Busy social calendar over the holiday season…Link to two favorite holiday recipes from our “old lives”…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
It’s a sad time right now without enough rain to sustain the wildlife.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is one of our favorite pairs of warthogs, Mike and Joe, named after two US vice presidents, non-partisan of course, Mike Pence (current) and Joe Biden (last presidency). Tom always says, “The VPs are here.”

We had a busy social calendar in our old lives, most often with us doing the bulk of the entertaining. Scattered among our events were several parties and get-togethers, some work-related, some family events, and some with long-time friends/neighbors.

It was a festive time we always enjoyed, although, at times, it proved to be exhausting when I made too much work for myself while Tom continued to work long hours, day after day.  

Handsome male zebra.

As a business owner for most of my career, I’d take time off work during the holiday season when possible to plan and orchestrate holiday events, including decorating, shopping, gift wrapping, baking, and always sending hundreds of Christmas cards, each handwritten inside the card.

Each year we made over one hundred bottles (wine bottle sized) of Tom’s Homemade Irish cream with hand-designed and printed labels and delivered these in person as gifts to special people on our list. It was a daunting task, but we both participated in the process and loved sharing the holiday treat with family, co-workers, and friends.

Sustenance is low in the bush right now.  Zebras often graze on the dry bush.

When we left Minnesota to begin our world journey, those days were over. There are no more Christmas cards to be sent, no more decorations, no more baking, no more handmade dog biscuits for our animal lover friends and family, and no more Tom’s Homemade Irish Cream. This part of our lives was over.

If you’re interested in Tom’s Homemade Irish Cream recipe and my 
Polish Poppy Seed Bread (Strudel) recipe, please click here.

Only hunger will bring a shy impala to our garden.  

The only shopping we do now is for gifts for our six grandchildren. We agreed with our adult children that we’d no longer exchange gifts or cards. It was too difficult to do so from afar.

Thus, when we “left,” we also left behind all of the festivities, social gatherings, camaraderie, and events we so much. This will be our seventh Christmas since we left Minnesota. Of course, we’ve missed the activities with family and friends, but oddly we don’t miss all the commotion and work.

Impalas are very resourceful in finding food. Plus, they are one species we see out and about on the hottest of days, whereby others find shelter from the sun and the heat.

Overall, we’ve spent the bulk of the past Christmases on our own except for the first in 2012, when we rented a holiday home in Henderson, Nevada, and spent Christmas with some of Tom’s siblings and spouses, my son Richard, my sister Julie, cousin Phyllis and daughters Robin and Wendy and a few friends.  

And then, in 2014, three of our adult children, spouses, and six grandchildren joined us on the Big Island in Hawaii for the Christmas season. During that time, all of us saw lava for the first time, flowing from Mt. Kilauea, and the festivities were many.

The symmetry of the bodies of impalas is a beautiful sight to behold.

The remaining Christmas eves (we spent 2013 Christmas Eve with friends Kathy and Don at their lovely bush home here in Marloth Park) and Christmas days, we were on our own, although we spent all of those in restaurants and hotels. In each case, we had a good time.

Last Christmas, we were in Buenos Aires, Argentina, awaiting the Antarctica cruise departing on January 23rd. Everything was closed, so we ended up eating cold cuts we found at a local minimart. We were the only guests in the hotel. Here’s the link and a photo of our Christmas Day meal. We had to laugh!

Our Christmas Eve dinner last year in a boutique hotel in Buenos Aires, which we repeated on Christmas Day.  We were the only guests in the hotel.

This year, everything is different. Here are our plans over the upcoming holiday season:

Thursday, December 20, 2018: Dinner-buffet at Ngwenya Lodge and Restuarant (we have a standing reservation)
Friday, December 21, 2018:  Dinner at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant (we moved our standing Saturday reservation to Friday)
Saturday, December 22, 2018:  Holiday sundowners and starters at Kathy and Don’s river-view bush home
Sunday, December 23, 2018:  Tom’s birthday dinner at Rita and Gerhard’s temporary home at Ngwenya is a fully equipped luxury on-site holiday home
Monday, December 24, 2018:  Christmas Eve at our house with Rita and Gerhard joining us 
Tuesday, December 25, 2018: Christmas Day dinner at Kathy and Don’s
Thursday, December 27, 2018: Back to Ngwenya with Rita and Gerhard for the Thursday night buffet dinner
Saturday, December 29, 2018:  Jabula Lodge and Restaurant for our standing Saturday night reservation with Rita and Gerhard
Monday, December 31, 2018:  New Year’s Eve party at a popular local resort, details to follow.

Usually, males stop by together while females also visit separately.  

As for New Year’s day, we’ve yet to make a plan, but surely something will be on the agenda. Whew! This busy schedule makes us smile and, of course, feel grateful for our beautiful friends who have included us in their inner circle.

Whatever you do (for those who celebrate), we hope you’ll have a festive and meaningful holiday season.

Photo from one year ago today, December 19, 2017:

Shipwreck in Puerto Madryn in Patagonia, Argentina, a town we toured as a port of call on the South America cruise.  For more photos, please click here.

Hot, hot, hot…And, the beat goes on…WiFi out all afternoon…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Even the minuscule amount of rain brings greenery to life.

“Sighting of the day in the Bush.”

Baby impalas, sheltered from the heat of the midday sun, guarded by one of the attentive moms.

What can I say to avoid sounding as if we’re complaining? We’re not. Instead,
we consider today’s comments as an observation. It’s hot, hot, hot. Today’s high temperature was 42C (108F) which it has reached now at 1700 hours (5:00 pm).

