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.
Day #165 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Living in Kenya, adaption in 2013…

September firsts…Looking back over these past six years of posting on September 1st…

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The day we arrived in Kenya, on September 2, 2013, we were shocked to discover that there was no living room, no salon, no sofa, no chair, nor a dining table and chairs on the interior of the house. In other words, we spent three months living outdoors on this veranda with no screens, venomous insects on the floors, furniture, and walls, and excessive heat and humidity (no AC, no TV). We adapted spending from 7 am to 11 pm outdoors every day for three months, less when we went on safari in the Masai Mara. What a good learning experience this was!  By the time we reached South Africa after leaving Kenya, we had no interest in being indoors in the two air-conditioned living rooms in the Marloth Park house. Again, we spent every day and night outdoors! How quickly us humans can adapt! (To see this post, please click here).

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Most peculiar. This little bird was hanging on to the screen of one of the glass doors.

Yesterday, while we swam and lounged by the pool, prior to the arrival of the afternoon rains we started reminiscing about September firsts, many of which were of particular significance to us in our world travels.

Since we began posting in March 2012, this is our sixth September 1st post which we’re sharing in part with our Readers today after the playful poolside conversation sent our minds spinning over our past experiences.

We love sharing our daily lives with all of you and we also love being able to look back at our lives in words and photos during this many year’s long journey. Tom, who’s memory for dates is amazing, was able to recall exactly what we did each of the past five years after leaving Minnesota in October 2012.

The only September 1st he couldn’t recall was the month before we left as we began to wind down the time until our departure from our old lives to embark on a new life.

The first September 1st post went like this…

“September 1, 2012

Is a good memory needed for travel? How I improved my memory after it started to decline…
Peculiarly, my memory is better now than when it was when I was 20 years old (so I think). When I turned 50, while working at a stressful job, my memory started deteriorating rapidly. I expected to be a mindless blob at 60, let alone, my now almost 65.

I’d find myself wandering around a room, wondering why I was there, forgetting my keys (don’t we all?). On occasion, I’d get into a stranger’s unlocked car in a parking lot that happened to be the same color and model as mine. That scared me. Remember names? Forget about it!  Impossible, at that time.” To continue this post, please click here.
This morning at 6:45 am while watching the news in the screening room, Tom read me the above post in full.  Ironically, when we look back this far, we marvel over how little we’ve really changed in many ways since we began posting so long ago.

And yet, our travels have molded us, refined us, and lightened us by the vastness of the experiences, making us less worried, less fearful and more adventurous than ever.

The following September 1st came quickly when by that point we’d been gone from Minnesota for 10 months, gone from the US for eight months, having left by ship on January 3, 2013, on the exciting cruise through the Panama Canal. Gosh, that seems like so long ago.

The second September 1st post went like this…

“September 1, 2013

I arrived in Venice. Flying away tomorrow morning…

Last night, our last night in Boveglio, there was a wedding at the centuries-old church across the road. The smoke is a result of a short fireworks display set off to celebrate the newlywed couple.

The 4-hour drive to Venice was relatively uneventful although the traffic on the toll road was intense at times, moving fast with crazy driving typical for Italy weaving in and out of lanes with little regard for safety.

Tom is a good driver but his level of patience in traffic is lacking. From time to time, it was a nail biter.  In charge of navigation, my task, itself was daunting. With a severe lack of road signs, driving long distances in Italy is a challenge. During several stretches, we’d driven for miles unsure if we were on the correct road. How we managed to get here without ever taking a wrong turn baffles me.” To continue this post, please click here.

Reviewing the above post, we quickly recalled that the following day we were off on the longest travel day we’ve had to date, 34 hours from airport to airport, Venice Italy to Mombasa Kenya, an exhausting period with lengthy delays and layovers in Istanbul.  We’ll never forget that day and night.
The third September 1st post went like this…
“September 1, 2014

Part 1, A day in Normandy…Profoundly moving experience…

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
Tom has always been the history buff in this family. His knowledge of wars astounds me at times.  Having never taken a particular interest in past wars, other than feeling pride and compassion for our loyal soldiers, I didn’t expect I’d find the 10 hour day exploring Normandy.

