Unbelievable sighting in our yard…You must see this!…Look below!…Fabulous evening with friends…

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Please take a moment to watch our video of mongoose visitors in our yard last night!

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Finally, my favorite, warthogs, stopped by for a lengthy visit—more on this tomorrow.

I don’t know where to begin first, the outrageous sighting in the yard shortly after our friends arrived for dinner, a stunning sighting for all of us or, the exceptional evening we spent with four of our friends.

Ken, Tom, and Don are making big faces for the camera!
Linda, me and Kathy. It was these two thoughtful friends that took me to lunch on my birthday four years ago. Wow! Now, we’ll all be together again to celebrate my 70th.
During the day, we had no less than eight visitors all at once from three different species that sent us into a tailspin of pure delight. That event in itself was beyond our wildest dream this early in our stay. We’ll share those photos tomorrow.
At first, we only saw a few of the mongooses, but the rest were on their way into the yard.

We only arrived a week ago today, and yet we’ve seen every species that resides in the Conservancy, and beginning next week, we’ll head to Kruger National Park hoping to see the Big Five once again; lion, elephant, cape buffalo, rhino, and leopard.

 Our guests arrived promptly at 6:00 pm, and we were ready for our guests. When we’d made the invitation to the four of them for dinner, we realized we had enough food on hand for the meal without the necessity of heading to the market.

“Mongoose is the popular English name for 29 of the 34 species in the 14 genera of the family Herpestidae, small feliform carnivorans native to southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. The other five species (all African) in the family are the four kusimanses in the genus Crossarchus and the only species in the genus Suricata: Suricata suricatta, commonly called meerkat in English.”

We made the following (all the meats were cooked on the grill):
1.  Pork Chops
2.  Lamb Chops
3.  Boerewors (sausages) – “The many varieties of boerewors include specialties such as garlic wors, kameeldoring (camel thorn), Karoowors (sausage from the Karoo region in South Africa), and spekwors (made with extra cubed pork fat). Other ingredients include cheese and chili peppers.”
4. Cauliflower Mash
5. Pureed Pumpkin
6. Sauteed onions, garlic, and portabella mushroom (to top the seasoned meat)
7. Cabbage Salad

Suddenly a baby was on the scene.

We’d purchased beer and wine, but they insisted on bringing their own beverages, a tradition when visiting guests in the bush. We had purchased a lighter red wine for me with less alcohol and tannins, which tend to keep me awake at night after a few glasses. It wasn’t as good as a regular Cabernet or Merlot, but I drank it anyway. Tom had Castle Beer, manufactured in South Africa and a local favorite.

Mongooses love raw eggs.  When we spotted them, Tom ran inside, bringing out an 18 pack of fresh eggs.  He laid one on the ground, and this is what happened.

Although we’d seen Linda and Ken in Sydney 11 months ago, we hadn’t seen Kathy and Don in four years. It was Kathy and Don who’d invited us for Christmas Eve when they’d never met us. We’d met their mutual friends, Lynne and Mick, at Jabula Lodge a few days before Christmas, and they hooked us up.

During the period of time they were in our yard, Tom placed four eggs on the ground for them to quickly fight for and devour.  It was quite a scene.

Lynne and Mick were leaving Marloth for the holidays but wanted to make sure we had something wonderful to do on Christmas Eve. And indeed we did, spending the evening at Kathy and Don’s beautiful bush house bordering the Crocodile River. Here’s the link to that story.

 To know that soon we’ll all be together again (also with other dear friends) at my birthday party in two days fills my heart with so much joy and love. How did we get so lucky? 

Once the rest of them realized we had eggs, they piled atop one another.

The evening flowed with considerable ease when we’d prepared all but the meat in advance. I heated the side dishes in the microwave and then popped them in the preheated oven. With the homemade dressing ready to go, I tossed the salad. 

“Mongooses live in southern Asia, Africa, and southern Europe, as well as Fiji, Puerto Rico, and some in the Caribbean and Hawaiian islands, where they are an introduced species. The 34 species range from 24 to 58 cm (9.4 to 22.8 in) in length, excluding the tail. Mongooses range in weight from the common dwarf mongoose, at 320 g (11 oz), to the cat-sized white-tailed mongoose, at 5 kg (11 lb).”

Tom, Don, and Ken fussed over the grill, and by 8:00 pm, we were all seated at the outdoor table, meats cooked to perfection, and we dug in for a hearty meal (minus gluten, grains, starch, and sugar). No one even noticed we didn’t have rice, potatoes, or bread. 

The lively conversation continued through the delightful evening. We all have so much in common in our love for Marloth Park, traveling and being engaged in lively and exciting times at this point in our lives.

In a split second, they were all over the eggs.  See our above video for details.  “Mongooses mostly feed on insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, birds, and rodents. However, they also eat eggs and carrion. The Indian gray mongoose and others are well known for fighting and killing venomous snakes, particularly cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coats, and specialized acetylcholine receptors that render them resistant or immune to snake venom.  However, they typically avoid the cobra and have no particular affinity for consuming its meat.”

So yesterday, enriched by our friend’s visit and the many wildlife “visitors,” it was quite a special day. You won’t be disappointed! Enjoy our photos, and please take a moment to watch the video.

Be well. Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, February 18, 2017:

Although overcast in the Huon Valley, Tom had a great day fishing and taking photos while boating with Anne and Rob. For more photos, please click here.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?…New, or shall we say, returning special feature?…

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With a lack of rain, there was little water in the Crocodile River.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

We love Hornbills. “The hornbills are a family of birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible.”

