Day #252 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Time for some “whinging” (British for complaining)…

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Big Daddy Kudu by candlelight as darkness fell. Soon, we’ll be there once again.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2018 while living in the bush in Marloth Park, South Africa. For more on the story, please click here.

We see this same gecko almost every day on this same tree area in front of the veranda.  It appears to change colors from time to time.

The glow from booking plans to return to Marloth Park, South Africa, departing India on January 12, 2021, hasn’t diminished for me as I count down the days (Tom prefers not to count down). Right now, it’s 43 days until we depart in the middle of the night for the airport. May I say this with tongue in cheek?

  • 3,715,200 seconds
  • 61,920 minutes
  • 1032 hours
  • 43 days
  • Six weeks and one day
    Giraffe in the neighborhood. We never tire of seeing these beautiful animals.

Whew! It can’t go fast enough for either of us. There are few times in our eight years of world travel that we’ve wished for time to fly quickly. After all, when one gets to a “certain age,” we certainly want time to move slowly, but somehow it does not. Wishing or not, we seem to have no control over our perception of the creeping of time.

Besides the obvious, why are we so impatient after over eight months so far? There are a few reasons which we’ll share here today. I need to whine, whinge, complain a little, so please bear with me. If someone had told us that we had to spend even 43 days in a hotel room, with a worldwide pandemic raging around us, unable to risk going outdoors, literally stuck in an average-sized hotel room, only able to order room service and walk the corridors, I would have said, “No way!”

A determined walk along the fence by the Crocodile River.

But, here we are, and those 43 days loom over us like a very long time, especially right now, after eight months of doing this. Part of what has made the concept of these extremely challenging the next 43 days is that Indians have planned weddings for this period when COVID-19 lockdown restrictions impact the usual March through October season.

Subsequently, this hotel is packed with careless wedding guests with nary concerns about wearing face masks, social distancing, taking any other COVID-19 sensible precautions, and who smoke in the stairwell and their rooms in this non-smoking hotel. In reality, Tom and I should stop walking in the corridors now and not begin walking again until we arrive in South Africa.

The Crocodile River after sunset.

However, after working so diligently at my 5 miles, 8 km, in the corridors, each day, for all this time. If I stop now, I will lose all my vital conditioning in the next 43 days. I don’t walk to entertain myself. I walk to improve my cardiovascular health and avoid sitting in a chair for 16 hours a day.

It baffles me. When guests check-in here, they are explicitly informed there is a strict mask-wearing, other than when inside their rooms and the mandatory social distancing policy in this hotel, to protect themselves and other guests and the staff. Imagine how hard it has been for all employees who have slept here every night for many months, unable to leave the hotel to avoid infecting others from going out into the city or to their homes.

A beam of light reflected off the camera at sunset on the river.

Every half hour when I leave the room to walk, I encounter no less than six guests not wearing masks, often coming face to face with me when they storm outside their rooms without a mask. The staff has become very conscientious in wearing their masks properly, although we had to remind several of them to cover their noses early on.

We don’t allow the room service person in our room. The cleaner has to put on clean gloves before entering our space and keep a mask on while cleaning our room. Our cups and glasses must be washed before cleaning anything in our room. Previously, they’d wash the glasses after scrubbing the bathroom wearing the same gloves. We had to squawk about all of these for them to get it right.

Mom and four piglets stop by several times a time.

We’re tired of all of this. We’re tired of telling no less than 25 guests a day to put on a mask when we see them barging out of their rooms, often without even a mask in hand or heading to the elevators without a mask. I’m tired of complaining to the hotel managers. They, too, are frustrated. People don’t care.

We’re tired of guests staying in the room next to ours, never turning off their phone’s ring or vibration during the night, often waking us every 10 minutes. The two room’s beds back up to one another, and the walls aren’t soundproofed. We can hear everything.

Bushbuck baby, maybe dad and mom often stopped by at the bottom of the steps for their pellets.

We’re tired of the room on the other side of us with their door slamming all night long when the guests head to the stairwell to smoke at 2:00 am, 3:00 am, 4:00 am. We’re tired of the noisy wedding night where the entire hotel seems to vibrate from the loud music often until 4:30 am.

Gosh, please give me the sounds of the noisy hadeda birds (listen here) flying overhead at dusk, the exciting roar of a lion in the middle of the night, the insistent chirping of a hornbill pecking at the window for more seeds, or the hysterical sounds of warthogs snorting in the garden.

