Zambia…We have arrived!…The tours begin tomorrow…Laid back evening tonight…

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Around 2:00 pm on Friday, we arrived at the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone, Zambia. It was much larger than the Nelspruit Mpumalanga Kruger International Airport.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

We couldn’t resist posting this photo we took last night of Wart Face and his new girlfriend. She’s a mom with two babies who still hang around with her, but it’s mating season, and Wart Face has been courting her for weeks. We laughed out loud to see them taking a rest together last night at dusk. Note the two oxpeckers on her, the first time we’ve seen oxpeckers on warthogs. Over this next week, while we’re in Zambia, we’ll be adding photos we’ve taken outside of South Africa for this feature, “Sighting of the Day in the Bush,” since it is undoubtedly bush-like here as well.

It took a total seven hours from the time we left the house in Marloth Park this morning to arrive at our hotel in Livingstone, Zambia, at 3:00 pm this afternoon. The drive to Nelspruit was less than an hour and a half, and the flight was less than two hours. 

As we drove away from the airport in Zambia, the surroundings could have been any city in any part of the world.

The remainder is all the typical monkeying around on travel days, check-in; luggage (no fees required); immigration, all of which included long periods of waiting in line. There were only 84 passengers on the entire flight, but it could have been four times the amount based on its time to process all the travelers.

But, somehow, even with the delays, we were okay.  In actuality, everything went well. There were no surprises which we like. We’ve found that the longer we travel, the less annoyed we are by typical inconveniences one can expect at the airport or other means of transportation.

Buses and charter vehicles provided transportation for many tourists, many of whom we could determine were from North America.

One of the longest delays of the day was at immigration in Zambia. An extensive tour group was given priority over the rest of us at both airports, resulting in hour-long delays. There was nothing we could do but wait.

As we drove through outlying areas, we were reminded of driving through Kenya, where we’ll be again in nine months.

Once we made it through immigration in Zambia, we paid a ZAR 1223 (US $100) entry fee for the two of us (by credit card), which included both Zambia and Zimbabwe. Finally, we were on our way to baggage claim to easily find our bags and be on our way. 

A walker sheltered from the hot sun carrying an umbrella.

Alec, our driver for the week, was waiting for us at the airport entrance holding a sign with our name. We got into the somewhat rickety van to make our way to our hotel, a short distance away. We drove through the town of Livingstone, where many travelers come from all over the world to visit the renowned Victoria Falls.

Once we reached the city of Livingstone, we were surprised by many modern buildings and conveniences.

From this site: “Livingstone was, until 2012, the capital of the Southern Province of Zambia. Lying 10 km (6.2 mi) to the north of the Zambezi River, it is a tourism centre for Victoria Falls and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of Victoria Falls. A historic British colonial city, its present population was estimated at 136,897 inhabitants at the 2010 census. It is named after David Livingstone, the British explorer and missionary who was the first European to explore the area.”

The city is clean and well organized.

“Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia until October 1964, and bordering Zimbabwe was Rhodesia. “The territory of what is now Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia from 1911. It was renamed Zambia at independence in 1964. The new name of Zambia was derived from the Zambezi river (Zambezi may mean “River of God”).”

Shops, businesses, and restaurants line the streets.
There’s a vast amount of fascinating history we’ll explore in part over this week while we visit some of the sights in these three bordering countries; Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.

Now that we’re settled into our comfortable hotel room at the Protea Hotel by Marriot Livingstone with good AC, Wi-Fi, and a comfortable bed, we’re content and happy to be here. 

We have a few days on our own, during which we’ll check out downtown Livingstone on foot.

For ease, tonight we’ll dine at the hotel’s restaurant, and we’ll check out recommendations from TripAdvisor for the remaining evening’s meal. Breakfast is included each morning, beginning at 6:30 am, which will work well for our busy schedule of various tours we’ve already arranged.

Tomorrow, at 7:45 am, we’re off to see Victoria Falls. We decided we’d do the full tour of both sides of the falls, from Zambia and Zimbabwe. It will be a full day. Once we return to our hotel in the late afternoon, we’ll prepare the post with many photos of Victoria Falls.

Back at you soon, dear readers! Enjoy the evening and the weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, May 11, 2017:

The beach on a tropical island as we began to wind down the cruise. In three days, we were back in North America, preparing for the Alaskan cruise. For more details, please click here.

Busy morning in the bush…An infrequent visitor…Tomorrow, we fly to Zambia..

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Tom, looking over the edge of the veranda at night to see who’s come to call.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Last night’s sunset through the trees.

Our packing is almost completed. It’s been relatively easy. Marta ironed a few shirts for us after we washed all the clothes we wanted to bring, including all of our insect repellent “BugsAway” shirts and pants and appropriate items to wear to dinner.

A single mongoose is attempting to crack a fresh egg. They’re smart enough to know to bang the eggs on the ground or on tree roots to crack them open. 

With so little clothing, it wasn’t tricky selecting what we’d need for the seven days and nights we’ll spend in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, a relatively short trip for us.

We wanted to use a few dozen eggs we had left for the mongoose before leaving for our trip.  For the first time, we just placed them in the unopened bowl to watch the playful frenzy.

All we have left to pack are a few toiletry items we’ll need to use in the morning and our plethora of digital equipment; laptops, cameras, chargers, a tripod, phones, etc. 

At first, they weren’t quite sure what to do since we always scramble the eggs in this bowl.  But, it didn’t take them long to figure out they could grab one and run to crack it independently.

This time, it will be easy; only one checked bag and one carry-on each, a less than two hour non-stop flight from Nelspruit each way, and a short pre-arranged ride from the Livingstone Airport to our hotel.

Our only concern is will we be able to get back into South Africa after this short time away…immigration-wise, that is?  We won’t know until May 18th when we return to Nelspruit.  It makes no sense to worry. We have a great backup plan in mind should the requirement arise. We’ll share details later.

When the eggs were gone, the mongoose continued to investigate the bowl.  This one, with “egg on her face,” figured out the eggs were gone.

