Merry Christmas, everyone…We’re off to a party starting at 11:30 am…

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Broken Horn stopped by this morning to wish us a Merry Christmas. We tossed him some pellets, and he was happy!

At the moment two prime ribs are cooking in the oven. We’re taking one of the roasts, sliced, to the party, starting at 11:30 am, and keeping the other for us for a late dinner tonight. South Africans like to start their holiday parties early in the day, often ending by usual dinnertime.

We also made a big salad with pecans, avocado, and lots of fresh veggies, leaving a portion for us to enjoy tonight with our prime rib. Most likely, we’ll be back home long before dark and we’ll celebrate Christmas further by having the prime rib and salad, followed by the special desserts I made for each of us in the past few days.

Last night for the first time in a few years, I had a piece of the low-carb coffee cake I made yesterday and savored every bite. I was reminded of how rare it is for me to eat a dessert and how much I enjoyed the sweetness. I posted the recipe in yesterday’s post here. If you decide to make this low-carb cake, you won’t be disappointed, even if you don’t usually eat a keto-type diet.

Soon, I have to get dressed for the party. It is a dressy-themed party but I don’t have any such clothes, so we will both dress as we always do when we go out to dinner.

May you and your loved one have a blessed holiday filled with love, good food, and merriment. Thank you for sharing this past year with us.

Much love to all.

Photo from one year ago today, December 25, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India on day #275. Last year, I left our floor and headed downstairs to the hotel lobby to take this photo. For more from this post, please click here.

Merry Christmas Eve to all of our readers/friends and family…Tom’s fun birthday evening…

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It’s Christmas again, the 10th Christmas since we left for our world journey. It’s hard for us to believe it’s been so long. When we think about how much time we’ve spent held back due to the pandemic, which will be two years in March, it’s an entirely different picture.

While listening to a popular cruising podcast, Cruise News, this morning, we were disheartened by the number of cruises that are either canceling or returning to the embarkation port due to rising cases of the virus aboard the ship. Many countries are forbidding cruise ships from stopping at a planned port of call when officials don’t want to risk more cases being brought into their countries. I don’t blame them.

With ports of call rapidly canceling, cruising may easily take another nose-dive. Yesterday, we got a notice from Costco that the final payment for our April 8th transatlantic cruise will be debited to our credit card tomorrow, Christmas Day. Is it likely this cruise will sail in a little over three months? I’m not so sure.

However, today is Christmas Eve, and our thoughts need to go elsewhere, focusing on the many blessings we have before us and have had over the many years of our world journey. Sure, we have had some challenges, some of which we would have had regardless of where we lived or if we’d traveled or not. They include the loss of loved ones, illness, and ten months in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, along with myriad unexpected events that left us reeling for a few minutes as we decided what to do next.

In each case, we figured it all out and never gave up. When faced with life-changing challenges, this is just like you when faced with life-changing challenges…you figure it out. We are not unique in that way. As the holiday season is upon us, we’re reminded of how fortunate we’ve been in so many ways.  This season, this year, and always, we celebrate that good fortune and pray for a new world for all of us.

None of us are exempt from experiencing the effect of the past few years in one way or another. Many have suffered dearly from the loss of loved ones, severe illness, and loss of financial security. The pandemic has taken a toll on the lives of citizens worldwide, and it’s not over yet.

Last night, we had a fantastic evening at Jabula. Our dear friends and owners at our favorite restaurant had decorated the bar with balloons, a birthday sign for Tom, and put a reserved sign at our favorite seats at the bar. Tom couldn’t have appreciated it more. Of course, the conversations at the bar flowed with ease with plenty of laughter, teasing, and holiday spirit.

Tom wanted to eat at the bar rather than take a table on the veranda, and we never missed a beat as locals came and went, celebrating along with us. By 8:00 pm, 2000 hrs, we headed home. Tom was looking forward to his cake. He let his dinner settle for a while we watched a few shows on my laptop, and then he dug in.

Unfortunately, and much to my disappointment, the cake wasn’t as moist as it could have been. But, Tom, the sugar enthusiast, savored every bite and had a second helping this morning with his coffee. Surely tonight after dinner, he’ll have another.

As a special treat for Christmas, this morning, I made myself a low-carb almond flour cinnamon coffee cake, making a second cake to bring to Louise and Danie this afternoon, who also eat like me. Although the recipe didn’t originate from my efforts, this cake is a favorite of mine. Knowing how good this is, here is the recipe for those who prefer to eat a low carb/keto diet from this site:

“ROBIN’S COFFEE CAKE
1/2 cup butter, softened slightly
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs, room temperature
6 1/2 ounces almond flour, 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter, cream cheese, Splenda, and extracts. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix the almond flour and baking powder. Add to the egg mixture gradually. Pour into a greased 9″ round cake pan. Mix the topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over the cake batter. Bake at 350º 45-50 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the cake is firm to the touch.