Tom took this early morning photo of a wound on yet another warthog which appears to be healing. Warthogs are sturdy and hardy animals that often survive serious injury without any intervention by humans.

Forty-three more days, forty-three more days…

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

Chase, Susan’s adorable Yorkie. One year ago today, I saw my dear sister Susan, who’s since passed away. For more, please click here.

Day #250 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Our 2013 hotel criteria…Has it changed?…

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Out for a drive in Maui, we stopped to walk along the beach.

Today’s photos are from the post on this date in 2014 while we stayed at Maalaea Beach, Maui. For more photos and details, please click here.

As the long days and nights continue in this long-term confinement, we tend to dream about places we’ve visited in the past and places we’d like to see in the future. Have our criteria changed much over the years? From this post on November 11, 2013, we had outlined our measures for staying in hotel rooms throughout the world.

Maui has one beautiful beach after another.

Now, on day #250 of living in a hotel room, we thought it would be interesting to see if our criteria have changed in the past seven years since we originally uploaded this post. Here they are:

  • Free WiFi
  • Laundry options in the room or the building
  • A sofa in the room (it’s tough to sit on the bed typing on my laptop for hours posting photos and writing)
  • Convenient location: to our next destination (when possible), for sightseeing (if time allows), and for local modes of transportation for dining out, grocery shopping, etc. (Not applicable now).
  • Kitchenette or full kitchen for more extended stays (Not applicable now)
  • Reasonable cost (in most cities, a decent hotel room will run from US $175, INR 12941, to US $200, 14790, per night or more with city taxes and fees. (Prices have increased in the past seven years from this original amount as mentioned)
  • Air conditioning (we seldom, if ever, will travel in cold climates)
  • A safe in the room
  • Good view. For us, this is important. If we’re to pay US $200 a night, we want a good, if not great view. (Not applicable now)
  • Great reviews from recent guests for a 4.0 rating or higher. Tom will read from 30 to 50 recent reviews to satisfy our objectives.
    Many beaches are left in a natural state, with vegetation growing along the shoreline.

Newly added to this list based on our past and recent experiences include:

  • Complimentary breakfast
  • Complimentary coffee and tea
  • Complimentary bottled water
  • Comfortable bed
  • Sufficient plug-ins for our equipment
    The colors in these hills look more like a painting than real life.

At this point, we feel we’ve had enough hotel experience to last us a lifetime but, not knowing when we can depart Mumbai, staying put in this hotel provides us with the fulfillment of most of the above criteria. In the future, if and when we’re able to travel in the future freely, these same criteria will be applicable and to our standards.

For the time being, we had booked this hotel room until January 3, 2021, when by luck, we checked for future pricing and found, on our site at Hotels.com to discover this hotel was selling rooms for US $50, INR 3698 per night for the bulk of December and US $57, INR 4215 per night for the balance of December, all the way to January 3, 2021. We couldn’t get these prices booked quickly enough.

In a matter of minutes, the clouds began to disperse for a better view of the mountaintop. Notice the buildings at the top of the mountain.

Now, we continue to watch prices to extend our reservations further as needed as we wait this out. As always, especially lately, we’ll play it by ear.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 28, 2019:

Upon arriving in Mombasa on Thanksgiving Day in 2013, we took this photo from the ferry as another ferry took off. Notice the crowds. For more photos from that day in 2013,  please click here. For more of the year-ago post, please click here.

Day #249 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…A great memory from 2016…A good Thanksgiving after all…

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It had been a long time since I’d done a seminar, but in my career in my old life, I had done many.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2016 while sailing on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas on the circumnavigation of the Australian continent when we were asked to do two seminars about our world travels. For more on that story, please click here.

Four years ago, we were asked to conduct a seminar on world travel on a cruise ship? We did the first seminar on this date in 2016 and a few days later did a second seminar when asked by the ship activity director to do another when there were many requests from passengers who’d missed it.

Tom chimed in on several occasions and did a fabulous job. Fluffy hair, that day! I love him anyway!

Of course, we were pleased and flattered. We both enjoyed meeting all the people that flocked around us for the remainder of the cruise, asking question after question. We are so grateful for every one of you! I have no doubt many of those participants are still following us now, four years later.

After we’d done the seminars, we spent some time inquiring about the possibility of conducting such workshops on future cruises, but the compensation offered was not worth it to us. Many speakers on cruises think they are getting quite a perk to speak on their favorite topic and return repeatedly.