Note: Today, we’re beginning a “Sighting of the Day in the Bush” feature, which we’ll continue during our time in Africa. We hope our readers will enjoy this feature which we’ve presented similarly in specific past locations. 

The first zebra we spotted in the park.  We’ve seen several more since taking this photo a few days ago!

This is the first dinner party we’ve had since Fairlight, Australia, when we invited our dear landlord Bob and another couple we’d met who was also staying in his properties.

A baby zebra, most likely approximately four to five months old.  Zebras weigh from 30 kg to 35 kg (66 to 77 pounds) at birth. 

With friends Kathy and Don and Linda and Ken returning to Marloth Park yesterday, we could hardly wait another day to see them all once again.  We haven’t seen Kathy and Don since we were here four years ago.

As for Linda and Ken, we met up with them for lunch in Sydney, Australia, and had a spectacular time together. Please click here to see the post about our get-together.

“Ossicones are horn-like (or antler-like) protuberances on the heads of giraffes, male okapis, and their extinct relatives, such as Sivatherium, and the climacoceratids, such as Climacoceras. The base that a deer’s antlers grow from is very similar to an ossicone.”

We’ve stayed in close touch through Facebook, Messenger, and email, never losing touch with any of our South African friends during the past four years after leaving on February 28, 2014. 

In a way, it feels as if it was a lifetime ago we were in Marloth Park. But now, as we’ve settled in, it seems as if it was only a short time ago.  Lathering up in repellent several times a day, sweating in the high temperatures and humidity, batting off the mozzies while living every moment to the fullest is not hard to forget.

Giraffes lay down to rest but rarely sleep for more than five minutes at a time.

After we uploaded the post, we drove for two hours in Marloth Park, searching for wildlife. During the first hour we didn’t see much and what we did see was too far away for good photos.

During the second hour, everything changed, which is typical when on safari. You search and search, often coming up empty-handed, and suddenly there they are, one after another.

A male giraffe can weigh  1200 kg (2646 pounds), while a female may weigh 830 kg (1830 pounds).

I should mention that when we refer to “safari,” we’re constantly referring to “photo safari.” At no point would we ever participate in shooting wildlife for sport or trophies. Thus, we’ll say “safari” here in the future, constantly referring to photos safari unless stated otherwise regarding the senseless slaughter of endangered animals. 

With dwindling populations of most animals in Africa and the toll, poaching takes on nearly extinct wildlife. It makes no sense to kill any for sport or profit. But I won’t get into that here. Our readers know how we feel about this controversial topic.

No words can describe how excited we were to see these giraffes. Not wanting to disturbs them, we stayed on the road, taking photos from afar.

Much to the delight of all of us here in Marloth Park, it’s been raining off and on since yesterday afternoon. This provides much relief for the wildlife who so desperately need to eat the greening vegetation. 

Right now, it’s nearing the end of summer. The green vegetation will begin to wane in the fall season, commencing on March 21st and throughout the following cooler winter months. The wildlife will be on its own trying to find food. It’s a sad time for them, and many don’t survive the long winters.

Large ant hill with trees growing from it.

Today is a busy day, like few others, as we prepare for our six-person dinner party tonight. What a unique and memorable experience for us…to be entertaining in our “temporary” home, here in the bush in South Africa.

A vervet monkey is sitting in a yard of a house as we passed.

Today’s temperature is currently 90F, 32C, and the humidity is a bit uncomfortable after the rain.

May today bring you unique experiences.

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

Tom was proud of their big catch, all flatheads, when he went fishing with our landlords. He had a great day!  For more3 details, please click here.

A little about Marloth Park… Fun with the locals…

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Zeff was here with us four years ago.  It was wonderful to see him again. 

What is Marloth Park? Over these past four years since we were last here, we’ve mentioned it more times than we care to count, over and over again, ad nauseam, perhaps at times to the disdain of our readers. For this, we apologize and hope we haven’t bored you.

But, this place is unlike any other world, a little developed, a lot natural. Oh, some may say this is like “Disneyland in the bush,” but that’s far from the truth. 
Our first male kudu visitor.
Marloth Park is adjacent to Kruger National Park, that this 3000 hectare (11.5 square miles), developed as a town in 1972, became a holiday haven for wildlife enthusiasts who wanted to experience living in the bush (bushveld in Afrikaans, the local language), being able to interact ever so gently with the many animals that have naturally habituated this area.
We’ve heard that 4000 lots had been divided over the years, and there are varying opinions on how many houses have actually been built in these past 46 years. Our host, Danie, a builder, presumes there are about 2300 houses in Marloth Park.
Mr. Kudu certainly enjoyed his share of pellets after he finished off everything we’d left on the dirt driveway.  Once he left, we restocked.
Other than the houses in the area and a few minimal-offering shops and a petrol station, Marloth Park remains pristine in its attempt to maintain a less touristy-feeling environment while providing its homeowners and visitors with a life-changing experience.
Sure, we could find a home in the savannah, somewhere in the bush in Africa, where wildlife roamed about the house. In that case, we wouldn’t have the ease of living all of us expect in our day to day lives; electricity; air-con for sleeping; Wi-Fi, running water, sewer systems, garbage pickup, and all those amenities many of us have come to anticipate as a part of everyday life.
What a muscular animal!
We’re not 20 years old, hauling a backpack and sleeping in a tent for the rich experience one of this age might find enticing in their pursuit of personal growth.
However, even in our age group, we reap the benefits offered by this stunning environment, of peacefulness, wonder, and the sheer joy of our surroundings and yet have all of the above conveniences we’ve come to expect and, maybe at our ages, need to be comfortable to some degree.
This adult female bushbuck stops by several times a day.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not a piece of cake living here. It’s a half-hour drive to a supermarket or pharmacy. And if one needs emergency medical care, it’s still that same 30-minute drive which would be a matter of life or death in the event of a bite from a black mamba (snake) even we had seen in these parts only four years ago (and most likely will see again).

