Surcharges are a necessary evil we chose while traveling the world…More wildlife photos from Costa Rica…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 3 Comments
Look closely to see the face, only a mother could love, of a live crocodile behind a chain-link fence at Zoo Ave.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom’s photo, early this morning, of a cute dog that stopped by to say “hola.”

Definition of “surcharge:”

noun

1.
an additional charge, tax, or cost.
2.
an excessive sum or price charged.
3.   an extra or unreasonable load or burden.

Word Origin and History for a surcharge:

v. early 15c., from middle French surcharger, from Old French sur- “over”
(see sur+ chargier “to load” (see charge ). The noun is also first attested early 15c.

When most of us think of a surcharge, we believe in terms of an automatically imposed fee or tax added to a purchase over which we have little choice to accept as “the cost of doing business.”
Here’s a longer view of the above crocodile.

As world travelers these past five years, we find that we must bear the cost of a wide variety of surcharges that we chose to impart generally for the usual benefit of convenience.

Convenience is a huge factor in our financial lives. We choose convenience when we pay more than preferred or expected prices for many items, in an effort to ensure a better experience.
Let’s review some of these self-imposed surcharges, we encounter as a result of traveling the world:
1.  Baggage fees: Sure, we could travel “very light” hauling only backpacks and carry-on luggage. However, for the sake of having enough clothing, supplies, and digital equipment in our possession, we often pay excess baggage or baggage weight fees, depending on the airlines.
A curious turtle scurried quickly toward us.
2.  ATM fees: We do not go into banks or currency stores, paying exchange rate fees and credit card fees to obtain cash. More economically, we use ATMs to save money using our debit cards and thus incur only two fees; one, the cost of using the machine; two, the charge from our bank when using an ATM at an international ATM facility.
3.  Rental cars: At times, we pay higher fees for rental cars when we need a large enough vehicle to accommodate all of our bags; three checked bags and three carry-on bags.
4.  Medical costs: Recently, we incurred added medical fees to acquire a medical certification enabling us to board the upcoming Antarctica cruise, beyond the cost of the cruise itself. Soon, when we arrive in Buenos Aires, we’ll make an appointment at a travel clinic to update our vaccinations and get prescriptions for malaria pills prior to returning to Africa. We pay a premium for the few medications I use that aren’t covered by insurance and must be shipped to our location at any given time.
Turtles tucked away under the bushes.
5.  Tips: Particularly on cruises, we choose to add tips to the cost of the cruise at the time of booking which at this point, is running US $27 (CRC 15,372) per day. While on the ship, we may choose to pay additional tips for enhanced services and attention to detail befitting our convenience and experience.  In addition, for convenience, we may pay porter and bellman fees, depending on the circumstances.
6.  Flights:  On many airlines, they are now added extra fees for specific seats on the plane in the “coach” or economy section. At times, since we’re taller than the average passenger, we may choose a bulkhead seat or other seat with more legroom.
7.  Vacation Homes with added amenities: We prefer to rent a vacation/holiday home that includes Wi-Fi and all utilities paid, a pool, an upgraded kitchen with modern appliances and ample kitchen utensils, although we’ve had many exceptions. Of course, we always pay a premium for good views, which we’ve found is ultimately important to the our level of enjoyment.
8.  Mail and shipping fees: Since we’re unable to receive mail, piece by piece, in most countries, we often make purchases for clothing and supplies, accumulating them along with any snail mail that may arrive, placing them in one large box to be shipped. Most products we purchase include free shipping, but we must pay exorbitant fees to have all of the items sent to us at specific locations. For example, the box being shipped today which includes all the clothing we had to purchase for Antarctica, my new laptop and other supplies, we’re incurring a US $450 (CRC 256,199) shipping fee for the items to be shipped FedEx from Nevada to our upcoming hotel in Fort Lauderdale. This requires our mailing service to open all the arriving packages and boxes, toss the paper and packing materials and neatly place all the items in one box. Their fees imposed for this process are included in the above price.
A leopard atop a high perch.

9.  Internet/Wi-Fi/SIM card fees: We cannot travel without regular access to Wi-Fi; not at hotels, airports, and vacation homes. With our daily posts, photos and research, we chose not to be without Internet services for even a day. Ensuring a connection is always readily available often results in us paying added fees, including SIM cards for phone and data, when we chose not to pay the outrageous costs for roaming cell service in the US.

10. Visas – entering and exiting fees: Upon entering and exiting some countries, an arbitrary fee is charged for visiting their country. This is not the case in every country, but when we encounter such situations we may pay as much as US $40 (CRC 22,7773) at each immigration stop.
All of the above fees and more quickly add up to thousands of dollars each year. Although under many circumstances, we’ve opted for the lowest possible costs for each of the above, willing to forgo some conveniences, we’ve found paying these fees, although often begrudgingly, make life just a whole lot easier.
Sloths, known to by shy, are not easy to photograph when they tend to stay well hidden and out of sight.
We’re not backpackers. We don’t live in hostels. We don’t always use public transportation, preferring taxis and rental cars as an alternative. We aren’t 25 years old with minimal requirements. Nor, are we “high maintenance” always requiring the “best” of everything. Most likely, we fall somewhere in the middle, seeking a somewhat comfortable and somewhat convenient life as nomads.
May your life be comfortable and convenient.
Photo from one year ago today, November 14, 2016:
Tom’s shot of the sunset as we set sailed to our next destination. For more details, please click here.

Earthquake hit last night in Costa Rica… 6.5 magnitude… Epicenter only 50 miles from us… Second earthquake for Tom…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Image result for earthquake costa rica stats today
The epicenter of last night’s 6.5 magnitude earthquake was in Jaco, 67 km (50 miles) from us in Atenas.

