Today is the fourth of my past nine travel birthdays to be spent in Marloth Park…It’s truly a gift to be here…

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We wrote in the caption of this photo, on my 70th birthday in 2018, at my party at Jabula with friends: “We’ll always remember this birthday as a special event for both of us; celebrating life, health, our experiences, and the fine friends we’ve made along the way.” For more from that date, please click here.

Today’s photos are from this post on February 21, 2018, the day after my birthday.

This morning, it dawned on us that today is the fourth of nine birthdays since we began traveling that we’ve spent in Marloth Park. We were here on this date in 2014, 2018, 2019, and now 2021. Of course, 2019 wasn’t so pleasant when I spent it in ICU in Nelspruit after open-heart surgery. But I leave that memory behind and think of the joy of the other three birthdays, among friends, my dear husband Tom, and the beautiful wildlife surrounding us.

Dawn had decorated the table beautifully for the party. Thanks, Dawn! By the time we were all seated, it was dark, cozy, and romantic.

In 2018, Tom decided we’d return to Marloth Park for my 70th birthday as a surprise to me. I couldn’t have been more excited! Tonight will be no different than the fun we had on three of those birthdays, spending this evening with Louise and Danie at Jabula Restaurant at a socially distanced outdoor table.

Our friends filled a big table on that date at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant. At the same time, we drank wine and cocktails, dined on fabulous food, and enjoyed the companionship of everyone at the table, along with many others who stopped by. Dawn and Leon, dear friends and owners of Jabula, made it very special as well.

Linda, Mick, and Louise, with Ken and Don standing. Linda and Ken will be here in Marloth Park next Friday, and others will follow in the months to come!

But, with Covid-19, every celebration must be different. There will be no large groups, no hugging, and no proximity to others. We’ll especially load up on repellent when, after weeks of rain, the mozzies are on a rampage with risks of malaria higher than ever.

At the moment, we’re outdoors on the veranda waiting for visitors to come to say hello. So far, only Ms. Dove and Helmeted Guinea-fowls and the Chicks have stopped by. But the day is young, and a lot more could happen between now and 4:45 pm when we head to Louise and Danie‘s for sundowners before we all head out to dinner. No doubt, it will be a good day.

Wow! We were thrilled with the “cake of the world!”  Local baker Janine even made the two representations of Tom and me totally by hand.

I’d thought about sharing past birthday posts but chose only to highlight the “big one,” my 70th, in 2018, although the others were special and memorable. In the realm of things, especially during these difficult times of Covid-19, and considering our current ages, birthdays aren’t as important as they once may have been.

However, few of us mind the love and attention we receive on our special day, once a year. That’s not to say that other days aren’t unique. At this stage in life, every day is truly a gift.

After the dinner plates were cleared, the cake was delivered to the table. Thanks, Kathy, for bringing the candles!

It’s hard for me to grasp how old I am. For some reason can’t wrap my brain around it. Gosh, it was only yesterday that Tom and I met when I was 43 years old, and he was 38. This June we’ll celebrate 30 years together. The time has flown.

Although, like everyone’s life, at times there were challenges, Together, we have stuck like glue, appreciating and embracing our loving and close union, which certainly was tested in those 1tenmonths in the hotel room in Mumbai, India. We stayed strong and determined together, and surprisingly, we came out on the other side unscathed. If anything, we are closer than ever. That, dear readers, is the best gift of all.

Kathy, me, Tom, Lynne and Danie at the end of the table.

No, there won’t be a cake or candles to blow out (a gross thought in times of Covid, anyway), no gifts to open (i don’t need or want a thing, no cards in the mail (although I’ve received some very thoughtful online cards), Before the day’s end, I’ll have more birthday wishes from family and friends, greetings from many Facebook friends and all the love and attention a person can imagine.

I am truly blessed and grateful. Thank you for all the warm wishes. Thank you for sharing this journey with us!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 20, 2020:

The celebration on the Ganges River at night in Khajuraho. The nine umbrellas represent the nine planets. Hindus value every aspect of the planet and the universe. For more, please click here.

Day #274 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Part 3…Christmas wishes…Chanukah wishes (belated)…Kwanzaa wishes…Boxing day wishes!…

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

Today’s photos are from the post on March 18, 2020, as we recapped some of the time we spent in India prior to the lockdown. For more on this date, please click here.

Reading the post from March 18, 2020, made us cringe when realizing it was two days later, when our booked middle-of-the-night flight to South Africa, for which we were turned away at the airport at the last minute, required that we return to the hotel from whence we’d come, only to close a few days later. This resulted in our search for a hotel that was allowed to stay open during the lockdown. Subsequently, that scenario brought us to this hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport.

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 full splendor.

This is no typical Courtyard by Marriott one finds in cities throughout the US and other countries, often with few floors and fewer amenities than many larger hotels. This hotel is comparable to a regular Marriott with outstanding decor, many levels, and great amenities. There’s nothing budget-like here.

Amid all the issues over foods we don’t eat, noise, inconsistencies in food preparation, and the endless stream of mask-less guests, overall it’s as good of an experience as we could have expected under these challenging circumstances. Never once was any request we made dismissed or not regarded with the highest esteem.

Exquisite decor in ancient palaces and temples.

The cleaning, room service delivery, and management staff have excelled in every way. We’ve been treated with the utmost respect, kindness, and consideration for which we are very grateful.

Fortunately, booking the continuation of our stay, month after month enabled us to get the best possible pricing, allowing us to easily afford this long hotel stay, unlike any stay in the past. Most recently, the prices for about a six-week period dropped to as low as US $50 a night, INR 3697, per night, the lowest we’ve paid anywhere in the world.

The locals doing their laundry in Lake Pichola but no laundry soaps are allowed. Fishing and private boats are not allowed on the lake in Udaipur.

Being able to use our accumulated “stamps” from Hotels.com on our site, also provided us with many “free” nights when 10 stamps result in one “free night” of comparable value. Of course, these low rates reduce the value of the “free night” credits for future bookings, using the accumulated stamps.

The food situation surely has been the most challenging during this stay. With my ultra low carb way of eating and Tom’s picky taste buds, we had no choice but to order meals outside the realm of our desires and tastes. In the interim, eating a diet of increased carb consumption each day, more than I was used to. The red Indian sauces and excess amounts of vegetables, often greasy and overcooked, caused my health to go downhill.

Several castles are located in or near the man-made lakes in Udaipur.

Tom had no options other than eating chicken pasta with a creamy white sauce every night resulting in a weight gain. I hadn’t gained during that period, but my weight was up considerably from my usual, which had crept upwards while recovering from open-heart surgery.

Many of the medications I’d been taking after the surgery (none of which I still take or need) left me sleeping half the day and grossly inactive, rapidly gaining weight. A year later, I was up 25 pounds, 11.3 kg, and my blood sugar was high, bordering on familial Type 2 diabetes, which only exacerbates cardiovascular disease and blood pressure.

A snake charmer, an expected event in India.

Chronic pain returned making walking the corridors all the more difficult, although I never missed a day. A few months ago, I stopped eating those high carb sauces and vegetables, reducing my blood sugar to a low normal range, and have been able to totally stop taking medications for hypertension, with my blood pressure now at 100/60 without drugs.

As of this morning, I have lost the extra 25 pounds, 11.3 kg, and now fit in all of my old clothing. Thus, when we pack soon, I will be able to donate all the clothes I’d purchased in larger sizes, while in the US a year ago. Whew! So, in that respect, being in lockdown forced me to research ways in which I could reduce my blood pressure and blood sugar, which subsequently resulted in weight loss with relative ease. What a wonderful Christmas gift to myself!

