Oh, what a night!…

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Holey Moley, chewing on a piece of cabbage, we tossed her way.

Last time was torture. During the day, the temperature rose to 98F, 37C, with the dew point at a high/uncomfortable tropical 72. At about 4::00 pm, 1600 hrs, the power went out due to an Eskom fault. On the horizon at 11:00 pm. 2300 hrs, load shedding was scheduled to begin. We weren’t hopeful.

We were seated at the table on the veranda, listening to music and chatting about our dreams for the future amid these crazy pandemic times. When we heard the usual ping of a power failure, we started planning how we”d prepare dinner when several items we’d planned required the use of the stove.

We cooked the rice, creamed spinach, and bacon on the braai to go with our beef patties I’d already seasoned and prepped. Earlier in the day, I’d made a big salad that would stay cold in the fridge until we’d eat, a few hours later. Regardless of the power outage, we were roasting on the veranda in the interim. It was hotter indoors.

We prepared and ate dinner, and when the bugs got bad, we had no choice but to go indoors. With WiFi still working, we decided to sit on the bed and watch a few more episodes of Yellowstone. By 8:00 pm, 2000 hrs, we still had now power. Worried about the food in the fridge, Tom filled the metal bowl with ice and placed it in the center of the refrigerator, hoping to keep the contents cool enough not to spoil.

Only on the hottest days that Little sits in the cement pond.

The bedroom was a hotbox. We had to keep the door closed since many bugs were flying around the house, including flies that came out of nowhere when preparing any meat.

At 10:00 pm. 2200 hrs, we turned off the laptop to complete darkness except for the light from our phones. Since the outage, I’d been texting back and forth with Louise since she gets updates on  Eskom outages on her phone. She, too, speculated this would be our fate for the remainder of the night.

I’d taken another shower before bed but was dripping in sweat in no time. Tom was feeling the same, but neither of us complained. What was the point? We weren’t the only people feeling uncomfortable. The power was out in all of Marloth Park. Also, without power, the security system doesn’t work. The house locks up tightly. We keep the house keychain in the bedroom with us every night since the emergency button on the keychain is battery-operated.

Field Security could be here in five minutes if we pushed that button—lately, many break-ins and burglaries in the park, including on our road. We always stay super alert to sounds outside the house. Most of the break-ins have occurred at night when residents are in bed. This is especially frightening.

Getting to sleep wasn’t easy. I awoke at midnight sweating under my lightweight tee shirt. Tom slept restlessly beside me. Finally, we drifted off.

At 1:30 am, I heard the familiar ping of the power returning. We’d left the remote for the aircon on the bed between us. I couldn’t hit the button quickly enough. Within minutes, I was back to sleep, pulling up the duvet, hopeful our food in the fridge might survive.

He moved around a few times, looking for the coolest spot.

This morning, Tom said the ice in the metal bowl hadn’t melted, a good sign the food would be ok. What a relief! On numerous occasions, we have lost most of the perishables in the fridge.

Today, it’s still hot with a high of 97F, 36C, but with a slightly lower dew point which makes all the difference in the world. Of course, load shedding will occur tonight but only from 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs, for a total of 2½ hours. We can handle that easily.

Summer is almost here, but we’re already amidst its brunt now. It will worsen, and we will prepare ourselves for that eventuality. We could be in Minnesota now, where we spent most of our lives (Tom all of his life), where temps are often below zero with snowfalls hard to imagine. Nowhere in the world is exempt from challenges such as these.

We forge ahead, slaying the dragons as they appear and carry on, filled with hope and optimism for the future to come.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 6, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #257. A pelican was proudly posing for a photo while in Pisco, Peru, in 2017. For more photos, please click here.

A decision has been made…Photos from our trail cam…A special visitor…

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Look to the right of this tree in the center, and you’ll see our occasional visitor, a porcupine.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make. We don’t want to be overly or foolishly cautious as we strive to continue our world journey, hopefully soon. There wasn’t a single factor that precipitated the decision to stay in South Africa, again, to get a visa extension, due by January 24, 2022.

Yesterday afternoon, I called my dear friend Karen and told her that sadly we wouldn’t be coming to her wedding in February. It was a huge disappointment for her and us and her fiance Rich, but they both fully understand our predicament with the world in an upheaval due to the latest Covid19 variant, Omicron.

The porcupine is easiest to see if you zoom in.

What was the most influential factor that resulted in making this decision? Most likely, more than any of the other factors we mentioned in yesterday’s post, it was due to uncertainty. With airports and borders preventing the entry of passengers from South Africa, we could be left in a precarious position if last-minute changes are made, giving us little time to make an alternate plan.

We know this from experience, not speculation. On March 20, 2020, we arrived at the Mumbai International Airport at 2:00 am to be turned away from our scheduled flight after waiting in line for over an hour. South Africa closed its borders from when we left our hotel for the airport until the moment we heard the bad news. From there, you all know what transpired over the next ten months.

We wish the camera got a better shot, but we are always excited to see these.

We can safely stay in South Africa to wait this out with the only obstacle, a mandatory renewal of our visas, every 90 days. From past experience, we feel confident we can work that out and come up with a solution by January 24, 2022, our visa expiration date.

