Ten species visited us in one day…Check out who came to call….

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These two zebra boys have now figured out it’s worth visiting us for some treats. We can hear the sounds of their hooves coming from the bush. They don’t like sharing with “Little Wart Face” (shown in the background) and can get very pushy with him and with Frank.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A single damaged feather from a guinea fowl I found on the ground.

The majority of the holidaymakers have left Marloth Park, returning to their homes in South Africa and many other parts of the world. Often, visitors come to Marloth Park for a mere three to five days. We can’t imagine how they can reap the benefits of being in this wonderland in that short period.

During the busy holiday season, wildlife may rarely wander into their yard or be seen on the roads in three to five days. They could come here and only see a few impalas, hornbills, and perhaps a kudu or two.

Male impalas showed up, which we don’t often see in the yard.
But, nothing compares to the activity residents of the park are experiencing now that the bulk of the tourists have left. Although this could be disputed and, I assure you, it’s a topic of conversation in the bush that wildlife may not wander into the yards of bush houses when so many humans are around.

Some tourists come to relax and unwind in this calming environment, staying up late on the verandas of their holiday homes, talking loudly, playing loud music, and drinking alcohol in excess. This type of noise is not appealing to wild animals. 
A forkl of kudus and a herd of impalas.
Other tourists come here to utilize whatever time they may be available to glean morsels of heaven found in this veritable paradise for animal lovers, sadly going away with having seen very little.

Even trips into Kruger, as we so well know, can be disappointing. There’s no guaranty one will see more than impalas and birds in a single day’s visit. Now that things have settled down here, we plan to go back to Kruger this week to see what we can find.
Several handsome impalas stopped by, which we seldom see in our yard.  More often, we see them on the sides of the road when driving through the park.

However, there’s no shortage of guaranteed entertainment right here on the veranda in the “Orange…More Than Just a Color” house we’ve rented for an extended period. If South Africa immigration allows, we’ll spend a year here until next February or March.

With the crowds thinned out and perhaps only 700 or so people living in the park right now, the wildlife is literally “pounding at our door” all day and evening. At times, we can barely keep up feeding them pellets, carrots, apples, and any raw vegetable scraps from our daily food prep.

Many helmeted guineafowls have become regular visitors.
Yesterday, we had ten different species visit us in one day, some multiple times, some in various groups as appropriately named in our above photos. As I busily prepared the food for Louise and Danie to join us for dinner,  I frequently stopped what I was doing to cut up apples and carrots for our animal friends.
We couldn’t believe our day when we had the following wildlife visit us in one day:
1.  Kudu
2.  Bushbuck
3.  Impala
4.  Warthog
5.  Mongoose
6.  Francolin
7.  Helmeted Guineafowl
8.  Zebra
9.  Duiker
10.Bushbabies
Frank, our resident francolin, doesn’t miss a thing!  Sometimes, he brings his girlfriend, but most often, he’s alone hanging out with the other animals. Francolins are territorial, and he won’t hesitate to scare off a warthog or kudu.

Of course, we didn’t include the dozens of birds that flew into the yard throughout the day. The most we’d ever counted, including when we were here four years ago, was a total of eight. We love all birds but mention the guineafowl and Frank (francolin) since they rarely fly, spending their days walking about the bush and our yard.

Last night’s dinner was a big hit. How could it not be when we were with Louise and Danie? We so enjoy time spent together and never hesitate to arrange another perfect day or evening in each other’s company.

A band of mongoose comes by almost daily.  We feed them water mixed with raw scrambled eggs. Most likely, due to their presence, we won’t see too many snakes around here. 
The previous Sunday, we had a fabulous dinner and evening at Sandra and Paul’s home two doors down our road. The food was superb, and the companionship delightful. 

Whew! Our social life is astounding!  But, as typical here in the park, people come and go. Our friends Kathy and Don are gone now but should be returning in a few weeks. Ken and Linda are traveling and should be returning in a few months. Lynne and Mick won’t return until November. Janet and Steve have company from the UK, but we plan to see them soon.
And…here’s our girls…kudus, of course.
Even Louise and Danie will be gone for a week to visit family in Cape Town beginning on Friday. But, they’ll be back to continue to handle their very active holiday home rental and house building businesses. We’ll look forward to their return. 
Each night we put out the little cup of peach-flavored yogurt on the stand, and the bushbabies appear around 6:15 pm, just after darkness falls.

This doesn’t include all the other fine people we’ve met here who are permanent residents, all of whom we look forward to spending time with again soon. We can’t thank everyone enough to show our appreciation for including us in their busy lives. 

Where in the world is it like this? The only other place we’ve found so easy to make friends was in Kauai, Hawaii. Perhaps, someday we’ll return for another visit.

Duikers are extremely shy and seldom come near.
For now, we’re looking at our upcoming itinerary and any modifications we are considering. Today, we’ll be doing some planning and figuring out our best options for the future.

Have a great day enjoying your best options. Back at you soon! 
Photo from one year ago today, April 10, 2017:
This was a tile roof we spotted in Fairlight, Australia, one year ago.  For more photos, please click here.

