Living off the grid…More photos from a road trip…

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We were behind this dangerous situation in the rain on our return drive from Negara. If the truck in front of this motorbike driver stopped suddenly. Yikes!
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Yesterday, this passenger ship sailed on the Bali Sea/Indian Ocean located in front of us.


The dream that many possess of escaping the stresses of everyday life in the big city or a metropolis to hide away on a tropical island may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.

In the short term, it may seem romantic with visions of lazy days and nights filled with hand-made arts and crafts, cooking fish on an open fire, and picking fruits from nearby trees. Find a huge bag of rice and organic vegetables from a local stand and a life of ease and leisure may be found.

For some lofty adventurers, this may work for a while and for others for a lifetime. But, for most of us, however, we might think we’d like to “live off the grid” the reality of such a life isn’t always pretty.

This motorbike loaded with products for sale is typical, in this case, coconuts. (Photo was taken through the windshield while moving fast).

There’s a TV show we’d watched a few times while in Australia called “Off the Grid Living,” amongst other such series produced throughout the world. Often, after participants spent a weekend trial period at their preferred off-the-grid property, particularly those with children, they’ve changed their minds deciding perhaps a few acres of land and a flock of chickens and goats would be more realistic.

When we fantasize about remote “roughing it” island living, we often don’t consider the basic elements of daily life most of us have taken for granted. Even here in Bali, the workers earning around IDR $1,997,714, US $150, a month have cell phones and access to the Internet as we’ve seen from our staff here at the villa.

They drive motorbikes they can purchase for around IDR $19,977,144, US $1500, on credit. They subsist on the most minimal of foods, mostly low cost locally grown white rice, and vegetables and they live in houses filled with multiple family members of many generations. (Seventy-five percent of Balinese people live in houses, not apartments).

Gede explained this outdoor stand is for church donations, comparable to a bake sale. Passersby purchase products to be donated to the church for poor families.

Gede also explained that family members care for the elderly since there is no such thing as retirement pensions or Social Security for the elderly. He and his siblings support his ill and aging parents who are old for their 60 years, having spent a hard life supporting their growing families, now fully dependent upon their children for survival.

There’s nothing romantic and enticing about such a lifestyle. It’s a life of hard work and never-ending hardship and responsibility. And if a person(s) coming from a traditional city or suburban life believes they’ll find ultimate happiness living off-the-grid, off the land, we admire their courage while wondering how long they’ll last. We’re all products of our environment.

We often wonder if the smiles on those beautiful faces of the locals are kindness and appreciation to those who visit their land providing jobs with minimal pay or if in fact, the simplicity of their lives truly brings them joy. If that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that those of us used to “more” of everything would find such a life easy and rewarding, peaceful and stress free.

Once we parked on the distant street we walked down this road to the biggest supermarket in Negara, Beli Lebih, which supposedly carries many “western” foods.  As hard as we looked we were unable to find many items on our shortlist.

Whenever we’ve lived on islands with less available amenities, we’ve met and come to know property owners who have transplanted from other countries to an island with a dream of a different life, stress-free and uncomplicated. Little did they realize what was ahead.

Once their vacation homes were built and occasionally occupied, they had a whole new set of concerns;  finances, power outages, poor Internet connections, storm damage, difficulty finding needed supplies and services, constant wear and tear on their property from humidity and salt air, inconsistent workers and problematic renters. The list could go on and on.

For those who dream of a tent on the beach under a palm tree with minimal amenities, we need only watch a few episodes of  the TV series “Survivor” to see how difficult that life could be for most people. And even on that series, the producers ensure there an adequate water supply and nearby medical care.

This colorful sign was posted regarding an event that occurred over the weekend.

Our words are not intended to squash anyone’s dream of living off the grid. If hard work and constant challenge are befitting one’s demeanor, by all means, go for it. 

If nothing else, it could prove to be a phenomenal life-changing experience for children and adults alike as they grow and mature while roughing it. And yes, there would be endless periods of great joy with a sense of adventure and accomplishment. 

Now, as we live in this exquisite upscale property with a household staff of four, even life here isn’t as easy as one might expect. The bugs, the flies, the poor WiFi connection, the constant heat and humidity and our inability to watch world news is by all means, an adjustment. 

This is the exterior of the photo shop where we each had visa photos taken for a nominal price. The wait was less than 10 minutes overall.

The unavailability of food products we usually use: beef, bacon, unprocessed cheese, sour cream, celery, baking soda, sea salt, Himalayan salt, familiar spices or coconut flour reminds us of how fortunate we’ve been in many locations. 

Soon, we’ll run out of the full-fat sour cream we purchased in Denpasar on the first day of our arrival which we use to make our daily coleslaw salad (lettuce is hard to find but cabbage is readily available). It’s not worth the eight-hour round trip harrowing drive to go get it. At that point, we’ll stop eating salad each day when neither of us cares for coleslaw without dressing.

This fire station in Negara could have been a fire station anywhere in the world.
Unable to watch world news (the WiFi signal too poor to watch online news although we do read highlights each day) or an occasional bit of mindless drivel also presents a reminder of how spoiled we’ve been in many locations with English speaking TV when approximately 35% of our vacation homes haven’t had TV at all.  Perhaps, living off the grid, one wouldn’t want to know what’s going on in the world. Maybe that’s the idea, after all.

For us, for our continuing safety and world travels, for our future financial security, and for our health, we choose not to “live off the grid” instead preferring more remote locations which ultimately require we make some sacrifices.

The pharmacy where we stopped for a few refills.  No prescription required for non-scheduled items.  Good service and prices.

So what? No more coleslaw? No health food store? No Himalayan salt (we’re almost out of our supply)? No homemade toothpaste (requires baking soda and salt)? We’re managing just fine, occasionally noting what we don’t have but overall noticing what we do.

Could it be that essentially, that’s the answer to fulfillment and happiness? Accepting what we do have as opposed to what we don’t? Sure, I’ll go with that premise. It’s working for us. May it work for you as well.


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

Our favorite bird in Kauai, aptly names Birdie, who lived in our yard with his significant other, waiting for us each day as we opened the blinds in the morning, visiting us and singing for nuts many times each day and looking at us as we dined each night. For more photos as we neared the end of our glorious time in Kauai, please click here. For the video we made of him singing to us, please click here.