The fantastic chef on the train, John Stone, who assured all of my meals would be perfect and they were..

Tom has lost a portion of the weight he needs to lose as a result of eating that high carb pasta, but surely will do so within the next two months, especially after we get to South Africa when we can prepare our own meals. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, we’ll be leaving  India in 21 days (three weeks from today), arriving in 22 days. We wait with bated breath!

For those who celebrate, we wish you a Merry Christmas and New Year!

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

Photo of the beautiful Crocodile River taken from Marloth Park on this date in 2013. For more, please click here.

Day #244 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…A stunning and surprising revelation…

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Today’s few photos are from those taken in the past 24 hours.

Although today’s story may be of little interest to many readers, I felt it was important to share it with those interested. None of today’s information is intended to provide medical advice in any manner. Please contact your health care professionals for assistance with these or any other issues if they apply to you or someone you love.

On November 2, 2020, I described how the restaurant had been making chicken burger patties for me in this post, which included bread crumbs as a filler. I have been gluten, sugar, and starch-free since 2011 to reduce a chronic spinal pain condition exacerbated by inflammation from food, stress, and lack of sleep.

It was this way of eating, basically, a very low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet, consuming no more than 20 carb grams per day from both small amounts of dairy and certain soft carb vegetables that changed our lives in 2012. As many of our long-time readers are well aware, the almost total reduction in pain was instrumental in deciding to travel the world, while we may never know when and if the pain would return, as I’ve strictly adhered to this way of eating.

At the time I embarked on this way of eating, I was on two drugs for hypertension since developing hypertension in the year 2000, Lisinopril 10 mg with HCTZ 25 mg daily, which I’ve continued for 20 years, and also was diagnosed as pre-diabetic with a strong family history of metabolic disease including diabetes, heart disease, severe spinal stenosis, and more. For many of my family members, obesity was not uncommon, as it often is prevalent in those with metabolic disease.

As a child, I witnessed relatives suffering from these diseases. At a young age, I started exercising and carefully watching what I ate, primarily focused on the dictates of the medical profession, a low-fat way of eating that kept me slim most of my adult life but didn’t spare me from all of these conditions.

Thus, weeks ago, when I discovered I was being fed “wheat” in those chicken burgers, after expressly informing the restaurant that I would not be eating wheat, grains, starch, or sugar in any foods served to me, the pain only increased since arriving at this hotel, which had continued after cardiac bypass surgery and subsequent leg surgeries due to infections from the grafts taken for my heart.

In worsening pain in my legs over these past many months, while struggling to walk 5 miles, 8 km, per day in the corridors, I finally realized I must have been eating something wrong for me. Immediately, I went on a drastic mission to reverse this situation by cutting out all carbohydrates from my diet, including vegetables but leaving in a small amount of cheese. This was about three weeks ago. I intended to do a zero-carb, carnivore-type (no beef available here) way of eating until I got back on track.

In the mornings, I’ve had two hard-boiled eggs, which hold me until dinner. I had either grilled chicken or salmon topped with Emmental cheese, four thin slices of bacon, two more eggs, fried in butter, and mustard as a dipping sauce for dinner. I requested no oil (only butter), minimal spices and have freely used pink Himalayan salt while drinking only water throughout the day.

From Amazon India, I ordered powdered unsweetened electrolytes, which I added to a big glass of bottled water. I have been satisfied and not hungry while continuing to lose weight, which I’ve needed to do slowly. I felt great. Two weeks ago, the pain was gone. But, I noticed something else, I felt better, different.

What was going on? For the heck of it, I tested my blood pressure using an Omron device we’ve carried with us for years, which I’ve used each week, and also tried my blood sugar using fresh Accu-Chek sticks I also ordered from Amazon India. I was astounded by what I was seeing. For the first time in 20 years, my blood pressure was so low. I decided to reduce the dose of my medication gradually. I am now down by 75% of my former amount to a tiny quantity of 2.5 Lisinopril, 6.25 HCTZ.

With my blood pressure still too low, compared to a high normal of 120/80, I will continue to check it and drop the last 25% dose in the next several days.

Additionally, to my amazement, my blood sugar is now in the 70s (3.9mmol) and 80s (4.4mmol) for the first time in 20 years when only two months ago my blood sugar ranged from the 100s (5.55mmol) before meals to 130s (7.22) after meals! I can only attribute this to the reduction in carbohydrates to this large degree.

After reading many scientific studies over the past few weeks, I’ve noted that a deficient carbohydrate intake for those with the severe metabolic disease might, for some, lower both blood pressure and blood sugar, both of which vastly contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Of course, in the interim, I will continue to monitor these two drastic changes closely. Once we get to South Africa, I’ll make an appointment with Dr. Theo to review these changes and see if I need to do anything differently. In the meantime, I’m reeling with delight over these two massive changes.

I realize there is no guarantee of long-term improved health from these changes, but I feel confident the numbers are going in the right direction.

So there it is. While in lockdown in India, with no access to a family doctor, medical clinics, hospitals jammed with COVID-19 patients, I had to take the bull by the horns and be proactive in my health care. Being one’s advocate during challenging times may present some advantages.

BTW, Tom rarely eats vegetables, and he’s ok.

Be well.

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

While we were so busy in Minnesota on this date, one year ago, we posted this photo from today’s 2014 when we stopped along the highway in Maui for a breathtaking view. For the story one year ago, please click here.

Medical Issues for World Travelers…A Comprehensive Synopsis…

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This exquisite bloom which was the size of a soccer ball.
This exquisite bloom was the size of a soccer ball.

Traveling for extended periods always raises concerns over medical issues for world travelers. Notably, seniors and those with existing health conditions, regardless of age, have asked themselves if traveling for months or years makes sense when at any time, especially in remote locations, a flare-up of any underlying condition or injury can elicit worry, concern over a life-altering illness, or even death, let alone panic in some situations.

Today’s 2000 word post entitled “Medical Issues for World Travelers” will include suggestions on how we’ve managed such circumstances as world travelers for the past eight years. Below are the most commonly asked questions when discussing medical issues for world travelers for those considering long-term world travel:

  1. How will I receive my prescription refills and also, for some, “store insulin and other medications that require refrigeration?”
  2. What do I do if I run out of medication while traveling?
  3. How will I be able to receive my necessary prescriptions?
  4. What immunizations/vaccines will I need to travel the world?
  5. How do I handle everyday aches, pains, injuries, and illnesses that may have prompted me to visit my doctor in my old life?
  6. What do I do about dental care, colonoscopies, mammograms, and other recurring medical tests?
  7. What shall I do for medical travel insurance?
  8. How often should I seek a physical exam if my health is good and I’m feeling well?
  9. What do I do if a severe illness or injury occurs while I’m traveling? Do I return to my home country for surgery or treatment?
  10. How will I handle my protection in avoiding contracting COVID-19 and other such viruses that may be or become prevalent while I’m traveling?

During our past years of world travel, each of the above questions has been at the forefront of our minds at one point or another. As time passes, some of our suggestions and solutions for our situations may change as more and more travelers consider long-term travel once COVID-19 is under control. Today, following in the above questions as highlighted headings below, we will address each of these questions.

Regardless of our past experiences and observations, it’s imperative to discuss your health conditions or potential age-related conditions with your physician and medical professionals before embarking on any trip, if for a week, a month, a year, or longer.

We also suggest you assign a family member or close friend as your medical advocate if you as an individual or a couple are in an accident that may leave you unable to manage your care during severe medical treatment and recovery. It makes sense for couples to go quickly accessible notes on a smartphone with any medical particulars that may be crucial in their partner’s care (such as allergies, medications, conditions, etc.).

