Finally, a cooler day!…Load shedding continues…We’re losing water…Off to see old friends for dinner…

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Gordon Ramsay, our newest bushbuck visitor, visits daily after discovering the goodies we offer.

Marloth Park is practically a disaster area right now. Some residents have been without power for four or five days. Many others have no phone service, TV service, and WiFi, especially if they have Vodacom (we do not). Tom, who usually takes a shower at 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs, each day, is taking one now at 10:00 am before our water runs out, as it has for many others in the park.

The electricity that services the pumps that run the water system is out, impacting everyone in the park. We can only imagine the frustration for those residents who’ve been without power for four or five days. Indeed, they’ve lost all their perishable food in the fridges and freezers by now.

Another view of Gorden Ramsay.

For those of us who still have electricity, load shedding is at Stage 4, which translates to 7½ hours per day without power, spread over three 2½ hour sessions. That’s nothing compared to those who haven’t had power since last Wednesday. Plus, being unable to be online or make a phone call is a terrible hardship for those residents.

Sure, an unsympathetic type could say, “If this was the mid-1800s and earlier, people had none of these services for the majority of their lives. They managed,” But, that isn’t comforting at all. Our lives are adapted to modern technology, and we shouldn’t have to be without that which has become an integral part of our lives in this day and age.

Here is Sylvia, named after my mother. She’s a loner, as are most bushbucks.

Imagine the frustration for those who continue to pay for the services and yet have none whatsoever. They’ll play hell trying to get credits for the periods they’ve been without the services. After all, TIA, “This is Africa,” and such infrastructure failures are expected as the norm.

And yet, for now, we choose to be here. No, we’ll never buy a house here, nor would we live here full-time if we decided to stop traveling and settle somewhere. Both of us agree to this without hesitation.

Sylvia loves cabbage.

Our holiday house uses a different WiFi company, Tech Connect, and we’ve had no issues recently. We have Google Fi on our phones and can easily make calls if necessary and access data. But, Google Fi shares towers with many of those that aren’t operational at times, and we may not have services.WiFi is out mainly because of the ongoing theft of the batteries at the stations that run services from the towers. Thieves come to the park in the middle of the night and steal the batteries.

Vodacom is sick and tired of replacing stolen batteries for its towers. They need to come up with another plan for those who are impacted. How about an impenetrable storage system for the batteries? It’s not rocket science. But again, TIA and things don’t get resolved like they do in many other parts of the world.

Our entire garden is now muddy due to the much-needed rain over the past week.

One might say, “Move away if you don’t like it.” But, in this and many other African countries, people can’t afford to leave when the cost of living is lower here than in many other parts of the world. Permanent residents, including retirees in Marloth Park, have no chance of moving away. With load shedding issues throughout the country, they’d have to move to another country that is not affordable or sensible for most.

For tourists, such as our friends, Rina and Cee, meeting today for sundowners and dinner at Amazing Kruger View. It is challenging. One spends money to come here for a holiday, enjoy the wildlife and end up without water, power, WiFi, and phone service. Such occurrences can easily impact tourists’ future decisions to come to Marloth Park. A lack of tourists affects property owners who need holiday rental income to cover their living costs. It’s a vicious cycle.

The cement pond, which we’ve kept free of water due to breeding mosquitoes, is now filled with water.

We accept the reality of the situation and must continue to do so for the next 74 days until we depart for Florida, US, where we’ll be spending 75 days, until our cruise sails across the Atlantic Ocean from Fort Lauderdale Southampton, England. No, we don’t wish time to fly by quickly. We are savoring every moment.

While we’re sitting on the veranda on a cooler, cloudy day, Froggie, who lives in the rafters above our heads, is entertaining us with his frequent croaks. Lori and Barbara (from Shark Tank) are sitting in the bush with an eye on us, waiting for the next visitor to our garden to whom we’ll toss some pellets. They’ll move in, scare them away with their bossy personalities and take over the eating of the pellets.

Our power just went out due to load shedding, but we’ll be fine during the 2½ hours. We’ll still have WiFi due to our inverter. Thanks to Louise and Danie for providing the valuable device for us during our year-long stay. Gordon Ramsey (bushbuck) just showed up for some pellets and cabbage. I’d better run and get his lunch!

Have a good day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 9, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #231. Tom checked in at the reception desk at the dental office in Savusavu, Fiji, while we waited outside with no indoor seating areas. The dental office was located on the hospital grounds. For more, please click here.

Nowhere is exempt from risk…

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Hal was taking a big gulp from the birdbath. Yes, as stated in today’s headings, “Nowhere is exempt from risk.” But isn’t this true in the most wonderful places to live in the world in the realm of things?

As it turns out, India is the country with the highest risks of natural disasters, more than anywhere else in the world. Whether it’s outrageous traffic and the possibility of earthquakes in California, the risk of hurricanes in Florida, or flash floods in India, nowhere in the world is free from danger. In 2020, 2021, we spent over a year in India but only saw a few of the existing risks.

Hal was taking a big gulp from the birdbath.

Covid-19 was disaster enough for India while we were in lockdown for ten months in a hotel room. But, on a few occasions, while stuck in that room, we were concerned over hurricane risks when a few washed over the area in which we were confined, Mumbai, which is close to the ocean.

