Why do we travel? I get many, many questions about our travel life, everything from how do I make coffee in my French Press to how do we afford a life of travel? Some people find it hard – making sense of it all – my travel life.
But the questions I like the best are when someone asks me to describe the way a place smells? Or what are the sounds I hear when alone sipping coffee in the morning? I love it when someone is astute enough or interested enough to ask a meaningful question like how does travel make me feel? What are the sensory elements of travel? How does a handshake feel from a Masai warrior, a Mayan weaver or a Chinese fisherman?
Because as we tumble into our seventh year of travel these are the moments that linger for me. I am long past being impressed by tourism kitsch, fancy restaurants or hotels and shopping deals. Travel is now about the senses and mine are more alive than at any time before in my life.
A Sense of Adventure
Adventure is a key part of our travel life. In fact we are much more adventurous in our sixties than we ever were in our twenties or thirties. Living a life with a sense of adventure creates remarkable moments – moments that are often difficult to describe – but are part of this person I have become through travel. This reality of being someone different than who I was before is part of our grand adventure, a part I never planned or expected and yet, here it is. And it makes sense.
A Sense of Space
No one is more surprised than myself about how I have become a minimalist. Learning that I can, easily, live with very little has created a sense in me of openness. A sense of space. And I like that space. It feels good. It feels healthy. I feel lighter and more free. I don’t want to fill that space with anything more than moments. For now that is what makes sense.
A Sense of Time
As I age I am acutely aware of waning time. I am accepting of the fact that there is a lot more territory in my rearview mirror than in my windshield ahead. As I have mourned several dear friends these past years my sense of time has been sharpened. Each individual approaches this sense of time differently, but for me and my husband filling our lives with a travel life of memorable moments brings us joy and a sense of happiness. This makes sense to us.
Common Sense
You might think that travel and the frequent stress it can create would make me high-strung and irritable. But it’s actually the opposite. Travel has instilled in me more common sense than I have ever possessed before. Learning to navigate the world while loving the experience and just going with the flow is a learned skill – one you cannot do without common sense. Serving as a self-appointed ambassador for my home country – showing a big and beautiful world that Americans can be nice, thoughtful, tolerant and understanding has provided me a greater sense of being…and a well rounded repertoire of common sense. Nothing could make more sense.
A Sixth Sense
Maturity more than travel is what I credit for my own awareness. A sort of sixth sense has developed in me as I have aged. I’ve learned to read my own intuition and act on it, rather than regret it later. I’ve learned awareness of my surroundings, and my place in it, and my impact on it. I have tried to be a better steward for our planet, a better representative for my generation and a better American towards other cultures. In my own little way, I am here. This is how I make sense of it all.
Forward
So here we go again. Our travels in 2023 will take from oceans to mountaintops. From jungles to cities. From beaches to glaciers. It’s all there. Waiting to fulfill us and our thirst for sensing how the world turns and what makes it’s people tick. A full and fabulous experience. A Fabulous Fifties Life.
I get asked a lot of questions regarding our travel life. The most often question is what is our favorite country? Answer – I don’t have a fav…but I do have a top ten (Bulgaria, New Zealand, Myanmar, Guatemala, Vietnam, Namibia, French Polynesia, Cyprus, Malta, France). The second most often asked question is about getting started. Many people just can’t figure out the steps needed and need a little nudge to help. People we meet often show interest, surprise, envy, jealousy, horror and confusion over our long term travel life. But most of all they are curious. And the curiosity is about becoming a traveler. How to make the leap?
We began our travels in Thailand
Getting Started In Travel
There are as many kinds of travel as there are travelers. Our long term travel (longest 18 months, shortest two months) fits our comfort level, tolerance and budget. But it’s not for everyone. Other people are more suited to solo travel, short-term travel, organized tour travel, female group travel, or niche travel such as yoga or bird-watching or food travel.
So before I can help you in getting started in travel, you need to do some personal soul searching to narrow down what kind of traveler you think you are. What is your tolerance level? Consider everything from beds to cultural customs when considering your personal tolerance for traveling outside of the United States. Do you have phobias? Afraid of bugs? Snakes? Rodents or people not like you? Are you afraid of cultures where everyone isn’t white? Are you willing to eat new foods, communicate in languages other than English and squat to go to the bathroom? Give it a think because, even if you aren’t traveling full-time, you still gotta be open, willing and fairly fearless while being smart, observant and adventurous.
We spent a lot of time in Spain
What Kind of Traveler are You?
When the idea first sprouted to become full-time travelers, I knew immediately we would do it. Without a question I knew it was right for us. All while knowing it isn’t right for everyone. That’s why you need to find your comfort zone. Only you can do that. And realize you may start out as one kind of traveler and morph into another as you broaden your horizons. That’s a good thing.
Before we embarked on the first phase of the Grand Adventure in 2016 we spent several years preparing. We had to sell our house, get organized, and figure out what we wanted out of this new lifestyle. It took some soul searching, and frankly it continues to evolve each and every year. But in the beginning our choices had a lot to do with budget.
We fell in love with New Zealand
Budget
Once you know your tolerance level and have some idea of your comfort zone, that in turn will help you determine your budget. If you are only willing to stay in upscale American style hotels, then your budget will need to look very different from ours. To sustain our travels we travel very frugally. We don’t need fancy hotels with room service. But if you do, put it in your budget.
Bulgaria was a wonderful surprise
Who Do You Want to Be?
