Happy New Year!…Two lively nights in a row…Fun with friends…How’d we get so lucky?…

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Last night at Jabula Lodge bringing in the New Year.

Neither of us can recall a time when we made friends with a couple “referred to us” by a couple we met in a restaurant and then another couple we met in a restaurant, of all things, on Christmas Day. 

Our new friends, Hettie and Piet, with whom we shared Christmas day dinner and again last night’s New Year’s eve celebration.

First, we met Lynne and Mick at Jabula Lodge, only three days after we arrived, ending up spending two great evenings with them before leaving to return to their second in Jersey, UK.

Leon, the owner of Jabula Lodge, and also a new friend will scream when he sees that we posted this photo of him from New Year’s Eve. He joined right into the fun with us and all of his and Dawn’s guests for the night.

They suggested to good friends Kathy and Don, who own a gorgeous home on the Crocodile River, to meet us for which they invited us to their home on Christmas Eve and then a second time a few days ago on December 30th.

To the left is Don’s cousin Sandy. Kathy, to the right, was, with her husband Don, our hosts for the pre-New Year’s braai at their lovely home overlooking the Crocodile River. It was our second visit to their home since Christmas Eve when they’d kindly and bravely invited us before we’d ever met.

Then on Christmas Day, we met Hettie and Piet (Pete) at Jabula Lodge, after which we’d planned to bring in the New Year together, again at Jabula Lodge, one of the very few restaurants in Marloth Park.  

From Tom on the left is Don, husband of Kathy and host. Next is Linda and Ken, friends of Kathy and Don’s who’s house in Marloth Park is currently rented over the holidays resulting in them staying with Kathy and Don for several days in their home. To the far right, is again Sandy, Don’s cousin, also from South Africa as was everyone but us.

This upcoming Friday, we’ll celebrate both Hettie and Piet’s birthdays, a few days apart, at a Portuguese restaurant in Komatipoort. After lunch, we’ll grocery shop and purchase more data for our SIM cards. Perfect!

After three days of rain, it was great to see a colorful sunset from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda, where we dined and conversed at length.  
More color in the sky from Kathy and Don’s veranda on Monday evening.

Unfortunately, all of these wonderful new friends are leaving, or already have, returned to their other homes, leaving us to make more new friends, a relatively easy proposition in the friendly Marloth Park. 

The Crocodile River before the three days of torrential rain, taken from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda on Christmas Eve.
The Crocodile River after three days of torrential rain also taken from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

































One would think we’d make friends with other tourists as we travel the world. But, this only occurred on cruise ships, several of whom we’ve stayed in touch. The remainder of the friends we’ve made has been homeowners and residents of the areas in which we’ve lived.  

This was my T-Bone steak purchased at the Butchery in Marloth Park, which was ZAR $440, US $4.41. Tom’s was the same approximate size. Cooked for me by Ken, it was moist, tender, and delicious.  Often when hosting a braai, the guests bring their chosen cut of meat while the hosts serve beer and other beverages,  side dishes, salad, and dessert. 
After adding delicious sauteed onions and mushrooms and an avocado Greek salad, my plate was complete. Of course, as always I ate every morsel.

We’ve assumed that the ease in making friends is due to the extended periods we’re living in vacation homes during which, in a sense, we become local residents. Regardless of the reason, we’re loving our busy social life.

We shot these kudu photos from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

Spending 24 hours a day together, which I might add, we thoroughly enjoy as well, we do find it refreshing to socialize with people with whom we enjoy much in common. Each of these three couples has traveled extensively, often to places we’ve already visited in our own travels, making for lively conversation.

A new male warthog visitor to our yard who’d arrived yesterday with a small female, neither of which we’ve seen in the past. The mating ritual had seemingly been in the beginning stages.  He was the largest warthog we’ve seen so far, difficult to determine in the photo. Hopefully, they’ll return.
She kept nudging him for attention.  But he wasn’t quite ready for the big event, at least not in our yard.

In addition, each of these three couples, still find themselves enraptured by the wildlife in Marloth Park. What stories we’ve all shared about our experiences with visitors! And the laughter…Ah, the laughter, is the best part of it all.

Shortly after the courting couple left, this young mom appeared with her four babies, the smallest babies, we’ve seen thus far, perhaps only a few weeks old.
Suddenly, mom decides it’s time to nurse, stopping dead in her tracks. Immediately, the babies know it’s feeding time and they happily latch on to one of her four nipples. Female warthogs rarely give birth to more than four offspring based on the availability of only four nipples. Nature provides for itself.  Amazing!

So, we welcome the New Year filled with the hope of making many new friends as we continue on our travels.  It’s hard to imagine that in two months from today, we’ll arrive in Marrakesh, Morocco, switching gears from a divine wildlife experience to a profound cultural experience in the hustle and bustle of one of the most diverse and interesting cities in the world.

Yesterday, a lone kudu stopped by, nibbling on the lush vegetation after the three days of rain. He stuck his head in between these small branches near our braai, next to the pool.  What a majestic animal!  We never tire of their visits. Female kudus rarely make an appearance in our yard, although we’ve seen a few.  Males and females don’t hang out together once the mating is complete. We often wrongfully assume that most animals mate for life when actually few we’ve seen in Marloth/Kruger Parks do so.

For now, we’ll put future travels aside to continue to embrace this magical place as we patiently await the next batch of visitors in our yard. I wonder who it will be today. The anticipation itself is a divine part of the adventure.

This same kudu in the above photo stood at the railing waiting for “people food.”  Many tourists over the holidays go nuts giving the wildlife “people food” which, unless fresh vegetables, is generally ill-advised. However, the rangers in Marloth Park suggest providing nutritional pellets or mineral licks, which we’ve done.  Notice the notches in the Kudu’s ear, either from fighting with other kudus during the mating season or in combat with other wildlife.  Kudus are non-aggressive animals and herbivores.

