Day #253 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Apprehension follows enthusiasm…

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The bright sun creates a sparkling sea, which we’ve cherished every day that we’ve been in Maui. There had only been one overcast, and rainy day in the six weeks we spent on the island, although it rained for short periods for many days, to become later sunny.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2014 while wrapping up our six-week stay in Maui, Hawaii. For more on that day’s story, including our final expenses for the stay, please click here.

We’d be foolhardy to assume we’ll be able to board that flight to South Africa without incident. When we arrived at the Mumbai Airport on March 20, at 1:00 am while waiting in a queue for hours, four days before the official lockdown, we were turned away for the flight to South Africa, as they were slowly closing their borders in a highly inconsistent manner.

All these photos shown today were taken on a sunny Sunday early afternoon.

We ended up having to return to our original hotel in Mumbai, which informed us they were closing the next day.  It was a nightmare. We haven’t forgotten a minute of those first few days until we eventually settled in this hotel. For that whole story, please click here.

Miracle of all miracles, when almost every hotel in Mumbai had closed, the Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai Airport remained open. Over the next few weeks and months, we were worried this hotel would be forced to close as well, often asking the reception staff for a status update. For this, we are very grateful.

Hibiscus bloom year-round in the islands.

In yesterday’s post, I whinged, whined, and complained over issues we encounter daily, mainly with other guests not wearing masks and social distancing. Later in the day, I felt terrible for perhaps sounding ungrateful. The hotel staff has been excellent, albeit inconsistent at times, and the hotel itself is lovely. To see yesterday’s whiny post, please click here.

Please don’t write and beat me up. I’ve done it enough to myself already. We are grateful to have been able to live in this safe, clean, air-conditioned hotel room for the past eight months, precisely 253 days to be exact, as shown above in the heading. We’re grateful for the staff’s kindness, the food, although limited due to our design, the comfortable bed, and the excellent WiFi. We’re thankful we’ve been able to afford living here for what will prove to be ten months by the time we leave, hopefully on January 12, 2021.

And yet, a few new blooms magically appear in the tropical climate.

We always promised to tell our readers “like it is,” and sometimes that isn’t “pretty,” The reality remains, we could be turned away at the airport again on January 12th. With COVID-19, everything can change on a dime. In the next 42 days, South Africa could again lock down their borders if cases escalate and if coincidentally it falls on the date we’re leaving. Also, India could prevent international flights from entering its borders.

At least, if we knew we couldn’t fly a few days earlier, we could redo our mindset and come up with an alternate plan, hopefully unlike the fiasco we encountered as mentioned above on March 20, 2020, in the middle of the night while exhausted and frustrated.

The shoreline from our condo’s beachfront.

We’ve both decided to temper our enthusiasm with a bit of trepidation and uncertainty in the interim. Over the next few days, we’ll come up with a Plan B, should we be turned away at the airport once again. Once we make that decision, we’ll share it with you here.

To arrive in Marloth Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa, in the late afternoon of January 13, 2021, is, at this point, a lofty dream. Pulling this off may prove to be a challenge. Thus, at this point, we’ll continue to take the necessary steps to proceed with those three flights safely and without incident.

The blooming season in Hawaii has long since passed for some flowering plants and trees.

Even so, one can easily worry about contracting COVID-19 while riding in taxis, at the airports, or while on airplanes. None of this is easy. None of this is fun. But, we cannot stay any longer in strict confinement when on January 12th, it will have been almost ten months.

We can only maintain a glimmer of hope that all will transpire as planned and that we’ll arrive at our blissful destination, full of hope, joyful anticipation, and plenty of excitement.

The bananas in the yard grow bigger each day, soon ready for picking.

A heartfelt thanks to so many of our family/friends/readers for all of the encouragement and support we received on social media, through email, and comments on our site. We appreciate every one of YOU!!!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 1, 2019:

One year ago, we arrived in Nevada to visit family. Son, Richard is a Vegas Golden Knight’s superfan when he had this mural painted on a wall in his backyard pool area. We’re looking forward to attending a game with him on December 8th. For more, please click here.

Day #242 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Where else could we go?…Favorite Costa Rica photos…

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View of Atenas from our veranda in Atenas, Costa Rica.

Today’s photos are from our post on this date in 2017 while living in a gorgeous home in Atenas, Costa Rica. For more details, please click here.

While reviewing photos from past posts on this date, I stopped looking when I found these from 2017 while we spent four months at the luxurious villa, La Perla, in the sleepy little town of Atenas, Costa Rica. The still-active listing for this fabulous holiday home may be found here.

This is a Rufous-naped Wren sitting atop the African Tulip Tree, captured from the veranda.

Recently, we contacted our friends, the owners, Bev and Sam out of sheer curiosity. Could we return to this property for 90 days to wait while more borders opened up, allowing us to continue on our travels thereafter? Surely, it would be a much better situation than we’re in now!

Unfortunately, it’s impossible for us to commit to a property at this point when we have no idea when we’d be able to fly out of India when international flights out of here limited to only a few locations, all of which, at this point are other locations in India and a few countries we aren’t interested in visiting. That doesn’t do us any good.

Frog visitor on the bumper of the rental car while at Supermercado Coopeatenas.

From this news story, flights that are available at this time, are as follows:

“India has entered into “bilateral air bubble agreements” with 18 countries. Under these agreements, two countries agree to operate direct passenger flights both ways in order to operate normal flights between them once things get back to normal after the pandemic.

Giant iguana at Zoo Ave.