Not only did we both find visiting Normandy interesting but, our hearts were embraced by the way France and the US have maintained a peaceful and respectful tribute to our fallen soldiers from World War II.

Of course, we’re anxious to share some of the many photos taken throughout the day. Unfortunately, we just returned from our small group-of-eight-chartered-tour and time is short.” To continue this post, please click here.

Tom had suspected I may not enjoy the Panama Canal, as mentioned above, or visiting Normandy but both of these experiences were enlightening and meaningful to me as you can read in the above post from that September 1st.

The fourth September 1st post went like this…

(In this post, we reminisced about Kenya as we prepared to leave Trinity Beach, Australia for Savusavu, Fiji).

“September 1, 2015

Beauty is subjective…We’ve changed our perspective…

Mid-day sunlight filtering through the trees.
The fifth September 1st post went like this…
Kenya was dark in its mystery, its eerie sounds, dry, dusty plains, and sudden pelting rains. At night, we’d hear a freaky indescribable sound, comparable to the tones from the movie, “Close Encounters of a Third Kind,” a sound that impacted the way we felt about it, a little frightened, a lot in awe.
In many ways, Kenya was far removed from our familiar, as familiar as one can feel traveling the world with the certain ungainly expectations we’ve adopted as we’ve continued. Nothing was the same from that point on. We’ve changed.

We aren’t as afraid. We learned to live outdoors for 16 hours a day with no living room or lounge area inside the house, no screens in our outdoor living room, a spacious veranda with a wide array of nasty insects always in attendance. I was stung on the thigh early on, and a year later, it still hurt when I touched the spot.  We’ve changed.” To continue this post, please click here.

We have never been able to get Africa out of our heads, thoughts that still reverberate today after so much time has passed. It’s hard to believe that in a little more than five months, we’ll return.

“September 1, 2016

Today’s the day, the four or five-hour harrowing drive to Sumbersari…(Please see the year-ago-photo below)

With Butu picking us up at 10:00 am this morning after our included breakfast at the excellent and outrageously affordable Hilton Garden Inn Bali Ngurah Airport with room rates at US $50, IDR 663,300, we had a little time to complete this post, pack a few items and be on our way.

As for the flights from Phuket to Bali, we found comfortable seating at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Singapore for the three-hour layover.  We signed up at the information desk for free Wi-Fi after showing our passports and boarding passes, purchased tea for me and bottle water for Tom and there we were in comfortable seating, writing to our loyal readers.” To continue this post, please click here.

From there it was the four or five-hour harrowing drive, one of the most challenging car rides in these past years, one we’ll never forget and never hope to repeat again, although we loved the villa, the people, and the location.

The sixth September 1st post went like this…

Well, here it is, today’s post the sixth September 1st post we’ve done since we began posting on March 14, 2012 (here’s our first post). I suppose we won’t ever be able to write this same September 1st-type post again or it will seem too much like Groundhog Day. I guess.

Today’s September 1st has as much meaning for us as any other date in our world travels, rich with memorable occasions, even amid the quiet times like yesterday, when we languished in the pool, remembering and remembering.

Fortunately, both of us have retained, if not enhanced, our good memories as we’ve aged over these past years since we wrote that first September 1st post as mentioned above in 2012.  We pray for good health, well being and the ability to remember which will allow us to continue on for many more September firsts and… all the remaining days of the year.
Be well.  Be happy and cherish every memory.
Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2016:
By far, the  Hilton Garden In n Bali Ngurah Airport was the best bargain in a hotel we’ve experienced in our travels, ideal for those needing to be close to the airport. For more details, please click here.

