World travel friends inquire…Visa questions…

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We took this photo on Volstruis Street. The word volstruis means ostrich in Afrikaans.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Wildebeest Willie and a friend, along with some warthogs at night.

Today, as late as it is, we’re rushing through the post to get it uploaded before 1700 hours (5:00 pm) when the evening’s festivities begin. As a result, there’s no rhyme or reason to today’s photos which include a bit of this and that.

Not only do they gravitate toward the river for food but also for water, where they drink, play, and swim.

We just returned from Kruger National Park for another fantastic day we’ll be sharing in tomorrow’s post, for which we’ll have plenty of time to prepare as opposed to today’s limited time frame.

Trying out a few of the camera techniques I learned from friend Ken, I still see that I have a long way to go.

Over this past almost six months in South Africa, we’ve become more and more interested in visiting Kruger, but it seems to make sense to arrive before noon resulting in our frequent late posting. 

If visitors arrive after midnight, it’s required to go into the building to access the park. This may result in a 30 minute or longer wait during busy days.

This photo better represents what I’ve been practicing. 

As it is, driving through the entrance booths can take as long as 10 or 15 minutes per vehicle. Once we cross the Crocodile Bridge, we’re anxious to get inside to begin our favorite route.

On another note, we can’t believe we’re leaving for our next visa run in a little over three weeks. Where did the time go? These 90 day periods we’re allowed to stay in South Africa are flying by so quickly. It’s undoubtedly frustrating we have to leave, but it’s the only solution we see available at this time.

Speaking of visas, a few minutes ago, we were talking on Skype with friends Lea Ann and Chuck, whom we met while on a cruise, Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Sea, from Sydney to Seattle. We’ve stayed in touch over these past many months.  They had visa-related and other questions to ask.

I’m not a “natural” photographer making it extremely difficult to learn all the nuances, but I’m determined to improve over time.

Soon, Lea Ann and Chuck will embark on their own world travel journey, and of course, they encountered some concerns about visas for specific situations. We suggested they contact one of the many visa processing companies for finite details.

But, we were able to give them an overview of a few situations we’ve encountered along the way, including our experience in being “illegal aliens” in Australia last year due to a closed-loop cruise.

A giraffe near two waterbucks.

For one of many posts describing our illegal alien status in Australia, please click here. Luckily, after considerable time and effort, we were able to work it all out and leave on the cruise where we met Lea Ann and Chuck on our way back to the US to see family.

In speaking with Lea Ann and Chuck, we’re reminded of how vast our experiences have been since 2012 and how grateful we are for every experience, good and bad. We’ve learned a lot from our mistakes and, on occasion, prided ourselves on good decisions we’ve made along the way.

We always enjoy watching elephants crossing a river or a road.

However, continuing to travel the world, which we’ll commence with even more mobility beginning next February, is always a “work in progress.” The learning, along with our personal growth as individuals and a couple, is an ongoing process.

Today, as we drove through Kruger for several hours, we relived many of the details of the early stages of our relationship. At that time, we were the most “unlikely” couple to succeed as anyone we’d ever known. Our differences were many.

The green grasses along the river are pleasing to the elephants.

And yet, here we are 27 years later, and we’ve decided we couldn’t have been better matched in general and for this extraordinary life we live. The likelihood of two people willing to live this life and doing so with love, respect, peace, and harmony is hard to envision.

A lone elephant across the river.

We wish Lea Ann and Chuck, another happy couple, the very best life together as they continue to plan their world travel adventures. We have no doubt they’ll be as content and fulfilled as we have been!

Happy day and evening to all!

Photo from one year ago today, July 24, 2017:

The heat and dust create a haze over the desert, often impeding views of the mountains.  For more photos, please click here.

Part 2, Kruger National Park reaps many rewards…Supporting other travelers in their quest to travel the world…

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The pillow-like puffs of white clouds against the bright blue sky and a few elephants create a heavenly scene in Kruger.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This cute little bird landed in our bird feeder. According to our helpful friend Lynne, this is a juvenile male red-headed weaver.  Thanks, Lynne!

Not a day passes that we don’t hear from some of our readers contemplating changing their lives to travel the world. They often have many questions we’re always more than willing to answer based on our personal experiences over this past almost six years.

It’s always thrilling to see elephants along the road.

We’ve had little to offer in a few cases when the inquirer is planning to backpack, stay in hostels, or use an RV, camper, or caravan. But, the majority of inquiries revolve around places we’d suggest, holiday/vacation home rental sites we prefer, health insurance and medical care, refilling prescriptions, car rentals, credit cards to use, visas, and the most cost-effective means of converting money.

Elephants crossing the road is extra special.

We are always happy to oblige and most often respond within 24 hours. The irony of it all is that everyone travels differently. No single person or couple seems to do it precisely as we do.

And most exciting when large numbers of elephants cross the road.

That’s the beauty of the vast numbers of primarily retirees/baby boomers who are making the drastic decision to change their lives. The single most significant difference in the way we travel and how others travel or desiring to travel may include some of these:

  • We have no home, apartment, condo, or bedroom in the homes of family or friends where we go for downtime or regrouping. 
  • We have no storage anywhere. We unloaded everything we owned in our old lives.
  • We own no rental property, often the traveler(s) former residence they keep in case “they change their minds” or tire of traveling.  This may be a significant source of worry and stress; maintenance, management, rental issues, wear and tear, and market conditions. We each had owned homes for over four decades.
On our way to the Mug & Bean restaurant on Lower Sabie, we noticed it was raining at a distance. We certainly need rain here but most likely won’t encounter much for several months.
  • Typically we stay in vacation/holiday homes for one to three months. (Although this year in Africa is a rare exception, as mentioned in yesterday’s post, where we’re recovering from the big expense of the Antarctica cruise).
  • Often, for short stays, we negotiate special pricing for hotels while we await the next venue.
  • We use cruising as much as possible as a means of transportation while providing living arrangements during the sailing period. We don’t think of cruising as a holiday or vacation. 

