Your Escape Blueprint

Have you given up on your New Year resolution yet? Did you even make one? Most resolutions (such as losing weight and eating better) hit the dust within the first few weeks. Often the only ones that stick (for us that is) are those that are accompanied by a major event.

Decades ago, we decided we wanted to travel, yet year after year we did nothing to make our dream a reality. It was only in 2011, after watching a friend loose a long battle with ALS–leaving a lost spouse and a world of regrets and missed opportunities–that we actually did something about it. We formulated solid plans, acted upon them and launched ourselves on our new lifestyle in April 2012.

Each year since, we set a theme and some general goals, our 2015 theme is ‘the year of abundance’ and our goal or resolution was ‘have a little more fun and to acknowledge and appreciate our amazing lifestyle more’.

Wham! Before the dust of the resolution had time to settle, we found ourselves in an ambulance on-route to emergency!

The following hours passed in a blur of questions, tests, more tests, a life threatening diagnosis and an ambulance transfer to a larger hospital better equipped to deal with any further complications. Thankfully, only one of us was the patient, the other had the equally stressful role of observer, information provider, bedside companion, advocate and the link with family and friends.

Only when you have been there, do you realize how hard all these roles can be. Having to inform parents and siblings that their loved one is in the trauma unit while they are stuck in a snowstorm, miles away is not an easy task. Neither is spending hours waiting outside the trauma unit, allowed only an occasional visit. Or to return after a bathroom break to find a stranger occupying the spot…….. Despite the heart palpitations that caused, the news was good; the ‘patient’ had been moved to a High Acuity Care Unit on an upper floor.

Here is where the role of bedside companion kicks in, your loved one is wired to a machine, hooked up to a IV and while the machines register, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and who knows what else they drift in and out of sleep. The escape into sleep is not possible for you though, you have to be there to answer the questions of the hordes of Doctors that drop by, to be there with a smile when they wake, to be there when they are whisked away for further tests, yet you also have to stay healthy yourself. Sleeping in hospital chairs and living on coffee or cafeteria food is not recommended and we were very fortunate to have close friends who ensured that that didn’t happen.

After the initial crisis was over we settled into a routine………. the ‘patient’ good naturedly greeting the vampires who came to extract blood every few hours (day or night), trying to recall exactly what the Doctor had said while still groggy from being awakened, dealing with fellow roommates emergencies and sadly even the passing of one of them. All while dressed in an open back hospital gown and hooked to an IV pole on wheels, trying to sleep as much as possible, come to terms with what happened and still maintain a positive outlook.

The ‘companion or caregiver’ (relying on the goodwill of friends and public transit to get to and from the hospital), tries to get there to catch the Doctors visit’s on their morning rounds, provides snacks, clean underwear and a stabilizing hand during short bathroom trips. They also bring news of the outside world, co-ordinate visitors, fills in the missing pieces during the last few days and perhaps, hardest of all present a brave, smiling face to the world.

As the days passed and the patient improved, we were moved from ward to ward, each move in dicating the health improvements, but each with its new challenges. A family member who has been through a similar trauma likened the experience to “going from flying first class to coach”. The final ‘overflow’ ward where we waited several days for a few tests before being discharged, was more akin to flying in the cargo hold than coach!

After 14 days, we were finally released and extremely thankful for all of the following:

• The emergency room Doctor who identified what the problem was
• The outstanding medical care received from all Doctors, nurses and staff (yes even while in cargo)
• The retired Registered Nurse who got us to the hospital a.s.a.p, shared her home and provided her expertise for the much needed role of advocate
• Friends and family for their ongoing support and assistance
• British’s Columbia’s wonderful medical system
• That we were still in our home province and not in The Bay Islands of Honduras (where we had planned to be 5 days later)

We have survived a traumatic few weeks and the prognosis for a full recovery is excellent. Our travels have been on a temporary hold until all follow up appointments are completed–thankfully all in time to enable us to keep our housesitting commitments.

What does this mean to our lifestyle and our resolution? Will they fall by the wayside as we contemplate the “What ifs”? If this had happened somewhere without such a high degree of medical care, would the outcome have been different. In other words are we going to live in fear of the ‘what ifs’? The answer to that, is that there are no guarantees in life, including the risks we all take whenever we leave home, even if only crossing the street.