Our travels have us staying in primarily Airbnb’s that average about $70. And honestly if you are only willing to stay in American brand hotels with 700 thread count sheets and someone to cater to your every whim – well, you should just stay in the USA. Because you will miss the most rewarding part of international travel – getting out of your comfort zone and expanding your world view. However, if USA travel is your desire…go for it. There is a lot to see in the United States. One good way to do that is to become an RV Traveler. So before we tackle budget let’s talk about some of the different kinds of travelers;
Astonishing and unexpected Namibia
Retired Traveler
Like myself and my husband, many retired folks go all in on travel…either long term or short. If you are new to travel and retired you might consider starting out with a group tour or a cruise to “get your feet wet” before launching out more broadly. My friend Linda and her husband are retired travelers from Canada and I recommend Linda’s blog and social sites to learn how they make it work. Follow Linda and reach out to her at Retired and Traveling.
Christmas in Kenya
Solo Female Traveler
As a blogger I have had the opportunity to become friends with other bloggers and there are many solo female travelers out there. As a solo female it can feel a bit daunting to get started, feel safe and not get lonely. I recommend getting to know my friend Sue. Sue has a wonderful backstory as to how she became a solo female traveler when she lost her husband. I recommend for anyone considering adventure travel, solo or not, to engage with Sue on her website and socials. Learn more at Sue Where Why What.
Guatemala was one of our favorites
Lightweight Travels
Packing for travel is one of the questions I get so often! It can seem overwhelming trying to figure out what to pack for either short term or extended travel. So meet my friend Katherine. She is a Kiwi (New Zealand) solo traveling light and she blogs about it and has a book coming out next month called Dare to Travel Solo! Learn how she pulls it together here at The 5kilo Traveller
Packing is an education
Full Time Traveler
Full time travel is not everyone’s goal, however once you get comfortable with travel you might find the concept appealing. Becoming a nomad, especially in this day and age where you can work remotely from nearly anywhere, a life of full-time travel is more accessible than ever. My friend Heather left the corporate world to become a full-time traveler and she never looked back. In addition to her blog and socials, she now teaches others how to make it work as a full time traveler. She has a very active Facebook Group called Full Time Travelers and Nomads and a Ted Talk. Find out more about Heather at Heather Begins
Australia is a great place to begin your travel life
How to Budget.
We have a daily budget of $220 all-inclusive for two people (transportation, lodging, food, entertainment and misc). At first glance that might seem like a lot, but flights alone over the years have averaged $40 per day (amortized). This budget is enough for most places (Asia, Africa, Latin America) and not enough for a few places (parts of Europe and the USA), but we are frugal and hope it all evens out. To stay on budget we plan ahead, look for discounts and deals, fly in economy and often don’t rent a car. We cook most meals, eating out about once a week. And the remarkable thing is, we live significantly less expensively while traveling than we did in the USA before we embarked on this new life.
Now in year seven of our Grand Adventure (despite putting everything on hold for an entire year during Covid) we have learned a lot about how to long-term travel efficiently. Some of this knowledge can be applied to any kind of travel, not just long-term. So listed below are some “details” on getting started in travel. Most of these things we have had to learn on our own – so if this list can alleviate any work for someone else considering traveling abroad full-time or traveling solo or just taking a trip then our work here is done.
Flights can be expensive, we always shop around
Purge
PURGE – we started our purge process more than two years before we put our house on the market, as we let go of nearly every bit of fluff we owned, including house, cars, boats, trailer, furniture and more. We put our remaining possessions in a 10×12 storage unit for three years. After three years we purchased a small condo to have a place to come home to in the summer. That was a blessing when Covid hit. When we leave our condo we sometimes have a house sitter but not always. We forward our mail to our son.
Letting go of too much stuff
All the Documents
DOCUMENTS – we updated our passports even though they were not expired, so we would not have any issues with needing to do that from abroad. We also updated our Washington State Drivers License. We carry a copy of our marriage certificate with us but not our birth certificates because the passport is sufficient. We research every possible country we think we might visit to learn the entry/visa requirements. We carry copies of our passport, extra passport photos because some countries require obtaining a visa on entry with photo. We also carry International Drivers License, even though we have NEVER been asked for one. We sign up with the US State Department Smart Travel Program and list every country we plan to be in and when.
Documents are important
Create a Spreadsheet
SPREADSHEET – we created a spread sheet (using Google Sheets), which is evolving constantly and we can access via Google Drive, to track all of our travel including air and ground transportation and lodging. This spreadsheet includes notes regarding entry rules for countries. It’s also a fun tool for tracking so many things from miles traveled to beds slept in. The data we have is incredible after six and half years.
Tracking expenses and other data is part of our travel life
What About the Mail?
MAIL – we have worked really hard to NOT have any paper mail and do 95% of everything online. But we forward to our son’s house in case mail does show up.
Thank Goodness for Technology
TECHNOLOGY – we have new smart phones, an iPad, a Kindle and a light weight Mac Book Air For our smartphones (we each have an iPhone) we buy a sim card in each country for one of our phones to enable the phone to have a local phone number and data. We then also use our iPhones with wifi for things like blogging, Facebook and Instagram. We keep our Verizon number active so when we return to the USA that number still belongs to us. I definitely recommend getting a SIM card in each country and not paying the daily international fee your provider will offer you. SIM is simple and inexpensive.
