Today’s the party!!!…It’s raining buckets, off and on…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 25, 2023 with 2 Comments

One of the two identical chocolate keto cakes I frosted this morning. They are not perfect but they will be tasty.

Soon, I will frost the two cakes for tonight’s party. But I only took the blocks of butter out of the refrigerator a short time ago. In this hot, humid weather, it should soften sufficiently to begin to make the frosting for the two-layer cakes. All I have to do to prepare to arrive at the party house at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs., is frost the cakes, do my nails, pack the cooler with the breakfast foods for the docs and their wives, pack the cakes, and get ready.

Forty days ago, I ordered four shirts from a company that ships to South Africa. When the package hadn’t arrived yesterday afternoon, I gave up hope that I’d have something more dressy and new to wear to the party. Surely, one of the four tops I selected would be suitable.

Wouldn’t you know, last night, while we were at the bar at Jabula, I got a phone call from the delivery guy that he was in Marloth Park but needed someone to sign for the package. He offered to drop it off at one of the security companies, Securicon, located on the main paved road in Marloth. We appreciated his willingness to do this.

On the left of this photo, you can see the humidity in the air when Octomom and her eight piglets visited. Of course, we tossed pellets their way.

After we had a fun time at Jabula, on our way home, we stopped at Securicon, and they indeed had the package with my four tops. Any one of the tops will be suitable for the party since I am thrilled with each one. Currently, they are hanging on hangers on the clothes drying rack outside under the veranda roof, hoping the wrinkles will come out.

I purchased them from Lightinthebox, a company I’ve used in the past where I can buy decent quality, reasonably priced clothes that require six weeks shipping time to South Africa. By making purchases from this company, they deal with customs and shipping, so I don’t have to do a thing, a far cry from ordering anything from the US which is expensive and a hassle.

It’s raining off and on in buckets today. It seems to rain for 30 minutes, then stops for a while, the sun comes out, and then starts up again. If this continues this way, I don’t think we’ll have to be concerned about guests coming to the party. If it rained non-stop, the dirt roads in Marloth Park might be challenging to navigate. But, right now, we’re optimistic.

The piglets have a great time playing together.

Speaking of Jabula, the visitors scheduled to meet with us last night couldn’t make it. They didn’t get into Kruger in time to meet up with us after their game drive, and we understood. Most people come here for the wildlife in the gardens of the holiday homes and an opportunity to get into Kruger. With access to Crocodile Bridge impossible for weeks due to flooding, we sure understood when they could finally enter.

Nonetheless, we had a great time at Jabula chatting with Dawn, Leon, David, and guests that we’d already met at other events. Once again, it was another fun evening. And, of course, we’re looking forward to seeing Dawn, Leon, and David at our party tonight.

Also, we can’t stop thinking of all the hard work Louise and Danie are doing right now preparing all the food and decorations for the party in this heat and humidity. We’re heading to the party house at 4:30, 1630 hrs., so Louise and Danie have time to shower and get ready for the party. They’ve been working on it for days.

Johnny and his mom Jasmine in the garden this morning with three more bushbucks on the opposite side of the little fence.

This morning, low on photos, we were thrilled to see Octomom and her eight piglets stop for a visit. They were all soaking wet but were playful and happy. Their mom is taking good care of them. We hadn’t seen them in about ten days and were thrilled that the eight piglets were still intact. It was fun to watch them playing with each other in the rain.

I just finished frosting the two cakes. The heat and humidity were so high that I had to rush and get them into the refrigerator right away to avoid the frosting melting. Since they are homemade keto cakes, they don’t hold up in the weather as easily as cake mixes with fillers and preservatives. I’m not the best at frosting cakes to look perfect, but I did my best.

Well, folks, that’s it for today. Tomorrow’s post will include the first batch of photos from the party and will continue over the next few days.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 25, 2022:

Our upcoming June 29 Azamara cruise to Ukraine’s scheduled itinerary raised significant concerns. Eventually, the cruise was canceled. For more, please click here.

Tomorrow is the party!…Busy baking the two cakes today, knowing there’s 4.5 hours of load shedding tomorrow…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 24, 2023 with 0 Comment

Earl was rolling around in the dirt, having the time of his life.

When we noticed that tomorrow morning’s load shedding starts at 11:00 am and doesn’t end until 3:30 pm, 1530 hrs., and since we can’t use the oven during load shedding, I felt it was best to bake the two double layer cakes today, rather than risk it and try to do it tomorrow.

Besides, with the effects of Cyclone Freddie making an appearance tomorrow, we could easily lose power altogether, and then again, we wouldn’t be able to use the oven, the only appliance we can’t use when our inverter is operating.

Having left all the rest of the planning in Louise and Danie’s hands, at their insistence, we have little else to do between now and then. We invited Doc Theo, Doc Mel, and Doc Philip to the party, and they and their wives have confirmed. As a thank you for Doc Theo saving my life in 2019, we’ve offered them to stay overnight at the Khaya Umdani house, and we’re bringing over all the breakfast fixings for Sunday morning.

