Zebras… They’re just like us… Hilarious zebra video…

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Curious, the zebras often checked out the braai (barbecue) area and the pool, occasionally drinking from the pool. They wander about the yard, checking out the vegetation and most often are curious as to what we’re doing.

With our eyes continually scanning the yard, suddenly, the black and white stripes grabbed our attention, making my heart skip a beat. Although very common in Africa and often seeing them along the road while walking or driving in the area, a visit to our yard is always special.

Click to start this enjoyable zebra video we shot on Wednesday in our yard.


In the 41 days that we’ve lived in Marloth Park, this is the third occurrence of a herd of male zebras visiting us in our yard. This particular visit from a few days ago was our favorite zebra visit.

As I threw out a handful of pellets, this guy tried to grab my hand, painlessly gumming my fingers. It’s apparent that they’ve frequently been given treats by tourists and residents alike, hopefully with items acceptable for their herbivorous diet. We give them a few handfuls of pellets and provide the mineral lick.

The zebras that appear in Marloth and Kruger Parks are Plains Zebras. Oddly, with their gentle nature, zebras have never been domesticated. It’s been apparent to us that they are intelligent, evidenced by the manner in which they interact with one another and with us, often mimicking each other’s behavior. In today’s video, this mimicking behavior is obvious.  

The mineral lick was getting lots of licks and Ms. Warthog was on her knees getting in on the pellet action. Our intent had been to stick to our beliefs that wildlife shouldn’t be fed anything in the wild. But a Field Ranger explained that the pellets are made specifically geared to the diet of the animals, as is the mineral lick.  We purchased both at Daisy’s Feed Store, here in Marloth Park. So far, most of the animals like the pellets, especially the warthogs and babies. Only the kudus and zebras seem to like the mineral lick.  A few days ago a warthog shoved it out of his way using his tusks putting a hole in it.

Similar to us humans, they develop routines. After three visits to our yard, a routine has already been established. They hang out at the veranda railing hoping for a few pellets and attention. After a while they head to the bush as shown in this video, to nibble on the vegetation.   

Zebras freely make eye contact and are less shy than most of the wildlife.

They walk toward the braai (barbecue) and the pool area, contemplating a drink from the pool. Zebras have a keen sense to detect toxins in water, as in this case, the chlorine in the pool. Although only a small amount, it prevents them from taking more than a quick sip when testing it the first two times they visited.  

This Zebra is looking into the bush beyond the pink car as Ms. Warthog wandered down the path on the opposite side of the carport, one of the many worn animal paths in the yard.

Zebras will naturally find a clean water supply and forage the general area, maintaining easy access to the water. On this third visit, they didn’t consider the pool water recalling that it wasn’t fit for their consumption. 

“OK.  Now that Ms. Warthog has left, what are you going to do for me?”

How did we know it was the same herd of males? The zebra stripe patterns are as unique as our own fingerprints. Having observed them for several hours, it’s been relatively easy to detect the unique patterns. Add the repeated behavior and we’re convinced this is the same male herd as in the past.

“Out of my way!  I’m first!”

Never tiring of repeat visits from wildlife, we can only hope we don’t have an encore from the Mozambique Spitting Cobra, now or in the future as described in yesterday’s post. Once was enough! 

The dominant zebra waited by the rear yard path. It was time to leave. Shortly, they all followed him down the path. They’d had a good visit with us.  Perhaps, the mineral lick makes them thirsty and it was time to head to the nearby watering hole.

But, the Zebras, they’re always welcomed!

Horrifying visitor!..Biggest scare of Tom’s life!…Postponement of today’s intended post to tell about this frightening experience!…

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These yellow lines were from the portable clothesline located in the corner of the veranda where the Mozambique Spitting Cobra was heading. Little did I know that this snake has the ability to spit venom as far as 10 feet, 3 meters into the eyes of its victim. Hands shaking, I took this blurry photo standing only 3 feet, 1 meter, from the snake.

No words can express the look of terror on Tom’s face when this Mozambique Spitting Cobra, shown in these photos, slithered toward his bare feet as we sat on the veranda yesterday around noon. I was sitting at the table approximately three feet, about one meter, from where Tom spotted the dangerous snake.  

This is the corner where the snake headed to hide.

Where did that come from?  Were we so busy looking for animals in the yard that we failed to look down near our own feet?

It had come within inches (centimeters) of his bare feet. Later, we discovered that this type of snake presented less of a risk of biting than “spitting into one’s eyes” possibly blinding or killing the victim.

Without a moment to think he bolted out of his chair while warning me of the location of the snake, so close to his bare feet. Looking in the wrong direction, I had trouble spotting it for a few seconds. Immediately, I reminded Tom to put on his shoes. At that point, neither of us realized what type of snake it was.

When it comes to Mozambique Spitting Cobras, their size was insignificant compared to the dangerous, life-threatening venom they inflict upon their victim.  This snake was approximately 1.5 to 2 feet long, 45 to 60 cm.

As it hissed and raised it’s suddenly wide face at us, we instantly knew it was a Cobra, unsure if it was a Spitting Cobra. A few nights ago, we’d watched an episode of The Amazing Race showing the participants eating cooked Cobra as one of their challenges, while traveling through Indonesia. 

During the show, there was a live cobra on display in a glassed enclosed box. Neither of us gave it much of a thought while watching the show, except to observe the shape of the head when half of its body was raised in defense mode, ready to strike.

The head of the snake was in the grabbers, not in the hand of the security guy.  He was very cautious and had obviously handled these snakes in the past.

We’ve all seen photos, watched TV shows and movies, or caged cobras in a zoo. But in person? Not so much.

