Video…Visitors…Viewing the Crocodile River, impossible with many tourists…

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The white below his nose is his mustache, not his teeth. I’d have preferred to get out of the car to get closer to them, but their shyness would have caused them to run off.
Having the freedom to come and go as we please has enhanced the quality of the experience in Marloth Park. If, that seems possible when we’re already having the time of our lives. 
The kudus were so busy chomping away, it was hard to encourage them to look our way.
With the little pink India-made vehicle in our possession for less than two days, we’ve certainly been out and about, spending only a few daylight hours at home, long enough to post yesterday and sleep at night.
The kudus were in dense bush in our yard having their hearty breakfast. We wondered if they would have come closer to us had we been on the veranda. Now, every time we leave we’ll wonder if visitors come that we’ll have missed.
To tell the truth, I’ve already begun to miss our time outside on the veranda, from early morning until dusk, anxiously awaiting the arrival of yet another visitor. From the short periods we’ve been home over the past 2 days, it appears the pace may once again be picking up and they’re returning to visit.

Saturday, while halfway down our long driveway, we were thrilled to see three male kudus happily chomping at the treetops. Although kudus are not as tall as the giraffes, their enormous height makes it possible for them to munch on the tops of many trees. 

While driving in Marloth Park yesterday morning, Tom yelled to me, “Hurry, get the camera.  This dung beetle and his wife were crossing the road with this huge piece of dung. I was able to take this very short video when cars behind us required us to move along. We would love to have seen how they maneuvered the rocks that were in their way.
Yesterday, while we were gone, Louise stopped by to pick up the cooler we’d borrowed, to find our veranda a horrible mess with baboons having taken over. Again, they’d moved the furniture, taking more of the seat cushions pooping everywhere.  
The beautiful Crocodile River.
She cleaned it all taking the dirty cushions with her to be washed. Thanks, Louise! When we returned hours later, apparently the Baboons had returned since she’d cleaned, and left another mess.
Once we put away the groceries, we cleaned the veranda, wrote, and posted it indoors. With many tourists in the area for the holidays, our connection was slow, making it difficult to post our photos, taking twice as long as usual. 
The vegetation around the Crocodile River is lush and green now that it’s summer.
Suddenly, it was time to leave in order to get to the Crocodile Overlook before sunset and later to Jabula Lodge for dinner. To our disappointment, the overlook was jammed with tourists making it difficult to get a good spot along the railing for photo taking. I must admit, the crowd spoiled the experience and we took very few photos.

After New year, the crowds will disperse, and once again, it will be peaceful and quiet in Marloth Park. We’re looking forward to this time, but will make the most of these crowded the next 10 days.
On our way to dinner, we spotted giraffes lumbering into a yard.
Last night, returning after another great dinner at Jabula Lodge, we checked out the pool for the status of the tadpoles. Nothing yet, but we continue to see the little swirls of water where they’re swimming. As we stepped to the side of the pool both using our mini flashlights, we saw a scorpion jump into the pool, a definite suicide mission. Today, he lies dead at the bottom of the pool.
Later today, we’re going on another game drive in Kruger Park with 18 tourists in the huge open-sided vehicle, followed up by another bush dinner. We’ll do our best, taking photos, and sharing our experiences tomorrow.

Guess I’ll be wearing my boots again tonight with my Bugsaway pants tucked tightly into the pants!

We have wheels…Lots of “extra” charges and fees…Local markets.. Losing a dear family member…

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Early this morning, our dear our sister-in-law Lee Lyman, wife of Tom’s brother Jerome, passed away in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Although a vibrant 85 years old and a great-great-grandmother, Lee gave so much of herself to her beloved husband, children, grandchildren, and family. We offer our heartfelt love, prayers, and sympathy to Jerome and all who were blessed to love and know this fine woman. She will be dearly missed.

On the way to Nelspruit with our driver Okee Dokee, she stopped to buy lychee nuts from this adorable girl, who was selling them on the side of the road with her mom.
Having just returned from shopping, we’re late writing today’s post, but as promised, we planned to post after we returned with the rental car.

 

Yesterday, our plan was to pick up the car, check out the town of Nelspruit, grocery shop, buy more data at the Vodacom store, and find a store in order to purchase white socks. All we accomplished was sock purchase at a sporting goods store and a portion of the groceries.

By the time we drove away from the Mpumalanga/Nelspruit airport with the car in our possession, it was already 2:30 pm. We’d hope to get our errands done, have dinner at the popular Hamilton’s Restaurant in Malelane and be back on the road before dark.  

There was captivating scenery along the way to Nelspruit but the heavy flow of traffic during the start of the weekend before Christmas prevented us from stopping.

Although there was no line (referred to as a queue outside the US) at the Budget location, considerable time was spent as the rep explained all of the “extra’ charges over and above the basic car rental fee we’d prepaid online of ZAR $5300, US $519.47.

Notice the scowl on Tom’s face as he’s opening the door to the driver’s side on the pink rental car.

Renting a vehicle for a week or two is no big deal. Renting a vehicle for over two months is tricky since the rental car companies don’t want to honor the great online rates from outside travel sites beyond a 28-day period.  

If yesterday, when picking up the car, we’d chosen to extend the rental beyond the 28-day period, the cost per day would have jumped from ZAR $189.26 US $18.55 to ZAR $310, US $30.38! With a total of 41 days remaining until we go back to the airport to fly to Morocco on February 28, 2014, the additional cost would be ZAR $12,710, US $1,245.70. 

Getting another rental car at another great online rate is an option but the taxi fare with tip is ZAR $950, US $93.12 plus it takes a half-day of time with the long drive each way.

On the return drive from Nelspruit this sky caught our eye.

On top of all of that, Budget withheld an additional ZAR $11,733, US $1150 for damage, and other miscellaneous against the credit card we used which annoys us. On top of all of that, much to Tom’s dismay, the car turned over to us, the only car available, was PINK! Yep. Pink.

After using it today to finish our uncompleted errands from yesterday, we both decided the pink wasn’t so bad after all. We quickly moved through the Marloth Park security gate with a breeze the second time and, it was easy to spot it in the busy parking lot when we did the errands today in Komatipoort.