Honestly, I don’t feel like going on a trip, but then again, neither does Tom. It’s hard to leave when we’re so content here. It’s not as if we “need a vacation/holiday. Good grief! Speaking of “non-stop,” our lives are a non-stop vacation/holiday.

We were thrilled to see a wildebeest in the yard this morning, an uncommon occurrence.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m sure once we’re situated in our hotel and begin the tours the following day, we’ll be perfectly content and thoroughly enjoy the experiences ahead of us. It always seems to go that way.

He opted for some pellets.

This morning kept us rather busy, with five species of visitors crowding out one another in the yard. We had “My Girl,” my favorite kudu, who is easily identifiable by a notch in her right ear, most likely due to an injury or congenital disability, stop by several times today. 

“The head of the wildebeest is large and box-like. The body looks disproportionate, as the front end is heavily built, the hindquarters are slender, and the legs spindly. Both males and females have curving horns close together at the base but curve outward, inward, and slightly backward. , The wildebeest is gray with darker vertical stripes that look almost black from a distance.”
Then, we had “Tom’s Girl,” an adorable bushbuck, as shown in today’s photos which loves him and waits for him at the edge of the veranda, barely able to see over, while he gets treats for her. It’s the cutest thing! We can always see her perky ears peeking up over the white ceramic tiles, waiting for him.
Tom’s favorite bushbuck is the baby who visits each day with her mom and a friend (or an aunt).

With numbers of bushbucks, kudus, Vervet monkeys (whom we don’t feed), an infrequent visit from a wildebeest, and dozens of guinea fowl monopolizing all the dirt surfaces, it was a great start to the day. It was only in the past few minutes that things settled down, and now it’s quiet again.

The little one is finally interested in the vegetables, apples, and pellets.  This mom is “Tom’s Girl.”

Tonight will be a quiet night. We’ll finish the food we have planned and stay outside enjoying the sights and sounds of the bush until it’s time to head to bed, perhaps a little earlier than usual, to get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow’s big adventure.

Tomorrow, we won’t be posting in the morning. Instead, we’ll prepare a post once we’re situated in our hotel, which should be uploaded by 5:00 pm, our time, five or six hours later than our usual upload time.

Last night, we counted 12 bushbabies coming down from the trees to partake of the cup of strawberry yogurt.

Next time you “see” us here, it will be from Zambia, another country we’ll be adding to our world travel map as shown on the right side of our homepage, underneath the photo of us in Petra. Also, during this trip, we’ll be adding Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Stay well and happy until soon…we meet again!

Photo from one year ago today, May 10, 2017:

New friends with whom we spent a lot of time aboard the cruise: Ray, Terry, Ulla, and Julie. We’ve all continued to stay in touch via Facebook. For more photos, please click here:

Two days and counting…Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana…Here we come!…

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An ostrich by himself walking along the road near the river.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

There’s a round, fenced-in area in the driveway filled with a variety of vegetation. The intent was to keep the monkeys out, but they always find a way inside.  It’s fall now in this part of the world. Leaves rapidly fall from the tree, and only a few forms of vegetation change color, such as this palm frond.

In two days, we’ll make the 90-minute drive to Nelspruit to the airport to fly to Livingstone, Zambia, for our one-week getaway. We see Victoria Falls has always been our goal since our first visit to Africa over four years ago.

When we were here in 2013-2014, we’d hoped to see the falls, but once we became entrenched in life in Marloth Park, we couldn’t bring ourselves to leave when we loved it so much.

It’s always such a joy to see elephants on our local drives.

Now, with our 90-day visas ready to expire in a few days, it was time to make this important trip which includes a stay in a hotel near the falls, and embark on a variety of tours we’ve already booked for the week away. We’ll be returning on May 18th.

The elephant’s trunk is comparable to a human’s hand in its dexterity.

I wish I could say we’re excited about leaving, and I’m certain once we arrive in Livingstone, we’ll be thrilled to be there. But, this blissful routine we’ve established in Marloth Park isn’t all that easy to leave.

Only this morning, we’ve had kudu, bushbuck, Frank, and a band of mongoose, and who knows what the remainder of the day will bring our way? Oddly, we haven’t seen Scar-Face in several days, and I’m concerned something has happened to him.

Taking a drink.

Last night, we stayed outdoors extra late while several other warthogs came to call but not Scar Face. The mating season is stirring up many interesting behavior patterns between the males and females, which we’re especially enjoying but without Scar Face, it just isn’t quite the same. Hopefully, he’ll appear in the next two days before we have to leave.

Another elephant was heading down to the Crocodile River.

Yesterday afternoon, we made our usual every-other-day drive through the park. The quiet and the lack of other vehicles were noticeable. We may have encountered only three or four other cars as we drove along the Crocodile River, checking out the action.

It was a gorgeous sunny day, as most have been these past few weeks now that the fall season is upon us. As is the case most mornings now, this morning, we have to add extra layers of clothing to stay comfortable outdoors. By 9:00 or 10:00 am, it begins to warm up to ideal conditions suitable for shorts and tee shirts.

“Elephants may spend 12-18 hours a day feeding. Adult elephants can eat between 200-600 pounds of food a day. As herbivores, elephants consume grasses, tree foliage, bark, twigs, and other vegetation daily. Elephants can also drink up to 50 gallons of water a day about as much as a standard bathtub holds.”

As chilly as it may be in the mornings and evenings, we’re thrilled with the coolness and are grateful we kept a few warmer items to wear during these cooler periods.

Yesterday Josiah, our pool, veranda, and yard maintenance man, spent a few hours raking the leaves that have accumulated in the dirt (no lawn here) that had fallen from the trees. This way, when we feed the wildlife, they don’t have to dig through piles of leaves to find the pellets and vegetables.

Little Wart Face was sniffing one of the two moms who come by each day with their two fast-growing piglets. He was making the train-like noise while sniffing, but she had nothing to do with him. Mating season is upon us.

