The longest blog ever - 5 months of adventure

When I started this I was sitting comfortably, looking out over the Indian ocean, watching rugby and enjoying a beer.  Life was and is good!

We where in Canon rocks, South Africa, Eastern Cape.  We'd just had an awesome 2 weeks with family and friends.  

Unfortunately that was in March and as I sit here, in Lethbridge, in August, I realize that I'm probably not going to be able to do the last 5 months its dues.  We have travelled far and wide and had many a wonderful experience with many fantastic people, I apologize if I do not do justice to the good times we have had together.  Enjoy this very long blog.  If you follow our adventures then I apologize for this being so late.

We left Lethbridge on the 8th of March fairly early in the am.  Steve and Jess had a flight that evening to Chilliwack and  they kindly offered to take us to the airport.  (Wherever we have stayed in the world we have always made a few really good friends.  Jess and Steve and Kaitlyn are definitely up there on that list.)  We had a fantastic time driving up to Calgary.  Adele and I had left our packing a bit late and so I had only gotten to bed at 4 am (I think we had an hour or 2 of sleep).  This was partly due to trying to get everything ready before we left and was partly tactical because I thought that being fatigued and sleeping on the plane would help with jetlag.

Anyway Steve and Jess and Adele (And Kaitlyn) had to put up with a tired, silly Ryan who had verbal diarrhea.  We laughed and chatted and had a great time.  Thank you Jess and Steve, we love you, you are awesome.

We got to the airport and had a few drinks together before we said goodbye. Then Adele and I were off, tired, a little tipsy but excited for 3 weeks of holiday in the motherland.

Usually on a flight I try to read a book.  I find completing the book on the flight almost as rewarding as the book.  This flight however we were both too tired and couldn't sleep (So much for the strategic sleep deprivation).  It was a long flight!

Adele and I spent most of the flight watching movies, listening to music and trying to sleep.

On KLM they have a premium economy and Adele and I had lucked out by getting a free upgrade with extra leg room.  

One trip across the Atlantic later we arrived in Schipol, Amsterdam.  We had a very short layover and then boarded our next flight home.  Was quite impressed with the Amsterdam airport.  It was one of the nicer airports that we have been to with lots of tulips, a bright and open feel, and a library.

On the next flight I decided to roofie myself -  I took half a sleeping pill.  Now I can't remember the last time I took a sleeping pill or if I have ever taken one.  The effect was quite alarming – I slept and slept and slept.  Now you're probably saying, “duh, Ryan, that's what sleeping pills do” but remember that we were arriving in SA at 10h30 pm and would be going to bed soon after arriving. Whenever I wanted to stay awake to read or to watch TV I'd have to force my eyes open, then 1 eyelid would shut and then the other.  I'd have to fight to keep one eye or both open.  It was like war.  Adele had a nice laugh at my expense as I tried to have a groggy conversation with her while alternating  eyes.  Adele also had a good sleep – this was a short flight for us.

Arrived in Capetown at  22h30.  My parents picked us up and it was lekker to see them.  Caught up and then drove back to Neal's place to say hi to Neal and Mary before trying to get some more sleep. 

Neal and Mary have a lovely house in Claremont.  It's a beautiful little house with a nice sized garden and a big beautiful tree in 1 corner.  The house has 2 bedrooms, a study, 2 bathrooms, a really nice open plan lounge and kitchen and a giant man cave (Neal's hobby area). My parents have also bought a house in Cape Town.  It is on the same street in Claremont. It has a kitchen, lounge, bedroom and bathroom.  It is perfect for them and the perfect lock up and go.

The area they are in has these small narrow streets, old and pretty houses and a ton of restaurants.  It seems like an awesome and very vibey place to live.

We arrived at Neal and Mary's house, got the tour, hugs and quick hellos. Then my parents dropped us off at the bed and breakfast that they had rented just around the corner.  We got our things ready and went to bed, having no difficulty falling asleep.  I guess that even though we slept on the plane, 23 hours of flying had done a job on us.

Derman street Cape Town

The next morning Adele and I woke up to the sound of Hadedas (birds) squawking overhead.  Hadedas have always had a place on Ryan's hitlist.  They are noisy, goldfish eating fiends.  I can remember them cleaning out all the goldfish in a pond we used to have in a house in JHB.  (Bloody Hadedas!!!)

This morning, however, their loud, brash voices made us feel, for the first time, that part of our souls were home.

Adele and I got up early and went for a walk around the neighborhood and to my parents house for a quick coffee.

Today was the day of Neal's bachelors and Mary's staget so after our quick coffee we made our way back to the B&B, got ready for the day and waited for my Dad to collect me for the bachelors.  Adele spent the day with my mom and Mary.

So here we are with the dilemma.  This is where I got to about 6 months ago.  The rest of this blog is based on memory and hearsay and a little Voodoo, which is to say, a little sketchiness.

My Dad picked me up and then went on to pick up Neal and Roderick, Neal's oldest and best friend.  Neal and Roderick used to attend scouts together and we've been family friends for as long as I can remember.  Many a story that I can't tell you involve old Roddy – he's a good guy.

We drove from Cape Town to Robertson where the bachelors was to be held.

Now I'd like to take credit for Neal's bachelors but to be honest all the credit needs to go to my mom and dad.  I was getting incredibly stressed about it, was struggling to make contact with accommodations and was not sure what to do.  Neal had wanted a chilled bachelors somewhere out in the sticks where we could braai and chill and have fun with friends.  My Dad and Mom came through with flying colors and helped put it together and subsidized large parts of the day.

We started our day off at Robertson backpackers where we were shuttled to the Breede river for river rafting.  The rafting was not too hectic with only grade 1 rapids but Neal has a great group of friends who quickly started having fun and joking around.