We also have our Bose noise-canceling headphones and our Bose SoundLink Mini speaker that measures about 6 in x 3 in. We carry this with us and it allows us to listen to music using Spotify and listen to Audible or other books.
Technology makes this kind of life so much easier
APPS – We have a few travel apps we like especially Airbnb, Expedia, Booking and Google Maps. We also use Google Translate which is really cool. We use WhatsApp, an app that allows you to make overseas calls via the internet, this is primarily the way we communicate with our kids. To call our parents, who aren’t on WiFi, we use an app called TextNow which allows free phone calls from anywhere to the USA. We also use Kindle, Yelp, Uber, Get Your Guide, Viator and Trip Advisor. We do our banking online with an app and our taxes online. We use a weather app, a plant identifier app called PictureThis and a bird watching app called Merlin. I follow news on the NPR app and the BBC app.
CORDS AND CHARGERS – I honestly don’t understand why there isn’t a universal cord for all electronics, but alas wishful thinking. So we have organized and sorted all our cords, charges and adapters to travel along. We research ahead to make sure we know what adapters we need in each country. We have a really cool little case that keeps all of our electronics organized and in one place. I usually carry some packing tape, post it notes and paper clips in there too.
Money Money Money
CREDIT CARDS AND CASH – don’t you hate it when your credit card company announces suddenly that you are being mailed a new credit card because your card has been compromised? Well that would really screw us up if that happens. So we have FOUR credit cards. One is our primary and three are backups. Three cards have no foreign transaction fees (which is a killer). We also have multiple ATM cards. All credit and debit cards are chipped. VERY IMPORTANT is that we do not carry all these cards together in one place. That way, if our wallet or purse is lost or stolen, we will have back up cards available in a different location. For most credit credit companies it is no longer necessary to let them know when you are traveling abroad. But check with yours to be sure. We carry several hundred US dollar in cash for emergencies. We never “exchange” US Dollars for local money. Instead to keep from paying the exchange rate fee we take money from a local ATM when we arrive at the airport.
Money and Credit Cards need to be taken seriously
Staying Healthy
PRESCRIPTIONS – I take two prescriptions regularly. It’s been a challenge to get enough of my meds stocked up. My insurance company will allow, with a special doctor’s note, two 90 day vacation overrides. Check with your insurance company to see what their policy is. We carry a first aid kit and a few Covid tests.
DOCTORS – each time we return to the USA we have had a ton of appointments; family physician for full physicals, new prescriptions and precautionary antibiotics; eye doctor for new contacts and glasses; dermatologist for annual check up; dentist for cleaning and some work; gynecologist for check up; and annual mammogram. We have our Covid shot and boosters and we keep track of all our other vaccinations and update as needed.
Taking care of you is an important part of travel
STAYING FIT – we eat very healthy everywhere we go. We used to drink a lot more alcohol than we do now…I only have a drink about once a week. In nearly every country we create a running route, do yoga everyday and hike once a week. And we walk and walk and walk.
A Little Pampering
GIRL STUFF – I get a haircut about every three months, and have my nails done about every two months. In between I take care of my nails myself. Depending on the country, I sometimes allow myself a massage or facial. In many countries these things are incredibly inexpensive and very nice. I do not carry a hair dryer but I do carry my skin care products and a very small amount of makeup which I hardly ever use. Because many countries have a lot of minerals in the water that is very hard on hair, I bring really good hair care products from the USA. I have a flat jewelry case with a few earrings and a couple of necklaces.
Splurge a little from time to time
Let’s Go!
DECIDING WHERE TO GO – After six years of long-term travel we feel much more comfortable with our movement around the planet. It feels natural. We usually agree on where we want to go and make our decisions based on budget, weather, safety and interest. We love to go to new places, but have a few favorites we return to. We take turns planning the itinerary, often taking a country each. We have been to 123 countries so far! By the way I use a little app called BEEN to keep track of all the countries we have been to.
Tracking our countries using BEEN
PACKING – this topic is one most people ask about, and indeed one of the hardest. We will continue to use two large REI rolling bags. Arne will continue to use his backpack as a carry on. I have a small roller bag carry on and a large bag that slides under the seat. And packing cubes have changed my life. Organized and categorized, I love using packing cubes. All that said, I still habitually over pack. But I am better than I used to be and have created a travel wardrobe that works for me. Once you are on the road for awhile you will get a feel for what you actually need and what you can do without.
AND OTHER USEFUL STUFF – We carry a Scrabble game and I carry my fold up hiking poles. We have a hammock that folds up very small. We have a collapsible hot pot for heating water and I love it! We carry some refreeze ice packs, a tiny fold-up cooler, a fold up beach bag and a fold up yoga mat. I carry a few spices and olive oil, some can koozies and reusable water bottles. I also pack flat laundry sheets (such a great invention) a cord and a few clothes pins. My husband has an all-purpose utility knife. Freezer bags and packing cubes – both so useful.
Happily married 40 years and loving our travel life
Getting Started in Travel
So there you have it. The details. This is what we have learned when getting started in travel. Start slow or take a leap of faith….but get out there. Alone or with friends or make new friends on a tour…getting started in travel just takes a little faith. Take a few trips, get a feel for it, and then your confidence will soar! Ask me questions! I want to help.
There is plenty of information out there to help in getting started in travel! Fabulous!