Photos of road trip continue…One year from today…Fulfillment, happiness and knowledge…

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This appears to be a Balinese boat, called Madurai, one of many designs that we spotted in the fishing harbor in Negara which is quite a site to see.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

  At first, we thought this might be a log or debris, but when we saw it moving quickly from left to right, we knew it was a sea creature.

Our lives are filled with milestone dates as we continue to travel the world. Whether it’s an anniversary of the date we first left Minnesota, first left the US, embarked on our first safari, walked the hills of Tuscany, wandered the lost city of Petra, or sailed in the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden in the Red Sea.

As our journey continues, we find the true meaning of our passion and purpose to become one with the world in ways we can maneuver based on our personal desires, our ages, our health, and our financial considerations.

This appears to be a Muslim Madurai boat design.

In our minds, we’re doing it well, better than we anticipated, better than we dreamed possible. It’s not a case of flattering ourselves for a job well done thus far. 

A similar design is common on these Madurai boats located in the fishing villages of Pangambengan and Perancak.

It’s merely a matter of acknowledging to ourselves and to one another that we’ve reached the pinnacle of our intent…fulfillment, happiness, and knowledge of a world we never knew existed until 43 months ago. How naïve we were. How educated we’ve become, and yet, with so much more to learn in the future.

Today is a milestone that in one year we’ll be back in the US, arriving in Seattle, Washington after a 24-day cruise from Sydney, Australia. For the time being, we’ll have scoured the South Pacific as much as we desired and may, with so much world yet to come, never return. 

Smaller boats docked along the breakwaters.

We’ll stay in the US for two months visiting family and then, off we go again, bookings and plans already intact with the same degree of excitement we’ll have begun, at that point, almost five years ago.

As we peruse our travel map located to the right of today’s post (feel free to click on it for details), good grief if the completion of seeing the world were our entire objective, we’ve only experienced the “tip of the iceberg” so to speak…and that, too, coming up on January 23, 2018, on our booked Antarctica cruise.

Its hard to conceive of the time and effort to create these detailed decorations.

But then, seeing the entire world is entirely impossible, even if one began decades before us. It’s a big place.  Does spending time in a few cities in a country, on a continent constitute really “seeing” it? Or, does living there for two or three months at a time determine how well we’ve come to know the life, the culture, and the treasures it offers for us to behold? 

Many of the boats are similarly designed with attention to religious detail.  Some are of Hindu design and others are of Muslim design.

To us, none of this matters. What matters is the fulfillment, happiness, and knowledge we glean along the way, at times with a degree of angst and discomfort and even, at times a degree of disillusionment and disappointment.

This appeared to be a maintenance/utility boat.

Then again, even these types of perceptions are all part of the process of learning and growing as human beings, of stretching our wings to soar above these vast lands with grace, humility, and awe.

The number of fishing boats in the harbor is astounding.

Yes, we are in awe of it all even with the biting flies, the relentless mozzies, the muddy paths, the steep roads, the hours-long harrowing drives, the scorching heat, the suffocating humidity, and at times the seeming to never end cloudy and rainy days and nights. It’s all a part of the experience.  If it were perfect, it would have little meaning after a while.

We couldn’t believe how much creativity was required for the designs of these fishing boats.

So, yes, we’re in Paradise here and again in Paradise wherever we may be at any given time, for the experience, for the selfish joy, for a starlit night like none other where we need only reach to the sky for a handful of stardust we sprinkle in our own eyes as we smile in pure wonderment.

Some of the boats in the harbor were small and less decorative.

Today, we share more photos of that joy we’ve encountered here in Bali, Indonesia in a remote location far from the popular tourist points of interest making our own way to see that which becomes closest to our hearts, a simple beauty, a profound opportunity, to discover what life is really like in faraway lands. 

Gratefulness. It prevails.

Photo from one year ago today, May 16, 2015:

As we were winding down our time in Kauai, the albatross chicks born in early February would begin to fledge within a month. It had been an amazing experience to watch them grow over the many months and finally to see their fluff fall away as their feathers suitable for flying grew in.  For more photos, please click here.

Unbelievable road trip…Check out our new photos!…The day’s expenses…Many more photos to share over the next several days!

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Rambut Siwi Hindu Temple (Pura Rambut Siwi) in Negara, the largest of three traditional temples located in each town in Indonesia.

“RAMBUT SIWI TEMPLE (Pura Rambut Siwi):
This temple is about equidistant between Negara and Medewi Beach. Located on a low cliff top overlooking a breathtaking panorama of paddy fields and the mountains of West Bali National Park on one side and black sand beaches on the other. The temple itself was built by the 16th-century Javanese sage Dang Hyang Nirartha, also the creator of the Tanah Lot temple. According to legend, he made a gift of his hair to the temple. Hence the name Rambut Siwi, which literally means ” Hair Worship”.”

Wikipedia: “Bali is an island and province of Indonesia. The province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighboring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. It is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Its capital of Denpasar is located in the southern part of the island.  With a population of 3,890,757 in the 2010 census and 4,225,000 as of January 2014, the island is home to most of Indonesia’s Hindu minority. According to the 2010 Census, 83.5% of Bali’s population adhered to Balinese Hinduism, followed by 13.4% Muslim, Christianity at 2.5%, and Buddhism 0.5%.”

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali“

Sand crab running on the beach.  Amazing camouflage.

What a day we had!  We were a little hesitant when we were getting ready to leave. The flies were on a rampage and the heat and humidity were relatively unbearable. 

After wearing only bathing suits for 11 days and only wearing shoes when we went for a walk, I decided to dress as lightly as possible as did Tom, hoping we’d manage to stay cool in the AC in the van.  Good thing we did.  It was a scorcher especially when we spent considerable time outside the vehicle on our multiple stops.

The meeting hall at the Hindu Temple in Negara.