Will this affect our future choices, our recent resolution and our plans? Yes to some degree but only to the degree we allow it to. The last few weeks have involved a lot of soul searching and asking the important questions such as:

• Do we want to continue with our current lifestyle?
• Will this event have long lasting effects?
• Can we deal with the necessary changes or make adjustments as needed?

The answer to all of the above is YES! We do want to continue and we can make necessary changes and adapt as needed.

Over the next few weeks/months you will be hearing more about travel insurance, what your credit card coverage does or does not include and ways to stay safe on the road.

Till then stay healthy.

In a workshop we attended a few years ago, a major theme was that amazing things do happen if you are:

1. open to the possibilities
2. taking some action towards your goals/dreams

Many people believe in the power of manifestation as highlighted by the popularity of “The Secret” however until you add some form of action towards making dreams a reality they may stay just that.

The reason we know this is that not only are we living a lifestyle that many people envy, but have also recently teamed up with one of the world’s biggest publishers and co-produced our first information product. Which launched on October 23^rd 2014 and offered to a mailing list of 500,000 subscribers.

So how did this come about? Because they did not just knock on our door and tell us they wanted to work with us……………………..

It started back in March 2013 when we entered a short video entry into International Livings Win a Test Drive Dream Retirement Contest. First we were shortlisted into the top twenty–from hundreds of applicants–and then as one of the final three to go on to the next round.

A few months before this, I started studying a travel writers course from AWAI , I was learning a lot and was keen to get my first ‘clips’ published. As the finalists of the contest were asked to write Facebook posts and articles for International Living, I made sure that I mentioned this during the interview.

Sadly, we were not chosen as the finalist; however, I was invited to submit an article to them for consideration for publication–when the editorial staff of a publication that large makes such an offer immediate action is required! A few days later I submitted an article about our recent trip to Isla Palenque and waited…….and waited ……..and waited.

Undaunted, I followed up with a polite enquiry via email and a few days later received an email from the publisher of International Living’s magazine Eoin Bassett. He did not have a use for that article but wanted to know a little more about our roving retiree lifestyle. I responded immediately and my first article “Happy Vagabonds” was published in the November 2013 edition. (Another of IL’s editors for use in another publication later picked up the original article).

Since then I have written articles for another two of IL’s editors and have developed a closer working relationship with the first editor Eoin Bassett. In fact, when we found out that we were going to be in Panama at the same time as him, we made a point of meeting him in person.

That face-to-face meeting led to requests for more articles, ranging from transiting the Panama Canal, the Caribbean and housesitting. These articles were written and published in due course and the housesitting one generated a lot of interest. So much interest, that Eoin suggested we write an outline for a housesitting guide and pitch it to International Living’s Publisher who had expressed an interest in adding this type of guide to their bookstore.

That was almost six months ago and together with the staff of International Living we have written and produced said guide. It contains so much information that it morphed from the initial proposed downloadable pdf to a product that now resides–complete with a generous smattering of Michael’s photography–on its own password-protected website.

We set an intention at the beginning of this year to find ways to earn extra income, enabling us to maintain our vagabond lifestyle indefinitely. The sales of this guide will do exactly that, 2014 is indeed the year of ‘Perpetual Motion”.

Amazing things do indeed happen, when you combine strong intention with that vital ingredient ‘action’.

If you would like a sneak look click here The Most Powerful Money-Saving Travel Secret of All Time.

Air travel is typically every traveler’s biggest expense. The good news is that there are a few tips and tricks to finding even better deals than those found through various search engines such as Expedia, Google flights, Kayak etc.

Find out who flies there and book direct through the airline

Use the search engines to find the major airlines that fly to your destination, then go onto their own site, and get a quote.

This is often cheaper than the prices listed on the search engines. Bear in mind that not all search engines show all the airlines servicing your destination, so be sure to do a google search and find the smaller airlines that cover the same route. Sometimes the savings are substantial. This is not always the case but it occurs often enough to be worth spending the extra time to check.

Be inventive with alternate routes

Being open to considering alternative routes and airports increases your chances of finding a better price Flights routed through busier airports often offer better prices.

For example, we wanted to get from Belize to Vancouver BC, quotes were well over a $1,000 per person for flights from Belize City. As we wanted to take a side trip to Ambergris Caye before we left Belize, we looked into routes out of there instead. Ambergris Caye has an excellent ferry service connecting it with Chetumal Mexico, which in turn has an excellent bus service to Playa Del Carmen and Cancun.