The list of countries India has a travel bubble with is the US, the UK, Germany, France, the UAE, Maldives, Canada, Japan, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Bhutan, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Ukraine.

Traveling to Afghanistan from India can be done by Afghan nationals, Indian and foreign nationals with valid visas and passports, and the same for those traveling to India as mentioned by guidelines under the MHA. Similar criteria lie for Bahrain, Kenya, and Bhutan, Iraq, Japan, Maldives, Qatar, UK, USA, and Oman. The airline will have to finally ensure that there are no other travel restrictions for the people traveling under the particular visa permit before issuing their tickets and boarding passes.”

Stunning blooms, Pine Cone Ginger.

We could travel to Kenya but medical care there is horrific, making it unrealistic for us to return during the pandemic. We considered the Maldives but it wasn’t a good possibility due to poor medical care, only 30-day visas, and also very high prices for hotels and holiday homes, far beyond our budget.

The other countries don’t appeal to us due to political unrest, massive cases of COVID-19, poor medical care, and/or a lack of availability of the type of holiday homes we’d be interested in renting. We aren’t interested in traveling to Afghanistan, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, Bhutan, and Bahrain.

An Owl Butterfly we spotted in the courtyard with what appears to be a large eye to scare off predators.

We have three cruises booked in and around Japan in 2022 and would prefer to wait until that time when we’ll visit various ports of call and possibly stay in a holiday home for a period of time. Hopefully, by that time, we’ll be able to cruise again and the pandemic will be under control.

Mom and calf in the neighborhood.

This is the way that it is. We wait.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 20, 2019:

While in Minnesota last year, we stayed with friends Karen and Rich when their beautiful property was listed for sale and has since sold. They are moving to a warmer climate. For more photos, please click here.

Sorry folks, no pig photo, no safari luck…Favorite photos continue…

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Often, cows and bulls are depicted in Hindu temples.

I really don’t know where to begin. After all these years of travel and our share of trials and tribulations, these past days have presented a series of events unusual from anything we’ve ever experienced in the past.

First of all, we are safe. We were frustrated but safe. Currently, at noon on Friday, March 20, 2020, we are back from the Mumbai Airport at the hotel with a view of the Arabian Sea, from our modern and nicely appointed hotel room with great air-con, good WiFi (off and on at the moment) and excellent customer service.
“Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Dedicated to one of the forms of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati that is Arulmigu Kapleeswar and Karpagambal respectively, the temple should be on the top position of your list of temples to visit.

We’re safe, basically quarantined by choice. With few guests in the hotel and us, our infection risks are relatively low, especially now that India is banning all international flights, incoming and outgoing, beginning in the next 24 hours.

This morning South Africa refused to let us in when we were at check-in at the airport in Mumbai. The reps called South Africa’s immigration to verify if we could enter the country before we were allowed to board the flight. No one, not just us, who is traveling from any country with a single case of Covid-19, can enter South Africa today.
This hall at the temple site is used for weddings, arranged marriage meetings, relaxation, and prayer.

With most countries banning foreign nationals from crossing their borders, there was no country that we could escape to. They suggested we return “home.” That doesn’t work for us based on our circumstances… We don’t have a home. 

Nor did we want to travel to any airports in the US when there were over 13,900 cases in the US as of five hours ago, many of them as a result of travel. Based on my high-risk status, entering one of those airports made no sense to us.
A moonlit evening on the beach.

Within moments of hearing this final result, we stopped for a few minutes to discuss our options. They were few. Staying in Mumbai, for now, made the most sense when no countries would accept us, except for the US, where we didn’t want to go. We began to make our way, with the loaded trolley, a long distance to a taxi stand, and then, the worst part of the morning ensued. 

We had to prepay at a kiosk for a taxi, asking for a van. A small car doesn’t work for us. We took our prepaid ticket to door #1 to find a small van, and I mean miniature, that was somehow supposed to be able to fit our luggage.
A variety of trinkets for sale.

Miraculously, the determined driver loaded the heavy bags atop the vehicle onto a luggage rack. Now, we’d hope and pray nothing would fall off onto the roadway. The seat belts and air con didn’t work, and mosquitos were flying around our heads. I was bitten several times.

Then, in our exhausted state, due to little sleep from getting up at 2:00 am, the driver got lost and couldn’t find our hotel. He spoke no English, and when he stopped several times to ask his taxi cronies where the hotel was located, they shook their heads. They didn’t have a clue either.

St. Thomas Church in Chennai.

With the mosquito bites, our clothes sticking to us, being jerked around in the rickety vehicle, we had to focus on staying calm. I brought up “Maps” on my phone and attempted to teach the driver two words, “right” and “left.” After a highly stressful hour, we finally made it back to the hotel, hot, sweaty, bitten, and tired.

It was close to 6:00. When the hotel manager arrived, we made a “deal” with him on the room price (we moved to a pool/ocean view room), a discount on dinners, and of course, breakfast included.
It was a cloudy day, but we still enjoyed seeing the colorful sculptures.

But now, situated in this lovely hotel on the ocean in Mumbai, we’ve resigned ourselves to a self-imposed quarantine and have decided to make the best of it. Pools and bars aren’t allowed to be open in India right now, nor can one swim in the dangerous waters of the Arabian Sea.

Instead, we’ll make ourselves comfortable, doing what everyone else is doing; reading books on our phones, watching movies and tv series, and in our case, and on the cooler days, walking on the beach. It’s hot here now.

Although it wasn’t very crowded, there were always many visitors to the famous Chennai temples.

