Outstanding drive in the park…Excellent new photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on March 18, 2021 with 0 Comment

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.

Today, is our 9 year anniversary of posting…Will we make it to the 10-year milestone?

Posted by worldwide-admin on March 15, 2021 with 0 Comment

This is where we’ll sleep tonight. We won’t even have to change the bedding when Zef and Vusi take care of everything tomorrow. We appreciate them too, as we do Louise and Danie, for always making everything perfect for us.

Today is the ninth anniversary of our first post being uploaded, which may be found at this link. It’s a little hard for us to wrap our brains around how much time has passed since we began posting. At that time, we infrequently wrote, only as often as three times a week at most. But, a year later, as reader interest grew, we began posting daily and have continued doing so as long as we had access to the internet.

Speaking of the internet, we have no WiFi at the moment. Load shedding is happening, and often WiFi goes out simultaneously.

Will we make it to the ten-year mark? We’re hoping so. Of course, it’s always predicated by our health a year from now. All we can do is continue to make every effort to stay as healthy as possible for as long as we can.

The view toward the braai from where we are seated now.

This morning we’ve moved into Louise and Danie‘s beautiful home while they are fumigating our house and living in one of their gorgeous rental properties with some of their visiting family members. It’s almost as if this is a mini one-day holiday for us, with different surroundings and the finest of amenities one would only find in such a luxury property. We are quite content, although we do enjoy our little house on Luiperd Street. (Translates to Leopard).

As we were packing to leave this morning, Little stopped by, sitting in his favorite spot next to my chair off the edge of the veranda, waiting for me to come outside to see him. Tom gave him some pellets while he waited while I was showering.

Last night, we cooked extra mozzarella stuffed, bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, enough for us for tonight’s dinner. All we’ll need to do is reheat the chicken and Tom’s white rice in their microwave. We didn’t want to make a big mess in Louise’s kitchen and decided leftovers would be fine.

Tonight we’ll sit at this lovely bar and enjoy sundowners in Louise and Danie’s home.

Over the weekend, Louise and Danie visited Daisy’s Den to purchase some mite control spray. They discovered I’m not the only one who’s been suffering from dust mite allergies. Many residents of Marloth Park have been trying to figure out ways to eliminate these pesky, impossible-to-see insects. Even Louise’s arms were covered in itchy spots like mine.

In a way, it is comforting to know that I’m not the only one suffering from dust mite allergies. Of course, dust mites will no longer be a problem once the winter comes in a few months and temperatures cool. They increase in hot, humid climates. Today is a little cooler than yesterday at only 87F, 31C, with an expected high of 90F, 32C. Tomorrow will be hotter and more humid once again and continue throughout the remainder of the week.

Yesterday, Tom got to work on finding a good deal for a rental car for our next three months beginning the day we return to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger Airport on April 14th. Since we don’t have a car of our own, with coverage for rental cars, we’ve been renting cars, one month at a time, when our credit cards offer complimentary insurance, good for only 30 days. Thus, when we’ve rented for three months, we have to make three separate contracts.

Tom is situated at the end of this big table on the veranda.

This time, based on higher rates in South Africa during Easter, we had difficulty finding fair pricing, month by month. By an odd bit of luck, he found a car through Thrifty at the airport for three months, including full insurance coverage for the entire period for US $1207, ZAR 17958, making our monthly rate US $402, ZAR 5981, as good a price as we could as for with the insurance is included. We usually select the smaller, less expensive cars, which work well for us.

Now that we have all the bookings we need for the next three-month period in South Africa, we have peace of mind and can rest easy except for our need for the Covid-19 vaccine. It appears that non-citizens of South Africa will not qualify for the vaccine. We’ll have to consider what our other options may be. We’ll need a new Covid-19 test before we leave for Kenya in 24 days, which we can get at the lab in Komatipoort a few days before we depart.

At the moment, the power and WiFi have resumed. It’s almost 1:00 pm, and as soon as we finish here, we’ll have the remainder of the day ahead of us to relax and do as we please, free of any pertinent paperwork or research for bookings. This is a first for a while. We’ll certainly take advantage of it.

Have a pleasant, peaceful day.

Photo from one year ago today, March 15, 2020:

This is the grass left from harvesting rice. Note the horns on these buffalos. Indian ricegrass is highly palatable to livestock and wildlife. It is a preferred feed for cattle, horses, and elk in all seasons. In spring, it is considered a preferred feed for sheep, deer, and antelope and a desirable feed for sheep, deer, and antelope in late fall and winter. For more photos, please click here.

Day #141 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…Le Louvre, a memorable visit…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 11, 2020 with 0 Comment

Note: To all of our rea

Purse free, with empty pockets, it felt great not to be bulked up when Tom carried our cloth bag with the few items we needed. I was standing behind the entrance gate to the Louvre.

For readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word, “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

Today’s photos are from the post from August 11, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.

On our way to Le Louvre, we drove through the tunnel where Princess Diana was killed on August 31, 1997.