There where 2 people per raft.  Some were a lot better than others at co-ordinating their paddling and often someone was witnessed to be going backwards or turning slowly in circles.  Neal and Rod encountered this problem a few times.  The boat that my Dad and I rowed also had a few problems.  The person at the front end of the boat is supposed to paddle and the person at the back is supposed to steer (or maybe the other way round), in any event we both paddled and we both steered.  We went straight but it was not pretty.

There was also some pirating, people jumping from boat to boat, a lot of splashing, more going in circles, tackling, swimming, some birding, some lunch.  All the while having great views of spectacular trees and mountains.  Neal really does have a great group of guys to hang out with.

From Robertson backpackers we went to Narina guest farm just outside Robertson.  

We stayed on a very pretty little farm with a couple of rustic group accommodations down by the river.  We had a braai area and a kitchen and we were sorted.

Neal's friends Pas and Kevin had organized a keg with some gentleman jack beer and we quickly went about trying to pour a beer with perfect head, repeatedly, nom nom....

We also unpacked all the alcohol that we had brought and had a perfect little bar.  

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and chatting, swimming and having fun.

That night we lit a fire and had a most amazing barbecue.  One thing that I miss a lot is the wood fire culture in South Africa.  Having access to these amazing, remote locations, braaing and enjoying being outside is fantastic.  I think we're going to have to make our own wood braai culture here in Canada.

It was really great to spend time with my brother and my dad whom I love so much.  It was also great to spent time and chat with Rod, Neal's other friends that I know and to get to meet the ones I know by reputation.  The night was perfect and either a full moon or almost a full moon so we stayed up late around the fire or lying on the grass and looking at the sky.  I think (hope) that it was what Neal wanted – had a great time.

Other highlights for me of that night was seeing a giant eagle owl at moonlight and going for a moonlight walk with my dad.

The property boasted a lynx and riverine rabbit but we were not lucky enough to see them – a good reason to visit again.

The next morning we got up and had the remaining beer.  We also made the most insane breakfast that I have ever seen – a mans breakfast :)  Will post a few pics below.

So we enjoyed a really great weekend and everyone left full and happy, ready for Neal and Mary's wedding the next weekend.

My little brother

Dad

Mans breakfast

Eggs?

Mans breakfast

About to go for a paddle

Fun on the Breede

On the way back and from Cape Town it struck me how beautiful yet how alien the landscape and sky looked.  Now we'd only been in Canada for a year and a half but have spent a lot of time in the Rockies and it was interesting to me how your point of view can shift in such a small space of time.

On the way there and back we stopped at a gas station and Roderick (Teaching English in Korea) and I treated ourselves to pies and biltong whenever we could.  Pies are sweet things in Canada, not the wonderful meaty treats we have in South Africa, and we make biltong from time to time but it works better in winter when the basement is drier, so it was a luxury to be able to buy it at a gas station.

One thing that Adele and I noticed is how much the price of food and petrol has increased since we left South Africa.  It is still cheaper than Canada but not much.  Crazy!

That night we went back to Cape Town and spent the night with Enzo and Claire and their 2 kiddies.  We braaied and Adele had not had a good braai up to this point, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.  I became friends with Enzo when his now wife, Claire, was pregnant.  It is the first friend that I've visited in the hospital just after having a baby and it was the first little person that I have ever seen, closely, grow up throughout their first year.  As such I've always felt close to this wonderful family.  I think of Enzo like a brother and miss him a lot.  Rachael is so big and cute now.  They also have a brand new fella, Aiden, and it was very cute to see Rachael doting over her baby brother.  They have 2 dogs, a beautiful home and a good life.  We enjoyed good food, great wine (chocolate block) and some premium Klipdrift gold Brandy.

Was a great visit.

Gorgeous Rachael 

Enzo and Aiden

Claire

For the rest of the week we tried to see as many friends as we could.  Unfortunately we missed a few really good friends but we tried our best to get everything in.

We were very lucky to stay in a bed and breakfast which was attached to a wonderful little restaurant, just walking distance from my brother and parents.  Each morning we were accompanied by a different friend or group of friends or family member.  Both our and Mary's family frequented the same restaurant so there was always a large table of us laughing and enjoying each other's company.

We enjoyed breakfast with Gis and Karl.  Gis is one of Adele's best friends and we were both in the wedding party at Gis and Riegardt wedding.  They are friends that we don't see or speak to enough but always manage to kick off where we ended.  Karl is their young son.  He is a very handsome little guy and I had lots of fun walking up and down in the park with him while Adele and Gis caught up.  He is a good cuddler.

Handsome Karl

Adele and Gis

We also had breakfast one morning with Kimi from Barberton.  We had such an amazing year in Barberton and Kimi is a wonderful, happy character.  At the moment she's working and doing an MBA.  Kim is always game for some fun, is a wonderful friend and we always love seeing Kimi.

Kimi

Mark and Michael joined us for another breakfast.  I didn't know Mark that well.  He is my best friend's cousin and we've met a few times.  I have always liked him and at the time we saw him, he was preparing to come to Canada with his husband, Michael (We had only met Michael once).  Now they are here in Canada with us and we know them a lot better, but that's for later.  They picked our brain about Canada and we shared as many tips as we could think of.

On other days we had wonderful big lunches and dinners with family and family friends.  One day we enjoyed a mexican feast with the Macleods (Roderick's parents).

Pat, Brian, Mary and Helen

Mom 

Dad

Another night we also enjoyed a tasty Mexican fare and delicious Margaritas with Riegardt and Gis in downtown Cape Town.  Again, we don't get to see or chat to these wonderful people enough.

Another memorable dinner was at Wakami – a popular restaurant at seapoint.  We had dinner with my good school friend and his girlfriend, Chris and Danny.  We had a wonderful meal of sushi and fish with brilliant views of the Atlantic ocean.  Again, had lots of laughs, caught up and just had another great evening.

Prior to the dinner we had got there a bit early and had decided to walk along the sea point promontory.  Was a perfect afternoon and there was lots of street traffic and a gorgeous sunset.  We rounded one corner however and were caught of guard by a stray wave which absolutely soaked us.  We had been dressed pretty neatly and by the time we got to the restaurant we were wet and looking a bit haggard.  Was a trendy restaurant and we thought it was pretty funny.  

