It’s been a long and hard year for all of us…

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The mongoose went on a frenzy taking the whole eggs out of the pan, cracking them on rocks, and eating the contents.

It’s easy to sit here in relative bliss in the bush, reveling in the endless treasures Mother Nature doles out day after day, combined with a pleasing social life, financial stability, and hopefully, improving good health. Tom takes no prescription medication and I’m down to two little tablets a day plus a baby aspirin and a small handful of supplements recommended as useful during the pandemic.

There’s little reason for us to worry or feel stressed. Sure, we’re concerned about the safety of leaving for Kenya in a mere 13 days and if we’ll be able to continue to avoid contracting Covid during the upcoming travel days and proximity to others on game drives.

Sure, we’re thinking about how we’ll be able to be vaccinated when more and more travel venues are requiring vaccinations to be able to cruise, fly, and use other means of transportation. But, this type of concern is no different from the concerns of many who are anxious to get back out there and travel once again. It’s been a hard year for all of us.

This morning’s mongoose mania in the garden. Tiny is in the background. He wasn’t thrilled to see the mongoose and headed out into the bush and waited for them to eventually leave.

When we look back at the past year, which is hard to avoid, my heart is heavy over the loss of my dear sister Susan in August 2020, with whom I shared a lifetime bond that was precious and meaningful. Through all these years of world travel, we spoke frequently, often every week, sharing stories, laughing, and dreaming for the future. I miss her.

Three other family members contracted Covid-19 and their recovery was frightening and worrisome. My other sister Julie still suffers from “long-haul” Covid symptoms. No doubt, many of you have lost loved ones and friends during the pandemic, leaving each of us saddened and heartbroken over the ravages of this relentless virus.

During that 10 months in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, it was easy to let my mind play tricks on me when even the slightest pain or discomfort made me concerned about how I’d be able to see a doctor with the poor conditions in India. It wasn’t safe to go out when doctors weren’t seeing patients, other than those with Covid in special facilities, often in a makeshift parking lot or tented areas.

The mongooses also like to drink out of the birdbath’s lower section. It’s comforting to be providing clean water for our visitors.

Most heart surgery patients are particularly sensitive about a moment of chest pain, breathlessness, or other potential heart attack or stroke symptoms. I’m no exception. It only takes a slight case of indigestion to make us worry it’s something more. Even at times, when Tom had an ache or pain, we wondered what we’d do, if seeing a doctor was necessary. Need I say, these situations were stressful.

The thought that I had an abscessed tooth weighed heavily on me during that period, wondering how serious it could get if left untreated for too long. As it turned out, as mentioned in a prior post, it wasn’t an abscess. It was a sinus infection or allergy as determined by a recent visit to a well-regarded oral surgeon in Malelane.

Then, there was the worry during the first five or six months that the hotel would close and we’d have nowhere to go. When our supplies ran low, we ordered a package of items from the US, which we couldn’t buy in India, only to spend months attempting to get the package delivered to us at the hotel, via FedEx.

The mongoose quickly gathered around the pan of whole eggs Tom placed on the ground. Also, we give them scraps of meat and fat since they are omnivores.

It was a nightmare when India had endless requirements with complicated forms and documents to complete in order to receive a package. It was a source of worry for months and especially, more so when we had to pay almost US $300, ZAR 4499, in customs fees.

Without a doubt, the circumstances could have been much worse. However, we humans may think that a situation could be more challenging, but find ourselves caught up in the situation at hand. It doesn’t help a person who’s broken their leg to say, “Well, you could have lost your leg.” It’s no different if someone said to me, “Get over the bites that itch all night long and keep you awake. You could have been bitten by a snake.” Everything is relative.

When we think of all the people who’ve lost their jobs, their businesses, their financial security, their lives, and the lives of their loved ones, we are saddened. None of us have been untouched by this in one way or another. These are difficult times.

This Mr. Bushbuck has longer horns than some males.

Today, not necessarily a special day, we reflect on the past year and celebrate the abundance and fulfillment we’re experiencing now. But, we’ll never forget this past year, nor should we. It’s a frame of reference that will always remind us to be grateful for what we have and how we’ve come out on the other side.

No, it’s not over yet, and the future is uncertain and frightening at times, but we carry on with hope in our hearts and optimism for the future.

Be well. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, March 26, 2020:

When I originally took this photo of Tom’s dinner a few weeks earlier, he said, “Don’t post that. It looks disgusting.” Later, in lockdown in Mumbai, it starting to look appetizing to both of us. For more, please click here.

Sleep…Vital…Elusive, at times…24 different beds…

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Ms. and Young Mr. Kudu wait around, knowing that the warthogs will prevent them from getting a single pellet.

Let’s face it. After uploading 3,144 posts in the past nine years, some of our past post topics may likely be repeated from time to time. It’s inevitable. Oddly, I recall old post topics and am fully aware when we’re being repetitive. But, I also realize that many of our readers are newer and may not have read those past posts.

Is today’s repeated topic of sleep relevant to our world-travel lifestyle warranting discussion on this site? I believe so for the following reasons:

They moved to another spot hoping their luck would change. Pigs won’t share with other species, although other species will often share with the pigs.

Adjusting to a different bed and location while traveling…

Many of us become accustomed to our beds, having difficulty sleeping in different beds from time to time. For us, sleeping in different beds is commonplace. In the past 14 months, most of which was during the pandemic, we’ve slept in 24 different beds, including hotels, on a train, near airports, on our private tours in India, and two here in Marloth Park, all the while considering the ten months we spent in one hotel in Mumbai.