It’s hot and humid most of the time. There are insects like none others we’ve seen anywhere in the world. The power goes out more often than in most places, often due to careless tourists failing to be mindful of the size of the limited power grid in this area. 

While at the shopping center yesterday, these students were cheering and singing after a fabulous photo safari in  Kruger Park as part of a school project.

And, the mozzies come out at dusk bringing with them a rash of dangerous diseases. This time we aren’t taking malaria pills. None of our friends take them that live here off and on throughout the year.  

The possible fourteen months we’ll be in Africa is just too long to be taking the drugs. Instead, we’re using repellent day and night with a maximum of 35% DEET, which has been determined to be safe.

When this pretty young lady spotted us with a camera, she asked if we’d take her photo.  When we handed her a card with our web address, she thrilled us to post her photo.  Her name is Sonto Zwene. We hope she has an opportunity to see herself here. What a lovely girl!

The staff in Marloth Park come from many surrounding areas. Many arrive each day by bus or sharing the  Rarely do any of them live in the park. The exception is those who may be live-in support staff.  Even Martha, our full-time housekeeper who lives in a little house on the property, frequently leaves the area to visit family and friends.  

These kindly, warm and friendly people definitely enhance the quality of our experiences living in Marloth Park. A warm hug is as common as a hearty hello. Although most speak Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu, many speak English sufficient to communicate easily.

More Helmeted Guinea Fowl. We love these turkey-like birds with colorful heads.

Yesterday, we drove to Komatipoort for the second time since our arrival to find a few groceries items we hadn’t been able to find the first time. Also, we replaced the HDMI cord, but we’re still having trouble with the signal from my laptop to the TV. We’ll work on this later today.

While in town, we stopped at a pharmacy to discover I won’t need to order refills of my few prescriptions from afar. They carry each of my three meds over-the-counter, without a new prescription, making the process convenient.

“The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to a declining habitat, deforestation, and poaching. The greater kudu is one of two species commonly known as kudu, the other being the lesser kudu.”

Yesterday the temperature was a high of 100F (38C). In the evening, after our delicious dinner, we stayed indoors. The two air con units in the high vaulted ceiling living room couldn’t cool it down. It was toasty, but we managed. Today, it’s partially cloudy and much cooler.

We’ve already had several visitors this morning and look forward to more as the day progresses.

Have a beautiful day! 

Photo from one year ago today, February 16, 2017:

Boats in the bay on the Huon River in Tasmania. For more photos, please click here.

Party planning in the bush…More new exciting photos…Hot today!…

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As the sun was waning during our evening drive. Sunsets in Africa seem to be the most spectacular we’ve seen in our travels.

The last time I planned a party was when we were about to leave Marloth Park on February 28, 2014. It’s customary when someone is leaving South Africa to host their going-away party. 

As darkness began to fall, we squealed with delight when we had to slow down for this ostrich walking down the center of the road. Could it have been Clive or Clove or one of her offspring from our four-year-ago visit?

We invited a small group for dinner shortly before we left. The friends we’d made were in two groups, one related to our rental in one way or another and other friends we’d met along the way. 

We dared to get a little closer to take this shot through the windshield. We didn’t want to scare her away.

At one point or another, we’d had everyone over for dinner, and now as we plan my birthday in five days, I realized we hadn’t planned a party anywhere in the world since that time, and this time, we include both groups. We’re so excited.

Finally, she moved over so we could pass, but we watched her in the rearview mirror, stay on the road for quite some time. What a treat!

This morning, we ordered a regular birthday cake from Jannine (correct spelling), the Marloth Park “cake lady.” I’ll bake a small coconut flour cake for me, and we’ll be able to celebrate eating cake together. 

I’m so excited to be celebrating this milestone birthday with these fine friends. Turning 70 can be daunting, but I’m looking at it as a celebration of life, love, friendship, and the non-stop joy of experiencing the world every day of this unusual lifestyle we’ve chosen to live,

Mr. Kudu was on the side of the road as we passed on the way to the little market in Marloth Park. Now, these stunning males are visiting us in the yard. Photos will follow!

Last night we went to Jabula Restaurant & Lodge to see our old friends, Dawn and Leon, restaurant owners and had a fabulous time. They’d set up beautiful outdoor tables with Valentine decorations, reserving one for us. 

After wine and beer at the bar, we took our table and chatted with a party of three sitting next to us, after our exceptional dinner, which including two red wines for me and four beers for Tom (little lushes we are when out, not at “home”) our total bill including tip was US $47.82 (ZAR 586).

We spotted three wildebeests when we went for our evening drive in the park.

Of course, I ordered “my usual” (from four years ago) peri-peri chicken livers and a substantial grilled Greek chicken salad. Tom ordered barbecue ribs, chips (fries), and salad. We couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

Today, I’m busy cooking one of our favorite homemade recipes, the first full meal I will have prepared in 85 days. We both longed for our favorite low-carb dish, Chicken Pot Pie to which we’ll add a green salad. 

