Mountain views from every highway in Las Vegas and Henderson. |
There's nothing easy about it except for those treasured days we're by the sea, aboard a ship or lounging poolside in a tropical location. And, even those days aren't what one might construe as always easy.
Just like you, we shop, we cook, we wash dishes, we clean up after ourselves, we make the bed, do the laundry (more days of the year than not) and take care of banking and financial matters.
When one might imagine a life on a desert island with the shore lapping at their toes, drinking blue cocktails with tiny umbrellas neatly situated on the rim of the tall iced glass, a local citizen fanning them with palm leaves, one may be dreaming.
Rolling hills and mountains surround the Las Vegas Valley. |
We longed for culture, nature, wildlife and rich experiences that would shape who we are and the remainder of our years. For us, that wasn't to be found in a blue drink or in locals attending to our every need.
Oh, we've enjoyed the meals cooked for us, the bed is made, the laundry is washed, hung to dry and neatly folded but...that type of lifestyle leaves us feeling immobile, inactive and essentially bored with our own lack of activity.
Being able to perform daily household tasks adds a certain degree of focus upon which we both seem to thrive. Here in Henderson Nevada, after months of not shopping for groceries, cooking meals and cleaning, we've begun to meld back into the reality that both of us seem to need in order to thrive.
Golden Barrell Cactus, common in this part of the US. |
One need only conceive of an idea for a meal, peruse a recipe or conjure up a special meal, to easily find every possible required ingredient readily available at the local market. Even grass fed meat and organic produce are at a finger's reach.
In many countries, we had no choice but to alter recipes or decide on quick and easy meat and veg meals, based on the availability of ingredients available in local markets.
In many cases, the tiny markets had only one aisle of possible options with no fresh meat (frozen only), questionable vegetables and a mishmash of dairy items. Somehow, in each case, we never went hungry always utilizing that which was available.
Beavertail Cactus is also very common in US deserts. |
Costa Rica may provide a 90-day visa at the airport for US citizens if asked. We won't forget to ask, I assure you. However, it's of utmost concern to provide proof of a booked flight out of the country by the 90th day.
Since we're staying an additional 24 days while we await an upcoming cruise, once again, we have to figure out how we'll get approved for the extra days. When calling the Costa Rica Embassy in Washington DC, we kind of got the runaround. They said we need to apply at a local immigration office while in their country.
At the airport, they won't accept a booked flight as adequate, if its scheduled for over 90 days out, if the applicant doesn't already have an extension. We can't get an extension until we're there. Do you see the dilemma?
Segura Cactus. |
Yesterday, we did this. We booked a one-way flight to Managua, Nicaragua for the 89th day. If we find we can stay out of the country for two or three days and come back to Costa Rica without incident, we'll spend a few nights at a hotel in Managua and return to Costa Rica thereafter.
Besides, this might be a fun side trip, especially when we may be there during our five year anniversary of traveling the world which is on October 31st. We'll see how it all rolls out once we arrive.
If we discover we can stay longer by applying at the local immigration office, we're OK with losing the cost of the non-refundable one-way flight for both of us which was $128.70. That's considerably less than we'll spend if we stay three or four nights in a hotel. We've already been to Nicaragua in the early days of our travel.
San Pedro Cactus...please correct me if wrong. |
Have a pleasant day!
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Photo from one year ago today, July 16, 2016:
Tom, situated in his rickshaw as we meandered down the busy streets of Phnom Penh. It was a hot and humid and a very bumpy ride. For more details, please click here. |
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