ATM card hell…The consequences of not leaving South Africa as previously planned…

This is our Basket, the Bully, who was thrilled to see we’d returned to the bush. Many weeks ago, he appeared with a bloody right ear which now is but a stubble of an ear that seems to have healed nicely.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Wildebeest Willie was so happy to see us he didn’t bother to eat a single pellet for several minutes after Tom tossed them his way.

It wasn’t as easy as canceling a few planned flights and tours and losing the money associated with doing so.  We had carefully planned every step in our upcoming itinerary to ensure a seamless transition from South Africa to Kenya to South America to a cruise to the US and a flight to Minnesota from San Diego.

Now, all of these plans are dashed, and we reach to the future to make new plans with affordability as a critical issue after losing tens of thousands of dollars in non-refundable fares and fees. One might say we should have had travel insurance.

But in the real world of non-stop travel, this type of “trip insurance” doesn’t work. We don’t have a home, and any journey we do is not considered a “trip.” To acquire such insurance, we’d have to lie about our lifestyle, and that’s not our way of doing things.

Besides, it’s difficult to be reimbursed for any claims for a good trip, let alone trying to file a claim for an untruthful application. Even now, we struggle to get our medical policy to pay for my heart surgery, as they claim I had an undisclosed pre-existing heart condition (not the case).Of course, we are grateful I’m am alive and imply no complaint or sense of unfairness. The fairest thing in the world that ever happened to me was this condition being discovered in time.  For this, we are eternally grateful.

Nonetheless, there are consequences we must bear for these last-minute changes in plans. Fairness is not an issue. Reality is the issue, and as much as we’d like to bury our heads in the sand, we have no such option. Life continues with or without our approval for such consequences.

In tomorrow’s post, we’ll share some of those consequences and the economic effects and burden they have placed upon us, not as a warning to potential world travelers but as a revelation of what worst-case scenarios may transpire while choosing a lifestyle such as ours.  

We always knew this day would come, but life seldom provides enough warning to make us better prepared. No doubt, we were thrown for a loop and work diligently now to muddle our way through many of these.

One seemingly minor issue that never crossed our minds during these past two weeks since the surgery was our debit/ATM cards. With mine expiring on February 28th and Tom’s on March 31st, we faced quite a dilemma on how we’d easily access cash. 

Basket has the most prominent side warts of any warthog we’ve seen in the garden in over a year.

When we made our original world travel plans, we chose five credit cards that best serve our purpose. We each had ATM/debit cards we could use at a relatively low cost to access all the cash we’d ever need. Since we’d never used PINs on credit cards since we didn’t want to access some money from the cards, we didn’t give it another thought. Thus, we never requested PINs.

Perhaps this was an error on our part. We should have ordered the PINs. But, once we left the US and began using a mailing service, we didn’t want PINs coming to the postal service, although the company is bonded and highly reputable.  

One short-term dishonest employee could wreak havoc on our cards if they perused our mail. We felt safe and in control using our bank ATM cards for all of our cash needs. Little did we know that we’d be unable to collect the renewals cards, arriving in our snail mailbox in Nevada, USA.

With the former upcoming original plans, we’d be in the US on April 8, 2019, and could collect our renewed cards at that time, leaving only a short gap in time without access to the cards.  Tom’s card was sound until March 31st, during which time we’d have been on a cruise with no need for an ATM card.  This only left us with an eight-day gap.  We never gave it much of a thought.

But then, life happens, and the blur of the past two weeks brought us to these past few days realizing we wouldn’t have a working ATM card until we received them in the mail from the mailing service.  Mail service is not ideal in South Africa. It’s possible they’d never arrive. Plus, Tom’s card had yet to arrive in Nevada with its 3/31 expiration date.

In the interim, when Tom tried to get cash from his card yesterday, it wouldn’t work. Some convoluting security block had made use of his card impossible. This morning we spent 90 minutes on the phone with Wells Fargo, attempting to get the situation resolved.

Much to our relief, after the call dropped several times, they sent us two new cards via FED EX International. They removed the block on Tom’s card, which we can continue to use until 3/31, while the new cards arrive within two weeks. Situation resolved. Fiasco averted.

This is only one of many issues we’ll have had to maneuver during this challenging period. Then, of course, there are immigration issues, more flights to be canceled, more cruises to be canceled, the hospital insurance claim, and my many months of recovery to tackle, and… it goes on and on. But, we’ll continue to chip away at each obstacle as we face them head-on.

But, above all, I am alive, if not blissfully so, temporarily fuzzy-headed from the somewhat mild pain relievers and a plethora of heart-related medications slowing me down, but…I am alive.

Photo from one year ago today, February 26, 2018:

A foam tree frog nest, made overnight by the female frog awaiting up to one dozen males to fertilize it. We’ve been watching for the males but have yet to see them. In this post, four years ago, we had the opportunity to see the males fertilizing the nest. After an incubation period of a few weeks, the tadpoles will drop into the pool of water to complete their growth cycle. For more details, please click here.

Lions biting tires in Kruger National Park…Spotting lions near the Crocodile River…A day in the life…

The lions were very far from us and thus, these photos aren’t as clear as we’d have liked.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This wildebeest wanted in on whatever was is this bowl.  But, when he smelled the eggs, he left the mongoose alone to enjoy their treat. Wildebeests are herbivores dining on vegetation whereas mongoose are carnivores, especially thriving on snakes, rodents, insects and eggs.

This morning Tom forwarded this news story to my email thinking it was definitely of interest to us and hopefully many of our readers. The article in its entirety may be found at this link.

Here is a quote from the article for those of you who prefer not to click links:

“Visitors to the Kruger National Park’s (KNP) are urged to be on the lookout for a pride of ‘tyre-biting’ lions on the prowl.
KNP management said it has received reports of a large pride of lions north of Satara, which are showing abnormal behaviour* around vehicles such as the biting of tyres.* 
Although we’re always excited to see lions from Marloth Park into Kruger, we’re always reminded of the limitations of our lightweight cameras.

Visitors who come across this pride are urged to keep their windows closed. Those traveling in open safari vehicles have been told to remain silent and keep all limbs within the structure of the vehicle

“We would like to appeal to the open safari vehicle operators specifically to be on the lookout as the behaviour of the pride is of concern and might pose danger to occupants,” KNP Managing Executive Glenn Phillips said in a statement.

