In the past almost 10 years of world travel which National Parks have we visited in Africa?…

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Map of national parks on the African continent.

Best  National Parks in Africa’s Top Safari Countries from this site:

  1. Masai Mara National Reserve – Kenya

  2. Serengeti National Park – Tanzania

  3. Chobe National Park – Botswana

  4. Kruger National Park – South Africa

  5. Etosha National Park – Namibia

  6. South Luangwa National Park – Zambia

  7. Hwange National Park – Zimbabwe

  8. Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda

  9. Liwonde National Park – Malawi

When we review the above list of African national parks, we cannot help but smile. Of course, we’d love to have visited each of these national park, and perhaps we will at some point. But, at this time, we’ve been to six of these nine top locations, which are highlighted in bold type.

Besides Africa, we’ve been to three national parks in India from this site, including:

1. Kanha National Park

2. Bandhavgarh National Park

3. Kaziranga National Park

4. Nagarhole National Park

5. Ranthambhore National Park

6. Periyar National Park

7. Gir National Park

8. Sunderbans National Park

9. Nanda Devi Biosphere & Valley of Flowers National Parks

10. Jim Corbett National Park

Again, those we visited in India are highlighted in bold type. As shown, in the case of India, we’ve been to three out of ten, and we doubt we will return to see the others.

When we say “visited” national parks, we mean having been on safari in each of these national parks. While on the last cruise, another passenger asked how many safaris we’d been on. We haven’t kept an exact count, which I wish we had at this point.

But, based on a reasonable estimate, we’d say it’s no less than 200 or 300. And yet still, we revel in the excitement of “one more time.”  Many of these safaris were with a guide. In India, our private tour of the country included our private safaris with a driver and our guide, which occurred in Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park where on both occasions we saw the elusive tigers.

We were on safari in Ranthambhore, hoping to see the Bengal tiger but that was in a group tour while we were on the Maharajas Express Train with about 20 passengers. It was, by far, our least favorite of all guided safaris when we saw very little, certainly not a tiger, and the driver drove too fast. One of the passengers was injured, falling out of her seat. This story is detailed in our post from that date here. This post also includes our final expenses from the luxury train adventure.

But, besides that less than stellar experience, we’ve enjoyed ourselves every time. Probably, we’ve done self-drive safaris considerably more than guided safaris. We’ve been on many guided safaris in Kruger National Park, which in some cases had resulted in the most sightings, particularly one of our favorites when we experienced the Ridiculous Nine as opposed to the Big Five. See our link here.

The Big Five is often a goal for first-time visitors to Africa and many safaris later for some. The Big Five sightings consist of the following: rhino, lion, elephant, leopard, and Cape buffalo. Sure, we love seeing all these majestic animals, but we’re long past that goal. We are grateful to see whatever treasures Mother Nature bestows upon us on any safari in a national park.

And “safari luck?” We coined that phrase years ago when we found ourselves lucky on safari and at other times in our world travels. Yes, we’ve had some ups and downs, most recently with our unpleasant experiences getting Covid -19 on the first cruise, having to cancel the second cruise, and later becoming ill with salmonella when we first arrived in Marloth Park.

But now, we feel our safari luck is returning with the plethora of animals visiting us at this house, and surely when we soon head to Kruger National Park for more adventures.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 15, 2021:

It was a busy morning in the bush. For more photos, please click here.

Power outages all day today and tomorrow….Eskom repairs…No-see-ums solutions!…

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This handsome Big Daddy is missing a huge section of his left horn, most likely due to a hostile encounter.

We changed our minds about going to Kruger National Park. Last night, I was awake for several hours, itching from sand fleas (midges, no-see-ums) bites, and I was up several times using various creams and lotions, including Calamine, some of which may work for a few hours. I’m a little too tired to ride in the park for hours.

Invariably, I fall back to sleep, waking up a few hours later with the itching worse than the last time. Last night, a bite on the bottom of my foot was the worst culprit, along with the nagging dozens of bites around my neck. However, with our ramped-up preventive measures, I am only getting one or two new bites each day, far less than a few weeks ago.

This was a first for us. We’d never seen a Big Daddy missing part of his massive horn. That must have been one aggressive encounter!