We accomplished all the shopping on our list; a SIM card for the phone (for emergency use) at IDR 31,000, US $2.32; passport photos at a local photo studio at IDR 50,000, US $3.75 (including a CD with the photos as well as a dozen photos printed each on photo paper); a visit to a pharmacy for two prescription refills (no written prescriptions required) at a total of IDR 610,000, US $45.74; a few groceries at IDR 384,900, US $28.86 and a stop at the ATM.

Even this gate caught our eye as we peered through it to see the exquisite grounds.

Our cost for the van and driver for the half-day trip was IDR 350,000, US $26.25. Of course, we’ll be tipping Gede and the remainder of the staff for all of their thoughtful and diligent service at the end of our stay. 

The trip to the “big” supermarket in Negara was a bit disappointing when we weren’t able to find some basic ingredients on our list.  Perceived as a “western” type market, we couldn’t find basic items such as unprocessed cheese, having no choice but to purchase locally made individually wrapped processed cheese (I won’t eat it but Tom will). 

Nor could we find sour cream (or a yogurt substitute without sugar and lots of carbs).  We’d hoped to find baking soda and Himalayan salt neither of which were available.  Next time, I’ll be more diligent and carry these items with us when we return for our next two-month stint. 

This red carpet is used for dancing during religious ceremonies.

Why would we expect another country to have our favorite products?  We shouldn’t. Of all the countries we visited date, finding basic food items has been most difficult here.  Even in Kenya, at the local Nakumatt market, we were able to purchase all of the above-mentioned ingredients.

If we weren’t able to purchase a single ingredient, we could easily manage the food the two Ketuts make for us.  Last night, after our prawn stir fry meal with salad, I found myself a little hungry for something. 

Nothing was spared in the design of the temple, as is traditional in Hindu architecture.

Normally, I’d have some nuts or cheese for a snack neither of which is available. When Tom expressed concern over what I could have for a snack I said, “There’s nothing wrong with being hungry now and then.”   I knew that in 20 minutes, the hunger would subside and it did.  I never gave it another thought.

Along with our shopping which took little time, we spent the rest of the time visiting points of interest.  Little did we know we’d experience such amazing sites and photo opportunities.

Gede explained this is the equivalent of a bell tower.

Gede was born in Bali and knows each area very well.  The ease with which he found his way to each location made the experience all the more enjoyable.  Also, he knew exactly which scenes would create the best photos.  We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide.

After we returned “home,” put everything away, and had entered all of our purchases on the spreadsheet, the rains came along with more flies. With everything in the house wide open, the only haven from the flies is in the bedroom where we hideaway for a break from time to time. 

The spire on one of the structures at the temple.

Today is breezy and slightly cooler. At the moment, we’re under the cabana enjoying the balmy breezes that keep the annoying pests out of the way. With rain on the horizon over the next several days with more flies hatching we’re going to try dining upstairs tonight where there’s an oscillating fan at the dining table. 

In any case, we’re doing great today after a good night’s sleep. Today, we’re by ourselves when the staff is off on Sunday. Oh, we don’t mind them being around at all. They are quiet and gracious whenever they’re around. 

Closer view of the tower.

We do enjoy a little time to ourselves and even preparing our own dinner today; basically heating leftovers we’d kept in the freezer, veggies, and salad the Ketuts left for us for today. Easy.

Tomorrow, we’ll have more details on our photos and the sites we visited. Please check back again!

Be well! Be happy!

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

The Kauai Path is well maintained with several restroom buildings and lifeguard vehicles with surfboards for aiding in water rescues. For more details, please click here.

Heading out today…sightseeing and shopping…Household help nirvana…

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The sign at the entrance to our villas. Paradise, it is the majority of the time. 
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
This dog walked up to our villa and wandered around the pool.  We stayed seated and didn’t say a word.  Soon, he wandered away.

At 10:00 am this morning, Gede, our houseman, and driver, is arriving to pick us up in air-conditioned comfort for a half-day outing. Yesterday morning, he stopped by to let us know he’d returned from his religious holiday celebration and to assure us we’re on track for today’s scheduled trip to Negara.

We made a list of five things we need to do aside from the sightseeing; stop at an ATM; visit a photo shop for visa photos we’ll need to use in Singapore and for the online Cambodia visa; purchase a SIM card for emergency calls; stop at a pharmacy for a few items; shop at the supermarket which is much more well equipped than the local markets in this area.

Aside from walks in the area, basically, we stayed at the villa for the past 10 days. With the two Ketuts doing all the shopping and cooking for meals, we haven’t needed to get out shopping. 

Gede explained we should ask the Ketuts to bring us coconuts from the market and Ribud will break them open. Sounds like a plan to me!

Besides, with Gede gone most of the week, we didn’t see any reason to try to find another driver when we so much enjoy his companionship and good English. Most local workers in the Sumbersari area don’t speak much English, many not at all, as is the case with one of the two Ketut’s.

Even so, the English-speaking Ketut struggles to understand most of what we say other than some basic cooking and household-related words and expressions.  After all, this is their country and we should learn to speak their language to some degree if we plan to be here. 

This old bicycle is leaning against the stone wall of a house down the road.

The Balinese language is not the easiest in the world to learn and we’ve struggled with even a few of the many syllable words. Somehow between all of us, we’re able to communicate enough to manage the household comfortably.

They easily respond to hand signals such as this morning when I asked them to wash the huge square dining room table with hot soapy water. Although after each meal they wipe down our eating space on one end of the table (the one facing the ocean), it needed a good cleaning to help keep the flies away while we dine.

I surely could have done this myself but we’ve noticed it seems to hurt their feelings when we take over a job that falls within their job descriptions. Really. It’s the custom which we respect as we’ve both tempered our innate desires to clean up. 

Community building where security hangs out day and night. If we had an emergency, we could run down there. It’s only a short walk from our villa.

We pick up after ourselves as much as we see is acceptable to them, not unlike one would when staying in a hotel. You don’t make the bed, wash the floors, clean the bathroom, do the dishes. We put our clothes away, hang our wet towels on the towel bar, hang the damp beach towels on the portable clothesline and hang our wet swimsuits to dry. 

If it rains during the day and they aren’t here, we bring the chaise cushions and towels indoors. When they are here, they’re quick to handle this task including grabbing our wet suits from the line.