Marloth Park…No dogs allowed…Remembering…

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During his last 17 days of life, Willie is resting on our bed with his favorite toys; Tiger Woods (in the forefront) and Fred Flinstone behind his head. At night, he’d always use his pet steps while carrying these toys up onto the bed with him.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Treefrog sitting atop the vacuum hose to our plunge pool. Could this be one of the frogs hatched from the nest almost two months ago?

Anniversary dates seem to matter more to us as we’ve aged, whether it’s regarding our relationship, places we’ve been, and experiences we’ve had over the years.

Today, one special anniversary is challenging to pass, the day our last dog, WorldWideWillie, made his way to doggie heaven. It was a sorrowful day.

On his last day of life, Willie was standing on the seat of a picnic table in our yard, looking for moving critters to chase.  He’d been awake all night coughing terribly while we stayed awake with him, comforting him.

For those who’ve never had a dog or other pet, wanted a dog or other pet, or understand the degree of love we can have for our furry friends, surely today’s post will be of little interest.

But, oddly, there’s a huge connection with our love and remembrance of Willie with being in Marloth Park, one that is so obvious to us, as we cherish every animal that stops by to visit, whether it’s as unassuming as the above-mentioned tree frog in today’s “Sighting of the Day in the Bush” or as fascinating as “forkl” of 20 kudus such as visited us over the weekend.

Willie would sit staring at my laptop for hours, hoping I’d Skype my sister Julie when he and I were visiting son Richard in Las Vegas. He’d get so excited when he’d hear her voice.

It’s the profound love of animals that some, not all, of us possess that drives us, motivates us, and inspires us to have dogs as pets, lavishing an often over-abundant lifestyle to ensure the quality of joy they bring us and ultimately them in our excesses.

Such was the case with Willie and our two prior Australian Terriers over 18 years. Bart was run over by the mailman on our private road at five years of age, and Ben passed from the effects of Cushing’s Disease at 12 years of age, two years before the heartbreak of losing Willie.

On his last trip to Petco after his diagnosis, Willie decided if he’d like anything which generally, he’d choose from these reachable bins. This time, he didn’t choose a thing.

It was through the love of these dogs and ultimately with Willie when we arrived at a magical place within our hearts that clearly defined our passion for animals had come to fruition.

Willie passed away on April 9, 2011. We began our worldwide journey on October 31, 2012, 18 months later.  However, during the planning stages in 2012, while we were still living in Minnesota, we booked plans to come to Africa, first to Diani Beach, Kenya, to go on safari in the Maasai Mara and then make plans to go here to Marloth Park, South Africa. Why? To see the animals, plain and simple. 

Shortly before, the vet came to the house to send Willie to doggie heaven.

Sure, I could go into the details of why we loved Willie so much and the heartbreak we both felt over losing him on this date seven years ago. But, you’ve heard it all before, from us, from others, on losing their beloved pets and the sorrow that hovers in one’s heart, days, weeks, months, and even years later.

So, today, and other days, we remember Willie who presented from his perspective through the first blog I’d ever written about the last days of his life. If you haven’t read his blog and would like to, please click here. 

Willie climbed this tree on command.  After he developed a cataract, he was afraid to do it. We’d scheduled eye surgery with a specialist, but he refused to allow us to put the initial drops into his eye, which was required before and after the surgery. He spent the remaining years of his life only able to see with one eye but was perfectly content.

If you’d like to read Willie’s blog from the beginning (the first post was on March 20, 2011), please scroll down to the archives on the right side of the main page and start with the first entry. Many of you who’ve lost beloved pets will undoubtedly relate to his story.

Here it is, seven years later, and we still celebrate you Willie, and always will. You taught us, focused us, and lead us to the heavenly environment giving us the will, the desire, and the opportunity to look into the eyes of a visiting animal and see them and…see you. 

He saw the vet pull into the driveway, wondering who was coming to visit.

No dogs or other pets are allowed in Marloth Park for the peace, harmony, and unity of the humans and wandering wildlife. Being here is a gift, as was the infinite joy of loving our dogs, and now, we’re blissfully able to spread the love among many who grace us with their presence every day.

May you find the love of an animal to fill your heart with a profound connection providing you with an eternal ray of light and hope in your life. Rescue.

Photo from one year ago today, April 9, 2017:

While walking on the Manly Scenic Walk, we enjoyed an excellent view of boats in North Harbour Reef Bay. Please click here for more details.

Wrapping up details for Zambia…Dinner at Jabula with friends…

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After we stopped at Obaro farm store, we spotted this woman selling cooked food on the side of the road, an African-style food truck, minus the truck.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

We had no less than a dozen kudus stop by for apples, carrots, and pellets. Check out the adorable baby kudu near the tree, most likely only a few weeks old.

It’s Sunday morning, and once again, we’re on the veranda enjoying the view.  It was only 8:30 am when I started the text content of today’s post after deciding on which photos to upload, which is always a challenge. 

So far this morning, we’ve had five different species of visitors as the holiday crowds dissipate and the animals are more prolific in our yard.  It’s odd how this happens. For days, we had few visitors while the park was jammed with holidaymakers. Now, as they’ve departed, the action in the yard has escalated to where it was before the “school holiday,” Easter holiday, and “spring break,”

Through the bushes, we could see the kudu heading our way.