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup almond flour, 2 ounces
1/4 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, softened just until pliable

Makes 12 servings
Can be frozen

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 286 Calories; 26g Fat; 8g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 276 Calories; 26g Fat; 8g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

May all of you who celebrate have a fantastic Christmas holiday. Those celebrating Chanukah, Kwanza, or any other seasonal holidays, may you also have a wonderful holiday season.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #274. For more, please click here.

Happy birthday to my dear husband Tom…German Chocolate Cake making day!!!…

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Happy birthday, Lover! That’s my guy, always with a heartwarming grin on his face, even in the pelting rain. Gosh, we love this life!  I took this photo in the rain when we found an overhang on the sidewalk on George St. in Sydney in January 2016.

It’s 9:30 am, on Tom’s 69th birthday, December 23, 2021. It’s hot and humid, and I am taking a break in the air-conditioned bedroom while #2 of 3 layers of his German Chocolate birthday cake is baking in the oven. I can only bake one layer at a time since the oven is too small for two at a time. The kitchen is like a sweat lodge in the Kalahari desert, and I needed a reprieve to cool down.

I set the timer on my Fitbit to 35 minutes, the time it takes to bake a layer. The first layer popped out of the pan perfectly, and I’m hoping the same happens for the remaining two layers. All ingredients come in metric measurements while the recipe is in imperial measurements. I always struggle a little with the conversions, especially when some of my measuring cups and spoons are also metric. After all, we’re living in another country. It’s not like the US here.

It’s the only material gift I could give him on his special day. I didn’t even buy him a card. The only birthday card he’ll get today is one left behind for him by dear friends Kathy and Don (now in Hawaii), which he opened this morning with more of that sh_ _ eating grin on his face. I couldn’t help but smile.

Today will be like any other day. Once I’ve frosted the gooey pecan coconut frosting on the three layers of cake, I’ll take a reprieve once again and finish today’s post. If the cake looks reasonably acceptable, I will take a photo and post it here today. If he says it tastes good after he eats a piece when we return from dinner and drinks at Jabula tonight, I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.

Don’t laugh! It’s not perfect! When I frosted the first bottom layer, it appeared I didn’t have enough frosting for all three layers. So I went a little light on the first one, resulting in none showing in this photo. As it turned out, I did have enough frosting and ended up putting too much on the top layer. My bad. I am sure it will taste good and Tom won’t mind a bit.

Oh, I could so easily go into accolades about my husband on his special day, but most of you, especially our long-term readers, have heard it all before. Long ago, when reading another world traveler’s blog, I read a comment from one of their readers who whined about how she was always saying nice things about her husband, who has since passed away. I’m sure she has no regrets about the kind words she wrote about him.

Then again, it certainly takes unique qualities in individuals and couples to travel the world for years. It’s not an easy way of life, regardless of how exciting and romantic it may sound. My contributions to this union are unceremonious. I don’t complain, fight, stay cheerful, take photos, and do these posts daily.

Tom, on the other hand, has a multitude of fantastic qualities. (OK. Humor me. I couldn’t resist). At the top of the list is his uncanny ability to remain optimistic in the most challenging times and his unwavering commitment to consistently contributing to our day-to-day lives. Next is his magical way of making me feel special every day through loving gestures, compliments, and his playful nature (dare I say sexy?). What more could a girl ask?

Much to my disdain, I sometimes don’t feel well or suffer from some unanticipated malady, let alone open-heart surgery almost three years ago. His contribution, care, and loving nature remain steady, if not escalating, during these difficult times. He never complains during those periods or reminds me of them later. Sure, from time to time, he fluffs his feathers, but I simply let it pass without issue, and moments later, he’s cheerful again, teasing me, smiling and laughing.

The three layers of cake are cooling on the kitchen counter. They all came out of the pan nicely. Now it’s time to make the coconut pecan frosting on the stovetop and then frost the layers. Hopefully, in this heat and humidity, it will turn out well. If not beautiful, I am convinced it will taste good.

Yes, today is a special day for Tom, and it’s also a special day for me. What more can I do to show him how much I love and appreciate him? I am sure I’ll think of something.

