Sunset game drive…First dinner out…A social life in the bush!…

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There’s something magical about the skies over Africa from what we’ve seen so far in Kenya and now in South Africa.

Photos and stories of our experiences in the bush are backed up by a few days and as we get closer to the upcoming game drive in Kruger Park this Sunday, ending with a dinner in the bush, in the dark. Each time we go for a walk or drive in the neighborhood, it’s an entirely new experience that we’re anxious to share with our readers.

Sunset over the farm we visited adjoining Marloth Park.

So, folks, I doubt we’ll have many days while living in Marloth Park that we won’t have photos to share. Every day is special in this amazing location.

This Kudu wouldn’t turn around to allow a full face photo.  If possible, please try to decipher the horns from the tree branches in order to see the enormity of his antlers.

For me, I am happier here than at any other of our past vacation homes. As remote as we are, almost a mile from another house, as stranded as we are without a car (yet), as many scary bugs as there are, with heat that could soon climb to 108F, 42C, I feel at peace, as if I belong here. I’ve longed for Africa since I was a child and at last, my dreams are fulfilled.

Oranges grow wild on the farm, totally unattended.
Most of the land in the 3000-acre farm is leased for farming without the use of chemicals. This is field of corn but we also saw sweet corn growing as the land is now leased to local farmers.


We made our way through some dense brush, slapping branches away from our heads and faces, laughing along the way.

For Tom, this is his second favorite location, Belize on the Caribbean Sea , was his first. We both loved the beautiful LaruBeyu; the pool, the short walk to restaurants. For both of us, the friends we made in Belize will remain as friends forever.

The Crocodile River, walking distance from our home, is filled with crocs, making it too dangerous to navigate by boat. On the opposite side of the river is Kruger Park. The fence, lightly electrified in a deterrent in keeping the lions and elephants out of Marloth Park, although a few lions manage to get through from time to time.


The bright glare of the setting sun impeded our photo taking of these elephants across the river. But, we were thrilled to get these. Soon, we’ll see elephants up close when we enter Kruger Park.
This fence also keeps the crocodiles from entering Marloth Park, although Tom saw two, what is referred to as a monitor crocodile near our pool when I had stepped indoors.  It appears they live in our yard.  Louise explained they like to swim in the pool.  I promise to get a photo of this when it occurs.

On Wednesday afternoon, Leon, the owner of Jabula Lodge picked us up at 4:30 for a private sunset game drive with dinner following at his restaurant, the top rated restaurant in Marloth Park, of which there are only a few. He’d decided to take us on a special outing, to a 3000 acre farm that required permission to pass through the security gates.

The sounds of the hippos is enchanting.  They’re most noisy early in the mornings.
Usually hippos hang out together in herds (or referred to as pods, bloats or dales).
This bird caught our eye.  Louise had brought us a bird book but we can’t seem to find this species without a clear view of its head. Please write if you are familiar with this bird, which appears to be a type of stork.

As we approached the guarded gates, Leon made a call to the manager of the huge farm, asking permission to take us inside. He handed the phone to the guard who was informed that it was acceptable for us to pass. Many treasures lie beyond these gates, as you’ll see from many our photos.

Leon and his older vehicle handled the rough terrain quite well. Bouncing around is now easy and familiar to us after our past experiences on rough roads.


Leon put on his shades for the photo we insisted on taking of him.

After our outstanding drive shortly before dark Leon brought us to his resort for what proved to be a fabulous dinner. It took a few explanations to the cook to get my way of eating clarified. Finally, we had a delicious meal, everything made fresh to order, while sitting outside on the deck on cushioned picnic benches with many other diners surrounding us. 

The entrance to Leon and Dawn’s Jabula Lodge.


Jabula Lodge is a friendly casual environment with beautiful grounds, charming buildings and an excellent highly rated restaurant with superb service.  Most likely we’ll visit once a week for dinner and to hang out with Leon and Dawn who are most hospitable.


Jabula Lodge is an appealing holiday property in Marloth Park, South Africa.

Leon made a special effort to ensure everything was to our liking and befitting my way of eating, leaving us feeling pampered and like old friends.  After dinner, we were told a couple sitting at a nearby table, also experienced world travelers, were curious to meet us, as we were curious to meet them.

Check out this fresh crisp salad, as delicious as it looks.
My new favorite dish so far in the world, Peri Peri, a popular item on Jabula’s menu; chicken livers, fresh garlic, a wine and cream reduction. To die for!

After Leon made introductions, having completed our meal, we joined them at their table and the world travel stories begun. We’ve found that others are curious as to how and why we chose to travel the world for years to come, health providing. By the way, the cost for our game drive, drinks, food and tip for two was a total of ZAR $950, US $93.12.

My sautéed cabbage and carrots, bacon and an egg over a bun-less burger.  Delicious! Three plates of food later, I was stuffed.

Lynne and Mic had traveled for an extended period of nine months, eventually making their way to Marloth Park when they now have owned a home for over 12 years, visiting a few times each year over extended periods.

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is here as these lights twinkle behind Tom. As you can see, he too, is having a great time in Marloth Park.

Jabula Lodge owners Leon, his wife Dawn, our hosts Louise and Danie, and Lynne and Mic will be our safari and bush dinner mates on Sunday night. We’re looking forward to an exciting and interesting adventure. Of course, we’ll report back with photos on Monday.

 Tom’s dinner, steak and potatoes, his usual dining out choice.  He doesn’t eat this way when we dine in.  In a effort to be supportive of me, he eats what I cook for all of our meals, splurging when dining out. As long as he’s healthy and not gaining weight, I stay mum.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we’ll be back with a most unusual sighting while on a walk in the neighborhood, and additional delightful visitors in our yard on both Saturday and Sunday.