Now, as we sit here on the veranda on this perfect day, the leaves are falling in big swooshes as each gust of balmy wind wafts through the yard. The bush is a mixture of green and brown and, in itself, isn’t particularly pretty. Few flowers or colorful blooms are visible this time of year.

The often “raining” leaves create a scene that is enchanting in its way as we anticipate the coming of winter in this part of the world, never cold enough for snow although we can see our breath some mornings.

Young male visit stopped by in the dark to see what we had for him. We complied with pellets, apples, carrots, and lettuce.

It’s hard for us to believe three months have passed since we arrived on February 11th, most definitely some of the most pleasurable months in our world travels.

Coming off the trip to Antarctica could have been a big letdown. As Tom always says, we went from seeing elephant seals to seeing elephants in less than one week. What more could we ask for?

Today, I’ll pack for the trip. Tom lifts and carries the bags for me. Tom prefers to wait until the day before leaving. We each have our preferred packing routine, with neither of us putting on any pressure for the other to do it any differently. The only thing I help Tom with is folding his shirts. It works.

Such handsome animals.  We welcome them almost every day.

We won’t be posting any final expenses for South Africa since we’ll be coming back.  At the end of the upcoming week, we’ll post the costs for the trip. We hear the WiFi at the hotel is good, and we’re hoping to post each day, although we have a few all-day safaris and excursions that may prevent us from doing so on those days. In any case, we’ll let you know.

The next few days until we depart, we’ll be staying in, getting things done, packing, making excellent meals before we leave, and then by this time in two days, we’ll already be at the tiny Mpumalanga Nelspruit Kruger International Airport, getting ready to board the non-stop flight to Zambia.

Stay tuned, folks. Lots more is yet to come. 

Have a pleasant day!

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

A view of Honolulu from the ship as we made our way back to mainland USA. For more details, please click here.

Friendly South African braai in the wild among new friends and the beasts…Frikkie’s Dam, Lionspruit…

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Such a funny thing (to us anyway), an oxpecker on this giraffe’s nose.
We were so close to this giraffe it was easy to get this photo.
After exiting Lionspruit, we spotted this giraffe on the opposite side of the fence. We noticed an oxpecker on his nose.
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
A Vervet monkey in a tree in the yard.

How do we begin to tell the story of friendship and hospitality that surrounds us in South Africa…in Marloth Park? Sure, we’ve met wonderful people all over the world, on cruises, during tours, and in neighborhoods, many of whom we’ve stayed in close touch over these past years, many of who’ve become lifelong friends.

The somewhat enclosed braai area offered a barrier between the lions and us in Lionspruit.

We never take for granted the opportunity to meet new people and to build new relationships. Undoubtedly, such friendships take time to cultivate, and when we have time in a location, we relish in these relationships as they mature.

It was a perfect day to be outdoors, not too hot, not too cool.

Some relationships are with couples we meet along the way, and others are individuals with whom we find a particular affinity when meeting one-on-one or in a group. On Sunday, such was the case when Louise and Danie included us in their “inner circle” (my words, not theirs) of people they’ve come to know and love after many years in Marloth Park.

The covered veranda at Frikkie’s Dam provides shelter in the event of rain.

The commonality they share, as Danie described only this morning when he and Louise stopped by, is their “lack of baggage,” the kind that may make some people judgmental, critical, or of a less than warm demeanor and personality. 

From left to right, Danie, Alison, and Dean posed for a photo. Everyone works tirelessly and unselfishly for the preservation of Marloth Park.

Over time, this group was “hand-picked” for the special qualities they each possess in their unique way. What intrigued us the most was how different each individual is, bringing a wealth of great experiences, education, and backgrounds.

From left to right, Nicki, Louise, and Cora.

Many countries are represented in this group of friends…many cultures, many varying walks of life. But, the one passion they each share is their passion and love for Marloth Park and their determination and dedication in contributing, however big or small, in maintaining the integrity that so well defines this magical place.

Andre, Cor, and Tom.

It’s not that other locals are excluded from this group. Luckily, they all came together over time, as friends and ultimately as “family” when many of their family members are so far away.

Andre was one of the first residents of Marloth Park in the 1970s. He and Cor, to his right, are great friends. Michel is to the left.

To be included means a lot to us, as it has been with all of our friends here in Marloth Park. We don’t have South African roots, heritage, and culture in our repertoire of world experiences as many of them do.  Even those from far away places have been here long enough to have wound their lives, their existence around a lifestyle and persona that is unique unto itself, unlike any we’ve encountered in these past years of world travel.

Nicki, Louise, and Cora.

They have so much history together entwined in endless stories that made us both realize, should we have the opportunity to be with them again, that in time we’ll collectively build our own stories, our memories, and our level of inclusiveness that is found in a friendly mélange of locals sharing their lives, their dreams, and their hopes for the future.

Cora, Matthew, Michel, and Andre.

We apologize if we’ve missed including photos and names of everyone present on Sunday’s braai at Frikkie’s Dam. Hopefully, next time, we won’t be so preoccupied with the wonder of it all, failing to include everyone in our photos.

We brought a gluten-free quiche to share.  Louise and Danie cooked meats on the open fire, and others brought their items.

Again, and we mean again, thanks to Louise and Danie and all of our friends in the bush for making this life genuinely feel like “home.” Wherever we may travel in the world, our memories will travel with us…in our hearts, in our minds, and our eternal love of Marloth Park, South Africa.

When we return from Zambia, we plan to meet with Andre to write a story of his over 40 years in Marloth Park. He’s holding a piece of our quiche in his hand.

Happy day to all!

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

Aboard the ship, I made a new friend, Helen. She and I decided to visit Lahaina Maui for some “girl time,” leaving Tom behind on the ship while we browsed the shops. It was a great day. For more details, please click here.

Mount Kilauea….Remembering our Big Island experience in 2014-2015 when we saw lava for the first time…

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This was my favorite shot of the evening we spent in Kilauea National Park with the backdrop of the glow from Mount Kilauea. For more details from our post, please click here

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A baby kudu found comfort standing at the base of this tree when there was lots of action in our yard.
Throughout the world, the news is continually tracking the progression of the eruption and subsequent earthquakes of Mount Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii. We are paying particular attention to the details as they continue to unfold.
These trees provided a backdrop perfect for taking photos.