We’re leaving them orange juice and Prosecco to make mimosas along with coffee and fresh cream, eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, two types of heavy grain bread, butter, apricot, and strawberry jams, This way; they can get up at their leisure and make a nice breakfast while they lounge at the beautiful house for as long as they’d like….a mini holiday in the bush. They won’t have to do a thing… no dishes…no cleanup. It’s all taken care of.

Louise arranged for Vusi to stay this weekend to help with the party wearing his traditional Zulu attire, and he will assist in food and beverage service. He is a fine young man who has worked for Louise and Danie for many years. He will be paid and tipped generously for his meticulous work. He takes great pride in his work (as does Zef, as well), and it is evident in everything he does for them, their other clients, and us.

Earl found this spot to roll around in the dirt, which we’ve seen other wildebeests use in the past.

As for the mess at the end of the party, Vusi will take care of everything as well as cleaning up the dishes and cleaning the house after the doctors and their wives leave sometime on Sunday. There will be nothing for us to do. I’m sure Louise and Danie will be very busy throughout the party as they are today and tomorrow, preparing all the food and drinks.

Fortunately, the Khaya Umdani house has solar power, installed recently, so even if the storm knocks out the power, and of course, during load shedding, the food will be kept safe and the guests comfortable. We won’t be sitting outdoors in the dark or eating food kept in a refrigerator that wasn’t operational due to load shedding for over four hours.

All four layers for the two chocolate keto cakes I am making are now cooled and in the refrigerator. I couldn’t leave them out due to flies and high humidity. Tomorrow morning, I will make the frosting and frost and decorate both cakes. Photos will follow in tomorrow’s post.

We had an excellent breakfast this morning, as we always do. After almost 32 years, I’ve finally learned how to make Tom’s eggs properly. I’m a good cook, but I’ve always had trouble making eggs over easy without breaking the yolks. My issue was always impatience, turning the eggs too soon or too late.

Torn Ear and Broken Horn are hanging out by the pool.

Now, I turn the eggs and immediately remove the pan from the burner and remove them onto the plate so they stop cooking. Voila! Perfect over easy eggs. Tom is thrilled, even though it took me so many years to get it right. Sure, he could make his eggs, but I am the chosen cook in the household. He handles countless other tasks I dislike, such as dishes. We’re both content with our selected household tasks.

Those black worms are still around. Last night, we left the still-wet laundry outdoors on the rack. I had a dream that when I got up in the morning, I went outside to discover thousands of those black worms on the clean clothes. That was not the case. I only found one black worm on the laundry on a black washcloth. I flicked it away, and we were good to go on the rest. Whew!

Tonight, we’re headed to Jabula at 5:00 pm, 1700 hours, but much to our delight, we’re meeting people at the bar for sundowners who are from the US and are relatives of the wife of a very wonderful man that worked for me over 20 years ago. It will be fun to have a drink with Roger’s wife, Barb’s sister Victoria, and her family members, Small world, isn’t it?

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 24, 2022:

Ironically, yesterday, Tom and I went to Stoep Cafe, and I had this same salad. One year ago, Rita and I each had this fantastic smoked trout salad at Stoep Cafe the prior day. Coincidence. For more photos, please click here.

Busy morning…Off to Komatipoort once again…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 23, 2023 with 0 Comment

This is Earl, on a mission to check out the pellet situation…which is good. We love it when wildebeests peek around the side of the house to see if we’re on the veranda. It always makes us laugh, the funny creatures that they are!

We have to leave shortly for our teeth cleaning appointments with Luzaan in Komatipoort, head to the pharmacy for a few things, then off to Spar for some vegetables and odds and ends for the party in two days. It’s hard to believe it came up so quickly. It seemed so far away for so long.

Louise and Danie are busy getting ready to make all the exquisite food for our event, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they decided to make. Much to my surprise, I let them make all the food decisions. Usually, I’d be right in there trying to control the situation.

After a while, he moved over the veranda railing to see if any pellets were being tossed to the piglets. Again, Earl lucked out.

But, the new me, along with total trust that they will do a fantastic job and know what we would want to serve, we left it all in their hands. I didn’t need to suggest a thing knowing they have such fine taste and are such spectacular cooks. Almost all of our guests are South African, and there are certain ways of cooking and foods that South Africans like, although their taste buds vary for other options.

Of course, we’ll be taking plenty of photos of the food, the decor, and the people. We can’t wait to share them here with our readers which may be posted over several days. Also, what an excellent way to document this special event in my life. At any time, we are only a few clicks away from savoring the event once again in photos.

We can’t believe the perfect tusks on this mom of four piglets.

We just returned from Komati after getting our teeth cleaned; having a lovely breakfast at Stoep Cafe; visiting the pharmacist to fill my antibiotic prescription for Monday’s tooth extraction; and finally, a quick shopping trip to Spar. We left at 9:30 am, and now it is after 2:30 pm, 1430 hrs., and I’m sitting on the bed with the fan blowing on me, attempting to cool off and finish today’s post.

