Creating A Monthly Budget to Get The Most International Travel!
Creating a monthly budget to get the most out of international travel has been no doubt the biggest contribution to getting our dream of international travel to fruition; but it took us a bit to get here!
Some people say Material ‘things’ may make you happy but as a retired senior couple creating a monthly budget was essential for us in planning for our international travel adventures! Would we be one of those traveling couples who could leave their material possessions behind to travel? The simple answer is YES!
We had an epiphany of sorts that made us realize that material things meant nothing in the grand scheme of life. Sure we need food, shelter, water, transportation, etc but can we live without all the other extra stuff? We quickly realized that we are quite happy with being the owners of our own destiny +& what we could fit into our backpack & suitcase.
We made plenty of notes & had a pretty clear picture about what the things senior travelers needed to do to travel internationally, but we hadn’t really created a monthly budget on the costs involved. I admit that saying create a monthly budget was easier said than done. But when The Big Guy sets his mind to something….well lets just say the numbers were a real eye opener for our international travel adventures.
Our Life as Seniors BEFORE Creating A Budget!
We worked hard & struggled to pay off our house early thinking we would have a cash windfall, since we had no monthly mortgage. The real shocker for me was that no mortgage payment sounds good, but the reality was we still had to pay real estate taxes, property insurance & utilities to keep the house up & running! Yikes, the property taxes alone was enough to make us second guess if we would even be able to keep the house on our estimated monthly retirement income. Honestly, I just feel horrible for seniors who have paid their homes off because we know they continue to struggle to make ends meet into their elder years trying to keep their heads above water just to keep the home they paid off years ago!! They have their reasons for staying in their home & I get that but getting a full-time job after retiring to make ends meet just didn’t make sense to us.
What we did as Seniors to prepare for in creating a monthly budget!
Simply put, we knew that it was more than just creating a monthly budget – we would have to live with that budget so first phase was just to continue to curb any unnecessary spending. We used every dollar we could find to pay off credit card debt. It was a struggle but we did it. Now that we look back on the number of years we paid high interest on those card cards, we know that credit card debt had no place in our future travel budget so paying off debt was already on our plates. What I’m saying is paying off debt is no easy task & it took a bit of time but we got it done. Believe me when I tell you how stress free it feels knowing that you have no monthly credit card payments due!
Before we put our home on the market, I put feelers out that we were selling our house along with every piece of furniture, decor, etc in house. We Sold EVERYTHING in our house by word of mouth & garage sales – if it didn’t sell we donated it. Luckily the real estate market was in a good spot which made for a quick sale enabling us to pay off all remaining debt.
House sold! Budget done! Next step, pack those suit cases! Creating a monthly budget allowed our dream of international traveling to become a reality.
We sold our vehicles within the last couple days before we caught our first international flight. The money we saved from not having monthly car maintenance & auto insurance payments went toward our international transportation costs.
Creating our monthly budget for international travel!
We actually didn’t start a monthly budget until we hit Mexico last year. We wanted to track our expenses to see what the real cost would be. Problem was the ‘loose’ tracking we did. Oh, we knew most of what we spent but we didn’t have the full picture.
Jump ahead a month & The Big Guy got our budget on paper! To get to this point we read the fine print on every recurring insurance policy or subscription service we had. If it no longer benefited us or was not valid outside the United States, we canceled it. We canceled subscriptions that we had forgotten we even had [small $ amounts can easily be missed]! Blah, blah, blah, we fine tuned our expenses down to a list of Needs/Wants/Savings using a loose version of the 50/30/20 Budget Rule.
The 50/30/20 BUDGET RULE guides you thru determining your Needs [50% of your budget], Wants [30% of your budget] & Savings or Repayment of Debt [20% of your budget]. The 50/30/20 Rule is AMAZING! The beauty of this Rule is it is not in stone. Check out our video at end of this post for a visual.
Our budget ended up 55/33/12 as it is streamlined to our expenses. We as seniors naturally have different Needs or more Needs vs say a 40 or even 50 year old but the budget fits us perfectly.
Here is a look at our Needs:Housing – Utilities – Groceries – Medical/health insurance & Transportation.
