Christmas with the family

There are no words really that can describe how wonderful it is to have all 3 generations of the family together for Christmas.  I feel so blessed that my children get on so well together and that both are so caring of my mother.  Love!

Rooftop Bars

I have been checking out some rooftop bars in Mumbai.  Jenni and I tried the Terra Cafe at the Executive Enclave - at sunset on a Friday it was quiet and empty.

I tried Aer on the 34th Floor of the Four Seasons in Lower Parel on Monday.  There is a great view out over the sea and of Haji Ali.  It was a bit hazy, but still a good view of downtown Mumbai.

Gorgeous Goa

We went to Goa for the Thanksgiving weekend, right at the end of November.  We went almost as far south as you can go to Palolem - around an hour and a half's drive from the airport.  We stayed at Ciaran's which is right on the beach and is a real oasis of green.

The beach itself was often quite empty and blissfully quiet.  We spent a lot of our days simply wandering up and down it, stopping every so often for a cold coffee or for a happy hour cocktail.

One thing I remember about being in Goa from our first year in India is the sunsets - they were absolutely glorious.  The sunrises were pretty good too!

Goa was so colourful - in so many ways.  And such a short plane journey from Mumbai too.  We will be back!

Yoga, Meditation and Rain in November

At the end of November a group of 10 teachers went for the day to the SMART Ecopark for a day of yoga and meditation.  It was truly wonderful!

Mariepskop

On our last full day in South Africa we went to Mariepskop, in the Drakensberg Mountains.  On a clear day from the top of the Mariepskop (around 2000 m above sea level) you can see Maputo and the Indian Ocean.  Drakensberg means "Dragon".

We picnicked by a river and the young people (Claire's children and Nat) had a great time swinging on a rope and jumping into the river.

Blyde River Canyon

Back in Hoedspruit again we went on a couple of day trips with Claire and her kids.  One trip was to the Blyde River Canyon, around 40 minutes away from where she lives.

The Three Rondavels

The largest "green" canyon on Earth

The "Happy" River (Blyde)

The Big Five

Everyone who goes on safari wants to see the "Big 5"!  We were really lucky in that we saw them all:  elephants, Cape buffalo, leopard, lions and both white and black rhino.