I called Louise and sadly explained we won’t be arriving tomorrow. But, when things change, and restrictions are removed, we hope to head to South Africa. Hopefully, we’ll have a pig photo to post at that time, and the dreaded virus will long have run its course.

No “final expenses” for India will be posted at this time. Expenses are not final yet and, based on current circumstances, will continue to accrue.

Photo from one year ago today, March 20, 2019:

The helmeted guinea-fowls have been gone a few months.  They returned with many chicks in tow yesterday, teaching them how to “steal” pellets from warthogs.  As annoying as they can be, it was delightful to see their offspring. Take care, my friends. For more photos, please click here.

We made it to Mumbai…13 hours until we return to the airport…Broken suitcase dilemma…

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While traveling on the historic Toy Train through the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains, the train stopped for a food break at this quaint station.

It’s Thursday, March 19th. In 14 hours, at 3:00 am, we’ll be picked up by a driver to return to the Mumbai Airport, which we left only hours ago. We barely slept last night after the late arrival at our hotel, and tonight after dinner, we’ll try to get some sleep before the 2:15 am wake-up call.

When we’d originally arrived in Mumbai, security at the airport had broken the zipper on our third checked bag. With no way to repair it, we left it behind, crammed with “stuff” for the hotel to hold for us until we returned. 
 

We couldn’t purchase a new bag until we arrived in Mumbai since we’d have to pay excess baggage fees to bring it with us. We’ve had no choice but to go out today to purchase a new bag. 

The first palace we visited on tour from the Maharajas Express was the City Palace, also known as the Shiv Niwas Palace.

The hotel manager told us some luggage shops are still open in the area in light of the Covid-19 fears, and soon we’ll get a tuk-tuk to take us to a few nearby luggage shops.

But first, we’ll see if we can locate a bag and the cost. We’d make an effort to unload most of our rupees, but now, if they don’t accept a credit card, we’ll also have to go to an ATM to pay for the bag. We don’t want to be left with rupees when we soon depart.

What an unusual seat!

The two flights from Madurai to Mumbai (via Chennai) were packed with face-masked travelers. We both wore masks throughout the flights for the first time, although we realized it’s not a 100% guarantee of safety from the virus.

We wiped down the armrests, tray table, and seat belt buckles with the Clorox wipes I’ve been carrying in a plastic bag. They sure have come in handy. Every hour or so, we used hand sanitizer and a few times, went to the bathroom, and washed our hands with soap and water. What more could we have done?

View of the city from the palace in Udaipur.

Once we have the new bag, we’ll need to repack to distribute the weight properly to comply with Kenya Airways baggage restrictions. They allow two-23 kg (50 pounds) bags each which we can manage easily once we have the new pack.

I can’t wait to have this new bag thing over with to allow a little time to relax before tonight and tomorrow’s big travel challenge. We’re still uncertain if we’ll be able to get into South Africa, let alone change planes in Nairobi, before we even arrive in SA.

Gold was often used in creating artifacts in palaces.

Update:  It’s now almost 2:00 pm, and we recently returned from a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride through traffic to a Luggage World store (go figure). We easily found a “Swiss (army knife people) 26” bag in bright yellow for IDR 7000, US $93.25. We prefer unusual colors in bags, making them easier to spot on the carousel. They accepted a credit card, and we didn’t have to go to an ATM.

We took everything out of the old supply bag, threw several items, and packed the new one, which now meets baggage regulations. Our other bags are packed for leaving in the middle of the night tonight after leaving out comfortable clothes and shoes for the long journey. 

At the nightly closing of the border ceremony between India and Pakistan, the Border Security Force members were aligned and ready to perform.

Whew! That was labor-intensive after only a few hours of sleep! The rest of the day, we can chill, avoiding any naps so we’ll be able to fall asleep after dinner. I’d intended to do the final expenses for our time in India, but I think I’ll save it for the 12-hour layover in Kenya, during which I’ll prepare and upload tomorrow’s post. 
Well, folks, the next time you hear from us (tomorrow), hopefully, will be from the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. And after that, may safari luck be with us, from Marloth Park, South Africa. If you first see a pig as the primary photo on March 22nd, you’ll know we’ve arrived!!!

The 108 foot Lord Hanuman at the Jakhoo Temple in Shimla.

Stay safe. Wash your hands. Don’t touch surfaces. Stay far away from others, if you can. And somehow, enjoy this quiet time doing things you may have wanted to do for a long time but never had the time.

Thanks again for all of the good wishes. We’ll be thinking of all of you.

Photo from one year ago today, March 19, 2019:

Mom and three babies.  The fourth baby who’d been missing for several days never reappeared. For more photos, please click here.

The challenge of getting out of India continues…More favorite photos, some never posted…

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On the last night of the Maharajas Express, we were all assisted in dressing in traditional Indian attire. 

The single most important thing we can do right now is to stay calm by reminding ourselves that being safe is of the utmost importance and that being uncomfortable and inconvenienced is of little significance in the realm of things.

We’re bracing ourselves for the next several days. It won’t be easy. This we know for sure. This experience is not foddering an excellent story to post or adding interest to our 7½ year world journey. All of us are facing challenges during these difficult times.

We never imagined we’d see the Taj Mahal. And yet, that morning in the haze and pollution, it lay before our eyes in its entire splendor.

Whether it’s being cooped up in one’s home for weeks (or more) to come wondering how to get groceries when many market shelves are bare in the US and other countries or, wondering if there are “germs” on the snail mail, the newspaper, or even the paltry foodstuffs one has managed to acquire.
No, this isn’t easy for anyone. Nor is being confined to one’s home accessible in itself, even if all necessary supplies are on hand, sufficient for weeks to come. The news on TV is disheartening (we don’t watch), and the worldwide information on our devices is also frightening and worrisome.

