Last night together with new friends along with old friends…The frustration with our shipments…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 6, 2022 with 0 Comment

Zebras stopped by this morning for pellets. As mentioned, they “eat and run.” Of course, that’s Lollie and Busybody photobombing in the background.

As it turned out, Rita and Gerhard didn’t get back in time from their trip to join the rest of us for dinner last night at Jabula. Louise, Danie, Lee, Marylin, and Gary, and we had a great time together, knowing this would be the last time we’d see Marylin and Gary, and Lee for a while.

After Marylin and Gary followed our site since 2012, we easily fell into a close and meaningful friendship, one we’ll always treasure. Hopefully, we look forward to their return to Marloth Park while we’re still here or at least down the road when we’ve returned after being away on our future adventures.

The seven of us engaged in lively conversation that flowed easily as we sipped on our beverages and ate our usual delicious food. Owners Dawn and Leon were away for a few days, but David, their reliable assistant, was as warm, efficient, and helpful as always. His support staff was always on the ball to ensure we had everything needed. It was a lovely night.

If we don’t quickly deliver pellets to them, they rush off, whereas others will wait patiently.

Back home before 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs., we streamed one episode of The Blacklist, season 9, and hunkered down for a much-needed good night’s sleep. It was the first night in a week that I’d doubled the dose of the medication I was taking to help with the pain, per Doc Theo’s instructions. I repeat that 10 mg dose tonight, and then tomorrow night, I double it again to 20 mg, hoping to take care of it. If it works, I’ll continue to take the medication for a few months and see what happens when I gradually reduce the dose.

The good part about this off-label use of the drug, it causes drowsiness; that’s why it’s taken at night. Last night, I slept much better on the 10 mg, although I woke up several times in the middle of the night but easily fell back to sleep right away. We’ll see how it goes.

In July, I ordered a shipment of supplies to be sent to us using UPS through our mailing service, MailLinkPlus, in Las Vegas, Nevada. We ordered everything we needed from the US to be sent to the mailing service, and then they packed it up into one box and sent it to us in one box weighing 23 pounds, 10.4 kg.

They are handsome but don’t have much personality when around humans. I suppose that is why they were never domesticated and used for farming or riding.

The box was received in Johannesburg on August 2; we still don’t have it. So far, we’ve had to pay customs fees of about ZAR 400, US $23.35 but expect more fees to be assessed before they release the package to be delivered. The health minister doesn’t like the several packages of Crystal Light Iced Tea in the box, concerned it is a health hazard to the “community.”

Yesterday, after staying on top of this for weeks, we received a request for product information on the iced tea, which is in the form of a powder to be mixed with water. This product is the top iced tea mix sold in the US. Similar products are sold in South Africa but we don’t like their taste after trying several.

Subsequently, we’ve always brought in the iced tea or had it shipped to us in the past, never having had an issue in the past. We will be charged a “health inspection fee” for an undetermined amount, for which we’ll be notified within five business days. Go figure. Why??? We must comply, or per their comments, the entire package will be destroyed or…

This is Jasmine, who often visits with her young son, Johnny.

It’s frustrating, to say the least. We had an equally awful scenario with a package when we were in lockdown in India for ten months, awaiting to receive a package from the US. We thought it was due to the pandemic but the amount of paperwork required for us to receive the package was unbelievable. Was this a UPS issue in both cases, or is this an issue generated by customs and import laws? To us, it’s a means for countries to make money by receiving innocuous supplies from foreign countries.

I hesitate to say this, but perhaps this should be the last time we order supplies from the US. How prepared will we have to be when visiting the US next time to ensure we have everything we need on hand? It’s tricky. It is one of those things that result from our long-term commitment to continue to travel the world.

This morning I got up extra early to ensure I sent the pdf document to UPS per the requirement, but it wasn’t easy finding it online. As a result, I made a document copying information I found on Amazon, where we purchased the iced tea using the product information supplied to them via Crystal Light Corporation. I requested they email with an acknowledgment of receipt of the information, which they did promptly, and now we wait for four to five business days to see what happens next.

This is the ramp Danie made for our friend Jeff coming from the US in about ten days. It’s very sturdy.

Marylin and Gary stopped by this morning before they fly to Joburg for a few days, and then they are off on a cruise. They gave us a bag of leftover food for the mongooses and some items. How sweet of them. Tom eye-balled the potato in the bag and a can of syrupy pears. He said we could give the animals the potatoes but he’d eat the can of pears. Besides, we’d never give the wildlife food containing sugar.

It was hard to say goodbye, but we know we’ll see them again. What a wonderful time we all had together. Tonight, we will stay in. Tom will have leftover meatballs and Italian sauce, topped with grated mozzarella cheese, and I’ll have a salmon salad. We’ll both have a crispy lettuce salad with homemade dressing.

Have a lovely day!

Photo from one year ago today, September 6, 2021:

Pretty female kudu at Frikkee’s Dam. For more photos, please click here.

Back from Komati..Doc Theo appointment and grocery shopping…Back at the house for a nice surprise…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 5, 2022 with 0 Comment

It was my second appointment with Doc Theo this morning after a series of blood tests were done last week at the lab across the road from his office. All of my tests were normal except for a few, which prompted him to order additional tests I had this morning. I will call him back tomorrow at 10:00 am for the new test results and a plan of action, if necessary.

