Windy, rough seas continue…Having fun anyway!…Year ago photo, a favorite…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Tom is happy as a clam, even in rough seas.

Itinerary:  Celebrity – Celebrity Solstice, departed 9/23/14, 12 nights
Tue Sep 23 Vancouver, BC, Canada  5:00pm

Wed Sep 24 At Sea 

Thu Sep 25 At Sea 

Fri Sep 26 At Sea 

Sat Sep 27 At Sea 

Sun Sep 28 At Sea 

Mon Sep 29 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 1:00 pm

Tue Sep 30 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 8:00 pm

Wed Oct 1 Kilauea Volcano, HI (Cruising) 

Wed Oct 1 Hilo, Hawaii, HI 11:00 am 8:00 pm

Thu Oct 2 Kona, Hawaii, HI 11:00 am 8:00 pm

Fri Oct 3 Lahaina, Maui, HI 8:00 am

Sat Oct 4 Lahaina, Maui, HI 6:00 pm

Sun Oct 5 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 7:00 am

Yesterday morning after breakfast in the Oceanview buffet restaurant, we walked the long distance to the Sky Lounge for the first Cruise Critic “Meet and Mingle.”

As always, we met a fabulous couple we sat with during the entire event, both doctors who’d traveled the world, providing relief for doctors in many remote areas. The stories they shared and their enthusiasm and support for our way of life were inspiring and uplifting. We hope to see them again soon.

The most pleasing aspect of cruising is meeting people, many of whom also seem to have a love of cruising and traveling. Although many other cruisers are our age or older, we find that many have a craving for the wanderlust life as well as a sense of adventure, not unlike us.

Celebrity Central, mid-ship, is where a lot of activities transpire. We’ve been sitting in this area during the day since the waves aren’t as noticeable as in our cabin which is located between the bow and mid-ship.

However, few people we meet, after lengthy conversations ensue, feel they could live as we do, unable to conceive of the concept of freeing themselves of “stuff.” We fully understand their curiosity as to how we could do this. Some are curious as to how we could leave our loved ones for the fulfillment of a dream.

Everyone’s needs and life desires differ. We spent all of our lives up until two years ago, near most of our family. As do many Minnesotans, leaving Minnesota for warmer climates, we too felt we couldn’t continue living in a cold climate as we age. No longer could we shovel snow, slip on ice, and staying hunkered down in the long cold winters.

Instead of the typical Minnesota seniors. who often move to Florida or Arizona, we chose the world as our home, for however long it works for us. If and when that changes, we’ll figure it out. For now, we don’t worry about the future. In a few short months, we’ll be together with our family, and in a matter of minutes, it won’t feel as if we’ve ever been away. 

For now, as we cruise on unnerving and unsteady seas across the Pacific Ocean toward Hawaii, we’re reminded of how vulnerable we all feel in these circumstances. 

Yesterday, we attended a private party for Captain’s Club members for those who have been on multiple Celebrity cruises. The more we cruise, the more benefits we’re entitled to receive including free cocktails and laundry service.

Feeling queasy is debilitating for the most part. But for us, like many other determined cruise participants, make the most of it, continuing  to partake in both preplanned and spontaneous activities, all of which we find
entertaining.

As I write this at the moment, we are sitting at the concierge desk, third-floor level while a ping pong tournament is occurring beside us. We’d love to participate but our bad right shoulders prevent us from doing so. 

We all have limitations of one sort or another as is clearly evident on this mostly over 55 cruises. A few manage with wheelchairs, canes and walkers and others are dancing at the disco late at night. A few are young newlyweds and fairly inexperienced travelers. We love meeting them, regardless of their situation. Each has their own unique life story to share.

Americans occupy only about 20% of this particular cruise.  Most often we find ourselves visiting with Canadians and Australians. Few non-English speaking people are on this cruise, although we encountered a few.

Please bear with us during these five days sea. The storm coupled with the poor WiFi signal has made posting extremely difficult, especially when adding photos. It’s taking as long as 30 minutes to upload one post with three photos. Bear with us. Once we arrive in Hawaii, we’ll easily be able to post photos.

In the Hawaiian Islands on Monday, we’ll be able to use the XCOMGlobal MiFi for a strong signal and we’ll add many photos of Hawaii as we cruise several of the islands, many of which we’ll be living on over the next several months.