Photo from one year ago today, December 23, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #273. In this photo, taken at Aamazing River View in November 2018, on Saturday night with friends, I cut off the top of his “tall” fluffy hair but I like this photo of my guy, Tom. For more photos, please click here.

The lion situation grows more worrisome for holidaymakers…Warnings are escalating…

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Lori and Barbara (Shark Tank) scrounged for a few stray pellets.

The lion situation in Marloth Park is no small matter. The rangers cannot dart them to return them to Kruger National Park. Based on the abundance of wildlife in this relatively small area, compared to the size of Kruger, the lions don’t seem to be motivated to return to their home territory.; Are they making Marloth Park their new home? It’s entirely possible.

Thirty years ago, when there was no fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park, elephants, lions, and perhaps rhinos roamed the dirt road here, long before the park was developed as it is now. The more popular Marloth Park became to tourists, houses, resorts, and lodges were built, along with restaurants, shops, and supply stores.

A young kudu already knows “look” and wants some pellets.

Although Marloth Park still has a small-town persona, more and more building is taking place, leaving less and less of the habitat needed by its wildlife. Eventually, if the building of new properties continues at its current pace, in ten years, Marloth Park may lose its appeal when there isn’t enough sustainable vegetation for the diet of the wildlife.

A few carnivore species live in Marloth Park, including leopards, snakes, crocodiles, lizards, insects, mongoose, genet, and more. Over the past decade, few lions have been sighted within the park’s perimeter. The exact number unknown is this current situation with several lions living in the park.

Last night we noticed this post on Facebook, another update and warning regarding the lions. Now, there are even more warnings. The lions have been sighted during daylight hours when they’ve failed on a few nighttime kills. They are starving. Humans can be a ready target if found walking, biking, jogging, and playing outdoors during the day, let alone at night during curfew periods.

Siegfried and Roy, bathing young pigs.

All of us who adhere to these precautions are fearful that we will hear that a careless holidaymaker or their child has been injured or killed by a lion. That would be a pointless loss of life for the humans as well as the lions who’d be euthanized if found.

Plus, such an incident would change the nature of this beautiful conservancy from the blissful observance of nature at its finest to one of trepidation and fear. Also, the economic impact would be devastating if tourists decided to go elsewhere. It’s been tough enough for holiday rental owners, shop owners, and restaurant owners during this past almost two years from Covid-19. Why make this scenario even worse?

This is the mom with the nicely shaped tusks and three babies.

I write this hoping that holidaymakers may read our posts and heed these warnings. We’ve seen children playing outdoors, unsupervised when we have been out and about in the past week. along with joggers and bikers on leisurely rides through the areas of concern.

Specific roads are mentioned where the lions were spotted, But I won’t say those roads here, giving tourists a false sense of security if staying outside those areas. The lions, especially if hungry enough, will freely move beyond the areas where they’ve been spotted.

Here are the appropriate people to contact if you’ve seen the lions. It’s best to call right away upon spotting them before they have a chance to move on. Do not get out of your car. If you haven’t heeded the warnings and are on foot or biking, do not approach the lions or make lion sounds. Immediately and quietly leave the area and seek shelter, calling resources listed below once you are safe.

Contact the following:

Rangers 082 802 5894

CPF/ Nadine 082 672 4545 Gerrie Camacho 082 353 9097,

Ernst Röhm /MTPA 083 626 6309,
April Lukhele: 082 807 1057. Jan Koekemoer 0630537601.
Thanks, everyone, for heeding these warnings. Signing up for the many Marloth Park groups on Facebook can be helpful for updates almost daily.
Be safe. Be well. Merry Christmas.

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #274. Several castles are located in or near the man-made lakes in Udaipur, India. For more photos, please click here.

Summer solstice today in the Southern Hemisphere..Again, we made a decision about our visas expiring in a month…

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Impala with an oxpecker in Kruger National Park.

This morning, when checking the news for any relevant topics to share today, other than the news-hogging Omicron variant, I stumbled across several articles about today being the official start date for summer in South Africa. It was nice to see headlines about something other than Covid-19, which is monopolizing headlines worldwide.

Impalas on the side of the road as we passed.

To stay on top of things, I read several news reports from worldwide sources. I tend to particularly like news from the UK and South Africa, both of which seem to be most relevant to us during our time in this country. The UK media tends to report on activities in South Africa, especially now when many tourists from the UK often visit SA during the holiday season. Of course, travel has been dramatically tempered since the onset of Omicron, which is raging in the UK right now.

Also, at this time, we’re paying particular attention to news directly out of South Africa to see if President Ramphosa will extend visas for foreign nationals, which will directly impact us.