In the interim, the pain in my left forehead and cheek remains, but only after testing a very low dose of a drug to help trigeminal neuralgia, which I started a week ago. Now that we know I can tolerate the drug, he’s doubling the dose tonight, again in two nights, and then if there is no relief, on September 15, we will up the dose again.

My fingers are crossed that this will do the trick and get rid of this headache and facial pain I’ve had since April when I got Omicron. I don’t like taking medication but there are times it’s necessary and this seems to be one of them.

After we were done there, we headed to Spar Market where we shopped for enough food to last until we shop again just before Connie and Jeff arrive around September 17, only 12 days from now. Speaking of Connie and Jeff, when we returned to the house with our groceries, Danie had a crew here building a ramp at the front door. Our friend Jeff is in a wheelchair due to a neurological illness and he’d never been able to walk up the two uneven steps to the front door.

With the ramp, we can wheel him inside our house, through the living and dining room and outside onto the veranda where there is a very small half step that we’ll be able to maneuver to help him outdoors onto our veranda, where we’ll spend the bulk of the time while they are here, other than when we are all on trips to Kruger National Park and other game drive activities.

We’d mentioned to Louise and Danie weeks ago that we’d need a ramp, but not surprisingly, they remembered, and as we speak now, the ramp is done. They began working on it while we were in Komatipoort, and we returned to the surprise that it was nearly done. It will be easy to wheel Jeff into the house with this wide and sturdy built-in ramp. We are always so grateful to Louise and Danie for all they do for us.

It’s very hot today, already 95F, 35C, with a slight increase expected before the afternoon winds down. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be much cooler, with temps not rising again until the weekend. The humidity is low at 10%, making the high temps easily tolerable as we continue to sit outdoors on the veranda.

We’ll get ready to go to Jabula tonight for dinner in a few hours. This will be the last dinner for this group of nine, including Rita and Gerhard (who are returning today from their trip away) and their friend Lee; Marylin and Gary (who are leaving in a few days); Louise and Danie, and the two of us.

Bad Ear wonders when he’ll get some pellets.

Rita and Gerhard leave for several months on September 18 and don’t know when they’ll return. But we have no doubt we will all be together again before too long. Indeed, before that time, Rita and I will have one more “girl talk” event at Stoep Cafe in Komatipoort.

With all the groceries put away and the kitchen organized as well as possible with the limited cupboard space, I won’t have to cook again until Wednesday and Thursday since we’ll return to Jabula again on Friday night. In the interim, we’re working on planning a get-together at our place with Rita, Gerhard, Fiona, and Alan (who also leave soon) before Connie and Jeff arrive.

Bossy and three kudu babies and other family members. She must have been babysitting.

Once Connie and Jeff leave around October 1, many of our friends will be gone as we work through the heat of the summer months, which often drives part-time residents away. But die-hards like us and permanent residents like Louise and Danie and several other friends who stay during the summer, we’ll plan get-togethers regardless of the heat.

That’s it for today, folks. I am anxious to do a little more kitchen organizing and then get ready for the evening out. Although I am not feeling 100%, I am still up for a fun evening with friends.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 5, 2021:

We scurried indoors when this Big Daddy came right up to the door from the house to the veranda. For more photos, please click here.

Seven giraffes in the garden!…What a pleasure to behold!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 4, 2022 with 3 Comments

Yesterday early afternoon, we were gifted with the presence of seven giraffes in the garden. We couldn’t have been more thrilled, holding our breath in awe as we shot as many photos as possible. With their heads in the trees munching on a few sparse trees, it wasn’t easy to get great images of their heads and faces, but we did the best we could.

Photo from the trail cam a few nights ago.

Taking the above video was the highlight of the experience, and we hope you’ll take a moment to view it. I know it can be annoying to watch videos on a website, considering the possibility of advertisers, which we have. Still, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you’ll see on the many videos we’ve posted over the years.

They all stood close at certain points while eating from the treetops.

Often, when giraffes stop by, they don’t stay for long. They fall into the “eat and run” visitor status, but we are always happy to see them regardless of how long they stay. They don’t interact with humans at all here in the park, although there’s enormous interaction with them at a resort in Kenya called Giraffe Manor. I’ve always wanted to visit there, but both times we had booked such events, they were canceled, once by us due to heart surgery and another time due to the pandemic.

There were a total of seven, but they mostly stayed in two groups.