The itching lasts from one to three weeks, which can be just as awful the second or third week as when the bites were new. At night, warming up under the covers in the cold weather exacerbates the itching, particularly on my feet. I have implemented the following measures to reduce the likelihood of being bit and the itching:

  1. Wear repellent with DEET, not only on all exposed skin but under my clothes, reapplying every six hours
  2. Wear thick socks, leaving no gap between the sock and the bottom of my long pants
  3. Wear a “bugs-away” long sleeve shirt over a long-sleeve tee-shirt
  4. Spray the area where we’re sitting outdoors, day and night
  5. Spray the bedroom with Doom in the late afternoon
  6. Keep the bedroom door shut at all times.
  7. At bedtime, reapply repellent, wear long leggings and a long-sleeved hooded shirt to bed, pulling up the hoodie when going to sleep to keep my neck and part of my face covered
  8. Use anti-itch creams as needed, including cortisone, antihistamine, and calamine lotion
  9. Shower using exfoliant cream and sponge to remove any remaining insect larvae on my skin.

    This is our boy, Dot, who has a few polka dots on his back and above his left leg, as shown in this photo.

I can’t think of anything else I can do. Please let me know if you’ve had experience with these types of insects and their terrible bites. Tom hasn’t had a single bite. Go figure!

The power just went out a few minutes ago. It is supposed to return by 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs. Yesterday, Danie came over and re-did the inverter system in the house. There were two inverters, one upstairs on the second level and the other on the main floor. The unit on the main floor died, so he had to hook up the upstairs unit via a long power cord hanging along the wall by the stairway. He is so on-the-ball about getting things to work well for us, just like his lovely wife, Louise.

Seeing the zebras return so soon after their first visit was excellent.

Also, yesterday Danie added a handrail leading to the second level. We were so grateful he did this, making it easier for us to go up the stairs. There’s another living room/lounge up there, as well as another huge veranda. It will be fun to entertain up there if it’s raining. Now, with the handrail in place, we’ve added another floor of usability to this house.

Tom tossed quite a few pellets at the pool’s edge. Afterward, they all took a drink.

Plus, there’s an air-con unit in the lounge upstairs, and on sweltering days and nights in the summer months, we can always go up there to hide away for a few hours. Also, there’s a big TV monitor up there with Netflix; if we’d like, we can watch a movie up there.

The power will supposedly be back up by 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs. Today, with more of the same tomorrow. Tom placed the large metal bowl filled with ice in the refrigerator. Everything in the freezer will be fine for this short period.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 14, 2021:

We haven’t seen Thick Neck at the new house since we arrived three weeks ago. Hopefully, someday soon. For more photos, please click here.

Fun and very late night in the bush…Zebras!!!…

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Note the cute marking on this zebra’s left upper leg, a perfectly formed polka dot.

Today, I had planned to write about wildlife being killed on the road by speeding visitors and residents. But, when I saw the photos of the kudu that had to be shot when its legs were broken from being hit by a speeding car on Olifant Road, I decided not to post them. It’s heartbreaking.

As the season moves into school holiday time with more and more tourists visiting Marloth Park, this issue becomes more and more worrisome. Every weekend several animals are killed. This is terrifying for those who treasure every being in the park that we are blessed to enjoy. These poor animals deserve to live out their lives free from harm by humans.

This is the same zebra, as shown above, that has the polka dot marking on its upper left leg. How cute is that!

We know many of our readers are visiting our site who live in South Africa and many other countries whose citizens come here to experience the joys of living in the bush, even if it’s for only a few days. Please, tourists, consider the lives of these fantastic creatures and come here with the intent of sharing in their beauty and majesty by driving slowly on all of the roads, including Olifant Road, the paved road, and all the dirt roads.

Last night, friends Alan and Fiona came for sundowners at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs., and stayed until after 1:30 am. By the time we cleaned up and got to bed, we didn’t drift off until after 2:30 am. Fortunately, we both slept until 8:30 am and feel pretty good today. Six hours of sleep isn’t enough, so that a short nap might be on the agenda this afternoon. Twenty minutes is all it takes to make us feel refreshed.

This zebra was being pushy with me about tossing more pellets. I complied. I can’t help myself!

In any case, we had a great time catching up with our dear friends. We hadn’t seen them in seven months since they left here to go to the Durban area and several timeshare properties in other regions of South Africa. It was great to see them again. They will be leaving again in September, but surely we’ll see them many more times over the winter.

The food, the wine, and the lively conversation flowed easily, as it always does with our bush friends, some from here and others from different parts of the world. The commonality we share of our love and fascination with wildlife and the unique lifestyle of living in the bush brings us all together in a magical way, unlike anything we’ve observed anywhere else in the world.

Undoubtedly, that fact is highly instrumental in our desire to return here, over and over again. As we always say, over and over again, life in the bush is magical based on its people and wildlife, a perfect combination for joy and adventure. It’s never dull. No, it’s not always an adventure, but invariably something comes up that grabs our attention and interest.