Once we got into the house and put away the perishables, I got the first of two loads of laundry hung on the outdoor rack. I left the non-perishable items on the kitchen counter to put away after Tom’s nap. He tries to take a nap every day at 2:00 pm, but it doesn’t always work out.

Ugly worm. Red markings on insects often indicate that venom is a possibility.

My options were to stay in the dining room to finish the post, where it is sweltering right now, or quietly finish it in the bedroom with the fan blowing on me while I cool off. I chose to go into the bedroom, and be as quiet as a mouse, typing on my keyboard, and ensuring that the dinging notifications were turned off on my laptop and phone.

While Tom’s teeth were being cleaned, I went to our eye doctor’s office next door to buy a new pair of sunglasses. I’d purchased one of those cheap drugstore varieties months ago but found them to be uncomfortable with the lenses being too dark. Today, I bit the bullet and purchased a quality pair of JEEP brand sunglasses (US-made vehicle brand), spending ZAR 1500, US $82, way more than I usually spend for non-prescription sunglasses.

We will be glad when these creepy black worms are gone within a few weeks. They fall on us when we are outdoors.

When we returned home, I looked online to see that I had paid a reasonable price. Imported products in South Africa are usually expensive, although often not quite as much as one would pay in the US. I am satisfied with my purchase. These should last a few years, especially if I store them in the case that came with them. I promised myself I won’t throw them in the bottom of whatever cloth bag I was using at the time.

We have great leftovers tonight for a low-key evening on the veranda. Last night, I wore one of Tom’s Bugs Away shirts and didn’t get any new bites. I think the repellent in my Bugs Away shirts has worn off since I still get bites while wearing them. I can wear Tom’s shirt around the house, especially in the early evenings when the mozzies are on a rampage, although I wouldn’t wear one of his in public since they are way too big for me and look sloppy.

The clothes I ordered to wear to my party have not arrived, and won’t at this late a date, I don’t think they’ll arrive in time. I guess I will have to wear something I already have. I supposed that once I’m dressed and ready, I won’t give it another thought.

I am off to the kitchen, quietly leaving the bedroom, to put away the rest of the groceries and hang up the second load of laundry; It’s so humid I doubt they’ll dry until tomorrow after more time in the sun.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 23, 2022:

Broken Horn steps onto the veranda and can wait an hour for us to “do something.” For more photos, please click here.

Cyclone Freddie is on its way…How will this impact our party?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 22, 2023 with 3 Comments

Photo Cyclone Freddi in Madagascar from a news story at this site.

Cyclone Freddie just hit Madagascar, as shown in the above photo. It’s about a two-hour drive from Marloth Park to the Mozambique Channel (part of the Indian Ocean). We may not get a direct hit but could easily experience heavy rains and winds. According to Saturday’s weather report, rain is expected at 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs., when the party starts and continues throughout the evening.

We are not worried at all. If the winds don’t escalate, we should be able to be outdoors during the party with the huge roof over the veranda, But the Khaya Umdani house is large enough to accommodate all of the expected 28 guests. There is an enormous lounge room with lots of seating should we all choose to stay indoors.

The humidity will be high, but the temperature will be around 70F, 21C. It shouldn’t be too uncomfortable at the party. We hope the rain won’t keep any of our party-goers from coming. About 12 guests come from Komatipoort, but South Africans are used to inclement weather.

A lovely kudu and her calf. The mom looks pregnant again.

This morning at 11:00 am, Dawn and I met up at Imbewe Spa in Marloth Park for pedicures. We always have a great time chatting and laughing among ourselves and the technicians. It’s a delightful way to relax and end up with pretty-looking toes. I hadn’t had a pedicure since before Christmas, and it certainly was time to do another, especially with the upcoming party, to which I will wear sandals.

I had ordered a few items of clothing to wear to the party, but they have yet to arrive, and now I suspect they won’t be here on time with the party only three days from today. So it goes. TIA. I always remind myself that “This is Africa,” and I don’t expect things to be like they are in the US or many other countries worldwide.

After Tom picked me up at the spa when my pedi was done, we headed to Louise’s office. We wanted to pay for the party’s catering and pick up a printed prescription from Dr. Singh for antibiotics for the upcoming tooth extraction on Monday. I wish I’d arranged for the extraction to be a few more days down the road so I wouldn’t have to think about it over the party weekend.

Norman and Nina are in the garden enjoying pellets. The baby was outside the little fence.

With the tooth hurting more recently, it was important not to wait another day. I had postponed it due to the post-Covid face pain and sinus problem on the opposite side, and I’d waited long enough. Once this is done, I will have a great sense of relief. I always dread any type of dental work.