Until Tom did a thorough count this morning, we had no idea how many different beds we had to adjust to during this period. It’s no wonder sleep is elusive for us at times, which may be the case for other travelers as well.

Who would have thought that we’d stay in 24 different hotels and subsequently different beds during the pandemic? Is there anything we could have done to lessen the requirement adaptation?  Here they are:

  1. Asking for a sufficient number of pillows and any special pillows and bedding we’ve found can aid us in sleeping better. Tom needs three pillows. I need two flat pillows, and a third used under my laptop while working on the bed. Be careful if your laptop gets hot on the bottom. Ours do not. Instead, ask the hotel staff for a tray.

    Nature isn’t always harmonious.

  2. Untucking the sheets at the foot of the bed. Neither of us can tolerate the tight bedding, which may prevent a good night’s sleep.
  3. Keeping a light on in the bathroom with the door closed or partially closed helps avoid that feeling of unfamiliarity that comes when awakening in the middle of the night in an unknown location.
  4. Temperature control. We need a cool room to sleep in. If air-con is not available, a fan is a must.
  5. Darkening the room to prevent awakening earlier than necessary.
  6. Noise control. If the room and surrounding area are noisy and you can’t sleep, ask to be moved to another room. Most facilities will comply with this request without an extra charge or hassle.
  7. Sticking to a regular bedtime schedule if possible. No, this is not always the case. At times, we’ve arrived at a hotel in the middle of the night, feeling wide awake from the travel commotion. Settling in after attempting to accomplish as many of these tasks as possible may be helpful.

    Finally, Tom managed to toss a few pellets their way.

  8. Sleep aids. There’s varying opinion on whether one should take any prescription or over-the-counter medications to aid in sleep. On occasion, we will use a local over-the-counter product, Somnil, when sleep is elusive, which in some countries is called Unisom. For those where there are Costco stores, the product is called Kirkland Sleep Aid. It’s also available on Amazon. Please check with your doctor to see if this drug is safe for you, your health, and your lifestyle. Dr. Theo, here in SA, recommended this product to us. We don’t take Somnil if we cannot sleep for eight hours since it can cause morning drowsiness if an early flight or appointment is upcoming. We have never used any prescription sleep aids, nor will we.
  9. Camomile tea and other herbal teas. Last night, before bed, I drank a cup of Chamomile tea that I steeped for three minutes. I slept almost nine hours last night. Wow! I feel great today.

    Daily, Tom refills both the top and bottom sections of the peculiar Greek birdbath, enabling all wildlife to drink fresh water.

  10. Relaxation and breathing techniques/videos/music may be helpful. Usually, when we have a lot on our minds, we have trouble sleeping. Being able to “turn off your brain” is crucial for getting a good night’s sleep. This breathing technique, 4-7-8, has been helpful for me on many occasions. For details and instructions, please see here.
  11. We are not worrying about not sleeping. Generally, losing one night’s sleep isn’t going to cause any long-term health issues. Many times, we have flown on overnight flights, never sleeping more than one or two hours. Sure, we felt tired the next day. But after one good night’s sleep, we never give it another thought. Worrying about it only exacerbates the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

    At first, Tom didn’t think it was a good idea to put water in the bottom section, fearing the warthogs would break the structure. But, now, he sees how happy the animals are to get a drink of freshwater. Now he is convinced and refills it.

  12. I was doing everything possible to treat medical conditions that may inhibit sleep. Lately, I have been covered in bites, like many others here in Marloth Park. I have tried dozens of remedies to avoid staying awake itching all night. The past few nights, I wore long-sleeved pajamas with tight-fitting leggings. I didn’t get any new bites, and the fabric close to my skin seems to keep the itching at bay. I can’t say this will work for others, but it has helped me. Go figure. Whatever works. Now I’ve had two good nights’ sleep in a row.
  13. Turn off digital equipment, if possible, a few hours before bed. I say this, but I don’t do it! I look at my phone, read the news, and play games when I can’t sleep. For me, I get bored and fall asleep. Doing this may be too stimulating for some and may contribute to poor sleep. Each of us is different. We continually strive to find what works best for us.
Tiny, who’s quite the loner, has a new friend, we call Narrow, due to his narrow face. Narrow used to hang out with The Imposter  (who imitates Tiny), but now Narrow has gravitated to Tiny. We’ll see how this works out when The Imposter returns tonight when these two are most likely cuddled up.

Of course, countless books are written on this topic, and we all may benefit from learning more and more about sleep from experts. But, for us world travelers, sleeping in 24 different beds in 14 months, the above is what has worked for us. Yes, we have many nights when sleep is elusive. We both try not to worry about it and look forward to the next good night’s sleep.

There is an endless stream of adjustments we must make for frequent travelers to enjoy our chosen lifestyle to the fullest. Every day we do our best to ensure we’re feeling our best. Sometimes we succeed, and other times, we do not. But isn’t that how life is about anyway, regardless of whether you travel or not?

Have a great day and a great night’s sleep tonight and always.

Photo from one year ago today, March 25, 2020:

The scene we traveled in India on the Toy Train. For more photos, please click here.

Back on top of the world…Memory of a terrifying morning, one year ago today…

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It’s such a treat and a pleasure to enjoy a glass of red wine on the veranda at sundown.