Here is a look at our WANTS: Clothing, entertainment {excursions}, subscriptions, personal care {mani/pedis, salon}, etc. Anything that you might want on a monthly basis. You do You!
Lastly, the Savings/Repayment of Debt: Monthly transfer to savings or investment.
It may take a minute to get your Budget to make sense but…
Again, the beauty of a budget is that you can review periodically & see if you should revise amounts or delete a category. For example, we do have an entry for Laundry under ‘Wants’. We haven’t had to pay for laundry for months but the money is still allocated there as we know we may need laundry services at our next stop.
All I can say is honestly the 50/30/20 Budget Rule was a WINNER with us! We have a limited monthly income that allows us live quite comfortably using our monthly budget as a guide in spending. Take care, happy traveling & be safe.
Here is a short video we did on Budgeting that will give you a visual.
Let me share our experience with the excellent senior healthcare in Medellin & our Bi-Lingual Doctor!
As seniors traveling & thinking about spending some time in Colombia, there was a concern on our minds “what will senior healthcare in Medellin be like should we need it”? Would we encounter communication or language barriers?
I want to tell you that the above questions and concerns were quickly and confidently answered, as we experienced truly excellent medical care in Medellin! We should not have been surprised as healthcare in Latin America has continued to amaze us since we started traveling South of the Border – first in Merida, Mexico & now in Medellin, Colombia!
Medellin has Excellent Bi-Lingual Doctors!
Not feeling well & not sure who to call? I am not fluent in Spanish, yet, & although I was not ill, it was past time for a physical & the top criteria for a doctor visit South of the Border was a bi-lingual doctor. After all, when it comes to discussions about health, that is the last place you want to have a language barrier.
In looking at F/B I found reference to an English speaking doctor & searched online. I found her! Dr. Luz Naranjo! Both The Big Guy & I went to her for our yearly physicals. She is not your average doctor from the U.S. Yes, she did receive some training there but a visit to her office is an experience – applied for appointment thru Whats App on her website, received quick response & appointment for us within a day.
Dr. Naranjo does all the paperwork, referrals & physical herself, taking the time to sit & discuss your medical history & issues at hand. She referred me to where I needed to go for mammogram & blood work. In & out of her office in less than a hour & no waiting extended period of time in waiting room. The U.S. currently has not authorized Medicare to be used outside in Mexico and Latin America, so be prepared to pay cash/credit card for a very affordable complete physical. The Big Guy was skeptical and didn’t make an appointment for a complete physical examine, however after he observed the thoroughness of the physical examine he couldn’t wait to make an appointment!
BioReferencia Laboratory Clinic
Andrea & Marisol were a joy in the BioReferencia Lab Clinic in Medellin.
When the doctor completed my physical she gave me a referral for blood tests at BioReferencia Lab. Again, at the time of writing this article Medicare does not cover the costs of medical care or lab work outside the states. The price of all my blood work was comparable to a co-pay in the U.S. (Tip: There is a cash discount for paying in cash [pesos] instead of credit card.) I’m smiling as I type this because this was one of the most complete physicals I have ever received & everyone made it a really enjoyable experience.
The two young ladies pictured above did the paperwork, all I did was present the referral from Dr. Naranjo & my passport for id. Although there was a language barrier, these two young ladies were super friendly & very good at their job!
They took me back into the lab room & promptly drew blood for the test Dr. Naranjo had ordered for me. When I think about the hassle in the states to have lab work done, this was a breeze. I had the results in my email before the end of the day. I forwarded the results to Dr. Naranjo & that night she had left me a voice message clearly outlining the results of each blood tests. I sent my lab results to my primary care physician in the states, as of this date they have only told me they would add the lab work to my file, but did not provide any feedback regarding the lab tests.
Mammogram Anyone?
Dr. Naranjo was amazed that I had not had a mammogram for a few years. She said at my age I should have it done every year? Anyway, she referred me to the Escano Clinic & again, I made appointment using Whats App & had the appointment set a few days later. Now, I admit I had to travel a minute to get to this office but once there, they were pretty quick getting me in & out. I had to wait a week for the results to be sent to me, at which time I forwarded to Dr. Naranjo for review.
