Zebras… They’re just like us… Hilarious zebra video…

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Curious, the zebras often checked out the braai (barbecue) area and the pool, occasionally drinking from the pool. They wander about the yard, checking out the vegetation and most often are curious as to what we’re doing.

With our eyes continually scanning the yard, suddenly, the black and white stripes grabbed our attention, making my heart skip a beat. Although very common in Africa and often seeing them along the road while walking or driving in the area, a visit to our yard is always special.

Click to start this enjoyable zebra video we shot on Wednesday in our yard.


In the 41 days that we’ve lived in Marloth Park, this is the third occurrence of a herd of male zebras visiting us in our yard. This particular visit from a few days ago was our favorite zebra visit.

As I threw out a handful of pellets, this guy tried to grab my hand, painlessly gumming my fingers. It’s apparent that they’ve frequently been given treats by tourists and residents alike, hopefully with items acceptable for their herbivorous diet. We give them a few handfuls of pellets and provide the mineral lick.

The zebras that appear in Marloth and Kruger Parks are Plains Zebras. Oddly, with their gentle nature, zebras have never been domesticated. It’s been apparent to us that they are intelligent, evidenced by the manner in which they interact with one another and with us, often mimicking each other’s behavior. In today’s video, this mimicking behavior is obvious.  

The mineral lick was getting lots of licks and Ms. Warthog was on her knees getting in on the pellet action. Our intent had been to stick to our beliefs that wildlife shouldn’t be fed anything in the wild. But a Field Ranger explained that the pellets are made specifically geared to the diet of the animals, as is the mineral lick.  We purchased both at Daisy’s Feed Store, here in Marloth Park. So far, most of the animals like the pellets, especially the warthogs and babies. Only the kudus and zebras seem to like the mineral lick.  A few days ago a warthog shoved it out of his way using his tusks putting a hole in it.

Similar to us humans, they develop routines. After three visits to our yard, a routine has already been established. They hang out at the veranda railing hoping for a few pellets and attention. After a while they head to the bush as shown in this video, to nibble on the vegetation.   

Zebras freely make eye contact and are less shy than most of the wildlife.

They walk toward the braai (barbecue) and the pool area, contemplating a drink from the pool. Zebras have a keen sense to detect toxins in water, as in this case, the chlorine in the pool. Although only a small amount, it prevents them from taking more than a quick sip when testing it the first two times they visited.  

This Zebra is looking into the bush beyond the pink car as Ms. Warthog wandered down the path on the opposite side of the carport, one of the many worn animal paths in the yard.

Zebras will naturally find a clean water supply and forage the general area, maintaining easy access to the water. On this third visit, they didn’t consider the pool water recalling that it wasn’t fit for their consumption. 

“OK.  Now that Ms. Warthog has left, what are you going to do for me?”

How did we know it was the same herd of males? The zebra stripe patterns are as unique as our own fingerprints. Having observed them for several hours, it’s been relatively easy to detect the unique patterns. Add the repeated behavior and we’re convinced this is the same male herd as in the past.

“Out of my way!  I’m first!”

Never tiring of repeat visits from wildlife, we can only hope we don’t have an encore from the Mozambique Spitting Cobra, now or in the future as described in yesterday’s post. Once was enough! 

The dominant zebra waited by the rear yard path. It was time to leave. Shortly, they all followed him down the path. They’d had a good visit with us.  Perhaps, the mineral lick makes them thirsty and it was time to head to the nearby watering hole.

But, the Zebras, they’re always welcomed!

The upcoming itinerary for the next almost 500 day..Also, an upcoming road trip in South Africa…Yesterday’s unlikely visitor…

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Aptly named Clive by Facebook friend Peggy, (feel free to ‘friend me” in Facebook using my email address: jessicablyman@gmaiil.com), we considered that he may be the same ostrich we’d seen on December 7, 2013, (click here to see that post) only a week after our arrival.

Leaving Minnesota 431 days ago, with the next almost 500 days planned, it reminds us of how much planning we’ve actually done. Beyond the end date of our planning thus far of May 14, 2015, we’ve yet to decide where we’d like to go next.

