Oh, oh, not again!…

Yesterday afternoon, at around 3:00 pm, we were comfortably seated at the table on the veranda when I heard the inverter running. Since our holiday home has an inverter system designed to take over when Eskom power goes out, I didn’t think much of it at first. However, when Tom checked the digital readout, it appeared that we were running entirely on our charged batteries, meaning Eskom power was off.

As the afternoon went on, we watched the battery level drop much faster than usual. By the time we left for Quiz Night, it had already fallen to 88%. By the time we returned at the end of the evening, it was down to 39%. That wasn’t good news, especially with the scorching temperatures we’ve been experiencing.

To make matters worse, Colleen and Paulette’s air conditioner wouldn’t turn on. Ours was still working, but we didn’t dare use it, knowing how quickly the batteries were draining. It was hot, hot, hot! Instead, we turned on the bedroom fan, hoping it would keep us comfortable enough to get through the night. Colleen and Paulette did the same.

Unfortunately, that plan didn’t work out. At 1:15 am, I suddenly heard the bedroom fan shut off. I immediately knew what had happened. The batteries had finally drained, leaving us without electricity altogether. Needless to say, I never managed to fall back asleep. Between the heat and the uncertainty, it was a long, uncomfortable night. Today, I am definitely dragging!

Louise messaged us to say an electrician would arrive at 8:00 am to investigate. Sure enough, David, the electrician, arrived at 8:12. After spending considerable time investigating the situation with Danie at his side, he determined that the problem was caused by a fault in an underground Eskom cable.

Unfortunately, finding the exact location of the fault won’t be simple. They will have to dig up the underground cable to locate the damaged section and determine what repairs are necessary. This could take several days, depending on what they discover.

Louise and Danie knew immediately that we would need to relocate, particularly with this awful heat and no reliable electricity. Fortunately, they had another solution for us. As I sit here writing today’s post, we are once again settled into our favorite Marloth Park holiday home, this time with Colleen and Paulette joining us!

Like us, they absolutely love this house, so we are all looking forward to enjoying every moment in this beautiful seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom luxury home in the bush. Although we certainly didn’t plan on moving again during their visit, we couldn’t have asked for a nicer place to land while the repairs are underway.

Gathering everything we might need for the next four or five days was quite an ordeal. We had to consider clothing, toiletries, computers, chargers, and all the other little things we use every day. Louise was a tremendous help in moving much of our perishable food and some of the frozen items.

Fortunately, the food remaining in the chest freezer should stay frozen for several days. If the repairs take longer than anticipated, we’ll have to make another trip to collect the frozen food and bring it here. For now, we’ll play it by ear and see how things develop.

We decided to dine out tonight, Wednesday, and also Thursday, and on our usual Friday and Saturday evenings at Jabula. If we’re still staying here on Sunday, we’ll return to the other house and collect enough meat to get us through a few more days. At least we have a plan, even if it isn’t quite the one we originally envisioned!

Despite the power situation, Quiz Night last night was great fun. Colleen and Paulette enjoyed experiencing our usual Tuesday evening outing, and they plan to join us again next Tuesday before they leave for Cape Town on November 14 to spend a few days there.

Tonight, we’re looking forward to another enjoyable evening out. We’ll be heading to the Thai restaurant along the Crocodile River, where we can share another interesting and tasty dinner in the bush.

Life certainly has a way of throwing unexpected challenges our way, doesn’t it? Just when we think everything is settled, something else comes along to change our plans. Fortunately, we have wonderful friends looking out for us and another lovely home where we can comfortably stay.

We’ll make the best of the situation, enjoy our remaining time with Colleen and Paulette, and hope the underground cable repairs go as hoped.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more!

Be well.

 

 

Photo from ten years ago today, November 4, 2016:

Due to a WiFi issue, I am unable to post a photo here today.