Day #118 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Recalling beautiful artwork in Madeira, Portugal in 2014…

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It’s hard to believe this is needlepoint. This piece was hanging above the sofa, taking up a huge portion of the wall.  Gina’s mama is quite skilled, although no longer able to do this work. 

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Today’s photos are from July 19, 2018, while in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal. See the link here for more photos.
A smaller sidewall held this stunning piece.
While in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal, in 2014, we were faced with the reality of living in a highly cultural neighborhood where few spoke English, not even our landlord, the lovely Gina, with whom we’re still in touch on Facebook today.
 
Gina spoke a few English words and continues to learn more as the years have passed to facilitate the needs of her customers from all over the world who are (were before COVID) renting her beautiful properties on the magical island off the coast of Africa. 
This piece was huge, filling a substantial wall space.  
Portuguese is the language spoken in Madeira, which in many ways is similar to Spanish and Italian. We could decipher most written words, menus, and road signs, but speaking and understanding the spoken language was another issue.
 
Somehow, during the 2½ months, we spent on the island, we got along quite well. No doubt, we missed engaging in general conversations with others, but we had many cruises ahead of us where we’d have an opportunity to socialize.
We can only imagine the effort that went into the preparation for the design and colors.
Gina included us in many local activities and aspects of cultural life on the island. We were blessed with a plethora of delightful experiences, which may be found in our archives in the second half of May, all of June, and July 2014.
 
One of the many memorable experiences Gina shared with us was a tour of her and her husband Carlo’s home that Carlo had built. The extended family is in the home building business and combined. They have several holiday homes.
The detail in the art is breathtaking.
We noticed the amazing needlework on the walls that Gina’s mother had crafted over 60 years during the tour. Today’s photos include some of those exquisite works of art we so enjoyed during the time, prompting us to take pictures which we share again today.
 
As for the moment, I just spent the past 90 minutes on the phone with my sister Julie and niece Kely who have spent 11 days in Nevada attending to my sister Susan’s end-of-life affairs. 
Typically, we’ve seen patterns such as this in needlepoint.
They shared the details with me to ensure I felt a part of the process. The time is near, but one never knows how long a beloved family member may linger while in hospice care. At this point, she has no quality of life, and indeed, when she’s ready, she’ll let go. 
 
As much as we try to prepare ourselves when a loved one’s time is near, there is no way to avoid the sorrow when the time comes. During these times of COVID-19, it becomes all the more sorrowful when unable to be at the side of our loved ones.
 
Be safe. Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, July 19, 2019:
Don’t be fooled by this tiny building. It’s a powerhouse of flavor in Carna, Connemara, Ireland.  This tiny building offers outstanding fresh-caught seafood, fish, and chips, the finest takeaway in Connemara or perhaps even in Ireland. And many other items. For more, please click here.

Day #117 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…See below for photo of last night’s dinner…

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By the time I walked down the steep steps to the produce truck, it was surrounded by no less than ten residents, anxious to buy their weekly supply of fruits and veggies.
Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 
Today’s photos are from July 18, 2018, while in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. See the link here for more details.
 
Recently, we’ve been including past photos from the three months we spent in the summer of 2013 in a small village, high in the mountains of Tuscany, Italy. It seems so long ago, yet the memories of Boveglio remain fresh in our minds as if it was yesterday.
 
It was early on in our travels when we arrived in Italy, only eight months after we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012, the date we consider as when we first began our travels. 
 
A misconception about our travel dates may revolve around the fact that we didn’t leave the US until January 3, 2013, when we embarked on our first cruise from San Diego, California, to Miami, Florida, during which our ship transited through the Panama Canal, sailed to the Caribbean and disembarked in Miami, Florida.
It felt awkward taking photos, so I did so discretely. I was the only tourist in the bunch as I heard the locals chatting endlessly in Italian. I did my usual smiling and head nodding, hiding my camera under my shirt.
From there, we stayed with friend Carol for three nights in Boca Raton, Florida, while awaiting our next cruise. From there, we sailed on another cruise disembarking in Belize. We rented a property on a peninsula, Placencia, far from the chaotic capital of Belize, City.
 
In April, we sailed on a few more cruises, including a transatlantic cruise, a Meditteranean cruise, another cruise through the Suez Canal and the Middle East, a two-week stay in Dubai, later flying to Barcelona, from which we cruised to Venice. Once in Venice, we toured along the canals and exquisite city, eventually traveling to Boveglio, a 4½ hour drive, until we reached the 300-year-old stone house we’d rented for three months.
 
The GPS on our phones wasn’t working while high in the mountains of Tuscany, but somehow we managed to find the property, hauling our then excess amount of luggage up steep stone steps to the property.
 