It was Christmas, 2014 when we rented two houses next door to one another while our family came to visit for the holiday. They began arriving in early December and the last didn’t depart until early January 2015.

Many months prior to our arrival in Pahoa on the Big Island we’d begun worrying that our planned family holiday would be challenging if we had to select a different location with space for the 14 of us, of there was an evacuation of Pahoa.

Smoke rising from the lava flowing in Pahoa, where we lived for six weeks in 2014/2015. We were concerned we’d have to evacuate. Click here for this post.

It was Christmas in Hawaii, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world.  There are too many posts we uploaded at that time to fully describe the story of our time in Pahoa and the interesting and unusual aspect of living in an area with the prospect of flowing lava reaching the holiday homes.

Numerous power poles located in the path of the lava flow had been covered in fire-retardant materials to prevent the flow from destroying the power to the area.  For this post, please click here.

 The first post in the succession began on December 2, 2014, when we’d arrived on December 1st and ended on January 14, 2015, as indicated here. Here’s a photo below of the backyard facing the Pacific Ocean from the backyard of one of the two houses we rented, located next door to one another, each with an astounding view.

The next-door neighbor’s chair gives a good perspective of the massive size of these waves in front of the two houses we rented on the Big Island from this post.

As concerned as we were about the situation we were bound and determined to have as good a time as we could with the family and, if we had to evacuate, we’d figure out a solution.

The swirls in the moving lava were interesting to see firsthand.  For more, please click here.

Shortly before Christmas, the nearby shopping center where we purchased groceries, supplies, and gas, was closed due to fears that the lava was headed that way. It was an unusual experience to be shopping at the market with huge discounts the day before the store was closing supposedly for good, with the lava.

During this period, we discovered that many homeowners in the area had already packed and left their homes, fearful of the arriving lava flow.  They moved out all of their belongings and waited, living in other areas as to what would transpire.  What a hardship for all of them!

To see the red-hot lava between these lava rocks only required a bit of zoom. We couldn’t believe we were with our family and all of us were able to see lava flowing for the first time in our lives. For this post, please click here.

Now, as the residents of Leilani Estates struggle with this same reality they’re more certain their homes are at risk of being taken out by the massive lava flows and/or damaged severely by earthquakes. The fate of the area is uncertain over the long haul. 

Signs such as this were posted everywhere. Click here for the post.

In any case, we enjoyed our time in Pahoa and now we pray for the safety and recovery of those who’ve lost so much in the wake of this violent mountain’s continuing eruptions and earthquakes.

This is a photo I took of a photo of when the lava crossed Apa’a Street on October 25th.
See this link for the news report.

If you’d like to read more on this, please click this link. To watch any one of numerous live feeds of the volcano, please click here.

A barn or garage that survived the lava flow as it crawled down the road.  For this post, please click here.

 Tomorrow, we’ll share photos of our fabulous day at Frikkie’s Dam in Lionspruit wildlife area with Louise and Danie’s friends, meeting new people while sharing stories of wildlife and world travel. Although each of the braai’s participants has diverse and interesting backgrounds, we all shared a common interest in our love of the beauty and magic of Marloth Park.

 See you soon!  Have a great day!

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

Captain Rick Sullivan chatted with us in Dizzy’s Jazz Bar aboard Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas as we made our way toward North America. He invited us to a special function enabling us to do a story. His warm demeanor and superb sense of humor have made sailing aboard this ship a sheer delight. For more photos, please click here.

Busy morning…Off to a brunch at Frikkie’s Dam, in Lionspruit in the African bush…

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Although they all had their backs to us, we were thrilled to see these elephants through the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

“Have you got one more bite for me?” asks Mr. Kudu as he began to walk away.

It’s 9:50 am Sunday, and in 70 minutes, we have to be out the door to head to Frikkie’s Dam in Lionspruit for brunch in the bush with Louise, Danie, and a group of their friends, most of whom we’ve yet to meet.

I prepared a brunch egg casserole (low carb, of course) which goes into the oven in 10 minutes and will bake for about an hour. When done, we’ll tightly wrap in foil and bath towels to keep warm until we arrive at the destination.

Several were off to the side on their own, which may have been part of the herd.

It’s a rare occasion I have only 70 minutes to prepare a post, but not knowing what time we’d return, I was determined to get it done before leaving at 11:00 am.

There’s never a time we’re not excited to see elephants.

There could have been more time to get things done this morning if I’d dragged myself out of bed a little earlier than 7:30, but after a fitful night, I struggled to get up, showered, and dressed for the day.

By the time I entered the kitchen at 8:00, I had got busy preparing the dish, chopping and dicing onions, garlic, and mushrooms to saute in a buttered skillet. 

There were about a dozen elephants at the Crocodile River from our vantage point.

You know how mornings may go…one getting distracted by a variety of tasks around the house; I washed a small load of laundry, set out dishes and flatware for tonight’s dinner, and put away dishes Tom had washed that I’d used in the food prep.

We waited quite a while for this hippo to turn around for a better photo, but they were busy munching on the grass.

Then, I packed a bag with forks, spatula, paper plates, paper towels, bottled water, etc., that we needed to bring along to serve our solitary dish at the outdoor brunch in Lionspruit, the wildlife conservancy located within the borders of Marloth Park. 

Indeed Louise and Danie have been preparing food for hours, and yet they just stopped by to drop off a pass for us to use to get into Lionspruit. They’re always thinking of us. They didn’t want us to cook anything saying they’d have plenty for us. But, good grief, I had to contribute something!

The elephant on the left appeared much larger than the other.  She must have been the matriarch.

Then, of course, we had two female kudus stop by distracting me for another 20 minutes or more. Yesterday, I’d cut up tons of veggies for them and wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to provide them with a nutritious breakfast. They hung around for another half hour, looking wondering if we’d come up with more.