A quick search revealed flights to Vancouver from Cancun for $260. Even with the ferry and the bus, we saved well over $600 by being inventive and using one of those busier airports.

Pay in another currency

Airlines pricing for their flights varies dramatically, based on availability, time of year, and how far ahead or how late you book. It also varies by the point of sale!

What this means is that someone booking a flight from the UK will probably be quoted more than someone booking the same flight from Colombia will be. There are two ways to get around this, use a VPN to change your virtual location; it fools the sites into thinking you are booking from Colombia or wherever else you set it for. The other way is to get a quote in a different currency. Many airlines websites allow you to change language and currency options. The quote in Colombian pesos may seem outrageous but once you have figured out the conversion rate you could be pleasantly surprised. Do remember that many credit cards charge a conversion fee, typically 2 or 2.5 percent, but even with this add on you can save a ton of money.

Pay less for a multi destination trip

Many search engines and airlines allow you to list 3 or 4 destinations and get a quote for the whole package.

We recently discovered that this is not an economical way to do it. We were looking for flights from London UK into Phoenix and then onto Vancouver a few days later. Quotes were coming in at approximately $1400 if we came in through Los Angeles (again routing is important) if the flights were through New York or Miami they were considerably more.

Instead, we priced each leg separately …. London to Los Angeles $698.90, Los Angeles to Phoenix $72.10, Phoenix to Vancouver $158.60 our total was $928.60 a savings of over $400 per person.

Consider charter flights

Lastly consider charter flights, they may be seasonal and not as regular as the main airlines but can be substantially cheaper.

We recently paid $226 for a one-way ticket from Barbados to England as opposed to the $600 plus quoted by Virgin. The flight by Thomas Cook is only one day a week and flies into Manchester airport rather than the bigger London airports. Which works to our advantage as our final UK destination is closer to Manchester.

For Additional Savings on Airfares

Visit Flyertalk.com, a forum dedicated to sharing tips, tricks and insider advice on reducing air travel costs.

Happy Travels!

Carolyn & Ed Saari who escaped and sailed the world many years ago, recently discovered the online housesitting websites and are very excited “as it will open up a whole new world”.

Carolyn was gracious enough to share their experiences and its challenges with us.

“We lived on our sailboat for almost 28 years. Since we were usually uncommitted to a set schedule, we took various housesitting positions for friends we met along the way. It was nice to have a change from the boat, access to a real refrigerator and watch cable TV. We watched houses and cared for pets in a number of luxurious homes on different islands.

We also wanted to make sure that living aboard was the still the right lifestyle for us.   We soon realized that cable TV was boring, and a big fridge was no substitute for shopping regularly at a colorful local market, or catching our own fresh fish.

We always had at least one pet on board our own boat.  Although we were living and traveling in many beautiful and exotic locations, we did not do much travel away from the boat because of our responsibility to the pets.  On the few occasions we did leave the boat, our experiences were mixed, some of them still difficult to think about.

One winter in St Croix, we met a couple that were planning an extended bicycle trip around southern Europe.  We arranged for them to meet us in Sevilla, Spain the following October. Sure enough, they showed up on the exact date planned.  They cared for the boat and our dog while we were able to explore much of the rest of Europe, it was a great experience for all of us.

In Venezuela, we wanted to fly to Peru, and we found a lovely local woman who cared for other boaters’ pets in her mountain home outside of Puerto la Cruz.  She kept our two cats for two weeks; they had the run of the house and the outdoor garden. Unfortunately, with all the problems in Venezuela, we would never be able to do that again.

It was in Curacao, where things went bad.  We wanted to find someone to watch our two cats while we flew to the States. We tried for weeks to find someone suitable and finally had to resort to our last choice.  We left the cats at a kennel that seemed to be fine.  It was clean, with plenty of staff and they promised to give the cats personal attention. By the time, we returned several weeks later, both cats had lost weight and were very depressed.  Once back on board, we realized the younger cat was not eating anything at all.  We found out that Norton had “Fatty Liver Disease” (the animal stops eating, and the body just feeds off of its own tissue to survive).  We tried everything to make him eat.  I made fish broth and force-fed him by syringe. We injected vitamins daily.  We did everything to keep that little guy alive, but he had just been through too much stress and he eventually passed away in St Thomas.

