Holding our breath..One day at a time…

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The scene we traveled on the Toy Train.

In the past several weeks, each time we’ve been required to venture out of the safe cocoon of a hotel room, we can’t help but wonder if we’ve been exposed. At this point, we only leave the sanctity of our space when it’s time for breakfast or dinner.

All of the employees at this beautiful hotel live on-site and aren’t allowed to leave the premises. The staff is minimal, and food supplies are dwindling. This morning, the restaurant manager explained meal options are rapidly declining when they can’t get deliveries.

Sunset in Bandhavgarh National Park.

As we mentioned, there is no laundry service, and we’ve begun washing our clothes in the shower or the bathroom sink and then hanging them on the window ledge to dry. We decided to wear the same clothes repeatedly for as long as possible to avoid having a big pile of laundry accumulate. 

We’re hand washing our underwear daily and will hand wash shirts and pants when we swap out those we’ve been wearing. Blue jeans are tough to squeeze dry, but we’ll figure it out.

Memorial for fallen soldiers in Delhi.

Thank goodness we have air-con and WiFi. India is fast-moving into its hottest season, and we notice temperatures rising each day. If the power goes out, we’re in big trouble. So far, nothing indicates that the infrastructure will fail.

Mahatma Gandhi’s burial site and memorial in New Delhi.

Today, the mandatory 21-day lockdown began in the entire country of India. As seen in this article, people will be arrested if found outside of their activities aren’t covered by exemptions. So far, the government is not requiring all hotels to close, only those who choose to complete as stated in the above link:

” Exemptions: Hotels, Homestays, lodges, and motels which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew.”

A herd of sheep on the road.

This notice came out this morning and gives us a degree of comfort, but many hotels continue to close due to low occupancy and subsequent loss of revenue. If this hotel closes and as long as we have a hotel to move into, we will be fine. It’s the prospect of not having anywhere to stay that is terrifying, as we had feared after yesterday morning’s incidents.

None of the dozen or so holiday homeowners I’ve contacted online have yet to respond to our inquiries except one, who stated they aren’t renting their property during this crucial period.

A sambar deer sighting.

Most likely, this will be the case for most holiday property owners and managers. They don’t want to be exposed to any travelers who may be infected, nor do they want their properties to be a “hotbed” of germs they’ll eventually have to clean.

This morning at breakfast, an Englishman approached our table (at a distance of several meters). He said he recognized us from Madurai, where we stayed in isolation for four days before our last flight to Mumbai a week ago today. His group of three is in the same spot we’re in. They are unable to leave Mumbai due to closed airports and India’s total lockdown.

She was crossing a river in Kanha National Park.

They are hoping to return to their home in the UK with over 8000 cases as of today. Here again, Heathrow Airport would potentially be another dangerous airport. Our plan continues to wait it out until we’re able to enter South Africa, which currently has 554 cases. Tomorrow, they are also implementing a total countrywide lockdown.

The wait could be extended, especially when South Africa has confirmed they won’t accept any foreign nationals entering the country until after May 31st. If we get lucky, and this hotel stays open, we’ll be fine here until then. Time will tell.

The restaurant at Tuli Tiger Resort in Kanha.

None of us knows what will transpire over these next weeks or months. We’re all in this together, regardless of our circumstances. We must stand together as a unit in our commitment to “social distancing,” ensuring we are continuing to avoid passing this dreadful virus onto others.

Stay safe. Order groceries online. Stop shopping at warehouse facilities. Stop getting together with relatives, friends, and neighbors. Wash your hands. Cover your cough or sneeze. Stay home, world, please…

Photo from one year ago today, March 25, 2019:

Such a handsome kudu bull. For more photos, please click here.

Later today, we’ll know our fate…

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Passengers on public transportation passing by our train. Trains in India have now ceased to operate due to Covid-19.

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

The owners of this hotel are meeting today to discuss whether or not they will remain open because they still have only five occupied rooms in this 120 room hotel.