This morning’s planned “brunch in Lionspruit” was postponed. Several of the confirmed guests canceled last minute, so Louise sent me a text informing us they’ll schedule for another day this morning. 

We are fine with the change of plans, which allowed me to get today’s post completed early instead of later in the day since we’re invited to dinner at Sandra and Paul’s home at 5:00 pm. 

One by one, they entered the yard until finally, there were more than a dozen.
This morning as I riffled through thousands of photos, it became all the more apparent to me regarding the time required to keep our zillions of photos in order. Often, one may perceive all we have to do to upload a post is write it, edit it and add a few photos. But it’s much more complicated than that.

I keep used photos in a separate folder on my desktop to ensure we don’t post the same photo twice. I have several other photo folders to keep the old, used, and newly separated. Managing photos is a huge daily task that requires the first hour of each day, once I’m showered, dressed, and situated at the big table on the veranda.

The baby kudu was nursing and not interested in solid food quite yet.

Typically, I download all the day’s photos at the end of each day to ensure the data card on the camera (s) is cleared for the next batch. It would be too confusing to leave hundreds, if not thousands, of photographs accumulating on the card, which some travelers tend to do.

Also, I don’t want to risk accidentally deleting photos or being unsure of the circumstances as to when they were taken. Most often, the photos we share are from the previous two or three days, sometimes longer. 

We heard something on the tree closest to the house to discover this lizard.

Weather conditions, backgrounds, and scenery can change from time to time, so we attempt to keep the posted photos as current as possible. Then, there’s the reality that some days, what we have on hand may be redundant or less interesting to our readers, meaning we need to get out to take more interesting photos. 

It’s all a part of the delicate balance of trying to keep our posts interesting and current. But, from time to time, especially here in Africa, there are many of the same animals and similar photos.

This lizard wasn’t quite a meter long from head to tail. 

That’s the reason why, almost every day, we head out in the little rental car in search of new and exciting scenes to share with all of you. Please bear with us if there is redundancy. 

We’re excited that we’re heading to Zambia next month, which will surely provide us with plenty of photos to share over many weeks, even after returning from the one-week getaway.

It appears they were trying to determine if it was worth tackling the bird feeder for a treat.  We put an egg on the ground, but she showed no interest when the lizard hurried past it.

In the past day, we’ve been working back and forth via email with the highly-rated Chris Tours located in Zambia but crosses over to other bordering countries for a greater range of options.

Here’s the schedule we’ve booked with Chris for the week we’ll be in Zambia, during which we’ll also enter Botswana for the Chobe tour:

May 11th, 2018 – Meet, Greet, and Private Transfer from Livingstone Airport to Protea Hotel
May 12th, 2018 – Guided Tour of the Victoria Falls on both Zambia and Zimbabwe sides
May 13th, 2018 – Free Day
May 14th, 2018 – Chobe Day Trip in Botswana
May 15th, 2018 – Free Day
May 16th, 2018 – Boat Cruise on the Zambezi River by the Lion King
May 17th, 2018 – Free Day
May 18th, 2018 – Private transfer from Protea Hotel to Livingstone Airport

By arriving on May 11th and departing on May 18th, we won’t be doing any tours on either of those dates. The highly-rated Chris Tours is our choice for all tours based on five-star ratings at numerous sites online.  We’re comfortable we’ll be in good hands.

This lizard climbed down the tree to the ground then running into the bush.

It was essential to book all of these now, especially after discovering the limited options for available hotels during our required time slot to hopefully accommodate our visa renewal time slot. Please see yesterday’s post for details regarding the immigration concerns.

In all, we’ll be added three more countries to our travel map as shown on our homepage: Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. All of these will be good experiences for us, and if, for some awful reason, South Africa doesn’t let us return for any more 90-day time slots, we’ll have seen a little of these other countries to determine if we’d like to return.

Yesterday, a small group of mongoose stopped by for a plate of eggs.

This time, instead of dreading immigration concerns, we are excited for the opportunity to see these particular areas in these other countries. As for photos, we’ll be bombarding our site with an endless array of what we’ll see during the tours and throughout the small town of Livingstone, Zambia, on the free days, as shown in the above itinerary.

Last night we had dinner with Kathy, Don (Don’s cousins, Sandy and David), with Janet and Steve joining us shortly afterward. The conversation on Jabula’s veranda around the table for eight was robust with conversation and laughter. The food, as always, was excellent and the pricing reasonable.  Dinner and drinks for Tom and I totaled ZAR 478 (US $39.39). 

For a change of pace, I’ve switched from wine to gin and tonic when we found sugar-free tonic at the little store in Marloth. I limit myself to one shot per day, loading up on ice, lime, or lemon. We found these metal cups that keep the drinks cold at Obara, and I brought them with me to Jabula last night, along with the sugar-free tonic. Thus, I only ordered the tiny shot of gin as shown in the little cup dividing it among two drinks.

Many of our friends come and go to Marloth Park and homes they own elsewhere. While some are away, we spend time with the others, going back and forth between houses for dinners and dining out. It all works for us, and we’re so grateful to be a part of these great groups of people.

So, that’s it for today, folks. We’ll continue to be on the lookout, literally and figuratively, for more photos to share with all of you every day.

