The Terrible Two

Matt and Owen were the offical Firestarters of the camp site. Their special skill though was harassaing Calvin and Carl (Blondie and Wolverine) - from the Rheede family.

We all played some volleyball near the club house and watched some cricket. Someone picked up a baby kiewiet (plover) and when we went to the clubhouse, were feeding it Pronutro through a syringe.
Carl is a biokineticist working in Dubai coaching sheiks on golf courses, and Calvin is studying to be a CA. These guys are into snowboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, all the cool stuff. They offered to take me for a ski on their speedboat but we never got round to it.

The Rheedes and Thompson's meet every December holiday. We would have had dinner together except Villiersdorp was closed on New years Day so they went home and we went over the pass to Franschoek and Colcachio's. 

Lee and Sam

I couldn't stop teasing these two, especially when they were in the hammock. 

Picture This

Laura brought a few photo albums showing her sailing trip to Miami (via Brazil) and her time in Switzerland as an au pair. 

Caught in the Act

Eating junk and reading comics. I think this was after my epic cycle to Franschoek and back. I got a lot of flack for being 'lazy' after that cycle, and eventually pulled on my wetsuit and swam across the dam. I swam about 2 minutes faster than without my wetsuit, there and back. Very lazy indeed. 

Laura and Laurin

Laura's left for Switzerland, but is coming back next week. Quite an expensive trip just to go and fetch all the stuff she left in Switzerland, but if the cost to ship is the same as an airticket, I guess I'd do the same.
Laurin works in Somerset West with a company that imports magnets from China.  

Breakfast

Mandy, Ian and me. We had some sweltering days here, and two days of windy and rainy weather. We braaied pretty much every night. 

Feeding of Baboons Prohibited

We've had lovely weather the last few days, hot, mid to late 20's, and very little wind. When I cycled through Gordon's Bay the sea was just beautifully aquamarine and calm and clear as a swimming pool. Quite different to a few days a go.
This morning I cycled 60-something kilometres from Kleinmond, through Betty's Bay, and along Gordon's Bay to Somerset West.

It is a very scenic cycle, and if I wasn't on a bit of a timeline to meet Allan here (he has my stuff in his car) I would have gone off for a goof in Pringle Bay and thrown myself into the absolutely idyllic water at Bikini Beach. I did stop to eat a SPAR steak pie at one point, and obviously did keep my eyes open as panorama after panorama opened up around me. A mama baboon scampered right in front of me, her baby holding on for dear life. I also followed a woman's pointing finger to a jet of water that may have been a whale.
I still want to see where exactly is the Whaling Station in Betty's Bay. It closed down in 1930, but I'd still like to see the building. It got quite hot towards the end. My legs are very brown now.

Yesterday I cycled in the late afternoon, when it gets a bit cooler, to Hermanus and back. I averaged about 28km/h, and Allan and his family stopped on the side of the road when they saw me. They missed their sunset cruise. Hopefully I'll get a chance to go on one in a few days.
Hermanus has grown a lot, in some ways it is far less quaint and far too commercial.
I went for a zizz at a Shell and while waiting for Madonna (mad nonna) and child, spotted a Great White Caged Diving Operation across the road. I grumbled to another guy who was waiting, that I couldn't been in and out the men's toilet within 10-15 seconds. The ladies toilet was out of order (welcome to South Africa) so Madonna and child were using the men's and taking their time about it.
The guy said to me, as I left, "That's a really cool bike."
I said, "Now I need to get this in shape," patting my boep.

My stomach honestly felt like a tyre around my waist during the ride to Hermanus. Just very stiff and awkward. So for dinner last night I had some giant prawns, including the skins, and this morning my tummy felt a lot looser and notably less bloated. When I was in Thailand I had prawns for almost every meal and without even exercising shed 2-3kg.
I think one big meal can actually leave one looking visibly bloated, so it makes sense to eat smallish portions and for me at least, to take it easy on gassy cooldrinks, greasy foods and beer. Not easy to do when everything around you is so delish!
Nevertheless, for the next week or so I will focus on seafoods (especially shellfish) and vegetables, and if I drink any alchohol, just good wines.

