Day #243 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…New but vague information for India travelers!…How much are we spending to live in this hotel?…

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We drove past friends Kathy and Don’s home yesterday and their front garden was filled with kudus and impalas. See more photos from this scene below.

Today’s photos are from our post on this date in 2018 while living in a bush home in Marloth Park, South Africa. For more details, please click here.

Tom stays up much later than I. Usually, by 11:00 pm, I settle into my comfy spot on my left side and am making ZZZZs while Tom is fast and furiously clicking away on his laptop, reading news, Facebook, and Ancestry.com. Often, in the morning, I’ll have an email message about a topic he knows I’d like to read the next day.

Waterbucks are much larger than they appear.  We rarely see them up close to grasp their actual size.  From this site: “This is a large, robust antelope. Bulls have a shoulder height of 1.4 meters and can weigh up to 260 Kg. (551 pounds)  Cows are smaller than bulls. Waterbucks have a brownish-gray shaggy coat. The eyes and nose are patched with white, and there is a white-collar under the throat. The rump has a characteristic white ring. The large rounded ears are a prominent feature. Only the bulls have long, forward-curved horns. Both sexes emit a, not unpleasant, musky smell which normally lingers at resting sites.”

This morning, from Tom, I opened this article from this site, figuring it would be of interest to me, to us. Upon seeing the topic in the headline, I see why he sent it.

Bougainvillea has begun blooming in the park.

The article states:

“India is predicting a return to pre-COVID passenger levels by the end of the year or early 2021. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri noted the impressive recovery of the domestic market and said he expects huge growth in the Indian aviation industry. India recently hit a post-COVID passenger record during Diwali.

Full recovery

At a press conference covered by Business Insider, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that he expects air travel to make a full recovery by 31st December or early January 2021. This would mean reaching pre-pandemic levels across the board, a significant feat just months after flights resumed.

He added that domestic flights have now reached 70% capacity and there are talks about increasing the cap to 80% sometime soon. India currently has both capacity and fare caps for domestic flights. Passenger numbers have grown exponentially since May, rising from 30,000 daily travelers to over 225,000 during Diwali last week.

While domestic flights might be recovering, international flights remain considerably lower than pre-COVID levels. This is primarily due to border closures globally and India’s ban on scheduled international flights, limiting the total number of flights. Until a vaccine finds widespread use, India’s recovery will remain restricted to the domestic market.

Currently, only Air India operates flights to the US from India. However, more Indian airlines could be joining the route in the coming years.

For now, India can expect a significant domestic recovery in the coming months. International flights could take a while before recovering. However, news of a successful vaccine has many hopeful of a larger aviation recovery next year.”

Proud mom showing her youngster the ways of the bush.

There is nothing in this article that gives us any new hope or newly formed expectations as to when international flights will resume in India, other than those we mentioned in yesterday’s post here. Yes, there are flights to the US from India, which have been available for many months, but after 1,000,000 new cases of COVID-19 in less than a week, we see no benefit in heading to the US now or anytime soon.

If we have to be stuck inside, I’d rather stay put here for roughly 40% lower cost than staying in a holiday home or hotel in the US, where they are much more expensive than most other countries. If we were able to find an affordable holiday home, then we’d have to add a car, groceries, and US health insurance, upwards of several thousand dollars per month more than what we’re paying now.

Mom and young giraffe.

At this point, we’re spending approximately US $130, INR 9641 per night with meals, staying in a nice hotel close to the airport. Although we have encountered some annoying minor issues, overall, it’s been a very good experience and definitely, as safe as possible.

With more and more lockdowns resuming in the US based on these latest numbers, it makes no sense for us to trade this situation for another. None, whatsoever.

This mom or matriarch may be babysitting. These two young ones appear a few months apart in age.

And so, we remain, tentatively hopeful while currently in an even emotional holding pattern, knowing full-well, someday we’ll get out of here.

Have a good weekend, wherever you may be.

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

We stayed with dear friends, Karen and Rich when we visited Minnesota last year. The four of us were ready for dinner at the fabulous Gianni’s Steakhouse in Wayzata Minnesota. For more photos, please click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Giant iguana at Zoo Ave.

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

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

Stunning blooms, Pine Cone Ginger.

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

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

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

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

Mom and calf in the neighborhood.