Also, there is a possibility that President Ramaphosa will extend visas for foreign nationals if the pandemic worsens over the next few months. This has transpired several times since the onset of the pandemic and could easily happen again. If not, we’ll fly to another country in Africa for a short stay and return. In this situation, we may not be able to make plans until a week before our visas expire.

As we’ve mentioned, porcupines are nocturnal.

The process of applying for an extension is so labor-intensive, and invasive of our personal financial status deters us from choosing to apply for an extension. Plus, with fewer employees working at the immigration department now due to Covid-19, it’s possible, even if we did apply, it might never come through in time.

We had a fantastic time at Jabula last night, chatting with Dawn and Leon, Lyn, and other guests at the bar. By the end of the evening, we’d been invited to Christmas Day dinner at Sinndee and Bruce’s bush home, along with Dawn and Leon and others we may or may not know. We couldn’t have been more thrilled to have plans for Christmas Day!

The Christmas tree at Jabula was a delight to see.

Of course, this reminded us of Kathy and Don inviting us to their home on Christmas Eve when they had never even met us! But, this is Marloth Park, and people are so friendly and welcoming, it’s always been hard for us to believe! The beauty of the bush, the wildlife, and the easy lifestyle has been instrumental in locals being warm and friendly.  Then again, South Africans are known to be welcoming to foreign visitors.

As for today, Saturday, we’re staying in. It’s still sweltering and humid. At the moment, I have a floor fan blowing on me that helps. We were outside on the veranda all morning. But now, being indoors with the fan cooling our sticky skin feels a little better.

They never seem to get very close to the camera.

It usually cools down by evening, but the dew point remains high at 72. We best prepare ourselves since summer’s “real” heat and humidity in Africa is yet to come. December, January, February, and March are the hottest months. January is considered the hottest month, with an average temperature of 91F, 33C. Considering how much it cools off at night, you can easily imagine how it is during the day.

The record high temperature in Marloth Park was 118F, 48C, the date on which this occurred is not published. We sure hope it doesn’t get that hot this summer. In any case, whatever it will be, we’ll manage to get through it.

Every one of us, throughout the world, has ongoing challenges to face as the pandemic continues and impacts all of our lives. We pray for us all.

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #256. Here is an albatross chick shortly after hatching. The chick was hatched during the first week in February while in Princeville, Kauai, in 2015. For more photos, please click here.

Deciding what to do…CDC tagging South Africa travelers into USA…

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Hippos aren’t necessarily the cutest of animals. Hippos cannot breathe underwater.

After spending ten months in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, in 2020, we may have become particularly cautious and sensitive about spending more time in quarantine, even if it’s in the US. After reading the following article a few days ago, we can’t help but ask ourselves if we’re prepared to travel to the US in 50 days.

United States

Exclusive: U.S. CDC to collect data on southern Africa passengers over COVID variant

By 

WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) – U.S. officials ordered airlines to disclose passenger names and other information about those who have recently been in eight southern African countries and will give it to local and state public health agencies, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told airlines in a letter late Tuesday that they must turn over names and contact information for any travelers who within 14 days have been to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, citing “the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19/

(The CDC) will provide the contact information of these passengers to jurisdictional state and local public health partners for public health follow-up. This follow-up may include recommendations for potential post-arrival viral testing and quarantine and isolation,” the agency told airlines.

Effective Nov. 8, the CDC required all airlines to collect contact tracing information from all international air passengers but had not required them to turn over those names.

The new directive, which took effect late Tuesday and was seen by Reuters, mandates airlines to turn over the information within 24 hours of passengers arriving in the United States who have been in one of the eight African countries.

The collected information includes full name, full address while in the United States, primary contact phone number, secondary or emergency contact phone number, and email address.

The United States effective Monday barred nearly all foreign nationals if they have been in one of the southern African countries.

Separately, the CDC confirmed late Tuesday it is moving to require that all air travelers entering the country show a negative COVID-19 test performed within one day of departure in response to concerns about a new coronavirus variant.

Currently, vaccinated international air travelers can present a negative test result obtained within three days from their point of departure. Nearly all foreign nationals must be vaccinated to enter the United States. The unvaccinated must now get a negative COVID-19 test within one day of arrival.

The new one-day testing requirement would apply equally to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals.

The Biden administration is also considering whether to require air travelers to get another COVID-19 test within three to five days after arrival in the United States, officials said.

The administration could require international passengers to submit an “attestation” that would also require them to follow all state and local public health orders.”

Hippos often come up for air. We’re always trying to get that wide-open-mouth shot. No such luck this time. A hippo’s gestation period is 243 days.

So much can change in a day’s time that we may find ourselves feeling ostracized with weird restrictions that we may not know at this point. The day we moved into the hotel in Mumbai, we thought we’d be there for days, not ten months. We didn’t know at that point that we couldn’t have a glass of wine or cocktail for ten months, that the restaurant would close, that we wouldn’t be allowed to leave the fourth floor.

Also, we must ask ourselves if we’re willing to bear the expense of living in a hotel, with high room rates during peak season, expensive car rental rates, and the high cost of quality food, which is tricky for my way of eating. Fast food doesn’t work for me.