The most I contribute to the preparation of dinner is to make the dressing for our salad, toss the salad and place equal portions in each of two salad dishes, which they don’t seem to mind. However, each time we attempt to clear the table after dinner, they rush up to us, gently taking the dirty plates from our hands indicating we go relax with the swish of a hand toward the living room or outdoors.

This plant is a bit confusing.

It was the same way when we lived in Morocco in 2014, as the staff happily and graciously took over the cleaning, food preparation, serving, and cleanup. Then, it took us a while to get used to being “waited on” and now, two years later again, we’re learning to comply and be good house guests. Of course, there’s always plenty of room for saying thank you and commending them on a job well done, which obviously means a lot to all of them.

Prior to their arrival at the villa, each morning at 8:00 am, we prepare our coffee, serve ourselves and wash our coffee mugs leaving no dishes in the sink to wash. Plus, while I’m showering Tom sets up the cushions and beach towels on the chaise lounges enabling us to have coffee outside overlooking the sea. 

Yum…what a way to start the day…a perfect cup of hot French pressed coffee with whole cream and a comfy chaise lounge with views. That’s my guy! Any wonder why my daily life is so exquisite?

Pretty blooms on a walk.

Also throughout the day, Tom is the “beverage guy” serving me icy mugs of iced tea or water.  Somehow, he evolved to this “position” and there’s no complaint from me, instead only a heartfelt “Thanks, Honey,” when he serves me a beverage and “takes care of things.” 

In this environment, I almost feel like I’m not holding up my share of tasks when my devoted husband ensures everything I need is right at hand. Gosh, it’s a miracle I get any steps logged on my newly purchased FitBit.  Somehow I manage to with our walks on the beach and in the neighborhood. Also, spending considerable time working out in the pool, has proven to be my new favorite mode of exercise.

Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll be back with a plethora of new and interesting photos to share with our loyal readers who may have become bored with our constant stream of photos in paradise over these past few weeks.

Thank you, loyal readers! We appreciate each and every click! Happy day!

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

A small lagoon between Anini Beach and Ke’e Beach. For more Kauai photos, please click here.

Its a better day…Yesterday can easily be forgotten…Power outage adding to the frustration level…

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This scary looking carving is located on the iron fence of the house next door.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

We did a double take when we saw these two young guys walking their inner tube type boats along the beach. Later, we saw them fishing from these tiny watercraft.

Let’s face it, living in less developed countries presents issues many don’t find in their home country. We accepted this reality long ago when the first country in which we lived outside the US, Belize in Central America, formerly known as British Honduras, taught us that lesson hard and fast.

It’s not as if we expected a life of world travel to be as easy as life in the US. We knew there’d be challenges, and sacrifices and we’ve faced them with as much grace and dignity as we’ve been able.

The house next door to us is at the end of this narrow road of this private villa neighborhood.

Sure, we’ve whined a bit and sure, we still cringe when there’s flies on our food as we dine (in excess amounts over these past few days) and, sure, we gave each other “the look” when the power went out shortly after dinner last night. You know, the look that says, “Here we go again.”

But we didn’t say much about it.  Instead, we made a plan. The two Ketuts found candles but no candle holders. We opted for saucers. There were no flashlights or torches, in the house, no screens on the bedroom windows if the outage lasted through the night as we’d be without AC or a fan to keep us cool.

We easily both recalled living in Kenya almost three years ago (for a full three months) when there was no AC and the power would often be out all night. It happened over and over again. We had no living room, only a veranda where we sat in the dark by candlelight, bugs swarming around us until we gave up and went to bed to the protection of the mosquitos netting. We survived. 

Spiky branches of this flowering plant.

Not only did we survive, we became tougher, more resilient, more tolerant. But all of that doesn’t mean the sting of a fly bite or other insect or, the heat of a breeze-less night doesn’t impact our comfort level. We’re human, after all.

In part, the frustration level during outages revolves around the fact that we don’t know how long it will last.  Will it be hours? Days? What about the food? What about being out of touch without Skype or a working phone when the WiFi signal is also non-existent during a power outage? (We’ve yet to find SIM cards for our phones in this remote location).

Pretty flowers growing along the wall lining the neighborhood.

What about a medical emergency? The next door neighbor died 18 months ago when he couldn’t get to a proper hospital in time for treatment when he was having a heart attack. The doctor “was out” not returning for several hours. He lay on a gurney and passed away without treatment. (Tomorrow, when we head to Negara, we’ll find a SIM card).

The two Ketuts left after bringing us the candles, saucers and matches. At least we’d already had dinner. At least, my laptop was fully charged and we could watch shows until the battery died. At least, we had already cooled down the bedroom a little for after dinner lounging where we now go to relax in the evening, free from the flies and mozzies. 

Hindu statue along the wall in the neighborhood.

Luckily, it wasn’t a all night affair. A few hours later, shortly before total darkness, the power came back on.  “Whew,” we both said simultaneously. We’ve said this many times in the past. And, we have no doubt, we’ll say it many times in the future, not only here in Bali but in many other countries along the way.

Now, as we bat off about half as many flies as yesterday, with a clear blue sky, power back on and the humidity a touch lower, we look forward to the later part of the morning when the sun and the day reduces the flies dive bombing antics and once again we can experience another sunny day in Paradise.

May your day be sunny and bright!

Photo from one year ago today, May 13, 2015:

The morning view from our lanai in Kauai as it rained off and on. We were counting off the day until our departure after a blissful four month stay. For more details, please click here.

Not a perfect day in Paradise…”Keeping it real”…

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This bird appears to be a Blue Kingfisher. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Yesterday, Tom took this distant photo when he spotted this peculiar boat which appears “sunken” in the middle. We had no idea what type of boat this is.  Any comments from our Indonesian (or other) readers who may know?

As previously mentioned in other posts, most tourists traveling to Bali (and other countries we visit) are staying in a resort or hotel of some sort, not a private single family home. The conditions for comfort are very different. 

Also, they may ony stay only one or two weeks and challengingconditions may not present themselves during the shorter period. Today, is aday, where weather and other conditions are challenging, to say the least. 

