A precious photo from a friend… Food prices in Marloth Park, an affordable place to live…

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Our new friend Ken also loves warthogs, as shown in his photo at his home in Marloth Park. Thanks, Ken for sharing this special moment. See, I’m not the only one that loves the warthogs in Marloth Park. These homely animals have adorable personalities making it possible to differentiate one from another, as they visit almost every day. The female in the background is on her knees eating pellets. As shown in the past, warthogs usually eat on their knees, adapted since birth with “built-in” callouses.

Not only is Marloth Park one of the most amazing places to live on the planet, but it is also surprisingly affordable. Based on our expenses to date, we expect to be under budget by US $2500, ZAR $26,620 for our three months here.

Most of the savings we’re seeing have been as a result of the reasonable cost of food, both at the grocery store, averaging at about US $150, ZAR $1597, per week and dining out two to three times per week at an average of US $30 per evening out including beverages, tax, and tips.

This small female warthog has been visiting with the huge camera-shy male who’s butt is to the left. She often stands looking at us, hoping for a pellet, while he stays back in the bush. They are always together. We’ve yet to determine their relationship since males leave the family unit once the female is impregnated. They may be courting, resulting in a rather long courtship. The impala in the rear was waiting to see what the warthog was going to do. 

Whether dining in or out, the cost is approximately the same. When budgeting for this 90 day period, we’d anticipated the remote location would result in higher food prices than most countries.  

Little did we know that the cost of food in South Africa would be affordable, as much as 50% less than we paid in the US. The produce is grown without pesticides, the meat is grass-fed and the chickens are free-range.

Duikers are loners. We’ve yet to see a baby, a pair, or a group.  Very shy, they rarely get close, preferring to observe us from afar.

Tom’s typical mixed drinks in most bars and restaurants, brandy and Sprite, are usually less than US $3.25, ZAR $34.61. My bottled water is usually US $1.13, ZAR $12. Tom says, “I can’t afford not to drink!” Two-liter bottles of a quality brandy at the local liquor store were priced at US $20.61, ZAR $220 including taxes. 

Since arriving in Marloth Park, we’ve purchased meat at the local meat market, The Butchery, next door to the Farmers Market where we buy our produce. It’s hard to believe the cost of these items. 

There are four packages of lean grass-fed ground beef in this batch, referred to as “mince” in Africa.  The total cost of these huge packages was US $17.23, ZAR $183.50. The forward huge T-bone steak is US $3.43, ZAR $36.47. In the rear of this photo is pork chops and lamb chops.  All of this meat will feed us for eight dinners, enough for two weeks considering our three-nights of dining out per week.

In browsing in a few local boutiques, we’ve found prices on clothing and accessories equally affordable. If we had room in our luggage, we’d most certainly purchase some much-needed items for our upcoming cruises in less than eight months.  

The total cost of meat for eight dinners for the two of us combined is US $37.04, ZAR $394.40, an average of US $4.63, ZAR $49.30 per dinner. Although the many familiar cuts of meat aren’t available, we’d been able to adapt quite easily.

Services are equally inexpensive as well.  Included in our rent is twice a week cleaning service. Zef, our house person, does a flawless job. Should we have wanted him for additional days beyond the included two times, the cost would be US $4.70, ZAR $50. He cleans the entire house and all three of the verandas and the pool.

As quickly as the mongoose moves about, making a delightful sound as they communicate with one another, it’s been difficult to take photos of multiples.  Yesterday, our yard was surrounded by a few dozen shy mongooses, happily chirping among themselves. They eat snakes making them welcomed visitors.

Our time in Marloth Park, including a few side trips, is proving to be more affordable than any country in which we’ve lived thus far. Add the beauty of the area and the ideal weather only hot a few months a year, temperate the remaining months. Of course, for us, the wildlife roaming freely around the house makes a return visit to Marloth Park in the future, rather tempting.

Impalas…70 to 80 in our yard… We observed quietly and still… Closeup video and photos…

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Even the little ones, learn to stand watch.

Please click here for interesting facts about Impalas.

Check out these touching photos of a lioness adopting an orphaned baby Impala…

Impalas are everywhere. Preferring open spaces, even at night, we saw them in huge numbers while on safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, and now in both Marloth Park and Kruger National Park, next door to one another.

“This is the most common antelope of the bushveld regions of South Africa. A very graceful, rufous-fawn antelope, with white underparts, measuring approximately 900mm at the shoulders. Rams weigh around 132 pounds, 60 Kg, and ewes, 88 pounds, 40 Kg. A black stripe extends from the top of the rump down the back of each thigh. The lower hind legs have glands beneath tufts of black hair. Only the rams have horns which are lyre-shaped, and reach a length of 27.56 inches, 700mm.”

Here’s our impala video that was taken on Friday, January 3, 2014.
With the numbers of them readily available it’s easy to take them for granted paying little attention when passing by. Very shy and cautious, they leap into the air, taking shelter, if humans or other wildlife approaches.
We had no alternative but to take the photos and video while seated on the veranda to avoid scaring off the Impalas.

Oddly, on the same day the giraffes visited on Friday for which we posted yesterday’s story, photos, and videos, the impalas arrived on the same day, just as the giraffes were wandering off.  

Our attention was torn between the two until we realized it wasn’t 10 or 15 impalas standing in front of our veranda across the driveway in the bush, it was 70 to 80 (we lost count). We couldn’t have been more excited. However, the reality of their skittishness made us whisper as to how we’d go about taking photos. We could easily determine which were assigned “watch duty.”