Giraffes are fascinating animals. Here are 14 facts about giraffes you may find to be enjoyable from this site:

14 fascinating facts about giraffes:

There are four distinct species of the giraffe: Northern giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, Southern giraffe giraffa, Reticulated giraffe G. reticulata and Masai giraffe G. tippelskirchi.
Giraffe are already extinct in at least seven countries in Africa.
Just like human fingerprints, no two giraffe have the same coat pattern.
Giraffe feet are the size of a dinner plate with a diameter of 30 cm.
Giraffe tongues are bluish-purple and between 45 and 50 cm long.
Both male and female giraffe have horns already at birth. These ossicones lie flat and are not attached to the skull to avoid injury at birth. They only fuse with the skull later in life.
It was exciting watching the giraffes enter the garden.
The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world. Even newborn giraffe are taller than most humans.
Female giraffe give birth standing up. Their young fall about 2 m to the ground and can stand up within an hour of birth.
In some populations, over 50% of all giraffe calves do not survive their first year.
A giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. To drink, giraffe first have to splay their forelegs and/or bend their knees, and only then can they lower their necks to reach the surface of the water.
Giraffe only drink once every few days. Even when water is readily available, evidence shows that many giraffe do not drink regularly – sometimes not at all.
To protect the giraffe’s brain from sudden changes in blood pressure when it drinks, the jugular veins have incredibly elastic walls and large one-way valves that allow the veins to expand significantly and prevent the blood from flowing back to the brain when the giraffe’s head is lowered.
We hoped they’d drink from the pool.
Alternatively, to help fight gravity when blood returns to the heart from a giraffe’s feet, their blood vessels are thickly walled and muscled, and the skin on the legs is so tight it acts like giant compression socks. These unique adaptations have been studied by scientists at NASA to get inspiration for human space suits.
A giraffe heart weighs approximately 11 kilograms (almost 25 pounds) with an average resting heart rate of 40-90 beats per minute. While people thought that the giraffe had a larger heart compared to other mammals to pump blood around its body, this is not true. Rather the giraffe’s heart has a thicker muscle on the left side (ventricle) of the heart so it can generate enough force to fight gravity.

More Giraffe Facts

One curious giraffe turned his head and looked at us.

When reading #10 in the above list, it makes sense why giraffes aren’t interested in eating pellets from the ground. I suppose if the pellets were on a high ledge, they’d probably like the pellets since they are herbivores. So far, other than carnivore animals that only eat meat, we’ve yet to see an animal here in the park that doesn’t care for the pellets other than a variety of cats including civets, lions, leopards, genets, lizards, crocs, snakes and mongooses.

Who’d ever imagine sitting on the veranda and seeing giraffes stop by?

Bushbabies are omnivores and eat fruit, nuts, insects, and small rodents occasionally. We’ve never seen a bushbaby eating a pellet. Also, the commonly seen helmeted guinea-fowl love to eat pellets. They usually break them up into small pieces since they are the size of half a human finger, but they will occasionally swallow them whole. Other birds don’t seem to be interested in the pellets.

Today will be another warm day with a high of 91F, 33C, with a low of 56F, 13C. As the temperature rises, so does the humidity, which is why it may be unbearably hot here in the summer months and why there are so many mosquitos. We’ve yet to turn on the air-con in the bedroom at night. There are not a lot of insects yet, but as it warms up, there will be insects everywhere. Between the heat, the humidity, the mosquitos, and other insects, many tourists stay away during the summer months.

The sparse trees and bushes make life hard for the wildlife, especially right now, before the rainy season from November until April, when the bush is lush with bright green foliage for the animals to eat. For the next few months, unless we get some rain, the bush will be dry, a fire hazard, and lacking in food for the animals. For this reason, we don’t hesitate to feed the animals pellets, fruit, and vegetables.

This afternoon at 3:00 pm, 1500hrs., we’re heading out to visit friends Sindee and Bruce at their home in Marloth Park. I did a little baking this morning so we could bring them an entire pan of homemade coconut banana bread. We seldom visit anyone’s home empty-handed.

The recipe called for two cups of ripe bananas, but we were left with several ripe bananas. Norman, Nina, and Noah stopped by, and they each ate a few of the bananas. We had enough to share with the four bushbucks in the garden. We couldn’t stop laughing when Jasmine literally peeled her banana with her mouth before eating the insides. We’d seen kudus do this but never a bushbuck. It was the cutest thing.

Now, at noon, the garden is quiet after a busy morning packed with many species. Enjoy our photos from the past 24 hours and our above new video.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 4, 2021:

Fred and Ethel lie butt-to-butt in the garden with a helmet guinea-fowl looking on, hoping for more pellets. For more photos, please click here.

Last of the photos from our recent trip…Great evening at Jabula, as always…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 3, 2022 with 0 Comment

I zoomed in for a closer look at the spray from Victoria Falls.

When I reviewed the photos from our recent trip that we had yet to post, I decided to post this last batch today. With the drones overhead all week, we had few wildlife visitors in the garden. Now, it’s the weekend, and again the animals stay away when holidaymakers fill the rentals in the park.

Speaking of weekends and holidays, this is Labor Day weekend in the US. We hope all of our family and friends in the US enjoy a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. In the US, many workers have Monday off, making this long weekend a time for travel, family visits, parties, picnics, and celebrations. Please be safe in all of your activities!

The scene from the veranda at the Royal Livingstone Hotel shows the spray from Victoria Falls, a short distance away.

Of course, we no longer celebrate US holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. With no family around and many friends who spend time in Marloth Park, back in their home countries, due to the heat here during the summer season (the opposite of summer in the northern hemisphere).

With air conditioning only in bedrooms here, daylight hours are often challenging when temps reach over 104F and 40 C. Does one stay inside where it’s usually hot, or sit outdoors in the dust and heat? After spending five summers in Marloth Park, which starts on December 21st. On September 21, spring starts here, but the heat has already begun, if not intermittently.