Most often, the peak temperature for the day occurs around 1500 hours (3:00 pm) and begins to taper off an hour or two later. The evenings aren’t nearly as
bad but it’s impossible to stay indoors in the living area of this house. The
massively high ceilings contribute to a level of heat indoors that is hard to
take.
An awkward sitting position for a female ostrich. Could she be on her nest?
It’s like an oven with no way to cool it off, even late into the evening. We run a
fan in the living room, but all it does is blow hot air around. Thank
goodness we have an aircon in the bedroom, but even that chugs along in this intense heat.
How much hotter can it get? We heard from locals that in 2016, December highs were in the 50C range (122F). Over the next few days, even higher temperatures are predicted. 
Cape buffalos on a hill on the Crocodile River in Kruger National Park.
We recall it being hot here five years ago but not quite this hot day after day. It
has a tendency to make one feel exhausted and listless although we both make
every effort to go about our days as we would during cooler periods.
Now, we’re having wi-fi issues due to all the “extra” people in Marloth Park
during the holiday season. The system can only handle so much. Fortunately, the load shedding power outages are on hold at the moment. 

We’ll see how that goes over the next few weeks during the holiday season. As I write on an offline app, I realize I may never have an opportunity to upload this post before the day’s end.
Two male cape buffalos, who most likely were ostracized from the remainder of their “obstinacy” when a more significant or stronger other male won the favor of the females. These males form groups for life since they’ll never be allowed to return to the herd.
In South Africa, the school holiday ends on January 9th, when most holidaymakers will leave Marloth Park, their holiday having ended when their kids return to
school. That’s almost three weeks from today.
We understand and respect the importance of tourists coming to the park to
generate revenue for shops and homeowners of holiday properties but even they,
fully grasp how everything changes when the tourists are here.
Baboons and monkeys are our least favorite animals. Due to their intellect, they are crafty and dangerous and can destroy a house or garden in minutes, searching for food or merely being destructive for entertainment.
We won’t be able to go to Kruger for the next three weeks either. We’ve already
heard about the delays at the Crocodile Bridge, and soon, guests will have to
pay a fee to enter at a specific time of day on top of the regular entrance
fees.  

Our annual “Wild Card” doesn’t afford us any extra privileges. We’d
also have to pay additional for a “reservation.” Only 600 cars are allowed into the park at a time at any of the many entrance gates.

An elephant family drinking from the river.  The drought continues relentlessly.
Over the past few days, to cool off, we’ve driven through Marloth Park looking for wildlife photo ops but more so to stay cool for a few hours during the day.  

This morning at 7:30 am, we headed to Komatipoort for my dentist appointment at 8:00 am. After the appointment, we walked the short distance to Stoep Cafe for breakfast, grabbing our favorite table on the veranda. 
Eating a hot breakfast in the heat proved to have been a bad idea. We were both
“sweating up a storm” while we ate, and foolish me had ordered hot tea. By the time we finished our meal and headed back to the air-conditioned comfort of the car, we were drenched in sweat. I don’t usually sweat much, but the humidity, coupled with the high temps, has changed everything.
Two males impalas stop by for food and a rare visit.
We remind ourselves, over and over again. This is Africa, and we chose to be here. Most of the time, it’s been a glorious experience. And we face the reality, that along with amazing adventures of our lives, there is a price to pay, beyond money, beyond mere inconvenience. It’s all part of the experience.

So today, as we wait for the temperature to drop and the WiFi to come back on, we look forward to our evening on the veranda tonight, as always, hoping a few, if only a few of our wildlife friends will stop by.  

Last night we had 10 warthogs come to call. Let’s see if they return tonight. We have pellets, a fresh batch of lucerne, ice-cold carrots, apples, celery tops, and lettuce, and we’ll be waiting for them.


Have a great holiday season evening.

Photo from one year ago today, December 18, 2018:

Stunning view of Ushuaia from the veranda while on the cruise in South America. For more photos, please click here.

Fun photos of “small things” from five years ago…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This was our first photo, five years ago, of a dung beetle in action. The female often sits atop the ball of dung while the male moves it along using his back feet while his front feet grasp the ground for stability. The female lays eggs in the ball, so she tags along as he rolls, and they search for an adequate hole to bury the ball. The ball is used as sustenance for both of them as well as the larvae. See this post here.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This pretty female bushbuck effortlessly balances on three legs to attend to an itch. Many animals are adept at contorting their bodies to scratch an itch.

If you’ve been reading our posts for the past five years or more, you’ll have seen all of these photos we’ve posted today. At that time, we did a recurring series entitled “Small Things.”

 Over the past 10 plus months, we’ve done a daily “Sighting of the Day in the Bush” feature, which may consist of small or more significant sightings. In reviewing these old posts, we thought it might be interesting for some of our newer readers to see some of the photos from the posts five years ago when we were in Marloth Park, especially those “small things” we haven’t seen again since arriving last February.

Five years ago, Zef, one of our two housemen yet today, took this beetle out of the pool to show us.  See this post here.

Looking back at the photos, we easily recall the sightings of each of these little treasures and how much we enjoyed them at that time and still do now. How fortunate we are to review old posts so easily and continue to enjoy all that we’ve seen and done.

 Today’s post is #2333. Yep, that’s correct. We’ve done two thousand three hundred thirty-three posts, including today’s post on December 17, 2018. It’s hard for us to believe how many there have been and how, day after day, we’ve mustered up the fodder and the desire to continue.

Five years ago, I’d taken this shot of the underside of a gecko as it crawled on the outside of the sliding glass door in one of the living rooms. See this post here.

On Saturday night, our friend Don (of Kathy and Don) asked me how I managed to keep doing this. The answer is easy…it’s become as integral a part of our lives as traveling the world has become.  

We can’t imagine life without it, and we’re ultimately grateful to all of our worldwide readers who motivate us and spur us on by continuing to read it and share it with others who may enjoy reading it. Thank you for this. YOU mean the world to us.

 Subsequently, having the ability to reflect on past stories and their photos, such as we’re doing today, and may well do in the future, extends the story of our experiences in Africa.  
Another dung beetle couple was aiming for the hole where they’ll keep their fertilized ball of dung.  See this post here.