Exquisite decor in ancient palaces and temples.

We know many who’ve lost their jobs. Many small businesses will fail in the weeks to come. Many are fast losing the value of their savings, their retirement funds, and other assets. 

Thus, as we share our tale over these next several days until hopefully we reach South Africa, never for one moment do we imply this dreadful scenario is any harder for us than for all of you. We are all in this together, although it may manifest differently based on one’s circumstances.

The locals are doing their laundry in Lake Pichola, but no laundry soaps are allowed. Nor are fishing and private boats permitted on the lake.

We’ve decided to share the details of the challenges we’re facing, moment by moment, day by day, as they occur. We may upload more than one post in a day or none if we have no access to WiFi somewhere along the journey, which easily could happen during these times. Please check back. 

Whether we attempted to return to the US or travel to any other country, we’d be facing these challenges. Many flights are being canceled and changed, as has been the case for us. Chaos at airports is rampant, and we’ll witness that first-hand today and again in two days when we can hopefully leave India for South Africa.

Several castles are located in or near the artificial lakes in Udaipur.

We’ve been cooped up in hotels for about a week, having suspended any more tours in India. It’s certainly not surprising we lost interest in sightseeing a week ago when our cruise from Mumbai was canceled in light of what was going on. We knew at that point that everything was about to change and, it has.

Taking the risk of visiting crowded temples and other sightseeing venues was foolhardy. We informed our driver Raj, who waits for us in the vehicle in the parking lot of a hotel, that the tours were done. 

A snake charmer, an expected site to see in India.

Imagine him sleeping in the van, wondering how his family is doing in Chennai, anxious to return home. Tonight after he drops us off at the Madurai airport, he can begin the long journey home.

Our flight from Madurai was scheduled to depart at 4:00 pm today. A short time ago, we received a call from the agency that the flight had been canceled, and we are re-booked on a flight leaving Madurai at 8:00 pm tonight.

There are numerous stunning places in Udaipur.

They arranged a 4:00 pm checkout at this hotel. They suggested we wait in the lobby to leave for the airport at 5:00 pm. The lobby isn’t air-conditioned, and it will be hot in with the temperature expected to be 99F (37C). 

We’ve decided to have Raj take us to the airport early. We’d rather wait there in air-conditioned comfort than sweat it out in the lobby. Plus, going early allows him to begin the 8-hour drive back to his home in Chennai.

We visited countless numbers of forts while in Rajasthan.

Last night, before going to dinner (we were the only guests in the restaurant), we received a text and email from Kenya Airways that the second leg of the three-leg journey to South Africa had been canceled. 

However, they moved us to a later flight requiring a 12-hour layover in Nairobi, which will result in a red-eye beginning at 12:30 am (to us). At that point, we’ll have been up for 21 hours. If all goes well, we should arrive in Nelspruit sometime in the morning. 

The fantastic chef on the train, John Stone, assured me all my meals would be perfect.

We canceled the overnight stay in Nelspruit while waiting for the rental car agencies to open in the morning. In the tiny airport, they don’t open until 7:00 am.

Where we’ll encounter the most challenging part of this long journey will most likely be in Johannesburg, South Africa, when we go through immigration. It’s there that our entry will be accepted or denied. So far, India is not on the “high-risk” list, which looks good for us, as long as that doesn’t change in the next 48 hours.

Dancers at the dunes in the desert as we lounged enjoying beverages, snacks, and the show on an outing from the Maharajas Express.

So far, India has 138 cases. Adding to South Africa’s high-risk category today (no entry allowed), France has over 1200 cases. We hold our breath to see how this rolls out in the next few days.

If the number of India cases increases exponentially while we’re traveling, we’ll be turned away at Johannesburg to fly somewhere else on our dime. We have no choice but to discuss some options.

We were situated on the comfy seating in the sand as we watched the entertainment at the dunes.

If we ever needed “safari luck,” it’s now. It takes on an entirely new meaning during this crisis. At this point, we’re uncertain as to where we’ll be a week from now. If we’re able to make it into Marloth Park, we’ll be very grateful. But, if we don’t… As always, we’ll figure it out from there.

Be well. Be safe. All of you, travel with us in heart and spirit! Thank you for all your well wishes.

Photo from one year ago today, March 18, 2019:

Wildebeest Willie often makes eye contact, often with only one eye, as indicated in this photo.  Wildebeest’s eyes are far apart on either side of his head.  He loves for me to talk to him. How do I know this?  He won’t begin eating a single pellet until I’ve finished talking to him.  For more photos, please click here.

The waiting game continues…Tomorrow, we fly out of Madurai to Mumbai…Three days and counting…

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We took a detour to see this temple in Tanjore known as the “Big Temple” since the name is long and difficult for people to remember…”Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Dedicated to one of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s forms, Arulmigu Kapleeswar, and Karpagambal, respectively.

Tomorrow, at 1:30 pm, we check out the lovely Regency Hotel in Madurai to head to the airport for our 4:05 flight to Mumbai. It’s only a two-hour flight, and finally, after a one-hour drive from the airport, we’ll arrive at our last destination in India, again the beautiful beachside hotel, the Sun-N-Sand, where we’ll spend two nights.

Today, the hotel printed our tickets and visa waivers for South Africa, allowing us to re-enter the country after our previous overstay after I had surgery last February. But, the question remains, will they let us, US citizens, enter the country, even though we’re arriving from the extended stay in India?