Last evening slightly before 6:00 pm while busy indoors chopping and dicing for dinner, I did my usual checking outside for wildlife every 10 to 15 minutes. At first, all I saw was the oblong ball of black feathers of this ostrich. He appeared to be leaving, but when I called out in my high-pitched voice, he turned and came our way with little fear of us. At one point, he was within 5 feet, 1.5 meters, from us. 

Some readers have assumed it may be the end of our worldwide travels, when in fact, health providing, we look forward to many more years to come. However, we’ve determined that planning more than two years in advance is unnecessary. 

Early on in the process, we booked as far as 2½ years in advance. Why some have asked? Perhaps, it was a part of making the commitment, to dig deep, to ensure we would stick to it, giving ourselves ample time to adjust

After he’d turned around, he wandered close to us.  Although not apparent in this photo, he was at least 8 feet, 2.44 meters tall, weighing as much as 295 pounds, 134 kg.  His cheerful disposition was evident in his confident demeanor, causing us to laugh while enjoying every moment with him.

Adjust, we did.  Now, if we had to wait 30 days in advance to plan, emotionally, we could do it. Financially, it could be a challenge when last-minute planning ultimately is more expensive. Also, we’d sacrifice certain options; lesser accommodations, taking the “leftovers.” There’s no need to put ourselves into a potentially stressful last-minute situation.

In the next six months, we’ll begin tacking on to the end of the 2015 date, as yet to decide where we’d ideally like to travel. Leaving from Hawaii at that point does precipitate certain distance challenges that we’ll manage to figure out.

His feathers looked silky up close.  His funny knee joints are backward, compared to ours and most other animals. His flat two-toed feet were steady and he walked with confidence. “Though they cannot fly, ostriches are strong runners. They can sprint up to 43 miles (70 kilometers) an hour and run over distance at 31 miles (50 kilometers) an hour. They may use their wings as “rudders” to help them change direction while running. An ostrich’s powerful, long legs can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride.”

So here’s our firm itinerary, including the remaining days in Marloth Park but not including side trips we’ll take from various locations, such as the upcoming three-day outing to the Blyde River Canyon, a 3½ hour drive, on the famous Panorama Route, stopping to see the many sites along the way.

Itinerary                                                 # of days         Dates

South
Africa Rental – Marloth Park/Kruger Park House – remaining		 53 12/1/2013-2/28/2014
Flight South
Africa to Marrakesh		 1 2/28/2014
Marrakesh,
Morocco House		 75 3/1/2014-5/15/2014
Madeira,
Portugal House		 76 5/15/2014-8/1/2014
Flight
Madeira to Paris, France		 0 8/1/2014
Paris
Hotel 		 15 8/1/2014-8/16/2014
Tunnel
(Chunnel) Paris to London		 0 8/16/2014
London
Hotel 		 15 8/16/2014
-8/31/2014
London to Boston – Cruise 14 8/31/2014
– 9/14/2014
Hotel Boston 3 9/14/2014
– 9/17/2014
Flight Boston
to Vancouver		 0 9/17/2014
Hotel
Vancouver 		 6 9/17/2013
– 9/23/2014
Vancouver to Honolulu – Cruise 12 9/23/2014
– 10/5/2014
Honolulu/Waikiki
Rental 		 11 10/5/2014
– 10/16/2014
Maui Rental 57 10/16/2014
– 12/1/2014
1st house
Pahoe Hawaii Rental 		 46 12/1/2014 – 1/14/2015
2nd house
Pahoe Rental  (family visiting)		 0 12/20/2014 -1/3/2015
Kauai Hawaii
Rental		 120 1/15/2015-5/14/2015
Number # of days remaining
before adding future  plans		 504
Over the next several months we’ll begin to add to the
continuation of our travels.

All of the above locations have been booked with deposits paid, a few of which have been paid in full. Forms of transportation far out have not been booked which is impossible this far in advance.  