But, I wanted to save some of the veggies for later when we return for the evening while waiting for Scar-Face to show up. We haven’t seen him in two days and we became a little concerned. 

Their peaceful grazing and the way they honor one another is a sight to behold.

Last night at dinner at Jabula with Kathy and Don and their friends Jill and Beau, we all discussed the fact that we’d only seen wildlife yesterday morning but none in the afternoon. 

That seems the case most weekends when there are more visitors in the park, more traffic, and more noise, keeping some of the wildlife undercover in the bush. Maybe we don’t need to worry about Scar Face.

After the drive along the river, we decided to stop by and see the house on Hornbill that we rented four years ago. 

We had an excellent evening at Jabula. Dawn and Leon, owners and friends of the best restaurant around, always fuss over all of us, making the extra evening special. Of course, the food is consistently exceptional. Tom had the ribs and chips (fries), and I had grilled chicken breast with creamed spinach (no flour added). We brought home the bones for Scar Face in a doggie bag. 

Last night, dear friend Don told us his story of spotting a leopard in Marloth Park on his daily walk. I must admit we were jealous. That would be quite a sighting!  Perhaps, one day soon, we’ll spot it too.

It brought back a lot of beautiful memories of our first time living in the bush. Now, here at the “Orange…More than Just a Colour” we’re building new memories.

We apologize for today’s less-than-perfect photos and short story. The images were taken at a distance our camera cannot easily handle, nor can I, without the tripod with me. Let us start taking it with us when we go for our almost daily drives in the park.

We’ll be back tomorrow to review the news regarding the earthquakes and erupting Mount Kilauea on the Big Island in Hawaii. We were there in 2014/2015 when we had the unbelievable opportunity to see lava flowing when our family visited for Christmas. The lava was flowing toward the town of Pahoa where our holiday rentals were located on the sea.  More on that tomorrow with links and photos from our original story.

Have a peaceful and fulfilling day, dear readers!

Photo from one year ago today, May 6, 2018:

One year ago today, we arrived back in the USA via the Big Island, Hawaii, as we continued on the cruise.  For more details, please click here.

A memorable evening…The finest food and conversation!…How did we get so lucky?…

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This gorgeous feta, onion, and lettuce salad served by Louise and Danie were enhanced with edible flowers, indicative of the attention to detail and creativity these two fine hosts possess.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A wildebeest mom and baby resting in the bush.

When Louise sent a text on Thursday, inquiring if we could come to dinner on Friday night at their exceptional holiday home, Khaya Umdani, where we stayed for a few weeks four years ago, we couldn’t say “yes” quickly enough.

A snook (fish) salad as a starter that was fabulous.  Even Tom, not so fond of fish, loved this.

With social plans in place for tonight, Saturday night, the timing worked perfectly. This will have been one busy social week with four social events with wonderful friends, old and new, delicious food, and lively conversation.

Food for our meal was cooking over the open fire, a traditional South African braai.

Never for a moment do we take the friends we’ve made in Marloth Park for granted. Each time we’re included in dinner, a party, or any gathering, we feel so fortunate, often asking ourselves, “How did we get so lucky?”

Stunning African-themed place settings.

Last night, among the others this past week, was exceptional.  When Louise mentioned there would be no fussing about our invitation, we assumed they’d throw some chicken on the braai with a salad on the side. Ha! No fussing? Hardly!

The smells coming from the fire set our taste buds into a frenzy.

We knew they’ve been ultra busy these past weeks with many holidays and an endless stream of holidaymakers, each with their own particular needs and expectations. And, do these two deliver!  Never have we known any two people so dedicated to providing an over-the-top experience at every event they provide for their clientele and then, again, last night for us.

Danie was busy setting up the rack for the ostrich steaks.

No fuss, she’d said!  Are you kidding me? We know how much effort and time went into preparing that gourmet and unique meal. It was truly over the top. The only disappointment we felt was that we ran out of room in our tummies to have seconds of any of the many mind-boggling items on the menu.

He placed ostrich steaks over the hot coals, a mixture of wood and charcoal.

From the edible flowers in the feta lettuce salad to the snook starter salad to the grilled ostrich steak, the heavenly eggplant dish, to the stuffed cabbage rolls, our taste buds were truly overwhelmed with deliciousness. There wasn’t one item Tom didn’t like, which surprised him and me as well!

It took our breath away to see Louise and Danie place all of the beautifully prepared foods in front of us.

For me, knowing I could eat everything served (except Tom’s potatoes) was purely delightful. Although, all of our Marloth Park friends have made delicious meals suitable for my way of eating, for which I’m very grateful. We haven’t appreciated such attention to detail for my diet, even in the finest of restaurants worldwide.

Another salad was available, a crispy and delicious coleslaw.

The evening went far beyond the great food and ambiance. Being at Khaya Umdani, where we stayed for 10 nights beginning on January 30, 2014, brought back memories we’ll always treasure. Seeing the stunning house so well maintained with no signs of wear and tear after all these years warmed our hearts. 

These mince-stuffed cabbage rolls were heavenly.

Of course, that’s what Louise and Danie do…perfection with ease, grace, and enthusiasm. What more could anyone ask for?

The finished, tender, and delicious ostrich steaks. By the way, ostrich meat is farmed, not taken from Marloth or Kruger National Parks.

Then add in the candid conversations, with no stones unturned, the laughter, and the endless storytelling. We couldn’t have had a better time. By 10:30 pm, we were back “home,” stuffed, satisfied, and reeling from another great night with friends. 

Tom, who usually turns up his nose at aubergine (eggplant), loved this fabulous item.

We fell into bed hoping to watch a one-hour series we’d downloaded but, alas, contrary to the usual; Tom nodded off after about 15 minutes into the show. I put my computer away for the night, knowing we’d watch the balance of the show another night, and was fast asleep by 11:00 pm.

Not only are Louise and Danie expert chefs, but they are also thoughtful in making Tom potatoes when everything else we ate was low carb and suitable for my way of eating. They, too, follow a low-carb diet referred to as the Banting Diet here in South Africa.