Thanks to all of our new friends in Marloth Park for freely welcoming us into this unbelievably fulfilling and joyful location which we’ll always remember as being the most friendly we’ve encountered in our travels.

Happy New Year to all of our readers. May each one of you find a way to “step outside the box” if only for an hour or a day, to reach for your dreams, whatever they may be.

Holiday festivities in the bush…A Christmas visitor came to call..Little did we know…A scary adventure from our recent past…

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Not wanting to alarm this visiting kudu when we left the house to get into the car to go out for Christmas dinner, we interpreted this as a Reindeer visitor.  Practically, holding our breath, we took this photo with the carport support post in the way in the hopes of not scaring him off.

With no Christmas tree, no decorations, no gifts to unwrap, no big dinner to cook and no friends and family stopping by, it was a different kind of Christmas for us, living in the bush in South Africa.

The temperature in the steamy low 90’s F, 33’s C, it hardly felt like the Christmases we once knew and loved.  We’re not complaining. It was different.

The kudu’s neck will enlarge during the mating season. From the looks of our visitor, mating season must be imminent. Look at the muscles on this big guy, males can weigh as much or more than 700 pounds, 318 kg. This one was smaller than many we’ve seen weighing perhaps in the 500 pounds, 227 kg range. Kudus can easily scale a 5 foot, 1.5 meter wall.

And, different can be good, if one can find alternate means of enjoying the holiday season. Fortunately, thrown into our laps were two situations that proved to make both Christmas Eve and Christmas day special in a manner we never imagined.  

Call it “serendipitous” if you will, or merely our good fortune. By Monday morning, we had no plans other than attending a midday buffet at Jabula Lodge, which was fine with us. By Monday afternoon, it all began to change.

View from Kathy and Don’s third floor veranda, overlooking the Crocodile River.

Little did we know, we’d be invited for Christmas Eve to the home of Kathy and Don, people we’d never met, long time homeowners in Marloth Park, who’s gorgeous home overlooks the scenic Crocodile River for a fabulous evening of laughter and story telling of mutual world travels and more.

Little did we know, that as we walked out the door at noon to drive to Jabula Lodge for Christmas dinner, that a giant kudu would be standing at the edge of our carport staring at us, reminding us of a reindeer, it’s massive antlers swirling high into the air.  

Kathy suggested we start putting food out for the bush babies whom we’ve yet to see in our yard at night.  We’ve feared doing so may attract the destructive baboons, who love hanging out on our veranda when we’re not home.

Stopping dead in our tracks, I slowly reached into my handbag to grab the camera. I was so excited, I could barely take a good photo. Nonetheless, albeit less than ideal, with the pole in the middle of the shot, we got a few. For 15 minutes, we watched him as he lumbered about our yard, nibbling on the lush vegetation, finally taking off into the deep bush and no longer visible.

As we drove off Tom claimed, “Oh, I arranged that for your Christmas gift.” I chuckled, saying, “There’s no gift that I’d have enjoyed more.”

Little did we know, a short time later when we arrived for the buffet at Jabula Lodge that we’d be seated with yet another fabulous couple, Piet and Hettie, also Marloth Park homeowners, with whom we spent the better part of the day enjoying fabulous conversation. Later, we hugged goodbye, with hopes of getting together again before they leave to depart for their second home, a three hour drive from Marloth Park.

We’ll never tire of the adorable face of a giraffe with its cheeks stuffed with greenery, this one captured in our neighborhood.

As we returned home, we couldn’t wipe the smiles off of our faces. In awe, not only in the wildlife visitors in Marloth Park, but also in the realization that people in Marloth Park are unlike any we’ve met anywhere, friendly and open to making new friends.  

After returning home, we watched a movie from Graboid, “Captain Phillips, a story about pirates boarding and taking over a cargo/container ship out to sea in the Gulf of Aden.  

It was in this exact location that we’d sailed on May 17, 2013 with the necessity of sharp shooters boarding our ship with automatic weapons to secure our sailing through the Gulf of Aden, as told in our story at this link. Watching this movie brought it all back for us, an adventure we’ll never forget.

Little did we know, that traveling the world would present situations, people, culture, wildlife and nature to us in a manner we could never have anticipated. For us, this has been the gift that “keeps giving” for which we are eternally grateful and for which, we promise ourselves, that we’ll never stop appreciating. Little did we know

Our 500th post on Christmas Day, quirky coincidence..Merry Christmas to all! …Link to Post #1 below…Miles to go…

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Not quite a reindeer! This duiker tentatively looked at us through the bush. They are “very shy, elusive creatures with a fondness of dense covers” most often traveling alone.

Merry Christmas to all of our readers, the actual day of our 500th post! 

It’s hard for us to believe that it was on March 15, 2012, when we wrote our first post. Here’s the link to that first entry which seems so very long ago. Much has changed for us; our circumstances, our priorities, our resilience, and our tolerance for discomfort. 

We’ve learned more during this period of time than either of us had learned since our school days. We’ve taken risks that we’d never imagined possible. We’ve witnessed events, we’d never imagined we would see. We’ve learned to remain calm when in the past, we’d have run around in circles, frantically and unfocused.

We’ve learned the value of patience, the avoidance of preconceived notions, and the ability to be more tolerant of others. We’ve learned to communicate when we don’t understand the language, knowing that kindness goes a long way in any language.

A lone giraffe on a walk along a road in Kruger Park. Our guide, waited patiently for him while he took his time moving out of the way of our vehicle.

We’ve learned to “go without,” to make use of what we have on hand, and oddly, we’ve learned to become minimalists, reveling in “less is more.” Letting go of the need for “stuff” has reshaped our lives.