Tom walking down the steps with the eggs for the mongoose, in a different spot than usual since he didn’t want to disturb the wildebeest in the garden.
Veterinary Wildlife Services will be collaring one of the lions to monitor its movements and will also mark all members of the pride to allow for identification.
According to park management, if this unlikely scenario should happen to you, don’t try and change the tyre yourself. Instead call the park administration to send a breakdown service. If you aren’t within cellphone range, get a passing vehicle to do so once it is in cellphone range.  
(*Many English words are spelled differently in South Africa and other parts of the world).
That could be interesting and certainly an opportunity for quite a story to tell, especially if the people in the vehicles were able to take videos of the occurrence. The above link does include a video for your viewing (not ours).
Coincidentally, yesterday, we saw lions under a little unusual circumstance. Here’s how it transpired: In the morning while on our way to shop in Komatipoort and Lebombo, we decided to stop at friend’s Kathy and Don’s bush house. Don and his brother Keith are there for a week while Kathy has gone to California and then Hawaii where Don will meet her soon.
We were certain this wasn’t Wildebeest Willie, although they all look alike.
We knew Don would be returning for a week and we thought is would be nice to invite him and his brother for dinner.  Kathy had explained that Don isn’t always easy to reach on his cellphone (like us) and stopping by was a better option.
His brother Keith greeted us at the door, inviting us in, explaining that Don was out for a run/walk along the river. Fortunately, Don had his phone with him and answered when Keith called and handed the phone over to us. We chatted momentarily, deciding Sunday night would be ideal for their visit to our bush house and a meal on the braai.
No more than a minute after we hung up, he called right back to let us know there were lions on the banks of the Crocodile River and if we’d drive down the road, we’d see him and he’d drive with us to the location where he spotted them. We were thrilled about this opportunity!
When we tossed pellets a few landed on the edge of the veranda.  This guy didn’t waste any time gobbling them up.
Driving on Seekoei as Don directed, we found him on the side of the road waiting for us. He jumped into the backseat of the little car and we were off further down the road, a kilometer or two.
We parked the car and walked down a narrow dirt wildlife path to the fence separating Marloth Park and Kruger National Park. The lions were far away, hard to see with the naked eye and difficult to pick up through the camera’s viewfinder.
I did my best to to get these few photos we’ve posted today of the lions. There were actually four of them but I couldn’t get the other two in my sight. We hung around the fence for awhile with others equally interested and drove Don home when we were done.
This morning’s visit of four zebras, all males and of course, there’s always a few helmeted guinea fowl.
With our dinner plans set for Sunday at 1730 hours (5:30 pm) we said our goodbyes and headed to Komatipoort to shop. As always Tom dropped me off at the shopping center while he doubled back to Obaro to buy more pellets and then headed to Lebombo for carrots and apples for the wildlife.
A few hours later we were back at the house, unloaded the groceries and supplies. We were hot and thirsty. It had been another brutally hot day with an equally hot dusty breeze. We’re living in the bush.  
Everyday is dusty and each new day brings more dust-covered tabletops, counters, and floors. Each day, Martha, Zef, or Vusi washes the floors. The bottom of our feet are always dirty and we wash them before going to bed.  
The zebras don’t hesitate to stare at us, in hopes we’ll provide some food.  We always do.
If just a dribble of water hits the tile floors and we walk through it, we’ll track muddy footprints across the floor.  Each day we have to clean our laptop screen that end up covered in dust since we spend most of each day and night outdoors.
Soon, as this heat continues and the rains begin, the insects will be rampant. I’m not as freaked out by insects as I was in our old lives. After all, at this point between our visit in 2013/2014 and now, we’ve lived in Africa for almost a year and a half. Mostly, its the upcoming mosquito season that’s most worrisome since we don’t take malaria pills anymore.  
Two to three times a day, we cover ourselves with repellent. DEET is the only repellent that works. We’ve tried all the holistic and “healthy” repellents and none, and I mean none, will keep them from biting me. We use a local brand with less than 35% DEET, the maximum one should use. Its the way it is. Malaria is scarier than DEET.
This friendly fellow hung around for quite some time.
Currently, I’m outside on the veranda. Tom is inside taking a short nap. He didn’t sleep well last night nor did I.  The wind is blowing so hard, I may have to go inside soon. My eyes are burning from the sand billowing around my head.
This is Africa and I wouldn’t change it for anything. All of our friends here are strong and sturdy, resilient and adaptive. They make it work. We have as well. When we’re all together we don’t discuss the sand in our eyes, the dust in our houses, the things we wish we could buy here, the insects, or even the often unbearable heat.
Instead we share the unbelievable sightings, the endless stream of visitors, the gorgeous sunsets and our hopes and dreams for today and into the future. It’s a good life. We’re grateful.
May your life bring you gratefulness.

Photo from one year ago today, September 7, 2017:
Due to a power outage in Atenas, Costa Rica one year ago, there was no post on this date.

Money, Money, Money…A song and also real life!….

Every evening around dusk, before Frank and the Mrs. (to his left) go off into the bush to “make their noise,” announcing the beginning of the night, they stop by the veranda steps for birdseed which we happily provide for them.  Whatever is left is eaten by either the helmeted guinea fowl or, believe it or not, the warthogs.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Every night the bushbabies find their way to their little stand and gobble up the fruity yogurt we place there.  They often tip the cup, occasionally dropping it to the ground. Tom always picks it up and places it back on the stand for them.

Last night we paid the second big chunk of an installment for the upcoming Kenya tour in February. It’s an expensive tour, and we cringed over the price considering our budget constraints, especially when last night we paid well over ZAR 73,437 (US $5,000) for the second of three installments as required by the tour contract.

Elephants on the Crocodile River enjoying their day.

Last week after we returned from Zambia and Botswana, we paid rent for three upcoming months in Marloth Park, typical when living in rental holiday/vacation homes. Generally, with popular properties, long-term renters pay large sums at a time rather than paying monthly.

Most wildlife gravitates to the river for water, cooling off, and rich sources of nourishment.

When having a permanent home, one often doesn’t pay three, four, or five months in advance. Plus, when booking tours, vacations/holidays, it may be for only one or two trips a year.

For us, we have to pay so much in advance to secure plans for the future that it’s not surprising we cringe when having to lay out large sums of money well in advance of plans far down the road.

A hornbill and “Frank and the Mrs.” our resident francolins.

We use credit cards to pay for all of our expenses when we can’t use banking’s “bill pay” or send checks (which we consider an antiquated means of paying anyway in these high-tech times). We prefer not to use “bank transfers” for security reasons.  

Keeping track of all of these transactions requires a tremendous amount of diligence and record-keeping to maintain one’s sanity and sense of where we are financially at any given moment.

Two wildebeests, neither of them Wildebeest Willie, stopped by for treats with Tusker in the background and numerous helmeted guinea fowl who were hoping for a few pellets for themselves.