This is the way that it is. We wait.

Be well.

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

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

Day #241 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…At this point, little things do matter…

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We were thrilled to see the huge herd of cape buffaloes on the bank of the Crocodile River.

Today’s photos are from our post on this date in 2018 while living in a bush house in Marloth Park, South Africa. For more details, please click here.

In the realm of things, small incidences we encounter during this overly long stay in a hotel room may seem insignificant and even petty on our part. However, under these trying circumstances, it’s the small dependable things that keep us sane and centered as we strive to stay on an emotional even keel.

A female lion we spotted from Marloth Park’s fence.

Overall, both of us are in good spirits, able to laugh and to be playful. It’s even surprising to us that somehow we’re able to remain hopeful and relatively upbeat after all of this time. Our family, friends, and readers often write to us praising us for “holding it together” under these circumstances, which we appreciate.

But, we take no credit for their kind perception of us “being strong.” We merely are our usual selves always striving to stay positive in the worst of circumstances. The most difficult period during these 241 days has been the loss of my dear sister Susan on August 16, 2020.

Hippos basking in the sun at dusk on the Crocodile River in Kruger National Park.

Feeling such profound grief, while unable to seek the in-person love and support of family and friends made this a particularly difficult time. Tom, who also dearly loved Susan, held me together during the throes of the most imminent grief. I still think of her every day and expect to do so for the remainder of my life. Somehow, I got through the worst of it.

Over this period, I’ve suffered a few bouts of worrisome medical issues, all of which have since resolved, mainly due to my persistence and determination in refining my daily habits and way of eating, based on the fact that food options are extremely limited in our hotel which in itself has been a source of frustration for both of us.

This mom appears very lean after giving birth to this young calf.

If I hadn’t been trying to lose the weight I’d gained since recovering from heart surgery, I could have lost it anyway with the lack of food options and smaller portion sizes available. When I order salmon a few times each week, it can’t be more than four ounces, .11 kg, portions certainly not enough considering I don’t eat the usual side dishes. I need more protein than that in a meal.

Finally, I figured it out if I ordered two butter-fried eggs topped with a little Emmental cheese, four slices of bacon, and the small piece of salmon, I have an adequate amount of protein, which is also enough to fill me up but not too much to stop my weight loss which has gone nicely. (I only have a few more pounds to lose again fit into my jeans).

An elephant and hippos.

Yesterday, we both got our “hair in a bundle” when we noticed that after the cleaner was here, we had two partial toilet paper rolls on the two holders. Both were empty when the cleaner arrived. We’ve noticed that all the toilet paper on the cleaning carts are full-sized, individually paper-wrapped rolls.  Where did the two partial rolls come from?

We both freaked out. This was not the first time this happened. There was no way the two partial rolls came from any other source than leftovers from another hotel room, used in part by other guests. Yikes! Even without COVID-19, the thought of using other guest’s leftover/partially used toilet paper rolls totally sent us both into a frenzy.

Elephants and storks.

Immediately, we contacted the front desk (there’s no direct line to housekeeping) and requested a manager handle this promptly. A half-hour later a housekeeper manager arrived at our door apologizing profusely. When I asked if this was a normal procedure, giving guests other guest’s leftover toilet paper, he was horrified this happened, insisting it would never happen again. We’re tentatively assuming, it won’t.

It’s things like this, after all this time, along with inconsistencies in repeated meals served, that frustrate us the most. When we order the same meal over and over again, it’s different every time, in one way or another.

A waterbuck and Egyptian geese.

Here again, as Tom always says, “The only thing consistent is the inconsistency.”

So it goes. Small things.

Be well.

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

While visiting family in the US, one year ago, we ran short on photos and posted older photos such as the above which was posted on November 19, 2013, from our visit to the Swahili Beach Resort for dinner at Diani Beach, Kenya. For the year-ago story, please click here.

Day #240 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…2018 Thanksgiving menu and photos…

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Thanksgiving dinner on the veranda with friends.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2018 while living in the bush in Marloth Park and celebrating Thanksgiving at our holiday home. See our menu below and photos of some of the dishes. For more, please click here.

When we decided to host the US holiday, Thanksgiving, on this date in 2018, we insisted that none of the guests bring food, instead only bringing their favorite wine or beverages which is typical in South Africa when visiting friends. Our big table was set for the 12 of us, on the veranda overlooking the garden with hopefully visiting wildlife, .