Here’s an interesting article about the most dangerous places to visit with the most natural disasters. This article includes how difficult it is in the United States based on varying climates and terrain, often contributing to catastrophe. China is listed in the top three countries with the most natural disasters.

Giraffe on a drive to the river.

The above article is followed by another story about some of the safest and most dangerous countries in Africa.

Also, this article has a comprehensive list of the most dangerous countries in the world. Notice on this list that the USA is #36, and South Africa follows at #37. Our families are always worried that South Africa is too dangerous for us when our USA is even more dangerous

Let’s face it, in these days and times, nowhere in the world is exempt from natural disasters and the ravages of war, crime, and terrorism. Now faced with Covid-19 impacting every country in the world, the risks have increased exponentially. Will there ever be a time in the future that we can return to “ordinary life” with a carefree attitude as we go about our business of taking care of our lives, loved ones, and our usual responsibilities?

A hippo at quite a distance from the Marloth Park side of the fence.

Perhaps not. Perhaps this pandemic will be the fate of the world for many years to come. I dislike the statement, “a new normal,” but there may be a lot of truth in it. This morning, I was listening to a podcast I’ve listened to every week since the onset of the pandemic hosted by Dr. Michael Osterholm, one of the top epidemiologists in the world from the University of Minnesota.

Today’s podcast was #45, which can be found here: https://youtu.be/l37-pFDhzq8. I started listening when I began walking the corridors in India in March 2020. He’s not about doomsday, but his vast knowledge of the virus has been helpful to keep me informed.

Big Daddy was contemplating his next move.

As an “information junkie,” there is nothing more vital for me to do online than to stay informed and educated about what is happening in the world, which impacts our world travels and our personal lives. Information is empowering, and I never shy away from reality.

The state of the economy of the US and the world is Tom’s passion, and he keeps me well informed. The state of the US and the world’s health and well-being is my passion, and I share with him what I learn. No, many of us don’t want to hear about these things, preferring to stay in our little bubble. I get that. Don’t they say, “Ignorance is bliss?”

Ostriches encountered on a drive along the river.

But, avoidance is not a panacea for maintaining a false sense of optimism. Optimism comes from being informed and doing something about it, striving even in the smallest ways for a better chance of getting out of this alive and well, coupled with genuine hope for the future.

I don’t mean to sound down, morbid or pessimistic. I am none of those. But, I know we each can play a role in improving our world, our state of being, and our future, not only for ourselves but also for future generations.

Thank you for an arena to share these thoughts. Some may say, “Stay in your lane about world travel.” That’s precisely what I am doing, learning, researching, and preparing for continuing our world journey, hopefully for years to come.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 8, 2020:

 This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #230. It’s odd at times to find lush vegetation, as in this photo from Maui, in what appears to be arid and desolate areas. For more photos, please click here.

Heat and power outages continue…Exciting new sighting in our garden!!!!…

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Spikey has been playing in the mud!

It was quite a night. After an early dinner at 5:30 pm, 1730 hrs, we came inside to stream a few shows on my laptop with the aircon and the fan turned on. Even after showering, we couldn’t seem to cool off from the hot 103F, 39.9C day with outrageously high humidity.

I had a hard time taking the clothes stuck to me to shower and get into one of Tom’s cool cotton tee shirts. My summer night dress was too hot to wear to bed with its silky fabric sticking to me. We got comfortable on the bed in the then-cooled room and watched an episode of shark tank, Billions, and America’s Got Talent.

During this period, yet another thunder and lightning storm shook the house. A few times, the power went off, which we feared would happen. Miraculously, moments later, the power returned much to our relief and amazement. With the delicate and inconsistent power grid in South Africa, outages from storms are more the norm than not.

New tiny bushbuck was eating pellets with mom watching in the background.

By 11:00 pm, 2300hrs, we were ready to doze off, but for some odd reason, neither of us could fall asleep. We both tossed and turned for hours. Fortunately, the bed doesn’t seem to move when one of us is moving every few minutes. It wasn’t until around 1:00 am that I finally drifted off into oblivion, and Tom did the same.

At 1:30 pm, we both bolted out of bed when the alarm went off, for no reason at all from what we could ascertain. Tom promptly shut it off, and we called the alarm company to inform them it was a false alarm, most likely due to the lightning. They weren’t answering the number we always called to tell them it was a false alarm. We kept trying to reach them to no avail.

A short time later, Tom noticed some light through the bedroom shade. It surely must have been the alarm company that was investigating our alarm during the storm. Either their phones were down, or they were too busy to answer. There’s a fee if they have to come out. I will explain what happened to Louise, and she will straighten it out for us.

Last night while sitting at the table on the veranda, I looked up to see a bushbaby sticking her head out of the hole in the bushbaby house.

Speaking of Louise, last night, she texted asking us if we’d like to join them for a braai at Frikkee’s Dam in Lionspruit this morning around 11:00 am. They have eight family members visiting for an early holiday celebration. All ten of them are attending along with a few other “regulars” that always join in on these brunch braais, Flo and JJ and their young adult kids, and Estelle and James, at times with their adult kids.