We have yet to hear anything from FedEx about receiving the envelope they are holding in New Delhi containing our credit card when recently the card was used fraudulently and had to be replaced.

The entrance to the Louvre with the Grand Roue de Paris Ferris wheel in the background.

After sending FEDEX India an email, we wait to see what will transpire. There’s nothing more we can do. The cost to be on hold for an extended period on our phone or the hotel room phone is prohibitive. Also, when we did so, we were cut off after 20 minutes and told to try again later or use the website for assistance.

We were grateful for our “avoid the lines” tickets where we were able to enter in a matter of minutes as opposed to waiting in line for what could have been hours.

We did exactly that and now await a response which may or may not arrive for days to come, if not weeks. Businesses in India have slowed to a snail’s pace due to the extensive COVID-19 lockdown and lack of support staff actually working.

There were many ways one can make their way through the enormous museum.

As far as international flights are concerned, the only outgoing flights at this time are for repatriation purposes or to a few countries such as the UK, where we aren’t interested in visiting at this point.

The vast size of Le Louvre is difficult to fathom.

From this article posted yesterday:
“International travel from India
The international flight operations have not resumed yet. The Bureau of Immigration has announced that all existing visas shall remain suspended till the prohibition on international travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India. As of now, international flight operations shall remain suspended till 31 August 2020.”

It took a few moments for Tom to figure out where we were to enter to avoid the line. In minutes we were on our way and indeed had no wait at all.

We continue to wait, as patiently as possible for more news, which we check daily from several sources, including local TV news. In the interim, we can’t go anywhere until we receive the two packages from FedEx. We’re expecting the packages to arrive long before we’re able to leave here.

We entered the Louis XIV and Louis XVI areas. The crowds were just beginning to accumulate.

On another note, today’s photos are from our visit on this date in 2014 to Le Louvre in Paris, the world’s most famous museum. It was extraordinary to see the artworks of many historical and modern artists throughout the centuries that have drawn visitors from all over the world.

We chose to stop and enjoy the paintings that appealed to us.

The painting of high acclaim, the Mona Lisa, was the most surprising when it was very small compared to our previous perception. Of course, it was the most difficult of all the works of art to photograph with literally hundreds of visitors crowding in front of the famous piece.

The Mona Lisa was encased in thick glass with lots of heads and cameras in the way of taking photos. It was challenging if not impossible to manage a good photo through the glass nor through the crowd. We chose not to wait for a better opening.

Thank goodness, I’m tall or I’d never have been able to take the photos we share here today. They are blurry due to the distance from which I took the photos plus I had to “wing it,” unable to focus, when I simply held the camera high over the heads of the people in front of me and clicked the shutter.

Taken from an angle, this was the best I could do. Tom was steering me from behind to move me forward into the crowd but I quickly tired of that tactic and cleared the crowd in order to move along.

Many others were easier to shoot but the entire experience was hampered by the excessive numbers of tourists clamoring about, all of us striving for a few good photos of the most recognizable pieces.

The ceilings continued to be breathtaking throughout the museum.

We didn’t stay as long as I would have liked, but the crowded space made staying for an extended period stressful and inconvenient. It was difficult to navigate from one room to another.

We wondered if there will be art from our era that will hold such interest to the public in centuries to come.

In any case, amid all the congestion, it was a memorable experience, one shouldn’t miss when visiting Paris. Please bear with my less than clear photos when focusing the lens was often impossible with tourists bumping into me while I attempted to steady myself.

The femininity of the era by Leonard de Vinci.

Finally, we grabbed a taxi to return us to our hotel where we dressed for the evening to head out to yet another dinner in Paris. We’ll be back tomorrow with more photos from Le Louvre.

Not only are the artifacts amazing but, the rooms into which they are housed are equally amazing.

There are a few dozen more photos at our old post here. More photos will follow tomorrow. Enjoy your day! Stay safe!

________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, August 11, 2019:

In Amsterdam, during our to-night stay…A menu of marijuana and other such products are available for sale to any adults who so desire to partake. We happened to walk down an alley to run into people smoking pot outside at the cafe. From this site: “Cannabis has been available for recreational use in coffee shops since 1976. Cannabis products are only sold openly in certain local “coffeeshops” and possession of up to 5 grams for personal use is decriminalized, however, the police may still confiscate it, which often happens in car checks near the border.[citation needed] Other types of sales and transportation are not permitted, although the general approach toward cannabis was lenient even before official decriminalization.” For more, please click here.

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×

Day #126 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Our new website…Streaming issues…Our worst nightmare…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 27, 2020 with 0 Comment

A Great White Heron was standing in the water at Sunset Dam in Kruger National Park.

Today’s photos are from July 27, 2018, while in Marloth Park, South Africa. See the link here for more photos.