Baby impala, perhap only days old.

However, at this time, to be safe with our visas expiring in a little over a month, we had decided to use the services of the law firm in Cape Town that we used to obtain a waiver after we were banned from the country for five years when we overstayed by 90 days when I had emergency open-heart surgery.

The law firm did an excellent job for us when we contracted their services in May 2019 while we were in Ireland, and they could handle everything remotely. We feel confident using them again. As a matter of fact, Gerhardt and Rita used this same firm with our recommendation when they applied for their four-year retirement visa while in the US.

Zebras near the Verhami Dam.

We considered applying for the South Africa four-year retirement visa but doing so requires an extended stay in the US which didn’t work for us. Foreign nationals cannot apply for an extended visa while in South Africa. Subsequently, in the past few days, we decided to go ahead and apply for a 90-day extension with the law firm, which will take us to the end of March (and beyond until April 23, if need be).

Why pay for a law firm to assist us? Right now, the immigration department is so backlogged with applications, we will get a faster result if we use a law firm.

Zebras seeking shelter from the sun under a bush,

At this point, we still don’t know if our booked transatlantic cruise to the UK will sail on April 8th. The final payment will be taken from our credit card online at Costco on Christmas Day. We were hoping that Celebrity Cruise Line would do so before the final payment is due if they ended up canceling the cruise.

However, many cruise lines require full payment on the original final payment due date, even if they intend to cancel the cruise in a few months due to the pandemic. This provides them the free use of our money for many months while we end up having to wait for a refund for months after they cancel the cruise. It can take three to four months to get a refund after the cruise is canceled. It’s the nature of the beast.

A newborn wildebeest suckling.

Based on what’s happening in the UK right now with the Omicron wildfire of cases, we’re expecting the cruise will be canceled. Based on stats from the website Worldometer, yesterday, the UK, with a population of 68,409,000, had 91,743 new cases. For comparison’s sake, the US had 143,530 new cases, also yesterday, with a population of 333,850,090, which continues to have the highest numbers of cases and deaths worldwide.

Yes, I know these numbers can easily be skewed. After all, humans are entering the information. Does a person who goes to the hospital with a fatal heart attack become a Covid statistic when they also happen to have Covid-19 at the time of death? Sure, there’s plenty of this going on, especially when many countries provide hospital remuneration when patients die from the virus.

Wildebeests resting near Verhami Dam.

But, we have nothing else to go on, and perhaps these stats serve as a guide to what’s happening throughout the world. I can only imagine how many cases aren’t reported in most parts of the world. Not everyone who gets Covid019 gets tested or goes to a medical facility for treatment. It’s not foolhardy to speculate that more than half, if not more, of the cases, go unreported.

We live in precarious times. We can’t anticipate what the future holds, even based on daily living. All we can do now is continue to strive toward good health, fulfilling relationships with family and friends, kindness to others and our world, and fiscal responsibility to the best of our ability.

May this holiday season remind us of our blessings and those areas of life for which we can be grateful.

Photo from one year ago today, December 21, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #263. In December 2019, we were preparing to enter the stadium for the Las Vegas Golden Knights game with my son Richard. Thanks, Richard, it was an enjoyable night! Here‘s the post from that night. For more photos, please click here.

Hello, Monday morning…Tom’s birthday week and Christmas…

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The elephant on the left is resting his trunk on his tusk.  

Tom’s birthday couldn’t be at a more inconvenient time. In this life, it’s less of an issue that his birthday is on December 23. We don’t have a lot going on right now. However, in our old lives, it wasn’t easy to figure out how to celebrate his birthday with anyone other than ourselves when everyone was so busy getting ready for Christmas.

Two giant elephants in Kruger National Park.

In the early years, when our adult kids were younger and didn’t have families of their own, they’d join us for his birthday celebration, whether it was out to dinner or a full-blown party. Over the years, as their families grew along with work responsibilities, it wasn’t always possible for them to join us on the day of his birthday, so close to Christmas.

This could be a mom and two calves from different birthing seasons or other scenarios.

Ironically, out of five houses on our peninsula, the men in every other house also had a birthday on December 23, our dear friends and neighbors Doug and Chip, and then, of course, Tom. Doug and Jamie have a large family, so we couldn’t celebrate with him.

A mom and baby were moving along in the bush.

For many years we celebrated with Chip and Sue, who over the years, we’d become very close. Our dear Chip passed away shortly before we left for our travels in 2012, but surely we’ll send Doug a birthday greeting as we’ve done each year since we’ve been gone. There are many great memories of those days.