We’ve found ways to entertain ourselves without TV, although we both thrive on keeping our brains active with some favorite interesting shows as well as the profound absorption of science, geology, history, biology, and more as we research any morsel that piques our interest.

Yet, through all of this time, since the first day that we wrote here, we’ve been humbled by how much more we have yet to learn, to experience, and to explore. 

In the process, we’ve accepted that we have some limitations due to our age and condition and the fact that there are certain creature comforts we’re not willing to forgo, such as sleeping in a bed, being able to shower each day, eating, and drinking safe and healthful food and water. 

We’ve never been interested in staying in hostels, sleeping in ordinary tents, carrying backpacks, and trekking through mountainous terrain. We don’t do zip lines, bungee jump, or white water rafting or take unnecessary risks that could potentially put an end to our travels. 

We continually strive to protect our health, our well-being, and our emotional strength and resiliency. And above all, we treat our relationship with one another with great respect, consideration, kindness, and love. Without that, we couldn’t go on.

We continue to write and post photos almost every day. In the beginning, we wrote every few days. Since leaving the US, we’ve posted almost every day with no plans to change that in the near future.

Although few of our readers have officially “joined” our site to receive an automatic email each time we post, our readership is now in the 130,000 range with this month of December being our highest readership ever. Most of our readers prefer to click the link or their bookmarks to find us each day at their leisure.

We thank each and every one of you for sharing this journey with us. As we approach the New Year, we hope you’ll continue to read our posts as more and more diverse experiences unroll in our path.  

No words of mine can better express our intentions than those of poet Robert Frost in his poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and in his words, “And miles to go before I sleep.”

Merry Christmas to all.

Merry Christmas everyone…Power is out…Very little battery left….No generator…a Christmas poem I wrote many years ago…

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This must be the tree frog mom or dad as it croaks atop this branch a few feet from the white foam nest that is rapidly disintegrating. We now doubt that they’ll mature into tadpoles since the environment in the pool is not conducive to their maturing.

Yep, the power goes out here as often as it does in Kenya.  With no generator for this house and one hour of battery left on my laptop, today I’ll post quickly wishing all of you a Merry Christmas with a few photos and a poem I wrote over 20 years ago, to read at our holiday table each year.

On our way to the Marloth Park Farmers Market, a few blocks from our home. We count the days until they return to our yard.

This year, there’s no holiday table. Leon, the owner of Jabula Lodge was so kind to introduce us to a lovely couple, Lynne and Mick, whom we so enjoyed on two occasions before they were scheduled to return to their second home in the UK. 

More on the way to the store…

Lynne and Mick, like Leon, have led us to meet yet another couple, good friends of theirs, Kathy and Donald, who also have a home in Marloth Park who have invited us for a happy hour tonight on Christmas Eve. We couldn’t be more thrilled.

We wish each and every one of our readers and their families a holiday season filled with a special meaning that fills your hearts with love. And to Tom’s brother, my brother-in-law, Jerry and his family: May this sorrowful holiday season be filled with great memories and storytelling of dear Lee, whom we lost only a few days ago. Her love and warmth will remain with us forever.

Here’s our poem that may be befitting for your holiday table:

OUR HOLIDAY TABLE
Elbow to elbow, we’re all gathered here
Family and friends, sharing holiday cheer
Our plates, all filled, with tasty delights
Our appetites whetted, to take the first bites
The candlelight glowing on each smiling face
As we look to each other, wondering who will say “grace”
The words are well-spoken, as hands are held tight
The meaning, so special, this holiday night
Elbow to elbow, we’re all gathered here
At this table we’ve gathered for many a’ year
We’ve enjoyed fancy dinners, some romantic for two
And squeezed in so many, as our family grew
And now, here are our children, adult and attached
In love with their partners and very well matched
With room at the table, their children are here
As we teach them the meaning of holiday cheer
A few are still missing, there always will be
Their gifts in the mail, not under the tree
We’re feeling their love, across all the miles
Holding back tears, remembering their smiles
Elbow to elbow, we’re all gathered here
Putting aside life’s trouble and fear
The food and the merriment, the taste of good wine
The joy and the happiness, knowing their mine.
Merry Christmas…

Come see the gifts we’ve received for Christmas…Tom’s Irish Cream Recipe…Christmas in the bush…

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With no Poinsettias for us this year, we revel in the beauty of this flower that we encountered on a walk in the area.

In our old lives, Christmas was a time to celebrate life, family, friends, and the powerful message the holiday season represents for many. There was nothing spared in the preparation of this special time of the year. 

A flaming sky at sunset is a gift.

For almost 20 years Tom made his well-received over 100 bottles of Lyman’s Irish Cream (see recipe below) to give to friends and family while I spent endless hours decorating, sending cards, wrapping gifts (mostly purchased online), baking, cooking, and entertaining.

A baby duiker on wobbly legs warms our hearts.

Each year we’d receive tons of cards, which we displayed during the Christmas season, saving them until the following year. The next year, I’d cut them into shapes befitting the card’s design punching a small hole in a corner, inserting a satin ribbon for them to be used as gift tags. 

A curious baby zebra at our door.
We all have traditions that bring us comfort in their familiarity. As a family, the participants in the traditions, look forward to their implementation with little concern for their redundancy or silliness.
A mama duiker, standing watch.

Last year, we spent Christmas in Henderson, Nevada, renting a spacious vacation home, with 19 in attendance on Christmas Day. It was a memorable time, as we were only days away from leaving the US to begin our worldwide journey on January 3, 2013. 

A Giraffe we encountered on the road on a cloudy day.  Notice the three Oxpeckers (birds) on its neck eating off the insects and one flying off its head.  Seeing this was a gift.

Tom’s birthday is on December 23rd, an unconscionable time of the year for a birthday. Over the years, I made every effort to make it a special time for him as well, wrapping his gifts in birthday, not Christmas paper, planning festivities unrelated to the holidays, often not easy to do. 