The process of re-doing our website and moving over almost 3000 historical posts from the archives is taking longer than we’d expected. But, we aren’t concerned when the developer stays in close touch with us, sending the links as it progresses day by day. We’ve been happy with their service, a company, coincidentally here in India.

This was our friend Tusker. He is the sweetest guy who comes to visit several times each day, particularly after 1600 hours (4:00 pm). He was so comfortable he often stayed for a short nap.

As many of us are aware, India, in general, has some of the most skilled tech people in the world, and we were thrilled to use the services of a well-known company with rave reviews. We’ll post more information on this company once we go “live” with our new site sometime in the next 45 days.

I’d anticipated this process would be stressful, but our skilled and calm developer has made it as painless as possible for me, quickly responding to changes and inquiries.

We never tired of seeing these wondrous animals, both in Kruger and in Marloth Parks.

We’ll give you, our readers, a heads-up when we know it will go live. The link will be the same, and thus, there will be nothing for you to do but to continue reading and commenting as you have over the past eight-plus years.

On another note, we’ve been grateful for the excellent WiFi connection we’ve had during the past 126 days in this hotel. But, as more and more businesses re-open in India, although cases of COVID-19 continue to rise rapidly, we’ve noticed a slowing of the connection from time to time.

Zebras were crossing the road in Kruger.

Don’t get me wrong. We appreciate being in this beautiful hotel with great food and service, especially with the conscientious efforts to protect all of us from the virus, requiring their staff to live on the premises, unable to leave for months at a time until they are given a two-week break.

(When a staff member returns from their time off, we are only served by those that have been in residence for at least two full weeks, continuing to ensure our safety).

A bloat of hippos at Sunset Dam in Kruger.

Our worst nightmares here would be (beyond exposure to COVID-19 or other health issues) that WiFi service would go down in Mumbai or the hotel. At that point, we’d lose our ability to continue to post, and equally important is our ability to stream shows from the internet to our HDMI cable to the flat-screen TV.

Last night, we had a taste of what that would be like when, for some odd reason, we were unable to stream on Netflix for the first time since we arrived on March 24, 2020.

OK, folks, here’s a new one for you…This is a “bask” of crocodiles!

We were watching season four of the beautiful historical series Reign when the signal dropped repeatedly. I started and re-started my laptop to no avail. For two hours, we continued to attempt to get the show to resume.

Finally, the later it got, the signal improved. We have to consider the reality that as more time passes, the hotel has more and more guests, mostly business travelers, since this hotel is primarily geared toward business travelers.

As winter continues, there’s less and less green vegetation for the wildlife in Kruger and Marloth Park.

Some domestic flights have resumed in India, although as we’ve mentioned, international travel remains at a standstill. The added domestic travelers have certainly impacted the quality of the WiFi in the evening hours when most will be online.

Hopefully, we won’t experience this issue in the future.

Stay safe and healthy!

Photo from one year ago today, July 27, 2019:

A six-year-old photo was posted last year when our photo inventory for Ireland was lacking. Busy preparations surrounded the church in Campanario as workers rushed to get the decorations in place for Saturday’s religious festivities. For the post one year ago, please click here.

Sure, we’re living in the moment, but reveling in the past for entertainment during the lockdown…

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 8, 2020 with 0 Comment

While on a walk in the neighborhood, while in Sumbersari, Bali, in 2016, we spotted this friendly neighbor (she spoke no English) making bowls as shown that are used for offerings at the Hindu temples.

It’s terrific for us, now more than ever, to review our past posts to easily be reminded of the fantastic experiences we’ve had in the past seven years, eight months.

Perhaps at some point in the distant future, we’ll look back at this period in lockdown, recalling how we managed to get through it, still laughing, while still having some good times amid the madness.

Each time we walked by her home, we’d find her working a few blocks from the villa.

As we review our old posts, we easily laugh over the peculiar situations, feel a new sense of awe over the incredible experiences and smile from ear to ear over the wildlife and scenery we’ve been blessed to see in the process.

If we had to stop traveling by no fault of our own, we’d still feel we’ve had an expansive view of the world during this extended period of travel. And yet, both of us long to continue to those wished-for experiences we’ve envisioned on the horizon.

This is a temple in the neighborhood where locals congregate for prayer and meditation.

We realize that some of the experiences we’ve imagined may be curtailed due to changes in travel due to Covid-19 and my ongoing cardiovascular situation. These facts will always be a consideration when we doubt if either situation will ever change in its entirety.

However, we feel confident to be able to adapt future travels to consider these scenarios. For now, our goals are simple… Get out of India to a place where we can cook our meals, live in a more spacious environment, be able to look out a window or door to pleasing scenery, and have the opportunity to be outdoors to enjoy our surroundings.

Low tide from the second story of the villa.

With all this walking I’ve been doing since the lockdown, the thought of being able to walk in the fresh air, breathing in the scents of nature, and seeing plants, trees, and hopefully, wildlife, is utterly exciting.