Part 2…An old friend from Africa…Playing with my phone

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Lipstick Palm with a bright red base.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is unreal!  Ulysses “mows” the entire massive yard using this tiny weed wacker. He’s wearing protective gear, including a rubber apron and face mask.  It takes him a whole day to trim all of the grass.

This morning, I wrote an email to Marian asking her to contact Henry for us to explain we need a pick up at a specific time, 9:45 am, to meet the car rental guy at the cafe at Supermercado Coopeatenas to sign for and pick up the first of two rental cars. 

Today, we’re heading to the small town of Curridabat for our 1:00 pm dental appointments at the most prominent dental clinic in this part of Costa Rica, where English is spoken by nine highly regarded dentists. We’ll have our teeth cleaned and a few fillings repaired, one for me, three for Tom. 

Since we’ll be leaving Atenas by 10:30 am, and the appointment isn’t until 1:00 pm, we’ll have plenty of time to stop along the way for photos (roadway providing) and to find the dentist’s office.

Hazy morning view of the valley.

We’ll return this first rental car at Surpermercado Coopeatenas on Saturday. Then following Monday, Henry, the taxi driver, will transport us to San Jose, near the airport, to pick up the second car we’ll keep until we leave on November 22nd. 

Why rent two different cars? It worked out that way when we first booked the dental appointments keeping the car for five days, allowing us time to get out sightseeing a little.

When we stumbled across the excellent rate for our remaining time in Costa Rica, we locked it in when we couldn’t get the great rate if we added the extra week. Go figure. We jumped all over the great rate. Please click here for more details on the pricing, and good luck getting a fantastic rate.

This palm tree’s silver base is flat, not rounded.

As for the continuation of yesterday’s post about our dear friend Anderson, our safari guide in Africa, here we go:

Over these past four years since Anderson was our guide in the Masai Mara, Kenya, at Sanctuary Retreat’s Camp Olonana along the Mara River, he’s stayed on our minds. We all hoped that somehow our paths would cross again. Staying in touch via Facebook chat, occasionally, we said hello and exchanged heartfelt wishes for good health and well-being. 

Once while on a cruise, we heard other passengers talking about him. We politely interrupted and shared how much we all appreciated having him as our guide. His knowledge and skills far surpassed our expectations, especially when he has a magical way of endearing past guests to him forever.

This plant has an interesting leaf pattern.

Once Tom surprised me while we swam in the pool in Bali, with our upcoming return to Africa for my upcoming 70th birthday in February, I messaged Anderson that we’d be returning to Africa in 2018. At that point, it was a long time away, and we weren’t 100% certain of what our plans would be. 

After many discussions between Tom and me over this past year, we decided to see the gorillas in either Rwanda or Uganda, both countries highly regarded for these experiences.

Another variety of Bromeliads.

As it turned out, when Anderson and I chatted on Facebook in the middle of the night when I wasn’t able to sleep, I explained we’re returning to the Kruger Park area of South Africa for our first three months with a plan for several side trips when we’ll need to leave the country for short periods for immigration purposes and to fulfill our dreams of more to see on this great continent.

Anderson explained he is again working for our favorite tented resort company, Sanctuary Retreats, who facilitated our safari and stayed in the Masia Mara in October 2013. It was very pricey but worth every last dollar spent. It was at that time we were assigned Anderson. 

Partial view of the center courtyard at the entrance to the villa.

Now, we discover through our Facebook chat that Anderson is also working for Sanctuary Retreat’s Gorilla Forest Camp in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where gorilla treks of only eight guests are undertaken daily. With Anderson as our guide for yet another life-changing experience, the prospect of this adventure is taken over the top.

Suddenly, the concept of this experience took on an entirely new demeanor. We love the attention-to-detail and adequate care that Sanctuary Retreats provides each of their guests, and coupled with the fact that Anderson will be our guide, it’s over the top.

After three takes off and three landings, we finally arrived to meet our guide, Anderson, who’s lived in the Masai Mara region all of his life. What a guy!  We loved him the moment we met him!  Click here for the post from October 5, 2013.