From left to right around the table: Kathy, Janet, Steve, Don, Louise, Danie, Leon, Dawn, Uschi, Evan while Tom and I shared the end of the table.  Total in attendance: 12.

Here is the menu from that day:

Menu

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Bush

Sundowners with Light Snacks

Roasted chickens

Stuffing with Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions

Mashed Potatoes with Creamy Gravy

Buttery Mashed Cauliflower

Sweet Potatoes with Fresh Pineapple and Cinnamon

Broccoli Salad with Crunchy Almonds and Sultanas

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onion Rings

Cranberry Sauce

Homemade dinner rolls

Pumpkin Pies

Whipped Cream Topping, if desired

It was outrageously hot as high as 40C, 104F on the previous day when I was attempting to make eight pumpkin pies. The heat and humidity were so high, I had the worst time ever in my life rolling the dough for the crusts, a task I usually accomplished with ease.

On the right, Evan, Uschi, Dawn, and Leon.

The end result was tasty pumpkin pies, but they weren’t as pretty as I would have liked. In our usual manner, we sent every couple home with their own pumpkin pie, serving the extra pie we’d made for that meal’s dessert. For the dinner, since turkeys of any size aren’t available in South Africa, we included one stuffed chicken per couple.

Dawn and Leon brought styrofoam, to-go containers from their wonderful restaurant, Jabula Lodge & Restaurant enabling us each couple to take home their leftover chicken and portions of the accompanying traditional side dishes, some of which are shown in the photos.

Each couple got their own roast stuffed chicken. We were having such fun, I left these three chickens in the oven a little too long, burning the bottom of the pan but the chickens were moist and delicious. We’d make three extra chickens, just in case, and kept these for us.

In our old lives, we’d always done this on Thanksgiving, sending family and friends home with a whole pie and leftovers, knowing part of the fun of this particular holiday includes savoring the traditional leftovers. Of course, that night we saved a container for ourselves, which we enjoyed over the next few dinners, as well.

Besides the food, the company was some of our closest friends in Marloth Park, all of whom we hope to see again when we return sometime in the future,  When that day will come is still a total mystery to us as we continue to read and watch news reports daily.

On the left, a pan of extra stuffing, in the center, sweet potatoes (they are light-colored in South Africa, not orange).

With Diwali winding down, the noisy group next door to our room, keeping us awake until 5:00 am with their loud voices and drawer banging, has finally checked out. Yesterday, while heading out on our walk, we were appalled to see their hotel room door open to one of the biggest messes we’ve ever seen in a hotel room. There was trash everywhere.

We felt bad for the housekeeper who had to clean up that mess, but as always, the kind worker went about her work with a smile on her face, as is common among the staff here. Well, I couldn’t exactly see the smile on her face with her mask on, but I could tell she was smiling from the crinkle around her eyes.

Low carb mashed cauliflower.

Isn’t that something? With those of us wearing face masks, it’s hard to tell who is smiling and who is frowning. But, it’s better to wear a mask than to be able to see the expression on a person’s face during these challenging times.

In any case, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on November 26th this year. The actual date of Thanksgiving may change from year to year, but it’s always on the last Thursday in November, resulting in a four-day weekend for many workers. It was during that weekend in our old lives, that I always decorated the house for Christmas, spending the full remaining three days getting it accomplished.

Traditional green bean casserole. Kathy brought the fried onions back from the US! Thanks, Kathy!

Those days are long gone. Oh well, this year, Thanksgiving, will be chicken, of course here in India. As always, but there will be no celebrations, no pie for Tom, no cooking, and no gathering of family and friends. From what we’re seeing on the news, this may be the case for many Americans this year, due to COVID-19 and its government-mandated limitations on numbers allowed to gather to celebrate.

Today? The usual. The usual. And, more of the usual!

Be well.

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

One year ago, this 5-year-old photo was posted on this date. Tom got a kick out of this old Ford “woody” that was on display at the Maui Tropical Plantation. For more of the story, one year ago, please click here.

Day #239 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Thanks for inquiring about our well-being…

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The old Wailuku Courthouse, built-in 1907, is located on the US National Register of Historic Buildings.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2014 during our time spent in Maui on a day trip to the town of Wailuku, visiting several historic buildings and beaches. For more, please click here.