Nature at its finest at sunset.

An exciting trip to Komatipoort…A usual day in the neighborhood…Mind blowing…

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Can you imagine coming home after a busy workday to find a giraffe in your driveway? This is  everyday life in Marloth Park.

Yesterday morning at 11:00 am, Okee Dokee arrived to take us the 25 minutes drive to the border town of Komatipoort, South Africa, which less than 5 km, 3.1 miles from the country of Mozambique (which we hope to visit during our time here).  

As we rounded the corner from our house, we encountered this wildebeest.  Enormous, it was taller than a horse, much larger than any of the wildebeest we’d seen at the tail end of the Great Migration at the border of Kenya and Tanzania.

Needing to purchase a few groceries, SIM data cards for the MiFi’s and liquor for Tom, we were blown away that a shopping trip to a strip mall in a small town could be such an adventure. When is a trip to grocery shop eventful?  Never in our old lives.

Sorry for the blur, but we took this shot while we were moving at a good clip.  This is a leopard turtle known for the leopard-like spots. Notice he/she is carrying something in her mouth.

No more than turning onto the main road from our driveway, the fun began. The wildlife was standing along the road as if to welcome us to the neighborhood. Flitting back and forth across the seats in the van, I couldn’t snap photos quickly enough, often missing good shots while busy with another.

Down the road another block, there were a number of giraffes hanging around outside one of the houses in Marloth Park. This giraffe was eating, which accounts for the chubby cheeks. The food slides down her throat in a big lump as shown.

Okee Dokee, after living in this unique area for over five years, also shared our enthusiasm. As we’ve found from speaking with residents of Marloth Park, one never tires of the sight of any animal, large or small, going about their business of daily living in the bush. 

The gracefulness of these ungainly animals is a rare treasure to behold. Had we been on a short walk, we’d have been standing right beside it. 

This is not a busy “human” place. The animals definitely are wild, many extremely shy, others wary and cautious of our intrusion into their habitat.

We tread quietly with respect for the gift they offer us of viewing their lives, their habits, and their young.

Zebras are everywhere, seemingly oblivious to vehicles traveling along the narrow road.

It’s always interesting to grocery shop in new locations. The varying types of foods, the pricing, the common-items-to-us that we can’t find, and the quality of the items. 

On a shopping trip, not a game drive we didn’t want to ask our driver to slow down every time we saw an animal. None the less, I kept clicking, in the hopes of getting a few good photos. If only these impalas would have turned around. 

We were thrilled to be able to find some items we’d hadn’t been able to buy in either Italy or Kenya, for example, Cremora, which Tom uses in his coffee, (I use real cream) and large heads of lettuce, a treat for salads and wraps. The cost of food compared to Kenya, is comparable, although the selections are greater.

After a huge storm last night, our pool was filled with dead insects. This morning, Tom fished out this scorpion. Now, my centipede fear has some competition.  Carefully, we tread.

Our next trip was to the liquor store where Tom purchased two bottles of E & J brandy and two of the large-sized bottles of Sprite Zero for a total of ZAR $227, US $22.50 which we thought was a bargain. The more expensive brands were disproportionately higher.

Then, we stopped back at the Vodacom store to pick up the two SIM cards we’d requested with 10 gigs each for the MiFis. When purchasing SIM cards they must be registered with the country. The system was down preventing us from buying the cards. 

Luckily, while we were shopping, the rep was able to register the cards enabling us to pick them up and be on our way. Preferring to pay with a credit card as opposed to using our cash (ZAE-Rands), we handed the rep a card, only to have her quickly respond that the credit card system was down.  This is a common occurrence we’ve discovered in many parts of the world, systems down or, in some cases businesses trying to avoid bearing the 2-3% cost for processing credit cards. We’ve had to learn to accept these situations as we’ve traveled.

The closer we got back to our house in Marloth Park, the more awe-inspiring the wildlife was as illustrated in these photos. 

Tomorrow, we’ll include the story and photos of our first sunset game drive with Leon, the owner of the popular Jabula Lodge where we ended up for a fabulous dinner and met a wonderful local couple.

Upon returning to Marloth Park after the shopping trip, we were waved on by the guards at the security/entrance checkpoint, who know Okee Dokee, never hesitating to let us proceed.

Sunday afternoon, we’re attending a game drive in Kruger Park, a dinner in the bush with three other couples, coincidentally including Leon and his wife and the lovely couple we met last night. Ah, a social life, at long last!

Morning doesn’t come soon enough…The sights and sounds…Am I dreaming?

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The Warthog family comes to visit via a path that leads to the braai (barbecue).

Awake at 5:30 this morning, I  tried falling back to sleep with no luck. I could hardly wait to get up and outside. Today’s agenda is pleasantly busy with a trip at 11:00 am with Okee Dokee to the village of Komatipoort to pick up a few grocery items and to visit the Vodacom store for SIM cards for our MiFi’s. 

Later in the day at 4:30, Leon, the owner/guide of the local Jabula Lodge is picking us up for a private sunset game drive and subsequent dinner at his restaurant. For some reason, I think this may be a regular occurrence.  We’re looking forward and will share details tomorrow. But, goodness, our trip to the grocery store was eventful in itself with many great photos for tomorrow.

The Three Little Pigs stood directly in front of us as we took this photo. 

Louise had provided us with a MiFi loaded with several gigs, but it’s difficult for both of us to be online simultaneously. And, Tom was unable to load the Minnesota Vikings Game video from Sunday. We’re hoping it will download properly using our newer, higher-powered MiFis.