Although the bathrooms on the train were smaller than on a cruise ship, we made the best of it.

Of course, we’re anxiously waiting to hear the news as we continue to search online to see if other hotels will be staying open or closing due to Covid-19. Also, we’re researching holiday homes in Mumbai with few options. 

Many don’t have central air-con, and thus a hotel is more desirable. Also, we don’t like the idea of having to order groceries when most holiday homes only have a hot plate for cooking. We’d rather dine in a hotel, twice a day for breakfast and dinner, the only meals we consume.

A lovely salad was prepared for me by Chef John Stone on the train.

As yet, there has not been a specific directive from the government that all hotels must close. At this point, it appears each hotel’s management can decide on their own, but this could change shortly if the number of cases continues to escalate.

We’re on a one-day-at-a-time mindset right now, which seems easier for Tom than it is for me. I am, by nature, a planner. Not knowing where we’ll be tomorrow is not easy for me. Each time I see a manager when we go to the restaurant, I ask, “Any news yet?” Surely, they understand my concern.

The inventory of food in the restaurant is rapidly dwindling, as explained by our waiter. We surmise they aren’t receiving any food deliveries, and at this point, they are relying upon their on-hand food supply to serve the needs of the patrons in the five occupied rooms.

Red carpets were rolled out for each instance of embarking and disembarking the train.

There are 28 employees still working in the hotel. But, we’ve noticed that changing rapidly as they pare down to a minimal staff. Our room is cleaned while we’re having breakfast as opposed to several hours later.

Thank goodness, we have plenty of bottled water, toilet paper, and toiletries. At this point, I am so glad we kept solid inventories of essential toiletry items in our supply bag. We can go for a few months without restocking, but at this point, we are rationing everything, as we’re sure all of you are doing.

Beautiful flower displays often greeted us when we disembarked the Maharajas Express.

Luckily, we were able to have our laundry done a few days ago. But will that service continue to be available in the weeks to come? We have no idea. In the interim, I’ve started hand washing everything I can while I’m showering. There’s a broad ledge of the window where we can lay out the damp clothes to dry in the heat of the sun with space for two items a day.

How are we holding up? The hardest part is the uncertainty. If and when we can be settled for a few months, knowing we’ll have access to food, we’ll have peace of mind, whether it’s in a hotel or holiday home. Only time will tell.

The two dining rooms on the train were tastefully appointed with the finest of dinnerware and table settings.

Please, dear readers, all over the world, continue with social distancing and staying home. Had we made it to South Africa, we’d have had to sacrifice seeing our friends and dining out. We surely understand how hard that would have been. 

But, self-isolation is the most beneficial means of stopping the spread of this dreadful virus. We hope and pray for the health and safety of all of you and your families. God bless.

Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2019:

Four species in this photo from far left to right: duiker, kudu, warthog, and bushbuck, all sharing pellets harmoniously. For more photos, please click here.

Americans stranded overseas pleas for help to get back to the USA…

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This morning, the pool was emptied.

Note: At this point, we’ve lost interest in taking new photos when we’re stuck in a hotel room. Tomorrow, we’ll continue to post photos from our tours in India, although some may be repeats since we didn’t keep track of what we’ve already posted with a lack of time while touring.

Many news stories online about Americans stranded overseas desperate to return to their homes elicits compassion and empathy when they cannot afford to continue to pay for accommodations and are fast running out of medications.

As we’ve read, the US has been chartering flights to get some of these US travelers back to their homes. There are countless news stories about citizens trapped abroad when their vacations ended and airports closed, preventing them from leaving.

Last night when we sat outside, we noticed the pool emptied, indicating the hotel may be closing soon.

That has been our case, but we aren’t running out of medications, nor are we worried about getting back to the US. As long as we have a place to stay and a source of food and basic supplies, we can “wait it out in Mumbai.”

Tonight India’s Prime Minister Modi will announce the next necessary measures to reduce the risks of the spread of Covid-19, which may or may not include closing hotels. 