We have minimal luggage. If we purchase something to add to our bags, we must dispose of something else. Maximum kilogram per bag: 23 (50 pounds)

A waterbuck is looking across the river for possible predators.
  • We do not stay in the homes of family and friends.  We don’t want to burden anyone with our peculiarities, nor do we expect a free ride (except for son Richard in Henderson, Nevada, where we’ll stay for a few weeks every two to three years. Thanks, Ricky!)
  • We don’t have a “bucket list.” If we discover something along the way we’d like to do, we research, analyze the costs, and make a decision to include it in our itinerary.
  • We often book some events two years in advance to continue shaping our itinerary. We thoroughly enjoy the planning process, with each of us playing a very active role.
  • Every day, 365 days a year, we spend half of each day documenting our daily lives with photos. Doing so is not a chore for us. It’s a pure pleasure! We can write about the second part of each day we spend experiencing aspects of our lives the following day.
  • Our overall goal: stress-free living.
There’s never a shortage of moms and babies.  From this site: “Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals. These gentle giants’ pregnancies last for more than a year and a half. The average gestation period for an elephant is about 640 to 660 days or roughly 95 weeks. By comparison, a human pregnancy lasts an average of 280 days or 40 weeks. Female elephants live for 60 to 70 years, but only have about four offspring throughout their lifetime.”

None of the above is stated to imply that the way we’re doing it is ideal. However, over these years, we’ve fine-tuned our goals, objectives, and expectations and are content with how we’ve chosen this path in life.

From this site: “The South African giraffe (G. c. giraffa) is found in northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and south-western Mozambique. It has dark, somewhat rounded patches “with some fine projections” on a tawny background color. The spots extend down the legs and get smaller. The median lump of males is less developed. A maximum of 31,500 are estimated to remain in the wild, and around 45 are kept in zoos.”

However, we always welcome inquiries regardless of the ways you may choose to travel. Please don’t hesitate to inquire at any time. Also, if you know of someone interested in long-term lifestyle travel, please forward our site to their email.

Two giraffes are crossing the road near a historical marker on the paved road.

Tonight, we’re heading out to dinner with friends Sandra and Paul (both MP Honorary Rangers), who happens to live a few doors down the road from us. No doubt, as always, it will be an enjoyable evening with this lovely couple.

In certain parts of Africa, giraffes are being killed for their tails used as a status symbol. For a video and story on this horrifying practice, please click here.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with lion sighting photos! Please check back!

Have a beautiful weekend.

Photo from one year ago today, July 21, 2017:

We purchased our new Brother color scanner in Nevada to replace the five-year-old Doxie model we used in the past.  For details on living a paper-free lifestyle, please click here.

Part 1, Kruger National Park reaps many rewards…A gruesome reality…Plus, cucarachas…

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Although this may appear gruesome, this is the reality of life in the wild. Most likely, a lion killed and devoured this cape buffalo which was later “finished off” by vultures that we saw hovering when we first spotted this scene.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

We were parked at the edge of the shore of Sunset Dam when this croc emerged from the water. Wow!

Sometimes when we go to Kruger National Park, we encounter breathtaking and unusual scenes. Yesterday was a little different. There wasn’t any particular incident or sighting that left us reeling as usual. 

Several vehicles had stopped to observe this kill.  We waited until we could get a better shot and zoomed in.  See the main photo for more detail.

Were we disappointed? Not at all. It’s not always the mind-blowing experiences that make it a good trip into Kruger. Instead, we encountered a wide array of birds and wildlife, which we’ll share over the next few days.

Hippos and impala at a distance on the Sabie River in Kruger.

Often, it’s the more subtle sightings that make us appreciate the simplicity of it all…wildlife living in their natural habitat, continually on the search for food, procreation, and a degree of comfort when possible. We, humans, are so much like them, aren’t we?

We take a side dirt road each time we go to Kruger and often see this wildebeest sitting under this same tree.  I guess  that explains how we’re all “creatures of habit.”

We began first thing in the morning to make the 20-minute drive to the Crocodile Bridge with a plan to drive to Lower Sabie to the Mug and Bean restaurant for a leisurely lunch. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but where in the world can one jump into their car and be in wildlife nirvana in 20 minutes? 

Now that we’ve fallen in love with Wildebeest Willie, we are particularly passionate about these calm and peaceful animals.
We never fail to appreciate this fact, nor do we ever get tired of seeing elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, rhinos, and so much more. One might think that since we can drive five minutes to the river in Marloth Park and almost always seeing elephants, that after a while, it could become mundane.
From this site: “An omnivorous bird, the Yellow-billed Hornbill, feeds mainly on the ground surface, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders, and scorpions. This is the bird we see most often in Marloth and Kruger Park, the hornbill. Termites and ants are a preferred food source in the dry season.”

It doesn’t. Each time we spot the magnificent beasts, we’re reminded of how fortunate we are to be here. Often, we ask ourselves and each other…”How did we get to be here? How could we have lived our lives without these amazing
experiences?”

An “implausibility” of wildebeest.