The heat and humidity is as high as we ever experienced in Africa on the worst of days. On these hot and humid days and nights, especially after its rained there are lots of flies.

It’s too hot to shoot the wall of glass doors, but, with the many flies already in the house, even that would do little good. The only safe respite is in the master bedroom where we keep the door shut constantly, where’s there’s AC if we finally decide to hide away for an hour or two. 

At the moment, I am sitting outdoors, unable to get online due to the poor signal and there are dozens of flies hovering around me. I am covered with 30% DEET, the only possible product I can use to keep me from getting many fly bites.

And yet they still find a way to attack any unreached spot on my back or behind my legs. None of the “natural” repellents (I’ve tried many) actually repel flies or mosquitoes from biting me.  om, on the other hand, seldom gets bit.

With mountains in Java obstructing the final setting of the sun, we relish every sunset photo we see.

Since we couldn’t get online as I wrote this, I’m using “Live Writer,” a MS app that enables me to write and then, once able to attain a signal, I can upload it to the Internet.  Thank goodness for this option.  Otherwise, I could spend the entire day trying to get a decent signal. We’ll have only a few photos today due to the poor signal.

When the sun comes out, we’ll have a reprieve from the flies. They seem less bothersome on sunny days. We imagine the number of flies is certainly due to the rain we’ve experienced over these past several days.

We continue to spend time figuring out the visa situation for July’s upcoming cruise. It appears we can get a visa for Cambodia online.  But, on Viking’s Mekong River cruise documents, it states we cannot get and use an
e-visa for this particular cruise. We must use a service to apply which requires snail mailing our passports which we will not do. 

In the past 24 hours we’d been attempting to reach Viking but with the huge time difference and poor signal it had been difficult.There’s a 15-hour time difference. Finally, this morning, we got through on Skype before they closed for the day. 


Explaining our situation they agreed we could apply for the Cambodia visa online. Only a few online services offer this option, one we’ve used in the past, VisaHQ.com which is located in Washington, DC and is safe to use. 

I asked Viking to send us an email confirming they’ll accept the e-visa for Cambodia so we won’t experience any issues when we present the e-visa at the time of boarding in Hanoi. We’ve since received this confirmation email
Which, if necessary, we’ll present at boarding.

There are many visa companies out there in cyberspace that are scams.  One could easily be giving their personal passport information to a scamming visa app company. Please beware in doing so and feel free to contact us for names of valid companies we’ve used.

The reflection on the sea is particularly appealing.

Today, we’ll apply for the Cambodia visa and once we arrive in Singapore we’ll only have to apply for the visa for Vietnam (not available as an e-visa), a plan we can easily accommodate. If we’d had to apply in person for
both visas while in Singapore it could have taken a significant amount of time during the one week stay. Most likely, in this case we won’t lose more than a single day.

Enough about flies and visas. We share these details not only to express that at times, traveling the world is not as easy as it may seem but also for those who may consider this lifestyle, to use a little of which we’ve learned in the process. 

It’s easy to become stressed on hot, humid, fly infested days such as today when there are tasks we need to accomplish in the background that add to the frustration. Surprisingly, both of us remain calm and determined to figure out solutions.

Now, as the sun begins to peek out at almost noon, I’ve begun to feel confident that we may have comfortable day after all. 

May your day be comfortable and relatively easy.

Photo from one year ago today, May 12, 2015:

Locomotive and coach formerly used for tours at the Kilauea Sugar Plantation, now closed for many years. For more sugar plantation photos, please click here.

 

A bit of a worrisome situation we had to figure out…It all “goes with the territory!”

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We’re thrilled to be able to see sunsets from the veranda. The long stick to the right is actually the vine of a plant.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

With few tourists on the beaches here many interesting shells and mollusks remain on the beach which is nice to see.

We can only control so much in our lives. We try hard not to make errors when the consequences in planning our lives could result in added costs, time and undesired stress and frustration.

When we get into a “pickle” we reflect on what we could have, should have, done to prevent it. The lame excuse, “Well, I didn’t know,” doesn’t serve us well. We should have known every step of the way, especially as we become more experienced in traveling the world.

As we review the circumstances of our most current dilemma, in a quandary as to how to get a visa to Vietnam for the July 8th Viking Mekong River cruise, we can’t seem to embrace what we could have done differently.

The facts to accomplish this remain a hard reality: In order to apply for a visa for Vietnam with multiple entries in a 30-day period, one must send their actual passport to a visa service in the US or their home country or directly to the Vietnam Embassy.

As the sunset progresses, we’re in awe of its beauty.

How in the world would we allow ourselves to be in Indonesia without our passports in our possession, especially when in two weeks we have to drive two hours to another village to the Immigration office to extend the 30 day visas we have now, repeating this same action when we return in over three months?

Also, if we didn’t need to extend our Indonesian visas, we’d never allow ourselves to be without a passport in our possession while in a foreign country. What if one of us became ill and had to be airlifted out of the country or any of dozens of other possibilities? We’re never going to allow ourselves to be in such a position.

For citizens living in their home country, they can easily prepare the necessary documents, including their passports, mail them to a visa service and wait for the return of the packet with the new visa and their passport. 

Not us. Not only will we never leave ourselves in a foreign country without a passport in our possession but, we’re in a remote area of Bali. Receiving the return packet would take weeks to arrive, most likely never in time for our departure. 

Almost gone.

Nor would we have been willing to be without a passport while in New Zealand had we started this process earlier. Thus, we don’t blame ourselves for not starting this process sooner, two months generally is plenty of time to get a visa. In most situations, we’re easily able to acquire “visas on arrival” (VOA) at any given airport or cruise terminal.

Over the past several days we’ve made many phone calls on Skype: to Viking Cruise Line; to the river cruise representative at Vacations to Go; to the Vietnam Embassy in Vietnam; to the online visa company we’ve been using of late, CIBT. 

There is a such a thing as a “visa on arrival” at the airport in Vietnam through any of the dozens of unknown vendors online that provide a visa letter but the problem with this is twofold:
1.  Do we want to give such personal information online to what may be an unscrupulous company of which there are many? Of course not.
2.  “Visa on arrival” only applies to single entry visas for arrival exclusively by air travel at the airport. Our second entry will occur while we’re on the ship and the first visa would be useless.

