My proud dad

I could see that it took my dad a lot of exertion to take the few steps from his seat to the table for lunch. Bent-over and wheezing, he refused any help. You can take a lot away from this man (his strength, health and balance), but he will hang on to pride till the end.

I slept on the equator

It seems that the Mount Kenya Safari Club was built on the equator and it so happened that my bed was placed on 0.00 degrees. I did not experience anything different with one part of me in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern.

Agent cash-out points

On our way to the Mount Kenya park, we stopped at a small village. I counted at least five mobile money agents, representing mPesa, Equity and others. I witnessed a transaction (Cash-in) in real life and once again realized how this industry has transformed society fundamentally.

Passing by Bafana playing

On my way from the airport in Nairobi, stuck in traffic as is the case often here, we passed the stadium where Bafana Bafana was playing Kenya. It was brightly lit and created a lot of congestion. One day, I will travel to these exotic places to follow SA sport teams.

Ecclesiastes

As always, I started my day with scripture this morning and (as always) I was just amazed at how relevant the Words are even for today: "And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion and reward for all my toil. Then I looked on all that my hands had done ... all was vanity and striving after wind... "

As if it was written for the realities of today.

Perfect Cape morning

The Cape's ocean this morning was very special, again. I joined the club for a brisk cycle to Kogelbay and back and once again realized how amazing the sea can be. The vista towards Rooiels with low clouds on the horizon in the early morning air was something to behold.

Protea at work

I noticed this huge protea fully in bloom at work today. We have such a special garden that often goes unnoticed, yet is full of jewels. It requires a few minutes to just stop and experience all the hidden treasures... a little like life, I suppose.

Early morning routine

With a bit more time in country and with summer on us with longer days, I started an early morning routine that I enjoy. I get on the bike for a 25km cycle and then in the pool for half a Km swim, before breakfast. I hope I can keep it up.

Laibach Claypot

Sometimes one should just open a great wine for no apparent reason. Tonight I did just that. I spotted a lonely bottle of Laibach Claypot Merlot in the cellar and decided there and then that it is cork-extraction time. The fruit-driven, meaty wine complimented the lamb that Annelie prepared perfectly!

Sunday lunch at Long Table

We had our sunday lunch at the Long Table on Haskells. The place was abuzz with people which is always a good sign for a restaurant. My lamb phyllo an Annelie's venison with berry sauce emphasized the skill of the chef. We enjoyed the food with the local Bertus blend and agreed that it was a special place when we left for home.

Grandchildren babysitting

What a privilege to look after our amazing grand-children for a while this morning. We were literally met at the door by two smiling little beings. We played together on the floor, talked, had some tea and I even managed to put Nina to bed successfully myself. Strange how seemingly insignificant things can have so much meaning.

Slow congestion

It is a pity that more and more people have realized that the best lounge at domestic ORT is the Slow Lounge. This means that tonight the food was not enough and one had to stand in a queue for a glass of wine.

Gautrain disappointment

Always loved taking the Gautrain from ORT to Sandton, but experienced a lot of frustration today when my card had R25 too little on it when I tried to exit. The slickness of process when things go wrong is often an indication of the quality of service. Gautrain should work on this.

Agreement in Singapore

At the end of a great dinner at the Tippling Club in Singapore, me and Steven concluded a contract to attempt to cross the Atlantic with a yacht in 2014. The dinner was a combination of inventive meals and special wines.

Efficient Singapore

It is true, Singapore is super-efficient. I placed my luggage in my hotel-room at Marina Sands within 45 minutes after touchdown. Consider that this include taxing of the aircraft to the parking bay, clearing immigration, 10 plus minutes taxi ride and booking in at the hotel; this is pretty amazing.

Family reunion at Gariep

Enjoyed a weekend at the Gariep Resort with Annelie's family. I met cousins and an aunt of Annelie for the first time. We celebrated new friends and I understood why family-ties are so important.., yet neglected so much in a modern world. I also took time to explore some of the surrounding areas on MTB.

Vineyards in the sunlight

One of the special things about living close to a vineyard, is to experience the cycle of life each year. From vines full of fruit in the middle of the season to the last red leaf dropping off the dead branches. But the most special stage is now, when new life bursts out of the plant in the form of bright green shoots.

Haircut at OR Tambo

Had my hair cut at the barber shop at OR Tambo because the shop was open and my hair needed a cut. The irony of what I was doing struck me when I realised the barber was from the DRC, having done a six month crash course in hairdressing. With Africa music videos playing I noticed the Nigerian cashier surveying her fingernails, explaining why she didn't buy the barber chicken for lunch. In the end my haircut actually turned out well.