Another night Adele and I drove to Kalk bay and had a date.  We had mussels and calamari and enjoyed another great setting sun and romantic atmosphere.  We had a pretty busy week and it was really nice to spend a little one on one time with each other.

Cape Town is a great city and it was lekker to be there.

Seapoint

Chris

Dani

I loved spending time with Neal during our week in Cape Town.  On the one night we went to their local climbing gym.  (Neal and Mary have really done a good job at creating a great lifestyle in Cape Town, friends, nature and fitness are up there on their priorities, and rock climbing has become a favorite).  Spent a few hours trying to stay on the wall.  Unfortunately it's not as easy, lifting my 100 +kg frame, as it was in school but I tried.

Neal and Rehan went up and down like monkeys.  Dangling and hanging upside down.  Was a lot of fun and a great way to spend time with my brother.

Neal and I also enjoyed a massage together and a haircut.  I had actually had a haircut before but had another one to get a scalp massage.  Hair was a bit butchered but the scalp massage was worth it :)

Adele and I also tried to help out where we could.  We mowed their grass, picked up leaves, helped with the menu's (Adele), putting their wedding puzzle together (Adele) and helped wash their cat.

Their diseased feline had a little bit of a tinea problem – maybe not the happiest cat I've ever seen getting a bath (Also the first cat I've ever seen get a bath).

Unhappy cat

Help me

A few days before the wedding we went to the venue and had a walk around.  It's a lovely wine farm, albeit a bit hot on this day.  We walked through the vineyard and through a bamboo forest to the spot they were to get married and then past a stream and through another forest.  

Was a lovely day and we topped it off drinking delicious Solms delta sparkling Shiraz under the large trees and umbrellas, looking out over the vines.  Was a great day.

Bamboo forest

Solms delta

Other than that we helped do some shelving at my Mom and Dad's new house.  This was by far the most comical of all our errands.  Neal, myself and my Dad put a few shelves up.  An unamed older Derman thought it'd be a good idea to put up the shelves by himself, much to Adele's bemusement.  A bit of sweat, a few tears and a good amount of swearing later the other 2 Dermans helped and we managed to get the task done.  The shelf is on the wall and perfect for all manor of things that don't roll down an incline.  Doing something with 3 people who each has their own idea on how it should be done was a lot of fun.

Other than that Adele and I enjoyed some retail therapy at the waterfront and Claremont.

South Africa is definitely more expensive than we remembered!

And that was pretty much it for our week in Cape Town.

On the Friday we had the official wedding.  It was in a beautiful church near Neal and Mary's house.  It was mainly attended by family and a few close friends.

Neal was a little nervous but I have a wonderful memory of him looking really, really happy and content.  

I was the photographer for this part of the wedding so it went by pretty quickly for me.  Neal and Mary were smartly dressed but also really comfortable.  It was a great service and was really magical.

Mary and her father walked down the isle smiling and laughing.  I think Brian also shed a tear or 2.  Was a special day.

After the ceremony we went back to Neal and Mary's house and enjoyed those happy staples – wine, cheese and good company.

Chapel Wedding

Having a laugh post wedding

The night after the service Adele and I split up.  Adele went to Franschoek with Mary and the bridesmaids.

I got to hang out with Neal's friends and groomsman.  We had delicious ribs, played games, drank beer and talked about all sorts of silliness.  Was really nice to be able to spend time with him and to share in a few laughs with some of his favorite people.

The next day we got up a little late, got ready and had a late breakfast together.

Neal was looking a bit nervous, maybe more nervous than the day before but also eager and happy.

We drove to Franschoek, had a few glasses of wine under the trees again and walked through the vineyards, bamboo forest and to the site of their ceremonial wedding.

It was a near perfect day and the bamboo bumped and hummed and whistled with a gentle breeze that kept everyone cool and happy.

This wedding was held between the bamboo forest and the other forest next to a dam with a small island on it.

We waited with our backs to the dam as Mary came out of the bamboo forest looking gorgeous.  Both Neal and Mary were so happy.  They had officially been married the day before but this was so much more special for me.  The day before I had been trying to get some great pictures of them and when you look through a lens it doesn't always feel like you have been to or participated in an event.  Today was more real and the realisation that my bother was to get married to someone who I've viewed as a sister for years was amazing and overwhelming.

It is a special experience to stand up next to your brother and watch him pledge his love and life to another person.

Mary's brother, John, was the master of ceremonies and delivered a wonderful and heartwarming speech.

Again, it was a perfect day and a wonderful wedding.

After the ceremony the photographer took a gazillion photos.  Mary's family is pretty dang huge and there were a million different combinations of pictures.

The groomsmen and bridesmaids went onto the island after this and took a few more photographs with some champagne.   The rest of the guests went to another area near the stream and enjoyed a few cocktails and good company.

After the excitement of the ceremony, (Which was not too long and not too short and just right) we all went back up to the main vineyard area.  We went by foot and tractor to a large Bedouin tent that they'd hired.  The company had actually delivered the wrong tent the day before and had somehow managed to modify it before the big day (I think that this was probably the biggest stress that Neal and Mary had to deal with – not a stressful wedding).  

We sat at a wonderful, fun table.

We had a delicious assortment of tappas, some more wine and enjoyed custom M and M's with Neal and Mary's names on them.

Roderick – Neal's master of ceremonies, oldest friend and best friend kept us entertained.  He's a quirky, fun, interesting, sometimes strange, wonderful guy and had us laughing with his antics and commentary.  We had all been wearing sandals for the wedding and it was great to feel the grass under our feet while we drank, chatted and laughed together.

For the mains we had a lamb or a veg dish – both delicious.