It was our time in the Maasai Mara that we came up with our frequently used “safari luck” since it was with Anderson, during our first 10 hours on safari, that we saw the “big five” indeed an outrageously fortunate opportunity. 

So here again, “safari luck” prevails, and we get the double whammy; Sanctuary Retreats and, of course, Anderson. We couldn’t be more thrilled.

Soon, we’ll need to book this event since so few guests are allowed to see the gorillas each day due to strict guidelines to protect their wild habitat. We can hardly wait for this experience.

We were both excited to meet Anderson, our safari guide who’s stayed in our minds these past four years, and now, we’ll meet again when he is our guide for the gorilla trek in Uganda.  Click here for the post which included these two photos and MUCH more.

So, now back to the moment on a beautiful day after last night’s major thunderstorm and pouring rains. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until we return to the villa later today after our long drive into the countryside, mountains, and rainforest. 

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with details of our day and, hopefully, lots of great new photos. As I’m sitting here now on the veranda, I can see a huge brown cow across the way mooing up a storm. Maybe I’ll get up and take a photo!

Happy day!Photo from one year ago today, August 21, 2016:

Before entering the grounds of Friendship Beach Waterfront Resort, we asked permission to tour the property to take photos. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1 of 2…An old friend from Africa…Playing with my phone…

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Are these Daffodils?

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Click on our video of a fast-moving weather phenomenon in Atenas.

Playing around with my phone when we have a good Wi-Fi signal keeps me occupied during quiet times of the day and night. There are a few foolish games I play, one of which is a “jelly” thing that cuts me off after about 15 minutes requiring I wait for more opportunities to play or…pay. I don’t pay. I wait, entertaining myself elsewhere in the interim.

Then, of course, there’s email, Facebook, and various news apps I’ll read day or night, keeping me informed of what may actually be embellished, untrue, or blatant out-and-out lies. Oh, I won’t get into that.

Long driveway to a villa in the neighborhood.

A highlight of playing with my phone is at night when I can’t sleep. I attempt to avoid the bright screen facing Tom while he sleeps and stay huddled on the edge of the king-sized bed, facing away from him. It’s during those periods when sleep escapes me, often for a few hours during the night that my phone brings me much solace and entertainment. 

Over these past few years, I stopped worrying about being awake in the middle of the night.  If one studies anthropology and early humans, you’ll discover that millennium ago, humans often were awake in the middle guarding their camp, tending to the fire, and handling the myriad tasks required for basic survival. 

This is referred to as a “first” and “second” sleep. It may not be in our DNA to lay down and sleep for eight hours or more. Information on this topic may be found here at this site and many others.

Villa in the neighborhood.

Knowing this gave me peace of mind in not worrying about being awake at 3:00 am. Of course, the typical working life of citizens in many countries and its subsequent stressful lifestyle may require that they pack in as many hours of sleep as possible in order to manage the upcoming day.

Now, as a somewhat retired person, I rarely need to be concerned with how much consecutive sleep I accrue during the night. Although not much of napper, (neither is Tom) we both, with the same habit of waking up midway through the night, seem to do fine staying awake and alert during the day.

Hibiscus.

Most nights I fall back asleep at some point ending up with about six to seven hours of sleep, all I seem to need, especially when we’re having lazy days at the villa without a huge amount of physical activity. 

Oh, I’m no couch potato. Each day I end up putting thousands of steps on my Fitbit, at times as much as 10,000 only from moving around the villa. This is a huge house and I’ll have 2,000 steps knocked off before 8:00 am from just getting the day started. That’s a good thing.

There must be some type of solar panels on this roof.

Anyway, back to the phone at night…With friends all over the world, it’s not unusual for me to get a message on Facebook during the night. I keep the sound notification off to avoid waking either of us while sleeping. 

But, it’s kind of fun to begin chatting with a distant friend during those wide wake middle-of-the-night stints. I take my contact lenses out at night and need to use reading specs to read anything on the phone during the night. I keep a sturdy pair under my pillow for just such occasions.