It’s surprising how often a spouse, companion, or partner may be oblivious to the health issues of their traveling companion. This may be one of the most critical medical issues of world travelers. So, let’s start working our way through the above ten questions. If, at any time, you have questions on topics we haven’t covered, please feel free to comment at the end of any post. You may do so anonymously if you’d prefer. Here we go:

How will I receive my prescription refills and also, for some, “store insulin and other medications that require refrigeration?”

One of the most frequent medical issues for world travelers is carrying sufficient supplies of necessary prescription medications and getting prescriptions refilled in other countries. Of course, the ideal scenario is to determine how long you’ll be gone and carry all of those prescriptions with you in a secure carry-on bag with copies of the prescriptions from your doctor.

Unfortunately, many travelers’ health plans do not allow a prescription for longer than three months. When we first left the US, the workaround that we chose was to pay for the drugs ourselves without claiming our insurance. We’d asked our doctor to write the three non-narcotic prescriptions for one year each. We’d even be able to negotiate the costs of my three prescriptions from a few pharmacies, who were happy to give us a year’s supply at negotiated rates.

As it turned out, our cost of the prescriptions was compared to the co-pays we’d have paid for the medications using our health plan. However, even if it had required more money out of pocket, we’d been willing to pay considering the convenience. If you plan to return to your home country to visit once a year, you can repeat the same process. Since we didn’t return to the US more frequently than once every two years, we developed another plan.

At the beginning of our travels, while in Belize, we met a couple, and the wife suggested we contact ProgressiveRX, a company we’ve worked with these past eight years, except for those times, we could purchase my medication at a pharmacy without a prescription, which is possible in many countries. For example, in India, where many US medications are manufactured, we don’t need a prescription for any non-narcotic drugs, none of which we use. One needs to write down their medication, dose, and quantity they’d like to receive for most prescription medications. This information is available online.

As for storing medications that require refrigeration, carry a stable cooler block and a small cooler bag to keep the medicine cold during long flights. Since most hotels and holiday homes include a refrigerator, it shouldn’t be a problem. We have what we call a carry-on “pill bag,” which contains copies of original or recent prescriptions and pills in their original packaging, which we don’t let out of our sight. It’s imperative, regardless of the medication, not to leave them in your checked baggage.

What do I do if I run out of medication while traveling?

First off, if you plan, you can avoid this situation while on longer trips by ensuring you have an adequate supply of medications you’ll need, including a few weeks of extra doses in the event of unforeseen delays. If you’re traveling for years instead of weeks or months, you must decide how to renew your prescriptions when most countries requiring medications do not allow you to use your home country physician’s prescriptions. It’s important to check this information in advance of traveling.

In the worst-case scenario, which we’ve accepted as a part of our travel responsibilities, is to make an appointment with a local doctor, bring along your existing prescriptions and containers, and ask the doctor to write new prescriptions for you for at least six months, a year if possible. Doing so is not as inconvenient as you may think.

Ask your landlord or hotel staff for the name and number of a local clinic to arrange your appointment and subsequent filling of your new prescription. Keep in mind, in many countries; prescription drugs are named differently than in your home country. Sure, this becomes a part of medical Issues for world travelers but doesn’t usually require more than a few hours of your time.

If you are on a cruise ship (hopefully possible again in the future), the ship’s doctor generally has the most common medications on hand. However, the cost to see them can be expensive. Being prepared before embarking on a cruise is imperative.

How will I be able to receive my necessary prescriptions?

Using such prescription services as ProgressiveRX may end up taking months to receive in regular mail. If you are staying in one location for many months, this may be possible. Also, depending on mail services available in some countries, you can request expedited service for an additional fee. This may be the case for most online pharmacies willing to use an old prescription as proof. In no case will narcotic drugs be mailed in any country?

For those with chronic pain issues, traveling long term may be a part of substantial medical Issues for world travelers. The only way you’d be able to receive such medications would be from a visit to a hospital, urgent care facility, or a doctor with you providing accompanying paperwork from your home physician describing your condition in detail and your need for narcotic medication. Since we don’t use pain medications other than those over-the-counter, that’s our best suggestion.

What immunizations/vaccines will I need to travel the world?

One of the many concerns over medical issues for world travelers is the necessity of immunizations before embarking on a journey that will include countries where certain diseases are rampant. Most medical clinics or groups have a travel clinic you can visit. It’s imperative to bring a list of the countries you’ll be visiting, illnesses, medications, allergies, and previous vaccinations to your first appointment.

From there, a nurse practitioner along with a doctor will determine what immunizations are recommended for your upcoming travel. We arranged for this appointment a few months before we left to ensure ample time for any necessary spacing of the vaccinations. In all, we each had about 15 immunizations in total. I won’t mention them here because your locations and personal health may be entirely different from ours. Also, we planned to be gone for years, not months, so we needed additional inoculations.

The travel clinic will know exactly what you need, but it’s your final decision as to which, if any, you are willing to accept. We accepted all recommendations. While in South Africa in 2018, we presented our immunization record to our local Dr. Theo, and we had boosters as needed. Our only reactions were from the yellow fever vaccine, leaving me feeling flu-ish for a few hours and Tom, lightly, over a weekend.

It is during this appointment. You may choose to get prescriptions for malaria pills. There are two types of these. The more expensive have fewer side effects. See your doctor for recommendations.

How do I handle everyday aches, pains, injuries, and illnesses that may have prompted me to visit my doctor in my old life?

Another primary concern over medical issues for world travelers is those who may have visited their family practitioner regularly, often monthly, for blood tests, exams, medications, and treatment protocols. If this process has been prevalent in your care, long-term travel may not be ideal for you. Perhaps, shorter trips would be more appropriate.

We’ve had flu, bad coughs, and viruses throughout this period, but we managed on our own in most cases. Otherwise, we have learned to self-treat minor injuries, aches, and pains with ice and hot packs and over-the-counter medication. This may not be appropriate for many travelers, requiring visits to local doctors. I’ve had a few injuries become infected. In those cases, we sought medical care.

What do I do about dental care, colonoscopies, mammograms, and other recurring medical tests?

Before we left the US, we had many medical tests to ensure we were good to go. Once we started traveling, it was almost 2½ years before either of us made an appointment for a check-up and blood test. Contrary to most medical advice, we decided to forgo colonoscopies instead, conducting the home fecal monitoring tests checked by a lab. I haven’t had a mammogram since we left, but I do self-exams regularly.

As for dental appointments, we each had our teeth cleaned every six months in our old lives. Now, we’re lucky to have this done every two years. Not every country is suitable for dental appointments. Of course, generally, dental care would be necessary in case of an infection or abscess.

Based on having had emergency major open-heart surgery in South Africa in February 2019, dental care was ill-advised 12 months after the surgery. Once we return to South Africa, we will visit our favorite dentist in Komatipoort for cleaning and other dental care as needed.

While we were in Minnesota in November 2019, I visited a highly regarded cardiac facility to be checked after heart surgery. It was recommended I return next time we visit the US, which I’ll surely do. Of course, if any heart-related issues presented, I’d immediately seek appropriate medical care.

What shall I do for medical travel insurance?

Overall, the most frequent question regarding medical issues for world travelers is travel insurance. We have written dozens of posts on this topic which can easily be accessed by typing “travel insurance” in our search field on our home page. For purposes here today, I’ll briefly review our experiences.

When we began our world travels, we signed up with a worldwide travel insurance company, Healthcare International, based in London.  As typically the case, worldwide travel insurance doesn’t cover travelers in their home country unless they are willing to pay a much higher rate.