While out-of-sorts yesterday after little sleep the previous night, somehow I managed to reset my phone to the factory settings, re-installing all of my favorite apps and restoring it in a manner to my liking. What a relief! Now, it’s working as it did when it was new. It’s a good feeling when all of our digital equipment is working correctly.

Much to my disappointment, I noticed a spelling error on our site, which mysteriously appeared after the most recent crash and restoration, which I failed to see. The word “Archive” concerning our historic posts is spelled “Archieve,” an easy error to make when an India-Hindu/English-speaking company created and restored our site several weeks ago after the most recent crash.

I reported it to the web people, and I imagine it will be corrected by the end of today. Also, we lost the dates in front of every archived post which we had previously. This was extremely helpful for us, let alone our readers, who may be going through each post from the beginning and would like to recall where they left off easily.

Last night, I managed to sleep almost eight hours. I wore my long-sleeve winter PJs with long leggings keeping all my skin covered except my hands and feet. Before I went to bed, I slathered repellent on my hands and feet and around my neck and face.

We are thrilled to see so many animals drinking from the birdbath. It’s too close to the house to get birds, other than Frank, but he and his family fulfill most of our birding aspirations right now.

In addition, late in the day, Tom sprayed the bedroom with Doom, leaving the door closed and the room unattended while the smell and chemicals dissipated sufficiently for us to go to bed eventually. I never got a single new bite overnight. Many of our readers have written with suggestions for my itching, which I thoroughly appreciate. But I’d already tried all of them.

Plus, this isn’t a skin condition generated by my own body, such as dermatitis, eczema, or another such condition. It’s none of those. It’s bites of some sort. Thank you for all of your concerns and suggestions. Also, many other residents in Marloth Park are suffering from the same issue. It could be sand fleas, sandflies, chiggers, no-see-ums, or dust mites. It’s not mosquitos. Mosquito bites stop itching after four or five days. These bites continue to itch for weeks.

Anyway, a good night’s sleep has left me on top of the world today. Today is another cooler day. Right now, it is only 77F, 25C. It’s very humid but a far cry from what we’ve experienced over the past few months. The high today will be 81F, 22C, around noon, dropping from there. Wow! What a difference cooler weather makes in how we feel both mentally and physically.

One year ago, we experienced that stressful morning when we were “kicked out” of the SunNSand Hotel in Mumbai and sent to the Orchid Hotel, where we were assured we had a reservation. Once we arrived at the Orchid, they had no idea who we were and closed the following morning.

Their excellent manager/concierge got to work on his phone and called one hotel after another, looking for a safe place for us to stay. Without his help, the only option was to stay at a Covid-19 hotel packed with sick guests to stay while they recovered from the virus. There was no way we would have stayed in such a hotel.

Another enthusiastic drinker.

We wrote the following from that post:

“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, 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.”

Need a toothpick?

The heading of our post that day stated, “A morning from hell… OMG…OMG.” It was a terrifying morning when every hotel in the city of Mumbai was forced to close by the government, except for one… The Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport.

The kind man, Mr. Wesley Fernandes, arranged a taxi to take us to the Marriott. But even after we arrived, we were worried they, too, would close in a few days. It was months later that we could finally relax, knowing they’d stay open during the ten months we lived there in the lockdown. We will be eternally grateful they stayed open when at one point, there were only four rooms occupied by guests (including us) in the 330 room hotel.

Anytime in the future that we have an opportunity to stay at a Marriott Hotel, we will, out of sheer loyalty to the good company. They lost vast sums of money remaining open during the pandemic and hopefully will recover their losses in times to come, along with all the other business owners and private parties worldwide who have so dearly suffered during these challenging times.

And here we are, 70 days later, content to be in the bush and determined to stay until our next cruise after we’ve somehow managed to get a Covid-19 vaccine. Hopefully, we’ll be able to accomplish all of this in this upcoming year.

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Photo from one year ago today, March 24, 2020:

Gorgeous leis of flowers offered for sale for religious offerings. For more, please click here.

A lovely evening with friends in the bush…Technology issues…

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Tom’s photo! Mr. Bushbuck is sitting in the bush waiting for the warthogs to leave so he can have a few pellets.

We had such a great evening last night with Linda and Ken at our home for dinner. With no time constraints, a meal I mainly prepared ahead of time, the four of us sat out on the veranda well into the evening. The weather was pleasant, warm, and not at all uncomfortable. The bugs seemed to be repelled by the repellent candles and coils Tom placed in key spots on the veranda before they arrived.

We didn’t see a lot of wildlife while they were here, but enough to entertain us when peering out into the garden. A tiny frog, noisy as could be, made us laugh as they enjoyed the new birdbath, now filled with water from the rain. Since it’s close to the house for our easy viewing, few birds will stop by, if any. But, we’re undoubtedly enjoying the wildlife, stopping for a drink of fresh water.

A male bushbuck with a plant growing from his muddy hoof after a big storm. This makes us laugh.

As I write, Bennie, Hennie, and Lennie are resting in the garden within three meters of us. We’re assuming they’re related based on their similar characteristics, with tiny tusks and good-sized warts. Periodically, one will groom another, a common practice among warthog family/friend groups.

A female they seemed to know stopped by to join them in the past few days. She could also be a family member. Warthogs generally give birth to four or fewer piglets based on the fact they have four teats. It’s incredible how nature takes care of itself.

