A morning from hell…OMG…OMG…

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An older man was walking his cow down the road.

Last night when we went to bed, we assumed we had a solid plan in place. By noon, we’d have our bags packed, have paid our hotel bill, and be ready to head to the Espresso Hotel, which had booked us a room for a month, according to the Sun-N-Sand staff.

At 8:00 am, having slept later than we’d expected after awakening several times during the night, the phone rang. The front desk informed us that our checkout had been moved to 10:00 am, not noon.

We bolted out of bed to begin to take turns showering, dressing, and packing. By 8:45, we headed to the restaurant for our final breakfast at the Sun-n-Sand Hotel. It appeared we were the only remaining guests in the hotel.

At the reception desk, we asked why we were rushing for a 10:00 am checkout. They didn’t say much other than, “We’re closing earlier than we’d planned.”

A Marwari horse with curly ears at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Service was slow at the restaurant, although we were the only patrons. By 9:30, Tom went back to our room to finalize the packing while I approached the front desk to pay our bill. He told me to go back and wait in the room until they were ready for us.

I refused to go back to the room. I insisted on waiting for Tom in the lobby after the bellman had been ordered to pick up our bags. The man at the desk seemed nervous and confused, telling me to “go wait in the room until they were ready for us.” Again, I refused.

This worried me. I insisted on paying the bill. Moments later, Tom came off the elevator wheeling our bags. The bellman hadn’t arrived in time to help him. He joined me at the desk to assist in sorting out the bill.

As it turned out, we had a credit when we paid for an entire week last Friday and still had three nights remaining. The only charges we’d incurred were for dinners and one batch of laundry. They paid us several thousand rupees in cash rather than put it on our credit card. 

An Indian Roller.

After completing the transaction, the man handed us a piece of paper with the name of a different hotel, The Orchid, explaining that’s where we were going. A reservation for one month had been arranged for us, and we were to leave right away. They’d managed to find a driver to move us to the new location instead of using a police vehicle as mentioned yesterday.

We checked out The Orchid, a hotel online, and it looked very nice. We were satisfied it would work for us. Tom was disgruntled about this last-minute change from one hotel to another without notifying us, but based on our situation, we had little choice but to move along. Hotels all over Mumbai were rapidly closing, one after another.

With the roads empty of vehicles, we arrived at the beautiful Orchid, feeling relieved as soon as we drove up. Although all bars, most restaurants, pools, and facilities in hotels had to be closed, we’d be content with a room with air-con, WiFi, a comfortable bed, and a place to eat breakfast and dinner.

Our bags were unloaded from the van, we paid the driver, went through security, had our temperature checked, and approached the desk to sign in for our one-month reservation.

Statues made from stone and granite are offered for sale to locals and tourists.

They had no record, whatsoever, of any reservation in our name, not for one night, let alone one month. Nor were they able to book us a room when they are closing tomorrow. Sun-n-Sand had pulled the wool over our eyes to get us out the door so that they could complete.

There we were, hotels closing like dominoes falling, all over Mumbai, along with owners of holiday homes not responding to our inquiries and nowhere to go. My heart was pounding in my chest. Tom kept reminding me to stay calm while we figured something out.

As much as the staff at The Orchid wanted to help us, there was little they could do. The fantastic hotel manager/concierge, Mr. Wesley Fernandes, immediately worked with the utmost effort to find a solution for us.

I had visions of us standing outside the US Embassy in Mumbai with all of our baggage, pounding on the door, trying to get help. 

Gorgeous leis of flowers offered for sale for offerings.

Partway through Mr. Fernandes’ diligent calling, he approached us and said he’d located a hotel the government had required to stay open… For suspected cases of Covid-19 required quarantine. 

Tom and I had agreed that, no matter what, we would not stay in one of those toxic situations. Mr. Fernandes didn’t think we’d willingly remain in such a facility. Subsequently, he continued the search. After a highly stressful hour, he found us a hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, close to the airport.

He suggested we book it online right away, which we did, after which he spoke to a reception staff member who confirmed the reservation had come through and we were good to go.

Not only did Mr. Fernandes make these arrangements for us, but he also arranged a complimentary ride using a vehicle owned by The Orchid. Finally, we breathed a sigh of relief. Moments later, we were on our way to the most beautiful Courtyard by Marriott we’d ever seen.

Women were weeding the peanut fields.

During this entire stressful period, we both wore face masks. With lobbies of most hotels in Mumbai not air-conditioned and the high heat and humidity, we were both sweating profusely.

The kindly reception staff member at The Orchid,  Deeptka, provided us with both will bottled water, and we were on our way. The staff at the Courtyard by Marriott were welcoming, but here again, they made no assurances as to how long they’d stay open. Also, they explained there is no laundry service now or soon.

Today, we’ll begin contacting more owners of holiday homes to see if they’ll take us last minute, next time we have to move, which we expect will happen within the next week or so.  

Whew! Now, we’re comfortably situated in a beautiful hotel with all services suspended indefinitely except for an open coffee shop that will serve us breakfast and lunch. We’ll stay in our room unless we’re dining.

A termite mound in Kanha National Park.

If this hotel stays open, we could be here a month or two or longer, depending upon when South Africa opens its borders and when international flights are available in Mumbai. None of us know our fate at this point, and indeed every one of us feels cooped up and uncertain about the future.

If and when you visit Mumbai, we’d highly recommend staying at The Orchid. Nowhere in the world have we seen this caliber of customer service at a hotel, let alone the fact we weren’t staying with them.