This morning as we sat on the veranda by the pool, this group of 9 warthogs consisting of seven babies and two moms, walked up the driveway toward us, happy to visit.

Hurriedly, I showered and dressed, inpatient in getting outside to check to see if we had visitors. (Yes, I’m already totally hooked on the prospect of welcoming visitors to our home in the bush). At first, I didn’t see anything. 

Sitting down at the outdoor table facing the driveway, I reviewed my email, checked and responded to blog comments, and the general perusing one does online in the morning, Facebook, etc.  Always, with one eye scanning the area as far as we can see with the thick lush summer bush.

This mom and baby were showing a little affection.  These photos are not zoomed.

A short while later, Tom joined me and only minutes later, we found this family of warthogs walking up the drive toward us. We could hardly temper our enthusiasm to welcome them to our new home.

This warthog walked along the veranda while we were inside the house last night, sitting on the sofa facing this door.

It’s a trade-off in Marloth Park, Kruger Park, and other game reserves in Africa. In winter, the leaves and greenery are gone, eaten by the wildlife, and ravaged by the dry weather. During that period everything is brown. Many travelers prefer to go on holiday during winter with easier wildlife viewing with less obstruction by greenery. 

This mom approached us with caution, checking us out before she let the babies get close to us.

For us, we love the vegetation and the wildlife, and, although much hotter now, we’re delighted to see the wildlife visiting to nibble on the greenery. The heat is less difficult for us to bear when at any moment we can go inside to turn on one of three AC units to cool off. 

Mama felt so at ease, she plopped down in our driveway to nurse a few babies.

There are no screens on any of the windows here. It would be an invitation for the monkeys (we’ve only seen a few thus far) to rip through the screens to get inside to tear everything apart looking for food. Without screens and the windows shut, it stays cool inside the house, requiring that we only turn on the AC in the sun of the late afternoon and in our room at night.

This termite hill on our grounds is approximately 10 feet, 3.05 meters tall.

It is imperative to keep exterior doors closed to keep out the bugs. We learned this lesson on our first night. With our bedroom door shut at all times, we don’t need a mosquito net over the bed. Louise offered to have one put up if we needed it, but not one mosquito has buzzed our heads in bed so far.

The nocturnal mini bushbabies live in two hollowed-out logs we have hanging over the pool.

It’s the rainy season now. Last night it rained all night. There hasn’t been much sunshine since we arrived, making it cooler. The humidity is as high as it was in Kenya. We’re surrounded by the Crocodile River and about an hour from the Indian Ocean. The ceiling and roof of the house are thatched, but surprisingly stays dry during the rainy season from what we can tell so far.

We have no doubt that many visitors will stop by besides the warthogs. We’ll try to keep the warthog photos to a minimum. But for now, we are enjoying their curious visits as we await other species popular to Marloth Park.

The sounds are amazing. Tom’s eldest brother Jerry has been completely blind since 1970. Without a doubt, Jerry would delight in the sounds we’re hearing. Yesterday afternoon, we held our breath at the clear, not too far away sound of a lion’s roar over a period of 20 minutes. We sat frozen in our seats on the veranda, trying to determine how far away it could be. It sounded close.

Devising a rapid escape plan should it come too close, we were unafraid and in awe of the wonder of nature.  Usually, lions don’t enter Marloth Park with the Crocodile River acting as a natural barrier. There are flimsy fences to keep out the animals. But, we were told by Louise and Danie, that on occasion, a lion has been sighted.

Soon, we’ll have time to figure out the species of this bird, but today is a busy day in the bush.

Jerry would also love the sounds of the hippos, a sound we loved hearing when we slept in the tent (OK, fancy tent) along the Mara River in the Masai Mara on safari. Depending on the wind, at times the hippo sounds permeated the air, allowing us to hear them when we are inside, even at night in bed with the AC is on.

Last night as we waited for visitors, we overlooked the small pool. This morning Tom scooped a few centipedes out the pool after last night’s torrential rain.

The bird sounds day and night often change minute by minute are many that we’ve never heard before. At night, the mini bush babies living in their houses hanging by our pool, come out making the sweetest sounds, music to our ears. Tom, hard of hearing after 42 years on the railroad, still can hear many of the sounds, relishing in the uniqueness each creature provides.

So, as we anxiously await more visitors, which surely will come to see us in the three months we’ll be in Marloth Park. We’ll treasure every moment, every sound, every singing bird, every chirping frog, the constant hum of the crickets, and of course, the sound of each other’s awe and excitement of sharing in Mother Nature’s wonderland.

P.S. Soon, we’ll post interior house photos as we continue to organize our stuff and clear off the shelves and counters for a less “cluttered’ look.