Lions feeding on Kudu kill

The last game drive at the lodge ended with lots of excitement when we stumbled on a fresh lion kill. Two lionesses killed a kudu-cow literally a few hundred meters from where we were having a final beer and snacks on the banks of the Zambezi. The baboons signaled distress and our guide managed to get us close enough to see the drama of life and death in the bush. It was a memorable end to a special few days in Zambia.

Tiger fishing on the Zambezi

We lost a lot of Tigers because of inexperience, but in the end, we all successfully landed at least one Tiger on the boat - including Catherine. I managed to break the line on at least three big ones, but were successful with two nine pounders.

Royal Zambezi Lodge

On the Zambezi (below the Kariba), six hours by road, right in the wilderness, is the Royal Zambezi Lodge. We arrived here with a Cessna Caravan and immediately loved the luxury and service from the staff. It is great to have Ernst and his family with us, but we wished Izak could be here too.

Misty in Lusaka

There is so much growth in Zambia. New shopping centres, maintained roads and great restaurants are everywhere. I had a very good dinner in high style at the new Misty Restaurant with clients. The live jazz music added to the atmosphere to the degree that one just did not want to leave.

Aircraft at the end of the tarmac

It took an extra long bus ride to the B777 at the end of the tarmac for my flight back to Cape Town. What is the rationale to always park the aircrafts for the Cape Town flights halfway to Al Ein here in Dubai?

Rolex wrong

The challenge of any great brand is to keep the brand promise - especially something as well known and aspirational as Rolex. That is why it was interesting to me that all the Rolex wall clocks in the Emirates departure lounge at San Francisco International displayed the wrong time.

San Francisco in glorious sunlight

Today is a sunny day in San Francisco. The buildings in the city centre is bright against the backdrop of fog on the distant hills here from the 29th floor. In the distance, I can even see Alcatraz.

Upgraded to First Class

Getting upgraded to first class is great, but to have that happen on both legs of my trip to San Francisco very fortunate. The result was a comfortable journey to the Bay city in my own suite with the best food and wines. I managed to rest well, reflect on my business realities and prepare well for the week's meetings all at 30 000 ft.

Almenkerk winery

The new cellar and tasting room at Almenkerk in the Elgin region is impressive and so is their wine. We joined the Kurktrekkers wine-club for a weekend of wine and food in the relatively new Elgin ward. The white wines were beautiful (the Sauvignon Blanc from Iona being one of the best that I have ever tasted), but remember Lace (the second label from Almenkerk) - serious wines, made in bulk at an attractive price.

La Motte magic

We had such a special evening at La Motte with the Sippers. First we visited the art museum (with rare Pierneef pieces), then tasted eight brilliant wines at the wine centre and concluded everything with a scrumptious dinner at the award-winning restaurant. The warmth of the people, the perfect setting and the blue moon contributed to a perfect evening. As we drove back home, we acknowledged that we are extremely blessed and we thanked the Lord for this.

Old Alto

My brother found a case of Alto Cab 1982 at a liquidation auction and we managed to pick it up at a good price. Last night I carefully extracted the soft cork out of a bottle, lovingly decanted the thirty year old liquid and left it to breath. The nose had a strange metallic whiff, but the mouth was still packed with fruit and lots of structure.... Beautiful.

Sunshine breaking through

With low clouds over the Stellenbosch mountains, half an hour after dawn, the sunshine blazed a path downwards. It reflected off the dams between the vineyards in a powerful exhibition of light.

Hemingway's restaurant

One does not always think of Pretoria as the centre of culinary expertise. That is why we were so delightfully surprised with the three course dinner that we enjoyed at Hemingway's in Centurion. The wine list was very good - with a wide selection, cleverly put together. The food was delicate, yet complex with signature themes that we enjoyed. The service was knowledgable and quick, guided by head waiter: William. Strangely, the restaurant was not full, possibly indicating that this type of restaurant is not fully appreciated by people north of the Jukskei.

House in the "Moot"

We are building an investment house in the Theresa Park area north of Pretoria. The brickwork for the first storey has been completed and me and Annelie inspected the progress on a sunny day during an early spring.

Legends off-site

We are having a off-site (bosberaad) at Legends in the "bosveld". It is such an opposite from Singapore where I just came from. The bosveld-silence and clearly more oxygen in the air is so refreshing.