This temple is over 1000 years old.

South Africa now has a ban prohibiting entry from the US along with other countries as follows:

  • China
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Iran
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America

We’ll only know the answer to that once we arrive at the immigration station in Johannesburg as we await the next leg of our journey, the flight to Nelspruit, our final stop before driving to Marloth Park, the following day.

This pandemic is taking its toll on people worldwide, as evidenced by one awful news report after another. Sure, a portion may be highly sensationalized. But, the reality remains, this has an impact on people and economies throughout the world. 

No place, no one, is exempt from feeling the impact of the changes that will transpire in the days, weeks, and months to come. We ask ourselves how it will impact our continuing travels, and at this point, we aren’t sure. 

This view reminded us a little about entering the Lost City of Petra in 2013.

All we know at this point is that we’ll make every effort to stay safe, avoiding crowds and following strict sanitation protocols every day of our lives, not only now but in time to come.

In heading to one of our favorite places globally, with no cases of the virus in Marloth Park, we aren’t prepared to avoid seeing our friends in small groups. They are some of the most considerate people globally and wouldn’t go out if they felt unwell or exhibited any symptoms that could indicate Covid-19.
The beautiful beach scene at the Ideal Beach Resort in Mahabalipuram. We particularly enjoyed this resort.

After our arrival, we’ve already made some social plans and will continue to use good judgment for each social occasion. In any case, we won’t be attending any large functions, which all appear to have been canceled.

Our biggest outing will be grocery shopping, and we’re bringing along hand sanitizer to use for the grocery cart and making a point of staying at least 10 feet from any other shoppers if possible. This may require shopping at odd hours of the day and night, which we’ll do.
The colorful temples in Chennai were breathtaking to see. “Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Dedicated to one of the forms of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati that is Arulmigu Kapleeswar and Karpagambal respectively, the temple should be on the top position of your list of temples to visit.”

When driving from Nelspruit to Marloth Park on Saturday morning, we will have to stop in Malalane to purchase some grocery items from the local Spar Market. There’s no way we can avoid this step along the way.

The newly added pool area at Ravla Khempur is known as the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, where the popular movie was filmed. This was a favorite tour during our travels in India.

Also, it’s summer in Africa, and the most important purchase will be mosquito repellent to protect us from malaria. Last year, the wife of a lovely couple passed away from a rare type of malaria in Marloth Park. We will be especially cautious.

The nightly evening ceremony on the Ganges River (known as the Ganga to Hindus).

As winter begins, the temperatures will cool in a few months, and there will be fewer mosquitoes. However, we’ll continue to use repellent, especially since we’ll spend most of our days and nights outdoors on the veranda waiting for animal friends to stop by.

All of my fantasizing could be a moot point if we run into trouble entering South Africa in three days. We promise to update all of our readers as soon as we arrive in Nelspruit on Friday night with a short post. We’ll be exhausted from getting up at 3:00 am for our flight so indeed it won’t contain all the details until the next day.
The leading cremation site on the Ganges River, seen while on an old wood rowboat on the river during the early morning ceremonies.

Today, we continue with some new and favorite photos, and tomorrow’s post will only include favorite images. We’ll post the final expenses for our entire tour of India, including the Maharajas Express Train, in Thursday’s post.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. We pray for the recovery of those with the virus and their loved ones. For those who’ve lost the battle, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to their loved ones.

Photo from one year ago today, March 17, 2019:

Mom and Baby bushbuck searching for pellets Tom tossed into the garden. For more photos, please click here.

Travel day…Holding our breath…Three days until we’re back in Mumbai..Today is the 8th anniversary of when we began posting…

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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.

Today, we were on the move again, a three-hour drive from Trichy to Madurai, from which, in three days, we’ll fly back to Mumbai. From there, two nights in the same hotel where we first stayed when we arrived in India on January 31st while awaiting the Maharajas Express weeklong train journey.

With so many flight cancellations, there’s no doubt we are a little apprehensive about our flight taking off and that we’re able to get into South Africa, whereas yet, there are no travel bans. A lot can happen in the next five days.
Festival in the street. “Meena Sankranti is an important Hindu festival observed on the auspicious occasion of the sun’s transition from Pisces to Aries. Known as Meena Sankramanam in South India, the festival will be celebrated on March 14 (Saturday), 2020, all over India. Celebrating a Sankranti is often marked with the donation of various things. According to specific personal needs, they people celebrate the event at the onset of every month. Some Indian states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala observe the occasion during the beginning of each month. In contrast, states like West Bengal celebrate the festival during the latter half of the month.”

The news throughout the world is alarming as more and more cases crop up. Now the US is listed as a “travel ban country’ along with Italy, UK, and many European countries. This is one of those scenarios where you can “run, but you can’t hide.” Few countries are free of this plight.

As an avid enthusiast of science fiction and futuristic movies, I easily recall many movies I’ve watched about pandemics, horrified by the prospects and yet curious to see how it rolled out. And, here we are now, it feels as if we’re living in one of those movies, and we’re the crazy travelers trying to figure out what to do.

We’re confident heading back to Marloth Park is an intelligent choice. But, getting there might be dicey. Lots of people and cramped quarters on three flights with people around us coughing and sneezing makes us a little nervous. 
The festival continued along the road.

Yes, while in Arizona, we did purchase heavy-duty military-grade face masks, not for Covid-19 at the time, but for the pollution in India. Now that we already have them, despite any criticism we may experience, we’ll be wearing them on the flights. 