Temporarily, we dodged a bullet, for how long? We have no idea. Stay safe. Stay indoors. We continue.  

                        Photo from one year ago today, March 24, 2019:
Fourth Baby, who’d been separated from his family, often sits in this goofy pose when eating pellets. This was how we knew it was him. The others kneel but don’t set their butt down while eating. He was never reunited with his family, from what we could determine. For more photos, please click here.

Later today, we’ll know our fate…

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Passengers on public transportation passing by our train. Trains in India have now ceased to operate due to Covid-19.

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.

The owners of this hotel are meeting today to discuss whether or not they will remain open because they still have only five occupied rooms in this 120 room hotel.

Although the bathrooms on the train were smaller than on a cruise ship, we made the best of it.

Of course, we’re anxiously waiting to hear the news as we continue to search online to see if other hotels will be staying open or closing due to Covid-19. Also, we’re researching holiday homes in Mumbai with few options. 

Many don’t have central air-con, and thus a hotel is more desirable. Also, we don’t like the idea of having to order groceries when most holiday homes only have a hot plate for cooking. We’d rather dine in a hotel, twice a day for breakfast and dinner, the only meals we consume.

A lovely salad was prepared for me by Chef John Stone on the train.

As yet, there has not been a specific directive from the government that all hotels must close. At this point, it appears each hotel’s management can decide on their own, but this could change shortly if the number of cases continues to escalate.

We’re on a one-day-at-a-time mindset right now, which seems easier for Tom than it is for me. I am, by nature, a planner. Not knowing where we’ll be tomorrow is not easy for me. Each time I see a manager when we go to the restaurant, I ask, “Any news yet?” Surely, they understand my concern.

The inventory of food in the restaurant is rapidly dwindling, as explained by our waiter. We surmise they aren’t receiving any food deliveries, and at this point, they are relying upon their on-hand food supply to serve the needs of the patrons in the five occupied rooms.

Red carpets were rolled out for each instance of embarking and disembarking the train.

There are 28 employees still working in the hotel. But, we’ve noticed that changing rapidly as they pare down to a minimal staff. Our room is cleaned while we’re having breakfast as opposed to several hours later.

Thank goodness, we have plenty of bottled water, toilet paper, and toiletries. At this point, I am so glad we kept solid inventories of essential toiletry items in our supply bag. We can go for a few months without restocking, but at this point, we are rationing everything, as we’re sure all of you are doing.

Beautiful flower displays often greeted us when we disembarked the Maharajas Express.

Luckily, we were able to have our laundry done a few days ago. But will that service continue to be available in the weeks to come? We have no idea. In the interim, I’ve started hand washing everything I can while I’m showering. There’s a broad ledge of the window where we can lay out the damp clothes to dry in the heat of the sun with space for two items a day.

How are we holding up? The hardest part is the uncertainty. If and when we can be settled for a few months, knowing we’ll have access to food, we’ll have peace of mind, whether it’s in a hotel or holiday home. Only time will tell.

The two dining rooms on the train were tastefully appointed with the finest of dinnerware and table settings.

Please, dear readers, all over the world, continue with social distancing and staying home. Had we made it to South Africa, we’d have had to sacrifice seeing our friends and dining out. We surely understand how hard that would have been. 

But, self-isolation is the most beneficial means of stopping the spread of this dreadful virus. We hope and pray for the health and safety of all of you and your families. God bless.

Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2019:

Four species in this photo from far left to right: duiker, kudu, warthog, and bushbuck, all sharing pellets harmoniously. For more photos, please click here.

Americans stranded overseas pleas for help to get back to the USA…

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This morning, the pool was emptied.

Note: At this point, we’ve lost interest in taking new photos when we’re stuck in a hotel room. Tomorrow, we’ll continue to post photos from our tours in India, although some may be repeats since we didn’t keep track of what we’ve already posted with a lack of time while touring.

Many news stories online about Americans stranded overseas desperate to return to their homes elicits compassion and empathy when they cannot afford to continue to pay for accommodations and are fast running out of medications.

As we’ve read, the US has been chartering flights to get some of these US travelers back to their homes. There are countless news stories about citizens trapped abroad when their vacations ended and airports closed, preventing them from leaving.

Last night when we sat outside, we noticed the pool emptied, indicating the hotel may be closing soon.

That has been our case, but we aren’t running out of medications, nor are we worried about getting back to the US. As long as we have a place to stay and a source of food and basic supplies, we can “wait it out in Mumbai.”

Tonight India’s Prime Minister Modi will announce the next necessary measures to reduce the risks of the spread of Covid-19, which may or may not include closing hotels. 

As of this writing, all signs indicate our hotel will be closing soon. Last night, they emptied the pool and shut off the outdoor area where we’ve been watching the sunset every evening. Today and tonight, we’ll be stuck in our room. 
Another incredible sunset from the hotel pool area.

I’ve never been one to enjoy spending time in a hotel room, although Tom, with his penchant for staying busy online, doesn’t mind quite as much. I guess I’ll have to adapt, as I am, with no complaints, making the best of our situation.

Our spirits are good, and we aren’t complaining at all. Our only concern is that we have a place to stay, preferably a hotel, where we don’t have to find a way to get groceries delivered to us if we were in a holiday home.

Several online grocers are booming in light of the fears of being around other shoppers in local markets. How long they will continue to supply their customers remains to be seen.