Let me say we paid one price to the Doctor at the initial consult & there were no additional charges for reading any of the results. I was pleasantly surprised by cost of mammogram considering how many x-rays they took.
Nutritionist
Since we are Seniors & traveling from country to country, we may not always eat what is good for us. Health is very important & Dr. Naranjo gave us a referral to see a nutritionist. In our quest to be healthy seniors traveling, I made an appointment with nutritionist Paula. Upon arrival at her office, she was a one woman show. She discussed our health concerns & took measurements of both of us. She took notes of what we normally eat & asked us for a list of foods we liked or disliked. A few days later we received a complete nutrition plan. It was pretty easy to follow.
Measurements & weight were taken by Nutritionist. Yes, nutrition is a very important part of senior healthcare in Medellin.
Senior Healthcare in Medellin?
Although I have an active health insurance policy in the U.S., it does not cover my medical expenses during international travel, so we purchased a separate travel insurance health insurance, which has emergency health & hospitalization coverage. Since international medical care is so affordable this is not a huge drawback for us BUT truly the cost of EXCELLENT health care South of the Border has been nothing short of outstanding & affordable for these senior travelers.
YES! There are a LOT of almost free things to do in Medellin that are so fun & very easy on a fixed monthly budget!
Lets talk about the types of almost free entertainment or things to do in Medellin that can be very easy on your purse/wallet! Along with some very reasonably priced entertainment to see in this beautiful city. I will share with you some great fun for seniors traveling on a fixed monthly income! We are – let me repeat – SENIORS traveling so these are some of our ways of entertaining ourselves while in Medellin. What makes us happy may not be on the radar of a 30 or even 40 something – you do you. We are nice & easy. Ha.
We honestly believe that you can be entertained quite easily for little or nothing without feeling like you are missing out on anything that some tourists are piling debt up to see. Here are a few examples of easy entertainment in Medelllin for you seniors! Lets get started!
Walking Tours in Medellin!
Free Bilingual Walking tours with guides are abundant & most of the time, you can leave the guide a tip at the end of the tour that fits your monthly budget. There are private and non-private paid walking tours that can get pricey, but you will basically get the same type city tour as the Free Walking Tour. As I always say “You do You”. A walking tour at the beginning of your visit will definitely help you orientate yourself to the various neighborhoods. BUT for several of the guided walks offered, we decided to just walk ourselves & were well entertained with being able to take great photos & checking on Google history of some of the sites we photographed.
Walking up hundreds of these beautifully colored steps was tiring, but they lead us to the hidden gem of a colorful market in San Vicente!
Places such as Comuna 13, paying a guide is well worth the money.
Malls in Medellin
Mall walking & people watching is free fun! All you need to add is a cup of coffee or a helado cone & find a bench or comfy seat [depending on the mall] & enjoy! Here are three great malls in Medellin to check out.
Arkadia Mall
This has to be my one my favorite of malls in & out of the U.S. The Arkadia Mall is simply beautiful. Clean with a nice mix of shops, restaurants, drugstores, etc. It is huge but not to the point of being where you could get lost [that is the next mall].
The Beach area for the kiddos to play complete with palm & island. When we first arrived in Medellin the decor was that of a jungle complete with moving animals!
It is easy to get around & very walkable for window shopping. Fast food & sit down restaurants are on the top floor. The awesome thing is the large area where you can eat & watch the planes land from the smaller airport nearby. Very cool! My fave coffee shop is the Santa Lena coffee cafe on the first floor. Nice employees, great breads & really good cappucchino! The cost might be a bus or taxi to get you there from your living quarters but really cost effective for a day of just walking, window shopping or just need that cup of coffee.
SantafeMall
This mall is HUGE. Five floors of shops, restaurants & a huge play area on the main floor for children & sometimes parents to relax & play. Beautiful stair cases – straight & curved.
Grand staircase in Santafe Mall, Medellin.
The Santafe Mall is not for the faint of heart! I took The Big Guy on one visit & he quickly decided this was not his idea of fun. So take it with a grain of salt. Ha. The main circular walk on each floor shoots off to other shopping areas of different names. Elevators, escalators & the most beautiful staircases. You will easily be able to spend the day wandering the walkways!