A thought-provoking pose with a bot of vegetation in her mouth.

Although this seems like a cold-weather dish, when we spend most of our lives in warm or hot weather, we don’t let the weather dictate what we’d like to eat. This dish could be classified as comfort food and most certainly, we don’t require much more comfort than we’re feeling now, but it will be fun to sit down with this fine meal tonight.

Wildebeests are commonly seen in Marloth Park and neighboring Kruger National Park.

Once we’re done posting today, and I finish chopping and dicing, we’ll head back to Komatipoort to purchase a few more items we hadn’t been able to find on Monday and hopefully find an HDMI cable.  Like many cables, eventually, they wear out, as was the case with ours. 

Impalas are often referred to a “MacDonalds” when they are the chosen meal for many predators.

We’re thrilled to be getting visitors several times a day, feeding them the nourishing pellets, and talking to them in my usual high-pitched voice. Hopefully, soon, some of the regulars will recognize my voice. So far, no warthogs. I wait patiently.

Today’s high temperature is expected to be 97F (36C), and yet we still sit all day outdoors, sweating up a storm, content as we can be. 

Be content today and always!

Photo from one year ago today, February 15, 2017:

In the Huon Valley in Tasmania, we enjoyed the fresh-picked organic vegetables from owners Anne and Rob’s garden. For more photos, please click here.

Hansel and Gretel style…Dropping pellets in the yard…Visitors have arrived….Happy Valentine’s Day

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There she was yesterday,  a pretty kudu, standing by the watering hole in the yard of our holiday home. She nibbled on pellets and hung around for some time. Female kudus usually weigh about 463 pounds (210 kg), while male bulls may be well over 661 pounds (300 kg).  Only the males have long spiral horns. Tomorrow, we’ll share male kudus we spotted while out on our nightly drive.

Over four years ago, when we lived in Marloth Park, we purchased the approved pellets residents can feed the wild animals.  With the recent drought resulting in less vegetation for the wildlife to eat, the pellets are a nutritious food source.

Kudus are muscular, agile, and strong.

Louise had picked up a 50 pound (23 kg) bag of pellets, which were waiting for us when we arrived.  She dumped them into a giant trash bin with locking handles which we’ll keep indoors to avoid the baboons from getting into them. 

The baboons are very crafty and could quickly figure out how to unlock the interlocking handles.  Although many tourists “get a kick” out of seeing the baboons, they are an awful hazard and can tear up the interior (and exterior) of a house in minutes if they manage to get inside or on the veranda.

She was enjoying the pellets we’d left on the grounds surrounding the property.

It’s our responsibility to ensure they don’t get close to the house by not eating outdoors, feeding them pellets, or making them welcome in any manner. They are the only animals we’ll avoid in this Conservancy.  The others are more than welcome to stop by.

And stop by they have, especially after we began dropping the pellets, Hansel and Gretel style, while walking up and down the dirt driveway and around the house, scattering the pellets as we go. 

This was one view of her from the table and chairs on the veranda. As shown, we have two grills, one gas and another wood burning which we’ll take advantage of soon. Notice the chairs made of tires encircling the fire pit on the ground.

Well, wouldn’t you know, no more than an hour after we laid down the first batch of pellets, we had our first visitor, shown here today in our photos, a lovely female kudu?

Kudus may travel in groups referred to as a “forkl” or herd, particularly the females. The males are often loners, although they may be seen in herds of two, three, or more. We’ll share all of these instances as we move along.

At times, she stopped nibbling pellets and looked directly into our eyes.  What a sweet experience!

This morning as soon as we got situated at the long table on the veranda, I loaded up a plastic container with pellets to begin my twice daily “pellet dropping,” once upon awakening and another around 2:00 pm. 

Doing so should keep the visitors coming. Of course, we’re thrilled to be able to provide them with a bit of sustenance. Once they become used to our offering, they come by regularly during our three months in this house. Most likely, during our second three-month stint and beyond, we’ll repeat the same process, regardless of which holiday house we occupy in Marloth Park.

Although a little cautious near us, she wasn’t intimidated by the little rental car parked in the driveway.

We’d mentioned discussing our recent grocery shopping trip at the Spar Supermarket in Komatipoort. Not unusual in Africa, we had trouble finding some everyday items (to us) such as celery and Parmesan cheese. 

We spent US $317.08 (ZAR 3,760.88) at Spar plus, after the meat market, the biltong shop, a 12-pack of beer, three bottles of wine, and the total grocery bill to get us started was US $401.46 (ZAR 4,761.71). 

She was a lot bigger than she appears in this photo, although we suspected this female might be only one or two years of age.

We have enough beef, chicken, pork, and lamb on hand to last for the next two weeks, and we’ll only need to return to Komatipoort for vegetables and incidentals. We plan to return tomorrow to check out the Shoprite store to see if we can fill in the blanks for our upcoming planned recipes. 

Tonight, we’re planning dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day at Jabula Restaurant and to arrange for my birthday party next week on Tuesday. It will be fun to return and see owners Dawn and Leon and get the party planning underway. I don’t want a big fuss. We’ll be hosting several appetizers and cake and utilize a cash bar for the drinks.

Our first helmeted guinea hen (take from afar, resulting in a little blur).

As for Valentine’s Day, we wish all of our family, friends/readers a very loving day filled with reminders about how to share this special day with those you love. We won’t have any trouble figuring that out around here!

