resort feeling refreshed, rested and excited not to have to return to immigration until Wednesday at 9 am for round two of three. 

View to the pool from the pathway along the beach.

After a few drinks in the oceanfront bar and later a fabulous gourmet meal in the resort’s main dining room while entertained by soothing local music, we were able to unwind and revel in the luxurious surroundings. Soon, we’ll share photos of our beautifully presented meals in this fine establishment.

Footbridge we walked over on our way to the bar.

Today, I’m meeting the Puri Bagus Lovina manager for a comprehensive tour with many more photos and stories to share while Tom stays behind for some research we’re conducting, easier here with a better WiFi connection than in Sumbersari. We’ll be back with much more each day as we continue our stay in Lovina.

Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago, September 27, 2015:

This duck’s unusual crown caught our attention one year ago. He seemed proud of his facial characteristics. For more photos, please click here.

Exploring the area on a sunny day…Humidity…Plans for Bali…

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Motorbikes parked at the beach.

It rains a lot in the tropics and there are plenty of cloudy days. Since our arrival in Phuket over two weeks ago, at least 75% of the days have been cloudy with rain no less than 40% of the days and nights.

Many years ago (around 30) BT (before Tom) I vacationed in Thailand, staying in Phuket at two different resorts, one week each and if I recall, it was cloudy and rainy many of those days as well.  When the sun is shining, its a scorcher. 

Its so hot, people often walk with umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat of the sun as opposed to using umbrellas in the rain. Yesterday, we compared weather conditions for both Phuket and Bali which overall are quite similar. 

Tourists dining under thatched roofs drinking cocktails with umbrellas and pineapple slices.

We don’t remember feeling this hot in Bali although it was hot each day with high humidity similar to Phuket.  Islands typically have high levels of humidity but after a little research we discovered many inland countries/cities have levels of humidity in excess of what may be the case on a tropical island.

Our old fashioned thinking seems to more readily relate to the readings for humidity and actual temperature (than for dew point )which this morning at 9:45 am is a paltry 85F, 29C with the humidity is 92%.  Needless to say it will be another uncomfortable day with a 70% likelihood of thunderstorms.
In Bali, we were situated directly on the ocean with nearly constant breezes to cool the moisture on our skin. Here, living in a residential neighborhood, a kilometer to the beach, we feel nary a breeze except when storms seem to come from nowhere and wild winds waft through the air.
Fruit and fruit drink stands are popular in Phuket.
As much as we find this house to fulfill our needs and certainly having the most amazing customer service from its owner and support staff, in an odd way, we’re both looking forward to returning to Bali. 
Perhaps, we miss the sea or the two Katuks cooking our meals or chatting with Gede or as mentioned over the past several days, the lack of English speaking news channels, avoiding the constant barrage of bad news unless we search for it online. 
We can’t help but look forward to dining at the big square table for eight staring out at the sea as the buffalo walk along the beach on their way to or from the neighboring river.
There are many restaurants located near the beaches.

The only apprehension we’ve had, particularly Tom, has been the prospect of the required three days of four hour round trip drives to Lovina, Bali to renew our visas toward the end of the first of our two-month stay. 

These three separate visits are a requirement of the Indonesian government and there’s no way around it when staying in the country over 30 days. The fact that we’re so far away from the immigration office in Lovina while living in Sumbersari only adds to the difficulty.
Many tourists use money exchange facilities such as this. We’ve found it’s more economical to use ATMs for local currency.
As many of our regular readers are aware we never had ample time to apply for the Indonesian visa extensions while in Singapore or Vietnam last month. We’d considered breaking our own rule and mailing in our passports to VisaHQ or CIBT in the US by overnight mail while they process it for us in Washington, DC at the Indonesian embassy. 
Conceivably, we could have the visa extensions back by overnight mail within seven to ten days.  But, with my recent injury, we decided that in the event of an emergency situation that required us leave the country in a hurry, we couldn’t take the risk. Not that we expect this to happen as I continue to improve a little each day.
Many hostels and “rooms for rent” are seen along the highway. Many young tourists come to Phuket for water activities and stay in lower cost facilities.
So, we were back to “square one,” the three days of driving to Lovina with the required one day  required by the immigration department. This results in starting on a Monday, returning on Wednesday and returning the third time on a Friday to collect the passports and visa extensions.
Yesterday, I had a thought that I ran by Tom. Why don’t we go to Lovina and stay in a hotel both Monday and Tuesday nights, going to the immigration office on both Monday and Wednesday? We’ll have Gede drop us off on Monday and pick us up on Wednesday after the second trip to immigration and then have Gede return to Lovina on Friday on our behalf to pick up our passports and visa extensions.

Last time we had to get the visa extensions, Gede made the third trip without us when we’d authorized him in writing to do this on our behalf.  his avoided us making the third four hour round trip drive. By staying in a hotel, we’ll have only two hours to get to Lovina and another two hours to return to Sumbersari on Wednesday afternoon having completed the second trip to the immigration office.  Tom liked this idea.

Taking photos through the car’s windows and windscreen in tricky with some sort of worn film is covering the glass.