Once the seas settle down, I’ll be back to my “overly bubbly” self which does, even in my somewhat queasy state, is forefront in my demeanor and much to my delight, is evident in the smile on Tom’s face, content as he could be.

Who’s to complain? Not us!

Photo from one year ago today, September 26, 2013

We loved this photo we took a year ago today, as we walked along the Indian Ocean in Diani Beach, Kenya. For details from that date, please click here.

Big storm…Raging seas..Bad Wifi…Video of storm…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment


Statue on the ship.

The past 38 hours have been comparable to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride from my childhood memories of Disneyland. The ship’s WiFi is the worst we’ve seen. I can hardly upload a photo.

Up until yesterday morning, I’d never been hit with any amount of seasickness until Tuesday our first night at sea as we made our way into the Pacific Ocean from Vancouver, British Columbia.

The pier in Vancouver.

After breakfast, Wednesday morning, in the not too crowded buffet (many passengers were sick in their cabins), a wave of nausea washed over me remaining throughout the entire day and evening.

Much to our disappointment, it was a formal night. On our prior cruise ending on the 14th, the formal night dress code allowed casual dressy which is easy for us to accommodate. Whereas, the formal attire rules on the Celebrity Solstice require more dressy clothes including a long sleeve shirt with a collar for the men and a skirt, dress, or pants suit for the ladies.

With the raging seas and my queasiness, I hardly felt like dressing in anything but my jeans and tee shirt.  However, my special food was already ordered the prior night and we felt there was no other good dining option for me. 

Tom has two long sleeve shirts, one, a khaki BugsAway and two, a white BugsAqay shirt, neither of which was ideal. He opted for the white shirt and hung it in the bathroom with the shower turned to remove the wrinkles.

In any case, we made it to dinner and were allowed inside for a nice dinner at a table for six where once I ate a little, I began to feel better and enjoy the conversation and dinner.

As for the storm at sea, it quickly began to work its way up to the caliber of the extreme storm we experience in April 2013 on the Norwegian Epic when we crossed the Atlantic Ocean with 50 foot swells for three days.

The sails at the pier in Vancouver.

Tom, having spent years on the railroad traveling on wobbly trains never felt nauseous for a moment, although I did notice him losing his footing on a few occasions when no one could have remained on their feet the way the ship violently heaved to and fro.

Included today are photos from the sailing away from Vancouver and of course, the video of the wild ride at sea.  Hopefully, by the time this post uploads the storm will have ended and our usual fun will be in full swing.

Hopefully, we’ll be back tomorrow with our itinerary, updates, and photos of this beautiful ship as our journey continues on.

                                                Photo from one year ago today, September 25, 2013:

Signal too poor to post more today. 

New post tomorrow morning with rough seas video…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment

Yesterday, when we finally arrived on the ship in the late afternoon and into our cabin after a painfully slow check-in process, our luggage arrived. By the time we unpacked and put everything away, it was time for our 8:00 pm dinner reservation.

As a result, we had no time to post. Today, with many new photos and a video of the rough seas we’re experiencing, we’re safely tucked away in our cabin with time to prepare our post that we’ll upload early tomorrow morning. 

Please check back first thing tomorrow morning! Thanks for your patience!

Goodbye, Vancouver!…Hello, Hawaii!…Excited for the new cruise on our favorite cruise line…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
St. Andrew’s Wesley Church in downtown Vancouver.

The “to-do” list is complete. We did it all; the laundry filled the pill cases, did the mani/pedi, packed everything, and, notified the family. This morning we’ll grab a taxi for the short drive to the Port Metro Vancouver where the Celebrity Solstice will be prepared for boarding.

As on our prior nine cruises, we prefer to arrive at the pier an hour or two earlier than suggested in the documents, allowing us plenty of time to become familiar with the ship, meet with the maître ‘d regarding my restrictive diet, sign up for the ship’s WiFi, and relax for a while in the buffet dining room for a casual bite to eat.

The church across the street from our hotel. Photo is taken through the glass on the 30th floor.

In most cases, gaining access to the cabins is restricted until around 1:30 pm, allowing staff to prepare and clean the cabins from the last cruise that most likely arrived the same morning, making way for the new passengers.

Tom says this was a Ferrari we spotted in downtown Vancouver.

Checking in for the cruise is usually relatively quick and painless especially when our early arrival allows us to avoid long lines. A few days before each cruise, we check-in online in a similar manner as when flying. 

Vancouver is often a starting point (and often ending point) for cruises to Alaska which we’ll definitely book sometime in the future.