The wonder in South Africa continues…

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This giraffe didn’t seem to mind be included in the photo with us.  This photo was taken in our neighborhood. Louise explained that the giraffes will soon come to our house.
The warning regarding the monkeys is posted on the refrigerator door.
There’s so much to do here, it’s astounding. With safaris in Kruger Park to be arranged at any time we choose, game walks, bush dinners, trips to other areas, cultural experiences, and more, we’re absorbing the fact that we have three full months to plan and experience those we find most appealing.
For the moment, continuing to be thrilled with the bush around us and getting our equipment and supplies in order, we’re at peace with the decision to stay in this particular private home that has almost everything we need. 
A portion of the dirt road from the main road to our house. We’re isolated, but don’t mind.
With its two large bedrooms with two en suite baths, two living rooms, each on its own floor, and an open kitchen with almost every amenities (Louise is bringing us an electric coffee pot), including Tupperware, quality stainless steel pots and pans, dinnerware, we are more well equipped than we’ve been in a very long time.
This shot from our veranda reminded us of a scene in the movie, Out of Africa. But, this is the real deal, not a movie set in England.
Sleeping in a cool room with the covers over us in itself is an amazing treat. To take advantage of the two bedrooms, Tom and I each picked a bedroom and bath as our own, although we sleep together on the main floor. This way, we were able to unpack in our own chosen room and have the option to clutter our respective bathrooms. I picked the upstairs bedroom with the soaking tub. It was nice not to have to share a small cupboard space with our remaining sparse supply of clothing.
Our new home in the bush, far from the nearest house.  The house has a security system and all windows and doors have steel accordion-type safety gates to keep out any intruders, animals, or human.
Unfortunately, there was no hot water this morning so I opted for the shower in my bathroom, albeit with cold water. As of now, noon, there’s hot water again, which hopefully lasts until Tom shower’s before dinner. 
This large dirt driveway is befitting the property and easy to navigate including wildlife visitors and, human visitors, each of which we’ve had several.
Our new houseman is Zeff. This morning he and Louise appeared at our door at 8:30 so he could clean and, she could see if we needed anything. The price of our rental includes two weekly visits from Zeff, all of our laundry, towels, and changing the linen. If we want him for addition visits, we pay ZAR $50, US $4.90 per visit. We’re tidy and doubt we’ll need additional visits.
The braai is the South African word for a barbeque. This is in our massive yard, only feet from the veranda and the pool.
Having already used one large bottle of water, Louise took to the bottle to be refilled at the local water store, Credence Clear Water Revival, returning it refilled a short time later. The cost of this is included in our rent. 
The service is unbelievable.  Louise is unbelievable.
Another view of our 2 story house.
She brought us a jar of organic coconut oil as yet another welcome gift. Also, she explained how we can save money booking our own events since the company she represents requires they charge an “upcharge” for organizing safaris and tours. Giving us phone numbers of their preferred tour guides, we have begun contacting them on our own.
There are three verandas in this house.  We are free to move any of the outdoor furniture to fit our needs.  This second main floor veranda doesn’t provide as good a view for watching for wildlife, so I doubt we’ll use it.
Last night, Dillon, a suggested local safari guide, stopped by offering (without any prompting from us)  to contact us when he has two open spots for safaris, enabling us to get a discounted price. The last minute is fine for us. By throwing on the BugsAway clothing, hats, socks, and boots, we can be ready in five minutes, camera, and binoculars in tow.  After all, we don’t have much of a schedule to follow. Yet.
Yet to find the name of these birds, we were excited to get this shot of mom or dad feeding a baby. Look at those yellow eyes!
After all of our whining in Kenya about the heat and bugs, we continue to sit outside all day, fearful of missing  “visitors.” However, if we get hot or the bugs are annoying, which are present in abundance, we need only go inside the house to park ourselves in either of our two living rooms, one of which has a TV. We doubt we’ll ever watch it. Yesterday, I suggested that we watch the news. But, Tom said, “Why bother? It’s only frustrating.” I agreed.
Mom or Dad and baby looking out for food sources.  The baby is well protected by her parent. These birds kept flying about, but I waited patiently to get these shots.
Last night, we dined in the house. Tonight, we’ll dine outside paying special attention to never leave food on the table when we go indoors. It’s a necessary precaution with the monkeys we’ve seen watching us.
“I’ve got a bug for you, darling.  Come and get it!”
Our dining out routine begins tomorrow with the hope of dining out three nights per week. There are three restaurants in Marloth Park but a 40 minute drive each way to others. I’ve already begun contacting some of the all-inclusive resorts nearby to see if they’ll allow us to dine at their lodges with their guests. 
By explaining that we’ll post reviews and photos of their properties, the response has been very good. With our worldwide readership, this option for “free advertising” has been a benefit to us, getting some ‘extras,” not expected but none the less appreciated.
Tomorrow, we’ll post more wildlife photos of visitors to our property and photos of the interior of the house. Every day in Marloth Park is a new day. 

Marloth Park…A new home…A different lifestyle…We begin again…

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We were mighty close to be able to get this giraffe headshot. Love it!

Many of the sounds are similar minus the roosters crowing. The air is permeated with a vast array of bird songs we’ve never heard before. The steady hum of crickets and frogs quickly blend into our senses soon leaving us unaware of their constant chatter. 

On occasion, the sounds halt momentarily when they sense a potential predator in the area. We hold our breath, waiting, hoping to see a “visitor.” So far, we’ve had only a few as shown in these photos. We have no doubt that others will follow.

It’s hard to believe that impalas roam among the houses here in Marloth Park.

Our new driver, Okee Dokee (her nickname!), shared much information about the area during the hour and a half drive from the Mpumalanga Airport to the house. We stopped along the drive to buy a SIM card for my unlocked phone so we can make local calls as needed. One wouldn’t want to be in this area without a phone.

We didn’t need to see many wildebeest during the Great Migration. They are here in our neighborhood, hopefully making a personal visit soon. Love the baby!

Also, we checked out the huge grocery store and for the first time in nine months, we saw a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. The shopping area is a 25-minute drive from the house in the small town Komaatiport.

This baby zebra was on the move checking us out, playfully leaping into the air!
We didn’t know that baby zebras have fluffy hair and short bodies until seeing one up close and personal. Too cute!

In the future, Okee Dokee will be our driver for all trips. At some point, we may decide on a rental car. But, at the moment, we’re fine. Louise, the hostess to end all hostesses and property manager, asked me to make a grocery list for everything we’d need for the first week. 

