Take a moment to think about what you were doing 11 months ago, in the middle of August, 2008. Now, what if I reminded you that Thabo Mbeki was still president then? So was George Bush. Another lesser-known man by the name of Marc Ravolomanana was also still running the island nation of Madagascar.
During this same period, on the east coast of the world's fourth largest island, a gung-ho South African was about to embark on a quest to become the first person to kayak, alone and unaided, around the country's 5 000km coastline.
Regular readers of this column will know what an extraordinary journey it has been.
As his expedition manager I have been privileged to share, albeit vicariously, in the highs and lows of Manser's adventure and would like to use this space to relive some of those moments.
On the very first day in late August, he lost one of his two fishing rods. Considering his meals would come largely from the fish he caught, it was a terrible start.
Within days though he realised why he was out there. Scores of humpback whales and their newborn calves regularly frolicked around his kayak, often no more than 20m away.
Each day brought new surprises, whether landing his first fish, grappling with the Malagasy language or sleeping under the stars on a beach that had no end. But it also brought the realisation that this expedition was going to be tougher than anything Manser had done in his life.
At the end of each day, he had to fine-tune his concentration and focus on where he was going to land his kayak, paddling hard through high surf that dumped on to hidden rocks and reefs.
Through the months of September and October Riaan dodged the season's first cyclone, almost drowned when a storm suddenly whipped up and even had one of his Rapala fish hooks dug into his heel while a 5kg couta thrashed on the other end.
Towards the end of 2008 Riaan bade farewell to the violent surf of the east coast and began paddling south when he rounded Madagascar's most northerly point.
With calm winds and flat seas he increased his daily paddling average from 20km to more than 30km.
As he raced to Mahajanga, where he would spend Christmas with his girlfriend, Vasti, curious leatherback turtles, pods of dolphins and even an aggressive shark acquainted themselves with him.
In the new year, Madagascar's capital exploded with political violence and the ascension of a young DJ to the presidency.
In a town called Soalala, exuberant police briefly detained Manser on suspicion of being a terrorist - for the long beard, white skin and South African passport.
On his way to the town of Morondava, where I was scheduled to catch up with him, he broke his own rule that said he would never paddle at night.
Riaan had been lost in some mangroves in the morning and, with his Garmin having become waterlogged, miscalculated the time and distance.
When he landed at 10pm he had been paddling for 16 hours and had travelled a mammoth 65km.
Over halfway and the trip was beginning to take its toll, physically and mentally. Tulear is one Madagascan town he never wants to return to.
One night, while walking back from a restaurant with two friends, they were mugged at gunpoint and had their bags ripped from them; in Riaan's was his prized journal and new Garmin GPS. All trip records had gone.
But Lady Luck has a way of smiling down on Riaan and within a few days he was reunited with his possessions when another mugging victim, with the help of police, recovered a bounty of stolen goods.
Ahead lay the southern coast, a close cousin of South Africa's treacherous Wild Coast. It was here that he developed a new respect for the ocean as he witnessed the seasonal shift throw huge winter swells into 20m cliffs. In May Riaan rounded the southernmost point of Cap St Marie.
Madagascar had one more nasty surprise for him. While sheltering in a small village the local mayor called the police and Riaan was locked up in a bat, rat and flea infested cell on charges of "carrying out mercenary activities".
Two days later, thanks to the South African embassy and Madagascar Tourism, he was released.
- Manser has been out of range. for the last two weeks. To follow his expedition, see www.africa365.co.za