The US State Department has considerable warnings and information about the difficulty of getting a Vietnam visa. Click here for details.

Me in the pool waving at Tom when he insisted on a photo. We spend lots of time in the pool, especially on days like today, hot, humid and many flies after last night’s heavy rain.

After hours of research, we came to only two possibilities:
1.  Take the risk on the “visa on arrival” single entry airport only arrival using what may prove to be an unscrupulous company and figure it out once we’re in Vietnam. Not an option.
2.  Wait until we get to Singapore on June 28th (late in the day arrival) and head to the Vietnam Embassy (a 40 minute drive from our hotel) the following morning, documents in hand and apply in person. A rush order takes three business days. Luckily, we’ll be within this window. 

The Singapore option provides us with peace of mind. No doubt it will have a bearing on our one week stay when we’ll certainly have a degree of concern over getting this accomplished. But, yesterday we called the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore and its sounds doable. They’re only open for visa applications from 9:00 am to noon weekdays.

We’re well aware of the fact that should we run into any unforeseen obstacles along the way, we could lose the IDR 92,989,424 (wow), US $6598, (plus the airfare we’ve already purchased) we prepaid at time of booking the cruise to take advantage of the “two for one/paid in full” promo at the time.

Yesterday afternoon, after we finally reached the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore, we sighed in relief knowing we had a plan in place. Once we arrive in Singapore we’ll stop at an ATM to get the appropriate amount of cash US $369, SGD 540 for both visas. 

Tom at the edge of the infinity pool while I took the photo.

Adding the cost of two round trip taxi rides to complete the transactions (returning in three business days to pick up the visas) which we hope to double duty to visit a few sites of interest along the return, its a much more expensive and time consuming proposition than we’d expected. 

As it turns out, Vietnam is one of few countries that makes it difficult for US citizens (and others) to obtain a visa which includes such countries as China, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and others. Click this link for more detailed information if you’re planning to travel or simply curious. It’s rather interesting.

The difficulty of acquiring certain country’s visa is totally predicated by reciprocal agreements between the two countries.  As a result, Vietnam is on that “difficulty” list.

In the past few days, we also applied and received the renewal of our one year visas for Australia where we’ll be in and out of over the next year on many occasions (only can stay 90 days per visit). 

The back of Tom while in the infinity pool at high tide.

Today, we’ll apply for yet another required visa for Cambodia (easy online application) again for the Mekong River Cruise  and then we can put this out of our minds until we arrive in Singapore in 48 days, except of course, for the upcoming trip to the immigration office here in Bali within a few weeks.

Gede, our houseman and driver is out of town for a religious holiday returning late Friday. We’re scheduled to go sightseeing with him on Saturday morning at 10:00 am. We’ll prepare and upload the post before we depart and look forward to sharing new photos the following day.

We hope you aren’t faced with dilemmas today. But, if so, we hope you find solutions that put your mind at ease as well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 11, 2015:

Could this Yellow Candle flower we spotted in Kauai be more exquisite with its white blooms? For more photos, please click here.

The vast difference in the tides in Bali…Two “Bali Sightings on the Beach” photos today for a good reason…

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Photo taken from the second floor veranda at high tide.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

Look carefully at this photo we took yesterday. This kid is burying his dog in the sand. We were shocked to see this and wondered why he was doing this.  The dog yelped a few times.
We were relieved to see the dog was eventually released from being buried in the sand and seemed OK.Note tongue sticking out. We see this boy and this dog daily when he brings the buffalo to swim in the river next door.  More on that later.

Most of us beach lovers have some perception of high and low tides along with the fact that it “comes and goes four times and day” and that the “moon and gravitational pull” also have some sort of bearing. The specifics on this are vague for many, including us.

It’s surprising how close the high tide comes to the houses along this beach.

Since we arrived in Sumbersari, Bali ten days ago we’ve had the opportunity to spend considerable time observing the tide “coming in” and once peaked, “heading back out again.” In this location, which varies all over the world’s beaches, we’ve observed enormous differences between high and low tides.

From the main floor veranda at high tide. There’s only the small distance of grass separating the pool from the ocean.

As a result, we started taking photos of this natural phenomenon, finding ourselves in awe of this daily event we may have taken for granted in the past. Our world is amazing in so many ways.

In many locations we’ve lived near the beach, but too far to notice these changes. On six occasions we’ve lived on the beach, some sand, some rocks and some, where the tidal changes were less evident.

The highest point of the tide with only the narrow strip of grass separating us from the sea.

The most dramatic tidal changes we’ve seen in the world have been here in Bali, which inspired us to share these photos and information with our readers today.The best information we could find online was at this US Nasa site. 

Not only did we like the clear and concise description of the world’s tides, but the included photos offered an opportunity to put this phenomenon into perspective. See below for details as we’ve included some of this information. For more details, please click the link:

Another high tide view.

“Tides and Time

High tides and low tides come and go, as the level of the sea goes up and down. This cycle of two high tides and two low tides occurs most days on most of the coastline of the world.

Why is that?

Tides are really all about gravity, and when we’re talking about the daily tides, it’s the moon’s gravity that’s causing them. As Earth rotates, the moon’s gravity pulls on different parts of our planet. Even though the moon only has about 1/100th the mass of Earth, since it’s so close to us, it has enough gravity to move things around. The moon’s gravity even pulls on the land, but not enough for anyone to really tell. When the moon’s gravity pulls on the water in the oceans, however, someone’s bound to notice. Water, being a liquid and all, has a much easier time moving around. It bulges toward the moon, and that bulge follows the moon as Earth turns beneath it. That explains the first high tide each day, but what about the second high tide? The ocean also bulges out on the side of the Earth opposite the moon.

Wait, what?

If the moon’s gravity is pulling the oceans toward it, how can the ocean also bulge on the side of the Earth away from the moon? It does seem a little weird. Gravity is the major force causing tides, but inertia is playing a part too. Inertia is matter’s resistance to change. It wants to keep doing whatever it’s doing, whether that’s moving in a straight line or staying still, until another force acts on it. While the water closest to the moon is getting pulled, the water farthest from the moon is staying right where it is. Both sides are experiencing gravity and inertia, but one always overpowers the other. On the side of the moon, gravity wins. On the side away from the moon, inertia wins. These two bulges explain why in one day, there are two high tides and two low tides. 