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I have several sources to track the analytic on this blog…but the reality is I don’t. It’s pretty rare that I look at the numbers, mostly cause I write for the fun and love of it and don’t really put too much pressure on myself about the numbers. But once a year I open it up and have a good look at the blogs you loved the best. So today let me share with you this year’s Top Blogs of 2020 My Fab Fifties Life – the posts with the most views and shares are;
And there you have it…the Top 20 of 2022 My Fab Fifties Life. Take some time to enjoy them again or for the very first time. Top Blogs of 2022 My Fab Fifties Life. And as always, I can’t thank you enough for the amazing continued support so many, many people show by following, sharing, reading and supporting this effort. Be Fabulous!!
bucket list noun: a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying
Tigers Nest Monestary Bhutan
I have been thinking about Bhutan for so long…honestly didn’t know if it would ever happen. It’s remote, expensive, and definitely under the radar for most travelers. But for us, it ticked a lot of boxes we look for in a destination. So we made it happen – Bhutan Bucket List, The Land of the Thunder Dragon.
The Thunder Dragon
In this Buddhist country overflowing with symbolism, myths, and beliefs, Bhutan is known as Druk Yul or the “Land of Dragon”. The name comes from the violent thunderstorms that sweep down from the Himalayan Mountains.
At the 108 Stupas, Duchula Pass, 3100m
More than 85% of the Bhutanese people practice the Buddhism, in the only Buddhist democratic constitutional monarchy in the world. The people are strong in their faith, their love of their King and country, and their love of their unique and beautiful cultural traditions.
Khamsum Yulley Monastery, Punakha
Why Bhutan?
Fifteen years ago I saw a photograph of Bhutan’s iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery. It blew my mind. I vowed to see it one day. This was before we set out on our retirement travel adventures. Back when we had no idea this travel obsession would become a way of life. Back when I never dreamed we could, and would, travel the world. But through careful planning and sheer determination, we have visited so much of this planet including our Bhutan Bucket List , The Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Monks at Gantay Goenba Monastery
A Culture of Happiness
Gross National Happiness is a term coined by His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck in the 1970s. The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards notions of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of well-being.
Our lovely guide Lhamo , hiking high above the Haa Valley
The first and foremost reason for the uniqueness of Bhutan is the happy people living in Bhutan. The concept of ‘happiness’ in the Kingdom is very much derived from the contentment that Bhutanese feel about their lives. It is also instilled through the Buddhist values of simplicity and compassion.
Shoes off – custom at all Temples and Monasteries
Bhutan’s free and accessible education and healthcare systems are pivotal in enhancing its citizens overall well-being and happiness. This is a government funded system that insures everyone even in remote areas have the services they need.
The tiny Bhutanese Horse at Tigers Nest
As an American, I can’t say I live in a country where my happiness takes priority. Often it feels quite the opposite. As a visitor to Bhutan you immediately sense that something is different here; in the interaction of the people with each other and with visitors. In restaurants, in museums, in monasteries, even in traffic. People are happy, engaged with each other and welcoming to guests.
Traditions
In Bhutan keeping cultural traditions strong and protecting nature and the environment is a large part of the lives of local people. The Buddhist goal to become enlightened is believed to be attainable only with the elimination of all greed, hatred, and ignorance within a person. These daily aspirations combine to create a fascinating, beautiful and friendly place – unlike anywhere I have visited in the world. You will see it in the traditional architecture, the traditional dress worn daily, the strong faith, the protection of animals and care of the people.
Traditional Dress of Bhutan. Men wear the Gho a knee length wrap robe. Women wear Kira a woven skirt and top
Visiting Bhutan requires a guide and a driver, as well as paying the Bhutan Sustainable Development Tax. The tax fuels initiatives to protect the land, empower communities, and preserve culture. The cost is $100 USD per person per day. It’s steep, but the tax was dropped significantly after Covid. There is no guarantee it won’t go up again, so if you are considering Bhutan you might want to come soon.
We were so lucky to have these wonderful Bhutanese people to guide us through Bhutan; Lhamo and Dam. Lhamo was an expert birding guide and we were so grateful.
We chose to do a private ten day tour with the company My Bhutan. There are many companies to chose from both private and group tours, trekking and cycling tours, bird watching and even motorcycle tours. My Bhutan gave us a wonderful experience and exactly what we hoped for. We stayed in beautiful hotels, ate delicious and unique foods and had a superb and knowledgeable guide and driver. If you want to cut costs in Bhutan there are many home stays that would save you a great deal of money, but conditions can be rustic. Do your research and decide what is best for you and your budget. Bhutan will cost you more than most other destinations, but it truly is a once in a lifetime destination.
Where is Bhutan
If you aren’t familiar with Bhutan take a look at this map. Nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan is a landlocked country that borders China/Tibet, Nepal and India. The country lies close to Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh. Bhutan’s remote and rugged location kept it from ever being colonized. Bhutan opened its borders to visitors in 1974. Until that time, the Kingdom of Bhutan and its people remained happily isolated. Bhutan’s current population is 800,000 in an area about one and a half times the size of Vermont.
Bhutan and it’s neighbors
During our visit to our Bucket List Bhutan, The Land of the Thunder Dragon, we were primarily in the Northwest. This is the region that is home to the International Airport in Paro and the capital of Thimphu. We spent our days hiking, bird watching, visiting dzongs (fortresses), monasteries, temples and enjoying astonishing views of mountains, valleys and rivers. During our visit we learned about local weaving, paper making, wood carving, traditional housing, farming and the national sport of archery. We visited local homes, enjoyed home-cooked meals and laughed and enjoyed the hospitality of everyone we met including our wonderful guide Lhamo and our driver Dam from My Bhutan.