Have a pleasant day! 

Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2017:

This was the view from the next-door neighbor’s house, which was up for auction.  For more photos of an expensive home in Fairlight, Australia, please click here.

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

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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.

Exciting night in the park…Immigration concerns for South Africa…

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With a story of around 3.048 meters (10 feet), this bull giraffe is two stories
tall. Their legs are taller than the average adult male.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Bushbabies are loving the little cups of peach-flavored yogurt we put out for them every night at dusk.  They fly through the air so quickly it’s not easy to get a good photo in the dark.

Each night we spend outdoors, which is when it hasn’t been windy and raining, we experience something new and unique. Two nights ago, it was 30-minutes of screeching by the bush babies in the tree in front of our veranda. 

From this site:  “The cattle egret feeds on a wide range of prey, particularly insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, flies (adults and larvae), and moths, as well as spiders, frogs, and earthworms. Cattle egrets often hang around large mammals such as this hippo, feeding off their scraps. In a rare instance, they have been observed foraging along the branches of a banyan tree for ripe figs. The species is usually found with cattle and other large grazing and browsing animals and catches small creatures disturbed by the mammals. Studies have shown that cattle egret foraging success is much higher when foraging near a large animal than feeding singly.”

Last night, bone-chilling sounds were leaving us bewildered and curious as to what it could be. Louise and I texted back and forth, trying to access what we were each hearing. Our properties are only a few blocks apart, and she and Danie could hear what we were hearing. They have many years of experience in determining these sounds, and it was fun to go back and forth with them via text.

Louise suggested at one point that it was hippos. We’re a good seven or eight-minute drive to the Crocodile River, but that’s over rocky dirt roads. As the crow flies, we may only be one or two kilometers from the river. Hippo sounds may be heard as far away as eight kilometers (five miles), so that might be what we were hearing.

Hippos spend most of their days foraging and lounging in the river.

Within about 10 minutes, the sounds changed while our ears were tuned to the curious sounds we were hearing. With his impaired hearing after years on the railroad, Tom could easily hear all these sounds along with me.

We heard sounds similar to the howling of wolves or wild dogs. We listened in awe for every loud outcry, uncertain as to precisely what it may be.  After about 15 minutes, those sounds ended, and different sounds commenced.

When driving through Kruger National Park, visitors seldom see hippos if they stay on the main paved roads.  One would need to venture off onto the dirt roads leading to the river. We took these photos from the fence between the Crocodile River and Marloth Park.

Lions have recently been sighted in Marloth Park. Of course, we’d be thrilled to be able to spot one, let alone take a photo. The new sound was clear and definitive…the roar of a lion. 

And yes, we know to be ultra-careful if a lion is nearby. There are several steps to reach the veranda, and it’s unlikely a lion would climb steps to get to us. Nonetheless, we’d most likely go indoors taking photos through the window. 

Often, when we spot giraffes, they are foraging in tall trees, obstructing a clear view for a photo.

However, many year-long residents of Marloth Park have never spotted a lion in the park, other than in Kruger. Over the years, numerous sightings have been observed and documented, including recently before and after our arrival on February 11th.

Many have ventured into Lionspruit, another reserve located within the confines of Marloth Park, and have never seen the two resident lions that remain inside.  A month ago, we visited Lionspruit, but the little rental car couldn’t handle the rough road, and we exited as soon as possible.

These leaves must have been delicious for this giraffe to be willing to bend “down” to eat when most often they stay at eye level or reach “up.”  They will bend down to drink.

Finally, the loudest of the nighttime sounds in the bush changed to the usual hum of crickets, frogs, and birds, and we wandered off to bed. Although few visitors stopped by in the dark last night, we thoroughly enjoyed the bush babies and the various sounds of the night.

This morning, at 5:40, am (of course I was awake), Louise texted me to let me know that seven hyenas were sighted in Marloth Park by Field Security (the rangers) at Oliphant (the main tarred road) and Wild Dog Road, quite a distance from us.

From this site: About Giraffes: The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the largest rudiment and the tallest land mammal. We waited for an extended period in an attempt to get a full-body photo of this huge male bull. This giraffe is known to be the largest in Marloth Park. This is not due to its long neck alone. The adult giraffe’s legs are taller than the average human. The average height of a giraffe differs between males and females. Male giraffes (or ‘bulls’) can be up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) tall.”

Of course, we can’t help ourselves; we’ll be postponing today’s planned trip to Komatipoort tomorrow for grocery shopping to drive around the park to see if we can spot the hyenas. It’s doubtful we’ll see them, but it’s fun to go searching.  We do this almost every day anyway as if we’re on a daily treasure hunt…and treasure it is indeed!

This male bull is well-equipped for the current mating season if the size of his testicles is any indication.

As for immigration, a few years ago, one could drive less than an hour to the border to Mozambique, spend the day and re-enter South Africa for a new 90-day visa which is now illegal based on immigration law changes. As a result, we must leave South Africa by May 10 and cannot visit any bordering countries to get our visas stamped for another 90 days.