At Louise’s office, we discussed some of the plans for the party. Tomorrow, Vusi will come to get all the beer and wine and ensure everything that requires chilling is started. There’s a wine cooler at the house, which will come in handy. Tom will buy tons of ice for the party to ensure we don’t run out. South Africans generally use ice with their white wine since it gets warm quickly in the hot weather.

I am making salmon and tuna salad for tonight’s dinner, while Tom will have leftover pizza and green salad. Thus, we’re all set for tonight’s and tomorrow’s dinners. I have to bake and frost the two keto chocolate cakes for the party on Saturday.

Kudus are such good-looking animals. Then again, we find most of the wildlife to have an attractive look about them.

We won’t be using birthday candles. After Covid, having anyone blowing on a cake makes no sense. I’ve seen many photos of birthday parties with candles being blown out. When I think of that now, I wonder why this traditional practice ever made sense. Besides, 75 candles are way too many to put atop a cake.

That’s it for today, folks. I’m running a little late getting today’s post done and would like to have it uploaded before we wind down our day and relax for the evening.

Thanks again to our family, friends/readers for all the heartfelt birthday wishes. I received more than any other year this year, and it meant the world to me.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 22, 2022:

Us at the bar at Jabula on the night of my 74th birthday. For more photos, please click here.

It will be a wonderful 75th birthday!…Gratefulness is at the forefront….Attack of the black worms…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 20, 2023 with 2 Comments

There are thousands of these black worms on the veranda and in our garden.

There are no words I can say to express my gratitude for this milestone birthday. Well, it’s a milestone by my standards, three-quarters of a century…good grief. I never imagined this would be my life when I was 75. I’d imagined we’d be living in the US in a senior community of one sort or another, going out to dinner for the early bird special, having breakfast at Perkins or Denny’s on occasion, lots of family gatherings, playing cards, and making a monthly visit to our primary care physician, as most seniors in the US do.

Instead, our physician, Doc Theo, his two associates,(his brother) Doc Mel, and Doc Philip, and their wives, along with many other friends, are joining us for my catered birthday party on Saturday in the bush. My biggest concern is that we have plenty of South African wines and beer to serve at the party, and many animals stop by for a visit. It’s all so fun and exciting.

These worms are caterpillars. But there are way too many of them! Yuck!

This morning our garden was filled with animals. Even Norman stopped by to wish me a Happy Birthday, to which I tossed him “Norman’s lunch.” But, speaking of lunch, in a short time, we’re heading out to meet Dawn and Leon (great friends and owners of Jabula) for lunch at Tamborina in Komatipoort, known for their fantastic seafood.

Since we prefer not to drive in the dark, a lunchtime event was more suitable today, the actual day of my birthday. The birthday party is being held on Saturday, February 25, at the gorgeous Khaya Umdani house, with lots of room for our 28 guests, rain or shine. Our home isn’t big enough to accommodate that size of a group, so Louise and Danie offered this house to us for my birthday. Wow! This will work out well!

Mushroom is growing at the base of a tree in the garden due to the high humidity.

We wish we could have invited more of the many lovely friends we’ve made in Marloth Park, but space is limited, and the magic number was 28, with seating for everyone. We’re bringing our Bluetooth speaker for music, and we’ll be mainly playing oldies from the 70s and 80s. For all we know, there will be dancing on the veranda.

Although the party will be casual, the food will undoubtedly be over the top. Louise and Danie are catering the food and accouterments. They have hosted weddings and other special events and are excellent at this. Of course, we’ll post many photos from the party and hopefully from today’s lunch.

This Big Daddy kudu appears to be sprouting one of those third mini horns between his eyes, the weirdest phenomenon.

Since yesterday, we’ve noticed an invasion by some ugly black worms. They are common this time of the year, but we’ve never seen them until this year. Most likely, they are due to all the rain we’ve had in the past several weeks. Supposedly they are harmless but annoying when they land on us.

Now that my long-haul Covid symptoms are improving, on Monday, I am having a tooth pulled by Dr. Singh in Malalne. Hopefully, he will be able to place a temporary tooth to avoid me walking around with a gaping hole that will show when I open my mouth or smile. I will report how that works out next Tuesday. If it didn’t still hurt, I wouldn’t be doing this! I despise going to the dentist and, even worse, having a tooth pulled.

These dazzle zebras have been regular visitors lately.

Thanks to all of our wonderful family readers/friends for the birthday wishes. Every one of you is so thoughtful to think of me on this special day. You have no idea how much this means to me.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 20, 2022:

Louise and Danie hosted the interaction event for my birthday. We couldn’t believe we could be so close and interact with the two elephants who freely roam in the wild. e photos, please click here.

Awful experience at Spar Market…Pricing at the local meat market…Watch our video with Bossy’s baby kicking…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 16, 2023 with 0 Comment

The minute we walked into the Spar Market on Tuesday, I knew something was wrong. It was so hot and humid on an already hot and humid day we could barely breathe. Right away, I noticed the usual refrigerated dairy and perishable end-of-the-aisle area where I usually buy fine cheeses was totally empty, and the power was off. Also, the entire air conditioning system in the market was off.