However, the complicated flight from South Africa to Marrakesh, Morocco has been booked with only 53 days until departure, details of which we’ll share in a future post. Also, we’ve booked three hotels for short stays and as shown, two cruises.
The time had come for Clive to leave. Hoping he’ll return again, we watched as he lumbered his way down our long dirt driveway, obviously content with his visit.
As for this month, we’ll stay at the Blyde River Canyon Lodge from January 15th through the 18th, as we work our way along the renowned Panorama Tour that enables us to see some of the wonders of South Africa including the third deepest canyon in the world, rich with scenery and wildlife and to see the famous, “God’s Window.” Hopefully, the skies will be clear!
We’ll post photos of our experiences every step of the way, sharing them daily with hopefully, an adequate Internet connection. Leaving in only nine days, we continue to treasure every moment in Marloth Park.  
He looked back at us a few times as he followed the path..
Soon, the tourists we’ll leave after their holiday visits. The exquisite quiet we experienced when we first arrived in Marloth Park on December 1st will return.  
Kruger National Park, a 30 minute drive, will also be on our “to do” list of what is considered a “self game drive” where one pays the park entrance fees, driving through the park and returning to one of the many entrance gates by no later than 6:30 pm when the park closes. If one is on a guided tour, they may remain in the park until 9:00 pm as we’ve done on two game drives ending in Bush Braai dinners.
Goodbye, Clive!  He fluttered his wings as he wandered away.
Busy? Yes! Content? More than we could ever have dreamed. One might ask, how can we consider ourselves ‘busy” when we spend most days on the veranda, waiting for wildlife to visit? Waiting for wildlife requires diligent attentiveness, quiet and the desire to continually scan the area.
Besides, a short trip into the house could easily result in having missed the glorious opportunity to have met our new friend, Clive. 

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!

Zebras came to call…Interesting zebra facts…A circle among the stripes…Photos…

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Not all wildlife requires a daily supply of water, but the zebra does, never staying further away than 10 meters from a safe water supply, Picky drinkers, they taste the chlorinated pool water, only taking a sip, detecting the chemicals.

Nothing can compare to the appearance of multiple visitors of a species. The excitement of watching them approach our veranda is indescribable. This isn’t to say that we don’t enjoy the “onesies” although it appears that a single animal is more hesitant to approach than several, based on “safety in numbers.” 

Zebras are fascinating but may be taken for granted in the wild for those frequently in their presence. Finding animal behavior interesting to us, having the opportunity to observe them has been more rewarding than we could have imagined.

When we first arrived, we noticed that zebras have a dark circular patch on the inner forelegs which are designed to accommodate the sharp end of the hoof when lying down. The zebra sleeps around 7 hours a night, lying down and these circular patches provide protection for their legs from injury when they’re at rest.


Please click this link for more interesting zebra facts.

Having never been so close to zebras in the past, we were curious as to these black spots on the interior of their front legs.
When we first arrived in Marloth Park, over one month ago, we noticed the circular spots on every zebra, assuming they certainly had a purpose. After researching online, we were pleased to see how these spots protect the zebras from injuring themselves at rest.  
The zebra’s unique stripes are comparable to an individual’s unique fingerprint. The black spots, protecting the legs from injury when at rest are equally as unique.
When this small herd of zebras arrived yesterday, we couldn’t have been happier to see them. Their playful personalities and obvious acceptance of humans in their terrain, make them fun to watch and highly welcomed visitors to homes in Marloth Park.
The mineral lick has been appealing to the zebras and Kudu, so far. Warthogs and other smaller animals have little interest in it.
It’s evident they are used to being around humans. Like many other wildlife, they are quick to run off if frightened by a loud noise or sudden movement. They don’t hesitate to come right up to the railing on our veranda being vocal and making overt motions indicating they are looking for attention and food.
Waiting their turn for a sip of water from the pool, occasionally kicking each other for dominance. All of the zebra visitors we’ve had thus far have been males.
“My turn!”
We don’t hesitate to throw a few handsful of the nutritional pellets, approved by the game reserve rangers, are suitable snacks for the wildlife. With the increased tourist population in Marloth Park during the holidays, it’s evident they’ve been fed, nudging at us for food.
They couldn’t be more adorable.
Hopefully, the tourists have been sensitive in understanding that nature provides an ample food supply during the rainy summer month, lush vegetation for their easy foraging. Any foods other than the mineral licks, fresh vegetation, and pellets aren’t doing the animals a favor. Nature provides for the general diet.
The Zebras seem to like munching on the greenery around this little tree. We’ve learned that wildlife doesn’t graze an area with the intent to “clean it out.” Instead, their instincts guide them to forage in an area for a short period and then move on to another area. Doing so, provides a continuous supply of food, especially during these rainy summer months. In the sparse winter months, the Zebras will dig up the roots of vegetation.
Yesterday, we noticed back leg kicks flying at one another when vying for a spot at the mineral lick or a drink from the pool. Moments later, they’re playing with one another, seeming to hug and groom each other. Watching them is mesmerizing. 
When at last they wander away with the herd intact, we feel grateful they’ve stopped to visit, hoping to see them again in our remaining 56 days in Marloth Park. How quickly the time flies when we’re having fun!