Every few months, we reviewed every upcoming dollar to be spent for current and future travels, referring to our comprehensive Excel spreadsheets of many pages. On top of that, we must keep diligent records for tax purposes.

In our old lives, once a month, we entered all our bills into our bank’s bill pay feature, never giving it much of a thought until the next month. In this life, we must constantly stay on top of our current and future expenses, deposits paid, balances due, and projected expenses for the future based on historical experience.

A mating pair of ostriches. The female is brown, while the males are predominantly black.

Need I say, this is a daunting task that those considering long-term world travel may not consider. When booking for the future, it’s imperative to consider the budget, above all other interests and desires.  


We don’t mean to sound like “tightwads,” but the future success of traveling the world is entirely predicated by careful financial planning and maintaining good health.  Both of these vital areas could easily “get away from us” if we weren’t a cautious as we’ve chosen to be.

Mom, Auntie, and Tiny Baby, who only months ago was the tiniest warthog we’d ever seen.

When living on a fixed income, one can easily imagine how disastrous it could be to find oneself living beyond their means and running money difficulties.  It would take away all of the joy and adventure of living this peculiar life on the move.

Wildebeest Willie stops by to check out the pellet action.

Instead, we carefully monitor all of our spending to ensure we stay within the confines of our budget.  Special purchases we may have once enjoyed are a thing of the past. 


Every financial move is calculated even to the point that we can’t dine out two or three times a week, nor can we flippantly select preferred rental cars or holiday rental homes.  Our most recent tiny, little car was ZAR 14,687 (US $1000) for three months (as mentioned in an earlier post).

Here again, Tusker is in the background awaiting an opportunity to get in on the pellet frenzy.  He visits several times a day while these or other zebras may stop by a few times a week.

And yes, we bounce around on these bumpy dirt roads more than ever in this recent car, but it doesn’t keep us from getting out to explore as we have all along.  


After we spent most of the morning updating and working on the “money, money, money” (click here for the Abba song), we’re excited to take off soon for another of those bumpy rides, always providing us with such pleasure to be a part of the magical world surrounding us here in the park.

This is our favorite warthog, Tusker.  He knows his name and turns around in one quick pivot when I call him.  It’s hysterical!  He’s charming to all of the other animals, politely waiting his turn.

For all of our readers/friends in the US, please have a safe and meaningful Labor Day weekend as you wind down the summer months.  Here in South Africa, we’re ramping us for spring to begin soon, on September 21st.


We’re worlds apart in the distance but close at hand in our hearts.  Happy day!

__________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2017:

One year ago, we reviewed September firsts throughout the years of our travels, including the above photo and caption here:  The day we arrived in Kenya on September 2, 2013, we were shocked to discover that there was no living room, no salon, no sofa, no chair nor a dining table and chairs on the interior of the house.  In other words, we spent three months living outdoors on this veranda with no screens, venomous insects on the floors, furniture, and walls, and excessive heat and humidity (no AC, no TV).  We adapted spending from 7 am to 11 pm outdoors every day for three months, less when we went on safari in the Masai Mara.  What a good learning experience this was!  By the time we reached South Africa after leaving Kenya, we had no interest in being indoors in the two air-conditioned living rooms in the Marloth Park house.  Again, we spent every day and night outdoors!  How quickly we humans can adapt! For the one-year-ago post, please click here.

Part 1…Artistry, talent and taboos…A cultural goldmine in Livingstone…WayiWayi Art Studio and Gallery…

This is talented and dedicated Agness Buya, who has made art, apprenticeships, and education at the core of her very existence. We were honored to have met her and for the time she took sharing this cultural center with the two of us.  Agness created this magnificent creation using tea bags!

“Sighting of the Day in Zambia”

Work and providing for one’s family is a part of the marriage commitment ceremony. This statue and other’s similar to this, bear no arms and legs, indicating there’s no place for “lazy” individuals who refuse to work.

Today and tomorrow we’ll be sharing photos of a fabulous cultural experience from yesterday’s tour of the city of Livingstone, Zambia. The highlight of our day was our private tour of WayiWayi Art Studio and Gallery.

The dirt road to the WayiWayi Art Studio and Gallery.

When one is on holiday in a tourist town with the intent of visiting an art gallery what visions come to mind? The glass storefront, a pristine and impeccable decor allowing for highlighting the art as opposed to the facility itself?

The sign upon entry onto the grounds.

One envisions expensive art offering including paintings with a wide array of techniques and styles, sculptures, glassworks, and a plethora of handmade creative wall, floor, and table pieces, each stunning, pricey and unique.

This building serves as both an art center and residence for owner/manager Agness and her artist husband Lawrence. Sharing art with their community is truly the essence of their lives.

Well, dear readers, one may find such places in many tourist locations throughout the world, but not here in Livingstone, Zambia. Throughout our almost six years of non-stop world travel, homeless and unencumbered with stuff art only provides us with a finite appreciation of the work and craft of highly dedicated and talented individuals.  

The grounds are near the art school and art classrooms.

We don’t own a wall, a floor, or a table to hold or display such an artistic piece of the work of these creative talents. Nor do we have a storage place to hold such works for future use should we ever stop traveling.

Display of children’s work in one of the classrooms in the adjacent building.

Although Livingstone with its World Heritage Victoria Falls is one of the world’s most desired tourist attractions, the culture is very different here than one might find in many other popular tourist destinations. 

Artist in residence honing his skills.

Subsequently, we were literally “over the moon” traveling over yet another bumpy dirt road (quite a familiar experience for us in rough-roaded Marloth Park) and we approached the most quaint and charming WayiWayi Art Studio and Gallery, located at Plot #2613/392 Kalukuluku Street (off Airport Road) in Livingstone, Zambia.  

Artist in residence working in one of the several workrooms with children learning from the experiences.

To reach Agness, contact her on their Facebook page here or she can be reached by email at this link. No reservation to tour the center is required during normal business hours but since the property is also hers and her husband’s residence, it’s best to contact Agness outside any regular hours.

Opportunities for both youth and adults to enhance their skills.

Should any of our readers travel to this exceptional country to visit Victoria Falls, a stop at this culturally fascinating facility is an absolute must, especially if cultural experiences fit well into your travel plans.

Art supplies and storage area.

As soon as we exited the taxi, Agness immediately approached us, hand outstretched to warmly greet us, two strangers. Little did she know we’d be writing a story with many photos about her outstanding artistic endeavors.  

A separate room dedicated to marriage rites and customs. This pattern on the floor is for the engaged couple to walk on tiptoes together symbolizing their ability to work as a couple.