Once situated in our third holiday home outside the US (Belize, Dubai, and Italy) at that time, we had an opportunity to relax and enjoy our time in the gorgeous setting in a pristine historic village.
More fruit than vegetables, I was unable to replenish our supply of cauliflower but purchased other vegetables.
Of course, we had to make significant adaptations, as we’d done in Belize and Dubai. It was summer and very hot with no air-con or fans, not even in the bedroom. Nor were no screens on the windows. At night, sleeping was intermittent, with mosquitoes buzzing around our heads.
 
During the day, we were bombarded by giant flies, sometimes horseflies, and other flying insects when we had to leave the windows open for airflow. While preparing meals and dining in the typical Italian kitchen, which we loved, the flies were relentless.
 
At one point, we asked the owners for suggestions. They came with cheesecloth and a staple gun to fashion some form of screens, but the makeshift screens flew out the windows on the first windy day. We didn’t bother them again. We swatted the flies and mosquitoes.
As typical in a 300-year-old stone house, the beams and door frames were shallow. Frequently, in the beginning, we both banged our heads several times a day. We eventually learned to keep our heads down when we moved from room to room.
Here’s what I purchased today for a total of Euro $4.09, US $5.33. Prices were better at the grocery store, but the freshness and convenience made it worth paying more.
The access to the veranda to hang laundry required a dangerous climb from the indoor stone stairway to an opening halfway up the stairs. We proceeded with caution when we often went out to the veranda to pick the fresh vegetables the owners had planted for us in various pots. We cautioned each time and thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and spices.
 
The most challenging issue was that no one in the area, including our landlords, spoke any English. For three months, we dined in restaurants, shopped at the local markets, and somehow communicated with the neighbors, the landlords, the cleaner, and the pharmacist, learning a few words as we went along.
 
The WiFi signal was so bad that we could only get an adequate signal to prepare our posts and conduct research for future travels near an open window or on the tiny veranda accessed through one of the bedrooms. 
 
We couldn’t watch the old-style tiny TV when everything was in Italian, nor could we download and stream movies or TV series with the weak signal. Fortunately, previously, we’d downloaded lots of books on our phones and spent most evenings reading while we swatted the persistent mozzies off our screens.
Hesitantly, I handed the vendor a single bill for Euro $50 (US $65.10), concerned she’d refuse the larger bill. No problemo! She had a fanny pack filled with money!
Amid all of this, we wouldn’t trade the experience of those three months for anything in the world. It was there in Tuscany, Italy, in the tiny village of Boveglio, that we learned how vital adaptation would be as we continued on our world travels.
 
No, it wouldn’t always be easy, and most often, in one way or another, it wasn’t. Perhaps, as we sit here today on day 117 in lockdown in a standard hotel room in Mumbai, India, unable to go outdoors, have a cocktail, eat a variety of meals, socialize, wash our clothes in a washer, hear birds singing, pick a flower from a garden or see any of Mother Nature’s wonders, we’re somehow managing just fine. 
 
Was the past almost eight years of adaptation instrumental in making this experience tolerable? Most likely, yes. We’re grateful for what we’ve learned and the gift of tolerance we’ve gleaned in the process.
Tom describes my chicken curry (on a bed of steamed cabbage) as looking like cat puke. I dismiss his observation and thoroughly have enjoyed this spicy, delicious meal.
Hopefully, in time we’ll be able to continue. Be well. 
Photo from one year ago today, July 18, 2019:
A wedding gown of the era, shown in a room at Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here.
Day #116 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Messages from readers make our days special!…Negative comments from readers?…

Day #116 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Messages from readers make our days special!…Negative comments from readers?…

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Check out how many kudus we had in the garden on this date in 2018!

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Today’s photos are from July 17, 2018, while in Marloth Park, South Africa. See the link here for more details.



Today’s post is, by no means, intended to “toot our own horn.” Instead, it’s about the kindness of people, of our readers, so many of whom have taken the time to write to us to provide support and encouragement.

That morning’s 17 kudus in the garden. See the above video for details.

I don’t often share the actual email messages we receive, but somehow the following message that arrived in my inbox yesterday (who’s name and email I’ve excluded, protecting her privacy) left us reeling with appreciation.


How well this reader understands our love for Marloth Park and the reasons we can’t wait to return someday when COVID-19 settles down. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to meet this couple in Marloth Park sometime in the future?

Wildebeest Willie and friends stopped by another night.

In her message, as shown below, she writes,” Thank you for the encouragement you bring to my life.” Our response is, “Thank you for the encouragement you bring to our lives.” Ironic.

Although not all are shown in this photo, we had six bushbucks in the garden at one time for the first time.

Here’s her message received in yesterday’s email:                                                                                                   
“Good morning Jessica

I have been following you for quite a while and today feel prompted to make contact.
I am so in awe of how well you are coping!!
My husband and I have lived in Cape Town all our lives and retired to Knysna for ten lovely years.

We decided to put stuff into storage a few years ago and explore South Africa after selling our home. It has been wonderful, and we discovered Marloth in our travels!! We spent several months there last year.