Of course, if we were in Marloth Park right now, with lions on the loose in the park, caution would be imperative when walking. But, the excitement of the possibility of spotting the female lion and her cubs along with a wandering male would make the sacrifice well worth it.

Abandoned old barns and buildings were tucked away behind vegetation.

The concept of visiting with friends in South Africa brings a massive smile to our faces. A glass of wine or cocktail, the great companionship of our friends, a tasty dinner cooked on the braai along the sights and sounds of the bush makes my heart flutter.

It’s not as if we didn’t appreciate it while we were there (or anywhere for that matter). We cherished every moment, every interaction with friends and nature, along with the innate magic of this remarkable place.

Most Hindu homes have an elaborate family temple on site.

There’s news floating around the internet that South Africa may open its borders as early as September instead of February 2021. This would be fantastic. Knowing this, if confirmed, would make the next three months easier to bear, especially once we also know Mumbai will open its borders to outgoing international flights.

All of this is still up in the air. For now, we’re holding our own, checking numerous sites with updates on borders opening in countries throughout the world along with the status on Covid-19 and which locations would be safe for us to visit down the road. Right now, we have plenty of that! Time will tell.

We enjoyed walks in the neighborhood, although early mornings were best before it became too hot.

Stay safe and hopeful!

Photo from one year ago today, June 8, 2019:

Rainbow view from our window in Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…Costs for streaming services…Part 2, tomorrow…Shows we’re watching…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 7, 2020 with 0 Comment

This video is from a wild night in the bush when we had unbelievable animals in the garden. Please click here for details.

Today’s photos are from April 2018. Please click here for more details.

The ostrich has the enormous eyes of any land animal. The giant squid has the massive eyes of a marine animal.

Yesterday in “Part 1, Costs for streaming services,” we posted our total costs for belonging to various streaming services, such as HBO, Acorn TV (BBC), and Netflix, including also Amazon Prime and Express VPN.

Suppose you are living in the US and other countries. In that case, you can use these streaming services without using a VNP (a virtual private network) that allows your device to appear online from the US, as opposed to the country you are currently in, described in more detail as below.

One of our favorite experiences in Marloth Park in the past 15 months is this mom and single chick looking for dad.

“A Virtual Private Network is a connection method that adds security and privacy to private and public networks. For instance, WiFi Hotspots and the Internet. Corporations use Virtual Private Networks to protect sensitive data. However, using a personal VPN is increasingly becoming more popular as more interactions that were previously face-to-face transition to the Internet. Increase privacy with a Virtual Private Network because the user’s initial IP address is replaced with one from the Virtual Private Network provider. Subscribers can obtain an IP address from any gateway city the VPN service provides. For instance, you may live in San Francisco, but with a Virtual Private Network, you can appear to live in Amsterdam, New York, or any number of gateway cities.”

Based on our situation in traveling the world, we must use a VPN, or we may receive a message when attempting to stream from these and other streaming services that states in one way or another: “This video is not available outside the US (or another country).

They began to hike down the road at the corner of Olifant (meaning elephant) and Volstruis (which means ostrich). Go figure. Ostriches are often found on this road.

We also use a VPN for an additional layer of security, especially when we live in certain countries. The drawback to using a VPN is that, on occasion, certain websites are impossible to access without logging off the VPN and then logging back on once done with that particular site. Also, using a VPN can slow down browsing at certain times, based on internet traffic.

Today’s post, as mentioned, centers around sharing a few of the TV shows we’ve been watching from the US, UK, Australia, and other countries at times, from HBO, Netflix, Acorn TV, and Prime Video. Of course, other streaming services, such as Hulu, Showtime, and countless others, are not being represented here at this time.

Mom stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted him a long distance down the road. Look closely to see him.

Suppose you are a binge-watcher, especially now during the lockdown. In that case, some streaming services offer a one-week or one-month free trial during which you could complete viewing an entire series and then cancel the service unless there are other shows you are interested in seeing.

They all picked up the pace as they got closer.

A credit card is required even for the trial periods, and if you cancel on time before you are billed when the trial period ends, you won’t ever be charged. If I know I’ll be canceling before my credit card is charged, I place a note on my online calendar to remind me to cancel before making the payment.

The chick was anxiously heading right for dad.

Most of these services make finding the place to cancel tricky, requiring you to click over many pages to find the “cancel my membership” button. If you fail to cancel, your credit card will be charged, and you’ll have a complicated process to get a refund.

After streaming for many years, we’ve become familiar with finding the “cancel” buttons. But, it’s not a bad idea to see where it is located before you sign up by using “Frequently asked questions.”

Look closely to see the chick next to him in this photo.

Below are a few TV series (not movies) we’ve found particularly entertaining, including other services; keeping in mind, all of us have different tastes, and you may not find these series interesting.

The following is not in any particular order. You can easily search online for detailed descriptions of all of these series. There are many older series that we could include here, but these are the most recently watched series.

