Last night’s unusual photo from the trail cam…Finally, family coming to visit!!!…

You may recall that our friends Di and Peter recently spent almost a month with us here in Marloth Park, and we thoroughly enjoyed having visitors share our little piece of paradise in the bush. Now, we have another exciting visit to look forward to, and this one is especially meaningful because family is coming to see us.

Tom’s sister, Colleen, who is two years older than him, and his niece, Paulette (not Colleen’s daughter), who is 12 years younger than Tom, will arrive in Marloth Park on October 30 and stay with us until November 17. We are both really looking forward to their visit and to showing them what life is like here in the bush.

Colleen and Paulette will stay upstairs in our holiday home, giving them their own space while they are here. Having visitors stay with us works particularly well in this house because the upstairs area provides some privacy while still allowing everyone to spend plenty of time together. Of course, we expect to spend most of our time on the veranda, watching for wildlife, visiting, talking, laughing, and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

We already have several plans in mind for their visit. They’ll join us for our regular weekend evenings at Jabula, which has become one of our favorite places to socialize and enjoy a good dinner. For us, Jabula is about more than just the food. It is where we often meet friends, catch up on what’s happening in the park, and enjoy a few hours of conversation and laughter. Having Colleen and Paulette with us will make those evenings even more special.

They will also experience our Tuesday night Quiz Night, where we will once again put our collective knowledge to the test. After some of our recent performances, I am not sure how much confidence we should have in our trivia abilities! Still, Quiz Night is always fun, regardless of how well we do. It will be interesting to see how Colleen and Paulette do when faced with some of the obscure questions that seem to leave all of us staring blankly at one another.

In addition to our usual outings, we will most likely dine out a few more evenings each week to introduce them to other restaurants we enjoy in the area. We have several possibilities in mind, including Amazing Kruger View, Ingwenya, and Phai Tong Thai Garden. We also want to take them to Shawu’s Boma in Komatipoort, another restaurant we enjoy visiting during daylight hours.

One thing we have learned after all these years of traveling is that sharing experiences with people we care about can make them even more enjoyable. We have been fortunate to see some remarkable places around the world, but we especially enjoy introducing friends and family to places that have become meaningful to us.

That is certainly the case with Marloth Park. This isn’t simply another destination for us. We have spent so much time here over the years that it feels familiar, almost like returning to another home. We know many of the roads, restaurants, shops, and people, and we have grown accustomed to the wonderful unpredictability of life surrounded by wildlife.

Naturally, we also want Colleen and Paulette to experience one of our favorite activities, the guided night game drive in Kruger National Park. We did this with Di and Peter during their visit, and it was such a delightful experience that we are eager to do it again.

The night drive is completely different from spending time in Kruger during daylight hours. There is something exciting about heading into the park after dark, when animals rarely seen during the day become active. The darkness, the sounds and the anticipation of not knowing what might appear along the road all add to the experience.

The evening also includes dinner in the bush, which makes the entire outing even more memorable. Sitting out in the African bush at night, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, is one of those experiences that is difficult to duplicate anywhere else.

We have plenty of time before their arrival, but we are already thinking about everything we want them to see and experience. Their visit will be a wonderful combination of family time, good food, wildlife, sightseeing, laughter and plenty of time simply enjoying one another’s company.

After nearly 14 years of traveling, we have learned that some of our most treasured memories aren’t necessarily the places we visit. They are the experiences we share with people we love.

We can’t wait to make some new memories with Colleen and Paulette here in the bush when they arrive in four weeks. We’ll sit at the big table on the veranda, enjoying adult beverages, playing cards, and good homemade meals. While they are here, we’ll be finishing our dental work, but in any case, we won’t be gone for more than part of a day.

Tonight, we’re off to Jabula for our usual Friday night, for more fun, great food, and socializing.

Be well.