Even during load shedding at Spar, the aircon stays on, and the refrigeration works without an issue from what we’ve seen repeatedly. Don’t get me wrong; we like Spar. This grocery store is generally well-stocked for this area of relatively low population, providing most foods we use. Sure, on occasion, certain items are out-of-stock or entirely unavailable. As a result, I’ve learned to stock up on things I use regularly.

We were soaked in sweat when Tom loaded the non-perishable items on the checkout belt, including an additional dozen bottles of wine for my upcoming birthday party in nine days. When we finally walked out of the market, the hot humid air felt cool compared to the discomfort in the market. We couldn’t wait to turn on the aircon in the car.

Check out that turned-back ear and those long eyelashes.

They may be selling a keto salad dressing one week, and the next time we go, it’s no longer available, nor do we ever see it again. There is a brand we like, Carb Smart, which has healthy mayonnaise without toxic seed and vegetable oils, spices, sugar-free barbecue sauce, and coffee creamer without all the chemicals and corn syrup. One week, they have two or three of these items, and the next week, there are none…never to be found again.

But, on Tuesday, when Tom and I headed to Komatipoort to shop, we were sorely disappointed when we couldn’t buy meat, cheese, and dairy. Immediately upon discovering this, I decided we’d shop for meat at the Wild Butchery at the Bush Centre in Marloth Park. We didn’t go until this morning after breakfast.

Bossy was looking my way, wondering if she could have some pellets.

Here’s what we purchased this morning:

6 kg mince (sirloin – hamburger), 13 pounds
2 kg filet mignon, 4.4 pounds
2 kg short ribs, 4.4 pounds
2 kg bacon, 4.4 pounds
3 kg lamb chops, 6.7 pounds
2 kg block mozzarella cheese, 4.4 pounds

Total 17 kg, 37.5 pounds

Total Cost: US $76.11, ZAR 1373.55

That averages US $2.03, ZAR 36.64 per pound of meat and cheese. Where in the world could you buy this amount of protein at these fantastic prices? The filet mignon alone will provide us with two night’s meals of over 8 oz filets for each of us. We’d spend the total cost we paid today for only the filet mignon. Wow!

This amount of meat will last us for over two weeks. We’ll use only a portion of the mozzarella to make pizza this Sunday, with plenty left over for future dishes.

Back at the house, we both started sweating profusely once again while putting everything away. By the time we were done, it was almost 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs. The dew point was at 78, the temperature at 88F, 32C, and humidity was 85%, way higher than tropical. Although these numbers aren’t much better today, it feels drier since it hasn’t rained in 24 hours, and the sun is shining.

I couldn’t imagine we’d want to sit on the veranda at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs., but once situated with our chilled drinks with many animals visiting, we forgot all about the weather and enjoyed our evening. The only shopping we had left was the meat we’d put off until this morning. But, after buying this amount of meat today, my grocery-shopping enthusiasm has returned. Hopefully, Spar has returned to “normal,” and everything will be as expected next time we shop on the 23rd.

It’s been obvious she has been pregnant for the past few months. The gestation period for kudus is 240 days.

As for buying meat in the future, we’ve decided to support the local Wild Butchery for great prices, excellent service, and quality products.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 1, 2022:

The large male only had one tusk. There could be many reasons for this, including fighting with other elephants or animals or natural causes. He looks sleepy or is very old. For more photos, please click here.

Raining since last night…Final Kruger National Park photos, for now…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 8, 2023 with 0 Comment

Although we aren’t fans of baboons, this mom and baby in the tree caught our eye— zoom in for detail.

We’d planned to shop in Komatipoort today since it’s almost been two weeks since we last grocery shopped, but the rain and possibly flooded roads prompted us to stay home. We have plenty of food to get us through the weekend if we don’t feel like going until next week.

We always dine at Jabula on Friday and Saturday nights. This morning I prepared a new recipe that should last for two evenings, tonight and Thursday. The next time I will cook again will be on Sunday, with plenty of meat left in the chest freezer and plenty of ingredients for salad and sides. There’s no rush.

Our next pressing issue is getting our 10-year passports renewed, which it appears we’ll be able to do while we’re in South Africa. his morning, we drove to the US Embassy in Pretoria to apply for our passports. e could mail in our passports, but as mentioned in a past post, we don’t want to take the chance of being without our passports in hand while the new passports are being processed.

Two zebras with wildebeests in the background.

We will try and coordinate the trip to Pretoria when we have to drive to Nelspruit to pick up our visa extensions when those come through. That way, we’ll be a third of the way to Pretoria by the time we get to Nelspruit. Hopefully, the timing on all of this works out well. Pretoria is a five-hour drive from Marloth Park.

