Exciting photos!…Under the otherwise perfect weather in Hawaii…A year ago photo of a lion is a pecular spot…

We waited for this sailboat to cross this sunset in Waikiki Beach before taking this shot.

It’s frustrating to be sick. We both started coughing a few days ago. With the window AC blowing non-stop in this studio condo in Waikiki, being unsure how often the filter is cleaned, it was inevitable a cold or cough could kick in.

View from our lanai.

In reading this article, it’s easy to imagine how we both occasionally fall prey to colds, coughs, respiratory infections, and intestinal disorders. Since leaving Madeira, Portugal two and a half months ago, we’ve been on the move in close proximity with others, at times in unsanitary conditions.

With the arrival of the trade winds, the surf picked up.

Although we frequently wash our hands and run from anyone coughing or sneezing, we still fall prey to illness every six months or so. The last time we were sick was in Morocco from March 1 to May 15, 2014, during which time Tom was ill with a respiratory virus and I became ill with both a respiratory virus and an intestinal virus, one month apart.

Then, the surf picked up.

We were exposed to a hotbed of germs in Morocco when we walked through the souk most days, dining out two or three times per week. I got the intestinal bug from dining in a restaurant the first day we arrived, foolishly eating a seafood salad in a restaurant. I knew better. Lesson learned, no raw veggies or seafood in many countries.

Vendors selling their locally inspired wares along Kalakaua Avenue at night in Waikiki.

We aren’t certain that we picked up this recent virus from the air conditioning or if when out and about in crowds and dining out. Dining out every night adds to the risk of picking up germs and getting sick.

We didn’t know whether to laugh or be sad when we saw this cute guinea pig holding this Aloha sign as we walked along Kalakaua Avenue at night. Tom dropped a $1 in the vendor’s bucket. What a way to make a living!

Fortunately, Tom has quickly recovered, left with an occasional bout of horrible sounding coughing. Often, I’ll end up with a sinus infection after a virus and a lasting cough, that may continue for weeks. My voice sounds like Minnie Mouse and the bouts of dry coughing leave me exhausted.

A fountain display at the beach.

Last night, I decided to go out to dinner, although Tom offered to get carryout from our favorite restaurant.  Needing to get out in an effort to try to feel better, I wanted to see how I’ll do walking around in preparation for tomorrow’s Pearl Harbor tour.

Plumerias are used in the making of leis.

On Sunday as I prepared today’s post, I’m still unsure if I’ll be able to join him for the tour at 6:55 am. I’m planning on it as long as I have no fever. After four days I’m no longer contagious.

Not Tom’s burger. At Cheeseburger in Paradise, there’s this $30 burger on the menu which is free if eaten in its entirety within 20 minutes. Last night, a guy behind us ordered this but was unable to eat it in the designated time. The manager told us that approximately 20 diners each week try to eat it but usually only one is successful.

If I’m not well enough to go, Tom will go without me, taking the old smaller camera with him. I’ll be disappointed if I can’t go on the tour but, if I’ve had a good night’s sleep I may be feeling well enough to go.

Wrapping up yet another exquisite sunset on the beach.

It was two years ago this month on October 27, 2012, that we had Tom’s retirement party. We were four days away from leaving Minnesota to begin our journey, spending two months in Scottsdale, Arizona finishing up our legal, accounting, and digital requirements in order to leave the US.

It was during that retirement party that I struggled to talk to our family and friends while then too I’d lost my voice from a similar virus, again sounding like Minnie Mouse. Here’s the link to the day of Tom’s retirement party in 2012.

Hopefully, in the next few days, we’ll both be on the mend and ready to tackle the next leg of our travels. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of Pearl Harbor.  

Please stay tuned.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, October 13, 2013:

In the Maasai Mara, Lions seldom climb trees. Anderson, our guide, spotted this lion sleeping n a tree with his keen eye and binoculars. Driving over rough terrain, we were able to get close enough to get several great shots. To see more, please click here.

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