Le Tesoro or TREASURE Mall
The Le Tesoro located in El Poblado area is a beautiful modern mall with some world famous designer clothing shops, other upscale name brand shops, fabulous views & one of the largest children’s play areas I have ever seen in a mall. Restaurants are abundant & this is said to be the largest mall in Medellin and it really seems to have everything. Trees (some real – some not) sit in the interior of the shopping areas. If you visit this mall it would truly take you a day of non-stop walking to see everything.
The absolutely best feature is the Jumbala amusement center in the MIDDLE of the mall OUTSIDE. It is jungle themed with a real train, roller-coaster [small for kids], river, huge real trees, etc etc!
Looking down into the center of the mall there is an open amusement park! That is the train coming to a stop. Running water on left has rubber boats that float on it. So much to see and do at the Tesoro Mall in Medelllin!
If that isn’t your thing, then shopping, eating, coffee breaks in the coffee sitting areas throughout the mall will be right up your alley. Nomad work areas are available free! I think there is something for EVERYONE in this mall!
Parques of Medellin!
There are loads of parques in Medellin. It only depends on your length of stay on how many you can visit. These are a few that sit on top of my list! They were all free.
Parque Botero
Where you can stroll & view the many many Fernando Botero bronze sculptures. The plaza is fenced in so you won’t be able to wander off the grid. Very very busy plaza with vendors & lots of traffic but the sculptures by Colombian artist Botero makes for a lot of great photos! And its free!
One of many of Botero sculptures in Parque Botero.
Parque San Antonio
A plaza in centro Medellin used at times for various markets & programs. You will see street people but the Botero Bird statutues here are definitely a must see. The first bird statute was blown up by terrorist/guerillas/militia {I don’t believe any one group claimed responsibility} in the mid 90’s. This was in the midst of the violence that Medellin has since spent years trying to overcome. Anyway, the story goes when the bombed bird was to be removed, Botero donated a second ‘The Bird of Peace’ to sit side by side as a memorial (29 lost their life) of the violent past & the future of peace they desired. Entrance is free.
The Bird on the left was blown up in violence in 1995. The new Bird of Peace sits next to the damaged Bird as a reminder of past violence & future peace.
Parque de la Luces
Is maybe a five to ten minute walk from Parque San Antonio & to in Centro which was once a very dangerous area. Day trips here are quite safe & we had no issues with either area. We found a nice restaurant a few blocks from the Parque that had some great traditional Colombian food for a late lunch. The attractions are the 300 cement columns of various heights intermixed with bamboo & plenty of seating. I’m told the columns are representative of the forest & truly is an amazing view when you walk up on it. Surrounded by older brick buildings, it is a very interesting walk & free.
300 cement installation that are lit in the evening to create The Park of Lights, Medellin.
Day Trips from Medellin
Day trips are an awesome way to see the country even on a budget. Whether you take a bus or hire a driver depends on your purse strings of course but for us an occasional day trip is necessary to see what we are missing by staying in the city. Bus trips are very inexpensive & most of the buses seem to be very comfortable. Bottom line, you need to have an idea of where you are going, what you expect to see & the best way to get there & back. Be diligent of your surroundings. A day trip might cost you a driver/taxi/bus/taxi fee & coins for snacks or a local meal. Here are a couple we took!
Guatape
On our Guatape day trip we hired a driver, Edwin, [had been recommended to us] who picked us up at 8 a.m. & had us back at apartment at 7 p.m. that evening. Awesome day trip with stops along the way that kept us excited at the same time learning more about the various areas from Edwin. All day fee included driver, stop at a farm, visit town of Penol, boat ride & finally climbing Guatape rock & final stop for visit [we paid for lunch], free photos in Guatape with chocolate candy sample for a very reasonable price for three adults!! While not free, the pictures and memories were well worth the price of the all day trip.
Guatape rock sits to left!
Edwin, our guide for our one day trip to Guatape! For his contact number, send me a note & I will provide!