No, we won’t be reposting past stories themselves unless it is on a special occasion and provides a relevant and distinct purpose in doing so. If so, we’ll describe that purpose. 

Photos are timeless, and sharing what this magical place has to offer has no time constraints or restrictions. And we’re assuming many of our current readers started reading our posts long after we started in March 2012. Who in this busy world has time to read from the beginning?
After Zef gently placed this monstrous insect on a limb of a tree, it grabbed hold of the branch, hanging on for nearly a full day.  See this post here.

Surprisingly, we’ve received countless email messages over the years where new readers coming in partway, have told us they started reading from “Day 1” on March 14, 2012, by use of the archives on the right side of our page, found by clicking on the little arrow, like this ► which when clicked next to a month, opens up all the stories and days of the month in chronological order.

If you haven’t had time to read from the beginning and if you’re interested in doing so, some have mentioned they read the current post and add two or three old posts in chronological order to eventually “catch up.”
These mushrooms are growing in our yard. Of course, we didn’t pick them without knowing if they were safe for consumption. See this post here.

This is a continuing story. Hmmm…kind of like a soap opera without the “soap” and definitely without the drama of an “opera.” But, it’s our story told in a vulnerable and revealing manner, sharing the finite details of our lives while entirely excluding our views on these topics:  politics, religion, and sex.  Good. Who cares to hear about those topics anyway?  

And so, dear readers, from the past, of late, and in the middle, we’re a little redundant with photos here today and perhaps will be so in a few upcoming posts. Feel free to post your opinion or comments on this fact at the bottom of any post or write to us via email.  

 We hope all of our readers enjoy whatever holiday preparations they may be making (or not) at this time or in the future. Have a fantastic day!

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

We were bundled up in Ushuaia in the cold air, knowing we’d be back in a few weeks to sail away on the Antarctica cruise. What a beautiful city! for more photos, please click here.
The sign reads, “fin del mundo,” the end of the world. For more photos, please click here.

The holiday season has begun in Marloth Park….Warnings for holidaymakers with children…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Island life for this cape buffalo with a friend on the river’s edge.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Our resident frog, which we mistakenly assumed was a male is a female. The frog male is much smaller than the female. The male took up residence with her overnight last night. We’ll continue to observe to see what transpires for this mating pair. She’s been sitting there for months, although she took off during the rain last week, returning three nights later. When we turn on this light fixture at night, the insects are prolific, and she sits there darting out her tongue for tasty treats. We’ll see how it goes tonight, with two of them sharing the nighttime opportunities.

We were both up at the crack of dawn, hoping to reach grandson Vincent to wish him a happy birthday. The time difference is 12 hours. He and his family are in Maui, Hawaii, for the holiday season, snorkeling, boogie boarding, and scuba diving.

As holidaymakers and activities have ramped up this weekend in Marloth Park, we are seeing a distinct reduction in the number of wildlife visitors and more and more vehicles on the roads.  
The only elephant we spotted on the river this morning with a cattle egret in flight near its trunk.

So far today, we’ve fed a few bushbuck moms and babies. Perhaps by early evening, when the garden is usually filled with a wide array of wildlife, we’ll have more visitors. But, for now, we’re on our own.

We took off in the red car around 8:00 am to drive around the park. We encountered many vehicles but few animals other than those we’ve shown here today, with fewer sightings on the Crocodile River than usual.

A pair of male ostriches wandering through the bush this morning.

On Facebook this morning and we noticed this warning about children in the park written by a conscientious and dedicated ranger:

Good morning everyone.
Please warn all your guests not to leave small children to explore the bush without an adult. We do have a lot of snakes out and about at the moment. 

There was also an incident this morning with 2 small children going right up to Kudu bulls to feed them without an adult nearby, we luckily had an owner stop them. (Kudu bulls have massive horns and, although not necessarily aggressive animals, could easily and unintentionally impale a child or adult).

All animals are wild; before we have serious injuries, please educate those who think we are a petting zoo. Thank you.
CPF/SECTORS/RANGERS AND SECURITY.” 

For the first time, we noticed ostrich’s ears which may usually be hidden under layers of plumage. Unlike humans, birds’ ears are holes on either side of their heads, with no cartilage. Contrary to what most humans believe, ostriches do not stick their heads in the sand.

We see this type of behavior all the time, especially during holidays when the park is filled with tourists. Once again, we’re driving past cars with children, young children, sitting on the parent’s lap driving the vehicle, often a large SUV or truck.

Recently, we encounter two girls alone in the front seat of an SUV, with one driving, neither of whom could have been over 12 years old. Who are these parents that allow this dangerous activity?  

During the mating season (June- November), the male ostrich’s beak and legs turn red/pink to attract the female for mating.

Sure, there are many periods of time where there are no police in Marloth Park for long stretches although, in the past few days, we have seen a few police vehicles. We hope they stay through the holiday season.

Does this fact give people the right to ignore laws, endangering not only their own children’s lives but the lives of others including the wildlife? Last holiday season, spring break, 12 animals were killed from speeding and careless driving in the park. This was devastating news to all of us who love this place and its wildlife occupants.

A peculiar-looking bird, isn’t it?  Ostriches are remnants of the prehistoric era.

Besides the risk to humans, wildlife and property there is also a lack of consideration by some holidaymakers over noise (and trash) restrictions as part of the regulations in Marloth Park.  

This is supposed to be a peaceful and quiet place where wildlife and humans can co-exist in a stress-free environment. Sadly, that’s not always the case during holiday periods and, at other times as well.

From this angle, it’s difficult to determine the species other than due to the long neck.

We’re hoping after posting this on several Marloth Park pages in Facebook some holidaymakers may have an opportunity to realize the value of a chance to experience this magical place.

The rules and regulations for Marloth Park may be found here at this link.  Although many of these rules apply to construction and building, in reading through the list, toward the end, each regulation has a deep and genuine purpose of maintaining the integrity and value of this particular community and safety for all blessed to be here.