A rank of impalas, very sensitive to sound and movement, kept us practically holding our breath when they appeared in our yard.

He shared the same birthday with our dearest friend and neighbor Chip whom we lost a year and a half ago.  Over the years, together with his wife Sue, the four of us celebrated birthdays, times we’ll never forget.

This is the cactus plant from which we took the above flower photo.  In our old lives, our Christmas cactus would often bloom.  This will do as an alternative.

By this time each year, all the festivities were planned, the gifts were wrapped and under the tree, the cookies were baked and placed in colorful tins and Tom had attended or was about to attend his railroad union Christmas party. My various annual “girlfriends only” Christmas luncheons had occurred and all that remained was the sharing of the meals with family and friends as Christmas edged its way in and of course, the always fun-filled gift opening.

A glimpse of the sunset from our veranda.

So, here we are, Christmas in the African bush, the South African bush to be precise, surrounded by nature, a Skype call away from contact with family and friends without a single card or gift, decorated tree, or homemade cookies. 

A joy to behold such beauty.

This is our first Christmas outside the US. How do we feel about that? We don’t feel alone. We’re surrounded by nature. If someone had told me years ago, that I had to forgo all of my usual holiday activities to sit at home without family around us, a tree, gifts, or homemade treats, I’d have gone kicking and screaming.

Certainly no “partridge in a pear tree” we delight in the simple beauty of this bird visitor.

Now, here in Marloth Park at Christmas time and for Tom’s birthday, we are at peace. The thought of all the work we used to do makes us cringe. The thought of being with our adult children and their families next year in Hawaii makes us smile. Yes, we are at peace.

Not quite, “Three French hens,” instead we have three Helmeted Guinea-fowl that visits us daily.

Living in Marloth Park is a gift, God’s creatures all around us, nature at it’s finest. We are thankful that in our senior years we are given an opportunity to engage in an entirely different Christmas season, one that isn’t about our somewhat selfish objectives to “get everything done” based on our own outrageous expectations.

The sun finally came out to reveal the moon and blue sky.  Heavenly.

Instead, we simply watch, wait and marvel as the visitors and lush vegetation surrounds us whether we’re lounging on the veranda as we’re doing at the moment, on a short drive to dinner, on a game drive, a bush dinner, or a walk in the area. For us, this is the gift that keeps giving… and giving… and giving.

Merry Christmas to all.

Tom Lyman’s Irish Cream (Bailey’s)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint half and half cream
3 pasteurized eggs (important for safety)
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1 T. chocolate syrup
1 cup whiskey
Blend in a blender for 2 minutes, then add the 1 cup whiskey. Blend for another 30 seconds. 
Pour into a clean glass bottle with tight-fitting cork. (Use your empty wine bottles after they’ve been washed in the dishwasher).
Make 1 1/2 wine bottles, enough for sipping while making. Recipe doubles for more easily.

Keeps fresh for 30 days in the refrigerator.

At the moment…We’re ready to go…

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Hibiscus blooms, daily in the yard.

It’s 11:30 am Thursday. The humidity is so thick you can see it, although the temperature is a little cooler, instead of yesterday’s high of 99F, 37C, today it may top off at 90F, 32C, providing us with some much-needed relief.

We’re ready to go. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we’re not packed yet. Only a sense of urgency, time being of the essence, will motivate us to begin packing. But, we’re ready to go. 

Bougainvilleas create vines to support the bunches of flowers as they grow heavy.

Living outdoors is not for me. Tom has been more resilient about living outdoors than I, as we’ve spent 16 hours a day living outdoors for the past three months, baring our time on safari, our time on holiday, and when out and about.

This morning while making my tea, a large ant with wings was crawling on my hand. Many months ago, I’d have let out a little shriek throwing my hand into the air to get it off of me. Now, I merely watched it for a moment, flicked it off with my finger, and gave not a thought to where it may have landed. Is this good or bad?

Coconut trees in the yard.

Last night as Tom sat with my feet in his lap, he noticed a hole in my sock commenting, “You should throw those socks away. There’s a hole.”

I laughed, “Are you kidding?  These are the only pair of cotton socks that I have left that cover my ankles to keep the mosquitoes from biting.” 

Our clothes are beginning to wear out. My everyday shoes are worn and misshapen, the shoes I find most comfortable. The four pairs of Clark’s comfy sandals I had brought along no longer feel comfy when my feet are swollen from the heat at the end of the day. 

These look like petunias to me, but I could be wrong. They seem to thrive in the heat.

When we go out to dinner, I no longer want to wear a long dress in order to “look nice.” Instead, I wear the comfy old shoes, not the sandals, this last pair of socks, and the BugsAway clothes which originally allowed for 70 washings, some of which by now down to 55 washings (does it surprise anyone that I count the washings in my head?) for the Permethrin to retain its effectiveness. 

In my old life, in prepping to go out for an evening, I’d easily spend 30 minutes getting ready; the perfect outfit, often changing two or three times if unsatisfied; my makeup, my hair, the matching shoes and purse, the perfect selection of jewelry, striving for what I considered to be the best I could do.  Now, I can be ready in 5 minutes. It just doesn’t matter so much anymore.

I suppose I needed to learn something here. The usefulness of that knowledge escapes me at times. I guess it’s all a part of the bigger picture… change. You can teach an old dog new tricks. 

Simple yellow flowers, always in bloom.

Was it the price I had to pay to fulfill my dream of seeing Africa? If so, I gladly paid. I have no regrets, just an indescribable sense of fulfillment and not-to-sound-egotistical, a bit of awe at both of our resilience in exploring this life and rarely, if ever, complaining to one another, for fear of it catapulting out of control. 