There is no way we can avoid spending 18 days in quarantine before the official wedding celebrations begin with fears of infecting the bride and groom and many seniors with precarious health conditions. After the 18 days, we’d move to yet another hotel for three more nights where the wedding is being held.

Hippos can live for 40 to 50 years.

This would be a choice we make, which at this point, is not required by the government. However, so much can change in the next 50 days, with cases of Omicron increasing worldwide. Perhaps, lots of testing and mandatory quarantine will be required, and who knows, what else?

Will those, like us, arriving from South Africa, have to stay in certain hotels? This is entirely possible. In the UK, mandatory quarantine required travelers to stay at specific hotels at exorbitant rates. The hotels were guarded and monitored to ensure no one left the building. How will we purchase clothing for the wedding? We’d anticipated heading out shopping without an issue. This may not be possible. Neither of us has a single wardrobe item appropriate for what we are sure will be an upscale wedding.

You may think we’re over-reacting. But, please, we may be the only people you know who spent ten months in confinement in a hotel during Covid-19 from March 2020 to January 2021. It isn’t easy to convince me we’re over-reacting. We’ve been through it.

Giraffes were munching on treetops.

On top of all of this is the fact that once again, we’ll be traveling for almost two days with massive exposure to other passengers. That fact in itself is concerning. Of course, if we decide against going, we’ll be disappointed to miss this special event for our dear friends.

What would you do if you were us?

Tonight, we’ll speak to our friends, Karen and Rich, and make a definitive decision, which we’ll share here in tomorrow’s post.

Be well. Be safe.

Photo from EIGHT years ago today, December 3, 2013

We decided to post this “eight-year ago photo” from December 3, 2013, when we arrived in Marloth Park for the first time. This giraffe didn’t seem to mind photo-bombing us. Readers wrote that it looked as if I was wearing a giraffe hat. This photo was taken in our neighborhood. Louise explained that the giraffes would soon come to our house, which they did. For more photos, please click here.

It was another fantastic evening in the bush…A recipe worth posting…

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This may be a Southern Masked Weaver. Who’s about to enter her nest.

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned we were making keto buns from a recipe I’d found online. Louise and Danie were coming for sundowners, which ended up being dinner after all the food we’d made. Trying a new recipe with guests coming can be risky, But since they both eat as we do, I wasn’t a bit concerned.

As it turned out, the buns were good, and thus, we’re sharing the recipe here today. Keep in mind, keto bread and buns don’t taste like the usual bread and buns purchased from a market. Almond flour tends to create somewhat of a dense texture. After all these years of baking with almond flour (on occasion), we are used to the heavier texture.

It’s challenging to determine what type of stork this is from this photo.

The buns were thinner than a regular bun made with flour, but once sliced in half, they worked well as a bun to hold various meats. Last night, I filled my bun, after adding homemade sugar-free ketchup, with the pork and beef we’d made for the meal. I’m looking forward to eating another meat-filled bun with tonight’s leftovers.

This morning I made a big salad and a fresh batch of keto creamed spinach which we’re hooked on right now. We’ll have those with the meat-filled buns. Delicious.

A hippo with her head underwater.

So here’s the recipe for the keto buns from this site:

“Easy Keto Buns

These keto buns are soft, fluffy, and you won’t believe them to be low carb with a tender crust! Simple ingredients and perfect for hamburgers, sliders, and more!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 Buns
Calories 250 kcal
Author Arman

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded cheese mozzarella cheese * See notes
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1 3/4 cups almond flour
  • One tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 large eggs

For the glaze and topping

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, add the shredded cheese and cream cheese. Microwave in 20-second spurts, until the cheese, is mostly melted. Remove and whisk together until combined and smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly.
  • Transfer the warm cheese mixture into a food processor. Add the dry ingredients, along with the eggs, and pulse until a thick dough remains.
  • Lightly dust a kitchen surface with almond flour. Transfer the dough onto it, and, using slightly wet hands, knead it several times. Once the dough is smooth, divide it into six portions. Roll the portions of dough into balls and place them on the lined tray. Press down onto each one into a thinner burger bun shape. Brush the tops with the remaining egg (whisked) before sprinkling the sesame seeds on top.

  • Bake the buns for 14-17 minutes, or until golden brown on top. (The recipe is continued below.) remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing in half and serving.

    A few weeks ago, this petrol station in Lower Sabie was struck by lightning and burned, as shown. No one was injured.

Notes

* Mozzarella cheese is best, as it is mild flavored. You can also use cheddar cheese or provolone, but the flavor will be more prominent.

** 2 eggs will be used for the dough, and the remaining egg will be used to brush on top of the buns.

For slider buns, make 12 portions.

TO STORE: Leftover buns should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to 1 week.

TO FREEZE: Slice the buns in half and place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

TO REHEAT: Either microwave the buns for 30 seconds or slice them in half and heat in a non-stick pan until warm.