After we took these obstructed photos, we switched to taking the included video.

Tom was seated in his favorite Adirondack chair, somewhat behind me, without me blocking his view and I was seated at the table with a partially blocked view due to the protective railing on the veranda. It was impossible to stand, even with the least possible movement, or in a few seconds, they’d be gone.

Impalas have a keen eye, quick to spot a potential predator and to them, that may as well be us. Always keeping the camera within reach, requiring the least amount of movement, I gingerly managed to pick it up and take photos from my chair, albeit through the spaces in between the thick wood western-style railing.

The stripes on their rumps make it easy to determine they are impalas. Other species in the Antelope family look similar without the stripes.

As most of you photographers know, zooming in to a subject creates a ton of jittery action. With my unsteady bad, right shoulder, and no tripod, this is quite a challenge. They are moving constantly so I was at a disadvantage. The video was the only option. 

If I could zoom in enough to get between the railing, steadying my elbows on the table, with the least amount of movement, I could possibly get the video. Keep in mind, I am a neophyte with photography, having only made an effort to get good photos over the past eight months ago.  

We’d ordered the new camera, arriving in a box of supplies that we received at a UPS store on April 13, 2013, when our ship docked in Florida for one day. We were on a back-to-back cruise, taking a taxi to pick up the box. Once we opened the box for the camera, we put everything back inside, saying “We’ll do this later.” 

A single Duiker stopped by while the Impalas were here.

I was intimidated with all the instructions (I never read instructions) and parts and didn’t want to spoil the second part of the cruise caught up in technology. As it turned out, it wasn’t until May 2013 that I finally opened the box and inquired within, foregoing the use of the tiny Samsung Camera that had sufficed up to that point.

Intimidated as I was by cameras when we first left the US, we had foolishly believed that we could take photos using our new high tech Smartphones. Little did we know at the time how our readership would grow and how interested, we’d become in preserving our experiences.  

At a port of call in Mexico in early January, while still on our first cruise through the Panama Canal, we got off the ship to purchase the cheap pink Samsung camera (pink was all they had, like the pink car we have now) at a Walmart store walking distance from the pier.  

Even then, we thought the little camera would fulfill our needs. Ha! But only a few months later, as our interest peaked at taking photos (finally!) we knew it was time to upgrade.  

Any jittery aspects to my video taking are my own issue, the painful unsteady right shoulder (I’m right-handed) that tires quickly and painfully when holding up the camera. How we ever took 600 photos at the Masai Mara escapes me. I had to fashion a sling for my arm to wear for days after that glorious experience. “Safari luck” served us well when the shoulder didn’t become immobilized until we got back to our home in Diani Beach days later.  

While taking today’s included video of the Impalas, I held up until the last few seconds when I could no longer hold up the arm. Thus, the jittery end. In any case, we’re pleased to have been able to get what we did, seated, between the railing and free of any movement that could scare them off. 

They lingered for a half hour or so as we sat mesmerized by their gracefulness and beauty. In a flash, a distant sound startled them and they quickly began the trek through the yard, down the same worn path that most visitors seem to prefer when they decide they’re on their way to greener pastures.  

This path allows us one more distant peek at the visitors, as they wander single-file along the path. Finally, we stood up, un-kinking our stiff joints, all the while shaking our heads and reveling in yet another extraordinary day; giraffes, impalas, three videos (see yesterday’s post); over a period of only a few hours.

Having dined out many times in the past few weeks, we decided to prepare our meals over the weekend, but not without a trip to the Crocodile River for more, and more and more.

Tomorrow, we’ll share our itinerary for the upcoming 500+ days and details of a three-day trip we’ve booked from January 15th to January 18th to explore another amazing area in South Africa, touted as a “must-do” by those who live here.  

It will be hard to leave. But, we know it’s time to expand our horizons while living in this vast country of South Africa, which has proven to have much to offer.  

The giraffes graced us with another visit to our yard…Never imagined they would return…Videos..photos…

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Similar to the main photo in this post of December 14th, once again,we looked toward the driveway to discover giraffes coming our way. What a glorious sight!

On December 14, 2013, two weeks after arriving in Marloth Park, 12 magnificent Giraffes visited us in our yard as described in this post.  No words can express how elated we were when we discovered their long gangly legs lumbering down our narrow driveway.

First of two videos, we took yesterday in our yard. The second video is below.


Male giraffes weigh as much as 4000 pounds, 1814 kg, and be as tall as 20 feet, 6 meters. Females are much smaller at 2500 pounds, 1133 kilograms, and be as tall as 14 feet, 4.27 meters. A male can weigh as much as a pickup truck.

The four giraffes kept a watchful eye on us as they wandered in the yard munching on treetops.

Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae as humans and must exercise caution when drinking. during which they spread their front legs to reach down to the water. They are especially vulnerable to predators in this position.

Please click here for more facts about giraffes.

Oxpeckers are the giraffe’s friend, eating ticks and other insects off of the giraffe’s hide.

After an exquisite and memorable hour-long visit on December 14th, we both wondered if they’d ever return. Our ‘safari luck” had given us more than we’d ever imagined. At times, we’ve giggled over how skeptical we’ve been to leave the house in the event they return when we aren’t at home.

With many of their preferred acacia trees in our yard, the giraffes were happily munching, able to reach the tops of the trees impossible for other wildlife.