In 2007, we decided to sell the boat and move back to our home base in Puerto Rico.  We began to accumulate pets, most of them were not of our own choosing, they just showed up and moved into our hearts and our home.  In order to go on vacation, we now needed to find our own house sitter.  We canvassed the local marina for live-aboard folks wanting a break, we tried friends, and we asked relatives who had never been to Puerto Rico, all with no luck.  We did everything short of advertising to find a reliable person.  Finally, in desperation, we asked a 40-ish woman who lives across the street, with her aunt and uncle.   She was willing to help and we used her several times, paying her a daily stipend.  We expected her to sleep at the house and spend as much time there as possible, and she agreed to this.

The first time, she let all the plants on the porch die, but the pets were fine, and the house was clean.  The next time things went slightly different.  The dog was fine, the plants were alive, and the house was clean, but we found that our cat was spending most of her time across the street at the aunt and uncle’s house.  Ultimately, a car hit Zoe, crossing the street. We doubt this would have happened if the house sitter were actually staying at the house, because she rarely went out of the yard when we were there.

The last time, we had all indoor cats, so were not so worried.  But when we arrived home after a two week absence, I finally determined that the house sitter was certainly not sleeping at the house, but only coming in to feed the pets and clean up once a day.  It was obvious the dog had spent much of the time barking and lunging at the front gate. The cats were healthy, but incredibly lonely they wouldn’t leave us alone for days after our return, it took them quite a while to get back to normal kitty behavior.

This was definitely not, what we wanted or expected, so we needed to find another solution.  We stopped taking long weekends to go camping, and were determined to find another way to keep our pets happy while we took longer vacations.

This is when she found Trusted Housesitters one of our favorite online sites and we are happy to report that their first experience worked perfectly. Their sitter did a great job of caring for the pets and dealing with a couple of minor issues.

They plan to use the site every year to find someone to stay with their pets. So if you are planning a trip to Puerto Rico let us know and we will introduce you……….

In our 30 months of full time travel, we have had times where we needed to find accommodations to fill in gaps between housesitting and time with family.

Arriving in an area with no accommodation booked freaks some people out. Rest assured that in all our years of travel, we have never had to sleep in the street. If we arrive later than planned, we may have to spend more than we would like for our first night. However, that inconvenience is offset by being able to find cheaper and better accommodation once on the ground.

Note: If you arrive late at night, perhaps book your first night at a hotel and then find something more suitable.

Vacation rentals or apartments are usually a better deal than a typical hotel room. They offer the same amenities as home, are less expensive, more spacious and you can cook for yourself saving on restaurant costs.

We seldom book online any more as we have had a few surprises.

When researching Utila, one of Honduras’s Bay Islands, we found an apartment online that sounded delightful with great reviews. We pre-booked, although only for a few days instead of the full month, as something did not ‘feel right’. 

As usual, our gut instincts were correct. The apartment was filthy, the kitchen was poorly equipped and the owner blithely told us “the saucepans were rusty but would be OK after a good scrub, and we would need to buy our own toilet paper”. It was also a long hike out of town, with lots of biting bugs. 

We spent the next day scouring the island for alternatives and although we did not find a suitable apartment immediately. We moved to The Lighthouse, a custom-built hotel, built over the water, with luxurious rooms, fridge, microwave and wonderful ocean views, all for a few more dollars than our current $50 a night pigsty.

 After four blissful days in our ocean eerie, we moved to an oceanfront, fully equipped apartment with wraparound deck and gazebo. Our home for the next month cost $400 and we became lifelong friends with one of our neighbors.

The best way of locating accommodation is once you have arrived in the area and are able to do ‘on the ground’ research. This is what happened when we arrived in Playa Blanca, Panama in Dec 2013.

We rented a two-bedroom apartment for $1000 per month including all utilities and internet. By being on the ground, we could take advantage of the fact that an owner would rather receive some income, than have their apartment sit empty earning them nothing. Playa Blanca was a ghost town at that time with at most 25% occupancy. Knowing that gave us great bargaining power.

Here are some hard cold facts about advertised online rentals in that area.

Note: These are all similar type apartments in the same complex.

•  Airbnb listed a two-bedroom apartment for $3733 per month all inclusive and a one-bedroom apartment in the Town Centre for $2354
• Flip Key quoted $150 to $175 per night for a two-bedroom apartment exactly like the one we rented, which is $750 to 850 per week or $3000 to $3400 a month
• VRBO listed an apartment in the same building for $2200 per month. The picture of the view was stale- there is now a HUGE RIU Hotel impeding the ocean view!