Nutrition

Serving:1serving | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 663IU | Calcium: 498mg | Iron: 2mg | NET CARBS: 2g”
Multiple bird nests in this tree at Sunset Dam in Kruger.
As it turned out, I doubled the recipe, which was a mistake since all of the ingredients wouldn’t fit into the small food processor we have in this house. I blended as much as I could using the processor and then dumped it all into a giant metal bowl and kneaded it all by hand. It worked well, and the buns came out nice. No doubt, they were a bit dense and doughy but had a nice flavor. Surely, I will make these buns again.
This morning at 11:00, Dawn (Jabula Dawn) and I had pedicure appointments together once again. It was such fun to engage in lively conversation between ourselves and our two lovely spa employees. It’s been wonderful to get pedicures here in Marloth Park at this beautiful spa, something I’d rarely done in the US. With a tip, it’s under US $20, ZAR 316. In a spa in the US, it would easily be twice the cost.
Hippos floating in the Verhami Dam.
The pedicure includes arm/hand massage as well as the lower legs. I always wear cropped jeans to the appointment and bring along flip flops to wear on the way out to avoid ruining the polish. What a treat! Plus, it’s fun to be there with my Marloth Park friends while both of us get our pedicures simultaneously. Tom drops me off and picks me back up when I notify him by WhatsApp that I’m ready to go.
Right now, the power has been out for the past 2½ hours due to some fault by Eskom, the unreliable electricity provider. We have no idea how long it will last. If it isn’t restored within an hour, we’ll have to make some emergency plans for all the food in our refrigerator. We often fill the metal bowl with ice and place it in the fridge to keep things cool.
The power just came back on 3½ hours later.
Back at you tomorrow.

Photo  from one year ago today, December 2, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #254. Little was determined when he climbed the steps, feeling more at “home.” He made us laugh in 2018, and he makes us laugh even more now. For more, please click here.

Moving right along…Happy December 1st, everyone!…More Kruger National Park photos…

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A yellow-billed stork with a refection in the water at the Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie in Kruger National Park.

Here it is, almost noon, and I am just now getting started on today’s post. Louise and Danie are visiting for sundowners at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs, today, and I’ve been busy in the kitchen prepping food to serve for our get-together. Often, starters served with sundowners (appetizers) consist of potato chips, nuts, crackers, and cheese.

However, in our usual way, we have a tendency to serve starters that easily could be construed as a complete meal. Louise and Danie eat keto like us, so preparing foods, we’ll all be able to eat a little more fun for me than when I’m preparing several items I cannot enjoy with our guests. However, in either case, it’s undoubtedly fun and much easier to prepare starters than a regular full meal, which is usually accompanied by starters for the cocktail hour.

A giraffe was crossing the paved road in Kruger.

We already have a low-carb sweet treat after the starters since we’ve been keeping a regular supply of our homemade keto white and chocolate fudge. I put aside a little container for them to take home, knowing how much they, like us, savor an occasional low-carb sweet after dinner.

Keto enthusiasts generally espouse ridding oneself of a sweet tooth, but neither Tom nor I have been committed to forgoing savoring something sweet on occasion. There are a few recipes I make now and then that satisfy that urge after dinner. Generally, we don’t eat anything sweet during the day when it can send us into a tailspin of craving more and more.

Several elephants were eating the green vegetation along the Sabie River.

After dinner, a small portion of something sweet is manageable when we’re already partially full from a nice dinner. Last night we had bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, creamed spinach, salad, and rice (for Tom only), a substantial meal, but an hour later, the fudge was calling me.

I jumped up while watching an episode of the popular TV series Yellowstone and placed a few small pieces of each fudge (that we keep in the freezer) on little plates for each of us. It seems as if using a plate instead of a paper towel makes it seem more like a special dessert. I suppose craving such a treat is psychological. One certainly doesn’t need to ever consume a sweet treat for nutritional purposes.

A tower of giraffes dining on the treetops near the Sabie River.

Based on the way I eat, with so many items I forgo, something special now and then feels relatively guilt-free, especially when it’s only made with ingredients befitting my way of eating. Today, I tried a new recipe for almond flour hamburger buns which we’ll serve this evening with beef and pork, to make the equivalent of sliders.

If they prove to be good, I’ll post the recipe tomorrow for those who eat like us or who are gluten-free. We’ll certainly report back.

Otherwise, today is a quiet day. The weather is still very humid. Today’s dew point is slightly higher than yesterday’s at 70 degrees. When mentioning the dew point yesterday, I looked up how the dew point is determined when most often, I would check just the temperature and the percentage of humidity.

We’ll never tire of spotting giraffes.

From the US National Weather Service website here, the dew point is described as follows:

“Dew Point vs. Humidity
The dew point is the temperature the air needs to be cooled to (at constant pressure) to achieve a relative humidity (RH) of 100%. At this point, the air cannot hold more water in the gas form. If the air were to be cooled, even more, water vapor would have to come out of the atmosphere in the liquid form, usually as fog or precipitation.

The higher the dew point rises, the greater the amount of moisture in the air. This directly affects how “comfortable” it will feel outside. Many times, relative humidity can be misleading. For example, a temperature of 30 and a dew point of 30 will give you a relative humidity of 100%. Still, a temperature of 80 and a dew point of 60 produces a relative humidity of 50%. It would feel much more “humid” on the 80-degree day with 50% relative humidity than on the 30-degree day with 100% relative humidity. This is because of the higher dew point.