Showtime
1. Billions
2. The Affair
3. Ray Donovan
4. HomelandHBO (re-joined a few days ago)
1. Game of Thrones
2. The New Pope/The Young Pope
3. Succession (we are watching this addictive series now)

Amazon Prime Originals (or included with Prime)
1. Upload
2. Bosch
3. Jack Ryan
4. Goliath
5. Tin Star
6. Luther
7. The Night Manager
8. Poldark
9. Vikings
10. Bloodline (additional charge)

Acorn TV (new to us)
1. Doc Martin
2. Deadwater Fell
3. Blood
4. Line of Duty

Netflix (new to us)
1. McMillions (documentary)
2. Peaky Blinders (use closed caption-accent can be challenging but worth watching)
3. Tiger King
4. Making a Murderer
Use this link for new shows on Netflix here.

As for today’s photos… We couldn’t stop smiling when we ran across these photos we’d posted one year ago today that were included in our “favorite photos” as we wound down our time in Marloth Park, leaving in May after 90 days following my heart surgery.

Please enjoy the photos once again, as we have today. We still ask ourselves the question regarding these photos: How did they know they would be walking toward one another at this date, at this time? This is one of many reasons we can’t wait to get back to Marloth Park, South Africa!!!

Escape from the mundane aspects of lockdown. Watch a few shows!

Photo from one year ago today, May 7, 2019:

I was looking through the fence at the Crocodile River from the Marloth Park side. For more details, please click here.

Hopeful for the future…Being an advocate for loved ones…

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 16, 2020 with 0 Comment

High tide in Sumbersari, Bali in 2016. See the link here.

No words can express how grateful we feel that our daughter-in-law Camille is now on the other side of her long and difficult battle with cancer. Her eight-hour surgery was a success, and although she’ll have challenges to face in recovery, for now, she’s out of the woods.

As the wonderful mother of my three grandchildren and a loving daughter-in-law to both of us, we feel a profound sense of relief that her healing process can begin now. As we all know, a good outcome of cancer surgery is no guarantee of future good health. But, then again, none of us have any warranties when it comes to our health.

Even in these trying times of COVID-19, the fittest, the healthiest, and the strongest of individuals are not exempt from the ravages of this dreadful virus. We continually hear stories of athletes and fitness enthusiasts still becoming infected.

The setting sun between the palm trees. For more photos from this post five years ago today, please click here.

Our DNA appears to have more of an impact on who becomes infected, along with the strength of our immune system. As research continues, we’ll know more about this in the future.

But now, the speculations as to what works and what doesn’t are flying all over the not-so-trustworthy news and internet. Who and what can we believe when repeatedly, each new treatment, each new concept, and each new protocol gets shot down by yet another “study” in some country or another, confusing the heck out of everyone, including medical professionals.

This has been the case with the medical field for decades by doling out advice and then decades later, deaths and illnesses are discovered from the wrong advice being given. I have no reason to believe most of which I read and hear until a vaccine or more effective treatment is developed and ultimately proven to be effective.

The scary part is, what do family members do when attempting to advocate for their loved ones in insisting on specific protocols to try when all else has failed?

The waning sun.

It’s imperative for each of us to take the responsibility to be aware of some available options in the horrifying event that a doctor tells us there is nothing more they can do for our loved ones. Can we insist on specific risky treatments that may or may not work? If we aren’t aware of other options, we won’t advocate for different treatment modalities.

Let’s face it, the exhausted, overworked, and stressed medical professionals could easily become ambivalent when they haven’t slept in 24 hours, haven’t seen their own families in weeks, and are all living in constant fear they too may become infected.

We must consider that medical errors account for 250,000 deaths a year in the US alone, the third leading cause of death. Can we idly sit by and not question the path chosen by medical staff, especially when its a life or death scenario such as this virus?

And then, it was gone.

Fourteen months ago, when I had open-heart surgery in a small town in South Africa, I hardly slept while in hospital, staying awake to ensure I was given proper medications and treatments to the best of my knowledge.

I questioned every drug I was given either by pill, IV or injection after I’d first asked for a list of everything I’d be given and the dosages.

If a drug wasn’t on the list, I needed to know why I needed it and the correct prescription for that drug. I could barely lift my arms since my chest had been split open, but my fingers flew across the keyboard on my phone, while continually researching every aspect of my treatment. I was in ICU for nine days.

The colors of the sea appear to change before our eyes.

As soon as I was moved to the regular ward and I determined the level of care had dropped exponentially, I insisted on getting out of the hospital to be at our holiday home in the bush where I knew I’d receive better care from Tom.

Why did both of my legs become infected? Could that have been prevented? Twelve months ago this very month, I had to return to the hospital for two more surgeries on each of my legs when the infections had become septic. Had I failed in protecting myself?

If you aren’t a likely candidate as an advocate for someone you love, it’s advisable to find someone who cares deeply for the patient and will gladly take on the role, keeping in mind that in this world, all of this must be done by phone, not in person, making it all the more difficult. If no one is available, if we can, we must choose to stay alert enough to ask questions about our treatment and doses constantly.