On Friday afternoon, we decided to only partially grocery shop, finishing today to allow us time to get to the restaurant, have dinner and get back on the road. After one of the best dinners we’ve had in a restaurant, it was worth the monkeying around.  

Must be a free-range chicken walking around the restaurant.

Although a 40 minute drive to Hamilton’s in Malelane from our home in Marloth Park, we’ll definitely return to Hamilton’s again.  Check out the photos of our fabulous dinner. With one beer for Tom and bottle water for me, plus tax, plus tip, our entire dinner was a paltry ZAR $274, US $26.86!

My dinner was a moist and tender filet with a side of seasoned butter, a small salad, and stir fried veggies. We look forward to returning to Hamilton’s soon.

This morning, we decided to finish our errands, taking off in the pink car down our long driveway to be delighted to find three male kudus munching treetops in our yard. Wow! What a way to start the day!

Marloth Park has a few small strip mall-type shopping areas. Before heading to Komatipoort, a 25-minute drive to the closest large grocery store in the area, we thought it a good idea to check out the Marloth Park shops, as we’re always interested in supporting local businesses.  

Tom enjoyed his tender sirloin steak with mushroom sauce, stir-fried veggies and fries.

Although the tiny local grocery store didn’t carry many items we normally purchase, we knew we’d use it on occasion for staples. But, the separate little meat market was perfect for us, with grass fed meat at unbelievable prices, for example, a 680 gram, 1.5 pounds, Filet Mignon for Christmas Eve was a mere ZAR $110, US $10.71! We purchased enough meat to get us through another week.

The butcher store where we purchased all of next weeks meats.

The Farmer’s Market with fresh-picked, organic produce is a dream come true.This will serve all of our vegetable needs going forward. With both a meat store and produce store next door to one another, we can avoid going to the larger Komatipoort grocery store more than once every few weeks.  

We’d rather spend our time exploring than shopping.  We returned home to put the meat and produce away and took off to Komatipoort to finish. We purchased more data, finished the grocery shopping, found the local “chemist” to purchase, contact lens solution, got Tom a few more bottles of brandy, and returned home to find our veranda a mess.

The baboons had visited while we were gone, taking three cushions off of the outdoor furniture with them. When it cools down, we’ll wander around the yard to see if we can find them.  lus, they pooped on the veranda after literally moving around the heavy Adirondack chairs. 

The cozy storefront Farmer’s Market.
The interior of the local Farmer’s Market with organic produce arriving from the farm regularly.

None of the other animals have bothered or damaged anything thus far. But Louise and Dani warned us to expect this. We’re surprised it took this long before they wreaked havoc.

The small grocery store in Marloth Park has basic food supplies.

The tadpoles are still swimming around in the pool, although still not visible to the naked eye. After reading at length about tadpoles, I am concerned they may not survive due to the chlorine that was already in the pool when the eggs dropped. Apparently, any type of chemical will prevent the life cycle. We’ll keep you updated.

Soon, we’ll dress for dining at Jabula tonight, another of our favorite dining establishments. On our way, we plan to stop at the Crocodile River overlook for happy hour. Tomorrow afternoon, we’re going on yet another Kruger Park game drive and bush dinner with a group of nine.  

The chair cushion we found in the driveway, apparently taken by the baboons while we were out shopping.


Gee, we’re so busy in Marloth Park! Living in the bush warrants “never missing a thing!”

Have a festive pre-Christmas weekend. We plan to do the same and we’ll be back tomorrow with more photos from our visit to the Crocodile River!

Come see the gifts we’ve received for Christmas…Tom’s Irish Cream Recipe…Christmas in the bush…

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With no Poinsettias for us this year, we revel in the beauty of this flower that we encountered on a walk in the area.

In our old lives, Christmas was a time to celebrate life, family, friends, and the powerful message the holiday season represents for many. There was nothing spared in the preparation of this special time of the year. 

A flaming sky at sunset is a gift.

For almost 20 years Tom made his well-received over 100 bottles of Lyman’s Irish Cream (see recipe below) to give to friends and family while I spent endless hours decorating, sending cards, wrapping gifts (mostly purchased online), baking, cooking, and entertaining.

A baby duiker on wobbly legs warms our hearts.

Each year we’d receive tons of cards, which we displayed during the Christmas season, saving them until the following year. The next year, I’d cut them into shapes befitting the card’s design punching a small hole in a corner, inserting a satin ribbon for them to be used as gift tags. 

A curious baby zebra at our door.
We all have traditions that bring us comfort in their familiarity. As a family, the participants in the traditions, look forward to their implementation with little concern for their redundancy or silliness.
A mama duiker, standing watch.

Last year, we spent Christmas in Henderson, Nevada, renting a spacious vacation home, with 19 in attendance on Christmas Day. It was a memorable time, as we were only days away from leaving the US to begin our worldwide journey on January 3, 2013. 

A Giraffe we encountered on the road on a cloudy day.  Notice the three Oxpeckers (birds) on its neck eating off the insects and one flying off its head.  Seeing this was a gift.

Tom’s birthday is on December 23rd, an unconscionable time of the year for a birthday. Over the years, I made every effort to make it a special time for him as well, wrapping his gifts in birthday, not Christmas paper, planning festivities unrelated to the holidays, often not easy to do. 

A rank of impalas, very sensitive to sound and movement, kept us practically holding our breath when they appeared in our yard.

He shared the same birthday with our dearest friend and neighbor Chip whom we lost a year and a half ago.  Over the years, together with his wife Sue, the four of us celebrated birthdays, times we’ll never forget.

This is the cactus plant from which we took the above flower photo.  In our old lives, our Christmas cactus would often bloom.  This will do as an alternative.

By this time each year, all the festivities were planned, the gifts were wrapped and under the tree, the cookies were baked and placed in colorful tins and Tom had attended or was about to attend his railroad union Christmas party. My various annual “girlfriends only” Christmas luncheons had occurred and all that remained was the sharing of the meals with family and friends as Christmas edged its way in and of course, the always fun-filled gift opening.

A glimpse of the sunset from our veranda.

So, here we are, Christmas in the African bush, the South African bush to be precise, surrounded by nature, a Skype call away from contact with family and friends without a single card or gift, decorated tree, or homemade cookies. 

A joy to behold such beauty.