It’s unnecessary to print the documents when passengers are able to show the bar code from their tickets on their smart phone. With no cell service, until we purchase SIM cards, we’ve printed the documents although we’d always prefer to use digital documents.

Fountain, outside our hotel.

Later today, once aboard the ship, we’ll post again with photos of the ship, our cabin, and any special features that may catch our eye. Once the muster drill (emergency procedures) is completed, we’ll attend the Sail Away Party, hosted by the cruise line. Usually, there’s another party that we’ll attend, the “Meet and Mingle” which is intended for members of CruiseCritic.com, many of whom Tom has met online.

On the first day on the ship, we check out the main dining room’s reservation process. This avoids waiting in line to be seated. On this last Royal Caribbean cruise, we’d selected 8:00 pm, primarily due to the fact that we often have breakfast and aren’t hungry until later.

Much of the produce was imported as is the case in many major grocery stores in the US. This is unlike the organic produce we’ve enjoyed in many countries throughout our travels.

Most cruise passengers (during the school season) are senior citizens as opposed to families with children.  Many seniors prefer to dine by 6 pm. We’re still full from breakfast by 6 pm and prefer to dine at 8 pm. 

With “My Time” dining, we can select dining times that work best for us allowing us the opportunity to meet new people each night at “shared” tables. Other passengers may sign up for fixed dinnertime, sitting with the same group each night.

We’re also able to choose to dine with people we’ve met when we’re arranged a time to meet in the dining room. On this last cruise, on three evenings, we dined with new friends in the specialty restaurants but, could easily have dined with them in the main dining room.

We were surprised that prices on produce were less than we’d seen two years ago in the US.

The social frenzy of cruising is the aspect we enjoy the most. As social butterflies we love meeting new people, learning from their travel experiences, and sharing our own. A cruise is the most appealing social venue we’ve encountered in our travels.

We’re grateful for all the fabulous friends we’ve made from all over the world on our most recent cruise and also, those on the past eight cruises in 2013, many of whom we happily remain in contact.

Tom eyeballed the baked goods, especially the doughnuts but decided against trying any when the cruise is imminent, a virtual food fantasy on Celebrity.

Look for us tomorrow morning which will include the itinerary for this cruise. Hopefully, we won’t have the WiFi issues we’d experienced on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas when I was unable to get online. We’ll be out to sea for the first five days of this cruise making it necessary to access to the ship’s slow connection. As always, while in port we’ll be able to use XComGlobal’s MiFi for a strong connection and ease of use.  

Happy Day to all!

                                    No photo was posted one year ago today, September 23, 2013:
Ironically, we posted the cruise itinerary for the cruise we disembarked on September 14, 2014. For details of the post, please click here.

Tomorrow’s cruise to Hawaii…Total expenses for Vancouver…Worrying?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Sunset in the Vancouver bay.

The departure checklist begins once again:

  • Do laundry – We found a laundry near the computer store that will do it for us for US $1.83, CAD $2 per pound in two hours.  Today, we’ll drop it off, picking it up later in the day.
  • Fill pill cases for the next two weeks
  • Do manicure and pedicure
  • Pack everything except Tuesday’s clothes and toiletries
  • Notify family that we’re leaving Vancouver – We do this each time we’re on the move
Sunny day skyline.

Gosh, this list is much shorter than in the past. We’ve already printed out cruise tickets. The hotel checkout is electronic with a copy coming to my email which I’ll save in a folder. It gets easier every time we move.

Colorful sky at sunset.

Our total expenses for Vancouver are estimated at US $2050.86, CAD $2247.35 including the hotel bill, airfare from Boston (one way), taxis, meals, laundry, and tips. At this total, our daily cost was approximately US $341.81, CAD $374.56. We’re actually pleased it wasn’t more costly than this. 

Lonely looking boxer waiting for his family who was inside the restaurant where we had lunch.

We’ve made every effort to keep our costs to a minimum during this six-day stay and the three days in Boston to offset the WiFi and beverage fees on the upcoming cruise which are typically close to US $900, CAD $986.  We’re actually, $600 under budgets expenses for Vancouver

The South Tower on the Sheraton Wall Centre where we’ve stayed since last Wednesday, with a blackbird in the photo.

There’s never a day that passes that we aren’t in tune with our expenses. It is this diligence that allows us to continue on our journey without financial stress. For homeowners and renters worldwide this type of diligence may serve them well in keeping living costs within one’s means.