Note our talk scheduled at 11:15 am on the ship activities program.

For us, it wasn’t a worthwhile undertaking. The cruise line pays only for transportation to a specific port of call and the time spent on the ship. Once the “talks” are completed, the speaker(s) are dropped off at the next port of call to “fly away.” This didn’t work for us at all. It simply wasn’t worth it.

Of course, all the days and nights socializing with many Australians and a handful of Americans, including two couples with whom we spent most “happy hours” and many dinners. However, we thoroughly enjoyed those two experiences on that 33-night cruise. It was a fantastic cruise that we’ll never forget, among others.

I love the look on Tom’s face in this shot.

Now, with COVID-19 raging worldwide, the prospects of cruising again anytime soon are limited. A few days ago, we posted a story about enthusiastic cruise passengers volunteering for “test” cruises to see how a cruise line will handle COVID-19 breakouts during a cruise. Here is the link to that post, entitled “Ten reasons to avoid test cruises.”

As for yesterday’s Thanksgiving, we made it through with ease and nary a moment of disappointment. We heard from so many family members, friends, and readers. It proved to be a busy day while we responded to everyone. We couldn’t have felt more loved with the many good wishes and concern for our well-being during our peculiar situation.

Tom managed the video presentation while I talked. We were (we are) a good team.

Did we miss the Thanksgiving dinner? Not at all. I had my usual chicken dinner (tonight is salmon night), and Tom had only breakfast and some bananas he’d saved for later. We now refer to his daily bananas as “banana cream pie,” making our mouths water at the prospect of any pie at this point. However, I’ve only eaten low-carb/gluten-free pies in the past many years.

Now, with my drastically reduced carb regime and my lowest morning fasting blood sugar reading this morning of 82 mg/dl, 4.6 mmol/L, in 20 years, I continue to be ecstatic over my recent health improvements. For the first time in 20 years, this morning, I didn’t take any blood pressure medication. Of course, if it rises over time, I will revert to small doses of the drug to keep it in check. Time will tell. In the interim, I will proceed with the utmost caution, checking it several times a day.

There were over 100 people in attendance at our first seminar, with many more at the second, a few days later.

Subsequently, in the future, I doubt I will be eating any of those “low carb” modified desserts that may raise blood sugar/blood pressure as I continue to strive to maintain these good numbers well into the future. Eliminating such sweet treats may add many good years to my life.

Today? Another low-key day. In the evenings, we’ve been watching a fantastic show with many seasons and episodes, streaming on Hulu, ‘This is Us.” In the past, we’d considered streaming this popular show but never got to it until now. If you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend it. Any recommendations you may have for Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu, please send them our way!

Happy day to all, and again, thank you for all the warm and heartfelt wishes over the holiday!

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

About 8 inches of snow fell in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, staying with friends Karen and Rich. For more photos, please click here.

Day #248 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Happy Thanksgiving to family, friends and readers in the US….

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No photos from a previous post are included today, other than the “year-ago” photo below.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American family, friends, and readers who are celebrating this special day of thanks. For our non-American readers/friends, here’s what Thanksgiving is all about:

From this site: Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia, and the sub-national entities Leiden, Norfolk Island, and the inhabited territories of the United States. It began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It has similarly named festival holidays to occur in Germany and Japan. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and Brazil, and around the same part of the year in other places. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday.

Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests and other times. The Thanksgiving holiday’s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.

In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII and reaction to a large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar. Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays when people were required to attend church, forego work, and sometimes pay for expensive celebrations. The 1536 reforms reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritans wished to eliminate all Church holidays, including Christmas and Easter. The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgment from on high called for Days of Fasting. Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. For example, Days of Fasting were called on account of drought in 1611, floods in 1613, and plagues in 1604 and 1622. Days of Thanksgiving were called following the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 and following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1705. An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and developed into Guy Fawkes Day on November 5.”

In our old lives, this holiday had always been the second most important holiday we celebrated each year, with Christmas being the first. The days of loved ones gathered around our big table are long gone. But, we’ll never forget the love, warmth, and good food on this memorable holiday.

I’d cook for days, making enough pumpkin pies and “leftovers” for each couple or attendee to return home with at least one enough food for another meal and an entire pie as a reminder of our Thanksgiving celebration.