I gave a speech which was probably one of the most stressful things that I have ever done.  I have been married, been an MC and have been a best man.  Giving a speech at your brothers wedding is definitely the one of the most nerve racking.  Not because there are no words or you can't think of stories.  It's stressful because there's so much love that you want to put into your words and you don't want to miss anything.  You want your brother and your new sister to know how much you love them, how proud you are and how happy you are for them.  I gushed a bit about Neal and Mary and hope that they know how special they both are to us.

Brian, Mary's Dad, gave an incredibly touching speech.  It was very heartfelt and moving.  It was more than evident how proud he is of Mary.  John stood by Brian and held a candle so that he could read.  I really enjoy the Jervis family.  It was great to get to know them more in this week.

Neal and Mary both gave a speech.  Both of them shed a tear and I'm pretty sure there were no dry eyes in the tent.

It was a moving and wonderful day.  I wish you both the best now and always.  Hope to see you soon.

Floddy

Grrrrr 

Happy

Taxi tractor

Reception

Cupcakes nom nom

Happy couple

John did a great job

Oh and I also have to mention that Reggie and his new wife, Kgomotso, also attended Neal and Marys wedding.  Reggie is one of my oldest and best friends.  He's also one of those guys whom I love but do not get to see nearly enough!  Was great to catch up!

Reg and Kgomotso

Reg is a good friend

And dancer :)

:)

And that was pretty much that.  We had delicious cupcakes and crème brûlée.  We partied and drank coffee and danced and had a wonderful time.

The party shut down at 12.  Shuttles where waiting so that nobody had to drive.

We said our goodbyes to Neal and Mary and other new and old friends.

The next morning we said goodbye to my parents, aunt and uncle and left Franschoek to Cape Town airport and then to Port Elizabeth.

We'd had and continued to have a wonderful holiday.

We arrived in Port Elizabeth to find Juan standing at the airport with a picture of a Canadian flag and our names.  Much like the people who wait for travelers to take you to your hotel or on some expedition or tour.

We stayed with Juan for 2 nights.  We have a few friends in PE and knew that we would not be able to see all of them.  We miss you guys and hopefully will be able to catch up with you next year.

We affectionately refer to Juan's house as Hotel Hammond as he always goes the extra mile to make us feel happy and content.  He has a sharp wit and is a very interesting guy.  We both have a soft spot for Juan.

Juan has bought a new house in Port Elizabeth since we last saw him.  Hotel hammond now has a fantastic balcony with great views of a valley and the sea.

Juan treated us to some great food, drinks and it was great to sit on the balcony and catch up.

Hotel Hammond is even equipped with it's own dassie, Freud, who frequents the potplants at the end of the balcony.  Somehow there is often Muesli that seems to find it's way into the pots? Adele even tried to make Juan take the neighbourhood stray cat in but he withstood all the pressure. 

On our first night we had the most delicious dinner on Stanley street for Nick's birthday.  Juan and Nick are regulars.  I think we ate at Bahai restaurant and I can't remember what we ate, but remember it being delicious.

The next night Juan had a risotto night at his house.  Had delicious risotto and homemade icecream.  We also got to see Melissa and Sruti.

I was great fun chatting, eating and watching the sun set from Hotel Hammond.

The next day we had a long walk on the beach and ice-cream on the pier.

I really like PE.  Adele and I have so many good memories of this place and it feels comfortable

It was really good to see Juan, Nick, Melissa and Sruti.  Sad that we did not see Anesh and Gladwyn and a few others but .....next time.

Juan really knows how to spoil us.  One of the most amazing things was that he was on study leave for his primaries in internal medicine but he maybe did 2 hours of studying.  He was kind enough to give us his time and still managed to pass his exam.

Thanks and well done Juan. Denny Crane!!!!  You know that they do speak French in Canada.  Just saying!!!

PE 

Juan, Sruti, Adele, Me

The next morning Ma en Pa picked us up.  It had been a long while since we had seen Adele's parents and we were both really excited.  Adele was almost skipping with joy.

We met them at the Wimpy and after saying our hellos to them and our sad goodbyes to Juan, we did some shopping in Macro and some catching up.

Ma en Pa live in inland South Africa – in a town called Kathu which is close to Upington.  They have recently purchased a house near Kenton at Canon rocks.  This will be their retirement home in a few years.  It's a lekker spot and we were happy to be visiting with them.

We had a really nice drive up the coast.  South Africa is truly a beautiful country.  It was really good to catch up and see each other.

We arrived at their house and got a tour of the town and of their house.

We had lunch in Kenton at a pizzeria on the beach.  The restaurant is called Lucca pizzeria and they have delicious pizzas and fantastic views.  

Their house is literally right on the beach.  They have 4 garages (recently built), so that Pa can have space to do handy work, tinker and prepare for fishing.  Between the double garage they have a walkway going up to some stairs which lead to the house.  They have a stone braai in the back.

The house itself is the perfect beach house.  It is that perfect combination of relaxed and smart.

They have an open plan kitchen, dining room, living room and the house has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  There is also another outside room with an attached bathroom. I hope that I do it justice.  It is a wonderful house.

The house itself is decorated with whites and blues and seaside ships and knots and other decorative odds and ends.

I also mustn't forget the bar which sport a picture of a younger Pa looking buff with a bad-ass big-ass fish.

We had a wonderful week in Canon rocks.

We barbecued/braaied a lot.  Adele's Dad makes the most delicious meat and her Mom has the most amazing potato salad recipe.  They also made a biltong potjie and many other homemade tasties that we'd requested or that they knew we liked.  Famous mac and cheese, patties, pizza, pancakes and bobotie was on the menu (I've literally just finished my lunch and I'm starting to feel hungry taking about all this good food!!!).

Often we'd eat dinner in the diningroom looking out over the sea, beer in hand, smile on face.

Most mornings Pa and myself got up early and went fishing.  We didn't have much luck on the fish front however being on the beach with Pa, watching the sun rise, listening to the swell and break of the sea and smelling that wonderful fresh, salty smell was wonderful.