We loved having Lhamo and Dam with us on the hike to Tiger’s Nest
What is Your Favorite
Our lovely guide asked us on our last day what had been our favorite thing we did during our ten day visit. I was loath to choose just one thing. How could I? There was nothing I didn’t like. Of course Tiger’s Nest was amazing as expected. But the unexpected stood out; the children, the Buddhist legends, seeing yaks and birds. My first time seeing the Himalayas. The cultural awareness, the magnificent traditional art – I could go on and on. You can’t possibly grasp it without coming here. You really should come and see it for yourself. Here are someof the things I will never forget:
Unforgettable – That’s What You Are
Prayer Flags
Hundreds of thousands of colorful Prayer Flags everywhere, the fabric sounding like a flock of birds in the afternoon wind, promoting peace, compassion, strength and wisdom.
Hiking above Timphu and Prayer Flags everywhere
Artists
Talented and patient hands weaving astonishing works of art as one of Bhutan’s national treasures. Tedious and determined work creates something of value and beauty.
Such talent and patience
Himalayas
Waking up on a sunny morning to our first view of the Eastern Himalayas, thought to be sacred by the Bhutanese, and it is easy to see why.
Helping Bhutan keep its goal to maintain 70% of the country forested by planting a tree with the local NGO Green Bhutan, thanks to our tour operator My Bhutan.
We can come back in years to come and see how our tree is doing, our names will always remain on the plant
Local Children
Hiking to the astonishingly beautiful mountaintop Khamsum Yulley Monastery and meeting the tiniest little girls selling citrus on the trail.
Greeting the littles in Bhutan
Suspension Bridge
Walking across the longest suspension bridge I have ever encountered over the Puna Tsang river. Fun and a little bit of an adrenaline rush.
This amazing suspension bridge
River Rafting
Rafting down the Mo River on a beautiful sunny day. Getting soaked in the rapids, laughing and loving every minute of it.
Black Necked Crane
Seeing so many new to us birds, as well as an unexpected endangered Black Necked Crane, one of Bhutan’s auspicious and sacred animals. The cranes winter in the Probjika Valley, from November to February, so we were lucky to see a couple of stragglers in March.
Black Neck Crane, endangered and sacred. (Photo Merlin App)
High Altitude Hiking
Accomplishing one of the hardest hikes I have ever done, at 12,000 feet my lungs were screaming. But the view was worth it in the end, and more memories made.
Invigorating (and sweaty) hike. Overlooking the Probjika Valley.
Adding our own prayer flags at the summit
That’s a Yak
Seeing a yak for the first time, these incredible creatures are a vital part of high altitude living and provide so much for the local people.
That is a yak.
Butter Lamps
Lighting butter lamps (candles made of butter) at the Gangtay Goenba Monastery to banish ignorance and replace it with wisdom and light. I definitely know some people who should light some butter lamps!
Butter Lamps
Evening Prayers
Going to evening prayers with the nuns, in a monastery with young girls as small as nine years old. A commitment to enlightenment that is hard for most people to grasp.
Prayers at the monastery with the nuns
Bhutan Cuisine
The food – spicy, fresh, surprising and delicious – we learned to make Momo dumplings, fell in love with Chili Cheese, Hoentay buckwheat dumplings, Spinach with Pork, amazing soups and the best scrambled eggs ever. I’ll be doing YouTube videos I promise.
Momo Dumplings filled with delicious vegetables
Most Bhutanese meals we had were home cooked and served family style while seated on the floor
Symbolism
Learning the legends of the local deities, the symbols of faith and fertility, the rituals of enlightenment and beliefs of the local people and how it is ingrained deeply in their lives.
Gantay Monastery
Hot Stone Bath
Experiencing the unique and medicinal traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath. Both relaxing and stress relieving.
Hot Stone Bath heated with mineral stones and infused with herbs. It was magical.
Archery
Watching the local obsession with Bhutan’s national sport of archery – and giving it a try ourselves. Bhutan’s version of archery is very different from anything I have seen before – and much more difficult.
Everywhere we went, there were archery areas and so many men playing. When someone hits the target, they all sing.
I have done archery several times, but this was harder. Bamboo bow.
Bucket List – Tiger’s Nest
And finally of course, hiking to the amazing Tiger’s Nest. Leaving early in the morning and making it to the top before any other guests, giving us unprecedented views and access to the monastery. Learning the legend of Guru Rinpoche who meditated in a cave here for three years, three months, three weeks, three days, and three hours in the 8th century. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche flew to this location on the back of a tigress, thus earning the name Tiger’s Nest for the monastery that was built here in his honor in 1692.
Dream come true. Tiger’s Nest Bhutan. No photos allowed inside, so you’ll have to take my word that it was really beautiful
There it is.
Bhutan Bucket List, The Land of the Thunder Dragon
While we were in Bhutan, neighboring Myanmar experienced a tragic magnitude 7.7 earthquake. I had been thinking throughout our visit to Bhutan that it reminded me of Myanmar – one of our favorite countries. With similar faiths, traditions and the kindest people, Bhutan and Myanmar are not unlike each other. My heart breaks for those amazing people we met in Myanmar. And now Bhutan also holds a very special place in my heart. Thanks for giving me a bucket list experience like no other.