Over the last two days I've burned 4000 calories so the training is going well. I'd like to get in a swim tonight, or an easy run or cycle.

I've just said goodbye to Allan and his family. They are flying back to Johannesburg after 3pm, and the Vickerman's are dropping off my stuff at the airport where Mandy will hopefully be able to meet them and pick it all up.
I had a good time with the Muirs. Our record for bat and ball on the beat yesterday was 131. The beach was lovely yesterday except the water suddenly turned icy.
The girls on the beach though were HOT!

I'll start posting pictures on the web as from the 15th, earlier if small miracles happen. The charger for my camera is either still airborne over the Indian Ocean, or being trucked on some lonely highway towards Bloemfontein. Once I have it, I will power up my camera again and start loading some of the sights onto this website.

It's good to be here, and on holiday, while I know everyone is freezing cold and back to work in Korea. I'm looking forward to the next few days, and continuing the process of getting into awesome physical condition.
I have 26 days to the Late Entry deadline (January 31st) for Ironman South Africa.

In the meantime, there remains a lot to do, roads to fly over, and I need to get a lot lighter. If I can dodge the baboons, I believe I will get there.

2005 - Year of Fitness and New Things

1st Week in South Africa:

12 hours total training (almost 10 000 calories burned), including 2 swims, 4 cycles, 1 run.

Yesterdays run was awesome, along the contour path , dodging protea bushes twice as high as us, towards at the sea at Kleinmond, and then along the sea. Beautiful. A lovely romantic path along the sea.

Later drove back to the dam and in very very strong winds, went sailing with Sean and Laura. I actually got thrown clear from the boat, we hit some big waves and the boat was almost underwater at one point. Managed to swim back to the boat and although a bit hairy (no one else was out on the dam) we got back exhilarated and in one piece.

I said goodbye to the Thompson's today. I left shortly before they cleared up their caravan site. I had a really good time at Theewaters, a good combination of hard training and unwinding, with no TV's or internet to suck up time, just campfires, and stars and campfire stories. Lekker.

Cycled from Villiersdorp to Kleinmond today, the winds really battering my Spinergy but the views were amazing. It's a 65km ride made a bit tougher because I was carrying a bag.

I'm in Somerset West now. We wanted to go Go-Carting but it's closed, so what are we gonna do?
It's windy but sunny, and I've just had a Steers (my first since being back) for lunch. Delish.
Allan worked out that my share of the huge alchohol tab on Old Years Eve was over R200. Glad that's sorted.

I'm spending the next few days in Kleinmond, probably do a few runs in the hills again and sea swims, and cycle to Hermanus and around Hangklip and Gordon's Bay. I'm feeling very motivated to train again which is good.

My New year's Resolution is to try new things, so let's see how that goes...

Last Day

I am in Betty's Bay (http://www.woat.co.za/) having just had a foam capuccino. Legs are still tingling from a mega ride into Franschoek pass, some salmon sald for breakfast, and then back. Very nice. Swam later across the dam (about 1.2km) in my wetsuit, in around 19 minutes.

It's a bit rainy and mellow, and there are a few options for tonight. I find my body is crashing at around 9pm (haven't woken up later than 8am since landing) so may well do something Ihaven't done in living memory: Go to bed before midnight on old years eve.

This years highlight:
Winning the triathlon in Tongyeong

Lowlight:
The breakup with Fiona.

The Cape Times reports that South Africa will likely grow by 5% in 2005, which is great, especially in terms of jobs. I actually bought the Job Times today so we'll see what is happening.
Ryk Neethling is on the cover of Men's Health this month, did I mention that?

I'm looking forward to a jubilant and joyful January which I believe will be the basis for a super 2005 and a thriving 33rd year for me. Hopefully for everyone else too. Hope your night is full of fun and good things, whoever and wherever you are.