As of this writing, all signs indicate our hotel will be closing soon. Last night, they emptied the pool and shut off the outdoor area where we’ve been watching the sunset every evening. Today and tonight, we’ll be stuck in our room. 
Another incredible sunset from the hotel pool area.

I’ve never been one to enjoy spending time in a hotel room, although Tom, with his penchant for staying busy online, doesn’t mind quite as much. I guess I’ll have to adapt, as I am, with no complaints, making the best of our situation.

Our spirits are good, and we aren’t complaining at all. Our only concern is that we have a place to stay, preferably a hotel, where we don’t have to find a way to get groceries delivered to us if we were in a holiday home.

Several online grocers are booming in light of the fears of being around other shoppers in local markets. How long they will continue to supply their customers remains to be seen.

What beautiful sunsets over the Arabian Sea.

In reviewing the online grocer’s inventory, there appears to be plenty of foodstuffs we both eat, such as chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese, coffee/tea, and spices. We can easily exist on these items alone if need be.

Tonight will provide us with a clearer picture of what will transpire going forward. A few minutes ago, when speaking with one of the hotel managers, he seemed to think they’d stay open until March 31st. They still have five out of 120 rooms occupied. All of them have been unable to leave the country, like us. 

A guest, next door to us, checked out, thinking he’d get out of the country, and is now checking back into his same room. We weren’t in our original room when the manager moved us to a room “with a view.”
The beach is barren, with no walkers, no joggers, and even no stray dogs.

But, with the air-con seeming to be running poorly (most likely to keep costs down), we have to keep the drapes closed to keep the room cooler. We sit on the bed all day, searching online for any helpful information. For now, we are OK.

We pray you are all safe, “social-distancing,” and taking all necessary precautions to avoid becoming infected. We’ve been streaming and binge-watching Season 40 of the TV series “Survivor” to keep us entertained. Once we wrap that up, surely will find something else.

Be well. Stay safe and stay tuned as to what transpires here in Mumbai.

Photo from one year ago today, March 22, 2019:

This is Basket, the Bully.  He lost his right ear in a confrontation a few months ago. For more photos, please click here.

Reminds me of a movie I once watched with guests trapped in a hotel…Hotels closing in Mumbai…Are we next?

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Last night’s sunset over the Arabian Sea from the hotel pool area.

It was a bad sign this morning when we went to breakfast that there was no buffet. Only five rooms in this 120 room hotel are occupied, and it made no sense for them to continue to offer a buffet. Besides, buffets are breeding grounds for germs. 

Is this the beginning stages of this hotel closing in the next several days?

The hotel is no longer allowed to accept new reservations. In a matter of days, we could be the only guests here. That’s freaky. It won’t be the first time we were the only guests in a hotel. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day in 2017, we were the only guests in a boutique hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires. We ended up having a great time after all. See this link here.
But, those circumstances were entirely different. It was a fluke. There were no guests in the small hotel. In this case, as you all so well know, the circumstances are entirely different. The Covid-19 is the cause of many businesses, now including hotels worldwide, closing their doors.
Each night, to get out of our hotel room and enjoy the sunset.

Of course, I searched for holiday homes that may be available in Mumbai when this hotel closes. And, although we’d have been willing to wait here for as long as necessary, we are confident it will be closing in the next week.

If that is the case, they will assist us in relocating, hoping that at least one hotel will be allowed to stay open in Mumbai to facilitate others like us, who can’t leave the city with a population of 18,400,000.

But, we have to be realistic and prepare ourselves for the worst that no hotels will be open and we’ll have nowhere to go. It’s a frightening thought. Many of our readers still write to us asking us why we didn’t return to the US a week ago.

We sat comfortably at a table with an umbrella by the pool, sipping on a cold beer, attempting to make the best of the situation.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, for several reasons, one, we don’t have adequate health insurance in the US (but excellent coverage outside the US), and two, I am in the high-risk group: my age, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. 