Over the past many months, we’ve had more inquiries and comments from readers than we’d had in the prior eight years. Many readers offer suggestions about future travel, borders opening, and how we can allay boredom under these unusual circumstances. We appreciate your input and suggestions.

A small percentage has suggested we’re too cautious about protecting ourselves from COVID-19 and that we should get out sightseeing, return to the US to “settle down,” along with many informing us as to borders opening throughout the world. We appreciate all of those comments, whether we agree or not.

Wailuku Union Church, built-in 1911.

We strive to be upfront and forthcoming with our responses. Yes, we fully understand there is a particular faction of people throughout the world that don’t “believe” COVID-19 is “real.” You certainly are entitled to those opinions. But, we choose to remain cautious, especially after my terrifying experience in having emergency open-heart surgery in South Africa in February 2019.

I am still dealing with the aftereffects of that surgery and will do so for years to come. I will never be the person I was before that. Subsequently, I may be more cautious than most, remembering what it was like to be intubated and spending nine days in ICU with a total of three weeks in the hospital with numerous complications. The experience is too fresh in my mind to take COVID-19 lightly, also in light of the fact I am high risk based on my age and commodities, including advanced coronary arterial disease.

Bailey House Maui.jpg
The Bailey House Museum is also listed on the US National Register of Historic Buildings.

In any case, we both work hard each day in an attempt to be healthy and avoid proximity to anyone who may have or be carrying the virus and, we plan to remain so going forward, wherever we may be.

I recently posted an ongoing problem with walking due to severe leg pain I’ve had since the surgery. Both of my legs were cut from ankle to thigh to harvest veins for heart surgery. Three of my heart’s arteries, including the Widow-Maker, were 100% blocked.

Weeks after returning from the hospital to recover at our holiday bush home in Marloth Park, both of my legs became seriously septic. I had to return to the hospital for two more surgeries on each leg resulting in what I thought was permanent pain in both legs.

Kaahumanu Church, another building on the US National Register of Historic Buildings

Months ago, when I began walking 10,000 steps a day in this hotel’s corridors, I struggled due to the pain, which after a few months only exacerbated from the inflammatory foods I was eating, with too many carbs. I stopped the spicy red sauces and opted for plain chicken and salmon, and still, I struggled. It was weeks later I realized I was still eating too many carbs and further cut my carb count, knowing that for me, excess carbohydrates increase inflammation.

Now, weeks later, I am thrilled to report the pain while walking is gone, gone, gone. Many of our concerned readers have written inquiring how this was going. Today, after a whole week of total relief, I feel confident to report I can walk without pain for the first time in 19 months. I’m over the moon with joy.

Also, as a surprising side benefit of reducing carbs further, my blood pressure has become so low, I had to cut my regular medication in half. Plus, my blood sugar is now normal for the first time in years. Wow! Who knew I’d reap these benefits in only three weeks. Based on our current circumstances in India and refusal to go to a doctor’s office or hospital, I’ve had no choice but to figure out what to do on my own through extensive research.

The rain stopped on the return drive to Maalaea Beach, and the sky cleared to this bright blue. No more than 10 minutes after we returned, we were outside enjoying the sun, sea, and surf for another fabulous day in the Hawaiian islands.

Once we are situated in Marloth Park, we’ll both make appointments with Dr. Theo for checkups. Please seek your medical professionals for any health issues you may be experiencing. None of our information is intended as medical advice in any manner.

Last night, we started streaming an excellent Netflix show, The Queen’s Gambit, a mini-series, an excellent show! Today? At the moment, we’re listening to Garage Logic. When that ends, we’ll begin streaming yesterday’s Minnesota Vikings football game.

Have a healthy and safe day!

Photo from one year ago today, on November 17, 2019:

Seven years ago today, we booked the hotel with our cruise ending in Boston, with the intent of visiting my father’s gravesite and seeing family. This is my parent’s wedding photo we posted one year ago on this date. For more, please click here.

Day #238 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Are we still really in lockdown?…Refusal to fight…

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times/Shutterstock (11008794b)
Crowded street of Ranade road for Diwali shopping at Dadar west, on November 8, 2020, in Mumbai, India.
Diwali Festival 2020, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India – 08 Nov 2020

Today’s photos (except the above main photo) are from this date in 2015 while living in Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji, as shown here.