 “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Another of Tom’s excellent bird photos, two Green Parrots admiring each other.

Last night, around 8:30 pm, we lounged in the screening room while binge-watching the final season of Mad Men. With time running out before we depart Costa Rica (9 days) when we’ll cancel the Netflix account (we won’t be watching anything for a few months while cruising), we were wrapped up in this delicious drama when suddenly, the glass walls in the room began to shake violently.

For that post, please click here., occur for Tom, this was only the second time in his life he’d experienced a quake, the prior in Italy in June 2013, while we lived in a 300-year-old stone house in Boveglio, Tuscany. Having grown up in California, where earthquakes frequently occur of varying magnitude, this was yet another such experience for me.

Although the house shook rather violently, I’ll admit, it seemed to last much longer than the typical 10 to 30 seconds as indicated next.

From this site:
“Generally, earthquakes only last for seconds. Strong ground shaking during a moderate to large earthquake typically lasts about 10 to 30 seconds. Readjustments in the earth cause more earthquakes (aftershocks) that can occur intermittently for weeks or months.” 

Maxi Pali market in Esparza Costa Rica.

Within seconds, Tom and I realized what was happening as we left the room to find a safer area in the house with less glass. Within seconds we were standing in a safe spot in the center of a small hallway between the screening room and the living room.

Once it ended, when neither of us panicked, we wandered through the house, assessing for any damage.  We were shocked when we noticed multiple ceiling fans still moving from the shaking, none of which had been turned on.

Moments later, Tom said, “Let’s get the camera! Look at the pool!” Had we moved a little more quickly, we would have had an opportunity to take a better video of the water sloshing in the pool with water splashing violently onto the veranda floor. It was astounding. As a result, our included video isn’t as outstanding as it could have been if we’d had the camera on hand.

Here’s our video:

The property itself suffered no apparent damage. This sturdy, well-built house survived without any issues whatsoever. The lights had blinked off and on several times, but luckily (safari luck prevails), we hadn’t lost power.
 
After assessing the house for damage, satisfied all was fine, we returned to the screening room, checking our laptops for the latest news on the earthquake. Varying magnitude readings were scattered throughout the web from 6.3 to 6.9.

This morning the various geological centers throughout the world seemed to settle because it was a 6.5 magnitude. There were numerous injuries reported throughout the area affected by the quake. Luckily, Costa Rica, from reports thus far, didn’t suffer the loss of lives, although it’s been reported two or three fatalities from heart attacks occurring at the time of the quake.

From this site:
“Costa Rica hit by 6.5 magnitude earthquake

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday night, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. According to the USGS, the quake was centered 16 km west of Jacó, Costa Rica, at a depth of 10 km. It gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 but later downgraded it.  The observatory at the Universidad Nacional Costa Rica said the earthquake measured 6.9. Jacó lies southwest of Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose, and is part of the region of Puntarenas, on the Pacific Coast.

According to a statement from Costa Rica’s presidency, three people suffered fatal heart attacks that coincided with the time of the earthquake — two in Jacó and one person further south in Coronado. It said the country’s Judicial Investigation Agency was investigating the deaths.

At least one building in Jacó had been evacuated due to apparent damage, and there were reports of walls collapsing and objects falling in other parts of the country. Still, there were no reports of any further injuries, the statement said.

Costa Rica’s hospitals were functioning normally, and minor power outages had been quickly resolved, it said, with the quake felt most severely in the provincial districts of Quepos, Parrita, and Garabito — of which Jacó is capital.
The presidency said that emergency response agencies had been activated and remained on.”
From this site:
“Strong Earthquake Rattles Costa Rica
There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries Sunday night after a strong earthquake shook Costa Rica. With a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, the quake knocked items from store shelves and sent people rushing out of buildings in panic. Four minutes after the initial earthquake, a magnitude 5.2 aftershock struck.  President Luis Guillermo Solis said via Twitter that the government was still gathering information. He urged people to remain calm and prepare for aftershocks.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered along Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, about 10 miles southeast of Jaco, which is about 60 miles southwest of the capital of San Jose.

The quake was at a depth of about 12 miles. The country’s Public Safety Ministry said there were reports of two serious injuries resulting from the earthquake but did not provide additional details. Electricity was knocked out in some areas as power lines and poles fell. Still, there were no reports of significant infrastructure damage from the quake, which hit a lightly populated place on the Pacific Coast. The government reported some rockslides obstructing highways near the epicenter. The U.S. National Weather Service said there was no Pacific-wide tsunami threat, Reuters reported.”

Please click here for a more comprehensive map and more details from this Costa Rica agency, Vulcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica Ovsicori. We’re grateful to be safe, hoping we won’t experience too many violent aftershocks, chalking this up as one more experience in our vast world travels.
May you be well and safe as well.
Photo one year ago today, November 13, 2016:
It took a while to get the passenger off the ship to load the bus to head to Port Hedlund, Australia. We were surprised by the steep level of this gangplank when so many passengers are disabled seniors. For more details, please click here.

Tom correcting me when I’m wrong…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Pigs were cuddling while snoozing in pen.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom took another excellent distant shot of a bird we couldn’t identify online. Costa Rica neighbor and bird enthusiast Charlie identified this bird as a Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro in Spanish.  Thanks, Charlie!

After reading yesterday’s post, Tom corrected me on a few items, which is often the case when I make an incorrect or inconsistent statement. After 1,935 posts in five years, I’m bound to be inconsistent from time to time. 

In this post dated June 17, 2013, I referred to our “bucket list” upon visiting Venice, Italy. In yesterday’s post, as shown here, I stated we don’t use the phrase “bucket list” so much anymore.