We had opted out of Medicare Part B since it nor its supplemental policies at the time covered medical issues for world travelers like us. There was no point in paying for Medicare Part B or a supplement, as much as several hundred dollars more each month, to cover us outside the US or even while in the US, when we were visiting for such short periods if we needed medical care. At the same time, in the US, which we have paid out of pocket on a few occasions.

We paid US $4000, INR 291,844, per year for the policy and never claimed until in February 2019 while in South Africa, I had to have emergency triple coronary bypass surgery. To make a long story short, the insurance company refused to pay, and we had no choice but to pay out-of-pocket for the expensive four surgeries, including three weeks in the hospital, that was ultimately necessary.

They claimed I had a preexisting condition. I had no idea I had heart disease. But to force them to pay would have required years of legal expenses and time, with the possibility of losing the case. We had no desire to make our lives all about a lawsuit, especially if we could lose the case.

From there, we researched online for a US company. We found UnitedHealthcareGlobal with no pre-existing conditions policy other than no effective medical treatment in the past six months. We qualified by the time we purchased the policy. There are more nuances of the policy, but I won’t get into that here. Click this link for more details. (Due to COVID-19, one must call for a quote, but recently, from here in India, we were able to renew our policy without a problem.

Since we travel full time, our needs are different from short-term travel policies. Also, now as time has passed, there are supplemental travel policies available to US citizens, but not applicable to us since we don’t have Medicare other than Part A.

Often, your travel agency, cruise company, or other travel-related businesses offer short-term travel policies. In light of COVID-19, we encourage you to do your research for such policies for short-term travel. Plus, many of the travel business policies are more expensive than you may find on your own.

How often should I seek a physical exam if my health is good and I’m feeling well?

It is essential to discuss your medical issues for world travelers with your physician before embarking on a year’s long journey. Based on your current conditions, or lack thereof, they will recommend how often you should arrange a check-up from a qualified medical professional in the countries you will be visiting. Also, they may suggest tests that are important for your state of health.

For us, every few years has prompted us to have a basic exam. It was only in South Africa that I had jaw pain precipitating an additional visit to Dr. Theo, whom we had already seen for exams and vaccination boosters, which under normal circumstances would never have predicted my cardiovascular issues when I had a normal EKG and heart sounds during the actual exam.

It was months later that I visited Dr. Theo, who suggested I had an exercise stress test when I was experiencing weird jaw pain. If he hadn’t done that test on me, I might not be here today to tell the story. His determination sent me to a cardiologist and thoracic surgeon only days later for immediate open-heart surgery. We are so grateful to him for “catching this.”

What do I do if a severe illness or injury occurs while I’m traveling? Do I return to my home country for surgery or treatment?

This is a common concern and medical issue for world travelers. I suppose my case was a perfect example. There was no time for me to return to the US for emergency surgery, nor would it have been safe to fly back to the US in my dire condition.

Also, if we returned to the US, the cost of the four procedures would have been around US $1,000,000, INR 72,961,200. Medicare would only have paid a portion, and we’d have been left with much more out-of-pocket expense than the entire bill we’ve had to pay in South Africa. In the end, it all worked out for the best.

However, many less severe conditions can make a traveler worried and stressed as to appropriate action for a travel-related illness or injury, not requiring urgent medical care that may be available by quality professionals in some, not all countries. One must assess the situation carefully and determine the safety of treatment in their current condition.

If anyone had asked me if I could have recovered from open-heart surgery and three other procedures, for three months in a holiday home in the bush in South Africa with no air-con in the living areas with temperatures in the 104F, 40C range, day after day, I would have said absolutely “NO!!!” But, with Tom’s attentive and loving care, we made it through. One never knows their strength and resiliency until faced with situations beyond their control. I wasn’t allowed to travel for three months and could not have returned to the US to recover.

How will I handle my protection in avoiding contracting COVID-19 and other such viruses that may be or become prevalent while I’m traveling?

There are substantial medical issues for world travelers in today’s world is COVID-19. What do I do if I become infected while traveling? Based on the infectious nature of COVID-19, returning to one’s home country would be impossible and risky for others if somehow you managed to get through the priority checking procedures at most airports.

If one becomes infected, it is imperative to immediately arrange for a test to confirm infection and to contact the local health authorities for contact tracing if you are indeed positive. If you are only a carrier without very mild symptoms, you will be required to quarantine for a definite period, most often for two weeks. At that point, you’ll be advised as to treatment based on the severity of your symptoms.

Some countries may require quarantine at a specific location. However, most will allow quarantine to transpire at a holiday home or hotel, never leaving the facility during the critical period. If symptoms are escalating, a hospital or urgent care visit may be necessary. The local health authorities will advise you in either case.

It’s essential to notify the property manager so the holiday home can be properly sanitized after you leave if leaving immediately after the quarantine ends. Stay for an additional, extended period. It may be possible for you to sanitize the location upon full recovery since the virus only lives so long after the infection has ended.

Here again, investigate this with the health authorities and the property owner. Hotels do this cleaning after quarantined parties can vacate. We see the special cleaners in the corridors every day, although we aren’t aware of any cases in this hotel.  But, it would be best if you let them know once you discover you are infected so they can commence proper protection for their staff and other guests.

Taking a test after recovery is equally important to ensure you are no longer infectious. In some cases, a positive test may be present more extended than the two weeks. Also, wearing an appropriate face mask, social distancing, and washing hands frequently always remain reasonable safety measures.

In conclusion, regarding medical issues for world travelers…

It would be possible to write an entire book on this topic. I have well surpassed the 2000 word requirement at well over 3500 words. In each case, we suggest you contact your doctor(s), your pharmacist, and a family member as an advocate before embarking on a years-long world journey.

Even those in the seemingly best health may fall prey to a severe and often life-threatening condition while traveling, especially those in later years. No one is exempt from such issues, regardless of excellent health at the beginning of their travels.

Of course, I am living a healthful life while traveling. Although no guarantee of avoidance of medical issues for world travelers, it certainly is an essential adjunct in predictive outcome in many cases.

Avoiding worry and concern is undoubtedly an essential aspect of enjoying world travel. Being educated on all of these topics, carrying appropriate medical information for health and prescriptions, and researching medical care in each country before visiting can play a vital role in ensuring a safe outcome in the event of an unforeseen injury or illness while traveling.

Be well.

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

Shirenewton, Chepstow, Wales, the holiday property
In Shirenewton, Chepstow, Wales, the holiday property we rented is The Studio, but it is more significant than a studio apartment. The main floor consists of a living room, kitchen, dining area, and bathroom. The master bedroom is upstairs on a mezzanine level, a small loft room with a futon bed. For more photos, please click here.

Redesigning our site…Tooth abscess update…

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Wild a night in the bush with more wildlife than we could imagine.

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.
Today’s photos are from May 30, 2013, from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  Please click here for more details.

Umer, our driver, and guide insisted we stop for a photo op in front of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on this date in 2013.

Yesterday, we began the laborious process of redesigning this site after finding a quality web developer online. Our previous design company ceased operations about three years ago, making any changes cumbersome and difficult for me.

By no means am I qualified as a web designer. I’ve never taken any interest in spending even more hours online learning all the skills required to make the type of changes we need at this time.

Not my most flattering photo. We’re standing in front of the architectural scale model. After we posed for this picture, a security guard rushed over, telling us we could not touch one another in the mosque.  Of course, we complied.
When we were informed that Blogger, our current hosting company, is changing its policies at the end of June, it became necessary to find a company to work with us. After considerable online research, including reading many reviews, we found a company that will re-do our site beginning today.
 