Giraffes came through the parklands next to us. On foot, we rushed to see them up close to take photos. But, dad wasn’t too happy with us with his young calf nearby.  We carefully backed away.
It truly is just the most amazing place. We found a passion which we share.
We had to come to Cape Town due to health reasons in Dec last year… with every intention of returning there. BUT by the time things got sorted, we went into lockdown, and we were stuck in Cape Town.
We are staying in a lovely home with all we could need but are just longing to get back to Marloth!!
Some days I feel so frustrated at the limits on our lives..especially socially and the boredom of every day, and then I read one of your posts and realize how blessed we are. Thank you for the encouragement you bring to my life.
Keep well. God bless you both.
Hope to meet you one day in Marloth.”
We knew better than to get too close.

Wow! This message couldn’t have meant more to us. I will write back to her today, asking her and her husband to read today’s post, so they see how much their message meant to us.

It was nearly dark when they visited.

In the future, especially during this quiet time of COVID-19 lockdown, we will be posting more comments we receive from our readers. We welcome any of you to write as well.

You may ask, do we receive negative comments? Much to our surprise and delight, we do not. It’s a rarity for a “hater” to write to us. I suppose if haters don’t like us or our site, they certainly have the option not to read the posts. 

A young zebra in the garden of a house on the river road.

We are working hard at staying positive under these difficult circumstances, and engaging in heated discussions is not conducive to our mental wellbeing at this time. Neither of us finds such discussions uplifting in any manner, especially when there is nothing we can say to change their minds or ours.

This must have been the above baby’s mom resting nearby.

On another note, I tried a different dinner option in the past few days after speaking with the head chef. He now prepares a delicious, spicy chicken curry for me, made without starch (potatoes, peas, etc.), sugar, or flour, and it is such a welcome change. 

Tom says the curry looks like cat puke, but it doesn’t bother me. I have no idea what cat puke tastes like, but this version of curry sure tastes good to me. Tonight, I will take a photo and share it tomorrow.

We spotted two rangers on the road with rifles. We assumed it had something to do with poachers.

“They” are saying if everyone wore a face mask, socially distanced, and washed their hands, in two months, the virus could be over. Let’s all strive for this goal! Please pass this post on to others, and hopefully, they will get on board with those of us making this commitment!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, July 17, 2019:

The view across Lough Pollaacapull is seen from the castle’s veranda at Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here.
Day #115 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Is the “head in the sand” premise the best response during these times?…

Day #115 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Is the “head in the sand” premise the best response during these times?…

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These are the locked iron gates closing off easy access to the church across from our 300-year-old stone villa in Boveglio, Italy, in 2013.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 16, 2014, while in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. See the link here for more details.
This separate detached building on the church grounds may have been the original church based on the inscription near the entryway.

We shake our heads in wonder as to why we’re holding up so well emotionally. Is it a concerted daily effort, or is it a by-product of our long-term goal of attempting to remain upbeat since the onset of our travels, during even the toughest of times?

A part of the entrance to the larger church.

For me, being in lockdown in this hotel room in India is a piece of cake compared to having emergency open-heart surgery in February 2019 and the horrific long recovery with complications. 

This gate was locked, preventing us from getting inside the church.

So what if we can’t go outside. So what if we mostly eat the same meals over and over again. So what if we hand wash all of our clothing which, on occasion, smells moldy when dry due to the air-con in the room and how long they take to dry. So what if we have no social interactions outside of this room. So what if we don’t have the freedom to live in a more appealing environment.

You are overlooking the iron railing around the cemetery.

Are our “heads in the sand” in denial of what may prove to be a year-long-hotel-room-confinement in Mumbai, India? We stayed in a self-imposed lockdown for a few weeks, even before the official lockdown began in India on March 24th, the day we moved into this hotel.

Another view of the cemetery from the iron railing. A gate was also locked to the main entrance, but we could enter through an unlocked side gate.

In total, we’ve been in lockdown since March 12th, the day we discovered our planned upcoming cruise scheduled for April 3rd, from Mumbai to Greenwich, UK, was canceled when we chose to end our 55-day private tour of India with three more weeks remaining until completion. This results in a total of 137 days since we’ve been confined. So what?

These steps were much steeper than they appear here, more so than many of the steps on the walk to Bar Ferrari in our neighborhood. We found an unlocked gate allowing us to enter at the bottom of these steps.

Maybe we do have our heads in the sand. So what? It’s helping us get through. But, most of all, the fact that we are safe and unlikely to contract COVID-19 makes this confinement all the more tolerable.

These were the first gravesites we spotted as we entered the cemetery.

Sure, it would be great to be able to have a glass of wine or cocktail now and then. Sure, it would be great to have social interactions, shop at a grocery store, cook a meal, use a washing machine, hang up clothes on an outdoor clothesline, or feed visiting wildlife at the edge of a veranda. Sure, it would all be nice.