Based on the number of fast-growing cases in the US. As of today’s news, there are 19,522 cases, most of which result from travel or being in contact with someone who has traveled internationally. Why would we want to go to any US airport?

As of today, there are a reported 271 cases in India. Sure, there may be many unreported cases here and in the US. But even if India’s situation is ten times, even 100 times worse, that’s still considerably less than in the US, relative to the US population of 331 million compared to India’s 1.3 billion.

The hotel pools are inviting, but the government has forbidden swimming in any public pools.

Our goal for our time here, regardless of how long this period lasts, is to stay in self-isolation in a hotel with as little contact with people as possible. The only people we contact are the restaurant servers and cleaning staff, and we stay as distant as possible. 

We’ve chatted with a few other hotel guests, at a distance, and it seems most of them are getting out today, mainly on the last few flights out of Mumbai before the Mumbai airport closes tomorrow, to fly back to the UK, which has almost 4,000 cases as of this morning. 

For this small of an area, that’s a lot of cases. A few weeks ago, we’d canceled a holiday home in England for this very reason. 

The pretty view of the evening sky.

As residents of South Africa, our friends Linda and Ken managed to make their flight from Australia to South Africa. Linda and I communicated via text messages in the middle of the night (I was wide awake) when they were about to board their flight. I’m sure we’ll hear from them later today.

What will we do when this is over, whenever that might be possible? Our goal is to get into South Africa. Moments ago, Tom read a new article to me that states no foreign nationals will be allowed into South Africa until after May 31st. Hmm, it looks as if we’ll be here in Mumbai for quite a while, after all.

Well, folks, we hope all of you are staying safe. Thanks for hanging in there with us as we work our way through this challenging time, with the same hopefulness and spirit that we strive to possess as each day passes.

Photo from one year ago today, March 21, 2019:

Such an adorable face. For more photos, please click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exquisite decor in ancient palaces and temples.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are numerous stunning places in Udaipur.

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

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

We visited countless numbers of forts while in Rajasthan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On pins and needles…Are we going to be able to get out of India and enter South Africa in 4 days?

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  • This dinner and fireworks at Hanwant Mahal located in the Umaid Palace, also known as the Khaas Bagh, were extra special in Jodhpur while touring during the Maharajas Express.

    Over these past weeks, we’ve mentioned our concerns over Covid-19 and why a few days ago, we had to change our travel plans when the 29-night cruise from Mumbai, India to Greenwich, England, was canceled.

    Subsequently, we booked a flight to South Africa, where there are fewer cases (total of 51 so far as of today, with a population of 59 million) and 110 cases in India (with a population of 1.3 billion), as opposed to the almost 3000 cases in the US (with a population of 329 million). There’s a travel ban for anyone entering South Africa from the US, not from India.

    We spotted five tigers while on safari in two national parks, Bandvargarh and Kanha.

    Will that have an impact on us? We’ll have been in India for 11 days short of two months. So far, there’s no ban for travelers coming into South Africa from India. But, we don’t know what will happen when we get to immigration at the airport in Johannesburg on March 20th, only four days from today. 

    Will we be allowed entry into the country, be quarantined, or, worst-case scenario, be forced to leave? We are going on blind faith. As a result of the risk of this worst-case scenario, we’ve had to discuss some options as to where we could go to “wait it out” and yet continue to live our lives as usual as possible.

    A pair of “owlets” (as referred to by our safari guide) captured our hearts.

    There are several African countries with no virus cases, such as Namibia and Madagascar, and others, all countries we’d consider visiting, if necessary.

    As for waiting it out? Is that a possibility? Or is this pandemic going to continue for months to come? None of us know the answer.