Previously, we’d mentioned that one of the reasons we chose to stay in Africa for so long was to “lick our wounds” from the costly Antarctica cruise, which was well beyond the limits of our yearly budget. To see the total expenses for the Antarctica cruise, please click here and scroll down the page for the information.

Impalas and warthogs are stopping for a drink.

But, we knew in doing so, it would be “heaven on earth” spending more time on the continent of Africa. Usually, “to lick one’s wounds” requires a certain degree of sacrifice. There’s been no sacrifice here.

This was the first time we’d ever seen a cape buffalo crossing the tar road. They are one of the “Big 5,” including the leopard, lion, elephant, and rhino.

Sure, there are inconveniences and occasional discomforts compared to living in some other parts of the world. However, we’ve adapted so well, we hardly notice anymore. 

Hippos resting on a sandbar on the Sabie River.  Note the number of oxpeckers on the hippos hides!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had many cockroaches (aka cucarachas in Spanish) in the house. Usually, one thinks of dirt and filth about the disgusting cockroaches. We have them here, and we had them in Costa Rica, both very clean and newer properties. 

This is a white-fronted bee-eater from this site: White-fronted bee-eaters nest in colonies averaging 200 individuals, digging roosting and nesting holes in cliffs or banks of earth. A population of bee-eaters may range across many square kilometers of savannah but will come to the same colony to roost, socialize, and breed. White-fronted bee-eaters have one of the most complex family-based social systems found in birds.”

Picture this, you’re taking a shower, and you see a cockroach crawling up out of the drain. The weird thing here is that they were crawling up out of the drain in the shower. This surely could be a scream-worthy event. 

These dark-capped bulbuls hang around for scraps from diners at the Mug and Bean restaurant in Lower Sabie, where we stopped for lunch yesterday. 

We don’t scream. Tom sprayed the shower, but when it didn’t resolve the issue, Louise and Danie came to the rescue with a particular product they use specifically for these situations. For a while, we won’t see them again. 

Yellow-billed storks lined the shore of Sunset Dam in Lower Sabie.

This is Africa, and they’ll return. Along with zillions of mosquitoes when the rainy season comes in the spring and then the humid summer heat with snakes and insects everywhere. We were here in the summer of 2014. We managed then. We’ll manage again.

Zebra stopping for a drink in the lake.

There will be a trade-off then; the return of dung beetles, which we love to see; the newborns of many of the wildlife; the blooming the bright red Flame Trees and the Sausage Trees and, it goes on and on. There’s so much to distract us from any possible inconveniences.

Another croc emerged for a breath of fresh air.  Crocs may stay underwater for up to an hour when they feel threatened.

Soon, we’ll be off for our usual exploratory drive in Marloth Park. Who knows what we’ll see? It’s now approaching the weekend, and holidaymakers are flooding the park once again. Today the wildlife “traffic” in our garden has already diminished a bit as the crowds move in for the weekend.

Several crocs at Sunset Dam, lounging in the sun.

We’ll be patient, and before too long, it will be Monday again, and everything will be right with the world, this world, right here and right now.

May everything be right in your world today and always.

Photo from one year ago today, July 20, 2017:

While in Las Vegas, I made these homemade hamburger buns (the recipe is shown at this link here) are huge enough to hold a 6 to 8-ounce patty with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion or other items added. They’re easy to make and delicious!  Please click here for more.

An outstanding 24-hour period we’ll always remember…

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This morning, we made this video of 17 kudus in the garden. Astounding!
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
We spotted two rangers on the road with rifles. We wondered what that was about. Any comments?

Yesterday was quite a day! With many holidaymakers leaving on Sunday due to the end of the school holiday, the wildlife came out from hiding in the parklands.

This morning’s 17 kudus in the garden. See the above video for details.

Not only did we have visitors from early morning well into the evening, at dusk last night spotted three giraffes in the side yard after hearing the sounds of branches breaking as they made their way through the bush. When we saw the giraffes’ heads through the dense bush, we took off on foot to check it out.

The kudu standing at the edge of the veranda is the same female that constantly licks my foot when she approaches.  I can identify her with a bit of oval notch in her right ear.

We found what appeared to be a mom, dad, and one youngster, most likely around eight or nine months old. We followed them through the neighbor’s garden (no one was there) and out to the parklands, where we stopped to take photos while they were grazing.

Wildebeest Willie and friends stopped by again last night.

The parents didn’t look happy to see us, although we were back by at least 10 meters, so we backed off further, giving them even more space. It was getting late, and visibility was poor from such a distance as we stayed out of sight as much as possible, taking the few photos as shown here today.

Although not all shown in this photo, we had six bushbucks in the garden for the first time.

Soon, we were back on the veranda, ready for the evening’s activities, all of which couldn’t have been more pleasing. They came and came and came, one species after another, often sharing the space with several other species, seem to all be getting along.

Last night, we saw giraffes coming through the parklands next to us.  On foot, we rushed to see them up close to take photos.  But, dad wasn’t too happy with us with his young calf nearby.  We carefully backed away.

When pellets are offered, it’s not unusual to see some head-butting among the same species, let alone among two or more species. Overall, the most aggression we’ve seen is in warthogs amongst themselves. After all, they are “pigs,” right?

This may have been the young giraffe’s mom who hovered nearby.

Yesterday afternoon, we embarked on our usual drive in the park. Although not affected by the number of tourists in Marloth Park, we saw the most striking scenes to date on the Crocodile River, photos of which will follow over the next few days.

We knew better than to get too close.

Was all of this “safari luck” or simply a case of the fact that there were fewer people in the park, resulting in more and more wildlife coming out of hiding to wander from bush house to bush house? We can’t help but assume it was due to fewer cars and fewer people disturbing the peaceful flow of life in the bush.