As far as she knew we were typical tourists/shoppers interested in purchasing a few items to bring “home” for ourselves, family members, and friends as a reminder of a tour of Livingstone, Zambia.

Agness’ husband Lawrence painted this beautiful piece indicating the family’s unity and involvement in the marriage.

In only a matter of moments, Agness understood how committed we are to sharing “her” story in words and photos and possibly attracting the attention of art enthusiasts and future shoppers whose purchases help to support the continuation of such a fine educational and creative center for children and adults.

A collage of photos of the many stages of preparation for the upcoming marriage.

From the simple one-page brochure we’re sharing their words on services offered (as an important adjunct to our two-day story as follows):

1.  Produce, display, and sell high-quality Zambian arts, crafts, and design.
2.  Organize workshops and art exhibitions locally and nationwide.
3.  Provide apprenticeship opportunities for emerging artists.
4.  Empowering women’s groups and youth with skills training in the visual arts.
5.  Offer hands-on arts and crafts to children aged one and a half to six-month and above.
6.  Showcase the Mbusa cultural traditions (pottery, wall paintings, and artifacts used in the traditional Bemba marriage ceremony).  For detail on these traditions, please click here).
7.  Face/body paintings for various functions for all age groups.
8.  Resource Centre for visual art in Zambia’s Southern province.
9.  Provide studio space and Residency opportunities for local and foreign artists, in all areas of art.
10. To stock and supply a variety of art and craft materials for use by local schools and community programs.

Music, wall hangings, artifacts, and pottery are an integral part of the traditional Bemba marriage ceremony and rituals.

We will say this today and then repeat it tomorrow: “Thank you Agness Buya for adding such a rich texture to our ongoing experiences in your fine country and for all the care and support you provide for your artistic community.”

This wall mural contains many sections representing different aspects of life for the Zambian couple as they prepare for marriage, a lifetime commitment in this culture.

Tomorrow we’ll be back with Part 2 with a focus on many of the taboos commonly observed in Zambian culture. Please stop back.

 Photo from one year ago today, August 18, 2017:
Our friend Louise, whom we met in Kauai Hawaii identified this bird as a Hoffmann’s Woodpecker. Thanks, Louise, we appreciated the information. I took this photo while seated on the sofa on the veranda while working on the day’s post while in Atenas, Costa Rica. For more photos, please click here.

Our upcoming bookings for Zambia…Photos of scenery and culture…

Had Louise and Danie not taken us here, we’d have no idea this beautiful spot existed.

“Sightings of the Day on the Bush”

Full moon in the bush.

In 34 days, our South Africa 90-day visas expire. It’s not as easy as jumping across the border to get our visas re-stamped upon our return. As mentioned in an earlier post, it is now illegal to “border hop” to any of the countries bordering South Africa, as shown on the map below:

Image result for map of african countries
We cannot “border hop” (to re-do our visas for South Africa) to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. There are many other countries in Africa, but we aren’t interested in visiting at this time.

Over the next 11½ months, we are required to leave South Africa four times, possibly leaving earlier in March if necessary. This all depends on how long we stay out each time we leave. We aren’t booking any plans during this remaining period, other than the upcoming trip to Zambia, to ensure we won’t have any issues upon re-entry.

It’s entirely possible, immigration will refuse our re-entry on May 18th and will give us only one week to leave the country entirely. We can only wait and hold our breath to see how it goes on May 18th.

Rapids run through this area, although it doesn’t appear to be navigable by rafting enthusiasts.

During this period, our second 90-day holiday home rental renews, but after addressing this possibility with dear friends Louise and Danie, they assured us we don’t have to worry. We won’t be charged if we have to leave. We’ll only pay for the extra nights we used from May 11th on.

Fortunately, we have this house where we can leave the bulk of our luggage, making the trip to Livingstone, Zambia, a lot easier. Also, the flight is only two hours long. That makes travel days so much easier. 

Rock formations in the Komati River close to the road.

On May 11th, our nonstop flight is at 11:35 am, and on our departure from Livingstone, Zambia, on May 18th, we leave at 1:35 pm, again another easy travel day for a two-hour nonstop flight. Yesterday, we booked the round-trip flight and also a hotel in Livingstone through Expedia on our website at this link.

Sure we’d have liked staying in a luxury tent at one of a few locations on the Zambia side of Victoria Falls. Still, most of the tented camps are located on the Zimbabwe side, where we cannot stay to accommodate the visa requirements as shown on the above map. Such camps in Zambia were already booked during the time slot we needed.

Living conditions such as these are commonly found in many parts of the world.

We should have booked this months ago, but we waited as we further researched immigration laws for American citizens in South Africa. When we were here four years ago, we could have gone across the border in any of the surrounding countries and reentered for a new stamp.

It wasn’t until we started doing research a few weeks ago that our perception of renewing our visas was entirely wrong after the laws changed a few years ago.  Most tourists don’t stay as long as 90 days, or more so there was no point in “asking around.” Everyone had a different perception as to what is acceptable under our circumstances.

Many locals sell wood, used merchandise and handmade wares, and a variety of other products.

Many of our local friends from other countries (outside Africa) own homes here and have “resident’s visas.” We can’t apply for such a visa since we don’t own a home.

Fortunately, we were able to book flights and a hotel. Although the traditional hotel, the Protea by Marriott, is highly rated and packed with modern conveniences, we’d have been happy to stay in a tented camp.

Life is not easy for all citizens of South Africa, living under challenging conditions.

Then, of course, there’s the cost for these four outings we must make in the upcoming year. For one week, many more excellent tented camps were ZAR 60,161.23 to 90,242 (US $5,000 to $7,500).  Our total cost for the highly-rated hotel, including air, is ZAR 31,633 (US $2,629). 

Staying at the Protea by Marriott, we’ll be on our own for tours but have located a highly rated tour company that can fulfill all of our expectations at reasonable prices we’ll post later. Some tours were included in the higher-rated camps, but many were al la carte. Breakfast is included, and we’re on our own for dinners.

A village on the side of the road.

Today, we sent the tour company an email with our flight info (to have them handle our transfers to and from the airport) and four tours they offer that we’d like to attend during that week.

Our old philosophy of booking everything well in advance will become prevalent as we move into the future. We are waiting until the last minute seldom works to our advantage. 

 After the rain, everything was a lush green.

However, we cannot book the remaining three trips in Africa until we know the 90-day visa was renewed upon our reentry into South Africa on May 18th. At this point, we wait to discover how immigration chooses to handle this.

We’re not worrying or panicking in any manner. We continue to enjoy every day to the fullest, imagining that we’ll be able to stay until next March by taking similar one-week trips to our preferred locations.