The pool created at high tide is considerably larger than it appears in this photo.

This doesn’t require a medical degree. It involves compassion, assertiveness, diplomacy, the ability to ask lots of questions and the ability to conduct research from highly reliable resources, of which there are many online. Time is of the essence in each of these cases. My sister Julie played this role in our daughter-in-law Camille’s treatment and did a fine job.

We all need to fight for ourselves, our loved ones, and the world. Sometimes it’s as simple as refusing to enter an elevator with others and risk infection and, if required, taking the stairs. Social distancing, washing hands, and wearing face masks are not enough.

Let’s all use our heads and our hearts to put an end to this pandemic and save lives, not only our own and that of our loved ones but also that of people, all over the world.

Photo from one year ago today, April 16, 2019:

A hornbill was watching Frank take a dirt bath. For more photos, please click here.

The kindness of friends with the best intentions.. Can we stop writing about it?

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 6, 2020 with 0 Comment

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, each day we’ll include one of our videos along with the link when we originally posted the video. Here’s the link to the post in which we had the above video with the whole story, from December 29, 2013 with another video and more photos regarding the female’s making the tree frog’s nest, and the mating process.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.
Please click here for those who may have missed the post with SW News Media’s article on our story.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post here, in the future, during the lockdown, we will include one of our past videos as the “main photo” each day with a link to the date the video was initially posted.

We’re adding videos from the furthest dates, eventually working toward the present day. We may not include every video, but instead, use those we’ve deemed may be of most interest to our worldwide audience.

It’s fun for us to add this feature during lockdown which once it’s over and we’re on the move again, we’ll return to posting one of our favorite photos of the day. As you can well imagine, we aren’t taking any photos right now. We’ve already posted hotel and staff photos leaving us no options from there since we cannot go outside.

On another note, many of our friends/readers have been sending us links and information regarding how the US State Department is assisting American citizens in getting out of India via chartered flights from Delhi, Goa, and Mumbai.Gosh, we appreciate everyone’s concern and also, we are well aware of the State Department’s efforts to repatriate US citizens who are in lockdown all over the world. We spend all day, every day, watching local and world news and reading copious amounts of news online. No new facts about the virus pass by us in our heightened state.

Beautiful orchid we spotted in our travels from this post.

This flower baffled me with nothing online similar, making it possible to identify. How unusual. Any ideas out there?

For us, the fact remains consistent. We have no intention of returning to the US to live while waiting out the virus. There are many other countries we’d head to once the international travel bans are lifted, none of which include the US and its territories.

In many weeks or months away, our goal is to head back to South Africa, a military intervention to prevent its citizens and residents from movement beyond lockdown. Some harsh punishments have been enacted, including imprisonment, impounding vehicles, and being shot at with rubber bullets.

The people of India are also being arrested and jailed for disobeying the lockdown. Of course, this type of punishment is harsh, but the president is determined to keep the virus cases at bay. Only time will tell if these stringent tactics are effective.

We feel safe here. We would not feel safe flying to the US to face the 336,830 cases (as of today) with almost 10,000 deaths. As of today, India has 4314 cases and 118 deaths. India is one-third the size of the US in square miles but has four times the population.

Also, in this scenario, locked down in a hotel, we don’t have to go out to shop or make any purchases. We needed a few toiletries, and yesterday. I placed an order with Amazon India for a May 4th delivery date. We have no doubt we’ll still be here in May.

Suppose the airport opens in Mumbai for international flights and South Africa is not accepting incoming international flights. In that case, we have several other countries in mind that we’d fly to while we wait it out, again, with many fewer cases per capita.

With the help of the internet, it’s easy to determine which countries continue to keep their borders closed. In the worst-case scenario, if none of the walls open, we’ll stay here in Mumbai until they do.

Everything is predicated on the fact that we continue to have a place to stay in Mumbai while waiting it out. We’re feeling this hotel won’t “put us on the street” if they close and will find an alternative for all of us remaining here.

It appears that five guests from the UK will be getting out on a UK government-chartered flight sometime in the next few weeks. We appreciate their desire to return to their homes.

But, with the national healthcare system on dangerous overload in the UK, along with the high number of cases, as eighth-highest in the world with 47,806 points and almost 5000 deaths, we’d undoubtedly stay put here rather than travel to the UK.

Plumeria, found in many tropical locations throughout the world. We took this photo in Hawaii.

For us, the bottom line… One, where are we the safest? And two, where are we the most mentally, physically, and financially most comfortable? For now, it’s Mumbai, India, staying at the Courtyard Mumbai International Airport for as long as we are allowed.

Each new day I ask myself, “Can I stop writing about COVID-19?” I wish I could. But, like all of you and the rest of the world, it’s hard to get it off our minds and in our lives.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 6, 2019:

Mongooses pose in cute positions in hopes their adorableness will inspire us to feed them. It always worked. For more photos, please click here.