Awakening at 5:00, I couldn’t wait to get outdoors to see if we had any visitors. Other than Frank and The Misses and a few guinea fowl, no one had yet stopped by. As the day has progressed, we’ve had 11 kudus stop by.

With a little of everything, our plates were filled and ready for us to dig in. Amazing food and equally amazing hostess and host.

Frank sings a little tune while pecking at the seeds that always makes us laugh. It’s got to be a “happiness” song. If I were a francolin, I’d have been singing that tune last night! I tossed some birdseed on the ground, and they scampered to get their fair share.

At first, when Louise asked if we noticed anything unusual in this mask, we couldn’t see a thing in the dim light. Once I took this photo, we could see the frog in its mouth.

Tonight we’re off for yet another social event, which we’ll share tomorrow, and on Sunday morning, a brunch-type braai in Lionspruit at Frikkie’s Dam, which Louise and Danie kindly invited us to attend to meet many more of their friends.

This tree frog sits in the mouth of a decorative mask on the wall of the veranda.

How did we get so lucky? We’ll never know the answer. However, we’re content to accept the good fortune in the same category as “safari luck” and continue appreciating and cherishing every moment.

May you cherish something wonderful in your life today and always.

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

Rows upon rows of pine trees line the beach near the coral reef on Mystery Island in the South Pacific. For more photos, please click here.

Sugar cane burning in South Africa…Is it necessary?…How does it affect the area?…

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It’s no wonder we have so much soot on our veranda.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

These three beautiful bushbucks come to visit almost every day. Most likely, the lighter-colored second female is an aunt, cousin, or sibling from another season. Both adults watch over the baby with loving concern.

Early yesterday afternoon, we took off for Komatipoort for our 2:30 pm back-to-back dental cleaning appointments at the same dental office where I had a filling repaired last week. 

Yesterday, as we drove toward Komatipoort for our dentist appointment, we saw the billowing smoke from sugar cane burning.

We’re pleased with the dentist, and a teeth cleaning was overdue for both of us. I should say the last cleaning we had in Costa Rica last August just wasn’t as good as we’d hoped, which requires another cleaning now.

As it turned out, after that last cleaning, a crown had fallen off of one of my molars, requiring I see yet another dentist in Atenas a short time later. I can’t say for sure if it was caused by the rough cleaning, but it seemed to be a coincidence. 

Tom made a u-turn for a better view.

Also, the necessity of last week’s dental appointment was due to a temporary filling I had in Curribatat that also fell out recently, causing a toothache that had to be dealt with. We’re thrilled with the dentist here, Dr. Luzaan, and feel confident all will work out well with the quality dental care in South Africa.  Right now, neither of us needs any major work.

Once we arrived in Komatipoort, we headed directly to the pharmacy to purchase malaria pills and a few toiletries for our upcoming trip to Zambia next Friday. We’ll begin taking the pills the day before we leave, during the seven-night trip, and for one week afterward.

We wondered as to how much pollution this process causes.

After the pharmacy, while still a little early for our 2:30 appointment, we headed to the biltong store to purchase our usual half bag of moist biltong. There are two types of beef biltong (jerky), moist and dry, with various options with flavorings. We prefer the plain moist biltong since it’s easier to chew and…won’t break a tooth!

By 2:25, we arrived at the dental office, only to discover, our appointment wasn’t on the books for some odd reason. The dentist was out of town. We’d left the appointment card at home, but once we returned, we checked it, thinking maybe we’d made an error. The card read as shown below, although the handwriting appears to say 16:30 when it fact upon careful inspection, it reads 14:30n (2:30 pm).

Our dental appointment card stated 14:30 (2:30 pm) as the correct time for our teeth cleaning. (It appears to say 16:30, but it is actually 14:30).

We weren’t angry or upset. That’s not us. Nor did we hold it against the dental staff or the dentist. We’ve made our fair share of mixed-up dates and times, here and there. Besides, we needed to purchase a few items at Spar and the Butchery making the trip to Komatipoort necessary anyway.

We rescheduled for Monday when we’ll return for our cleanings at 15:00 (3:00 pm). No worries. No big deal. Off we went for our shopping, and by the time we began the drive back to Marloth around 3:30 pm, we decided to take more photos of the sugar cane burning as shown here today.

The fires can burn all day.

Back at home, we put everything away, made a few preparations for dinner, and searched online for details regarding the burning of sugar cane in South Africa. There was little information available, as is often the case when we look up specific information on various topics in this world.

Thus, today we share a little on the burning of sugar cane from this site which, although not the same location we’re in, suffices to get the information across. The burning of sugar cane may not be of interest to most of our readers but, while living here in Marloth Park, it’s a big issue to many of the occupants of homes in this area. 

Of course, the amount of soot is dependent upon which way the wind is blowing.

The soot from the fires is unhealthy, filthy, and requires a tremendous amount of sweeping and cleaning. As we’ve mentioned lately, the bottoms of our feet are disgusting by the end of the day from the soot we encounter on the veranda day and night.

Here are some excerpts about sugar cane burning from this article:

“Residents have complained about the burning of sugar cane for several reasons, chiefly among them the depositing of smut onto the nearby residential property as well as environmental concerns.

Lately, the wind has been blowing right toward Marloth Park.

Cutting sugar cane without burning it is notoriously difficult and time-consuming. This practice is known as ‘green cane harvesting’ or ‘trashing’ and requires workers to cut the stalk in specific places and manually remove the leaves. The advantages of burning are numerous. 

Besides making the sugar cane easier to harvest, the flames also drive away cane rats and snakes that threaten workers. Burning reduces the weight of the harvested crop, which means transport costs are lower, and it improves the sucrose quality within the sugar cane stalk.

According to the South African Sugar Association’s (SASA) natural resource manager Dr. Marilyn Govender, the industry has researched and developed specific measures to address the implications of burning. These measures are implemented through the Codes of Burning Practices and form part of an initiative to promote Better Management Practices (BMP’s) in the industry.