I’m amazed by us: How well we get along together around the clock, never tiring of being together (we never did). How much we’ve changed. In some ways, we were rigid in the past. We continue to make an effort to protect each other from worry (always did with different types of worries now). We continue to share household tasks and travel responsibilities. (That’s new now that Tom isn’t chained to a 12 hour a day “job’).

I know.  As our time winds down, I always roam around the yard looking for vegetation photos to share here.

We’re ready to go. Several times each day, I glance at the lower right-hand corner of the toolbar on my laptop, checking the date, to be reminded once again, how many days until we leave. Today, it’s 9.

We’re ready to go.

Jessie was sticking out her tongue trying to kiss Gucci.  I’ll miss them.

Boston, Massachusetts, our hotel booking for next September…why Boston?…a sorrowful loss lingers on…

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My parent’s wedding photo.

Spending the first 10 years of my life living in sunny California, I was saddened when our parents told my two sisters and I that due to our father’s employment and desire to be near his mother in her later years, we were leaving our ranch home in Long Beach to move to Boston. 

Our grandmother, whom we adored, owned a triplex on a dreary residential neighborhood with a state mental institution at the end of the street to be found by a relatively short walk up the steep road, difficult to navigate in the snow and ice of winter. 

In 1958, we left that California home, which my parents rented long term to the baseball player, Gil Hodges from the LA Dodgers.  Moving into the main floor of our grandmother’s triplex in Boston was traumatic.  I felt frightened by the neighborhood, the school, the mental patients who wandered aimlessly in the streets during the day and were prompted to return to the hospital at night by the sound of an earsplitting horn.

In a perpetual state of terror, I remained quiet and to myself focusing on my studies.  My father meant the world to me. 

In those days, children didn’t speak of being frightened, fearful that parents would disapprove of weakness.  His gentle demeanor along with his frequent hugs and kisses went far in helping us get through.

In October 1960, my father was killed in an industrial accident, living three days with third degree burns over 98% of his body. 

Life was changed forever.  How could I live without him?  He is buried in Boston.  Soon, I will visit his grave.  I still miss him today.

A few months later at Christmas, my mother and 16 year old sister who was granted a driver’s license only days before we left, drove us the long scary drive back to California.  We spent Christmas Eve in a dumpy hotel in Lubbock, Texas.  No gifts, no celebration, only sorrow filled hearts.  I was 12 years old. My younger sister was four years old, sent ahead on an airplane with my mother’s parents, our grandparents, who’d come from their home in California to Boston for our father’s funeral.

We moved into an apartment while waiting for Gil Hodges’ lease to run out. It was almost another full year, requiring us to change schools two more times.

Moving back into that house was angst ridden.  At that point, the emotional toll over the loss of this beloved man was almost more than we could bear.  Each of our lives became fraught with sorrow but somehow filled with an unstoppable desire to survive and… to succeed. 

In our own ways, each of the three of us sisters, found a determination only grief can manifest.  Today, the three of us couldn’t be closer, loving and respectful of one another and able to laugh together as with no one else.

In 1976, the last time I was in Boston, my sisters and I returned to visit our grandmother and family members (with whom we’d stayed in close touch over the years) and to visit our father’s grave.

Returning on September 14, 2014, once again I’ll see our few remaining family members, my dear cousin and my treasured uncle, my father’s brother, who continues to enjoy life at the age of 94.  And, once again, I’ll visit my father’s grave.  The prospect of this visit fills me with a deep sorrow that tightens my throat, as the tears flow freely.

This, is why we chose a cruise ship from London that ends in Boston.  Tom, an ancestry.com buff, has pieced together not only his roots but mine as well.  He’ll be at my side both in love and in his desire to complete some of the missing pieces in my family history.

Many of you have known such loss, easily relating to my story.  Recently, a dear friend on Facebook shares her loss of a sister and in her grief, I am brought back to my own, as some of you may feel on this part of the journey with me.

Life is short.  Life is fragile.  Life is filled with ways in which we can heal and which in essence, becomes a choice.  It’s a choice to celebrate the life of the ones we’ve lost, of the ones we’ve loved and to carry with us the gifts that their lives gave us, that linger on forever.

Here’s the link to our hotel in Norwood, Massachusetts, close to Boston.  The hotel required payment in full for the good rates we received for an upgraded room for these dates:

Room charges
Sunday, September 14, 2014
$175.00
Monday, September 15, 2014
$175.00
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
$175.00
Tax recovery charges and service fees
$61.44
Total
$586.44

The nuances of booking hotels throughout the world…Expected costs for hotels meeting our criteria…

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On our first cruise and venture outside the US on January 3, 2013 on the Celebrity Century, an “Old Hollywood” style ship through the breathtaking Panama Canal.  This cruise line and particular ship still remain as our favorite, even after an additional 7 cruises that followed. Our all-time favorite bartender is shown in the far right, Juan.  What a guy!

Over the next 12 months, we will be staying in hotels for short periods while we’re between modes of transportation or, between pre-booked vacation homes. We’ve shared some of that information with you in prior posts.

But as time marches on, we realize how reliant we are on available hotels and the criteria we’ve established that fulfills our goals including:

  • Free WiFi (when possible)
  • Laundry facilities in room or in the building
  • A sofa in 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.
  • Kitchenette or full kitchen for longer stays (when possible)
  • Reasonable cost (in most cities a decent hotel room will run from US $175 to US $200 per night or more with city taxes and fees
  • Air conditioning (we seldom, if ever, will travel in cold climates)
  • Safe in 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.
  • Great reviews by recent guests for a 4.0 rating or higher. Tom will read from 30 to 50 recent reviews to satisfy our objectives.

Researching online is a laborious process when trying to achieve all the above criteria, although filters are allowing us to select most of these features. However, we choose not to use the filters in the event we may be willing to forego features when the remaining aspects are more than befitting.