What beautiful sunsets over the Arabian Sea.

In reviewing the online grocer’s inventory, there appears to be plenty of foodstuffs we both eat, such as chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese, coffee/tea, and spices. We can easily exist on these items alone if need be.

Tonight will provide us with a clearer picture of what will transpire going forward. A few minutes ago, when speaking with one of the hotel managers, he seemed to think they’d stay open until March 31st. They still have five out of 120 rooms occupied. All of them have been unable to leave the country, like us. 

A guest, next door to us, checked out, thinking he’d get out of the country, and is now checking back into his same room. We weren’t in our original room when the manager moved us to a room “with a view.”
The beach is barren, with no walkers, no joggers, and even no stray dogs.

But, with the air-con seeming to be running poorly (most likely to keep costs down), we have to keep the drapes closed to keep the room cooler. We sit on the bed all day, searching online for any helpful information. For now, we are OK.

We pray you are all safe, “social-distancing,” and taking all necessary precautions to avoid becoming infected. We’ve been streaming and binge-watching Season 40 of the TV series “Survivor” to keep us entertained. Once we wrap that up, surely will find something else.

Be well. Stay safe and stay tuned as to what transpires here in Mumbai.

Photo from one year ago today, March 22, 2019:

This is Basket, the Bully.  He lost his right ear in a confrontation a few months ago. For more photos, please click here.

Reminds me of a movie I once watched with guests trapped in a hotel…Hotels closing in Mumbai…Are we next?

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Last night’s sunset over the Arabian Sea from the hotel pool area.

It was a bad sign this morning when we went to breakfast that there was no buffet. Only five rooms in this 120 room hotel are occupied, and it made no sense for them to continue to offer a buffet. Besides, buffets are breeding grounds for germs. 

Is this the beginning stages of this hotel closing in the next several days?

The hotel is no longer allowed to accept new reservations. In a matter of days, we could be the only guests here. That’s freaky. It won’t be the first time we were the only guests in a hotel. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day in 2017, we were the only guests in a boutique hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires. We ended up having a great time after all. See this link here.
But, those circumstances were entirely different. It was a fluke. There were no guests in the small hotel. In this case, as you all so well know, the circumstances are entirely different. The Covid-19 is the cause of many businesses, now including hotels worldwide, closing their doors.
Each night, to get out of our hotel room and enjoy the sunset.

Of course, I searched for holiday homes that may be available in Mumbai when this hotel closes. And, although we’d have been willing to wait here for as long as necessary, we are confident it will be closing in the next week.

If that is the case, they will assist us in relocating, hoping that at least one hotel will be allowed to stay open in Mumbai to facilitate others like us, who can’t leave the city with a population of 18,400,000.

But, we have to be realistic and prepare ourselves for the worst that no hotels will be open and we’ll have nowhere to go. It’s a frightening thought. Many of our readers still write to us asking us why we didn’t return to the US a week ago.

We sat comfortably at a table with an umbrella by the pool, sipping on a cold beer, attempting to make the best of the situation.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, for several reasons, one, we don’t have adequate health insurance in the US (but excellent coverage outside the US), and two, I am in the high-risk group: my age, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. 

Based on the number of fast-growing cases in the US. As of today’s news, there are 19,522 cases, most of which result from travel or being in contact with someone who has traveled internationally. Why would we want to go to any US airport?

As of today, there are a reported 271 cases in India. Sure, there may be many unreported cases here and in the US. But even if India’s situation is ten times, even 100 times worse, that’s still considerably less than in the US, relative to the US population of 331 million compared to India’s 1.3 billion.

The hotel pools are inviting, but the government has forbidden swimming in any public pools.

Our goal for our time here, regardless of how long this period lasts, is to stay in self-isolation in a hotel with as little contact with people as possible. The only people we contact are the restaurant servers and cleaning staff, and we stay as distant as possible. 

We’ve chatted with a few other hotel guests, at a distance, and it seems most of them are getting out today, mainly on the last few flights out of Mumbai before the Mumbai airport closes tomorrow, to fly back to the UK, which has almost 4,000 cases as of this morning. 

For this small of an area, that’s a lot of cases. A few weeks ago, we’d canceled a holiday home in England for this very reason. 

The pretty view of the evening sky.

As residents of South Africa, our friends Linda and Ken managed to make their flight from Australia to South Africa. Linda and I communicated via text messages in the middle of the night (I was wide awake) when they were about to board their flight. I’m sure we’ll hear from them later today.

What will we do when this is over, whenever that might be possible? Our goal is to get into South Africa. Moments ago, Tom read a new article to me that states no foreign nationals will be allowed into South Africa until after May 31st. Hmm, it looks as if we’ll be here in Mumbai for quite a while, after all.

Well, folks, we hope all of you are staying safe. Thanks for hanging in there with us as we work our way through this challenging time, with the same hopefulness and spirit that we strive to possess as each day passes.

Photo from one year ago today, March 21, 2019:

Such an adorable face. For more photos, please click here.

Sorry folks, no pig photo, no safari luck…Favorite photos continue…

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Often, cows and bulls are depicted in Hindu temples.

I really don’t know where to begin. After all these years of travel and our share of trials and tribulations, these past days have presented a series of events unusual from anything we’ve ever experienced in the past.