It was nearly dark when they visited.

The quiet has resumed.  We don’t hear cars passing on the road very often. The tar road is quiet and unencumbered and, fewer animals will be killed by speeding motorists. How long this quiet lasts is unpredictable. More tourists will be arriving over this next month for the summer school holidays in Europe and other parts of the world.

The young giraffe was preoccupied munching on leaves in the bush.

But, for now, we’re reveling in the serenity precipitating the return of the wildlife to our garden. It couldn’t be more heavenly. Even the birds seem happier, singing their tunes and dining on seeds from our birdfeeder.

For today? We may stay put and catch up on some much-needed research to begin filling gaps in our itinerary over the next few years. There’s never a time to sit back, knowing everything we need to plan is in place.

A young zebra in the garden of a house on the river road.

Weather permitting, tomorrow, we’ll head to Kruger for the day. If so, we’ll post a notice as to when we expect to have the day’s post uploaded unless I get ambitious enough today to work on tomorrow’s post this afternoon.

This must have been the above baby’s mom resting nearby.

Of course, that’s subject to how many delightful distractions present themselves throughout the day. We’ll play it by ear, as they say.

Have a pleasant day filled with beautiful surprises.

Photo from one year ago today, July 17, 2017:

Surprisingly, there are some birds in the desert during the scorching summer months in Nevada78. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2, Kruger never disappoints if patience prevails…I’m here now…

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 After many elephant sightings, we’d never seen anything like this…please take a moment to watch this short video which will leave you as amazed and in awe of these majestic beasts as we are.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This frog was swimming in our pool at night and jumped out to be on its way.

It was a spectacular day in Kruger National Park on Wednesday, leaving us with enough photos to share for days which we’ll include with other posts over these next few weeks.

We couldn’t believe our eyes when we spotted this elephant digging a hole to access water in the ground below.  Please take a moment to watch our video at the top of the page.

The vast array of wildlife, each with its own distinct and diverse qualities, always finds us longing for more and more information about each species.  The learning curve on wildlife behaviors can take a lifetime to achieve, and over time, we whittle away at an undertaking we’ll never accomplish in our lifetimes.

I believe this is a grey heron we spotted at Sunset Dam in Kruger.

Part of me had wished that I’d have pursued an education and career in the field of wildlife, conservation, and animal behavior many years ago. But that time has long since passed, and at the time, I had other responsibilities to attend to, none of which I regret.

Giraffe with a pretty sky in the background.

As we age, we can always look back at our lives and wish we could have done things differently or better; be a better parent, a better child, a better friend, work harder, work smarter, take better care of our health and the list goes on and on.

From this site: “The stomach of the giraffe is also very sophisticated as it has four chambers as all ruminants. They chew the food, regurgitate it, chew it again, and then pass it to the stomach. This organ can digest food very well, so most foods are used positively for the body.”

Yesterday was my long-since-passed mother’s birthday. In the last years of her life, during which I was actively involved in her care, I’d often visit her daily at her assisted living facility in Minnesota. In her later years, she developed dementia to the point she didn’t recognize me at times.

Nothing beats stopping traffic in Kruger.

On many occasions, she’d snap at me, saying, “I hadn’t seen you in weeks (or months)” when I’d been there the previous day. This hurt me so much at the time until a kindly nurse said to me, “Ignore her comments that she hasn’t seen you in a long time. Instead, say, “But, Ma, I’m here now.

Elephants form a line to stop traffic.

This stuck in my brain, and each time she accused me (wrongfully) of not visiting, I said, “But, Ma, I’m here now.” And that’s how I look at my life…I’m here now….with no regrets, no wishing I’d pursued different career choices, no sense of loss of what “could have been.”

And now, the fulfillment and fruition of what had been a lifelong dream to visit Africa are right before my eyes. Here we are, after five months, with seven more to go. It couldn’t bring me more joy.

We waited patiently, and finally, they began to disperse.

Each day delivers a new experience, a new adventure, and a new challenge.  Whether it’s searching for the lions in Marloth Park or the noisy frog in the garden at night, it all matters.

From this site:  “The most awesome of all cape buffalo facts is that they are so dangerous they are referred to as “the Black Death”! Highly prized by big game hunters, these incredible creatures are members of “Africa’s Big Five” – the five most difficult African animals to hunt on foot.”

For Tom, who’d never dreamed about coming to Africa, due to a certain degree of fear and apprehension, now embraces it with a passion and interest he never expected.  When we were here 4½ years ago, his fears dissipated, and he also fell in love with it. Coming back this year further illustrates how much it meant to him as well.

Sure, I could say he came back for me, which is entirely possible in his realm of love and kindness but, he loves it too. And in 2020, we’ll be back again.  Africa does this to many visitors. It draws you in amid its valid reasons for fear and apprehension, but it “draws you out” of your hesitancy and your fear.

From this site: “Monitor lizards are large lizards in the genus Varanus. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania but are now found in the Americas as an invasive species. A total of 79 species are currently recognized. Monitor lizards have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. The adult length of extant species ranges from 20 cm (7.9 in) in some species to over 3 m (10 ft) in the case of the Komodo dragon. However, the extinct varanid known as megalania (Varanus priscus) may have been capable of reaching lengths of more than 7 m (23 ft). Most monitor species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known. While most monitor lizards are carnivorous, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds, and small mammals, some also eat fruit and vegetation, depending on where they live.”

So, what could have been or should have been years ago, becomes a reality today, and every day we continue on our search, our hunger, and our passion in embracing every possible aspect of this incredible life.