Well, folks, there we were on the veranda as an angry Mozambique (the country only a short drive from here) Spitting Cobra slithered its way to a corner near the house, not toward the driveway or garden. Tom grabbed the long-handled pool net in an effort to steer it away from the house. How horrifying it would be if it somehow got inside! But how much more horrifying it would be if it attacked Tom!

My biggest fear was Tom getting bit so I kept warning him to stay away. You know how guys like to take charge in a crisis, right? This was no time for heroism, my dear husband. 

The snake was close to the door to enter the house. I was determined to get inside to call Field Security, whom we were instructed to call for any type of emergency, including snakes. Gingerly, I maneuvered inside the house while Tom managed the snake. This was definitely one of those emergencies worthy of calling Field Security!

The snake wrapped itself around the grabber while its head was still clamped.  I cringed when the security guy got his hand this close.  By no means, was he careless, but even he was surprised and jumped back when the snake jumped out of the bucket after it was placed inside.

Digging through the instruction notebook Louise and Danie left for us, it took only a few seconds to find the phone number and place the call. Giving them our address, they explained that they were on their way.  

We could have gone inside the house and let the snake maneuver to his liking, but we wanted it GONE! GONE! GONE!

Using the pole and net, Tom kept it cornered while we waited. It was curled up ready to strike, laying underneath a stringy mop. The pole Tom was using was no less than 10 feet long, three-plus meters, which he carefully managed as we waited long 10 minutes for Field Security to arrive.

Carrying a “snake grabber,” one of the two security guys arrived ready to remove the snake. Moving the mop off the snake in the corner, the security guy jumped back stating loudly, “That’s a Mozambique Spitting Cobra! It’s very dangerous!” 

We both stepped back while he and his co-worker (who was carrying a large plastic bucket with a lid) readied themselves to grab the snake. Of course, I mentioned, “Please let me take a photo once you have it secured.” My camera was already in hand. They also proceeded to take a photo with their phones.

As soon as they placed the snake into the bucket, it jumped back out!  We all let out a spontaneous, “Oooh!” Luckily, their reflexes were quick. After a few more attempts they got the snake back into the bucket with the lid firmly in place.

I asked them some questions, such as, “Where the snake will be deposited and how many of these snakes have they removed lately?”  The snake would be deposited near the Crocodile River. (Oh. We’re going there again tonight)! This was the second Mozambique Spitting Cobra they’d removed from a house in Marloth Park so far this week! That wasn’t very comforting.

In addition, they answered a few more of my questions regarding how likely it is this type of snake would enter the house? Answer: very likely. And also, how far can this snake “spit?” Answer: up to 10 feet, three meters. 

Then the scarier questions came, such as:  How likely is this snake to blind a person. He answered, “If you’re lucky!” That wasn’t very comforting either.

After they left, Tom, who’d put on his shoes, stated, “That was the biggest scare of my life.” It hadn’t scared me as much as the black Centipede that he found a few weeks ago on the wall near the bathroom, only feet from our bed. That really freaked me out. None the less, the snake was scary.  

Then again, we are in Africa, in the bush. Wildlife is all around us. Whoever said “safari luck” was only for the animals we love to see. Perhaps “safari luck” includes the scary ones too!  

At least now, when I walk down the long driveway each morning to leave a trail of pellets for the warthogs (it works), I won’t be thinking of the lion that’s loose in the neighborhood. Instead, I’ll be watching more diligently for snakes!

On a more cheerful note, this baby tree frog stopped by today, one of several we’ve seen the past few days.  Is it possible these are the product of the earlier of the two white foam nests hanging over our pool?  More on that later as we continue to watch.

Note: Today, we’d intended to share the fun zebra video and story which now will be posted tomorrow, Saturday, January 11th. 

Two visits to the river in one day…The rewards, outstanding!…A male lion is loose in Marloth Park…

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After diligent perusal of the book, “Newman’s Birds by Colour for South Africa”, loaned to us by Louise, we were thrilled to spot the White Fronted Plover that we’d captured from the banks of the Crocodile River.
This morning at 8:00 am, Danie stopped by on his motorbike to say hello and to tell us that a male Lion was spotted by a ranger at 3:00 am close to the river. Danie told us that from time to time lions make their way from the bordering Kruger National Park into Marloth Park, protected only be a few stands of wire fence.  
This White Fronted Plover caught my eye as we scanned the Crocodile River for wildlife. It was resting on a tiny island, not far from our vantage point.
Danie explained that a visiting lion may stay in Marloth Park for months at a time, spotted on occasion, mostly at night.  Residents are always alerted to the presence of a lion.This further explains why residents are not permitted to go for a walk after dark along with the danger of other nocturnal animals.
A male cape buffalo, referred to as “Retired Generals” by our guide Anderson in the Masai Mara.
A lone bird hangs out with the two “Retired Generals.”

The intent has been to keep elephants, rhinos, lions, and hippos form entering Marloth Park, potentially harming its residents.
Located in Marloth Park is a smaller park, Lionspruit, containing all the wildlife we see here, plus three Lions, one male, and two females. We intend to visit Lionspruit soon, staying away during the busy holiday season, now finally winding down. It’s unlikely that we’ll see the Lions in Lionspruit as explained by many of the locals we’ve met.  Lions tend to sleep during the day and hunt at night
 Hippos spend most of their time in the water, occasionally languishing in the sun in groups. Crocodiles and hippos co-habitat well.
 
During our second river visit, we spotted this hippo snorting water as shown in the photo as the sun went down.

