Africa, where it started and where it ends

South Africa, 9 February to 10 March 2015

Hello Everybody

sadly for us, this will be our last diary entry because we have now completed the full circle, in 365 days around the world with Nicole and Markus. 

Having spent three wonderful weeks in Sydney and Australia, we decided not to finish our trip in Vietnam but instead go back to Africa where it all started. It's a long story and we are happy to explain the change of plan to you when we are back. Suffice to say, it was the right decision and we are very happy with it because Africa is such a unique continent with so much to see and do. We never get tired of it and it has a very special place in our heart. And that's why we flew from Sydney via Dubai straight into the city of Durban in the northern region of Kwazulu-Natal where our dear friends Martin and Julia picked us up from the airport. From there we went further north to the small town of St.Lucia,  close to the national border of Mozambique and Swaziland. And we started our final chapter in true African Style: with a safari through the lands of iMfolozi and Hluhluwe, the oldest Nature Wild Life Reserves in South Africa. Right on time at 5am in the morning, a safari jeep came to pick us up and we enjoyed a spectecular sunrise as we drove into the iMfolozi Reserve that counts a vast area of 960 square kilometres in total where all animals are free to live and roam and wander as they please. It was warm, humid, the morning glow of orange, pink and blue still lingering in the air, and not even 5 minutes into our drive we were greeted by a massive elephant bull only a few meters away from us, grazing on a green hillside. What a sight to start the day! And that was only the beginning, it got better and better as the day went by. Mighty water buffalos or daggah boys as the locals call them, mother rhinos with calfs, lots and lots of elegant Springboks, not so elegant but funny looking warthog families, crocodiles, Nyalas, Gnus, Impala, Zebras, Waterbucks, Giraffes, Eagles and Red Billed Kites, and so much more. Finally, as a leaving present a big herd of about 40 elephants came wandering close to us to trumpet their goodbyes. When we got back to our base camp that evening, we agreed that it was probably the best 60 Euros we have ever spent. Well, it definitely was for us two! 

After a few days in Kwazulu Natal, we headed south to good old Cape Town. A city that isn't really representative of South Africa but still a nice place to slowly wind down and relax, looking back at a year full of unique adventures and impressions for life. It is a good thing that our friends Martin and Julia stayed with us for a couple of super fun weeks. Now they are gone, it is just the two of us for one last week, and suddenly the realisation sets in that very soon, the 365 days of non-stop happiness are over. At least for now. 

So, how was it all ? 

Well, we cannot possibly answer this here. You will have to ask us in person, and the moment you notice that certain magic sparkle in our eyes, you hopefully begin to understand how much this year together really means to us. And we think, no, we are sure that this sparkle will stay for a very very long time. 

And would you do it again? 

Abso-fucking-lutely! Please excuse my language but it is the best most emphatic and emotional way I can think of answering this question in true spirit. In fact, there is no "would" for us, you should rather ask us "when" will we do it again:-) 

What was your favourite place? 

That's an easy one. Our favourite place is...our world. Every little bit, every corner of it. And we will do our very best to keep exploring it to the fullest extend whenever and wherever we can. 

What will you do now? 

Come Tuesday, we will go down to the Employment Agency in Munich and get registered as Job Seekers. If anyone has any interesting or crazy ideas, please contact us immediately:-) We are open for almost anything and everything :-) 

When will we see you again? 

OK that's a bit tricky but as we just successfully travelled around the globe in one piece, I am sure we can work this one out as well. For now, we are back in Munich from Tuesday onwards. That's where you can invite us for a coffee or better even a big dinner, so we will happily share our stories with you. Bit by bit, depending on how good the dinner is. We are in Hamburg and Bremen from around 29 March to 7 or 8 April (over Easter). And I am hoping to visit my second home i.e. Pompey/London/Brighton soon, probably in May. Now, we happily make an effort to travel to those places to see you. In return, we hope for you to make an effort to actively seek contact with us so we can meet up. And please don't expect us to take another 3 hour journey into the middle of nowhere for a 30minute meet-up:-) We have no car and no money at the moment. Let's meet in the middle is the motto. 

We will be back in Germany on Tuesday, 10 March 2015, touch down at Munich Airport 12noon.

Until then, we will enjoy every hour of the day that we still have until Monday night, when the Emirate Airline Crew and South Africa Immigrations Police will have to drag, push and pull us screaming and kicking onto the airplane back to Europe. 

With love from us to you

Nicole and Markus

Sent from on the road