This is our first Christmas outside the US. How do we feel about that? We don’t feel alone. We’re surrounded by nature. If someone had told me years ago, that I had to forgo all of my usual holiday activities to sit at home without family around us, a tree, gifts, or homemade treats, I’d have gone kicking and screaming.

Certainly no “partridge in a pear tree” we delight in the simple beauty of this bird visitor.

Now, here in Marloth Park at Christmas time and for Tom’s birthday, we are at peace. The thought of all the work we used to do makes us cringe. The thought of being with our adult children and their families next year in Hawaii makes us smile. Yes, we are at peace.

Not quite, “Three French hens,” instead we have three Helmeted Guinea-fowl that visits us daily.

Living in Marloth Park is a gift, God’s creatures all around us, nature at it’s finest. We are thankful that in our senior years we are given an opportunity to engage in an entirely different Christmas season, one that isn’t about our somewhat selfish objectives to “get everything done” based on our own outrageous expectations.

The sun finally came out to reveal the moon and blue sky.  Heavenly.

Instead, we simply watch, wait and marvel as the visitors and lush vegetation surrounds us whether we’re lounging on the veranda as we’re doing at the moment, on a short drive to dinner, on a game drive, a bush dinner, or a walk in the area. For us, this is the gift that keeps giving… and giving… and giving.

Merry Christmas to all.

Tom Lyman’s Irish Cream (Bailey’s)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint half and half cream
3 pasteurized eggs (important for safety)
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1 T. chocolate syrup
1 cup whiskey
Blend in a blender for 2 minutes, then add the 1 cup whiskey. Blend for another 30 seconds. 
Pour into a clean glass bottle with tight-fitting cork. (Use your empty wine bottles after they’ve been washed in the dishwasher).
Make 1 1/2 wine bottles, enough for sipping while making. Recipe doubles for more easily.

Keeps fresh for 30 days in the refrigerator.

Photos of our house in Marloth Park… The nuances…How much is our rent?

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These photos were taken a few years ago by Louise and Danie. But the condition of the house has remained constant and these photos are exactly as we are experiencing this house. As a newer house, there is more vegetation close to the house at this time. The veranda to the right in this photo is where we spend most of our daylight hours.
There’s a veranda off of the living rooms on each level with another outside the kitchen door.

The only reason we’ve hesitated to post photos of our house in Marloth Park, South Africa is the same reason that most women will understand: Who wants to take photos of the interior of your house, room by room, without tidying every inch of space?

Dani takes care of finishing touches as they photographed the house, now all cluttered with our foodstuffs and miscellaneous supplies.

No, we’re not that messy. But, everything we own is strewn about the house in a reasonable state of tidiness, but by no means, to the degree that I’d love to have photos taken. 

It’s a pleasure to have use of all of the kitchen amenities, making cooking a breeze. 

We could take the time to go from room to room, of which there are seven, and organize it all, making it photo-worthy. Or, we could let the chips fall where they may and take “as is” photos. Not gonna’ happen! 

Currently, this bread keeper contains matches for starting the stove (required everywhere we’ve lived outside the US so far) and a few of our own kitchen gadgets.

Posting “as is” photos here isn’t as if only a few people will see them. With our rapidly growing worldwide readership, I cringe to think of how many readers would actually see our mess. No, thank you. I may be wearing socks with holes and only own a few items of clothing but my dignity is still intact. 

The stainless steel double sink has been a real boon for my favorite dishwasher, Tom. Having lived without a microwave for a year has made it of less interest to us now.

The first thing we’ll do when we get the rental car this Friday is to find a store to purchase socks. We’ve been told that they sell them in Nelspruit although selections are limited. Tom also needs socks. Who goes 14 months without buying a pair of single pair of socks or underwear? How weird is that?

We’ve moved some of the furniture to accommodate our needs, including the bar stools on which to set my laptop for movie viewing and some side tables to act as TV trays.  Thus, we can dine while sitting on the sofa, rather than on the backless bar stools.

Anyway, back to the house. We either had the choice to clear everything off of the shelves or, to use the photos Louise and Danie had used online that attracted us to this house and this location in the first place. We chose the latter.

Ah, a comfy sofa with ottomans. Indoors, none the less!

Thus, only a few of these house photos shown today were taken by us. As we’ve mentioned in the past, anytime we use a photo taken by others, we will disclose it. 

To the right in this photo are the sliding doors to one of the three verandas, two of which have the iron gates, as do all of the accessible windows, to protect us from animals entering the house or in the event of theft which is a rare occurrence in Marloth Park.
Here is the door from the living room to the master bedroom which we keep closed at all times to keep the insects out. Keeping the outside doors shut at all times is vital to keeping the interior insect population under control. There are no screens, but the three AC units make this less of an issue when inside.  Plus, we spend most of our day outside on the main floor veranda, fearful of missing any of the action.
The second-floor loft/living room.

This isn’t to say we won’t post photos that we’ve taken of the house of insects, creatures, and unusual situations we encounter indoors, for instance, the photo of the live bat, I found in the kitchen sink yesterday morning which has been saved for the next “Small Things” post for next month.

Our photo of the second floor bedroom which I use as a dressing room.  What a luxury!

 

The master bedroom on the main floor where we sleep is almost identical to the upstairs bedroom which I use for storing my clothes and as a dressing room. With two en suite bathrooms, we avoid bumping into each other. There are two beds in the master, full size and a twin size. We sleep in the full size which is the smallest bed we’ve slept in thus far.
Main floor en suite master bath.

We like this house. It’s small but has everything we need; two stories, two bedrooms, two en suite bathrooms, two living rooms, a well equipped modern kitchen, three verandas, a plunge pool, and fabulous bedding and towels. 

The second-floor soaking tub which I’ve only used once. Soaking in a bath has always appealed to me.  However, the brownish colored water, although safe for bathing, makes doing so unappealing. 

It’s clean and well maintained. A few odd items require a “workaround” such as;  the main split Dutch door from the kitchen to the veranda sticks, making opening and closing tricky; the pool has a slow leak which requires refilling each day; the location of the light switches and lack of easy access outlets is tricky; the kitchen windows are too high to see outside (to prevent monkeys from trying to get in) making it impossible to see the driveway from the kitchen. 

The veranda off of the second-floor living room.