Of course, I was hesitant about doing this. We didn’t want to lose any of the almost 2900 posts we’ve uploaded to date. As it turns out, we’ll have an opportunity to work online closely with the new company to ensure everything is for our ongoing daily posts and your ease of reading.
The White Mosque in Abu Dhabi, also known as Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, we visited on this date in 2013.

Nothing will change for our readers. You’ll be able to click on our page and easily see each new post, photos and find our archives easily on your smartphone. 

As seen above in a “Note,” I’ve been posting a recommendation for a means by which readers can find our archives on your phone as easily as you can on a computer, laptop, Kindle, or tablet of any brand.

As we neared the mosque.

It’s been frustrating to post the instructions to see our archives at the beginning of each post, along with the fact that our advertiser’s links are older and need a new look.

Making this significant change will require some work, but what better time than to do this now, during the continuing lockdown in Mumbai, India? Hopefully, in the next month or so, we’ll have it done. You’ll only need to find us as you’ve always done or received email messages as you’ve requested. We’ll keep you updated as to the transition, which will occur spontaneously once we’re done.

As we approached Sheikh Zayed Mosque.  Based on its size and location, it was difficult to get a full shot of the mosque’s enormous expanse.

Many of our dear friends/readers/family members have inquired how I’m doing with my tooth abscess. After another whole week on antibiotics, while cutting back a little on my vigorous walks, always a good idea when trying to heal from most conditions, I am experiencing some relief.

Our mouths were agape at the world’s first-round skyscraper, AIDer HQ, as we entered Abu Dhabi.

The excellent dentist I found online, Dr. Kavita Kumar with Designer Smiles in Mumbai, is readily available by phone or Whatsapp: 098212 43274. Her support and assistance have been beneficial but based on my heart condition and the risk of the virus. She suggested no invasive treatment is recommended. I never took the risk of going out to see her at this point.

The continuation of the antibiotics for a few more days and saline rinses were the recommended treatment. If the painful symptoms return, which most likely they will since abscesses rarely go away on their own, she wants me to contact her immediately to come up with a new treatment plan.

This chandelier, one of three, was made entirely with gold and jewels.

She has continued to stay in touch with me each day to see how I am doing. The comfort in knowing she is there if I need her has provided a tremendous amount of peace of mind and a reduction in worrying. 

In the interim, we’re holding up OK. I am back to walking once an hour, and Tom and I are enjoying some new BBC series in the late afternoons and evenings to keep us distracted, thus reducing the risks of stress during these trying and unusual times. 

Standing among the gilded elegance left us in awe.

Mealtime continues to be the highlight of the day. I’ve been switching my dinner entrees between; grilled chicken, paneer Mahkni and grilled salmon, always along with a large portion of vegetables. 

I have a vegetable omelet and two chicken sausages for breakfast, while Tom has the same fried eggs, bacon, and toast each morning. Tom is still ordering the same chicken penne with white sauce, roasted potatoes (from my entree), and toast. Boring? Yes. But delicious each time.

Only steps from the door to exit the mosque, Umer again grabbed the camera, insisting we take one more shot of us, pressing me to smile. The dry heat was suffocating that day, well over 40C, 104F. 

Have a good weekend, as we see many parts of the world opening up their shops and services. But, please everyone, stay safe in the process.

Photo from one year ago today, May 30, 2019:

A pair of look-alike cows, maybe a mom and a calf in Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here.

 

Part 2…British Day…Language, slang and expressions as we’ve traveled the world…

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A female lion who’s not looking well, seen at the Verhami Dam in Kruger National Park.

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.

Today’s photos are from May 29, 2019, from Connemara, Ireland.  Please click here for more details.

After a positive response from yesterday’s post about Australia’s use of the English language, including slang expressions, we looked forward to posting more of these commonly used by British people, not necessarily including those in other parts of the UK, such as Ireland, Wales and Scotland each of which has their languages.

Tom had to duck his head to enter the house at the Connemara Heritage and History Center.
English people, on the other hand, speak English and as we know, don’t necessarily use another standard language in their repertoire. However, like many other countries, England has had an influx of immigrants from all over the world, resulting in a melting pot of languages spoken.
Today, like yesterday, we are focusing on England’s English speaking language which consists of many slang expressions we’ve found endearing and humorous, especially over the past several years as we’ve traveled the world.
This twin-size daybed is located in the main living area, although there is a bedroom as shown in the photo below.
Overall, we’ve probably communicated more frequently with Australians and British folks we’ve met along the way, many on cruises and some in other areas in which we lived for a month or more.
Many, including Afrikaans/English speaking South Africans, seem to use the English language in a way similar to the slang expressions used by Australia and England, although most are of Dutch descent. We’ll save their distinct slang expressions for a post, hopefully sometime down the road when we’re back in South Africa.
The one-bedroom in the house was most likely where Dan and his wife slept.
Our close British friends, Linda and Ken, and many more, who live in South Africa but, are from England, possess an adorable mix of both English and South African expressions that always make us smile.
There’s no doubt, we’ve picked up some of this lingo along the way but as mentioned yesterday, we avoid going overboard in using such expressions when years ago, the singer Madonna, was bashed by fans for suddenly speaking with a British accent after living in England for a few years.
Spinning wheel in the corner of the bedroom.
Many immigrants retain their origin-based accent as many as 40 or 50 years since they left their homeland. We won’t be such presumptions about acquiring dialect or accent other than that we learned growing up.
So here are some expressions used by the British, many of which are used with their special tongue-in-cheek sense of humor which we adore for this site:
 