San Vicente
San Vicente is just one of MANY towns just outside of Medellin that you could bus to view. For our 1 1/2 hour bust ride to San Vicente the cost was 9.000COP each for each way. That’s $2 USD each & the bus was comfortable! Catch the morning bus, check out the little town, grab a cold drink or helado, take photos & then catch the 4p.m. bus back to Medellin! Very inexpensive way to spend a day & see new sights!
After a morning of walking a dirt road on the mountain side of San Vicente settle down in town with a helado. These small towns have a lot to offer if you just take the leap to visit.
Dining Out? It can count as entertainment!
You know you – you can spend your $ on what entertains you. I am not judging! Nothing as delicious as a Tinto & a hot Bunuelo (the ones with queso are mouth watering) at one of the many coffee shops! The price is ridiculously affordable.
A cup of Tinto & a fresh hot bunuelo with queso is fantastic!
Look for the menu boards on the sidewalk with daily specials & price! Yes, grabbing an almuerzo counts as entertainment for these two seniors traveling! One of the many nice things about being South of the Border – restaurants, coffee bars & bakeries love to have ‘you’ in their place of business with a huge welcome. They DO NOT Care if you sit for hours [we have] to have a cup of coffee & just chat with friends. Its so tranquil the time usually flies by before we realize we’ve sat there for a few hours! So entertaining yes & great time to people watch!
Our all time favorite restaurant to grab an almuerzo (mid day meal/lunch) in Medellin has to be Come Pues! The food is traditional, smartly priced & the staff is absolutely wonderful. We would lunch here & then walk to the Arkadia Mall to walk off lunch before we headed to our coffee stop!
Jenny, Alejandra & Isa – these ladies always greet customers with a smile on their faces. Come Pues is lucky to have them!
Almuerzo at Come Pues in Medelliln. Delicious traditional food at an affordable price for seniors on a monthly budget!
So we have given you a start on a few free or almost free things to do in Medellin that kept these two seniors busy…
Medellin is beautiful & we really have not seen anything that we do not like! The people we have met have been so warm & very patient with us learning Spanish. We have spent three months here & if it wasn’t for the fact that we have plans in Mexico next week we would definitely have applied for three month extension! Bottom line, we will be back next year for a longer stay I’m sure.
If you can get pass the negative history of Colombia, give Medellin, Colombia a chance. It may be the piece of paradise YOU are looking for! Happy Travels!
In this post we will be sharing with you our exciting dream 2023 Bucket List for these two seniors traveling! While we are loving our time in Colombia, our visit is coming to an end. The New Year will be here before we know it so it is time to update our ever changing Bucket List for 2023 forward!
Let’s be clear, just because a country is listed on our 2023 Bucket List does not mean it is in stone so it can easily be changed. We like to think that we are very fluid in our travel. The Big Guy says it is more like a Wish List for us & I guess that is a true statement. Even we as seniors traveling know politics change, visa/entry rules change, etc. so if it does, it might effect whether or not we make it to that country.
With every town/country we travel, we have to compare cost of living in that particular place, are the locals nice, can we see ourselves living permanently there? Make sense? But we do like to dream…We are pretty darn sure we will not ever “settle” in some countries but there are things that might draw us there for an extended visit & we have some of those on our new list.
It’s Time to Update our Original Bucket List for International Travel!
It has been quite sometime since we posted our original Bucket List. That list consisted countries we had not previously visited – mostly in Central & South America, Africa & Southeast Asia. We knew at some point we wanted to find our piece of paradise to settle in but we also knew it might not be the first country we land so we wanted alternatives – thus our Bucket List.
Mexico, Ecuador & Colombia were all original need to visit places & each earned the ‘we can live here’ status. So while brain storming for our 2023 Bucket List, these three countries will remain as they all seem to fit the ‘we can live here’ happily!
Peruwas not on the original bucket list to travel but we felt as long as we were next door we might as well visit. We stayed three months & although Arequipa was nicer than Lima (to us) neither city met our needs/wants for a permanent home. We met several lovely forever friends in Lima, but the cost of living & cool weather was a turn-off for us. Both had sites that are well worth a visit but definitely not an indefinite stay for us.