Spring in Bhutan presented so many wildflowers – these are wild primroses
It’s unlikely I can afford to make another visit to Bhutan. But if I did I would certainly choose My Bhutan again. And I would consider visiting the southern part of Bhutan to see even more amazing birds and nature. A girl can hope…
Drinking surprisingly delicious, sweet and spicy, rice porridge a Bhutanese breakfast staple. Warm comfort food at the top of Chelela Pass, 3900m
Thank You My Bhutan
Thank you My Bhutan and the people of Bhutan for your generous welcome to your astounding country. I will always hold this memory close to my heart. And I will shout it from the mountain top – everyone should visit and learn from Bhutan about how to be peaceful and prosperous in a world full of war and greed.
Grateful for beautiful weather, amazing scenery, history and culture.
Thank you for reading my post Bhutan Bucket List, The Land of the Thunder Dragon. Kadrinchey Bhutan. I keep you in my heart.
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Note – thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers. I am doing well.
It was six years ago that I ended up in the emergency room due to extreme pain in my abdomen and was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis. Diverticulitis is a flareup of the large intestine due to a disease called diverticulosis. The intestine creates pockets that become inflamed. This is different than polyps often discussed in the colon. The pockets occur for reasons unknown, usually in people over 50 years old. Most develop the pockets in the lower left quadrant of the large intestine. Diverticulosis is the name of the disease, and diverticulitis is what the flareups are called. A flareup can happen at any time and no one knows why.
Some studies have shown obesity as a cause as well as a low fiber diet. Diets in the Western world that are low in fiber and high in carbohydrates create a high number of cases. Usually people who are fit and do physical exercise don’t suffer from this disease. And then there is me.
My Diagnosis
Diverticulitis
The day I was rushed into the emergency room I had spent the entire day in bed unable to move or even get up. I couldn’t even walk. It was a horrible pain and it frightened me. On that day I had no idea what diverticulosis was. I was grateful to get a quick diagnosis and begin to understand some of the things my body was saying to me.
After diagnosis I realized that I had suffered from at least two, and possibly three diverticulitis flareups in the past. I had powered through those, but the one that sent me to the hospital was the worst.
Multiple “Episodes” Since
Over the past six years I have had seven additional attacks (episodes) of diverticulitis. Many of these while I was traveling abroad. An attack puts me to bed, makes me constipated, creates a loss of appetite and makes it difficult to move or even walk. The pain is that extreme – it feels like a knife to the gut, over and over. While traveling I carried Ciproflaxin, an antibiotic, and diagnosed and treated myself when necessary.
New Information
Diverticulosis
This past summer while we are on travel pause in the USA we got a new doctor. He provided me some new insight into this disease and showed a deep concern for my future health. He told me that most people require surgery after just two attacks and I can count 8-9. He also talked to me in-depth about the danger of continuing to throw antibiotics at the problem.
No one had discussed surgery with me before. I thought this was a disease I just had to live with. I clearly had more to learn about what is diverticulosis. So on receiving this new information I began some extensive research and met with two more doctors for more opinions.
Surgery
Although there is much information out there about treating diverticulosis with dietary cleanses and changes, I knew my diet to be very healthy and high fiber. My research provided me a clear picture that my current diet and my lifestyle was not the problem. I lead a healthy life.
So following all my study I decided it was time to do the surgery. It made sense to do the surgery while I was stuck here in the USA, even though I was not very excited about spending time in the hospital during the time of Covid. I originally scheduled the surgery for last December, but again Covid was raging. So I postponed until this week.
Over the past months I have made sure I continued to eat healthy, exercise and keep my weight down to be at my optimal health for surgery. Even so, while traveling in the American Southwest over the past two months I have suffered from almost constant pain. So, no more waiting to deal with this problem. And now that I have been vaccinated, I am more confident about spending five days in the hospital.
I had the surgery earlier this week. I am extremely tired but feeling ok. My doctor tells me I will feel totally normal by end of May, although I can’t start running again until June at the earliest.
Making the Decision
If we had not been forced into travel pause due to the PanDammit, I probably would have put this surgery off a few more years. My doctor worried that a future flareup could result in a dangerous perforation of the colon and spreading bacteria to surrounding tissue, which would require emergency surgery. I definitely did not want to find myself in that situation in a foreign country. And the emergency surgery can be much more invasive than the laparoscopic elective surgery. It can also be more dangerous.
I think I made the right decision for me. But each person needs to review their own situation, do the research and talk to multiple doctors. Each case is unique. If you suffer from this ailment I am happy to tell you more of my story if it can be useful to you. But most importantly, talk to your doctor.
I expect a full recovery, although it will take some time. Thanks for your concern.
Taking a cooking class and going on a food tour in every country I visit is a goal I have. And I accomplish it often, but not always. But when I can I always enjoy it and over the past couple of weeks I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing two countries, two cuisines, too delicious – the food of Taiwan and Malaysia.
Taiwan
We spent six days in Taipei Taiwan. We weren’t really tuned in to the Taiwanese cuisine, half expecting it to be just like China. But unlike China, Taiwan has been strongly influenced from Japan (with historical influence also from Portugal and Holland) and it’s noticeable in the cuisine. The Chinese influence comes primarily from Eastern China (Fujian). And certainly the fact that Taiwan is an island, the cuisine has a much stronger focus on seafood than much of China.
