After 2 crazy years of Covid, it was great to have a year where it felt like life was returning to normal. Although there was no exotic holiday to a new country this year, we were very fortunate to be able to see family and do a bit of travelling.
But first... with restaurants open again, we were able to enjoy going out for coffee / breakfast / lunch and dinner dates. A particularly good one was lunch at Stoker to celebrate Bronwen's birthday.
With the borders open again, our local cricket team enjoyed a tour to Cambodia. Wish I could say that we played in the stadium in the background, but instead we were playing on the mud patch just outside. Although we were beaten in both games, it was great to be on tour playing cricket.
The cricket season wrapped up with drinks, laughs and some awards being handed out. Not sure how I ended up with Player of the Season, but I will take it! Nate and Alex took Best Batsman and Best Bowler.
In June we had our first holiday overseas since the beginning of Covid. Back in 2019 we had booked to go on a 4x4 safari through Namibia and Botswana in June/July 2020. With the Covid travel restrictions the holiday was postponed twice. Although we finally made it to Southern Africa this year, the trip was cancelled in the end. Bronwen's Dad tripped and fell and broke his right leg on the day she arrived in South Africa. His condition deteriorated rapidly and we decided that we could not travel at this time. Sadly after an unfortunate series of events and 5 weeks in hospital, he passed away on 17 July 2022 at the age of 80. Even though it was a very stressful and traumatic time, we have a lot of peace about Dad's passing and we have a lot to be thankful for. We are so glad we were in SA from the first day Dad was in hospital and that we were with him right at the end. We love you Dad, and we know you love us. We miss you so much and you will forever be in our hearts 🖤
Even with the sadness of Bronwen's Dad passing, it was good to see family and catch up after a few years of being apart. Justin headed down to Cape Town and Hermanus to spend time with the family there, while Bronwen spent most of her time in Johannesburg and St Francis Bay visiting family there.
Some photos of the time in Cape Town and Hermanus:
We were introduced to the newest member of the family.
Some photos of the time in Johannesburg and St Francis Bay:
Back at home, Milo kept us entertained all year round.
He loves playing with his toys on the big bed...
...digging holes in blankets (and just about anything else)...
...snacking on fresh greens...
...and posing for selfies (sometimes, with a bit of encouragement).
We also got to visit a part of Vietnam that we had not been to before: the Mekong Delta. We spent two nights in a place called Cai Be in Tien Giang province. We had to take a boat to get to the resort, and at high tide parts of the resort were flooded. Although it was a particularly high, high tide, it was very real reminder of just how vulnerable this part of Vietnam is to sea level rise.
The resort that we stayed at (Mekong Lodge) has a great swimming pool to lounge about at...
...and the fresh fruit and fresh spring rolls are recommended!
With travel once again possible, lots of Justin's clients were anxious to meet in person. Some of the travels this year included:
Tauranga, New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
Sydney, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
Manila, Philippines
and Apia, Samoa.
Being in Samoa gave me the chance to go diving. I got my Padi Open Water certification just before Covid locked everything down, so it was good to finally put the training to practice. It was also my first time seeing turtles whilst diving.
Whilst in Samoa there was also lots of excitement. Samoa made it to the finals of the Rugby League World Cup. For a nation of just 200,000 people, they sure know how to show support for their team. On the eve of the final it felt like every single car was out on the road waving the Samoan flag. Unfortunately Samoa lost to Australia in the final, but it was still considered a massive achievement for this small island country.
There was also some time to visit a few of the tourist attractions in Samoa. This is the To Sua Ocean Trench. This swimming hole is connected to the ocean by an underground tunnel. A great spot to jump in the water and cool off.
And this is the Sopo'aga Falls.
A few more photos taken around Apia.
A tradition in Vietnam that most companies take part in is the Annual Company Trip. We alternate between an annual trip with the Maritime team (about 50 staff) and an annual trip with the whole company (about 200 staff). This year was the annual team trip. As we had missed out on the last two years, we tried to make this one extra special. This year we went to central Vietnam. We stayed at a resort in Dong Hoi, and enjoyed spending almost 2 full days exploring the mountains, caves and rivers around Phong Nha. It is a beautiful part of the country, and it was a great experience for everyone, especially considering that for most it was their first time visiting this area.
And that is our year in review. Of course we can't finish without mentioning Ho Chi Minh City. We did post a blog earlier in the year dedicated to HCMC. As it is where we spent most of our time again this year, it makes sense to finish off this blog with another photo of this vibrant city. And if you missed the blog earlier this year, have a look to see more of what HCMC has on offer.
Wishing you all a happy and blessed 2023!
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