Lavender Bougainvillea.

A few nights ago, I found myself chatting in Facebook Messenger with our safari guide, Anderson, with whom we’ve stayed in close touch since we worked with him in 2013. He left an indelible mark on us with the hope that should we return to Kenya, we’d definitely have him work with us again.

As we’ve contemplated future travels and our return to Africa we came to the conclusion that we won’t be returning to Kenya. We have other plans for Africa when we return in a mere six months. As a matter of fact, six months from today will be my 70th birthday which we plan to celebrate with our many friends in Marloth Park, South Africa.

Pretty little purple flowers.

The date is set for my party at Jabula Lodge in Marloth on February 20, 2018, and many of our wonderful South African friends already have it on their calendars. Thank you to my dear husband for offering me this extraordinary 70th birthday gift, a return to my favorite place in the world. 

I can’t wait to dine on Peri-Peri Chicken Livers at Jabula’s fabulous restaurant and spend time with owners Dawn and Leon with whom we became great friends. It was at this very location that we met and became friends with so many amazing people who taught us the ways of life in the bush. To see their faces in person, once again, is  truly a treat we look forward to with considerable enthusiasm.

These orange flowers were often seen in Hawaii. My friend Colleen who lived in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands for decades, wrote and explained that this flower is an Ixora. Such an unusual flower and name. Thanks, Colleen!

Tomorrow, before we head out to pick up the first rental car, we’ll complete this story, particularly as to how it relates to our dear old friend Anderson, our guide in the Masai Mara, Kenya, and how and if we’ll meet again.

May your day be fulfilling and pleasant. Ours certainly will be. We’re sitting here on the veranda now listening to one noisy cow or bull obviously suffering some degree of discontent or another. Along with all the sounds of the birds singing, the roosters crowing and the water bubbling in the pool, it’s all music to our ears.

Photo from one year ago today, August 20, 2016:

Colorful shrine in front of a private villa in our area in Phuket Thailand. For more photos and our story of how I dropped my phone in the toilet and the end result, please click here.

Swoon worthy photo from friends…Yesterday’s stop at Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia….

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Two newly born bush babies peering out at the world awaiting them In Marloth Park, South Africa. This photo was taken by friend Mick Dryden (wife, Lynne), both extraordinary photographers and birders. We hope to see them next February when we return to Marloth Park.

Yesterday on Facebook, Lynne and Mick, friends from South Africa, posted today’s main photo and the photo below, both of which sent us swooning.  I couldn’t take my eyes off these exceptional sightings and subsequent photos taken in the yard of their home in the bush in Marloth Park, where we’ll be living next February for my birthday and for months to come. 

As the time nears for the upcoming Antarctica cruise in a mere 10 months with the return to Africa thereafter, our enthusiasm is over the moon. However, we easily find ourselves living in the moment, embracing that which surrounds us at any given time.

Two more little bush babies were photographed by friend Mick in Marloth Park, South Africa. Thanks to wife Lynne for sharing these on Facebook and allowing us to post them.

As we continue to build our repertoire of worldwide experiences, we’ve learned to pick and choose what appeals to us the most. Since our site here is less of a “tourist travel log” and more of a “world travel journal,” we feel confident that our preferred experiences enrich us and hopefully for our readers.

Church on the Hill in Lifou.

The social aspect of cruising is the most appealing to us since we’re often isolated from many social interactions in some locations we’ve visited. For example, most recently in Tasmania, the little oceanfront town of Penguin met all of our needs for socialization.

Thanks to our landlord and new friend Terry, who diligently orchestrated many social events on our behalf, the experience proved to be rich in local culture and people, one we’ll never forget. 

Pier in Lifou where the ship’s tenders docked to unload passengers anxious to get to the beach.

