Howzit!

So here goes pretty much the last installement from Africa as we leave on Wednesday for Oz (already!). Despite how sad it is to be leaving so soon I am fairly confident we will come back; Africa has completely stolen my heart and I know that there is still so much more to see.
When I last wrote we were in Swakupmond. So we left there to head south back into the desert, stopping at Sossusvlei for a desert walk with an amazingly knowledgable guide and then to climb 'Dune 45' to watch the sunset. Climbing a dune seemed fairly simple and it didn't look all that high. 30 minutes later, panting and sweating, I started to wonder if it was really worth the effort. Luckily it was - it was beautiful looking out over the sand in every direction and the 30 second run back down the dune was also a plus!
The next couple of days sped by - a visit to the second biggest canyon in the world and camping alongside the Orange River, and then we found ourselves in South Africa in the Cederburg region on a wine farm for the night. The wine tasting was a fitting end to the trip and we were (almost) sad to know it was our last night in a tent for the moment. The next day we arrived in Cape Town and the group dispanded so now me and Nico only have each other to annoy...
Cape Town is a truly beautiful city and has blown me away - I don't know what I was expecting but I didn't think I would like it this much. We hit the sights, starting with some shopping, then we went up to Table Mountain and did a short hike on the top to get some spectacular views across the city. We went to Robben Island to see Mandela's cell and did a trip cycling down to the Cape of Good Hope (not forgetting a stop at the penguin colony on the way!). The sea is horrifically cold and the wind at the Cape was incredible - I've never cycled somewhere where going downhill was as hard as going uphill. It was also during the cycling trip that Nico had to help the guide fight off a baboon who wanted our lunch. Very comical to begin with when it started following us, not so funny when it made a grab for the food and was showing its teeth. It seems we've not made many friends amongst the wildlife here...
We had a week left before leaving so we rented ourselves a little car and were very pleased when it arrived (a brand new little Hyundai with 2000km on the clock, power steering AND air con - the novelty of such luxury definitely didn't wear off in the 6 days we kept the car for). We headed off along the coast, stopping at Betty's Bay and Hermanus - both famous whale watching places but typically empty of whales when we got there, apparently they all leave at the beginning of December. As do the backpackers it seems, meaning we had dorms to ourselves everywhere we went and at one place the full attention of the crazy owners for the whole evening! We made the most of it anyway by relaxing and having barbeques before I would beat Nico at pool most evenings.
From the coast we went inland through some lovely little towns, spending one night in a converted farm in Montagu before arriving in Stellenbosche. The hostel we stayed in left something to be desired but the full-day wine tour definitely didn't! We had a fantastic day being driven around 4 vinyards, trying cheese and wine (a total of somewhere in the region of 25 wines we believe) and pretending we were still able to comment on them despite the amount we'd already consumed. We bought a bottle of 'Chakalaka' (red wine) which I am very excited about opening but we're going to have to save it for a special occasion.
The trip back to Cape Town was eventful in so much as the car wouldn't start so we have had first hand experience of breakdown services in South Africa (RAC eat your heart out). Now we're back in Cape Town and we spent the afternoon watching Harry Potter (luckily it wasn't dubbed in Afrikaans as my Afrikaans is not as good as my Swahili yet). Tomorrow = flight to Jo'burg, and 48 hours later Australia!

P.S. Merry Christmas to all of you I haven't spoken to yet!