Note:  Typically, the holiday tourists begin leaving the area by January 10th at which point we’ll begin visiting some of the sites in the area. All the sites we’d like to visit are still swarming with tourists. 

Also, it was one year ago today that we left the US (although we did return to various ports in Florida to wait to change ships to continue on our multiple cruises). Click here for the post from the day we left on January 3, 2013, writing about it on January 4, 2013.

Happy New Year!…Two lively nights in a row…Fun with friends…How’d we get so lucky?…

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Last night at Jabula Lodge bringing in the New Year.

Neither of us can recall a time when we made friends with a couple “referred to us” by a couple we met in a restaurant and then another couple we met in a restaurant, of all things, on Christmas Day. 

Our new friends, Hettie and Piet, with whom we shared Christmas day dinner and again last night’s New Year’s eve celebration.

First, we met Lynne and Mick at Jabula Lodge, only three days after we arrived, ending up spending two great evenings with them before leaving to return to their second in Jersey, UK.

Leon, the owner of Jabula Lodge, and also a new friend will scream when he sees that we posted this photo of him from New Year’s Eve. He joined right into the fun with us and all of his and Dawn’s guests for the night.

They suggested to good friends Kathy and Don, who own a gorgeous home on the Crocodile River, to meet us for which they invited us to their home on Christmas Eve and then a second time a few days ago on December 30th.

To the left is Don’s cousin Sandy. Kathy, to the right, was, with her husband Don, our hosts for the pre-New Year’s braai at their lovely home overlooking the Crocodile River. It was our second visit to their home since Christmas Eve when they’d kindly and bravely invited us before we’d ever met.

Then on Christmas Day, we met Hettie and Piet (Pete) at Jabula Lodge, after which we’d planned to bring in the New Year together, again at Jabula Lodge, one of the very few restaurants in Marloth Park.  

From Tom on the left is Don, husband of Kathy and host. Next is Linda and Ken, friends of Kathy and Don’s who’s house in Marloth Park is currently rented over the holidays resulting in them staying with Kathy and Don for several days in their home. To the far right, is again Sandy, Don’s cousin, also from South Africa as was everyone but us.

This upcoming Friday, we’ll celebrate both Hettie and Piet’s birthdays, a few days apart, at a Portuguese restaurant in Komatipoort. After lunch, we’ll grocery shop and purchase more data for our SIM cards. Perfect!

After three days of rain, it was great to see a colorful sunset from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda, where we dined and conversed at length.  
More color in the sky from Kathy and Don’s veranda on Monday evening.

Unfortunately, all of these wonderful new friends are leaving, or already have, returned to their other homes, leaving us to make more new friends, a relatively easy proposition in the friendly Marloth Park. 

The Crocodile River before the three days of torrential rain, taken from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda on Christmas Eve.
The Crocodile River after three days of torrential rain also taken from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

































One would think we’d make friends with other tourists as we travel the world. But, this only occurred on cruise ships, several of whom we’ve stayed in touch. The remainder of the friends we’ve made has been homeowners and residents of the areas in which we’ve lived.  