Last night, I didn’t get much sleep. In the past several days, I have been bitten by something that left me itching all over again, all night long. My arms and legs were covered in red, swollen, itchy bites that were itching more and more throughout the night. I’d taken an antihistamine that provided no relief and used every anti-itch cream I had on hand, trying to get some relief.

Although she looks small in this photo, she is a good-sized kudu. Known as the Greater Kudu, females can weigh up to 400 pounds, 181 kg, while males may weigh up to 620 pounds, 181 kg.

As a result, I didn’t sleep more than four hours, according to my Fitbit. I managed to use Crazy Glue to glue the parts to my Fitbit together to keep the band together until my new one arrives sometime in the future in the package we’re ordering from the US in the next few days, once the night trail cam arrives at our mailing service in the next few days.

I am not my spunky self today. Last night, I only drank two small glasses of my low-alcohol wine, and by 6:00 pm (1800 hours), I switched over to iced tea for the remainder of the evening, so that didn’t keep me awake. Hopefully, this afternoon a short nap will revive me a little.

You know how easily one glass too many at a social function can impede a good night’s sleep for red wine enthusiasts. I’m always very mindful of this for that very reason and with consideration of long-term health. A good night’s sleep is vital to how one feels the following day and the overall well-being of the future.

A young male kudu, with Bossy in the background. He could easily be her son from several seasons ago. She stood still for almost an hour, watching him out of the corner of her eye while he ate pellets.

The past few days, I noticed my phone was acting up. We purchased two pricey Google Pixel 4XL phones in December 2019 before leaving the US for India the following month. So far, we’ve been thrilled with the performance of our phones until about three days ago, I began having trouble opening some of my apps, but not all of them. This was frustrating.

This morning, after the fitful night’s sleep, during which I couldn’t play one of my favorite games to lull me back to sleep, I knew I had to do something. I had no choice after trying many options but to do an entire factory reset. Since I didn’t have an old phone from which to copy all the files, I am now, as I write here, stopping every few minutes from downloading yet another app to restore my phone to its original apps and settings.

I took a photo of all of my apps to refer to when downloading many of my favorites, knowing I could have taken screenshots. But, as cumbersome as Chromebook is, I preferred to take the photos instead of downloading screenshots to my drive. I still miss the convenience and ease of Windows 8 with easy access to folders on the desktop.

Check out the length of the horns on this male bushbuck. These seeming sweet animals could inflict serious harm or a fatality if frightened into protecting themselves. Otherwise, they appear very gentle.

Those days are long gone based on new operating systems available in the marketplace today. More and more plans will go to using a drive/cloud for storage instead of locally stored files on our system, which I always preferred, being responsible for saving my data as I preferred. Oh well.

By the end of today, tired as I am, I’ll have everything set up on my phone as I prefer and can put this minor inconvenience behind me. For the remainder of today, a nap, and maybe watch another episode of “Fear of the Walking Dead,” which I’m streaming during the day when Tom is busy with Ancestry.com and Facebook, his two favorite pastimes. Of course, at night, when we’re done sitting on the veranda and well after dinner, we always watch an episode or two of a streamed show together, of a favorite show we’re binge-watching.  For today, that’s all the energy I have.

Have a fantastic day, dear readers!

Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2020:

The two dining cars on the train, The Maharajas Express, were tastefully appointed with the most refined dinnerware and table settings. For more photos, please click here.

A storm unlike any other…Power stayed on!…Yeah!..Wet, humid and muddy terrain…

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Wildebeest Willie, also known as a gnu, gave us quite a thrill when he arrived. In no time at all, two more Willies stopped by. It’s nice to see the animals drinking from the birdbath.

Last night, our dinner reservation at Jabula was canceled via text due to the outrageous storm that started around 4:00 pm (1600 hours). We hadn’t taken anything out of the freezer for dinner, not anticipating we’d be dining at home. With the prospect and the likelihood of the power going out due to the thunder, lightning, winds, and rain, we were at a loss as to what to eat for dinner.

It’s not as if we have a freezer filled with prepared store-bought frozen foods. We only consume fresh, non-processed meals except a few canned fish, zero-carb condiments such as mustard, and spices. We were at a loss as to what we’d prepare. With all the meat frozen, it would have taken hours for anything to defrost.

But, they say, “A drink from the pool is quite acceptable.”

The stovetop and oven are electric, and with the lights blinking off and on during the storm, Tom suggested we have tuna salad with hard-boiled eggs. The trick would be to get the eggs boiled before the power went out. We hurried and placed six eggs in a saucepan of purified water and put it on high.

We held our breath while the pan of eggs came to a boil. If we could get a vigorous boil, we could turn off the burner and let the eggs finish cooking in the pan with its lid on, the method we typically use to make hard-boiled eggs. Thirty minutes after turning off the burner with the lid on the pan, the eggs would be cooked perfectly. As soon as the vigorous boil started, the power went out, and we immediately covered the eggs. Whew! We’d have tuna salad after all.

And then, there were three.

We made a huge batch, dividing it between two plates, and enjoyed our dinner inside the house. There was no way we could sit outdoors while the pouring rain continued. Shortly before we ate, the power resumed, and much to our surprise, we had electricity all night. We’d heard several homes in Marloth Park are still without power, yet to be restored. We dodged a bullet.