First of all, we are safe. We were frustrated but safe. Currently, at noon on Friday, March 20, 2020, we are back from the Mumbai Airport at the hotel with a view of the Arabian Sea, from our modern and nicely appointed hotel room with great air-con, good WiFi (off and on at the moment) and excellent customer service.
“Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Dedicated to one of the forms of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati that is Arulmigu Kapleeswar and Karpagambal respectively, the temple should be on the top position of your list of temples to visit.

We’re safe, basically quarantined by choice. With few guests in the hotel and us, our infection risks are relatively low, especially now that India is banning all international flights, incoming and outgoing, beginning in the next 24 hours.

This morning South Africa refused to let us in when we were at check-in at the airport in Mumbai. The reps called South Africa’s immigration to verify if we could enter the country before we were allowed to board the flight. No one, not just us, who is traveling from any country with a single case of Covid-19, can enter South Africa today.
This hall at the temple site is used for weddings, arranged marriage meetings, relaxation, and prayer.

With most countries banning foreign nationals from crossing their borders, there was no country that we could escape to. They suggested we return “home.” That doesn’t work for us based on our circumstances… We don’t have a home. 

Nor did we want to travel to any airports in the US when there were over 13,900 cases in the US as of five hours ago, many of them as a result of travel. Based on my high-risk status, entering one of those airports made no sense to us.
A moonlit evening on the beach.

Within moments of hearing this final result, we stopped for a few minutes to discuss our options. They were few. Staying in Mumbai, for now, made the most sense when no countries would accept us, except for the US, where we didn’t want to go. We began to make our way, with the loaded trolley, a long distance to a taxi stand, and then, the worst part of the morning ensued. 

We had to prepay at a kiosk for a taxi, asking for a van. A small car doesn’t work for us. We took our prepaid ticket to door #1 to find a small van, and I mean miniature, that was somehow supposed to be able to fit our luggage.
A variety of trinkets for sale.

Miraculously, the determined driver loaded the heavy bags atop the vehicle onto a luggage rack. Now, we’d hope and pray nothing would fall off onto the roadway. The seat belts and air con didn’t work, and mosquitos were flying around our heads. I was bitten several times.

Then, in our exhausted state, due to little sleep from getting up at 2:00 am, the driver got lost and couldn’t find our hotel. He spoke no English, and when he stopped several times to ask his taxi cronies where the hotel was located, they shook their heads. They didn’t have a clue either.

St. Thomas Church in Chennai.

With the mosquito bites, our clothes sticking to us, being jerked around in the rickety vehicle, we had to focus on staying calm. I brought up “Maps” on my phone and attempted to teach the driver two words, “right” and “left.” After a highly stressful hour, we finally made it back to the hotel, hot, sweaty, bitten, and tired.

It was close to 6:00. When the hotel manager arrived, we made a “deal” with him on the room price (we moved to a pool/ocean view room), a discount on dinners, and of course, breakfast included.
It was a cloudy day, but we still enjoyed seeing the colorful sculptures.

But now, situated in this lovely hotel on the ocean in Mumbai, we’ve resigned ourselves to a self-imposed quarantine and have decided to make the best of it. Pools and bars aren’t allowed to be open in India right now, nor can one swim in the dangerous waters of the Arabian Sea.

Instead, we’ll make ourselves comfortable, doing what everyone else is doing; reading books on our phones, watching movies and tv series, and in our case, and on the cooler days, walking on the beach. It’s hot here now.

Although it wasn’t very crowded, there were always many visitors to the famous Chennai temples.

I called Louise and sadly explained we won’t be arriving tomorrow. But, when things change, and restrictions are removed, we hope to head to South Africa. Hopefully, we’ll have a pig photo to post at that time, and the dreaded virus will long have run its course.

No “final expenses” for India will be posted at this time. Expenses are not final yet and, based on current circumstances, will continue to accrue.

Photo from one year ago today, March 20, 2019:

The helmeted guinea-fowls have been gone a few months.  They returned with many chicks in tow yesterday, teaching them how to “steal” pellets from warthogs.  As annoying as they can be, it was delightful to see their offspring. Take care, my friends. For more photos, please click here.

We made it to Mumbai…13 hours until we return to the airport…Broken suitcase dilemma…

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While traveling on the historic Toy Train through the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains, the train stopped for a food break at this quaint station.

It’s Thursday, March 19th. In 14 hours, at 3:00 am, we’ll be picked up by a driver to return to the Mumbai Airport, which we left only hours ago. We barely slept last night after the late arrival at our hotel, and tonight after dinner, we’ll try to get some sleep before the 2:15 am wake-up call.

When we’d originally arrived in Mumbai, security at the airport had broken the zipper on our third checked bag. With no way to repair it, we left it behind, crammed with “stuff” for the hotel to hold for us until we returned. 
 

We couldn’t purchase a new bag until we arrived in Mumbai since we’d have to pay excess baggage fees to bring it with us. We’ve had no choice but to go out today to purchase a new bag. 

The first palace we visited on tour from the Maharajas Express was the City Palace, also known as the Shiv Niwas Palace.

The hotel manager told us some luggage shops are still open in the area in light of the Covid-19 fears, and soon we’ll get a tuk-tuk to take us to a few nearby luggage shops.

But first, we’ll see if we can locate a bag and the cost. We’d make an effort to unload most of our rupees, but now, if they don’t accept a credit card, we’ll also have to go to an ATM to pay for the bag. We don’t want to be left with rupees when we soon depart.

What an unusual seat!

The two flights from Madurai to Mumbai (via Chennai) were packed with face-masked travelers. We both wore masks throughout the flights for the first time, although we realized it’s not a 100% guarantee of safety from the virus.