The zebras walked around the garden to drink from the pool.

Louise and Danie stopped by this morning. We’ve been having some trouble with the inverter, which provides us with an opportunity to use a lamp and fan in the bedroom during power outages. But, more importantly, during outages and load shedding, we can use WiFi since the inverter provides power to the router.

This way, when the power is out, we can still stream shows on our streaming services, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Otherwise, it can be dull at night in the dark without power. We can’t see any animals stopping by; the only distraction would be dumb offline games on our phones. Plus, after a while, the phones go dead.

With the inverter, we can charge our devices, stream shows and be in the bedroom with one lamp working. Running a fan at night is the difference between sleeping and staying awake in the heat when it’s hot in the summer.

Tomorrow, Danie will return and resolve the inverter issue, and we can continue to have peace of mind. For the past two weeks, there hasn’t been any load shedding, but surely, it will start up again soon, which is always the case.

Today, we’ll dine in, cooking two rib-eye steaks on the braai, rice for Tom, steamed green beans, and salad. It’s an effortless dinner on a lazy day.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Photo from one year ago today, June 12, 2021:

Little and some friends. For more photos, please click here.

Part 3…This house…

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View from the dining room to the kitchen.

It’s been a busy morning. Many animals came by for pellets, mainly warthogs and kudus, including an adorable baby kudu, perhaps less than a month old. We don’t have a birdbath at this house, but most wildlife drink from the pool. When summer is sweltering, we’ll put out a pot of water for the mongooses, warthogs, and birds who can’t partake of the water in the splash pool. The mongooses and warthogs can’t reach the pool, and the birds don’t seem interested in drinking from a pool.

Another view from the dining room to the kitchen.

Very little chlorine is used in private pools in Marloth Park since it’s common for the wildlife to drink from them. We never use splash pools when we prefer a normal-sized pool and aren’t interested in languishing in a pool of water filled with a wide array of “bush” things. Zef and Vusi clean the pool regularly, but they have no control over the dust in the air, falling leaves and debris from vegetation, dead scorpions, and other insects that may fall in day and night.

As we sit on the veranda, day after day, we’re in awe of what treasures may appear at any given moment. Whether it’s birds, rodents, lizards, snakes, or the many other animals that come to call, we never tire of seeing them. Plus, it’s extra exceptional living in this house which abuts the parkland, and we have even more expansive views than we had at the last house.

We are thrilled with this colossal refrigerator, twice as big as the last house.

Don’t get me wrong, we loved that location, but the house was small, although it had all the needed amenities. But, here, it’s entirely different. A few years ago, Louise and Danie lived in this house before they built the Marloth Park Info Centre, to which their current home is attached.

Theirs is a fantastic house, and we see many personal touches they incorporated into this house when they remodeled it, serving us well right now. The only peculiarity is the lack of electric outlets and conveniently located light switches. But that is typical in Africa. In South Africa, there aren’t the regulations we found in the US requiring so many outlets in each room, based on its dimensions.

This huge oven is a real plus for us since we oven-bake.

The electric plug-ins here make using small appliances very tricky. Many small appliances such as mixers, hair dryers, and blenders have different types of plugs, none of which work for our bevy of adapters and converters. But, somehow, we figure it out and manage to use what we need.

We’re grateful to have a food processor, blender, hand mixer, and several types of coffee-making devices. Tom uses the French press for his coffee, and I use decaf coffee crystals with hot water from the teapot, which surprisingly makes excellent coffee. After living in India in a hotel room without laundry facilities, we’re grateful to have a good quality washing machine.

The separate area is called the scullery, where dirty dishes can be out of sight.

As I’ve previously mentioned, clothes dryers are rare in the bush. Houses here don’t have city-supplied natural gas. Propane is used as an alternative. Electric clothes dryers use a lot of electricity, and with the power problems in South Africa resulting in load shedding (planned power outages), having a clothes dryer makes no sense. Besides, most days are sunny here, making outdoor drying easy.

There’s limited cabinet space since there are no above-counter cabinets. But we’ve made it work for us.

Oops, I just had to run outside while putting a few things away in the bedroom. A zebra looked in the window at me, wondering where the pellets were. We took several photos, which we’ll share in the next few days. How fun is that!

The coffee, tea, and toast prep area.

As for today…this is Friday, and at 1700 hrs, 5:00 pm, we’ll head to Jabula to have fun at the bar, followed by dinner, enjoying the fabulous service and consistently great food. Tomorrow evening friends Fiona and Alan are coming for sundowners. We’ll put together an array of appetizers and be bundled up for the evening in this cool weather.