This was my T-Bone steak purchased at the Butchery in Marloth Park, which was ZAR $440, US $4.41. Tom’s was the same approximate size. Cooked for me by Ken, it was moist, tender, and delicious.  Often when hosting a braai, the guests bring their chosen cut of meat while the hosts serve beer and other beverages,  side dishes, salad, and dessert. 
After adding delicious sauteed onions and mushrooms and an avocado Greek salad, my plate was complete. Of course, as always I ate every morsel.

We’ve assumed that the ease in making friends is due to the extended periods we’re living in vacation homes during which, in a sense, we become local residents. Regardless of the reason, we’re loving our busy social life.

We shot these kudu photos from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

Spending 24 hours a day together, which I might add, we thoroughly enjoy as well, we do find it refreshing to socialize with people with whom we enjoy much in common. Each of these three couples has traveled extensively, often to places we’ve already visited in our own travels, making for lively conversation.

A new male warthog visitor to our yard who’d arrived yesterday with a small female, neither of which we’ve seen in the past. The mating ritual had seemingly been in the beginning stages.  He was the largest warthog we’ve seen so far, difficult to determine in the photo. Hopefully, they’ll return.
She kept nudging him for attention.  But he wasn’t quite ready for the big event, at least not in our yard.

In addition, each of these three couples, still find themselves enraptured by the wildlife in Marloth Park. What stories we’ve all shared about our experiences with visitors! And the laughter…Ah, the laughter, is the best part of it all.

Shortly after the courting couple left, this young mom appeared with her four babies, the smallest babies, we’ve seen thus far, perhaps only a few weeks old.
Suddenly, mom decides it’s time to nurse, stopping dead in her tracks. Immediately, the babies know it’s feeding time and they happily latch on to one of her four nipples. Female warthogs rarely give birth to more than four offspring based on the availability of only four nipples. Nature provides for itself.  Amazing!

So, we welcome the New Year filled with the hope of making many new friends as we continue on our travels.  It’s hard to imagine that in two months from today, we’ll arrive in Marrakesh, Morocco, switching gears from a divine wildlife experience to a profound cultural experience in the hustle and bustle of one of the most diverse and interesting cities in the world.

Yesterday, a lone kudu stopped by, nibbling on the lush vegetation after the three days of rain. He stuck his head in between these small branches near our braai, next to the pool.  What a majestic animal!  We never tire of their visits. Female kudus rarely make an appearance in our yard, although we’ve seen a few.  Males and females don’t hang out together once the mating is complete. We often wrongfully assume that most animals mate for life when actually few we’ve seen in Marloth/Kruger Parks do so.

For now, we’ll put future travels aside to continue to embrace this magical place as we patiently await the next batch of visitors in our yard. I wonder who it will be today. The anticipation itself is a divine part of the adventure.

This same kudu in the above photo stood at the railing waiting for “people food.”  Many tourists over the holidays go nuts giving the wildlife “people food” which, unless fresh vegetables, is generally ill-advised. However, the rangers in Marloth Park suggest providing nutritional pellets or mineral licks, which we’ve done.  Notice the notches in the Kudu’s ear, either from fighting with other kudus during the mating season or in combat with other wildlife.  Kudus are non-aggressive animals and herbivores.

Thanks to all of our new friends in Marloth Park for freely welcoming us into this unbelievably fulfilling and joyful location which we’ll always remember as being the most friendly we’ve encountered in our travels.

Happy New Year to all of our readers. May each one of you find a way to “step outside the box” if only for an hour or a day, to reach for your dreams, whatever they may be.

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.

Happy birthday to the man of my dreams, whose made my dreams come true…The photos below explain how…Yesterday’s safari…

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In our travels, we’ve found that “two heads are better than one!”  We were so close to these rhinos that it took our breath away.

Without a card to give to him, a gift for him to unwrap, Tom’s 61st birthday could potentially be a letdown. But, it won’t, if I can help it.