Everyone brings food to share. We are making our usual brunch egg with cheese, bacon, mushroom, and onions. As I write here, Tom is cooking the large pan on the braai. It’s too hot to turn on the oven in the house. I am back in the bedroom preparing this post in air-conditioned comfort, knowing we’ll be spending the rest of the day outdoors in the heat, expected to rise to 100F, 38C mid-day.

We’ll be bringing the camera, hoping to see some wildlife in the wide-open area where lions, Fluffy, and Dezi reside. We hear their roars night after night when they are on the hunt for their next meal. There is plenty of wildlife to sustain them in Lionspruit, especially after the recent culling and moving many antelope into Lionspruit from Marloth Park. The back border of our holiday home borders Lionspruit so we can hear some action from time to time.

Since bushbabies are nocturnal, she wasn’t quite awake yet.

More old friends have arrived in Marloth Park, Cees, and Rina, who we met and thoroughly enjoyed when they were our neighbors at the Orange house in 2018.  It’s hard to believe that was three years ago. We have already planned to get together for dinner on Tuesday evening at Amazing Kruger View, overlooking the Crocodile River. It will be great to see them again, and we’ll undoubtedly plan other get-togethers while they are here.

Dear friends Kathy and Don are leaving Marloth Park to return to Hawaii for the holidays. There will be a final braai and get-together at their house on Thursday night for a few other friends and us. It will be sad to see them go since they have been close friends since we arrived in December 2013 when they invited us for dinner on Christmas Eve when they’d never even met us.

This was the first time we’d seen a bushbaby in the house since we arrived last January.

Friends Lynne and Mick, whom we hope to see in Jersey, UK, in spring 2022, met us at Jabula a few days before Christmas that year, introduced to us by owners/friends Dawn and Leon. When we all chatted for a bit, they later spoke to Kathy and Don, saying they should meet us. Just like that, Kathy and Don invited us for Christmas Eve dinner along with family and other friends.

We were thrilled and flattered to be included and so warmly welcomed. Now, eight years later, we’ve been included in their circle of friends as we’ve included them in ours. That’s how it is in Marloth Park, one of the main reasons we love it here so much, along with our love of our animal friends.

Soon, she tucked her head back inside, perhaps to sleep a bit longer. Later today, when we get home from the braai at Frikkee’s Dam, we’ll put some sour cream mixed with jelly (leftover from having guests) in a bit of cup for her.

When we reviewed last night’s trail cam, there wasn’t a single photo on the card. We weren’t surprised. We doubted any of the animals would have been out and about during the storm.  When the lightning flashed every few minutes during the night, I often wondered if they were scared. Undoubtedly, the young ones would have been terrified, staying close to their moms for shelter and comfort.

This morning, they were all back: Spikey, as shown in the main photo, Broken Horn, Frank, The Misses, Lonely Girl, Sigfried and Roy, Thick Neck, Gordon Ramsey, Sylvia, Mom, and Baby Bushbuck. It was a lovely start to yet another hot day.

Be well. Be happy. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, November 7, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in a hotel in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #229. The end of the elephant’s tail has hairs that act as a small brush, suitable for swatting flies, bees, and other insects. For more photos, please click here.

Meeting new people…

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Impalas rarely get this close to humans, but they’re hungry and put their fear aside for pellets.

Today, Tom was supposed to have the first step of his dental implants. Yesterday, we received a message that his appointment had to be moved to next Thursday when the product came in and wasn’t made to meet Tom’s criteria. We’d planned a low-key weekend since we anticipated he might be feeling some discomfort after the procedure.

Our only plans for the weekend are for dinner tonight at Jabula with Kathy and Don when Tom insisted he didn’t want to miss our usual Friday night dinner out. Without the appointment today, we’ll be able to relax and enjoy another evening out.

One Tusk has become a daily visitor. He’s aggressive with other warthogs when they try to eat pellets in his presence.

Last night, we met a new couple from the US that Louise had referred to us, Dorthy and Arthur, a lovely couple with considerable world travel experience who now live in Curacoa, an island in the Caribbean that we’ve visited a few times during the past cruises. They’ve been to Marloth Park many times over the years and, like others, like us, can’t seem to stay away for too long.

The conversation flowed easily while we sat at a table in the Giraffe Cafe, now a part of Phumula Lodge and Restaurant. We each ordered some food. Tom had chicken schnitzel on a bed of cooked spinach with chips (fries) on the side he enjoyed. I had a grilled chicken salad, but the chicken was overcooked and dry. When we got home, I was still hungry and had a can of tuna, topped with mustard and homemade ketchup, befitting my eating method.

Sigfried and Roy, originally from the Orange house, have found us here.

Dorthy (spelled correctly) and Arthur shared a starter (appetizer) basket that was so huge; they didn’t order an entree.

It’s always delightful to meet new people. Some new relationships stick to eventually becoming lifelong friends, while others are pleasant encounters along the way in life. Defining the characteristics that inspire lifelong relationships with other couples is challenging to analyze.

Young Daddy and his mom, sharing pellets with an impala in the background.

Many relationships develop out of convenience, while others stem from a strong foundation of common interests and personality traits. This also seems to be true when making friends one-on-one or developing love relationships between a couple.

Tom and I often laugh about how different we are and how ridiculous it was that we have managed to have this extraordinary relationship. Over the years, we’ve adapted and even embraced each other’s differences, and now they are less glaring and obvious. But, what was it that initially set us on a path to learn more about one another? Surely, it was the attraction.