We have to leave for a bonafide trip, not just one or two days and spend time in another country in Africa beyond the bordering countries. We’re working on this now and hope to wrap something up in the next few days. Once we do, we’ll certainly post the details of where we’re going and what we’ll be doing. Please stay tuned.

Have a spectacular day!

Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2017:

When they miss the bit of meat, it doesn’t hurt at all if the kookaburras pecked at me instead. For more photos, please click here.

Marvelous, majestic, magical Marloth Park…Keeps on giving…

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Such a big scary world out there!

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is a Dark-Capped Bulbul, thanks to friends Lynne and Mick.

It seems that never a day passes without us seeing something new and unique.  It’s nearly a full-time job seeking the unusual, the heartwarming, and the exceptional sighting that evokes emotions we can hardly describe.

At times, we also seek the simple beauty of nature at its finest in photos taken to the best of our ability. Recently, I’ve considered taking some online photography lessons, hoping to improve the quality of our photos.

Mongoose regularly visit.  Each time we give them a bowl of raw eggs mixed with a bit of sour cream. Their little faces get dirty, resulting in them cleaning each other after the feast.

We aren’t sure where the time goes. Somehow, right now, there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to spend time taking a course. Once we’re up and on the veranda, getting the post done and uploaded by noon or 1:00 pm, half the day is gone.

Lately, we’ve been hearing stories of ostriches attacking humans. There are many more here in the park now than there were four years ago. We always proceed with caution around any wildlife.

Then, we hop in the little blue car to head out in search of more, usually returning by 2:00 or 3:00 pm. There’s dinner to be prepared, email to respond to, financial matters to attend to, and before we know it, the day has come to a close.

Yesterday, we spotted these two hippos by the river.

On occasion, we take a short nap since neither seems to get enough sleep most nights. I guess it’s an “old age” thing when many of our friends our age seem to suffer from the same affliction, awakening in the middle of the night for no reason at all.

I’ve never been a napper, although I’ve tried off and on over the years. Realizing a short nap is most beneficial, I’ve recently discovered I may get in a 20-minute doze now and then, which perks me up. Tom doesn’t do so well, but he too tries for a short siesta. 

Some of the rest of the family took Marta’s broom and decided to play with it. 

If the nap is too long, it seems to impede the ability to sleep that night. If too short, it doesn’t seem to offer much added benefit. That perfect 20 to 30-minute window always appears to do the trick. 

Our housekeeper Marta lives in a guest cottage on the property. A few days ago, we noticed this Vervet monkey sleeping near her house.

Thus, sometimes in the afternoon, when time allows, and we feel a little sleepy, we wander off to the bedroom, turn on the AC, pull on a light blanket, and try to wander off.

I suppose most retirees’ daily lives are filled similarly to ours; busy planned activities, “taking care of business,” almost daily outings to “here and there,” and responding to social media in one manner or another.

The kudus love munching on this tree in front of our veranda.

The fact that we get dozens of email messages from our worldwide readers each day, which we usually answer in the afternoon, always attempting to reply within 24 hours at most, adds to the time spent filling up our day. 

Regardless of how annoying monkeys are in the park, this tiny baby is irresistible.

Tom also receives many email messages, Facebook, and Cruise Critic inquiries to which he always responds promptly. Also, he spends a certain period each day gathering more data for his Ancestry.com file, a genuine and enthusiastic passion.

Throw in the time necessary to continue to research future travels; our days are jam-packed. By the time we set up the veranda for our nighttime viewing, we’re finally able to relax and enjoy a glass of wine or beer; it’s time for the final prep for dinner. 

View of the Crocodile River from the overlook in Marloth Park.

It’s usually dark when we dine since we’ve changed our eating time closer to 7:00 pm than our last 5:00 pm in other locations. Somehow, the later dining time seems to work better for us while here. We eat while we “watch” for wildlife and the playful antics of the bush babies who only make an appearance after dusk.

We used to watch episodes of Shark Tank, Master Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, etc., during dinner; Now, in this extraordinary life in Marloth Park, instead we’ll watch for wildlife which has ultimately proven to be more entertaining than any show imaginable.

Another view of the Crocodile River.

Once we’re off to bed, we bring my laptop into the bedroom and usually watch one episode of a favorite show. At that point, I have trouble keeping my eyes open, during which Tom constantly awakens me. He knows if I fall asleep too early, I’ll be up a long time during the night. At the time, it annoys me that he awakens me, but his intentions are spot on, so I don’t protest too much.

Ah, our lives sound so mundane and straightforward when I read this back to myself, checking for errors. We have difficulty wiping the smiles off our faces in the depth and meaning of these daily activities in this magical place.

A mongoose was resting on a root after an egg-feeding frenzy.

Oops, I hear Frank, our resident francolin, making some noise in the bush. I’d better go fill up a cup of birdseed to toss his way, and soon, he’ll be making contented little sounds as he pecks at one seed after another. 

Is birdseed for one bird? Doesn’t sound like much in the realm of things. But, for us, it’s all a part of the awe and wonder that washes over us, day after day in majestic Marloth Park.

May the simplicities of daily life bring a smile to your face.

Photo from one year ago today, April 4, 2017:

These houses are all valued well over AU $3,000,000, US $2,269,500. As we’ve mentioned in prior posts, home prices are high in Australia, more than we’ve seen in any country. We lived in the house on the far left with views of the bay. For more photos, please click here.