Elephants don’t hesitate to be close to one another.

In Marloth Park, South Africa, we have celebrated three of Tom’s birthdays in the bush. With most of our friends gone during the hot summer months, it made no sense to plan a get-together to celebrate his 69th birthday. Thus, we made a reservation for Thursday, the 23rd, for the two of us, and we’ll celebrate at the bar at Jabula. There’s no doubt that whoever joins us at the bar will celebrate with us, Dawn, Leon, Lyn, and their new assistant David.

Tom is delighted with this plan, especially when he knows upon our return on Thursday night, his favorite dessert, a homemade German Chocolate Cake, will be waiting for him. I plan to bake it from scratch on Thursday morning. Since he’ll be the only one eating it, it may last him through Christmas, even if he cuts the three-layer cake into six huge portions, which I am sure he’ll do. He may even eat more than one piece per day!

A mom and a youngster.

Now will be the first time I have baked this cake for him since we left the US. In most countries, the ingredients weren’t available to make the cake. Oddly, this time, at the Spar Market, I was able to find everything I needed for the recipe.

Grazing in the dense vegetation.

It may seem weird to be so enthused about a cake. But, after being gone from the US for over nine years, I can surely understand why it’s so appealing to him. Besides, it’s the best birthday gift I can give him since we never have room in our luggage for gifts from each other.

We hope all of you who celebrate Christmas are enjoying activities, socializing, and preparations for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s week with your friends and loved ones. Although most of our friends and family are far away, we’ve been staying in close touch with everyone via text and WhatsApp. Doing so never makes us feel as if we are too far away.

A baby elephant was sleeping in the grass.

Today is a quiet day. It’s started warming up again, but it’s still not as hot as a few weeks ago. We’re enjoying this cooler period, although it will begin to heat up again in a few days. We’re prepared for whatever may come our way. As long as we have each other and good health, we can handle any inconveniences that come our way.

Enjoy the season!

Photo from one year ago today, December 20, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #272. We were thrilled to be able to watch the nightly Hindu ceremony on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. Smoke from the fire rituals wafted through the air. For more, please click here.

An outrageously fun night at Jabula…A mind blowing coincidence…

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We were at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center in 2014 and had an opportunity to interact with this cheetah, their mascot. If we had any apprehension, which we didn’t, the fact that he was “purring” welcomed our touch. See this link for the original post, and please read our story below for the significance of posting this photo today.

We arrived at Jabula at 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs, our usual time. We were a little apprehensive about going at all due to the number of holidaymakers in Marloth Park during the holiday season. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t have been concerned about crowds. But in light of Covid-19 and the Omicron variant, I thought about it several times during the day. Will it be safe to be inside the bar that can become packed with party-goers during holiday times?

Our usual seats at the bar were taken when we arrived, but during the entire time, three hours, there was never more than 10 or 12 hovering near and around the bar. I sat at the furthest end with no possibility of anyone sitting next to me but Tom. We decided we’d eat at the bar when we ordered our food after a few hours.

But, in the interim, we met some fabulous people and caught up with Sindee and Bruce, who have invited us for Christmas dinner at their home. There will only be 11 of us, a manageable number. When dining at a home in the bush, drinks, and meals are often served outdoors. We anticipate this will be the case on Christmas Day.

The conscientious guide ensured our safety. But, we had no fear.

First, we met a lovely group of three, including Gabby, her brother, and sister-in-law. Gabby works for SanParks, the park system in South Africa. We had a fantastic talk about marketing, our website, our mutual love of wildlife, and Marloth Park.

Gabby has been coming here for 30 years and is as excited by wildlife as we are, especially with her job with such easy access to national parks. She has many interesting videos on YouTube. You can see them here at this link. Hopefully, we’ll have an opportunity to talk again in the future. We certainly hit it off!

After a while, the three of them left, and two men moved in and occupied their seats. Rico sat at the bar on Tom’s right, and immediately the two of them started chatting. In no time at all, they were like long-lost friends. That’s the magic of Marloth Park.

Rico is a fun and animated guy. I leaned in to hear the conversation and pick up pieces here and there. At one point, Rico told us that his son works for Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center, which we visited in 2014 when we did the Panorama Route, which is a self-driving tour with many sights to see along the way. We had a wonderful time on the route and stayed overnight at a fabulous resort, making memories we’ll always treasure.