Update

On my last day in Korea, the 24th, I went for an awesome ski again with Pete, this time at Yongpyong. The rush back, and to the airport though was really stressful. We left plenty of time but traffic on Christmas eve was just horrendous, and I made it to the airport with 40 minutes to spare. Got a few thousand grey hairs after that experience.

I wish I could post pictures because I have so many awesome and bright pictures. I feel a bit out of whack because in a matter of hours I have been in extremely different locations. Korea, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Cape Town. And I am so on the move it has taken a few days for the news of that megaquake to reach me. If I was in Korea I would more than likely have heard about it within seconds to an hour of it happening.

I had a great Christmas with Alex. Played tabletennis and pool with a lot of new people, ate until I couldn't eat anymore.
I went to church the next day after a tough cycle. I realise how much I've changed after being in church again.

There's some interesting news from various areas. Sharon Heath's fiance broke up with her within weeks of her wedding, so she's not feeling too great. And so on and so forth.

But it's also good to be away from the computer. I am already quite brown, and loving the food. I am just eating lots of fruit and meat and all the eg (genuine) South Afriacan stuff.

In Gordon's Bay I bought R70 worth of biltong, including Kudu. Delicious.
It's been amazing seeing how much Allan's kid's have grown up, and Alex and Janet's kids I haven't even met before and they are really adorable girls. In the short time I staye with Alex Jocelyn became quite fond of me.

I lost my airticket when I arrived in Johannesburg, and also had to leave almost all my luggage behind at Incheon since the allowance is only 27kg and just my bike and box came to 27kg. But I bought some billabong sandles for R40 and a bag and some shorts and for now that's all I need.

I did try to connect to net earlier, using Allan's cellphone, but it cost me about R50 for 5 minutes (W10 000 for 5 minutes).
This internet cafe (where I am now) is 37km away from the camping sight where we're staying, so I might be out of touch again for a while.

December 29

Cycled 52km, attempting to go over the pass to Franschoek but it became really tough. When I turned around I realised the wind and a virtually continuous uphill was what had slowed me down, and it wasn't me having an off day.

Went windsurfing later and had my list of contact numbers in my billabong pants and they got soaked and virtually unreadable.
Also played some volleyball.

December 28

Arrived in Cape Town on the 27th, and went to Kleinmond and then to Theewaters dam.
Cycled over an extremely steep mountain called Elandsnek or Elandskloof. Did only 40km but it took over two hours since climbing up was very slow and it was too steep to freewheel down.

Swam across Theewaters dam with Mandy and Tim, and Sam and Lee in support in a red canoe, and Gareth paddling on a windsurfer board. 9:58 one way, and 10:37 back, against the wind and the waves.

I already have a sunburn but am loving the food, fresh air and the beautiful and friendly South Africans.

December 26

I am sitting in Franschoek now, after cycling over a hectic mountain pass. I have to do 37km and back over the pass. But today is December 30.
On the 26th I did a 70km cycle with Alex and Christo. Very very tougfh because of the altitude and they are both in awesome shape. My heart rate spent a lot of time at 160.

Christmas with Alex

This is one of my best friends. He's a very successful banker living in Johannesburg. I haven't seen him in 2 years.

We'll go for a cycle, have a barbeque with his family and just hang out and catch up.

On the 27th I'm flying to Cape Town. 

Hello Hot and Sunny South Africa.

Bring on the sun, the barbeques, the bikini's, the yellow brick roads and oh, I almost forgot, The Ironman. 

Yes, it's almost Christmas

. 

Bye Bye Icy Cold Korea

See ya probably not soon! 

Bring on shorts, warm tar, and brown skin

And what about training in a t-shirt again? Yessssss! 

Watching Out For UFO's

If I see any UFO's from either Cathay Pacific or SAA I'll be sure to file a report. 

Above the Earth, and Clouds...

And around the world...