Most homeowners often have a number of annoying items in their homes, many of which after a period of time are simply ignored.

Excellent views from this second story veranda.

Twice weekly, Zef arrives to clean the house, change the linen and towels, clean the verandas, the pool and take our latest batch of dirty laundry to be returned the following time. There’s always lots of gecko poop everywhere. Zef gets it all.

To the left are the steps from the kitchen to the main floor veranda we use most often.  We’ve yet to use the outdoor grill since most of the food we’ve made has required stovetop cooking.

The house aside, Louise and Danie are the most attentive, helpful, kind, and responsive hosts one could imagine. On a dime, they’ll rush over if we need assistance, as in the time we locked ourselves inside or, on the hottest day thus far when one of the three AC units quit. They were here in minutes from our reporting it. 

The small pool, although lovely, has more appeal to the wildlife than for us. 

Where does one get this type of service? Their dedication to all of their guests in the many properties they own and manage in Marloth Park is astounding. When they made the food for the Bush Braai after the game drive in Kruger Park, they cooked everything suitable for me. I won’t let this happen again!!!

As has been the case with most of our vacation rentals, we’ve been able to negotiate excellent rates for a couple of reasons; first, we usually stay for extended periods, and secondly, during the extended stay, we’ll continue to promote the property. 

This is a sizeable boon for a property owner with our extensive (and growing) worldwide readership, often motivating them to offer us a more reasonable price than the “going rate” which ultimately proves to be more befitting to our budget.

Here is our previous photo of the outdoor Braai area. With so much rain lately, we’ve yet to use it. It fills with rainwater from which the visitors drink. The hose is held in place by the rock on the ledge of the pool keeping it easily accessible for adding more water each day. I couldn’t resist including this photo without a photogenic visitor! 

The usual nightly rental rates for this house in Marloth Park ranges from ZAR $1500, US $147 to ZAR $2000, US $196, (during high season which is now). Most vacation homes are rented for shorter periods resulting in nightly “hotel’ rates.  

Almost two years ago, when working with Louise to determine this special “long term” pricing, we settled on a nightly rate of ZAR $350, US $34.30. This appreciated and affordable rate has resulted in a budget allowance sufficient for a rental car and the expenses for game drives, bush braais, and visits to other areas.

Included in the rent are the twice-weekly cleanings, paper products, cleaning supplies, laundry service, all utilities, cable TV, and the most attentive host and hostess in the land. And of course, included is the endless stream of visitors stopping by on a regular basis.  How can we ever put a price on that?

First time visitors….We were surrounded…Tom carries a big stick…Caution is advised and exercised…

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While this “infant” baboon was perched in a tree checking us out, her/his parents were busy making themselves at home in our yard.

A few days ago while on a walk in the neighborhood, a baboon crossed our path, holding up its “arm” as if injured and with a huge bloody looking injury to his torso. Concerned that he could be dangerous in this injured state, we contact Louise. She, in turn, contacted the Marloth Park game warden with the hopes that they could locate this baboon to handle the situation as necessary.

We saw him in the single-file line as they made their way toward us. Obviously, he is the dominant male again as shown below.
He sat on watch duty the entire time they were here staying in this general area. If a 6 foot tall, 1.83 meters, human sat next to him, they’d have been of equal height. As with humans, baboon males also have nipples.

We’ve yet to hear if the baboon was located.  On Friday night while dining at Jabula Lodge, owner Leon (he and his wife Dawn are our new friends) explained how we must protect ourselves from dangerous animals in the wild. 
Leon explained it was imperative to do the following:
1.  Don’t run.  Back up slowly to safety.
2.  Try not to show fear.
3.  Wave and hold your arms over your head to appear larger.
4.  Do not leave any animal “cornered.”  Back away slowly to provide an easily accessible path for the animal to take.
5.  If possible, keep a large stick or branch handy at all times, especially when walking, if an injured animal is in the area.
6.  Never, in vulnerable situations, (walking in the bush, during bush drives, lounging or working outdoors) allow ourself to become complacent, failing to stay on alert.

They wandered about the yard looking for a shady spot to relax.
Some nibbled at vegetation in the yard determining if our greens were more appealing than other locations.

Yesterday, Tom removed the thick wooden handle from the pool net and now we’re equipped. From that point on, he’s kept that handle within easy reach at all times when we’re outdoors.

Scratch that itch!
Baboons can mate throughout the year. The notoriously red butts are an indication of mating readiness in the female and an attractive point for the male.  Although it looks inflamed and painful, it has few nerve endings and is not a sign of infection or discomfort.

The first indication of the arrival of the baboons was a loud sound on the roof above our heads. Very loud. Tom grabbed the big stick (thanks Leon!) as a giant male baboon stood 15 feet, 4.6 meters from us on the carport roof as he swung down from the roof. Without a doubt, he was here to check us out and to see if we had any possible food sources. 

Infant looking at mom for guidance.
Although this photo could be construed as kissing, in reality, the smaller one is grooming the face of the larger female.

He was huge and intimidating. Tom stood up, holding the 8 foot, 2.4-meter stick, waving it in the air and yelling.  I grabbed for the camera knowing Tom would cover my back. But, the adventure had just begun.

This other male watched the activities while sitting at the edge of the swimming pool.

The huge baboon, startled by our display of dominance, took off running toward the back of the house, the opposite side of the veranda to join the remainder of the large troop of baboons surrounding us. There were dozens of them, following along a worn-by-the-animals path that makes its way around most of the grounds.

Our resident zebra hung around while the baboons visited.
Grooming and babysitting continue.

Through the trees and bush, we could see the single procession of one baboon after another of varying sizes, walk along the path, making their way into the yard. The dominating males were clearly evident.

Picking on a hangnail, perhaps?

No less than a dozen made their way into plain view of us, parking themselves in comfortable spots with a clear view of us and then, much to our surprise, proceeded to entertain us with their usual antics and interaction with one another.

This photo further illustrates the enormous size of the dominant male.  This female to his left appeared to be a similar size of the other full-grown adults.

Although Tom kept the stick in his hand, there was no further need to wave it or show dominance. No more than a minute or two after they got themselves situated, a single zebra appeared, parking himself near the veranda.  In a funny way, we almost felt as is he was here to protect us although neither the baboons nor the zebra appeared threatened by one another.