Dining outdoors on an upper floor in the Sheraton Wall Centre South Tower.

Of course, there’s also the painful reality for those who’ve lost their jobs in this precarious economy or are unable to work due to illness. It’s difficult to commit to budgeting when there’s little to no income. 

On a walk, we passed by this Cannabis shop.

At some point in our lives, for some of us, we recall the angst and worry associated with not generating sufficient income to cover one’s living expenses, a dreadful state of being. For those of our readers in this precarious position we hope and pray that you find a resolution.

Distant small marina.

We always hear that good health is the most important aspect of our lives. And, unquestionably, it is. In our minds, freedom from worry is next in line. Worrying is disastrous for one’s health and sense of well being. Worrying is a roadblock to happiness.

Community garden.

That’s not to say that we don’t worry at times. Either of us can awaken during the night wrought with worry that is often exacerbated at night in the dark. Tom worries about the little things. I tend to worry about the big things. Together, we’re an “efficient worrying machine.” That’s teamwork!

Photo from one year ago today, September 22, 2013:

The table was set on the well-manicured lawn. With the balmy breeze and the fire roaring, the mosquitoes stayed away, although we were well-armed wearing our BugsAway clothing. For more photos, please click here.

Finally, sunshine!…Vancouver is a beautiful city!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments
Overlooking the South Tower of the Sheraton Wall Centre with the bay in the background.

Yesterday, we were thrilled to get out on a sunny day. The first stop on the agenda was a trip to a computer repair store to have Tom’s files transferred to his new laptop. His old touchscreen was severely cracked from dropping it months ago, made worse by another fall at the cruise terminal. When touchscreens go bad there is no way to manipulate the cursor, even using the keyboard, making it impossible for us to do the transfer.

We were in awe of the sunset views over the bay.

The cost for the transfer and loading Outlook (which he prefers to use) was a total of US $120.92, CAD $132.50, a bargain considering that included purchasing Office and Outlook. Tom’s relieved, to say the least, especially when all of his contacts in Outlook are all intact.  

The job only took a few hours. While we waited, we found a local restaurant, Joe’s Grill, where we had a decent lunch for under US $30, CAD $33.00, a bargain in Vancouver.

Sunset has been amazing now that the clouds have cleared.

As our time in Vancouver, winds down and as much as we “should” go out sightseeing, we just don’t feel like it.  Lately, we’ve done so much sightseeing, a reprieve is in order. 

Tom, deep in thought in the Member’s Lounge, listening to his favorite Minnesota radio podcast, Garage Logic. 

For us, this lovely city is a stopping point to prepare for our upcoming cruise to Hawaii to sail across the Pacific Ocean (in part) to our upcoming home for almost seven months on four of the Hawaiian islands. I suppose it’s comparable to one going “home” to repack to prepare for another “vacation.” For us, it’s just our lives, not a vacation.

What a rose!

We have no home to return to for repacking more weather-friendly clothes. We’ll wash and dry what we have, neatly folding it and placing it right back in the same, now well-worn luggage to be prepared for the next adventure. As difficult as this may sound, it is not. 

Tom purchased two bottles of Brandy from a local government-owned liquor store in Vancouver for our arrival in Hawaii where the cost will be considerably higher. The cost was US $56.71. Usually, he drinks Courvoisier(cognac), but one small bottle was US $63.88, CAD $70.

Although the past almost two months have required an enormous amount of moving about, we giggle over how often we’ve moved in such a short time which includes:

  • Madeira to Paris – flight, two weeks in Paris
  • Paris to London – Eurostar train, two weeks in London
  • London to Harwich to a transatlantic cruise – shuttle to Harwich, two-week cruise with several excursions
  • Cruise ending in Boston – three days in a hotel in Boston
  • Boston to Vancouver – flight, six days in a condo in Vancouver
  • Vancouver to Hawaii (upcoming in three days) – 12 days at sea, ending in Honolulu, Oahu where we’ll stay for 11 days, then on to Maui for six weeks, Big Island for six weeks, Kauai for four months
The green cast was generated from taking photos through the tinted windows.

This is a lot of packing and unpacking over a period of only 10 months. Surprisingly, so far, we haven’t minded. Both of us can now pack or unpack in less than 30 minutes, making the comings and goings relatively low stress.

More fountains in the hotel gardens.