With the abundant wildlife and vegetation on the Crocodile River, forbidden to human exploration other than viewing from its banks, dividing Kruger National Park and Marloth Park, it is a draw for us on a regular basis.

Safety in numbers, the Cape Buffalo take an afternoon rest together.

Midday yesterday, we took a long drive along the road that borders the river, stopping to look for several openings in the bush and trees, in the same area where the Lion was spotted during the night.  

The interesting white bulls-eye on the waterbuck’s behind. 
The waterbuck is an attractive animal staying close to the river for their food sources.

Later in the day, we returned to the public campgrounds to once again view the river and, to grab dinner-to-go from their popular overlook restaurant.

This crocodile was far across the river, making it difficult to get a good shot.

In the past 15 months, we haven’t purchased any carry-out-dinners, due to a lack of availability, along with the restrictions of my way of eating. With several recommendations to try the grilled chicken, we decided to make our usual coleslaw and two vegetable sides to round out the meal and eat in, the third night in a row.

The views of the river never disappoint.

We placed our order for two whole chickens after seeing guests carrying them to the picnic tables. While our chickens were cooking, we sat outside on the deck checking out the wildlife along the river. Once again, we weren’t disappointed, as shown in our photos.

Based on the fact that chickens in this area are free-range, not receiving any hormones or other drugs in order to grow meatier, the chickens were small and had little meat although the flavor was good. It wasn’t difficult to wipe out almost all of the two chickens in one meal.

Even on a cloudy day, the river views are breathtaking.

Tonight, we’ll dine at Ngwenya, a resort outside Marloth Park, which is also located on the river with what we’ve heard is a phenomenal close-up viewing. Hopefully, we’ll return with more photos to share.

Wherever we drive, walk, or even stay stationary, if patience prevails, “they will come.” Yesterday, we had another extraordinary day with two visits to the Crocodile River and visitors galore. 

Tomorrow, we’ll have an entertaining video to share epitomizing what we keep saying every day, “In many ways, the animals are a lot like us!” It is these similarities that make us smile and laugh again and again, often hours later, when we relive the wonderful events of the day.

As the sun began to set over the Crocodile River, we packed up our dinner-to-go and headed home having had yet another great day of viewing.

There are few recreational activities that bring so much anticipation, laughter, and joy as that which we’ve experienced here in the bush, living among the treasures that Mother Nature has graciously bestowed upon us humans, to nurture, to love, to protect, and respect.

Making friends while traveling…A local friend’s birthday celebration…A social life…Please scroll for more visitors…

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A photo of a lovely painting on the wall of the restaurant, Tambarina.
How lucky we’ve been to befriend local Marloth Park residents, some living here year round and others who have homes in other parts of South Africa or other parts of the world.
At lunch last Friday with our new friends, Piet and Hettie, with whom we celebrated both of their birthdays over a fabulous lunch at the Tambarina Restaurant in the town of Komatipoort.
The commonality of the interest in wildlife creates an easy segue into lively conversation. Add the combined travel adventures to the conversational mix, the unbelievable friendly nature of the citizens of South Africa and friendships bloom with gusto.
Hettie’s lunch of prawns from Mozambique, a neighboring country we’d love to visit. Due to political unrest at this time, we’ve been advised to stay away.
We won’t take any credit for this pleasing friendship-making other than the enthusiasm we share for meeting people along the way in our travels.
Piet T-bone steak platter which he said was excellent.  We were so busy chatting I forgot to take a photo of Tom’s meal.
While cruising we were again lucky to meet many wonderful people from all over the world, many of whom we stay in touch via email. Once we landed in Belize for 2½ months, we made friends with neighbors on either side of us, who happened to have their other homes 35 minutes from our old home in Minnesota. We stay in touch regularly.
My prawn salad was perfect for lunch.  Next time I’ll order the plate of prawns that Hettie ordered and enjoyed.
There’s no location that we’ve lived in the past 15 months have the locals been so welcoming and open to befriending these two vagabonds, who’s three months stay in Marloth Park is rapidly waning.
The elusive monitor lizards occasionally honor us with an appearance. Recently, one of the two of them ate an egg we’d left out for the mongoose family living in our yard, which occurred so quickly we were unable to take a photo.  

In a few weeks, I’m going out to a “girls only” lunch date with two lovely women with whom we’ve socialized as couples. It’s been 15 months since I’ve had a “girls only” lunch with my dear friends from our old neighborhood; Nelleke, Jamie, and Sue, when they planned a get together one last time before we left on Halloween 2012. 

Although not daily visitors, we can count on the kudus to stop by once a week. The wildlife grazes on a rotating basis to ensure they don’t “wipe out” any single area of vegetation. How clever, Mother Nature!

Last Friday, our friends Hettie and Piet invited us to lunch as their guests to one of their favorite restaurants in Komatipoort, Tambarina, a quaint Portuguese restaurant. Offering the freshest of ingredients and known for their jumbo prawns imported from the neighboring country of Mozambique, their menu was diverse and appealing, the resulting food absolutely delicious.

If we lived here, we’d never tire of the graceful beauty of the kudu or for that matter, of any of the wildlife that comes our way with the exception of poisonous insects. Whether a dung beetle, a tree frog, a mongoose, a turtle or the yet-to-visit wildebeest, we love seeing them.

With both of their birthdays early in the month, we celebrated, enjoying yet another excellent time together.  We look forward to their return by the end of this month as well as the return of other friends, we’ve been fortunate enough to make in Marloth Park.

The mineral lick hasn’t garnered as much attention as we’d anticipated.  A few days ago a warthog pushed it out of his way with his snout, showing no interest whatsoever. Thus far, a few kudus have nibbled at it. Guess we won’t need another one of these.