1. Ace
‘Ace’ – a British slang term that means something that is brilliant or excellent. It can also mean passing something with flying colors.
For example, ‘Jenny is ace at the lab experiments’, or, for the latter definition, ‘I think I aced that exam’.
2. All To Pot
Slightly more of an outdated version, this British slang term is still used, and its meaning remains relevant today. ‘All to pot’ refers to a situation going out of your control and failing miserably.
For example, ‘The birthday party went all to pot when the clown turned up drunk and everyone was sick from that cheap barbecue stuff.’
3. Blimey
‘Blimey’ is used as a way of expressing surprise at something, often used when seeing or looking at something surprising or impressive instead of shocking or upsetting.
For example, you might say, ‘Blimey! Look at that!’
4. Blinding
‘Blinding’ – a slang term that is far from something that physically causes someone to lose their sight. ‘Blinding’ is a positive term meaning excellent, great, or superb.  For example, ‘That tackle from the Spanish player was blinding.’
The Dutch door to the barn next to the house.
5. Bloke
Bloke is an extremely common term denoting a man, usually, it is used in reference to an ordinary man, akin to the US ‘average joe’, but it is not uncommon to hear it used to describe a man generally. As such, you can use it like this, ‘That bob is a good bloke.
6. Bloody
You probably don’t need me to describe this, out of all British slang, this is by far the most popular and most commonly used. In the past, it was regarded as a swearword but now, due to its common usage, it is generally acceptable. It is often used as an expression of anger or is used to emphasize a comment.  In anger, you might say, “Oh bloody hell!” Or to use it as emphasis, ‘That’s bloody cool!’
7. Bob’s your uncle/Fanny’s your aunt
The first form of this is far more common and is sometimes used internationally. For those unaware, the expression essentially used at the end of a series of basic instructions. The origin of the expression is unknown, and is quite old, but is still in general use. In context, ‘Get the food, put in the microwave, heat it up, then bob’s your uncle, ready to eat.’
8. Bollocks
Perhaps one of the most internationally famous British slang terms, ‘bollocks’ has a multitude of uses, although its top ones including being a curse word used to indicate dismay, e.g. ‘Oh bollocks’; it can also be used to express derision and mocking disbelief, e.g. ‘You slept with Kate Upton last night? Bollocks…’; and, of course, it also refers to the scrotum and testicles. For example, ‘I kicked him right in the bollocks when he wouldn’t let me go past.
9. Bollocking
Very different from the ‘bollocks’ of the previous suggestion, a ‘bollocking’ is a telling-off or a severe or enthusiastic reprimand from a boss, co-worker, partner, or anyone you like, for a misdemeanor.  For example, ‘My wife gave me a real bollocking for forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning on my way home from work.
10. Brass Monkeys
A more obscure British term, ‘brass monkeys’ is used to refer to extremely cold weather. The phrase comes from the expression, ‘it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” For example, ‘You need to wear a coat today, it’s brass monkeys outside.
Note the small size of the barn.
11. Brilliant
‘Brilliant’ is not a word exclusively in the British lexicon, but has a very British usage. Specifically, when something is exciting or extraordinary, particularly when something is good news, ‘brilliant’ can mean as such. For example, ‘You got the job? Oh, mate, that’s brilliant.’ Sometimes brilliant can be shortened to just “brill” to give it a more casual feel.
12. Bugger All
‘Bugger all’ – a British slang term used to be a more vulgar synonym for ‘nothing at all’. For example, ‘I’ve had bugger all to do all day.’
13. Butchers hook
This is the cockney rhyming slang version of having a gander, to look at something. Though it may seem strange at first, it’s pretty simple. It is constructed out of the expression’s second word, in this case, the way ‘hook’ rhymes directly with ‘look’; however, perhaps contrary to expectations, the word ‘hook’ is often removed, so you may hear someone say ‘have butchers at this.’ But like most things cockney, it’s becoming less popular.
14. Car Park
One of the more boring and technical terms on this list, a ‘car park’ is in effect, the place outside or attached to a building where people park their cars. The British equivalent to the American ‘parking lot’ or ‘parking garage’. For example, ‘I left my car in the car park this morning.’
15. Cheers
‘Cheers’ doesn’t quite have the same meaning that it does in other counties – of course, it still means ‘celebrations’ when toasting a drink with some friends, but in British slang, it also means ‘thanks’ or ‘thank you’. For example, ‘Cheers for getting me that drink, Steve’.
This breed of white horses is indigenous to Connemara.
16. Chuffed
Chuffed is used more or less all over the UK, it seems to be decreasing in popularity, but is still in relatively common usage. Essentially, it is an expression of pride in your own actions or achievements. For example, you could say ‘I’m feeling properly chuffed I won that.’ If you’re talking to someone else you can use it as such, ‘I bet you’re pretty chuffed you won!’
17. Chunder
Not a wonderfully melodic word, ‘chunder’ is part and parcel of British slang terms. Meaning ‘to vomit’ or ‘to be sick’, ‘chunder’ is almost always used in correlation with drunken nights, or being hugely ill and sick.  For example, ‘I ate a bad pizza last night after too many drinks and chundered in the street.’
18. Cock-Up
‘Cock up’ – a British slang term that is far from the lewdness its name suggests. A ‘cock-up’ is a mistake, a failure of large or epic proportions. For example, ‘The papers sent out to the students were all in the wrong language – it’s a real cock-up.’ Also, ‘I cocked up the orders for table number four.’
19. Damp Squib
More of a usual term, a ‘damp squib’ in British slang terms refers to something which fails on all accounts, coming from the ‘squib’ (an explosive), and the propensity for them to fail when wet. For example, ‘The party was a bit of a damp squib because only Richard turned up.
20. Do
A “do” is essentially a party, to my knowledge, it doesn’t refer to a particular form of party, so feel free to use it as you like. For example, you might say ‘I’m going to Steve’s birthday do tonight.’
A shed used to store peat moss which may often be used for heating as well as: “Gardeners use peat moss mainly as a soil amendment or ingredient in potting soil. It has an acid pH, so it’s ideal for acid-loving plants, such as blueberries and camellias. For plants that with more alkaline soil, compost may be a better choice.”
21. Dodgy
In British slang terms, ‘dodgy’ refers to something wrong, illegal, or just plain ‘off’, in one way or another. For example, it can be used to mean unlawful – ‘He got my dad a dodgy watch for Christmas’; it can be used to mean something food-related that is nauseous or nauseating – ‘I had a dodgy kebab last night, and I don’t feel right.; and it can also be used as a pejorative – ‘He just seems dodgy to me.
22. Fortnight
‘Fortnight’ – a British slang term more commonly used by virtually everyone in the UK to mean ‘a group of two weeks’. For example, ‘I’m going away for a fortnight to Egypt for my summer holiday.’
23. Gobsmacked
‘Gobsmacked’ – a truly British expression meaning to be shocked and surprised beyond belief. The expression is believed by some to come literally from ‘gob’ (a British expression for mouth), and the look of shock that comes from someone hitting it. For example. ‘I was gobsmacked when she told me she was pregnant with triplets.’
24. Grockel
This is cheating, it is almost exclusively used in the English county Devonshire, but I’m including it as its fun to say. It is used as a derogatory word for tourists. For example, ‘I don’t go over there anymore, it’s full of jokes these days.’
25. Gutted
‘Gutted’ – a British slang term that is one of the saddest on the lists in terms of pure contextual emotion. To be ‘gutted’ about a situation means to be devastated and saddened. For example, ‘His girlfriend broke up with him. He’s absolutely gutted.’
View of the creek running through the history centre’s grounds.
For another 25 of these fun British slang expressions, please click here.

On another note, we’re saddened and devastated by the police brutality in our home state of Minnesota and the subsequent riots causing further injury and loss of lives, loss of businesses, and following other loss of jobs. We live in challenging times and pray for the well-being of the citizens of Minnesota and all over the world.

 
Stay safe wherever you may be.
Photo from one year ago today, May 29, 2019:
This is the tiny house Dan O’Hara, his wife, and seven children lived until they were forced to vacate when they couldn’t pay the rent during the potato famine. For more details, please click here.

Part 1…Aussie Day…Language, slang and expressions as we’ve traveled the world…

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Elephants are so intelligent. Watch this wonderful animal digging a hole to reach water in the heat of summer in South Africa.

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.

Today’s photos are from May 28, 2019, from Connemara, Ireland.  Please click here for more details.
Pansies at the Connemara Heritage and History Centre appear to have little faces.
As we’ve traveled the world during the past 7½ plus years, we’ve somehow managed to pick up language nuances from many countries we’ve visited. Surprisingly, the majority of citizens of most countries speak English except in select European countries.

During our stays in non-English speaking countries, we’ve somehow managed to learn a few words, sufficient enough to get us by. Also, when we’ve chosen to live in more remote locations, English most certainly wasn’t the first language of choice.

Here in India, it’s a mix. Many speak excellent English while again, in more remote locations, Hindi and one of 22 other languages are expressed as follows:

“India has 22 official languages, namely Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.”
Tom has been wearing the flannel shirt he purchased in Penguin, Tasmania, in 2016/2017.  It comes in handy in cooler weather in Ireland.

Unfortunately, with few interactions with locals during our now four months in India, we’ve had little opportunity to learn much of the Hindi language. Many drivers, hotel staff, and other service professionals speak good English, although, at times, it’s been tricky to decipher their English due to their very rich Indian accent.

But, like most countries, there are nuances used in speaking English, whether it’s the native language or the second most common language. Many of those nuances have been endearing to us. Invariably, we’ve picked up some along the way.