Singapore getting ready for F1

Singapore will host a F1 street-race in about a month. The city is already getting ready for the event. One can see advertising everywhere and everyone knows about it. Tonight, when I returned from dinner, I noticed the fences being erected next to the roads. It has got the potential to be very spectacular.

Changi to Swissotel

Here I am again sitting in a taxi from Changi airport to Swissotel in Singapore, early morning. There is a part of me that asks: Why?; but then I remind myself to be thankful for everything that I experience; the privilege to work with smart people and good health and strength that allow me to do all this.

With Corne Krige at rugby

I was a guest of Absa at the SA Argentina international. I met Corne Krige (a previous captain of the SA national team) at the game and had an opportunity for a long chat with him. I really enjoyed it and was particularly impressed with his outlook on life. I subscribe to his view that, in order to be successful in life, your life must be based on strong moral principles.

Stunning Cape

I was fortunate to do a flip in a helicopter from Twelve Apostles Hotel to the Waterfront. It was a perfect day with sunshine and no wind. One could see the well-known landmarks; like the stadium, Signal Hill and the Victoria Basin, bathed in glorious sunshine. It is hard to think of a better place to be.

Lagos tennis

One can see the Ikoyi tennis club's courts from our offices in Lagos. All nine courts were in use after six o'clock till late when we left for the hotel. But what was interesting was that everyone playing was dressed in white: white shoes, socks... everything. No wait, one guy's collar was off-orange.

Lagos arrival

Arrived early evening at Lagos airport and after a wild drive from the airport - sometimes taking backroads to beat the Sunday evening traffic - arrived at the Federal Palace hotel. Vibrant is a word that does not give justice to an amazing city.

Sunday morning jetplane

I am sitting in the lounge at CTIA for an early flight en route to Lagos. I would rather be sleeping late. But then the friendly staff offer me a freshly baked croissant from the Premier lounge - piping hot and I look out over the Stellenbosch mountains where the sun is fighting a loosing battle with the rain clouds and I feel a bit of contentment. One should appreciate the small things in life more often.

Stormy night at Botriver

Gale force winds and driving rain shook the wooden house as we slept in the bedroom on the second floor. The sounds of the wind through the trees and a loose board on the roof was interrupted by squalls thick with rain. It was as if you could feel the fury of nature.

Clarence drive cycling

Some club members got me out of bed with a Facebook message for some cycling. With very little wind, crisp-cold air and the beauty of the Cape environment, it was an ideal day for cycling. Only problem was that I battled to survive the ride - a reflection on my lack of training.

Blending old and new

I gave a talk on the story of Fundamo to Endeavour at the venue of Alan Gray Orbis Foundation. It was great to meet the members of Endeavour and to just talk frankly about the last ten year's journey. The building that houses the Foundation is quite interesting: a proud old Victorian-style building encapsulated in a very modern, new building... an example of old and new working together in harmony.

Closing banquet

Six Olympians were guests at the closing banquet of a very special week in London. Amongst others, we listened to Kerri Strug (who helped the US win a gold medal in 1996 with a broken ankle), Derek Raymond (finished the 400m in 1992 with a torn hamstring) and Sifiso Nhlapo (who came back from a broken neck to compete as a BMX athlete at London 2012).

Federer marathon Olympic win

Bill Gates, John McEnroe and other famous people were spectators very close to where we sat watching the men's semi-finals at Wimbledon. In the end Federer beat the Argentinian, Del Potro, in a mammoth match stretching over almost five hours.

Greenwich Gymnastics

The gymnastics championship event that we attended was spectacular. The gymnasts was amazing, but this was augmented by a display of lights and music, that turned the night into a special occasion. We shared in the joy of Douglas, the gold medal winner from the US as well as the despair of the Russian that missed gold with 0.20 at the last exercise.

Olympic Beach Volleyball

I never thought that beach volley ball would be so much fun! We watched four games at the horse guards parade stadium and all agreed that it definitely is a spectator sport. The final match between Canada and Italy was the highlight.

Olympic swimming

What a privilege to see two South Africans qualify for finals in the Olympic Aquatic Centre tonight. The Olympic Park was vibrant and full of energy and even the weather played along.

Visa hospitality at Heathrow

We went briskly through immigration and picked our bags at Heathrow. The Visa hospitality staff were quick and efficient and we were whisked off to our hotel. Our Olympic outing started well.

Arrive in London on SA220

We arrived in a sunny London on SA220. It was a proudly South African flight. The seats were as good as you can get, the food and wine were excellent, the service good and entertainment system really clever. Only complaint is not to get noise-reduction headphones as one has come to expect from business class on other carriers.