We’ve developed a routine that when it’s time to leave, each of us easily slides into our unspoken part with ease and coordination. Once in a while, Tom gets grumpy on packing and moving day. I ignore him and go about my share of the tasks. Invariably, once on our way, he settles down, smiley and happy. It goes with the territory. I doubt he’ll ever change.

Neatly trimmed pavers in the hotel courtyard.

A long time ago, I learned that “we are who we are” and unless something profoundly inspires us to change, we don’t. We’re both found that in this relationship, we accept each other’s peculiarities and eccentricities. People never change as a result of nagging, complaining, or whining which neither of us is inclined to do.

As the clouds began to clear we were able to see the houses on the hills.

Don’t think for a minute that I’m easy to live with. Although I’m cheerful and calm most of the time, I have particular ways of doing things. Tom is extremely tolerant of me, never complaining about my eccentricities. Mostly, his frustrations are as a result of “things” not happening as planned or expected.   

Flowers blooming everywhere in Vancouver.

Once again, we’re in the Member’s Lounge, overlooking the city of Vancouver on a perfectly sunny day. The views around us are all the more unreal on a clear day.

Life is good.

                                              Photo from one year ago, September 21, 2013:

One year ago on this date, we dined at a local restaurant in Kenya, the Blue Marlin, located on the beach of the Indian Ocean. We were the only diners in the entire restaurant from the time we arrived until we departed a few hours later. We had a fabulous time. For details, please click here.

Another cloudy, rainy day in Vancouver…About Vancouver…Tasks of daily life continue wherever we may be…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The Vancouver Island Ranges are in the far background of this photo I took through the windows in our condo late in the day. 

We’ve had our fill of sightseeing in pouring rain. Drizzle, we can handle. Over the past few months while on the move, most days have been rainy, windy, cold and cloudy. Right now, we have no desire to get soaked through our jackets as we’ve done on several recent tours. We’re hoping for a sunny day when daylight soon breaks.

The fountain in the Sheraton Wall Centre courtyard.

The fact that we happen to find ourselves in some amazing places, certainly triggers the urge to see what each location has to offer. However, sometimes life gets in the way via rainy days and other items on the agenda, as one has when they have a fixed home and responsibilities.

Today, if it’s even partially clear, we have one thought on our minds: Tom’s computer data transfer. The screen on the old laptop is severely damaged, preventing us from manipulating the transfer of his files to our external hard drive, a zip drive, and then on to the new laptop. We need another screen from which we can operate in order to do so. We don’t have a proper cable on hand to use the TV as a monitor in our condo or to use my laptop as a monitor for the transfer. 

Club Intrawest, a members-only condo hotel is located on the upper floors of the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. We’re on the top floor, the penthouse level, on the 30th floor.

We’ve decided to take a walk to a nearby computer repair store which is 500 meters from our hotel to have them do the transfer for US $54 rather than spend valuable time trying to find our own solutions. Plus, we’ll have them wipe out the old hard drive and dispose of the laptop.

A flower we spotted on our rainy walk to the grocery store.

With that behind us in the next few days, perhaps we’ll be able to focus on seeing some sights in Vancouver until we board the cruise on Tuesday morning. There just hasn’t been enough time with pouring rain impeding the prospect of going out and enjoying ourselves. 

Last night, we dined in, after a trip to a local grocery store. It was surprising to go on an escalator for the second half of the store’s products. I suppose the locals are used to using the hand baskets, starting upstairs before they load the regular wheeling carts.

Escalator in the grocery store in downtown Vancouver. 

We purchased roasted chicken and salad ingredients. With nuts for dessert, it felt good to stay in to watch a few shows on a rainy night, which we haven’t done in almost two months since leaving Madeira on July 31st. 

Vancouver is a beautiful destination, especially in the warmer summer months with many activities befitting tourists of any age and families with children. Our combined (for two) one-way airfare from Boston was only US $346, much less than we’ve paid for many other flights, making it affordable for travel.

As we’ve seen thus far, it is expensive in Vancouver, especially in the downtown area, where we’re staying.  We’ve heard on CruiseCritic.com that staying in hotels outside the city is much less expensive. 

Beautiful flowers lined the boulevard in Vancouver.

However, we’re definitely enjoying the views from downtown and have no regrets that we’re staying here.  Besides, we can see the cruise terminal from our condo which is a short cab ride away. Many cruisers at CruiseCritic.com have mentioned taking a bus to the cruise terminal on Tuesday. With our heavy luggage, we prefer to take a taxi. 