View from the kitchen to the dining area. The main bedroom is in the background.

Danie had the outdoor heater repaired for us while we were away. Based on the forecast, I think we’ll need to use it tomorrow evening and on many other evenings to come. It’s almost winter in the bush!

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 10, 2021:

Tiny and the first monkey we spotted this morning. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…This house…

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As shown in the photo, this house has a few extra rental units to the left if we should have guests and need more room than the two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.

We couldn’t be more thrilled with this house. (Note: All of today’s photos were taken by Louise). Not only does it provide us with added space and a more functional kitchen, but the veranda is ideal for our needs, roomy for entertaining and multiple guests. In the old house, 2 km from here, we were limited to the number of sundowner events or dinner guests we invited. Here we have more flexibility and can easily accommodate 12 guests, which we may entertain from time to time.

In the old house, Love Bird’s Nest, we were limited to six guests at any given time, and even that was tight. Although the current veranda dining table is best suited to six, we can easily accommodate eight with the addition of a few chairs. Plus, as shown in today’s photos, we have the bar, where we can seat six more.

We don’t have all the chairs we’d need if we invited 12, but all we’d have to do is tell Louise, and she’d arrange for Zef and Vusi to bring extra chairs, dishes, silverware, or anything we may need.

There’s an array of attractive serving pieces to accompany any sized meal, kept in the store room off the living room, some of which we’ll use for smaller events. Besides all of this, Louise left the kitchen well-stocked with abundant spices and condiments and tea with several coffee-making accouterments, some of which we may never use but certainly look pretty on the cement kitchen counters.

We have moved the two bamboo chaises to the far left to avoid impeding the view of the animals. Note the firepit and stone benches to the far right.

The countertops are cement, which I would have found too commercial-looking and lacking in style in my old life. But, here in Africa, they are modern and practical. They are easy to clean, can handle any hot pans, and are unlikely to chip or crack like granite or other surfaces in this environment.

Another feature in the kitchen, which we love, is the scullery kitchen, a separate area for dirty dishes and cleanup. There’s no dishwasher, but two sinks aren’t always included in many bush houses. The hot water takes time to get to the faucet, requiring we turn it on well ahead of doing dishes; for the first time, we leave dishes in the sink for the subsequent washing.

Of course, Tom does all of the dishes after dinner each evening, and if I am prepping for a meal, using multiple pots and pans, one of us will take care of those during the day. We don’t want to attract ants and other insects from food left on plates. We are mindful of reducing the number of insects that enter the house.

Speaking of insects, this is chiggers/no-see-ums season. Once it is more consistently cold, with winter officially starting on June 21, they should be less of a nuisance soon. I am covered with hundreds of bites, that I get every year when we’re here. This morning I protected myself from head to toe with repellent, and I am wearing a bugs-away shirt with a long-sleeved body-hugging shirt underneath.

Here is the bar on the veranda with comfy high-top chairs on both sides. We can seat six at the bar.

My only exposed skin is my neck and hands, both of which most of the bites are concentrated. At night I wear a lightweight hoodie to bed and cover my neck and ears. Instead of using night cream right now, I am using repellent on my face. In the past week, I got several bites on my face. These bites are slow to heal and stop itching, easily lasting two to three weeks. Tom doesn’t attract any insects and doesn’t get a single insect bite. Lucky guy!

We will be shopping today and looking for a continuous repellent dispensing device in the bedroom. Right now, Tom has been spraying in the late afternoon, leaving ample time for the smell to dissipate before we head to bed. This helps but is not a perfect solution since I still get bit during the night.

Hopefully, the season will soon change sufficiently for this to stop being a problem. Many Facebook posts have been discussing this issue in Marloth Park right now. As we always say, “It’s the nature of the beast.” which is more accurate here than anywhere.

Now, we’re off to Komatipoort for shopping. We have a few shops we need to visit and our weekly trip to Spar. We’re getting well stocked each time we shop at Spar and soon won’t be spending as much as we’ve been this first month.

Have a fantastic day, and be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 8, 2021:

An elephant we spotted during our visit to the Crocodile River. For more photos, please click here.

A drive through the park searching for photo ops…Staffing issues throughout the world…

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For a moment, my heart skipped a beat when I thought this was Little. But the tusks were too big and the body too small. We’ll keep watching for him.