Infant in the tree while mom sat below playing with her fingers.

During this entire period, I was taking these photos while Tom maintained a careful watch. We took no chances by walking off the veranda onto the driveway. The heavy railing does offer us some protection which we haven’t ignored. Although some of the wildlife appear relatively comfortable with humans in the general area, they are none the less, wild animals. 

A few stragglers had stayed behind for a few minutes as the others made the scattered mad dash to keep up with the dominant male. Our male zebra left minutes after the last baboon. It was the first time, he’d visited on his own.

Tourists and locals have been injured or killed by animals in the wild, most often as a result of carelessness and ignorance. Also, on occasion, members of The Big Five have been known to enter Marloth Park resulting in rangers and residents immediately alerting one another.

One must exercise caution from the many breeds of animals that naturally live in Marloth Park. A few days ago, two enormous roaring wildebeest ran through our yard, much too quickly for us to take a photo. They can weigh as much as 600 pounds, 272 kg, certainly large enough to kill or maim an unsuspecting human in their path.  The same goes for the giant kudus, weighing as much as 750 pounds, 340 kg, again large enough to cause serious damage. 

In general, most of the wild animals in this area aren’t known to attack unless provoked. On rare occasions, baboons have been known to attack for no reason at all. It’s best to consider all wildlife as potentially dangerous and to enjoy them from a reasonable distance, respecting their size, their strength, and the fact that we are intruding in their territory.

Today, the watch continues to see what wonders, if any, will come our way in the heat. With temperatures expected now at 100F, 38C, we wonder who may actually stop by. We’ve been outdoors for almost four hours now, as we write today’s post, sweat pouring off of us. But, we hesitate to venture inside to turn on the instant-on AC for fear we may miss something. That’s life in Marloth Park!

As we’ve learned in our travels, “the bigger the motivator, the more discomfort we’re willing to accept.” Need I say, we’re highly motivated?

Most extraordinary day yet…Is this really happening?…

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On Thursday morning as I stepped outside onto the veranda, camera in hand, this was the first thing I saw. Quietly alerting Tom, who was still inside the house, he rushed out to witness this same sight. And then, in minutes they were everywhere. No words can describe our elation.
At first, we thought there may only be a few when we saw only this one. Giraffes hang out in groups, often changing to a new group every few hours with no special loyalty to any grouping, other than moms and a baby of which only one is born at a time.
Walking out onto our driveway we were able to see the others arriving.

It won’t always be this exciting. After a while, we’ll have shared more and more new photos of visitors that have already visited us in the past. But for us, this is only the beginning of our adventures in South Africa. 

As they entered the yard, they scattered about, making it impossible to take photos of more than a few at a time. 
They enjoyed nibbling on our untouched tree touch, full and flavorful from recent rains.  On December 21st, summer begins in South Africa. In the winter, the leaves will be gone, and everything turns parched and brown, leaving less food for the wildlife.
Scratching an itch.

In six days, we’ll pick up a rental car to use for our remaining days in Marloth Park. With many plans on the horizon over our remaining over two months, we’ll have much to share.

They often stopped dining to look at us. We kept our distance, not wanting to disturb and as an inducement for them to return another day with little intrusion from us.
Nice pose with the right leg bent.
Tom with three giraffes behind him.

We’ve found it’s best not to get into “what we’re considering doing” as opposed  to “what we have locked in, via dates and reservations.” Doing so prevents us from feeling pressure to follow through on the possibilities as opposed to the realities. This is low-stress living, right?

Adding a frame of reference in the driveway.
Reaching for a low lying morsel.

A lone warthog wanted in on the excitement. No problem. You’re in!

Tentatively, we present these photos today knowing full well that it will be a tough act to follow. Living in the bush anything exciting can happen at any moment, as we’ve already witnessed. We sit back in watchful anticipation, welcoming magical moments our way. 

Perhaps a bit of romance brewing? Check out the eyelashes on the female on the right, definitely involved in the flirting process.
The “togetherness” continued.
“Stop with photos already.  I have to fill up the right cheek with these tasty greens.”

We call it our “safari luck” that began when we went on safari in the Masai Mara in early October and saw the “Big Five” in the first ten hours in the vehicle with Anderson. Even he commented on how lucky we were. On the little plane when upon departure, many other travelers commented that they’d only be able to see four of the Big Five and their subsequent disappointment. Yes, we were lucky. 

This male was sitting in the yard taking a break from being so tall.

That same “safari luck” has been with us since arriving in Marloth Park only two weeks ago. This is evidenced by today’s photos. From the day we arrived, we longed for the Giraffes to visit, the visit Louise and Danie assured us would definitely transpire over a period of three months. And they did come. All 12 of them on Thursday morning, a day we’ll never forget.

“Please,” says Mr. Warthog, “one more photo of me and the tall ones. I’m always camera ready”

If this was a typical two-week vacation/holiday as most travelers plan when visiting Marloth Park, we would have had a rich and memorable experience. But for us, the fact that we have the opportunity to reach out and grab more of this magic leaves us humble and grateful.

We counted 12 giraffes as they gathered for their joint exit after their hour-long visit.

This morning when once again, the family of nine Warthogs appeared, standing in the bush partially hidden by low lying brush as if waiting for us to come outside. As we stepped to the railing to our veranda, they freely marched toward us, all nine of them, two moms and seven babies ready to make us laugh, ready to entertain us, and ready to respond to my goofy high pitched voice welcoming them. 

Thanks for the visit giraffes!
But somehow, we knew they’d return.

Not for one second, did we ever feel we’d had enough of them or that we’ll ever tire of their visits. If we have “safari luck” and the giraffes to visit another time, we’ll be in as much awe as we were this first time.

Your visit meant the world to us!

There is no doubt in my mind that when these three months come to a close, it will be difficult to leave all of this behind. It will be difficult to no longer constantly scan our surroundings for a hint of movement, the sound of hooves, a snort, a growl, or a gentle call. 

For now, we let those thoughts waft away to allow ourselves to live in the moment, knowing in our hearts that this, dear readers, is “Why,I always dreamed of Africa.”

