SA TRIP 20 September 2013 to 06 October 2013

At the airport in Jozi, we were met by Warren and Sue who enveloped us in their warmth and excitement and took us straightaway to Neighbourgoods market in Braamfontein to toast our arrival with a refreshing margarita. We spent a few hours catching up and people watching in this new and trendy corner of town, and had a few drinks in both Kitcheners and the Great Dane Next door, two very cool trendy spots opposite the market it was so good to be back under the African sun. Later we stopped by the Snobb Salon to say hi to John and to witness his nimble fingers work their magic. The salon is amazing and it is evident that John and Warren have poured their hearts and souls into it. For nostalgic purposes, we dined at an all you can eat sushi restaurant and enjoyed plate upon plate of fashion sandwiches followed by a few refreshing Hunters Gold's. Our feet had not touched the ground yet and this was only day 1 of our trip. Something tells me that the rest of our holiday is going to be filled to the brim with fun and antics.

The next morning was spent preparing for a celebratory braai at Sue's parents' house, in our honor. It was so great to see everyone again and it was so touching that Sue and her mom had gone to so much effort to organize such a fun gathering. The braai was delicious and the alcohol was flowing and soon enough our merriment reached new decibel levels.

The next few days were like an emotionally charged roller coaster, dividing our time between visiting all our friends and their families. I spent some treasured moments with my best friend Chantelle, catching up on two years' worth of news. There was a lot of laughter and tears shed but it felt so great to be physically present in each other's lives, even if it was just for such a short space of time.

Tanya and Sue spent quality time together, gallivanting around Jozi and even managed to jump on the hop on hop off tour bus and visited some old haunts filled with memories of our youth. When they were in New Town they met Sol Rachilo (Poet/Author) a very friendly chap who invited them to his next exhibition.

We also spent some time with Elke and Chris, and met their two boys Liam and Calum who are absolutely adorable. She took us around Hartebeetspoort dam and drove around the Pecan Wood golf estate where they live. It is so beautiful and such a safe environment for their kids to grow up in. Their home is right on the lake offering stunning views of the surrounding landscape. We spent a few glorious sun kissed hours sitting on the patio savouring this idyllic lifestyle.

The following day we were fully immersed in the Trulov experience at the Snobb salon where our locks were suitably transformed, just in time for our week in Cape Town. We spent the night at Warren and John's house as we all had an early flight the next morning. It was a reflective evening and although our time in Jo'burg was fantastic we did feel emotionally wrung out and in need of a relaxing holiday.

Once we arrived in Cape Town, we picked up our hire car which was pretty much a 'taxi' and drove to Camps Bay to have brunch with Lincoln and his family. Their apartment was stunning and had gorgeous views of Camps Bay and signal hill. It was so great to see Lincoln again and to meet his family and son. Warren's brother Craig, his wife Riet and Andrea joined us later and we all had a great catch up session on the patio. It seemed really weird that we were all together in the same place at the same time. The holiday had well and truly begun. In the afternoon John, Warren, Tanya, Craig, Riet and I made our way back to Soho in the Strand to check into our own apartment. Obviously, a trip to the bottle store en route was a must. Laden with luggage and booze we collected our keys from reception with a promise that no wild parties would be held. Well, that was only partly true. The view from our L shaped balcony was absolutely amazing. Majestic Table mountain was right before us, with Lions head and Signal Hill on either side. We were in the heart of 'De Waterkant' and you could feel the pulse of the city below us. After quickly locating our rooms and unpacking, we enjoyed a few sundowners on the balcony before having dinner at an Italian spot in Kloof Street.

The next morning we had an early start and made our way to meet up with Warren's parents at their home in Hermanus. Over a delicious fry up and a Bloody Mary we discussed the plan of action for the day. Jade and her husband Brendan stopped by and we all filed into the 'taxi' to go whale watching. It was so amazing seeing the whales swim by right in front of us. There were so many of them and seeing them so close by was a totally new experience. We were so used to getting on a boat and sailing for an hour or two before you got a glimpse of one in the open water. Lincoln and his family were also there and we stood together enjoying the whales for a while. In the afternoon we drove to Sumaridge vineyards, for some wine tasting. The setting was so peaceful and beautiful and the wine was very good so of course a purchase was necessary. Feeling nice and toasty, we drove back to Warren's parents' house and enjoyed an evening of pizza and wine with Jade and Brendan. They are such a nice couple and we had such a good time.

In the morning we said our goodbyes and John, Warren, Tanya and I made our way back to Cape Town to prepare for the party we had planned to celebrate Lincoln's birthday. We had a subdued afternoon, shopping for snacks and sprucing ourselves up in readiness for the evening's festivities. Once Lincoln joined us, we had the obligatory toast on our balcony to welcome him to the apartment and wish him many happy returns. After an emotional week with his family, he too felt the need to let his hair down and we were more than happy to oblige. Andy and few more people arrived later and we continued partying until the wee hours of the morning, and got introduced to a new shot, strawberry lips.

