Sunday 15th to Sunday 22nd December 2013

There were quite a few of us staying at Emerald guest house the first night with people heading their separate ways over the next couple of days. It was a good way to acclimatise from going down from a core group of 15 students to just one.

We made the most of the last night, options for dinner and beer were limited so six of us really lived it up and went to the airport.

The next morning Cliff and I got one last run in. Two white guys running around Kempton Park (the airport district) does get quite a few funny looks. One of the taxi drivers that turned up later said he’d seen us so it must have been out of the ordinary.

I drove down to Leopards Lodge at Hartebeesport Dam, I made a beeline there because I knew it from when Marc and Cherith got married back in 2010.

It’s a stunning location, quarter of the way up a mountain overlooking the dam. I was keen to stay there as it was set on a small farm with no dangerous game. This meant that I could run daily around the bush keeping an eye out for spoors (tracks) and listening to the bird calls. However, the mountain setting made for some torturous running.

I also wanted to spend the week studying. As always I didn’t get as much done as I wanted but by the time I fly to Cape Town tonight I should have finished my Trails Guide work book.

Ten minutes before I arrived at Leopard’s Lodge, Marc and Cherith had their first child, Amelie. I thought it only appropriate that I go out into the bush and christen her by writing her name with rocks.

Onto the next stage of my holiday, heading down to Cape Town to spend the Christmas week with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins.