Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

I may have thought a video of me walking the halls wasn’t worth posting on this site in normal times. But, now, in times of Covid-19, everything has changed.

Little, tentatively climbing the steps to the veranda for a few pellets we gave him when we found him kneeling like this from the top step.

A few readers inquired how I’m getting any exercise and how it was possible to walk outdoors when we can’t leave the hotel. With cardiovascular disease, I must get regular exercise. 

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

We took this video in Chobe National Park in May 2018, illustrating how an elephant is unhappy about this safari vehicle in his territory.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.Today’s photos are from May 2019. Please click here for more details.

During our sunset cruise on the Zambezi River in May 2018, we spotted these bee-eaters making nests and burrows into holes they made in the river bank.

Last night at 9:30 pm, the hotel’s reception staff contacted us to tell us the restaurant was closing. In the few seconds, it took for them to explain. Further, my first thoughts were, “Oh, great, how will we eat now?”

Where else in the world could you get a photo like this of a giraffe, taken in Marloth Park in 2019? Only Marloth Park offers such wonders daily, often referred to as Paradise on Earth.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

Videos will resume in tomorrow’s post.

This video is from a wild night in the bush when we had unbelievable animals in the garden. Please click here for details.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

Kruger National Park asked if they could use this video on their site. Of course, we agreed, not asking for remuneration.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

Today’s photos are from our post one year ago today. Please click here for more details.

When visitors first come to Africa, they often confuse cheetahs and leopards. Cheetahs are easily recognized by the dark “tears” coming down their faces.

This particular article from the New England Journal of Medicine discusses the issues for patients without COVID-19. They are exhibiting medical symptoms that require attention from their doctors or local emergency room/hospital.
Many such patients are terrified of visiting a doctor’s office or a hospital emergency room which may be packed with COVID-19 patients awaiting treatment. 

Lilies are beginning to bloom in the river.

Based on Mumbai as the nation’s worst hotspot and epicenter right now, we’ve known if one of us became ill unless it was imminently life-threatening (from what we could decipher), we’d have to self-diagnose and treat ourselves to the best of our ability. 
With all the hospitals in Mumbai, including the private facilities filled with COVID-19 patients, there is no way either of us would consider a doctor or hospital visit if we became ill unless we determined we had the virus and needed emergency care.

Three elephants on the river.

Most drugs may be obtained without a prescription in India as long as it’s not a narcotic. Tiny pharmacies are found in busy open market areas. Before we were in lockdown, we stopped at one of those street-side pharmacies to refill my meds for hypertension, as mentioned in a prior post. 

, the pharmacy couldn’t refill my exact prescription containing two drugs, so I opted for a dosing alternative. But, no doubt it’s been in the back of my mind about what we’ll do if one of us becomes ill with some other ailment. 

Lois and Tom, friends from the US who came to visit us for three weeks in October 2018. We had a fantastic time when they called and stayed with us.  We hear from them often.

At this point, there would be no alternative but to self-diagnose and treat to the best of our ability. So, when five days ago, I started experiencing pain in my right cheek. I dismissed it as some weird headache. Since I am not prone to headaches, rarely ever getting one, I started to be concerned after three or four days.

When I was diagnosed with advanced coronary artery disease in February 2019, resulting in triple cardiac bypass surgery, the only symptom I had for several weeks was a pain in my jaw on both sides of my face. I had no chest or arm pain, shortness of breath, or tiredness, which often present before having a heart attack.

Tom and I were at Aamazing River View in October 2018 when friends Lois and Tom were visiting for three weeks.

Thus, a few days ago, with a new pain in my face, of course, I worried about the grafts failing and causing a new series of symptoms in my face. I didn’t say anything to Tom, preferring not to bother him, and decided to give it a few more days to see what would transpire.

The pain was exacerbated. By early yesterday afternoon, I mentioned it to Tom, who’d asked me over the past few days on several occasions if I was OK, to which I replied, “I’m fine.” But I wasn’t acceptable.

Happy hippos…

I’d already spent considerable time researching online, unable to find a direct correlation between cheek pain and heart symptoms. But, last year, I’d never considered the weird jaw pain was symptomatic of three 100% blocked coronary arteries.

After all the research, I could come up with two possible conditions; an abscessed tooth or a sinus infection. There’s a facial nerve condition I’d researched, trigeminal neuralgia, but those symptoms didn’t seem consistent with my current discomfort.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.
Today’s photos are from our post one year ago today. Please click here for more details.

Big Daddy by candlelight.

Some days are easier than others. Today isn’t one of them for me. After a fitful dream-filled night’s sleep and feeling sluggish during my walks, I’m looking forward to a new day.

We spotted seven giraffes on the road on the way to the market.

The monotony of our routine coupled with the uncertainty of when we’ll move on hits me from time to time, and today is that time. Oddly, I have a bit of a headache which I never get, which surely must be from a lack of sleep coupled with a tinge of frustration. 

No, this isn’t easy, not for you, not for us. We’re seeing news from around the world that people are being allowed outdoors for exercise in most states, in most countries.

Giraffes in the bush in the neighborhood.

However, with Mumbai currently listed as a “hot zone” or “epicenter” and with mobility restrictions high, there’s no way we’ll venture outdoors. Also, we’re in the center of downtown Mumbai, an area that may not be safe to walk now or even after some restrictions are eventually lessened. 

Although crime in the streets has been dramatically reduced during this period, many desperate people lurk in alleys and narrow streets trying to figure out ways to feed themselves and their families. Who’d want to walk in these areas?

There have been reports of lockdown violators being attacked and even murdered. It’s a mixed bag, some are careless and venture out without regard for the safety of others, and some consider themselves to be vigilantes in attacking lockdown offenders. In any case, we won’t be going anywhere.

As for the 40 business people here in the hotel, we’ve yet to see any of them. We only go downstairs twice a day to collect our meals and no longer sit in the lobby when the room is being cleaned. Instead, we stand outside our door and wait for the cleaners to get done.

Female giraffes have hair at the end of their ossicones.  The hair at the back of the male’s ossicones becomes worn off from fighting for dominance.

Yesterday, I asked our cleaners (although they speak limited English) to go down to the second floor where the 40 guests are staying to clean those rooms. Emphatically, they both shook their head “no,” assuring us they had plenty of spaces to clean on this fourth floor.

Lots of bushbabies on the stand.

Here’s a photo I took yesterday while walking of the designated lift for the 40 guests. As shown, it’s taped off to prevent us or anyone on this floor from using it. The hotel sanitizes the lifts every few nights, but having our lift for this floor provides a little peace of mind.

I took this crooked photo of the lift’s door while walking by in a hurry when I noticed people coming out of their room. Although I wear a mask while walking, I steer clear of other people even if they’re also wearing masks. Some guests do not wear a mask.

As for the guests as mentioned above (in the photo’s caption) who do not wear a mask, I keep hearing on the news and podcasts that masks are most helpful in preventing “carriers” from transmitting the virus if they cough, sneeze or speak, not necessarily protecting those without the virus from contracting it from infected people.

This is a grouping of those dangerous caterpillars that can cause a severe reaction if they contact humans or animals.

There’s varying and conflicting information on wearing a face mask, and for now, we prefer to wear a mask. Medical information changes daily. I am sure at some point it will come out that “everyone” wearing masks aided in the reduction in the number of cases, of course, coupled with social distancing and hand washing.

That’s all I’ve got to say today, folks that aren’t necessarily uplifting, but reality.                                                                              

Photo from one year ago today, May 4, 2019:

A tower of five giraffes on the road in Marloth Park. For more photos, please click here.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.
Today’s photos are from our post one year ago today. Please click here for more details.

A young male kudu at a nearby construction site.

Last night at 10:30 pm, our room phone rang. In the seconds until Tom answered and told me the nature of the call, my first thoughts were that the hotel was going to close down and we’d have to move out in the morning. 

Over and over, I heard Tom say, “Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh,” as he carefully listened. The rich accent of the Indian people is often difficult for him to decipher since he’s hard of hearing after years of working on the railroad. 

He often hands the phone over to me, but this time, he doesn’t. I practically held my breath in anticipation. He hung up to tell me that 40 guests are checking in the hotel on Sunday (today) and will be on another floor with their designated lift. This morning we noticed a sign on their lift).