We tend to use the advertisers on our site, which includes: Hotels.com and Expedia.com for the best rates and convenience. We’re signed up for points and perks at both of these websites as is the option for any travelers. Feel free to use these and any of our other readily available links.

In our early planning stages, we’d hoped to avoid hotel stays as much as possible due to the added expenses, not only the cost of the room but also the necessity of dining in restaurants for all meals, extra cab fares, and tips which add up quickly.

So far, the necessity of booking hotels is for the following dates and cities (reasons are listed)

1.  November 30, 2013, Johannesburg, South Africa: With a 12-hour layover on our way to Mpumalanga, South Africa, we chose to stay overnight rather than wait in the airport. 
2.  August 1 to August 16, 2014, Paris, France: With a one-month layover in Europe while we await our transatlantic cruise out of London, we decided o the two-week stay we described in a prior post.
3.  August 16 to August 31, 2014, London, England: This period is the second half of our one month waiting period for our upcoming transatlantic cruise out of London on August 31, 2014, arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, US on September 14, 2014.
4.  September 14 to September 17, 2014, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. We’ll stay in Boston to spend time with family and to visit the cemetery where my father is buried, who passed away when I was 12 years old in a tragic accident. On September 17th we fly from Boston to Vancouver.
5.  September 17 to September 23, 2014, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. During this period, we get to know Vancouver while we’re awaiting our upcoming cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii, sailing on September 23, 2014, a partial Pacific Ocean crossing.
6.  October 5 to November 30, 2014, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. At this point, we’re looking to fill this period with a hotel booking in Honolulu for a possible 2 weeks with the remaining period in vacation homes on other Hawaiian islands.  Hawaii is expensive, more than any other location we’ve researched thus far. We shall see what we find, posting our bookings here when completed.

For the best rates for many hotels, a prepaid, non-refundable price is an option. When possible, we prefer cancellable rates but often this runs as high as US $50 more per night. We weight each situation case by case, deciding, based on our options. 

Yes, we currently have paid out US $5100 in hotel pre-booking fees, US $3800 of which is non-refundable. This enabled us to get a fabulous room in an almost completely booked hotel at a considerably lower price. We decided to take the risk, which we won’t take in every case. But on occasion, it may be a decision one may choose to make.

As you can see, booking hotels (and vacation homes) is a time consuming, a thought-provoking process requiring diligence, persistence, and patience. I recall the amount of time I spent in our old lives, booking a hotel and air travel for a single trip. Now, faced with all of these, (some of which we’ve already booked), it can be a daunting task when looked at in its entirety. 

But, in line with our motto of “wafting through our worldwide travels with ease, joy, and simplicity,” we’ve chosen to take “bite-sized pieces,” nibbling away, in a manner we both find pleasurable and fulfilling. After all, the planning process is almost as much fun as “getting there.”

Wow!…Scary insect….Wow!…Tom Lyman…Wow!…Amazing reader’s comment!

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After days of rain, last night this ugly thing came for a visit only inches from Tom’s bare feet. We’d always heard that bugs with red coloration on them indicated it is poisonous. This millipede is only poisonous to insects that it consumes, only leaving an itchy streak on a human if it walks over bare skin. No thanks. Tom picked it up with the dustpan and brush, tossing it well out into the yard.

Yesterday, a rainy 100% humidity day, prompted me to hide the camera from the moisture except for these few photos. The clothing we were wearing was damp, our insulated never-sweat mugs left puddles of water beneath them and my everyday leather Keds that I’d bleached and washed on Monday were still wet.

I had to soak my white leather shoes in soapy bleach water when I found little bugs living in them, not previously visible to the naked eye. No wonder I was always scratching the bottoms of my feet when wearing them. But, I couldn’t see the little bugs until the population grew to the size of a city. Yuck!

These comfy leather Keds, my everyday shoes, recently became infested with tiny biting bugs. Bleached, clean, and free of bugs, its been 4 days and they’re still wet.

Surely, soaking them for an hour in bleach with a subsequent lengthy hot water rinsing has solved the problem, if they’ll ever dry in this humid air.  If they take much longer to dry, mold will set in. 

The deck of playing cards we’ve been using to play Gin, that we’d grabbed out of our old house kitchen junk drawer, are now moldy. Apparently, they aren’t coated with enough plastic and have become moldy in this humidity. They aren’t washable. If only we’d thought of bringing high-quality washable plastic-coated cards. Who knew?

Our moldy playing cards, a result of the high humidity in Kenya.  We’ll toss these when we leave Kenya, opening a fresh deck once we get settled in South Africa where it also will be hot and humid. 

We’ve taken to thoroughly washing our hands after playing cards. With only one same type of deck of cards left, we’re trying the make these last until the day we leave Kenya, in 22 more days. There are no playing cards for sale in the stores in Diani Beach.

Besides, Tom beat me at Gin all the way through Italy. It appears as if he’ll do the same in Kenya.

Tom, after dinner last night in our outdoor living room as we were watching the latest episode of “Dancing with the Stars” on my laptop.  We usually dine out on Thursdays.  But, it was raining too hard to once-again walk the long, treacherous unlighted, uneven paths from the taxi to the restaurants in the pouring rain.
Reader comments mean the world to us.  Isolated from family and friends, any comments, questions, and suggestions are important to us.  When a comment is posted on the site it first arrives in my inbox for me to decide if it is appropriate to post. 
At times, we get comments from advertisers promoting products of questionable nature or products in general that are considered SPAM. I delete those, not wanting our readers subjected to these on our blog cluttered with junk. However, we do post most reader comments which overall are kind and thoughtful. 
Yesterday, one of our most dedicated readers wrote one of the kindest comments we’ve seen so far, that truly warmed our hearts. Pat and Dan, a lovely couple we met on the Norwegian Epic which embarked on April 20, 2013, also shared the scary three-day, 50-foot wave experience, a memorable Atlantic crossing for us all.