Notches, also from the Orange house, has found her way here. Her name is a result of the notches in her right ear.

With couples meeting other couples, there seems to be an attraction of another sort that makes us feel comfortable, laughing easily and sharing some degree of similar lifestyles. And yet, with all of those components in place, some encounters don’t grow into lifelong friendships.

We are fortunate. Over our 30 plus years together, we have made relationships with other couples and individuals that we know will always be with us in spirit, if not in person. Many of those relationships that we each cultivated before Tom and I met still hold today.

Kudu mom, baby in the middle, and growing boy on the right. Once the males get a little older, they no longer travel with their mom. Instead, they may wander with their dad or other males, including siblings.

Now, as we continue in our world travels, we seem to connect the most with couples we know we may see again sometime in the future. When meeting people on a typical holiday (vacation) with an unlikeliness of ever meeting up again, we tend to shy away from making an effort to build those types of relationships during such short periods.

We’ve made wonderful friends on cruises whom we know; eventually, we’ll see each other again in the future. For us, traveling the world has been an excellent means of making new friends, some for right now and others forever.

Be social. It enriches life in indescribable ways.

Photo from one year ago today, November 5, 2020:

No photos were posted one year ago. But, here is the link from the post we uploaded on day #227 while in lockdown in Mumbai, India.

Welcome new readers!…Great to see you here!..

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Several female kudus stopped by this morning, including Bad Eye, whose eye is now completely healed but looks a bit off-center.

We are always thrilled to see that new readers visit our site, many of whom continue to read our daily posts once they get into it. We encourage all of our readers, including new readers, to post comments or write to us with anything you’d like to share.

Due to excessive spam in our comments section, logging on to post a comment is now two-step. If you’d prefer, an email is acceptable. But please, bear in mind we get countless email messages each day, and it may take a few days for us to respond.

No doubt, at times, our posts are more interesting than others. But, yesterday, when we wrote about Covid-19, we certainly didn’t expect new readers to stop by. For now, we’ll keep quiet about Covid after having said “our piece” yesterday.

This is Barbara of Barbara and Lori from Shark Tank.

It seems every few months. I can’t help but discuss the pandemic. It has dramatically impacted our lives of world travel in more ways than we can count. This morning, we had many messages from new readers discussing how the current state of the world has also impacted their desires to travel, especially for those interested in cruises.

We realize we are taking the risk of having seven cruises booked for the future when any of them may be canceled before they ever sail. Some cruises have even canceled “after” sailing when there’s an influx of cases during the sailing. This would not be very good for the other passengers when the cruise line makes such a decision. Changing flights, adding hotel nights, and ultimately incurring additional costs and inconvenience would be frustrating.

This is Lori of Barbara and Lori from Shark Tank.

Several podcasts discuss what’s happening in the world of cruising across the globe. If you go to YouTube and search for “cruise news,” hundreds of videos will pop up with the most recent information on cruises, cancelations, starting at the top of the list. We often listen to these podcasts to hear about experiences travelers are having on various cruises.

Then, of course, Tom is a frequent user of cruisecritic.com, which anyone can join. We suggest you be patient when signing up and write down your username and password. I don’t visit the site often since I have other tasks on my daily schedule and prefer to get offline on my laptop after completing our site-related tasks for the day.

The kudus finished off the balance of the cabbage.

Today, I’ll be working on page 10 (of 20 posts each) on the corrections, working my way down the list, which will be fully completed in the next week. Lately, I’ve been able to do two pages a day. The thought of my afternoons becoming free after a year of this tedious task is exciting.

No, the edited posts won’t be perfect. Some had issues that I couldn’t correct, and others had photos I’d copied and pasted from Facebook, which are now gone and can’t be replaced without a time-consuming ordeal. On top of that, I am certain I missed many corrections in the process, although I thought it was error-free after completing each post. Going back to review old posts, I now find spacing errors I’d already corrected, along with other new issues.

The girls are very bossy, including Bossy herself, when it comes to getting treats.

It’s the nature of the beast. With WiFi issues and the massive size of our site, such errors can happen on their own. But, I take full responsibility for any corrections I may have missed in this year-long process. At this point, I have accepted being imperfect in this laborious correction process.

In the future, with new posts, I will make every effort to ensure everything is accurate, free of misspelling, spacing, and grammar errors. In the past, when I’ve read other people’s blogs and posts, I was quick to notice their mistakes. After so much personal experience, I am less critical and pass by such errors, knowing full-well how easy they are to make.

They are all adorable and, although pushy to an extent, very sweet.

Today, it’s warm, but not outrageously so. Lots of animals have been stopping by since early this morning. As for today’s events, today at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, we’re meeting a new couple at Phumula/Giraffe Cafe that Louise sent our way. As stated previously, it will be fun to meet more fellow Americans, but we love meeting people from wherever they may come.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 4, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #226. Tom took this photo in the early morning while in India. For more photos, please click here.

An evening on the Crocodile River….Visitors are back after voting day ended…

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Tom took this zebra photo early this morning.

This morning I didn’t awaken until 7:30, after a somewhat fitful night. I woke no less than six times, tossing and turning, and when sleep wouldn’t come, I eventually played a game of mindless drivel on my phone. I’m well aware that looking at one’s phone in the middle of the night may exacerbate periods of insomnia. But, for me laying there, unable to sleep only seems to make matters worse.

