Another power outage explained…Fantastic dinner for nine at Jabula…

We had another awful night, trying to sleep without a fan or air conditioning while we remained without power. After two consecutive days of temperatures reaching 98°F (37°C), neither of us looked forward to spending another night in a hot, stuffy bedroom. Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened.

As I mentioned yesterday, our holiday home in Marloth Park has an inverter system designed to take over when the local electricity supply goes out. Under normal circumstances, this system keeps the lights, fans, air conditioning, and other essential appliances running when Eskom, South Africa’s electricity supplier, experiences an outage. We have come to rely on it, especially during the hot summer months when sleeping without a fan or air conditioning can be downright miserable.

However, something had gone wrong, and we couldn’t figure out why.

The inverter ran out of power rapidly and never seemed to recharge. We wondered whether Eskom’s low voltage was preventing the inverter from charging properly, or whether the inverter itself had a problem. Since we couldn’t determine the cause, we waited and hoped the situation would resolve itself.

Throughout the evening and into the night, I regularly checked the Eskom app to see if other residents in our area were experiencing a power outage. If the problem had been widespread, we would have known we weren’t alone in this inconvenience. However, the app indicated that others in the area had electricity, making us even more puzzled about what was happening at our house.

By then, we had already endured one uncomfortable night, and we certainly weren’t looking forward to a repeat performance.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what we got.

With no fan or air conditioning, our bedroom became increasingly uncomfortable as we tried to sleep. We considered opening the few screened windows, but that wasn’t practical since it was so hot outside.

Besides, opening the windows doesn’t help when the outside air is just as hot. After such scorching days, there was little chance of enjoying a refreshing breeze during the night.

Fortunately, this morning, Danie arranged for an electrician to come to the house and investigate the problem. We were relieved when he discovered that the issue was indeed with the inverter. The good news was that it didn’t require a major repair at that moment. The inverter just needed a reset.

What a relief! We now have full power again!

Living in the bush has countless rewards, from watching wildlife visit our garden to enjoying our home’s peaceful surroundings near the Crocodile River and Kruger National Park. However, as anyone living in a remote area knows, unexpected maintenance issues can sometimes complicate life. When something goes wrong, we depend on people like Danie and Louise to help us find solutions.

Today, we are especially grateful that he could get an electrician out so quickly.

Tomorrow, we must drive to Nelspruit for Tom’s second eye surgery, and we need to be rested and prepared for the trip. The drive requires our attention, and with everything Tom has been through with his eye, we want the day to go as smoothly as possible.

Hopefully, tonight will finally bring us some much-needed sleep. After two nights of tossing and turning in the heat, we will be ready to climb into bed, turn on the air conditioning, and enjoy a comfortable night’s rest.

Last night’s dinner for nine at Jabula was absolutely delightful! It was wonderful to see our old friends Linda and Ken once again. The last time we saw them was in Barcelona in September 2025 while we waited in that awful apartment for our upcoming cruises. They were on a port-of-call day during a cruise, and we managed to get together for lunch at a lovely oceanfront restaurant. It’s hard to believe that was already over a year ago!

Seeing them again last night was a treat, and meeting the three neighbors in England (one of the husbands stayed behind because he wasn’t feeling well) and joining them on this African adventure made the evening even more special. Our mutual friends Kathy and Don added to the fun. With nine of us gathered around a big table on the veranda at Jabula, the conversations were lively and animated, and we couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable evening.

We returned to the house around 9:00 pm, knowing we might face another hot, sleepless night without power. Fortunately, our evening with friends brightened our spirits, even if the thought of another uncomfortable night wasn’t exactly appealing.

As if the evening needed another memorable moment, my temporary tooth veneer fell out during dinner! Fortunately, I had a clean contact lens case handy, so I tucked it inside for safekeeping until I could reattach it later.

Otherwise, all is right with the world!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 26, 2016: