Flights booked to Dublin…Figuring out concerns for traveling right now…A little friend has returned…

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Ken, Tom, and Don are having a good time, as usual.  We’ll all be together again soon before we leave.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Last year about this same time, our little friend, this female toad (or perhaps another), came to live on this light fixture.  For months, every night, she ate many flying insects to fatten up. We’d leave the light on for a while to ensure she’d have plenty of options. In the spring, a small male joined her on the fixture, and they stayed there together for a few weeks and left, not to be seen again until she’s returned this week.  Another cycle of life in the bush…

Yesterday afternoon we booked our flights from Nelspruit to Dublin. Of course, we opted for the flights with the shortest overall travel time, which was 16 hours and 40 minutes.

A waterbuck at the Crocodile River.

The most extended portion of the flight is from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Frankfurt, Germany, at 10 hours and 35 minutes on Lufthansa Airline. It was this portion of the flight that precipitated most of our concern.

In a perfect world, we both could have sat together and flown via “business class” seated together. But, this time, it was different based on our concern of my developing blood clots due to the cramped spaces in the economy with little leg room and opportunity to change positions.

Hippos in the Crocodile River.

Subsequently, we had to make a tough decision. Tom will fly coach class, and I’ll fly via business class which will allow more legroom and an opportunity to sleep in a flat position instead of sitting straight up in the usually uncomfortable coach class seats. 

Female lion on the prowl.

With the recent two leg surgeries on both legs, one surgery as recently as five weeks earlier (as of May 11th, our travel date), and 90 days since the coronary bypass surgery, my flying in business class was necessary, not construed by me as a luxury.  

After all these years of traveling, I have no qualms about flying coach, even on overnight flights. Neither of us does well sleeping in an upright position. We’ve done it several times, and we were no worse for the wear, other than being tired on arrival day from lack of sleep.  

A parade of elephants kicking up a lot of dust in Chobe National Park in Botswana.

In these circumstances, Tom may get two to three hours of sleep on the “red-eye,” while I felt lucky to sleep for an hour or so in most cases. But once we brushed our teeth in the morning, combed our hair, and tidied up a bit, generally, we did very well on the day of arrival.

Sunset over the Crocodile River.

We were surprised at how well we did the next day during these periods of little to no sleep. We could do this with relative ease in our youth, especially if we’d stayed up all night having a good time.

Flying is not a good time. Years ago, I recall it feeling more sophisticated and pleasurable with more legroom, more decent meals served, and more attention to detail for the passenger’s ultimate comfort, regardless of the class chosen for the flight.

These knobs on the head of giraffes are ossicones. Females have hair on them. Males have lost part of their hair from headbutting when vying for dominance.

Now it feels as if we’re sardines in a can, swimming in greasy swill amid germs, loud talking, kids kicking the back of our seats with no parental intervention, and frustrated and overworked flight attendants trying desperately not to “offend” anyone and to keep order in the cabin. Who knows what can break out at any moment soon to be uploaded to YouTube with millions of hits?

Two hornbills hang around our garden each day, most likely a mating pair. When they want seeds, they sure let us know.

Tom will fly coach in a row somewhere behind me, and from time to time, while I’m walking hourly as required by the doctor, we’ll touch base and say hello to see how the other is doing. When we finally get to Dublin, I’ll be glad to pick up luggage and the rental car to be on our way to the holiday rental, a several-hour drive from the airport.

Yesterday, we paid the final payment on the holiday home. Next, we’ll book a rental car for the almost three-month stay in Connemara. I can’t wait to walk in the front door of the holiday home, to see the ocean from every window, to relax once we unpack, buy some groceries and settle into our new home.

Handsome male impala.

At that point, we’ll begin our plan to further research Tom’s ancestry, one of the motivating factors in booking this period in Ireland. He’d hit a wall in the US using Ancestry.com, going as far back as the 1840s. It will be fun to see what we can find while in Ireland.

Mongooses were standing at attention while awaiting eggs. Note the little “arm” holding onto the one in front. So cute!

Tomorrow, we’ll return to Doc Theo when he’ll re-bandage the left leg using the painful cream that prevented me from getting much sleep last night. A nap will be on the agenda today, or at least an attempt at rest, often unsuccessful.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, April 24, 2018:

When we’d given up hope of seeing a parade of elephants, safari luck kicked in, and once again, we were gifted with these elephants crossing the road. We couldn’t believe the baby’s determined stride! For more Kruger photos, please click here.

And the beat goes on…

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Elephant crossing the river in a shallow area.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A visitor to our birdfeeder is always welcome.

For the first time since returning from the hospital last Wednesday, I was alone this morning while Tom went to the pharmacy and Spar market for a few items. At the moment we have no water…power, yes? Water? No.   

Eskom, the power company, has cut back on load shedding for the time being. We haven’t had a power outage in more than a week other than for a few minute outage here and there. But, the water…that’s another matter.  

Male impalas grazing at the river’s edge.

Before we arrived in Marloth Park in February 2018, some areas were out of water for five weeks. Gee, we don’t want to have to deal with this type of issue, especially now. It’s hard to imagine how permanent residents managed without water for such an extended period.

 I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m looking forward to moving on in 32 days. I only need to get well enough for a long travel day. Once we arrive and get settled in Ireland, I will continue to recover amid our travels and research on Tom’s ancestry.  

We don’t recognize this particular warthog who took a rest in the dark.

It will be wonderful to get my mind off of medical treatments, medical bills, and the products and supplies associated with my recovery. This has been a long haul, beginning at the end of January.

 In the interim, I cannot spend any time on the veranda since there is nowhere I can sit with my feet up. I am not allowed to sit in a chair. Of course, I’m diligently following all of the doctor’s orders to ensure my recovery.

Lone elephant crossing the road in Kruger.

Tom opens the big front doors wide and has removed any obstacles that could impede my view of visiting wildlife while I’m on the sofa in the lounge with my feet on pillows.  

Unfortunately, I can’t see the shorter animals from this spot, like my favorites, warthogs, and others. But, Tom tells me exactly what’s transpiring and takes photos. I haven’t laid eyes on Little in weeks, but he comes almost every day.  I call out to him so he can at least hear my voice.

Elephant and waterbuck were enjoying the Crocodile River.

Tom continues to toss out pellets to all the visitors, but we no longer toss carrots and apples. I didn’t want to burden Tom with the responsibility of cutting the fruit and veg each day. Plus, he doesn’t miss them as quickly as I do, as I did.

 A lot has changed around here in the past few months. I am useless to perform even the most minor household tasks when I have to be reclining with my feet up.  

Elephants in the tall grass.

But, somehow, we’re getting through it all. Amidst all the challenges, we’re optimistic and remain hopeful for the future. Life isn’t always how we’d like it to be, and some situations such as these have been beyond our control. All we can do is work toward the goal of good health and harmony.

 Thank you for being on this journey with us. In a little over a month, it should pivot back to our lives of world travel, possessing a passion for our surroundings and embracing the adventures before us.

An elephant family grazing in the bush.

Photo from one year ago today, April 9, 2018:

Our beloved dog WorldWideWillie passed away on April 9, 2011, nine months before we decided to travel the world. During his last 17 days of life, this is Wille resting on our bed with his favorite toys; Tiger Woods (in the forefront) and Fred Flinstone behind his head. At night, he’d always use his pet steps while carrying these toys up onto the bed with him. Be well. For more, please click here.

Missing the Crocodile River…Drives in the park…Socializing…The veranda…

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Female impala at the Crocodile River.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Note how the kudus chew from side to side.  Cute.

In the latter part of January, we took a drive to the Crocodile River to search for wildlife and visited Kruger National Park. I can’t believe how time has flown and that so much has transpired.

Life can change on a dime, and ours certainly has over the past few months. We haven’t dined on the veranda in almost two weeks when I was still recovering from the bypass surgery when Tom had to push the chair in for me. Now, I am not allowed to go onto the veranda since its too far a walk from the sofa or the bedroom.

Saddle-billed stork at the river’s edge.

At that time, I hadn’t come to a point when I could sit at the big table for hours watching our wildlife friends stop by to see what was on the menu. It was too uncomfortable at the time.

But, now, other than my painful legs still on the mend and the fact I always have to have my feet up, I could easily sit at that table for hours, driven to the Crocodile River many times, and spent a day driving in Kruger National Park.

An Egyptian goose in the sand with a waterbuck in the background.

At times, I think the diversion of my legs healing took the focus off the rest of my body, and suddenly I have no pain other than in my legs and an occasional twinge in my chest when moving too abruptly, wearing a seatbelt or twisting in an awkward position.

If it weren’t for wearing this VAC device on my left leg, I’d have no trouble sleeping on my side once again, as opposed to on my back which is necessary at this time in an attempt to keep my feet above the level of my heart.

Certainly, giraffes may tire of standing on those long legs all day, and a short rest is appropriate.

And my heart? It continues to beat evenly and consistently leaving me free of stress or worry that “something is wrong.” Occasionally, bypass patients have many trips to an emergency room when their heartbeats irregularly or pulse becomes seriously fast.

It’s hard not to become frightened when such situations occur after bypass surgery which may transpire for many months or even years after this major surgery. II hope has surpassed those aftereffects that frequently occurred during the eight days I spent in ICU.

Impalas are beautiful with the symmetry of their markings.

My heart is strong and healthy. It’s my arteries that are bad, not only those that were bypassed but many of the vital veins that flow through the chest cavity sending oxygen to my entire body.

How I made it through the first almost 71 years of my life without a single cardiac event, considering the awful state of my arteries, is fantastic to the doctors and me.  In my case, the heredity factors are everything. There’s nothing I can do to change this situation. 

A rare visit from male impalas in the garden.

On March 29, the cardiac, thoracic surgeon explained to both Tom and me that the bypass surgery was a temporary “fix.” The disease continues. In as little as two years, I could be facing the same outcome as of late.

 Worry about this or not? I choose not. I can become obsessed with diet and massive amounts of exercise but there is nothing that I can do that will change these facts…the heredity factor is stronger than any potential lifestyle changes. 

Little’s Friend…his tusks are tinier than Little’s.

I already consume a healthy diet, and usually, I’m very active. I don’t smoke, drink in excess or have a lot of stress in my day to day life. Well, not until most recently, worrying about the insurance company not paying the hospital bill. We still await an answer.

 Our dear friend Kathy arrived in Marloth Park yesterday and stopped by for a delightful visit this morning. It was such fun to chat with her as its been with Lynne and Uschi who’ve also visited this week. Such good friends. We are blessed in many ways.

Hopefully, before we depart Marloth Park in 33 days, we’ll have an opportunity to drive to the Crocodile River, throughout the park and even take one last trip into Kruger. We’ll see how it goes.

 May your day and new week feel blessed and fulfilling.
                  

                               Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2018:

We put an egg on the ground, but she showed no interest when the lizard hurried past it. It appears they were trying to determine if it was worth tackling the bird feeder for a treat. For more photos, please click here.

Where would we be today, if?…

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“Where is that man,” Mr. Hornbill asks as he pecks at the glass when he doesn’t get his seeds quickly enough.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Tom captured three hornbills on the birdfeeder.

If none of this (coronary bypass surgery and subsequent infections in legs) had happened tomorrow, we’d have been arriving in Minneapolis, Minnesota (flying from San Diego after a cruise) tomorrow. 

We’d have spent 17 days in Minnesota visiting family and friends. On April 25th, we’d have flown from Minnesota to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the following day, we’d have boarded a cruise to Copenhagen, flown to Dublin, Ireland, and then off to our upcoming holiday home in Connemara, Ireland, on May 12.

The hornbills have become so brazen they squawk at us when they want seeds.

However, with the recent events, we’ll be flying from South Africa to Dublin, Ireland, on May 12. We’ve yet to make the reservation until we know for sure I can pass by that date. 

We had no idea that the complication of the infection in my legs due to the bypass surgery could delay us any further. At this point, with over a month for my legs to heal sufficiently to fly, we’re good to go, at least for this particular leg (no pun intended) of our journey.

This morning, this hornbill stood on the top of the door to let Tom know it was time to eat.

Below is the list of the bookings we had to cancel as a result of the bypass surgery. Please see this post for the monies we lost when we had non-refundable bookings on most of these. (We did receive token refunds on the two cruises that were already paid in full and a ZAR 70478, US $5000, partial refund on the Kenya tour when another participant purchased our spot at the last minute).
 

Marloth Park SA to Kenya – tour booked  02/21/2019 – 03/08/2019*
Valparaiso, Chile Hotel  03/09/2019 – 03/24/2019 
Cruise – San Antonio, Chile – San  Diego   03/24/2019 – 04/08/2019 
San Diego – fly to Minnesota – hotel stay  04/08/2019 – 04/25/2019 
Cruise – Fort Lauderdale to Copenhagen   04/26/2019 – 05/12/2019
*(In the US, listing dates first include:  month/day of month/year. In many other countries, including South Africa, the first includes month/month/year.  Please note the above dates are listed in the US-style).
“Maybe he’ll think I look cute on the light fixture, and he’ll get me seeds.”
We paid the second installment on the house in Ireland in the past few days, with the final payment due at the end of this month. Our hopes and plans are to continue. If we hadn’t paid, we’d lose the booking. We had to take the risk.
 
Are we confident we’ll be able to leave Marloth Park to head to the airport in Nelspruit in 34 days? We’re waiting to book the flight at the last minute when we know for sure. This tinge of uncertainty is unsettling, but there’s nothing else we can do.
Big Daddy is more nonchalant when letting us know he wants pellets. He throws a few winning glances our way and waits patiently.
As I lay here now on the sofa, legs up as necessary, lying on an egg crate mattress topper loaned to us yesterday by friends Uschi and Evan, we’re hoping with the addition of the sheepskin the pharmacy ordered for us, arriving tomorrow by particular order, I can avoid severe bedsores when could ultimately be my undoing if not adequately treated now.  
 
We’re doing everything possible. Again last night, I slept on my side all night, with the egg crate under me to avoid any further pressure injuries. For the first time in weeks, I slept seven hours straight without using any over-the-counter sleep medication. That is a good sign.
“Will this stance get your attention?”

Are my legs healing?  I’d say my right leg is doing very well. But, the left leg attached to the VAC system is still excruciating. As we all know, pain is a good indicator of how a wound or injury is healing. I keep reminding myself that I had two leg operations in the past nine days, one of which was only six days ago. I need to allow myself a little slack and time to heal.

We have a little over a month for me to heal. As prescribed by the plastic surgeon, I’m eating tons of protein via protein powder/collagen and bone broth smoothies. Tom makes for me each morning. Protein is vital for wound healing. Also, I’m taking big doses of Vitamin C, selenium, and zinc, again prescribed by the doctor.

The female kudus will stare us down if we don’t bring pellets right away.
Daily, as a dessert in the evening, I consume a cup of unsweetened Greek yogurt mixed with raw cocoa (unsweetened) with raw almond slivers. Last night for dinner and again tonight, I have a fantastic salmon/prawn salad Tom made for me stuffed inside both halves of a good-sized avocado. I can’t imagine I could eat anymore or any healthier. (Tom is having homemade pizza he prepared yesterday).  

Each morning around 11:00 am, Tom gives me an injection of a powerful blood thinner to prevent blood clots in my stomach. I’d never imagined Tom doing this, nor had he, but my guy, my diligent caregiver, continues to do whatever it takes to get me well. We have one more dose to go.

I haven’t had a glass of wine in two months, and honestly, I don’t have a taste for it, nor do I know if I ever will. I suppose I’ll go back to my alcohol-free lifestyle as I had for over 20 years. But, at least I have a LIFESTYLE, and for that, we are very grateful. 


Photo from one year ago today, April 7, 2018:

Had Louise and Danie not taken us here, outside of Komatipoort, we’d have no idea this beautiful spot existed. For more photos, please click here.

 

Bookings for the near future…Still, lots more to do…

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This is Basket, the Bully, who scares off all the other warthogs, including Little and Little’s Friend.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Mr. & Mrs. Hornbill are very noisy around us, asking for seeds. They sure have us trained, says Tom.

Lately, we’ve been lazy about arranging bookings for the future. I can only attribute this fact to the heat and power outages which surely have had a bearing on our desire to spend hours online researching suitable arrangements.

Add all the activities and social events over the holiday season, and we hardly had the time or inclination to take the hours required to book hotels, flights, and holiday homes.

This has nothing to do with any lack of interest or passion for future travels. We’re as committed and excited for the future as ever. But, the time required researching for flights and hotels is not our favorite pastime, although we both enjoy searching for holiday homes for a new location.

The mongooses are back! Not as large as our usual band, but a good start.
Next week, we have another final cruise payment due for the upcoming cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Copenhagen, Denmark, on April 26, 2019, ending on May 12, 2019. At this point, we’ll fly from Copenhagen to Dublin, which we’ve yet to arrange.

In reviewing the post from December 5, 2018, we copied and pasted the list we’d made over a month ago of what we’ve yet to accomplish in booking and posted it here today, illustrating what we’ve achieved thus far.

Not only does this give our readers a realistic perspective of how challenging making all these arrangements can be, but it also reminds us of what we’ve yet to tackle over the next month or so. We have a long way to go to be able to stop researching for a while.  

Mom and Babies stopped by this morning for the first time in weeks. The babies sure are growing fast.
While in Ireland from May to August, we’ll have a huge task ahead to book well into the future since the house in Ireland is the only holiday house we have booked at this time. We know where we want to go and have listed those locations on our itinerary, but we’ve yet to tackle the daunting task.

When we first began booking travel arrangements, we often booked holiday homes two years in advance for fear we wouldn’t find suitable houses. We don’t care for apartments and prefer single-family homes when possible.

Now, with years of experience under our belts, we realize we can book homes closer to the periods we want them (although not last minute) and can still get reasonable pricing when property owners are willing to give us long-term rental discounts.

The piglets love to lounge and play in what’s left of the lucerne.
As we mentioned in an earlier post, we’ve made a firm commitment to one another that we’ll never rent a holiday home for longer than 90 days due to visa issues unless, of course, we’re required to stay longer for medical reasons, which could well transpire down the road.

Finally, this morning we booked the flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Santiago, Chile, and a hotel for 16 nights in Santiago. The process was thorough when hotels were pricey, even when combined with flights using the link on our site to Expedia.com.  

We ended up booking the flight separately on Expedia and the hotel from our link for Hotels.com for the 16-night stay. In this particular case, we ended up saving hundreds of dollars booking these separately, which is not always the case.  

She was napping piglet.
The cost per night for the modern hotel, in a great location with aircon, free wifi, and buffet breakfast, rated 8.2 (out of 10) (details will follow when we’re there in less than 60 days) was under ZAR 1394 (US $100) per night. Plus, we receive one free night for every 10 nights we book using Hotels.com.  This works well for us with several upcoming hotel bookings.

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 Following from the above mentioned prior post, we have completed the bookings listed below as indicated in bold type:
  • DONE:  Hotel in Kenya for seven nights, arriving February 15, 2019, and departing for the booked photography tour on February 22, 2019  (tour ended on March 7, 2019
  • DONE: Flight from Nairobi to Santiago, Chile on March 8, 2019
  • Transportation from Santiago, Chile to San Antonio, Chile (the location of the cruise port) 
  • DONE: Hotel in Santiago, Chile from March 8, 2019, to March 24, 2019, when our 15-night cruise departs from San Antonio, Chile, and sails to San Diego, California
  • DONE: Flight from San Diego, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 8, 2019
  • Rental car in Minnesota from April 8, 2019, to April 25, 2019
  • Flight from Minnesota to Fort Lauderdale to board the next cruise to Copenhagen on April 25, 2019, cruise departed on April 26, 2019
  • Flight from Copenhagen to Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019
  • Rental car in Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019, and drive to Connemara, Ireland, where we’ll stay in a holiday home until August 9, 2019 (booked and deposit paid)
Two snoozing piglets.

In the next 60 to 90 days, we’ll book the balance of the listed items and then be free to start booking holiday homes into the future, beyond the time we’ll spend in Ireland. We have no worries or concerns that all future bookings will work out well.  

 Today, the high heat and humidity have returned, and as we sit on the veranda, feeding the visitors, we’re drenched in sweat. We can only hope we’ll have power tonight to get a good night’s sleep.

 This evening, we’re headed to Nwenya with Rita and Gerhard for the Thursday night buffet, seeing them for the first time in a week. It will be such fun to catch up on our mutual experiences over this past week.

Ms. Kudu is pregnant and very hungry. She hovers in the garden and bush for hours, waiting for more to eat. We comply, but when we stop, she wanders into the bush and eats the new greenery from recent rains.

Have a spectacular evening, wherever you may be, staying warm or cool as you’d prefer.

Photo from one year ago today, January 10, 2018:

An artist’s rendition on a wall on a side street as we made our way back to Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires, during an hour-long walk. For more details, please click here.

Ratcheting up the research…Holidaymakers moving in…Piglets in the pond!…

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Mom and the piglet are enjoying the cement pond on a hot day.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is “Little” on his usual mission of getting our attention to come outside and give him some pellets. If we don’t respond, he enters the house. Very funny!

Our one year in Marloth Park is rapidly coming to a close. We’ve decided to spend one night, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, in Nelspruit to avoid early morning traffic on the 15th, the day we must exit South Africa. It’s hard to believe in 71 days, and we’ll be leaving Marloth Park to drive to Nelspruit for the flight to Nairobi, Kenya, departing early the following morning.

If you missed our story as to why we must leave on the 15th as opposed to the planned February 20th initially, please click here for yesterday’s post. It’s all clearly explained there.

As it turns out, we won’t have to travel on my birthday after all and will spend it doing something exceptional while in Kenya. Details will follow once we get everything booked.

Mom warthog gets into the cement pond to cool off.  Now, the piglets follow her.

Speaking of bookings, we need to get to work now that we have a definitive answer on our immigration status. We’d left many loose ends in the itinerary, and the time has come to get these items booked.

With the ongoing power outages, spending time online is tricky. By the time we manage photos and prepare and upload the day’s post, the power goes out again, usually for 2½ hours. During these periods, we have no internet access.

According to the Eskom load shedding schedule, the power should be out about 7½ hours every 24 hours. Fortunately, and not surprisingly, the schedule isn’t precise, and often a time slot for an outage is ignored, and we have full power and WiFi. Go figure.  

Piglets were climbing out of the cement pond.

We’re managing to work around it, as are other residents throughout this country, not just here in Marloth Park. With the continuing heat and humidity, it’s even more uncomfortable when we can’t use a fan, especially when our surroundings are still and windless, resulting in a long 2½ hours.

But this is Africa, and we’re making the best of it, planning social events, cooking our meals, dining out with friends (tonight with Uschi and Evan, tomorrow with Rita and Gerhard), and attempting to ignore the inconveniences.

The holidaymakers are beginning to filter into the park now as we see more and more vehicles on the roads each day. Soon, every holiday rental and most bush homes will be filled, the noise will ensue, underage kids will be driving vehicles in this relatively un-policed area, and maniacs will be driving fast on Olifant Street (the paved road), killing the precious wildlife.

With the heat evaporating the water in the pond, between cleanings, Tom refills it for easy access for wildlife being able to reach for a drink.  So far, the only animals we’ve seen enter the pond are the warthogs.

No pun intended…it’s the nature of the beast. Not everyone who comes to stay in Marloth Park possesses the love and respect for this magical place, its rules, and its wildlife. This is so sad and disheartening.

Among the rest of us dedicated to this paradise, we’ll continue to respect the laws and treat the wildlife with dignity and respect. We’ve heard tales of humans feeding wildlife marshmallows, potato chips, and other human junk food. If it’s not good for us, why would we assume it’s good for them?

During this Christmas season, as in the past six years, we don’t have a tree, wrap gifts, bake cookies, or plan holiday parties, although we’ll attend a few. I’ll bake some treats to share at Christmas and make a few special items for Tom’s upcoming birthday on December 23rd.

Back onto the dirt, everyone is cooler and refreshed.

I’d considered a party or get-together for his birthday, but he reminded me how busy a time it is for everyone else with their usual holiday festivities. To burden others with a party the day before Christmas Eve was unfair. I relented, and we decided to make it a party for two.

This leaves us plenty of time in December to get to work booking the following for our upcoming travels:

  • Hotel in Kenya for seven nights, arriving February 15, 2019, and departing for the booked photography tour on February 22, 2019  (tour ended on March 7, 2019
  • Flight from Nairobi to Santiago, Chile on March 8, 2019
  • Transportation from Santiago, Chile to San Antonio, Chile (the location of the cruise port) 
  • Hotel in Santiago, Chile from March 8, 2019, to March 24, 2019, when our 15-night cruise departs from San Antonio, Chile, and sails to San Diego, California
  • Flight from San Diego, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota* on April 8, 2019
  • Rental car in Minnesota from April 8, 2019, to April 25, 2019
  • Flight from Minnesota to Fort Lauderdale to board the next cruise to Copenhagen on April 25, 2019, cruise departed on April 26, 2019
  • Flight from Copenhagen to Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019
  • Rental car in Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019, and drive to Connemara, Ireland, where we’ll stay in a holiday home until August 9, 2019 (booked and deposit paid)
    Two giraffes were walking along a dirt path in the park.

*The hotel in Minnesota is already booked and partially paid, with the balance due upon arrival.

This covers our booking needs for the next eight months. Once we’ve put all of this together, we’ll update and fine-tune our spreadsheet with all the new expenses.
 
I hope you have a spectacular Wednesday!


 Photo from one year ago today, December 5, 2017:

In Pisco, Peru, this pelican was trained to entertain tourists as the man passed around a cup. For more photos, please click here.

There’s always a recipe for a solution…Cost and convenience are often the vital ingredients…

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This fluffy little one captured our hearts.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Baby zebra are sticking close to mom during nighttime activities.

I don’t know where to begin. It’s a convoluted story of inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and rampant incompetency in one manner or another. My intent is not to bash South Africa’s governmental procedures. 

Instead, I reach out to you, our valued and loyal worldwide readers, to share our story and to alert those of you who may consider a long-term stay in this country.

Don’t get me wrong…we’re grateful for the exquisite almost 10 months we’ve spent in the country in this isolated little world of paradise in the bush, Marloth Park.  

It’s not like this everywhere in the country, animals roaming free as one might expect countrywide. There are conservancies, game reserves, national parks, and designated wildlife areas for that.  

The dry bush will brighten once the rainy season takes off.

The uniqueness of Marloth Park was the motivator for us to visit and subsequently return this past February. Our future itinerary has us returning in about two years from now, but only for the allowed 90 days, no more. We never want to deal with immigration issues again.

I won’t reiterate the beginning of the story and the massive pile of documents we prepared to accommodate a request for a visa extension to February 20, 2019, the day we’d been advised to book a flight out of here to Nairobi, Kenya, for our next adventure. If you’ll click this link here, that portion of the story is told in its entirety.

But, it was the culmination of the complicated process that hovered in our minds as we wondered as to the outcome since September when we first applied, as it turned out, way too early, upon advice from others and ended up starting all over again on October 24th when we returned to Nelspruit the second time to apply.

While there in September, a rep made a handwritten notation on our document copy that we were to return on October 24th (still have this document), giving ample time for the file to be reviewed and meeting our planned departure date of February 20, 2019.

Waterbucks grazing by the river’s edge.

Part of the application process required two departing South Africa-airline tickets for ZAR 15461 (US $1132) for that date which we purchased at the time of making the first application in September.

Stay with me. We’re getting there. When we returned on October 24th, going through all the forms with the reps at the VFS Immigration office, we were told everything was in order. We were told to start checking online after three weeks to see when the response would be ready.

For those of you who read the prior posts, we indicated we’d have to appear once again once the notification indicated we were ready to see the answer in a sealed envelope, which we’d open in front of the immigration rep.  

If we didn’t like the answer, the only available process was to reapply once again. This was not an option for us. Our visas had already expired on November 21st.  We weren’t in a particularly good position for “negotiating,” which, in any case, is not a part of the process regardless of circumstances.

A lone giraffe was munching on treetops.

We took off for Nelspruit yesterday morning, typically a 75 to 90 minutes drive where many trucks and vehicles jockey for space on the highway. We were told to arrive anywhere between 10:00 am and 1500 hours (3:00 pm).  

Once we were “scanned” by the security guard, we entered the waiting area, lined up several rows of chairs. All the seats were filled, and we had to wait, standing, in the back of the chairs section. As each person was called, everyone in the chairs moved over to the next available chair, kind of like a musical chairs thing.

Much to our surprise, the line moved more quickly than during our two other visits.  Within 40 minutes, we were standing at the counter awaiting our news.  Tom was handed his sealed envelope first. Gingerly, he opened the envelope and immediately we were bost aghast. He was granted an extension but only until February 15th.

We have paid our rent here to February 20th, paid for a rental car to February 20th, and paid for the two airline tickets for February 20th. We tried to explain that it was their manager who’d told us to return on October 24th, allowing us ample time for the requested February 20th departure date.

Waterbucks live close to the river, grazing on its green lusher vegetation than in other areas of the bush, where everything is dried up during this year’s low-rain period.

We even showed her the handwritten notes she’d made on the document telling us to return on October 24th. She dismissed this written statement saying what she wrote was irrelevant. The government’s decision is all that matters, regardless of the number of days.

Then the weirdest thing happened.  I opened my envelope and was given until February 21, 2019. Our files were linked as a married couple. Why the six-day difference? All kinds of thoughts ran through our heads. No matter what we said, the only option they suggested was to start all over.  

There was no way we were going to pay the fees ZAR 3500 (US $256) again and start over the lengthy and detailed paperwork process, all the while taking the risk that nothing would change.

We walked out the door, neither of us talking, and made our way to the parking ramp, thoughts racing through our heads. On the return drive, we reviewed our options, but Tom, bordering on “overly grumpy,” was more engrossed in his driving in traffic than a lengthy discussion over our options.

On Sunday night, while situated on the veranda, speaking on Skype with my dear friend Karen in Minnesota, a dazzle of zebras appeared.

Instead of pressing him, I wrote the text for yesterday’s post on an offline app on my phone, determined to get it uploaded before the power went out due to “load shedding” again at 1500 hours (3:00 om).  

As soon as we returned, I immediately got to work on the post, albeit with less than my usual enthusiastic demeanor. Miss Overly Bubby wasn’t in. I rushed to get it done, but the power went out earlier than expected, and I couldn’t upload it until after 1730 hours (5:30 pm). Sorry for the delay.
 

At 5:30, we set up the veranda for the evening, made ourselves a “sundowner,” and sat down to discuss our options. They included the following:

  • Reapply and start the entire process all over again with no guarantees. We tossed this idea out the window.
  • Tom could leave and go to Kenya on the 15th while I stayed alone in Marloth Park, using one of the two non-refundable flights from Nelspruit to Nairobi on February 20th (my birthday). This raised many questions: hotel for Tom, transportation for me to the airport, being alone for the five nights until February 20th when I could depart, traveling apart, handing luggage…and on and on.  We tossed this idea out the window.
  • The rep told us Tom could go to Mozambique by car and see if he could end up with the extra five days. This was a very risky idea. When would he go? He could easily have ended up with no more than what he has or even less, depending on what transpired at the border.  We tossed this idea out the window.
  • We could try to get some form of credit from the airline to change our travel day to February 15th, change our end-of-rental date to February 15th, change our car rental period to February 15 and clear out of South Africa. We decided this was our only option, with both departing on February 15th, regardless of the cost or inconvenience.
There was a total of nine zebras, including the baby.

Immediately, we got to work on Expedia.com on our website to see what we could first accomplish with the tickets. In all these six years of world travel, we’ve never canceled or changed a single flight. Somehow the preplanning has always worked for us.

We knew that flights were non-refundable but never encountered an opportunity or desire to change a flight.  The website offered such an opportunity, and for a total of ZAR 2156 (US $159), we changed our tickets to February 15th.  We were relieved.

 
We want to book hotel accommodations in Kenya which we’ll do this month. Not having done so was one more minor step to handle. From here, we’ll see about our rent and early return of the rental car, both of which should save us a little more to apply to the added cost of the extra five days in Kenya.
 
Whew! What a relief! Drama averted. Immigration issues are averted, and a massive lesson learned: When we return to South Africa in years to come, we’ll only stay 90 days. Period.
Preoccupied with my phone call, I couldn’t get a photo of all nine at once.

We skated through the first three 90-day periods by leaving the country twice to travel to Zambia to get another 90-day visa each time. We just weren’t able to pull it off the third time. These two one-week trips cost us upwards of ZAR 111628 (US $8232).  Surely if we’d tried traveling out the country once again, we’d have incurred similar costs with no guaranty on the ability to return.

And so it goes. We’re good again. Cheerful, but hot in the temps above 40C (104F). And, we’re back in sync with our otherwise pleasing lifestyle and of course, with one another.

Today, we’ll lay low in the heat and humidity, but who knows what tomorrow may bring.


Happy, healthy day to all.

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2017:

Children were playing at the beach with views of colorful fishing vessels in Pisco, Peru. These boats remind us of the colorful fishing boats in Negara, Bali. (See that link here). For more details from the one year ago post, please click here.

Immigration day from hell…Solutions rolling around in our minds…More tomorrow…

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She was reaching for the treetops.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Three very young impalas in the bush.

It would have been easy to sit down and pen today’s post if the South Africa immigration issue had been resolved as we’d hoped. The realities of world travel dictate that sometimes, things don’t go as we’d hoped. Attitude adjustments are in constant flux.

Unfortunately, this morning’s trip to the immigration office in Nelspruit didn’t go well after we’d received the online notice to appear, and we are in a quandary as to how to proceed from here. Our options are few. Our frustrations are many.
Giraffes are fortunate during the dry season.  There’s no competition for the leaves in the treetops.

Due to a myriad of ill advice, government incompetence, bureaucracy, and inconsistency, today’s visit to the immigration office was both frustrating and disappointing.

When we returned to the house a short time ago facing another power shutdown in the next half hour, I felt rushed and out-of-sorts to write an upbeat article about life in the bush.

Instead, I apologize for a less-than-cheerful rendition of where we’re at the moment and where we’ll be in months to come based on today’s outcome.

Cheeks filled with vegetation.

Inconvenience coupled with unexpected expenses is a bitch. My usual overly bubbly self continues to nudge me into settling down and seeing the bright side.  Isn’t there always some semblance of a bright side in these kinds of situations?

Good grief, I’m not implying there’s any modicum of a bright side in lousy health, injury, and personal loss, although some special people manage to find a means to rebound regardless of strife.

But, when it comes to business-type situations and functions of daily life, generally speaking, there are lessons to be learned that may prepare us for the “next time.” We need to hold on to those lessons!
Giraffe along the road.

I need to settle down for the remainder of the day as we discuss our options to come up with a suitable plan that we can live with. By no means is this situation untenable, nor a significant crisis. It’s more annoying than anything. We’ll get over it.

But, for today, I must reserve going into the details until such time in the next 24-hours that we’ve had an opportunity to review our options and come to a logical and practical solution.

We’ll be back with a much more enlightened demeanor by tomorrow’s post. For tonight, we’ll still enjoy another warm night on the veranda, loving our wildlife friends with their playful and entertaining antics.

Have a pleasant evening!

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2017:

It was an evening “chic” night, and we entered the elevator with other passengers. One of the passengers grabbed my camera off my shoulder and shot these “feet photos.”  We all howled when this occurred, and here’s the funny photo! For more photos, please click here.

We made it to Zambia…Settling in for another week…

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The matriarch blasts a sound, “Come on kids, back up the hill. Playtime is over.”

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Mom and baby making their way back up the hill, as they follow the matriarch who’d signaled it was time to go.

Around 4:30 am I awoke with a start. Something was off. It took a few minutes for me to realize the power was out. I checked my new phone to see we didn’t have wi-fi which goes down when the power is out.

Driving down a dirt road, we spotted this male ostrich fluffing his feathers in this pile of bush debris. At one point, he spread his wings and did some mating ritual-type dancing.
Oh, no, I thought, we’re getting up at 6:00 am and there won’t be hot water for showers or lights to put ourselves together for today’s trip to Zambia for our second visa-stamp exit from South Africa in the past six months.
When he noticed us at a distance, he stood up to watch what we were going to do.

As many of our readers are well aware, South Africa only allows US citizens a visa for 90 days in their country. The laws dictate that we cannot exit and re-enter from any of the many countries bordering South Africa. Plus, if we fly in and out of Johannesburg, the hub, we may not be able to get back in.

The cape buffalos don’t seem to mind the presence of the elephants.

Subsequently, our safest bet has been to fly from the tiny airport in Nelspruit (an over one hour drive from Marloth Park), fly to the only country to which that particular airport flies non-stop without stopping in Johannesburg, where immigration laws are considerably more stringent.  

Our fingers are crossed this will work out again (and one more time in November) when we return from Zambia on August 23rd through the Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger airport.  

A massive matriarch elephant with a herd of cape buffalos.

Now that I’ve explained this necessity one more time (sorry to our readers who’ve heard this many times), our immediate concern this morning was getting ready to leave with no power. The house was dark when we got out of bed.  

More cape buffalos and an elephant, two of the Big Five in one scene.

Determined to shower even if it was in cold water, I was shocked to discover some hot water remained in the pipes, long enough for me to take a quick shower and for Tom to do the same.

Tossing mud and water to stay cool on a very hot day.

Somehow, using a flashlight and a small hand mirror, I was able to get myself looking presentable enough to tackle the day. About 30 minutes before we left to begin the drive, the power came back on, giving us time to recharge our digital equipment, pack it up and be on our way.

The drive to the airport during which we encounter road construction took 90 minutes this time but we arrived in plenty of time for our 11:35 am flight. From there, everything went smoothly.

Lessons in rough play.

Our driver from Chris Tours, Steve was waiting for us at the curb with a sign with my name and he whisked us off to the Protea Hotel Livingstone with a stop at an ATM for cash, Zambian kwacha, and a quick trip to a pharmacy.  

A mom and a maturing offspring.

Tom felt like a cold or hayfever was coming on and he needed a nasal spray and antihistamine, just in case. Once we checked into the hotel and got situated in our lovely hotel room, he seems to be doing better. We have no time for colds and being sick!

The last time we stayed at this same hotel, we had a second-floor room with no elevator in the complex. This time, upon our request, we’re located on the main floor close to everything. Perfect.

This one-tusk elephant was sitting down in the vegetation.

Tonight, we’ll head to our favorite restaurant in Livingstone, Cafe Zambezi, as we’re both contemplating the fabulous food we enjoyed last time we were here, a mere three months ago.

Tomorrow, we’ll explore the town of Livingstone which we hadn’t done much last time we were here. We were too busy with the tours we’d arranged at the time.  

More elephants on the bank of the Crocodile River in Marloth Park.

Now with only two days and one overnight booked to go to Chobe National Park and stay at the Chobe Safari Lodge, we’ll have more free time to check out the historic town, known for its gateway to Victoria Falls. Last time we visited the falls from both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides which resulted in a full day.

Thanks to Louise and Danie for stopping by for a “sundowner” last night and the treasured handmade gift of a jar of 90% dark chocolate-covered coffee beans.  What a treat when the sweet tooth hits after dinner! Such good friends!