One would think that with over 3000 posts, it would be easy to find photos to repeat that could be interesting and fresh to our new and long-term readers. But, each morning, as I scroll through the previous seven of eight years, it’s often challenging to find any that I find appealing.

A few boats docked at the pier in Savusavu, Fiji.

They must be photos from the exact day and month to maintain our preferred continuity, with only the year they were published being different. We’ll see how it goes if and when a year passes, and we have to start all over again. Good grief! That one-year event could be in a mere four months.

Technically, we are no longer in a mandated lockdown. That’s why the employees still sleep here and can’t leave during their month’s long shifts. We are free to leave the hotel, but they prefer we stay here to avoid returning with a case of the virus. Although the US appears to have more cases of COVID-19, we suspect there are more cases in India than in the US due to a lack of testing, rampant crowding, and poverty.

This boat navigates to the pearl beds.

Each time we look out of the only window at the end of a long corridor, we can see people in groups, and most aren’t wearing masks. If we were to go outside on foot, we’d be caught up in those crowds on the streets. The above main photo was taken during the five-day Diwali celebrations in the past few days. We can imagine how many new cases of the virus will result from these crowds.

Although the above photo is during Diwali, this crowd size is typical in Mumbai and other cities in India. We experienced it first hand while touring India eight/nine months ago. Why would we dare to go outside if we’re committed to avoiding becoming infected, possibly ending up on a cot in a parking lot? No, thank you.

This long pier leads the Fiji Pearls boat, where tourists can visit the pearl beds, after which tourists typically purchase pearl jewelry. 

I can’t tell you how many people have suggested we go sightseeing in Mumbai instead of staying stuck in this room. We appreciate their concern for our mental health, but at this point, our physical health is of the utmost importance. Our mental health is surprisingly in good order.

Yesterday, again, we laughed out loud about being in this hotel room for today’s 238 days. Tom reminded me of how I’m not particularly eager to fight. In the past, before COVID-19, when he became “overly grumpy,” I’d leave the room. I’m always willing to discuss issues, but I am not interested in having a pointless argument.

The heavy rains and cloud-covered sky prevented us from much sightseeing.

Those who say fighting is healthy are kidding themselves. Impassioned discussion is quite acceptable to me, but nasty fighting is not. On the other hand, Tom seems to enjoy a hearty row with certain expletives flying through the air. I don’t get this, so when he’d start, I’d leave the room. No one will continue to fight when no one is within earshot to suffer the consequences of oral toxicity.

I’d leave the room long enough for him to cool down (not very long) and then proceed to have a problem-solving issue-handling mature discussion. Well, guess what? There’s no other room for me to hide in right now. The bathroom isn’t far enough away. Plus, I don’t want to stand in the bathroom for 20 or 30 minutes.

Steam escapes from underground hot springs in this area near the village.

So, under these circumstances, what have we done? Much to my surprise and delight, he rarely gets his “hair in a bundle.” Perhaps, he’s aware of my dilemma and exercises some self-control. On a few rare occasions, when he’s snapped (not necessarily at me), I ignore him and don’t respond or go out the door for my upcoming walk.

I understand we each have our ways of coping in difficult times. This is one of those times. Somehow, we’re managing to get through this period unscathed by toxic vitriol between us and hopefully will continue on this path for the duration and, of course, in hopefully in less stressful times in the future.

When we have more “rooms,” he can be “overly grumpy” on occasion.

Happy day!

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

Out to brunch with Tom’s family one year ago today. From left to right beginning at Jacoby, Tom’s grandnephew; Vincent, our grandson; Kathy, Tom’s niece, daughter of brother Jerome to her left; then Patty, Tom’s sister at the right end of the table, then Tammy, Tom’s daughter: Tracy, Tammy’s partner; Colleen, Tom’s sister and her husband, Gene. Tom and I were seated and the end of the table and not seen in the photo. For more, please click here.

Day #236 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Shubh Diwali…Happy Diwali…

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Today’s photos are those I took yesterday in the hotel lobby when I went downstairs to pay our bill. The hotel manager showed me this gorgeous handcrafted sand display in the lobby that left me breathless. Such a beautiful colorful display! No captions were added. The beauty of this display speaks for itself.