It’s a little hard to see, but this was an elephant in the trees, munching on leaves while we sat on the veranda at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia.

Today is another hot day with temps expected to top 93F and 34C, but much to our surprise, at almost 1:00 pm, 1300 hrs., it’s pretty tolerable. We are outside and not uncomfortable at all. Of course, raise the temperature to 40C, and we’ll feel it. But, it always cools down in the evening although air con is usually necessary for sleeping.

Sunset over the Zambezi River from the hotel veranda.

Last night, we were surprised to see the bar at Jabula packed. Every seat at the bar was taken. Luckily, a kindly local offered me his seat while Tom stood next to Lee, who’d arrived, until another barstool opened up a few minutes later. As a result, Tom and I sat apart for a few hours before our dinner was ready, and we, along with Lee, sat at a table to eat our dinner. Our food was predictably excellent as ever. We love the consistency at Jabula.

It was fun talking to the locals, looking over at Tom often to see him enjoying himself. We’d smile at one another with that knowing look on our faces, how lucky we are to be together and how much we enjoy life in the bush. Aside from frequently looking at our visa options, life is uncomplicated and blissfully simple. We always remain grateful.

We didn’t return to our house until after 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs. It was too late to start streaming a show, so we hunkered down for the night after completing a few tasks around the house. My new facial and head pain medication typically results in sound sleep. I fell asleep by about 10:30 pm, 2230 hrs., but awoke at 1:30 am and never went back to sleep until 4:30 am, awakening at 7:30 am.

Birds are highlighting the sunset scene.

My Fitbit reading states that I slept for over 7 hours, but I’d argue that isn’t accurate. But, the devices can record more sleep when one’s breathing and pulse rate are low. In any case, I don’t feel exhausted today. I busied myself in the kitchen making mozzarella stuffed meatballs and Italian red sauce for Tom’s dinner, enough to last for several days. I cooked chicken breasts for myself, which I’ll top with sauce and a big salad and vegetables.

A short time ago, seven giraffes appeared in our garden. We couldn’t have been more thrilled to see them. We took several photos and a video which we’re excited to share in tomorrow’s post.

We hope all of our readers in the US have a fantastic holiday weekend, and to everyone else worldwide, may your weekend be great as well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 3, 2021:

Detailed map of voyage route — The cruise itinerary, beginning in Leith, Scotland, in August 2023, will end in Amsterdam 16 days later. For more, please click here.

Finally, Norman returned today…Streaming our favorite shows…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 2, 2022 with 0 Comment

This is Marigold, resting comfortably in our garden. There were still uneaten pellets, but she was content to lounge rather than eat.

It’s Friday already. The week flew by in a blur. We haven’t done much since dinner at Marylin and Gary’s holiday rental on Monday evening other than research for future travels and “paperwork” and bookkeeping we needed to tackle. We’re hoping to go to Kruger National Park next week.

This annoying headache has made me not feel like doing much since we returned from our trip. On Monday, we’ll return to Doc Theo when he’ll up the dose of the medication I’m taking based on how I am feeling. There’s been no improvement yet, but I am on a low dose to see how I respond to the drug. Hopefully, a higher amount will cause the progress we’re seeking.

She’d look away from time to time when she heard a noise.

We’ll head to Jabula as we always do on Friday evenings. Although Rita and Gerhard don’t return until Monday, Lee has stayed at their holiday home while they are away. Tonight, Lee will join us at 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs., at the bar where we always sit until dinner, often ending up eating our meal at the bar as well. As you know, it’s an enjoyable ritual we repeat weekly.

This morning at 8:00 am, we called friends Kathy and Don, who live in Hawaii when they aren’t in Marloth Park, and had a great chat. They wanted to hear about our trip and visa situation, and we wanted to hear how they were doing. It’s always so wonderful to chat with them. Kathy and I stay in touch almost daily on WhatsApp. We are so fortunate to have such great friends all over the world.

Our boy Norman is always happy to see us and us, him.

While I was getting ready for the day, Tom popped his head into the bedroom to let me know Norman was in the garden. I couldn’t get dressed quickly enough to bolt outdoors to see his adorable face. When I called out his name while he was bent down eating pellets, his head snapped up to look at me. If a nyala could smile, Norman was smiling at me. It warmed my heart.

Hopefully, the drones will be gone after today, and all of our animal friends will return. We now have warthogs Mom and Babies who are almost fully grown. Also, bushbucks Tulip and Lilac are munching pellets in the side garden. It’s always a delight to see any of our bushbuck friends. They are so gentle and adorable.

We are always thrilled to see our favorite male bushbuck, Gordon Ramsey from the old house, whom we call Gordy.

This past week we’ve been streaming season eight of the series, The Blacklist. Wow! Has that show been exciting? Usually, after many seasons, some dramas lose their appeal when themes are repeated too frequently. But this show has ramped up to a fantastic eighth season. I looked online to see if there will be a season nine; much to our delight, it is showing in some countries.

Since we use a VPN, Express VPN (a virtual private network) set to the United States, we can watch Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, and other streaming services available in the US. After researching and reading some articles about the show online, it appears season nine has been streaming from different countries, including India. After resetting the VPN to show we’re watching from India, we can watch season nine now instead of waiting until it’s released in the US.

