Surprise visit to South Africa

To pull off a proper surprise, takes excellent planning and family that can keep a secret long enough. I've decided to surprise my family in South Africa for the Christmas holiday. My sister was the chosen one and once the ticket was booked, all the preparations began. Needless to say, the surprise was a big one and my family were extremely happy to see me.

While in South Africa, we've decided to visit a few places and do it all in one day! We went to the Harties Cableway near Hartebeespoort Dam and were rewarded with a stunning view when we got to the top. After our trip up the mountain, we went to see how the sluice at Hartebeespoort Dam operates. For lunch we went to the well known Jasmyn Farm stall and Windmill for a delicious meal. On our way back home, we've decided to make a quick stop at the Union Buildings to see the majestic Nelson Mandela statue. This was huge and very special.

2 weeks went by so quickly and it was time to say our goodbyes and return to Oman. Thanks to all my family and friends for making this another special holiday!

Safe travels
Phillip

Harties Cableway - Hartebeespoort Dam

Hartebeespoort Dam from the mountain

Jasmyn Farm stall and Windmill

Jasmyn Farm stall and Windmill

Hartebeespoort Dam

 

Hartebeespoort Dam

Nelson Mandela statue - Union Buildings, Pretoria

 

Touching hands with a giant

Union buildings, Pretoria

Union Buildings,Pretoria

Dubai Sevens Rugby 2014

We had a ball at the Dubai Sevens! We arrived at the stadium well in advance to collect our tickets and stood there a while before the gates opened. Once we were security checked, our day of sun and fun had begun. We quickly changed our money for food vouchers before the rush and long lines are messing up our day. We had a great cup of coffee at Costa and went to look for a place to spent the majority of the day.

South Africa played the first game of the tournament and it was South African flags all over. We were very proud of the boys especially for winning the whole tournament. A highlight every year is the people dressing up in ridiculously funny costumes. Below is a few of the costumes we saw during our day.

We enjoyed every minute, even our bus ride filled with Russians on our way to our hotel.
It was another successful weekend in Dubai!

Safe travels
Phillip