COVID-19 stats…Watching the numbers can be good and bad…Nature photos from five years ago…

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 4, 2020 with 0 Comment

While in Kauai, Hawaii on this date, five years ago, we speculated, based on appearance, that there’s some sort of permanent pouch beneath this shedding skin of this Green Anole. We had difficulty finding details on the shedding process of these lizards. For more on this post from five years ago on this date, please click here.

Please click here for those who may have missed yesterday’s post with SW News Media’s article on our story.

We’re all functioning in our ways during these stressful times of this pandemic. Some prefer to be glued to their TVs and internet for updates, while others find they can maintain a lower stress level by avoiding news and stats.

Of course, news mediums can send any of us into a tailspin with doomsday scenarios which can play over and over in our minds, as they replay them over and over on TV, while we continually wonder when this will end and if we can ever return to life as we knew it. For us, as world travelers, we can imagine the possibility of our lifestyle changing forever if future international travel becomes dangerous and foolhardy amid the constant risk and fear of becoming ill with the virus or, in the worst-case scenario, other potential viruses.

We don’t dwell on that thought. Instead, we both believe that in time this awful virus will pass, and we’ll embrace a “new normal” of extra precautions, which may include those we’re embracing now: wearing face masks when out and about, frequent hand washing, and social distancing at public venues.

One possible change in the future may ultimately consist of avoiding cruises altogether for perhaps years to come. We’ve often cruised as a means of getting from one country to another.
The loss of this means of transportation would significantly impact our travels when the only alternative is to fly from country to country, which in itself is highly risky at this juncture and possibly well into the future.

Regardless of how frequently we check the news or online stats, we can’t shelter ourselves from the harsh facts. COVID-19 is escalated in most countries right now, particularly in our own USA.

It’s been impossible for me to avoid checking the stats each day using this site which appears to stay up-to-date for each country, state, and worldwide. Please click here for this site, Worldometer. There is no cost to use this site, nor do you have to enter any personal information.

This is a Brown Anole,

If avoidance is your preference, without direct contact with others than those in your household (which should be the case for everyone worldwide at this point), keeping the TV off and sticking to streaming shows and entertainment could be a reasonable means of keeping it off of your mind to some degree.

Many are suffering emotionally and rightfully so from fears regarding loss of income, possible loss of jobs, paying bills, and in many cases, simply putting food on the table, along with the constant fear of acquiring the virus.

Of course, for most, the most significant concerns are for those who have contracted the virus and facing death in its wake or, in passing the virus on to others with whom they’ve come in contact, including family members in their own homes.

Many free online resources are available for those experiencing extreme stress they feel they cannot manage independently. For the rest of us, reaching out to family and friends via chat programs, free online call apps, and face time resources may be beneficial. We are all in the same boat, one way or another, and staying in touch with those we love can be an instant stress reliever.

For me, knowing the numbers is essential. After all, I am an information junkie to the extreme. On the other hand, Tom kindly asked me to stop quoting figures to him a few days ago. He knows what’s going on from being online but prefers not to be reminded. I complied and now keep the numbers to myself.

Do the numbers make me worry more or less? Neither. From all the reading and listening I’ve done thus far, I’ve accepted the reality that this virus may continue for months to come and that the lockdown scenario may continue well into the summer months.

This morning at breakfast, Tom asked me again, “Are you bored?”

“Not yet,” I answered, but it’s still early days.

Discovering this is Green Anole, not a gecko, was quite a thrill. Perhaps, some of our readers may find us goofy for our enthusiasm when seeing such a creature. We find all animals and vegetation fascinating in one way or another.

We’ve only been living in self-isolation in hotels (3) since March 12th (minus two trips to the airport) and in government lockdown since March 25th in this hotel, Mumbai Courtyard by Marriott, when we checked in on March 24th.

Walking once an hour helps. Doing our posts helps. Texting with friends and family members helps. Streaming mindless drivel on my laptop allows while using an earpiece so Tom can listen to his shows simultaneously.

And above all, staying away from people, staying inside, washing hands, not sharing the lift, honoring lockdown rules, and staying optimistic all play a vital role in keeping us on track, especially in the event this could last for months to come.

There are few times in life we have the opportunity to be “heroes.” Now, at this time in history, we can all choose to be heroes by staying indoors and giving this dreadful virus a chance to dissipate.

Correction from a prior post: I misquoted the number of rooms in this hotel. It’s 334 rooms which as of today, 35 rooms are occupied with guests. More guests have arrived since we checked in. The hotel staff explained that these new guests came from other hotels closed where they’d also been in lockdown.

It’s problematic to the original group and us that new guests have been allowed to check-in, which has required us to be diligent until their two to three-week lockdown period passes. However, as more and more hotels close, we expect more guests to check in here, thus increasing the risks.

Stay safe, stay indoors. Wash your hands. Wear a mask when grocery shopping. (Preferably order food and prescriptions online, planning well in advance for supplies to replenish).