Only minutes after commencing the game drive, we drove over the Crocodile River to spot these Hippos.
Although we were facing the bright afternoon sun, we were grateful to get the Hippos photos.
One last shot as we pulled away.

Yesterday afternoon’s game drive in Kruger Park fulfilled our now deep-rooted expectations after the hard-to-match experience we had in the Masai Mara only a few short months ago. The photos we’ll share today will show why.

A small crocodile in the Crocodile River where no boating is allowed due to the viscous predators.
Throughout the game drive, we saw many wildebeests.

This was the first time we’d seen baby wildebeest.
Kruger Park is very different than the Masai Mara. The regulations require that the safari vehicle stays on the paved or dirt roads at all times, limiting the opportunity to “chase down” amazing sightings while driving across the bush. Thus, one is dependent upon the lucky sighting of wildlife that happens to be near the roads at any given time. Talk about the need for “safari luck!”

An hour into the game drive, we spotted rhinos.
Thanks for turning our way rhino.
The situation with rhino poaching is a serious issue worldwide. In Kruger Park alone, there were 425 killed in 2012 with 2013 stats coming out soon. When a mother Rhino is slaughtered, the babies are left to die. We’ve seen armed guards moving quickly along the roads in the park, on their way to a possible poacher being sighted. They are shot on site, hoping to deter future poachers. It’s been proven that the horn of the Rhino has virtually no medicinal benefit and yet millions worldwide believe otherwise. These amazing animals will be extinct in the near future if their senseless slaughter isn’t stopped.

Our first time in Kruger Park a few weeks ago was disappointing, as we’d posted here a few weeks ago. Expectations were high when sightings were mostly birds. Don’t get me wrong. We like birds. 

She’s got something in her mouth.

Yesterday, once again, “safari luck” kicked in!

Nothing flips our hearts over in our chests more than the sighting of an animal in the wild and the opportunity to take a photo in order to recall the experience at any time in the future. As we began to tour the park in the huge game vehicle loaded with 19 participants and an excellent driver/guide, Dion, we were surprised how few participants were taking photos.

Next game drive we’ll go in a smaller group, allowing ample time to wait for the best photos. I would have waited for this ostrich to pick up its head, but the others preferred to move along.
Then again, few are as driven as we are to document the wonders of nature in our travels with stories and photos. If we didn’t write here, most likely we’d never learn even a little about taking photos and most wouldn’t be saving, sorting, and cataloging them as we do now. Actually, we thank our readership for joyfully inspiring us to capture as much as we possibly can.
We never tire of seeing giraffes and look forward to them visiting our house again after the tourists leave Marloth Park after the holidays. It’s apparent the increased traffic and people have had a bearing on the number of visitors to the houses.
Our guide, Dion, explained that this giraffe was no more than three or four months old. The oxpecker birds take up residence on the youngsters as well.
This female, evidenced by the hair on the little horns, had three oxpecker occupants.
The giraffes graceful legs are surprisingly powerful.
From afar, a lone giraffe against the backdrop of the African bush.

The elegant “bush braai” hosted again by Louise and Dani was as equally enjoyable as the last experience, the food hot and delicious, the wine and beer freely flowing and the service was impeccable. Our table mates were fun and the conversation and laughter never ceased.

As the sun began to set, it became difficult to spot any wildlife. Dion handed out three torches or spotlights handing them to participants who wanted to scan the surroundings for wildlife in the dark.  
We peed in the makeshift outhouse, that was missing a few walls when rhinos had decided to decimate it. We laughed as we checked the ground for scorpion with our little flashlights, as we’ve become more and more at ease with the insects.  
The setting sun in Kruger Park.
Our armed guard wandered about the braai site, ensuring we were never at risk and we never felt unsafe for a moment.  I noticed a few women wearing sandals. Perhaps someday, I will become accustomed to the bugs and not feel a need to wear my boots in the bush. 
These Citronella filled lanterns at the bush braai kept the insects off of our plates and out of our food.

This morning we headed to the Farmer’s Market to pick up our cabbage and carrots, but they hadn’t yet arrived from the farm. This afternoon, we’ll return, hoping they’ll be available.