We fished a few afternoons as well.  Fished in the rain and in the wind.  Was great to be by the sea.

Adele's Dad loves fishing and it is always nice to get yourself caught up in someone else's passion and enthusiasm.

Now, Ma and PA have only been down to Canon rocks a few times but already have a group of friends they visit with and spend time with.  We visited a few of these friends.  

The wife of one couple, who have children all over the world, treated us to coffee and biscuits one afternoon.  We also went with them to the fish river sun and had an amazing buffet breakfast.  We sat in the hotel looking out over a beautiful golf course and sea views, all framed by a great, big wild fig tree.  It was a fantastic feast with everyone having their favorites.  Ice cream for breakfast is always a winner.  Adele's Dad tried to convince everyone to stay for 4ths and then lunch but we left happy and full.

On another day we went to East London to visit Adele's grandma and do some shopping.  I had gastro and was a bit useless this day.  I missed out on Wimpy and calamari at ocean basket – both of which I'd been craving.

Adele's grandmother is getting on in age.  It is always special for Adele to see her and I think she appreciated the visit.  I think it's also a little sad for Adele to see her grandma getting older.

Another night Adele's parents had other friends over and we braaied and joked and talked about South Africa and Canada.

I really do miss wood braais, gas is great but nothing beats the smell and warmth from a wood fire.  

Another interesting character in Kenton is a retired widower and ex army man.  He's reputed to be the best fisherman in the area and fishes almost every day.  His walls are lined with pictures of his fish, sailing knots and other trophies.  He knows the coast better than anyone else and rarely shares his secrets - except with Pa.  Pa and him seem to have gotten on very well and he's always willing to share some advise on bait, times to fish and where to fish.

So we had a week of socializing, relaxing, reading and seas and sand.

We enjoyed fantastic food, good beer, brandy and cokes (nom nom) and amazing scenery and sea views.

We went on daily walks on beaches and through seaside forests.

On one day there was a spectacular storm at sea and we stood behind the glass and watched as the lightning lit up the sky for as far as we could see.

We were definitely not lucky with the fish but were blessed in every other way.  Was a great holiday.

Pa

Ma

Their view

Fishing with Pa

Baiting

What a view

Ouma

Ma and Pa's retirement home 

Boknes coast

East coast unset

Now if you've gotten this far then you get some mad respect y'all.  There's still so much to tell but I'm going to have to cut down the detail.  I hope that the above has done the holiday so far justice.

From East London we were driven back up to PE, said some more heartfelt goodbyes and then flew to JHB.

In JHB we stayed with a few friends.  Again, we missed a few – will have to catch up next time.

We stayed with Elana and Mirella in Pretoria.  They treated us to a delicious supper and breakfast.  They are 2 of the most interesting people that we know and Adele has a long and happy history with Mirella.  They are hopefully planning to visit us sometime soon. Every time Adele sees poppy's (the flower) she makes me take a photo of them and then tags Mirella.

We also stayed with Herrie and Elize.  They live on a lifestyle estate between Johannesburg and Pretoria.  They have a beautiful house, are fantastic people and know how to enjoy good food and good booze.  Had a wonderful night eating, drinking and catching up. Elize is a registrar in Haematology and we are so very proud of her. Herrie is getting his Range Rover in December and  Adele is green with envy. 

One of the big reasons that we booked our holiday the way we did was to go to Nic and Claire's wedding.  Nic is one of my oldest and best friends.  He is a brother.  He is one of those people it's easy to be yourself and have fun with. 

We got to spend a night with them and got to spend time with them on their bachelors and bachelorette.  We got to meet their new dog, Molly – rock star -  and had a great time with them.

We spent one morning helping them set up their venue, went on an afternoon walk and got to spend time with 2 of our favorite people. We were lucky enough that they came to visit us in Canada July of 2011. 

It was really good to be involved in the wedding and to be one of the groomsmen.

Was also lucky enough to see one of my other favorite people, Mark at the beginning of his stag, unfortunately we could not be at their beautiful wedding a week later.

Nic and Claire's wedding was at Parktown girls high school.  We helped decorate the hall which had rows and rows of homemade decorations on the sealing.

The wedding itself was outside under large oak trees (I stand corrected Claire).  It really was a magical day and a great wedding.  They have wonderful friends and my parents also attended which was awesome.

Nic's little brother gave one of the most heartfelt speeches that I have ever heard.  It was a great day.

After the wedding we played touch rugby ( I sucked) and relaxed with drinks on the grass and under the trees. A true picnic under the trees.

Got to spend time with Nic and Claire, my parents, Nic and Claire's family, Mark and Dhivedja.

Nic and Claire planned their wedding so that we could attend in the time that we came to SA which was super special.  Love you guys.  So happy that you are about to embark on a new and wonderful adventure.

Unfortunately I did not take a lot of pictures in JHB, I think that by this stage I was a bit tired of picture taking.  Here are a few stollen shots.

Nic

Claire

Handsome pair 

We could not make it to Mark and Dhivedja's wedding but have seen the pictures and it looked awesome. Thanks to my mom who sent us the You magazine featuring their wedding. 

Mark and Dhivedja - stolen photo

And that was essentially the end of our SA trip.  We had a last supper with my parents and the MacCleods.  Spent our last day doing some shopping and spending time with mom and dad.

We flew back to Canada tired and happy.  We got to see a lot of our favorite people and thank you guys for making our trip so special.

Steve, Jess and Kaitlyn drove all the way from Lethbridge to pick us up at the CGY airport. This definitely made our arrival in Canada much easier. We left the people and country we love to arrive  in another country, to more people we love.

The first few weeks back from South Africa were brutal.  We were jet lagged, tired and had a lot of work to catch up on.  Duncan was also on leave which made getting back to work a bit harder as I was covering his results.  We have done a lot since being back.  Again, not going to do it justice so here is some of what has happened between now and then.