Tom, ancestry.com obsessed, was fascinated with the stories revealed by the many headstones, names, dates, and photos.

Hopefully, someday in the future, all of this will transpire. But, at the growing rate of infection in many countries that we’d consider visiting, we patiently remain in a state of limbo, not with our heads-in-the-sand, but instead, a safe state of acceptance and reverence for this awful disease that we avoid at all costs.

Some of the headstones were quite impressive, both old and new.

There’s no easy answer. We walk with vigor. We talk with vigor. We laugh with vigor, especially on those mornings when Tom asks as he did today, “What’s on the agenda for today?”

We don’t have to clean, make the bed, do dishes, or sweep the floor! We get to go for a walk several times! And, I answer, “Guess what? We get to “order room service twice!” We get to “go to the movies!”

But, most of all, one more time, we get to write to all of you!

Photo from one year ago today, July 16, 2019:

This is the over-the-top Kylemore Abbey, a former home, castle and grounds of a wealthy family in the 1800s. We visited this site, taking photos, while in Connemara, Ireland, one year ago. Please click here for more photos.

Day #114 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…In a darkened room, hiding away…No sunshine here…

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Bananas were growing everywhere on the island of Madeira. Many farmed for resale, while others were available for personal use.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 15, 2014, while in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal. See the link here for more details.

We both are advocates of the value of getting Vitamin D from direct sunlight for 20 minutes a day. With all outdoor areas closed to guests in the hotel, there is nowhere we can go to get some sun directly on our skin.

Besides, it’s the monsoon season in India now, and it rains almost every day and night, often in torrents. As hard as this is to admit, based on our year’s long advocacy of the value of direct sunlight for setting bio-rhythms to produce better sleep and general health benefits, we now sit in a darkened room (with lamps on), 24 hours a day.

Some flowers are continuing to bloom through the summer season as is the case in the Alstroemeria.

It happened during the first month. One sunny day, we closed the drapes on the entire glass wall due to the glare on our laptops and kept the room cool. The view isn’t pleasant and we had no interest in seeing outdoors, especially when our chairs back up to the windows.

Over the next few cloudy days, we opened the drapes but again found the glare annoying and felt no benefit from keeping the drapes open. Finally, over a week, we gradually kept the drapes closed entirely. 

And now, over 100 days later, we spend each day in the darkened room with lamps on, while providing somewhat of a cozy feeling that we’ve both embraced. Now, if the cleaner leaves the drapes open after cleaning, we immediately close them in order for the room to return to its familiar ambiance.

What were these red things growing on a tree in our yard?  

The fact is that it may be more beneficial with the drapes open right now as we continue in lockdown month after month. However, right now, our general comfort seems to be of the utmost importance to us.

We walk daily and Tom adds in numerous flights of stairs to his walks in the corridors. I’m up to no less than three miles, almost five km, per day at a good pace, although I break it up into several segments to avoid sitting for any length of time. Tom does his exercises while our room is being cleaned.

Are we hiding away in a darkened room during these trying times? Is it impacting our moods? We aren’t hiding away but feel right now that avoiding the glare and the less-than-desirable view has a more positive impact on our ability to stay positive, contrary to what “they” may say.

These berries were growing on a palm-type tree in the garden.

Each has to find ways to console and comfort ourselves during these challenging times while easing the stress of confinement. Our dear friends Kathy and Don, who are currently living in Oahu, Hawaii (when not at their home in Marloth Park, to which they aren’t allowed to travel at this point), can walk outdoors and get together with friends at outdoor restaurants while maintaining social distancing.

Enjoying a glass of wine or a drink with friends (or even with each other) would be such a treat along with the opportunity to walk outdoors in the sunshine. However, it’s not as if we didn’t appreciate it in times past. Our level of appreciation in times to come will surely be over-the-top.

We hope you are safely able to be outdoors in bright sunlight and perhaps enjoy snippets of time with friends and family at safe distances.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, July 15, 2019:

With great reviews on TripAdvisor, it’s no wonder many visitors stopped by the unique eatery, The Misunderstood Heron in Connemara, Ireland with its stunning scenery. We didn’t order any food when all of it included wheat and high carbs. For more photos, please click here.

Day #113 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Health Insurance during lockdown…

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We loved seeing this flower growing in our yard in Campanario, Madeira, as it broke free from its pod.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 14, 2014, while in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal. See the link here for more details.

At the end of this month, our world travel health insurance policy expires. Generally, we purchase a 90-day policy from United Healthcare Global Safe Trip from this online site.

Before COVID-19, it was a breeze to choose our preferred policy and purchase it online, taking less than 10-minutes to complete. The documents arrive shortly after that, leaving us with 90 additional days of coverage.

Colorful steps, located at an elementary school in Campanario.

