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| When we arrived at the holiday home Louise was showing us, per our request, we spotted these two young giraffes resting under the shade of a tree. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
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| This gentle little soul is “Little’s Friend.” He stops by each day without Little to see what’s going on. He’s easy to spot with his extra tiny tusks, much smaller than Little’s from which he derived his name. |
We’ll be returning to Marloth Park in March 2021. It seems to be a long time from now, but it’s only in 25 months. As quickly as time flies in this life of world travel, 25 months is not so long ago.
Twenty-five months ago was January 1, 2017. On that date, we were living in Penguin, Tasmania, wrapping up a stay of a period of three months. Penguin was one of Tom’s favorite places we lived in during the past six years and three months. See this link for that date in Penguin.
It seems like only yesterday we were living in Penguin over the holiday season. The memories from that quaint little town are often a topic of conversation when we reminisce over where we’ve been and what we’ve done.
Thus, looking 25 months into the future doesn’t seem so far away. But, this time, I won’t be thinking about Marloth Park as much as I had before we returned last February 11th. After a year here, my cup is complete, and I’ll patiently incorporate this magical place into my thoughts of the future as I do, anticipating other adventures on the horizon.
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| The house backed up to the parklands where many animals gather, which is the factor that piqued our interest. |
Our wonderful friends and property manager, Louise (and Danie), will undoubtedly ensure we have an ideal house to rent (no, not purchase – we’ll never do that!) for the short three months we’ll spend here in March, 2021.
While driving through the park, we’d noticed a property Louise manages that backs up to the parklands. When we drove past that property, there were often many giraffes at the backside of the house, which piqued our curiosity. We asked Louise if we could see it before we leave in 13 days.
As it turns out, this house we’ve been renting for the past year is ideal for our desires but may not be available in two years. The owners intend to sell it, and if it sells, it may not be offered as a holiday home by the new owners. If that’s the case, we’ll have to find another house to rent. Of course, Louise and Danie will ensure we have something suitable for our needs when we return.
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| They sat quietly, unperturbed by our presence. |
What are our needs in renting a house in Marloth Park? Here are the criteria in order of preference:
1. Excellent open garden space and veranda for wildlife viewing
2. Quality unlimited WiFi connection
3. Main floor living – In Africa, often steps to are uneven and a surefire risk for falling. I can’t take that risk with my delicate spine, requiring a main-floor kitchen, bedroom, bath, and living area. Many parks seem to have a living area on a separate level from the main floor bedroom. This doesn’t work for us due to this reason. Although we seldom spend time in a lounge or living room (we’re always outdoors), we prefer that option for rainy and windy days.
4. Good kitchen for food prep, preferably with ample refrigerator space and an oven. Believe it or not, some holiday homes don’t have a range when typical tourists don’t stay long to consider using an oven.
5. Comfortable queen-sized bed or larger.
In reality, these aren’t outrageous requirements. They may apply to many senior citizens for their own homes wherever they reside or any potential holiday situations. We’ve rented many larger properties with an upstairs level but met our requirements for the main floor.
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| Such beauty. We’ll miss all of this. |
As it turned out, when we looked at that house adjoining the parklands, everything was wrong. Louise knew that house wouldn’t work for us but knew we needed to assess it ourselves since we loved the location.
The main floor had two bedrooms and a kitchen but no living space, which was located up a steep flight of steps. The veranda was facing the dirt road, not the parklands, and there was nowhere to sit other than on the dirt to observe the wildlife in the rear of the house.
Many tourists stay in Marloth Park for a few days while they head to Kruger during daylight hours. Spotting wildlife in the area is all they require during their short stays. In this case, that house could be suitable for those with no issues navigating steep stairs.
But, we satisfied our curiosity and chatting with Louise and Danie, who had come along to say hello, they assured us we’d have no worries about an affordable, suitable house for us in 25 months. We have no doubt they figure it out for us when the time comes near.
Today, the heat and humidity have returned. “Little” stopped by to lounge in the cement pond and dined on some pellets, apples, and carrots. As we go through the balance of the fruit and veg, we realize we won’t buy more produce.
We’ll finish the remaining three 40 kg bags of pellets over these next 13 days, and we’ll be on our way.
May your day be rewarding and fulfilling.
Photo from one year ago today, February 1, 2018:
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| It was a “sea of penguins” along the strip of beach in Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia Islands, Antarctica. For more photos, please click here. |