Check out this creature that joined us for the bush braai.
Closeup, taken in the dark.

With too many photos from yesterday to post in one day due to the Internet traffic, we’ll spread them out over the next several days.

Hope you’re all enjoying the holiday festivities as we rapidly approach Christmas. Stay safe, stay warm, be healthy, let happiness and love envelop your hearts, now and always.

Video…Visitors…Viewing the Crocodile River, impossible with many tourists…

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The white below his nose is his mustache, not his teeth. I’d have preferred to get out of the car to get closer to them, but their shyness would have caused them to run off.
Having the freedom to come and go as we please has enhanced the quality of the experience in Marloth Park. If, that seems possible when we’re already having the time of our lives. 
The kudus were so busy chomping away, it was hard to encourage them to look our way.
With the little pink India-made vehicle in our possession for less than two days, we’ve certainly been out and about, spending only a few daylight hours at home, long enough to post yesterday and sleep at night.
The kudus were in dense bush in our yard having their hearty breakfast. We wondered if they would have come closer to us had we been on the veranda. Now, every time we leave we’ll wonder if visitors come that we’ll have missed.
To tell the truth, I’ve already begun to miss our time outside on the veranda, from early morning until dusk, anxiously awaiting the arrival of yet another visitor. From the short periods we’ve been home over the past 2 days, it appears the pace may once again be picking up and they’re returning to visit.

Saturday, while halfway down our long driveway, we were thrilled to see three male kudus happily chomping at the treetops. Although kudus are not as tall as the giraffes, their enormous height makes it possible for them to munch on the tops of many trees. 

While driving in Marloth Park yesterday morning, Tom yelled to me, “Hurry, get the camera.  This dung beetle and his wife were crossing the road with this huge piece of dung. I was able to take this very short video when cars behind us required us to move along. We would love to have seen how they maneuvered the rocks that were in their way.
Yesterday, while we were gone, Louise stopped by to pick up the cooler we’d borrowed, to find our veranda a horrible mess with baboons having taken over. Again, they’d moved the furniture, taking more of the seat cushions pooping everywhere.  
The beautiful Crocodile River.
She cleaned it all taking the dirty cushions with her to be washed. Thanks, Louise! When we returned hours later, apparently the Baboons had returned since she’d cleaned, and left another mess.
Once we put away the groceries, we cleaned the veranda, wrote, and posted it indoors. With many tourists in the area for the holidays, our connection was slow, making it difficult to post our photos, taking twice as long as usual. 
The vegetation around the Crocodile River is lush and green now that it’s summer.
Suddenly, it was time to leave in order to get to the Crocodile Overlook before sunset and later to Jabula Lodge for dinner. To our disappointment, the overlook was jammed with tourists making it difficult to get a good spot along the railing for photo taking. I must admit, the crowd spoiled the experience and we took very few photos.

After New year, the crowds will disperse, and once again, it will be peaceful and quiet in Marloth Park. We’re looking forward to this time, but will make the most of these crowded the next 10 days.
On our way to dinner, we spotted giraffes lumbering into a yard.
Last night, returning after another great dinner at Jabula Lodge, we checked out the pool for the status of the tadpoles. Nothing yet, but we continue to see the little swirls of water where they’re swimming. As we stepped to the side of the pool both using our mini flashlights, we saw a scorpion jump into the pool, a definite suicide mission. Today, he lies dead at the bottom of the pool.
Later today, we’re going on another game drive in Kruger Park with 18 tourists in the huge open-sided vehicle, followed up by another bush dinner. We’ll do our best, taking photos, and sharing our experiences tomorrow.

Guess I’ll be wearing my boots again tonight with my Bugsaway pants tucked tightly into the pants!

Holiday postings update…Please stop back by tomorrow…Something very strange occurred while writing today…

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Of nine members of this warthog family, there are two moms; one with four babies and the other with three babies. From watching this family almost daily over a period of 18 days, we believe the mom shown above is the mom of the three babies, which if you look closely are all nursing. (It’s hard to see the third). Thus, the baby on which she is resting her chin belongs to the other mom who is nearby and seems comfortable with this situation. We couldn’t have laughed more when the fourth baby, whether hers or not provided this neck resting spot.