A saddle-billed stork on the Crocodile River this morning.

Sure, we are only visitors ourselves here (for almost one year, leaving in February and who are we to tell others how to behave?  But, our motives are not entirely altruistic.  

We plan to return to Marloth Park 21 months after we leave and we can only hope we’ll find it to be as meaningful and magical as it’s been for us for this entire year we’ve spent living here.  

Perhaps this is selfish but if everyone shared a similar selfishness to keep Marloth Park as wonderful as it is, we’d each commit to a personal role in appreciating our time here and dedicating our efforts for the benefits of the wildlife and the surroundings.  

Ultimately in doing so, humans will continue to relish in the beauty and wonder of one of the most unique places on earth.

Be well.  Be happy during this holiday season and always.
                       Photo from one year ago today, December 16, 2017:

Views of Cape Horn, known as the bottom of the world, from the ship’s bow.  For more photos, please click here.

Filling in the gaps…It was about time to start booking for the future…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Louise and her adventurous son Jandre (who recently returned from an exciting two months in Thailand) stopped by for a visit and sundowners last night.  There was a bowl of nuts for the humans and a bigger bowl of carrots and apples for the wildlife.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

After Louise had seen our photos of Little coming up the steps to the veranda, we all laughed out loud when he did it again while they were here.  

In years past, six to be exact, we always stayed on top of filling in gaps in our itinerary. As a matter of fact, during the first few years, we were always completely booked for two years in advance.

As time has marched on we’ve found it isn’t necessary to have every gap, every hotel, every vacation rental, every car rental, and every flight booked so far in advance. 

However, we’ve found it necessary to know where we’d prefer to be in the upcoming two years, enabling us to research. Also, we never show up in a country without reservations for a hotel or holiday home. We have no interest in “winging it.”
We’re always thrilled to see giraffes in Marloth Park.

Traveling the world has been a learning process. When we started in 2012, there wasn’t a training manual on how to do this. Over the years many travelers have asked us for advice and we’ve been delighted to share our best tips for those considering embarking on this lifestyle.

 Recently, we read that over 1,000,000 Americans are traveling full-time. There were so few when we started six years ago. At this point, we often wonder how many have been traveling, without a home or apartment or, motorhome without storage, or without a car, who’ve been traveling for six years or more.

 If you’ve been “out there” for longer than five or six years, we’d love to hear from you and compare notes.  We’ve met many who’ve traveled in a motorhome for decades. To us, that’s a home of sorts and generally, those who’ve made this choice, generally stay on one continent, most often their home country to avoid immigration issues.

They often stop eating to check us out.  Once realizing we’re aren’t a threat, they return to eating the leaves on the tree tops.

Many years ago, long before we ever decided to travel the world, we discussed the idea of owning a motorhome and traveling the US, but dismissed it entirely when the discussion came up in January 2012, of traveling the world.  

 We didn’t want the responsibility of owning “stuff” packed into a “moving home” nor did we care for the idea of the upkeep, maintenance, and daily management a motorhome requires. For many, they do this with ease and enthusiasm.  t just wasn’t right for us.

Oddly, as world travelers, we aren’t that big on long road trips.  We never have been. This fact has inspired us to find countries, towns, villages we’d like to visit and stay put for a month or more as we make every effort to learn the culture, adapt and blend in.

At quite a distance, a hippo we spotted yesterday on our usual drive.

From this perspective, we’ve gleaned the best experiences we could ever expect and we look forward to the future as much now as we did in the beginning. Plus, in the process, we’ve learned to “live in the moment” wherever that may be.

 This one year stint in Marloth Park will be our last long-term stay (beyond three months). It was only this magical place that inspired us to stay for such an extended period. When we return in December 2020, we’ll only stay in South Africa for 90 days, avoiding any potential immigration hassles.

 It wasn’t that we haven’t loved every moment in Marloth Park. We’ve had a fantastic experience that ends in a mere 61 days.  It will be hard to leave our human and animal friends.  

But, it will be time to move on and resume our continuing travels throughout the world, not staying too long in any one location. There’s still so much world left to experience. Health provided, we’ll continue for as long as we can.

 Recently, we’d considered going to Rwanda to see the gorillas. But after careful review of our budget and upcoming expenses (many flights, two cruises and the balance on the amazing Kenya tour in February), we decided we needed to hold off on that adventure until we return to Africa in 2020.

A pair of cape buffalos grazing at the river’s edge.

These decisions aren’t always easy but practicality must prevail in our lifestyle if we intend to be able to continue on indefinitely at this point. We are not wealthy people, as some world travelers, we’ve encountered along the way.  We must remain frugal and sensible at all times.

But, in the process, we’ve learned how to find great holiday rentals, at prices affordable for our budget. Of course, pricing is often subject to how long one stays and of course, the good exposure the landlords acquire from our online promotion of their rental properties. These two facts alone have played a big role in making this work for us without sacrificing living in nice properties.

 With the Kenya tour beginning on February 22, 2019, and the South Africa visa requirement that we depart on February 15, 2019, suddenly we were looking at a week we had to fill between these two dates.

 The question became, how expensive could we make this week and still stay within the budget. Hotels and resorts in Kenya are expensive considering the quality we prefer.  

A four elephant family spending time together at the river.

Since we’ll be embarking on the extensive and expensive Greg Harvey safari photographic tour (click here for details) for 15 nights beginning on February 22nd and after all the safari and wildlife experiences we’ve had in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana over the past year, we decided to keep costs down and spend a quiet week in Nairobi, Kenya.

We won’t be sitting around the hotel day and night. There are several sightseeing venues we’ll explore while there which we’ll share with photos along the way.

 Last night, we booked the hotel, close to the airport where we’ll leave the bulk of our luggage when we take off on the 22nd and return on the last day, according to the itinerary of the tour. This way, we won’t have to move all of our stuff leaving us more time to do what we’d like during the one-week stay.