With a silly matching game on my phone, eventually, I get bored enough to drift off again, often with my phone in my hand and my reading glasses on. Hours later, I may awake in the same position. Overall, on nights like these, I end up getting enough sleep overall and feel fine the next day. Anxiety about not going back to sleep is more frustrating than playing with my phone.

Busy morning in the bush.

Today, at 11:00, Dawn and I will get pedicures at a local spa, where I’ve gone several times in the past, often bringing a friend. Two nail techs work on us simultaneously, and we get done 90-minutes later. It’s an excellent opportunity for “girl talk,” which I always enjoy. Tom will drop me off and pick me up later because the road to our house is too bumpy to ask friends to transport me.

Last night, seven of us arrived at Buckler’s Africa resort at 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs, for river watching and sundowners while overlooking the Crocodile River. We didn’t see much wildlife, but the conversation was lively and entertaining, the food was good (but late in arriving), and by 8:30 pm, we were back at the house.

From left to right, Trevor, Erika, Shakara, and Dawn while we were at Buckler’s Africa on the Crocodile River last night for sundowners and dinner.

This morning, our garden was packed with wildlife, including all of the regulars. As I write this, we have Bad Eye and her three kudu sisters, Broken Horn. Holey Moley, Thick Neck, Spikey, Stringy, and a newly named Sylvia (my mother’s name). When I was pulling up the shade in the bedroom, Thick Neck was standing at the window looking at me. “Good morning, Thick Neck!” I spewed, happy to see him once again.

Each morning before I start the post, I view the photos from the trail cam. It always makes us laugh when we see one photo after another of Thick Neck, hanging around most of the night. We wonder if he ever sleeps. Here are exciting morsels about male bushbuck behavior from this site:

Farmers burn sugarcane crops before harvest to remove the leaves and tops of the sugarcane plant leaving only the sugar-bearing stalk to be harvested.

“Usually most active during the early morning and part of the night, Bushbucks become almost entirely nocturnal in areas where they are apt to be disturbed frequently during the day. When alarmed, individuals react in a variety of ways. When surprised in the open, they sometimes stand still or slowly walk to the nearest cover. Sometimes they will sink to the ground and lie flat or bound away, making a series of hoarse barks.

The Bushbuck is primarily nocturnal, but it is also reasonably active during the day. Half of a Bushbuck’s day is spent standing and grazing. Around dusk, the Bushbuck move toward their night range to feed. The Bushbuck is also the only non-territorial and solitary African antelope, with neither males nor females defending any part of their home range.

Though Bushbuck have small home ranges which may overlap with those of other bushbuck, they are solitary animals, with even females preferring to keep social interactions with their young to not more than a few hours a day. Mature males usually go out of their way to avoid contact with each other.”

Trevor was observing the burning sugar cane from the veranda at Buckler’s Africa.

After three nights of socializing, tonight we’re staying in and will surely enjoy time on the veranda with our wildlife friends, reveling in Mother Nature’s wonders.

Be well.

                                      Photo from one year ago today, November 2, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #224. In Kenya, we were both at ease handling this harmless reptile, fascinated with its pre-historic appeal. For more, please click here.

Human visitors tonight and tomorrow night…New Itinerary tomorrow!!!..

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Once the rains come, the bush will be greener, providing more food for the wildlife. In the interim, many of us are feeding them.

Note: Tomorrow, on our ninth travel anniversary, we will be posting our new itinerary!!! Please check back!!!

Last night’s dinner at Jabula was enjoyable as always. Kathy and Don joined us for our usual Friday night dinner of fabulous food and service at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant. The conversation flowed with ease as we each shared the stories of our adventures over the past few weeks. They had spent time in Kruger at a few remote lodges and us, our time in Zambia, and eventual return without issues from immigration.

We have been so blessed to have such good friends in Marloth Park, and as time goes by, we continue to make more and more friends. Today, as mentioned in a prior post, at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, our long-time readers, Carrie and Jim, will be joining us for the first time for sundowners. They found us and also Marloth Park due to our posts and are also world travelers. It will be fun to visit with them.

Since our return on Tuesday, this is the first male kudu who stopped by, whom we call “Medium Daddy” instead of “Big Daddy” with much larger horns.

For today’s appetizers during sundowners, we’re making sliced bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, served chilled with a cucumber dip, with roasted vegetable slices, and our usual and popular apricot almond brie puffed pastry with crackers, olives, and nuts on the side.

At the moment, I am cooking the chicken for tomorrow’s dinner, a low-carb chicken and sausage cassoulet baked in a single large pan, which we’ll serve with chunky roasted vegetables, coleslaw salad, with a variety of light starters served during the cocktail hour.

We now have three young “Spikeys” who hang around most of the day. This morning we finished off the first of the three heads of cabbage.

Today, I am doing as much prep for both evenings. We don’t usually plan two social events in a row. But tonight’s food will be comparable to making an easy dinner for us, which we would have done anyway, even if we didn’t have guests coming. As of this moment, I have a good handle on both nights’ prep.