I can justify my inaccuracy by saying that we’ve changed our views on specific topics or phrases over these years, one being “bucket list.” It had become too repetitive and overused in travel circles, and I became tired of using the phrase. 

In searching our site for how many times I referenced this phrase, it appears it may have been dozens of times dwindling as time passed, as it became apparent to me that it may not necessarily apply to us.

Squirrel Monkeys in pen.

If our travel lives consisted of a “bucket list,” we may have felt restricted to fulfilling each item on the arbitrary list.  Instead, our curiosity and desires have been fluid, changing from time to time. As a result, I dispensed with using the expression overtime during the past five years.

When meeting ambitious travelers throughout the world, I often chuckle to myself when I hear the phrase repeated repeatedly. In essence, for most travelers, it clearly defines an objective…see these places while we can.

Secondly, Tom reminded me of yesterday’s post when I went on and on about what Tom had envisioned for his retirement years, failing to mention what I’d imagined for myself.

“Oh, good grief,” I spewed. “Haven’t our readers heard enough of what I think and what I imagined?  Surely, after 1,935 posts, don’t our regular readers see me like an open book and easily recite my opinions and perceptions with an uncomplicated sense of fluidity?

Two parrots who refused to turn around for a photo op.

Tom reminded me that at any given moment, don’t we have hundreds of new readers stopping by to grab a snippet of that which we espouse in our endless ramblings? They may not as yet have grasped the flow of opinions and ideas that fly off these pages day after day.

To satisfy Tom over my supposed incomplete post yesterday, I agreed, albeit tentatively, to share what I had imagined my retirement years long before we decided to travel the world. After all, we decided in January 2012 and left Minnesota on October 31, 2102, less than 10 months later.

I began contemplating my retirement years after I turned 50, which was long before I changed my way of eating to achieve pain-free living, which transpired in August 2011 from a hereditary spinal condition.

By the end of November, I awoke one morning, and for the first time in decades, I could stand, walk and maneuver without pain in my back and legs. It was indeed a miracle. Only a few months later, Tom asked me if I’d like to travel the world now that I was pain-free, and we, unsure as to how long that would last, began planning the adventure.

Easy walking path in Zoo Ave.

At that time, little did we imagine we’d last this long. We thought, two or three years tops and we’ll lose interest after tiring of moving around. It hasn’t happened. 

However, before that recovery in 2011, always in chronic pain, preferring not to complain to family and friends, I imagined my “elder years” would be wrought with the painful condition while continuing to attempt to live as normal a life as possible.

My life would have consisted of spending time with family and friends, cooking and entertaining, keeping a tidy and organized household, and attending an endless array of activities, functions, parties, and events. 

Cute sign, Zoovenirs as opposed to souvenirs.

It would have been a relatively simple life comparable to that of many retirees, which was highly enjoyable when I could mentally put the pain aside.

That’s it. But now, my imaginings are very different…in 82 days from today (February 2, 2018), we’ll be standing on Astrolabe Island, Antarctica, with 100,000 Chinstrap penguins.

In approximately 90 days, we’ll be living in the bush in South Africa, surrounded by wildlife with a camera in hand, reveling in the wonders of nature and wildlife far beyond any dreams we may have had in the past. Pinch me. Is this really our lives?

Am I going to awaken one day to be pushing the grocery cart at the Cub Foods store in Minnesota or…awakening in Buenos Aires beginning in 41 days staying in a lovely hotel in the hub of the fascinating city for an entire month? 

Variegated Squirrel at the rescue facility, Zoo Ave in Costa Rica, comparable to those we’ve seen at the villa.

We made a choice. It wasn’t an easy or flippant decision. We have no regrets. Life is good. We’re grateful, we’re humbled, and we’re at peace.

Thanks to all of our readers for sharing this life with us.

Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2016:

We dined almost every night during the 33-night cruise circumventing Australia, with new friends from the top, left to right, John and Kat from Australia, Cheryl and Stan and Lois and Tom from the US and us. (Not our photo). For more details, please click here.

Reflections on this life…No “bucket list” for us…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
On a rainy day in Zarcero at the Senor Scissorhands Topiary Garden.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Another of Tom’s wonderful bird photos, in this case, a small Green Parrot.

Often retirees contact us asking questions about traveling the world when they retire, after their house and belongings sell, or after some other life event that allows them the freedom to travel the world.

Some have a few specific locations in mind that’s they have on their “bucket list,” visiting family and friends in foreign lands, the cuisine they’d love to experience, and specific sights they long to see. 

Others are on a mission to visit a certain number of countries, all seven continents (we’ll have this accomplished in January), or other goals on a growing list as they contemplate life in the future.

We don’t have a “bucket list.” We never have. Nor do we refer to such a list as impacting our goals of travel.  We’ve often been asked, “What are your goals?”

It was fun to walk under the topiary arches.

What else is there? And, the answer is always clear to us…to experience nature, wildlife, culture, and history. For us, there’s no timeframe within which we must accomplish a particular feat, with no clock ticking other than that of old age.

We decided early on to maintain a life without constraints, restrictions, and unrealistic objectives. On a larger scale, we wanted to feel a sense of freedom with few obligations other than managing our daily lives, health, and finances with the utmost care and diligence. Selfish? Perhaps.

But after a lifetime of obligation and “must do” items on what seemed to be an hour-by-hour schedule, we finally unentangled our lives in such a way that we have the flexibility to experience exactly what appeals to us without feeling any pressure to perform, achieve or accomplish.