So if you want a real judge of just how “dry” or “humid” it will feel outside, look at the dew point instead of the RH. The higher the dew point, the muggier it will feel.

Giraffes were cautious and curious and looked our way when we pulled up to the side of the road for this shot.

General comfort levels USING DEW POINT that can be expected during the summer months:

  • less than or equal to 55: dry and comfortable
  • between 55 and 65: becoming “sticky” with muggy evenings
  • greater than or equal to 65: lots of moisture in the air, becoming oppressive.”

Based on this information, today’s dew point of 70 is truly oppressive. But after a few days of this, we’re starting to get used to it. We’d better get used to it! Summer is officially starting this month on December 21st, the opposite of summer beginning in the northern hemisphere.

Stay cool. Stay warm wherever you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, December 1, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #253.The shoreline from our condo in Maui in 2014. For more photos, please click here.

Kruger National Park visit this morning…Many new photos…Back and busy…

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Two elephants flappped their ears as we passed.

This morning upon awakening, we decided to head to Kruger National Park and take advantage of our Wild Card entrance pass, which ends about the time we’re scheduled to leave South Africa in January (at this point, anyway). We’re always looking for a sunny day, not too hot, that will bring the wildlife out from hiding in the bush.

If the weather is terrible, rainy, and possibly stormy, they hide. If the weather is too hot, they hide. This morning was perfectly sunny and clear with moderate temperatures not expected to be too hot until afternoon in the 90Fs, 30Cs. We were excited to be on our way.

A colossal elephant from a distance.

But, once on the way, I realized we needed to stop at Spar in Komatipoort on the way home for a few items (which isn’t too far from the Crocodile Bridge entrance gate), get back in time to work on today’s post, and meet new American friends, Carrie and Jim at 2:00 pm, 1400 hrs, to see the property they’re purchasing here in Marloth Park.

Can you imagine, they found Marloth Park from our website, made their way here, and fell in love with it so much, they are now buying a fabulous property here, where they’ll live part of the year and continue to travel for the remainder of the year?

We saw dozens of hippos but few coming up for great shots.

We just returned from seeing their new house for which they’ve already made an offer which has been accepted. The house was fantastic, only four years old, and of a beautiful design and functionality. The house would easily have cost four or five times more in the US. They are so excited, and we share their joy.

When we first came to Marloth Park, we considered the prospect of owning a house here for a second, but, after a short period, we realized that our vision of freedom and mobility wouldn’t make homeownership desirable for us. We’ve never regretted that decision.

We love the low gurgling sounds of the hippos.

This lovely couple is 30 years younger than me (not quite Tom, who’s five years younger than me), and they have a full life ahead of them. They have time to make such decisions and later change their plans again if they so choose. But, we couldn’t be happier for them making what seems to be a logical decision for them at this early point in their retirement. They’ll still be able to travel the world and have this fabulous home to return to at any time, in the bush, they love so much.

Today’s visit to Kruger went well, but we didn’t see as much as we usually do. We didn’t see any cats, rhinos, or Cape buffalos. Nonetheless, we had an excellent time driving through the park, visiting our favorite turnoffs along the way, spotting a few more wildlife here and there. But, we weren’t disappointed. Our goal isn’t always seeing The Big Five.

I was on the lookout for a “sausage tree” which grows these massive blooms in the springtime.

On several occasions, we spotted wildlife we often see here in Marloth Park. We didn’t mind that at all. A giraffe can easily turn our heads with enthusiasm, as do zebras, wildebeest, and kudus. Of course, we always love seeing elephants which we only see along the Crocodile River close to the fence between Kruger and Marloth Park. We saw several elephants today.

Over the next several days, we’ll share our photos from today, along with any exciting opportunities that present themselves in the next few days. As the day wears on, I still have some prep left to do for tonight’s dinner when soon, we’ll be on the veranda visiting with our animal friends during sundowner time.

A clo0ser view of a “sausage” growing in a tree.

Last night, we had a surprise visitor for dinner; our friend Lyn, the hostess at Jabula, stopped by to drop off some blood sausage for me, which a friend from Scotland had brought her. Tonight, I’ll cook a piece to go with our roasted chicken dinner. I have had any of this favorite of mine since we were in Ireland in 2019. What a treat that will be!

Wow, Marloth Park is such a fabulous place to socialize. It couldn’t be more rewarding! When Lyn arrived, we invited her to stay for dinner, and the three of us had a great dinner and evening on the veranda.

Have a pleasant evening!

Photo from one year ago today, November 29, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while we were in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #251. The Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, which we’ve been through twice on two separate cruises. For more photos, please click here.

Living in limbo…Uncertaintly prevails in times of Covid-19…

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Holey Moley and a warthog pose for a photo.

Last night during our second night in a row at Jabula for dinner, the conversation centered around what will happen with many of us foreigners currently living in the bush when we choose to leave the country. Flights to many countries are being canceled right and left.

Fritz, a local we’ve come to know at Jabula, is scheduled to fly back to his home country on Tuesday, to The Netherlands, to be with his family for the Christmas holiday. It’s doubtful he’ll be able to fly out. The country is refusing flights arriving from South Africa.