    You may ask, why don’t we go back to the US? For a few reasons:

    1. We don’t have adequate US health insurance, but we do have excellent international insurance
    2. Risks are high if we have to travel through hectic US airports
    3. Cost of living is high in the US as opposed to African nations (two times higher based on our experience)
    4. I am at high risk due to having cardiovascular disease, asthma, and my age. For me, getting this virus could be fatal.
    5. Apparently, the US is the only country globally with all five strains of the virus.

    Spotted deer in India are as prevalent as impalas in Africa.

    Staying away from countries with vast numbers of cases makes the most sense to us both. Yes, it’s possible. Should we be able to land in South Africa, the virus will continue to spread in vast numbers, as in the US. In that case, we’d hightail out of there to yet another country. 

    I never imagined that if such a virus would manifest in the world that we’d have the flexibility to travel as much as we do, as much as we can. Most likely, we can’t outrun it, but if we can, we will.

    No doubt, this isn’t very comforting, for all of you, for us. None of us are exempt from the fear and concern for ourselves, our loved ones, and our friends.  The frenzy over food and paper products in the US baffles us. The frenzy, in general, provides no benefit for anyone. We don’t want to be around it if we can avoid it.

    Another favorite tiger photo.

    We’ll see how all of this rolls out in the next four days. A lot can happen in four days. In two days, we’ll leave Madurai to fly to Mumbai. We can only look at one step at a time as this process continues.

    In the interim, we are avoiding any future tours in India, preferring to avoid crowded areas. Driving around in the traffic attempting to take photos is fruitless as well, and honestly, we’ve lost our enthusiasm for sightseeing at this point. 

    A nighttime view of the restaurant where we dined in Udaipur on several occasions.

    We’re safely cooped up in the Regency Hotel in Madurai, where they checked our temperatures when we checked in. We appreciated it, but they need to check guests’ temperatures daily since they’ve been transmitting the virus for a day by the time one has a temperature.

    Thank you to our readers for such positive reinforcement, prayers, and well wishes. We offer the same to every one of you. Stay safe! Stay healthy!

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

    Little came up on the veranda looking for me, already positioned on his knees for some treats.
    For more photos, please click here. (It was one year ago, my legs were severely infected from the grafts taken for the bypass surgery. I hadn’t been outdoors much, and Little came looking for me once again).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There were dozens of participants.

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

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

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

A small band was leading the procession.

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

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

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

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

Indian music is quite beautiful.

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

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

Be well. Be safe.

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

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

A huge update and change in plans!!!…

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Locals were hitching a ride to the local festival.

If we had a home during the corona-virus crisis and had been touring India, most likely we’d have ended the lengthy tour early and headed back to the US, purchasing a fair amount of toilet paper to hunker down for a while.

As world travelers without a home, if we need to hunker down, where might that be? If we return to the USA, we have no health insurance other than Medicare Part A, and even if we signed up for Part B and a supplement, we’d be stuck with it once we were on the move again.

Plus, returning to live in the US is not an option for us at this time, even with this looming virus. We’re not about to “give up” this lifestyle we recently embraced with gusto after last year’s open-heart surgery and a long recovery.

But, now we have excellent, low co-pay health insurance through United Healthcare Global (Safe Trip) that we purchase every three months, good only outside of the US. This morning we bought more coverage until the end of July, when we’ll renew for another 90 days at that time.  

Crowds of people on their way to a festival.

Yesterday, when Viking Cruise Line informed us that the 29-day cruise we’d booked had been canceled long ago, we had to figure out what we’d do for the 29 days. So far, we only have one booking in Bath, England, and a cruise from Lisbon to Cape Town next November. 

With the number of virus cases rapidly escalating in the UK and Europe, we decided against keeping the UK booking. The house owner in Bath is arranging a full credit for us for the deposit that we paid only one week ago.

The cruise line is refunding the full fare we’d already paid, which easily covers a good portion of our costs for the next 12 months. 

Guess where we’d headed, folks?