 We booked the Four Points by Sheraton near the airport at a cost for seven nights of ZAR 22764 (US $1582) which includes breakfast, wi-fi, and a king deluxe room. Our additional expenses will be tours, transportation, tips, and the evening meal. (Neither of us eats lunch or snacks during the day based on our way of eating that totally eliminates daytime hunger).

A mom and youngster at the Crocodile River.

We also booked a hotel in Nelspruit, fairly close to the airport, for one night on February 14th since our flight to Kenya departs early in the morning. With the over an hour drive from Marloth Park to the airport with potential road delays we’ve experienced in the past, we decided to take no risks and stay overnight in Nelspruit.  

 Next, we’ll be getting to work on booking our flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Santiago, Chile on March 7th or 8th.  The Kenya tour ends on March 7th, (which is the date of our wedding anniversary) and we haven’t decided if we’ll stay one more night in Kenya or head directly to South America the same day. We’ll know once we check out flights in the next few days.

 So there it is folks. The beginnings of filling in the gaps in our itinerary over the two years, all of which we’ll continue to post here as we go along.

 Tonight, we’re dining at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant with Rita and Gerhard and Kathy and Don, who are returning to Marloth Park for the holidays. We have lots of exciting plans with our friends over the holiday season and for Tom’s birthday as well on December 23rd.

 Have a fabulous day!

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

Note the snow-covered pointed peaks in the Chilean Fiords. For more photos, please click here.

High cost of living in the US compared to South Africa…”You’ve Got a Friend”…That is, “Little” certainly does…Pig paradise in the park…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Little told his friend that the “pickins” were good at this house so they both climbed the six steps up to the veranda to the front door.  I was in the shower and missed the fun event. Tom tossed pellets to the ground that motivated them to climb down.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

The Big Daddies didn’t seem as interested in the lucerne as the female kudus but this one managed a few mouthsful.

Yesterday’s trip to Komatipoort went well. The visit with the dentist, Dr. Luzann, went better than expected and once my dental work is completed over the next month, I’ll share details here.

“Pigs on the porch,”  Pigs in the pond,” and Pigs in a pile,”  It’s “Pig Paradise in the Park.”
Coincidentally Gerhard also had a dentist appointment with Dr. Luzann yesterday, a few hours after mine ended. He was thrilled with his cleaning and of course, the reasonable cost of ZAR 388 (US $27) compared to the typical ZAR 2876 ($200) cost for the same service in the US.  
“Little” was checking out what the kudus were eating.

After his appointment ended, he and Rita headed to Ngwenya where we met up with them for drinks on the veranda followed by the buffet dinner in the dining room. As always the conversation was superb, the drinks refreshing, and the food, although the same items each Thursday, was consistently good.

We’re always surprised by the reasonable cost for such a meal with drinks, tax, and tips. Mine and Tom’s total was only ZAR 325 (US $22.60).  At Jabula Lodge and Restaurant, which we consider a much better restaurant, it’s usually twice the amount but well worth the added expense.

At this point, we’ve been dining out twice a week, once at Ngwenya and once at Jabula. When we considered the combined weekly total it runs about ZAR 935 (US $65) averaging at ZAR 467 (US $32.50). This is at least half as much as similar meals at a restaurant in the US, if not more.

Tom didn’t feed him on the veranda but I surely would have.  Little is my favorite warthog.

Once again, when we arrive in the US in 115 days, dining out for each meal, we’ll be shocked by the high prices, not only for restaurants, accommodations, and rental cars but for all other incidental costs. It’s the nature of the beast.

And, speaking of “the beast”…Tom had me in stitches this morning when he showed me the above photo he’d taken only moments earlier when I was in the shower. Seeing the photo reminded me of James Taylor’s popular song from 1971, “You’ve Got a Friend.” Click here to listen!

Piglets in a pile.

Apparently, Little, our favorite warthog had “told” a friend our house was a good place to visit. But, not only the garden of our bush house but also, the veranda which requires only a few gingerly executed steps on slippery tiles to reach.  

They both embarked on the adventure and arrived without incident, shocking Tom in the process when he spotted the two pigs on the porch  We couldn’t help but laugh over the irony of the situation.

A male ostrich’s flattened feathers during the downpour several days ago.

What’s particularly funny is that animals are just like us, or shall I say, we’re just like them? They’re nothing like a good friend (s) and we, like Little, have been blessed to have many friends in Marloth Park and other parts of the world as our years-long journey continues.

Tonight, we’ll dine in, spending most of the evening on the veranda, at least until the insects bombard us.  Every moment we spend whether it’s “Just the Two of Us” (click here for that song) or with wildlife or human friends, we feel fortunate during this very special time in our lives.

May you feel fortunate as well. Happy day!

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

Punta Arenas, Chile would have been a great port of call to visit but bad weather prevented the necessary use of the tenders. We sailed away. For more details, please click here.

“Buggie” nights…A reality of living in the bush in Africa during the summer months…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Mom with four piglets napping on the edge of the lucerne. They visit at least once a day. The piglets have begun to show some interest in pellets.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A second visit from the thick-tailed bushbaby.

Last night around 2000 hours (8:00 pm), for the first time since we arrived in Marloth Park in February, there were so many insects buzzing us, flying in our faces and landing on, and in our clothing, we had no choice but to go inside.