Yesterday afternoon after uploading the post, we headed out to drive through the park for the first time since we arrived two weeks ago, searching for photos for our posts. After driving on the pot-hole-ridden, uneven dirt roads, we decided to head back to the house, bouncing in the little rental car for 90 minutes.

We didn’t take a single photo when we didn’t encounter any wildlife except for a few impalas and zebras at too far a distance. In the same manner that visiting Kruger National Park can be a bust, we returned, accepting that sometimes sightings are limited. We weren’t disappointed. We’ve learned to accept such an occurrence. After all, it’s nature that can be unpredictable at times.

Big Daddy gracefully jumped over the fence.

Next week, we’ll head to Kruger to purchase our one-year pass to the park at SanPark‘s business office at the Crocodile Gate entrance, the closest entry point to our location.. At this point, staffing is an issue due to the pandemic, and we’ll get faster results if we apply in person rather than online.

This is the case with many businesses in South Africa and as we’d observed in the US. Many shops and restaurants either went out of business or are operating on a short-staffed basis. It’s sad to see how people haven’t gone back to work and there are hiring signs everywhere. While in the US we were shocked to see that some of our favorite restaurants were no longer in business.

It’s great to see Stringy here. He now stops by each day as he did at the old house.

This is the case worldwide, not just in South Africa and the US. On top of that, many customers become angry and frustrated when service is slow due to staffing shortages. While we were sick in Minneapolis and ordered unwiches, the delicious bread-free sandwiches from the chain Jimmy John’s. As ill as Tom was, we drove to a nearby location a few times to order.

No longer could we go inside the shop and place an order.  We had to go back out to the car, place and pay for the order online on my phone, and wait for the designated time to enter the shop to pick up the two unwiches. A sign at the shop said, “Please be kind to our staff. Due to staffing issues resulting from the pandemic, we are grateful for the staff we have.”

Chipotle, another fast food restaurant from which we ordered food while sick with Covid (we tested negative before entering the US), had a similar situation. No longer could a patron stand at the glass-covered counter and point to the ingredients they wanted in the order. All orders had to be completed and paid online. Ready orders were placed on a shelf with the customer’s name.

A female kudu and young bushbuck, we’ve yet to name.

It would be the same scenario here in many cases, especially if travelers wanted to apply online for visa extensions. There is such a backlog of applications it’s unlikely an approval would come on time. Subsequently, there is the necessity to use a law firm to process the application.

Also, we’re hearing about backlogs on driver’s licenses and other licenses for locals, which has been the case for over two years since the onset of the pandemic. Nothing will ever be the same. The world deals with the long-term impact of this pandemic, let alone the massive numbers of people who’ve lost their jobs, income, and sources of income and financial security. For the poor, this has only exacerbated an already impossible situation.

Yes, we appreciate the ease with which we continue to live our lives. Yes, we’ve had to be ultra-aware of increased costs and lack of services. But we remain grateful and humbled by the quality of our lives and our renewed good health.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 7, 2021:

An elephant was drinking and playing in the river. For more photos, please click here.

How do we feel about cruising after getting Covid on a ship?…New video!…

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At this point, we have four cruises booked. The first three are back to back, back to back, and back to back for 42 nights on the same ship. We’ve been looking forward to this lengthy and exciting itinerary for a long time. It will bring us back to South Africa via Cape Town a few days before Tom’s birthday and Christmas.

We’ll have kept this house in our absence, preventing us from the necessity of moving into another house when we return, which we may not like as much as this one. As we settle in more and more each day, we’re finding that this is the perfect environment for us. It fulfills all of our needs and desires.

We gave the mongooses Tom’s rib bones from dinner at Jabula and a good-sized portion of Paloney, cut into bite-sized pieces.

It’s not uncommon in Africa for a shortage of electric outlets in houses and for switches for the existing lights to be in odd locations, far from where one might expect them to be. Yes, there were a few workarounds we had to make to make it suitable for us. But, with Louise and Danie’s help, we have it all figured out.

But, in the almost two weeks since we arrived, everything has worked out, and we are as content as we could be in a holiday rental. Subsequently, we have no desire to move to a different house during the year we’ll be living here, except for the trips we must make for visa stamps and, as mentioned, upcoming cruises.

This female kudu jumped over the little fence to get closer to us.

So now, after contracting Covid-19 which we believe was Omicron, and having such awful cases, especially with Tom ending up with pneumonia, we can’t help but wonder what will happen going forward when we begin to cruise again in five months.

When listening to cruising podcasts the past week, there’s a lot of talk about requiring masks to be worn while on board a ship except when eating and drinking, which wasn’t the case on this last cruise when we became infected. But couldn’t one become infected while in the dining rooms with hundreds of guests at any given seating?