Photo from one year ago today, February 14, 2017:

Cute restaurant in Franklin, Tasmania. For more photos, please click here.

Settling in…Settling down…Adapting to the heat and other little challenges…Biltong…

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This is a typical street scene, with lots of trucks parked on the side of the road while the locals people stop in the various shops along the route.

Gosh, we’re happy here. The house is exceptional, perfect for us, with a plunge pool, a pool table, a comfortable bed and bedding, and the living room where we’ll spend most of our evenings nestled in the comfortable furnishings with the availability of a flat-screen TV (to which we can plug in our HDMI cord) to watch our favorite shows.

We couldn’t wait to buy “biltong” (jerky) in Komatipoort. It’s by far the best jerky we’ve ever had.  We purchased a bag of pork on the far left and a large bag of the traditional biltong, as shown in the center, for a total cost of US $17.29 (ZAR 206.23).  We don’t care for the greasy sausage sticks on the far right. There’s a shop owned by the Butchery, right here in Marloth Park, if we run out before heading back to Komatipoort.

There’s no dining room or dining table (space is taken up by the pool table), but we moved around a few side tables to make an ideal dining spot in the living room. This way, we can watch episodes of Shark Tank during dinner, if we’d like.

After selecting the type of biltong, we’d like the store clerk to grind it into bite-sized pieces making it easy to eat. Otherwise, the enormous amounts are too large to chew.

Louise and Danie, our friends and property managers, oversee the operations of many properties in the Conservancy and are on the ball for anything we may need. This morning we mentioned we needed an extension cord to be outside all day with our laptops. 

Within 20 minutes, they drove up to the house with a new, never-used outdoor reel extension cord. We couldn’t appreciate their thoughtfulness more, a scenario all of their holiday renters have enjoyed with the utmost in service and attention to detail.

Biltong hanging from a rack in the shop.

Now, as we sit at the long handmade wooden table on the veranda in the most comfortable padded chairs, we can relax, work on posts, future travel plans, and stay in touch with family and friends as we wait for Mother Nature’s African treasures to arrive.

If none come by today, before dinner tonight, we’ll take a drive around the park to see what we can find, a relatively easy task in the early evening, when wildlife come out from the shelter during the heat of the midday sun.

This batch is venison biltong which we don’t care for.

And hot it is…Today’s temperature is expected to be around 90F, 32C, and in the upcoming days, we could be looking at much higher temps. With air con units in the living room and bedrooms, we still prefer to be outdoors all day. So what if we’re hot and dripping sweat? 

It seems as if we’re already used to the heat, which we thought would be much harder to do after coming out of Antarctica.  Ah, Antarctica…we’re still reeling from experience and will for a very long time.

Next door to the biltong shop is the Butchery, where the finest cuts of meat are available at fabulous prices. We purchased six considerable pork chops, five large lamb chops, 4.4 pounds (2 kg) mince (grass-fed ground beef), and 6.6 pounds (3 kg) cheese sausages for a total of only US $55.30 (ZAR 660.14). In the future, we’ll purchase all our meat, pork, and chicken at the Butchery.

Sure, living in the bush in Africa has its challenges. Last night, we spent an hour dealing with ants in the kitchen after we’d prepared a simple meal of pre-cooked roasted chicken, green beans, and salad which we’ll repeat for one more night. 

Our way to shop in Komatipooert was reminiscent of seeing banana trees with blue plastic bags covering the growing bunches to keep the bugs and birds away.

Someone, perhaps a previous renter, had left a sugar bowl filled with sugar in the cabinet where dishes are kept. After dinner, I cringed when I saw zillions of ants scurrying about,  on all the dishes and all over the granite countertops.  

A small market where many of the local people shop.

We sprayed everything, and today Martha (pronounced Marta) washed all the dishes and the inside of the cabinet. Last night, I cleaned the countertops, sprayed the counters, and then rewashed the counters with water we boiled and soap to remove the residue from the insect spray. 

We are confident the ants will return, dealing with them as it occurs. Louise suggested we leave our dinner dishes for Martha to wash, but that’s not possible with the ants. Tom will continue to do the dishes while I do the cooking.

Tom, like me, was exhausted on the day we arrived, but we managed to unpack and go out to dinner.

And yes, we’ve found things that need to be repaired in the house; no hot water since we arrived; microwave not working; ice dispenser on freezer door not working, and items we regularly used not available in the kitchen cupboards. This is Africa, after all, not Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Phumula, the bush restaurant where we dined on Sunday evening.

Louise and Danie are so “on the ball” we have no doubt everything will be in working order within 24 hours. Danie came early this morning, after I was up and dressed, while Tom slept in and got the hot water working. Not that we minded taking cold showers these past two days as we adjust to the temperature differences.

My dinner of steak and prawns.  Grass-fed steak is often challenging. The price one pays for choosing this option. There were three prawns on my plate with heads still on. I had chilled white wine with my meal.

The water here comes from the Crocodile River, which is purified at a processing plant.  The locals are used to drinking it, but we won’t take a chance. Thus, the water dispenser in the fridge makes purified water, and we were provided with a large water dispenser. As soon as we run out of water, we’ll take the empties to the “water store” in Marloth Park to have them refilled for a nominal cost.

Tom had a side of mashed potatoes and gravy with this chicken schnitzel and for two beers. Our total bill was US $38.98 (ZAR 465), which we felt was reasonable.