During the second half of our three-month stint in Tasmania, in the lovely holiday home on the Huon River in the Huon Valley, we were a little more isolated during that period, especially since I wasn’t quite up to par during the six weeks in this gorgeous area of Tasmania. 

Aboard the Celebrity Solstice, and on other ships, we become entrenched in socialization well beyond our expectations. If it quiet for longer than we’d prefer, all we need to do is to head to a meal in the buffet, main dining, or one of several busy bars or lounges. 

Lifou is a popular island for snorkeling and swimming with its crystal blue waters and white sand beaches.

There, we discover other passengers anxious to interact, and lively and animated conversation ensues from the first moment we all introduce ourselves. There’s been few, if any, exceptions to this scenario as night after night, we’re thoroughly entertained and delighted by the people we meet.

Usually, when dinner ends, and we finally go our separate ways, Tom and I head to the Ensemble Lounge, where there’s live music, a long friendly bar, an easy spot to meet even more people. 

Beautiful scenery along the shoreline.

Often, we become equally engrossed in chatting with one another, possessing a degree of pleasure comparable to our early dating days when we couldn’t get enough of each other. 

That magical element has remained with us as we’ve traveled the world, although we’re together 24/7, year after year. There’s no pool table on this ship, but we’re easily able to experience exceptional evenings, dancing, chatting with one another and other passengers, and; wandering throughout the ship.

Native Church Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.

Tonight, if we can manage a short nap today, we’ll head to the “silent disco,” an event we’ll share in our next post.  We stayed up late last night, and both of us had trouble falling asleep. As a result, we’re both a bit sluggish.

Currently, on the last day of two full weeks of antibiotics and PPIs, I’m feeling better with a few modifications; small meals and consuming liquids slowly over a period of time. However, in a month, I’ll have to be retested for the bacteria we’ll arrange while in Sydney.

Small boats owned by locals.

As for the remainder of today’s photos, they’re from yesterday’s port of call in Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Here’s a little information on Lifou, but more may be found online at this site and others;

“Ten thousand people live on Lifou, and the island is divided into three customary districts: Wetr, Lösi, and Gaïça. Traditions and customs are very much alive here. Celebrations and daily tasks (such as hut construction or agriculture) are permeated by tradition. Wé is the administrative center of the Loyalty Islands as it is the biggest tribal village. Located by gorgeous Chateaubriand Bay, Wé counts the island’s main commercial and administrative facilities. 
 
Lifou was officially discovered (and mapped out) by Dumont d’Urville in 1827. Rapidly, Catholic and Protestant missionaries flocked to the island. They fought to convert local populations, thereby echoing the more prosaic competition between the British Empire and France.”

The town is quiet and peaceful, with locals dedicated to providing positive tourist experiences.

As for the remainder of today, we’re content to “see what transpires” when each day, planned or not, proves to be filled with wonderful surprises.

May your day bring you many happy surprises! Thanks for “visiting” us!

Photo from one year ago today, March 6, 2016:

A few roses remained in Trish and Neil’s garden a year ago as summer comes to an end in New Zealand. For more photos with subjects we consider beautiful, please click here.

Beauty is all around us…Past and present photos…Big and “small things”…

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A few roses remain in Trish and Neil’s garden as summer comes to an end.

As we continued on our travels throughout the world we found one commonality is each location…beauty is all around us. We need only stop long enough to spot it.

Strawberries growing in their garden, well protected from birds in the enclosure.

The idiom, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” holds true. We each have our own unique perception of what we discover as beauty. For us, in our constant search for “the interesting” with the intent of sharing it with our worldwide readers, we find that which may be of interest, to possess a beauty of its own design.

Whether it’s an interesting insect, a blooming flower, an animal’s face, or form in the wild we often take a photo in nature we find most appealing. No doubt, many of our readers have no interest in many of the subjects of our photos or for that matter, what we’ve found to be beautiful. 

Here on the grounds, we noticed these flowers we’d also seen at the Pukeiti Gardens at Mount Taranaki.