The codes differ between regions in practice but focus on minimizing atmospheric pollution, preventing runaway fires and ensuring that farmers are well equipped in the event of such, minimizing smut deposits from cane fires in residential or otherwise sensitive areas, and preventing heat and smoke from being blown across public roads or affecting power lines.”

More information may be found by clicking on the above link.

The sugar cane harvesting season will end soon, making all the residents of Marloth Park pleased.  We all have to sweep several times a day.

We could wear shoes, but neither of us has worn shoes in a house for so long, it would be a tough habit to break. Plus, we’d still carry the soot into the house from the bottom of our shoes.

In the realm of things, soot is no big deal. At some point, the sugar cane harvesting season will end, and no longer will this be of concern for the residents of Marloth Park.

This sweet little mom bushbuck is warm and friendly, having won the hearts of many residents in the park.

We’re just so grateful to be here. We can live with the soot, the insects, the power outages, the heat and humidity (also to wane soon as winter approaches), and whatever other inconveniences locals whinge about.  I guess it’s human nature to whine a little, and we aren’t exempt from falling into that trap from time to time.

Today, we’ll stay put enjoying whatever visitors come our way.  Tonight, we’ve been invited to dinner by Louise and Danie at one of their gorgeous holiday homes (we stayed at that property for a period of time four years ago) only a few blocks from here. No doubt, it will be another wonderful evening with friends.  We’ll post photos tomorrow.

May your Friday (or Saturday for our Australian friends) be as special as you are. Be well. 

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

The equator crossing celebration aboard the ship on this date one year ago. Please click here for details.

A day in the life…Easy, breezy, as pleasant as it can be…

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We couldn’t believe we spotted this croc from so far away, lounging on a sandbar on the rover.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Zebra nursing in our yard.

Life in this house, “Orange…More Than Just a Colour,” is relatively easy. There are fewer insects, bats, snakes, and rodents than we encountered in the Hornbill house four years ago, perhaps because this house doesn’t have a thatched roof or that the veranda and entrance into the house are several feet above ground level.

Another photo of this croc was taken from a long distance while sunning on the river’s edge.

Most houses in Marloth Park have thatched roofs which look great, but we wonder if they may contribute to more insects and critters in the home since the grass can attract all kinds of animals.

This croc on the bank of the Crocodile River appeared quite long.

The mozzies aren’t bad either, although we continue to use repellent day and night, reapplying every four to six hours while using various outdoor repellents outdoors at night such as coils, candles, and scented oils. 

As winter approaches, we’ll see fewer and fewer mosquitoes, although we’ll continue to use repellent throughout the year. Today, when we head to Komatipoort to have our teeth cleaned, we’ll visit the pharmacy to purchase Malarone (atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride). These anti-malarial pills don’t need a prescription here. Dr. Theo suggested we take these when visiting other African countries. 

This baby bushbuck is growing up fast and is now able to eat pellets.

The Wi-Fi works perfectly and only doesn’t function during a power outage which seems to occur once or twice a month. In most cases, power is restored within 12 hours.

We don’t have any cable or TV service since we told Louise and Danie not to pay for it when the contract ran out. We don’t watch TV anymore. Instead, we spend all of our time outdoors on the veranda, watching nature unfold before our eyes…much more fun than watching TV. We can easily check online news, which we both do daily. We need to know what’s going on in the world, which impacts our future travels.

We hadn’t seen this warthog mom with five babies in about six weeks. Warthogs have only four teats, so this litter of five must have been a challenge which may explain why one of them is a “runt.”

Marta lives in a bit of house on the property and will follow our lead to any cleaning and laundry we’d like her to do. Most household staff do dishes from the previous night’s meal, but we prefer to wash them ourselves after eating to avoid cockroaches and other insects seeking scraps of food on unwashed plates and dinnerware.

This mom with the five babies has enormous tusks.

So far, so good. We’ve only experienced a few occurrences when we first arrived, but none since then. We’re meticulous in keeping kitchen countertops and work surfaces cleaned and washed, as we’re always preparing food and refuse to be instrumental in getting ants which can be a real nuisance. Hot soapy water seems to be the best deterrent.

The biggest cleaning issue right now is the soot we get on the veranda almost every day due to sugarcane burning in nearby fields.  Josiah comes to wash the veranda, tend to the yard and clean the pool five days a week. Right now, no more than an hour after he’s done, the white-tiled veranda is covered with nasty black soot. 

Yesterday afternoon, we spotted elephants near the river.

We sweep several times a day when we don’t want to carry the soot inside the house on the bottom of our feet, which are filthy by the end of each day. No big deal. A quick wash in the shower remedies this issue before we hop into bed.

 My mornings consist of showering, getting dressed for the day, putting away the dishes Tom had washed the previous night, and leaving to dry. Also, I cut up carrots and apples for the wildlife, prepare a cup of birdseed for the guinea fowls, Frank and The Misses.

We waited for her to turn around, but she was busy eating the tall grasses.

Since I can no longer drink coffee, tea, or iced tea and am waiting to order our shipment, which will include herbal tea for me (I can’t find it at any of the local shops), I drink a glass of room temperature purified water in the morning and throughout the day. No longer does ice agree with me, so I avoid that too.

Some mornings I make us a breakfast of eggs and bacon when we know we won’t be eating until late, such as last night when we went to Kathy and Don’s home for dinner. 

Another elephant was grazing nearby.

We had a spectacular evening starting with appetizers on their second-floor veranda. Later, we moved to the ground level “boma” area to gather around an open fire for more lively chatter and their other two guests, Jane and Andrew. The food, the ambiance, and the conversation couldn’t have been more perfect.

Today, a simple day; the trip to the pharmacy, appointment to get out teeth cleaned, a stop at the meat market for biltong and some meat, a run through the supermarket for a few odds and ends.

Today’s early morning visitors.

We’ll be back “home” no later than 5:00 pm to make another great meal and spend the evening outdoors on the veranda, waiting to see Scar Face, Wart Face, Little Wart Face, Big Daddy, Tom’s Girl (the sweet bushbuck who adores him) and many more we’ve come to know and love.