While most wildlife visits seem to last an hour or less, it would be relatively easy to miss an event, never knowing that we missed. The hope that giraffes would return was held with a somewhat sad acceptance that we’d been lucky they’d visited us once. Why would we be so lucky for a second visit?

Here is the second video we took yesterday. If you watch the beginning carefully, you can see the giraffe rocking the tree in an effort to bite off a big cluster of leaves.
We weren’t certain why this giraffe was bending down.  Unless drinking they seldom lower their long necks. Again, we see oxpeckers hanging on.

Alas, yesterday morning, while busy taking videos of 70-80 Impalas having visited us, then making their exit along a worn animal path in the yard (which we’ll share tomorrow), I turned to look back toward the driveway for any stragglers. 

There they were; leggy, colorful, and laden with oxpeckers picking at insects in their chosen habitat on the giraffe’s hide.  

Whispering to Tom I mouthed, “Check out the driveway!”  Turning his head away from the path of the impalas at the far end of the yard, an even deeper smile came across his face, as we both held our breath in anticipation.  

While the impalas were here, we’d remained seated fearful that moving would scare them off with their skittish nature. After an hour of hardly moving, the giraffes’ appearance prompted further caution, although they appear to be less nervous around people. Although, given a loud noise or sudden movement, they too will quickly wander off into the bush.

A few more nibbles close to the carport and they were on their way.  Instead of walking on the driveway, they wandered away through the dense bush.

Finally, we were able to stand as we excitedly took the two videos included here today and the accompanying photos.  With their enormous height, it’s difficult to take photos of several in one shot unless they’re tightly packed when arriving or departing, walking along the driveway or road.   

At one point we quietly ventured indoors to the second-floor veranda from which we took the shorter of the two videos.

There were only four of them. Last time there were 12. We weren’t disappointed by any means. How could one be disappointed when the tallest creature on the planet comes wandering into their yard? Not us!

After a while, they departed via the bush preventing us from getting a photo of the four of them together as we’d done in the past. 

Tomorrow, we’ll share photos and a video of the 70 to 80 Impalas that visited en mass for the first time, although we’ve seen a few in the yard and literally hundreds along the roads. 


Wonder what today will bring? Whatever it may be, they are welcomed!

A new day… New visitors… A tiny baby… Wondrous!

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This baby Mongoose  is sticking close to Mom, who has an egg we left for her, in her mouth as they scurry across the yard.

It’s ironic how our daily lives revolve around the arrival of visitors.  Will we ever be able to stop scanning our surroundings every few minutes with the hope of spotting movement in the bush coming our way?

The baby Mongoose completely tucked under the mom to ensure safety.

Staying as quiet and still as possible, I carefully reach for the camera with the least amount of movement, and we wait.  Most often we’re seated, Tom in his usual pillowed Adirondack chair and me, in my usual equally padded plastic molded chair at the table.  Standing up as we wait is usually not an option.

Louise and Danie suggested that we hold up an egg and show it to the Mongoose which Tom did, placing it on the ground nearby.  Very shy, jerky motion must be avoided to prevent the Mongoose from running off. As soon as the Mongoose saw him put it down on the ground she immediately approached the egg.

With baited breath we wait, when at a distance we spot the most subtle movement, asking ourselves if its only a wisp of a breeze or the guarded movement of an animal on its approach.  

Within seconds of placing the egg on the ground, the mongoose went to work on cracking the shell.
She managed to crack the remainder of the egg by banging it on the ground.  She ate the entire contents including the spilled portion, leaving the shell behind.  Later in day, the monitor lizard slithered by in a flash grabbing the empty shell but it moved too quickly to allow me to take a photo.

With the protective railing around the veranda partially blocking the view, it’s necessary for me to stand to take most photos.  Gingerly, I move one limb at a time in an attempt to stand, almost as if playing “pick up sticks” to avoid a sound or a single jerky motion which could easily scare off the least shy of the visitors.

With the two of us constantly on the lookout, it’s unlikely that we’ll miss an opportunity to view any wildlife in our extensive yard. When one of us goes inside the house for a few minutes, the other remains outdoors continuing the search.  

This Pied Crow stopped by to check out a second, yet untouched egg we’d left in the driveway for the mongoose family, cracking it open with his beak.

We never fail to quietly alert each other of an animal on the move, from the largest Kudu weighing 700 pounds, 318 kg,  to the tiniest unusual insect. I must admit that it’s hard to leave during the day, fearful that the yet to visit wildebeest (other than a fast dash through the yard) or a much longed for a second visit from the giraffe which may occur in our absence.  

A second Pied Crow appeared to keep watch while the first ate the egg.

Silly, perhaps.  But then, living in the bush with the animals is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, unless of course, that someday we’ll return.  I can only hope that we will.  I know that memories of this experience will loom in my mind with much longing for years to come.

Suddenly, a flock of persistent small birds started dive bombing the Pied Crow forcing his friend to fly off to chase the little birds and for him to move to another spot in the yard.  In a state of anger or frustration the Pied Crow “fluffed” the feathers on his chest while making loud noises. A short time later, he was able to return to the partially eaten egg to finish his lunch.

As I sit here now, Tom only feet from me, our favorite warthog family of nne has just departed after yet another laugh inspiring visit.  Each time they arrive, we immediately take a head count to ensure that the seven babies have avoided the interests of a predator.  With a sigh of relief, we chatter at them with our high pitched voices and toss a few pellets their way, both of which they readily respond.