At this point, we can’t care what other people think when seeing us in the masks. We care about our safety in crowded, potentially dangerous situations. Airports and airplanes are the worst offenders at any time, let alone during this pandemic.

At this point, we’re anxious to get back to Mumbai, repack our bags, and prepare for the long travel day. Once again, we’ll have to get up at 3:00 am to make the 6:30 am to make the first leg from Mumbai to Nairobi. The drive to the airport is usually only about 30 minutes, with traffic lighter than early in the day.

There were dozens of participants.

Upon awakening, Tom reminded me that today is the 8th anniversary since we began our first post on March 15, 2012. If you didn’t have an opportunity to read that first post, please click here.

It’s hard to wrap our brains around the fact that we have done this for eight years. In the beginning, there was only a new story every two or three days. By 2013, we’ve been preparing a report with photos every day since except power outages, WiFi connection issues, and when I was hospitalized.

Today’s post is #2774! If someone had asked me to commit to writing a new story every day during this period, I would have stated it wasn’t possible to commit to such a task. 

A small band was leading the procession.

But, dear readers, as the years have passed, it’s become more accessible and easier. Tom always jokes about my lack of “writer’s block,” but I must admit I never have a problem with the content of the new day’s story. The words seem to flow from my fingers as opposed to my brain.  

And yes, many times, our stories are mundane and boring and, our photos are blurry and of little significance, but somehow we continue. Yes, I make typos, spelling, and spacing errors, although I use an app to help make corrections. And Also, Tom proofreads every day as he “fact checks” everything I write.

He tends to remember finite details where I am often distracted by searching for good photo ops of our surroundings, trying to imagine which photos would most appeal to our readers. Sometimes we’re right. Sometimes we’re wrong. It’s always a work in progress.

As I write here now, we’ve arrived at the lovely Regency Hotel in Madurai where we’ll stay for the next three days. At this point, we have little interest in sightseeing with all the crowds everywhere. 

Indian music is quite beautiful.

Most likely, we’ll spend our days at the hotel working online and our evenings relaxing with a glass of wine for me or a cocktail for Tom and then off for what we hope will be a nice dinner. We’ll report back.

Beginning tomorrow and over the next four days, until we depart for South Africa, we’ll be posting many photos we’ve yet to share, along with some favorite photos.
 
Once we arrived in Marloth Park on Saturday, we’ll begin to share the many wonders of this magical place. We won’t be in the Orange house until it’s available on May 1 (or sooner if other bookings cancel), but we have no doubt plenty of “visitors” will stop by to say hello, both the human and animal kind.
 
We can’t wait to be there, feeling safer, with groceries stocked, plenty of pellets on hand, our bags unpacked, and a camera in hand ready to capture the wonder. And then, our friends…

Be well. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, March 15, 2019:

We were thrilled to see the return of a mating pair of hornbills. For more photos, please click here.

We arrived in Chennai…Food issues…Another long travel day with a few worrisome moments…

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This blind priest prays in this position all day, standing outside the  Eklingi Temple. As a functioning temple, no photos are allowed. Silver was used in embellishing the interior, and it was stunning.

Yesterday at 1:00 pm, our driver, Vishnu, picked us at the hotel in Udaipur to begin the harrowing drive to the airport for our 4:00 pm flight on Indigo Air with an expected arrival time Chennai after changing planes in Bangalore.

The first flight was relatively smooth. No food is served on Indigo Air unless pre-ordered and paid for online, although the flight attendants will serve coffee/tea and nuts for a fee during the flight.
We’re always in awe of the detailed carvings, many of which require decades of diligent work to complete.

Since my breakfasts are somewhat skimpy due to a lack of foods I can eat other than eggs in one form or another, I was hungry and thirsty by 5:00 pm when the flight was in the air, and the flight attendants began serving.

I ordered a small bag of almonds and a cup of green tea, enough to hold me for a few hours until we’d expect to arrive at our hotel in Chennai, sometime after 9:30 pm. There’s nothing I can eat at the airport stands that are available after we’ve gone through security.
Every carving has a special meaning.

No doubt, food has been an issue for both of us in India. Don’t get me wrong, I love Indian food, although most dishes are laden with thickened sauces, lentils, and potatoes, none of which works for my way of eating.

Sacred cows were kept safely on the grounds of the temple.

Tom, on the other hand, is struggling more than I am. He won’t even try most Indian dishes when his taste buds don’t allow for heavily seasoned or spicy foods. If spices are left out of most words, they become bland.

Generally, there are other visitors when we visit temples.

He doesn’t eat dark meat. For example, he’s ordered plain chicken, but pieces of dark meat are often cut into smaller pieces with the bones. The chicken appears to be boiled and, without the Indian sauces and spices, doesn’t appeal even to my less picky tastes. 

Nagda Temple is not a functioning temple, but the Gods contained therein are attended to daily. They are symbolically brought food, flower offerings, and bathed each day. No visitors are allowed when the Gods are sleeping.

We’ve yet to see white chicken breast offered as the main dish option. We’ve asked, but they don’t seem to know what that is. It’s a cultural thing. We keep reminding ourselves we are in a unique culture and what they eat is different from what we know.

Many Gods are represented in artfully crafted stone and marble.

Vegetarian dishes are out for Tom, although he’s ordered vegetarian fried rice and potatoes on several occasions. The reality is, we are making the best of it, somehow not starving and filling up on foods that do work for us.

I order omelets for breakfast each day. Tom has eggs and toast, enough of each to fill him up. There’s no bacon, no ham, no meat side dish of some type. Dinners are challenging when most are buffets with literally nothing I can eat and nothing Tom will eat.
A ceiling in one of the temples.

