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Today’s photos are from the post on this date in 2018. Please click here for the link.
We were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelmingly positive responses we received from many of our readers yesterday based on my rant about losing our freedom of speech, particularly during this time of COVID-19. If you missed the post, please click here. Thank you, dear readers, for the feedback!
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| Happy caterpillar dancing across the floor! Later on, I learned these caterpillars cause a nasty itch that lasts for days when coming in contact with their venom. Later I realized these are Processionary Caterpillars who form a train and crawl up walls, verandas and form a train across the garden. Not so cute, after all. |
Fortunately, we didn’t receive a single message from any “haters” which I honestly don’t believe we have who read our site. It’s not necessarily a site that would appeal to haters since we keep controversial topics primarily to ourselves and among our like-minded family and friends.
Haters are not necessarily searching for travel-related sites on which to espouse their toxic opinions. Most travel sites are happy places, sharing the joyful nuances of travel and its many benefits and pleasures.
Now, in this time of COVID-19, while stuck in lockdown with most of the world, I can’t imagine haters will come our way. What’s to hate about these two senior citizens without a home, traveling the world on their own dime, without too much drama other than occasional travel challenges.
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| We shot this photo of the Crocodile River while standing at the brick overlook. |
Speaking of travel challenges, yesterday presented a few (unrelated to our post) stresses we’ve yet to discuss in detail here. One was the fact that our newer travel health insurance policy through United Healthcare Global’s Safe Trip, was expiring on April 28th according to notes I’d made on our online Cozi calendar.
Could United Healthcare, a vast US insurance company, be going out of business? Finally, I called the phone number on our insurance card for medical emergencies when the rep gave me a working number.
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| On that day, we didn’t see any wildlife along the Crocodile River but, the scenery was always stunning. |
Moments later, I was speaking with a competent-sounding representative who explained, after looking up our policy, that our current policy was good until July 28, 2020.
We both had forgotten that at the beginning of the explosion of the virus when we hoped to return to South Africa, we’d read online they now require proof of insurance. Thus, we ordered the extension to July while we were still touring India. We would have done so anyway, but in this case, we called it to extend beyond April to be safe.
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| Male ostriches typically have black feathers, while females and youngsters are a greyish brown color. |
Once we recalled this, we remembered the day we ordered the new policy and moments later the rep sent me the updated documents. He also explained, based on my inquiry, that even during this pandemic, we will still be able to renew in July for an additional 90 days. Whew.
By the time I was done on the phone, we had headed to dinner, both of us feeling relieved. The next thing on our mind was getting our refund from Viking Cruise Line for almost INR 1,526,360, US $20,000, for their cancellation of the 29-night cruise that was scheduled to embark out of Mumbai on April 3rd.
We’d been notified of the cancellation on March 12th and had begun to worry the smaller cruise line might go bankrupt with all the cancellations and subsequent refunds. Since that day, I checked our credit card balance to see if a refund had been posted.
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| When we saw these baboons, we immediately shut the doors to the house. Once baboons enter, they can tear a house apart. |
Last night, after watching two episodes of a British TV series on Acorn TV, I decided to check one more time before settling in for the night. Alas, the credits appeared. We couldn’t have been more thrilled and relieved (other than the day we can finally leave lockdown in Mumbai).
I slept like a log, as they say. My Fitbit displayed that I’d slept for 8 hours, 9 minutes, only awakening a few times for short periods. I am a new person today.
With renewed enthusiasm and energy based on these two positive outcomes, it feels a little easier today as we tackle yet another day in a small room in a hotel in Mumbai. We’ll all get through this, each in our way of coping with a variety of stressors and complications.
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| What a shame, broken pottery next door, all caused bt the baboons. I suppose this lighter-weight pottery makes no sense in the bush. |
URGENT: We do not profess to be medical experts by any means. However, the attached link of a scientific study on COVID-19 found that high doses and exposure (sunlight) of Vitamin D3 may be influential in reducing the severity of the worst cases of the virus. Right now, with so many of us indoors and not exposed to direct sunlight with bare skin, we may be particularly low in this essential nutrient.
Please see this link and decide from there if it’s appropriate for you. Patients with low Vitamin D3 levels are more susceptible to severe cases of the virus. I just ordered six bottles of 10,000 IU gel caps at this link. Please check with your medical professional if this is appropriate for you.
(We are not affiliated with this company in any manner other than for personal purchases).
Stay safe. Continue following guidelines…
Photo from one year ago today, April 25, 2019:
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| Rhino was hanging out with warthogs. For more photos, please click here. |