Yep, back to South Africa… to Marloth Park… to all of our animal and human friends and a vibrant social life. We’ll arrive at Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger Airport next Friday night, spend the night in a hotel, and on Saturday morning, make the hour-long drive to Marloth Park, where dear friends Louise and Danie will have a house waiting for us.

“Buffaloes are believed to have domesticated around 5000 years ago in the Indus Valley and thrive best in the areas of moderate rainfall as they require plenty of water for their daily bath.   Indian buffaloes are considered to be an important source of milk today. They yield nearly three times milk like cows. Interestingly, 47.22 million milch buffaloes produce 55 percent of milk, which is more than half of the total milk produced in the country. Whereas, 57 million cows contribute only 45 percent of the total milk yield.”

Of course, we’d love to get back into the Orange house, but that’s booked until May 1. At that point, we’ll move around in. In the interim, Louise will ensure we have great houses to stay in as we hop from house to house as she deems necessary for the remainder of March and all of April. We can live with this plan without hesitancy.

There hasn’t been a single case of coronavirus in Marloth Park, but of course, we’ll continue with precautions as we have here in India; avoiding crowds, lots of handwashing, no handshaking, and extra careful touching any surfaces or possibly infected areas. 

Yes, we’re excited to be heading back. But, Marloth Park is remote, with fewer and fewer visitors coming to stay due to fears of travel right now. And no, there are no unrealistic expectations that South Africa will be safer than in any part of the world.,

No, we won’t bore our readers with endless photos of warthogs. We’ll strive to focus on the fascinating little things, exciting people stories, and wildlife special moments. It will be an all-new angle for our time in Africa once again.

Buffalo is movin’ on down the road. “Buffaloes, also called Bubalus bublis to belong to the family Bovidae, sub-family Bovinae, genus Bubalus, and species arni or the wild Indian buffalo. They are classified into river and swamp types. The present-day domesticated buffaloes are the descendants of Bos arni found in North-Eastern parts of India especially in Assam and surrounding areas.”

How long will we stay? As long as they’ll have us, which our regular readers know is a tricky proposition. We’ll do everything we can to last as long as possible, even if we have to fly to other countries, stay for a while and return.

As for the balance of our India tour? It’s ending about 16 days earlier than planned. We didn’t make this decision lightly. The tour company is giving us a partial refund, which we’re grateful for, but such cancellations such as this are happening all over India, all over the world. 

Temples are closing. Sporting events have been canceled, public celebrations are fast coming to a halt, schools are closing, as is the case in most countries worldwide. It’s a frightening time regarding contracting the virus and the awful impact on workers and economic conditions worldwide.

We carry on… All of us do, in an attempt to make the most of this dreadful time in history. We extend our love and prayers for every one of our family members, friends, and readers worldwide. 

Workers were loading sugar cane onto a truck.

May you and those you love be safe as you exercise every caution. Wash your hands! Use hot soapy water when possible. Don’t cough or sneeze in anyone’s face! Don’t shake hands! Wear a mask if you are sick or stay indoors at all times.

Don’t touch surfaces others have touched! Even an elevator or lift button, a grocery store trolley, or the bank counter can carry the virus. When going to the doctor, dentist, or office, don’t lean on the counter when checking in. If you need a handrail to walk up or downstairs, get someone you know to help you instead of touching the railing.

Make everything and everyone suspect, but in the interim, we somehow must do our best to find ways in which to enjoy life, enjoy people and cherish every moment we have of this precious life. God bless.

Photo from one year ago today, March 13, 2019:

With ample vegetation after many days and nights of soaking rain, the zebras still love pellets. For more photos, please click here.

The flurry of activity has begun…2 days and counting…Not freaking out about Coronavirus…

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Two years ago today, we wrote: “This is unreal…the Black Browed Albatross on Steeple Jason Island, remove tall grass from these massive “pod-like” structures, adding mud and vegetation to make it a freestanding pod on which they can nest. Here’s a young chick making a little noise while atop their elevated nest.  That’s amazing!” See the post here.