From this site: “The elephant’s trunk contains over 40,000 muscles, divided into as many as 150,000 individual units! Compare that to the human body, which contains a paltry 639 muscles, and you start to get an idea of how intricate the appendage is.”

When we leave Africa in a mere seven months, we’ll carry with us everything we’ve seen, everything we’ve learned, and that which we hope to learn in the future, with us in our hearts and minds forever.

We’re here now…we’re living in the moment.

Photo from one year ago today, July 12, 2017:

While in Las Vegas last year, I frequently visited my sister Susan and her chubby dog Owen who’s since passed away. He’d often sit up like this when he saw me. For more, please click here.

Part 1, Kruger never disappoints if patience prevails…

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We laughed so hard when we saw this baby baboon grabbing its mom’s hair to hold on while sitting in this unlikely pose.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

These are the nests of Red-billed Buffalo Weavers seen on a tree growing in the water at Sunset Dam.  Thanks to our friend Lynne for identifying these nests.

Each time we go to Kruger, the same thing transpires. While about an hour into the drive, we both resign ourselves that we’re going to come up empty-handed with few sightings and even fewer photos to share.

Proud wildebeest.

Actually, during many visits to the national park over this past five months, we’ve yet to come up empty-handed. In each case, continuing to drive, we encounter one magical moment after another. 

It’s exceptional to have zebras visit us in Marloth Park as well as spotting them in Kruger.

We always laugh at the irony of the situation. Are we saying the day will be a dud to alleviate any potential disappointment? Or do we believe it?  Invariably within minutes after making such comments, we come across something extraordinary.  

An “implausibility” of wildebeest in Kruger.

Yesterday’s trip to Kruger National Park was no different than usual…the abundance is mindboggling. With all the holidaymakers in this area right now due to the school holiday ending on July 17th, we anticipated a huge queue awaiting entry to the park.

Yesterday, we encountered more wildebeest than in any past trips.

Alas, we were pleasantly surprised when we were second in line, not that being second is a quick process. Most visitors to the park don’t have the “Wild Card” year-long pass that we purchased when we arrived. 

It was a perfect day for a self-drive in Kruger National Park.

Thus, the process of registering new visitors is long and laborious and can take as much as 15 minutes for one car to pass. This was the case yesterday but knowing we were up next was comforting. Even with our passports, the required form completed, and our “Wild Card” pass, it still takes a good five to seven minutes during our turn.

There were numerous sightings of giraffes on the side of the paved road.

We anticipated an hour-long wait at the Crocodile Bridge entrance gate, where visitors are processed from their vehicles. Once we were on the paved road, we sighed with relief that we could get going in under 20 minutes. 

The black spot inside a zebra’s leg is intended to protect the legs from their sharp hooves when at rest. Please click our post here from January 3, 2014, with this and other exciting zebra facts for more on this topic.

Also, we expected a lot of vehicles on the road. Still, surprisingly, unless there was a spectacular sighting tying up traffic, such as dozens of elephants crossing the road, there were no more cars than we’d seen on prior non-holiday visits.

Throughout the day, we spotted no less than 100 elephants at different points along the road.

We decided that Wednesdays may be the best day of the week to visit when many holidaymakers arrive for a four or five-day weekend visit. This makes Wednesdays the perfect day in between those visits.

Cape buffalo, one of the “Big 5,” hanging out near the Sabie River.

We’d hoped to return in time to do the day’s post. Typically, we allow ourselves about four hours in the park plus driving time to and from the gate from Marloth Park when we’ve often left too early in the morning to complete the post.

Sunset Dam is located on the road beyond Lower Sabie, where we stopped to enjoy the scenery and wildlife, of which there was plenty, including these hippos lounging in the water with impalas in the background.

It all worked out well when we arrived back at the house at 2:30, even after a stop at Daisy’s Den to purchase repellent oil for our outdoor lantern, leaving time to complete the post and get things ready for dinner.

Another “bloat” of hippos! 

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with Part 2 of “Kruger never disappoints…” when we’re looking forward to sharing an exciting video and more photos. Please check back then! 

Be well.  Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, July 12, 2017:

We dined at this restaurant when they had several options that work well for my way of eating. For more details, please click here.

Safari luck at it’s finest!…A most outstanding Sunday after all….

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Such a handsome male lion. These lions shown today are not necessarily the lions recently spotted inside Marloth Park.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

What a charmer!

Sundays have always been my least favorite day of the week. I suppose it goes back to being a kid, and Sunday night meant early to bed and back to school the following day.

As an adult, Sunday’s meant somewhat of the same thing…early to bed and back to work on Monday morning, except being in real estate for most of my adult life and the company’s owner, I never really had a day off.

Snoozing female and male lions on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Once done working on Saturdays or Sundays, I often “pushed things off” to be handled on Monday morning, particularly those running-the-business type of tasks of which there were many.

Even after I chose early retirement at 62 (shortly after the housing market crashed in the US), dreading Sundays was deeply ingrained in my psyche. I couldn’t seem to shake the lifelong perception that Sundays represented the upcoming litany of responsibilities that were often mired in worry and concern.

From time to time, he’d pick up his head.  Mostly, the female maintained “watch,” only occasionally putting her head down to sleep.

Now, after traveling for almost six years (three months until our sixth anniversary), I still possess a certain dread of Sundays and the resulting Mondays that I try to shake off, often to no avail.

Yesterday, Sunday, was no exception. Awakening early to a cloudy day, knowing we couldn’t go into Kruger due to the holidaymakers and, with little to no visitors stopping by,  I felt a little of my usual Sunday apprehension.