Are these high and low tides the same height everywhere on the planet?

No.  If Earth were perfectly round and completely covered in water, then high and low tides would be equally proportioned everywhere. But Earth is not a perfect sphere, and there are big continents getting in the way of water flowing and bulging in the direction of the moon. That’s why in some places, the difference between high and low tide isn’t very big, and in other places, the difference is drastic.

The tide had started going back out.

Does anything else affect tides?

The sun has a part to play in tides as well. For instance, when the sun’s gravitational pull lines up with the moon’s gravitational pull, the tides are more extreme.  Wind and weather patterns also can affect tides. Strong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines, exaggerating low tides. Onshore winds can push water onto the shore, making low tides much less noticeable. High-pressure weather systems can push down sea levels, leading to nice sunny days with particularly low tides. Low-pressure systems that lead to cloudy, rainy days, often cause tides than being much higher than predicted, so watch out!”

These descriptions are exactly what we needed to further explain the tides. We hope this information has been helpful in clarifying it for our readers as well. Today, at almost 11:00 am, we see the tide rapidly moving closer to our villa. 

As the tide begins to recede.

Its expected to be at its highest around 11:30 am, the time of day we took the high tide photos we’re posting here. Six hours later it was at its lowest as also shown in our photos.

After the tide recedes at the end of the day.

Have a beautiful day, hopefully with an opportunity to observe one of nature’s magical phenomenon’s whether it’s the full moon rising, a sunset or a changing tide.

Once the tide recedes, we can see the sandy berm once again where most of the activity of humans and animals takes place at varying times of the day when the tide is low. We’ve yet to see any activity during the high tide which convinces us that locals pay special attention to the tides.

Photo from one year ago today, May 10, 2015:

Tom waited with me in the exam room at the urgent care center in Kapaa, Kauai when I was having lower abdominal pain which later proved to be nothing worrisome after I had a CAT scan in Australia in July. For more details, please click here.

Part 2, the villa’s menu options…Food around the world…

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Tom’s plate with Blue Fin tuna made with a tomato, lemongrass sauce, spicy vegetables with a side of coleslaw.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

Each day when the tide comes in before noon, the sea is as close as 10 meters to the edge of our pool. When it recedes, it leaves behind ocean refuse and trash. Each day but Sunday our pool and landscape guy, Ribud, cleans the beach in front of the house. Yesterday, (Sunday), we captured these three dogs playing after the tide had gone back out, leaving a muddy play area for dogs.
Yesterday, we enjoyed the quiet Sunday at home with the staff off for the day. I made the bed. Tom made coffee (as always) and did the dinner dishes. The only food prep necessary was to make the salad, heat the veggies and fish and we were good to go. Swimming in the pool and doing research while lounging  in the cabana, out of the scorching sun, has totally entertained us.
My plate with fish and veggies.
Of course, food made fresh that day is always the most desirable. The precooked tuna was a little dry after we reheated it in the microwave, but, we ate it anyway, happy to have a good meal without much effort. I think I’ll become spoiled with the thought of not cooking until July, only reheating a meal for Sundays when the staff is off.
The daily stir fried veggie platter laden with Balinese spices, is a dish we both love.

In a way, the heat, humidity and ants have made cooking less interesting for me over these past years of living on several tropical islands where these three factors are always to be expected. Add the difficulty of finding some ingredients we use in cooking “our way,” it makes the process even less appealing. 

Each day, the Ketuts present us with this itemized list of the cost of the ingredients to make  the meal(s).  The “petrol” at the bottom of the list is the daily cost of fuel for their motorbikes, IDR 10,000, US $.75.  For two meals for both Saturday and Sunday the total cost was IRD 185,000, US $13.87  Unreal, eh?
Over these past many moons of travel, we’ve talked to more and more people who prefer not to cook.  Either they’re busy while still working, often with young mouths to feed or, like me, simply have lost interest in spending long periods in the kitchen. 
Dinner menu, Page 1.
It’s no wonder prepared meals are readily available in the markets, along roadside stands (in many countries) and a wide variety of fast food and other dining establishments to suit the needs of most diners. Unfortunately, such meals aren’t an option for us, other than occasional pre-cooked organic chickens made without wheat, sugar or starch.
Dinner menu, Page 2.
My lack of interest provides me with little excuse not to cook. Our way of eating requires homemade meals while we’re living in most countries. I have no excuses. Always on a mission to spend as little time cooking as possible, when we’re preparing our meals, we have a few dozen options we tend to repeat over and over again.
Dinner menu, Page 3.
Here in the villa in Bali, it’s not a lot different for the cooks. In perusing Part 2 of the menu, posted today with choices of dinners and desserts, it’s easy to determine the options suitable for us are few. As a result, we’ve all been creative in designing the perfect meals. None of the desserts are adaptable.
Dinner menu, Page 4.
Thank goodness we purchased the mince (ground beef) that Gede picked up in Denpasar this past week or we’d be alternating chicken and fish, night after night. That could get boring for these two months. So far, it appears the only fresh fish available is Blue Fin tuna and small prawns.  Perhaps, there will be more variation in time.
Dinner menu, Page 5.
Today, Monday, we devised the menu for the week, although the two Ketuts don’t require that we do so. Monday and Tuesday, it will be chicken, veggies, salad; Wednesday and Thursday it will be hamburger patties with bacon, cheese, onion, salad and veggies; Friday and Saturday it will be prawns with veggies and salad; Sunday we’ll have our pre-made leftover ground beef dish which is in the freezer along with sides of veggies and salad. 
Dinner menu, Page 6.
In actuality, we’d be happy to repeat this weekly menu over and over. As long as the meals are befitting my way of eating, more variety is hardly necessary. The cooks seem fine with our repeats understanding the degree of limitations.
Dinner menu, Page 7.
There are no restaurants or resorts nearby and if there were, we doubt we’d be able to dine out when most Balinese meals contain lots of carbs, starches and sugar.
Dessert menu, Page 1.
Tom’s sunburned feet are healing and soon we’ll get out to take more varied photos and get more cash. In the interim, we’re having so much fun watching the activity on the beach in front of us and swimming in the pristine pool, we’re supremely content. 
Dessert menu, Page 2.
During these past few days, we’ve been busy applying for visas for our upcoming Mekong River cruise and booking many flights necessary over the next several months.
With the slow signal, this is a time consuming process.
Dessert menu, Page 3.
Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there. May your day be filled with love and wonderful surprises.
Photo from one year ago today, May 9, 2015:
View of the drive to the Kilauea Lighthouse in Kauai when it was closed on a Sunday. For more photos of this popular historic location, please click here.