On departure day at the cruise terminal, our checked baggage is immediately whisked away from our taxi to our cabin, leaving us with only a few carry on items to handle until the cabin is prepared for us to move in, usually by 1:00 or 1:30 pm.

Here is an excellent link to information about Vancouver. Most likely, we’ll return here someday when we take a spring cruise to Alaska, hopefully staying for a few months. Alaska is on our “must-do” list but, doing so is far down the line. We have more countries and continents to visit after leaving Hawaii before we travel the US. 

Here are some Vancouver facts from the above website:

“Population
Based on 2006 Canadian Census reports, the population of the City of Vancouver in 2010 is estimated at 601,203.
Greater Vancouver’s estimated total population for 2010 is 2.4 million, 52.3% of BC’s population of 4.6 million.

Languages
Federal government departments provide service in English and French, but most of the population speaks English as either a first or second language.

The City of Vancouver is quite cosmopolitan and is a mix of many multicultural groups. Because the city is multicultural, it’s also multilingual on an unofficial level. Its people speak many different languages and many follow the traditions of their native lands, sometimes moderating them with Canadian culture.
After English and Chinese, the most common mother tongue languages spoken are Punjabi, German, Italian, French, Tagalog (Filipino), and Spanish. More than half of Vancouver’s school-age children have been raised speaking a language other than English.

Currency
We recommend all visitors use Canadian currency when traveling within Canada. Visitors can exchange currency at Canadian chartered banks, trust companies, credit unions, or at offices of foreign exchange brokers, but it is advised to have local currency on hand prior to arriving. Some hotels, merchants, restaurants, and suppliers accept US or other foreign currency at a pre-determined rate, which may differ from the daily rate posted by financial institutions.

    • Canadian one dollar coin (“loonie”) ($) = 100 cents
    • Canadian two dollar coin (“toonie”) ($) = 200 cents
    • Notes are in denominations of $1000, $100, $50, $20, $10, $5
    • Coins are in denominations of $2, $1, $0.50, $0.25, $0.10, $0.05, $0.01 


Taxation
Effective April 1, 2013, most purchases in British Columbia will be subject to a 7% Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST), with the exception of liquor (10% GST). For more information, visit Changes to the Sales Tax in British Columbia.


Time Zone
Vancouver is in the Pacific Time Zone. Daylight savings time is in effect from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November. You can see Vancouver’s time in relation to most cities on the globe by visiting www.TimeAndDate.com, which also can provide a Canadian calendar.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Workdays
Greater Vancouver, like all major cities, runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The main workdays are Monday to Friday, from roughly 8:00 am to 6:00 pm – but hours vary for each organization or business. Retailers are usually open seven days a week, and most stores are open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm each
day-except Thursday and Friday, when they are open until 9:00 pm. A number of large retail stores, nearly every hotel and motel, and several restaurants remain open around the clock.”

As we sit in the Member’s Lounge each day, preparing the next post which we’ve now scheduled to arrive for our readers by 5:00 am mountain time, we feel comfortable and at ease with no pressure to be anywhere or do anything, other than get the computer repaired, do laundry on Monday and pack once again.

Hopefully soon, we’ll pack up Tom’s two laptops into the waterproof duffel bag, grab an umbrella from the front desk and make our way to the computer repair store, hoping to achieve his objectives. Tomorrow’s forecast is for a sunny day. We’ll see if that works out.

Back tomorrow with more photos of Vancouver! Stay tuned!

                                          Photo from one year ago today, September 19, 2013:

Tom drank two bottles of this local Tusker beer. You’d have to carry me out if I drank two of these. I’m often tempted to have a drink but having anything with alcohol, as seldom as I do, results in outrageous hangovers from two of anything. Plus, one is no fun! Click here for more photos.

Vancouver is amazing!…Who knew?…Love the city and our accommodations…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
View from the comfy chairs in the Member’s Lounge at our hotel.
Another view from the private Member’s Lounge where we’re spending time online.  What a view!

We never expected Vancouver, British Columbia to be such a beautiful city. Nor did we expect the vacation rental we selected for the six nights to be on the penthouse level with such awesome views. 

Comfortable bedding, bed, and pillows invite good night’s sleep, only to find us awake long before sunrise.