Photo from one year ago today, April 4, 2019:

Kudus is in the garden awaiting our return. Big Daddy is patiently waiting for his turn. For more photos, please click here.

No easy answers…

Posted by worldwide-admin on March 29, 2020 with 0 Comment

The main entrance to the Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport, the hotel which has welcomed us with open arms. We are very grateful.
Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.

As we waited in the hotel lobby for our room to be cleaned, we were informed that on April 1st, laundry service would again become available. This morning, I washed a pair of pants, a couple of pajamas, and underwear while in the shower.

There’s nowhere to hang the items to dry except inside the closet on hangers, where they take days to dry. The window ledge here is too narrow to lay out the wet clothing. I have placed a bath towel on the floor of the wood closet under the clothes to catch the drips since wringing them by hand doesn’t do nearly as good a job as a washer’s spin cycle.

Knowing laundry service will be available in a few days is a boost to our morale, as it will be when and if we discover food supplies for the restaurant can be replenished (not yet). My omelet was smaller than usual this morning, and I wondered if they were running low on eggs.

Tom is now eating whole-grain toast as opposed to white bread, his definite preference. We don’t complain or ask for anything we know may be running low. I suppose we prefer to avoid the staff from feeling frustrated over not fulfilling our expectations.

There are several seating areas in the hotel, but they are rarely occupied.

They are struggling too, away from their families and homes, while sleeping in the hotel, along with the rest of us. We’re all in this together, yet these kindly Indian people never complain or wipe the welcoming smile off their faces. We so appreciate them.

Over the past several days, we have received many email messages from our concerned readers suggesting we contact the US State Department to help get us out of India.

Coffee bar near the casual dining room.

I can’t express how much we appreciate every message we receive and try to reply to each message and comment. However, as we’ve mentioned earlier, we have no intention of returning to the US.

With the number of cases in the US today at 123,776 and rising rapidly, we feel safer in this locked-down Marriott hotel in Mumbai. Yes, we’re “trapped,” per se, but we’re OK with the lockdown, especially if it saves lives and reducesrisks to others and us in the long run.

The casual dining room where we have breakfast and dinner.

Today, India has 987 cases with 25 deaths as opposed to the 2229 deaths in the US. Sure, we may be deluding ourselves since testing is prevalent in the US as opposed to India. But, a significant factor here is the national lockdown that has yet to transpire in the US. Why? We don’t know.

In South Africa, shoppers are being shot by police with rubber bullets. See this article here, one of many found online. They certainly are serious about keeping people in their homes.

The concierge desk is still operated,,, but no one is using it since none of us are allowed to leave the premises.

In India, failure to comply with the lockdown may result in huge fines and a jail sentence. We aren’t going out anywhere, regardless of what we may need or want,,,, until such time as going out is deemed safe,,, and the lockdown has ended.

A beautiful long staircase leads to the mezzanine level.

The hardship of the lockdown for the poor in India is devastating to see on the news. But, what other choice did the leaders of this country of 1.3 billion people have at their disposal? See the stats below for the top ten countries with the highest population:

TOP TEN COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST POPULATION
#	Country	2020 Population	2050 Expected Pop.	2000 Population	Growth Pop % 2000 – 2020
1	China	1,439,323,776	1,301,627,048	1,268,301,605	13.4 %
2	India	1,380,004,385	1,656,553,632	1,006,300,297	37.1 %
3	United States	331,002,651	398,328,349	282,162,411	17.3 %
4	Indonesia	273,523,615	300,183,166	214,090,575	27.7 %
5	Pakistan	220,892,340	290,847,790	152,429,036	44.9 %
6	Brazil	212,559,417	232,304,177	174,315,386	21.9 %
7	Nigeria	206,139,589	391,296,754	123,945,463	66.3 %
8	Bangladesh	164,689,383	193,092,763	128,734,672	27.9 %
9	Russia	145,934,462	129,908,086	147,053,966	– 0.8 %
10	Mexico	128,932,753	150,567,503	99,775,434	29.2 %
TOP TEN Countries		4,503,002,371	5,044,709,268	3,597,108,845	25.1 %
Rest of the World		3,293,613,339	4,329,774,957	2,547,898,144	29.2 %
TOTAL World Population		7,796,615,710	9,374,484,225	6,145,006,989

There’s no doubt population size is a factor in the number of cases of Covid-19. The measures each country exercises to contain the virus are a vital factor, regardless of economic consequences and inconveniences to daily life.

This is not easy for any of us. But, we two world travelers, stuck in a hotel in Mumbai with no sense of security over how long we’ll have a roof over our heads, are willing to be patient and see what transpires over the next few months.

The seating area is near the reception desk.

Thanks for all the love and prayers for our safety and well-being as we express the same sentiment to every one of you!

Photo from one year ago today, March 29, 2019:
There were no photos posted one year ago today, as I returned to the hospital for two surgeries on my infected legs due to the cardiac bypass surgery.