We went to Chilliwack to visit with Jess and Steve and Kaitlyn.  Very happy to have made such good friends here.They treated us to a wonderful holiday.  We enjoyed ice cream, a river hike, a hike to a waterfall, wonderful food, humming birds and lamas.  A lot of the wildlife was seen on Jess's parents farm  and they were great company.  On one day we met Steve's sister and their kids – had a wonderful time with them too and playing hide and seek. We played games and laughed and drank wine and had a wonderful time.We bird watched and really enjoyed Chilliwack – great place to live.  We also got to see Marc and Kylie and Ty and their new baby son who made us a delicious breakfast.

Chilliwack really is a beautiful place and Jess and Steve did a great job of promoting their town.  It would be great to be in the same town as them again sometime but we will see what the future holds. British Columbia is very beautiful.  The trees, mountains, lake and rivers make it one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited.

Breakfast at Marc and Kylie's

Kuitlyn

Marc and Ty

Walking in Chilliwack

Walk to Angel falls

Steve and his niece 

Angel falls

Cheers 

Lama hunting in the rain

A few weeks before we had a delicious Easter dinner with Jess and Steve.  This was before they left for Chilliwack.On the same weekend we had easter Lunch with Pete and Bettie.  They always invite people from the University and others who do not have family to spend Easter with.  Both were absolute feasts, very festive and we got to spend Easter with kind and loving people.  It made being away from family a little easier.

I have been writing a few exams in Canada.  They are not exams that I have to write but open many doors if I do.  We went to Ottawa so that I could do the MCCQE2.  I was probably not prepared enough but the exam went well and I passed – yah! Only found out 6 weeks after (Was a stressful 6 weeks) 

We met up with our friends Jenni and Frans in Ottawa.  Jess had recommended a few places and we enjoyed great restaurants, brew pubs and corner cafes.

Adele and I did a lot of walking through this pretty capital.  

We went to the war museum which was fantastic!!! and enjoyed the old and new parts of Ottawa.

We walked the Rideu canal and plan to come back when it is frozen over this Winter.

We enjoyed the Byward market with it's colors, flowers, restaurants and curio shops.  The weather was perfect and there was a lot of sitting outside and enjoying the pavement culture.

We were also there during the tulip festival.  Every year they plant millions of tulips and people come from all over the world to see them – very pretty.

The Parliament here is a handsome set of buildings.  Unfortunately we did not go in because the Spanish Prime minister was there that day but we enjoyed the view and history. Adele had a  mini Canadian flag that she waved around.

We did a bus tour which explained more of the city's French and English history and important land marks.

We highly enjoyed the national arts museum with it's giant spider statue in front of it. This is in memory of the artist's mother (the artist's mother was a weaver.  The spider eggs represent fertility and her children).  During our tour we saw one of the (+- 70 year old) artists, Arnaud Maggs, smooching indecently in the lobby of his exhibition with his ? 70 year old girlfriend - interesting!  

Really enjoyed a muscle car covered in black paint and with the verses of revelations written on it – a new take on the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse.  It was a good museum.

Highly enjoyed Ottawa, the culture, food, beavertails, statues and memorials.  Definitely a place we'd like to revisit.

Ottawa museum of art

What the four horsemen would be driving in modern times - revelations scripture on the side of the car

A  pretty flower 

Parliament

Bus tour

Poppies and Parliament

Jenni and Frans 

Poppies 

Poppies 

Poppies

Best milkshake ever

On another weekend we went curling with the Galbraith's.  This was our first time playing this interesting sport.  It was a lot harder than it looked and we had fun falling about.

Muscles pretty stiff the next day and knees bruised.

Curling club 

Curling  is

painful

As I've already alluded to.  Jess and Steve left Lethbrige for Chilliwack. We tried to spend a lot of time with them before they left.  We had a few dinners with them.  Through them we have met Conner and Shawna – 2 awesome Canadians living in Calgary.  Had a fun night with the 4 of them.

Another fun night was Elton John coming to Lethbridge.  Why Elton John would come to Lethbridge?  In any event he was fantastic.  Our neighbors had organized great seats and the Brit was excellent.  Hopefully this marks the start of more concerts in Lethbridge.

Elton John

Duncan and Chantal have left Lethbridge which is more than a little sad.  Has been fun working with one of my best friends.  They live in Calgary now and plan to spend time up there with them.

We are very lucky to have them down this weekend.

Have had dinner and spent time with Justin and Kendra, and the Van der Pohl's.  We definitely have a larger support base here now and it is awesome.

Have had a bit of fun dog sitting Lowell and Julie's dog and then Justin and Kendra's dog.

Lowell and Julie's dog, Kumeu, enticed Bagel to go swimming with him.  This was when we went down to Indian Battlefield and had a lekker Braai with Mark and Michael.

Justin and Kendra's dog, Bud, chased Bagel up and down.  They played and played and played.

I think that Bagel thought he was in doggy heaven for a while.

Indian battlefield park 

Bagel can swim

That's hilarious Bagel 

Alberta sunset

Mark and Michael have arrived from South Africa.  They've actually been here for almost 4 months now.  Mark started work last week after an assessment period.

They have been great travel buddies, friends and are really 2 great guys.

Before Duncs and Chan left we had a memorable evening at Plum together.

Other than that we've been to the interesting Buffalo smashed in head jump.  An interpretive centre built around the remains of an old Native hunting ground where they would herd and run buffalo off a cliff.  Layers and layers of bone have been uncovered.  Very interesting.

Our alcohol tolerance also went up a bit with Mark and Michael here.  Had a few gatherings with Robbie, Lindsay, Adam, Candace , Vicky and Brad too,  I actually felt a bit embarrassed when we went to the bottle depot for recycling.

Had one very awesome night around the fire at Brad and Vicky's - Mark and Michael might have suffered a little the next day though.

It's been pretty fantastic to have these 2 guys around.  They are fun and very entertaining.  Glad to have been able to add you guys to our big Canadian family.