The most prevalent in our minds is in Australia, The UK, and South Africa, all of which were British colonies that share many common nuances and slang usage of the English language, which over centuries have become commonplace.

Tom stands in the doorway of an old building located on the grounds of the centre.

Let’s start with Australia. Here is a list of some of their most slang expressions which we always found the most humorous from this site:

1. Arvo: afternoon
 
2. Barbie: barbeque
 
3. Bogan: redneck, an uncultured person. According to the Australian show Bogan Hunters, a real bogan sports a flanno (flannel shirt), a mullet, missing teeth, homemade tattoos (preferably of the Australian Flag or the Southern Cross), and has an excess of Australian paraphernalia. This “species of local wildlife” can be found by following their easily distinguishable tracks from burnouts or the smell of marijuana.
It’s easy to see how tiny this lamb is standing next to Tom.
4. Bottle-O: bottle shop, liquor store
 
5. Chockers: very full
 
6. Esky: cooler, insulated food, and drink container
 
7. Fair Dinkum: true, real, genuine
 
8. Grommet: young surfer
 
9. Mozzie: mosquito
 
10. Pash: a long passionate kiss. A pash rash is red, irritated skin due to a heavy make-out session with someone with a beard.
 
11. Ripper: great
Me, in the doorway of the old fieldstone building on the ground of the center.
12. Roo: kangaroo. A baby roo, still in the pouch, is known as a Joey
 
13. Root: sexual intercourse. This one can get foreigners in trouble. There are numerous stories about Americans coming to Australia telling people how they love to “root for their team.” If you come to Australia, you would want to use the word “barrack” instead. On the same note, a “wombat” is someone who eats roots and leaves.
 
14. Servo: gas station. In Australia, a gas station is called a petrol station. 
 
15. She’ll be right: everything will be all right
 
16. Sickie: sick day. If you take a day off work when you are not sick, it’s called chucking a sickie.
Pretty flowers were blooming on the shore of the lake in the garden.  Thanks to reader Laurie for identifying these flowers as rhododendron!
17. Slab: 24-pack of beer
 
18. Sook: to sulk. If someone calls you a sook, it is because they think you are whinging
 
19. Stubbie holder: koozie or cooler. A stubbie holder is a polystyrene insulated holder for a stubbie, a 375ml bottle of beer.
 
20. Sweet as: sweet, awesome. Aussies will often put ‘as’ at the end of adjectives to give it emphasis. Other examples include lazy as lovely as, fast as, and common as.
 
21. Ta: thank you
 
22. Togs: swimsuit
These two buildings were homes at one time.
23. Tradie: a tradesman. Most of the tradies have nicknames, too, including brickie (bricklayer), truckie (truck driver), sparky (electrician), garbo (garbage collector), and chippie (carpenter).
 
24. Ute: Utility vehicle, pickup truck
 
25. Whinge: whine
 
26. Good onya, mate! Understanding the Aussies should be easy as now.
 
No doubt, we didn’t pick up all of these while we were in and out of Australia for 22 months, from June 2015 to April 2017. But, we certainly can know what Aussies are talking about in general “convo” (conversation) when these expressions are used.
Bridge across the lake to an old home.
We have often wondered when in the company of Australians if we should use their expressions or if we’d be too presumptuous to attempt to mimic them. An occasional word was thrown out here and there that seems to pass with flying colors when they, too, often chuckle over our attempts to fit in.
 
Tomorrow, we’ll be back with the same for British expressions for which, most likely, we’ve experienced more frequently.
These beautiful flowers are often found in Ireland.
Not much is happening today. As usual, we’re hanging out, doing the usual. Our cable box quit working. Within minutes, a hotel staff member stopped by (we were all wearing masks) and had it working in no time. I’m still waiting to hear back from the dentist for my upcoming appointment. Status quo.
 
May your day be safe.
Photo from one year ago today, May 28, 2019:
Note the little horns were growing on this lamb. Too cute! For more photos, please click here.

What am I doing about an abscess tooth during times of Covid-19?…Mating season in the bush…

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Elephants were digging into a dirt wall in Kruger National Park. We’ll never know why.

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.

Today’s photos are from May 27, 2018, from Kruger National Park, South Africa.  Please click here for more details.
When posting past photos and videos, we’re reminded of all the fantastic experiences we’ve had in the past barring the three months of my confinement in 2019 and no over two months in lockdown in India.
During this peculiar lengthy period in lockdown, our past stories, photos, and videos have put a smile on our faces. No doubt, the question remains…will we ever be able to return to our lives of world travel, or will this current pandemic put a damper on travel into the future for us and the world?
 

As we’ve mentioned many times, we don’t know. The world doesn’t know. Only time will tell when and if it may be possible for us to continue. In the interim, we find ourselves often reading past posts, looking at photos, and watching videos, often chuckling over our past experiences.

Four “Big Daddy” kudus stopped by with one female, all vying for her attention.  They were more interested in her than pellets.

But, the present is what we have to deal with and face full-on, which right now means an abscessed tooth that is quite bothersome. Before we left South Africa one year ago, in May 2019, and three months after I’d had triple coronary bypass surgery, I went to our excellent dentist in Komatipoort to see if she could work on a tooth that was bothering me a little.

Trusting Luzanne as much as I do, I took her advice to heart (literally and figuratively) to wait at least a year for any invasive dental work that most likely would require a root canal and crown. 

Since it wasn’t bothering me much, other than an occasional twinge when I chewed down on it, I didn’t give it another thought until about a few weeks ago when my face, particularly my right cheek, was feeling funny, more of a dull ache than a sharp pain, coming and going throughout the day.

Kudus sniff the female to ensure she’s ready to mate.

With no doctor’s offices open or safe to visit during the lockdown, I had no choice but to treat this myself, as mentioned in a prior post. After two rounds of antibiotics, which I received from a local pharmacy that delivered them to the hotel, I became concerned. What’s the problem? Why wasn’t it getting better

I only needed relief to last long enough to get us to our dentist in South Africa or another dentist in any other country we may visit while waiting for the SA’s borders to open.

By the way, I wrote about this in a prior post. Click the link here.  Anyway, on day 5 of the new antibiotics and the situation not improving, I knew I had no choice but to find a dentist who was allowed and willing to help me during Covid-19. That was a daunting task in itself. They were all closed during the lockdown, leaving suggestions for suffering dental patients to go to the local hospital with a dental emergency.
This male was the “kingpin” and kept the three other mature males away. Check out the size of his neck, which enlarges during mating season.
There was no way that I’d be willing to walk into a local hospital, jammed packed with Covid-19 patience. I persisted in contacting several dentists to no avail when finally, a five-star rated dentist, Dr. Kavita Kumar, only 10 minutes from here, was willing to help.
 
After taking photos of my face and tooth (tricky to accomplish) and sending them via WhatsApp and after talking to her at length, she’s agreed to see me on Friday or Saturday. She’s waiting for her supply of PPE (personal protective equipment) to arrive in the next day or so and hopes to see me by Friday or Saturday.
She stated that she would not perform a root canal or crown due to my recent heart surgery, feeling it is too invasive and under these particularly delicate times. 
Even Frank and The Mrs. were busy working at building a nest in the bush in our yard.

However, she’ll take a full head x-ray and perform a comprehensive exam, after which she’ll come up with an alternate plan of attack that should see me through the next several months. She explained that in some cases, an abscess could be treated without invasive treatment. We shall see.

I informed the hotel reception desk that I would need a ride to the dentist while the driver waited for me during the appointment. No problem. Am I worried about going out? Not really. I will be well prepared with a face mask and gloves on for the drive and ask for goggles during the exam.