Tom walked to the edge of the veranda to offer pellets to the kudus and a few warthogs.

There’s no easy answer, and I must admit, I am concerned about getting Covid again while on a ship. What if we became ill on the first week or two of the 42-nighter? That would be a nightmare. At this point, with cruising rules changing, we can’t be assured we’d get our money back. We’re still waiting on a refund from Azamara for over US $8000, ZAR 122950. This was for the cruise formerly planned to go to Ukraine. We all know what happened there.

We’re hoping that Covid will die down a little more between now and then. But, it doesn’t necessarily look like that could happen. Ah, these times we live in! How peculiar it is!

What a joy when Big Daddies stop by!

Today, Monday is a quiet day. We have no plans other than to cook a roast on the braai, with rice for Tom, avocados stuffed with seafood salad for me, and coleslaw salad. This morning, I made low-carb homemade ketchup, which we’ll use for the roast beef, burgers, and other meats. I prepped everything else for dinner, making it easy later on in the day.

Tom enjoyed his homemade blueberry muffins each morning with his coffee while I’ve been savoring my homemade low-carb blueberry scones, a rare treat to my morning coffee. We don’t eat anything the remainder of the day unless we get starving. We’ll have some meat and quality cheeses to hold us until dinner, but that rarely is necessary.

Rueben and Lonely Girl.

Since Tom lost so much weight and is feeling good, he’s been able to eat the high-carb muffins I made for him using regular flour and sugar. He’s been able to keep the weight off since we arrived. We’ll see how that goes. We both continually strive to keep weight off since we don’t want to have to replace our clothes for bigger sizes, nor do we want the potential health risks of carrying excess weight. It’s a constant struggle when we both love good food so much.

Be healthy and enjoy life!

Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2021:

Wildebeests in the driveway near the rental car. For more photos, please click here.

Sunday in the bush…An easy day…An easy life…Staying engaged in life…

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Late yesterday afternoon, this baby bushbuck found a comfortable spot inside the fence and rested in this spot for a few hours. Could she be any cuter?

Did it take two months of being away to realize how much we treasure this easy life in Marloth Park? No doubt, we appreciated being here in the past. But, after all the challenges we encountered during those two months, we are in a different head space right now.

Over the past few days, as we’ve begun feeling better at almost 100% of our old selves, it’s been all the more relevant for us to be ultra-aware of our surroundings, especially how few requirements there are of us to enjoy daily life. Other than the daily tasks of cooking, tidying up, doing dishes, and laundry, so little is required of us. We pay our bills once a month, do taxes once a year, and keep our posts updated daily.

Jumping over the fence to eat the vegetation on the other side.

Taking photos for the posts doesn’t feel like a chore, nor does preparing the post incorporating those photos therein. If we didn’t do the posts, we’d still take pictures. But, like many tourists, what do you do with all those photos? Have a slideshows for guests when they visit? You know how unenthused guests are to that prospect. See your vacation photos? Nah, not interested.

That’s not to say that everyone in our old lives is interested in our travel photos or posts. Some of our family members read our posts, but many do not, and at any given time, other than our kids, may not have a clue where we are and what we’re doing. We get that.

Fluffed up female bushbuck.

We may read a blog or website by other travelers from time to time. But, we stop in for a quick view and skip through the majority of the content. We are always amazed by how our readers continue to read our posts, day after day, year after year. We’re sure that many of you read like we do, skipping over content to glean a morsel of information that piques our interest.

What do we do all day after we’re done with the post and the day is still young? We don’t watch TV, go to Home Depot or make repairs around the house. We don’t work in the garden, sweep the driveway, paint a wall, or pick up our dog’s poop in the grass. We don’t walk dogs. Dogs and other pets are not allowed in Marloth Park.

Two bushbucks and two duikers.

But, pets aren’t befitting our lifestyle. We have all the “animal joy” we could want with all the wildlife visiting us all day. And even when the wildlife is sparse on some weekends, we still revel in the sights and sounds of the bush and, of course, the constant anticipation of who might suddenly appear.

This is Bad Ear. He stops by each day.

Funnily, it’s like fishing. It may be quiet for a while, but the anticipation of a nibble on the hook keeps an avid fisherperson engaged for hours. That’s us. We never get bored. So how do we fill our time?

As always, we’re outdoors on the veranda. There are a half dozen kudus in the garden which backs up to parkland. A gentle breeze is wafting through the trees, adding another layer of sound typical for the bush. The sun is shining. The temperature is mild with low humidity. It’s a perfect day. What more could we ask for? Nothing.