Although we seniors sometimes forget what day of the week it is, which is entirely ‘normal” when one doesn’t have a strict routine to follow, Sunday is always at the forefront of my mind. 

We were so far away. It was hard not to have blurry photos without a tripod with us.

I never have to ask Tom on a Sunday flippantly, What day is this?” as I may on a Tuesday or Wednesday, while lost in our blissful routine.

I’d decided to make a typical Sunday dinner of slow-cooked braised short ribs with garlic, carrots, onions, leftover mashed potatoes, sweet corn (fresh uncooked from Friday night’s dinner party), garlic bread, and salad. Although definitely not his usual diet, I decided to give him one more day of a fattening, high-carb meal with these items on hand.

The female and male rested near the large rocks on the opposite side of the river.

Today, Monday, he’s back to our usual low-carb routine, leftover short ribs, salad, and vegetables. He ate the remainder of the apple crisp from Friday night’s dinner party, so sweets are off the menu. I had salmon on the grill (I found some frozen that is quite good) and grilled vegetables. Tonight, I’ll have prawns and grilled vegetables.

At the moment, I’m cooked two meals; keto for me and low carb for him. So far, I’ve been losing weight steadily, but I won’t announce how much until I’ve reached my goal. It’s a slow process.

Anyway, after finishing the day’s post, doing laundry, hanging it on the line, and preparing the vegetables for dinner, we decided to head out around 2:00 pm to see if we could spot any wildlife to offset any potential boredom on an otherwise somewhat dull Sunday.

After observing wildebeest in our garden this past week, we’ve developed a special interest in them.  Surprisingly, they are good at making eye contact.

Once we began our usual course through Marloth Park, mainly focusing on driving along the river road, after about an hour into it, we were convinced this would not be a day of many sightings, which we hadn’t expected anyway due to the abundant amount of tourists in the park. We could head back to our holiday home to wind down an otherwise quiet day.

As we neared the last 15 minutes of our usual course, we noticed several people standing at the fence between Marloth and Kruger Parks and decided to stop to see what all the commotion was about. There was many pointing going on, phones raised into the air, and binoculars being passed around. 

It was lions lounging on rocks on the opposite side of the river! We couldn’t have been more excited. We parked the car, walked through the scratchy bush on somewhat of a path, and made our way to the fence.

This “Implausibility” of wildebeest was resting in the garden of a home along the river.

Regardless of how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring them up on the camera’s view screen. Tom, with his trusty binoculars, looked for several minutes, and then, he saw them, a female and a male lounging in the warmth of the sun on the massive rocks across the Crocodile River.  

Tom took today’s lion photos, and I’m so proud of him for being able to capture these images. We were no less than .8 km (.5 miles) from their location and, we don’t have those massive lenses used to capture distance scenes. They’re are too big and bulky for us to carry in our travels. We were thrilled with the photos he managed to get.

These were the first lions we’ve seen since we arrived in South Africa almost five months ago. After many trips into the Kruger, we’d yet to see any lions.  This was exciting, to say the least.

This baby wildebeest tried to nurse off dad.  He gave her quick a shove.

After quite a while at the sighting, we were on our way for the remainder of the drive, sighting the following: kudu, wildebeest, elephants, impala, waterbuck, and several birds. 

By the time we returned to our holiday home, it was time to set up the veranda for the evening, but the short ribs in the oven, and finish a few tasks for dinner. Once settled at our usual spots at the big table, we downloaded our photos, thrilled with what we’d captured.

It was a good Sunday after all, and last night there was no sense of Sunday night angst especially knowing we could share these photos with all of our readers today.

It’s a good Monday morning. Sleep came easily for both of us for a change. When dawn broke, we were feeding a forkl of lovely female kudus pellets, carrots, and apples on the veranda.

May your Monday be good as well.

Photo from one year ago today, July 9, 2017:

The white lattice pergola in son Richard’s lovely yard provided shelter from the scorching sun in Henderson, Nevada, which reached  47C (116F) that day.  We stayed at his home for three weeks.  For more details, please click here.

Another busy day in the neighborhood…Chicks, chicks and more chicks!…Fun video in Sighting of the Day”…

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This cute little chick was one of seven we found in the neighborhood in Marloth Park. Thanks for the tip, Louise!

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush” 

 What a hysterical night when we heard this noise that lasted for hours! 
A friendly visitor stopped by amid the noise and didn’t seem to mind a bit.

With Louise and Danie frequently moving in Marloth Park with their property management and building businesses, they’re often the first to discover interesting sightings.

We were thrilled to find the ostrich parents with seven chicks exactly where Louise had said she’d seen them 10 minutes earlier.

Knowing and appreciating how enthusiastic and passionate we are in great photo ops to share here on our site, they never hesitate to let us know about unique and special sightings. Obviously, if they spot a kudu, bushbuck, or warthog, they don’t notify us. Plenty of them visits us each day.

Mom and Dad were obviously very proud of their family.  Ostriches mate for life.

Over the past few days, when they’d spotted ostrich parents with seven or eight chicks, they didn’t hesitate to let us know. Yesterday, when Louise sent me a Messenger note stating that she’d spotted the ostrich family near the corner of Volstruis (oddly, Volstruis means “ostrich” in Afrikaans) and Hornbill, we were in the car and on our way within two or three minutes.

The chicks weren’t concerned about wandering a short distance from their parents, making it impossible to get one photo with all seven of them.