Based on the dentist’s office photos online, I can only hope this highly professional dental practice has taken and will take every precaution. I have no choice. I have to proceed.

Warthogs testicles become engorged during the mating season.

Yes, I am sick and tired of having medical issues. If we were like “normal people,” we’d live in a retirement community in a warm climate with a regular doctor and dentist at our disposal as needed requiring no mention here whatsoever.

Hopefully, by the end of the weekend, I’ll have an action plan in place and continue to go back to worrying about when we’ll get out of here!

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Photo from one year ago today, May 27, 2019:
Connemara marble is described as follows from this site: “Connemara is bounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean and encompasses a wide variety of natural and semi-natural habitats, reflecting its great geomorphologic and geological complexity. It also has diverse economic resources. Among the more unusual are extensive deposits of soapstone and veins of green marble and vivid white quartz. In Neolithic times, the green marble was traded as far away as Lough Gur, County Limerick, and possibly to the Boyne Valley. ‘Connemara Marble’ is a serpentine-rich rock, popular since ancient times as a decorative facing stone. It is forty shades of green,’ and its wild patterns perfectly represent the Emerald Isle’s landscapes. Connemara Marble inspired artists, architects, and artisans throughout the world. Jewelry and other small objects such as key rings, coasters, and crosses are also made with this unique stone.” For more information about our tour of the Connemara Heritage and History Centre, please click here.

The 2½ hour wait at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles…

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While in Penguin, Tasmania, in 2017, we took this photo on our way to the town of Ulverston. Tasmania never disappoints!  For more photos, please click here.

We each had over a year left until the expiration of our Nevada driver’s licenses. However, with uncertainty at this point as to when we’ll return to the US, we needed to take care of this task before we depart Nevada in four or five days.

We both dreaded the process when the DMV in Henderson (and other locations) usually requires appointments to avoid waiting for hours. The last time we did this, seven years ago, the line extended outside the building with no less than 100 impatient applicants pushing and shoving to secure their spots.

With Tom sick all week, we avoided going. But as time wore on, we decided we’d better take care of this regardless of how he or I was feeling. When we awoke yesterday morning, it was raining heavily.

We imagined standing in that long queue outdoors in the rain with both of us still coughing (especially Tom) and getting soaked. I’d packed our cheap plastic rain protectors in the blue bag and by 9:45 am we took off.

Imagine our elation when we drove into the parking lot and there was no line at all! Apparently, due to the inclement weather, people decided to wait and go another day, which proved to benefit us greatly.

Upon entry into the building, which was packed, within minutes we got a number from the receptionist, found two adjacent chairs and began the long wait, making sure we didn’t miss the call of our number over the PA system.

We realized the wait would be long, but we were so pleased to avoid standing outdoors in the rain, hardly a whimper crossed our lips during the over-two-hour wait.

Some may say, the facility is disorganized with so many applicants always waiting to be seen. In fact, we perceived it as being very organized and well-planned with friendly customer service and systems in place to facilitate a somewhat painless process.

I played with my new phone while Tom never took his eyes off the screen with the numbers that had been called and those numbers upcoming. The time went more quickly than expected and by noon we met with the rep who would process our renewals.

The process took about 30 minutes when the rep was curious about why we were renewing early, which is unusual. She then continued to ask many questions. Of course, we had nothing to hide, but we didn’t want to get into our entire story.

Finally, our temporary licenses were issued and we were directed to the area where photos are taken. Amazingly, there was no queue there and we breezed through the process in a few minutes.

Once out the door, we sighed in relief. It was finally done. Next time, we can again apply online when an applicant must apply in person. every other renewal time

We feel as if we accomplished a lot while in the US, amid both of us being sick; we applied for and received our visas for India, applied and are awaiting our “second, four-year” passports and now renewed our driver’s licenses. It’s been an enormous relief to get these time consuming and cumbersome tasks out of the way.

Our next project. Is deciding on how we’ll spend the two unbooked months in India after completing the Maharajas Train tour on February 8th. Planning this is a big project and we just may have to wait until we get settled in Arizona next week. Plus, we still have to work on hiring an attorney to assist us in getting the visa waiver to return to South Africa.

I’m off today to visit my sister Susan once again. I’d intended to go yesterday, but when we returned from the DMV so late in the day, I realized I’d be stuck in rush hour traffic, in the rain, on the return drive. No thank you. I’ll be on my way soon.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 5, 2018:

Mom and piglet enjoying the cement pond on a hot day. It’s summer during this time of year in South Africa and with the drought and lack of bodies of water available to the wild animals, they may seek a refreshing dunk in the cement pond in our garden, intended as a source of drinking water. For more photos, please click here.

Turning the corner…Still lots to do…

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Two years ago today, in 2017, in Pisco, Peru, we spotted these children playing at the beach with views of colorful fishing vessels.  For more photos, please click here.

While we were about one week into the most recent cruise, one early evening at the beginning of the free-drink-happy-hour (two hours long), I wasn’t able to take a sip of my wine. I felt queasy and dizzy.

Tom walked me to the cabin, helped me get situated into bed while I encouraged him to go back to the event to enjoy the evening’s camaraderie and bring me a small plate of food from the buffet before he went to dinner in the main dining room. There was no point in him sitting there with me.

Before 7:00 pm, he brought me a plate of roasted chicken, grilled fish, and steamed veggies. By 9:00 pm, he’d had dinner and returned to the cabin for the night. 

I had no idea why I was dizzy, but by morning it passed, leaving me with a peculiar slight cough that eventually blossomed into the full roar of the virus from which we’re still experiencing now. It’s been 34 days since the onset.

As I mentioned yesterday, Tom is now suffering as I did over two weeks ago in Minnesota when I went to Urgent Care twice only to discover after taking antibiotics and cortisone. Ultimately, it is truly a virus with little to be done other than to wait it out.

Of course, if either of us had suspected it was more serious than the virus we contracted while cruising, we would have sought more medical advice. We had no fever, no symptoms of pneumonia, no chest pain (although our stomach muscles ached from coughing, a common side effect).

Yesterday, I awoke to feel dizzy again, on top of awful coughing, and this morning that is gone, and much to my delight, my cough has lessened dramatically. Oddly, it came in with dizziness and left with the dizziness. Go figure. I’m finally out of the woods, or so it seems.

Tom is insistent we go to the DMV today, but again oddly enough, it’s going to rain today. A visit to the DMV results in an extended outdoor queue often standing for hours. We couldn’t book an appointment based on a lack of availability while we’re here before we depart for Arizona next week.

The result? Today, rain or shine, we’ll stand in line at the DMV to renew our driver’s licenses. Yes, we have raincoats but no umbrella. Who has an umbrella in Nevada? It rarely rains here.

I’d planned to see Susan today, but that’s up in the air based on how quickly we can get through the line at the DMV. If not today, I’ll go tomorrow. Perhaps, the lines will be shorter today with it raining.

Out of the small backpack, I just dug out the total-body-coverage cheap plastic raincoats we’d purchased in Thailand for 85 cents each which have served us well on several occasions over these past few years. We’ll see how they work for us today.

No doubt, I’m dreading this DMV thing, but it has to be done. Tom offered to go on his own, but I, too, need my license renewed, and it makes no sense for us to go separately.

We’ll continue to keep our readers informed of the infinitesimal activities of our time here in Nevada. Soon enough, a little excitement may ensue as we begin to pull ourselves out of the throes of the virus.

Happy day to all, rain or shine.

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2018:

This fluffy little one captured our hearts. For more photos, please click here.