We wiped down the armrests, tray table, and seat belt buckles with the Clorox wipes I’ve been carrying in a plastic bag. They sure have come in handy. Every hour or so, we used hand sanitizer and a few times, went to the bathroom, and washed our hands with soap and water. What more could we have done?

View of the city from the palace in Udaipur.

Once we have the new bag, we’ll need to repack to distribute the weight properly to comply with Kenya Airways baggage restrictions. They allow two-23 kg (50 pounds) bags each which we can manage easily once we have the new pack.

I can’t wait to have this new bag thing over with to allow a little time to relax before tonight and tomorrow’s big travel challenge. We’re still uncertain if we’ll be able to get into South Africa, let alone change planes in Nairobi, before we even arrive in SA.

Gold was often used in creating artifacts in palaces.

Update:  It’s now almost 2:00 pm, and we recently returned from a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride through traffic to a Luggage World store (go figure). We easily found a “Swiss (army knife people) 26” bag in bright yellow for IDR 7000, US $93.25. We prefer unusual colors in bags, making them easier to spot on the carousel. They accepted a credit card, and we didn’t have to go to an ATM.

We took everything out of the old supply bag, threw several items, and packed the new one, which now meets baggage regulations. Our other bags are packed for leaving in the middle of the night tonight after leaving out comfortable clothes and shoes for the long journey. 

At the nightly closing of the border ceremony between India and Pakistan, the Border Security Force members were aligned and ready to perform.

Whew! That was labor-intensive after only a few hours of sleep! The rest of the day, we can chill, avoiding any naps so we’ll be able to fall asleep after dinner. I’d intended to do the final expenses for our time in India, but I think I’ll save it for the 12-hour layover in Kenya, during which I’ll prepare and upload tomorrow’s post. 
Well, folks, the next time you hear from us (tomorrow), hopefully, will be from the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. And after that, may safari luck be with us, from Marloth Park, South Africa. If you first see a pig as the primary photo on March 22nd, you’ll know we’ve arrived!!!

The 108 foot Lord Hanuman at the Jakhoo Temple in Shimla.

Stay safe. Wash your hands. Don’t touch surfaces. Stay far away from others, if you can. And somehow, enjoy this quiet time doing things you may have wanted to do for a long time but never had the time.

Thanks again for all of the good wishes. We’ll be thinking of all of you.

Photo from one year ago today, March 19, 2019:

Mom and three babies.  The fourth baby who’d been missing for several days never reappeared. For more photos, please click here.

The challenge of getting out of India continues…More favorite photos, some never posted…

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On the last night of the Maharajas Express, we were all assisted in dressing in traditional Indian attire. 

The single most important thing we can do right now is to stay calm by reminding ourselves that being safe is of the utmost importance and that being uncomfortable and inconvenienced is of little significance in the realm of things.

We’re bracing ourselves for the next several days. It won’t be easy. This we know for sure. This experience is not foddering an excellent story to post or adding interest to our 7½ year world journey. All of us are facing challenges during these difficult times.

We never imagined we’d see the Taj Mahal. And yet, that morning in the haze and pollution, it lay before our eyes in its entire splendor.

Whether it’s being cooped up in one’s home for weeks (or more) to come wondering how to get groceries when many market shelves are bare in the US and other countries or, wondering if there are “germs” on the snail mail, the newspaper, or even the paltry foodstuffs one has managed to acquire.
No, this isn’t easy for anyone. Nor is being confined to one’s home accessible in itself, even if all necessary supplies are on hand, sufficient for weeks to come. The news on TV is disheartening (we don’t watch), and the worldwide information on our devices is also frightening and worrisome.

Exquisite decor in ancient palaces and temples.

We know many who’ve lost their jobs. Many small businesses will fail in the weeks to come. Many are fast losing the value of their savings, their retirement funds, and other assets. 

Thus, as we share our tale over these next several days until hopefully we reach South Africa, never for one moment do we imply this dreadful scenario is any harder for us than for all of you. We are all in this together, although it may manifest differently based on one’s circumstances.

The locals are doing their laundry in Lake Pichola, but no laundry soaps are allowed. Nor are fishing and private boats permitted on the lake.

We’ve decided to share the details of the challenges we’re facing, moment by moment, day by day, as they occur. We may upload more than one post in a day or none if we have no access to WiFi somewhere along the journey, which easily could happen during these times. Please check back. 

Whether we attempted to return to the US or travel to any other country, we’d be facing these challenges. Many flights are being canceled and changed, as has been the case for us. Chaos at airports is rampant, and we’ll witness that first-hand today and again in two days when we can hopefully leave India for South Africa.

Several castles are located in or near the artificial lakes in Udaipur.

We’ve been cooped up in hotels for about a week, having suspended any more tours in India. It’s certainly not surprising we lost interest in sightseeing a week ago when our cruise from Mumbai was canceled in light of what was going on. We knew at that point that everything was about to change and, it has.

Taking the risk of visiting crowded temples and other sightseeing venues was foolhardy. We informed our driver Raj, who waits for us in the vehicle in the parking lot of a hotel, that the tours were done. 

A snake charmer, an expected site to see in India.

Imagine him sleeping in the van, wondering how his family is doing in Chennai, anxious to return home. Tonight after he drops us off at the Madurai airport, he can begin the long journey home.