Truly a large parade of elephants on the river.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with new photos of Zambia we’ll be sharing along the way. Today, we’re finishing posting a few Marloth Park photos we’d taken earlier in the week.  Our posts over this next week will be uploading at varying times of the day based on the tours we’re planning. But, there will be a new post daily.

May your day be filled with new adventures, big and small, regardless of where you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, August 16, 2017:

We’d been anxious to get photos of unusual frogs in Costa Rica, especially the colorful species. That will have to wait until we get out soon. We’d yet to see a colorful frog at the villa. But, this plain frog attached to Henry’s left rear bumper satisfied me for now. Check out those toes!  For more, please click here.

Two days and counting…Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana…Here we come!…

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An ostrich by himself walking along the road near the river.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

There’s a round, fenced-in area in the driveway filled with a variety of vegetation. The intent was to keep the monkeys out, but they always find a way inside.  It’s fall now in this part of the world. Leaves rapidly fall from the tree, and only a few forms of vegetation change color, such as this palm frond.

In two days, we’ll make the 90-minute drive to Nelspruit to the airport to fly to Livingstone, Zambia, for our one-week getaway. We see Victoria Falls has always been our goal since our first visit to Africa over four years ago.

When we were here in 2013-2014, we’d hoped to see the falls, but once we became entrenched in life in Marloth Park, we couldn’t bring ourselves to leave when we loved it so much.

It’s always such a joy to see elephants on our local drives.

Now, with our 90-day visas ready to expire in a few days, it was time to make this important trip which includes a stay in a hotel near the falls, and embark on a variety of tours we’ve already booked for the week away. We’ll be returning on May 18th.

The elephant’s trunk is comparable to a human’s hand in its dexterity.

I wish I could say we’re excited about leaving, and I’m certain once we arrive in Livingstone, we’ll be thrilled to be there. But, this blissful routine we’ve established in Marloth Park isn’t all that easy to leave.

Only this morning, we’ve had kudu, bushbuck, Frank, and a band of mongoose, and who knows what the remainder of the day will bring our way? Oddly, we haven’t seen Scar-Face in several days, and I’m concerned something has happened to him.

Taking a drink.

Last night, we stayed outdoors extra late while several other warthogs came to call but not Scar Face. The mating season is stirring up many interesting behavior patterns between the males and females, which we’re especially enjoying but without Scar Face, it just isn’t quite the same. Hopefully, he’ll appear in the next two days before we have to leave.

Another elephant was heading down to the Crocodile River.

Yesterday afternoon, we made our usual every-other-day drive through the park. The quiet and the lack of other vehicles were noticeable. We may have encountered only three or four other cars as we drove along the Crocodile River, checking out the action.

It was a gorgeous sunny day, as most have been these past few weeks now that the fall season is upon us. As is the case most mornings now, this morning, we have to add extra layers of clothing to stay comfortable outdoors. By 9:00 or 10:00 am, it begins to warm up to ideal conditions suitable for shorts and tee shirts.

“Elephants may spend 12-18 hours a day feeding. Adult elephants can eat between 200-600 pounds of food a day. As herbivores, elephants consume grasses, tree foliage, bark, twigs, and other vegetation daily. Elephants can also drink up to 50 gallons of water a day about as much as a standard bathtub holds.”

As chilly as it may be in the mornings and evenings, we’re thrilled with the coolness and are grateful we kept a few warmer items to wear during these cooler periods.

Yesterday Josiah, our pool, veranda, and yard maintenance man, spent a few hours raking the leaves that have accumulated in the dirt (no lawn here) that had fallen from the trees. This way, when we feed the wildlife, they don’t have to dig through piles of leaves to find the pellets and vegetables.

Little Wart Face was sniffing one of the two moms who come by each day with their two fast-growing piglets. He was making the train-like noise while sniffing, but she had nothing to do with him. Mating season is upon us.

Now, as we sit here on the veranda on this perfect day, the leaves are falling in big swooshes as each gust of balmy wind wafts through the yard. The bush is a mixture of green and brown and, in itself, isn’t particularly pretty. Few flowers or colorful blooms are visible this time of year.

The often “raining” leaves create a scene that is enchanting in its way as we anticipate the coming of winter in this part of the world, never cold enough for snow although we can see our breath some mornings.

Young male visit stopped by in the dark to see what we had for him. We complied with pellets, apples, carrots, and lettuce.

It’s hard for us to believe three months have passed since we arrived on February 11th, most definitely some of the most pleasurable months in our world travels.

Coming off the trip to Antarctica could have been a big letdown. As Tom always says, we went from seeing elephant seals to seeing elephants in less than one week. What more could we ask for?

Today, I’ll pack for the trip. Tom lifts and carries the bags for me. Tom prefers to wait until the day before leaving. We each have our preferred packing routine, with neither of us putting on any pressure for the other to do it any differently. The only thing I help Tom with is folding his shirts. It works.

Such handsome animals.  We welcome them almost every day.

We won’t be posting any final expenses for South Africa since we’ll be coming back.  At the end of the upcoming week, we’ll post the costs for the trip. We hear the WiFi at the hotel is good, and we’re hoping to post each day, although we have a few all-day safaris and excursions that may prevent us from doing so on those days. In any case, we’ll let you know.

The next few days until we depart, we’ll be staying in, getting things done, packing, making excellent meals before we leave, and then by this time in two days, we’ll already be at the tiny Mpumalanga Nelspruit Kruger International Airport, getting ready to board the non-stop flight to Zambia.

Stay tuned, folks. Lots more is yet to come. 

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, May 9, 2017:

A view of Honolulu from the ship as we made our way back to mainland USA. For more details, please click here.