Mom Tulip, who always visits with her daughter, Lilac.

We pay an annual fee for Express VPN of about US $99, ZAR 1714, plus the monthly or annual fees for the above streaming service. This unique service blocks the location from which we’re browsing online to show we’re coming through from the city/country we designate. Plus, it provided an added layer of security and a secure tunnel between us and the internet, protecting us from online snooping, interference, and censorship.

You can use this link from Express VPN for coupons, promotions, and free trial periods. We do not benefit from your membership but are happy to share this information with our readers. When we consider how much we spent on cable TV in the US and how much less we pay now for the above-combined services, the costs are about 70% less.

Noah is getting much bigger than his mom Nina as shown on the right.

It’s pleasant that at night when we’re done spending time outdoors, we can hunker down in the bedroom and stream a few episodes of our favorite shows before we’re ready to fall asleep. The trick is staying awake while watching when either of us has been known to nod off now and then.

Have a great weekend! We’ll be back tomorrow with more.

Photo from one year ago today, September 2, 2021:

Frank and his family give us so much joy every day. For more photos, please click here.

Drones overhead scaring the animals…Not many visitors now…

Posted by worldwide-admin on September 1, 2022 with 0 Comment

Lilac was taking a nap in the garden while mom Tulip grazed nearby.

The only reason we can think of why only a few animals are visiting us this week is the following notice that was posted on Facebook a few days ago:

“DRONE MAPPING OPERATION:

Dear Property Owners

Please be advised that a Drone Mapping Operation will take place in and around Marloth Park from 08h00-15h00 on Tuesday, 30 August, until Friday, 2 September, to assist us in opposing the mine threat. All permissions and legal compliance have been obtained. The two pilots will be clearly visible with yellow high viz jackets and will make every effort possible to limit the time over properties while doing the grid flights. Please note that all security has been notified, along with all relevant authorities of the operation. Please do your part by showing caution and respect to the pilots during the day while the operation is taking place to allow them to do the task on hand as quick as possible. Thank you for your support

“

Bossy was eating birdseed off the bushbaby stand. Kudus will eat anything. But we only give them fruit, vegetables, and pellets.

A mining company has been trying to gain approval for mining in this area, not specifically in Marloth Park, but nearby. I don’t know much about it, so I dare not write much, but whatever is happening has kept many animals away from our house since Monday.

After returning on Saturday and seeing a few of our favorites, on Saturday and Sunday, it’s been so sparse that it feels as if it’s a holiday and the park is filled with tourists, keeping the wildlife away as usual. Hopefully, once this dreadful task is completed, the wildlife will return to our garden.

We’ve seen a few impalas, a few warthogs, including Lollie, and a lone zebra who yipped loudly when he finished eating pellets in an attempt to find the rest of his pals. Seconds later, we heard a return yip, and he dashed off on a dead run. This morning bushbucks, Tulip and her daughter Lilac, and Jasmine and her son Johnny stopped by for lettuce tops and pellets. But the sound of the drones sent them off in a frenzy.

Now, mid-morning there isn’t a single animal in the garden other than a few birds and two Vervet monkeys eating the birdseed Tom put on the trolley and bushbaby stand. With his orange squirt bottle filled with plain water, he squirted them away. We keep the doors to the veranda open all day unless we are both inside, at which point we close and lock the double doors to keep the monkeys and baboons out along with any possible burglars nearby.

Norman visited within hours of our return from our trip.

We often hear of burglaries occurring at night, but they also can happen during the day when residents keep their digital equipment on their outdoor table while they venture indoors for a few minutes. They return, three or four minutes later, to find their equipment gone.

This morning on a perfect weather day, I am doing laundry using our new washing machine. It is a pleasure to have the clothes come out clean and well-spun, making them dry more quickly than the old dysfunctional washer. Since I enjoy doing laundry, this new washer has made doing laundry easier than ever. Today’s gorgeous sunny weather won’t take long for the laundry to dry.

Ah, the simple things in life can give us so much joy. We always giggle over how the most simple scenarios can make us both smile. Last night’s dinner was a perfect example, but before that, we talked on (free) Facebook Messenger with our friends Linda and Ken in the UK. In the next 24 hours, we’ll talk to friends Kathy and Don on Whatsapp (again free) living in Hawaii. Modern technology has enabled us to stay in close touch with family and friends.

Today is a quiet day. Besides a few household tasks and cooking another great dinner, we are content. Tom is listening to podcasts on his laptop. I’ve already paid the bills for September, completed my part of the taxes for the accountant, and recorded our expenses from the recent trip. For the first time in a while, I don’t have any “paperwork-type” tasks hanging over my head.

May you have a stress-free Thursday!

Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2021:

This photo was taken from the veranda at Buckler’s Africa Restaurant with several waterbucks in the Crocodile River. For more photos, please click here.

Fun photos from friend’s holiday home in the bush…Email posts issue resolved…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 31, 2022 with 2 Comments

Zoom in to see a warthog between the table and the bench, hoping for some pellets and hiding from the wildebeests.

It was a busy morning, not in the way of animals since we’ve had few in the past two days, but in the household. Tom is finishing off the last of the blueberry muffins (not low carb) since he’s decided to give them up for a while when they cause him acid reflux, a sure sign that eating sugar and flour is not suitable for him.