It went from almost no insects to this buzzing frenzy in a mere 24 hours. The only thing we can attribute this to is a result of the rains of several days ago. Even after we’d gone inside with the door closed, more insects buzzed us.  
We had no choice but to go into the bedroom (where we keep the door closed at all times), turn on the air-con and watch an episode of a TV series we’re wrapping up after watching a few episodes each week, The Brave (disappointingly, this show wasn’t renewed for a second season).
Wounded is beginning to look a little better but we doubt he can see from his left eye. He looks thin and weary but we’re feeding him all he’ll eat and we’re sure other residents are doing the same.
This morning as I was getting showered and dressed for the day, I spotted a slew of those pesky flying things in the bathroom. How did they get in?  What are these long-winged beige-colored flying things?  
I researched online but couldn’t find them. If any of our readers know what these are, please let us know. We experienced these same pesky things in Kenya over five years ago. I suppose we’ll see them again when we return to Kenya in 64 days.
This morning, back on the veranda, no insects are flying about our heads other than an occasional fly, bee, or hornet. With both of us allergic to bees and hornets, we get up and move when they pester us. I have so much repellent on, I can’t imagine why any insect would approach me, but they do.
Six bushbucks came to call around the same time. Generally, they don’t stay in groups but these two moms, two babies, and two other females showed up simultaneously.
For the past week, I’ve been using the DEET free repellent friends Uschi and Evan recommended as non-toxic.  I’m still getting some bites but they don’t appear to be mosquito bites.  
They look and react more like chigger bites. I’m not getting bit at night since the mattress was replaced but can’t figure out where these are coming from. Each day I have three or four more bites that itch for weeks, especially during the night.  
Last night I was awakened no less than five times due to the severe itching of about six of the bites. I put cortisone cream on them for a little bit of relief but only lasts for an hour or two. I don’t scratch much at all, knowing this makes it worse.
This is Africa. There are insects and there are bites. I guess I’ll just have to live with it for the remaining time we’re on the continent, using the safer DEET free repellent. The bites weren’t occurring any less frequently when using the repellents with DEET so I suppose the DEET free product is ultimately better.
This morning we found thousands of dead insects on the veranda.  We have no idea why they died or why so many at one time.
Soon, we’re heading to Komatipoort so I’m rushing through today’s posts. I have a dentist’s appointment and we have to do our usual grocery shopping. When dining out a few nights a week and time marching on until our departure, we’re purchasing fewer groceries than we had a few months ago.

We have plenty of meat (beef, chicken, pork, and fish) left in the big freezer which we’re attempting to go through now until we purchase any more. With many social plans over the holidays, we’ll be dining out often and won’t be cooking any big meals for now.

Tonight, we’re meeting Rita and Gerhard at Ngwenya for early evening river viewing and the buffet dinner indoors. We’ll see how the insect situation is on the veranda as the evening wears on. We may be going inside to dine earlier than usual if we’re bombarded with these insects again.

That’s it for today folks. We had some interesting wildlife events in the past few days which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post when we have a little more time. Right now, as more and more holidaymakers arrive in the bush, we’ve yet to see a single visitor this morning.  This could be our fate over the next three to four weeks as more and more tourists filter in.
 
Have a pleasant day and night wherever you maybe, hopefully, free of pests buzzing about your head!



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

As we approached Cape Horn in South America on the cruise, one year ago today. For more, please click here.

Yet another shocking first!…What’s going on?…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
We knew we had to be very cautious not only for our safety but for his as well. If we startled him or told him to get down, he could have broken a leg on the slippery tiles.  Instead, we tossed pellets on the ground near the bottom of the steps.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Zebras are full of expression and seem to pose for the camera.

So far, we’ve had two bales of lucerne delivered, and today we arranged for more over the next month. Each was gone in a matter of hours. At a cost of ZAR 145 ($10.13), it’s not as if we plan to order one each day. The cost would be prohibitive because we’re already buying many bags of pellets each week and giant bags of carrots and apples.

We were busy working on our laptops and didn’t realize what was happening until we saw this zebra climbing up the veranda steps.

I must admit I have developed calluses on my right hand from the way I hold the big kitchen knife when I cut many carrots and apples into small bite-sized pieces each day.

 When I started cutting the produce, and we were visited by many small bushbucks and duikers, and now many youngsters, I realized the pieces had to be small enough for the smaller animals to avoid choking. They are so hungry, and they devour what’s in front of them, not considering if a piece of fruit or veg is too big to handle.  

We didn’t have any food, pellets, or lucerne on the veranda.  What inspired him to climb up the slippery tile steps baffles us. We did nothing to encourage this.

Everyone can enjoy small pieces, although animals such as zebras are known to eat an entire whole carrot.  However, we don’t offer them that way. We try to spread what we have among all visitors considering their safety, health, and well-being.

We didn’t think it was a familiarity situation since we don’t see zebras more than a few times a week.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post (please check it out to see some cute photos) regarding our decision to provide some lucerne along with the pellets and produce, we can’t possibly give enough food for any one of the animal’s daily needs during this dry season as they struggle to find nourishment.

Just like that, he was on the veranda.  The only reason we think this happened is that many residents feed the zebras on their verandas.  This one doing so may have been a normal course of action.

Today, when I stopped at Daisy’s Den while Tom was getting a haircut, owner Mark explained the lucerne was selling like crazy. Many other residents, like us, are very concerned about the welfare of Marloth Park’s wildlife.

 And although it’s rained a few times in the past week, it’s nowhere near enough to make a difference at this point. So much more is needed and the prospects over the next week don’t look too good based on the weather report.

We gave him time to fulfill his curiosity, talking softly and with confidence.

Keeping in mind these stressful and trying times for the wildlife, it’s not surprising that both “Little” (warthog) and the zebra have climbed the steps to the veranda. They see us tossing food out to them, and when we took a break, they came looking. Smart animals.

 Fortunately, we know better than to overreact during these situations. Staying back, giving them space, and talking in soft, gentle tones, appears to keep them feeling calm and unthreatened. A single nudge from a warthog or kick from a zebra could be life-threatening, and we don’t take that risk lightly.

It was a shock to see him on the veranda, but we appreciated the photo op!

And regardless of how familiar we may have become with many of the magnificent animals, we always remember these are wild animals, not pets. Never once have either of us attempted to “pet” or touch them, nor will we.