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned discussing Indian customs today when Diwali had slipped my mind. In tomorrow’s post, we’ll share many of India’s customs, some of which we’ve had personal experience during our first six weeks on tour in the country. 

Today is Diwali, the annual five-day Festival of Light holiday in the Hindu faith worldwide. It is described as follows from India Times here:

“The much-awaited festival of light is here. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is celebrated across India with great enthusiasm as it symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Dipavali,’ which means a row of lights, Diwali has been celebrated since time immemorial.

Diwali is celebrated 20 days after Lord Ram killed Ravana (Dusshera) and rescued Sita from captivity in Lanka. The celebration marks the return of Lord Ram to Ayodha after 14 years of exile. The entire city was decked up to welcome Lord Rama, Sita, and Laxman, and the people decorated the city with diyas (earthen lamps) to welcome their king.

This five-day festival starts with Dhanteras, which celebrates and welcomes good luck, wealth, and prosperity. On Dhanteras, people buy jewelry and utensils because any metal is believed to ward off bad luck and usher in wealth and prosperity. Dhanteras is followed by Chhoti Diwali, Diwali, Govardhan Puja, and finally, Bhai Dooj marks the end of this festival.

How to celebrate the festival of light
‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness,’ and none can explain this better than people who celebrate Diwali. The preparation for this grand festival starts much ahead with people cleaning their houses and offices. Then they decorate their places with flowers, lamps, lights, and rangolis.

The celebration starts with people buying jewelry and utensils on Dhanteras. This is an auspicious occasion to buy any metal as it is believed to ward off evil and bring prosperity.

The following two days—Chhoti Diwali and Diwali—are the most-awaited days when people enjoy the most. The evening starts after performing puja and offering prayers to the gods. People then light diyas and burst crackers. The entire atmosphere reverberates in a festive note. On the fourth day, Govardhan puja is performed, and the festival of lights ends with Bhai Dooj, which is very similar to Raksha Bandhan as it is a celebration of love between a brother and sister.

Although it is a tradition to burst crackers on Diwali, we should now refrain from doing it because of increased air pollution. We should aim to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly way and respect nature. Instead of bursting crackers, we can light diyas, decorate our house and surroundings with fairy lights, and spend a magical evening with friends and family.

Happy Diwali 2020: Messages, Quotes, Status, and SMS

On this Diwali, I wish you wealth, prosperity, glory, and happiness not only for this special occasion but for today and forever! I hope you have a very, very happy Diwali!!

Happy Diwali 2020! May your day be filled with delightful laddoos, incandescent days, a whole lot of smiles and laughter!

May millions of lamps illuminate your life with endless happiness, wealth, prosperity & glory forever! I wish you and your family, a very very happy Diwali!

On this Auspicious Festival of Diwali, May Goddess Lakshmi blesses you with Joy, Prosperity, & Happiness. Happy and safe, Deepawali!

May you achieve everything your heart desires with the blessing of Lakshmi-Ganesha. Happy and safe Diwali 2020!

Let’s celebrate the festival in the true sense by spreading joy and light up the world of others. Have a happy, safe, and blessed Diwali!!

May the beauty of the festival of lights fill your home with happiness, and may the new year bring joy, peace, and prosperity to your life. I wish you and your family a very Happy Diwali!!

Wishing you a gleam of diyas, an echo of holy chants, contentment, and happiness today, tomorrow, and forever. Have a happy and prosperous Diwali!

Rejoice on this blessed occasion by spreading joy with your friends and loved ones. Happy Diwali 2020. May this Diwali be bright for you and your family. May God fulfill all your wishes this Diwali. Happy Diwali!.”

We wish all of our Hindu friends we’ve made throughout the world a safe, fulfilling, and blessed Diwali today, over the next several days in celebration, and in years to come. Thank you for sharing your country with us!

Photo from one year ago today, November 14, 2019:

We took granddaughter Madighan to her weekly karate class. It was fun watching her and four boys in the same age group, learning the moves presented by Sensei Luiz. For more, please click here.

Day #235 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Friday the 13th on this awful year, 2020…Indian superstitions…

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Tom, standing at the beach enjoying the early evening sky and the sea.

