Lots has happened from the last post. I have been testing out different tyres. One night while training with 2 inch reverse tread tyres I got stuck in a rut and crashed my bicycle. Shall I rather say I hit the ground rather hard on my shoulder and dislocated it. Had to ride 9 km home with on arm and drink some pain tablets. Staying out on the farm and having a small town near by the medical help is not always so good after hours. So thought it best to wait to the morning.The doctor send me for x-rays. X-ray was not so clear and staying in a farming community the doctor had to get the radiographer report over the internet. Need less to say the internet was playing up at the x-ray department at the hospital. Four days later doctor phones to say must come in from the farm, the shoulder is dislocated. They did a left shoulder reduction that night.

Well it has been rather painful and have not felt like posting posts with all the pain and not sleeping well. On the other hand work had booked me and some other managers to go to the Kruger National Park to do walking trails. So five days after reduction with arm in a sling and a hand full of pain pills off I went.

The Kruger National Park is a world renowned nature reserve. It is bigger than Israel. Something like two million hecters. The Honorary Rangers have a safari camp called Sand river camp. From here they do fund-raising to help nature conservation. You have to book the whole camp for a few days. The camp takes eight guests in four tents. The honorary rangers do all the catering and cleaning of the camp. The services of professional guides are used to take you on a game viewer vehicle and walks. They track the big five on foot while you walk in their steps.

Creeping up on lions that did not even know we were 50 m behind them. Leaving them undisturbed to go on with their kill. Just after that a large herd of buffalo came down to drink, passing just where the lions were laying up. All this happened as the last glow of the sun vanished.

Next day tracking leopard and finding fresh tracks of lion. Landing up looking into the lions eyes not 30 meter away. Thank goodness he decided to high tail it out of our sight.  On with some more leopard tracks, to come over the river bank to find an elephant bull on musk. Elephant decided we should not be there and started flopping his ears and walking in our direction.  So we promptly turned around at a brisk walk and crossed the river to the other bank.

Then there was a spotted hyena cub sharing a small cave with two porcupines. Just before that there was the carcass of a black rhino that had been poached. We were walking in areas of the park where nobody goes. Much to the guides disappointment he came across poachers tracks a few times and called it into the anti-poaching unit, on his satellite telephone.

To round off a very nice few days in the park. On our way out we came across Leopard copulating. Just so happened that the guide was telling us the pattern of events to expect the day before. It was as if the female had read the protocol before. Every detail to the book or should I say to the laws of nature. The presentation , the paw clout and roll on the ground after.

Well all good things come to an end. I am now back at work. The shoulder is now needing physiotherapy and strength training. At this time I am not able to ride the bicycle.