Since way back when...

...the 11th November to be exact. Anyway, a long time ago and a lot has happened. Where to start? Well the last time we spoke I was just about to jet off to South Africa with some other Everestians so I'll begin there.

Africa is a continent that I'd always wanted to visit and the three weeks didn't disappoint. It all started with a lengthy flight with Kimbo to Cape Town. Being a quiet bloke, I was apprehensive of spending 14 hours cooped up with the inane-random-chattiest-man-in-the-world but he was good enough to be suffering from a cold and the flight passed strangely booze-free and peaceful.

Arriving in the city at night didn't give much of a glimpse of how stunning the place really is so, having checked in and enjoyed the luxury of a bed for what would be the last time in 10 days, we woke the next day to find Table Mountain and its smaller counterparts staring down at us from a surprising height. I'd seen the postcards but they were all at least three times the size I was expecting.

Curry had done amazingly in setting us all up in an apartment at the Waterfront and the first day was spent looking round the Volvo round the world race yachts and taking in the sun and a few beers. Over the weekend we were lucky enough to get shown round by the bride and her father and spend some quality time with our good mate, the groom. After having the pick of Cape Town's best bars things started to get predictably hectic as the rest of the wedding party arrived.

In amongst the dinners, catch up sessions and the stag do I did manage to visit Robben Island, swim in the deceptively cold South Atlantic, fly in a Hughey helicopter and abseil off Table Mountain. Not bad despite sleeping on our apartment floor all week (9 people in a 3 bed apartment - you do the math!) and being molested by our fellow wedding-goers (Curry found out how this feels later in the tour so ask him. Thanks Twomit!).

Cape Town having been a success, the slightly hungover wedding party travelled 45 minutes north to the wine growing area around Stellenbosch. This is an amazingly beautiful area and the wedding was stunning. I'm not sure how to convey to you how good the wedding was but I really cannot think of a single thing that could have been better during the whole day and it was a fantastic party that night. It was an amazing effort for all to travel so far to get there but it was well worth it as spending the whole week with the wedding party, family members and other friends really added to the atmosphere over the day...

...despite England losing to SA in the rugby that afternoon!