Of course, Louise and Danie, our hard-working hosts, are much more to us than “landlords.” They frequently stop by to see if we need anything but more importantly, for both of us, is the time they spend visiting with us, as we all get to know each other. They are very special people.

The center kudu was nudging the kudu on the left with his massive horns. We seldom see a female kudu in our yard who protect their young in secluded locations during their infancy.  Once impregnated, the males permanently avoid the females and the offspring. A dominant male may mate with many females, leaving other males without a mating opportunity. Later, the boys hang out together, the dominant male heading up the herd.
Not unlike Minnesotans, many homeowners here have a house elsewhere and a house in Marloth Park, as one would have a house and a cabin on a lake in Minnesota. After lengthy holiday stays, many return to their other homes for a period of time with plans to soon return to Marloth Park.
Both of us have always been “social butterflies” making a concerted effort to nurture and cultivate relationships with friends. In the past, we frequently entertained as well as being entertained in the homes of friends. Having left all of those friends behind, making new friends has been such a pleasure.

With only 53 days remaining in Marloth Park, we plan to cherish every moment with our new friends, both human and animal, which apparently are in abundance in this glorious location.

A precious photo from a friend… Food prices in Marloth Park, an affordable place to live…

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Our new friend Ken also loves warthogs, as shown in his photo at his home in Marloth Park. Thanks, Ken for sharing this special moment. See, I’m not the only one that loves the warthogs in Marloth Park. These homely animals have adorable personalities making it possible to differentiate one from another, as they visit almost every day. The female in the background is on her knees eating pellets. As shown in the past, warthogs usually eat on their knees, adapted since birth with “built-in” callouses.

Not only is Marloth Park one of the most amazing places to live on the planet, but it is also surprisingly affordable. Based on our expenses to date, we expect to be under budget by US $2500, ZAR $26,620 for our three months here.

Most of the savings we’re seeing have been as a result of the reasonable cost of food, both at the grocery store, averaging at about US $150, ZAR $1597, per week and dining out two to three times per week at an average of US $30 per evening out including beverages, tax, and tips.

This small female warthog has been visiting with the huge camera-shy male who’s butt is to the left. She often stands looking at us, hoping for a pellet, while he stays back in the bush. They are always together. We’ve yet to determine their relationship since males leave the family unit once the female is impregnated. They may be courting, resulting in a rather long courtship. The impala in the rear was waiting to see what the warthog was going to do. 

Whether dining in or out, the cost is approximately the same. When budgeting for this 90 day period, we’d anticipated the remote location would result in higher food prices than most countries.  

Little did we know that the cost of food in South Africa would be affordable, as much as 50% less than we paid in the US. The produce is grown without pesticides, the meat is grass-fed and the chickens are free-range.

Duikers are loners. We’ve yet to see a baby, a pair, or a group.  Very shy, they rarely get close, preferring to observe us from afar.

Tom’s typical mixed drinks in most bars and restaurants, brandy and Sprite, are usually less than US $3.25, ZAR $34.61. My bottled water is usually US $1.13, ZAR $12. Tom says, “I can’t afford not to drink!” Two-liter bottles of a quality brandy at the local liquor store were priced at US $20.61, ZAR $220 including taxes. 

Since arriving in Marloth Park, we’ve purchased meat at the local meat market, The Butchery, next door to the Farmers Market where we buy our produce. It’s hard to believe the cost of these items. 

There are four packages of lean grass-fed ground beef in this batch, referred to as “mince” in Africa.  The total cost of these huge packages was US $17.23, ZAR $183.50. The forward huge T-bone steak is US $3.43, ZAR $36.47. In the rear of this photo is pork chops and lamb chops.  All of this meat will feed us for eight dinners, enough for two weeks considering our three-nights of dining out per week.

In browsing in a few local boutiques, we’ve found prices on clothing and accessories equally affordable. If we had room in our luggage, we’d most certainly purchase some much-needed items for our upcoming cruises in less than eight months.  

The total cost of meat for eight dinners for the two of us combined is US $37.04, ZAR $394.40, an average of US $4.63, ZAR $49.30 per dinner. Although the many familiar cuts of meat aren’t available, we’d been able to adapt quite easily.

Services are equally inexpensive as well.  Included in our rent is twice a week cleaning service. Zef, our house person, does a flawless job. Should we have wanted him for additional days beyond the included two times, the cost would be US $4.70, ZAR $50. He cleans the entire house and all three of the verandas and the pool.

As quickly as the mongoose moves about, making a delightful sound as they communicate with one another, it’s been difficult to take photos of multiples.  Yesterday, our yard was surrounded by a few dozen shy mongooses, happily chirping among themselves. They eat snakes making them welcomed visitors.

Our time in Marloth Park, including a few side trips, is proving to be more affordable than any country in which we’ve lived thus far. Add the beauty of the area and the ideal weather only hot a few months a year, temperate the remaining months. Of course, for us, the wildlife roaming freely around the house makes a return visit to Marloth Park in the future, rather tempting.

The upcoming itinerary for the next almost 500 day..Also, an upcoming road trip in South Africa…Yesterday’s unlikely visitor…

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Aptly named Clive by Facebook friend Peggy, (feel free to ‘friend me” in Facebook using my email address: jessicablyman@gmaiil.com), we considered that he may be the same ostrich we’d seen on December 7, 2013, (click here to see that post) only a week after our arrival.

Leaving Minnesota 431 days ago, with the next almost 500 days planned, it reminds us of how much planning we’ve actually done. Beyond the end date of our planning thus far of May 14, 2015, we’ve yet to decide where we’d like to go next.