By being there we saved at least $1200, possibly $2400 per month and knew exactly what we were renting before we plonked our money down. With no nasty surprises like paying for an ocean view that no longer exists.

You do need to do a little footwork, both on the ground and in advance. Before you arrive, do some internet research. Visit Airbnb, Flipkey and Homeaway to research what is available and check weekly/monthly rates.

Do consider that:

• If there are many rentals available online, it means there are even more un-advertised, meaning more choice and more room for negotiation
• Prices are often negotiable, especially for immediate occupancy
• It can take four to five days on the ground to find a decent apartment
• Tourist areas in high season are more expensive due to high demand
• Holidays like Semana Santa (Easter) in Central America or Carnival in the Caribbean are busy. If travelling at these times even we book well in advance

Our top tips for finding great deals on rentals:

• Never pay sight unseen.
• If there is a college or university nearby, check there college website under student services to see if there are any housing resources
•  Research and shortlist suitable apartment buildings and areas before you arrive
• Before you rent, view the place, check the bathroom, the kitchen and discuss what your rent includes
• Ask if there are any additional charges (cleaning charges are a favorite-often compulsory-add on and can be outrageous)
• Talk to strangers and ask if they know anyone with an apartment to rent (Taxi drivers are great sources)
• Hang out in Expat haunts and tell people what you are looking for

Note: Real estate agents or property management companies are often not very helpful at finding short-term bargains. There is a conflict of interest, they may have properties to rent but of course want to get the best rate possible for their clients.

Conversely, they are a great resource for finding longer-term rentals, although you may pay a little more than going directly to the owner.

An often-overlooked resource for finding long-term and short-term rentals is an online site called Sabbatical Homes. It is a directory of academic housesits, home rentals and house swaps in Europe, North America, Australia and a few in Central/South America.

You do not have to be an academic to use the site and most of the rentals have minimum terms of 2 weeks to 6 months.

The best way to find a great rental at a bargain price is to be there in person, ready to negotiate and willing to pay cash for the right deal.

Visit our resources page for links to the main long/short term rental and vacation property websites.

Happy Hunting!

You heard us right. We have been living and playing in the Caribbean since February 2014 and have spent on average $2,000 Canadian per month (for both of us, not each). We have not been slumming it either, in fact quite the opposite, as we have spent the majority of the time in luxury villas with pools overlooking Marigot Bay in St. Lucia and with jaw dropping views in the Grenadines.

So is it an outdated myth about how expensive the Caribbean is? Yes & No. If you are visiting for a few brief weeks and paying for a beachside hotel and meals at tourist restaurants, you will pay a lot for the privilege. Many restaurants are comparable or more expensive than their counterparts in North America are and imported alcoholic drinks will send your bill skyrocketing.

Because we have spent the majority of those 7 months housesitting, we have eliminated the cost of accommodation. While housesitting our lowest monthly cost was $1300 for the month, which included food, gas for a vehicle, the odd meal out and a occasional cold beer at our favorite sunset beach bar.

Our most expensive month–we had a break between housesits and went island hopping–cost more than double, $3400 in fact. Accommodation, ferries, taxis and eating out were the culprits, but we had a lot of fun and probably still spent less than an all-inclusive 2-week trip to St. Lucia would cost.

For those of you planning a trip to the Caribbean here are some easy ways to keep your costs down and still have fun.

1. Housesit wherever possible, as accommodation is your biggest expense
2. If possible rent a suite or apartment with a small kitchen (eating out is another big ticket item)
3. Use local buses rather than taxis (cheap and fun)
4. Buy produce at the local market or vendor rather than the supermarket
5. Buy local brands and foodstuffs (imported goods come with a hefty price tag)
6. Eat where the locals eat; salt fish and bake, roti’s and doubles to name a few cost almost nothing and you get a true insight into the local cuisine
7. Invest in a small cooler and pack cold drinks and nibbles. Combining picnics with beach days, sunset lookouts and jamming sessions is a lot of fun
8. Visit during low or shoulder season as prices drop with decreased demand

After seven months in these gorgeous islands, our general feeling is that the more popular the island is with tourists the more expensive it is, however that is countered with cheaper foodstuffs and wider choices.

Wherever you go in the Caribbean, we know that you can spend a little or a lot. That choice is entirely up to you and what experiences you want. Wherever it is you go, we hope you relax, enjoy and get into a little of the island grove, because you’re on “Island time Mon”.