An Easter egg hunt for grown-ups…Last night’s fun and games at Kathy and Don’s home in the bush…

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Tom’s other prize for winning the trivia game, this gorgeous giant chocolate Easter egg filled with more chocolate treats (see below). He’ll be eating this on his own.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

When the party was getting started, a wildebeest stopped by for a bite to eat.

I don’t recall we’ve ever had such a consistently busy social life. In our old lives, it was typical for us to socialize with friends once every one or two weeks. But, here in Marloth Park, we’re having such a great time with our variety of friends, at least a few times each week.

Don was explaining, in his usual articulate way, how the “game” will be played.
We’re yet to turn down invitations when we know we’ll always have a great time not only with the special friends that have included us but with their other friends who are also in attendance. Each week, we meet more and more people. 
There were 12 of us at the party.  At this point, Don was explaining the details about the Easter Egg hunt and the after-dinner Easter-related trivia game.

No doubt, traveling to other countries in the future won’t be as easy when we’re missing these meaningful interactions. Although, this time here in Africa will undoubtedly inspire us to reach out more to make friends wherever we go.

Kathy, Jill, and Sandy listened as Don explained the rules.

Oftentimes, we meet people who are on a holiday/vacation who seldom reach out to make new friends with a busy agenda of things to do and places to see. The exception to this is on cruises when we’ve made some outstanding friendships that will always be close to our hearts.

One egg was hidden in this floating hippo in the pool.

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely we’ll see many of the friends we’ve made on cruises in person, with busy work lives, retirement functions and activities they’ve generated in their home states, cities and countries. 

We found only eight of the 60 eggs hidden in the yard.  Others found much more than us. It was the first time either of us had ever participated in a hunt. IWewere always hiding them for our kids and grandkids to discover, in our old lives not finding them ourselves.

We’ve been blessed to stay in touch with many of the friends we’ve made along the way. In the past day, we’ve heard from several friends we’ve met on cruises with whom we’ve often stayed in touch for years. How magical is that?

A small section of Kathy and Don’s beautiful yard.

Then, of course, there are our friends from our old lives with whom we stay in touch on Facebook, Messenger and Skype whom we hope to see again in person when we return to Minnesota in 2019 for another family visit, (in about one year from now).

We love this kudu statue in their yard, appearing to be munching on the leaves of a tree.

As for last night’s party, it couldn’t have been more enjoyable. Kathy and Don certainly know how to throw a dinner party, often surrounding some type of theme, with great food, drinks, decor, and ambiance. We feel so fortunate to be included and look forward to reciprocating with dinner at our place soon.

One of the guests found all of these!

Upon the prompt arrival of their 10 guests, we immediately got to the business at hand of Don explaining the “rules” who shortly after, sent us on a frenzy in the yard, searching for eggs. Don had to cut his instructions short when Kathy noticed that Vervet monkeys were finding the eggs and eating them! What a hoot it was seeing the monkeys in the tree eating the candy eggs!

With the camera in hand, looking for photo ops I managed to find half of the eight eggs we collectively gathered though not nearly as many as others. It was such fun!

Adorable decorations were placed throughout their home.

After counting and recording our finds, to be used in the tally of the score of a trivia game after dinner, we all made our drinks and made our way up the two flights of stairs to their third floor veranda to what Kathy calls “Pu Pu’s” an expression used in Hawaii (they have homes in Oahu) which refers to pre-dinner appetizers or starters.

The huge dining table on their third-floor veranda was beautifully set for the occasion.

The evening flowed with ease and by dark, we were all seated at their enormous dining table, plates filled with great food, wine glasses topped off and delightful, humorous dinner table conversation.

View of the Crocodile River (we need more rain!) from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

After dinner, we played Don’s clever Easter themed game and wouldn’t you know, Tom won with the highest accumulated points for the hunt and the answers to the questions. He’s always been good at trivia type games, often beating me and everyone else at the table.

He won the bottle of champagne (for me) and the candy (for him). He’s already dug into some chocolates this morning, mentioning he got somewhat of a “high” from eating candy on an empty stomach after all these years of low carb, sugar-free way of eating. Hmmm…what does that say? I’ll be glad when it’s gone.

I guess Tom will be on a chocolate frenzy for days.  He loves this stuff.  Then back to healthy eating!

Today, we’re heading out for a drive in the park and to stop at the little market in Marlothi center for mushrooms for tonight’s dinner. Oddly, with a limited supply of produce at the tiny market, they usually have fresh mushrooms after their mid-day delivery of produce.

Up at 6:00 am, I started cooking chicken and sausages and chopping and dicing for tonight’s Low Carb Chicken Sausage Casserole, one of our many favorite meals. It takes a bit of work to make this dish but I make enough to last three nights. We always savor it to the very last bite along with fresh green beans with onions and bacon and cabbage salad.

Tom is such a good trivia player he ended up winning the game we played at the dinner table. The prizes included the giant candy-filled Easter Egg shown in the above photos and this bottle of Champagne which we’ll save to drink when Kathy and Don come to dinner in the near future.