It’s hot today, so I thought I’d get as much prep as possible out of the way before the temps rise to over 90F, 32C. It will be cooling off for tomorrow with a high of 79F, 26C, making the final prep for tomorrow’s anniversary dinner easier on a cool day.

Impalas, who seldom care to be near humans, have been stopping by lately. They are hungry too.

Yep, tomorrow, October 31, 2020, is our ninth anniversary of traveling the world. With six of us, Alan, Fiona, Nick, and Joan,  for dinner on the veranda for whom we’re delightfully reciprocating for hosting us recently and me busy prepping the meal, we won’t be posting a recap of our prior year. However, we will post photos of our evening celebration.

After posting so many historical photos during our ten-month lockdown in Mumbai, India, we’ve already posted an endless stream of old photos. Next year, we’ll prepare a special tenth-anniversary post, providing our health is good, and we can continue for another year. At this point, it seems it’s entirely possible.

First, two males stopped by, who were later joined by a female.

A few moments ago, Louise sent us a message stating she’s renting a property to an American couple who will be here until December, asking us if we were interested in meeting them. Of course, we said “yes” and will contact them later today to set up a get-together in Marloth Park.

Next week, on Friday, Tom has his first appointment with Dr. Singh’s wife. Also, a dental surgeon, to have his two implants started from the teeth he had extracted over three months ago, leaving a gaping hole in his mouth; obvious when he smiles. We have no idea how uncomfortable he’ll be after the appointment, so we’ll play it by ear for any possible social events next weekend. But, for now, we’re thrilled to have plans for tonight, tomorrow, and Monday.

This morning we had 12 antelopes in the garden, sharing pellets.

This weekend, there’s no load shedding since Monday is a national holiday in South Africa, voting day! It’s nice we’ll have a reprieve when we’re cooking for guests, and it will be great to have the outdoor lights at dinnertime.

Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 30, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #221. A sunny view from our veranda at the Kenyan resort where we stayed on our first travel anniversary. For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday, no water, plus load shedding…TIS, This is Africa…Live with it!…

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We purchased these giant cabbages for the kudus, bushbucks, and duikers, which love cabbage, for about US $0.70, ZAR 10.69 each. We tear off the leaves, break them in half and toss them their way.

There’s no doubt, living in Africa has its share of problems; outrageous weather, mozzies, crime, corruption, conservation issues, and ongoing issues due to a poor infrastructure resulting in power, water, fuel, and WiFi outages. Also, wild animals can harm humans and property, including attacks by snakes and venomous creatures. More people are killed by hippos than any other animals in the wild.

What do visitors expect? Locals often say “TIF,” which means “This is Africa,” when visitors complain about the inconveniences caused by any of the above. These conveniences may be found in many of their home countries. In reviewing many of the issues mentioned above, our own USA is not exempt from any of these problems and is based on locations and circumstances.

Many of the animals like carrots. Due to the warm, humid weather and lack of room in the fridge, we leave them out, and they spoil quickly. This large bag sells for US $0.98, ZAR 14.90.

Complaining doesn’t help. Proactive responses and behavior when these situations occur are the best and most logical solutions during tricky times. As I write here now, the power is out. Yesterday, Tom hauled buckets of pool water into both bathrooms for flushing the toilet.

Sure, I asked Louise when the water would return, and last night, it did, exactly as she stated. As for the power, I have an app on my phone to alert me to upcoming outages. Tomorrow, at sundowner time, we have guests coming, as mentioned in our prior post, who came to Marloth Park after reading our posts. The power will be out when they arrive at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs.

Holey Moley was munching on a cabbage leaf.

Any cooking using the electric stove must be completed before the power goes out at 5:00 pm, 1700hrs. One of the appetizers we’re making requires 30 minutes in the oven. This will be done before the power outage. With a bit of planning, working around load shedding isn’t too tricky.

Another example regarding our awareness of rampant crime in South Africa was when we returned from the airport on Tuesday, after our trip to Zambia to make the 90-minute drive to Marloth Park on the two-lane N4 highway, known for carjackings, especially after dark. Thus, we planned accordingly, totally prepared to stay overnight if we couldn’t make it back to our holiday home before darkness fell.

A thick Neck was involved in some scuffle, which resulted in a new injury. It doesn’t look too deep and should heal soon.

Shortly after we entered the house, load shedding began. Fortunately, we made it in plenty of time. We had the portable lights ready to be used if necessary. It all worked out fine.

Do we appreciate less of these issues while in the US or other countries? I suppose for a moment. But, it’s not unlike being in sweltering weather and going inside to air conditioning…immediately, we forget about how hot we were only minutes earlier.

As I sit here now, using the WiFi to prepare and post today’s story, Tom is watching US  football on his laptop, which lately has kept him busy for several hours each day. WiFi is a must for us. For us, a WiFi outage is harder to adapt to than power or water outages. When it’s out, we are at a loss about how to perform our usual daily tasks, conduct research, and escape into a bit of entertainment, especially in the evening after dark, when the wildlife hunkers down for the night.

Thick Neck also has a scratch on his nose. He was enjoying the cold, crisp cabbage leaves along with the other bushbucks.

When we have an endless stream of wildlife during busy times in the garden, we are easily entertained and preoccupied. It’s our favorite pastime! Plus, I can stay busy preparing meals, doing laundry, and tidying projects around the house. Next week, during a load shedding session, we plan to go to Kruger National Park, which keeps us thoroughly entertained and enlightened for an entire day spent driving through the park while searching for wildlife.