A female kudu grazing on greenery in the garden.

This headline was posted online yesterday at this link:

“61 travelers from South Africa in Netherlands positive for COVID-19 -authorities

AMSTERDAM, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Dutch health authorities said that 61 people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday tested positive for COVID-19, and they were conducting further testing early Saturday to see if any of the infections are with the recently discovered Omicron coronavirus variant.

Around 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on the two KLM flights on Friday and then faced hours of delays and testing due to concerns over the new virus variant.

The Dutch health ministry said early Saturday, 61 tests had come back positive.

“Travelers with a positive test result will be placed in isolation at a hotel at or near Schiphol,” health authorities said in a statement.

Of the positive test results, we are researching as quickly as possible whether they are the new variant of concern, now named ‘Omicron.'”

Young Daddy and others.

The Dutch government banned all air travel from southern Africa early on Friday. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge determined that passengers already en route to the Netherlands would have to undergo testing and quarantine upon arrival.”

No doubt, this dilemma will impact travelers worldwide, including many of us currently in South Africa. We’ll likely fly to the US as planned, but we have to wait and see what transpires. From this article, we’re hopeful we’ll be able to continue with our plans to travel to the US with our booked flight on Delta Airlines on January 23, 2022:

“United and Delta say they aren’t cutting flights to South Africa as new travel restrictions throw a wrench in the recovery of international travel.

The US government will implement new international travel restrictions that will affect the two US airlines that fly between the US and southern Africa.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are currently the only American airlines serving South Africa, where travel will soon be restricted. Non-US travelers who have been to that country and seven others in Africa within the last 14 days will not be allowed into the US starting Monday due to new fears stemming from the COVID-19 Omicron “variant of concern.”

Both airlines currently fly to Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, and United plans to resume flights to Cape Town in December.

Delta confirmed to Insider that it is not currently planning any service changes in light of the new restrictions.”

Lori and Barbara checked out the pellet situation.

This is good news for us, but another aspect of this current scenario is that we’ll need to quarantine when we arrive in the USA. Staying in a decent hotel for 18 days in Florida, dining out for 18 days, paying almost US $100, ZAR 1627, a day for a rental car we won’t be able to use but need to get food.

Not only do we have to consider our dear friend’s safety for their wedding and their friends and family members, but we also have to consider who else we may come in contact with during those days; the hotel staff, staff in restaurants and the shops where we’ll need to go to purchase clothing for the wedding and the three days we booked for the wedding at the golf resort.

Mom and three piglets often stop by.

I don’t think either of us is prepared for all of this, especially after the restrictions we faced in lockdown in Mumbai, India, for ten months.

Based on what President Ramphosa says in his next “family meeting,” usually conducted on Sunday nights at 8:00 pm, 2000 hrs, we may begin soon to make some decisions. At this point, there’s no announcement that such a meeting will transpire tonight.

A couple of young kudus and a Young Daddy.

We realize we wrote about this in yesterday’s post, and we apologize for the redundancy. But, we’ve always promised to be “real” and share our concerns as they appear in our lives of world travel. This is on our minds right now. It’s not realistic to avoid sharing our views and concerns. As we advance, we’ll share what we’ve decided to do about the upcoming trip to the US on January 23, 2022, but also attempt to avoid rehashing it over and over. Thank you.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 28, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #250. Many beaches in Maui are left in a natural state, with vegetation growing along the shoreline. For more photos, please click here.

Everything could change for us with the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron…

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A beautiful red-billed stork.

Last night, our dear friends Karen  (and fiance  Ruch) texted us, whose wedding we are booked to attend on February 11, 2022, in Apollo Beach, Florida. We have a flight booked from South Africa to arrive in Florida on January 24, 2022.

We had planned to stay at their home, per their enthusiastic invitation, before the wedding, upon our arrival on January 24, and after the wedding, as well. The four of us have such a great time together. We’ve been looking forward to spending this time with them.

We rarely stay at the homes of friends when we travel. We prefer not to invade the space of friends or family members.  Also, we have our own routine that is best served when we’re on our own in a holiday home or hotel. However, staying with Karen and Rich on past occasions confirmed we are ideally suited to spend time together when we stayed with them in the past.

Three giraffes by the Crocodile River.

However, last night, Karen’s concerns were well-founded. Suppose we came to their home on January 24 and had contracted the Covid-19 variant Omicron while in South Africa. In that case, we could infect them and totally ruin their wedding and, also possibly infect the many guests arriving from far and wide to attend their wedding, many of whom are over 80 years old with precarious health as it is.

There’s no way we’d put this kind of stress on them at this critical time in their lives. After chatting back and forth, we realized our only option is to self-quarantine from the day we arrive in Florida until the time of the wedding, of course, testing on the last few days. That would be a total of 18 days in a hotel in Florida, somewhere close to Tampa.

But, now, as we listen to the news and conduct research, our quarantine plan may prove to be a moot point. As more and more flights are canceled to travelers entering South Africa, what easily could happen by January 24 is a simple and probable fact…our flight could be canceled.

A blacksmith plover was near the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park.

