Gentle Reflections

A beautiful, calm morning in Velddrif along the banks of the Berg river mouth. The colours were absolutely splendid on this particular morning, but more than this there wasn't a single breath of wind, adding to the beautiful reflections on the water. 

False Bay Sunrise

I had great fun capturing the sunrise on this particular morning. Had to get up before 4:00 AM to hike the mountain behind us in order to get there before sunrise at 5:30 AM. The mountain had recently been burnt and the wind was blowing extremely hard, so not only was I covered in ash, but I struggled to keep myself upright. Despite this it was a lovely sunrise, looking right across False Bay.

The Bond Between Father and Son

In all the places I visited in India it was fascinating to see the strong nurturing role fathers had with their children (both boys and girls). So many times I saw fathers playing with their kids on the streets, or, like in this photo, fathers teaching their trade to their sons.

Preparing for Takeoff

It's quite fun to watch these balloons prepare for flight. It takes a lot of man power to set everything up, while only one man flies the balloon. Two industrial fans are used to pump air into the pocket which takes quite a while. I thought it would be quite an elegant process entering the basket (maybe using a ladder or something like that), but actually you lie on you side while the basket is sideways, and wait for the balloon to lift the basket up. Quite a novel experience!

Preparing a hot air balloon for take off

Floating Cappadocia

Almost three years after our honeymoon in Turkey I've finally put together some of the video footage of one of the highlights of our trip. Hopefully this short clip will give you a glimpse of how spectacular a hot air ballon ride in Cappadocia really is; ascending high into the clouds with a bird's-eye view, and then dropping right down into the beautiful volcanic rock formations below. This is undoubtably one of the best experiences of my life, and something I hope to do once again.

I hope you enjoy watching it!

African Convergence

If you've never visited Johannesburg before you might think it to be quite a dangerous city, and you would be forgiven for believing so. Over the past twenty-five years or so Joburg has been notorious for its criminal activity, with many big businesses leaving the CBD. As a child I was always warned to stay away for the city centre.

Side note: Many people think Johannesburg (being the largest city in South Africa) is the capital of the country, when in fact Pretoria is the capital. Johannesburg is merely the financial hub.

However, over the past five years a number of rejuvenation projects have started transforming parts of the CBD, from housing developments to trending markets, restaurants and art galleries. While I wouldn't walk about flashing my bling, safety in the city centre has certainly improved. A couple of years ago I went on a walking tour of the city, and was fascinated to learn many new facts of Joburg's rich and diverse history. Since then I have taken many trips on my own to take photos with no hesitation.

If you cross the Nelson Mandela Bridge you get a stunning panoramic view of Joburg city and its central train station.

Johannesburg train station

Weekly Photo: Ou Kaapse Weg

If you haven't visited Cape Town before let me start by saying YOU SHOULD! It is a fantastic city, with a huge diversity of culture. If you haven't visited Cape Town but you have visited another African city, be sure not to judge it as just another rundown African town.

Cape Town is this beautiful unique city nestled in a whole bunch of mountains (Table Mountain included) that so happens to be at the tip of Africa. Roads weave between these mountains, linking the various suburbs and seas. There is never an evening or morning that isn't perfect to catch the sun at the edge of the horizon.

Weekly Photo: Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise

Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise

I took this photo in 2012 on my honeymoon in Turkey. If you ever visit this beautiful country you have to make a stop in Cappadocia. While a balloon ride will add a couple more bucks to your trip, it is something you will remember for the rest of your life. If you decide not to do the ride, a trip to this area of Turkey is still worth the priceless views and unique landscapes you get to see.