We didn’t expect to find them when we were deciding which way to go as we reached the intersection of the two streets with four options in front of us.  Tom, with his watchful eye, noticed a stopped car on Volstruis a short distance down the road and said, “Let’s go see what they’re looking at!”

Alas, safari luck prevailed, and there they were, in the garden of a house that didn’t appear to be occupied. Brazenly, Tom pulled into the driveway so we could have a “bird’s eye view” (no pun intended), and we were as close as we could be without intruding on their “pecking” as a family.

Peck, peck, peck.  They seemed to fit edibles in the dirt.

We observed them for quite some time, not only to take photos but also to enjoy this magical sighting. Tom turned off the engine as we sat and watched. There was no point in getting out of the car, although our photos may have been better.

If they stopped by our garden, which they may eventually do, we’d have some ostrich-appropriate treats for them.

Ostriches can be dangerous. From this site: “Ostriches can be found in the wild, on safaris, or ostrich farms. But regardless of where you find them, treat them with the utmost caution. Although they do not prey on humans, they have been known to injure and kill when provoked. Extremely fast on foot, they can deliver mortal blows by the sheer force of their legs, never mind the lethally sharp talons at their toes. The best thing you can do is steer clear of them. Failing that, ducking for cover and hiding works best. As a last resort, you may even have to fight them.”

These three chicks of the seven seemed to stay close to one another.

That’s exactly why we didn’t exit the car. However, we’ve seen visitors in Marloth Park getting dangerously close to ostriches with little regard for their own safety of the magnificent birds, the largest on earth.

From this site:  “Ostriches are large, flightless birds with long legs and a long neck protruding from a round body. Males have a bold black-and-white coloring that they use to attract females. Females, on the other hand, are light brown. (Continued below).

Their young feathers and markings are adorable.

Ostriches are bigger than any other bird in the world. They can grow up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall and can weigh up to 320 lbs. (145 kilograms), according to the African Wildlife Foundation, and an ostrich’s eyes are 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter — the largest of any land animal. The ostrich is the only bird that has two toes on each foot. All other birds have three or four toes, according to the American Ostrich Association.”

At one point, Dad didn’t seem to be happy with us being so close.  Ostriches can be dangerous if they feel threatened, especially with their chicks nearby. We rolled up our windows and moved back. 

After we returned with the above photos, I attempted to get back to work on yesterday’s post. As we’d planned, Ken stopped by (with Don) to provide me with some useful camera tips. He’s quite the expert, and I had many questions. He adeptly answered all of them, providing me with several important bits of information.

Here we were able to get six of the seven in one photo.

Tom and Don chatted while Ken and I, both with similar cameras, spent about an hour reviewing many aspects of photography that will surely help me in the future. I’m not promising my photos will substantially improve, although they may gradually become more professional-looking.

I’d never taken much interest in photography in our old lives. It just didn’t interest me. Now that we’re traveling over the years, I’ve wanted to improve my less-than-ideal skills. We’ll see how it goes.

Mom frequently stood up from pecking to check her surroundings for any threats.

Many photos we’re sharing over the next several days were taken before “camera school.” I’ll attempt to use what I’ve learned to up the quality of my photos in the future.

Saying this put just enough pressure on me to use what I’ve learned and not fall back into my old patterns of often using the wrong settings for the scene.  Please be patient with me.

“Ostriches normally mate for life, and they share the task of incubating the eggs. Ostriches form bisexual groups with a complex structure. Territorial males compete for flocks of three to five hens. Mating includes elaborate displays of hisses and dancing.”

Last night, even in the chilly weather, we managed to stay on the veranda until bedtime. Bundled up in warm clothing, we enjoyed several visitors, including four wildebeest who must have been friends of Wildebeest Willie since I recognized him in the “implausibility of wildebeest.” (Yep, that’s what a group of wildebeest is called, an “implausibility”). Go figure.

Today, we’re busy getting ready for tonight’s dinner party. We’re having a traditional American-type pork braai (barbecue). We’ll share photos, the menu, and details in tomorrow’s post.

I was up very early this morning chopping and dicing, so to say, so there would be time to get today’s post uploaded by noon our time. Hopefully, it will be a little warmer than last night for our outdoor dinner party.

Have a fabulous weekend wherever you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, July 6, 2017:

Tom, Tammy, and Vincent on our last night in Minnesota when we all said goodbye. For more photos, please click here.

Fantastic 4th of July in the bush…Are we wildlife spotters?…

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The 4th of July invitation we received weeks ago. These two sure know how to put on a party!
Thanks, Kathy and Don, with lots of help from Linda and Ken, staying with them this week until Sunday when they all depart. Sadly, we won’t see them again for many months.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Last night’s sunset from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda overlooking the Crocodile River.

Leave it to Kathy and Don to once again host a unique evening in their lovely home in Marloth Park located on the Crocodile River. With 12 of us in attendance, it was the perfect number for their huge table on their veranda on the third floor.

Fern and Tony, otherwise dressed as Dolly Parton and Uncle Sam.

Arriving by 17:00 hrs., (5:00 pm) we had little time to take sunset photos until soon it became dark while the evening cooled during these chilly winter nights in the bush. We all bundled up in jackets we’d brought along, giving little thought to the chill as the drinks flowed and festive began to the point of pure delight.

Tom and Andrew.

Once again, Don and Ken displayed their singing and dancing talents performing as the Blue Brothers from the 1980s. We howled with laughter cheering them on as they danced many popular dances over the past five decades. 

Long-time friends Linda and Ken, originally from the UK, live in South Africa while they also travel the world.