Last evening slightly before 6:00 pm while busy indoors chopping and dicing for dinner, I did my usual checking outside for wildlife every 10 to 15 minutes. At first, all I saw was the oblong ball of black feathers of this ostrich. He appeared to be leaving, but when I called out in my high-pitched voice, he turned and came our way with little fear of us. At one point, he was within 5 feet, 1.5 meters, from us. 

Some readers have assumed it may be the end of our worldwide travels, when in fact, health providing, we look forward to many more years to come. However, we’ve determined that planning more than two years in advance is unnecessary. 

Early on in the process, we booked as far as 2½ years in advance. Why some have asked? Perhaps, it was a part of making the commitment, to dig deep, to ensure we would stick to it, giving ourselves ample time to adjust

After he’d turned around, he wandered close to us.  Although not apparent in this photo, he was at least 8 feet, 2.44 meters tall, weighing as much as 295 pounds, 134 kg.  His cheerful disposition was evident in his confident demeanor, causing us to laugh while enjoying every moment with him.

Adjust, we did.  Now, if we had to wait 30 days in advance to plan, emotionally, we could do it. Financially, it could be a challenge when last-minute planning ultimately is more expensive. Also, we’d sacrifice certain options; lesser accommodations, taking the “leftovers.” There’s no need to put ourselves into a potentially stressful last-minute situation.

In the next six months, we’ll begin tacking on to the end of the 2015 date, as yet to decide where we’d ideally like to travel. Leaving from Hawaii at that point does precipitate certain distance challenges that we’ll manage to figure out.

His feathers looked silky up close.  His funny knee joints are backward, compared to ours and most other animals. His flat two-toed feet were steady and he walked with confidence. “Though they cannot fly, ostriches are strong runners. They can sprint up to 43 miles (70 kilometers) an hour and run over distance at 31 miles (50 kilometers) an hour. They may use their wings as “rudders” to help them change direction while running. An ostrich’s powerful, long legs can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride.”

So here’s our firm itinerary, including the remaining days in Marloth Park but not including side trips we’ll take from various locations, such as the upcoming three-day outing to the Blyde River Canyon, a 3½ hour drive, on the famous Panorama Route, stopping to see the many sites along the way.

Itinerary                                                 # of days         Dates

South
Africa Rental – Marloth Park/Kruger Park House – remaining		 53 12/1/2013-2/28/2014
Flight South
Africa to Marrakesh		 1 2/28/2014
Marrakesh,
Morocco House		 75 3/1/2014-5/15/2014
Madeira,
Portugal House		 76 5/15/2014-8/1/2014
Flight
Madeira to Paris, France		 0 8/1/2014
Paris
Hotel 		 15 8/1/2014-8/16/2014
Tunnel
(Chunnel) Paris to London		 0 8/16/2014
London
Hotel 		 15 8/16/2014
-8/31/2014
London to Boston – Cruise 14 8/31/2014
– 9/14/2014
Hotel Boston 3 9/14/2014
– 9/17/2014
Flight Boston
to Vancouver		 0 9/17/2014
Hotel
Vancouver 		 6 9/17/2013
– 9/23/2014
Vancouver to Honolulu – Cruise 12 9/23/2014
– 10/5/2014
Honolulu/Waikiki
Rental 		 11 10/5/2014
– 10/16/2014
Maui Rental 57 10/16/2014
– 12/1/2014
1st house
Pahoe Hawaii Rental 		 46 12/1/2014 – 1/14/2015
2nd house
Pahoe Rental  (family visiting)		 0 12/20/2014 -1/3/2015
Kauai Hawaii
Rental		 120 1/15/2015-5/14/2015
Number # of days remaining
before adding future  plans		 504
Over the next several months we’ll begin to add to the
continuation of our travels.

All of the above locations have been booked with deposits paid, a few of which have been paid in full. Forms of transportation far out have not been booked which is impossible this far in advance.  

However, the complicated flight from South Africa to Marrakesh, Morocco has been booked with only 53 days until departure, details of which we’ll share in a future post. Also, we’ve booked three hotels for short stays and as shown, two cruises.
The time had come for Clive to leave. Hoping he’ll return again, we watched as he lumbered his way down our long dirt driveway, obviously content with his visit.
As for this month, we’ll stay at the Blyde River Canyon Lodge from January 15th through the 18th, as we work our way along the renowned Panorama Tour that enables us to see some of the wonders of South Africa including the third deepest canyon in the world, rich with scenery and wildlife and to see the famous, “God’s Window.” Hopefully, the skies will be clear!
We’ll post photos of our experiences every step of the way, sharing them daily with hopefully, an adequate Internet connection. Leaving in only nine days, we continue to treasure every moment in Marloth Park.  
He looked back at us a few times as he followed the path..
Soon, the tourists we’ll leave after their holiday visits. The exquisite quiet we experienced when we first arrived in Marloth Park on December 1st will return.  
Kruger National Park, a 30 minute drive, will also be on our “to do” list of what is considered a “self game drive” where one pays the park entrance fees, driving through the park and returning to one of the many entrance gates by no later than 6:30 pm when the park closes. If one is on a guided tour, they may remain in the park until 9:00 pm as we’ve done on two game drives ending in Bush Braai dinners.
Goodbye, Clive!  He fluttered his wings as he wandered away.
Busy? Yes! Content? More than we could ever have dreamed. One might ask, how can we consider ourselves ‘busy” when we spend most days on the veranda, waiting for wildlife to visit? Waiting for wildlife requires diligent attentiveness, quiet and the desire to continually scan the area.
Besides, a short trip into the house could easily result in having missed the glorious opportunity to have met our new friend, Clive. 