If airlines don’t transport passengers from Point A to Point B and bacn, the lack of flights out of South Africa will be a natural occurrence even with borders open. We could end up in the same situation as we were in India. The only flights available for US citizens leaving South Africa could be repatriation flights, which cost thousands and thousands of dollars per passenger, many as much as ten times (or more) the typical flight fare.

A repatriation flight for these exorbitant rates didn’t appeal to us when we were in lockdown in India and doesn’t appeal to us now. Here, we can stay put comfortably in a house, cook our meals, be outdoors and continue to live somewhat of a normal life.

We’ll know more when President Ramaphosa speaks to the nation on Sunday (tomorrow) night. Will he shut down the country as he’d done in March 2020, banning restaurants and other businesses from operating normally, banning the sale of alcohol, forbidding public or private gatherings? The holiday season is rapidly approaching. How will that be handled?

Impalas were grazing on the opposite side of the Crocodile River.

We’ll know a little more after Ramaphosa’s speech tomorrow but won’t know the full impact until the severity of the Omicron variant is fully understood. Immunologists could take weeks/months to determine the severity of this strain, allowing politicians/leaders to make decisions about travel to and from their countries.

Pfizer has stated they need two weeks to see if they need to tweak the vaccine to work with this new stain. Hopefully, soon, we’ll know. But, this won’t be available to us here.

So here we are again. Uncertainty. Will the President extend visas for foreign nationals currently staying in South Africa? That in itself is a significant factor for us. But, in any case, if we can fly to the US on January 24, 2022, we’ll have no choice but to quarantine upon our arrival in Florida.

Giraffes now have plenty of vegetation in the treetops.

Today, to be safe, we’ll book a  fully refundable hotel for the 18 nights and play it by ear from there. Undoubtedly, President Ramaphosa will speak several times over the next few months, from which we’ll be able to decide the future.

This morning, like many other South African and visitors, we headed to the liquor store to stock up on wine for me and Brandy for Tom. The TOPS liquor store and the Spar market in Komatipoort, where wine is sold, were packed with shoppers.  We weren’t the only ones motivated to stock up on our favorite sundowner beverages. We don’t drink much quantity but didn’t want to run out.  During those ten months in lockdown in the hotel in India, I never had a single glass of wine, and Tom never had a Brandy.

We’ll keep you updated here as we discover more and more in the weeks to come.

Stay safe.

Photo from one year ago  today< November 27, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago today while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #249. Note our talk scheduled at 11:15 am on the ship activities program. We did a two-day seminar on the ship on traveling the world. For more, please click here.

Differences between ordinary travel and world travel…Photos from the Crocodile River…

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We spotted these two elephants on the far bank of the Crocodile River as we drove to Two Trees.   

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Yesterday afternoon, on our way to the Two Trees overlooking the Crocodile River, we spotted a pair of elephants playing on the river bank. Tom repositioned the car to ensure I’d have a good angle for taking photos. Unfortunately, as we waited, we couldn’t take photos of their faces other than in today’s main photo as shown. They were either playing or engaged in some confrontation. It was difficult to determine from such a distance.

We arrived at Two Trees shortly before 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, and Carrie and Jim arrived shortly after that. We set up our camp chairs, poured ourselves a drink, and settled in for what we hoped would be great sightings on the river and, as always, lively conversation with this couple who, like us, is traveling the world without a home.

While the four of us sat in our chairs talking and watching for activity on the river, we spotted these elephants less than 10 meters from us.

Soon, they’ll be leaving for their next adventure, but it’s been delightful sharing stories and travel tips between the four of us. It’s so interesting to learn that many of our mutual travel processes and procedures are similar, almost to the point of being oddly coincidental.

As we mentioned in a prior post, we met Carrie and Jim from their long history of reading our posts. Our enthusiastic description of Marloth Park brought them here and the next opportunity to meet. Well, of course, we hit it off with them, as we had with Rita and Gerhard, who also came to Marloth Park from reading our posts, as have many others over the years.

It was exciting to watch the three elephants crossing in front of us beyond the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park.

It means so much to us knowing that somehow, even in a small way, we’ve had the opportunity to provide information for our readers that may impact their travel decisions. This has been a huge motivator for us in continuing to post consistently. No, not all of our suggestions may appeal to all travelers. Nor do all of our suggestions prove to be beneficial for everyone.  It’s highly subjective.

Due to time constraints, we can’t really assist those embarking on traditional one or two-week vacations/holidays. We are not a travel agency, nor do we have any interest in becoming so. But, we encourage our readers to contact us if we can be of assistance should you decide to embark on a journey such as ours, without a home base, without storage, and with an intent to travel for extended periods, as we have done.,

No doubt, it was quite a thrill to be so close to the elephants.

If you have specific questions for traditional short-term travel, you may find suggestions by using our search box at the top right of our home page.  However, traveling the world full-time is very different from taking a vacation/holiday. Based on the fact we often stay in locations for extended periods, our perspective may be very different about a  specific location for many reasons, including:

  • Cooking our own meals, shopping in local markets
  • Renting cars for extended periods
  • Renting holiday homes for extended periods
  • Using cruises as transportation
  • Visa extension issues and concerns
  • Access to quality medical care if necessary
  • Negotiating with property owners for extended stays
  • Ensuring WiFi, aircon, and essential utilities are included in the rent
  • Safe drinking water
  • Proximity from the airport to the holiday home, to shopping and touring
  • Clothing needed for seasonal weather changes during extended stays

    One by one, they wandered away.

The differences between short and long-term travel are many and become evident once a world travel journey begins. We’ve encountered many challenges along the way, and we’re always happy to share our experiences and insights with other world travelers.

Have a fantastic weekend wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, November 26, 2020:

No photo was posted on this date one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends in the US and throughout the world…

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Three little pigs are growing fast. They love pellets!

Thanksgiving was always one of our favorite holidays. The family, the friends, the comfort food, the games we played, and the lazy football watching while recovering after the big meal, while contemplating the next piece of pumpkin pie, often to be topped off with a dollop of whipped cream for those who liked it.

Once everyone left our home, the dishes and table linens were washed, dried, and put away. The next phase of the four-day Thanksgiving weekend began…a full three days of decorating the house for Christmas. Traditionally, I started this process every year, on this same date with a process I followed to a tee, year after year.

Tom brought down all the decorations from the attic, and my work began, often with Christmas music playing in the background or a favorite TV show on, to entertain me during the lengthy process. My two sons never seemed interested in decorating. Instead, once it was done, they’d revel in the beauty of it all if I say so myself.

They are so cute when they are chewing.

Richard was living in Nevada from 1988 on, and Greg had his own home in Minnesota, creating his traditions and decorating. His house. In the years since I became an empty nester before I met Tom in 1991, the process continued seamlessly, year after year, never missing a beat, until our lives changed in 2012.

Often Tom had to work on Thanksgiving Day, even getting called to work on the railroad during Thanksgiving dinner. He swallowed a few more bites and headed out the door, leaving me with the adult kids to continue. Usually, he’d return within 12 hours, help bring down the decorations, and head back to work again.

By the end of the weekend, he’d come up the driveway in the dark to see the Christmas lights on the tree. Most years, I decorated two trees, one by the window facing the private driveway and another in the breakfast room to be seen upon entry into the house. It was a festive time. We loved every moment, especially after the work was done.

Mom happily shares the pellets with them.

Following Thanksgiving weekend, although I worked long days, I began the Christmas baking, making plenty for us to have at home but even more to give away to the kids, other family members, neighbors, and friends. Every spare moment from the Wednesday before Christmas, when I made about a dozen pumpkin pies, to after New Year’s when the decorations were put away, I was busy.

I shopped, mostly online, wrapped numerous packages, each with a handmade bow made by me on every single package. We sent no less than 200 Christmas cards, each with a handwritten message inside, and took them all to the post office after placing matching Christmas postage stamps on each card. Oh, good grief. I worked so hard.

In the 1990s, we started making bottles of homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream, later called “Lyman’s Irish Cream.” Tom did all the prep work making the delicious recipe and filling the bottles while I designed and printed the decorative sticky labels, placing them on the bottles once the outsides were dry.

We love how perfectly shaped Mom’s tusks are.

The first year we may have made about 25 bottles. During our last Christmas in Minnesota in 2011, before we decided to travel the world, we made over 120 bottles to give to special friends, which we both personally dropped off to the recipients. Whew!

Then, of course, there was a holiday dinner party for friends, the celebration of Tom’s birthday on December 23, Christmas Eve dinner, and festivities on Christmas Day. As the years passed, our children created their own traditions at their own homes with other extended family members, and those special traditions we’d hosted year after year changed with the times.

Yes, 2011 was the last year we tackled all of these projects. And now? What do we do? We don’t send Christmas cards. We don’t buy all those gifts. Instead, we send gift cards to the grandchildren. We stopped sending gifts to our adult children, requesting they don’t buy anything for us either.

They stayed in the garden for quite a while.

Once we began traveling, we stopped purchasing gifts for one another. We never have a Christmas tree or any decorations. We no longer make Lyman’s Irish Cream. I don’t bake cookies and Christmas treats. It’s all over now. And what do we do on Thanksgiving today? And over the Christmas season?

We celebrate the meaning of the holidays without the usual merriment associated with these special times. We are thankful. We are grateful, and we never feel lost, alone and sad about having let go of all that embodied the holidays for us years ago.

This will be the 10th holiday season we haven’t celebrated as we had in the past, and we are content and fulfilled in many other ways.

Today, on Thanksgiving, we’re meeting up with our new American friends, Carrie and Jim, at Two Trees on the Crocodile River (we were rained out a few days ago), and together we’ll all have a toast to Thanksgiving in the US. As for Christmas, we’re planning to spend Christmas Eve at Jabula with friends, along with others like us, who may not have nearby family members to join in the celebration of the holiday season.

On Christmas Day, we’ll stay at our bush house, cooking a nice meal on the braai and enjoying our wildlife friends who come to call any day of the year.

It’s all good. We’re content.

May your day be content and fulfilling.

Photo from one year ago today,  November 25, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #247. View of houses on the channel heading out to sea in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more photos, please click here.