Tonight, we’ll put out the yogurt for the bush babies, set up the spotlight, the camera, and tripod and settle into another fabulous evening in the bush.

May you have a fabulous day and evening as well!

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

While we were living in Fairlight, Australia our new friend, a kookaburra stopped by for bits of meat he’d eat from my hand and was already responding to my voice.  For more photos, please click here.

Expect the unexpected…A special day with friends…

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As we entered the Border Country Inn on Easter Sunday.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This persistent Ms. Kudu decided to eat out of the container rather than the few pellets in my hand.

Yesterday, while wrapping up the post, Louise sent me a text message (I use Messenger in Facebook) asking if we’d be interested in going out to lunch with them at a great restaurant, the Border Country Inn, just outside of Komatipoort, located next to the border of South Africa and Mozambique.

The entrance to the hotel and restaurant was welcoming.

Although neither of us usually cares to eat lunch, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Louise and Danie. Any time we’re with this delightful couple, we have an excellent time, whether there’s food or drinks involved.

Often, one or both of them stop by to see us during the week, and with work often on their minds, we can sense their need to get back to work before too long. They’re a hectic couple managing many vacation rentals and with Danie’s construction business. We never seem we have enough time together.

These flowers, cannas (thanks to input from reader Annie in Florida), were a lovely sight. There aren’t many flowers blooming in the bush.
The idea of spending free time with them both made us jump at the lunch invitation. They agreed to pick us up at 12:15, and we’d be on our way. They planned to take us through the “back roads,” which proved to be an unexpected foray into the “real” Africa, as they explained.

That’s not to say that we aren’t living in the “real” Africa. Our experiences may be unreal, but not all of South Africa is like Marloth Park, a world unto itself, unique, breathtaking, and beyond the dreams of most travelers.
The restaurant was pleasing to the eye and surprisingly comfortable in these wrought iron chairs.
We’ll be sharing more photos from yesterday’s delightful outing. Today’s post revolves around the dining experience, while tomorrow’s post will include photos of the exquisite scenery we encountered on both legs of the journey.

Usually, it’s challenging for me to find appropriate food in restaurants for my particular eating method. Fortunately, both Louise and Danie follow the Banting Diet, which is comparable to my diet, achieving significant health benefits. For details on the Banting Diet, please click here.

Louise ordered this good-sized chef salad with roasted chicken slices.
Based on their suggestion to choose Country Inn for lunch, I had no doubt I’d find suitable options on the menu. However, neither of us had any idea how good the choices would be, along with the affordability, especially on the daily lunch menu.

 A dear friend of theirs, Jiji, joined us for lunch with his adorable 11-year-old daughter, and thus there were six of us for lunch. Louise and Danie insisted we all choose whatever we’d like since they were picking up the bill. We’d wanted to buy them lunch for them for all they’ve done for us, but there was no way to convince them.
Danie ordered this dish called, Eisbein, which is a roasted pork knuckle. It looked delicious. 
Tom ordered a steak with chips (fries) which he described as flavorful and tender although overcooked for his liking, while I ordered the grilled prawns and calamari along with a side Greek salad (without the dressing) which was excellent.

 As always, the conversation flowed with ease, each of us sharing favorite stories from our life experiences with each so unique and worldly in many ways. That’s typical of residents of Marloth Park. We each have our brand of vast experiences we love sharing.
Tom’s steak with chips and two vegetable sides.  He wasn’t too keen on the vegetables and rarely ate them in restaurants, although he’ll eat some I make.
When the bill came, Danie knew I’d want to see it in order to share with our readers as to how affordable dining out can be in South Africa by adhering to a few principle facts such as dining times, distant locations and the nature of the anxious-for- diners establishment. All of this is accomplished with little effort.
This meal included three prawns with heads (typically served here), grilled calamari, and a side salad.
Shown on this receipt below, the total bill or six people with beverages (on the receipt of the left), taxes, and tip was only ZAR 600(US $50.75). Wow! Now our readers can see why we felt returning to Africa was a wise choice, not only for our desire to return to its wonders but also to “lick our wounds” after the pricey Antarctica cruise.
This dish that Paulina and her dad, Jiji, ordered is a giant sausage placed inside this pig-shaped dish with baguette slices on the side.
Dining out costs little more than dining in if circumstances are correct, as listed above. And, yesterday’s events were just right when we had the opportunity to spend Easter Sunday with great friends and new friends, over good food and wine.
This bar, located next door to the restaurant, advises its visitors to say, “Honey, I’m at the Office.” Hahaha.
Thank you, Louise and Danie! You’re making this second foray in South Africa even more delightful than the first, if that’s even possible.
We couldn’t believe the fabulous lunch for six was so reasonable, around ZAR 600 (US $50.75) for six people.
Today at 5:00 pm, we’re off to another party at Kathy and Don’s bush home across the road from the Crocodile River for more good conversation, food, wine, and river views from their third-floor veranda. Life is good.

Photo from one year ago today, April 2, 2017:

The shoreline in Sydney is tightly packed with pricey apartments and condos. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Easter to all!…Happy April Fool’s Day to those who like to fool!…An Easter fair in the bush…

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Here’s our adorable Louise (always the successful entrepreneur) selling her inventory of colorful Himalayan clothing at the Marlothi Easter Fair, which is comparable to a mini-state fair. I purchased two dresses to wear here at a combined cost of ZAR 200 (US $16.90). 