The dinner was great as always, with plenty of items I could eat.  For dessert, Kathy and Linda presented Ken (his birthday was actually yesterday) with a lit birthday cake with those hysterical candles that won’t blow out resulting in yet another laugh fest.

Leslie won the 4th of July quiz, although she isn’t American.

Before we knew it the evening came to an end and we made our way home, mindful of the possibility that the lions could be nearby. We gingerly got out of the car, closely monitoring our surroundings until we were safely indoors.

Don had made Long Island Ice Teas for the hot dog and other starters.

Regardless of how practical we attempt to be, there’s no way there isn’t an emotional impact when we watch or hear of a predator killing and eating another animal. It’s exciting to many of us here in Marloth Park that lions are on the loose, only adding to the mystique and wonder of this unusual place.

Kathy, as always, had set a beautiful red, white and blue, theme-appropriate table for 12.

But most people here in the park also have become very attached to these beautiful creatures and it’s never easy to see one taken by a predator. In any case, we spent several hours driving through the park yesterday when notices came out (via Messenger) that someone had spotted the lions.

We didn’t have any costumes, so we wore red, white and blue.

Who knows how long they will stay in the park? There’s no competition here for food sources, and they could easily decide to wait for the long haul. 

Kathy, priming the audience for the upcoming “Blue Brothers” show.

We’d love to spot the lions to take photos. We’ll continue to head out each day on a mission to see if we’ll get lucky. In the interim, we’ve had several incredible sightings in the past 24 hours, which we look forward to sharing in a few posts over the next few days.

Don and Ken had practiced well for their performances, including lines to memorize and a wide array of dance steps. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day, posting and preparing a birthday dinner for Kathy, whose actual birthday is tomorrow. Our friend, Linda’s birthday is in less than two weeks. It’s cold outside. Since we really don’t have room at a table indoors for six of us we’ll make it work staying bundled up.

As always, we were pretty impressed with their performance.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more fun photos tomorrow. Please check back.

Photo from one year ago today, July 5, 2017:

 Miles, Madighan (front), with me, Maisie, Camille, and Greg. We were winding down to leave Minnesota to head to Nevada for more family visits. For more details, please click here.

Two lions sighted on our street last night!…Zebras and kudus stampeding in the driveway!..Video…

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We always attempt to zoom in efficiently enough to leave out the fence.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This happened so quickly that we only got the last few seconds of what appeared to be a stampede by zebras and kudus in our driveway.  Stunning, today on the 4th of July!

This morning our dear friend and property manager Louise sent out this message warning of two lions sighted late last night. Thanks, Louise, for always being on the ball on these important updates.

PREDATOR WARNING:
Good morning. 2 Lions were spotted late last night in the area of Swartwitpens, Hartbees, Pappegaai, Woodpecker, and Butterfly. Please take caution as they still might be in the area. Thank you.

Sent from Messenger



We hadn’t heard any more details about the lioness that had entered Marloth Park a few weeks ago, prompting everyone to believe she may have returned to Kruger National Park.

We spotted these elephants from Marloth Park across the Crocodile River a few days ago.

There’s no word yet on the gender of these two lions, but surely in the next few days, something will be posted on the Marloth Park Sightings on Facebook. We’ll keep an eye out for updates.

Last night, we didn’t take any photos when I was busy on Skype speaking to son Greg, daughter-in-law Camille and our three grandchildren, Maisie, Miles, and Madighan. 

This parade of elephants consisted of more than 30.

They were camping about an hour outside of Minneapolis, and it was fun when Miles carried the phone around to show us photos of their new fifth-wheel camper. In return, I showed Madighan the bushbabies by turning around my computer while she squealed with delight over how cute they are. Maisie had an opportunity to see a few warthogs in the yard, including Little Wart Face. 

It’s not easy taking photos through the narrow electrified fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park.

Having face-time with family is especially fun, although we don’t always have the opportunity to do so due to the big time difference. It’s hard to believe that in a mere nine months, in April, we’ll be back in Minnesota to see everyone. 

We got out of the car and moved as close to the fence as possible to get these shots.  In Kruger, exiting a vehicle is strictly forbidden.

This visit won’t be as long as last summer’s six-week stay with only 17 days in Minnesota, but we’ll focus on spending quality time with both sides of the family as we did last year. However, we plan to return in September 2020, which is 16 months later.

In between all of these dates, we have so much planned all the way into 2021, along with gaps we’ll fill during the next year. The itinerary is perpetually evolving as we acquire interest and enthusiasm for new and different locations. To see our most recent itinerary, please click here.

Such mysterious and fascinating animals.

Once we’ve uploaded today’s post, we’ll be heading out for our usual drive in the park, but this time with eyes focused on spotting two lions and the eight ostrich chicks seen with mom and dad on a nearby dirt road. Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t stop to take photos of other wildlife we discover along the way.

As for today, the US holiday, Independence Day, the 4th of July, as mentioned in a prior post, we’re attending a holiday celebration here in the bush at friends Kathy and Don’s home beginning at 1700 hours (5:00 pm). 

The caring these animals feel for one another is always obvious when viewing them in the wild.

Tom’s busy reading up on Independence Day facts since Don will always have a relevant quiz.  Tom won last time (at their Easter party). We’ll see how it goes tonight.

May our American family and friends in the US and living in other countries have a safe and meaningful Independence Day.  Our patriotism and devotion to our country and each other are vital to our freedom, prosperity, and everlasting peace.

Photo from one year ago today, July 4, 2017:

With the bright sun behind us, this photo didn’t come out too well, plus our plates of food look twice as big as they actually were. For more details, please click here.