When we arrived at Marylin and Gary’s holiday bush home, we were greeted by a dozen wildebeests living at their house for days.

I had avocado toast using the keto bread I’d purchased online from local keto bakers with salad for breakfast, a weird combination but a delicious and nutritious way to start the day. I am full and won’t eat another morsel until dinner tonight. Tom will have bacon-wrapped filet mignon with rice and salad, and I’ll have seasoned garlic prawns with green beans and salad. I don’t mind making two separate dinners a few nights a week.

They had lucerne delivered, and within hours, the wildebeests had consumed all of it.

I’ve already prepped everything for tonight’s dinner except cooking the steak and the prawns, which we’ll prepare at the last minute. The salad is made, the green beans cleaned, and Tom’s seasoned pan of purified water for his rice is ready. Since I make rice for him every other day (two batches at a time), I’ve got it down to a science. I can get everything ready in about 30 seconds, other than later, boiling the water, adding the rice with the lid, and cooking it for 20 minutes at a low temp. So far, he’s not tired of rice with dinner since we don’t eat potatoes, bread, or other starches.

Marylin and Gary get a huge kick out of their resident wildebeests but are disappointed they can’t feed the bushbucks and warthogs when the wildebeests won’t allow it.

After breakfast and some work online, we both got busy making our favorite breakfast, a crustless quiche with cheesy Russian sausages, mushrooms, onions, and hand-grated mozzarella cheese topped with parmesan cheese. The two big pans are baking in the oven now.

Once cooked and cooled, I’ll cut the quiche into single serving squares and freeze them to take out one at a time to reheat in the microwave. There should be enough to last Tom for a month since I’m on this avocado and keto toast kick right now. Once I find something I love, I tend to eat it day after day until I’m sick of it and then switch to something new.

A determined female warthog hung close to the veranda, hoping for a pellet or two. Marylin didn’t hesitate to give her a little pile of her own.

Right now, while I am not feeling well, I am focusing on good food, good sleep and rest, and a degree of exercise via steps in the house. I am taking the meds Doc Theo prescribed, but it could be weeks before I see any improvement. From time to time, the headache and facial pain are gone for an hour, and I get hopeful. But a short time passes, and even a single hair brushing my face hurts like an electrical shock, typical symptoms for trigeminal neuralgia, in this case, triggered from having Omicron in April.

With the increased dose of meds, my blood pressure is back to normal, which is a huge relief. Regardless of how I feel, we continue to live as we would, socializing, cooking, and spending time with the animals. Oddly, we haven’t seen Norman and his family since Monday.

After eating, they all lay in a clump, cuddling with one another to nap. We couldn’t stop laughing.

It’s been cold and windy, and the animals tend to stay in the bush when the wind blows. Finally, this morning the wind stopped, so hopefully, they’ll all return soon. Of course, Lollie, several kudus, our favorite bushbucks, and some impalas have stopped by. Now we wait for the rest.

We don’t have big social plans over the next few days except for Jabula on Friday night, a visit to friends Sindee and Bruce’s home on Sunday, and a group get-together again at Jabula on Monday evening. It will be the last time we’ll see Rita, Gerhard, Lee, Marylin, and Gary for a while when they are all moving on to other adventures or back to their homes in the US.

Since Rita and Gerhard haven’t returned from their trip to Botswana yet, their friend Lee joined us. At the table from left to right; Lee, Tom, Gary, me, Marylin’s sister Jean and niece Debbie (from Pretoria). Marylin was taking the photo.

The time we’ve all spent together has been fantastic, and we’ll miss them all. Soon, in a little over two weeks, friends Connie and Jeff will arrive to spend two weeks with us. We’ll undoubtedly be busy with game drives, bush dinners, drives through Marloth Park, dinners in and out, and enjoying time together in the bush. We are looking forward to their arrival. I will not let this pain in my head and face impact our time together while sharing this magical place with them.

Yesterday afternoon, I started receiving messages from many of our readers that they are now receiving the auto email with our daily posts again. I hope this problem is resolved once and for all. However, if you have an issue, please let us know, and we’ll try to figure it out. Thank you for your continued patience through this tricky situation.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 31, 2021:

A young giraffe drinking from Frikkee’s Dam in Lionspsruit. For more photos, please click here.

Results on medical issue…Immigration concerns at the border…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 30, 2022 with 0 Comment

The baby baboon is getting a ride on mom’s back.

Note: Once again, we are having problems with the auto email posts arriving in your inbox. This is frustrating since we aren’t doing anything to cause this. I have notified our hosting company to resolve this issue once and for all. I appreciate your patience. In the interim, if you type our web address once a day, a new post will pop up: www.worldwidewaftage.com

Tom, at dinner at the restaurant up the hill at Chobe Safari Lodge.

We feel so fortunate to have Doc Theo as our family physician. His knowledge, compassion, and commitment to getting results are mind-boggling, nothing like any other doctor we’ve seen over the years. He not only hugs me warmly each time I see him, but he instantly makes me feel at ease when I’ve always felt uncomfortable going to a doctor.

Dinner with my hubby at Chobe Safari Lodge.