Impalas…70 to 80 in our yard… We observed quietly and still… Closeup video and photos…

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Even the little ones, learn to stand watch.

Please click here for interesting facts about Impalas.

Check out these touching photos of a lioness adopting an orphaned baby Impala…

Impalas are everywhere. Preferring open spaces, even at night, we saw them in huge numbers while on safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, and now in both Marloth Park and Kruger National Park, next door to one another.

“This is the most common antelope of the bushveld regions of South Africa. A very graceful, rufous-fawn antelope, with white underparts, measuring approximately 900mm at the shoulders. Rams weigh around 132 pounds, 60 Kg, and ewes, 88 pounds, 40 Kg. A black stripe extends from the top of the rump down the back of each thigh. The lower hind legs have glands beneath tufts of black hair. Only the rams have horns which are lyre-shaped, and reach a length of 27.56 inches, 700mm.”

Here’s our impala video that was taken on Friday, January 3, 2014.
With the numbers of them readily available it’s easy to take them for granted paying little attention when passing by. Very shy and cautious, they leap into the air, taking shelter, if humans or other wildlife approaches.
We had no alternative but to take the photos and video while seated on the veranda to avoid scaring off the Impalas.

Oddly, on the same day the giraffes visited on Friday for which we posted yesterday’s story, photos, and videos, the impalas arrived on the same day, just as the giraffes were wandering off.  

Our attention was torn between the two until we realized it wasn’t 10 or 15 impalas standing in front of our veranda across the driveway in the bush, it was 70 to 80 (we lost count). We couldn’t have been more excited. However, the reality of their skittishness made us whisper as to how we’d go about taking photos. We could easily determine which were assigned “watch duty.”

After we took these obstructed photos, we switched to taking the included video.

Tom was seated in his favorite Adirondack chair, somewhat behind me, without me blocking his view and I was seated at the table with a partially blocked view due to the protective railing on the veranda. It was impossible to stand, even with the least possible movement, or in a few seconds, they’d be gone.

Impalas have a keen eye, quick to spot a potential predator and to them, that may as well be us. Always keeping the camera within reach, requiring the least amount of movement, I gingerly managed to pick it up and take photos from my chair, albeit through the spaces in between the thick wood western-style railing.

The stripes on their rumps make it easy to determine they are impalas. Other species in the Antelope family look similar without the stripes.

As most of you photographers know, zooming in to a subject creates a ton of jittery action. With my unsteady bad, right shoulder, and no tripod, this is quite a challenge. They are moving constantly so I was at a disadvantage. The video was the only option. 

If I could zoom in enough to get between the railing, steadying my elbows on the table, with the least amount of movement, I could possibly get the video. Keep in mind, I am a neophyte with photography, having only made an effort to get good photos over the past eight months ago.  

We’d ordered the new camera, arriving in a box of supplies that we received at a UPS store on April 13, 2013, when our ship docked in Florida for one day. We were on a back-to-back cruise, taking a taxi to pick up the box. Once we opened the box for the camera, we put everything back inside, saying “We’ll do this later.” 

A single Duiker stopped by while the Impalas were here.

I was intimidated with all the instructions (I never read instructions) and parts and didn’t want to spoil the second part of the cruise caught up in technology. As it turned out, it wasn’t until May 2013 that I finally opened the box and inquired within, foregoing the use of the tiny Samsung Camera that had sufficed up to that point.

Intimidated as I was by cameras when we first left the US, we had foolishly believed that we could take photos using our new high tech Smartphones. Little did we know at the time how our readership would grow and how interested, we’d become in preserving our experiences.  

At a port of call in Mexico in early January, while still on our first cruise through the Panama Canal, we got off the ship to purchase the cheap pink Samsung camera (pink was all they had, like the pink car we have now) at a Walmart store walking distance from the pier.  

Even then, we thought the little camera would fulfill our needs. Ha! But only a few months later, as our interest peaked at taking photos (finally!) we knew it was time to upgrade.  

Any jittery aspects to my video taking are my own issue, the painful unsteady right shoulder (I’m right-handed) that tires quickly and painfully when holding up the camera. How we ever took 600 photos at the Masai Mara escapes me. I had to fashion a sling for my arm to wear for days after that glorious experience. “Safari luck” served us well when the shoulder didn’t become immobilized until we got back to our home in Diani Beach days later.  

While taking today’s included video of the Impalas, I held up until the last few seconds when I could no longer hold up the arm. Thus, the jittery end. In any case, we’re pleased to have been able to get what we did, seated, between the railing and free of any movement that could scare them off. 

They lingered for a half hour or so as we sat mesmerized by their gracefulness and beauty. In a flash, a distant sound startled them and they quickly began the trek through the yard, down the same worn path that most visitors seem to prefer when they decide they’re on their way to greener pastures.  

This path allows us one more distant peek at the visitors, as they wander single-file along the path. Finally, we stood up, un-kinking our stiff joints, all the while shaking our heads and reveling in yet another extraordinary day; giraffes, impalas, three videos (see yesterday’s post); over a period of only a few hours.

Having dined out many times in the past few weeks, we decided to prepare our meals over the weekend, but not without a trip to the Crocodile River for more, and more and more.

Tomorrow, we’ll share our itinerary for the upcoming 500+ days and details of a three-day trip we’ve booked from January 15th to January 18th to explore another amazing area in South Africa, touted as a “must-do” by those who live here.  

It will be hard to leave. But, we know it’s time to expand our horizons while living in this vast country of South Africa, which has proven to have much to offer.  