As always, we’ll be back with more on life, living in the bush in South Africa, sharing the costs and details of grocery shopping, which presents particular challenges for my way of eating.

Have a glorious day! We plan on it.

P.S. As we’re about to upload this post, we have our first visitor. Photos were coming!

                Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2017:

In Geeveston, Tasmania, We took this photo through the water-stained window to find this Black Faced Cormorant at the end of the dock. They stayed for a few hours in the rain. In Antarctica, we also saw these penguin-like birds. For more photos, please click here.

We made it to Marloth Park, South Africa!…Long travel day..Do we get jetlag?…

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From the window of the small airplane on our flight to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger. We’re excited to be back in South Africa.

We weren’t able to post yesterday when there wasn’t ample time between the three flights, taking us from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Sao Paulo, Brazil to Johannesburg, South Africa to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga.

Beautifully aligned farms are scattered throughout the savannah.

It was an arduous day, and by the time we made the hour-long drive in the little rental car from the airport to the holiday home in Marloth Park, we were both feeling like zombies. Neither of us had slept more than 20 minutes total during the flights and 24 hours.

When our plane landed at the tiny airport, we immediately headed to baggage, hoping our bags had arrived from Buenos Aires. When the last bag came through, we stayed calm and surprisingly unworried with no sight of ours. Asking the solitary baggage handler, we were told they’d arrive on another flight arriving in 30 minutes.

The time difference between Buenos Aires and South Africa is only five hours, but that’s enough to throw one’s biological clock into a frenzy of confusion. Once we arrived at the house, we unpacked a little, and both napped for 90 minutes. We decided to pay special attention to the time here, attempting to avoid jet lag.

The bags arrived on the next plane a short time later. In the interim, we picked up the tiny rental car. We barely fit all of our worldly goods into the little vehicle and were finally on our way.

It worked. Today, we’re fine, rested after sleeping over eight hours last night, and happy to be here in this beautiful home in this exceptional conservancy. After four years away from South Africa with many varied experiences in our wake, we’re indescribably content to be here.

The nicely paved two-lane highway made for a pleasant and scenic one-hour ride.

After awakening from our naps, we unpacked everything. By 5:30 pm, showered and finally wearing clean clothes, we headed out the door for dinner to the bush restaurant Phumula for dinner where we’d dined on a few occasions some four years ago.

Bird of Paradise, a commonly found flower in Africa.

The meal was fine, although not exceptional. But, we were still reeling from our drive through Marloth Park on the way to the restaurant, able to take many photos before the sun finally set, which we’re sharing with you today.

Our first wildlife sighting, last night around 6:00 pm on our way to dinner.

Based on the placement of the holiday home, the driveway, the lack of greenery due to lack of rain, we weren’t expecting a lot of wildlife at this time particular time. If not many come to call, we only need to take a two-minute drive to find wild animals that we’d come to love only a short four years ago.

We’d heard that there isn’t as much wildlife in Marloth Park as there was when we were here in 2013. They (the officials) had culled several breeds due to the drought. This morning our hosts, Louise and Danie, assured us that plenty of animals would visit us here. We must wait and be patient, and there’s no doubt they will come to visit us.

Impalas are rarely alone, and in the near dark, we spotted these two youngsters.

The last time we were here, it took a few days to see many visitors as if they knew humans were finally staying in the holiday home. In the interim, we’re content to continue to work on getting settled, cooking our meals, and driving through the park each day while sharing new stories and photos with you each day.

This morning, it was beautiful to see Louise and Danie once again. They are very special people, and we are grateful to have them among the other fine friends we’ve made here in Marloth Park. Their visit this morning meant the world to us. 

A male impala.

We all have so much to share about our lives, and we look forward to many get-togethers with them and all of our other friends over this next year we’ll be in Africa, living in and out of Marloth Park to satisfy visa requirements.

After they left to get back to work, Louise, a highly sought-after property manager/owner, and Danie, a home builder and renovation expert, headed to Komatipoort to grocery shop. Tomorrow, we’ll share details of our shopping experience, costs, and more new exciting photos of South Africa.

A burly wildebeest, the animals we saw in the Masia Mara in 2013 make up a large portion of the Great Migration. There are many of these large animals in Marloth Park.

When we returned from Komatipoort today, we were both shocked to see it was 5:00 pm. Tom hadn’t worn his watch, and my FitBit’s time has been wrong for months. With the many hour’s time change, it will take a little time to adjust our appetites to the usual dinner hours. Then again, each time we reach a new location, it takes a few days to adapt to the surroundings.

Be well. We’ll be back with more soon!

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

Since we missed posting yesterday on February 11th, here’s the year-ago post from that date.  Below is the February 12th, the year-ago photo enabling us to be caught up. Here’s a meal we made in Tasmania which we’re looking forward to making again:  bacon-wrapped, hard-boiled egg stuffed meatloaf made with grass-fed meat; salads with red romaine (cos), celery, carrot, and homemade salad dressing; sliced cucumber sprinkled with Himalayan salt; steamed green beans and broccolini;  oven-roasted zucchini; good-for-gut-bacteria probiotic sauerkraut; and my favorite…No carb flaxseed and almond flour muffins topped with grass-fed organic butter.  Who says “low carb” dining isn’t healthy?  (The red bottle in the center of the table contains homemade ketchup). For more details, please click here.
 When we toured a winery in Tasmania, we noticed the chubby cheeks on this well-fed alpaca, who tend to store the grazed grass in their cheeks for a while. For more photos from today’s date, one year ago, please click here.