The Crocodile River flows into the Komati River.

Tonight we’re off to Jabula for dinner for six of us. Tomorrow at 10:00 am, we’re heading to a “bush brunch” in Lionspruit (Louise will drive us since the little blue car doesn’t have enough clearance for the rough roads).  Tomorrow night we are invited to dinner at Sandra and Paul’s home, who live only two doors from us. It’s a busy, fun-filled weekend!

We hope your weekend is filled with activities you enjoy as well!

Photo from one year ago today, April 7, 2017:

View from the dining room balcony of the lovely house next door to us in Fairlight, Australia, was scheduled to be auctioned on April 22nd. For more photos, please click here.

A special day…It was 6 years ago today we wrote our first post…

Baby bushbuck is no more than a month old.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Bushbuck mom drank from our pond after eating the dry pellets.

When we recall posting our first story on March 14, 2012, which was 7½ months before our leaving Minnesota on October 31, 2012, it seems much longer ago. Tom was still working on the railroad until the day we departed while I was entrenched in getting everything sold and making plans for our future lives of world travel.

At that point, we were totally committed and never faltered in that commitment, even when we encountered one obstacle after another. Leaving one’s home country for years to come proved to be a much more daunting task than we ever imagined when we conceived of the idea in January 2012.

Mrs. Warthog lays down to feed her two fast-growing piglets, most likely three or four months old.

My return to good health in November 2011, after a massive change of diet the prior August, prompted our decision a mere two months later. Traveling had never been a priority in our lives with my poor health and our stringent work schedules.

Oddly, neither of us had dreamed about traveling and rarely discussed anywhere we’d like to go if we did. Oh, we took a few trips, mostly shorter flights when I couldn’t sit for more than a few hours on a plane, but we were always anxious to get back home to family, pets, and friends. How did this happen? 

Big Daddy Kudu visits almost daily. Last night he stopped by while we were dining outdoors. We no longer have dinner indoors when dining outside is heavenly.

How were we able to leave everything and everyone we loved behind to embark on this peculiar and yet enchanting lifestyle? Besides the health aspect, I think both of us had a lot of responsibility at a very young age. 

Tom’s first child, Tammy, was born when he was 17, and my first son, Richard, was born when I had just turned 19 (his 51st birthday is this week). By the time we were each in our early 20’s, we had owned houses, worked long hours, and had responsibilities many don’t experience well into their 30’s in today’s world.

As the sun began to set, mom and baby bushbuck stopped by for a visit.

Our 20’s and our 30’s flew by in a blur. When Tom and I met, he was 38, and I was 43.  Like most parents, we were overworked and, at times, totally engrossed in our responsibilities. We made mistakes as parents, as spouses to others, and in life in general. 

Together, we formed a strong unit in continuing our sense of responsibility in helping in the care of aging parents and others. We never allowed ourselves to think of or conceive of an alternate plan for the remaining years of our lives.

And then, with my returning health, we both ironically and simultaneously had a powerful and unstoppable desire to “step outside the box” of our predictable lives. Of course, most of our family members weren’t thrilled we were leaving with no particular end in sight. We understood that then and fully understand that now.

Their eyes leaned into a sound they heard in the bush. Even the baby’s instinct to watch for predators has kicked in at an early age.  Fortunately, there are few predators in Marloth Park, except for a few lions roaming around.

But, as time has passed, we’ve become even happier and more fulfilled (if that’s at all possible) in this nomadic life;  free, unencumbered, and dedicated to embracing the world around us.

No, it’s not always easy. Today, the temperature will reach 98F (37C), and we’ll spend no less than 15 hours outdoors in the heat. With a bit of a hot breeze, the dry dirt roads scatter dust and dirt around us, making us sneeze and have itchy eyes. 

The mozzies bite day and night, and yet…reading our posts. You can easily see how happy we are, we have been, here in Marloth Park and many other countries throughout the world.

They both came right up to the edge of the veranda, looking for pellets.  Of course, we complied.

We’re living a dream, a dream neither of us ever had in our old lives, a dream one can barely imagine as becoming real, manageable, and fulfilling. So today, six years later, we thank every one of our loyal readers for sharing this dream with us.

Today is post #2052. That’s right. In these past six years, we’ve written 2,052 stories.  It wasn’t until 2013 that we began posting daily and more photos as time moved along. Documenting this journey has added more to our experiences than we ever dreamed possible.  

If seven years ago, someone told me I’d have to write a story every day of my life, I’d have said it was an impossible task. Now, if someone said I couldn’t write a story every day of my life, I’d say it was impossible not to.

A mongoose dosing on the bottom step after another wild frenzy over the sour cream in the cup.

As laborious or tedious as it may seem at times, particularly with such stories as the past several days, it’s always done with love.  When one is motivated to perform a task out of love, it’s much easier to do. Should the time ever come that we can no longer write here, it would be the time to stop traveling.

If anything, we almost feel as if we’ve just begun. Our enthusiasm, commitment, and desire to share our story are only enhanced as each day passes. Please share our story with others who may glean a morsel of pleasure from it, and please, dear readers, continue with us…there’s so much on the horizon.

Please click here for our original post on March 14, 2012.

May you find your joy and fulfillment.

Photo from one year ago today, March 14, 2017:
We “borrowed” this photo from Bob, our landlord in Fairlight/Manly. The previous night, while dark and cloudy, we spotted two cruise ships leaving Sydney Harbour heading out to sea. For more photos, please click here.

Final expenses for 31-nights in a hotel in Buenos Aires…We’re off to Ushuaia!…

Due to the poor signal in this crowded Wi-Fi cafe in Ushuaia, we cannot upload any photos.  As mentioned in earlier posts, we’ll continue to make every effort to maintain our usual style of posts.  Would you please excuse any typos and formatting issues?
Yesterday was quite a busy day, and today won’t be much different. By the time you see this post, we’ll be at the airport getting ready to leave Buenos Aires to fly on a chartered plane to Ushuaia, Argentina, where we’ll board Ponant’s Le Soleal to begin our expedition to Antarctica.
We’ve been excited about this for a very long time. The situation with my knee put a bit of a damper on our enthusiasm. Still, now that I am on meds to hopefully alleviate the discomfort, we’ll be able to settle in on the cruise and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Getting out the door in the middle of the night wouldn’t be my preference. For Tom, after 42.5 years on the railroad, he was used to getting up and out the door at all hours of the day and night. But, now after retirement, even he cringed at the early hour.
Today, we wanted to share two important aspects of the 31-nights we spent in Palermo Soho Buenos Aires, Argentina; one, the reasonable expenses we incurred staying in the Prodeo Hotel, a fine boutique hotel two, a short review of the hotel itself.