Bolivia, Costa Rico & Belize did not make it to our flight plans for this year.
The remaining countries on our original list were Portugal, Africa {no particular country}, SE Asia & China & did not make in our traveling for 2021 or 2022 but Portugal & Uganda will remain on our 2023 Bucket List. Now on to our 2023 Dream Bucket List for these two senior travelers!
Our New & Improved 2023 Dream Bucket List For These Senior Travelers!
Of the utmost importance this year is to get me up & somewhat fluent in Spanish so with that in mind, Spanish speaking countries are top of the list for 2023! Lets get started!
Mexico
We absolutely loved Merida, Mexico. We will end 2022 in Merida & open the new year 2023.
People in Merida immediately made us feel like part of their family & we made some wonderful life long friends that we like to call our extended family. We can’t wait to get back to see our family in Merida. We even started our quest to learn Spanish in Merida – we felt yep this is it.
Than we got to thinking Mexico is a huge country & we only spent time in one area. Maybe Oaxaca & then up to Mexico City to finish out our six months? Nothing in stone. We are waves of a flowing river, constantly moving so we may change the towns we want to visit but for now, this is the plan!
These two seniors traveling LOVE dipping our toes at the beach. Great way to inexpensively cool off on a budget!
We can stay six months in Mexico without residency so that is a huge plus to our monthly budget! The only con to Mexico is the government is constantly changing the requirements for residency so that is definitely something to consider.
Colombia
We loved everything about Medellin! Three months flew by like it was three weeks. Great temperatures year round, everything is green in nature, friendly to a fault & absolutely fabulous! One of the most budget friendly cities for our senior budget – its a total no brainer that we need another extended stay in Medellin.
Medellin, Colombia sets in the Aburra Valley of the Andes Mountains.
I’ve read where Colombia is updating its residency requirements in October so will wait & see if that affects our plans.
Ecuador
We only spent a month in Quito earlier this year & really enjoyed our time there. The locals were very friendly & local restaurants had amazing amuerzos [mid day meal] at a budget friendly price. We didn’t have a bad meal & it was super affordable to eat out daily. Volcanoes, Equator, beautiful historical Cathedrals & building architecture were fabulous. The city was gorgeous, clean & deserves a second visit BUT…
Inside just one of the many beautiful Cathedrals in Quito, Ecuador!
We want to pick out a couple other spots in Ecuador as well as Quito to finish off our time there. More research will be needed to see if we spend part of our Ecuador time in a different city, just haven’t decided where yet.
The only con was higher grocery or shopping items (depending on what you wanted due to import tax).
We can stay in Ecuador 90 days without a visa BUT we could apply for extension to 180 days from our state of residency.
Portugal
Don’t ask me why Portugal came on to our Bucket Lists? I’m thinking a EuroRail pass may be the ticket to see various parts of Portugal as well as connecting countries. I don’t see us living there but it definitely is in constant discussion with The Big Guy that we need to make a trip there & he is almost onboard, since the value of the U.S. dollar is almost equal to the Euro!
What to see in Portugal & where would we land? Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Algarve Coast? We will need to deep dive into where we want to go at some point.
Village street with residential buildings in the town of Bordeira near Carrapateira, Faro, Algarve Portugal is calling our name,
We can stay in Portugal for 90 days so that still fits into our budget travel. Residency requirements are doable for us but again the cost of living would have to fit into our monthly budget so…..
The con would be language as I am making my way through Spanish and Portugese is the native language in Portugal, but I’ve read that English is spoken in some parts of the larger cities?
Bolivia
Bolivia will stay on our list for now but we need to do some due diligence before we plan a trip there. Every country we have visited South of the Border has something to offer but just not sure a trip will be taken there this year.
Salt flats, llamas, plants, etc so I know we would be kept busy for a bit.
The world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, photographed at sunrise.
The con is a visitor visa that is required for a 30 day visit and would cost $160 USD each. It looks like it can be extended for 90 days & also requires yellow fever vaccination. The Big Guy will probably point out all the many other countries that will allow stays of 90 days or more with a U.S. Passport and $0 entry fee. So Bolivia will probably not see us anytime soon.
