Xavier visit

Strange how something simple like strapping Xavier (my youngest grandchild) into his car-seat, gives my so much pleasure. As he looks at me, I feel as if - for that moment - a special bond existed between the two of us.

End of the journey

The journey back has started. A short taxi ride to Leh airport, New Delhi, then Emirates to Cape Town via Dubai. It was an amazing journey: saw the beauty of God's creation and made friends for life, but now I can't wait to be back at de Wijnlanden.

Pangong Tso

It took us five hours from Leh to Pangong Tso: a 134 km long crystal clear lake (altitude 4350m) amongst snow covered mountains. The border between India and China runs through this remote expanse of water. En route, we were once again treated on the spectacular beauty of the Himalayas. We saw wild yak, stallions and marmots. We stayed as long as we could before we started the long journey back, arriving in the dark at the hotel.

Altitude sickness

The high altitude took its toll on the fifth day while we crossed Changla pass (altitude 5320m). I suddenly felt very dizzy and my heart rate shot up to almost 180. Fortunately, we had oxygen in the car and quickly drove down to a lower level.

Nubra Valley

The Nubra Valley is a semi-desert area north of Leh high in the Himalayas. It is only accessible over the Khardungla Pass. The rugged, snow-capped mountains, the desolate, sand-swept plains and the small rivers, fighting to take melted snow to the ocean provides for some of the most spectacular pictures imaginable.

Khardungla pass

The Khardungla pass is the highest pass in the world accessible by motorized vehicles. At 5600m, it is as high as Kilimanjaro. We passed over the summit with light snow falling.

Sarchu to Leh

Annelie woke up early on her birthday in an ice-cold, strange land. We had to start early for the eleven hours journey to Leh, capital city of Ladakh province. The route took us through desolate but spectacular desert country and over three passes (Namkila - 4950m, Lachulangla - 5090m and Tanglangla - 5332m). We started feeling some of the symptoms of altitude sickness.

Day One

On the first day of our trip in the Himalayas we traversed two mountain passes (Rohtang - 3950m and Baralachala - 4800m). We stopped at Kokhsar for lunch and ultimately arrived late at night in Sarchu, where we stayed for the night. On the way were snow-covered peaks, rushing streams of water, dense forests, high altitude lakes and domestic animals on the road.

Manali

Manali is a small village at the base of the big mountains. We stayed in a beautiful old hotel with a view of the valley and prepared ourselves for a two-day trip to Leh.

Kullu

Our trip to the Indian Himalayas started with a short flight from New Delhi to Kullu. We marveled at the the mountainous valleys and the fast-flowing river as we approached for landing, but realized that these peaks were merely foot-hills of the real mountains.

David and me

David is friend of mine that travelled widely in the sub-continent. We hosted him and his wife for one night when they visited Cape Town on a speaking trip. I specifically dressed in a kameez in support of him at one of his speaking assignments.

Pierre and Elsa

We attended the wedding of Pierre and Elsa in Robertson. It was fabulous to witness two individuals finding one another at a later stage in their life. Friends and family joined in the celebration, including many children from the orphanage where Elsa works.

The two dogs

Basie and Nonnatjie have been with us for six years now. As they grow older they became more placid,nestling up to one another more frequently.

Von Seidels

When I started Fundamo in 2000, we contracted Mike von Seidels as our IP attorney. At that stage he practiced from his home as a single person. Today I visited the new offices of Von Seidels in Canal Walk, a grand double story building, home to many partners and employees; one of the biggest and most respected IP practices in South Africa. It was a special experience.

Xavier

Xavier is my third grandchild. He is a big and strong little man. He enjoys wrestling and shouts with joy when he gets thrown around in a tussle. I wonder what sport he will enjoy when he is grownup.

Inclusive digital economies

Just back in Cape Town; attending Inclusive digital economies discussion at the Watershed. Good to see that digital economies are still alive and well in Africa.

Dubai lounge

We are almost home. The lounge in Dubai has become an oasis for Annelie and me. It is a welcome break in the mammoth trip from San Francisco to Cape Town. After a shower, a good cup of tea and recharged cellphones, we are ready for the last leg.