While he and Tom continued talking, I looked up our post on my phone from our time at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center. After thumbing through a few posts, I stumbled across the above two photos when we had an interaction with the center’s mascot. This rehabilitated cheetah couldn’t return to the wild based on injuries he’d incurred at a young age. He’d never learned to hunt and fend for himself. Instead, he became the center’s mascot.

I leaned forward and showed Rico and Tom the photos from our post from January 19, 2014, almost eight years ago. Rico practically screamed when he exclaimed, “That’s my son in those photos!!!?

Oh, my goodness! We were aghast! What a coincidence that eight years ago, we’d taken photos of the cheetah and Rico’s son. It’s a small world, after all, like the song, here on YouTube. When I opened the song and read the lyrics as listed below, I was reminded of how small the world really is and how grateful we are to have met so many wonderful people along the way:

Lyrics
It’s a world of laughter
A world of tears
It’s a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
That it’s time we’re aware
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world
There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to ev’ryone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world

Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 19, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #271. “Puerto Madryn (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpweɾto ˈmaðɾin]; Welsh: Porth Madryn) is a city in the province of Chubut in Argentina, Patagonia. It is the capital of the Biedma Department and has about 93,995 inhabitants according to the last census in 2010.”We toured the oceanfront village on foot on this date in 2017. For more photos, please click here.

Exciting lion story in Marloth Park and Lionspruit…Exercising caution in many ways…

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Marloth Park has a dedicated group of individuals who volunteer their time and efforts to preserve the flora and fauna of the Marloth Park Conservancy. They are known as Honorary Rangers, and over the years, we’ve come to know and admire several of those special people.

Yesterday, on Facebook, a post was uploaded by an Honorary Ranger that we found to be of particular interest. We are sharing that story today but leaving out the names of the rangers for their privacy. Instead, we’ll insert their initials in place of their names.

May be an image of big cat and outdoors
Not our photo. This photo of Fluffy (male) was posted on the Honorary Ranger’s story on Facebook.

It’s important to preface the following story with a description of Lionspruit, a game reserve located within the borders of Marloth Park. From this site, Lionspruit is described as follows on this screenshot. Please zoom in for more detail.

As it turns out, the rear line of our holiday home borders Lionspruit. We can often hear the two lions, Dezi and Fluffy, often roar at night. On occasion, during the day when lions usually sleep, we’ll listen to a roar. It’s music to our ears. Being so close to their habitat has only added to the joy of living in this property during the past 11 months.

Thus, yesterday, when we spotted the following story on Facebook, it was thrilling. Living in close proximity to the animals in our garden, let alone those at a short distance, had been, by far, the most exciting aspect of our world travels over the past nine years.

“There has been lots of excitement about Kruger lions entering Marloth recently, but we in HR are so pleased that our own JG witnessed the most thrilling moment of all. It seems a just reward for her dedication to the wellbeing of our lions. Here is the Facebook story as told by the Honorary Rangers:

FLUFFY RULES HIS DOMAIN!

On December 8th, RD and I were privileged to see Fluffy in attack mode for the first time in all the years that we have monitored the health and activities of our Lionspruit lions.

We were parked on a track next to the fence, quietly waiting, when the drama suddenly unfolded, and we had to hastily put up our windows! A strange lion burst into view, racing straight towards us, with Fluffy and Dezi in hot pursuit.
Fluffy was on the attack against one of the young Kruger males who dared to enter his domain. It was gratifying to see the young male flee, having experienced the wrath of our magnificent lion. Fluffy followed up with some impressive roaring, ensuring the interloper continued to run.
Both lions are in good condition for their ages. Since the incident, they continue to patrol the fences – to make sure those Kruger upstarts do not get ideas about coming back again!

(The somewhat fuzzy photos of Fluffy are proof of the sudden excitement and being taken by R. through the windscreen!).”

When the park is packed with holidaymakers seeking the ultimate excitement and experience in Marloth Park during the busy holiday season, they couldn’t ask for more. With the two prides of lions recently sighted in Marloth Park who have entered via the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park, locals and tourists must exercise extreme caution.

Everyone has been advised not to drive to the areas where the lions have been sighted and avoid making any lion sounds to attract them. Doing so could be life-threatening.

The usual children riding bikes and playing on dirt roads are dangerous and foolhardy during this time. We can only hope that parents will keep their children from being out of the safety of the holiday homes without close adult supervision. With curfews in place before dawn and after dark, we hope everyone will be safe.

Lions roam at night in search of food. Nighttime walks are forbidden and are surely “looking for trouble.” Why anyone would even consider being on foot at night is not only against the rules of the park but is totally careless and also inconsiderate of the lions. If one were to attack a human, it would be euthanized without a doubt. The goal is to get the lions back into Kruger National Park ultimately.