The next morning after a lazy start and nursing a few headaches we headed to the waterfront with Andy for a much needed meal at quay four and to bask in the glorious sunshine. The Waterfront was a hive of activity and filled with tourists and locals milling around the shops and enjoying what Cape Town has to offer. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and taking full advantage of our lovely apartment, anticipating Charlie's arrival. His flight landed late and after a 36 hour journey, he was glad to finally be amongst friends and gladly fall into bed, for a well deserved slumber.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed we embarked on our day trip to stunning Franschhoek, where we would be enjoying a mammoth wine tasting tour for a mere R170 per person. The first stop was 'Haute Cabriere' and we started off with a few flutes of champagne. The skies were blue, the sun was hot and we were well on our way to becoming merry. The next stop was Dieu Donne for more wine tasting and a cheese board. We decided to stay and have lunch outside on the patio, overlooking the lush rolling hills. It was such a beautiful setting and the food was divine. Thanks to Jade for such a perfect suggestion. Then we were whisked away on a little train to sample the wines on offer at Rickety Bridge before getting onto a cart and pulled by a tractor to the final stop which was Grand Provence. More wine was consumed and purchased and finally it was time to head back to Cape Town. It had been a perfect day shared with wonderful friends. Sue and Andy dropped by in the evening and we had a lovely family dinner together before falling into bed for some much needed rest.

In the morning, after devouring delicious omelets made by Johns fair hands we once again filed into the 'taxi' for the journey to Darling to visit Warren's aunty Mem. She was overjoyed when we arrived and she welcomed us all with open arms. She took us to a bird sanctuary at the padestal for a bite to eat. Lincoln was bitten by a pink parrot and Charlie was chased around by an overzealous c*** so all in all, a few feathers were ruffled. It was a good laugh though. Then we drove to the beach in Yzerfontein for a bit of fun and frolics. We all shared a hilarious moment whilst posing for a group shot. Mem was doubled over in a fit of giggles due to some escaping gas from her nether region. She tried to be discreet but her laughter was infectious and soon enough we were all in on the joke. We had such a great time and judging from Mem's reaction, she was truly touched that we shared our day with her. After dropping Mem at home, we visited the Evita Bezuidenhout museum and took a trip down memory lane. We had such a fab day and when we drove back to Cape Town we were all in high spirits. Before driving to the apartment, we made a stop at Blue Peter which is in Blouberg Strand, for a drink with an incredible view of Table Mountain. In the evening we met up with Sue and had a fantastic dinner at Beluga. John showed us exactly how you bite a frozen margarita and Charlie displayed perfect poise and catwalk precision whilst wearing Sue's high heels. We were in hysterics and so were the passersby on the street. We stopped for a nightcap at Ragu where we somehow crashed a private function. The music was good and we had a bit of a boogie and brought the party atmosphere. Soon, everyone was 'up all night to get lucky'

The next day Lincoln, Charlie, Tanya and I spent the day together. We drove along the beautiful Cape coastline, through Chapman's Peak, Hout Bay and Noordhoek to Simons Town, where we met up with Andy and enjoyed a tasty fish lunch. Next, we drove to Boulders Beach to visit the penguins and see them in their natural habitat. They are just too cute. We spent some time watching them waddle around on the pristine beach, going about their business blissfully unaware of our presence. The drive back to Cape Town was amazing, as we timed it perfectly for sunset. The views of the orange skies and glistening sea was breathtakingly beautiful. It was yet another reminder of the beauty of Africa and left me with a lump in my throat and feeling slightly teary. Once back at the apartment and after a quick change, we were out again for burgers and cabaret at "Beefcakes". The waiters were young, beefy and keen to flaunt their six packs. It was a fun night, especially when the cabaret started. John took an immediate liking to the performer and was not afraid to show it. I think John's innocent enthusiasm may have been slightly intimidating but it was so much fun to watch. In the end he did get a photo with her although she did seem slightly scared. After dinner, we enjoyed a few nightcaps on the balcony of our apartment before bed time.

Today is our last day in Cape Town and what better way to start off the morning than with a cup of coffee whilst looking at the view of Table Mountain. We were soaking it all in, imprinting it to memory. We really did not want to leave but we had one more day and had to make it count. Lincoln, Charlie, Tanya and I decided to go for a walk and have a look around the shops in the "De Waterkant" area. A bit of retail therapy is always good. Later we met up with Warren, John and Sue for a drink and to say farewell as Sue was flying back to Johannesburg in the afternoon. After a teary goodbye, the rest of us made our way to Woodstock to catch a street art exhibition @ 34 Fine Art, It was pretty cool and Tanya decided to spoil herself and bought two piece of street art (Invaders Print and an original fridge element with (Marilyn Monroe) by Pedro Dorian. Tanya was in her element and we were all very excited for her. Although Woodstock is not the best area, it would have been great to have been able to walk around as there was countless street art visible on walls and buildings. It's such a pity that we ran out of time. In the evening we drove down to the V and A waterfront and had our last supper together in a great Thai place. Once again, we were the most raucous table in the restaurant, courtesy of John and the diva within him. The remainder of the evening was spent packing and reflecting on the amazing holiday we've just had.

The goodbyes were very emotional and heartfelt. Spending time together in one time zone is no mean feat but when it does happen it's pretty evident that we have an amazing group of friends. People who have so much love in their hearts and so much passion in their souls. Although my emotion brings me to tears, I feel extremely blessed and happy to have shared this time with people who are so dear to my heart and I can't wait to re-visit these beautiful memories made.