Part 2…Bookings for South Africa…The “adventure” and it’s “paperwork” never ends…

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Orange.....more than just a colour!
The entrance to our new vacation/holiday home we’ll be renting in Marloth Park beginning on February 11th, aptly named “Orange…More Than Just a Colour.”  For the link to this listing, please click here.

Yesterday, much to our delight, we wrapped up the first 89-day vacation/holiday rental for Marloth Park. Louise had promised she’d find us a great property that would work for our budget and yet meet our criteria.

This property she chose for us more than met our criteria. It’s a virtual dream house in the South African bush, possessing all the features that make a living in the rugged terrain more comfortable and experiential.

In Africa, many houses have a name, especially in the Conservancy of Marloth Park. The house on which we paid a 50% deposit yesterday is peculiarly and perhaps aptly called “Orange…More Than Just a Colour.”

Fully equipped self catering kitchen
We’re looking forward to cooking again in this modern kitchen after an 80-day hiatus.

The exterior orange-based color certainly prompted the house’s name, but there is nothing gaudy or outlandish in its appearance or design. It is pure bliss by our standards, and we gratefully thank Louise, our friend, and property manager for Marloth Park, for making this happen for us.

Not only did she make this outstanding property affordable for us, but she also locked up our time slot from February 11, 2018, to May 11, 2018, a total of 89 days.  Once we arrive, we’ll work with Louise to wrap up this or other properties we’ll rent during our one-year stay in Africa.

We’ll travel in and out of the country to satisfy the immigration requirements of a maximum of 90 days while we visit many other countries on the continent to fulfill our goals of expanding our African horizons.

Outside pool under roof
Most of the pools in Marloth are plunge pools intended for cooling off instead of swimming laps.

Of course, we’ll share many more photos of this spectacular property located in our dream location during our lengthy upcoming stay, along with photos of our daily “visitors.”

Our inspiration to return to Marloth Park was precipitated by two aspects. One was the bush setting with wild animals walking around the house, and two, the amazing friends we made while there in 2013/2014, all of whom we’ll see when we’re there and have stayed in contact with during the four years since we left.

Today, here in Palermo, Soho area of Buenos Aires, once again, we’ll take off on foot and walk the streets of this fascinating area. Once the holidays end, we’ll do a bit of sightseeing.

Tomorrow, we’ll share most of our dining experiences over these past few days and more photos of life and culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 Have a blissful day.

Photo from one year ago today, December 28, 2016:

On a walk across the street in Penguin, Tasmania, which is lined with a wide variety of blooming flowers, we spotted this unusual plant. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…Bookings for South Africa…The “adventure” and it’s “paperwork” never ends…

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We find these colorfully painted buildings interesting and befitting the somewhat flamboyant nature of Buenos Aires.

Where do we begin and end? This outrageous lifestyle only knows an end when we “can’t do it anymore.”  Surely, someday this will come. But, for now, we keep planning and booking one adventure after another.

I used the word “adventure” based on our perception of what adventure may be. To many, experience connotes white water rafting, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, and other physically related risk-taking events.

There are many designer-type furniture shops in the area.

For us, an adventure may be defined as follows from the dictionary:

adventure
ədˈvɛntʃə/
noun
  1. 1.
    an unusual and exciting or daring experience.
    “her recent adventures in Italy”
    synonyms: exploit, escapade, deed, feat, trial, experience, incident, occurrence,
    the event, happening, episode, affair;

Well, not totally. We focus more on the above-stated, “an unusual and exciting” experience and less on the “daring.” Couldn’t “daring” be described as selling everything we owned, leaving our family and friends, as traveling the world for years to come; homeless, without a car, with no storage anywhere, no apartment/condo to return to, to repack and take care of things?  I guess so. 

Perhaps, for us, all of it is an adventure. We’ve never considered we must put our physical beings in harm’s way for our lives to qualify as an adventure. 

Colorfully painted buildings are a common trend in Buenos Aires.

Along that path is the future planning for what we consider the ultimate adventure…re-visiting Africa (we were there four years ago), which will transpire in a mere 46 days (with the cruise to Antarctica in between in only 27 days.) Good grief! Could it get more exciting for us in this short period?

Finally, yesterday, after checking prices for a few months, we booked our flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Nelspruit, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga,  South Africa, a location other “adventurers” fly to embark on their journey on an insatiable quest for adventure.

Another colorfully painted building.

The cost for the one-way economy flight for two was shocking. We’ve never paid this high a fare for a one-way flight.

Here are the details:

Price summary
Traveler 1: Adult $1,754.66 Flight $1,301.00 Taxes & Fees $453.66
Traveler 2: Adult              $1,754.66 Flight $1,301.00 Taxes & Fees $453.66
Expedia Booking Fee $14.00
Total US $3,523.3
(ARS 64,934)
All prices are quoted in USD.
 
705 points
for this trip

Travel time:           16 hours total (3 flights)
Depart:                  12:50 PM, February 10, 2018
Arrive in Nelspruit:    9:50 AM, February 11, 2018
Layovers:       2 hours in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
1 hour 40 minutes in Johannesburg, South Africa

Airlines:         GOL Linhas Aereas S.A
                          South African Airways (last two flights)

We flinched paying this high a fare for coach but, we made up for it a little when we were able to rent a car at the Nelspruit Airport for a total of 89 days for only the US $1,750 (ARS 32,252), including all taxes, fees, and insurance which averages at US $583 (ARS 10,745) per month.

