United with family

We were united with the family in Australia after a long flight crossing the Indian Ocean. I noticed a few tears as we pushed ouma in her wheelchair to see her children waiting at the top of the ramp. Esthea and Willem picked us up in two cars to make sure that all the luggage could be catered for. We then sped off to Goolwa for our visit on Umuthi farm.

Leaving for Australia

At OR Tambo getting ready to board QF64 for Sydney. This is quite an experience for us. We are taking ouma Andre to visit her youngest daughter in South Australia and to celebrate her eightieth birthday there. This is the first time that she will be travelling abroad and we think that it will be an emotional experience.

Lunch with Bryan

We had a great lunch with Bryan and Zi at the Roundhouse. We enjoyed the tapas and other simple food (supported by exceptional wines) under a tree with a magnificent view of Campsbay. We talked about our experiences the past year and the importance to understand the purpose of one's life.

Christmas dawn

I was up at the break of dawn to go for a brisk cycle ride before the rest of the house got up. I was greeted by the most spectacular scene. With literally no cars on the road, everything was quiet except for the birds waking up. The air was still fresh and the sun painted an impressive sky from behind the horizon.

Arden's bicycle for Christmas

Arden got his first bicycle from oupa and ouma for Christmas and he just loved it. Even though the bike is still a bit big for him, he got on it promptly and soon had the knack and was cycling back and forth on the patio. Such blessings to see him learn new things and to be able to share the wonder that he sees in new things for him.

Virgin beach

The wind from the east must be blowing at more than twenty knots. The waves are angry and choppy with sea-spray thrown in the air as the waves break. The rolling sand has covered all footmarks and nobody is out on the beach. It is quite an experience to see this virgin beach and to feel the force of the wind.

Mannie's birthday

We celebrated Mannie's birthday at Harbour Rock in Hermanus. As always the view was spectacular and the food good. We enjoyed Mannie's company with his abundance of jokes and views on life. It is a privilege to have friends that want to share their birthdays with you.

Book-sale to raise money

We have such caring people at work. I noticed the boxes in the foyer asking for book donations that will be sold to raise money for a worthy cause. Last month we had a cake sale to raise money. What will we do in a Kindle-enabled world with eBooks and so forth to raise money?

Beautiful Oman

It is fair to say that many people would not be able to find Oman on a map. This special little country occupies the most eastern part of the Arabian peninsula. Me and Annelie had a taste of Oman's rugged mountains, crystal clear seas, its culture and rich history. We were impressed with the well-developed tourist infrastructure (good airport, roads, worldclass hotels and good restaurants). The few days in Oman was over quickly.

Watching the sun set from Jebel Hafeet

Jebel Hafeet is the highest mountain in the UAE. It is close to Al Ain and the summit can easily be reached by car. Me and Annelie drove to the Mercure hotel very close to the summit. We enjoyed a late buffet lunch on the terrace and watched the sun set over the desert landscape. The dust-filled air, spread the orange over a wide area on the horizon and we watched in awe.

Dinner under the Burj Khalifa

Me and Annelie had dinner at Rivington's Grill in Souk al Bahar, downtown Dubai. We were entertained by the majestic fountains and their performance every half an hour. The tallest building in the world twinkled with lights synchronized to the fountains. The food, complemented by Massaya Red, a Lebanese red wine, was not too bad either. We had a special time.

Immigration frustrations

Dubai is developing into an even better destination. Unfortunately, completing the formalities at immigrations is just not in line with the first world city that Dubai is. Standing in long lines to complete the iris-scan (not sign-posted) at 03:00 in the morning is exasperated by officials that seems not to care and do not even respond to friendly greetings.

A perfect picture

Sometimes at night, the lake can be at it's most enchanting, like tonight late when the clouds opened and the moon reflected off the water's small waves. A few solitary lights still on at the Arabella hotel could be seen on the opposite shore embraced by majestic clouds. I could hear the sea in the background and quiet nocturnal sounds carrying on the northerly breeze. It is impossible not to experience God in this perfect picture.

La Pineta to celebrate

I visited one of my favourite restaurants, La Pineta, with my favourite person, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. (We have now been married for 31 years). I had the Venison Loin (Gemsbok) with the 2008 Anura Pinotage, while Annelie enjoyed the duck with a good chardonnay. A satisfying meal triggering such sweet memories.

Burger done

I always loved "The Burger", a 92 km cycle race in a circle route from Stellenbosch and back. I entered some time ago, not realising that I will be returning from California the day before. Not wanting to waste a good entry, I tackled the race with some jet-lag and not enough sleep. I surprised myself by completing the race in an acceptable time of three and a half hours. I was pretty satisfied.

Plastic knives in departures

Me and Richard sat down for a "not-too-bad" mexican lunch at San Francisco International Departures. We were forced to attack the food with a pathetic plastic knife and a large, metal fork. If you look objectively at the security-measures in US airports it does fringe on the absurd.