This morning I headed out to Safeway one last time for a few grocery items to fill in the blanks over the next few days. I received a $10 credit on the things I purchased from using up my rewards points. Tonight, we’ll eat breakfast again for dinner to use the remaining bacon and eggs we have on hand.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll do the laundry and finish packing our clothing bags and weigh them. We’re allowed two checked bags each, weighing a maximum of 50 pounds (23 kg) each. This should work fine for both of us.

We removed the duffel bag in Minnesota and replaced it with a good quality wheeling carry-on-sized bag. We’ll pack our heavy jeans and coats in this bag. Here’s what we currently have for luggage, including carry-on bags:

1. Tom’s clothing: 50 pounds
2. Jess clothing: 50 pounds
3. Small carry-on bag: 40 pounds (we’ll check this)
4. Carry-on backpack computer bag: 20
5. Carry-on bag (doubles as a handbag): 15 pounds
6. Carry-on yellow Costco bag which holds medications and prescriptions, my small pillow and blanket: 15 pounds 

We’ve tried to reduce this load, but after these seven-plus years of world travel, we don’t see how we can narrow this down any further as hard as we’ve tried. Thus, we’ll continue as always.

As mentioned in an earlier post, while in the hotel in Mumbai for two nights, we’ll reduce our load to eliminate some weight and leave a bag behind at the hotel for two months.

Then, besides packing, we’re thinking a little about the Coronavirus but not as much as some may. There have been only a few cases so far in India, and they’ve been testing all arriving passenger’s temperatures at all major airports. So far, they’ve sent 12 passengers back to China, refusing them entry. Hopefully, this diligence continues.

This morning I purchased more wipes, not only for our hands but also for surfaces that we’ll wipe down wherever we go, including the armrests and tray tables on both planes and all characters in our hotel room, including phone, remote, door handles, etc.

Today, our 100 disposable face masks will arrive from Amazon. I had a hard time finding these online, including at the Amazon site. We’d seen a news report in China where people were lined, hundreds deep, at a pharmacy hoping to be able to purchase face masks when they were almost sold out.

We’re taking every precaution we can, and we are striving to be sensible and practical. However, if we’d had plans to visit China at this time, I am certain we would have felt it necessary to change our plans.

Last night, we hosted a happy hour for our neighbors and Tom’s family. We gathered around the outdoor table and enjoyed a few hours of lively conversation, snacks and drinks.

Worrying is pointless; precautions make sense. We continue with hope in our hearts that all will be well. 

Have a meaningful Monday!

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

This was one of the youngest kudus we’ve seen this season. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2. Off to Abu Dhabi then Dubai…Photos and video of the world’s fastest roller coaster….

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Wow! Wow! Wow!  Tom took this photo from the 124th floor observation deck of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa with a total 163 stories. For more photos Tom took at the top,  see toward the end of today’s post.

Yesterday, we received a comment from an anonymous reader with a story about the dangerous Coronavirus spreading from the Middle East.  Last night, we saw the same story on CNN about this virus spreading to a French traveler who had visited Dubai, UAE, which proved to be fatal. 

With dozens of cases throughout the Middle East and, considering the places we’ve visited, I was concerned.  Tom, was less worried than I.

After taking my 4th dose of Z-Pak, I’d expected to turn the corner.  It had been 16 days since the illness began. What would happen if this continued until next Tuesday when we board the ship for the Mediterranean cruise and we wouldn’t be allowed on the ship, although we’re no longer contagious?  Oh, dear.

I had an idea in my desperation to improve; put a large pot of boiling water on the stove leaving it on all day at a slow boil.  Perhaps the moisture in the air would lessen the sinus infection. 

Second idea;  follow the guidelines espoused by Dr. Bruce Fife, of the benefits of Oil Pulling, using coconut oil twice a day as a mouthwash for a full 20 minutes, swishing and gargling and then spitting it out.  Coconut oil, which we have with us, is a powerful antibacterial. 