The monitor lizard wanted in on the egg action.  Elusive, fast moving and difficult to photograph, we’re always thrilled to see her.  Check out that tongue.

Surely, as the day wears on, we’ll continue to revel in the wonders of this magical place.  The temperature is climbing and at some point we may be driven indoors to escape the summer heat and humidity. If so, we’ll continue to check the outdoors as often as every 15 minutes to see who has graced us with their presence.

Oops, I’ve got to go! There are zebras coming this way!  

There’s the hard part too…More visitors…More photos…Life in the bush…

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Mr. Kudu came to call!

We’ve never intended to imply that living in the bush is easy amid all of our nearly constant entertainment from the wildlife and with the people we meet. In many ways, it’s definitely not for the faint at heart.  

Giraffe in the neighborhood that we spotted on the way out of the driveway to go to the store.

Perhaps living in the mountains of Italy in the summer and then Kenya in their late spring for three months toughened us. I assure you, had we gone directly from Minnesota to either of these locations, we may have turned around and gone back to the US.

Notice the Kudu’s head tipped up to grab a leaf from the tree near our carport.

Perhaps it was our good fortune to have “worked our way” into tougher living conditions that brought us to where we are now, at peace and at home in the bush, but mindful of potential risks facing all visitors to this rough terrain.

This is the mineral lick we purchased for visitors that is recommended by the rangers as an excellent adjunct to the visitor’s natural diet of greenery. So far, the kudus are the only visitors that have tried it. The others sniff and walk away. We’d hoped this would attract wildebeests, yet to spend time in our yard, only running through on one occasion.

Below are the adjustments that we have freely become accustomed to living in Marloth Park that others may find uncomfortable and unbearable. For us and many other tourists, the choice to visit Africa comes with the acceptance of challenges that one can choose to accept for the joy that Africa can bring in so many ways.

Kudu closeup was taken while I stood directly in front of him, behind the veranda railing.

1.  Gecko poop – It’s everywhere, including in the house. The thatched roof provides easy access for the Geckos to enter. Although harmless, they can be annoying, when last night one ran across the kitchen counter during the preparation of dinner. We see no less than six of them a day inside the house. Outside on the veranda, they are everywhere.  We don’t care.

Our warthog friends visit frequently, now so, at ease, they’ve started napping in our yard.
In the same manner, as beloved pets do, even warthogs tuck their chins onto their front “paws” when resting.  

2.  Heat – It’s summer in South Africa.  It’s not uncommon for the temperature to be as high as 100 F, 37.78C or more and humidity to be in the 80% range. In this house, there is AC in both bedrooms and the upstairs living room/loft. There’s no AC in the kitchen or main floor living room. We spend most of the day outside and only come inside to the loft when we need to cool off.

The family of nine still stops by almost every day. The other mom and one more baby were off to the side when taking this photo. The babies love looking at us almost as much as the moms. Each time they arrive, we take a headcount ensuring all nine are still there.

3.  Rain – It’s the rainy season now. Since we’ve been here it’s been cloudy five out of seven days a week. For those that require lots of sunshine, this may be an issue in the summer. We no longer have a tan or bother to try. The sun when it does shine is so hot it’s unbearable to lounge in a lawn chair. This is of little concern to us when neither of us bothered by rain or cloudy days. We do miss the visitors who seem to stay away on rainy days.

Upstairs in the loft with AC, in the awful heat a few days ago, we took kudu photos from the second-floor veranda as they looked up at us. Kudus can weigh 700 lbs., 317.5 kg, or more.

4.  Insects – They’re everywhere, zillions of them, though not inside the house as much as they were in Kenya. With no screens here, we keep the doors and windows shut constantly and keep our bedroom door closed at all times. With no mosquito nets here (Louise offered but we declined) we’ve found keeping the door shut helps. It’s still necessary to inspect shoes and clothing before dressing to ensure nothing lurks inside.

Kudus never seem to miss a photo op.

5.  Power outages – Although not as frequent as in Kenya, it does occur for short periods an average of once a week. We’ve learned to keep all of our equipment charged at all times allowing us to watch movies during a power outage. 

The pink inside their ears, the one line across the bridge of their nose, the white mustache, and the white stripes on their bodies, make the kudu a particularly beautiful animal. Females kudus don’t have horns, the mustache, or the white stripe on the bridge of the nose.

6.  Bumpy roads – If a person had a medical issue that made driving on bumpy roads a concern, this environment would not be appropriate. Few roads are paved in Marloth Park. Driving around looking for wildlife is one seriously bouncy experience. We don’t give it a thought other than possible damage to the tiny pink car.  Had we been willing to spend four times more than we paid, a 4 x 4, would have been a better option.

Zebra by the local watering hole.  Others were nearby as we observed on our way to the store.

7.  Wild animals – The very essence of the joy of Marloth Park is the wildlife over which one must exercise consideration and caution around them.  They are wild after all and could carry disease, attack if provoked or in the case of a few snakes and other creatures could inflict life-threatening bites and injuries. The closest medical clinic is a 30-minute drive.  

Had we not experienced the four-hour rough and dangerous road in Belize, the hairpin turn roads in Tuscany, the bumpy roads in Kenya, we may have been less tolerant. Had we not been exposed to the endless noisy geckos in Belize, batted off the flies and bees in Tuscany, danced around the centipedes and other insects in Kenya, or experienced day-long power outages, we’d be less tolerant.