Our flight from Madurai was scheduled to depart at 4:00 pm today. A short time ago, we received a call from the agency that the flight had been canceled, and we are re-booked on a flight leaving Madurai at 8:00 pm tonight.

There are numerous stunning places in Udaipur.

They arranged a 4:00 pm checkout at this hotel. They suggested we wait in the lobby to leave for the airport at 5:00 pm. The lobby isn’t air-conditioned, and it will be hot in with the temperature expected to be 99F (37C). 

We’ve decided to have Raj take us to the airport early. We’d rather wait there in air-conditioned comfort than sweat it out in the lobby. Plus, going early allows him to begin the 8-hour drive back to his home in Chennai.

We visited countless numbers of forts while in Rajasthan.

Last night, before going to dinner (we were the only guests in the restaurant), we received a text and email from Kenya Airways that the second leg of the three-leg journey to South Africa had been canceled. 

However, they moved us to a later flight requiring a 12-hour layover in Nairobi, which will result in a red-eye beginning at 12:30 am (to us). At that point, we’ll have been up for 21 hours. If all goes well, we should arrive in Nelspruit sometime in the morning. 

The fantastic chef on the train, John Stone, assured me all my meals would be perfect.

We canceled the overnight stay in Nelspruit while waiting for the rental car agencies to open in the morning. In the tiny airport, they don’t open until 7:00 am.

Where we’ll encounter the most challenging part of this long journey will most likely be in Johannesburg, South Africa, when we go through immigration. It’s there that our entry will be accepted or denied. So far, India is not on the “high-risk” list, which looks good for us, as long as that doesn’t change in the next 48 hours.

Dancers at the dunes in the desert as we lounged enjoying beverages, snacks, and the show on an outing from the Maharajas Express.

So far, India has 138 cases. Adding to South Africa’s high-risk category today (no entry allowed), France has over 1200 cases. We hold our breath to see how this rolls out in the next few days.

If the number of India cases increases exponentially while we’re traveling, we’ll be turned away at Johannesburg to fly somewhere else on our dime. We have no choice but to discuss some options.

We were situated on the comfy seating in the sand as we watched the entertainment at the dunes.

If we ever needed “safari luck,” it’s now. It takes on an entirely new meaning during this crisis. At this point, we’re uncertain as to where we’ll be a week from now. If we’re able to make it into Marloth Park, we’ll be very grateful. But, if we don’t… As always, we’ll figure it out from there.

Be well. Be safe. All of you, travel with us in heart and spirit! Thank you for all your well wishes.

Photo from one year ago today, March 18, 2019:

Wildebeest Willie often makes eye contact, often with only one eye, as indicated in this photo.  Wildebeest’s eyes are far apart on either side of his head.  He loves for me to talk to him. How do I know this?  He won’t begin eating a single pellet until I’ve finished talking to him.  For more photos, please click here.

The waiting game continues…Tomorrow, we fly out of Madurai to Mumbai…Three days and counting…

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We took a detour to see this temple in Tanjore known as the “Big Temple” since the name is long and difficult for people to remember…”Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Dedicated to one of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s forms, Arulmigu Kapleeswar, and Karpagambal, respectively.

Tomorrow, at 1:30 pm, we check out the lovely Regency Hotel in Madurai to head to the airport for our 4:05 flight to Mumbai. It’s only a two-hour flight, and finally, after a one-hour drive from the airport, we’ll arrive at our last destination in India, again the beautiful beachside hotel, the Sun-N-Sand, where we’ll spend two nights.

Today, the hotel printed our tickets and visa waivers for South Africa, allowing us to re-enter the country after our previous overstay after I had surgery last February. But, the question remains, will they let us, US citizens, enter the country, even though we’re arriving from the extended stay in India?

This temple is over 1000 years old.

South Africa now has a ban prohibiting entry from the US along with other countries as follows:

  • China
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Iran
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America

We’ll only know the answer to that once we arrive at the immigration station in Johannesburg as we await the next leg of our journey, the flight to Nelspruit, our final stop before driving to Marloth Park, the following day.

This pandemic is taking its toll on people worldwide, as evidenced by one awful news report after another. Sure, a portion may be highly sensationalized. But, the reality remains, this has an impact on people and economies throughout the world. 

No place, no one, is exempt from feeling the impact of the changes that will transpire in the days, weeks, and months to come. We ask ourselves how it will impact our continuing travels, and at this point, we aren’t sure. 

This view reminded us a little about entering the Lost City of Petra in 2013.

All we know at this point is that we’ll make every effort to stay safe, avoiding crowds and following strict sanitation protocols every day of our lives, not only now but in time to come.

In heading to one of our favorite places globally, with no cases of the virus in Marloth Park, we aren’t prepared to avoid seeing our friends in small groups. They are some of the most considerate people globally and wouldn’t go out if they felt unwell or exhibited any symptoms that could indicate Covid-19.
The beautiful beach scene at the Ideal Beach Resort in Mahabalipuram. We particularly enjoyed this resort.

After our arrival, we’ve already made some social plans and will continue to use good judgment for each social occasion. In any case, we won’t be attending any large functions, which all appear to have been canceled.

Our biggest outing will be grocery shopping, and we’re bringing along hand sanitizer to use for the grocery cart and making a point of staying at least 10 feet from any other shoppers if possible. This may require shopping at odd hours of the day and night, which we’ll do.
The colorful temples in Chennai were breathtaking to see. “Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Dedicated to one of the forms of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati that is Arulmigu Kapleeswar and Karpagambal respectively, the temple should be on the top position of your list of temples to visit.”