Tom just read me a message on Facebook from the Marloth Park Municipality stating there’s a water shortage. It was a busy weekend with holidaymakers staying at many bush homes in the park, using water resources. We’ve all been asked to reduce our water consumption over the next several days.

They shared the pellets harmoniously.

The property owners and managers have struggled during the pandemic, with few tourists booking any properties. Many bush homes have sat empty for over a year. It’s been a tough time here as well as all over the world. With Easter weekend coming up soon, more activity will be in Marloth Park, not many foreigners, but more likely South African citizens.

Tonight, Linda and Ken arrive for dinner at 4:00 pm (1600 hours) for sundowners and starters (appetizers). While it was still cool this morning, I spent time prepping most of the meal in the kitchen before working on today’s post. We’ll start with a wide array of starters and finish a few hours later, cooking lemon pepper seasoned flatties (flat cut whole chickens), which Tom will prepare on the braai, along with rice, roasted vegetables, and a green salad with fresh feta and grape tomatoes. We won’t be having a dessert after such a hearty meal.

Other wildlife was on the sidelines but thought twice before entering the space of this trio.

This morning, we’ve had several visitors, including more wildebeest, which stopped by yesterday before the storm, as shown in today’s photos. Several bushbucks, kudus, and an endless stream of warthogs, commonly seen most days, visited. Frank and The Misses have been hanging around regularly, often right at our feet, asking for seeds. We don’t waste a moment offering them a good-sized portion.

Speaking of sightings in the garden, Tom spotted the porcupine run across the garden for the fourth time last night. I have yet to see it, although I look for it many times during the evening. They are nocturnal. We’re considering purchasing a waterproof night-vision trail cam before our shipment goes out in the next few days. Amazon will deliver it to our mailing service in 24 hours in time for the load to go out to us. We’ll check this out today and decide on which model to purchase.

A new female warthog we don’t recognize. If she continues to return, we’ll give her a name.

Now I need to get back to work on the treadmill, which I avoided this morning while busy in the kitchen, and finish some tasks for tonight’s dinner guests.

We hope you’ll have as good a day as we expect you to have. It’s cooler today after the rain, although very muddy and humid. But, that won’t keep us from having a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 22, 2020:

What beautiful sunsets over the Arabian Sea while we sat outdoors by the pool, awaiting our fate as Mumbai began to shut down. For more, please click here.

It was one year ago, the bad news sunk in…No regrets…

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Oh, look! Mr. Young Kudu drinking water from our new birdbath. Tom refills it with fresh water every morning.

One year ago today, we wrote the following in this post::

“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 kind of 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, Argentina. We ended up having a great time after all. See this link here.
Mr. Young Kudu is standing on the veranda in front of me, looking woefully into my eyes, begging for pellets. We tossed out a big dose into the garden for him.

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. Covid-19 is the cause of many businesses, now including hotels worldwide, closing their doors.”

Little did we know when we wrote this, that on March 24, 2020, a few days later, we’d be kicked out of this hotel to find ourselves with nowhere to stay in Mumbai, with literally all of our bags stranded with us without an available booking in any hotel in the huge city. In the next few days, we’ll reiterate some of the challenges we faced when no hotel was open to take us in. It was one of the most frightening moments in our then 7½ years of world travel.
Now, when we look back at that time, we are literally shocked by the challenges we faced. But, at the time, our only option was to return to the US. With cases rapidly escalating by the day, we decided we’d feel safer to stay in Mumbai, provided we could find a safe and suitable hotel which, fortunately, last minute, we did, with the help of a kind hotel concierge. More on that later.
Frank eats out of the seed container. There were so many warthogs in the garden I set this down for Frank. The warthogs love to eat the seeds, leaving none for Frank. This was a good solution at that point to ensure Frank and The Misses got their share.
As much and as often as that experience floods our minds since we arrived in South Africa on January 12, 2021, it hasn’t left us with negative thoughts and feelings. When we recall, even the worst day’s experience on March 24, 2020, after being “kicked out” of the SunNSand Hotel when they closed, without a reservation or other options available at the time, we are reminded of the strength, determination, and resiliency that got us through it all.
We have no regrets. Somehow we managed to protect ourselves from falling prey to Covid-19 and now we pray going forward, we can continue to do the same as we venture out of South Africa and head to Kenya for our upcoming required new visa stamps for South Africa, providing us with another blissful 90 days in Marloth Park.
Last night, we changed our plans to go to Jabula for dinner and will go tonight instead. We both feel it is important to support our favorite restaurant in Marloth Park by coming for dinner at least once a week. The prices are reasonable, the food is great and the love and interaction we have with owners Dawn and Leon, their fabulous assistant Lyn, and their staff members, make every visit enjoyable and worthwhile.
Siegfried and Roy stop by at least once a day. But another unknown warthog was hovering in the background.
It was when Louise and Danie invited us last night for sundowners that we decided to change our plans. With Linda and Ken not arriving until today, and unable to join us for dinner at Jabula, it was a perfect opportunity to accept Louise and Danie’s invitation to meet Danie’s son Niel, his wife Anja, and their adorable 8-month-old daughter, Klara. It was a fun and lovely evening.
Back home by 8:00 pm, I ended up speaking on the phone to my dear, almost 13-year-old grandson, Miles in Minnesota, and later, my sister Julie, in California. We laughed so hard we cried when sharing names and stories about the wildlife that visit us. She was thrilled to hear Little had found us once again. What amazing stories are unfolding before our eyes, each and every day, not only with the wildlife yet also the amazing human friends we’ve made in the bush.  We are truly blessed and grateful.
They’re back… Bennie, Hennie, and Lennie are now regular visitors. They shooed this kudu away when she was too close to their bounty.
May your day be lively and fulfilling.
Photo from one year ago today, March 21, 2020:
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, wondering where we’d end up in a few days. Little did we know we may have been drinking our last drop of alcohol in the 10 months to come. For more, please click here.

