“Well, Columbus wasn’t looking for America, my man, but that turned out to be pretty okay for everyone.” - Vince Vaughn

I spent the last few days in an extraordinary holiday location. Some friends bought a kids holiday camp type place called Outward Bound renamed it Eden Campus and now own the land that has all sorts of activities that seem so much more fun when you don't have a school master telling you to:
"Scott, you think you smart huh? Right, climb that tree with Jones (the class fatty) on your shoulders ... it will make you stronger".
"Geez Sir, fat Jonsie is the one who needs to loose some weight, can't he carry me?"
"Scott! Enough back chat, get on your knees and take his weight or no tinned peaches for you at dinner tonight"
Aaaa yes its all in the presentation. I had huge fun climbing the 20m high blue gum trees and swinging from Tarzan ropes this time around. The canoes were huge amount of fun too and the naked dancing a highlight. Did I say naked dancing? Hooo Haaa ... That was special girls! Especially with little 7 year old Tara watching with interest. Good healthy fun and games in the bush.
The next stop to visit the Cookes on the Breede river was also looked forward to in anticipation. As I got closer and closer though I realised that I was just not going to get hold of my good buddy and therefore had no clue where to go to find his recently bought, renovated and flooded (the 100 year storm of flooding in the area wreaked havoc in on so many of those houses on the river) holiday home on the river.
It was a surreal drive as you can imagine. From Knysna to Swellendam on New Years Eve there was clearly not too much traffic on the normally chaotic N2. It was then I decided to just push on through to Cape Town and home; to avoid the many parties that were going on and to just take it easy that night. Now the drive got really quiet and incredibly profound ...allowing for my mind to drift. I decided the sunset would bring a good indication of the year to come and decided with solemnity that as the sunset for me I would do a 40 hour fast which I had been keen to do since earlier in 2008 when I had been ill and was not able to eat for a couple of days.
Pertinently my sunset - the last one of 2008 - was over the irregular line of tin roofs and spiky telephone poles the framed the top end of the Khayelitsha master piece. The fast started and with little difficulty (even with La Muzik's New Years day delicious looking luncheon spread) as I had water for company all the way. I did loose some physical energy in the last hours. That was balanced by the clarity of mind and general feeling a well being. I great way to begin another year and I must admit although I enjoy getting fall down drunk with buddies and have done on many a 31stDec/1stJan, this is a special way to respect my existence and place on this earth on a day that is worth celebrating in many forms and not just at the end of the bottle, as I have been accustomed to doing for many of the last 34. Now its a couple of days into 2009 so lets have a closer look at that Tequila. Ole.