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

To the left (in our yard) is a hornbill.  To the right is our resident francolin, who hangs out for any morsels of food.  When we took this shot, the francolin took a dirt bath while the hornbill looked on in amazement.

We’ve always enjoyed attending fairs, farmers markets and local events in any country in which we may be living in the world. To see the local people at work proudly presenting their handmade crafts, foods, and services gives us an inside peek as to who these people may be.

With all the visitors coming and going, we had no trouble finding a good parking spot on Oliphant Road, the main paved road in Marloth.

In Marloth Park where the majority of citizens are white, we aren’t getting a realistic peek at the people of South Africa in general when the majority of citizens of South Africa are black as shown in the partial chart below from this site (the chart posted here is incomplete). Please click the link for more details:

Some visitors were able to park inside the tiny mall’s parking lot but we were content to walk from the main paved road.
Age group All races % of All Black African % of Blacks Coloured % of Col’d White % of Whites Indian or other Asian % of Asians
0–14 16,612,043 30.23% 14,244,663 32.21% 1,288,601 26.66% 789,492 17.41% 289,285 21.24%
15–64 35,465,499 64.53% 28,170,797 63.69% 3,299,771 68.28% 3,026,475 66.75% 968,649 71.12%
65-plus 2,879,378 5.24% 1,812,535 4.10% 244,544 5.06% 718,041 15.84% 104.068 7.64%
All ages 54,956,920 100% 44,227,995 (100%) 4,832,916 (100%) 4,534,008 (100%) 1,362,002 (100%)
% of SA 100% 80.48% 8.79% 8.25% 2.48%
The paper plates on this booth each had listed products and prices for various items for sale.

With only 8.25% of the country’s population white, such an event in Marloth Park gives us little cultural knowledge for the majority of the country. In its unique way, Marloth Park has become somewhat populated over the past 41 years since its inception, developing a persona of its own.

 This colorful booth was offering honey and other homemade products.

However, the Afrikaans speaking citizens in Marloth Park and others from a variety of countries (primarily Dutch and British), without a doubt, have a powerful cultural presence in their home country and, in this community, one we’re embracing each and every day.

This vendor was selling his locally made liquors.

Of course, we’ve only been here for a short period; three months, four years ago and a mere seven weeks, so far this time. We still have a lot to learn about South Africa’s culture which we’ll share as circumstances present themselves.

Various styles of artwork are on display.

With this in mind, we had a great experience at the fair. As mentioned in the above photo of Louise, I purchased two dresses from her, which I’ll wear while here and donate when we depart next March. They are too heavy for my luggage.

Antiques were offered in this booth.

We didn’t partake in any of the food or drinks at the fair. Tom had eaten and wasn’t hungry and I don’t usually eat anything until later in the day. Besides, most fair-type foods seldom are appropriate for my way of eating. The smells were intoxicating!

The Marloth Park Honorary Rangers were represented there as well.

As for Easter, we have no big plans today. We’ll have a nice dinner at home and will stay on the veranda as always, enjoying more of the daytime and nocturnal activities we’re blessed to continue to experience in the bush. 

Homemade food products are always popular at these events worldwide.

Tomorrow at 5:00 pm, we’re off to friends Kathy and Don’s river view bush home for an adult Easter egg hunt with a dinner to follow. They’ve been gone this past month, and it will be wonderful to see them both again and meet even more of their friends who’ll also be attending.

There were several jewelry booths.

I offered to bring something, but Kathy insists on letting her guests be “guests'” and come for the food and activities they so masterfully plan at their lovely home.

Many booths consisted of locally made products using locally acquired materials.

No doubt, we’ll reciprocate before too long and invite them to our place for dinner. As is the tradition in Marloth Park, guests bring their beverages when visiting friend’s homes, whatever those beverages happen to be. 

Even Tupperware was represented at the fair.

With South Africa known worldwide for its wine production, many of which I’ve tried and enjoyed, many locals drink wine. The balance tends to drink the local Castle beer (and others), which Tom seems to like. We’ve seldom seen anyone drinking other forms of alcohol, such as whiskey, vodka, gin, etc. 

Many of the people at the fair were tourists, here over the holiday weekend. But, we encountered many locals also, primarily working the booths with services and locally made products.

Prices for wine and beer in South Africa are very reasonable. But, alcohol, mostly imported, is pricey, often due to high VAT taxes. As of today, the VAT (value-added tax) in South Africa is rising from 14% to 15%, which is low compared to many other African countries. If interested, see this site for details on VAT in Africa.

From Jabula Lodge and Restaurant, Leon was serving fabulous-looking grilled beef sandwiches for only ZAR 40 (US $3.38).  They were selling as fast as they could prepare them.

We’d like to wish all of our friends/readers a very happy Easter and Passover, for those who celebrate. May your day be filled with love, compassion, and joy.

Pretty handmade beaded Africa animal characters.

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

Houses along with the Dobroyd Head in Sydney, Australia.  Tom climbed down some steep rocks to get this shot. For more details, please click here.