The condo unit is much more lovely than we’d anticipated. It’s actually pristine with the finest of amenities, décor, and comfort. The sheets are at least 1000 pt. Egyptian cotton, the bed a heavenly cloud, the towels, soft and fluffy, and the view, amazing!

Another view of the condo.

These past two nights, we lay in bed with the drapes open to the sparkling lights of the city, relishing in every moment. We only closed them when we knew we’d regret leaving them open when sleep is needed in the early morning as we make an effort to combat a bit of jet lag.

The living area in our penthouse condo.

Yesterday morning, we dined in the beautiful dining room of the Sheraton complex which includes, at the top is the unique Club Intrawest, a membership facility with any perks we’re thoroughly enjoying. We’re so happy we chose this property. 

Although there’s no stove, the microwave can be used. We won’t eat in while here since we rarely eat anything that requires reheating other than our homemade leftovers. We’ve either dined on the past cruise or eaten in a restaurant over the past 50 days. In 27 days we’ll be able to cook our meals again.

At US $211 per night including free WiFi, (maid service only every three days) we were pleasantly surprised when we’ve heard that Vancouver has a reputation for being expensive in the tourist areas. We can’t dispute that. It is expensive.

The living area in our condo.

The buffet was pricey at US $32 each. Tom wasn’t thrilled with the selection of cold cereals and muffins but, did enjoy the fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and pancakes. 

The shower is actually twice as large as shown.

I absolutely loved my perfect breakfast of a suitable frittata made with organic free-range eggs and organic veggies. I thought I was in heaven with a huge portion and a pile of smoky bacon, a few veggies, and cheese on the side.

Dining area in the hotel.  We’ll be dining outside the hotel in most instances.

We hardly ate anything on a travel day when no food was served on the two flights (unlike flights in other countries) and our appetites were begging to be fulfilled. 

My breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.

We devoured the tiny packs of peanuts the flight attendants served plus almonds and cheese Phyllis had packed for us. Nothing on the flight’s menu of to-be-purchased items worked for me or appealed to Tom. No big deal.  Missing a few meals didn’t hurt either of us.

Décor in the hotel lobby.

As we’ve relaxed in the private Member’s Lounge, we had an opportunity to speak to two very helpful concierges who provided us with maps, directions, and lists of “to-do” items within walking distance. 

Hotel lobby.
Thirty floors to our condo.  Twenty-nine floors to the Member’s Lounge.

Soon, we’ll take off on foot borrowing an umbrella from the hotel to find a grocery store for a few items and to check out the local restaurants. There’s a laundromat within four blocks that we’ll visit in a few days as we contemplate packing for the upcoming cruise on Tuesday. 

Upon entering the Member’s Lounge where we’re provided with fast free WiFi access which we also have in our condo.

As we’re sitting in the fat stuffed comfy leather chairs in this beautifully appointed Member’s Lounge overlooking downtown Vancouver and the ocean, we’re living in the moment, loving “the one you’re with,” not thinking much further than the nose in front of our faces.

Wood carving in the Member’s Lounge.

Years ago, if I had a six-day trip to Vancouver been my “vacation” for the year, I’d have been content. Pinch me! I must be dreaming…or as they say, “living a dream.” Whatever it is, we are humbled. We are grateful.

Keep it coming.

                                             Photo from one year ago, September 19, 2013:

Instead of steel construction support posts for support in Kenya they use stripped tree branches. We were amazed by how they improvised with what they had on hand. For details of this post, please click here.

I forgot to upload this travel day post last night!…Written at the airport in Boston when heading to Vancouver…What’s the deal with that?

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments

Oh, good grief.  I’m bombarding our readers with posts. I wrote this at the airport in Boston and was sidetracked when we didn’t get in until late and I was falling asleep in the taxi on the way to our hotel.  So here is the travel day post, minus photos (sorry about that). Tomorrow morning or at your familiar usual time if outside the US, you’ll see a new post with many photos and more each morning thereafter.

Misty cloudy day view over downtown Vancouver.

Yesterday’s check-in at Logan International Airport in Boston was a breeze. We had to walk through the “naked scanner” and take off our shoes. I was frisked and Tom wasn’t. My solitary large handbag was carefully scrutinized when its weight raised a red flag.

Once again, after all of our efforts to reduce our load, we still had to pay US $100 for 12 pounds in overweight luggage for my large suitcase. I can’t imagine what 12 pounds I’m willing to kiss goodbye. Every item in that bag has an important purpose.