When driving from Nelspruit to Marloth Park on Saturday morning, we will have to stop in Malalane to purchase some grocery items from the local Spar Market. There’s no way we can avoid this step along the way.

The newly added pool area at Ravla Khempur is known as the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, where the popular movie was filmed. This was a favorite tour during our travels in India.

Also, it’s summer in Africa, and the most important purchase will be mosquito repellent to protect us from malaria. Last year, the wife of a lovely couple passed away from a rare type of malaria in Marloth Park. We will be especially cautious.

The nightly evening ceremony on the Ganges River (known as the Ganga to Hindus).

As winter begins, the temperatures will cool in a few months, and there will be fewer mosquitoes. However, we’ll continue to use repellent, especially since we’ll spend most of our days and nights outdoors on the veranda waiting for animal friends to stop by.

All of my fantasizing could be a moot point if we run into trouble entering South Africa in three days. We promise to update all of our readers as soon as we arrive in Nelspruit on Friday night with a short post. We’ll be exhausted from getting up at 3:00 am for our flight so indeed it won’t contain all the details until the next day.
The leading cremation site on the Ganges River, seen while on an old wood rowboat on the river during the early morning ceremonies.

Today, we continue with some new and favorite photos, and tomorrow’s post will only include favorite images. We’ll post the final expenses for our entire tour of India, including the Maharajas Express Train, in Thursday’s post.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. We pray for the recovery of those with the virus and their loved ones. For those who’ve lost the battle, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to their loved ones.

Photo from one year ago today, March 17, 2019:

Mom and Baby bushbuck searching for pellets Tom tossed into the garden. For more photos, please click here.

On pins and needles…Are we going to be able to get out of India and enter South Africa in 4 days?

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  • This dinner and fireworks at Hanwant Mahal located in the Umaid Palace, also known as the Khaas Bagh, were extra special in Jodhpur while touring during the Maharajas Express.

    Over these past weeks, we’ve mentioned our concerns over Covid-19 and why a few days ago, we had to change our travel plans when the 29-night cruise from Mumbai, India to Greenwich, England, was canceled.

    Subsequently, we booked a flight to South Africa, where there are fewer cases (total of 51 so far as of today, with a population of 59 million) and 110 cases in India (with a population of 1.3 billion), as opposed to the almost 3000 cases in the US (with a population of 329 million). There’s a travel ban for anyone entering South Africa from the US, not from India.

    We spotted five tigers while on safari in two national parks, Bandvargarh and Kanha.

    Will that have an impact on us? We’ll have been in India for 11 days short of two months. So far, there’s no ban for travelers coming into South Africa from India. But, we don’t know what will happen when we get to immigration at the airport in Johannesburg on March 20th, only four days from today. 

    Will we be allowed entry into the country, be quarantined, or, worst-case scenario, be forced to leave? We are going on blind faith. As a result of the risk of this worst-case scenario, we’ve had to discuss some options as to where we could go to “wait it out” and yet continue to live our lives as usual as possible.

    A pair of “owlets” (as referred to by our safari guide) captured our hearts.

    There are several African countries with no virus cases, such as Namibia and Madagascar, and others, all countries we’d consider visiting, if necessary.

    As for waiting it out? Is that a possibility? Or is this pandemic going to continue for months to come? None of us know the answer.

    You may ask, why don’t we go back to the US? For a few reasons:

    1. We don’t have adequate US health insurance, but we do have excellent international insurance
    2. Risks are high if we have to travel through hectic US airports
    3. Cost of living is high in the US as opposed to African nations (two times higher based on our experience)
    4. I am at high risk due to having cardiovascular disease, asthma, and my age. For me, getting this virus could be fatal.
    5. Apparently, the US is the only country globally with all five strains of the virus.

    Spotted deer in India are as prevalent as impalas in Africa.

    Staying away from countries with vast numbers of cases makes the most sense to us both. Yes, it’s possible. Should we be able to land in South Africa, the virus will continue to spread in vast numbers, as in the US. In that case, we’d hightail out of there to yet another country. 

    I never imagined that if such a virus would manifest in the world that we’d have the flexibility to travel as much as we do, as much as we can. Most likely, we can’t outrun it, but if we can, we will.

    No doubt, this isn’t very comforting, for all of you, for us. None of us are exempt from the fear and concern for ourselves, our loved ones, and our friends.  The frenzy over food and paper products in the US baffles us. The frenzy, in general, provides no benefit for anyone. We don’t want to be around it if we can avoid it.

    Another favorite tiger photo.

    We’ll see how all of this rolls out in the next four days. A lot can happen in four days. In two days, we’ll leave Madurai to fly to Mumbai. We can only look at one step at a time as this process continues.

    In the interim, we are avoiding any future tours in India, preferring to avoid crowded areas. Driving around in the traffic attempting to take photos is fruitless as well, and honestly, we’ve lost our enthusiasm for sightseeing at this point. 

    A nighttime view of the restaurant where we dined in Udaipur on several occasions.

    We’re safely cooped up in the Regency Hotel in Madurai, where they checked our temperatures when we checked in. We appreciated it, but they need to check guests’ temperatures daily since they’ve been transmitting the virus for a day by the time one has a temperature.

    Thank you to our readers for such positive reinforcement, prayers, and well wishes. We offer the same to every one of you. Stay safe! Stay healthy!