Scallion Pancake is one of our favorite foods we discovered in Taipei Taiwan
GoTuCook
A search online led me to Chef Calvin at GoTuCook. Thorough out our world travels I’ve taken cooking classes large and small, in cooking schools and home kitchens, from world famous chefs and humble housewives. And usually my favorite experiences are the ones where I have one-on-one time with the instructor in their home. This was my experience with GoTuCook.
The beginnings of a delicious shiitake mushroom and chicken soup
We met early in the morning at the Beitou metro station from where we walked to experience the bustling thriving market and the local vendors selling to the local people. I always love this experience with a local who can explain unusual ingredients, answer my questions and enlighten me to this way of life long gone in America.
Me at the busy Beitou morning market
Next we headed to Calvin’s apartment, set up perfectfully for cooking classes. I had chosen three dishes I wanted to make ahead of time from a variety of options listed on the GoTuCook website. I chose as a starter Jellyfish Salad and for a soup course a chicken and mushroom soup and for our main course two kinds of pork dumplings.
My pretty dumplings ready for the steamer
I liked both the jellyfish salad (requires an overnight soak of the chewy jellyfish in the fridge before prep) and the fragrant soup with a broth we cooked with chicken feet as well as meaty parts from the blue chicken, but my favorite was the dumplings.
My new friend Chef Calvin of GoTuCook
Making Chinese style steamed dumplings takes some practice. I’ve done similar work in classes before (making empanada in Argentina, pirogi in Poland and dumplings in Vietnam) but it’s still a chore to get your fingers to make the beautiful designs if it’s not a task you do everyday. We made pork with cabbage and spices and pork with corn and different spices. And then we ate!
Of course we had leftovers and I brought dumplings and jellyfish to my husband who was back at the hotel.
I really enjoyed this class and plan to tackle dumplings on my own soon. I recommend GoToCook if you visit Taipei.
The pork “burger” was one of the best things we had on our Taipei food tour
Taipei Eats
We also took an amazing walking food tour with Taipei Eats where we expanded our Taiwanese cuisine knowledge with Taiwan Pork “burger”, stinky tofu, betel nut, scallion pancake and much more. Taipei Eats was one of the best food tours we have ever done. Our guide was amazing, there was so much food and we learned some interesting facts while meeting local people as well as other travelers from around the world. Such a wonderful experience!
This is probably the one and only time for me with the Stinky Tofu
Malaysia
What a country Malaysia is for a foodie. This remarkable country is a melting pot of many cultures, and it shows in everything, especially the food. Malay food is often spicy, and nasi (rice) features often. Eating with your hands is common. Pork is rarely featured in this cuisine because most Malay are Muslim.
Learning Indian cooking in Kuala Lumpur
On the other hand, many Chinese immigrated here in the 1800’s when this land was a British colony and the Chinese food is abundant, and often includes pork. Noodles, chicken and dumplings are also widely enjoyed.
And then there is the Indian food, representing the vast number of Indians living in Malaysia. The use of pungent spices and curries, more noodles as well as lots of vegetables make up this delicious cuisine.
Ancient Malay cultures enjoyed this rice flour treat
No matter what ethnic background, the people in this country love fried foods and fried chicken, seafood, samosa and much more are popular both as street food and in restaurants.
Off the Eaten Track
The food tour we took in Kuala Lumpur was very unique and one of the best ever. At the end of the evening we had sampled twenty-four (yes you read that correctly) foods of this diverse and delicious country.
A very local Chinese Soup with veg, chicken and tofu
We signed up with Food Tour Malaysia for their Off the Eaten Track tour and were met by our guide Timothy at a subway stop in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur called Petaling Jaya where we began our gluttonous odyssey at an outdoor Malay neighborhood food court that operates 24 hours a day seven days a week. Here we found just locals enjoying the foods they loved. We had Nasi Lemak wrapped in banana leaf; ota ota, a smoked mackerel wrapped in palm leaf; a rich goat and potato soup; fried chicken and fried tempeh. I was full before we left this first stop.
My husband Arne recruited to work on the “carrot cake” stir fry – one of our favorite things we had on our Kuala Lumpur food tour
Next we headed to probably the best night market I have ever been too, also in the suburb of Petaling Jaya. Here we learned about the popular “carrot cake” (not a cake in the sense we are used to, more of a pressed tofu), we had spring roll, noodles, dumplings and sweet Chinese daun pandan filled with peanuts.
Mackerel cooked inside a palm leaf
Next we headed to a very local-only Chinese open air restaurant to sample more noodles cooked over an open fire and a delicious soup with chicken, okra, long beans and potato.
Daun Pandan a sweet Chinese treat
Our final stop was an outdoor Indian restaurant, and we were the only non-Indians there. And darn it I was so full I couldn’t really enjoy the amazing feast of roti, lentil dal, curry, a giant fried pancake with a coconut curry dip, fried chicken and mango smoothie. Roll me home. What a night it was. If you are ever in Kuala Lumpur, do this tour – but pace yourself!
Banana Roti a sweet Indian treat
The Versatile Housewives
To round off our food frenzy in Kuala Lumpur we spent one morning with Ruth, a cooking instructor who brings the flavors of her native India to visitors in Kuala Lumpur through her business The Versatile Housewives. We learned to make one of India’s most famous dishes, biryani, with a group of local university students in Ruth’s kitchen. Biryani is a rich and flavorful traditional dish, often served at weddings and ceremonies. It can be beef or lamb or chicken. We made a chicken biryani. The flavors of this dish come together by slowly preparing the fresh ingredients of caramelized onions, vegetables and spices like cardamon, cloves and pepper as well as herbs like cilantro and mint. After slowly blending all these flavors with rice and chicken, the biryani is served in a giant bowl and enjoyed communally. Check out Ruth’s website for a great selection of delicious Indian recipes.
