The Gathering...

Have spent the past couple of weeks trying to plan and put together a "post 30th birthday" gathering for close friends - yes I left it too late, and that's the reason why its a month after my birthday. Happy to announce that things appear to be on track (note how I only said "appear to be"). That's because there is a lot that still needs to be done. I mean, those of you who have seen our place will know that it isn't exactly blessed with tons of square meterage. Estate agents would call it "neat and cosy" - and so K and I are both holding our breath about how well our neat and cosy little apartment will host some 30 guests. Apart from space, we have a lot of tidying up to do, and perhaps a bit of furniture rearrangement to create more space (or at least the illusion thereof).
Either way, it should be fun. Well...maybe not so much fun if you're the apartment below us, or next to us :-)
The great news is that we have a couple of mates from the UK who will be back in time for the "gathering" (some more permanently than others - welcome home Pat).

An open letter...

The allegations against Floyd Landis continue - although his legal team have put together quite a strong case that the tests could have been compromised, and cannot be called accurate. I came across this letter (its an open letter from Floyd to the Phonak team) on Floyd's blog...and I have to admit that I am still more for, than against him.

Dear Andy, John, my teammates and staff:

When I joined the Phonak Cycling team, it was our ultimate goal to win the Tour de France. On Sunday, July 23rd, 2006, we achieved that goal.

With the dedication and support of the entire team and staff, we overcame impossible odds to make the 2006 Tour de France one of the most exciting races in its history. When the race arrived in Paris on the final day, we had the Yellow Jersey.

Winning the tour with Phonak makes me very proud. Andy, you have assembled an excellent organization, staff and team. You never wavered in your commitment to the team and your athletes despite the struggles you’ve faced in the past. It makes me happy to have won the Tour with and for Phonak. You deserved to be on the podium with me.

While the recent allegations against me hurt us all, I respect the fact that the Phonak team must follow its own rules and charter under these circumstances. I just wish that all the parties involved would do the same. Despite this, I will not relent on my pursuit of the truth. I will not shy away from this fight.

Most of all, I understand that this situation impacts families and friends other than my own. It affects the businesses and sponsors that support cycling as well as the sport itself. It is for this reason that I am determined to show that I followed the rules and won fairly and cleanly. There is a greater integrity at stake here than just my own.

I thank you all for your support and courage as I embark on this journey to restore my name, the team’s name and the image of cycling.

Thanks,

Floyd Landis
2006 Tour de France Champion

You make up your own mind.

The Sunset Collection

Having returned from the Kruger, and feeling all inspired with the beauty of nature, I thought I'd put together a collection of sunset photos that I've taken over the past few years. They're a little bigger than the other images on this blog...should be able to open in a new window to get the full size of the uploaded pic.

The Napi Trail

Returned back from a great couple of days in the Kruger this afternoon. Had a great time, with some great friends - saw lots, laughed lots, and walked lots.

Set off on Wednesday morning - without too much hassle with luggage. Arrived at around lunchtime and did a bit of a drive around before heading into Pretoriuskop Camp. Dave and Leigh, Andy and Julia, K and I then met up with Brad and Mandy. We were collected from Pretoriuskop, and driven to the Napi Wilderness Area. Set in the heart of the bush, along the Biyamiti and Napi rivers was our tented camp.
Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and getting used to the sounds of the bush.

Thursday morning started bright and early, as we set out on our morning walk. The morning walks started at about 6am, and we walked for about 4-5 hours, before returning back for brunch. First walk saw us spot a couple of steenbok, a giraffe, and a sleeping elephant bull, which was quite exciting, as we happened to only spot it on the bank of the river, behind a tree as we walked through the riverbed, about 15 meters from where it was sleeping. Needless to say, the rangers had us scramble up the opposite bank, whilst we watched him wake up after making a bit of noise.

Came across this young bull on our way to our afternoon walk. Got nice a close.

And a white rhino...

Afternoon walk saw us finding 5 white rhino. Watched them for a while whilst the storm clouds gathered overhead, before opening up and soaking us all. Was a bit uncomfortable being soaked wet, but an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. We decided to call it quits for the rest of the afternoon, found a nice lookout point on top of a rock, and settled in for a great sunset after the rains with a couple of ice cold, and well deserved drinks.

The wet ground after a 15 minute downpour...

Perfect lighting after the rains...

The magnificence of the sunset, after the storm.

The following day we were treated to a rare sighting of wild dog. There are only an estimated 300 wild dog in the park, and with these animals being on the endangered list, we counted ourselves very lucky to have stumbled upon a pack of 15.

Another magnificent sky...

Family of warthog grazing as we pass by.

Another day down, another sunset atop a rocky outcrop.

The view from our tent - sunrise Saturday morning. The Biyamiti river pictured here - with the Napi joining it from the right of our tent.

We happened to see plenty of Kudu on the trip - something that I also consider quite a treat, as these have to be one of the most beautiful looking antelope in the bush.

Lone giraffe...

This was also quite a nice sighting, as I believe that the ground hornbill is also quite a rare spot. This guy was just walking along the side of the road with his mate.

Wildebeest, taking a breather under the shade of an acacia tree.