The giraffes graced us with another visit to our yard…Never imagined they would return…Videos..photos…

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Similar to the main photo in this post of December 14th, once again,we looked toward the driveway to discover giraffes coming our way. What a glorious sight!

On December 14, 2013, two weeks after arriving in Marloth Park, 12 magnificent Giraffes visited us in our yard as described in this post.  No words can express how elated we were when we discovered their long gangly legs lumbering down our narrow driveway.

First of two videos, we took yesterday in our yard. The second video is below.


Male giraffes weigh as much as 4000 pounds, 1814 kg, and be as tall as 20 feet, 6 meters. Females are much smaller at 2500 pounds, 1133 kilograms, and be as tall as 14 feet, 4.27 meters. A male can weigh as much as a pickup truck.

The four giraffes kept a watchful eye on us as they wandered in the yard munching on treetops.

Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae as humans and must exercise caution when drinking. during which they spread their front legs to reach down to the water. They are especially vulnerable to predators in this position.

Please click here for more facts about giraffes.

Oxpeckers are the giraffe’s friend, eating ticks and other insects off of the giraffe’s hide.

After an exquisite and memorable hour-long visit on December 14th, we both wondered if they’d ever return. Our ‘safari luck” had given us more than we’d ever imagined. At times, we’ve giggled over how skeptical we’ve been to leave the house in the event they return when we aren’t at home.

With many of their preferred acacia trees in our yard, the giraffes were happily munching, able to reach the tops of the trees impossible for other wildlife.

While most wildlife visits seem to last an hour or less, it would be relatively easy to miss an event, never knowing that we missed. The hope that giraffes would return was held with a somewhat sad acceptance that we’d been lucky they’d visited us once. Why would we be so lucky for a second visit?

Here is the second video we took yesterday. If you watch the beginning carefully, you can see the giraffe rocking the tree in an effort to bite off a big cluster of leaves.
We weren’t certain why this giraffe was bending down.  Unless drinking they seldom lower their long necks. Again, we see oxpeckers hanging on.

Alas, yesterday morning, while busy taking videos of 70-80 Impalas having visited us, then making their exit along a worn animal path in the yard (which we’ll share tomorrow), I turned to look back toward the driveway for any stragglers. 

There they were; leggy, colorful, and laden with oxpeckers picking at insects in their chosen habitat on the giraffe’s hide.  

Whispering to Tom I mouthed, “Check out the driveway!”  Turning his head away from the path of the impalas at the far end of the yard, an even deeper smile came across his face, as we both held our breath in anticipation.  

While the impalas were here, we’d remained seated fearful that moving would scare them off with their skittish nature. After an hour of hardly moving, the giraffes’ appearance prompted further caution, although they appear to be less nervous around people. Although, given a loud noise or sudden movement, they too will quickly wander off into the bush.

A few more nibbles close to the carport and they were on their way.  Instead of walking on the driveway, they wandered away through the dense bush.

Finally, we were able to stand as we excitedly took the two videos included here today and the accompanying photos.  With their enormous height, it’s difficult to take photos of several in one shot unless they’re tightly packed when arriving or departing, walking along the driveway or road.   

At one point we quietly ventured indoors to the second-floor veranda from which we took the shorter of the two videos.

There were only four of them. Last time there were 12. We weren’t disappointed by any means. How could one be disappointed when the tallest creature on the planet comes wandering into their yard? Not us!

After a while, they departed via the bush preventing us from getting a photo of the four of them together as we’d done in the past. 

Tomorrow, we’ll share photos and a video of the 70 to 80 Impalas that visited en mass for the first time, although we’ve seen a few in the yard and literally hundreds along the roads. 


Wonder what today will bring? Whatever it may be, they are welcomed!

Zebras came to call…Interesting zebra facts…A circle among the stripes…Photos…

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Not all wildlife requires a daily supply of water, but the zebra does, never staying further away than 10 meters from a safe water supply, Picky drinkers, they taste the chlorinated pool water, only taking a sip, detecting the chemicals.

Nothing can compare to the appearance of multiple visitors of a species. The excitement of watching them approach our veranda is indescribable. This isn’t to say that we don’t enjoy the “onesies” although it appears that a single animal is more hesitant to approach than several, based on “safety in numbers.” 

Zebras are fascinating but may be taken for granted in the wild for those frequently in their presence. Finding animal behavior interesting to us, having the opportunity to observe them has been more rewarding than we could have imagined.

When we first arrived, we noticed that zebras have a dark circular patch on the inner forelegs which are designed to accommodate the sharp end of the hoof when lying down. The zebra sleeps around 7 hours a night, lying down and these circular patches provide protection for their legs from injury when they’re at rest.


Please click this link for more interesting zebra facts.

