If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa

I have been very slack with my blog recently but I am slowly getting caught up with my millions of photos and stories of the adventures that 2009 has held (so far!). I love the above picture - taken last week at Betty's Bay (thanks Key). Totally unstaged, the girls were admiring the penguins and I was pondering the world ...

I leave for the States this afternoon for what feels like my last adventure before I join the grown-up world. I'm excited about catching up with old friends, visiting old homes, making new friends and visiting exciting new places ...

Hospice Tour

I was waiting a while to receive my initiation into the Rico-Wessels-appreciation-of-clothing club. The Hospice shop is a set of second-hand shops in Stellenbosch. But, a little like second hand shops to an extreme. I have seen of good bargains - like a R30 ($3) wetsuit (hmmm) or a R30 car roof rack as well as many items of clothing fashionedly worn by Rico. However, on our tour (with our Lucozade bottles in hand!) didn't include any serious bargains or wonderful purchases. The notice below is on the door of the shop ... thankfully there were no injuries during our time there!

Happy Birthday Sunset!

African sky. Beautiful mountains. Amazing sunset. Happy Birthday Marelise!

Hilltop Berry Farm, Helshoogte

Breakfast for Marelise's birthday at Hilltop Berry Farm. Lovely.

Sunset over False Bay!

The Smart Penguins!!

Upon discussion of the various penguin colonies in South Africa I had portrayed to Kiera and Mindy that the Stoney Point penguins were more educated and smart. Needless to say, they wanted to visit!! Over my time here I've photographed more penguins than most people so there are just a couple to prove that I was there.

I think Kiera actually took this penguin picture ... it has the talented-photographer-feel to it ;-)

While the girls were photographizing the penguins, I was taking a moment or two to myself which was amazing. Quite therapeutic to visit this beautiful area! I love this picture!

Garden Route Game Lodge - take 2!

Within about 2 weeks I was back at the game lodge with Kiera and Mindy (I should get tourist-points or frequent-animal-visit points!). Kiera and Mindy both took some amazing pictures and I have borrowed a few here, but most of these are mine - unless I'm in it, or it's good!! Retief was our guide and I had another successful visit to the animals! As well as a few surprises!! Thank you.

Mindy and I. It's better to sit BESIDE Mindy because when any terror is near she yells for the back row to be dropped to pacify the approaching animal (this time in the form of a running elephant!).

Mr Wildebeeste at sunset.

The elephants were again on good form. They were down a revene so we drove a bit closer thinking "how quickly can an elephant get out of a revene?" ... the answer ... quicker than you'd think!! Another visit to the elephants and another welcoming chase with flapping ears.

Retief on the run! There wasn't much action on our night game drive so Retief got out to see if he could find some action (in the form of a recent kill).

Beautiful sunset!

I love this picture of Mindy on the front of the vehicle and Kiera having just climbed down! Thankfully there is a fence between us and the cheetah :-)

The girls and Retief

Elephants

We returned to the elephant sanctury but missed the "educational" part about the elephants! Key and Mindy got to have a ride and I got to catch up with Rocky!

Stormsriver & the Armagh

We returned up to Stormsriver but stayed at the Armagh (yes, with Irish connections) a lovely guest house in Stormsriver. We had alsorts of grand plans for early morning hikes and trips to see waterfalls and bridges! After a nice dinner and a couple of drinks at the backpackers we retired to our super room and after Mindy's torpedo spinning roll into the closet, we settled down to sleep! The following morning, after making the most of the massage lady (thanks girls!) we set off all relaxed and ready to see some animals!

Up the Garden Route - Wilderness & Plett

It was a bit of a whistle-stop tank-it up the Garden Route but we stopped at Wilderness for a trip "na die strand" ....

And for sunset at Plettenburg Bay ...

My photographing ladies ...

Table Mountain

When we decided to go up Table Mountain there wasn't too much hope that we'd see anything from up there! But the girls were adament that it was time! The cloudy nature of things was pretty amazing and fun to photograph. We had a grand time at the top!! Kiera has some fun pics on her slideshow (see earlier post!).

photographing cloud?

a little bit of Cape Town ...

Of course, when we were down there was plenty of blue sky!!

Kiera and I

Mindy, me, Key