On another weekend we also went to Canmore with Mark and Michael and took Bagel on his first hotel outing – he did fantastically.

We went hiking, ate candy and giant gobstoppers in Nanton, went hiking to Grassi lakes, ate delicious meals at the iron goat and at the Grizzly paw.  A fun weekend

We've also been to Waterton with them, where Mark and Michael got their first taste of the Canadian outdoors.

Braai 

Canmore with flash

Canmore 

Canmore

Grrrrr

Gnassi lake hike

One memorable weekend included Mark, myself, Duncan, Brad and Robbie who took us to Waterton for a cycletrip.  On the way (Early Spring) it started to snow.  It was one of the most serene/hair raising/amazing experiences of my life to cycle downhill on single track through the snow.  Ate at Robbie's friend's restaurant (Zums) that night and returned – happy and tired.

Waterton cycle

Have spent a good amount of time with our neighbors.  Have had a few drinks around the firepit and took them out to supper one night.  One night it started to rain around the fire but it was a warm, wonderful rain and we sat, happily pickled and getting wet in the rain.  Must be becoming more Canadian eh?

Also watched street wheelers with them which is a big weekend in Lethbridge where people come to parade their fancy or redone cars down the main street and compete for other accolades as the weekend goes on.

We were also lucky enough to see Bryan Adams in Calgary.

We went up for a night and had dinner with Connor and Shawna.  They were kind enough to let us stay over – great people.

Bryan Adams was amazing – sang and sang and sang.  Brought back a lot of great memories.  Wonderful way to spend a night with my Adele.

Bryan Adams Calgary

As I've mentioned Duncs and Chan left Lethbridge.  We helped them move to Calgary and had a great time with a big group of friends.

Had a wonderful dinner at the wild rose brewery and stayed up very late chatting and talking it up.

Helping Duncs and Chan move to Calgary

No pictures of the Robbie burns evening but enjoyed an evening with the Meller's and the Longhair's and the McLuckie's.  Enjoyed the great company, Dave reciting poetry and some good Scotch.  Another great evening.

Terry and Dave were kind enough to take me on a fishing trip down the Elk river.  Did not catch anything but enjoyed the sun and nature and water.  They are really patient and kind to a pretty terrible fisherman.  

Terry

Dave

Dave and Terry

We had a week off with Jenni and Frans.  We met them in Disney world for a few days and then came back to Calgary for the stampede

The night before we flew out we had a wonderful meal with Duncan and Chan.  Chan baked Duncs and Adele a cake for their combined birthday.  Great to spend time with our peeps after they have left Lethbridge.

The birthday girls

It was hot, hot, hot in Orlando but we had a fantastic time.

We went to Tornado Lagoon and Universal studios where we enjoyed many rides – spider man, Jurrasic park, a water slide, the incredible hulk ride, the rip rocket, ET etc.  The rides were awesome.  On our first night we also went to blue man group which was a lot of fun and frikkin cool.

Our second day was Adele's birthday and we had ihop for the first time.  Enjoyed Sea World where we had an interesting behind the scenes tour and learnt a bit more about the park and met a few fishy friends.  We also did a few more rides and watched a few shows.

The best show was the Killer whale show.  Apparently it is a little tame after that unfortunate incident of someone getting eaten but was still great.  We “accidentally” sat in the soak zone and .... well ...... you know ..... got soaked down to our socks and underwear.

That night we played mini golf, went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.  Had desert at Hooters. Had a great day on my favorite person's special day.

The next day was the Kennedy space centre.  Frans is a rocket fan and was like a kid in a candy store.

They had a really cool rocket garden with different eras of rockets.  We got to see a real spaceship  - Atlantis - and got to see a left over Saturn V rocket.  

Also watched an imax movie on the hubble telescope and got to do a ride which simulated a launch – pretty cool.

They have an amazing hanger at Kennedy which is the largest single story building in the world.  Was awesome to share in Frans' enthusiasm. 

That night we had dinner at Sleuths.  Sleuths is a murder mystery dinner.  It was essentially a really fun (and delicious) dinner theatre where the audience had to guess who the murderer was.

On the 4th of July we had a great time collecting stamps around the world at Epcot.  We visited Morocco, Mexico, Britain, Canada, China, Italy, France, Germany and Norway.  We tried to have a drink or some food at each country.

Went on a few rides – soarin and a viking ship ride in Norway.

Enjoyed movies about France, China and Canada and watched a less than excellent animated show at the USA section of the park.

That night we watched 4th of July fireworks and a laser show.  Was a pretty spectacular evening.

On our last day we went to the magic Kingdom enjoyed the laughter and dancing and craziness of the magic kingdom.  It felt a little like stepping into a crazy wonderland.

Enjoyed a train ride around the park and the “it's a small world” ride.

That night we went to some of the outlet stores and shopped for discounts.  It's amazing how much cheaper clothes are in the States.  Frans was the big shopper with about 6 or 7 bags of clothes much to Jenni's amusement.

The next day we spent most of the day traveling and had dinner with Duncan and Chan in downtown Calgary.  Had an early night, ready for the stampede.

Woke up the next morning and had a delicious breakfast before heading to the Stampede on the C-train.  Enjoyed a great day trying deep fried cheesecake and snickers, or ice cream covered in bacon and maple syrup.

The stampede is like cowboy disney land and we had a great day checking out the displays, livestock, sheep shearing, shouting yee haa and watching the Chuckwagons and Rodeo.

The rodeo is always my highlight but the grandstand show was really good this year.  They had acrobats, contortionists, a famous singer (Paul Brandt), motorcycle stuntmen and all sorts of awesomeness (much better than last years).  At the end of the show they had the best fireworks display that I have ever witnessed.  Was FANTASTIC!!!!

That night Frans and I had a few drinks (watched a bar lady get spanked) and stumbled back a bit later than intended.  The stampede is definitely a must for anyone who likes fun.