Good news brings relief!…Newly named friends…What are QR codes?…

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These three warthogs, whom we’ve named Bennie, Hennie, and Lennie, have started visiting us several times a day.

Note: One year ago today, we headed to the airport in Mumbai, India, with airline tickets in hand, and we were turned away and refused entry to South Africa due to the border closings, never boarding the plane. It’s hard to believe that was one year ago.

Last night, the email message came through from iVisa informing us that our Kenya visas have been approved and processed. They are now in our inbox, ready to print when we have to print many documents to bring with us to Kenya when we leave Marloth Park on April 8, 2021. We’ll enter Kenya on the 9ths and fly to the Maasai Mara on the 10th.

Everything we needed to prepare for the trip was done other than the printing. In a week or so, we’ll email Louise all the documents, and she’ll print them all, including a document from her that we’ll be renting for the next 90 days in Marloth Park. South Africa requires proof of a place to stay while in the country.

One odd thing we encountered during the visa acquisition process is that iVisa is that we received a QR code that looks like this, as indicated below.What is QR Code? Is it safe to scan QR codes | Kaspersky Since leaving the US in 2012, many companies, governments, and businesses have started using a QR code, like a barcode that smartphones can read after installing a QR app on your phone or other devices. Scanning such a code (I don’t know what the above QR code reads. I downloaded this example online).

We’re assuming they are brothers from the same mother based on how well they get along.

Earlier on, while touring India, our tour guide/driver’s car had complimentary WiFi. To access it, it was necessary to scan the QR code they had on a plastic-encased card kept in the vehicle. While in the Marriott hotel during those long ten months, while in Mumbai, India, they used such a QR code which, if we scanned the code using the QR code app on our phones, the hotel’s restaurant menu would come up, on our device.

QR stands for “quick response.” See this article here fIt clearly states the value and simplicity of using the QR codes for more details and the safety of using QR codes with your phone and device.

Occasionally, they’ll rest separately, especially on hot, humid days.

Thus, when iVisa sent us a QR code stating in the email that this code would bring up our already processed health questionnaire document as required by Kenya when we go through immigration upon entering the country. IVisa filled out the form for us since we cannot open it by scanning it. When we go through immigration, Kenya will scan the QR code, review our health questionnaires, ask us if we have any Covid-10 symptoms, and provide proof of negative PCR tests, which we’ll have done a few days before we depart.

So many new procedures are required to travel now, some seemingly worthwhile and others ridiculous and unnecessary. Only you can determine if traveling is worth all this “monkey business.” For us, we’ve decided, at this point, the answer is yes.

We still don’t know what we’ll do in July when the next 90 days end. We’ve decided to see how things go on the trip to Kenya after we return on April 14th. Also, we’re looking at where we can get the Covid-19 vaccine. It’s up in the air now if South Africa will allow foreign nationals to get the vaccine while in the country. We’ll see how that goes in the next few months.

When carefully observing these three warthogs, we’ve observed, they each have unique personalities.

For now, we can sit back and relax a little while still maintaining safety protocols when out and about and around people, such as when shopping and dining out. Linda and Ken had planned to join us at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant for dinner tonight. However, based on the news they’ve read, traveling from Johannesburg to Marloth Park is not safe today due to several stoppages on the highway.

They plan to travel the five-hour drive tomorrow, if the situation improves, and then join us for dinner at our house on Monday evening as planned. However, in South Africa, everything can change on a dime, so we shall see how it goes. Tonight, we’ll have dinner at Jabula on our own, enjoying ourselves as we always do.

On occasion, only two will rest together. But, the three of them are always together from what we can determine. This is Hennie and Lennie.

Today, it’s a little cooler than past days, but it’s still hot and humid. I started working on the treadmill again today since the awful itching has been tempered, and I am feeling better overall, especially after last night’s much-needed good sleep.

Yesterday there was no load shedding after the power was restored, but we did lose the WiFi signal for a few hours last night, preventing us from streaming our usual series. We stayed busy chatting and laughing and enjoying the quiet time together, as always.

This is Bennie and Hennie. They all seem to enjoy visiting us and hanging around the garden long after we’ve stopped offering pellets.

May your day be filled with wonders. Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, March 20, 2020:

This hall at the temple site is used for weddings, arranged marriage meetings, relaxation, and prayer. For more photos, please click here.

No power…No WiFi…It was a long, hot night…

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This is a monitor lizard that Tom spotted while driving. It happened so quickly, I had to take the photo through the windshield.

Although the inverter in the house allows a fan to work in our bedroom, it was a hot night and we had little sleep. There had been a short moderate-intensity rain storm around 10:00 pm (2200 hours). It doesn’t take much for the power to go out here. The WiFi towers revert to their battery power to keep the WiFi signal going, but after an hour or so, that too will run out of juice leaving all of us without internet access.