Once we arrive in Pretoria, we’ll have to stay overnight to avoid driving on the N4 in the dark. We’ll be able to accumulate more points for staying in a hotel for our Hotels.com account. Plus, we have thousands of reward points we can use on our other credit cards, leaving us with several options.

Over the past few days, we’ve been busy with several projects while the work on the house has been wrapping up. It appears all the electrical work is completed, and now we can sit back and relax, knowing that we are immune from load shedding. The only way we noticed load shedding is occurring is when the WiFi goes off for about five to ten minutes when the power is restored.

Two wildebeests with zebras in the background.

Most of the time, we have to wait patiently until the WiFi returns. Of course, this isn’t an issue late at night, but it certainly is noticeable during the day when we’re working online. It’s a minimal inconvenience. When the load shedding starts; we notice a little “beep” that has no impact on our power usage.

Of course, we’re mindful not to use the oven during load shedding periods. If we plan to use the oven for baking, we must check the schedule at the Eskom app on our phones to ensure it won’t drain the system since the oven requires so much power when in use, although the gas stovetop does not.

Perhaps a mom and dad wildebeest and their baby. Female wildebeests also have horns.

Also, we aren’t running the aircon at times when we’re using other appliances, which also drains the inverter system to a substantial degree. However, we only run the aircon at night when we’re in bed when no other appliances are in use. It’s working out perfectly, and we’re enjoying the sense of being relatively load-shedding-free. It’s almost as fantastic as having an elaborate solar power system.

We’ve been busy taking photos of events in the garden, and now that we’re finished with our most recent Kruger National Park photos, we’ll be posting some new and exciting photos tomorrow. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 8, 2022:

Little looked a little drunk after eating several fermented marula fruits that had fallen to the ground. Many animals, especially kudus, elephants, and monkeys, enjoy the intoxication effects. For more photos, please click here.

Finally, we researched and booked a stay…More photos from Kruger National Park…

Posted by worldwide-admin on February 3, 2023 with 0 Comment

Two hippos were playing in the Crocodile River.

No, it may not be the most exciting booking we’ve done, but we were pleased to finally get a booking done for our upcoming one-month trip to the US, beginning in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 30, 2023, when our two cruises come to an end, sailing into Boston Harbor.

We’ll spend one night in Stoughton, Massachusetts, visiting cousin Phyllis, and then head out on an early non-stop flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, where we’ll spend nine days in Henderson, Nevada, once again at the Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa, close to son Richard‘s home.

This was likely a “Go-Away” bird known for its go-away sounds.

We were able to get great pricing from Expedia on our site. The rate included our airfare (for the two of us) from Boston to Las Vegas and nine nights at the fabulous five-star resort for a total of US $2041.37, ZAR 377932, which includes all taxes, fees, and the nightly resort fee of US $51, ZAR 875.

We’d checked pricing at multiple sites and ended up booking this package which saved us almost US $1000, ZAR 17160! Plus, we get a 10% discount on all meals and non-alcoholic beverages as Expedia’s VIP members after considerable bookings with them over the years. This also entitles us to early and late check-out, which is helpful for us on many occasions.

Kudus, waterbucks, and impalas hang out in the dam’s green vegetation.

We are thrilled with this booking. We prepaid everything but the resort fee yesterday of US $1579.67, ZAR 27125, and will pay the resort fee of US $461.70, ZAR 79260, at the hotel when we check in, which totals the above US $2041.37, ZAR 377932. Now, we will work on booking the remaining time in the US in Minnesota from September 9 to September 23 for a total of two more weeks.

Next, we’ll book where we’ll stay in Scotland from June 8 until August 1, 2023, but we won’t do this until we know if we received our visa extensions. If we are rejected, we’ll have to leave next month in March. We hope to know within about four weeks. Once we see if we can stay, we’ll book this leg of our upcoming journey while we are away from South Africa for over a year. We have many bookings to set up but await the visa info before proceeding further.

Waterbuck at a distance. Excuse the blur.

As mentioned above, we’ll spend one night in Boston on August 30, but we have yet to book it. The hotel where we stayed last time in Boston after a cruise, the Four Points by Sheraton, is now priced at almost US $500, ZAR 8583 per night. No, thank you. There is no way we’d spend that much for one night in a hotel in the US. The other options were few to be near my cousin’s home in Stoughton, but we’ll figure it out in the next few days.

We’re having an easy day today. It’s cooler today than it’s been over the past several weeks, and we enjoy every moment. The laundry is done, and the clothes are put away. Our paperwork, for now, is under control. All I have to do today is finish this port, search for some photo ops in the garden, and do my nails which I usually do on Fridays.

Small elephant family crossing the road.

Tonight and tomorrow evenings, we’ll head out to Jabula for dinner, and as always, we’re looking forward to seeing Dawn, Leon, David, and other staff, along with any locals who may stop by for lively chatter. Each time we head out the door, we always say…”Gosh, that was fun, wasn’t it?” and “Watch for snakes!”