Yep, that’s Bossy. She’s found her way to us once again.

Besides our favorite Garage Logic, we listen to podcasts on topics that appeal to us. After dinner, we stream shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu at night. Occasionally, we add another streaming service to one of these apps when there’s a particular show we’d like to see. It’s a simple life.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 5, 2021:

A little altercation between Medium Daddy and warthogs. For more photos, please click here.

Oh, what a night!…The social life begins…Pig on the porch!!!…

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Wouldn’t you know? A pig on the porch. It’s quite a hike to get up onto the raised veranda but leave it to a determined warthog to figure it out.

The social life has begun. Last minute, Louise and Danie stopped by for sundowners on Thursday evening. I put together a little cheese board and the conversation, as always, was lively and animated. We had a lot of catching up to do.

Last night, we commenced our usual Friday night tradition, hanging out at the bar at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant to later order dinner. Based on how cold it is outdoors at night, we dine indoors at the bar. Often Dawn and Leon dine with us. As more and more guests join the “party,” the decibel level increases along with the pop music in the background. It couldn’t be more fun.

Last night, we met a delightful couple from Nelspruit whose upbeat and playful attitude only added to the evening’s festivities. By 8:00 pm, we were both ready to return to our bush home, especially since we hadn’t socialized in so long due to our recent illnesses.

We couldn’t stop laughing over Mom (of Mom and Babies) foray onto the veranda.

Feeling much better, I drank a few glasses of my light red wine, Skinny Red, by Four Cousins, a South African winery, and Tom sipped on a few brandies and Sprite Zero. Ironically, last night I slept better than I had in the past six weeks. When I awoke this morning, my phone’s battery was still at 93%, indicating how little time I spent playing Scrabble with strangers during the night. Tom also slept well, and we both feel great today.

We feel confident we can start planning more social events, including heading out with our portable chairs to watch wildlife on the shores of the Crocodile River, often an environment for meeting new people and commiserating over the wonders along the river.

Today, we’re staying in, making a lovely dinner, doing some laundry, and observing the wonders in the bush on the veranda. With plans set for what we’ll do for our next visa stamp, we can relax and enjoy ourselves at long last, feeling well and like our “old” selves. We appreciate feeling well more than we can say.

She scoured the area, but we didn’t put pellets there, instead of placing them on the ground outside the little fenced area.

Wildlife visits aren’t as plentiful right now over the weekend since the park is busy with lots of tourists. Either the animals are busy with the newcomers or hiding from the added commotion. One can never know for sure. We often assume they are being fed food not suitable for wildlife that tastes a lot better than the dry pellets, but unaware tourists who don’t realize the harm they are doing feeding the animals human snacks and treats.

Yesterday, we finally found the camera bag that contained the charger for the camera’s battery. We unpacked when we were sick and haven’t been able to find a few items. The loss of the camera bag would have been frustrating, but we felt we couldn’t have lost it or left it behind in a hotel on this last awful trip since we hadn’t taken the bag with us. However, we had brought along the camera, the battery, and the charger.

We never used the camera on this dreadful trip and, thus, would never have a reason to use the charger. We knew it was somewhere in this house, but we weren’t sure where. After going through all the luggage and removing all of our clothes from the shelves in the bedroom, we finally found them tucked away behind some beach towels on a top shelf in the bedroom. We were thrilled.

Even Big Daddy feels like he has a right to be inside the little fence.

At that time, we realized we only had one battery that worked for our newest camera. Since we will be going on safari in Botswana in a few months, we’d need another battery. Looking online at Amazon, we couldn’t find the exact model. Instead, I found it at Walmart in the US. It will ship to our mailing service, where we are accumulating another order to be shipped, mainly with enough Crystal Light Ice Tea to last us through this upcoming year. Once the battery arrives on the 17th, we’ll be able to order the package with the help of our mailing service in Nevada.

Once again, it will cost a fortune to ship, but that iced tea is just one of those things we don’t choose to forego in our world travel lifestyle. After shopping for a few items in the US, I realized how many food products we miss using. But, once again, it’s all about adaptation, and we’ve learned to find alternatives for many items we used in our old lives.

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you may be, heading into summer in the Northern Hemisphere and heading into winter, like us in the Southern Hemisphere. What a weird phenomenon that is!

Photo from one year ago today, June 4, 2021:

We were worried for Broken Horn, who was picked on by the three other wildebeests, including Crooked Face. Maybe now, that explains why he often visits alone instead of with “friends. For more photos, please click here.