According to a message Louise got from Eskom, supposedly all will be restored sometime this morning, which could be in the next two hours as I write offline waiting for it to return. If that’s the case, we’ll have been without power or Wifi for 12 or 14 hours. In the realm of things, that’s not too long. But, in the middle of the night when the heat and humidity are high and sleep is elusive, it seems like an eternity.

Right now, at 10:30 am, it’s hot and humid on the veranda. I can feel my clothes sticking to me. I stay more covered than most to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. I usually wear Capri-length jeans, heavy-duty white socks, and a closely fitted tee-shirt, all of which prevents me from any bites other than on the exposed skin on my arms, face, and neck. I use Tabard DEET repellent around the clock on any exposed skin.

Playful zebras on the side of the road.

Last night, with no air-con due to the power outage, a few mosquitoes were buzzing around me all night. I was bitten no less than 10 times when I was unwilling to cover myself with a sheet due to the heat. I usually wear one of Tom’s tee shirts to bed since I don’t have any summer-type pajamas.

I ordered a few such items that will arrive in the package we’ll have sent to us on Monday. I know. We promised ourselves we wouldn’t order stuff from the US and have it shipped to us, but we had a few replacement credit cards (due to fraud) at our mailing service and decided we may as well order whatever else we needed. My Fitbit band broke a few days ago and I’ve since ordered a new Fitbit with even more features.

A zebra crossing the road.

This morning at 8:00, Tom headed to the little market in Marloth Park to purchase four bags of ice for our perishables until the power returned. Wouldn’t you know, we grocery shopped yesterday and the refrigerator was stocked full of items? I don’t know yet if anything was spoiled, but will be extra careful when restocking the refrigerator from the cool box where we placed the food and two bags of ice. We placed two more bags of ice in a metal bowl in the refrigerator, which cooled it down considerably while we waited.

Ironically, as I write here now, the power has been restored and moments later, so has the WiFi. Whew! What a relief. Tom turned on the fan on the veranda and aimed it directly at me. The breeze helps substantially. While Vusi was busy washing floors, we made our way to the bedroom with the air-con on, hoping to cool off for a bit. Another much-appreciated relief!!

We don’t have many zebras visit us. Seeing them when out and about is a treat.

Before Vusi arrived, I’d decided to make a pan of our favorite egg casserole with cheese and bacon and get it into the oven to bake before it gets even hotter during the day. It’s odd, but electric ovens here cook more slowly than in some other countries. We always have to plan ahead when baking anything in the oven.

Tonight, Tom will have pork chops on the braai while I have two small chicken breasts. Tom will have his chops with white rice and we’ll both have some of the delicious egg casserole as a side dish. Neither of us cared for any breakfast this morning after the fitful night so a nice Friday night dinner on the veranda will be enjoyed. Later, this afternoon it will cool down and we’ll be fine sitting outdoors, watching our wildlife friends stop by for a visit.

A male impala posed for a photo. Such handsome animals.

Sorry for the mundane post. I’m too hot and tired to be creative today. But, thanks for stopping by anyway!

Have a peaceful day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 19, 2020:

View of the city from the palace in Udaipur. For more photos, please click here.

Outstanding drive in the park…Excellent new photos…

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I could not take the photo of this elephant from the car, and thus, I got out, walked down a narrow, uneven path, and made my way to the fence.

We’ve yet to go into Kruger National Park. We’ve been busy with documents, bookings, and planning for our upcoming Kenya trip, leaving Marloth Park in 22 days. Our Kenya visa application has been kicked back to us a few times when they didn’t like that our passports weren’t flat enough when we took the photos. It’s not easy to get a passport to lie completely flat. We had to redo that portion of the visa application twice already.

Hopefully, now that we haven’t heard from IVisa in a few days, everything must be in process. If all goes well, we should have the visas in our inbox within a week.

A herd of impalas sheltering in the shade with a few babies seated in the front.

Then, I was dealing with the awful side effects of the antibiotics I took needlessly when I didn’t have an abscessed tooth or any teeth problems after all. Then, the itching from the dust mites got so bad. I could barely sit in the car for hours, focusing on anything but the itching. It’s fantastic we had guests during those periods and even ventured out to dinner.

On top of it all, we had several occasions when our site wasn’t up, and there was no way I’d feel comfortable going out for a full day until the issues were resolved. Collectively, there was little opportunity for a day to Kruger. Now, with the Maasai Mara upcoming in three weeks, we’ve decided we’ll wait until we return.

An impala family stood in the road, most likely parent(s) and auntie (s) protecting the baby.

Hopefully, if all goes well in getting our new 90 day-visa stamps, we’ll apply for our Wild Card entrance pass to Kruger National Park, good for one year. It pays for itself in three or four visits, so buying it is worthwhile even if we aren’t here for an entire year.

With fewer animals coming to the garden this past week, most likely due to the heat, yesterday afternoon, we decided to drive through Marloth Park to see if we’d find any new and exciting wildlife. We weren’t disappointed. We took enough excellent photos to last for days, hoping more visitors would stop by in the interim. It’s almost 10:30 am, and we’ve yet to see anyone, except for a young male kudu who just showed up as I wrote this.

We’ve yet to have a Big Daddy (two in this case) visit our garden due to the dense bush, making it difficult for them to maneuver with their long curly horns.

Last night, while I was putting away my laptop for the night, after watching a few shows, I turned on the garden light to see Ms. Bossy standing there looking at the door, wondering where we were and if we had some pellets. Tom had set the alarm for the night, so I gently shooed her away with the wave of my arm to let her know standing there all night would do no good. Surely, she’ll be back sometime today or this evening.