Before we fly again from Oahu to Maui, Hawaii on October 16th, I’ll have figured something out. Tom says it, “Goes with the territory” and not to worry. I just don’t like throwing money away. 

Otherwise, the curbside check-in was painless when we’d already paid US $120 for our two large and two small bags. Our luggage for this leg was US $220 for a one-way flight. So it goes.

With 90 minutes remaining until time to board the plane, we sat at the gate, our mugs in hand while using the MiFi (handy little gadget). Since we can’t carry heavy books and our phone’s batteries seem to die quickly when we’re reading for a few hours, our laptops are always the best option for staying entertained when a wait is for an hour or more.

How did we like being back in the US? We have mixed feelings. Some things were odd to us, such as the low toilets everywhere. We’ve never experienced low toilets anywhere we traveled. Sitting down and getting up was comparable to doing deep lunges. Our knees cracked. What’s the deal with that? 

When we went to the post office a few days ago we felt as if we were from another planet. How quickly we forget simple procedures that were familiar to us in the long ago past.

The menus in restaurants blew us away. How fun was it that they were in English. The number of choices and sizes of portions was mind boggling along with the English speaking servers committed to providing great service and expecting 15% to 20% in tips.

As we drove to pick up Uncle Bernie and Phyllis on Tuesday, we couldn’t believe how many stores and shops lined the boulevards, one after another, every possible store one could imagine. We gawked in childlike wonder at it all.

People were very kind in Boston and yet we heard people yelling at one another on the street, something we hadn’t seen witnessed since Turkey in June 2013. What’s the deal with that?

In a perpetual state of observation, we are reminded of how much “excess” there is in the US; big, better, safer, nicer, easier.

To our surprise, we never watched TV in our hotel room in Boston. In about half of our vacation homes, there have been TVs with only one or two English speaking news channels, mostly BBC news. Overall, I suppose we’ve lost interest in channel surfing instead, watching a few recorded shows on occasion on our own timeline.

Hawaii will be less of a location of “excess” when everything is imported and prices are high. Other than our 11 nights in Waikiki, Oahu upcoming on October 5th, our vacation rentals are in quieter, less “touristy” areas of Maui, Big Island, and Kauai.

The three days in Boston were unquestionably a culture shock for us which is surprising after our relatively short time away. In our old house, we’d remodeled our kitchen in 2004. The placement of the kitchen door had changed. At the time we had two Australian Terriers, Ben and Willie. 

Willie, the younger of the two, easily adapted to the location of the new door. But, Ben, the old timer, would stand at the blank exterior outdoor wall exactly where to door used to be, tapping the siding to get us to open the invisible door. 

We howled when this went on for weeks. We’re like Ben, scratching at a blank wall, assuming that everything should be as it was. It’s not. We change. Things change. Somehow we adapt. We create new ways of living our lives, regardless of how old we may be or how many habits we have ingrained into our way of life.

What’s the deal with that?

                                           Photo from one year ago, September 18, 2013:

On this date one year ago, while living in Kenya, we had a small dinner party for Hans and Jeri. We had a wonderful dinner in our outdoor living room. For details of that date, please click here.

New time zone in Vancouver…Posting time changes upcoming…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Like Seattle, it rains a lot in Vancouver. Today is very cloudy. This is the view from our beautiful condo in downtown Vancouver. More photos will follow tomorrow. 

In the past 18 days since leaving London, we’ve had an overall nine hour time change.  I don’t care what other seasoned travelers say, one good night’s sleep doesn’t necessarily fix it.

For most of us, one’s biological clock must gradually adjust to the differences. We’ve been awakening between 4:00 am and 5:00 am and crashing by 11:00 pm. Other than the sleeping issues, we feel fine. 

It hit me this morning that I usually post before most readers in the US and other countries are awake and there we were, available to read first thing each morning. 

Many have written to us explaining that each morning, they grab their cup of coffee or tea and sit down to read the most recent post.

As we continue to work our way west toward Hawaii, we are going to make adjustments to compensate for these time differences.

Thus, this little blurb is all you’ll see today. However, tomorrow morning a new post about our unbelievably wonderful accommodations in Vancouver will be awaiting you and will continue to be available each morning going forward from this point on.

Happy day to all!
                                        Photo from one year ago today, September 18, 2013:

Hans, the owner of the house we rented in Kenya, took us to the construction site where he’s building vacation condos. It was eye-opening for life and work in Africa. For details from that date, please click here.