In addition, he doesn’t rush through the appointment, giving me plenty of time to express my concerns. It didn’t take long, after a thorough exam, to determine I have” long haul” Covid-19, particularly Omicron, which left me with inflammation that has caused me to have an awful headache, face pain, and ultra high blood pressure, a big concern with my cardiovascular problems.

Another boat passed up while we were on the Zambezi River in Zambia.

It was Doc Theo in 2019 who diagnosed my serious heart condition when I only mentioned pain in my jaw. A whirlwind of medical tests resulting in my having open heart surgery (as most of you know) in February 2019 leaves me grateful for his accurate diagnosis and ultimately saving my life. Without a doubt, I’d travel back to South Africa for his medical care, even if we didn’t love it here so much. The fact that we love it here makes it all the easier.

So here’s the scoop. I have what is referred to as TN, or trigeminal neuralgia, precipitated by Covid-19 when the virus resulted in an intense inflammatory response. The headache, face pain, and high blood pressure started during Covid-19 when previously I had no headache or face pain, and my blood pressure was totally under control with low-dose medication.

A croc, sunning himself on the island in the Chobe River.

This inflammatory response has also caused an itchy skin condition, eczema, that often keeps me awake at night. I never had this until I became ill with Omicron. Nothing can stop the itching. I’ve tried at least a dozen creams and lotions and often find myself awake at night. It’s hard not to scratch, but I try to avoid doing so.

Doc Theo prescribed medication to reduce the pain, itching, and discomfort…non-narcotic options, and also doubled my dose of blood pressure medication to get me through this crisis. He ordered several tests, which were done yesterday at the lab across the road in Koomatipoort. I have another appointment next Monday to review the test results and progress. We’ll see how it goes. I am hopeful.

Tom, lounging with me at Chobe Safari Lodge before dinner.

As for our ongoing immigration concerns while attempting to spend more time in South Africa, when we encountered the immigration officer at the Nelspruit airport, I breezed right through without an issue, but when Tom tried to go through, the same officer who detained us a few years ago, detained him, stating we weren’t entitled to another 90 days. She gave us 90 days but insisted we must return to the US before entering again.

At this time, we are trying to figure out what to do. We plan to be in the US at the end of August 2023, but we’re planning to leave South Africa in early June for our cruise from Edinborough, Scotland, to Amsterdam, Netherlands. We will post what we plan to do going forward. It’s always a dilemma. Our upcoming cruise to Seychelles is not going to satisfy this requirement.

We walked the grounds at Chobe Safari Lodge and discovered this old boat converted to a spa.

Oh, dear, continuing to travel as we please certainly presents some pandemic-related issues and others not the case. But, as determined as we are, we continue to research our options and hope for the most practical, cost-effective, and suitable solution possible.

A fish eagle we spotted on a game drive in Chobe National Park.

Last night we had a fantastic evening at Marylin and Gray’s holiday bush house, managed by Louise. It was fun to see the enormous house and have dinner with them once again. We’re so grateful to have made more wonderful friends from our website. They had more wildebeests in their garden than we’d seen collectively in a long time. We sure got a kick out of them. I’ll post some photos of them tomorrow, but today I am finishing the photos from our recent trip.

An oddity: Yesterday was a sweltering 97F, 36C, and today it’s only 65F, 18C. Go figure. Tomorrow, the temps will start creeping up again.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 30, 2021:

Three kudus near the braai area at Frikkee’s Dam in Lionspruit. For more photos, please click here.

Rewarding first day back in the bush…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 29, 2022 with 2 Comments

This sign was posted at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia.

No words describe how good it feels to be back in Marloth Park. Don’t get me wrong…we had a great time on our trip, but the ongoing headache and facial pain made me want to return here. My appointment this morning with Doc Theo can’t come soon enough.

A skeleton head of an elephant in Chobe National Park.

I am grateful I made it through all the activities in Botswana and Zambia. I made a point to avoid complaining and to take plenty of Paracetamol (Tylenol) and aspirin to get me through each day. There’s a popular headache remedy in South Africa called Grandpa Powders, and much to my surprise it helped for at least half of the day. Grandpa is a combination of Paracetamol and aspirin in a powder form. It doesn’t taste very good but works fast in the powdered form.

Sleeping was tricky and I didn’t sleep more than five or six hours each night. Last night, being back in Marloth Park and the comfy, familiar bed and pillow, I slept for 7 hours and 36 minutes, according to my Fitbit. I still awoke with the headache but at least felt rested enough to tackle all the laundry.

A lone Cape buffalo in Chobe National Park.

When we arrived at the house on Saturday evening, we both quickly unpacked, knowing we wouldn’t feel like unpacking when we got home from Jabula. We were glad we’d decided to go to dinner at our favorite place. We were welcomed with open arms and had a great time chatting with Leon, David, and various other diners. Of course, the food was delicious, as always.

There were hundreds of impalas near the river in Chobe National Park.

By 9:00 pm, we were back at the house and ready to hunker down, watch another episode of The Blacklist and get the good night’s sleep we both needed. I told Tom to awaken me in the morning if any of our “regulars” showed up in the garden.