The beautiful Biryani we made with our instructor Ruth
No matter where you travel, diving into the culture through food is the most interesting and tastiest way to engage with locals, learn history and culture and broaden your culinary chops. Be brave! Eat the world!
Growing up on and frankly IN the Puget Sound, I’m very aware and appreciative of the unique, beautiful and delicious bounty this body of water provides. A true Washingtonian loves seafood of all kinds from clams to salmon, oysters to Dungeness crab. Don’t ever try to tell me East Coast crab is better. Delusional.
Low summer tide in the Puget Sound
As you know if you follow this blog I eat just about anything, and I’m not afraid of seafood or shellfish. When I was a child we dug steamer clams right in my front yard. We traveled to Ocean Shores to dig razor clams every spring. And each summer we harvested dozens of Dungeness crabs from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Huge monster clams
But for some reason, despite how delicious it is, I had never harvested geoduck, the giant, funny and phallic looking clam unique to this part of the world.
That’s a big boy
Until now. Thanks to our friends who invited us, along with several other couples to try our hand at geoducking during a recent extreme low-tide (Puget Sound experiences extreme low-tides in the summer creating a perfect opportunity to hunt the giant clam that usually bores into the sand in deep water.)
Finding the mouth peeking out of the sand
Geoducks can be found buried very deep in the sand, as much as four or more feet deep. At low tide, you can carefully walk around the beach and look for a tiny “mouth” sticking out of the sand, usually less than an inch. Depending on how long the geoduck’s neck is, the body of the beast will be found deep in the sand below where you spot the mouth. A geoduck neck can be four feet long. They can live more than 150 years.
Working the tube down into the sand
Non-commercial harvesters will dig deep after spotting the mouth. Our friends used a large metal tube placed over where the mouth was found. Digging down inside the tube to locate the body of the geoduck, increasing the depth of the tube into the sand as you dig. Commercial geoduck harvesters have other methods (a very lucrative commercial market serves the Chinese insatiable appetite for geoduck). Read about it here.
The ungraceful grab of the geoduck deep in the mud
As soon as you start digging the geoduck will pull its very long neck back down from the surface. But, despite what some people think, the geoduck cannot “run”. It can only retract the neck but its body will stay in place. Digging dip to find the body without hitting the body with the shovel makes for a delicate process. But the next part is neither delicate or graceful.
Our hosts Jeff and Dayl know how and where to harvest the geoduck
Lying on your stomach you must reach deep into the muck inside the hole and grasp the giant clam by the shell….not the neck or you might pull the neck off. Loosening the clam from the deep mud where it has embedded itself securely takes some strength (and a few choice words). With luck you will come up with a giant geoduck weighing anywhere from one pound to as much as four pounds!
Watch out for the squirt
The next step is to take lots of funny pictures of these decidedly phallic looking creatures and spend some time wondering about Mother Nature and her sense of humor.
Our harvest
Then it’s time to clean them. First rinse of all visible mud and sand. Next they need to be dipped in boiling water for about 30 seconds. This loosens the outer skin (sometimes referred to as the condom) around the neck. It’s not edible until that skin is removed. Next clean the guts and stomach and rinse again. See a video here.
Remove the tough membrane from the neck after a quick blanche in boiling water
Finally it’s time to eat. Our friends prepared an amazing geoduck sashimi with three dipping sauces. Eating the sweet and fresh as it gets delicacy couldn’t have been more delicious. Our efforts rewarded.
Sashimi, as fresh as it gets
After our wonderful day on the beach with friends we brought home three good size geoducks. I prepared geoduck ceviche – a perfect way to serve the fresh uncooked, tender body meat. I highly recommend this recipe I found on Pinterest. I used Mango in place of Papaya and it was amazing. See it here.
Geoduck Ceviche
Next I used my food processor to grind the necks (which are tougher and more chewy than the body). Grind in small batches so it doesn’t get too mushy. I used the ground meat to make geoduck fritters served with a delicious dipping sauce of siracha, mayo and lemon. I found a recipe for Conch fritters that I adapted easily. See the fritter recipe here.
Geoduck Fritters
Finally I put the rest of the ground geoduck in a freezer bag and put it in my freezer. A week later it was used in a delicious geoduck chowder. When making chowder with geoduck you can use about half the usual amount of meat ratio to potatoes and other ingredients. I used both clam juice and chicken stock as my base instead of just clam as mentioned in this recipe. It was delicious.
Everyone had a great time!
To harvest any shellfish in the Pacific Northwest you need to have a shellfish license. See the rules here. It’s important not to over harvest, so that these delicious Puget Sound creatures will be around for generations to come, just like they have been for generations in the past. The name geoduck is derived from a a local Native American word from the Lushootseed (Nisqually) people gʷídəq. Puget Sound Native American’s harvested local shellfish and seafood long before any of us were here.
Don’t fear the Geoduck despite it’s unusual look. Respect and enjoy this delicate, sweet, not fishy tasting and delicious giant clam of the Puget Sound.
Summer in Washington State – Fabulous!
Sincere thanks to Kameron Minch for many of these photos in this blog and to our friends Jeff and Dayl Minch for such a fun day.
From Bloomberg News – Geoduck facts
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