Last night, as we lounged on the veranda while cooking a roast beef on the braai for dinner, Tiny wandered into the garden at exactly 4:34 pm (1634 hours) and stayed with us for over an hour. He ate a few leftover bones we’d saved for him and a few tosses of pellets, after which he lay down to stare at me while I talked to him. He shows up about the same time each evening and, on occasion, in the morning. (Now we have four kudus visiting. I spoke too soon).

Another Big Daddy is seen from inside the car through Tom’s window.

After dinner, I called my eldest son Richard to wish him a happy birthday. He was a St. Patrick’s Day baby and now is a mature, successful businessman with a fulfilling life. He’s one of the top real estate agents in Nevada, and if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Las Vegas, Nevada, or surrounding areas, you won’t be disappointed if you contact him. Yes, I know, that’s a biased mom talking, but check out the reviews he gets at Zillow at this link. It was great talking to him, as it always is when speaking to our family members.

While I waited at the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park, he was facing away from me. I’d hoped we’d do better than a rear-end shot when finally, he turned around.

However, many family members prefer to “chat” via email, text, Facebook, and other social media. That’s the way of the world these days. But, we are grateful to be traveling at this time in history, when communication is accessible via the internet, and it’s easy to stay in touch. Talking on the phone seems to be a luxury these days, which many will understand.

Finally, we got a full photo of this handsome elephant.

We are off to Komatipoort to grocery shop during the heat of the day. It’s pleasant to ride in the air-conditioned car during the 20-minute drive. The crowds while shopping prompt us to take extreme care while in the market when many don’t correctly wear their masks.

We hope you have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 18, 2020:

On the last night on the Maharajas Express, we were all assisted in dressing in traditional Indian attire. For more photos, please click here.

Back to our house…Dust mites may be gone, gone, gone…

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The new stone birdbath in our garden as of this morning.

Several of our friends have reported they cannot find any available supplies of dust mite spray or treatment. The entire country has been bombarded with dust mites, and my current situation is not unique. The heavy rains and humidity over the past few months most certainly contributed to the proliferation of these invisible pests, causing havoc for those with allergies and sensitivity to their presence.

Not only did Louise and Danie use the “bombs” to fumigate the house, but Vusi and Zef aired out the house to reduce the smell, which was mostly gone by the time we returned yesterday around noon. While airing the house with all the doors and windows open, they did a deep spring cleaning. There wasn’t a speck of dust or insects to be found anywhere.

Last night, I slept better when I wasn’t itching as much all night as I had on other nights. I still have the old itchy spots all over my body, but in time, they will heal, and I should be able to sleep through the night. The itching has been going on for the past two months. It will be a welcome relief to be free of it.

Giraffe, we started on the way to the little market in Marloth Park.

This morning, Zef and Vusu delivered a heavy stone birdbath fixture, as shown in the primary photo, that Danie offered to us after he said it would look more appropriate in Greece than in the African bush. We agreed with him but jumped at the chance to have this garden adornment in our garden, perhaps encouraging birds to stop for a drink, and thus, we can take photos of our feathered friends.

They placed the statue, or birdbath, within reach of the garden hose, enabling us to add fresh water daily. No doubt, the animals that can reach the water will regularly stop for a drink as well. The lower section would be adequate for the warthogs to drink, but Tom insisted we put water in the lower area.

Warthogs, bless their hearts, are like “bulls-in-a-China-shop. (Hmm, that’s the second time I’ve used that expression regarding warthogs in the past week). There is no doubt they’d knock the thing over if they started drinking out of it, regardless of how heavy it is. There are plenty of water holes and cement ponds in Marloth Park, where the warthogs drink and roll in the mud.

A rare visit from a shy duiker, the smallest of the antelopes in Marloth Park.

I thought about a birdbath when we’d seen Frank and the Misses sipping water from the condensation drip hose on the outside of the house from the air conditioner in our bedroom over the past several days. In the morning, after the air-con was on all night, a decent amount of water drips from that hose, and Frank and his Family enjoy drinking from it. It makes us laugh out loud.

Francolins are territorial and seldom leave their chosen location, even to find water. Francolins don’t fly much (they can fly), preferring to walk fast, run, run, run. Having this birdbath may inspire them to fly up for a drink. Oh, how easily we are entertained! It will be fun to watch what happens.

Tiny visits every afternoon between 4:00 PM (1600 hours) and 5:00 PM (1700 hours), never missing a day.

I’m sure many of our readers have birdbaths in their gardens and don’t give it much of a thought other than occasionally observing birds partaking in the water. Ah, the simple things become profound and fascinating while living in the bush, such a glorious place filled with wonders.

Tonight, we’ll cook a well-seasoned beef roast on the braai and once again enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.  Today, the high will be 92F, 33C with the usual high humidity. Although this temperature doesn’t sound that high, sitting outdoors on the veranda certainly leaves us hot and sweaty. But, over time, we’ve become more used to it, especially when there is a slight breeze.

Tiny often lays down while I talk to him and listens attentively, his ears flipping back and forth in the process.

May your day be sunny and bright!

Photo from one year ago today, March 17, 2020:

The leading cremation site on the Ganges River, seen while on an old wood rowboat on the river during the early morning ceremonies. For more photos, please click here.