Our last day with Jenni and Frans was a day trip to Lake Louise.  We caught the ski lift up to the observation centre and saw our first grizzly of the season. We also saw black bears next to the road. 

We had a tasty and scenic lunch at the Chateau overlooking Lake Louise and finished it off with a walk around part of the lake.

Jenni was particularly funny on the ski lift – she is a bit scared of heights and kept us in stitches. (She did well though :) )

That night we finished off our holiday with Connor and Shawna, Jenni and Frans and the 2 of us in the backyard of our bed and breakfast enjoying pizza, wine and cheesecake.  A fitting end to a great holiday.

Had a great holiday and was awesome to see Jenni and Frans.  Can't wait to see you guys again!

Universal studios 

Hogwarts

Seaworld

Spiderman ride

Adele with Jess and her invisibility cloak

Calgary stampede

Yee ha with Jenni and Frans

Kennedy space centre

Like a kid in a candy store 

Bagel 

Fireworks at Epcot

Magic Kingdom

Deep fried everything stampede

Lake Louise

Grandstand show

Terrifyingly funny

Chateau lake Louise

Mirella

In other news Adele and I activated our permanent residence when we came back from Orlando.

And our cards have just arrived.  Whoo hoo!

We are now officially permanent residents.  Another few years to get a passport if we choose.

I also got my results for MCCQE2 which I passed - yay!

Very recently we went with Jess and Steve and Kaitlyn to Osoyoos in British Columbia.

We started off the weekend in Chilliwack where we caught up and had a few laughs.

The next day we went to Osoyoos.  Osoyoos is very pretty but is Canada's warmest area with temperatures between 34 and 36 when we were there.  I think it's classified as desert.

There are a few lakes in the area and around these lakes there is lush, green vineyards and fruit.

We travelled between Osoyoos and Oliver and Penticton and Summerland.

We tasted wine at about 21 wineries and Adele and I bought 36 bottles of wine.

Had delicious meals at Burrowing owl, Hester Creek and Miradoro.

Jess describes Osoyoos as her disney land (or the happiest place on earth) and I'd agree that it is definitely up there.

The wine farms in Osoyoos, Oliver and Summerland are interesting because they are mainly small, there's a good chance you will not see their wine in a store outside British Columbia and each vineyard has a story or something interesting about it.  We met interesting people at the vineyards including people from Montreal, other parts of Canada, France, Portugal, Iran.  All trying to make a living in this wonderful part of the world and seemingly having fun. 

Had an amazing time with amazing friends.  Also got to see the coolest model train set I have ever seen and swim in Lake Osoyoos.

Kaitlyn has grown so big since the last time we saw her and she is gorgeous!  We are luckily seeing them again in December.

After our long weekend in Osoyoos we had dinner with Steve's family who are wonderful and made us feel really at home.  Great people and great times.

Girlie!

Church and state vineyard

Kraze legz vineyard

Dirty laundry vineyard

 Juan

 Disney world for a happy Jess

Kaitlyn after Adele fed her lunch

The last trip I'll mention here was our trip to Kimberly last weekend.

We had the most fantastic weekend with Mark and Michael.  We enjoyed the scenery, the downtown and Bavarian food in Kimberly.  We picnicked and swam in cold, clear water.  Then went to Creston and wine tasted in the next breath (the wine tasting was fantastic and completely unexpected which made it all the more enjoyable!).  Also enjoyed delicious Thai food in Creston.

The highlight of the trip for me was a drive along East Kootenay to Boswell.  We swam at a place called Mackie Park.  It was a hot and beautiful day and the water was warm and clear.  They had a slide on a float in the middle of the lake and Mark, Michael and I spent hours swimming and doing dives/flips off the float.

Was another great weekend in paradise.

Bagel's second big outing with us.

Wine tasting in Creston

Kootenay lake

So that pretty much puts us up to date.

Sorry again that this was so long.  I feel that I have done a lot of the trips an injustice and I'm sorry if I've left anything/anyone out.

This weekend we see Duncs and Chan.  We will probably hang out with our neighbors, Rick and Shawna, as well as Robbie and Lindsay, Carrie and Eric (Had almost forgot to mention Carrie and Eric – Carrie is another South African doc and her fiance, Eric, is Swiss/Canadian.  Have had a braai with them and lunch with Carrie.  They, too, are wonderful people and we look forward to spending more time with them).

Adele and I are really good.  A little tired and frantic at times but we seem to like to work hard and play hard.  We have some pretty big life decisions to make but it's much easier knowing that you are making them with the love of your life.

Bagel is requesting a walk and I'd like to go kiss the prettiest girl I know so adios for now.

Love you until the next time

Ryan and Adele

And that was supposed to be the end but have to mention the last weekend.

Had a wonderful weekend with Duncs and Chan, Mark and Michael, Robbie and Lindsay, Adam and Candace, the Kings, and Carrie and Eric.

On Friday we went to Plum and had delicious eats followed by drinks with Robbie and Linds, Mark and Michael, Duncs and Chan.

Saturday was a chilled morning – helped Robbie a bit with some scrap removal from his garden, had lunch with Duncs, Chan and Robbie.  Had a super duper salmon braai on cedar wood planks and grilled veg barbecue with everyone mentioned above followed by drinks around the fire.

Was another great night and we are very lucky to have some good friends :)

Sunday was chilled.  Sad to say goodbye to Duncs and Chan – will miss them until the next time.

Spent some time helping Robbie again and then chilled with my lovely wife.

Michael

Chan 

Lindsay

Candace 

Brad

Logan

Marissa

Rick

Robbie and Lindsay

Carrie

Eric 

Shawna

Life is good, this blog is long and if you've read it all then you deserve a medal or some space in the loonie bin.

Love you again

Ryan and Adele

And that was really supposed to be the end but have just had a wonderful lunch with Marc, Kylie, Ty, Zeke, Frazer, Julie, Betty and Pete.  Wonderful family!  Thanks for having us. Just thought I'd say :)

Goodbye for real this time