In many old posts, we discuss “adaptation” and how vital it is to enjoy where we’re living at any given time. Even during the lockdown in the hotel in India for ten months, we found ways to enjoy ourselves and make the most of the situation.

Traveling the world without a home is not necessarily easy. It requires an abundance of patience and resiliency, along with the ability to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances at every turn. We both have been and will continue to be committed to this lifestyle for as long as our health holds out.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 29, 2020;

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #220. When we arrived at The Sands at Nomad Resort in Kenya, we were welcomed with flower leis and orange mango juice for our anniversary weekend. (I politely declined, but Tom enjoyed his). For more photos, please click here.

The immigration issues unfolded…Hearts pounding, holding our breath!…

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There’s our boy, Broken Horn. He was so happy to see us he was shaking his head and moving his feet up and down. Funny, boy!

The flight from Livingstone was delayed. We later discovered it was due to a mechanical issue before it took off for Zambia. As we sat in the cafe at the airport, we were only concerned about the delay in the event we wouldn’t get to Nelspruit in time to hit the road, the dangerous N4, before dark.

It’s never wise to travel on this two-lane highway at night due to heavy truck traffic and carjacking risks. If our flight didn’t arrive at the Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger Airport by 5:30 pm, 1730 hrs, we’d have no choice but to book a hotel room for the night. Sunset was at 6:05 pm, 1805 hrs, and with the usual 90 minutes required to make the drive to Marloth Park, at no point during such a drive would being on the road in the dark be worth the risk.

Broken Horn and Bad Eye. Her eye has healed nicely.

Finally, after an hour-long wait, the plane arrived and prepped for our flight. By 2:30 pm, 1430 hrs, we were on the runway with only six passengers, including the two of us. It took off with the lowest number of passengers we’d experienced on this particular small jet with Airlink.

The flight was smooth and uneventful, and we arrived in Nelspruit by 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs. All we had to do at that point was get through immigration without a hitch, collect our two duffle bags, pick up the rental car and hopefully be on our way. We approached the immigration desk with passports, documents, PCR tests, and proof of rental in hand, hearts pounding, hoping for the best.

Four female kudus are regular visitors. They wasted no time visiting us today.

The immigration officer was immediately well aware we’d done a “visa run” often frowned upon. With the thought that we’ve been classified as “undesirables” twice in these past nine years of travel, we were prepared for the worst. The first time was in Australia in 2017 when we made the mistake of “assuming” going on a cruise out of Sydney, visiting other countries, with the cruise ending in Sydney, only to discover we’d “overstayed.”

After days of stress, documents and worry, we finally were able to work it out with the Australian immigration department to stay until our next cruise a month later that had us officially leaving Australia.

One Tusk and Lonely Girl were happy to see us too, especially when we tossed pellets.

The next time we were “undesirable” was after we had no choice but to overstay after I’d had open-heart surgery in February 2019. We were banned from South Africa for five years, requiring us to hire a lawyer to lift the ban, successful many months later.

Had we not had these two scary experiences,  yesterday we may not have been so apprehensive when we tried to re-enter South Africa. After all, we’ve been here since January 2021 and hoped to stay until January 23, 2022. When the immigration officer carefully examined our passports, checked our records on his computer, he asked one question:

“When are you returning to the US?”

As usual, Lonely Girl arrived alone. She appears to be pregnant.

Without hesitation, Tom held up a copy of our return ticket to Tampa, Florida, USA, dated January 23, 2022. He read it carefully, pulled out his stamp, and proceeded to stamp each of our passports, writing that date as our final day without saying another word.

With only six passengers on the plane, the bags came up quickly. We struggled to keep from cheering instead of walking away briskly to collect our bags which were already waiting for us on the carousel in the next room. Tom grabbed a trolley, the bags, and we were on our way to the rental car area. By 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs, we were on the road.

Female kudus (including Bad Eye), along with Broken Horn, harmoniously shared pellets.

How did we get away with staying in South Africa for so long after receiving our original 90 days upon entry?

  1. President Ramaphosa issued a visa waiver for those who’d arrived around the time we had – 90 days.
  2. We went to the US for a month and received another new visa – 90 days
  3. Yesterday’s new visa was issued for traveling to Zambia, luckily accepted – 90 days

Until darkness fell, Tom drove fast and aggressively, never forsaking the law or safety with only a short time. We pulled into the Gate 2 entrance to Marloth Park 70 minutes after we left the airport. Safari luck? Perhaps. In any case, we are grateful.

Once back at the house, which smelled clean after the spring cleaning Zef and Vusi did in our absence, we quickly unpacked, plugged in our equipment, freshened up a bit, and made our way to Jabula, where Dawn and Leon greeted us with the warmest of hugs. It was great to see them again, and we all sat at the bar, listening to great music while Dawn ran back and forth serving customers. We didn’t head out the door until 9:30, 2230 hrs.

A good night’s sleep was had by both of us. I awoke at 5:00 am, chomping at the bit to get outside to welcome our furry friends back into our lives. But, I stayed in bed to avoid awakening Tom. Throughout the day, they’ve returned, one after another making us laugh over their apparent enthusiasm at seeing us back here. We’ve yet to see Frank and Little but give it a few more hours, and I imagine we’ll see them too.