And yet, without conscientiously trying, we’ve performed, we’ve achieved, and we’ve accomplished in ways we never imagined possible for either of us. The sense of fulfillment and joy reaches far beyond that which we ever dreamed possible at these ages. Tom will be 65 years old on December 23rd and me 70 on February 20th.

The door to Senor Scissorhands Topiary Garden

How had we previously imagined these years of our lives? From Tom’s perspective, he imagined spending three months in Washington, DC, scouring the Smithsonian and other American history facets. Also, he imagined driving two-lane highways and stopping along the way to read historical markers and visit out-of-the-way points of interest. We’ll do these someday.

He’d envisioned visiting the Suez and Panama Canals, both of which we’ve already experienced, and soon, in 16 days, we’ll see the new, improved Panama Canal for the second time.

He never imagined being a “snowbird,” owning two homes and going back and forth during the bitter cold Minnesota winters. But he did conceive of the concept of having a “loaf of bread and a gallon of milk” on hand during a blizzard. 

A good TV show, reading the daily paper, and visiting with family and old friends could have been satisfying in many ways. Add a donut and a Bismarck from SuperAmerica and a good cup of freshly brewed coffee, and he’d be content.

Basilica Nuestra Senora de las Piedades in Naranjo, Costa Rica.

Throw in our enjoyable time spent together and with family and friends; what more could a person need or want? We never dreamed of this life until it happened. 

Now, five years later, we can’t wrap our minds around any other type of lifestyle other than that which we currently live, filled with awe, gratefulness and wonder, never feeling a need or desire to “settle down.” 

So, dear readers, we continue with 11 more nights in Costa Rica, treasuring every last moment here while anticipating the future with boundless enthusiasm and joy.

May your day be filled with enthusiasm and joy.

Photo from one year ago, November 11, 2016:

View to the ceiling and elevators in the Centrum area on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. For more details, please click here.

Fiery-billed Aracari…Three gorgeous birds in the yard…The story continues…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
“I’ve got mine!”
“Sighting from the Veranda in Costa Rica”
Sadly, another bird hit the glass wall and failed to recover.
“The Fiery-billed Aracari (Pteroglossus frantzii) is a species of toucan that is found on the Pacific slopes of southern Costa Rica and western Panama. Its binomial name commemorates the German naturalist Alexander von Frantzius. Its habitat is lowland forests and clearings.

The Fiery-billed Aracari has bright markings and a large bill, like other toucans. The adult is about 17 inches long and weighs 8.8 ounces. The sexes are similar in appearance. The head and chest are black and the upper parts are dark olive-green. The rump and under tail are reddish. The collar on the rear of the neck is also reddish. The underparts are bright yellow.

There is a round black spot in the center of the breast and a red band appears across the belly. The thighs are chestnut colored. There is bare black facial skin. The upper mandible of the bill is bright orange. The lower mandible is black. The legs are green. The young are duller in color, with a dirty-black head and brown-green upper parts. The breast spot and belly band are unnoticeable in juveniles. The call is a loud, sharp peek or keeseek.

This species is mostly a fruit-eater, but will also eat insects, lizards, bird eggs, and other small prey. They are seen in small flocks of up to 10 birds. They have a rapid and direct flight pattern. They nest 20 – 100 feet high in a tree. The female lays two white eggs that are incubated for 16 days by both parents. 

The chicks are blind and naked when hatched. Both parents feed the young, which leave the nest after about 6 weeks. The adults feed the young chicks for another several week after they leave the nest. The Aracaris roost socially throughout the year, which is unusual among toucans.”

After groundskeeper, Ulysses alerted us to the sighting, we were thrilled to see three of these outstanding birds on the grounds of the villa while standing on the driveway. The fallen trees from Hurricane Nate were being removed by local workers opening up an area where the birds were able to be seen eating fruit from the remaining trees. See our post on that date here.

Unfortunately, our photos weren’t as clear as the above main photo with our less-than-professional camera and our long distance from the birds.

In the previous post about this sighting, we failed to mention much about these stunning birds due to writing about the storm and the effect on the property after the high winds and pounding rains lasting for days.

Also, we had today’s photos of the Fiery-billed Aracari we’d yet to post and in reviewing our remaining photos to get us through the next 13 days until we depart (two of which will be spent re-posting some of our favorite Costa Rica photos), we decided today was the perfect day to post these photos and description from this site so kindly sent to us by our friend Louise in Kauai, Hawaii.

Louise has been an avid supporter of identifying birds and vegetation when we’ve often been unable to find answers online. Often, we have a less-than-ideal Internet connection which makes research cumbersome and time-consuming. 

“I can’t find one!  What’s the deal?”

Thanks to Louise and many other friends and readers, we’ve been able to update a prior post with the new information properly identifying the animal, bird, plant, flower, or a tree.

As much as we’d like to be able to spend hours in research identifying photos of interesting creatures and vegetation, the fact that we post 365 days a year spent as much as the entire morning in preparation, by the time we get done, we’re ready for a break, especially when we’ll be spending the rest of the day searching for additional photo ops and story content.

No, we’re not tired or bored with posting daily nor do we expect we’ll ever be in such a position. In fact, as we look forward to our next adventures, our interest in posting escalates to an indescribable level, especially when we’re easily able to take photos of a plethora of outstanding sightings in nature. 

“I’d better not drop this!”

With the massive cash outlays we’ve faced while here in Costa Rica, as mentioned many times in past posts, we’ve really had to “tighten our belts” and not spend money on rental cars and tours. We’ve gone over our budget in a few categories.

Surprisingly, groceries have been high for us in Costa Rica. We’ve spent around US $1,000 (CRC 569,713) per month, especially when we only eat one meal a day, don’t snack, or purchase any type of bottled beverages or alcohol. (We’ll be sharing our total expenses for Costa Rica on our final day’s post on November 22nd). 