Dad kept a careful watch of the baby’s antics.

I’ve never had anyone do all my grocery shopping. She did a fabulous job. Going through the cupboards, refrigerator and freezer felt like Christmas. Every item was beautifully arranged in the cupboard, things we love all of which were quality products.

Mom didn’t miss a moment of baby’s youthful shenanigans

Louise spent a total of ZAR $2800, US $$274.43, leaving us with enough supplies, household products, and food to get through the week.We paid her back with the cash we’d collected from the ATM at the Johannesburg Airport.

Louise stocked the cupboard with nuts, seasoning, and other foodstuffs that we use. Gosh, I haven’t had use of a plastic container with a lid in almost a year. I’ll be spoiled!

Marloth Park is a game reserve, sandwiched between Kruger National Park to the immediate north of us and Lionspruit, another game reserve. Although the Crocodile River acts as a barrier, it generally prevents the lions (although lions have been seen in Marloth Park on occasion) and elephants from visiting us. 

At the house less than a half-hour, this warthog stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood. He was our first official visitor.

Without a doubt, other wildlife most will wander into this lush vegetation (its almost summer here) seeking food and out of curiosity. It will take time and patience while being camera ready at all times.

We’ve been warned, as we already knew, not to feed the animals, other than the approved nutritional pellets available at the feed store in huge bags. With summer fast approaching the bush has plenty of nourishment for the wildlife, whether they consume vegetation or hunt for their food.

Scroll around this map to see the area is more detail.

Marloth Park was named after a German botanist, Rudolph Marloth. The Aloe (plant) Marlothi was named after him. There are aloe plants all over the yard and in the area. Over time, we’ll learn the various medicinal purposes of the Aloe plant and put some clippings to good use.

At the moment we are on the veranda watching and waiting for visitors. Currently, the temperature is 61F, 11C, with a cooling breeze. The biting flies, mosquitoes, and insects, although in abundance, are much less of an annoyance than they were in Kenya.

Last night, we slept under a lightweight down comforter covered in a fine cotton duvet with the air conditioning on, set at a low setting. It was wonderful, more appreciated than we’d have ever imagined. Ah, the simple things. 

Louise had purchased a MiFi for the house for us which works fairly well with both of us online at the same time. But, Tom was unable to watch the Minnesota Vikings game, even if I was offline. Tomorrow, we’ll purchase SIM cards for our two MiFi’s to see if they will work better. 

Most of South Africa’s citizens speak Afrikaans and English, although there is a total of 11 languages spoken.  The locals seem to have a strong accent comparable to a combination of British, Dutch and Australian. We’re making every effort to learn a few words if we can get Swahili out of our brains, which is not spoken in South Africa.

Although exhausted and bleary-eyed, we didn’t want to miss a photo op.

Are we comfortable? Yes. Do we like the house, the grounds, and the general area? Very much so. 

Tomorrow, we’ll share photos of the interior of the house and soon, we’ll arrange our first safari in Kruger Park.  But, for the moment, we’re content to continue to settle into our new environment as we tune our ears to the unbelievable sounds of the bush all around us.

Last night, we’d accidentally locked ourselves inside the house. All the doors and windows have steel accordion-type security gates to keep the animals out of the house. We’d closed up for the night but found we couldn’t open the doors after shutting them. 

Sending Louise an email, within minutes she and her husband Danie warmly greeting us once again showing us how to unlock the security gates, a tricky process, although the gates appear to be fairly new.

Moments ago, an armed guard from the security company stopped by asking if our power was restored.  Apparently, the power had been out for a few days last week as a result of a severe thunderstorm. Thank goodness it was restored prior to our arrival. 

However, with the power out, the water system didn’t work. When we arrived, the water was a mere trickle.  And, there was no hot water.  By this morning, I was able to soak in a hot tub for the first time in a year. Of all the houses we’ve lived in these past 13 months, not one had a tub until now. In addition, there are two large tiled shower stalls.

The security guard warned us about keeping the house gates locked and not leaving any digital equipment unattended. In recent times, burglars had been visiting houses in the area, stealing laptops and cell phones.  Without our own security guard on the property at all times as we had in Kenya, we’ll be especially careful.

Every location has its pluses and minuses. The hope is that we adapt to the minuses and revel in the pluses. It’s an ongoing process, undoubtedly filled with many surprises, of which living in Africa has in abundance. 

Our minds play tricks on us…Learning to avoid disappointment…

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Thank you, loyal readers, for taking the time to read the relatively mundane storytelling of the process of preparing to leave yet another country. At this point, if we didn’t share this process, our alternative would be to avoid posting for many days with little else to tell.

Nothing pleases us more than sharing photos and accompanying stories that seem to pique the interest of most of our readers. What’s to show or tell when the packing in itself is repetitious and boring?

But, wait! A week from today we’ll be lounging on our new veranda with a tower (see chart below) of giraffes only feet away nipping at the tree tops or a sounder (see chart below) of warthogs getting comfortable for an afternoon nap in the yard or a crossing (see chart below) of zebras staring at us in wonder as they contemplate a drink from the swimming pool.

Animal
A group is called a –
Cobras Quiver
Crocodiles Float
Elephants Herd
Giraffe Tower
Gorillas Band
Leopards Leap
Lions Pride
Rhino Crash
Warthogs Sounder
Zebra Crossing or Herd

Click! Click! Click! Will the camera be smoking’ then or what? 

With much to do to prepare, to hopefully arrive safely in Marloth Park, South Africa next Sunday by late afternoon, as soon as we have an Internet connection, we’ll be posting photos and the story of our arrival. 