But, today, with COVID-19 rampant throughout the US and the world, this year’s holidays will be very different. With tremendous controversy over how many should attend a private home celebration, with restaurants closed and many observing COVID-19 precautions or not, this is a difficult time for all.

In touching base with our family and friends, we feel comfortable everyone will be practicing safe standards in their homes and outside their homes. Nothing would be sadder than to discover more family members who have contracted the virus during the holiday season or at any time in the future. We pray for our family members and friends, as well as for yours, to come through the holiday season unscathed.

And for us? Many have inquired about what we’ll do today, which is already midday Thursday, November 26th in India. Not to sound as if we are feeling sorry for ourselves, we are doing nothing. Turkey is not served here. No special foods are being prepared, and if they were, I doubt many would be befitting my way of eating.

I must diligently continue with my recent reduction in carbs to nearly zero each day, which has allowed several significant health improvements over the past month. Thus, if a special dinner were offered, I would only eat the turkey. Plus, Indian cooks wouldn’t be familiar with preparing the typical American dishes, even if we chose to eat such a meal.

Tom is still working on reducing the weight he gained in the first several months of lockdown and continues to eat only one meal a day, a big breakfast that holds him through the day. So, unless we’d been able to prepare it ourselves, a special meal means little to us at this point.

Instead, we’ll focus on what we are thankful for on this day, as we often do during this challenging time in a hotel room.

We are thankful for:

  • The safety and health of our loved ones and for us, while we maintain the status quo in this confinement now, eight months in the making.
  • I am being together to provide love, comfort, and entertainment for each other, every single day.
  • Our health during this lockdown. We were concerned that it would have been an awful scenario if one of us became ill and had to seek medical care outside the hotel, with COVID-19 raging in Mumbai.
  • Ways in which to entertain ourselves with streaming shows, with good WiFi, and thanks to a VPN (a virtual private network) that allows us to use Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Being able to escape from the current reality mentally has been exceedingly crucial during this extended period.
  • Financially, we have been able to afford to live in this lovely hotel for the past 248 days.
  • That this hotel has stayed open during numerous lockdowns.
  • Due to Amazon India, we can purchase any supplies we need. Without this, we’d have no choice but to head outdoors, where massive crowds are in the streets.
  • I was reordering my few prescriptions. The front desk will call and order any refills for medications we may need, and it is delivered within 24 hours, without a prescription.
  • We are posting each day and all the significant concerns and support of our family/friends/readers. Thank you all!
  • Laughter, our saving grace…

Please have a safe and meaningful Thanksgiving for those who celebrate, and may every one of our readers experience love and thankfulness on this day and always, wherever you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, November 26, 2019:

With no new photos posted one year ago, we posted a photo from a walk on the beach at the Indian Ocean in Kenya in 2013. For more, please click here.

Day #247 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Crucial COVID-19 treatment information…

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Stunning homes along the channel as we sailed out to sea from Fort Lauderdale.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2017 as we were sailing out to sea on Celebrity Infinity from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a partial circumnavigation of South America, ending in Buenos Aires, where we stayed for one month in a hotel, awaiting an upcoming cruise to Antarctica. For the story from that date, please click here.

A while back, we voted as to whether we should include COVID-19 news and treatments that we may discover along the way. The results of that vote were 51% against, 49% for. Subsequently, we have diligently stayed away from controversies and conspiracy theories revolving around the pandemic.

Cargo ship at the port.

Today’s comments do not consist of a controversy or a conspiracy. It is a simple medical fact…sugar is not an essential nutrient and is particularly harmful to seriously ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients. If only one of our readers or a loved one benefited from this information, this post would be well worth any backlash or negative comments we may receive from naysayers.

Unless one has been living under a rock for the past ten years, the dangers of consuming sugar have been reiterated repeatedly. Again, sugar is not an essential nutrient. If we never finished any sugar in our lives, we’d never be missing a single nutrient vital for life.

Bridge in Fort Lauderdale.

As we all know, sugar (and high-carb foods that convert to sugar in our bodies upon consumption) is highly detrimental to diabetes or those with metabolic syndrome. Most recently, as I’ve strictly reduced my carb consumption and watched my blood sugar and blood pressure dramatically reduce to a point where I’ve been able to stop two 20-year medications, it has been evident to me, which I shared in this post a few days ago.