Many are more interested in photos of familiar points of interest they’ve already seen in photos, online or in their own travels:  a historic building, a popular tourist attraction, a public venue, or familiar work of art. 

Were one to go back through our 1,313 previous posts, many such photos are contained therein.  From our photos in past posts, as shown below in the photo of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain in May 2013 to the Venus de Milo statue at Le Louvre in the August 2014, we’ve seen so much.

Venus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch, also known as Aphrodite of Milos. It was amazing there was a momentary break in the number of onlookers when 100’s had been crowded around this famous statue also trying to take photos.

Over the next two to six months we’ll be visiting and/or staying in such countries as Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Bali when we’ll be taking photos of familiar and significant works of art, historical buildings, and endless points of interest and beauty that may appeal to a wide faction of our readers who prefer to see more than nature shots.

Sagrada Familia, the famous church in Barcelona that has been under construction for over 100 years.

For us, there’s a tremendous amount of enthusiasm as we anticipate these exciting countries we’ll soon visit.  The prospect of taking and sharing photos along the way, only adds to the excitement.

Sure, we spend a tremendous amount of time in quiet, remote locations constantly on the lookout for even “the small things” we’ve found unique and perhaps interesting to many of our readers as shown in this post and photo below.

This was our first photo of the dung beetle in action. The female often sits atop the ball of dung while the male moves it along using his back legs while his front legs grasp the ground for stability. The female lays eggs in the ball so she tags along as he rolls the ball, as they search for an adequate hole in which to bury the ball. The ball is used as sustenance for both of them as well as for the maturing larvae.

Whether it’s a small thing, a historic location, or an environment such as here on the alpaca farm in New Zealand, we expanded our personal horizons, perceptions, and expectations of that which is truly beautiful as we wrap our arms and minds around that which is located in our close proximity at any given moment.

We’ve never known the name of this dark-colored bloom although we’ve seen them in a number of countries. Any comments?

It is through this window we peer out at the world often from the lens of our camera to capture the beauty we find in our path. This, dear readers, is what brings us this infinite sense of joy and belonging.

Tomorrow on our 21st wedding anniversary (based on the date in this part of the world) we’ll be back with more on a unique, although “small” point of interest we discovered last week when we toured the quaint town of Opunake that, in our perception, we found to be “beautiful.”

Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 6, 2015:

Partway down this steep trail in Kauai, we spotted this view on the steep path down the cliff Hideaway’s Beach. For more photos from that date, please click here.

What a night!…Storm over Taranaki!…

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The gardens are creatively designed with colorful groupings.

When the heavy glass and metal patio table and chairs had flipped during the night from the high winds and the house was literally shaking, we knew we were in the midst of a huge storm.

Thinking about the alpacas, especially the little crias during the night, I worried if they could blow away. When looking outside this morning as the sky attempts to clear, everyone looks fine.

Its interesting to see the blue flowers.

Soon, I’ll walk down the road for a head count for the herd that is located in a nearby paddock having been moved to “greener pastures” a few days ago. I think it would be hard for me to be the owner of such a herd. I’d always want to put them indoors in storms requiring a huge barn with bales of their favorite hay and water.

Colorful mix of rhododendron.

I guess I’ll never need to be concerned about that. We hardly have a desire to settle down to own a farm or any house for that matter. Often, we’re asked if we’re looking for a place to eventually “settle down.” Who needs to settle down? Not us.

When we first began our travels, we had a romantic notion that somewhere along the way, we find a location that would make us realize we’d want to stop and make a home of our own again. 

Many of the walkways in the Pukeiti Gardens are easy to navigate.

As time marches on, now well into our 40th month since leaving Minnesota, we’ve never felt the urge to contemplate a “permanent” home anywhere.  Sure, I’d like to return to Marloth Park for another 90 day stay at some point which may happen in the distant future on another trip to Africa. 

Bluish purple rhododendron.