Visitors and more visitors…Eight sets in one day…Astounding!…

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The following photos were all taken in our yard on Monday, December 9, 2013, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, during which we counted eight separate groups, none repeats, on that same day from what we could tell. The eight groupings are separated by paragraphs of text for easy viewing.
Various groups of kudu males came to call throughout the day. 
Notice the impalas in the background to the right.
The female kudu’s big pinkish ears perk up to full attention when we moved about taking the photos. We walked softly and whispered to avoid scaring them off.
This shot was taken while we were sitting at the table on the veranda. They were so close to the railing that we didn’t want to scare them off by standing up as they gingerly approached.
Their huge horns are a sight to behold.
She says, “What’s with all the photos?”  Notice the hair standing up on her back.

How can this be? How can we walk out onto the veranda each morning, coffee in hand, to not only find evidence of visitors in the rain-soaked driveway, but a wide array of visitors themselves coming and going throughout the day, often looking directly at us with curiosity? Of course, we return the look without fear in an effort to let them know they have nothing to fear from us, welcoming them to stay for as long as they’d like. After all, this is their home, not ours.

The impalas appear to be the most skittish of all the larger wildlife we’ve seen so far. We hardly breathed, taking this photo.
Blurry and distant, but none the less, in the yard.
We hoped they’d have moved closer to us. We were thrilled to see them.

Most often, they stay for an hour or more nibbling on trees or grass, to finally make their way to “greener pastures,” or, perhaps they are like us humans, making our way through the buffet line, anticipating the best morsel yet to come.

These zebras appeared to be a different group from those that had visited in the past. It’s not easy to memorize the stripe patterns, all different, but we’ve tried.
Many tourists have been known to hand feed the wildlife. As much as we’d enjoy this, we refrain for their safety and ours. Hand feeding them may make it difficult for them to forage for food and become too domestic. We chose to enjoy them in their natural habitat.
It felt as if these zebras were waiting for us to hand feed them, as they patiently stood at our railing. We don’t doubt they’ll return anyway.
They’d pushed the gate open!
Neither of these two zebras seemed to mind being in this photo with me.

How did we find our way to Marloth Park? How did we find this magical location? How was it that it popped up about 20 months ago on my computer screen to leave me anxious for Tom to return from work that evening anxious to tell him what my day of searching had revealed. 

Having gone inside for a moment, we missed the remainder of the mongoose family that ran off the moment we came back outside. Can’t leave for a moment!

At the time he said, “Oh, boy. What are we getting ourselves into?” Now, he says, “Oh, boy! This is unbelievable!” He loves it as much as I do.

This mom warthog is always staring at us with the babies in tow. If we move quickly, she’ll quickly jump away.
Our resident warthog family of two moms and seven babies, never fail to stop by and we never fail to welcome them.
Many visitors enjoy the shade under the carport.

We’d booked Kenya first, from photos we’d found on Homeaway. Once the booking for Kenya was cemented, we agreed, “If we’re going to be all the way to Africa, let’s extend our time there by visiting other countries.”

Later in the day, more impalas arrived to partake of the abundant greenery in the yard.
This impala posing made me jump for joy!

It was only a week or two later that I literally stumbled across Marloth Park. At the time, I felt that choosing Marloth Park was one step down from Kruger Park, a short distance away, which has hardly proved the case. This is definitely paradise. The price and private house with its many amenities was appealing. But, above all the lure of the wildlife roaming free around the house cinched the deal for both of us.

This appeared to be a separate grouping of males that visited later in the afternoon.
The kudu’s markings are consistent on the face; a white chevron on the bridge of the nose as well as an adorable white mustache.
Using a gentle voice they move closer to us.
Their spindly legs are well-formed and strong.
This amply horned male stood proud for us. No zoom was used in this photo.
We’ve developed a special affinity for these majestic animals weighing as much as 760 pounds, 366 kg. The biggest known kudu in Marloth Park, which we’ve seen once so far, is “Kevin” as named by the locals. We posted Kevin’s photo on the December 6, (click here to see) when we’d gone on a local game drive with Leon, the owner of Jabula Lodge.
One of the kudus is always on watch as the others nibble on bits of vegetation. They seem to love the greens at the base of this grouping of a few trees.
These young males practicing for next spring’s dominance to impregnate females. Sadly, on occasion, the male’s antlers may become locked. Unable to separate, they eventually die of starvation.

Now, having been to Kruger Park with its many lodges and resorts we know we’ve made the right choice for us. It was unaffordable to stay in a lodge for three months. We don’t care for camping. And, Marloth Park has proved to be beyond our wildest dreams. 

Although this photo is similar to another we posted a few days ago, this was from our eight group sightings on Monday, December 9th when later in the day the second group of zebras visited. The attendance of this young male prompted us to determine that these were new visitors.
This zebra was pushy, making light taps on the railing to get our attention.
Two heads are better than one.
“We love it under the carport! My turn!”
Zebras seem to be the most curious and fearless.
Unprompted by any noise or distraction by us, they decided it was time to leave our yard. As we’ve seen with other wildlife, the biggest male seems to “hold up the rear.”

Each new day brings an entirely new day of wonderful surprises that we’ll never tire of in our three months in Marloth Park, a much longer stay than most travelers.  But, it’s a pittance compared to the many homeowners that live here full-time or have made this area their second home which they visit several times each year.

Thank you, Louise and Danie, for providing for the comforts while we’re here, and thank you, wildlife, for gracing us with your presence. We’ll never forget.

An elephant ritual on the Crocodile River…A rainy morning in Marloth Park…

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The following elephant photos were taken as we stood at the Crocodile River overlook area on the Marloth Park side of the river.  These photos are presented in order of their occurrence over a period of approximately 40 minutes.  Our knowledgeable guide Chase, was at my side explaining the elephant behavior as it transpired. 
The first Elephant was waiting on the Kruger Park side of the Crocodile River.

Early this morning we checked the veranda to see if the weather would allow us to sit outdoors on the veranda all day. After seven cloudy days in a row with cool weather, we have few complaints.  But today’s rain will be the impetus for the first day we won’t  be able to spend the day outside since September 2, 2013.

This elephant began his trek across the river from the Marloth Park side in order to get close
to the awaiting elephant.  The river is loaded with Crocodiles who seldom attack adult elephants.  Boating on the river is strictly prohibited. 