If, for some reason you don’t hear from us by then, please be patient. Our flight may have been delayed. We may be delayed at immigration or customs. Who knows what delays may present themselves? We don’t worry about possible delays as long as we arrive safely, hopefully with our luggage.

Of all the places we’ve visited thus far, I can honestly say, I’ve anticipated South Africa the most, mainly based on the opportunity to live in a wildlife reserve, bugs, heat, and all. 

Invariably, when entering the new locations, we’ve discovered some disappointments that the house isn’t exactly as we’d imagine. Human nature. You know how we get a picture in our mind, even with accompanying photos of what something will look and feel like, only to find something different upon arrival. 

This isn’t to imply that the property description was inaccurate or dishonest in any manner. It’s just the fact that our brains play tricks on us, helping us paint of picture of “what we’d like it to be” as opposed to “what it is.”  Moving as often as we have in the past 13 months, we’ve come to accept this fact as simply a part of the process. In a few days, we’ll be settled in, accepting the differences, but oddly never forgetting the image we’d conjured in our minds. I guess this is true in life in every area.

So now, I imagine the plastic “vacuum sealed bags” containing all of our clothing, securely closed in our luggage with zippers working and walking out the door of the house in Diani Beach, Kenya five days from today. 

Carrying with us will be the memories of safari which in this case, were more breathtaking than any vision we may have had in our brains long ago.

Part 1, Departure plan in place..Step by step process..Do we always have to be entertained? Yep!

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Printing a boarding pass and tossing our stuff into our luggage to head out the door for the necessary three hours before takeoff, would be the norm in a perfect world. Traveling the world with everything we own is not perfect and, it isn’t quite that easy.

Others may say, “Oh, just do it! Throw it into the bags and just go already!” 

We get that mentality. We do. It’s not simply that both of us are organizers and planners to the point of obsession. It’s purely stress-avoidance, plain and simple.

One could quickly tire of this lifestyle if the stress was caused by one’s lack of desire or interest in planning ahead. Failure to plan ahead leaves too much to chance. Let’s face it, there are plenty of incidents that transpire that we couldn’t have predicted. We save our resources for those, as opposed to the prospect of dealing with issues we could easily have prevented. 

Luckily, we don’t experience stress in the planning process. We both thrive on it finding peace of mind and comfort as we fine-tune each step of the way.

Thus, we won’t be throwing stuff in our suitcases and hitting the road. And, although we’ve yet to pack, a lot of this preparatory work has already been started or is completed. 

Question for today:  How do we entertain ourselves during the long flights?  (More questions follow tomorrow in Part 2)

For us, a big part of the travel time is spent utilizing our technology to keep us entertained resulting in the time passing more quickly while traveling.

With a three and a half hour layover in Nairobi, Kenya after a short flight from Mombasa, Kenya, we knew we needed to plan Internet access and the battery life of our equipment carefully. 

With no space or desire to carry heavy books, we’ve used the Kindle app on our smartphones for reading (for which we don’t need Internet access once the ebook is downloaded at purchase). 

However, with many hours on the various planes on the trip to South Africa, with no power plugins for passengers in economy (we checked), we needed to plan which devices we’ll be using to occupy us during the many hours in the air and during the layovers. 

My newer (cracked screen) Android phone lasts for 7 hours of reading time. My old Android (on which I have the same books) is easier to read without the broken screen. The points where I left off on each book will sync when I go online on both phones simultaneously and select “sync”. But the old phone only lasts for 5 hours of reading time with less for Tom’s Android. 

The end result will be that Tom will run out of reading time during the layover, leaving no remaining power for reading on the plane while I’ll be able to switch to my other phone. 

As always, we have a backup plan in place. During the long layover in Nairobi, we’ll hopefully find a comfy spot to park ourselves, preferably away from the crowds, and use the MiFi’s (we each have one) and our laptops in order to be online. The MiFi charge, usually lasts for 4 hours.

Our computer batteries will last from three to four hours on each of our identical units. Plus, in checking details for the Nairobi airport, it appears that they have various digital equipment stations where one can plug into recharge. Of course, we’ll have our converters and adapters in our computer bags in case we’re able to recharge.

Hopefully, as we wait at the airport in Nairobi, I’ll be online and writing here describing the renovated state from the recent fire on August 7, 2013, and the activity around us. 

Assuming that all goes well and the flights all depart on time, we’ll have another four and a half hours in the air until we arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa. During this period, we’ll read the ebooks with, hopefully, neither of us running out of battery life. 

At the end of the four and a half hour flight, there is a 16-hour layover in Johannesburg. With no desire to wait for that extended period at the airport, we booked a nearby hotel offering a free shuttle back to the airport for one more flight the next morning to Kruger/Mpumalanga. At this point, all of our equipment will be charged which will be less of an issue on the remaining 45-minute flight.

Whew! Once we arrive at the airport in Mpumalanga, a pre-arranged driver will greet us to take us on the 97 km, 60 miles, 75-minute drive to our awaiting house in Marloth Park. At that point, to heck with our equipment.  We’ll be so busy looking out the window, taking photos when possible, and excited to get to our new home for the next three months, we’ll never give battery life a thought.

That is, not until we arrive

Writing our blog…What it takes…What it does for us…What our readers mean to us…The interesting and the mundane…

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Lizard in the house.

Writing this blog began on March 15, 2012, almost 18 months ago.  You can read the first post by searching the archives on the right side of the page.  This requires about three clicks as you go further back to that date.