He looked around for food.  When he didn’t find any and heard the pellets being tossed to the ground beyond the steps, he gingerly lumbered down the steps.

Even Frank and The Mrs., our resident francolin (bird) couple, can be feisty when we’ve seen them go after warthogs and kudus when they feel the birdseed we toss is threatened. We take nothing for granted.

He let out a loud whinny and took off for the pellets we tendered at the bottom of the steps.  It was quite a pleasant visit, one we’ll never forget.

We’re cautious around the horned antelopes, including Big Daddies (kudus with massive horns) and Willie, our resident wildebeest. We’ve never fed them by hand! We quickly see how they use those horns to make their presence known. The male kudus often tap the ground with their massive horns to let whoever is in their way know they are fierce and dangerous.

The baby wasn’t interested in eating solid food quite yet, avoiding the lucerne and the pellets.

The only animals we feel safe getting real close to are the female bushbucks (no horns), who get scared away each time they try to eat when other animals are around. The girls and the duikers (who are very skittish) are often left behind.

She stood off to the side while the adults devoured the lucerne.

As a result, we often stand next to the female bushbucks protecting them while they eat. Many are nursing moms, and they too need lots of nourishment along with all the others.

Mark, the owner of Daisy’s Den, explained, “Once the zebras show up, they’ll eat until the lucerne is gone.”  That’s exactly what they did.

Last night we had an enjoyable evening when Rita and Gerhard came for dinner. We made entirely low carb, high fat, moderate protein meal which they both seemed to enjoy. We all cleaned our plates, leaving nothing behind, while the conversation, as always, was lively and entertaining.

Mom stopped eating so the baby could suckle.

We’re staying in tonight. The weather is warming up again after a few days of reprieve. Our aircon in the bedroom has been repaired, and we’re set to take it on. Summer in Africa is hot, hot, hot!

 Be safe. Be happy.

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

The giant Sentados Frente del Mar statue in Puerto Montt, Chile, is often criticized for its unattractiveness. We found it to be humorous and charming. Note the size of the figure by comparing me standing at her feet. For more photos, please click here.

Another outstanding “first!”…A difficult decision…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This is Cupid with a heart-shaped marking on her throat.  She was particularly loving the lucerne.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Wildebeest Willie arrived in time to get in on the action. He ate quite a bit and then decided he’d sit on it only sharing with a warthog or two.

When we often heard our Marloth Park friends talk about ordering bales of lucerne (hay) for the wildlife who are unable to freely forage with the lack of rain during the normally rainy spring season, we hesitated to order it.

The animals are so hungry, many residents have ordered lucerne to be delivered. Although we don’t like the idea of them sharing a food source due to potential health hazards, starvation, in itself is a huge health hazard.
We know this can be a breeding ground for animal bacteria. But, over the past several weeks seeing dozens of skinny, hungry wildlife, we had to make a decision…do we get the lucerne and feed them a protein-rich diet of lucerne or do we continue with just the pellets, apples, and carrots which we’re going through faster than can be imagined?

It’s been hard feeding them enough with the pellets, apples, and carrots. Yes, they visit other homes in the park and are fed, often generously, but few residents are outside on their veranda each and every day and night feeding the animals, as we are.
Daisy’s Den delivers the lucerne for ZAR 145 (US $10.05)  Lucerne is: Oat, barley, and wheat plant materials occasionally cut green and made into hay for animal fodder. It’s a rich source of protein, carbohydrates and minerals ideal for wildlife during the drought.

When we drive around Marloth Park almost daily passing one bush house after another, we rarely see residents outdoors feeding the animals. A rough guess might be, that we may observe one out of 30 homes (on a busy weekend) with occupants outdoors feeding the wildlife.  

While Mark, the owner of Daisy’s Den was still in our garden, 15 kudus arrived in minutes to begin devouring the lucerne with considerable enthusiasm.

On typical non-holiday weekdays, we may not see more one or two residents outdoors feeding the wildlife during our two-plus hour drive through the park. No offense intended.  

Many homeowners only stay in their bush homes a few times a year for short periods. Many residents purchase lucerne to feed the wildlife which doesn’t require the resident to be outdoors.  

More and more kudus arrived to partake in the bale.

Some homeowners go as far as ordering lucerne to be delivered to their bush home while they are away, ensuring the animals still are fed in their absence. How generous is that?

Then, there were 15 kudus with a few off to the sides.

Many homes are rented as holiday homes but most often they’re rented over weekends during holiday and non-holiday periods. The tourists may be in Kruger National Park or otherwise sightseeing spending little time in the gardens of their rental properties.

The local markets sell small bags of pellets that visitors may purchase which is not enough to feed a handful of kudus in one day. Many animals spend the majority of their time foraging for food. A cupful or two of pellets doesn’t put a dent in their daily dietary needs.

We couldn’t believe how quickly they began breaking down the bale.

We struggled with this decision but when we’ve seen nursing moms with ribs showing, injured warthogs looking thin and malnourished and even a lizard as shown in yesterday’s post braving approaching us for food. Of course, we complied as shown in yesterday’s post. Please click here if you missed it.

It took a few hours for a Big Daddy to arrive.  He wasn’t quite as excited about the lucerne as the females and the youngsters.

If we dumped an entire 40 kg (88 pounds) bag of pellets on the ground, in a few hours, it would be gone. Their sense of smell is outstanding as indicated by our above comment as to how quickly the kudus arrived after Mark placed the bale of lucerne in the garden. It took less than 60 seconds for 15 kudus to arrive.


As you can see, we decided to give it a try by ordering one bale of lucerne which was delivered yesterday morning. The response was unreal. For hours we watched a wide array of wildlife come to partake of the bounty.  

Moments later another Big Daddy arrive and the competition began for dominance.

For once there was less “jockeying” for position. There was enough for everyone and the competition was less fierce than usual. As the hours past, the pile of hay became smaller and smaller until it was finally but a light greenish dust on the dirt.  