At the time, purchasing a year-long policy wasn’t possible when the requirement stated we had to return to the US every 90-days. However, the cost of the 90-day policy was no higher in shorter increments than an annual policy. It simply meant we’d have to visit the company’s site, enter some general information and pay online.

Fortunately, my previous pre-existing condition hasn’t been an issue, providing I haven’t had any recent additional treatment or significant medication changes within the prior 90-days. 

This house appeared to be unfinished, as frequently observed everywhere we’ve traveled.

As of this date, we have not made a single claim since we began purchasing these two individual policies (one for each of us) with this reliable company. Years ago, we had United Healthcare as our insurance provider for several years. All was handled well without incident, giving us confidence in using them for our world travel policy.

The only drawback to the policy is the fact that we are not covered when visiting the USA. Yes, it’s possible to purchase an add-on for short visits to the US, but the cost was and continues to be prohibitive. 

A stairway to a cave.

Thus, when we visit the US, we only have Medicare, Part A. We’re not willing to pay the additional INR 90426, US $1200, a month in the future for Part B plus supplements. 

If and when the time comes that we’ll return to the US to live, when we cannot continue to travel, we’ll sign up for full Medicare insurance and accompanying supplements. Once one commits to the complete Medicare package, you’re locked in for life. 

We haven’t wanted the burden of this significant expense while traveling the world, although some new supplemental insurance provides some coverage while traveling. Instead, we pay INR 31122, US $413 a month for both of us combined with an INR 15071, US $200 deductible. Additional features may be found online. 

We didn’t see any reason to enter this cave.

Currently, due to COVID-19, United Healthcare Safe Trip website doesn’t allow purchasing without calling the company or sending an email requesting information. They are quick to respond.

With the current policy, which we’d renewed while in India in April, expiring on July 28th, I was a little concerned that COVID-19 and the lack of international travel may mean they no longer offer this type of policy. A few days ago, I sent an email requesting we renew the policy for the next 180 days to see how they’d respond.

Most likely, kids in the area played in these caves over the years.

This morning I received an email from the company authorizing the new 180-day period, asking if they could charge our credit card on file. I couldn’t respond quickly enough, thrilled they’d provide us with an extended period. 

With over 2,000,000 US citizens losing their health insurance since the onset of COVID-19, for a variety of reasons, we didn’t want to take a chance and wait another day to find out if they’d renew us.

The pods growing in the garden finally bloomed, as shown in the above main photos.

During our last visit to the US from November 8, 2019, to January 30, 2020, (when we first arrived in India), I had a few medical appointments, all of which we paid out of pocket; one a visit to a cardiologist for a check-up and another to an urgent care facility when we both had an outrageous cough and flu that wouldn’t go away. 

Had that cough and fever occurred a month later, we may have thought it was COVID-19 when we both coughed for over six weeks. After sailing on a 15-night cruise from the UK to the US, we’ve often wondered if it was arriving on November 8th.

Gina, our property manager, explained that the number of cloudy days we’d experienced while there was unusual. 

Hopefully, we’ll continue to be able to avoid making claims on the policy. After our previous insurance company failed to pay for my emergency heart surgery in South Africa, which included four surgeries and follow-up, all of which we paid out of pocket, we now feel at ease working with a reliable company.

That’s it for today, folks! Stay safe and healthy!

Photo from one year ago today, July 14, 2019:

Cow grazing by the fence along our driveway in Connemara, Ireland. Please click here for more details.

Day #112 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Adding comfort for the end of days for a loved one…Seashells from a beach in Australia…

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The Aztec-type lines in this shell are unique, found on a beach in Australia five years ago.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 13, 2015, while in Trinity Beach, Queensland, Australia. See the link here for more details.
Had we been anywhere else in the world in a COVID-19 free world, I have no doubt I would have flown back to the US for a few weeks to say goodbye to my dear sister Susan in person.
This shell had a rough exterior.

When I last saw her in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December 2019, and we hugged goodbye on the last of my many visits, we both cried when she said, “This will be the last time we see each other.” 

I shook my head, insisting, “No, no, no! We’ll see each other again! We’ll be back to visit again before you know it.” In the back of my mind, I knew I could be so wrong. 

This shell appeared to have an eye looking at us.

And now, as her time nears, I almost wish I would have accepted that reality at that time, when now, during these impossible circumstances, I know I’ll never see her again. Thankfully, we’ve both already expressed our love for one another, even going as far as expressing all the reasons we’ve loved each other throughout our lives.

Like most siblings, we had occasional ups and downs, during childhood but as adults, we became closer, relying on one another as the years passed.

This shell was an exciting find.

She lived a tumultuous life consisting of notable success while receiving considerable respect for her outstanding business acumen. And then, over the past 15 years or so, her health tumbled out of control with chronic conditions, leaving her a near invalid, lying in bed 24 hours a day, with countless situations, ingesting multitudes of prescribed medications with little to no hope of returning to a productive, meaningful way of life.