But, experience is a powerful teacher and by learning, we continue to glean something new and meaningful each and every day in one manner or another.Each day brings new challenges but with it, comes the exquisite opportunity to embrace life in the bush, so far removed from the life we lived only a short time ago. For this, we are eternally grateful. For this, we will never forget.

The Tree Frog mating saga continues!…An unbelievable sighting…Videos…Photos…Please scroll to the end…

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Yesterday morning, after getting comfortably situated on the veranda, coffee in hand, we were stunned as we noticed a new white foam ball on the tree above the pool, a few limbs from the now dissipating former white foam ball, that apparently failed to produce live offspring, much to our disappointment.

The following photos are shown in progression as they occurred beginning at 7:58 am, Saturday morning.

Look carefully to see the first foam nest on the left, and the new foam nest on the right.

Excited to see this again, (click here to see our prior post on December 20th when we discovered the first white foam ball) I grabbed the camera trying to get as close as possible as we positioned ourselves on the edges of the pool. Before our eyes, the foam nest was being made as we watched it grow, totally in awe of this miracle of life. 

This must have been one of the Tree Frogs that fell off of the small branch supporting the white foam nest into the pool, quickly working his way up the pool and then the tree, seemingly in a hurry to join in on the mating activities.


“Give me a minute to catch my breath!  I’m on my way!”


“Almost there!”

At the same time, we’d noticed a frog on the edge of the pool, making its way up out of the water, jumping in the tree, and quickly climbing to the nest. Within a matter of a few minutes, the nest was covered with Tree Frogs, no less than five males participating! It could have been more than the five, but their camouflage like appearance makes it difficult to see.

“Hey, you guys, let me get my spot!”
 
“Now we’re talking! Foam me up, Scotty!”
From what we’ve read, multiple males participate in the fertilization of the one female after she “manufactures” the white foam nest. The female lays the eggs inside the nest to protect them. At that point, the males climb on and the mating began, during which time we made these videos as we’ve shown here today.
An hour later, they started climbing off the foam nest, which appeared to have been well fertilized!

With the mating process of the African Tree Frog lasting only a matter of minutes, it is indeed miraculous that we happened to be outside at precisely the correct time to witness the entire event from the veranda.  

Another amazing video of the tree frogs fertilizing the foam nest.


Good grief.  May I say this yet another time?  “Safari luck” once again kicked in. Will this batch of tadpoles survive? We don’t know. Most likely they won’t, with the chlorine in the pool plus the use of the pool filter, which we can’t turn off for the week it will take for them to mature. The pool could turn to green slime in a week’s time. After all, this isn’t “our” house.

So, we’ll wait and see what transpires once again and of course, report any results here. And, if we get lucky and mama tree frog gets lucky, her babies will survive, and her two attempts will not have been in vain.

Ah, nature, what a treasure! Keep it comin‘!

Another mind blowing day in the neighborhood…Three amazing videos…Scroll to end for more videos…

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Check out our elephant videos.

Yesterday morning, Danie stopped by to give us a list or more fabulous things to see in this astounding area. As if we haven’t been busy enough! We’ve had more activity in the four weeks in Marloth Park than we’ve had combined everywhere else we’ve visited so far.  

The three elephants began their walk closer to where we were standing at the railing and the fence at the Marloth Park township public park where the viewing of the Crocodile River was stupendous.

Keeping in mind that if we just stay home, the action often comes to us as it has this morning and it’s only 8:30 am as I write this. We’ll share that story tomorrow with some exciting photos and another of my shaky videos. (Bear with me folks. I’ll get better at this. That darned shoulder of mine makes it hard to hold the camera steady).

Within a short period, they were in front of our lookout spot and we could easily enjoy their munching on the vegetation, often putting whole bushes into their mouths.  elephants, herbivores, eat 100 to 200 kg, 220 to 440 pounds of vegetation per day.

I know some may say, “Get a tripod!” I agree a tripod would be a nice tool, but we’re already at the edge of the luggage being overweight and plus, the action here happens so quickly there’s no time to set it up or manage a tripod when the action here requires much moving around to get good photos.

After careful observation, we noticed that the leader of the herd was a female (cow) and the other two (clearly visible) were males (bull), one being younger, maybe her offspring.

What transpired yesterday is that which we’re sharing today, another wondrous event.  

This was the female leader.  Normally, the dad doesn’t stay with the herd, instead, gathering into a herd with other males.  We assumed the smaller male was her offspring based on the way she kept an eye on him from time to time. We were uncertain as to the role of the larger male, but we were certain there that they were two males. When they entered the water we were undoubtedly able to ascertain that they were both males, as their male organs were clearly visible sloshing in the water.

Back to Danie. During his visit, he told us of a nearby campground that has an amazing lookout point, closer to the Crocodile River than the lookout we’ve visited twice in these past weeks.  

Thirsty after consuming a considerable amount of food, the baby wandered to the shore for a drink.  This is shown in the included videos.

Shortly after he left, we jumped in the little pink car with an empty water bottle to refill at Credence Clearwater, a mile away on the paved road. After having the 20 liter bottle refilled at the cost of ZAR $18, US $1.76, we decided to check out the campground.

Without drinking, suddenly the mom, the largest of the three elephants, entered the water, walking past the baby, and began walking to a nearby island.

Marloth Park is not huge. It’s only 3000 hectares, 11.58 square miles. We had no trouble finding the township-owned campground, Tom having remembered seeing it on one of our many driving expeditions around the area.  

Taking this photo without zoom gives a perspective of the small size of this island, somehow appealing to her for its varied vegetation.

