We’ve been back in Canada for almost three weeks now. The clean, fresh air and drinkable tap water are wonderful. Our diet has returned to a higher concentration of healthy foods and a lower level of carbs. We found it interesting that many of the vegetarian cultures do not eat a lot of vegetables. Lentils and flour make up most of the diet. Veggies, when you could find them, were often of dubious quality or highly inflated, at least for tourists. 

The weather in Victoria, despite being cooler, has been enjoyable. There’s only been one ‘wash-out’ day with heavy rain and wind. Even on that day we managed to get a walk in when the rain took a brief break. We have not, however, gone for walks in flip flops and shorts. BC has warmer weather than the rest of Canada, but it’s not that warm (yet).

When we planned our six-month trip, it was overwhelming. We’d never done anything like this before. Add to this, retirements, change of part time jobs and moving cities. It was a blur and while we had planned everything up to our arrival in Mauritius, nothing was really planned after that. Our original thought was to visit sites during the day and then in the evening, plan the next day/phase/leg. After all, when we were working, we would work during the day and plan activities at night. Sounds pretty simple.

Planning is the key to a successful trip

Not so fast. As we travelled and moved towards new places, we were either too tired at the end of the day to plan, or we wanted to be out exploring. Living in and for the moment was our goal. Planning two months down the road was not going to be as “fun”. For the most part, we just followed our plan until Mauritius. When we arrived in Mauritius towards the end of January, we started looking for things to do and places to stay in February and March.

Planning a list of things to do can be time consuming. We did not stay anywhere longer than a week and during that week we wanted to see and do everything. Our goal was always to create ideas that would allow us to see and try new things. Each country and city we visited were unique. There were always ‘must-see’ things and after that we were left with ‘what now’? 

Our last few stops were done at a much slower pace than the first stops. The original planning, done in Canada, held such anticipation. It was fun to plan and think of all the things we would be seeing and doing. The new foods we would be trying out as well as the things we would be learning. 

Heading to Hawaii

The anticipation of a trip, much like Christmas, is often as rewarding as the event itself. Ten days ago we moved back into anticipation mode. We found a re-positioning cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver at the end of April and it seemed too good to pass up. The ship will spend six days touring around the Hawaiian Islands and then make a five-day open ocean transit to Vancouver. It involves only one airfare and that is a one-way ticket from Vancouver to Honolulu. We’ll have a short hotel stay in Honolulu and then on to the cruise ship. 

We’re excited about this cruise and have been reviewing some cruise forums. We’ve now planned to hike up Diamond Head at sunrise. We won’t get to see the sunrise; the park opens at 06:00 and sunrise is 06:03 on the day we’ll be there. Despite having hiked in Nepal, we can’t cover the distance from the gate to the top in three minutes. I’m good, but I’m not as good as I was. Even so, we’ll go early to beat the crowds and heat. This is a popular outing and we’ve made reservations to ensure we can get in. Our entrance time is between 07:00 and 08:00. We’ve met up on-line with other cruisers and they will be joining us. 

Planning for Hilo and Kona

We’re now looking at things to do in Hilo and Kona. We’ve been to both places a few times before, so finding something new is a challenge. Renting a car and visiting beaches where the dolphins will likely be our default. Just walking around the warm Hawaiian air and sunshine is also a good bet. The cruise was supposed to stop in Maui, however due to the fires last year, they are not ready to host cruise ships. We’ll spend extra time in Hilo and Kona – definitely a first world problem. 

Thanks for reading.

If you have any suggestions of things you’ve done in either Kona or Hilo, let us know.

Cam and Meg

We returned home last week, our six-month journey having ended. It was a blast and we can’t believe how quickly time went by.  It seems only yesterday we left.

One thing we were able to see first-hand was how other countries and economies work in comparison to ours. We normally feel our way of doing things is superior, otherwise we wouldn’t do it that way – right? However, we witnessed firsthand how many other places match or exceed our way of doing things. Of course, there were places that were doing things in a manner we left behind years, if not decades ago.

We started exploring in Japan

Japan is known to be a world leader in technology and progress. Despite an economy that has stalled for the last number of years, they have a transport system that is efficient, affordable and simply amazing. Their culture is based on respect. They don’t invade your personal space. No one honks their horns, either in cars or on bikes.