Vervet monkeys are cute and fun to watch but are highly destructive, especially if they get inside the house.

Wanting to know more, I called the reception desk asking myriad questions, hoping to diminish our risks of being in contact with these people from the outside world with any one of them potentially carrying COVID-19 without symptoms.

As we all know, taking temperatures, as they do here when new people check-in, is of little value when the vast majority of “carriers” don’t have abnormal temperature and no symptoms whatsoever.

The business group of 40 will each stay in their rooms with no sharing allowed, which makes little difference. Why would this be a concern to us if they are staying on another floor, using a separate lift, and dining in the dining room while we’re dining in our room?

A giraffe in the bush was checking out her surroundings.

For several reasons. As we’ve seen on the news regarding cruise ships, many staff members developed the virus and passed it on to guests and vice versa. It still goes back to the “carriers.” 

While these 40 people are here, the staff will serve their meals, touch their plates, and possibly some food. In addition, the team will clean their rooms. 

Although we see that all staff has begun wearing masks for the first time since we arrived on March 24th, our concern is that their hands will come in contact with these potentially infected individuals from the outside world.

A fish eagle, one of the most prolific eagles in Kruger National Park.

You may think we are overly cautious. But, if you’ve followed how easily and quickly the virus is passed on, especially in groups, our concern is well-founded.

Today, we ramped up our protection even further. No longer will we wait in the lobby while our room is being cleaned. We’ll wait outside the door to our room, standing in the hallway, wearing our masks. During this period, I’ll probably walk the corridors. 

Next, this morning, we advised the restaurant manager that we do not want any servers to handle our plates of food, now while the 40 people are here for five days or into the future. The cooks can place the food on plates and place them on the counter, and we’ll pick it up from there. 

Bushbabies…

At first, we used stainless steel covers. Now we won’t use the covers since a server would have placed them atop our plates. We will cover the food with a clean hand towel from our room.

Once they leave, we won’t have peace of mind until two to three weeks pass. However, now that this business group is checking in, we can assume other business travelers will arrive in days, weeks, and months to come. After all, this is a corporate hotel. 

This group is arriving from various parts of Mumbai, the biggest virus hotspot in all of India. Our concerns are not unfounded. Once domestic travel resumes, we can expect many more business travelers to stay at this hotel. 

This toxic caterpillar is to be avoided at all costs.  The hairs can cause a toxic reaction and considerable distress.

We must remain vigilant in our mission to avoid contracting the virus and diligent in our sanitation methods. Through Amazon India, I ordered more disposable face masks, disposable gloves, and hand sanitizer while it was still available. 

These items will arrive within ten days. In the interim, we have a sufficient number of face masks we’d purchased while in the US with the intent of protecting us from the smog in India. Fortunately, we’d selected masks that protect against viruses as well.

There’s nothing as pretty as a full moon.

Plus, the masks we’re saving for the airport when we fly away are N99 masks, even more, protective than the N95. When we purchased all these masks in December, we had no idea about the virus and never thought we were buying items needed by the medical profession. Now that we have them, we’ll certainly be using them.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. Each day poses its new challenges, as we’re sure transpires for most of you. There’s no easy way to get through this. We each forge ahead in the best way we can.

Stay safe.

Photo from one year ago today, May 4, 2019:

Fish eagles often land on dead trees, which enables them to scour the area for food.  They also eat carrion and fish and are classified as kleptoparasites (they steal prey from other birds). Goliath Herons are known to lose a percentage of their catch to fish eagles. Their primary diet is fish, sometimes dead, but mostly caught live. Catfish and lungfish are seen most frequently. For more on this post, please click here.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.
Today’s photos are from our post one year ago today. Please click here for more details.

Ah, it would be nice to go into a kitchen, do some chopping, and dice to prepare a lovely meal with a salad, a protein, and a few side dishes, mainly vegetable-based.

Even the cleanup wouldn’t feel like a task at this point. Instead, as discussed in yesterday’s post here, we have a new routine to ramp up our level of safety… dining twice a day in our hotel room.