“Finally, I’ve got one!”

Today, I’ll begin working on our clothing, to be packed before too long, all of which need a wash and dry due to the high humidity.  They actually feel damp and dusty after hanging in the closet for over three months. The end result may require I do some ironing for the first time in so long I can’t recall. I don’t like to iron, but then, who does?

May your day find you engaged in projects you hopefully enjoy!

Photo from one year ago today, November 9, 2016:

A small rescue boat anchored to the side of the ship. For more photos, please click here.

Bad news from the cruise line impacting many passengers on our upcoming cruise….

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This tucked-away restaurant in Atenas is reported to have good food.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

It’s no wonder these birds are called “Social Flycatchers.”  They stop by each day to visit and sing.  As described here: In appearance, the social flycatcher resembles a smaller boat-billed flycatcher or great kiskadee. The adult is 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) long and weighs 24–27 g (0.85–0.95 oz). The head is dark grey with a robust white eyestripe and a usually concealed orange to vermilion crown stripe. The upper parts are olive-brown, and the wings and tail are brown with only faint rufous fringes. The underparts are yellow, and the throat is white. Young birds have a paler eye mask, reduced crown stripe, and have chestnut fringes to the wing and tail feathers. The call is a sharp peeurrr, and the dawn song is a chips-k’-cheery. As the specific epithet similis (Latin for “the similar one”) indicates, this species looks much like its closest living relative, the rusty-margined flycatcher (Myiozetetes cayanensis), and also like the white-bearded flycatcher (Phelpsia inornatus), white-ringed flycatcher (Conopias albovittatus) and lesser kiskadee (Pitangus/Philohydor lictor). In fact, except at close range, these are all but indistinguishable from appearance alone. They and the two larger similar species mentioned above share much of their range. Though they all are relatively close relatives, the group they seem to belong to also includes species with a somewhat different head pattern, like the Grey-capped flycatcher, which also belongs to Myiozetetes.

Yesterday, we received an email (as indicated below) from the Celebrity Cruise line regarding our upcoming cruise sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 23rd. As previously mentioned, we’re leaving Costa Rica on November 22nd (two weeks from today) and flying to  Miami, spending one night in a hotel, and then taking a taxi to the port. 

A few days ago, once again, we walked through the Atenas Central Park searching for colorful birds, which we’d heard often stop here. After many such visits, we’ve yet to see any birds we hadn’t viewed from the veranda.

It’s a rarity that any cruise line has contacted us regarding any changes on an upcoming cruise that may impact the cruise in one way or another. In most cases, it’s been regarding lousy weather or political unrest at a particular forthcoming port of call.

Tall palm trees line the walkways at the park.

Here’s the message we received from Celebrity:

“Dear Valued Guest,

We look forward to welcoming you aboard your 15-Night Panama Canal and South America cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale on November 23, 2017. Still, first, we have some vital information to share with you.

 To ensure that you have the best experience on your vacation, we’ve changed your debarkation port from Valparaiso, Chile, to the stunning seaside town of San Antonio, Chile. San Antonio has a dedicated cruise ship pier and guest terminal that will make getting off your ship as carefree as your vacation.

 If you’ve booked transfers with us, there’s nothing you have to do. We’ll take you directly to the airport from San Antonio. If you’ve booked transfers independently, please get in touch with the company you’ve arranged your transportation with and have them pick you up in San Antonio instead of Valparaiso. Also, if you’ve booked any debarkation day shore excursions with us, we’ll automatically adjust them to accommodate your new debarkation port.

For your convenience, we’ve included your current itinerary and your newly revised itinerary below.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-280-3423.”
A government building in the center of town.
In a split second, Tom, the cruise expert between us, sighed with relief.  He said, “This does not affect us other than missing Valparaiso as a port of call beginning on the second leg 
of our back-to-back cruise from December 8th to December 23, 2017.
 
Immediately, we checked to see the itinerary change on our newly revised cruise confirmation document we received shortly after that from Vacations to Go
as indicated below:
Fri, Dec 8 Santiago (San Antonio), Chile 9:00pm
 Sat, Dec 9 At Sea
 Sun, Dec 10 Puerto Montt, Chile 10:00am 7:00pm
 Mon, Dec 11 Chilean Fjords (Cruising)
 Tue, Dec 12 Strait of Magellan (Cruising)
 Wed, Dec 13 At Sea
 Thu, Dec 14 Punta Arenas, Chile 7:00am 5:30pm
 Fri, Dec 15 Ushuaia, Argentina 10:00am 7:00pm
 Sat, Dec 16 Cape Horn (Cruising)
 Sun, Dec 17 At Sea
 Mon, Dec 18 Puerto Madryn, Argentina 8:00am 5:30pm
 Tue, Dec 19 At Sea
 Wed, Dec 20 Punta del Este, Uruguay 9:00am 7:00pm
 Thu, Dec 21 Montevideo, Uruguay 7:00am 5:00pm
 Fri, Dec 22 Buenos Aires, Argentina 5:00am
 Sat, Dec 23 Buenos Aires, Argentina Disembark
The change is only for December 8th from Valparaiso, Chile, to Santiago (San Antonio port of call), Chili. The only way this change has an impact on us is the
We were looking forward to the stop in Valparaiso, known as a fascinating and steeped-in history city.
The Atenas Central Park is a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists.
After Tom conducted considerable research, he discovered that many cruise lines might no longer use this city as a port of call due to port charges, labor issues, and
preferences over cargo ship business instead of that of cruise ships. At this point, there’s no way we can confirm these reasons or if the
changes will be permanent. Valparaiso is listed as the port of embarkation on a cruise we’ve booked for March 2019. We’ll see how that rolls out in due time.
A restaurant on a side street in Atenas.
After reviewing comments in CruiseCritic.com (the online cruising forum for passengers), he discovered numerous posts from angry passengers who’d prepaid-in-full for hotels for several nights in advance of the December 8th embarkation. These non-refundable hotel fares and prepaid tours may be impossible to recover, even under these unforeseen circumstances.
In Spanish, “calle” means “street.” Thus the “calle” are numbered accordingly.
Here are a few comments from passengers booked on this cruise:

“We are in quite a fix because we have booked a night in Valparaiso, hoping to explore the city on our disembarking day. Now we have a three-hour drive if we can find transportation and make it through traffic and religious celebration to spend a short time in Valparaiso before heading back to ship.”