I experienced this first hand as a tourist when I was walking on a road and unwittingly blocking traffic. I’m not sure how long I was doing this, however when I looked over my shoulder, there was a car that I was creeping along behind me. I’m not sure how long this poor fellow had been following me, patiently driving his car at 5 km/hr . I immediately moved over to the side and bowed deeply to apologise and show respect for blocking their way. The driver smiled, nodded and waved. He didn’t honk his horn as his actions might bother me. In North America, there would have been a short horn, which in our culture, would not be out of place. It would likely be a “hi there, you’re blocking me, can you move over?”. Of course, there are times when the horn could mean something else. 

Further south to Taiwan

During our time in Taiwan, which is also a very high-tech area, we saw some great things. We were served by robots at a local diner, technology is used to assist day-to-day living. At the restaurant we were at, a human waiter took our order and, a few minutes later, a robot came out with our food. It was similar to a giant iRobot vacuum cleaner that had shelves on it. The robot was programmed with a table number and then weaved around the other tables to bring you your food. Once you had your meal, you tapped the robot’s hat and it went back to the kitchen to repeat. Taiwan is hugely important to the world for technology. The computer chips that are powering the device you are reading this on were likely made in Taiwan. They make more computer chips than any other country.

Singapore was old vs new, however cleanliness was probably better than anywhere else we saw on our trip. The subway was air conditioned which was much needed for a country only one degree from the equator. 

Sri Lanka – a very interesting place and worth another visit

Our few days in Sri Lanka showed us a country that is not quite where we are in many areas, however everyone seemed happy. There was thriving commerce, shops were open, local people were dining in cafés, and there was traffic coming and going. The infrastructure, however did look as if it could use improvements. A year ago, there were news stories of protests and when I asked our guide about those he shrugged. He said there were some people unhappy, however most people simply went about their business.

India – exotic, enchanting, and polluted

India was another story. A complete juxtaposition of wealth and poverty. Efficiency and inefficiency worked in harmony beside each other. An example would be a world class subway system in Delhi that moved the masses. As you exited the subway station, you could see people digging a foundation for a new building. Amazingly, this digging was being done with a shovel by hand. Fill was removed one pail at a time by a person on a bike. Who knows where they took it.

That India can feed 1.6 billion people every day is impressive, although not everyone eats a full meal. That they can survive with the wretched pollution, is a wonder. We were worried about the pollution in Mumbai when we were there as it was in the 300 parts per million (PPM). Then we got to Delhi. On some of the days we were in Delhi the pollution was just below 500 PPM. With the exception of Goa, which is on the ocean, there was always air pollution to worry about. 

Many towns we visited in India had “good” air with readings between 50 and 100 PPM. At home, when the numbers cross 25 PPM, people go crazy and lock themselves inside. We both developed coughs in Delhi. I guess it could have been COVID, however we wrote it off to pollution and breathing the continual bad air.

Nepal – magical

Travelling to Nepal from India didn’t help the cough. In fact we both developed full-fledged “smokers cough”. Hacking at all times day and night. Kathmandu was the worst, followed by Pokhara. Open fires, for warmth, would burn in common areas of restaurants and other buildings, trapping in smoke. Even if you were outside, with everyone having a fire, you smelled like a campfire. There was no getting away from it. We would look out from our hotel balcony in the morning and evening to see the countless plumes of smoke drifting up. All of which was trapped in the valley, reducing the view of the Himalaya mountains. Even when we were hiking in the Himalaya’s, unless we were between outposts, the smell of smoke was hanging. 

Mauritius was a charming place. Located 20 degrees south of the equator, the weather there is likely as close to perfect as you can get, other than the odd cyclone. There are trade winds that keep the air moving and as it is an island, 50 miles from the other nearest island, the incoming air is always clean.

Malaysia is an up-and-coming place. The prices are reasonable. The weather is a bit on the hot side with a lot of humidity. Most places are air conditioned unless they are open air venues such as hawker stalls. Malls are modern affairs with all the usual stores, Lululemon, Bata shoes, etc. Western goods are priced similar to North America, unless you buy knock-offs at the stalls. The one thing that we enjoyed in Malaysia was losing our “cough”. We arrived there from three weeks in India/Nepal and our lungs cleared up. Well at least our coughs went away.

Bali – a magical island, but maybe not for everyone

Bali is where we ended our journey. It’s not a place that we will rush back to. There seems to be two camps on Bali, love it or hate it. I would not say we hated it, but the issues we saw there made us think we would go back to Thailand before Bali. To be clear, Balinese people, for the most part, are wonderful. They are kind, welcoming and truly wish you to be happy in their home country. Some of the “annoyances” included a mafia run taxi service that serves only to rip-off tourists. The overrun tourist spots, where you wait for hours to take a picture make the experience less than enjoyable. Of course, the masses of tourists who overtax the system didn’t help.