Anyway, when our first flight was 30 minutes late taking off, we were worried we wouldn’t make the second flight with only a one-hour layover. We checked out flights online only to discover there were no flights from Bangalore to Chennai after our scheduled flight at 7:30 pm. 

If we missed the connecting flight, we’d have to spend the night at the airport until the first flight in the morning. What a dreadful thought that was. As we rushed to our gate at the second airport, having to take a bus from the plane to the terminal, we thought we were going to miss it.
Many God sculptures in temples have been pillaged over the centuries. And yet, the Hindu people still treat the temple with the same symbolism and respect, as if they were still there.

As it turned out, when we arrived at the appropriate gate, we discovered the connecting flight was delayed by 45 minutes. Relief! We could sit back and relax until it was time to go.

Once in Chennai, our new driver Raj explained he would be with us on all tours and road trips until March 29th. He sleeps in the nicely appointed SUV, which, much to our delight, even has WiFi, which will be great on the long road trips. 
Tom takes a photo of me taking a photo of one of several beautiful temples.

We couldn’t believe Raj sleeps in the car, but apparently, other drivers and guides in India do the same. I’ve yet to ask him where he’ll shower and do his laundry. I assure you I will ask and report back here.

The temple structures were made of marble which is abundant in India, but over the years, the white color has changed to this light brown coloring.

When we arrived in Chennai at the most peculiar hotel, the Ibis City Centre, at 9:30, it made no sense to have dinner that late. Tom wasn’t hungry. I was starved. He explained he’d sit with me if I wanted dinner. There was nothing on the menu that appealed to me. Thus, I passed on eating and went to bed in our (as stated above), the most peculiar hotel.

These massive pillars remain along with these 400-year-old temples.

As for the peculiar hotel, it’s clean, friendly, and ultra-modern, circa the 1990s, with lots of colorful molded chairs and black lacquered tables. There isn’t a single bit of evidence that we’re are in India, anywhere in the entire facility. It has the fastest WiFi signal we’ve had anywhere in India, so that helps.
We’ll leave again tomorrow for another road trip to our following location, which we’ll share once we arrive. Tomorrow, March 7th, will be our 25th wedding anniversary, and we’re excited to spend it overlooking the sea in a gorgeous traditional Indian hotel.

We met this lovely French woman, Stephanie, a yoga instructor who’d come to India with many of her students. After chatting across tables at dinner, we invited her to sit with us, and a lively conversation ensued. We are always so delighted to meet beautiful people like Stephanie in our travels.

This morning we visited some temples, unlike anything we’d seen so far, reminding us of our visit to Singapore in 2016. More on that tomorrow while we prepare the day’s post in the WiFi-enabled vehicle on our way to the following location.

This is such a good experience for us, unlike anything we’ve done in the past almost 7½ years, which we’ll carry with us into the future, God willing, a long and healthy lot… For YOU, too!

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

Little came looking for me, wondering why I hadn’t been sitting outdoors after the primary surgery as I’d usually done. Oh, Little, you put such a smile on my face. For more photos, please click here.

Arrived in Udaipur after a 16 hour travel day…The latest tiger photos are delayed…The pure joy of safari…

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We passed over many sprawling rivers in Kanha National Park.

Note: We’d intended to post the new tiger photos today, but apparently, our order for the camera-to-computer adapter from Amazon India didn’t get delivered. Subsequently, we’re posing other safari photos and will get caught up as soon as it arrives. Thanks for your patience.

By the time we arrived at our hotel in Udaipur, the Fateh Sagar Lake Hotel, it was already 8:30 pm. We’d left the Tuli Tiger Resort at 4:30 am. As expected, we were greeted by a tour guide at the layover point in Mumbai, who drove us to the next terminal and again by yet another tour guide at the airport when we arrived in Udaipur. 

The beauty in Kanha National Park is breathtaking.

This personalized service is slick. We never have to figure out where to go and how we’ll get there. It is all arranged for us, included in our Indi tour package with Tailormade Journeys. Rajiv has done a fine job covering each step of the way. From time to time, we have questions that are responded to quickly and efficiently.

On the first of two flights, I ordered a small container of almonds and a cup of tea. Tom never ate a thing. We’d planned to go to dinner upon arrival, but after being so tired, we decided to go to bed and hopefully sleep by 10:00 pm. For the first time in a long time, I slept through the night. Tom awoke several times but also managed to get sufficient sleep to feel refreshed today.

A pair of Sambar deer.

The included breakfast is served at the hotel’s restaurant, and we both looked forward to a hearty meal to start the day. Although we can’t get bacon or any facsimile, we usually eat lots of eggs with veggies for me and eggs and toast for Tom. It fills us for the day.

The hotel in Udaipur isn’t as plush as we’d expected. Still, it has a view of Sagar Lake, and our room is spacious, clean, and well-appointed with everything we need: good WiFi, air-con, comfortable bed, and good plug-ins for our adapters and converters.

The bulky gaur, a rare type of buffalo.

The hotel reminds me of those I’d visited in years past, which was historic with 1930s decor. We’re pretty OK here. We’re staying in Udaipur for four nights total, and on Thursday, March 5th, we’ll head to Chennai. In the interim, we’ll be visiting points of interest in Udaipur and surrounding areas starting today at noon. We’ll share photos and stories of those visits over the next few days.

But today, we wanted to wrap up our final safari experiences, including the last sighting of a tiger in Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh (there are 28 states in India and eight union territories).

Many people live within the national park in modest houses such as this.