This Big Daddy wasn’t taking any guff from another slightly smaller male.

And yet, as I write here now, Willie is sitting in the green dust, as content as he could be. He picked over some remaining mouthsful and we added pellets to round out his visit. He seems so content. At this point, he’s been here for the past three hours.


This morning we had a second bale delivered which we’re saving to distribute later this afternoon. At the moment it’s on the veranda far enough back from the edge for anyone to reach. In the interim, the remaining lucerne will be fodder for any visitors mid-day.

They worked out an amicable arrangement and all went well.

Tonight Rita and Gerhard are coming for dinner. They too, after seeing the excitement here, have ordered their first bale which arrived this morning and surely by now are reveling in the pleasure of feeding these hungry creatures.

May your day be filled with meaning and purpose.

                                         Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2017:

Shoreline view from high atop the city at Puerto Montt, Chile. For more photos, please click here.

Heimlich Maneuver on a lizard?…What???…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Oh, oh, Mr. Monitor Lizard picked up the rib bone intended for the warthogs! To see what transpired, please read below.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A bit blurry in the dark, this thick-tailed bushbaby was a first-time visitor to our garden.

Anytime we aren’t on a game drive in Kruger National Park, on a drive in Marloth Park, shopping in Komatipoort, or out with friends, we’re on the veranda watching, waiting, and observing a vast array of wildlife who come to call.

Note her long pink tongue inside the cup.  She devoured the contents in seconds.

Although we’re fast approaching the busy holiday season where wildlife will be either hiding out in the bush or parklands or “dining” at many of the oft unoccupied holiday rentals where holidaymakers provide them with both “good-for-them” foods or not-so-good-for-them foods, all of which they eat with the same aplomb.

Sure, human leftovers, chips (fries), sweets, potato chips, and tortilla chips may taste, and even marshmallows may taste good to a kudu or bushbuck. Still, many of these foods can be toxic and certainly don’t add to their nutritional well-being.
When we noticed Mr. Monitor Lizard coming out from the bush, we were surprised how much he ventured out. They are timid, usually living underground in tunnels they dig. He was hungry and on the hunt.

Nonetheless, many wildlife like the taste of such foods, and we may not see them for days, if not weeks.  Some holidaymakers have already arrived but certainly not as many as we’ll see in the next few weeks, with Christmas only 15 days from today.  

We didn’t know how to get eggs to him when each time we’ve approached in the past, he rapidly slithered away.

Knowing our visitors may be sparse, we’re totally engrossed in each visitor that continues to arrive as we stay on the veranda, rain or shine, days and nights. The power outages continue but not necessarily following the schedule posted by Eskom, the power company.

This warthog is named “Basket,” shortened from Tom calling him “basketballs.”  Get it?  He and the lizard seemed fine in each other’s space.

It rained again last night, which, combined with the rain over the prior few days, is starting to “green” the bush.  Today is very cool and comfortable with a strong breeze. We’re loving every moment, knowing cool weather is short-lived in Africa.

 As we’ve sat here on the veranda, we’ve had a few new experiences we are excited to share today. One was the appearance of Mr. Monitor Lizard, who seldom makes comes out from his hovel to see us, and he offered us a special treat as shown in today’s photos.

For the first time, he approached the veranda, looking at us.  He didn’t seem to like pellets, so we tried to figure out what we could feed him.

The photos tell the story of his visit.  He was looking for food. If we approach him, he rapidly slithers away, so we had to figure out how to help him out without scaring him. 56Tom suggested we toss him some of the many eggs we always have on hand for the mongooses.

He was scanning the garden looking for possible food sources.

There was no way to get the eggs to him without breaking them. So we tossed him 10 eggs. As the shells broke, the contents remained in many shell fragments, and he devoured each morsel, including eating many of the nutrient-rich shells.

Over a period of several minutes, Tom tossed several eggs his way.  He seemed very pleased licking the eggs out of the broken shells.

With warthog Basket in the garden at the same time, earlier we’d tossed him some bones left from Tom’s rib dinner at Jabula. Here I go, saying we give them leftovers!!! Hypocritical?  No. 

 The minerals in bones are useful to warthogs, and they’ll readily eat any bones we provide. However, they have no interest in any meat. By nature, they are herbivores but maybe in desperate situations, and they may consume carrion.

Every so often, he stopped eating the eggs and shells to scope his surroundings and safety.

When we saw the monitor lizard pick up the bone, we freaked out. How do you do the Heimlich maneuver to a lizard? What if he choked? Worried, we watched intently, not knowing what would happen. Miraculously, he swallowed it right down with enthusiasm and went back to eating the bits of eggs and shells.

He paused when he noticed the rib bone left from Tom’s dinner at Jabula on Saturday night.

We read the following online, giving us peace of mind after he wandered off:
“While most monitor lizards are carnivorous, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals, some also eat fruit and vegetation, depending on where they live.”  Obviously, they have the ability to digest bone if they eat birds and mammals.  

Later on, during the evening after dark, when the scheduled power outage didn’t occur, for the first time, we had a thick-tailed bushbaby eat every last drop of yogurt we placed on the bushbaby stand each night. The usual smaller bushbabies had yet to eat the contents of the little cup, and the much larger thick-tailed bushbaby devoured it in seconds.

And…he swallowed it right down! 

From this site: “The thick-tailed bushbaby is a nocturnal primate with child-like cries, which gave cause for the English vernacular name. This is probably due to its diet and larger body size; this is the most social of all known bushbabies.”

For the second time in one day, we discovered these two situations, both of which added so much to our ongoing experiences in the bush.  Surely, in these next 66 days, until we depart Marloth Park, more wonders will come our way.

Be well!  Be happy!

Photo from one year ago today, December 10, 2017:

Boulevard scene in Arica, Chile, while on a port of call during the cruise. For more photos, please click here.