Hitting the Wall

After a glorious day yesterday I hit the Wall today. We are holidaying here in the beautiful Drakensberg Gardens Resort and yesterday I enjoyed a beautiful bike ride with my daughter Kelly on some rented bikes. 

Kelly sketching in a beautiful setting. Nikon V1 6,7-13mm lens

 Woke up this morning to some blustery conditions and decided to try one of the resort's mountain bike trails. After selecting a bike with disc brakes I went looking for the trails and the easier family route alongside the river sounded just fine. It was downhill and I had a strong breeze behind me, the river beside me and boy was I having fun. There was a little stormpipe crossing up ahead and I unknowingly cut the corner, went flying over the handlebars and heard a loud thud as my forehead hit the soft riversand. I was lying in the ditch with the bike entangled around me and as I opened my eyes everything was sort of whitish and blurry (like a badly overexposed and out of focus photo). I scurried for my cellphone, retrieved it from my camera bag but then couldn't find it.

After sometime looking for my cellphone, trying to adjust the white point slider in my head to fix this bright view of the world and lotsa prayer (didn't want to die in a ditch on a beginner's trail) I soon realised I could see better again. I bravely mounted my hired blue Nomad Bike and found my way to the tar road and with sheer determination and grit cycled uphill to return safely in the arms of my loving and caring wife (who is currently pampering me and nursing me back to good health)

Self portrait in a river pool - who knows what lies around the bend. Nikon V1 6,7-13mm

I have a new found respect for my brother Grant, a keen cyclist and my cycling colleagues at work. Thank God He answers prayers and knows us better than we know ourselves. Morals of the story - mind your head ( wear a helmet in future), one can always bounce back after hitting the Wall and lastly never underestimate the beginner's section!