There’s never been a time we didn’t stay in close touch. Since we began our travels in 2012, I called her at least once a week, if not more, and we engaged in thought-provoking conversations often interspersed with outrageous laughter leaving us in tears. 

This shell stood alone for its unique texture and color.

As her health and memory deteriorated in the past months, our conversations became short when she had little strength to engage in lively banter. All I could do was tell her I loved her and let her know I was thinking about her every day.

As the dementia worsened, I would often remind her we were in lockdown in India to understand why I was not at her side. She seems to grasp this concept and sounds content to hear my voice.

An intriguing three shells.

This past week, my sister Julie and Susan’s daughter Kely, both living in California, were tested for COVID-19 and drove to Las Vegas, staying in a nearby hotel, well-gloved and masked, and visited her each day. The nursing/hospice facility where she is living only has 10 patients and they haven’t had a single case of the virus.

Under these particular circumstances, with proof of their health, Julie and Kely were allowed to visit Susan all day over eight days, creating a familiar environment to provide Susan with some comfort. 

The variance in color makes the shells particularly interesting to find.

They visited her storage facility finding pictures, wall hangings, and treasured items. They proceeded to fill the walls of her private room with a lifetime of memorabilia, all of which made the sterile, single space feel more like a home than a hospital room.

They helped her in preparing the necessary “end of life” documents, including medical directives, posted on the wall to ensure the staff would know exactly what to do “when the time comes.”

This was one of the more giant shells we discovered.

My phone number is posted in large letters on the wall, stating that I am her “middle of the night contact” should she awaken and need to talk or feel frightened. She seemed aware of this when I spoke to her this morning. With the time difference here, her middle of the night would be our middle of the day. 

Knowing she can call during the night when she’s scared or wants to hear a familiar voice gives her great comfort. During the daylight hours (while we’re sleeping), she can call Julie and Kely. We’ve got it covered around the clock. 

These three were similar. The next day, we returned all the shells to the beach where we found them.

This isn’t easy for any of us with loved ones in poor health, with COVID-19, in nursing homes, those requiring surgery and tests in hospitals or even, dealing with the ravages of the virus in lockdown in their own homes. 

The issues of senior/disability care have become all the more pronounced during these challenging times. And yet, our emotions and love remain firmly in place to ease our loved ones through these sorrowful phases of life.

May you and your loved ones find peace, comfort, and love together now and always.

Photo from one year ago today, July 13, 2019:

“Do you have any carrots?” asks this Connemara Pony in Ireland one year ago today. For more photos, please click here.

Day #111 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Mask or no mask???…More photos from Australia…

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Nothing was as beautiful as a sunny day at the beach in Queensland, Australia, five years ago today. 

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 12, 2015, while in Trinity Beach, Queensland, Australia. See the link here for more details.
As much as I try to avoid posting about COVID-19, it’s become challenging to skirt around the issue when it has such a tremendous impact on our current and future lives of world travel.
A substantial contemporary house near the beach.

A while back, I polled our readers, and the majority (by a slim margin) stated they didn’t want to see controversial posts, conspiracy theories, or politically inspired posts regarding COVID-19. We have stayed true to our promise to avoid these types of topics. 

In the process, even Tom and I have gone away from even discussing many of these varying positions to avoid becoming more stressed and agitated. This has been a wise decision.

Generally speaking, Tom and I agree on most aspects of self-protection from the virus. However, our opinions may vary on wearing face masks, which I adhere to with determination and diligence. He has readily embraced the hotel’s policy that face masks are to be worn at all times when out of our room. His only resistance is the fact that his glasses become fogged. 

Contemporary house in Holloways Beach.

He’ll undoubtedly comply with the airline and airport policies when we finally have the opportunity to fly away. I do not doubt that many couples may not agree on wearing face masks, although most agree that social distancing and vigorous hand washing are imperative, including both of us.

Our reader’s comments asked that we stick to travel-related topics, particularly regarding COVID-19, and thus, we’ll continue with today’s post in that vein. In today’s news, which impacts us significantly in the future, we see that the UK is allowing visitors from 59 countries to enter on international flights (this doesn’t include India or the USA) without any quarantine measures in place.

Another large home in Holloways Beach.

Doesn’t this seem foolhardy? Almost all of those 59 countries (most in the EU) still have rising cases and deaths from COVID-19. Why would England, which is the #9 position in the world for most cases and deaths (out of 215 entries), so freely allow international visitors without regard for quarantine?

This baffles me. Also, it baffles me why some people in mask-required states in the US can receive exemptions from wearing a mask due to “health reasons.”

This morning on my first walk, I listened to a podcast that popped up on my phone by a highly regarded immunologist/physician stating that there are no health conditions that should prevent a person from wearing a mask if they are physically able to be out shopping at Trader Joe’s pushing a grocery trolley and screaming when they are confronted, claiming a medical condition.