In a matter of six minutes, we entered the security gates of the public park, were stopped and asked why we were there, after explaining “to see the overlook,” we freely pulled inside to a veritable wonderland of meticulous grounds.

As soon as the two males noticed the female had moved over to the tiny island, they took off following her.  At this point, we speculated that this larger male was perhaps an older offspring, yet to leave the safety of his mother.

With the holiday season, the park (within a park) was filled with tourists. Many languished by the huge, clean swimming pool while others gathered at the outdoor pub with pool tables, bar stools and a casual burger and chips (fries) fast-food type restaurant. Others played games with their children or had picnics at the many picnic tables.

When a group of tourists blocked my view, I was unable to get the photo of the mom leaving ahead of the males.

We were excited to see that we could order an entire grilled chicken with chips to-go, if we’d like, for ZAR $70, US $6.86. Taking it home, Tom could eat the chips while we would add coleslaw and veggies for an easy dinner suitable for both of us. Most likely, we’ll return for this purpose on a night we don’t want to dine out or cook dinner which happens fro time to time.


After checking out the facilities, amid maneuvering past tourists soon to depart after the holidays, we made our way to the most appealing aspects of the park, the close-to-the-river overlook.  

Please check out this second video.
We excitedly stepped up to the wood railing and the wire fence, intended to keep tourists from falling into the crocodile-infested river and to keep the lions in Kruger Park from entering into Marloth Park (not always possible) which is on the opposite side of the Crocodile River. Of course, we were hoping to see some action on the river.


Within a few minutes, our “safari luck” kicked in and the action began as depicted in today’s videos and photos.  How did we get so lucky? One can wait for hours at an overlook only to see a distant elephant, an occasional hippo head bobbing in the water, a slithering croc, or a cape buffalo along the Kruger Park side of the river.  

Third video.
It was on December 11th that we posted photos of an elephant ritual on the Crocodile River, seen from quite a distance in this post. Yesterday, we were up close and personal, a huge advantage for another glorious experience.

These three videos say it all. Once again, we couldn’t stop smiling, having witnessed the behavior of these magnificent animals, the largest to roam the earth.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more, more and more. Gee, will we ever have a dull day in Marloth Park? We hope not. But if we do, we can always go back to playing Gin.

Holiday festivities in the bush…A Christmas visitor came to call..Little did we know…A scary adventure from our recent past…

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Not wanting to alarm this visiting kudu when we left the house to get into the car to go out for Christmas dinner, we interpreted this as a Reindeer visitor.  Practically, holding our breath, we took this photo with the carport support post in the way in the hopes of not scaring him off.

With no Christmas tree, no decorations, no gifts to unwrap, no big dinner to cook and no friends and family stopping by, it was a different kind of Christmas for us, living in the bush in South Africa.

The temperature in the steamy low 90’s F, 33’s C, it hardly felt like the Christmases we once knew and loved.  We’re not complaining. It was different.

The kudu’s neck will enlarge during the mating season. From the looks of our visitor, mating season must be imminent. Look at the muscles on this big guy, males can weigh as much or more than 700 pounds, 318 kg. This one was smaller than many we’ve seen weighing perhaps in the 500 pounds, 227 kg range. Kudus can easily scale a 5 foot, 1.5 meter wall.

And, different can be good, if one can find alternate means of enjoying the holiday season. Fortunately, thrown into our laps were two situations that proved to make both Christmas Eve and Christmas day special in a manner we never imagined.  

Call it “serendipitous” if you will, or merely our good fortune. By Monday morning, we had no plans other than attending a midday buffet at Jabula Lodge, which was fine with us. By Monday afternoon, it all began to change.

View from Kathy and Don’s third floor veranda, overlooking the Crocodile River.

Little did we know, we’d be invited for Christmas Eve to the home of Kathy and Don, people we’d never met, long time homeowners in Marloth Park, who’s gorgeous home overlooks the scenic Crocodile River for a fabulous evening of laughter and story telling of mutual world travels and more.

Little did we know, that as we walked out the door at noon to drive to Jabula Lodge for Christmas dinner, that a giant kudu would be standing at the edge of our carport staring at us, reminding us of a reindeer, it’s massive antlers swirling high into the air.  

Kathy suggested we start putting food out for the bush babies whom we’ve yet to see in our yard at night.  We’ve feared doing so may attract the destructive baboons, who love hanging out on our veranda when we’re not home.

Stopping dead in our tracks, I slowly reached into my handbag to grab the camera. I was so excited, I could barely take a good photo. Nonetheless, albeit less than ideal, with the pole in the middle of the shot, we got a few. For 15 minutes, we watched him as he lumbered about our yard, nibbling on the lush vegetation, finally taking off into the deep bush and no longer visible.

As we drove off Tom claimed, “Oh, I arranged that for your Christmas gift.” I chuckled, saying, “There’s no gift that I’d have enjoyed more.”

Little did we know, a short time later when we arrived for the buffet at Jabula Lodge that we’d be seated with yet another fabulous couple, Piet and Hettie, also Marloth Park homeowners, with whom we spent the better part of the day enjoying fabulous conversation. Later, we hugged goodbye, with hopes of getting together again before they leave to depart for their second home, a three hour drive from Marloth Park.

We’ll never tire of the adorable face of a giraffe with its cheeks stuffed with greenery, this one captured in our neighborhood.