In checking prices on hotels in Lovina, Bali, rated at least four star we can easily stay at a very nice location for an outrageously low price under US $75, IDR 984,225, THB  2,631 per night plus the cost of a few meals and low cost taxi. 

It’s a plan!  We’re relieved to have made this logical decision which ultimately turns what may have been a stressful situation into a fun “holiday” within the framework of our time in Bali.  The extra transportation cost by avoiding the one day’s drive will cover at least one night’s hotel bill.  Hope this all makes sense.
Yesterday, when the sun made an appearance for a few hours, we took off on another drive in the area.  We can’t go too far for two reasons; one, I can’t sit for too long in the low seats in the less-than-stellar rental car, especially on bumpy roads; and two, the less-than-stellar rental car is old and could easily break down. 
Road construction is prevalent in most countries, slowing down the flow of traffic.
The car’s windows have some type of darkening film on the windows that is severely distorted, making driving difficult in busy traffic. Tom, an excellent driver, who never complains about conditions, hesitates to do much driving for all these reasons. I concur. 
And yet, considering these obstacles we were still able to take some photos we happily share here each day while we continue to explore as we can during our remaining 26 days on the island. 

It can’t always be perfect. We don’t expect it to be. We accept the limitations we currently have in our midst while continuing to make the very best of each and every day. We laugh, we smile, we find ways to entertain ourselves and each other. What more could we ask for?  Not a thing. Not a single thing.

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, August 6, 2015:

Amazing sunrise over Trinity Beach, Australia, where we lived one year ago today. For more photos, please click here.

Cambodia visas arrived by email!…Vital passport information, a must see for long term or world travelers! A second passport?

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A temple on the busy main street in Negara.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Most mornings we see one of the local workers walking on the beach to a nearby temple with a platter of colorful flower offerings. At first, we thought she was bringing food to a neighbor, but when we asked Gede he explained this ritual. 

Many countries don’t require an actual passport to be sent to a visa procuring company or an embassy. For those in their home countries who must apply for visas, which requires they snail mail their actual passport, and with ample time to do so, (preferably by registered mail) it’s no big deal.

A less crowded road while on the way to Negara.

By snail mailing all the required documents, a week or two later, passports are returned to your mailbox along with the required visas. For us, this prospect is impossible when living outside the US. “Why not?” you may ask? Why not send in our passports as required in ample time requesting a rush return? For us, the answer is clear. 

The closer we got to Negara, the traffic picked up.

What if one of us became ill and had to fly out of the country for more appropriate medical care and, we didn’t have our actual passports in our possession while they were in transit, instead, having only copies? The potential delays in dealing with such a situation could be life-threatening.

Also, if there was political unrest in a country (entirely possible in today’s world) in which we were living and the embassy had to assist us in getting out of the country. Here again, a possible life-threatening situation without the actual passport in our possession.

We’re located in Melaya Beach as shown in western Bali. Negara is south of Melaya with a population of approximately 220,000.

When we first started traveling we had two passports; our main 10-year passports and second two-year passports. This would allow us to feel at ease if we needed to send in the second passports in order to apply for a visa. If an emergency arose, we’d still have the 10-year passport in our possession.

Once we arrive in Negara, the traffic crawls.  

As it turned out during our first few years of travel we never needed to use the second passport for such a purpose. Instead, during the first two years, we used the second passports to get visa stamps at airports, while on cruises, and at cruise ship terminals as opposed to using up pages in our 10-year passports. When the two-year passport expired we began using the 10-year passport.

We thought about continuing to apply for two-year passports, but based on the fact that we never used it for the intended purpose of applying and mailing in documents for visas, we decided against incurring the additional cost of US $340, IDR 4,488,850 every two years for the two of us. 

With only two lanes roads and little to no shoulder, passing could be frightening. But, these drivers on motorbikes, in cars and trucks seem fairly adept at passing on the narrow roads.

Also, if we had the second passports we could use for snail mail, for example through VisaHQ, who just completed our online Cambodia visas (all of which we were able to do online without any snail mail), we’d still have to find post offices, pay for taxi services to and from post offices, and pay for pricey shipping fees both ways. It would still be a “pain-in-the-butt.”

A traditional daytime wedding celebration outdoors at a restaurant.

Based on the fact that we’ve been traveling for almost 44 months and only recently had to address visa issues of any major degree, we’ve accepted the reality of applying for visas at embassies in other countries or, if necessary at immigration offices in the country in which we’re residing at any given time if an extension is required. 

Dozens of trucks were lined up on the highway in the town of Gilimanuk where it required they stop at a weighing station. 

It’s the “nature of the beast.” No one ever said it would be easy.  Then again, no one ever said anything.  Every step of the way in our world travels we’ve been on our own, figuring it out step by step, piece by piece. 

Thank goodness for the Internet. Without it, this amount of travel would have been difficult, if not impossible for us, when quickly our interest would have waned over the challenges of figuring out the endless tasks (and costs) by phone call and snail-mail. 

With as slow as this lineup was moving we imagined the truckers could easily wait all day or overnight for the weigh-in.