First, let’s start with the expenses we incurred in total for the 31-night stay in the Prodeo as shown below: (Due to a poor Wi-Fi signal, we’re experiencing formatting issues):
 Expense   US Dollar   Argentine Pesos 
 Hotel – 31 nights $                  2,480.00 47,076.69
Flight – Round trip- inc
in cruise
                  –               –
 Taxi   $                       65.31 1,239.75
 Groceries & Dining
out- inc tips 
 $                     987.87                     18.752.28
 Laundry  $                        56.00 1,063.02
 Tips for hotel staff   $                     158.05 3,000.19
 Pharmacy & Misc.   $                     477.52 7,157.48
 Total   $                  4,224.75 59,537.13
 Avg Daily Cost    $                     136.28 1,920.55

We’re thrilled to have spent this amount while staying in a hotel and dining out every night, the exception when we purchased groceries for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day when most restaurants were closed or only offered outrageous prices on fixed price meals, not suitable for our budget or, my dietary restrictions.

This was surely a bargain compared to the cost for groceries, rental cars, and vacation/holiday homes. And we imagine that a traveler desiring a month in this fascinating country could even do better with proper planning and careful spending.

Would we return to Buenos Aires in the future? Possibly, with our plans to return to South America in the distant future for some specific sites we’d like to visit such as Machu Picchu, the Galapagos, and the Pantanal. 

A contributing factor to our enjoyment in the area has been the quaint and charming Prodeo Hotel, a contemporary boutique hotel, architecturally interesting in a fantastic location, staffed by some of the most OK people in the land. We generously tipped all of the staff members who made this stay memorable.

During this less-than-busy summer season in Buenos Aires, there were many days we were the only hotel guests. However, whether it was a whole house or the only guests, we were always treated with the utmost kindness, generosity, and attention.

As shown in the above expenses, we booked the hotel through a corporate rate at US $80 (ARS 1,532) a night, a reasonable rate for this busy city with many other hotels twice as much or more. No doubt, our extended stay helped us with pricing, but the competitive nature of boutique hotels does allow for some special pricing from time to time. It never hurts to ask.

Any issues while we were here? The power went out four times when the city was having problems.  Our bathroom sink wouldn’t drain, but after a few hours of bringing it to staff’s attention, it was repaired. 

Housekeeping was inconsistent at times, but our room was always clean and well-kept. The complimentary breakfast was repetitive, most of which we don’t eat (fruit, granola, cakes, bread, etc.). We appreciated the daily sliced ham, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Tom enjoyed the coffee while I sipped on my turmeric tea concoction each morning. 

The atmosphere is pleasing, comfortable, and inviting.  The bar has many types of beverages from fine wines to eclectic beer and serves some traditional Argentine empanada and other types of local food (none of which I could eat).  We never dined in the bar/dining room but enjoyed drinks from time to time.

The intimate hospitality by far surpasses what one may find in a large hotel, and we’ve discovered we mainly have found smaller hotels tend to suit our needs. We highly recommend Prodeo Hotel for your next visit to Palermo, Buenos Aires.

Small did OK getting up at 2:30 am and getting out the door in time for our 3:15 taxi to the airport. Check-in was a bit challenging and time-consuming, but Aerolineas, an Argentine airline, was seamless. Moving right along, we’re currently sitting at a tiny table at a tiny little bar with Wi-Fo in Ushuaia.

We both watched a free movie, Hacksaw Ridge, a stunning film on our individual monitors during the flight while the 3.5 hours passed quickly. Once we collected our bags, we were off to the bus with our Ponant group of passengers.

After a ride through the gorgeous town of Ushuaia, recognized as the most southerly city in the world or “the bottom of the world,” we headed to a local Accor Hotel for a magnificent buffet lunch with many foods I could have.

At our assigned table of English-speaking passengers, we met two fun couples and had a taste of the lively conversation yet to come with our cruise mates, most of whom are serious world travelers.  Not necessarily like us, but world-traveled, nonetheless.

We’ll be back with more as Wi-Fi allows, hoping to be able to stay in touch with all of you!

Take care until then!

Photo from one year ago today, January 23, 2017:

Andrew and Ian Smith, father and son and innovative owners/managers of Willie Smith Organic Apple Cider and Apple Shed, including restaurant, cider shop, and museum. (Not our photo). For more photos of this popular landmark in Tasmania, please click here.

Finally…Itinerary for the next 852 days!…A daunting task yet to be fine tuned…

We stopped at a gluten-free bakery, but there wasn’t an item I could have when they all contain starch and sugar.

After many days of research and discussions, we’ve finally pinned down our travel goals for the next 852 days.  This extended period is a lofty goal. We realize we’ve left out some parts of the world we’ve yet to visit, primarily China, India, and Japan which we’ll save for the future.

We’ll return to Europe to live in many other countries we’ve also yet to explore and would love to visit down the road in due time. The world is a huge place, and we pray for good health to make it all possible in years to come.

As you review this itinerary, you’ll note that we’ll be in and out of South Africa, staying for 89 days on each occasion. Our intent during these multiple stays is two-fold; one to “lick our wounds” from the upcoming pricey Antarctic cruise and two to savor our last foray in living in my favorite place in the world, the Conservancy of Marloth Park, where animals roam free around the bush houses.

So here it is, folks (cruises are noted in turquoise shading):