After spending no less than two hours a day researching ways in which I can improve my cardiovascular health, I discovered two things of the major causes of cardiovascular disease: Smoking (I was an occasional smoker in my youth) and sugar (in my case, the consumption of too many carbs/sugar in my diet from a lifetime of eating a low fat, high carb diet). It took 30 to 40 years for my cardiovascular disease to manifest.

People were waving to ships as they made their way out to sea.

So, this morning a podcast popped up on my phone from Dr. Robert Cywes, a highly reputable surgeon who’s become involved in saving lives through diet, which is known as the “Carb Addiction Doctor,” entitled, The Absolute Evidence, The Truth About Cardiovascular Disease, Sugar or Fat by Robert Cywes. The content of this podcast is found here:

Well, what does the above topic have to do with COVID-19? A lot. As Dr. Cywes explains, hospitalized COVID-19 patients who become unable to eat due to being intubated or too sick to eat are given IVs containing GLUCOSE, PURE SUGAR.

View of houses on the channel.

If you or a family member are pre-diabetic, diabetic, or suffering from a metabolic disease (and many other conditions), this massive dose of sugar can send the patient into a state of high blood sugar/diabetes, requiring treatment with insulin which only exacerbates the virus to the point that may contribute to death. Why do we keep hearing about poor outcomes/death for diabetics and patients with other comorbidities? Many are being pumped full of sugar, only increasing their risk of death.

No, I am not a medical professional, nor do I profess to know more than the average person. When I had open-heart surgery in 2019 in South Africa, I made sure it was stated in bold type on my chart that no IV was to contain glucose. But, it’s not rocket science to figure out that massive infusions of sugar are detrimental to many patients, and the sugar is not needed. There are simple, non-glucose alternatives if fluids are required, containing healthy fats and protein, or a short-term treatment; plain saline is generally safe.

So, there it is, folks. Listen to the above podcast. Do your own research. Talk to your doctor. Tell the hospital staff if you or a loved one are hospitalized. Save a life.

That’s all I have to say.

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

When we didn’t have any new photos to share, here is a six-year ago photo we posted in 2019.  This view from the second-floor balcony at Whalers Village in Kaanapali Beach was breathtaking. For more photos from this post, please click here.

Day #246 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Ten reasons to avoid test cruises…

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Tom’s hair was blowing with his back to the wind at Sails Restaurant in Diani Beach, Kenya. The cool ocean breeze was heavenly.

Today’s photos are from dining out at our favorite restaurant during the final few days we spent in Diani Beach, Kenya, in 2013. For more details, please click here.

Each day when I walk the corridors, I listen to podcasts on various topics. Recently, on a mission to further improve my health, I listened to podcasts from Dr. Ken Berry, Dr. Ali Nadir (cardiologist), Dr. Shawn Baker, Dr. Jason Fung, and Dr. Paul Saladino, and more, all of whom advocate a very low/zero carb way of eating, which with their advice, I’ve been able to lower my blood sugar and blood pressure dramatically as described in this post from a few days ago.

I equally enjoyed the cool ocean breeze at Sails. It was so hot that night. We were sweating. 

When I need a break from health podcasts, I often listen to travel-related podcasts relevant to today’s COVID-19 situation in hopes of learning something useful for our future travels. By accident, I came across Tony’s podcast site, La Lido Loca, and was fascinated to listen to his take on why it makes little sense to accept such an invitation. To listen to Tony’s excellent podcast on this topic, please click here.

Here are his ten reasons why not to embark on a free test cruise:

  1. A cruise line must have the “free” passenger sign a document accepting the potential risks of participating. In other words, if you get the virus during or after the test cruise, you will not have legal recourse against the cruise line.
  2. There is an expectation that test cruise passengers must have a doctor’s letter confirming they don’t have any pre-existing comorbidities that may result in severe cases of COVID-19 or even death.
  3. You will be virus tested at the port upon embarkation, disembarkation, and possibly many more times during the cruise.
  4. This is not normal cruising with all the fluff and activities cruisers may be used to. Passengers will be directed to activities during the cruise and subject to the guidelines and requirements that reduce the risks of becoming infected.
  5. Restrictive port experiences are unlike those typically offered by the cruise line. You will not be able to wander on your own if any ports of call are visited, nor will you be able to choose a multitude of experiences.
    Tom’s crab au gratin was as delicious as usual.
  6. What happens if you or others get the virus, either in reality or in a simulation, which may require even those without the virus to lockdown in their cabin? Cabin selection is up to the cruise line. One may end up in an inside cabin when they usually book a balcony cabin. A lockdown during a simulation could result in days in a windowless cabin when you aren’t even sick.
  7. Disruptive cruise – You may be in the middle of enjoying a meal or a drink, or an activity, required to stop immediately for health checks and other protocols.
  8. A cruise may be cut short if too many passengers become infected with COVID-19. This could happen after paying round-trip airfares to reach the cruise embarkation point, at your own expense, only to have the cruise cut short after 24 to 48 hours when passengers are reported to have contracted the virus resulting in the cruise ending early.
  9. Waiting around – For test results, for new procedures, for activities, and a variety of entirely unfamiliar protocols, passengers may spend hours each day waiting for the next activity or event.
  10. Stringent adherence to the CDC’s virus protocols; masking, social distancing, hand washing, and more. The usual socialization most cruisers enjoy will be obliterated.
    My dinner at Sails was too heavy on the oil, very different from the first time I’d ordered this entrée.

Are you still interested? Probably, not. If so, contact your favorite cruise line and see if options are available for you to participate. Most cruise lines got their authorized cruise resellers with invitations to participate. It will be interesting to see how these cruises roll out.

We’ll be watching for those results and will report back here for details.

As for us cruising in the future, hum, we’ll see what happens. Our next booked cruise is scheduled for November 30, 2021. We’ll see if that transpires and if we decide it’s safe to go if it does.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, November 24, 2019:

Tom’s Reuben sandwich with jumbo onion rings when out for bingo at a restaurant with friends Karen and Rich one year ago. Drool-worthy! Click here for Tom’s win.

Day #245 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Golfing for travelers…

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A manmade pond on the Kahili Golf Course in Maui, Hawaii, created a pretty scene.

Today’s photos are from the post on this date in 2014 while living in Maui, Hawaii. Please see here for more details.

Neither of us ever took up the sport of golf, mainly because neither of us is very good at it. After a few tries over the years, each separately, the frustration factor was too much to overcome, nor did either of us have enough interest in the sport to take lessons.

In a way, when we began traveling the world, we were glad we had no interest in playing golf. Hauling clubs all over the world made little sense, considering how much we travel. The added costs for flying with two sets of golf clubs, plus fees and expenses, would have far surpassed our budget, requiring we sacrifice something more important to us, such as quality holiday homes, rental cars, and dining out.

The lush lawns at the Kahili Golf Club in Maui were similar to the gorgeous lawns at our condo in Maalaea Beach.

Many avid golfer travelers rent clubs as they travel, but that may have been for a few trips a year, not non-stop world travel. Nonetheless, we’ve enjoyed the beauty of many golf courses throughout the world and have either driven through them to revel in their carpet-like lawns and, at times, dine in the clubhouse.

In Princeville, Kauai, in 2015, where we lived for four months, we acquired a social membership to the Makai Golf Course, which allowed us access to the pool, fitness center, dining, and social activities. We certainly took advantage of that membership at US $250, INR 18,547, per month for the two of us. In reviewing their site, we couldn’t determine the cost of that same social membership now, particularly in light of COVID-19, when everything has changed.

A gazebo and footbridge on the course with the ocean at a distance.

It’s difficult to determine costs for any travel-related expenses at this time when so much has changed due to COVID-19. Still, in reviewing costs to travel with golf clubs, the added price will vary from airline to airline, depending upon their included and extra baggage fees. It could range from US $35, INR 2595, to US $150, INR 11122, per bag or more.

Adding the cost of greens fees, cart, taxes, tips, and beverages can easily be as much as US $1000, INR INR 74139 for two players at an upscale course, and 30% this amount at a modestly priced system. If we were golfers, hauling our bags with us, we’d feel committed to playing at each new location, spending thousands more each year.

We were tempted to try either of these buffets offered at the Kahili Golf Course. But, as usual, buffets in the US seem to provide less acceptable options for my way of eating.

No, doubt, for an avid golfer with ample funds allocated for the sport, golfing throughout the world would be quite an adventurous and fun experience, especially if done so as a couple, avoiding the necessity of finding others to play with at each location, who may not suit your level of play.

