Moby Dick

Hello there!! Got to say, this frequent blogging is interesting - it's keeping you totally updated!! Thus, you know that i've not been smuggled to Somalia, eaten by an animal or plummeted off a bridge. I like to start on a cheery note just to shake you up and get you on full alert, as my blog demands respect and attention. Like a fine wine, or a fine lady - you've got to smother her with attention and regularly attend to her. Well, for as long as she's "putting out" / updating the blog. After that - kick her to the curb... there'll be another one before you know it ;-)

But yes... onto the tales! Let's just say this first - there are MANY more tales to tell, so this is by no means an exhaustive list of my doings, but merely a bit of foreplay to get you geared up for the big act.Let's just hope i can keep (it) up and tell you when the time demands it.

RIGHT! Well, today Vij and myself have made it to Hermanus - a little fishing village about 50km from Cape Town. I won't lie, we're quite glad to have left that place. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't the be all and end all it was bigged up to be! It's all about heading East! So... why have we come to Hermanus?? Well, it's here that we're embarking in some marine adventures. Namely with whales... and... you guessed it... Great Whites.

Today was NOT Great White day - sorry to disappoint, it was whale day, which was awesome. But before i tell you about tonight, let's check in with what went down last night!

Well, as promised, Vijay and I are living to the EXTREMEs of human endurance at the minute. Our bodies are breaking up, but is it worth it? You bet your fine ass it is! Last night... we didn't sleep at all before heading out. So yes, we headed from drinking excess amount of wine, back to cocktails and South African cider - we know how to lash it up boys and girls - 3 nights at it. And before you bitch and moan how you "did a week straight of nights out", we've totalled a massive 5 hours of sleep since the wheels left the runway of England. Weirdly, i've not been hungover - though i'm still battling the mystery illness that's plagued me since the day i left. I'm heavily tranq-ed up on paracetemol, which seems to work. Though when the fever returns... it has its carnal way with my battered body. Savage.

Last night was our last with our Dutch compadres. Which again consisted of LOADS of banter of the highest class. I've got to give it to them - the Dutch have a great sense of humour and can take a joke... and considering ours can be very cutting and sarcastic, it's good to see! Our relations... shall we say... "improved" with Holland ha!

So, we got to sleep about 4.30am, and were up at 6.30am to catch the bus to our next destination. Vijay woke up better than I did and had the banter flying off the bat - good man! So... a couple of hours later... we arrived in Hermanus!

Immediately upon arrival, we were treated to seeing a pod of Southern Right Whales breaching and smashing into the sea. They breached the surface... once... twice... thrice... Aaron gets out camera... nothing... Aaron lowers camera... fourth time. Yes, i missed it! Bloody sea creatures! Oh well... I mean, it wasn't the last we'd see of them today.

After wandering the lovely town and chowing on ostrich, we embarked on our first challenege - sea kayaking with the whales. We could have gone on a lame tour like all the spineless kids... but we're hardcore! And let me tell you... you remember that 7m swell i was on about? Well, it'd dropped... to 5m, even the instructor commended us on doing it so well. And who were our companions for the kayaking?? Not the Dutch... but zie Germans. Ja. So naturally, Vijay and I got immensely patriotic and then unleashed a flurry of jabs and jokes at them. Sure, they were efficient off the mark - typical Germans! Ultimately, one of them started throwing up after an hour on the ocean (we were out there 2 hours) - wimp. This, my friends, is why Germany lost both its wars - they can't finish what they start! Poor little sausages! We mocked. We're nice guys. She wasn't hot. End.

How was the wildlife? Simply amazing. The whales were breaching all around us as we battled the tides. One mother and her calf came up about 100m from our piddly kayak. Simply, words cannot describe how amazing this sight was. Sure, i saw humpbacks in Alaska, but these babies were SO close and i was in such a little boat! Also, it turns out a professional photographer was capturing the whales at the same time - and we're in some of the photos. We're getting copies tonight - i'can't wait! I might try and get a photo up if possible. I don't like giving away too much - i'm such a tease. But when you get me... you get all of me baby ;-) Simply - it was well worth it. And Vij and I got to flex the guns again. Massive arms. Incidentally, i was commented on last night - for having "lovely muscular arms" - ooo la la, you make me blush mademoiselle!

Currently, we're chilling in the hostel and having a Brai tonight - a bbq to you and i, where we're having some Boer cuisine. Fun times! A quieter night tonight - as i know that my illness it going to envelope me soon. Oh, and i've managed to batter one of my toes - the nail's gone nice and black. Super painful, and it might fall off. Lovely! Why do i always damage my foot?! I cut bits off in San Francisco and bleed internally in Cape Town. What next?? Actually - don't tell me, i'll throw up. I'm such a wimp!

Tomorrow... shark diving... the result?? Much soilage and hopefully some of the greatest experiences of my life. I simply cannot wait!

Until tomorrow my friends... i'll love you and leave you. And leave me some comments - it's nice to hear how TERRIBLY England is coping in my abscence. Just click on "comments" below and type what you want!

... the holiday has finally begun. Watch out South Africa...

Much love,

Aaron x