It’s a good life.  We couldn’t be more content.

May your day bring you much contentment!

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

Queensland Gut Healing Tour. 2018
One of Dr. Peter Dingle’s newest books. Click here for details.

Part 2, Happy May Day to all!…Milestone dates in May in our world travels…Crazy!…

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We fell in love with a Northern Cardinal in Kauai, Hawaii, posting this video
in May 2015.  Click here for the link from that day.
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
This morning’s photo of Scar Face clearly illustrates his improvement.  We’re so excited to see his continuing recovery from this horrific injury. Now that the holidaymakers are mostly gone, he is stopping by several times a day.

Today we continue with Part 2 of specials days in May in our past travels. Yesterday, we left off in May 2014, and today we begin with May 2015. When reviewing posts from over the years, it’s always meaningful for us when one might perceive that the days and nights blur into one long period of worldwide experiences.

By looking back at old posts, we’re reminded how rich these past years have been, filled with such unusual and exciting (to us) places we’ve been and adventures we’ve had. Now, with only nine days until we depart for Livingstone, Zambia, we’re quickly reminded of the excitement and diversity of our travels.

No doubt, there are long stretches where we relax, stay at “home,” living a life not too dissimilar from yours. We find ways to entertain ourselves, cook, clean, do laundry, and socialize, which results in a very average and “normal” (if there is such a thing) lifestyle. 

Then again, our daily lives in Marloth Park are only expected for those who live here among us…a life far removed from our day-to-day in many other countries. However, as we look back at prior posts, like those listed below, we’re awestruck by other events we’ve been blessed to experience throughout the world. The month of May for 2015, 2016, and 2017 left us reeling with a sense of wonder and enrichment, as described below.

May 2015:  This particular May was bittersweet. We didn’t want to leave Kauai, one of our favorite islands in the world, especially with the reality of going two unique bird species to whom we’d become instead attached.   

One extraordinary adventure in Kauai was witnessing the Laysan Albatross pairs that nested in the neighborhood of many of our friends, allowing us to observe the miracle of life from the hatching of a single egg to the fledging of the chicks who had grown to 16 kg, (35 pounds) to begin their five-year journey out to sea.  Someday they’ll return to that same site with a lifelong mate to bring their little fledgling to life in this exact location.

 (Note:  We send our love and prayers for all of the citizens of Kauai, Hawaii. They’ve suffered an outrageous flood that has devastated the island. The fantastic people of Kauai have gathered together to provide relief for those in need).

A newly hatched albatross chick nestled under a parent from this post in May 2015.

Seeing these lives evolve over the four months we spent living nearby was a gift. It was filled with the purest of pleasure and desire for knowledge of these magical bird’s lives. 

Astounding! It was hard to leave only one week before they’d all begin to fledge off the high cliffs in the area. Fortunately, our friends living in the neighborhood sent us videos of these astounding birds as they walked in their wobbly manner to the cliffs, spread their wings, and embarked on the journey of their lives.

Secondly, during these four months, we fell in love with a Northern Cardinal who visited us several times a day, often with his mate, singing a beautiful multi-layered song we’d never heard and may never hear again. Each day, I cut up bits of macadamia nuts and almonds, handing them over to him after he sang the song. It was a win-win for both of us. He sang. We rendered the nuts. You can hear his song on the video posted as the primary photo today.

This partnership we watched daily between Birdie and Ms. Birdie reminded us of the partnership we share, always looking out for one another. This was a favorite photo from our time in Kauai, ending on May 24th, 2015.

May 2016: This was a highly cultural and exciting time, the total of four months we spent in an exquisite home in Sumbersari Bali. It didn’t only consist of exceptional lounging days by the infinity pool overlooking the ocean but was rich in a wide array of cultural experiences we’ll never forget.

Here’s a photo we took on May 1, 2016, upon our arrival at the exquisite villa and the link with more photos from that day:

We spent many days and nights outdoors at this fine property and many enriching Balinese experiences.  Click here for this May 1st link.

Living in a remote area of Bali allowed us to see how people live away from the big cities, a life rich in simplicity, religion, love, and appreciation of the world around them. Here is a shrine we visited in this photo below:

On our walk down the narrow road to visit Gede’s family home, he pointed out this temple where his family worships.  For the link from this date in May, please click here.

May 2017:  Hoping to arrive in Minnesota by Memorial Day weekend, we took a side trip after the cruise from Sydney ended in Seattle, Washington, and embarked on a nine-night cruise to Alaska from Vancouver, British Columbia. It was the perfect segue back to North America to visit family, and we were grateful for the experience.

The cruise included many educational lectures and seminars about Alaska and numerous ports of call, all unique and exciting. We got off the ship at every port and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the culture of the small towns in this unusual part of the world. See the photo below of Hubbard Glacier, a highlight of the cruise:

We were in Alaska at the Hubbard Glacier on May 22, 2017, a stunning experience on which we embarked before heading to Minnesota to spend six weeks with family. For the link from this photo, please click here.

As we delved further into May 2017, we finally settled into our hotel for six weeks and spent precious time with our family members. In about 11 months, we’ll be back in Minnesota to see everyone once again.

Not only were the months of May spectacular in our lives of world travel, but so were the Januarys, the Februarys, the Marches, and on and on…Every day, week, month, and year hold a special significance in this remarkable life on the move.

It was a warm sunny day in Ketchikan, Alaska.  See this link for more photos.

We have no regrets. We’ve done exactly what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it. We’ve felt no pressure or stress to accomplish any specific goals. We don’t particularly have a “bucket list,” nor are we attempting to visit a certain number of countries in any given time frame. 

And now, it’s May 2018, day two. So far this morning, we’ve had seven wildlife species come to visit, now that the bulk of the tourists have left. That’s a great start to May! By the end of the day, no doubt it will be more.

Tonight, we off to dinner at friends Kathy and Don’s home along the Crocodile River. Humans, animals…we love them all.

May your month of May be filled with rich experiences!

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

A path to the aqua blue bay on an island port of call. For more details, please click here.