Here’s the link to Pat and Dan’s comment if you’d like to read it. 

Another comment we received a few days ago can be found on this link from a delightful young woman I met through posting who is from our old home state of Minnesota. Ashley has been a joy to communicate with back and forth as it has been with Pat and Dan and many others. 

Thanks to everyone for their comments and to you lurkers, like I used to be for years prior to writing here, please keep reading. We’re always amazed at how many readers actually read about our mundane days. But then again, we all have mundane days. I wouldn’t mind reading about what others do on such days to entertain themselves. Care to share???

(Comments are posted at the end of each post. If interested in reading them, scroll down through other posts to find more).

Health concerns for travelers of any age…Questions and answers applicable to all…

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Sunday’s sunset from Jeri and Hans’ third-floor veranda, the last rain-free day.

The following comments are not intended in any manner to substitute for professional medical advice. This post is entirely based on our personal travel experiences regarding preparedness in the event of medical issues or emergencies.  Please seek the care of your medical professionals in regard to your personal healthcare.

Coupling our interest in health and well being with our worldwide travels has been important to us. Many seniors and younger travelers alike choose to address health concerns before traveling. Many others “wing it” hoping for the best, in many cases a poor decision or, simply a lack of a decision at all.

Checking online over the past almost two years, we have discovered a wealth of resources available that may be of assistance, too many to list here.

We’ve found that researching credible medical sites are crucial, not simply the opinions of a few travelers with a good or bad experience, often seeking a place to vent frustrations and unfortunate experiences.

Some of the questions we had and the answers we’ve discovered that have worked for us, that we’d asked ourselves when planning our world travels include and on an ongoing basis:

  • Will we get intestinal distress from eating uncooked fruits and vegetables? If so, how does one reduce that risk? Yes, illness is often a result of produce eaten raw. This risk does exist when non-purified water is used to rinse produce, which is then eaten raw, such as lettuce, celery, and fruit. Usually, cooking vegetables destroy most of the bacteria. We rinse all of our produce in a bowl of purified water, replacing the water as needed. Always remain mindful of cross-contamination of washed and unwashed produce. We washed all of our produce immediately before placing it in the refrigerator.  This may reduce shelf life, but our “shelf life” is more important.
  • Is it safe to drink the water? Before we arrive at each location we research to determine if the water is safe to drink.If not, we arrange for the property owner to have a several-day supply of purified water awaiting us to ensure we have ample time to get to a grocery store.
  • What about brushing our teeth? This is often a cause of illness. We keep small bottles of purified water in the bathroom for wetting the brush, rinsing our mouths after brushing and rinsing our toothbrushes. Daily, we brush with baking soda and then do a full 20-minute coconut oil gargle which kills bacteria in the mouth, spitting it out when done. Once a week we disinfect our toothbrushes (and my contact lens case) in hot boiled purified water.
  • What happens if get water into our mouths while taking a shower? Immediately, spit it out and promptly rinse the mouth with mouthwash, and brush our teeth following the above process using purified bottled water.
  • Can water be boiled to become safe to use? We don’t recommend this process. Considerable bacteria may remain if the water is not boiled long enough, 15 to 20 minutes, or more. This would only be done in the case of a dire emergency.
  • What about washing dishes?  Ideally, we could use purified water to wash dishes.  Unfortunately, the cost of bottled water is prohibitive and if done properly this isn’t necessary. Wash and rinse dishes, pans, and flatware in the hottest cleanest soapy water your hands can take. Drain on a clean cloth. Wipe dishes dry with another clean towel and leave out, not stacked, to further dry on the clean counter to ensure that no water molecules remain.  Wash your hand before handling dishes which we each do so often it’s ridiculous.
  • Do we need to take malaria pills or other prophylactic medications while traveling? Taking pills for the prevention of malaria depends on the location of your travels. Check with your local travel clinic for detailed maps and information for every country in the world. Other prophylactic medication? For us, we take a Bifidus Probiotic  (30 billion CFU minimum) supplement daily to keep the balance of good bacteria in the gut.  These may be purchased online or at any quality health store.  Research for a quality brand, most of which require refrigeration for freshness.  We have been taking multiple individual supplements for years.
  • What do we do if our luggage is lost or stolen containing all of our daily medications? Do we need to bring along copies of our current prescriptions, written letter explaining the use of medical syringes, if applicable, etc.? Yes! Yes! Yes! We have copies of all of our prescriptions and a doctor’s letter listing all of the supplements we use. Even so, we had trouble boarding a Carnival Ship in Belize (see the posts of April 9th and 10th, 2013 for details of our ordeal).  Also, we carry several Epipen syringes, in the event, we have an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to stings from insects or other substances, including a doctor’s letter of authorization.
  • Will our insurance pay if we become ill?  Do we need to purchase emergency evacuation insurance?  Is it costly? Every policy is different.  Check with your policy benefit well in advance of travel to determine what will or won’t be paid. Generally, Medicare usually doesn’t pay outside the US, but check on your supplemental policy’s terms and conditions.  Emergency Evacuation insurance is a must if you’re traveling outside your home country unless your regular policy provides this coverage. Check for specific details well in advance of travel.  On its own, emergency evacuation insurance usually is US $200 to US $300 per person for a two-week vacation. Keep in mind, that “travel insurance” and “emergency evacuation insurance may be entirely different from one another; one if in case of cancellation on non-refundable fares, etc. and, the other is for medical purposes. A few policies have both features combined. Check carefully for details.
  • Do we need vaccinations to travel abroad?  Again, check with your local travel clinic, a highly valuable resource when planning a trip abroad.  Countries in Africa may require proof of vaccination for Yellow Fever and other communicable diseases.  We keep a copy of our entire vaccination record (we had around 18 separate vaccinations) on the inside flap of our passport holders. We haven’t been asked to produce these records yet , but entry into a country can be refused if not provided.
  • How much in advance must we plan for the vaccinations? We both began the vaccination process 6 months in advance of our departure from Minnesota.  Many vaccines require waiting periods between boosters.  Many vaccines may be given at one appointment, which is not detrimental to their efficacy.  The question becomes…how will you tolerate multiple vaccines in one appointment? If dubious, space them out as I did with no side effects.  Many vaccines such as Yellow Fever don’t require a booster for 10 years.
  • Did our insurance cover the cost of the vaccinations?  At the time we had the vaccines, both of us were covered under Tom’s policy from work which much to our surprise, paid 100% of the cost.  With the number of vaccines we chose to receive, the total cost would have been over $1500 each.  If you have Medicare or under the new guidelines, this may not be covered. Please check with your company to determine what, if any is now covered.
  • Will the tours and excursions in which we plan to partake fit within the confines of our current physical conditions and limitations?  Most tour operators specific the “difficulty level” of each of their tours and excursions.  However, these are often minimized, leaving participants gasping for air and exhausted or perhaps at severe risk.  Read reviews and comments online at travel websites such as Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor.  These comments are often a better resource of “factual” information as opposed to the sales orientated tour companies and cruise lines.
  • Did we bring along extra prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and supplies, (and hearing aid batteries, if applicable).  What if we lose any of these?  How do we plan to replace them?  We both have our optical prescriptions with us, even if they expire.  In the event of a loss, most prescription eyewear and contacts can be replaced locally or through the mail.  Tom has three pairs of backup prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. I brought along 24 boxes (6 packs) of contact lenses enough to last three years. I do purchase lens solution at a local pharmacy due to the added weight of the bottles which may be difficult to find in some locations (Belize and Italy).
  • If we use any particular medical supplies, what happens if they’re lost or quit working? Although Tom nor I use any particular devices, we suggest bringing a backup in the event of loss or failure.  We do have a thermometer, small blood pressure cuff, emergency suture kit, and emergency dental supplies (dental glue) in the event a crown or filling falls out or dislodges.
  • What over the counter medications did we include? We packed Aleve, Tylenol, Tylenol PM, aspirin, Milk of Magnesia and Benadryl, cortisone cream, antihistamine cream, antibacterial cream, and hydrogen peroxide.
  • What first aid supplies did we bring? Besides the above comments above, we have Bandaids, bandages, sterile gauze pads, sterile gauze wrap, ace bandage, liquid bandage, and Lidocaine patches.
  • Immediately upon arrival,l in a new location, what precautions do we take in the event we become ill or injured? Upon arrival at our new home, we ask the owner/landlord or property manager the location/phone of the best local hospital, medical clinic, physicians, and dentists in the event of any emergency. For example, here in Kenya, we have the phone number of a physician who will make a house call in the event of a non-life-threatening emergency.  Otherwise, there is a hospital within 10 minutes on the main road.