“Bit disappointed with Celebrity at this point right now after receiving the email about the change of disembarkation port. I phoned the toll-free number – longer than expected delays on hold.”

“We had booked a two-day non-refundable hotel in Valparaiso.  If you check out San Antonio, it has one hotel with terrible reviews. It’s 55 miles from Valparaiso.”
One must walk carefully on the uneven sidewalks in town.
For us, it’s but a slight disappointment since we won’t be losing money or having to change any of our plans. We hadn’t booked anything in Valparaiso when we’d planned to hire a taxi and tour the city on our own.
There’s little to do in the new port of call of San Antonio, Chili, as indicated in this link at TripAdvisor. One cruise passenger stated this port of call hadn’t been used by cruise ships in over 50 years. We aren’t able to confirm
this either.
Christmas decorations in front of an upscale spa/salon in Atenas.
In any case, we’re still excited about the cruise and grateful we hadn’t made unique plans.
Happy day! 


Photo from one year ago today, November 8, 2016:

This hallway is to the Shops of Centrum on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas on our 33- night cruise one year ago. Would you please click here for more photos?

Shopping malls throughout the world….Final photos from Managua Nicaragua…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The adorable costumed girl waved when she spotted us with a camera at the Metrocentre Mall in Managua, Nicaragua.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Sun setting behind the mountain

We’ve learned a lot visiting shopping malls throughout the world.  Neither of us cares to shop. In our old lives, I couldn’t drag Tom to a mall for anything. Now that shopping is generally off our radar, he seems to find it interesting from a cultural basis.

The Metrocentre Mall in Managua is a popular destination for tourists.  It was located across the street from our hotel and a convenient spot to tour. We didn’t buy a thing.

What are we looking for?  It’s fascinating to see products and pricing in each country and shopping to purchase the various items. Often, we find what may be local middle-income shoppers and a wide array of tourists from all over the world.

These smaller stoves are found in many vacation homes throughout the world.

In our travels, we’ve discovered that tourists love shopping. Many have a mentality that shopping is one of the motivators for visiting certain parts of the world, especially those known for great bargains.

Prices are high in electronics stores in Nicaragua and Costa Rica instead of what we’ve paid for such items in the US.

A faction of tourists isn’t aware (or perhaps they are aware) that many products sold at tourist shopping venues are often “knock-offs,” which may or may not be quality versions of the pricier originals. But, even these are snapped up by tourists. Locals are seldom seen making purchases at knock-off shops.

We giggled when we enter the store, “As Seen on TV.”  I guess Costa Rica isn’t that far away after all.

We’ve often noticed cruise passengers disembarking the ship at various ports of call, wheeling empty suitcases ready to be filled with locally designed and made wares, trinkets, clothing, and art. 

Here are a few of our links to shopping in a few countries:

3/6/14  Shopping in the souks in Marrakech Morocco 
https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2014/03/the-magic-of-medina-and-soukadjusting.html8/3/14 Shopping malls in Paris
https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2014/08/paris-in-some-out-of-way-places-flair.html

7/21/15  Shopping mall in Trinity Beach Australia
https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2015/07/a-diverse-and-unexpected-day-out-and.html

Years ago, when we occasionally traveled, I suppose I wasn’t much different than other tourists. It was fun to purchase gifts for family and friends and odds and end clothing and household items for myself. Tom would have nothing to do with any of it.
A tall Christmas tree was being decorated in the mall.

When we decided to travel the world in 2012, we explained to our family members that we wouldn’t be purchasing trinkets for them or our grandchildren that we discovered throughout the world. None of our adult children had room in their homes for useless decorative items. Nor did we want our children purchasing gifts for us at Christmas and our birthdays.

This store was packed with Halloween products.  We were there on October 29th with only two days to go for the big event.

Thus, we mutually agreed we’d only buy gifts for our six grandchildren, all purchased and shipped in the US. Our grandchildren especially enjoy gift cards to be able to buy digital equipment and games. As they get older (the eldest is 17), gift cards are the only sensible purchase.

Visitors standing in a long queue to get into the Western Union store.  Inside the store, dozens were seated in chairs awaiting their turn.

Since we’ve recently replaced all of our clothing while in the US this past summer and recently purchased all of the required attire for Antarctica from Amazon, we’re set until we return to the US for a visit in 2019.

The mall has two primary levels, which included a movie theatre.

When we return to the US, we’ll replace any worn items. In the interim, we have enough to last until that time.  We’re very cautious in laundering clothing to ensure nothing is ruined or shrunk in the wash. We prefer to hang many items outdoors to dry and, in most vacation homes throughout the world. We seldom have a clothes dryer.

This is a robot-type ride for kids.  Note the popular global clothing store in the background, originating from Italy.