Lions in Marloth Park…And other warnings…

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Lion prints were found here in Marloth Park a few days ago.
Let’s face it; life is dangerous in most parts of the world. Whether it’s wars, natural disasters, crime, or animal encounters, one can never sit back and feel entirely safe. South Africa is listed as #8 in the list of the world’s countries for the highest murder rate, details of which may be found here at this site with updated stats for 2022.
Also of concern for humans are the world’s most dangerous animals listed on this site, most of which may be found in South Africa and other countries on the continent and other parts of the world. The majestic lion is listed as #10, certainly not the most dangerous to humans, but without a doubt, falling into a difficult position.
No one wants to come face to face with a lion, although many videos on YouTube may lead some to assume human interactions with lions is safe. It is not. Subsequently, with lions on the loose in Marloth Park, every local visitor must exercise caution daily and night.
A resident of Marloth Park took this photo from their vehicle.
No one is exempt from the possibility of a life-threatening or life-ending attack by a lion, even right here in this paradise-like conservancy where wild animals surround us at any given moment. A few minutes ago, I walked by the bedroom window to see our new wildlife visitor, Bad Ear (his left ear is bleeding), a huge wildebeest looking into the window at me, inquiring about the possibility of some pellets.
Of course, we were happy to see him, but we don’t forget for a moment his size, as indicated here:
“Males typically weigh 165 to 290 kg (364 to 639 lb), and females weigh 140 to 260 kg (310 to 570 lb).”
With their sharp horns and seeming gentle disposition, a human could be impaled instantly if a wildebeest becomes frightened or defensive.
Thus, we don’t take our presence here in the bush lightly. We proceed with caution at every turn while still taking time to enjoy the frequent visits from wildlife. But lions, hmmm…if a lion approached us while we were on the veranda, we’d have to move quickly to get inside the house to protect ourselves, keeping in mind how fast ions can move.
Fortunately, by nature, lions don’t generally seek human interactions. But, here again, if frightened or provoked, an attack could be imminent. We are more well protected in this house by a short fence bordering a portion of the veranda, providing some protection. But, if we hear a lion’s roar nearby, I assure you we won’t be racing out to the garden for a photo.
More lion footprints were recently spotted in Marloth Park.
It is difficult for residents to take photos unless they happen across one of the lions while in their vehicle. The images we’re sharing today are not ours. They were on a public forum on Facebook, which we watch diligently for new sightings on a few select Facebook groups for Marloth Park.
In the case of today’s photos, we “borrowed” all of them from Facebook to make an illustration of this reality in Marloth Park and other areas. Are we frightened? No. But we certainly would be if we were up close and personal with one of these beasts.
On another note, there is considerably more to fear from humans, the criminal kind who have been attacking and, in some cases murdering drivers on the N4 highways after dark, often early in the evening. As indicated in the post, we spotted it this morning on Facebook. These two attacks occurred as early as 2100 hrs, 9:00 pm. Anyone could be traveling back to Marloth Park after enjoying dinner in a restaurant on the N4 or visiting family and friends.
We have decided to avoid traveling on the N4 whenever it is dark, with no exception. The risk is too high based on the circumstances, such as listed below, posted by a Marloth Park official this morning.
The carcass of an ostrich found in Marloth Park results from a lion attack (or possibly, a leopard).
“Fyi
Good morning everyone.
Please warn your guests to try not to travel late at night.
We had two spiking incidents last night.
Both about the same time. 21h00
1. N4 Impala Station (between Hectorspruit and Malelane. Mozambique Truck.
2. Bethal, near the offramp, two vehicles spiked.
The problem is that the suspect is in groups.
1. Avoid driving over any foreign object on the road.
2. If you cannot avoid it, and your tires do hit an object which causes any damage, please continue driving as far as possible. The ideal will be to a garage or toll Plaza.
3. Suspects target what’s in your vehicle, cell phones, bags, cash, etc.
4. Don’t carry a lot of cash.
Keep the TracN4 ready at all times so that you can call them immediately.
Be vigilant at all times.
Thank you, and be safe.”
This frightens us, as it should. We are not foolhardy and take no such risks. Then again, nor should anyone, anywhere in the world, in these frightening times. We all must proceed with caution while still striving to find joy and fulfillment all around us in whatever we choose to do, wherever we choose to live.
Be well. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, June 3, 2021:

Hornbills certainly enjoy Frank and The Misses’ seeds. We don’t have any Franks at this new house. For more photos, please click here.