By 7:00 am, Tom returned to the bedroom to tell me about Gordy, Tulip, and Lilac, and my favorites, Norman, Nina, and Noah. If animals can show enthusiasm to see us, that’s precisely what they did. Norman had visited us three times by noon, as did his “wife” and son. What a joy it’s been to see them again here this morning before we head to town.

A “confusion” of Cape buffalos in Chobe National Park.

We were happy to see our new washing machine was installed and ready to be used. Sunday morning, for the first time since we arrived at this house on May 24, I could do three loads of laundry without delays and for the cleanest socks and other white items we’ve seen in months.

We spotted a few giraffes on the game drive.

The sun came out for a little while, long enough for the clothes to dry so we wouldn’t have to haul the clothes rack indoors for the night. On Saturday night, we took out the chicken stir fry from the freezer to defrost in the refrigerator overnight so Sunday’s dinner would be a breeze. I made a coleslaw salad and prepped the rice for Tom. Dinner was easy.

Waterbucks on the island as seen from the boat on the Chobe River.

This morning we’re on our way to my appointment with Doc Theo, and then we will shop for groceries after a trip to the pharmacy if Doc gives me a prescription or two. When we return to the house, I’ll make a big salad to bring to Marylin and Gary’s for the dinner party for seven. We’ll season our steaks for the braai at their holiday home and be on our way shortly before 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs.

The sun is setting over the Zambezi River in Zambia.

I will post what Doc Theo suggested for my head and face pain tomorrow. Hopefully, soon this discomfort I’ve had in my head and face since Covid-19 in April will go away. Fingers crossed.

A beautiful sunset from the Lion King boat on the Zambezi River.

Here are more photos from our trip to Botswana and Zambia. Soon, we’ll begin posting local photos once again. Tomorrow, we’ll explain our current immigration issues.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 29, 2021:

Five bushbucks are waiting for pellets. For more photos, please click here.

The trip ended…Final expenses…Back in Marloth Park…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 28, 2022 with 0 Comment

My dinner at Chobe Safari Lodge in the fine dining restaurant was grilled prawns and chicken. Delicious.

Our expenses were done a little differently this time. When we first arrived, we understood that we’d need about 20000 kwacha (Zambia currency) to pay for transportation and tours. When one ATM was out of cash and another only dispensed 18000 kwacha, we decided we could figure out the rest later.

When we arrived in Botswana, the rep there required either pula (Botswana currency) or the use of a credit card. We used a credit card to pay for the tours we’d booked in Botswana. Well, it got confusing, so that I won’t go into it. But, we managed to use most of our kwacha before we left Zambia and have a remaining 2900 kwacha (ZAR, US $178), which we’ll exchange for rand at the bank when we go to Komatipoort tomorrow. There’s no point in carrying 2900 kwacha with us around the world.

After some confusing figuring, we came up with the following for our expenses for these seven nights away. They are as close to accurate as possible.

USD Kwacha

Hotel Botswana $1736.92 28292.37

Hotel Zambia $236.18 3833.49

Meals/Tours Zambia $1109 14800.00

Tours in Botswana $280 4544.75

Airfare $1302.78 21145.74

Includes all tips

Total $4664.88 72616.35

Total daily expense $ 666.41 10373.76

Breakfast of two fried eggs, grilled mackerel, and sauteed mushrooms at Chobe Safari Lodge.

Our primary reason for this trip was to acquire a new 90-day visa. As it turned out, we encountered some difficulties at immigration which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post.

If we had filed for an extension, using the law firm in Johannesburg, which we can only do once per year in South Africa, we would have paid approximately US $2500, kwacha 40578.50. Thus, we ask ourselves, was this trip worth the difference? We thoroughly enjoyed this trip and felt the experiences were worth it.

Now, as we returned to South Africa to our bush house in Marloth Park with a new 90-day visa in hand (providing nothing went wrong at immigration), we won’t have to leave again until our upcoming cruise in Seychelles in November. This means we can relax during the next three months with only the flights and transportation to book and a two-night stay in a hotel in Mahe, Seychelles.

Mixed salad with artichoke hearts and green beans.If we were feeling up to it, we decided we would go to dinner tonight at Jabula, which we did shortly after we arrived back in Marloth Park around 5:30 pm, 1730 hrs. Even though the flight was only a few hours long, the trip began at 11:30 am when Chris picked us up to take us to the Livingstone Airport and ended when we arrived at our bush house, as mentioned above. It still is a long day.

I’m still not feeling 100% with this headache and face pain, and I have an appointment with Doc Theo on Monday at 10:00 am. We will grocery shop after the appointment. Monday night, we are headed to Marylin and Gary’s holiday home for a braai and final get-together (seven of us) before they leave a few days later. It’s been wonderful spending time with readers/friends who have now become great friends we’ve met due to our site. We feel so fortunate.

Today, we’re sharing food photos from our one-week trip, but we still have many photos to share from game drives and boat tours. It will be fun to share those with all of you here and to see our animal friends (and taking photos) again in Marloth Park in our garden. It will be wonderful to see Norman and his family again. I can’t wait to see him, Lollie, and the others.

Note: This morning, Norman, Noah, Nina, Gordy, Tulip, and Lilac were waiting for us in the garden. No sign of Lollie yet. More tomorrow. Norman and Nina are here for the second time in two hours.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 28, 2021:

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