As mentioned in the above-posted link for today’s photos, we both were addicted to playing Wii Golf in our old lives, eventually resulting in what our family doctor referred to as “Wiinjuries,” injured incurred due to excessive play of the very fun video game, played on a flat-screen TV. Of course, this was nothing like playing “real” golf, but it certainly was fun until we both had to quit due to shoulder injuries acquired from playing this “small” version of golf.

Although there was a road warning of “crossing by the Nene birds (Hawaiian geese), only these Cattle Egrets ran back and forth across the road.

For those interested in traveling with their golf clubs, here are some tips from the PGA’s website here:

  • Try to get a non-stop flight, if possible. The fewer times baggage handlers need to move your clubs from plane to plane in a short amount of time, the better.
  • Get a durable, well-made travel bag. Hardshell bags are more expensive, and the best will run around $250. But Schmidt said they’ll give you more protection if you want that peace of mind.
  • If you use a soft-sided bag, don’t forget to pack a golf club protection device. It looks like an adjustable aluminum crutch that’s taller than your driver and keeps your shafts from being damaged in case the bag is dropped upside down.
  • Don’t forget that golf bags are considered “oversized check-in.” Be aware that some airports will send your golf bag through the regular baggage belt (with all of the other luggage), but others (such as Atlanta Hartsfield) will leave at a different location for oversized bags. If you don’t know where to find check-in or pick up at a particular airport, Schmidt said to make sure you ask someone as soon as you get there. And if you’re unsure about the cost or weight allowance, check with the airline or your travel agent.
  • Add some personal ID marking to your bag. Miller said adding some bright-colored string or a pom-pom will help you identify it quickly. Many bags have places for business cards as well. Don’t forget to include your cell phone number. If possible, include the name of the hotel where you’re staying.
This lush greenery outlined the entrance to the golf tunnel. What a beautiful way to mask an otherwise less appealing entry and exit!

PGA.COM COURSE FINDER: Locate a course near you by distance, price, or type

  • Don’t wind up with more luggage than you need. “Never travel with more bags than you can manage alone,” Miller said.
  • Think about a cab or car service (or ride to the airport). It drops you off closer to the gate than parking, which means a long haul at times with a large bag to roll.
  • Pack your clubs so they won’t move around in the travel bag. “If you’re going to Scotland or Ireland, it’s easy because you’re going to be throwing extra sweaters or a windbreaker in there to give it extra protection,” Schmidt said.
  • Tip: Use your travel bag for additional storage. “You can put gifts and other things you’re bringing back home in that golf bag,” Schmidt said.
  • Don’t leave your expensive electronics in your golf bag. Rangefinder? GPS? Treat it just like your computer – carry it on with you.
  • If you’re still leery of putting your equipment on a plane, do use a shipping service. “It’s not necessarily the most affordable way to transport them,” Schmidt said. “But if you want the peace of mind, they do a good job with that.”
    As we ended our visit to the golf course, one more panoramic view was in order.

Well, 245 days later, simply walking through or dining at a golf course would be delightful at this point in lockdown. Even if we could play Wii now, that would also be an excellent way to spend time in this hotel room.

At the moment, Tom is watching yesterday’s Minnesota Viking football game on his laptop. I didn’t care to see it since I accidentally stumbled (no pun intended).

Otherwise, all is fine. Another day…

Be well.

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

One year ago, I’d forgotten to take photos while visiting family in Minnesota on this date. Instead, I posted this photo from this same date in Maui in 2014, which we’ve highlighted above. For the story from one year ago, please click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bougainvillea has begun blooming in the park.

The article states:

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

Full recovery

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

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

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

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

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

Proud mom showing her youngster the ways of the bush.

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

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

Mom and young giraffe.

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

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

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

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

Have a good weekend, wherever you may be.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An elephant and hippos.

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

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

Elephants and storks.

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

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

A waterbuck and Egyptian geese.

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

So it goes. Small things.

Be well.

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

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

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

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Thanksgiving dinner on the veranda with friends.

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

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

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

Here is the menu from that day:

Menu

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Bush

Sundowners with Light Snacks

Roasted chickens

Stuffing with Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions

Mashed Potatoes with Creamy Gravy

Buttery Mashed Cauliflower

Sweet Potatoes with Fresh Pineapple and Cinnamon

Broccoli Salad with Crunchy Almonds and Sultanas

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onion Rings

Cranberry Sauce

Homemade dinner rolls

Pumpkin Pies

Whipped Cream Topping, if desired

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Low carb mashed cauliflower.

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

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

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

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

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

Be well.

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

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