Back out on the veranda, we looked around deciding if we will be “in” or “out,” preferably “out.”  There in the driveway stood two adult warthogs staring at us, as if waiting to see what we’d decide.  

He’s getting closer. (Chase explain this was definitely a male).

A pang of sadness washed over me watching them stand there soaking wet, their goofy sideburns flat against their homely faces.  “Sorry, Mr. & Mrs. Warthog,”  I said aloud, “Today you’re on your own.”  They turned and walked away as if they’d known what I’d said. 

Almost there.

It’s the rainy season now.  The lush greenery gets greener with the rain providing food for most of the animals in Marloth Park. Plus with too much shade from the trees and vegetation on the grounds, there’s no way for us to lay in the sun here, for our former one hour a day Vitamin D sessions.  Cloudy days are fine with us. 


Closer yet, after a few minutes of standing in place.

The multitudes of visitors we’ve had so far indicates that the clouds have little bearing on their desire to stop by, although today’s rain may be a deterrent.  We shall see.

Oh, oh.  What’s going to happen next?

Last night, we cooked dinner, after dining out three nights in a row.  When Louise had grocery shopped for us (thank you again, Louise) before we arrived, she’d purchased a slab of sirloin steak that required trimming and cutting.  I’d never bought such a slab, instead buying the “already cut’ steaks, ready to cook. 

The elephant on the shore is sniffing the arriving elephant.  Both males, this could result
in a scuffle.

Yesterday, I trimmed the fat and cut the meat into enough steaks to last for three nights.  The entire slab cost ZAR $179, US $17.54, which translates to ZAR $59.57, US $5.85 per night for both of our sizable servings.  Not too bad.

Finally, the Elephant on the shore walks away, satisfied that the approaching Elephant is no threat to him.

The steaks were flavorful and tender after leaving them in a marinade for a few hours. Adding a good sized bowl of our homemade coleslaw, Brussels sprouts, green beans and sautéed whole mushrooms, we had a delicious meal which we’ll repeat again tonight and tomorrow, using the remaining steaks to avoid re-freezing.  Three nights of steak and repeat sides?  No problem for us.  Simple is good.  Simple is easy.

Moments later, a third Elephant begins it’s trek across the river arriving from the Marloth Park
side, once again, to the Kruger Park side.  Is he a threat to the others?

After dinner, we watched a few shows, the most recent episodes of Homeland and Hostages and, episode four of The Amazing Race (we’re catching up).  Commercial free from Graboid, each hour long show lasts approximately 43 minutes.  Whether we dine in or out, we equally love the time we spend together. 

The three lephants get into a scuffle, determining who will be the dominating male.

Today, we share the remaining photos of Monday night’s visit to the Crocodile River.  Far from the wildlife, we did out best to get good shots but we apologize if they aren’t as clear as we’d like. With the limitations of our camera, we can only shoot from so far away.  Hopefully, these will prove to be worthwhile.

Alas, the decision was made and the three elephants proceeded up the hill in harmony, (Sorry for the blur.  My shoulder was killing me and I could no longer hold the camera steady for these long distance shots).

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with the photos of our eight batches of visitors in one day, an exciting day, we’ll always remember.  If we never went on another safari (which we will, of course), we’re content living in Marloth Park with Mother Nature’s wonderland surrounding us.

A hippo finally made an appearance above the water.
Two Cape Buffalos on the Kruger Park side of the Crocodile River.  Most likely, these are Retired Generals, banned for life from the herd when they couldn’t gain dominance over another male.  They hang out together due to “safety in numbers.”

It was a dark and dreary day…Who knew they would come?

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This is what awaited us when we went back onto the veranda.

The air was thick with humidity.  It sprinkled off and on.  A breeze picked up as we began feeling moisture clinging to our skin. We ventured inside grudgingly, worrying more about our equipment getting wet than ourselves.

They were as curious about us as we were them.

Our daily watch for visitors has become a playful and enticing pursuit, one filled with excitement and anticipation to see who in Mother Nature’s wonderland will grace us with their presence. 

Each zebra’s stripe pattern was as unique as each human’s fingerprint.

Once inside, we played Gin, with eyes peeled to the living room window every other moment in hopes of more visitors. The windows in the kitchen which could provide us with the best view are too high to see out, built to avoid rambunctious monkeys from eyeballing their potential “loot”. 

This guy stood under the carport for quite some time, watching over the other males.
Another zebra decided to try the carport spot while others looked on.

As a result, there isn’t a perfect spot in the house to easily see outside to the area where the wildlife most often gathers. It’s comparable to watching a ballgame while standing atop of one’s car with binoculars.  Not quite the same.

Sharing the vegetation.

Sitting on the main veranda provides the perfect view. Subsequently, we’ve been outside during daylight hours since arriving, a week ago today. Without a doubt, this will be our spot even when the summer heats kicks in, which as of yet hasn’t happened.

This guy decided to check out the garden and braai.
While playing Gin, Tom commented, “The sun is trying to come out and its beating on my back through the window. Let’s go back outside.” In my determination to finally beat Tom (I didn’t), I’d lost track of the outdoors for only a few minutes.
“Nothing like a drink of fresh rainwater from the fire pit.”

The moment we stepped outside onto the veranda, cards, scorecard, pen, and camera in hand, there they were, right in front of us, standing at the railing as if waiting for us, all six of them, all boys. A breath caught in my throat. All I could say was, “It’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable.” Tom couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face. 

“Now, I’ll try this pool water. Nah, not so good. It kind of tastes like bleach.”

In respect for their space, we stayed behind the railing on the veranda letting them wander about without fear.  After all, this is their home. We’re the “visitors.” They stayed for over an hour content to munch on the grass and other vegetation, content to look at us, making eye contact that flipped my heart over in my chest.

Several of them used the tree branches to scratch themselves. 

I used the high pitched voice, gently, lovingly and they responded, ears flicking back and forth, hooves tapping the ground playfully. Had I died and gone to Heaven? This place, these creatures, all of God’s making, here in front of us. Would these gentle creatures suddenly grow wings and take flight?

Moments before this big boy peed, another boy had peed on this same spot. The big boy came over, sniffing the ground and peed on the same spot. This is similar behavior we’d observed in the past among our male dogs. Territorial marking. 