We did many things: here are some of our numbers:

• Length of trip:                                                  182 days
• Number of countries visited                           15
• Number of hotels/AirBnB’s/Homestays        40

Cruises are a great way to travel

• Number of cruises 3
• Number of days on cruise ships 45

Air travel is necessary

• Number of flights:                                           11
• Number of “red-eye” flights                           3
• Number of airports travelled through:       15
• Nicest airport:                                                 Singapore (sorry YVR, Singapore has you beat)
• Sketchiest airport:                                           Kathmandu

It’s all about the food!

• Number of different restaurants dined in (many more than once)     157
• Best meal – tie                                             Takayama Japan and steakhouse in Khatmandu
• Best street food Chole Bhature – New Delhi
• Number of times we ate street food – Waaaaaayyyyy to many to count
• Number of times we were sick from street food – Nil – (we used a lot of hand sanitizer)

The still frames in our minds – I hope they will always be there

• Number of tours / activities                           14
• Number of cars rented                                   2 (both were right hand drive!)
• Number of trips to Disneyland                       2
• Best memory                                                  Overnight hike in the Himalayas
• Worst memory                                                Meg having to go to the hospital in Japan  

Arriving back in Vancouver – and much cooler temperatures

When we arrived back in Vancouver, we were picked up by my Mom and Doug. One of the first questions they asked is “would you do it again?”. I answered “absolutely” and at the exact same time Meg said “yes”. The trip was not a vacation. We started out in vacation mode, likely reinforced by the 16-day trans-pacific crossing on a luxury cruise ship.

To vacation for six-months is too hard, at least for us. When we readjusted our thought process to do one, maybe two “outings” per day we started to relax more. On a vacation you generally do not have to do chores. When you travel for six-months, there are chores. Laundry is a weekly chore. So is paying bills. Yes they do come in while you are away. Internet and online banking make it easier, however you need to log in, pay attention and keep on top of things. Of course, having your iPhone stolen, as happened to me in India, makes that a bit harder.

Travel to learn and where possible, give back

For us, the trip was not so much about a vacation, but about learning. We learned so much about the places we visited. There is history beyond Europe and Canada. Much of the history we saw in Asia and Africa was influenced by European cultures. In some cases, quite heavily. During the age of exploration, England, Portugal, Spain, France and others explored and claimed foreign lands as their own. This led to massive shifts in wealth for some and impoverishment for others. The spice and slave trades are prime examples of this. Zanzibar was one of the leading places for the slave trade and it flourished there into the 1900’s. 

Travel is, for us, about enrichment. We go to seek new and exciting things. Of course, there are days when we rest by the pool/beach to recharge. There are also days where we challenge ourselves with excitement such as white-water rafting and hiking. One of the things we learned is we don’t care for winter all that much. This new knowledge is leading us to consider a way forward, possibly with annual extended travel to warmer climes. As many before us have found out, retirement arbitrage is possible. 

Skip the time change – go for jet lag instead

Another thing we were fortunate enough to do was miss the time changes at both ends. The clocks went ahead an hour the weekend before we came back. This greatly benefited us as sunset in Victoria was now 7:30 PM, us 6:30 PM a week ago. We’ll try and make note of that on any future trip, if we still do time changes in the future.

Cam and Meg

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.

Once we settled into our homestay in Sanur, on Bali’s south east side, we did our normal routine and checked out the local area. We visited markets, beaches and had countless offers of new friends who were only too happy to take us on a tour…for a price.

We could not have been more pleased with our accommodation. A three-unit complex, with a swimming pool and one of the kindest people I have ever met as our manager. She gave us numerous recommendations, all of which were top-notch. 

Nusa Lembongan – a quaint island off Bali’s coast

We had planned to visit Penida island during our stay, just off the east coast of Bali. Seeking suggestion for which ferry to take there, she mentioned Nusa Lembongan may be a better alternative. Less touristy, not as much of a party crowd, calmer and a bit closer. We cannot say what Penida Island is like, as we did not visit it, however we can say we absolutely loved Nusa Lembongan. 

We booked a tour which included hotel pick-up, ferry, snorkeling on the reef, water activities, and touring of the island. The sights and experiences are what we expected all of Bali to be, all of the time. In reality, we know, it can’t always be like that, but when it is, it is amazing.