Part 1, the villa’s menu options…Food around the world…

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The two Kataks and Ribud (the pool and landscape guy) holding up the three kilo Blue Fin tuna for last night’s and tonight’s meal. After it was cleaned and filleted there were two huge portions which we’re sharing each night.  Such wonderful people!  Such fabulous fish!

“Bali Sightings of the Beach”

Crab trail and buffalo footprints in the sand.

Today is the first day we’ve been entirely alone in the villa. The staff hung around last Sunday to make sure we had everything we needed to settle in including a nice Sunday dinner. The fact they gave up their regular day off meant a lot to us. 

We could have easily figured out everything on our own as we often do when the owner, the manager, or other staff isn’t handy to show us “the ropes.” Somehow we always manage.

The two cleaned fillets.  Hard to imagine we could eat one of these between us, each of two nights, but after picking out bones, and the less than desirable darker flesh commonly found in fresh tuna, it was the perfect amount. Adding the fabulous vegetables and coleslaw, it makes a perfect meal. The cost of this fish was only IDR $145,000, US $10.85. There’s no cost for the cooks preparing our meals other than IDR $10,000, US $.75 daily for fuel for their motorbikes. We’ll provide tips at the end of our stay.

In a previous post, we mentioned, we wouldn’t be cooking until July 23rd when we settle into the house in Phuket, Thailand for almost six weeks. We were wrong. We’re on our own on Sundays going forward for the remaining seven weeks in Bali, this time around.

Breakfast menu, Page 1.

Actually, I don’t feel like cooking. As mentioned, the kitchen is the domain of the two Ketuts, not mine, and with the number of ants roaming around the counters, the less I prepare the better. Oh, I’m used to ants, even those crawling on me but they’re annoying when preparing food when all they want to do is crawl inside the dish I’m preparing.

As a result, yesterday I asked the two Ketuts to make the second portion of the fish and another plate of vegetables for us for tonight’s meal. Today, I’ll make a fresh batch of coleslaw which I can complete in less than 10 minutes, most of which time is spent fine slicing the cabbage. 

Breakfast menu, Page 2.

Last night, before the Ketuts left for the evening we gave them money for Monday and Tuesday’s roasted chicken and vegetable dinner. Each day before they arrive at the villa they visit the early morning markets where they purchase locally grown vegetables, meat, and fish. They bring us change or ask for more cash if they were short. Daily, they provide us with an itemized price list of items they’ve purchased.

If necessary, they stop at the tiny market for grocery items such as soaps and paper products. From what we’ve seen so far, these little markets also carry a wide array of “junk” snack foods that are purchased by tourists and locals alike. Obesity and type two diabetes are as prevalent in Bali and the mainland of Indonesia as in many other parts of the world.

The lunch menu, Page 1.

Yesterday, they visited the fish market and again picked up a huge Blue Fin tuna as shown in today’s main photo. After thoroughly cleaning and deboning it (mostly) we were left with two huge filets, enough for last night and tonight’s meal.

They’ve explained that most guests chose from the menu requesting three meals a day, each with two or three-course, all of which they prepare six days a week. With our one meal a day, they’re able to spend less time here in the villa with us, mostly cleaning in the mornings, leaving midday, and returning per our request at 4:00 pm to prepare dinner.

The lunch menu, Page 2.

We requested our dinner be ready at 5 pm each night, a little early for us.  In doing so, they can be out the door earlier to return home to their families. They clear the table after we’ve eaten, wash the dishes, bring in the chaise lounge cushions and beach towels and close the huge accordion glass doors for the evening before the rampage of mozzies begins. 

By 6:30 pm, we have the evening to ourselves. We avoid opening the exterior doors or stepping outside until after dark when the mozzies are less frenzied. There’s a nighttime security guard that sits on a chair all night a few doors from our villa, guarding the few villas along this narrow road. 

The lunch menu, Page 3.

Today, we’ve included a portion of the villa’s menu options from which we’d choose if we could eat the items listed. Tomorrow, we’ll show the dinner and dessert menus.  

Instead of choosing items on the menu, we pick and choose adaptations of the items offered, ensuring they don’t include any sugar, starches, or grains, all with minimal carbs. So far, it’s working when I’ve had no ill effects. 

The lunch menu, Page 4.

We thought it might be interesting to share Part 1 of 2 of the menu today and tomorrow for our “foodie” readers. For those of you with less interest in food, soon we’ll be back with more of “your type” of stories and photos.

The lunch menu, Page 5.

We want to thank all of our new readers we met on the most recent cruise (and past cruises, of course) for stopping by and checking us out. Our stats have indicated a huge increase in hits over the past several days. 

We’d love your input via comments at the end of each day’s post or, by email (see links to both of our email addresses on the top right side of any day’s post).

The lunch menu, Page 6.

As for our regular readers, wow! You continue to hang with us, many of who’s been with us since the beginning of 2012. Thank you for making us feel as if you’re right beside us, day after day, more friends than one could ever expect in a lifetime. The journey continues.

Happy Mother’s Day today for all the moms in this part of the world where it’s Sunday and again tomorrow for all the moms on the other side of the world where you’ll celebrate tomorrow.  May your day be as special as YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, May 8, 2015:

Beautiful purple flowers we encountered on a walk in Kauai. For more photos, please click here.  (Error correction from yesterday when I mistakenly posted this photo which was meant for today. A new photo for the appropriate date has been replaced on yesterday’s post. Click here to see the correction..