Wandering through the Metrocentre Mall in Nicaragua was reminiscent of malls in the US with many familiar store brands, kiosks, and food courts. Although these types of malls are less attractive to us than the shopping areas in remote parts of the world, it’s always interesting to peruse the products offered in other countries.

We stopped to drool over baked goods, purchasing none.

As for grasping the pricing, as soon as we arrive in any country, we quickly learn the foreign exchange rate in comparison to US dollars, allowing us to make sensible decisions when grocery shopping or making any other types of purchases. 

Several small Halloween kiosks were set up for kids.

This morning we were both up and out of bed by 5:30 am. I’ve already made most of tonight’s dinner, one of our favorites, Low Carb Chicken Pot Pie. Over these past weeks, we’ve made a point of cooking our favorites when we know we won’t be cooking for 80 days once we leave Costa Rica in 15 days. 

Wow! The departure date is coming up quickly. We’re savoring every moment in Atenas, Costa Rica.

May you savor your day!

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

Our ship docked in Darwin, Australia, for the day. Here is the downtown area of Darwin with office buildings, restaurants, and shopping. For more details, please click here.

Another horrific event in the USA…Is it safe anywhere?…A

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Today’s flowers from the grounds of La Perla are a token of our sorrowful expression for the loss of life and injury of the victims in the Texas mass shooting.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

A view across the valley to Atenas on a clear day.
As we post each day, we can’t ignore the horrific tragedies occurring throughout the world. Our goal is to attempt to adhere as closely as possible to travel-related topics in our day-to-day lives as we live from country to country.


However, we are deeply touched by the seemingly endless shocking events occurring throughout the world. In reality, such events become an integral aspect of our decisions about where we’ll travel in the future. 

Essentially, the observation and subsequent discussion of these types of events can’t be ignored, not by us, not by any citizens of the world. No, we won’t get into highly charged mentions of political affiliations that rise to the forefront when such events occur. 

Although Tom and I have distinct and passionate political opinions and views, we chose, many moons ago, not to express them here. This is not an arena for espousing our political perceptions. 

This is a site to share the lives of two very much in-love senior citizens who left everything behind, selling everything we owned, to embark upon a worldwide journey living in various countries along the way, experiencing other cultures, wildlife, nature, and history. There is no place for politics here.

Taking the political aspect out of such tragedies places them closer to our hearts with prayers and condolences for those who lost their lives and for the loved ones who are left to mourn and grieve their losses. Who among us can grasp the magnitude of such losses unless they’ve sadly fallen prey to such sorrow?

This week, as we have in many weeks, months, and years passed, stick close to the news hoping to glean a tidbit of information explaining how and why such horrors are perpetrated. 

Will knowing the “why” give any of the families and friends of victims peace? Momentarily, it may. But, moments later, the reality of their losses flood their minds, and they may never find life to be the same without their loved ones.

The concept that “time heals all wounds” may provide a modicum of comfort in the minds of family and friends, but when spoken by others, it sounds weak and meaningless. 

Even the frequently spoken words, “Sorry for your loss” bespeaks an easy “out” rather than a more thoughtful, “No words I can say can ease your loss. Our love and prayers are with you and your family”… or, in many other ways, one may express heartfelt concern and compassion. 

Yesterday’s loss of 26 lives and over 20 parishioners injured in Sutherland Springs, Texas, is another senseless event perpetrated by yet another angry and mentally deranged individual. Had it not been for the bravery of a local citizen shooting the attacker, more could have perished. 

As we continue in our world travels, as we mentioned in yesterday’s post, there is no country in the world safe from harm, not even our native country, the USA. We pray for the souls lost, their loved ones, and for peace in the world.

Be safe.  Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 6, 2016:

Check out this adorable honeydew melon mouse which was made during a fruit carving presentation aboard the ship. For more photos, please click here.

Preparedness…Moving right along…All tasks under control…More photos from Nicaragua…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Tom at breakfast, waiting for his eggs to be delivered to the table.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Another visit from one of our little furry friends, the Variegated Squirrel, commonly found in Costa Rica.

It’s hard to believe we were in Nicaragua one week ago, leaving the next day to return to the villa in Atenas.  This past week has been filled with the completion of many tasks looming in our minds. 

Options at the complimentary breakfast buffet, including items for omelets.

Now, with so much accomplished, we can relax and enjoy our remaining time in this beautiful property and sleepy small town. Tomorrow, we’ll head out for one of the last few times to grocery shop, stop at the pharmacy and wander through the park and center of town. 

A variety of cheeses and nuts were offered on the buffet at the complimentary breakfast buffet.

We’ve purchased all the clothing we’ll need for Antarctica and a wide array of supplies we’ll need over the next year, which will be awaiting us when we arrive at the hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in November 22nd. 

We’re leaving the bulk of our bags at the hotel in Buenos Aires during the Antarctica cruise. Once the Antarctica cruise ends in Buenos Aires on February 8th, we’ll ship all the cold weather clothing back to our mailing service in Nevada to save them for possible cold weather expeditions in the future.

Fruit at the buffet.

We’ll have to be very creative in packing the new supplies, which undoubtedly will add to our overall baggage weight. However, we’ll only have one flight to deal with the excesses, from Buenos Aires to South Africa.

We’ve yet to book a place to live in South Africa, nor have we booked the flight from Buenos Aires, neither of which worries us.  Louise, our friend, and property manager in Marloth Park, along with her husband Danie, a home builder, have assured us they’ll find us suitable housing in the park, perhaps a last-minute cancellation or a property that didn’t get booked for our lengthy time frame.

Tom’s plate after visiting the breakfast buffet. The queso cheese squares are fried and prepared without a batter. I had a few of these with smoked salmon and veggies.