For now, we have lots of world to see with absolutely no desire to stay anywhere for longer than 90 days.  Upcoming, we have two 60 day stints in Bali with a 60 day gap in between (due to visa status) more from the excitement we felt for the yet-to-be seen property. 

With a map in hand and clearly marked areas, it was easy to find our way in the gardens.

Looking back at that decision, we ended up choosing the two separate stays based on reasons we may need to rethink in the future, anticipating a property to be so irresistible that we need to stay longer. 

We spotted only a few other tourists.

As much as we loved the four months we spent in Kauai, we’ve decided all bookings beyond our current commitments (we’re currently booked to October 31, 2017, the five year anniversary of our world travels) may not exceed 60 days. Soon, we’ll begin booking beyond that date.

A few paths are grassy.

The exception to this would be when we need time to “recover” from a huge expense, such as the cost of the cruise to Antarctica (which we’ll be booking as soon as new postings are listed) and can find an extremely affordable and appealing location such as this alpaca farm where 90 day stay may make sense. 

Pods on an unusual plant with fern backdrop.

I love it when I’m disappointed to be leaving a property and a country, such as in the case of South Africa and now, here in New Zealand. I’ve avoided figuring out how many days we have left here, when every single day is a gift, not only in our daily lives in general but when we’re living in a place that brings us such simple joys and happiness.

Most likely these are Maori translations on this stone tribute.

Each day we’re entertained by the precious animals and we appreciate the comforts and quality of this house and location making daily life relatively easy, a far cry from the four months we spent in Fiji. 

A pretty orchid.

Overall, we had a good experience in Fiji but there were definitely some challenges that made daily life much harder than it is here. This house, with its comfortable bed, a TV, working WiFi no power outages to date, no ants and mosquitos (only sandflies which repellent keeps away) and many modern conveniences have made living easy. Its usually cool here with low humidity, especially now as the summer begins to wind down.

Many area don’t have blooming flowers although beautiful with the diverse greenery.

Bali will present many challenges of its own, comparable to Fiji such as heat and humidity, mosquitoes and ants. The difference will be onsite daily household help to assist with the ants and air conditioning, TV and tons of room in a huge house with the ocean and a pool a step outside the door. 

Another pretty orchid, we’d posted with a bee in yesterday’s post.

Speaking of TV, we currently have no satellite service as of yesterday afternoon when a SKY TV guy came to change out the “box” being replaced by a more updated version. He couldn’t figure out how to install it and we were left with no TV service until hopefully, someone comes soon to fix it today, as promised.

These tall stalks are eye catching.

I’ll admit…we like having a TV for those days and nights when its rained hard and we’re staying indoors. We’re avid Nat Geo, Discovery, History Channel and news junkies especially now with all this US political news keeping us informed, as best as biased news channels are capable of presenting. (No political opinions discussed here). 

Another simple tall stalk.

Also, we love the local New Zealand news with their playful banter, humorous expressions and not necessarily PC comments. With few dreadful murders and riot stories, the majority of the news in New Zealand is light hearted and refreshing. 

A variety of small orchids?

Of course, there’s always the sad, heart wrenching stories when the newscasters put aside their good humor to become sensitive and emotional when sharing those stories. We’ve found the “kiwis” (which they call themselves) as open and loving people.

We’ve come to the conclusion that having a TV helps keep us informed and entertained at times that has now jumped to our list of criteria in future booking. In additions, its important for us to know what happening in other parts of the world which may impact future decisions on where we’ll travel.

Low lying flower beds.

We certainly can watch news online but with costly metered wifi it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have to “pay” for news when most news stations throughout the world can provide us with what we need to know about world and local affairs. 

That’s it for today, folks. Enjoy the remaining photos from Pukeiti Gardens and Rainforest and have an excellent day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 18, 2015:

The rich colors of the rocky cliffs in Kauai. A year ago, we headed out on a mini vacation/holiday to another part of the island of Kauai to spend a night at a hotel for my upcoming birthday on the 20th.  For more details, please click here.