Yes, I know, this stuff is difficult to address. And for many of you who seldom travel it may be boring. But, for those who travel even short distances on a day-long road trip, being away from one’s home base can present challenging health concerns.

Years ago, I was meeting up with a bunch of girlfriends in Mexico for pre-arranged dinner plans. When they hadn’t arrived after a two-hour wait, I tried calling to no response. A day later, I received a call from one of the other friends in the group informing me that the friend had fallen into a hole under a “grate” on the sidewalk resulting in a serious compound fracture of the leg.

The only way to receive quality medical care was to return her to the US immediately.  With her not having emergency evacuation insurance and the requirement of payment in full in advance of the flight with the air ambulance service, the friend had no alternative but to ask family members for their credit card numbers to cover the then cost of US $25,000 when her own card had a US $5000 limit. Can you imagine the stress of returning home facing your own credit card bill, but also that of the cards of family members? That airfare was 30 years ago. Can you imagine how much it would be in this day and age?

This scenario remained stuck in my mind for 2 reasons; one, don’t walk on grates, wooden boards, or any potentially unstable surfaces on roads and sidewalks (in any location). Of course, Tom has adopted this practice also, as we’ve always alerted one another to possible hazards.  And, the second reason, always have an emergency evacuation policy in effect when traveling outside your home country.

Last night, we ventured out to dinner during a massive rainstorm that had started on Monday continuing all the way through today, Wednesday.  As is typical in Diani Beach restaurants, the walk from the taxi drop off area to the restaurant is long and treacherous with uneven steps, many often twice as steep as we’d expect, multiple tripping hazards, slippery surfaces, and the risk of falling tree limbs and coconuts.

Always carrying our LED mini flashlights has proven to be vital to our safety.  Last night, leaving the restaurant in torrential rains and gusty winds, luckily under an umbrella provided by the restaurant, I hung onto Tom for dear life.  If one of us went down, we both were going down. The long, steep outdoor steps were particularly hard to maneuver when their design was inconsistent and there was not a light or handrail at any point.

We both sighed with relief when we found Alfred, our trusty regular taxi driver, waiting for us and quickly jumping out to open the car doors as we handed off the umbrella to the restaurant server who escorted us. We were soaked all the way through to our underwear, but grateful to have made it to the taxi without incident.

No traveler can sit back and make the assumption that they are invincible and exempt from possible injury or illness when traveling.  With all the effort we’ve made, on a few occasions, we’ve fallen prey to unforeseen illness and injury. We can only hope and pray that we’ve exercised more than adequate foresight to guide us through those tough situations.

As they say on a mindless drivel TV show, Big Brother…” expect the unexpected.”  Doing so need not reduce the quality of our experiences or result in needless worrying.  But, preparedness, certainly minimizes the risks enhancing the quality of our experiences.