TIA.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 3, 2022:

Little was resting in the cement pond on a sweltering day. For more photos, please click here.

Aren’t we “The Traveling Lymans?”…Yes! We still are!!!…Photos from five years ago today…

Posted by worldwide-admin on January 29, 2023 with 0 Comment

At lunch today, one of the chefs was preparing a beef and vegetable stir-fry outdoors. We all partook in the delicious offerings! It was a fantastic lunch! See the post here.

Every weekday Tom sends an article to the podcast Garage Logic, and they always mention Tom’s name. Joy Soucheray, the show’s main host, always refers to us as “The Traveling Lymans” with the link to our site. Tom has been sending in an article entitled, On This Date in Minnesota History,” which they share with their audience daily. Note; We were guests on the podcast on May 7, 2022. Please click here for the show.

One of their listeners recently wrote to the show and said, “The Lymans aren’t traveling. They’ve been in that one place (in Africa) for a long time.”

Joe chuckled and suggested they look at our site. We may have been staying in Africa for some time, but we have traveled worldwide. Thanks, Joe, for clarifying this with your listener.

It’s heartwarming to see how close they hang to one another. See the post here.

Yes, we have “stayed put” quite a bit over the past two years since we arrived here in January 2021, after ten months in lockdown in a hotel room in Mumbai, India, due to the pandemic, when Tom first began sending Joe the article five days a week.

If we look back over the past two years, we have traveled, just not as much as usual, mainly due to conditions worldwide which impacted our travel plans on several occasions. Here’s what we’d planned, many of which were changed or canceled beyond our control due to Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and other reasons:

2020: Canceled cruise by the cruise line due to Covid-19, for 28 nights from Mumbai to London via the Suez Canal and the Meditteranean.

2020: Canceled by cruise line; 22-night cruise from Lisbon to Capetown along the west coast of Africa. We rebooked the cruise for 2021, but the cruise line changed the number of days and the itinerary and eventually canceled that cruise.

2021: Ten days before our departure for an extensive tour of Kenya, their borders were closed, and we had to cancel all of our plans, struggling to get our money back, which we eventually recovered.

Macaroni Penguins in Stromness, South Georgia, are known for the pasta-like plumage atop their heads. See the post here.

2021: Left for the US since we couldn’t get a Covid-19 vaccination in South Africa, which was only offered to citizens at the time.

2021: Traveled to Zambia and Botswana for a visa stamp and more safaris

2022: Canceled booked plans to attend friends Karen and Rich’s wedding in Florida but canceled due to an increase of Omicron in South Africa with concerns over us infecting them and wedding guests

2022: Traveled to Florida to embark on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton but got Covid-19; during the last two days of the cruise, required we quarantine on the ship and then again while we stayed in Southampton.

2022: Canceled cruise from Southampton to New York due to still testing positive for Covid-19.

2022: Once we tested negative, we booked a driver for a two-hour road trip from Southampton to Gatwick to board a new flight to Reykjavik, then on to Minnesota.

2022: Two cruise itineraries were significantly changed, which were scheduled to sail to the Black Sea, Russia, and Ukraine when the war broke out. We canceled the cruises when the cruise line didn’t lower their prices for the new, less costly itineraries to locations we’d already traveled to on past cruises.

2022: Traveled to Zambia and Botswana for a visa stamp and more safaris

2022: We had to cancel three back-to-back cruises booked for 42 nights, which due to new Covid restrictions, required applying for visas for some of the countries on the itinerary. These visa applications would require us to send our passports to the appropriate embassies, leaving us in South Africa for over a month without our passports in hand. This was too risky in light of unforeseen events that may require us to leave South Africa in a hurry. Also, many venues in South Africa require us to show our passports. What if a war broke out here, and we couldn’t leave?

2022: Three cruises scheduled for 2022 were canceled by the cruise lines due to Covid-19, sailing for 14 nights from Singapore with multiple Asia ports of call, ending up in Tokyo. We were scheduled to stay in Japan for two weeks to tour the country, followed by two more cruises; a 14-night cruise circumnavigating Japan (canceled by the cruise line due to Covid-19), scheduled for a stop on the east coast of Russia) and a 12-night cruise from Japan to Vancouver.

2022: We missed our booked cruise to Seychelles due to the failure of the Seychelles government to approve our entry applications in time to board the plane, in part our fault for not applying earlier and, in part theirs. We had 24 hours to leave South Africa due to our visas expiring. We missed the expensive cruise and lost our money.

2022: We flew to the US, our luggage was lost in Joburg, and we arrived in Minneapolis in snowy weather with no clothes, shoes, jackets, and only the clothes on our backs. Had to go shopping after no sleep during the 53-hour travel period.

2022: In December, we flew back to South Africa to our holiday home, knowing our newly stamped 90-day visas would run out on March 9. We had no interest in traveling back to the US or another distant country to acquire a new stamp. Currently working with a law firm in Cape Town, applying for a new 90-day extension which will end in June.