Bali ferries…interesting

From our hotel, we were taken to the “fast ferry” terminal. If you want to know how the terminal was organized, imagine chaos. Everyone running everywhere, trying to get you on their boat. I don’t even know how many ferry companies there were, but the touts assured us “theirs” was the best! 

Once our passage to Nusa Lembongan was sorted out and we waited for our departure. No, there was no departure lounge, remember this is chaos. We sat on a bench, watching our ferry boats “shack” where they sold tickets. They do keep records and had full manifest of passengers. At least that’s why they told us when we were told to write our names on a list, where others had done so. It included our home country and phone number. 

At the appointed time someone yelled out from the “shack” for our time and around 65 of us got up. We were herded through two ticket checking gates, but no screening security. From there, we were shuffled out on a jetty and then onto the boat.

There were five 300 HP outboard motors on the vessel and all the seats were in an enclosed cabin. We found seats, even though there was no assigned seating, remember this is chaos. As we settled in for the scheduled 30-minute transit we were offered bar service, beer of soft drinks. As it was 9:30 in the morning, we declined. The trip over took 45 minutes and, despite some large waves, it was a pleasant ride.

Storming the beaches of Nusa Lembongan

As we approached the shore, the boat did a 180° turn and backed up towards the shore. The engines were then turned off and they told us we were at Lemgongan. If this is your stop, please get off. I looked out of the rear of the boat and saw we were about 50’ from shore. Ummmmm, where’s the dock? Similar to the way the soldiers had to get off the landing craft on D-Day, we had to jump off the rear of the boat, into about 2 ½’ of water. Yes, that really happened. You can’t make this up.

Once we waded ashore, our guide met us and took us to our van, more like an open back pick-up truck with two benches on either side. Well, the open sides meant good air movement. 

Snorkeling – the highlight of the day

We headed up island to our first stop, snorkeling. There are no photos of the snorkeling as neither of us have a water proof camera. As we only have one iPhone, since mine was stolen, we’re not willing to take chances on having a “splash” with our remaining one. It was left safely on shore. The colour of the fishes, the coral, the reef and beautiful blue water were amazing and they are “the still frames in our minds”. 

The boat took us out about 1km from shore and we jumped in the warm tropical water. There was no real need to swim as the current was strong enough to carry us along, seeing an ever-changing display of Angel fish, Zebra fish and who knows what other type of fish. At times we were swimming a large school of small fish, about 6 – 8 cm in length. 100’s if not 1,000’s of fish all around us. It was truly inspiring. I’ve decided if I’m ever likely to do something like that again, I’ll be looking for a waterproof camera. We’re tossing around the Great Barrier Reef in 2026, nothing is firm right now, just a thought.

After we got back in the boat, we went on a banana boat ride. Not really our thing, however it came with the package, so why not? I know it would have been more fun with our own family/group, but we still laughed.

Mangroves – always enchanting

We then went through the Mangroves and saw the channels. It could have been New Orleans, or Disney for that matter. The birds were amazing, we were not quick enough to get pictures, however the calls were unbelievable.  

When all that was over, we had time for lunch and then a tour of some more of the island, although not all of it. Despite Nusa Lembongan being a smallish island, it was too big to see in one day. The guide and our homestay host, both suggested spending a few nights there to fully explore the island and all there is to do there.

Island Scenery

As we explored, we saw rocky crags where tidal waves pounded in. There were towering views and magical beaches as well as numerous viewpoints for photos. 

Getting back on the ferry

As the day wound down, we returned to the beach where we “landed” in the morning and waited for our ferry. If we had thought getting ashore was a challenge, we were in a for another surprise. This time we were boarding from the front of the vessel. There was a small folding ladder, and I do not think a “large” person would have been able to fit on it. 

Once you “humped” up on the first rung of the ladder, you could climb up and onboard to the bow (pointy end). However, as the only entrance to the cabin was at the rear, we had to shimmy down the side of the boat on a 3” lip. The ship was a smooth fiberglass hull. As our feet were wet and most of us were barefoot, it created another level of excitement for this tour. For balance, we held on to guard rails, some of which were missing, likely pulled off by previous passengers who fell into the ocean, never to be seen again. While we are not what anyone would call “young”, there were a number of people who were older and a lot less mobile than us. It was certainly challenging for them. BC Ferries is indeed looking a lot better.

Once onboard, the normal offer of beers and soft drinks was made, as the boat returned to the main island of Bali. It was a full and tiring day, however it was an amazing experience that I recommend anyone who is here take. 

Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.

Cam and Meg