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Tuesday afternoon, we left Guadalajara for LA with a five-hour layover until we boarded our long flight to Nadi, Fiji. This time, we took Alaska Airlines instead of Volaris, our usual airline for its schedule and non-stop flights to destinations we visit.

By the way, the Guadalajara airport is STILL going through renovations and many restaurants are slated to be opened in the near future but near is a very loose term. We parked ourselves near our boarding gate (B10), hoping to get a quick bite or a sandwich. I left Jim with the bags and literally walked a half a kilometer each way to the nearest place to get something to eat. The Subway was beyond the baggage claim exit around gate C31, with at least 20 people in line. That was a no go. Fortunately, I found a lackluster chicken wrap and a tepid ham sandwich for Jim and made my way back to where he was. He almost sent out a posse to locate me! Mission accomplished but do not assume that previous services are available now until construction is completed… hopefully in our lifetime! Happy travels.

Our seat-mate to LA was a young man who turned 31 today and manages a band that travels a lot, including Monterrey, Pueblo, and Guadalajara, Mexico. The band is traveling to the UK and France next month, so dealing with the logistics of transportation of people and instruments has to be daunting.

The reason I mention him is because when Jim was using his neck pillow, he realized that one of his hearing aids was missing. With the light on our phones, this lovely young man, Jim, and I scoured the floor and seats to find it. All to no avail. Considering that hearing aids are costly and the missing one was really needed for his right ear, a little panic ensued.

After much chagrin, Jim checked the carrying case and lo and behold, the right hearing aid was still in the case. It seems that he forgot to put it in while getting ready to go to the airport! Whew and double whew! A friend uses a very subtle and unnoticeable “leash” that connects to hearing aids to you keep them from getting lost by accident. It sounds like an inexpensive and necessary addition to consider. Our new friend was so helpful and kind, especially at his age. 

If you haven’t ventured through LAX, take a tranquilizer (and perhaps a wheelchair) before you have to go from one terminal to another. We arrived at Terminal 6 and had to go to the Tom Bradley international Terminal. Yes, there is a shuttle but it goes all around the airport before getting to our destination. So, we walked and walked, about 15-20 minutes to check our bag on Fiji Air. 

Once inside the terminal, there is a dance to get to security. There was a huge line to go to the escalator to go to the security area. They have someone checking boarding passes and passports. We noticed that the escalator wasn’t working. All of a sudden, the person checking boarding passes told the long line thAt they had to go to the other end of the terminal to get to security. Many began running, as they didn’t want to miss their flights.

We were able to go attach ourselves to a family with two strollers at the nearby elevator, only reserved for wheelchairs and strollers. They let us oldies on the elevator with a wink. When you get to security, you have to walk three at a time so security dogs can sniff if you have any contraband. The poor dog had to walk back and forth with the handler hundreds of times. It is quite a challenge to go the this process.

Finally, we boarded our flight to Nadi. I hope to get some sleep during the 11 hour flight and maybe some interesting food… We’ll see.

Jim’s 80th birthday is on November 9 (Yeah!) but we will be in Auckland, NZ at that time. So, I offered to make him a special Jim-designed dinner tomorrow, November 4. Some of the foods he requested are not readily available here. Looks like a challenge but I am making several of the foods he craves.

What are these foods? Here is the menu: Appetizer is Chicken Liver Pate with Triskets (shockingly at $11/box), New York strip steak and Lobster Tail (surf and turf), Au Gratin Potatoes, Broccoli, Cream Puffs with Whipped Cream and Panna Cotta with fresh Berries. To go with this yummy menu will be wine and a Sparkling Rose Dessert Wine from Estramancia, the amazing winery on the south side of Lake Chapala.

I know he will really enjoy the dinner because he selected the menu. He is in charge of grilling the steaks and preparing the lobster tails. I am not a lobster devotee so he will have his fill of this seafood.

On Monday, we will be finalizing what to pack, get ready for our housesitters, have Lola groomed, and relax before many hours in the air and in airports. I hope to keep on top of this blog as we travel. It will be fun!

Over two years ago, in 2020, we decided to plan a trip on our “bucket list” and go to New Zealand and Australia in 2021. Although friends have gone there on a cruise, we wanted to spend more time than a few hours in a port by taking a tour that included both countries and, as a bonus, include Fiji. What could go wrong???

Well, COVID definitely played a part since all three countries were closed to tourists in 2021. So, we moved the trip to 2022. Even with lower incidences of COVID, travel to that part of the world was not possible. So, here we are in 2023 and we are ready to go in a little over a week, on November 7.

We fly to LA, then on to Nadi, Fiji for a round-trip, since our tour ends in Fiji. A few hours after arriving in Nadi, we are off to Auckland, NZ to begin our travels. We have heard glowing reviews of Oceana, especially New Zealand, which is supposed to look like a fairy land with more sheep than people.

Fortunately, we have a wonderful couple as our housesitters. Lola has already met them and so far, she approves. I must say that having good housesitters is key to traveling when you have a pet. There is a lot of “peace of mind” knowing that your house and pet is being cared for.

Because the weather in New Zealand will be quite different (colder) than Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, or Nadi, we have to plan well what we will be packing. Keeping that in mind, we will have to take one checked medium-sized bag instead of only a carry-on bag each, We have enjoyed having our bag with us to avoid waiting for the carousel upon arrival. However, a three week trip with a variety of clothes for different climates means that a larger bag will be best… and lots of layers!

Thank you Amazon and TEMU for the last minute items we needed to make the trip successful. Travel items, such as new neck pillows, extra electrical converters, dual voltage hair styler, and fast chargers should be arriving any day now. We have our visas for NZ and AU, which you must have prior to arriving. Fiji does not require a visa but does require showing your COVID shot record upon arrival. I wonder what travelers who do not get vaccinated do to go to Fiji.

FYI, this blog site disappeared earlier this year, unbeknownst to me. All my posts from our many previous trips disappeared. With the help of someone here at Lakeside, I was able to recreate the blog site to begin keeping track of where we go and what we do from now on.

Jim and I hope that you enjoy hearing about our adventures.