2023: In June, 4½ months from now, we are leaving South Africa for over a year to travel to the US to apply for new driver’s licenses in Nevada and visit family in Nevada and Minnesota. From there, we are traveling to South America for several exciting adventures.

The landscape is littered with remnants of the whaling history in the area. See the post here.

Commenters may say, “You aren’t “The Traveling Lymans” anymore. But we beg to differ. We still are…in our hearts…in our minds…and in reality and practical application.

On top of all of that, we lost thousands of dollars that were beyond our control. Is it any wonder we haven’t booked much lately? Nor have we been willing to book trips and cruises far in advance. It’s been a relief to spend time in the bush while we frequently try to figure out our next move.

This is one of the disinfecting solutions we must use to clean our ship-provided rubber boots to clean off any debris that may contaminate other areas. We also use rectangular buckets with long handles and scrub brushes to scrub the boots before walking through this solution. Tom continually cleans my boots for me. See the post here.

No, we have no regrets. Sure, as one reader wrote, we could buy an RV and travel the US without these hassles or settle somewhere and learn to be content with that lifestyle. But that’s not us. As we sit here this morning, surrounded by wildlife on a slightly cooler day after a fantastic breakfast on the veranda, we are grateful with our hearts full of memorable experiences that we’ve documented and shared with all of you.

After dropping us off back at the ship, a Zodiac boat heads out to collect more passengers after the expedition ends. See the post here.

Please enjoy today’s photos from five years ago to the day while we were in Antarctica. Life is full. Life is rich, and life continues to be an adventure.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 29, 2022:

Hal has been stopping by each day. Now, we see less of Broken Horn. Could Hal have scared him off and claimed his territory? Only time will tell. For more photos, please click here.

Today at 7:00 am, the missing bag was delivered…65 days later…

Posted by worldwide-admin on January 28, 2023 with 0 Comment

The lovely woman, Agnes, who works for BidAir who’d delivered the first of our two missing bags on New Year’s Day, was in touch with me all day yesterday as to when the second bag would arrive at the airport when “it” missed its first flight in the morning.

Finally, while we were sitting at the bar in Jabula, I got a text and a photo of the bag from Agnes. She’d collected the bag and would keep it safe overnight. We didn’t want her to drive in the dark on the N4 and suggested she bring it to us at her convenience. She said she could arrive in Marloth Park in the early morning when Tom would meet her outside at Louise’s Info Centre if she’d call when she was close.

Agnes called a few minutes before 7:00 am and said she’d arrived. Tom quickly headed out the door to meet her so we could give her a generous tip. A few minutes later, she wrote, thanking us profusely for the tip, explaining she’d be using the money to buy food for her family. Heartbreaking. Workers in South Africa are generally paid low wages.

Once Tom returned with the bag, with the tag missing, he started going through it. So far, it appears everything that had been packed in the bag was still there, including his two new pairs of Cole Haan shoes and several of my items. Over the next few days, we may realize something was missing, but it looks good now.

Bushbucks, kudus, duikers, and nyalas love cabbage.

As it turns out, I spent no less than 40 hours working on the insurance claim for all the items in the bag. On Monday, I will call the insurance company to find out if we are entitled to any compensation for the things we had to buy to replace many items in the bag or whatever compensation we may be entitled to. We shall see. I am not optimistic we’ll get any compensation.

Also, we submitted a claim with Ethiopian Air a few days after the incident but have yet to hear anything from them. I will also contact them on Monday. I don’t feel like spending hours talking about this over the weekend. I need a break from paperwork for a few days.

We’ll stay home tonight since tomorrow is Dawn’s birthday, and we’ll see her and Leon at Jabula on Sunday evening to celebrate with her. Last night, we had a lot of fun with both of them and David as we sat at the bar, as well as lovely conversations with other patrons such as our friends Patty Pan and her husband Sydney and another friend Wimpy (pronounced Vimpy). It couldn’t have been fun.

We got home in the dark to a sweltering house when the relentless heat and humidity has lasted for weeks. We might get a little reprieve on Monday when it is supposed to be slightly cooler with slightly lower humidity and dew point. That will be nice.

With the number of mozzies flying around after lots of humidity and rain, I have to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts to avoid getting bit by them and other flying things. Wearing repellent on bare arms doesn’t seem to protect me, although I wear products with DEET. Sweati8ng wears off the product, leaving me vulnerable to getting bit. I don’t like applying DEET every hour. Right now, I m wearing long workout pants (to the ankle) with short socks and a long sleeve Bugs-Away khaki shirt. It’s hot.

Later today, the temperature will be a high of 99F, 37C, but fortunately, by around 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs., the humidity is expected to be a low of 21%. When the humidity is low, the heat is quite bearable, even at night during 4½ hour stretches of load shedding.

It’s too much of a scorcher for a hot dinner tonight, so we’ll make “unwich” (breadless) sandwiches with a cold lettuce salad on the side.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 28, 2022:

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