We couldn’t be happier to be back among our human and animal friends. Life is good.

Have a spectacular day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 27, 2020:

This screenshot was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #218. I received this message from Fitbit that I’ve earned my India walking badge. For more, please click here.

Tom loves his doughnuts!…Fun outing planned for tonight…

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    Tom was in doughnut heaven when “fritters” covered with white and chocolate frosting were available at the breakfast buffet. He sure loves doughnuts and seldom finds any he likes.

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Booking hotel rooms with breakfast included is our preference, although we don’t always eat breakfast at our holiday homes. But, if we chose a room without this option and didn’t order breakfast separately, we’d be in trouble if we became hungry during the late afternoon. We don’t eat typical vending machine snacks or lunch since we don’t eat when not hungry.

I can only imagine the struggle we’d have with our weight if we ate three meals a day with snacks. In an effort to maintain a healthy weight, overeating and to eat too often doesn’t make sense. Besides, not knowing the preparation of food unless otherwise specified is especially tricky for me.

Dining on the veranda at the hotel’s restaurant is pleasant.

Over the past several years, I have gotten away from eating restaurant foods made with vegetable oils. I have done tons of research on this topic, and over these years of world travel, I’ve learned to ask what oils were used in food preparation. Here’s an excellent article by Dr. Mark Hyman, a highly regarded physician, and health advocate.

In restaurants, they often use cheap oils, not unlike industrial oils. When we went through the buffet (staff served) this morning, I asked about many items I may have selected a few years ago. This morning, after ordering the same oil-free vegetable omelet with a side of steamed vegetables, I asked if the chicken livers, which I always loved, and various other offerings, were made with oil. They were. I chose to pass on them.

We didn’t bring swimsuits. With Covid-19, we aren’t interested in swimming in public pools.

Then I asked what may seem to be a dumb question, “Is vegetable oil used in the preparation of the bacon?” The answer was an emphatic yes. I passed on the bacon. I could eat nothing else on the buffet, but I appreciated the oil-free omelet and the steamed vegetable platter. Very few restaurants in this mid-range use butter for cooking unless requested.

In some African countries, even butter isn’t “real” butter. It’s some highly processed trans-fat-laden butter lookalike. No thanks. I am better off with poached, steamed, or grilled foods.

As you can see from the above photo of Tom, he’s less concerned. He doesn’t have heart disease, like me. And, he has excellent genes, when mine is awful with many inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and a variety of auto-immune conditions. I am trying to extend my lifespan by being very diligent about what I consume and the quality of my life.

The breakfast buffet only had a few options for me, a veggie omelet and steamed veggies.

I guess I won’t know if this serves me well until my number is up. But, I bear no hardship in selecting healthy options, especially when dining out.

As for tonight, we have a reservation for fine dining at the Old Drift Restaurant at the luxurious Royal Livingstone Hotel, a short taxi drive from the hotel. See details here from this site:

“Royal Livingstone Hotel Dining Options

The Royal Livingstone Hotel offers fantastic dining experiences serving world-class cuisine. The most famous is the Royal Livingstone Express, a luxury dining experience aboard a steam train that also stops on the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge for sunset drinks. A fine a-la-carte menu is available in their Old Drift Restaurant, or their lounge offers light dining in a room full of fascinating history and artifacts from the area. We would highly recommend doing either lunch or high tea in their Kubu Restaurant, which is on the deck, giving you unrivaled views overlooking the Zambezi River, some of the rainforest, and the spray of the falls. Animals such as baboon, zebra, warthog, bushbuck, and giraffe roam the lawns of the Royal Livingstone grounds, really giving you that “Out of Africa” feeling.”

We’re excited to be able to have sundowners on the deck of the famous hotel and then dine on their gourmet food which, I expect, won’t be cooked in “bad” oils, but I won’t hesitate to ask. If I am uncertain about the butter they use, I will order poached, grilled, or steamed items. One never can be too safe.

Tom was waiting for me while I took a few photos.

Of course, our big motivator for choosing this location is its reputation for great food, its high-rated ambiance, and views on the Zambezi River, where we hope to see wildlife and take many photos.

The time is going so fast, and we can hardly believe it. We’re having a great time together, meeting new people. Last night we met two corporate pilots from South Africa and had a great time chatting with them. We’re so fortunate always to find ourselves interacting with others during our world travels.

We couldn’t have it done on Monday since it’s a national holiday in Zambia, Independence Day, and the PCR clinic closed. Tomorrow, a doctor from a local clinic will come to the hotel to do our PCR tests for our return to South Africa. As it stands right now, we’re returning to Marloth Park in a mere three days.

Hmm, I wonder how our 12 bushbucks, Frank and The MIsses, Little and Broken Horn, and all the others are doing while we’re away! For now, we’re enjoying every moment of our time away while still looking forward to making it through immigration without a hitch (hopefully) and getting ourselves back to the bush.

Happy day!

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

Today’s photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #214. Ordering the seafood platter for two in Kenya resulted in a fabulous meal we enjoyed, each receiving our huge platter like this. That sure looks especially good now! For more photos, please click here.