As we put “pen to paper” on that date, we had no idea that it would grow beyond the scope of our own sphere of influence; family, friends, and co-workers.  Little did we imagine that we’d have unique visitors worldwide, including such countries as Uzbekistan, Croatia, and Taiwan.

How did they find us?  Most likely it was the keywords we’ve used that you see at the bottom of each post that are the words users enter in search engines, such as Google, Bing, etc.  Suddenly our webpage appears.

For example:  If right now, you go to Google.com and search the word:  “Boveglio, retiree” you’ll find that our blog pops up as the first five entries.  (This changes by the minute, so if it’s not at the top, scroll down and you’ll find it). Type the word “waftage” and you’ll discover the same phenomenon. In essence, in many cases that is how worldwide readers find us or find any site they research.

Another way others find us, is by sending the link, by copying and pasting, www.worldwidewaftage.com to a few friends or to their entire contact list.  Their contact reads the blog once or not and if it appeals to their interests they either sign up to receive an automatic email each time we post (few people seem to do this in fear of being bombarded with other emails, which is not the case) or they bookmark our site and visit it each day or from time to time to read the latest posts at their leisure.

For some, reading the details of the lives of a retired couple that they don’t know, traveling the world for years, is of little interest. Many people don’t travel and have little interest in traveling. That was us only a few short years ago. My, how we’ve changed!

Some readers have asked us how we manage to sit down and write almost every day. Actually, when we have interesting experiences, the words flow easily. When it’s quiet and we’re feeling a need to stay put, it becomes more difficult, similar to the times when we lived in the US when life was fine but not necessarily interesting each day. 

Let’s face it, none of us are interesting all the time. We all have periods where life is comfortable but mundane; enjoyable for us, dull to others. That’s how life is, giving us each the opportunity to experience pleasure with more gusto and passion as the mundane subsides for a period of time.

During quiet times, as these have been by our choice lately, we’ve continued to share those mundane details that we all experience. Some readers, based on our appreciated and continually growing readership, enjoy small details. It reminds us of the small details we tend to share with those in our household:  we visited a store, we went for a walk, we read the mail, we stubbed our toe, all minuscule in the realm of things.

Here in Italy most days, as we sit on the veranda, I write while Tom does research in the background, to hopefully ensure any facts that we share are from reliable sources and as accurate as possible.  At times, we falter in this area. Let’s face it; if we find information online, it’s certainly no guarantee that it’s accurate, even if found at reliable sites. 

How long does it take to write?  Without photos, usually under two hours.  With 12 photos or more, over two hours since photos are time-consuming to insert into the blog.  At times, when we’ve had over 20 photos, we’ve posted over a few days as Part 1 and Part 2.

Do we enjoy posting or does it feel like a “job?” It’s always enjoyable. My fingers literally fly across the keyboard, often with one of those sh_ _ eating grins on my face, difficult to stop.

In reality, we have added advertisers to hopefully defray some of the costs of maintaining this site over the long haul. Clicking on any of our links if you so choose, rewards us in tiny increments, more like small change than in dollars.  The price a reader would pay for any products they purchase through our site is the same price they’d pay going directly to that site on their own.  Readers can still use any coupon codes they’ve otherwise discovered online.

Photos?  We realize that readers love seeing photos and we appreciate this as we observe that readership skyrockets when we do.  Unfortunately, in this remote location, high in the mountains, it is unsafe to walk on the narrow roads (let alone drive) leading in and out of Boveglio. 

Our only photo opportunities while staying put, are any scenes we find appealing in the confines of our immediate neighborhood, some of which we’ve posted more than once.  Normally, we only post newly taken photos rather than those from past posts, although the scenery may be familiar.

What does it mean to us?  There are several layers to this answer.  Knowing that our family members always know where we are and can Skype us at any time, gives us peace of mind.  Knowing that our friends, old and new, can see what we’re “up to” avoids the writing of endless descriptive email messages about our travels when all are described here in detail. 

However, we love hearing from family and friends.  For example, Bruce, a co-worker and friend of Tom’s whom he’s known for over 40 years, sent an email yesterday, suggesting they Skype last night.  Tom couldn’t have been more thrilled when last night, he and Bruce connected on Skype, chatting for some time.  With the time difference of 7 hours, he was calling around 1:00 pm his time in Minnesota, which was 8:00 pm our time in Italy.

Nothing in the world thrills us more than seeing our family and friends on  Skype.  But, if we can’t connect, they can easily find our most recent posts for an update.  For us, the greatest benefit of the Skype call is that we get an opportunity to hear how they are doing while seeing their faces as well.  What a treat!

To look at the stats each day to see how many readers worldwide are visiting our site each day, each month, and collectively is a reward that nothing can describe. Honestly, it adds so much to our experience that I can’t imagine traveling without it. 

Every few days, a reader will post a comment by clicking on the comment link at the bottom of each day’s post.  At times, it is a question. At other times, it’s a suggestion or an observation. At other times, a weirdo makes inappropriate comments. Luckily, we have control over posting comments or deleting them. We see no reason to subject our readers to inappropriate or malicious comments. All others we do post, responding to the posted comments within 24 hours.

For this, we thank each and every reader for taking the time to share this journey with us whether family, friends, acquaintances, the many readers, we’ve met aboard our eight cruises and the thousands of readers worldwide who have stumbled across our site. 

So bear with us folks, the mundane will only continue for a short period and then, in 11 days, we’ll begin the adventure of our lives as we head to Africa, where we’ll live for almost a year, for me, a dream come true. 

Tom’s also excited about Africa as long as I don’t let any warthogs into the house or any zebras visit to watch him take a shower or swim in the pool.  We shall see…

Updates and tidbits…Fun photos!…

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A photo from guests staying at our upcoming rental house in South Africa.  Doing laundry takes on a whole new meaning!