Starting these two modalities or merely coincidence, I started to improve late afternoon. I’m much better today.  Whether it was the Z-Pak finally kicking in, the coconut oil, the boiling water putting moisture in the air,  just “time,” or a placebo effect, I don’t care the reason.  It’s only the result that brings us much relief.  Tom, struggling with the sinus issue to lesser of a degree is also feeling better.

So now, we can rest one more day with a plan to begin tomorrow to sift through our stuff, one more time, to further lighten our load in order to avoid extra baggage fees when we fly away on Monday from Dubai to Barcelona.  It will be done!

Now to Part 2 of our day trip to see some sights in Abu Dhabi and Dubai…

After leaving the mosque on Monday, Umer was anxious to show us other favorite tourist attractions.  In my weakened conditioned, I reminded him that walking was difficult for me in the heat and if we’d be getting out of the car, it must be to air conditioning with places to sit.  This limited us to a degree.

Most intentionally crooked skyscraper in the world in Abu Dhabi, Capital Gate, built at a full 18 degree angle. Oh.

With this in mind, he drove to a popular destination, Abu Dhabi’s world famous seven star hotel, the Emirates Palace Hotel, an extraordinary architecturally interesting hotel filled with Arabic works of art, its own marina and heliport and the finest of amenities. Again, we were enthralled by its creative design, tasteful amenities, massive structure and opulence.

One of the entrances to the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Looking up, as we stood in the main foyer of the Emirates Palace Hotel.
The main foyer.
Happy to sit in the air conditioned comfort of the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Looks like a cash machine.  Nope!  Its a gold machine.  Put in a credit card and out pops a chunk of gold at your choosing.
This is a full view of the Emirates Palace Hotel depicted on an enormous wall.  Its actually a handmade tapestry!  The detail in person was breathtaking.
We stepped out on the veranda for a better view of the ocean front.
One of two open staircases at one end of the hotel, with its handmade carpeting and stained glass railings was worth a shot.
As we drove away from the Emirates Palace Hotel, took this photo of one of the fountains.
A small portion of the Abu Dhabi skyline as we drove away.
The attention to detail is at every turn.  Notice the shaping of these trees along the boulevard.
From every angle the views are amazing.
Umer drove us past the Sheikh’s new home currently under construction.  This photo is only a small portion of the massive estate.
World’s largest roller coaster is located in Ferrari World, the Formula Rossa. Here’s the link to watch the seven minute video.  No, we had no interest in riding this so we just breezed by.

By the time we returned to Dubai it was after 1:00 PM, anxious to get to the Burj Khalifa so Tom could ride to the observation deck on the 124th floor.

Tom taking photos at the 124the floor of Burj Khalifa.

More views…

This is the highest view from any structure on earth.

Breathtaking!  He loved seeing it firsthand.  Wish I could have joined him but these photos are quite gratifying.
Miles of views.
Tom took this photo of the portion of the Burj Khalifa remaining 39 floors all above the 124th floor observation tower.
The freeway system is evident in this and the photo below, indicative of Dubai’s efficient systems.
Unreal views.  Great job, Tom!
Although these look as if they are black and white photos, it was taken in color.  From the distance, everything appeared in monotones.
A peek of grass and water shows the colors seen from above.
A photo of a photo on New Year’s Eve as fireworks were being shot from various floors of the Burj Khalifa.  Now that would be fun to see in person!
Winding down our day, he drove out to Palm island to see the gorgeous properties.
Our final stop on Palm island, the renowned Atlantis, The Palm Hotel & Resort that doesn’t allow tourists to visit except dining or as a booked guest.

Finally, returning to our condo after a gratifying day, although cut short in part by my illness, we were so happy to have gone to see some of the highlights of this amazing country and two of its extraordinary cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the capitol city. 

Although we’ve seen but a small portion of what these great cities have to offer, we’re grateful for the experiences we’ve added to our repertoire of fine places to visit, as we continue on our worldwide journey.