Louise and Dani know we’ll be happy to move every few weeks or so to another house that becomes available.  This is suitable for us, rounds out our experiences and assists them with vacancies. It’s a win-win for all of us.  The wild animals wander throughout the reserve, so we’ll be just fine regardless of where we’ll live.

Yesterday, I completed the scanning of all our receipts and documents since the last time we did this while in Henderson, Nevada. Once we’ve scanned the receipts, we toss them to avoid carrying and paying for the weight of paper in our baggage.

Tom’s made to order fried eggs.

On the upcoming flight to Fort Lauderdale in 17 days, we can expect to pay for our checked bags with American Airlines as long as we don’t exceed the 23kg (50.7 pounds) limit to avoid excess weight charges.

We have left to prepare to pack our belongings scattered throughout the house in cupboards, drawers, and closets. All of our clothing must go through a short cycle in the dryer, resulting in the necessity of ironing a few items. The rampant humidity causes them to feel damp sitting in the closets.

The pool at night at the Real Intercontinental Metrocentre Mall in Managua, Nicaragua.

Most of our clothing is wrinkle-free, but regardless of such a claim on the label, most still wrinkle. Everyday items worn on the ship during the day aren’t much of an issue, but  I’ve made a pile of ironing for the evenings I can either hand off to Isabel or do it myself. We’ll see how it goes.

Yesterday’s pool time was spent under a dark cloudy sky. The sun is shining, but as often the case, we see the usual clouds rolling in. Once thunder and lightning began, we hightailed out of the pool.

The entrance to the hotel in Managua, Nicaragua.
May your day be bright and sunny!                                                                            

Photo from one year ago today, November 5, 2016:

Yorkeys Knob on a cloudy day in Cairns. Since we’d spent three months in Trinity Beach (to the right in this photo) from June 11 to September 7, 2015, and had seen so much when there, we decided to stay on the ship. For more photos, please click here.

Results from appointments with Dr. Candy in Atenas…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The clinic has an ambulance, ready to go in an emergency.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Once back at the villa, the clouds started rolling in from the mountains.

Yesterday afternoon, with a bit of trepidation, we took a taxi for our appointment with Dr. Candy Midence Noguera, Medico Cirijano Cod, 7620, Consulta Medica – Ninos – Adultos (for children and adults). Phone: 2446-7440 or 2727-6868.

We’re posting the above information if any of our readers visit Atenas and its surrounding areas in the Alajuela Valley, Costa Rica, and need to see a physician. The delightful, bi-lingual Dr. Candy was the perfect choice for our needs. 

The reception desk at Dr. Candy’s office, Linea Vital de CR.

We couldn’t have been more pleased with the quality of service we received from Dr. Candy. She brought both of us (on time) into her office, conducting an exam, and walked through each question on the detailed forms with us. 

The cruise line, Ponant, requires the exam and accompanying documents to be completed anywhere between 40 and 90 days before the cruise date. This worked out perfectly for us when we’re leaving Costa Rica in 19 days. 

The waiting room at the doctor’s office.  A patient came out of an appointment with the doctor with an IV bag attached to her arm.  She sat on this sofa while the IV bag was hung on a small hook attached to the bulletin board.

As of today, we’ll sail on the Antarctica cruise in 82 days. (The upcoming 30-night cruise to South America sails in 21 days, for which we needed no such documentation).

Fortunately, we passed the exams without any issues. Neither of us has any conditions that might prevent a traveler from embarking on such a cruise that travels well outside the scope of air ambulance service while in one of the most remote areas in the world, Antarctica.

As usual, the afternoon sky was cloudy, and rain had begun to fall when we arrived by taxi from the villa. The round trip taxi fare with tip was US $7.03 (CRC 4,000).

Our total doctor bill for both of us was US $120 (CRC 68,297), not covered by our major medical insurance.  Had we been in many other countries, the bill could have been considerably higher. We paid with a credit card and were on our way after big hugs from Dr. Candy.

We now have all the completed documents in hand. Today, we’ll scan and email the medical forms and other forms we had to complete in this time frame, including passport and additional general information. It will be a relief to have this out of the way today, along with all the other “paperwork” we mentioned in yesterday’s post.

Now, during these remaining 20 days in Costa Rica, we only have to scan a pile of receipts, make one more dental appointment for me (something’s wrong with another crown), grocery shop on two more occasions, and of course, pack.

View across the street from the doctor’s office.

We’ve accessed the food on hand and what we’ll need to purchase as we’ve scheduled meals on our calendar for each of the remaining days. After I make tomorrow’s pizza (enough for three nights), we’ll only cook dinners for two more weeks. 

This morning it dawned on me that we won’t be cooking for another long stretch, this time from November 23, 2017 (sail away date) until we arrive in South Africa (on or about February 10, 2018), for a total of 80 days. 

This won’t be the most extended period we haven’t cook. When we left New Zealand on April 15, 2016, and eventually ended in Phuket, Thailand, on July 23, 2016, we didn’t cook a single meal for a total of 100 days.

Cows grazing in our gated neighborhood on the return drive from the doctor.

These long stretches seem to trigger my enthusiasm for cooking once we’re settled in a new location and have begun thinking about some of our favorite meals. Years ago, I loved to cook, but once we left the US, my interest seemed to wane due to the difficulty in finding ingredients we use for our cooking style.

Today, we’re hoping the sun will continue to shine long enough for pool-time, after which I’ll get to work on scanning all the documents and receipts. It will be good to have this task off my mind.
Have a peaceful day.

Photo from one year ago today, November 3, 2016:

View one of the 70 islands in the Cumberland group as we sailed by early in the morning. This is one of the main reasons we prefer a balcony cabin. For more photos, please click here.