 Location 
Days
 Dates 
 Buenos Aires, AR – Prodeo Hotel 
20
 1/2/2018 -1/23/2018 
 Ushuaiai, AR – Ushuaiai,AR – Antarctica Cruise 
16
 1/23/2018 – 2/8/2018 
 Buenos Aires, AR – Prodeo Hotel 
2
 2/8/2018 – 2/10/2018 
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Bush home selected
89
2/11/2018 – 5/11/2018
  Zambezi River Cruise – Victoria Falls 
8
5/11/2018 – 5/19/2018
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Rent a bush home
89
5/19/2018 – 8/16/2018
 Uganda – See gorillas and the “Cradle of Mankind.” 
7
8/16/2018 – 8/23/2018
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Rent a bush home
89
 8/23/2018 -11/20/2018 
 Mozambique, Africa (get visa stamped) 
1
 11/20/2018 -11/21/2018 
 Marloth Park, South Africa – Rent a bush home
89
 11/21/2019 – 2/17/2019 
 Valparaiso, Chile – Rent vacation home or hotel
36
 2/17/2019 – 3/24/2019 
 Cruise – San Antonio, Chile – San Diego 
14
 3/24/2019 – 4/8/2019 
 San Diego, CA – Fly to Minneapolis, MN – Family visit
13
 4/8/2019 – 4/21/2019 
 Cruise – Fort Lauderdale, FL- Dublin, Ire (1-day hotel stay) 
15
 4/21/2019 – 5/6/2019 
 Ireland – Rent country house – Research Tom’s ancestry 
90
 5/6/2019 – 8/1/2019 
 Amsterdam, NLD – Hotel stay 
11
 8/1/2019 – 8/11/2019 
 Cruise, Baltic – Amsterdam, NLD – Amsterdam, NLD 
12
 8/11/2019 – 8/23/2019 
 England – Rent country home
62
 8/23/2019 – 10/24/2019 
 Southampton, UK – Fort Lauderdale, FL
15
  10/24/2019 – 11/8/2019 
 Henderson/Las Vegas, NV – Los Angeles, CA -Scottsdale, AZ 
25
 11/8/2019 – 12/3/2019 
 Ecuador – Galapagos – Rent vacation homes on islands
89
 12/3/2019 – 3/1/2020 
 Peru – Machu Picchu – Rent vacation homes, visit site 
30
 3/1/2020 –  3/31/2020 
 The Pantanal/Amazon River Cruise – Brazil (2 cruises)
30
 3/31/2020 – 4/30/2020 
 Number of days  
852

You’ll note we’ve added some locations we’d never mentioned in past posts for those avid followers of our site.  As we began pinning down places and dates, Tom continued searching for cruises that can get us from Point A to Point B in many instances.

In other cases, we included 89 or 90 day stays in countries before or after specific cruises. Additionally, one may wonder, why are we going back and forth to South America? This was a plan Tom had suggested long ago, which I didn’t think made sense.

Artistic painting on a wall on a narrow street.

Now, as we map this out and, based on available cruises, it makes all the sense in the world to me. In reality, there isn’t much “jumping around,” and after all, we’re doing it precisely as we see fit, not by some preconceived notion as to how we “should” travel.

As always, we’re doing it exactly as we’d prefer, always considering the best possible experiences befitting our tastes along with the most reasonable costs in the process.

Diners sitting outdoors at a local dining establishment

There are a few other points we should mention, including Ecuador one year from now. Through our extensive research over these past years, we’ve discovered we can rent vacation homes on three of the islands in the Galapagos, enabling us many private tours to the areas where wildlife is found, rather than going out on tour with lots of other tourists. This is especially appealing.

Another point to mention is regarding Machu Picchu…by staying in the area for one month, the experiences will be more comprehensive and rich in culture, and we’ll have plenty of time to acclimate to the high altitudes staying at varying points partway up the mountains.

It’s too early to book the cruise to The Pantanal in Brazil, the world’s most extensive wetlands (10 times the size of the Florida Everglades) and home to 3500 plant species, 656 bird species, 325 fish species, 159 mammals, 53 amphibians, and 98 reptiles. Our kind of place.

On a narrow road, we walked in the Serrano Plaza area.

From there, either before or after The Pantanal, we’ll cruise the Amazon River. This type of journey may not be for everyone, but it fits well into our objectives of experiencing nature at its fullest.

From there?  At this point, we aren’t even thinking of terms of what will be next. Indeed, we’ll visit family in the US.  By that time, we’ll have a handle on where we’ll go next, primarily locations we’ve never stayed in in the past.

This morning our friends from the UK left to head to their home in the UK, and now it’s just the two of us. We’ve been highly social with others since November 23rd, and now we’ll happily return to our normal happy state of being “just the two of us.”

Inside the mall near Jumbo market.

St. Petersburg, here we come! Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more, including some details of the Baltic cruise we locked in last night, one we hadn’t seen on the horizon for quite some time based on high prices. But, when we could get the balcony cabin for an excellent price, it was time to book it.

Five years ago today, we boarded the first cruise (for either of us), embarking from San Diego, heading through the Panama Canal (we recently transited the canal a second time during the most recent cruise), and ending in Fort Lauderdale. Here is the link from that first day!

Enjoy your day with any plans you may have on the horizon!

Photo from one year ago today, January 3, 2017:

Trespassers entering this field in Tasmania, thinking they could “get high” from the unprocessed poppy/opium, have died from doing so. For more details, please click here.

Worrisome news about Madagascar and the possibility in South Africa…”Fake news” or reality?…

More than 1,300 cases have now been reported in Madagascar, health chiefs have revealed, as nearby nations have been placed on high alert
This map of Africa illustrates where the high-risk areas for bubonic plague are located. We intend to be in South Africa beginning in February and in Mozambique and other countries to renew our visa status.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom’s early morning view of the moon setting on the horizon, taken from the veranda.

When I stumbled across the headline below, we immediately began to research the accuracy and validity of such claims that the eastern coast of Africa would likely fall prey to the ravages of the bubonic plague over the following months. 

With our plan to arrive in South Africa on or about February 10, 2018, that’s only 98 days from today. With the outbreak affecting over 1800 lives on the island of Madagascar, as shown on the above map, of course, this is a concern to us.

Our concerns aren’t necessarily revolving around the time we’ll spend in Kruger National Park or in living in Marloth Park, which is remote and relatively isolated but more so in traveling through busy airports such as in Johannesburg, which is a required stopping point to fly to Mpumalanga/Nelspruit our destination.

Here is the article we first spotted setting the research in motion from this site:

A deadly plague epidemic in Madagascar is now at a ‘crisis point and could reach mainland Africa where it will be ‘difficult to control,’ warns expert as World Bank releases $5M of aid.

  • Cases of the plague have spiraled by 37 percent in less than a week, data shows.
  • The World Health Organization now states that there are 1,801 suspected cases. 
  • At least 127 deaths have been recorded, but experts warn this could also rocket. 
  • The ‘unprecedented’ outbreak has prompted warnings in nine nearby countries
  • World Bank released an extra $5 million (£3.8m) to control the deadly outbreak

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5046017/World-Bank-responds-calls-help-battle-plague.html#ixzz4xTb2JSg9
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

While we’re spending about a year in Africa, we plan to visit various countries to fulfill our goals of many yet-to-be-seen aspects of this vast and fascinating continent. Most likely, this will be the last time we’ll see the continent in our world travels. We still have more “fish to fry.”

A boy covers his mouth as a council worker sprays disinfectant during the clean-up of the market in the Anosibe district, one of the most unsalubrious districts of Antananarivo.
Street scene in Madagascar during the plague.  (Not our photo).

Visiting Africa is not for the faint of heart and maybe more challenging as we age. We’re saving all the less demanding locations in other parts of the world for the distant future, including several cruises we’ll easily enjoy well into our 80’s health providing. 