We plan to stay in Africa for up to 13 months and share more details as we book further into the future, much of which will be outside South Africa. But, we’ll continue to return to Marloth Park after satisfying visa requirements for a maximum of 90 days as required in most African countries.

There isn’t an abundance of flowers blooming at this time in the Palermo area.

Today, we’re finalizing our vacation/holiday rental details with our dear property manager friends, Louise and Danie Thiart, who can be reached at this site. We’re so appreciative of their friendship and assistance in finding us more outstanding accommodations in Marloth Park.

Tomorrow, we share details of what will be our new home beginning on February 11, 2018.

Thanks for stopping by!

Photo from one year ago today, December 27, 2016:

This was the view from our holiday home from an elevated road in Penguin, Tasmania. For more details, please click here.

Tom correcting me when I’m wrong…

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Pigs were cuddling while snoozing in pen.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom took another excellent distant shot of a bird we couldn’t identify online. Costa Rica neighbor and bird enthusiast Charlie identified this bird as a Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro in Spanish.  Thanks, Charlie!

After reading yesterday’s post, Tom corrected me on a few items, which is often the case when I make an incorrect or inconsistent statement. After 1,935 posts in five years, I’m bound to be inconsistent from time to time. 

In this post dated June 17, 2013, I referred to our “bucket list” upon visiting Venice, Italy. In yesterday’s post, as shown here, I stated we don’t use the phrase “bucket list” so much anymore.

I can justify my inaccuracy by saying that we’ve changed our views on specific topics or phrases over these years, one being “bucket list.” It had become too repetitive and overused in travel circles, and I became tired of using the phrase. 

In searching our site for how many times I referenced this phrase, it appears it may have been dozens of times dwindling as time passed, as it became apparent to me that it may not necessarily apply to us.

Squirrel Monkeys in pen.

If our travel lives consisted of a “bucket list,” we may have felt restricted to fulfilling each item on the arbitrary list.  Instead, our curiosity and desires have been fluid, changing from time to time. As a result, I dispensed with using the expression overtime during the past five years.

When meeting ambitious travelers throughout the world, I often chuckle to myself when I hear the phrase repeated repeatedly. In essence, for most travelers, it clearly defines an objective…see these places while we can.

Secondly, Tom reminded me of yesterday’s post when I went on and on about what Tom had envisioned for his retirement years, failing to mention what I’d imagined for myself.

“Oh, good grief,” I spewed. “Haven’t our readers heard enough of what I think and what I imagined?  Surely, after 1,935 posts, don’t our regular readers see me like an open book and easily recite my opinions and perceptions with an uncomplicated sense of fluidity?

Two parrots who refused to turn around for a photo op.

Tom reminded me that at any given moment, don’t we have hundreds of new readers stopping by to grab a snippet of that which we espouse in our endless ramblings? They may not as yet have grasped the flow of opinions and ideas that fly off these pages day after day.

To satisfy Tom over my supposed incomplete post yesterday, I agreed, albeit tentatively, to share what I had imagined my retirement years long before we decided to travel the world. After all, we decided in January 2012 and left Minnesota on October 31, 2102, less than 10 months later.

I began contemplating my retirement years after I turned 50, which was long before I changed my way of eating to achieve pain-free living, which transpired in August 2011 from a hereditary spinal condition.

By the end of November, I awoke one morning, and for the first time in decades, I could stand, walk and maneuver without pain in my back and legs. It was indeed a miracle. Only a few months later, Tom asked me if I’d like to travel the world now that I was pain-free, and we, unsure as to how long that would last, began planning the adventure.

Easy walking path in Zoo Ave.

At that time, little did we imagine we’d last this long. We thought, two or three years tops and we’ll lose interest after tiring of moving around. It hasn’t happened. 

However, before that recovery in 2011, always in chronic pain, preferring not to complain to family and friends, I imagined my “elder years” would be wrought with the painful condition while continuing to attempt to live as normal a life as possible.

My life would have consisted of spending time with family and friends, cooking and entertaining, keeping a tidy and organized household, and attending an endless array of activities, functions, parties, and events. 

Cute sign, Zoovenirs as opposed to souvenirs.

It would have been a relatively simple life comparable to that of many retirees, which was highly enjoyable when I could mentally put the pain aside.

That’s it. But now, my imaginings are very different…in 82 days from today (February 2, 2018), we’ll be standing on Astrolabe Island, Antarctica, with 100,000 Chinstrap penguins.

In approximately 90 days, we’ll be living in the bush in South Africa, surrounded by wildlife with a camera in hand, reveling in the wonders of nature and wildlife far beyond any dreams we may have had in the past. Pinch me. Is this really our lives?

Am I going to awaken one day to be pushing the grocery cart at the Cub Foods store in Minnesota or…awakening in Buenos Aires beginning in 41 days staying in a lovely hotel in the hub of the fascinating city for an entire month? 

Variegated Squirrel at the rescue facility, Zoo Ave in Costa Rica, comparable to those we’ve seen at the villa.

We made a choice. It wasn’t an easy or flippant decision. We have no regrets. Life is good. We’re grateful, we’re humbled, and we’re at peace.

Thanks to all of our readers for sharing this life with us.

Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2016:

We dined almost every night during the 33-night cruise circumventing Australia, with new friends from the top, left to right, John and Kat from Australia, Cheryl and Stan and Lois and Tom from the US and us. (Not our photo). For more details, please click here.