Dezi and Fluffy are busy protecting their habitat, as indicated above in the story, as they constantly peruse the fences/border to ensure no other lions enter their space. We’re listening carefully for the sounds of any of the lions.

Last night we didn’t go to Janula, as mentioned in yesterday’s post. They had a group of 18 coming to the bar at 5:00 om, 1700 hrs, the time we usually arrive. We didn’t want to be exposed to so many people who may be infected with Omicron, which is taking over South Africa as Delta wafts away.

Instead, tonight, we’ll give it a try but will remain mindful of those near us.

Have a safe and healthy holiday weekend.

Photo from one year ago today, December 18, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago today while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #270. This photo is from our post on this date in 2017 while sailing on the Celebrity Infinity along the coast of South America and dining in the fantastic specialty restaurant, Qsine. For more photos, please click here.

Shockingly cool today at 66F, 19C, a welcomed relief…Smart pigs…Wildebeest newborn photos…

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Please zoom in to see newborn wildebeests with umbilical cords still hanging, indicating they were born most recently.

What a refreshing break after weeks of sweltering temperatures! Even Frank and The Misses feathers were all fluffed up when they arrived at the screen door, wondering when they’d get some seeds. I jumped up from the sofa in the lounge room and immediately placed the little container filled with seeds onto the veranda floor.

We can’t leave the seeds out since warthogs, bushbucks and kudus will come onto the veranda and wipe out the container. Each day, we bring them indoors when Frank is done, returning them to the usual spot when Frank and The Misses stand at the door, looking inside for us.

Wildebeest is nursing her newborn. Female wildebeests have horns, as do the males.

They are less afraid of me than they are of Tom. When I go out with the seeds, they barely move until I set them down. They step back or even off the veranda when Tom does this until he sets them down. It’s incredible how the wildlife can determine our gender by looking at us. Most animals will stay in place while I offer pellets, while many step back when Tom does so.

The exception to that is the bushbucks. They feel safe around Tom much more than me. This may be because he arises earlier than me and may spend two additional hours each early morning greeting them before I come outdoors. Then, of course, there are the warthogs, and they are more welcoming to me than Tom. Even Little steps back when he sees Tom but not when he sees me.

The newborn wastes no time in beginning to suckle.

Undoubtedly, Little’s reaction to Tom may be warranted when he doesn’t talk to them in a high-pitched loving voice as I do. He isn’t a big fan of warthogs when they chase away the various species of antelope when pellets are around. Animals have a keen sense of who likes them and who doesn’t.

Although we have about a dozen helmeted guinea fowl that live in and around our garden, we don’t have any relationship with them. They don’t seem too bright, never make eye contact, and don’t respond to our voices. However, they come out of the bush when they’re nearby when they hear me calling warthogs. They’ve learned that my animated voice means pellets which they swallow whole. I guess a certain degree of intellect is required to make that association.

There were two moms with newborns, both with umbilical cords still attached.

Of course, my love of warthogs is entirely based on their intellect and responsiveness. Considered the fifth most intelligent land animal on the planet, smarter than dogs, it’s no wonder I am frequently talking and interacting with them. They do respond, no less so and perhaps more, than your dog would when you interact with them.

Besides the usual “sit, stay, and heel.” When they came indoors on a rainy, muddy, or snowy day, they even learned to “wipe their feet, get a treat!” It was hard to believe unless you saw them do this and dozens of other behaviors they learned.

For a moment, based on this photo, we wondered if this mom did, in fact, have twins, which is quite unusual for blu wildebeests.

Of course, in today’s world with YouTube and social media, we see videos of dogs performing various actions that leave us in awe with our mouths agape. Is it any wonder that as a dog lover I’d be immensely attracted to pigs (thus, warthogs) while we revel in the joys of bush living?

No, I don’t try to teach warthogs “tricks.” But, I find it easy to impact their behavior simply by tossing pellets and talking to them while looking into their beady little eyes. The connection with them is palpable.

Mom was quite protective of her newborn, preventing us from clear shots. Finally, we hurried off to see what else we could find.

There are thousands of websites that provide detailed information on the intellect of pigs, including warthogs. I won’t bore you with those links. But, perhaps these observations may make it clearer to our readers why I am so attached to the warthogs in Marloth Park.