    Photo from one year ago today, March 16, 2019:

    Little came up on the veranda looking for me, already positioned on his knees for some treats.
    For more photos, please click here. (It was one year ago, my legs were severely infected from the grafts taken for the bypass surgery. I hadn’t been outdoors much, and Little came looking for me once again).

Travel day…Holding our breath…Three days until we’re back in Mumbai..Today is the 8th anniversary of when we began posting…

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This is the grass left from harvesting rice. Note the horns on these buffalos. Indian ricegrass is highly palatable to livestock and wildlife. It is a preferred feed for cattle, horses, and elk in all seasons. In spring, it is considered a preferred feed for sheep, deer, and antelope and a desirable feed for sheep, deer, and antelope in late fall and winter.

Today, we were on the move again, a three-hour drive from Trichy to Madurai, from which, in three days, we’ll fly back to Mumbai. From there, two nights in the same hotel where we first stayed when we arrived in India on January 31st while awaiting the Maharajas Express weeklong train journey.

With so many flight cancellations, there’s no doubt we are a little apprehensive about our flight taking off and that we’re able to get into South Africa, whereas yet, there are no travel bans. A lot can happen in the next five days.
Festival in the street. “Meena Sankranti is an important Hindu festival observed on the auspicious occasion of the sun’s transition from Pisces to Aries. Known as Meena Sankramanam in South India, the festival will be celebrated on March 14 (Saturday), 2020, all over India. Celebrating a Sankranti is often marked with the donation of various things. According to specific personal needs, they people celebrate the event at the onset of every month. Some Indian states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala observe the occasion during the beginning of each month. In contrast, states like West Bengal celebrate the festival during the latter half of the month.”

The news throughout the world is alarming as more and more cases crop up. Now the US is listed as a “travel ban country’ along with Italy, UK, and many European countries. This is one of those scenarios where you can “run, but you can’t hide.” Few countries are free of this plight.

As an avid enthusiast of science fiction and futuristic movies, I easily recall many movies I’ve watched about pandemics, horrified by the prospects and yet curious to see how it rolled out. And, here we are now, it feels as if we’re living in one of those movies, and we’re the crazy travelers trying to figure out what to do.

We’re confident heading back to Marloth Park is an intelligent choice. But, getting there might be dicey. Lots of people and cramped quarters on three flights with people around us coughing and sneezing makes us a little nervous. 
The festival continued along the road.

Yes, while in Arizona, we did purchase heavy-duty military-grade face masks, not for Covid-19 at the time, but for the pollution in India. Now that we already have them, despite any criticism we may experience, we’ll be wearing them on the flights. 

At this point, we can’t care what other people think when seeing us in the masks. We care about our safety in crowded, potentially dangerous situations. Airports and airplanes are the worst offenders at any time, let alone during this pandemic.

At this point, we’re anxious to get back to Mumbai, repack our bags, and prepare for the long travel day. Once again, we’ll have to get up at 3:00 am to make the 6:30 am to make the first leg from Mumbai to Nairobi. The drive to the airport is usually only about 30 minutes, with traffic lighter than early in the day.

There were dozens of participants.

Upon awakening, Tom reminded me that today is the 8th anniversary since we began our first post on March 15, 2012. If you didn’t have an opportunity to read that first post, please click here.

It’s hard to wrap our brains around the fact that we have done this for eight years. In the beginning, there was only a new story every two or three days. By 2013, we’ve been preparing a report with photos every day since except power outages, WiFi connection issues, and when I was hospitalized.

Today’s post is #2774! If someone had asked me to commit to writing a new story every day during this period, I would have stated it wasn’t possible to commit to such a task. 

A small band was leading the procession.

But, dear readers, as the years have passed, it’s become more accessible and easier. Tom always jokes about my lack of “writer’s block,” but I must admit I never have a problem with the content of the new day’s story. The words seem to flow from my fingers as opposed to my brain.  

And yes, many times, our stories are mundane and boring and, our photos are blurry and of little significance, but somehow we continue. Yes, I make typos, spelling, and spacing errors, although I use an app to help make corrections. And Also, Tom proofreads every day as he “fact checks” everything I write.

He tends to remember finite details where I am often distracted by searching for good photo ops of our surroundings, trying to imagine which photos would most appeal to our readers. Sometimes we’re right. Sometimes we’re wrong. It’s always a work in progress.

As I write here now, we’ve arrived at the lovely Regency Hotel in Madurai where we’ll stay for the next three days. At this point, we have little interest in sightseeing with all the crowds everywhere. 

Indian music is quite beautiful.

Most likely, we’ll spend our days at the hotel working online and our evenings relaxing with a glass of wine for me or a cocktail for Tom and then off for what we hope will be a nice dinner. We’ll report back.

Beginning tomorrow and over the next four days, until we depart for South Africa, we’ll be posting many photos we’ve yet to share, along with some favorite photos.
 
Once we arrived in Marloth Park on Saturday, we’ll begin to share the many wonders of this magical place. We won’t be in the Orange house until it’s available on May 1 (or sooner if other bookings cancel), but we have no doubt plenty of “visitors” will stop by to say hello, both the human and animal kind.
 
We can’t wait to be there, feeling safer, with groceries stocked, plenty of pellets on hand, our bags unpacked, and a camera in hand ready to capture the wonder. And then, our friends…

Be well. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, March 15, 2019:

We were thrilled to see the return of a mating pair of hornbills. For more photos, please click here.