At the moment, we’re awaiting the arrival of the SD card adapter. Once it arrives from Amazon India, I’ll download the photos from the camera, which contains all the final safari photos.

On the last day in Kanha, I went on both the morning and the afternoon game drives on my own. Tom felt a little under the weather and is fine now, but he wasn’t quite up to bouncing around in the safari vehicle for 10 hours.

As I sat alone in the center seat of the safari vehicle’s three rows of seats (including one row for the driver and the naturalist) with a park representative in the third row), I felt comfortable and at ease. I had three professional guides to focus on finding a tiger, and all I had to do was balance myself on the outrageously bumpy roads and take photos when we spotted something.

A peacock was searching for a mate.

Of course, my eyes were peeled on the surroundings, hoping to spot the familiar stripes of yet another tiger. Yet, it was almost equally exciting finding other exciting species such as those we’ve included in today’s photos.

Once the safari ended, I found Tom waiting for me in the lobby, where he stayed and worked on his laptop in my absence. It was great to see him, but I felt liberated and pleased with going on safari by myself.
 
After my long and difficult recovery, it felt good to be independent for a day after a year of Tom’s thoughtful and generous hovering. I’d managed to get in and out of the safari vehicle independently without him or anyone spotting me, which requires cautious maneuvering to avoid injury.
Sambar deer on the side of the road.

We didn’t sleep more than four hours on the last night in Kanah, and after the long travel day, I was exhausted last night. The substantial bouncing for 10-hours left me a little stiff and sore, but not unlike the feeling after a good and healthful workout. Today, I feel like new.
Today, we headed out on a much-anticipated exciting tour in Udaipur, details of which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post.

Have a fantastic Monday! We’ll be thinking of YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, March 2, 2020:

This adorable female kudu is suffering from TB, as indicated by the tumor on the left side of her face. For more, please click here.

Travel day…Amritsar to Varanasi…Two flights with layover…Excitement at the India-Pakistan border…

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The soldier prepared for the big event.

As I write here now, it’s during our original two-hour layover in Delhi. After the first flight on Vistara Airline (owned by Singapore Airlines) was late by 40 minutes, the wait to board was dramatically reduced.

We boarded the flight 35 minutes after check-in at the airport, so my choice was to rush through today’s post or try to finish this tonight after dinner. Since we didn’t arrive at our hotel in Varanasi until around 7:00 pm, I tried to rush through to get this post uploaded so we could have a less hurried evening and leisurely dinner, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

The bleachers were packed with enthusiastic Indians.

With our driver Prince arriving at our hotel in Amritsar at 9:30 am to take us to the airport (our last contact with him), we wanted to have breakfast in the hotel after we’d packed everything and were ready to go.

At 9:40, the van was loaded with our bags, and we were on our way to the Amritsar International Airport. We were arriving two hours before our flight left plenty of time to kill.

Note the headdress o the performers/soldiers.

We met a lovely Indian couple who now live in Australia and visiting family in India. The lively conversation with this particular couple made the time fly while we awaited our flight. Before we knew it, we were boarding the first of the two flights.

I’d preferred to spend more time preparing today’s post about the exciting visit to the India/Pakistan border ceremonies. Still, this schedule is the “nature of the beast,” as we spend two hectic months of travel through India, staying in each new location for two or three days.

Aligned and ready to perform.

Is this pace tiring us? Surprisingly, it’s not. Sightseeing for one or two days with one day of rest in between is working perfectly for us. We’re rested, well-fed, and enthusiastic as we continue.

This is not to say we’d do a tour such as this again. This scenario in India is unique. Most likely, such an extended private tour such as this in any other country would far exceed the cost we paid for these extra 55-days over and above the Maharajas Express seven-day tour through India. 

The crowds roared, particularly from the Indian side.

Below is information regarding the extraordinary experience we had been a part of the electrified festivities. 

The Indian people are dedicated to protecting their borders, evidenced by their loud and enthusiastic participation during the ceremonies, dancing, chanting, and reciting their national expressions of love and patriotism to their country.

The soldier lined up to perform their classic high kicks.

We couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces during the almost two hours we sat in the tiered seating in the bright sun in the VIP/foreigner’s seats, only about eight rows up from the performance.

Unfortunately, my photos aren’t as good as I would have liked. The sun was in my eyes, and it was impossible to see the subjects of the photos. I could only point and click.

Military police from either side of the border.

Now, as I write again, we’ve arrived at our hotel in Varanasi close to bedtime. The city is beyond description. We are sharing what we were able to come up with during the ceremonies. We’ll share details in the next few days.

Tomorrow, we have to be in the hotel lobby at 6:00 am tomorrow to head to the dock to board a boat for the Ganges River for the sunrise and more. We had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant. It’s not quite the caliber of the hotels we’ve stayed in so far in India, but we’ll make the best of it. 

Military guards protected the perimeter.

Time to wind down for the night. We’ll be back with more tomorrow. Hang tight. Thanks for traveling along with us.

Here’s information on the ceremonies:

“The lowering of the flags ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border is a daily military practice that the security forces of India (Border Security Force, BSF) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed since 1959. The drill is characterized by elaborate and rapid dance-like maneuvers and raising legs as high as possible, described as “colorful.” It is a symbol of the two countries’ rivalry, brotherhood, and cooperation between the two nations. Similar parades are organized at Mahavir/Sadqi border near Fazilka and Hussainiwala/Ganda Singh Wala border near Firozpur.”

Every eye in the stadium was focusing on these professionals.

We’re going to give this ultra-hard bed a try and see how we do. Nighty night to all!