An incredible 3 months!

To everyone on the Jan 2008 Experience, I hope that you have all arrived safely in the UK (including Maddy who took a slightly longer route home with 4 separate flights!). I haven’t written here since first landing in South Africa and a great deal has happened since then! I’m now sitting in the Cape Town office after catching a few last waves at the beautiful Llandudno where I pictured all of you learning to surf and reminisced over the last 3 month trip, which has finally come to a close...........Driving back with Vince in the Pepper van from Jo’burg to Cape Town was very strange with an absence of singing and laughter from behind us. Being back in Cape Town without all of you has also been very odd – everyone has been asking how you all are, including the barman at Caprice (Hattie!). Rossinigre says his restaurant hasn’t been the same without you guys nipping in for breakfast and afternoon cake! It is actually unbelievable, the impression that all of you made on all of our friends here in Cape Town, especially seeing as you were only here for 3 weeks!

Thank you again to all of you for very kindly organising that surprise picnic for Vince and I in Jo’burg and presenting us with our “Pepper Survival Kit” picking out various jokes from the trip which was very kind and extremely amusing – the worrying thing is that you all summed us up to perfection! It was an absolute pleasure travelling through South Africa with all of you and I will have long lasting memories! Thank you for all of your farewell blogs and for your various comments (http://www.experiencejan08.blogspot.com/) – now it is my turn!

Annie I will seriously miss your stories and jokes, even if they were slightly drawn out! I hope that you have an unbelievable time out in Australia – keep up the surfing and let us know how it’s all going. I look forward to continuing to be your personal chauffeur in the UK!

Enzo (Eel) I will definitely miss you as a partner in the war against flying bugs and driver ants! It has been incredible fun travelling with you and I look forward to many more good times this summer down in Cornwall!

Genna thank you for lending Vince and I your emergency wooden fork for our return journey – one of the strangest survival tools but I am pleased to say it is very useful in inbred cafes in the middle of South Africa! Awesome getting to know you and make sure you keep in contact with us!

George (Timone)…..what can I say! I don’t think I will ever get bored of you rocking your head back, laughing and saying “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere in the empire” as you reach for a crisp gin & tonic with a squeeze of lime! I look forward to many more with you in the years to come!

Harriet when I first spoke to you over the phone, you gave the impression that you were going to be quite restrained on this trip – then I witnessed you paddling into barrelling waves, flying behind a Mastercraft speed boat, launching yourself out of a plane at 12,000 feet, scuba diving with sharks, touching 4 ton elephants and firing high calibre rifles! Good luck with everything and see you soon!

Miss Madeleine I didn’t think I would ever meet someone that was more peculiar than myself but I think I’ve finally found one! In all seriousness I’ve never come across anyone that is always in such high spirits – nothing phases you and I am so glad you decided to stay on for the entire 3 month trip, it has been a pleasure travelling with you. Good luck with the sailing this summer – you will definitely be visited in your kingdom on the Isle of White!

Last and most definitely not least, Marisa! You have been sorely missed by everyone. You were always laughing and playing practical jokes which never grew tiresome. I hope that you are having an incredible time working on your yacht in the Caribbean. Make sure you come and visit us when you return.

Thank you to all of you again for making this such a special trip. I am flying back to London this evening and once again very sad to be leaving this fantastic country. I look forward to speaking to you all very soon,

Johnny x