We so admire the travelers before us, decades ago, whose sheer determination and desire to see the world took them on a laborious adventure we can only imagine. We’re grateful for our ability to use computers and the Internet with ease which we acquired long before we ever conceived of traveling the world. 

Another decorative archway wishing good fortune to those departing the village.

We have somewhat of an unusual story to share, one we’ve never told here before, of how we developed such an interest in the internet so long ago, for me, beginning in the early 1970s. Please check back tomorrow as we share our story.

Do you have an Internet story to tell? Please share in our comments section at the end of any post. You may do so anonymously if you’d prefer.

Photo from one year ago today, June 9, 2015:

Beautiful sea and mountain view as our ship sailed away from Fiji, one year ago. For more photos and details, please click here.

Handling issues and challenges on an ongoing basis…A very odd fact about “time” at the end of today’s post…

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Our cabana in the afternoon sun.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

A young woman carrying a large basket on her head, a young boy playing on the beach and a driver on a motorbike, all commonly seen on the beach in Bali.

Getting online and staying online is an ongoing source of frustration here in Bali. On Sundays, when no staff is around we get a decent signal 90% of the day. When the staff is on duty six days a week they hang around next door in an area designated for their use while they stay on site for their workday.

If there are no guests staying in that villa, they hang around inside and outdoors the villa next door all day using their phones for email and Facebook. Some have SIM cards on their phones, others use the villa’s signal. There’s a huge data tower between the two houses but the signal is not sufficient for everyone to be online simultaneously.

The general service to the area is poor, but with as many as seven users online at any given time between the two houses, let alone the activity from other users in the general area, we can’t get online many times during the day.

The narrow road we walked with Gede to his family home.

As a result, we attempt to do research and planning a little at a time. When applying online for visas this past week, we often found ourselves kicked off in the middle of preparing an online form, unable to save our work, and having to start all over again. What easily could have been a 30 minute process proved to take four or five hours each day.

As I prepare today’s post, I’m doing so in LiveWriter, an offline program,  when I can’t trust work being saved writing in Blogger.com. Although Blogger automatically saves edits, if the connection disappears midstream, the work is lost, had it not been able to save it in the interim.

WiFi has been a major issue in many areas in which we’ve traveled. We accept that our choice to live in more remote areas is definitely a contributing factor. And, without a doubt, we can  handle a “slow” service. It’s the “no” service factor that provides the greatest degree of frustration.

An electric generating plant along the highway.

Of course, we’ve tried other options including buying a SIM card for our own device. This also only works intermittently with a relatively poor signal as well. It isn’t entirely due to the two villa’s sharing the pole between the two villas and two routers…it’s the signal to the area in general which has to travel across a 1.5 mile, 2.78 km, stretch of sea to Java, Indonesia as described here from Wikipedia:

“Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of over 141 million (the island itself) or 145 million (the administrative region) as of 2015 Census released in December 2015, Java is home to 56.7 percent of the Indonesian population, and is the most populous island on Earth. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is located on western Java.

Much of Indonesian history took place on Java. It was the center of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, the Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Java was also the center of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930s and 1940s. Java dominates Indonesia politically, economically and culturally.”

There are no regulations regarding burning garbage in Bali.  This is a common scene.

As shown above, Java is “the most populous island on Earth” which is the reason we have no interest in taking the ferry across the bay to see it. We hear the traffic is worse than on this island.  That’s just too many people for us!

As a result, the wifi signal coming across the ocean from Java is impeded by distance and also by the necessity of traveling across the sea. We just have to live with it. 

We only expect it to get worse when other guests are arriving to the villa next doors in a few days and when again we return in September when both villas will be fully occupied during those two months.

Kids are heading to school wearing required uniforms, required for all age groups.

Otherwise, we had a pleasant Sunday with clear weather at 92C, 33C, a fascinating high tide and more interesting action on the beach. We were able to complete the online application for the visa for Cambodia and now must wait five business days (beginning tomorrow, Monday in the US) to receive the actual visas via email.

Other than the necessity of booking our favorite hotel today in Sydney, Holiday Inn Old Sydney the Rocks, for our next cruise, a “back-to-back” (two cruises, one after the other) for 33 days departing on October 31st, we anticipate another quiet and low stress day in paradise.

Driving over a river on the road to Negara.

This cruise will commence on the exact date of our four year anniversary of beginning our worldwide travels. It will be a day to celebrate as we embark on our longest cruise to date.

Sure, the wifi issues are annoying and cumbersome. But, it appears there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re locked in for our return and refuse to let the issues prevent us from further enjoying our otherwise ideal time in Bali.

We hope no annoyances prevent YOU from enjoying your day!  Be well.


Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2015:

There was no post one year ago on this date due the fact that while we went to bed before midnight it was June 5, 2015. At midnight, it became June 6, 2015.  At 2:00 am, we crossed the International Dateline and it became June 7, 2015.  We slept through the two hours it was June 6, 2015. Funny, eh? 

Here’s the post from two years ago with two fun videos while in Madeira, Portugal when we purchase fresh caught tuna from the traveling fish guy. Oddly, this morning, the two Ketuts brought home fresh caught tuna for tonight’s dinner. Another coincidence!