A small park at Holloway’s Beach.

If a person had a severe enough case of asthma, COPD, or other respiratory illness, most likely, they’d be unable to shop and would be under care at home or in a medical facility.

I don’t love wearing a mask. I have asthma and heart disease, so the mask makes it difficult to breathe when I walk fast in the corridors. But I do so regardless. If I couldn’t walk with a mask, I’d stop walking. I am no exception to the rule.

Most times, while walking, I walk past several staff members and an occasional guest. If I had the virus, what right would I have to infect others while breathing heavily from a fast walk if I had the virus without apparent symptoms? And, the opposite is true.

Double Island made us curious as to what it would be like to visit. Here are the details of visiting Double Island.

Finally, research is coming out that illustrates that wearing a mask prevents the spread from infected individuals and protects the wearer. Yes, there’s been conflicting information regarding this fact and others since the onset of COVID-19. 

But, as world travelers, it’s our responsibility to stay informed as information “changes” as more and more studies are completed in such articles as this and numerous other recent articles.

Tom was looking out to the sea under a roof at the beach.

Suppose we intend to continue to travel in the future, including land, sea, and air. In that case, we must stay on top of each location’s safety requirements and laws, as well as methods in which we can best protect ourselves once we travel and eventually land somewhere, regardless of where that may be.

So far, travel prospects out of India continue to look bleak, although there are discussions among leaders about reopening international flights. India has now moved into the world’s position #3 of the most cases and deaths, from #4 a week ago, directly bypassing Russia with the US in #1 position, Brazil in #2, as we predicted one week ago. See this chart here.

More views of the park at the beach.

As mentioned in earlier posts, even if India opens international flights, we’ll have to consider which countries will accept us when US citizens and Indian visitors are banned. Time will tell.

Let’s put an end to this dreadful time in our history! Please, folks, wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands obsessively. Please pass this post on to your friends and loved ones.

Photo from one year ago today, July 12, 2019:

These dilapidated farm buildings represent a period of strife in Ireland when many left the country due to the potato famine. For more details, please click here.
 

Day #110 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Are there benefits to living in this lockdown?…Looking on the bright side!

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This scene took our breath away at the Cairns Tropical Zoo. This mother Koala with her “joey” in her pouch is the name for all marsupial offspring. A Koala joey is the size of a jellybean with no hair, no ears, and is blind at birth. Joeys crawl into the mother’s pouch immediately after birth, staying there until about six months old.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 11, 2015, while in Trinity Beach, Queensland, Australia. See the link here for more details.

As stated in today’s heading, “Are, there benefits to living in this lockdown?” The seeming preposterous question may elicit head-shaking and laughter. But, when a reader wrote, commending us for our resiliency, they asked this very question, adding that perhaps some benefits contribute to our staying relatively upbeat. 

The natural bond between moms and their offspring is always precious to observe. Many visitors gathered around this area in awe of the experience.

These benefits generally are expected and relevant while living in most holiday homes. During the pandemic, we could easily have been deprived of these items, and based on the fact we have not been deprived, we are very grateful.

They were both checking out the action. Koalas eat as much as 1000 eucalyptus leaves per day. 

We thank the reader for their kind observation and comments. Without a doubt, some factors make this peculiar scenario tolerable, preventing us from banging our heads on the wall in sheer frustration. 

Jasmine, Tom and Koala’s mom, and joey named Violet after ten years devoted employee Jasmine’s daughter. 

With tongue in cheek, I’ll answer this question, asking Tom for input regarding his perceptions as well but will combine our answers in the following:

1. We have quality air-con, keeping the room cool and humidity-free day and night
2.  Strong signal Wi-Fi with rare issues
3.  We don’t have to do dishes, make the bed or clean the room
4.  The shower water is hot and dependable
5.  We have an electric kettle and can make coffee and tea using the included supplies
6.  Staff is friendly and competent, and quick to respond to issues or concerns
7.  We can easily stream media using our HDMI cord
8.  We can purchase toiletries and miscellaneous from Amazon India
9.  There are comfortable chairs for each of us
10. The food, although repetitive, is tasty is well prepared. We recently mentioned the temperature was not hot enough, and they now bring our food in a portable warmer. This helps.
11. Prescription drugs available without a doctor’s prescription
12. Fresh white bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, and toilet tissue are provided daily with fresh bedding every three days. Some toiletries are provided.
13. Comfortable bedding and mattress. No dust mites.
14. Long corridors enable us to walk long distances each day in air-conditioned comfort. I am now up to almost three miles/five km per day. Tom walks less of a distance, but he also does the stairs, which I avoid due to the risk of falling.

Ironically, one of our favorite wild animals at the Cairns Tropical Zoo was the Dingo, looking familiar to us as a domesticated dog.  However, Dingos are wild animals, and many attempts to domesticate them have failed. 