With the holidays imminent, we imagine that most of our readers are busy with preparations and events, leaving little time for our daily musings and photos. We will continue to post each day presenting an abbreviated version that can easily be perused and caught up after the holidays if you so choose. 

The “three little pigs” quit nursing and took off following the other mom as she’d had enough of us for one day.

However, tomorrow we’ll pick up our rental car, and with that, begin exploring, offering what hopefully will be exciting new content as we venture out beyond Marloth Park. Also, we’ll commence on our own game drives in the area, including Kruger Park (which we’ll visit after the holidays).

Notice the size of the anthill behind Tom, located in our yard where there are several.

The thought of entering Kruger Park in a tiny, economical vehicle is a little intimidating when we’ve seen photos of elephants knocking cars on their sides. But, we certainly won’t antagonize any of the wildlife which is often a precipitating factor in any angry animal behavior.

On our way out to dinner on Tuesday night, these wildebeest were hanging out in the front yard of a house.

We’ve heard that Kruger has increased the vehicle limits over the holidays due to the increased number of tourists in the area from 500 per each of the 11 entrance gates to 700 per gate. Over the holidays, vehicles will be backed up on the narrow roads inside the park. We prefer to wait to visit Kruger until after the first of the New Year.

The fees for “internationals” to enter Kruger Park are ZAR $248, US $24.31 per person, per day.

One of the first things we’d like to do shortly is to return to the Crocodile River overlook. Alcoholic beverages are allowed and Tom can enjoy a cocktail while I sip on my ice tea for a delightful “happy hour,” as often as we’d like. There is no fee to enter the overlook area.

Why all these zebra butts were facing the wildebeests escaped us.

The prospect of freedom of driving ourselves is refreshing. After we pick up the rental car, run a few necessary errands in the larger city of Nelspruit, we’ll dine at the popular Hamilton’s located in the cozy town of Malelane (pronounced mal-e-lawn). The distance from Hamilton’s back to Marloth Park is 42 km, 26 miles.

Nothing is close to Marloth Park. Okee Dokee is driving us to Nelspruit from Marloth Park tomorrow at 12:30 pm at a distance of 95 km, 59 miles. Stopping for wildlife sightings certainly lengthens the normal 75 minute driving time.

Tomorrow will be a busy day of driving, which we don’t mind at all. With our newfound ability to stop and take photos along the way at our leisure, we’re both looking forward to being out.

More wildebeests gathered around the clump on the ground.  There was harmony with the zebras.

This past almost three weeks of waiting and watching for visitors has been glorious. Now, with Marloth Park jammed with holiday tourists, we’ve noticed a decline in the visitors over the past four days.

Danie explained that the animals roam from spot to spot foraging along the way. As the rains come (it’s rainy season now as summer begins on December 21st) and more vegetation grows, they move on to the next prolific location, returning to past locations in a period of time.  

This makes sense to us, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all the extra cars driving on the roads and people at the resorts and vacation homes could certainly have a bearing on the wildlife moving about as freely, considering how cautious they are around us, humans.

It appeared that the zebras and wildebeests were sharing some tasty morsel on the ground.
Over these past few days, the warthog family of nine continues to visit, playful, and funny as ever, while an occasional duiker stands ground, staring at us or a baboon skitters by checking out the status of food on the veranda. The birds, including the three Helmeted Guinea-fowls, make a daily appearance. 


Again this week, we got a glimpse of the elusive monitor lizards whose home is near the pool, as they slither in and out of their holes, much too quickly for another photo. 

Tomorrow morning, before taking off for Nelspruit, we have an exciting story to share of an anomaly we found in our yard this morning after writing today’s post, with photos, of course. Please stop back later!

On Saturday, we’ll be sharing photos of our travels outside of Marloth Park, our first big trip to a grocery store, the much-anticipated purchase of socks and the dinner at the popular Hamilton’s. Our course, we’ll include all of the costs, including the car rental.

Enjoy the holiday festivities!