Today’s photos are from this date while staying in a condo overlooking Maalaea Beach, Maui, Hawaii, in 2014. For the story and more photos from this date, please click here.

We’ve never been particularly superstitious. Friday the 13th has never been a date that caused us any concern, although many worldwide have cultural superstitions and fears eliciting certain practices and customs. In the US, there are several common superstitions, such as walking under a ladder; crossing the path of a black cat; spilling salt; a hat on the bed; breaking a mirror; knocking on wood; finding a penny for good luck, and making a wish using a wishbone (from poultry) and of course, Friday the 13th.

Across the bay, it’s still Maui based on the island’s shape.

Superstitions may be different in other cultures, with many of significance and freely observed by many Indian people. They include, from this site:

“Hanging lemon and seven green chilies
India believes that ‘Alakshmi,’ the goddess of misfortune, can bring bad luck to the shop owners or businesses. Since she likes sour, pungent, and hot things, shop owners in India hang lemon and seven green chilies on their door so that the goddess eat her favorite food, satisfy her hunger and leave without entering the shop.

If a black cat crosses your path, it’s a bad omen.
Just because they are black cats? Not just in India, but this is a popular belief in the west too. The origin of this superstition came from the Egyptians, who believed that black cats were evil creatures and they brought bad luck. In India, black colour is generally associated with Lord Shani. It is said that if a black cat crosses your path, then you should let somebody else pass before you do. This way, the first person will have all the bad luck, and you won’t.

Breaking mirror brings bad luck.
It is said that in earlier times, mirror used to be very expensive but brittle. To avoid negligence, the ancient people from Rome started preaching that breaking mirrors would bring you seven years of bad luck. Why seven years? This is because Romans believe that it takes seven years for life to renew itself. So, the image of a person, who does not have good health, will break the mirror, and after seven years, his life will renew itself, and he’ll be in good health.

Hawaii is a treasure trove of exquisite vegetation.

Twitching of the eye is inauspicious.
The superstition is different in different cultures. It is considered good luck in some cultures and wrong in some others. It differs according to gender as well. Since it is related to the eyes, there are many scientific reasons behind the twitching of the eyes. Eye twitching could be due to stress, alcohol, tiredness, allergies, strain, or just dry eyes.

Removing evil eye (Nazar Utaarna)
Putting a little dot of kohl on the side of a child’s forehead is very common in India. The practice is called Nazar Utaarna. It is done to protect the little kid from any evil eyes and prevent anyone from putting a negative vibe over the kid. The evil eye can cause severe damage to whom it turns. It is said that putting a black spot on a child’s forehead will make the child look ugly to the evil powers, and hence, the kid will stay protected.

Adding one rupee to a gift sum
At weddings and special occasions, we Indians generally like to gift money, and it won’t be 100 or 1,000 but 101 or 1,001. We add one rupee coin to the entire sum. It is considered a blessing, love, and luck. But, the main reason to add that extra coin is to make the whole sum an odd number, and it will be indivisible. It is suitable for the married couple. If we don’t add one rupee coin, the sum will end in a zero, which means ‘the end.’

This almost looks like a scene from New England by the sea.

Do not sweep after sunset.
Goddess Lakshmi will walk out of your house if you sweep your place after sunset. In a country where we pray to goddess Lakshmi to bestow wealth on us, any idea that leads to her walking out is considered inauspicious. Why sunset? This is because it is believed that the goddess generally pays a visit after sunset, so if you sweep your place after sunset, she won’t come in.

Don’t go near a Peepal tree in the night
Peepal is one tree the ghosts like to hover around, and if you sleep around a peepal tree at night, the ghosts will kill you. Do you know that plants and living beings keep a balance in nature? In the morning, when the photosynthesis is occurring in them, they absorb carbon dioxide, change it into energy and give out oxygen in the air we breathe in. Still, in the night, the opposite reaction occurs. At night, plants exhale carbon dioxide while there is a lack of sunlight. Animals sleep under trees all the time. Why don’t we see all of them dead next morning?”

A pretty tropical flower.

This list could go on and on with more obscure superstitions observed by those who tend to find strong belief in these age-old practices, some making logical sense and others not so much.