As we returned home, we couldn’t wipe the smiles off of our faces. In awe, not only in the wildlife visitors in Marloth Park, but also in the realization that people in Marloth Park are unlike any we’ve met anywhere, friendly and open to making new friends.  

After returning home, we watched a movie from Graboid, “Captain Phillips, a story about pirates boarding and taking over a cargo/container ship out to sea in the Gulf of Aden.  

It was in this exact location that we’d sailed on May 17, 2013 with the necessity of sharp shooters boarding our ship with automatic weapons to secure our sailing through the Gulf of Aden, as told in our story at this link. Watching this movie brought it all back for us, an adventure we’ll never forget.

Little did we know, that traveling the world would present situations, people, culture, wildlife and nature to us in a manner we could never have anticipated. For us, this has been the gift that “keeps giving” for which we are eternally grateful and for which, we promise ourselves, that we’ll never stop appreciating. Little did we know

An exciting discovery in our yard…Foam attached to a tree appeared overnight…What is it? Please see NOTE at end of post!

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Yesterday morning, we spotted this white mass in a tree hanging over the pool, only 15 feet, 4.5 meters from where we sit each day, waiting for visitors. 

While busy preparing yesterday’s post, we both continued to look around the yard every few minutes, which has become our usual practice, scanning our surroundings with the hope and expectation of sighting visitors. As mentioned in the post, we’ve had less visitors this week than the prior two weeks since arriving in Marloth Park on December 1st.

Although each day we do have some visitors including warthogs, Helmeted Guinea-fowls, duikers and an endless array of birds and insects. This past week, we’ve seen dozens of baboons, as described in an earlier post, who continue to watch our activities hoping that we’ll eventually bring food outdoors.

I took this photo while sitting at the outdoor table.  The white foamy ball can be seen on the left of this tree, opposite the bush baby house on the right. It is from this vantage point that we’ll keep a watchful as the life cycle of the tree frog unrolls before our eyes.

As yet, we haven’t dined outdoors for a few reasons; one the insects are fierce at night and two, by not bringing food outdoors during our extended stay, we can keep the monkey population under control in our yard. Monkeys of varying species can be annoying, dangerous and destructive, although we continue to revel in their entertaining behavior that easily occupies us for hours.

As I was working my way through finishing the post by adding the photos, a time consuming process with the somewhat slow Internet connection, I happened to look at the tree above the pool and noticed something “white” situated on a branch, spilling over onto smaller branches.  

This tree frog was waiting on the outside ledge of a window in a sunroom in a house Danie built-in Marloth Park. The house was gorgeous. The tree frog was interesting to us at the time.

I pointed out the white glob to Tom. Moving closer to the tree we were trying to determine what it possibly could be.  Suggesting it was a white plastic bag that blew into the tree, Tom immediately dismissed my thought with a round of laughter, “That’s no plastic bag!  Look closer!”

Inching closer to the tree while standing on the narrow ledge of the pool, preferring not to fall in, I too, began to realize this was no white plastic bag. I couldn’t grab the camera quickly enough.

Downloading the photo to my laptop, I immediately sent the photo attached in an email to Louise anticipating she’d undoubtedly know what it was. In her usual one minute or less response time, she wrote, “It’s a foam tree frog nest!”

Fascinated by this anomaly, (to us anyway), we both immediately began searching online for more information such as:
1.  How many eggs are in that white foamy ball? 500-1200
2.  How will they hatch? They’ll drop from the foam ball within a week falling into the pool as Tadpoles.
3.  Did the female make this foamy nest overnight since we hadn’t seen this on Wednesday? Yes, it takes seven hours to make the foamy nest at night.
4.  Will the Tadpoles swim in the pool before the metamorphosis begins and they become Tree Frogs? Yes! 
5.  How long does this process take? It could be as quickly as 24 hours. 
6.  Will we have the opportunity to watch and photograph this process? Hopefully! We’ll certainly try.

Here’s an interesting site with photos and more information.

The opportunity to witness this fascinating life cycle, one we all learned in biology, is such a coincidence.  Tom says it’s more of our “safari luck,” which for us is construed as, “Interesting wildlife observations serendipitously becoming available during the most opportune period, as we travel the world.”  

We’ll make every effort to take photos and videos as this life cycle transpires. How convenient that the foam ball is within 15 feet, 4.5 meters of our line of sight! At this point, we are unsure as to what the frogs will look like but it may be similar to the photo of this one (see above photo) that I took last week. Stay tuned for the details as they occur.

In a few hours, we’ll head to Nelspruit (a 75 minute drive each way) to pick up the rental car, do a few errands ending with grocery shopping. Louise and Danie loaned us a giant cooler to take with us today enabling us to shop first and then head to dinner in Malelane. 

We’ll be back tomorrow with details and photos of our “road trip” which most likely will include photos of beautiful scenery and wildlife along the way.

NOTE:  As I’m finishing today’s post, getting ready to upload it, I heard a “plop” into the pool! Some of the eggs have dropped into the pool! At the moment, we can see 100’s of little swirls of water as the minuscule (yet too small for the naked eye to see) tadpoles begin their life cycle. We’ve turned off the pool filter to avoid them getting sucked into the filter and asked Zef, our houseman, not to clean the pool for a few days so we can take videos as they grow, if possible. Amazing!

First time visitors….We were surrounded…Tom carries a big stick…Caution is advised and exercised…

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While this “infant” baboon was perched in a tree checking us out, her/his parents were busy making themselves at home in our yard.