Guatemala
Guatemala just recently came into the conversation of countries we might want to visit. The country has everything – Mayan history, great food, The Jungle AND volcanoes. Point me in that direction!
The con is the violence listed online & on the U.S. Travel Dept. I was a little skittish when I read that article but then The Big Guy had to show me where they say the same things & worse about other countries we have visited with no problems…What! Again, no country is without its problems including the U.S. so we take this info with a grain of salt & of course caution. Back to Guatemala, so if we decide to visit Guatemala we will be careful as we always are & as nice as we always try to be & we should be fine but this will need more of a deep dive before we schedule a trip. Guatemala if you are reading this get your act together so we can get there!
We could stay 90 days without visa but we can also apply for 90 day visa to extend to 180 days.
Brazil
Waterfalls, Amazon rain forest, beaches…There is a lot to see in Brazil & we have not narrowed it down to one town yet. We will do that once the discussion of Brazil starts looking like a definite. I do know November thru March is the warmest season so I’m up for that but the expense may move it off the list. With the heat also comes rainy season so…this will require a little research. We are all for going during “slow season” so we just need to figure out if that fits into our plans for 2023.
We could stay easily 90 days & renew for additional 90 for a total of 180 days [within a one year time frame] which fits perfectly for us.
Philippines
This was a last minute addition to our 2023 Bucket List. The Big Guy is adamant we should look into the Philippines for an extended visit. I’m not sure about living there but I am up for a trip to check it out. No idea what we will see. It boasts great weather, friendly locals & an affordable cost of living which all sounds good but…
The Hanging Coffins in Sagada would be an amazing site to see but to get there requires hiking & such possibly beyond me but the photos of it are amazing. Philippines consists of thousands of islands full of bird watching, waterfalls, beaches & mountains. Island hopping, crossing a hanging bridge or seeing the Batad rice terraces would be amazing. We’ll see if this happens or not?
The Tigbao Hanging Bridge may be for the more adventurous to cross!
We could stay for 30 days but an additional six month visa extension is available & it can be renewed a certain number of times. Something to look into if we really liked it but…
Uganda
We both have been fascinated by Africa & I have dreamed of a safari ride through the African jungle, you know like what you see on TV. Well, I never even thought this would be a possibility as I’ve always been told how expensive it is to travel to Africa. We have checked & found air flights we could handle AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE, it happens The Big Guy has friends in Uganda that are looking for a place to stay and will help us navigate a trip to Uganda but the ship is still out until we see some action. Fingers crossed.
What I want to do in Uganda is go on a Gorilla trek!!!! Truth is, this can be very expensive so realistically it would be a huge dent into our travel budget but if we get to Uganda who knows what we will see. I’m up for it. There are said to be only 1063 of the Eastern mountain gorillas as of a survey in 2018! This would definitely be a dream if it comes to fruition.
Although we could stay in Uganda for 90 days with no visa, I don’t see this trip being anything other than a trip to see Africa. This is what makes our Bucket List a dream list. Neither of us has a desire to live there permanently, based on the lifestyle we have seen on U.S.television, but who knows what reality we may find during a live visit.
India
I really don’t see us living in any part of India but we definitely would like to make a visit there. What to see?
The Taj Mahal in Agra is first on my list along with the spiritual Varanasi & the beaches of Goa. Now the problem is all three places are a distance from the other so you see the conundrum a trip to India imposes? How in the heck do we choose where to go? More on this later.
A view like this would be worth a trip to India! Ancient Varanasi city architecture and Ganges river at sunset with view of an Indian sadhu sitting a boat on the river Ganges.
Only 30 days in country is allowed so that alone may keep India at the bottom of our dream bucket list!
2023 Bucket List
So here it is. Will we see all the countries on our Bucket List? Heck No!! But we know we will get a few of those this coming new year & the others? You never know. It really depends how long we are able to stay in THAT country just using our U.S. Passport. We might decide the time is right to pop over to Uganda or Portugal before we head back to Central or South America? That is the beauty of a bucket list – its fluid like these two traveling seniors. Let’s see where the New Year takes us! Happy Travels.