As we write about the nuances of our days, on occasion we may leave a reader wondering what transpired with a particular situation that we may have mentioned in an earlier post.

The rental car: With no further email from Budget, we are assuming they decided to let us keep the car until we return it to Venice on September 1st.

When they agreed to extend the rental agreement (which we have in writing), they billed our credit card on file for the prorated balance through the return date.  Oddly, when they informed us that the car was sold, they reversed the charge of over $1300, yet to charge us for the balance.  There’s no doubt they’ll charge us for the balance once we return the car.

The bees and the fly’s issues: The coins in the Ziploc bags hanging in the doorways have reduced the influx of bees by 95% and the flies by 75%. Unfortunately, a few flies enter each day. For some peculiar reason, they don’t seem to land long enough to kill them. They are vicious, biting me with a frenzy. As a result, I have no less than 10 fly bites at any given time, that take no less than 5 days to stop itching. 

Can you imagine soaking in the tub with these visitors stopping by to say hello?

At 4:00 am this morning, I was awakened by the itching forcing me to take a Tylenol PM to get back to sleep.  Tylenol PM and other over the counter sleep aids, often contain diphenhydramine, an antihistamine that causes drowsiness and stops the itching. Luckily, I fell back to sleep.

It seems most of the bites occur around dinner time, the smell of food drawing them inside. Instead of feasting on the food, they feast on my arms and legs so fast I can’t shoo them away. Tonight, I am going to wear my Bugs Away long pants during and after dinner, hoping to keep the biting at bay.

The weather: For almost two weeks, we had over 90 degree days. Last week, it was 97 degrees, one day with humidity to match. It cools down nicely at night. On two nights we slept without covers, fortunately, not losing much sleep over the heat. 

Now that it’s beginning to cool down, it was so cool last night that I slept in warmer PJs. With the mosquito netting over one of the master bedroom windows, we can sleep without buzzing around our heads, enjoying the cool breeze. As we sit on the veranda while I write this, it’s no more than 68 degrees, wonderfully comfortable.  We’re hoping it continues to stay cool as we prepare to leave Tuscany soon.

Seat assignment for our upcoming flight: A few days ago, I called Turkish Air able to speak in English to a representative. She informed us that arranging seat assignment wasn’t possible until August 26th, a full week before the flight. I’ve never heard of this before. Most likely, we’ll be charged to sit together which we’ll disdainfully pay. 

Upcoming year’s prescription order.  In early July, we ordered all of our upcoming year’s prescriptions. They were to arrive in 6 boxes.  As of this date, only 4 boxes have arrived.  Now it may be too late for them to send them.  I’ve decided to wait until Monday. If they haven’t arrived, I’ll contact the company having them resend the missing boxes (hopefully, at their expense for expedited shipping). 

A box from our mailing service: The chargers for both of our computers will soon die, based on the difficulty we’ve begun to experience. Thus, it made sense before we leave for Africa, to order two new chargers, in the event either or both of them entirely fail. The replacement cost was US $9.95 each with free shipping in the US only. Also, I needed a few cosmetic items I’d be unable to find in Italy. 

We put together an order from Amazon, all with free shipping to be shipped to our mailing service in Nevada.  The chargers, along with my few cosmetic items were all shipped in one small box at a cost of US $50. Of course, they included the few pieces of mail we hadn’t received as yet, most of which we look at online at a cost of $2 per scan. The box arrived in 18 days from the shipping date via USPS international, coming directly to the door here.

Overpayment on credit card: When we saw the charge on the credit card for the prorated balance (as described above) on the rental car, I immediately paid the bill off in full.  Our goal is to keep all of our credit cards at a zero balance in the event of an emergency. When Budget reversed the charge (go figure) a few days later, we ended up with a credit on Master Card. Wouldn’t one assume, they’d just leave it there until additional purchases we made? Oh no! They mailed a check to our mailing service. How inconvenient!

Fortunately, we’d left dozens of envelope and deposit slips with our mailing service before we left Nevada, in the event we received any checks. Contacting our rep at the mailing service by email, I requested they deposit the check. Looking each day to confirm the deposit was made, it finally came through, taking a full week from the date it was mailed for the deposit to show in online banking.  Good to know. 

Staying on top of situations and tasks such as these, however small they may be, is thought-provoking and time-consuming. Luckily, Tom and I both prefer to avoid tasks hanging over our heads, so we strive to be diligent in getting tasks out of the way as quickly and painlessly as possible.

We’d rather save our time and energy over that which we have no control, the surprises, the unexpected. 

Now, I’ll go make a baking soda paste to see if that will help with the itching. I checked today to discover that both houses, in Kenya and in South Africa have screens. Yeah for screens!

It’s 11:25 pm…At this moment we’re cruising through the Strait of Gibraltar…

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Turning off all the lights in our cabin, we’re enthralled as our ship sails through the 13 miles wide channels of the Strait of Gibraltar with Casablanca, Morocco on the starboard side and the Rock of Gibraltar to the port side.

Bright lights are flickering on the African continent as our hearts beat wildly with excitement knowing that on March 1, 2014, a mere 10 months away we’ll be living in Morocco for almost three months after similar periods after living in Kenya and South Africa.

We wish we could take photos but the shore is too far away to get a decent shot at night.Tomorrow, we’ll write again with updates as we sail to Barcelona.

Hopefully, soon, we’ll temper our enthusiasm and get some sleep. In Belize right now, it would have been 3:15 pm. I can’t imagine falling asleep soon!

Sleep well, my friends! .