While we toured India many months ago, we observed and participated in many customs that were not necessarily superstitions, as explained here:

“By superstition, we generally mean a belief in supernatural causes, beliefs that link events together without proof or reason, especially when these ideas are conventional outside thought. A black cat walks in front of you – it means bad luck – that is a typical superstition. Walking down the aisle – that is a custom.”

At around 5:30 pm, Tom spotted this rainbow. It hadn’t rained.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the “customs” we observed as tourists in India with suggestions for those with plans to visit India in the future.

Tom just mentioned that in 2020 there were two Friday the 13ths. The other was on March 13th, the day we stopped touring India, when the cruise we’d booked from Mumbai beginning on April 3, 2020, was canceled on March 12th.  Go figure.

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

On this date, it was snowing in Minneapolis and the suburbs, and the roads were slippery. For more, please click here.

Day #234 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Good news!!!… Halfway, anyway!…

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Although the hills block the sun’s setting, these beautiful skies give us a peek of what lurks behind the hills.

Today’s photos are from this date while staying in a condo overlooking Maalaea Beach, Maui, Hawaii, in 2014. For the story and more photos from this date, please click here.

While researching photos for today’s post, I experienced a hurdle. There was only one post on this particular date of November 12th in the past eight years that appealed to me. I knew at some point this would happen. With over 3000 past posts and repeats for the past eight months, it was inevitable I’d eventually run into such an obstacle.

Subsequently, today’s photos are no big deal. After all, there were only eight 12ths of November, with the first year, 2012, with no photos at all. So bear with us on today’s less-than-interesting photos. When living in certain parts of the world for extended periods, it’s not unusual for us to have days when we take no photos.

A new Coast Guard boat in the marina.

There are days when we choose to stay in. In anyone’s life, sightseeing isn’t always an important aspect of one’s daily life. In our old lives, we never went sightseeing unless we had out-of-town guests who were anxious for us to give them “the tour” of the highlights of our city.

Of course, our world lives usually travel (except for now) warrant us heading out to see what treasures we can discover as we tour the most recent location and take hundreds, if not thousands, of photos. At some point, we’ll repost many of the photos we’ve taken here in India while touring during our first six weeks before COVID-19 hit, and we had to curtail our activities.

Speaking of which, according to numerous news media reports, it appears that President Cyril Ramphosa of South Africa has agreed to reopen borders to travelers worldwide. See this article here. His comments include:

“By using rapid tests and strict monitoring, we intend to limit the spread of the infection through importation,” he added. “We expect that these measures will greatly assist businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors.”

The president did not give further details or a specific date for the reopening. A presidency spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

After a six-month ban, South Africa opened its borders to some international travelers at the beginning of October, but the restricted entry from high-risk countries, with the latest list, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Brazil, and India.”

Beautiful colors at dusk at the lava rock breakwaters.

Yeah! Well, almost yeah. India has yet to open up international flights in order for us to be able to fly to South Africa. But now we feel more hopeful. We wait for the airlines to start booking flights from Mumbai to Johannesburg and then to the Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger, a one-hour drive to Marloth Park.

We’ve had zillions of readers contacting us via email, comments, and Facebook, letting us know about this news. We thank every one of you for letting us know. However, during the night, when I suddenly awoke and couldn’t go back to sleep right away, a news notification popped up on my phone with the story. I couldn’t wait to tell Tom but didn’t want to awaken him.

Note how the colors of these flowers progress to brighter pink at the top. This is a variety of Aloe Vera.

The first moment I felt him moving around this morning, I excitedly shared the news. Now, we both feel hopeful and can more easily wait out the time for India to resume international flights. How exciting this is! Of course, the reality remains that we can only spend 90 days in the country without leaving to return for a new visa stamp. We have been prepared for this all along.

Ninety days is not enough time for us to spend there. But, we have several options as to which countries we can visit to do this and return. Doing so requires a stay in a country that doesn’t border South Africa. We’ll figure that out later. Right now, we are reveling in our enthusiasm and newly found hopefulness.

It’s the same challenge with these unusual fruits, which we could not identify after searching through hundreds of photos.

Today? We’ll be walking, smiling, binge-watching, eating the same food as the previous days, walking, smiling, and repeating.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2019:

While out to dinner with my son Greg’s family, my cioppino (fish stew) at Stella’s Fish House was delicious. For more, please click here.