A few days ago while on a walk in the neighborhood, a baboon crossed our path, holding up its “arm” as if injured and with a huge bloody looking injury to his torso. Concerned that he could be dangerous in this injured state, we contact Louise. She, in turn, contacted the Marloth Park game warden with the hopes that they could locate this baboon to handle the situation as necessary.

We saw him in the single-file line as they made their way toward us. Obviously, he is the dominant male again as shown below.
He sat on watch duty the entire time they were here staying in this general area. If a 6 foot tall, 1.83 meters, human sat next to him, they’d have been of equal height. As with humans, baboon males also have nipples.

We’ve yet to hear if the baboon was located.  On Friday night while dining at Jabula Lodge, owner Leon (he and his wife Dawn are our new friends) explained how we must protect ourselves from dangerous animals in the wild. 
Leon explained it was imperative to do the following:
1.  Don’t run.  Back up slowly to safety.
2.  Try not to show fear.
3.  Wave and hold your arms over your head to appear larger.
4.  Do not leave any animal “cornered.”  Back away slowly to provide an easily accessible path for the animal to take.
5.  If possible, keep a large stick or branch handy at all times, especially when walking, if an injured animal is in the area.
6.  Never, in vulnerable situations, (walking in the bush, during bush drives, lounging or working outdoors) allow ourself to become complacent, failing to stay on alert.

They wandered about the yard looking for a shady spot to relax.
Some nibbled at vegetation in the yard determining if our greens were more appealing than other locations.

Yesterday, Tom removed the thick wooden handle from the pool net and now we’re equipped. From that point on, he’s kept that handle within easy reach at all times when we’re outdoors.

Scratch that itch!
Baboons can mate throughout the year. The notoriously red butts are an indication of mating readiness in the female and an attractive point for the male.  Although it looks inflamed and painful, it has few nerve endings and is not a sign of infection or discomfort.

The first indication of the arrival of the baboons was a loud sound on the roof above our heads. Very loud. Tom grabbed the big stick (thanks Leon!) as a giant male baboon stood 15 feet, 4.6 meters from us on the carport roof as he swung down from the roof. Without a doubt, he was here to check us out and to see if we had any possible food sources. 

Infant looking at mom for guidance.
Although this photo could be construed as kissing, in reality, the smaller one is grooming the face of the larger female.

He was huge and intimidating. Tom stood up, holding the 8 foot, 2.4-meter stick, waving it in the air and yelling.  I grabbed for the camera knowing Tom would cover my back. But, the adventure had just begun.

This other male watched the activities while sitting at the edge of the swimming pool.

The huge baboon, startled by our display of dominance, took off running toward the back of the house, the opposite side of the veranda to join the remainder of the large troop of baboons surrounding us. There were dozens of them, following along a worn-by-the-animals path that makes its way around most of the grounds.

Our resident zebra hung around while the baboons visited.
Grooming and babysitting continue.

Through the trees and bush, we could see the single procession of one baboon after another of varying sizes, walk along the path, making their way into the yard. The dominating males were clearly evident.

Picking on a hangnail, perhaps?

No less than a dozen made their way into plain view of us, parking themselves in comfortable spots with a clear view of us and then, much to our surprise, proceeded to entertain us with their usual antics and interaction with one another.

This photo further illustrates the enormous size of the dominant male.  This female to his left appeared to be a similar size of the other full-grown adults.

Although Tom kept the stick in his hand, there was no further need to wave it or show dominance. No more than a minute or two after they got themselves situated, a single zebra appeared, parking himself near the veranda.  In a funny way, we almost felt as is he was here to protect us although neither the baboons nor the zebra appeared threatened by one another.

Infant in the tree while mom sat below playing with her fingers.

During this entire period, I was taking these photos while Tom maintained a careful watch. We took no chances by walking off the veranda onto the driveway. The heavy railing does offer us some protection which we haven’t ignored. Although some of the wildlife appear relatively comfortable with humans in the general area, they are none the less, wild animals. 

A few stragglers had stayed behind for a few minutes as the others made the scattered mad dash to keep up with the dominant male. Our male zebra left minutes after the last baboon. It was the first time, he’d visited on his own.

Tourists and locals have been injured or killed by animals in the wild, most often as a result of carelessness and ignorance. Also, on occasion, members of The Big Five have been known to enter Marloth Park resulting in rangers and residents immediately alerting one another.

One must exercise caution from the many breeds of animals that naturally live in Marloth Park. A few days ago, two enormous roaring wildebeest ran through our yard, much too quickly for us to take a photo. They can weigh as much as 600 pounds, 272 kg, certainly large enough to kill or maim an unsuspecting human in their path.  The same goes for the giant kudus, weighing as much as 750 pounds, 340 kg, again large enough to cause serious damage. 

In general, most of the wild animals in this area aren’t known to attack unless provoked. On rare occasions, baboons have been known to attack for no reason at all. It’s best to consider all wildlife as potentially dangerous and to enjoy them from a reasonable distance, respecting their size, their strength, and the fact that we are intruding in their territory.

Today, the watch continues to see what wonders, if any, will come our way in the heat. With temperatures expected now at 100F, 38C, we wonder who may actually stop by. We’ve been outdoors for almost four hours now, as we write today’s post, sweat pouring off of us. But, we hesitate to venture inside to turn on the instant-on AC for fear we may miss something. That’s life in Marloth Park!

As we’ve learned in our travels, “the bigger the motivator, the more discomfort we’re willing to accept.” Need I say, we’re highly motivated?