When they decided it was time to move on, the large male leader needed only to begin the hike up the dirt drive and they all followed suit. We weren’t sad to see them go. Certainly, they’ll be back. And, of course, we’ll be waiting for them.

Nothing like a little brotherly love.
“Let’s go for the hug instead of the kiss. It’s more manly!”

A walk in the park…Marloth Park, that is… Results in laughter and awe…

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While on a walk in our neighborhood Tom spotted this Ostrich that had wandered into a homeowner’s yard appeared to be fascinated by looking at himself in the window. 
I stealthily moved closer through the dense bush to get a closer shot without disturbing this Ostrich. Finally, he turned for a full view. The occupants were inside the house. We were able to hear and see them peering out the window with the same enthusiasm as our own.

Going for a walk in Marloth Park is like no other walk. I can’t imagine anywhere in the world, one can go for a neighborhood walk to discover the vast array of wildlife wandering about, nibbling on nature’s summertime bounty in the bush.

Very skittish, we were grateful to get this photo of three Impalas as seen in our yard. Notice the baby, kissing what many have been the mom. It appears the dad was behind them.

Never for a moment in our short time here will we ever take the sights or sounds of any creature for granted, whether it’s the tiniest of birds, an enormous hugely antlered Kudu, the roar of the lion, or the chatter and an occasional glimpse of the elusive nocturnal bushbaby.

These birds, the Helmeted Guinea-fowl were easy to find in the bird book Louise left with us.
I keep pinching myself. How did we get here? Cruise lovers, lie-by-a-pool aficionados, social butterflies, and above all, homebodies? How did we get here? Why are we, creatures of habit, creature comfort fanatics, living in the bush wallowing in the exquisite offerings of Mother Nature on steroids? Wow! Knock me over with an “Ostrich” feather (in Tom’s words)!
There were fewer flowers here than in Kenya (as a result of landscaping in Kenya), the few flowering plants in the bush all serve a unique purpose for the wildlife.

If this alone was all the adventure I was allowed after retirement, I’d be content. But more, is better.  Appreciated. Revered. Remembered. “Please,” I tell myself. “Don’t let everything after this be, a letdown.”  There’s so much world ahead of us. How will anything compare?

A few days ago, Tom had seen a flash of the monitor lizard, also referred to as the Monitor Crocodile.  While playing cards yesterday, one eye constantly scanning the bush, Tom alerted me to grab the camera as he noticed that this large creature had stuck it’s head out of it’s hole in order to look around.  I’d mentioned we’d get a photo this and there it was the next day!
The monitor lizard can grow as long as 15 feet/4.6 meters. As it slithered out of its protective hole, we were anxious to see its full length.

Tom had seen two of these a few days ago, but, they quickly disappeared when they saw him move. He is the smaller of the pair.  Louise told us that these particular monitor lizards enjoy swimming in the pool. We hope to see that!

For now, we chose to let those thoughts waft away to live in the moment cherishing every element of this unbelievable experience, as the fine taste, of the finest wine, that one enjoys only until the glass is empty, always longing for more, knowing nothing else can compare.

This warthog mom wanted a closer view of us as we stood at this railing, looking out over the driveway where the remainder of the family of nine was waiting.
Yesterday, this baby warthog seemed intent on coming onto the veranda for a more personal visit. To avoid upsetting the nearby mom, we gently moved toward it and it skittered off. There’s no lock or latch on this gate allowing any curious animal to wander inside.

Please, dear readers, humor me with the warthog’s photos that will appear here from time to time. These friendly, curious, up to 250-pound beasts (113 kg), are enchanting. Although skittish, running off if our movements are sudden or jerky, they can’t help but make eye contact that is as endearing as the gaze of one’s own beloved pet.

Don’t get me wrong.  We don’t approach them or take any risks around them, their babies, or any other animals for that matter The warthog tusks are razor-like. They could easily inflict a serious injury. They, like us, choose to observe and contemplate our intentions, never letting their guard down. 

I find myself speaking to them in the same high pitched voice I’d always used in speaking to our dogs, often resulting in that adorable head tilt that we all find so adorable. The Warthogs don’t tilt their heads, but their ears flick back and forth as they stare intently at us, making contact, communicating in their own way.

So please, bear with us as we share many more “visitors” photos as they come, never knowing who will grace our day with an appearance as we spend most of each day outdoors on the veranda.

 We were able to get this close up to the largest warthog we’ve seen this week, as he approached us. He’s got some serious bags under his eyes!


Today, it’s very cool and rainy, which may drive us indoors soon. It appears that the number of visitors and sightings are greatly reduced on rainy days. It’s been cloudy almost every day since we’ve arrived almost a week ago. After all, this is the lush rainy season that “restocks” the food supply of the animals. Knowing this gives us much comfort with neither us of annoyed with the clouds and rain.

This is the same huge male warthog above, hanging out with what may be his girlfriend. At the time, it was just the two of them in the yard. As she nibbled on greenery, he stood watching, never once taking a bite for himself. How gallant! Hopefully, they’ll stop by again so we can see how the courtship is progressing.

Tonight, we’re dining out trying yet another restaurant that we’ll report on tomorrow with more photos, as well as any sightings along the ride to dinner.

Mom warthog decided to allow one of her four babies to nurse alongside the braai.

We ordered and paid for a rental car that requires a drive back to the Mpumalanga/Kruger/Nelspruit airport on December 20th which, most likely, we’ll keep until we depart Marloth Park on or about February 28, 2014, when we fly to Morocco. With only 13 days to hire our driver, we’ll venture out, on game drives, bush dinners, dining out, and social activities as they occur.

A little bit nervous after Mom reprimanded the baby with a few aggressive nudges.

Soon, we’ll decide if it makes sense to purchase a seasonal pass to enter Kruger Park at our leisure, driving ourselves through the park. After this Sunday’s game drive, we’ll have a better feel for how practical this will be without a guide, which many chose to do. 

Duikers are extremely cautious, keeping at a fair distance illustrating how wild the animals in Marloth Park really are. They may be used to seeing humans roaming about, but they are not tame by any means, as one may assume.

We’ll return tomorrow with more photos and updates. Thank you from both of us for stopping by.

A baby impala cautiously checks us out from afar.