The research took us in many directions. Finally, we landed at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the US, which we’ve used on many occasions regarding health conditions in countries throughout the world.

Although we don’t necessarily believe what every governmental agency espouses, we’ve found the CDC less prone to exaggeration, fluff, and fake news. We found this recent article as to what’s transpiring in Madagascar and how it may affect travelers to Africa.

Based on this article by the CDC, at this point, we don’t see a reason to change our plans, although we have decided to purchase face masks to wear while at airports or public areas as we travel through the continent should the plague spread to countries we’re visiting. We’ll buy them today to arrive at our mailing service to be shipped to the hotel in Florida, where we’ll come on November 22nd.

People queue at a pharmacy in downtown Antananarivo, Madagascar to buy protection masks against infections and medicines against plague on Monday, October 2.
Locals outside a pharmacy in Madagascar. (Not our photo).

As we’ve often mentioned in past posts, no country, city, village our countryside in the world is exempt from the risk of one type or another. Whether it’s an infectious disease, crime-related threats, or heinous acts of terrorism, we always proceed with the utmost sensibility and caution, which in itself is no guaranty of safety.

May your day find you safe from harm.

Photo from one year ago today, November 4, 2016:

One year ago today, we stood on our cabin’s veranda awaiting the arrival of this medevac helicopter to transport a heart attack patient from the ship to an appropriate hospital. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…El Toledo Coffee Tour…A farming experience unlike any other…

 Our video of roasting coffee beans at El Toledo Coffee Tour.
As a result of the end of the roasting cycle, these dark beans created the darkest roast, which, much to our surprise, contained the least caffeine. The light roast produced at the beginning of the roasting cycle includes the highest levels of caffeine. (See our above video) Who knew?
“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”
Yesterday afternoon this visitor came to call.  This lizard, most likely a Chameleon, was bright green near the vegetation and gray to blend it with the rocks and stone on the veranda.  Fascinating!

When we met farmer/owner Gabriel his warmth, openness, and innate desire to provide each visitor with an exceptional experience were highly evidenced in his welcoming demeanor. 

Arriving earlier than the scheduled 2:00 pm tour, as mentioned in yesterday’s post, we had an opportunity to “pick his brain” about his farming techniques coupled with his passion for the farm, which has been in his family for 85-years.

Bananas/plantains are growly abundantly in the coffee fields.
Over the years, they’ve changed his farm from growing beans to be marketed to other manufacturers to working and producing their beans, packaging their product, and bringing it to market to local citizens and visitors.
Each Friday, he and his dad each take up residence at each of two local farmers’ markets, one in Atenas and the other in La Garita (which we’ve yet to visit but will do so soon).  
Coffee beans, not ready for the harvest until they turn red.
They each set up a display of their fine coffee beans, both ground, and the whole bean, along with their delicious coffee wines, the red of which both Tom and I tasted and found to be of excellent red wine quality, somewhat similar to a Port wine. The white was considerably drier and reminded me of a quality Sauterne.
A type of Heliconia plant growing wild in the coffee fields.
There were four major elements to El Toledo Coffee Tour:
1.  The introduction and discussion about organic versus traditional farming and our misconceptions; how diversity in growing a wide array of other fruits and plants along with the coffee beans may eventually impact the quality of the flavor of the coffee beans; how he sees the growth of the farm in years to come; the introduction of other coffee bean products such as the “juice” and the two varieties of wine.
2.  The trek through the hilly terrain, up and down steep and muddy inclines due to recent rains, lasted almost two hours.  We stopped many times along the way as Gabriel explained the value and use of various other crops he’s begun to harvest and, of course, all about coffee bean growing. (It was a vigorous hike. At one point, Tom mumbled “The Queen’s Bath,” and although it was nowhere near as dangerous, at many points, it was pretty tricky.  Click here for the most challenging trek in our travels in Kauai, Hawaii).
3.  A return to the cafe for the coffee tasting, wine tasting, and more educational discussion during which we asked questions.
4.  The actual roasting process for which we’ve included the above video.
Many varieties of flowering plants grow prolifically in the fields attracting insects used as a deterrent to keep the insects off of the coffee beans instead of using toxic pesticides.
Here are a few notes from El Toledo Coffee Tour’s website that further exemplifies the nature of the above discussions:

“Welcome to El Toledo!Toledo coffee is a project that features coffee production in harmony with the environment. Here on the farm, we try to use natural resources to produce our organic coffee to minimize the impact on nature! To reach this objective, it is necessary to make a lot of changes to a typical coffee plantation-changes that we have implemented over the years and are glad we did.

First of all, an organic coffee plantation requires a different way of living and thinking about life. We cannot believe that the most important thing is money, because our health, future, and the environment are priceless!

Gabriel’s father was sorting black beans, frijoles negros which also are grown on the farm.

Once we achieved this change in our thinking, the next step was understanding and opening our eyes to everything we do to preserve our future and our health. In other words, we had to avoid using chemicals and damaging the environment in a way that could harm our health and put our future at risk! It is essential to understand its nature, as simple and as complicated as it is! Nature acts wisely. It can make everything grow in harmony; however, when we try to control everything in our way, we break all those functions using techniques that would make more problems instead of doing better!

Did you know people can grow organic products and still be against the environment?

We’ve learned so many things in our 20 years of experience that we want to share with you! Now, our production method is not only compliant with all the standards of organic farming by the certification we have. It’s more than that. It’s using the means of nature to work with and not against it, and that is the principle by which we live and operate our plantation!”

Check out the size of these plantains, a type of banana.  Gabriel in the hat in this photo kept us all educated and entertained during the tour.

During our five years of world travel (as of upcoming October 31st), we’ve visited many farms and agricultural businesses, which provided us with an education that has enhanced our lives and travels. But, Thursday’s tour with Gabriel at El Toledo Coffee Tour will always remain one of our favorites.

While the coffee roaster was working, Gabriel removed some of the beans at varying stages to illustrate how the color and richness of the roast changes the more extended the beans are roasted.
Right now, I’m avoiding coffee due to its high acidity, but hopefully soon, while we’re still in Atenas, I’ll be able to enjoy a full cup of El Toledo’s light roast. Tom will continue to enjoy the bag of light roast we purchased at the farm in the interim.


Enjoy a cup of locally grown coffee this weekend, wherever you may be!
Photo from one year ago today, September 10, 2016:
Beautiful beach scene from a stop halfway through the four to five-hour harrowing drive from the airport in Denpasar Bali to the villa in Sumbersari.  For more photos, please click here.