Having never been so close to zebras in the past, we were curious as to these black spots on the interior of their front legs.
When we first arrived in Marloth Park, over one month ago, we noticed the circular spots on every zebra, assuming they certainly had a purpose. After researching online, we were pleased to see how these spots protect the zebras from injuring themselves at rest.  
The zebra’s unique stripes are comparable to an individual’s unique fingerprint. The black spots, protecting the legs from injury when at rest are equally as unique.
When this small herd of zebras arrived yesterday, we couldn’t have been happier to see them. Their playful personalities and obvious acceptance of humans in their terrain, make them fun to watch and highly welcomed visitors to homes in Marloth Park.
The mineral lick has been appealing to the zebras and Kudu, so far. Warthogs and other smaller animals have little interest in it.
It’s evident they are used to being around humans. Like many other wildlife, they are quick to run off if frightened by a loud noise or sudden movement. They don’t hesitate to come right up to the railing on our veranda being vocal and making overt motions indicating they are looking for attention and food.
Waiting their turn for a sip of water from the pool, occasionally kicking each other for dominance. All of the zebra visitors we’ve had thus far have been males.
“My turn!”
We don’t hesitate to throw a few handsful of the nutritional pellets, approved by the game reserve rangers, are suitable snacks for the wildlife. With the increased tourist population in Marloth Park during the holidays, it’s evident they’ve been fed, nudging at us for food.
They couldn’t be more adorable.
Hopefully, the tourists have been sensitive in understanding that nature provides an ample food supply during the rainy summer month, lush vegetation for their easy foraging. Any foods other than the mineral licks, fresh vegetation, and pellets aren’t doing the animals a favor. Nature provides for the general diet.
The Zebras seem to like munching on the greenery around this little tree. We’ve learned that wildlife doesn’t graze an area with the intent to “clean it out.” Instead, their instincts guide them to forage in an area for a short period and then move on to another area. Doing so, provides a continuous supply of food, especially during these rainy summer months. In the sparse winter months, the Zebras will dig up the roots of vegetation.
Yesterday, we noticed back leg kicks flying at one another when vying for a spot at the mineral lick or a drink from the pool. Moments later, they’re playing with one another, seeming to hug and groom each other. Watching them is mesmerizing. 
When at last they wander away with the herd intact, we feel grateful they’ve stopped to visit, hoping to see them again in our remaining 56 days in Marloth Park. How quickly the time flies when we’re having fun!


Note:  Typically, the holiday tourists begin leaving the area by January 10th at which point we’ll begin visiting some of the sites in the area. All the sites we’d like to visit are still swarming with tourists. 

Also, it was one year ago today that we left the US (although we did return to various ports in Florida to wait to change ships to continue on our multiple cruises). Click here for the post from the day we left on January 3, 2013, writing about it on January 4, 2013.

A new day… New visitors… A tiny baby… Wondrous!

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This baby Mongoose  is sticking close to Mom, who has an egg we left for her, in her mouth as they scurry across the yard.

It’s ironic how our daily lives revolve around the arrival of visitors.  Will we ever be able to stop scanning our surroundings every few minutes with the hope of spotting movement in the bush coming our way?

The baby Mongoose completely tucked under the mom to ensure safety.

Staying as quiet and still as possible, I carefully reach for the camera with the least amount of movement, and we wait.  Most often we’re seated, Tom in his usual pillowed Adirondack chair and me, in my usual equally padded plastic molded chair at the table.  Standing up as we wait is usually not an option.

Louise and Danie suggested that we hold up an egg and show it to the Mongoose which Tom did, placing it on the ground nearby.  Very shy, jerky motion must be avoided to prevent the Mongoose from running off. As soon as the Mongoose saw him put it down on the ground she immediately approached the egg.

With baited breath we wait, when at a distance we spot the most subtle movement, asking ourselves if its only a wisp of a breeze or the guarded movement of an animal on its approach.  

Within seconds of placing the egg on the ground, the mongoose went to work on cracking the shell.
She managed to crack the remainder of the egg by banging it on the ground.  She ate the entire contents including the spilled portion, leaving the shell behind.  Later in day, the monitor lizard slithered by in a flash grabbing the empty shell but it moved too quickly to allow me to take a photo.

With the protective railing around the veranda partially blocking the view, it’s necessary for me to stand to take most photos.  Gingerly, I move one limb at a time in an attempt to stand, almost as if playing “pick up sticks” to avoid a sound or a single jerky motion which could easily scare off the least shy of the visitors.

With the two of us constantly on the lookout, it’s unlikely that we’ll miss an opportunity to view any wildlife in our extensive yard. When one of us goes inside the house for a few minutes, the other remains outdoors continuing the search.  

This Pied Crow stopped by to check out a second, yet untouched egg we’d left in the driveway for the mongoose family, cracking it open with his beak.

We never fail to quietly alert each other of an animal on the move, from the largest Kudu weighing 700 pounds, 318 kg,  to the tiniest unusual insect. I must admit that it’s hard to leave during the day, fearful that the yet to visit wildebeest (other than a fast dash through the yard) or a much longed for a second visit from the giraffe which may occur in our absence.  

A second Pied Crow appeared to keep watch while the first ate the egg.

Silly, perhaps.  But then, living in the bush with the animals is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, unless of course, that someday we’ll return.  I can only hope that we will.  I know that memories of this experience will loom in my mind with much longing for years to come.

Suddenly, a flock of persistent small birds started dive bombing the Pied Crow forcing his friend to fly off to chase the little birds and for him to move to another spot in the yard.  In a state of anger or frustration the Pied Crow “fluffed” the feathers on his chest while making loud noises. A short time later, he was able to return to the partially eaten egg to finish his lunch.

As I sit here now, Tom only feet from me, our favorite warthog family of nne has just departed after yet another laugh inspiring visit.  Each time they arrive, we immediately take a head count to ensure that the seven babies have avoided the interests of a predator.  With a sigh of relief, we chatter at them with our high pitched voices and toss a few pellets their way, both of which they readily respond.

The monitor lizard wanted in on the egg action.  Elusive, fast moving and difficult to photograph, we’re always thrilled to see her.  Check out that tongue.

Surely, as the day wears on, we’ll continue to revel in the wonders of this magical place.  The temperature is climbing and at some point we may be driven indoors to escape the summer heat and humidity. If so, we’ll continue to check the outdoors as often as every 15 minutes to see who has graced us with their presence.

Oops, I’ve got to go! There are zebras coming this way!