While refilling my monthly container with vitamins and three prescription drugs, I noticed I was quickly running out of medication for hypertension. I brought the empty package down to the reception desk to ask their assistance in getting enough of this particular drug to last for the next nine months. 

Prescriptions for such medications are not required in India. Within 48 hours, the pills arrived, 600 tablets of which I take two per day for INR 6000, US $79.83, considerably less than I’d pay in most countries. I have two more medications I’ll order in equal amounts before we leave India. This is an excellent benefit without the necessity of seeing a doctor, which during COVID-19 would be risky.

The Wildlife Wedding Chapel on the ground of the zoo is a popular venue for weddings.  Please click here for details.

Our ability to maintain a positive attitude in this confined situation is in part based on the availability of the above-listed points. But, in looking back, we’ve been in situations where we’ve had only a few of the listed items, and we managed fine. Of course, at those times, we had freedom, the outdoors, fresh air, home-cooked meals, and no thoughts or concerns about getting a life-threatening virus.

Stay safe. Appreciate. Adapt. Share. Keep moving. Social distance. Wear a mask. Eat healthy foods. Think good thoughts. Love. 

Photo from one year ago today, July 11, 2019:

Beautiful Connemara pony. For more photos, please click here.

Day #109 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Ongoing heartbreaking situation with my sister…

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We searched online but couldn’t find the name of this grass or weed. This is commonly found along the highways and country roads in this and other areas of Australia.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 10, 2015, while in Trinity Beach, Queensland, Australia. See the link here for more details.

Many of our readers have written kindly inquiring about how my sister Susan is doing after I posted about her failing health while living in a nursing home in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

It sunny day at the beach.

This week, her daughter Kely and my sister Julie have been visiting her each day, sorting out all of her papers, end-of-life directives, and making her single room in the nursing home look more friendly by hanging some of her favorite pictures, family collages, and photos.

Digging through her storage space, they found many of her favorite things, many of which she’s been asking about for months. She moved into this 10-bed nursing facility many months ago, which provides exceptional care when it was impossible for her to continue to live in an assisted living facility.

The boat launch at Holloways Beach, leading to a river that leads to the sea. That’s not an animal hanging from the tree, just an unusual root clump.

At this point, she is bedridden and has been placed into palliative/hospice care with no hope for improvement or recovery. How long she will last is unknown at this point and seems to us predicated by how long she is willing to hang on.

Finally, her facility allowed masked, gloved, and face-shielded visitors. They have not had a single case of COVID-19. It has given me great comfort to know Kely and Julie could be with her now. The isolation all these months have been unbearable for her.

This sign painted on the paved road at the boat launch says, “Be croc wise in croc country.” It would be terrifying to encounter a croc while launching a boat into the water.

Sadly, her memory is failing by the hour, and she can only recall snippets of her long-ago life and little, if anything, about recent events. Dementia/Alzheimer’s has set in gradually over the years but has become more evident these past few months.

Over the years of world travel, I have called her every week to touch base and share wonderful travel stories with her. As a former world traveler herself, we often laughed over the irony of the same places we visited and the stories that followed.

Unknown variety of flowers.

About a month ago, when I called, she could hardly speak and had little cognizance of who I was. This prompted Kely and Julie to visit her once again from their respective homes in San Diego and Los Angeles, California. 

The last time I saw Susan was in December 2019 when Tom and I visited Las Vegas for almost two weeks, during which we stayed with son Richard, and I called her nearly every day, making the two-hour round-trip drive from Henderson to North Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The pile of huge rocks appeared to have been placed at the edge of the rainforest to keep people out. 

During this week, Kely and Julie organized everything she needed to be prepared for life’s end and make her all the more comfortable. At this point, there’s no benefit from any additional medical care. She’s taking numerous medications that keep her pain-free and as comfortable as possible.

Of course, I wish I could be with her now. Even if she doesn’t recall that I’ve called her, I will continue to call every few days, just to say, “I love you.” She sleeps most of the day and only awakens for short periods to take a few bites of food. She’s at a point now, where she cannot lift a spoon or fork to her mouth.

An attractive beachfront house as we drove along the beach road.

As I write this today, many of you will relate to this sorrowful situation. Many of us have been through this in the past with loved ones and sadly will face it again as we age and care for aging parents, siblings, and other family members.

The process of working our way through this most challenging time in our history along with dealing with the sorrow of losing beloved family members and friends is heart-wrenching for all of us.

This root-laden tree is unusual, reminding us of Banyan trees in Hawaii, although with smaller roots.

May we all find comfort in the love and companionship we share with our loved ones and with one another during these times and into the future. Thank you, dear readers, for your compassion and concern.

Photo from one year ago today, July 10, 2019:

As we drove from Connemara, Ireland to the small town of Roundstone, with a population of 214, we were impressed by the design of the colorful properties on the main road. For more photos, please click here.