We’re off to Komatipoort to the Spar Market to grocery shop. Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard is bare, but we won’t be buying much with all of the power outages. As it turns out, we won’t go to Jabula until tomorrow evening. They have a group of 18 who will be hanging around the bar before they’re eventually seated for dinner. Dawn knew we wouldn’t want to be in such proximity to other people, so she let us know. We changed our reservation for Saturday evening.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 17, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #269. Most of the town is centered around seaport enterprises. For more photos, please click here.

Omicron…We can’t ignore what’s happening in South Africa and the world…More Kruger photos…

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Open mouth crocodile on the bank of the Sabie River. Crocs don’t have sweat glands. Instead, they open their mouths to cool off.

It would be easy for us to ignore what is happening with Omicron throughout the world and for us here in South Africa. Sure, we could write about “travel” and travel-related topics or continue with the mindless drivel of our day-to-day activities while living in the bush.

But, we can’t possibly ignore what’s going on in South Africa and throughout the world in many countries as Omicron spreads like wildfire, doubling every two days. We have no doubt you’ve seen endless news reports on this topic and most likely would prefer not to read it here.

But, over these past nine years of writing these posts, we always promised to “tell it like it is,” and we have diligently done so since the first post we uploaded in March 2012, only three months short of ten years ago. Please, dear readers, understand that sharing what we know, if doing so saves one life or one serious case of the virus, it will have been worth it. It is from that perspective that we write this today.

Another photo of a hippo mom and baby.

No politicization is included or intended here. This is entirely from our perspective, based on the research we’re conducting now and how and when it may impact our lives in the future. After all, in only 113 days, we hope to board a ship from Fort4 Lauderdale, Florida, to sail across the Atlantic Ocean for a two-month stay in and around the UK until the next cruise on June 29, 2022, sailing out of Istanbul.

At this point, Omicron is infecting the world so rapidly that everything could change in the next 30 days. But, in 38 days, we have to figure out what we’ll be doing about extending our visas. Do we dare fly to another country in Africa for a visa stamp and risk becoming infected if President Cyril Pamaphosa doesn’t extend visas for foreign nationals?

Baby elephant resting in the grass.

Based on the fact the borders are still open, in light of the rapid increase of Omicron, we seriously doubt he’ll be extending visas for foreign nationals. He’s getting a lot of pressure about new lockdowns after the already developing country has suffered so much loss over the past two years of the pandemic.

We have some tough decisions ahead of us. Returning now to the US is not on the table when we see the number of cases escalating there daily. This chart from the stats presented on the website, Worldometer, certainly impacts our plans. See the stats on the screenshot I made with yesterday’s numbers:

Please zoom in to see these numbers in detail. I removed some of the columns to fit on the page for this chart.

Some scientists and immunologists are predicting there will be 1,000,000 cases per day in the UK by January. The US will follow shortly behind. And, as far as South Africa is concerned, 35% of all Covid-19 tests are positive for Omicron, and 90% of all cases of Covid-19 are Omicron cases, even in the fully vaccinated. There are claims that contracting Omicron results in a less severe illness with fewer hospitalizations and deaths.

But, uncertainty about that immunity provided by Omicron, when science isn’t definitive, about whether or not the variant is less severe or that those getting it may already have some protection from prior exposure and vaccines.

Elephants were grazing in the park.

There are many theories that Omicron could be the end of the pandemic when most of the world’s population becomes infected, which may provide herd immunity? Is this variant the magic bullet that may give the herd immunity, the world so desperately needs to end the pandemic?. Not enough is known at this time to answer all of these questions.

But, as world travelers anxious to get back “out there,” we wait in anticipation of more definitive science and what travel restrictions may impact us.

Rapids on the Sabie River in Kruger National Park.

This has been a tough couple of years for all of us. We are saddened by the loss of life and lingering illness many have experienced. My sister has been suffering from long-haul Covid for the past 16 months, along with one in four patients undergoing the same worldwide. We are saddened by the financial strife experienced by business owners and workers during extensive lockdown and restrictions, including our friends here in South Africa, the US, and the world.

For now, what can we do? Avoid crowds? Wear masks? Maintain social distancing, which is now more confusing than ever, when the fully vaccinated spread Omicron? There’s no easy answer, but we’ve decided to remain vigilant in doing everything possible. But, we have no desire to stay in lockdown, totally isolated from other people.

Yellow-billed stork.

We have two outdoor parties we’re planning to attend; Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Are we prepared to discontinue our Friday night dinners at Jabula? No! It’s always a highlight of our week.

Take care of yourselves the best way you can as we watch how this variant rolls out.

Photo from one year ago today, December 16, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #268. A cave we spotted at Cape Horn on our way to Ushuaia, Argentina. For more photos, please click here.