Limpopo 21 March 2023

Vaalwater to Home: 277 km

Much like the first day of our trips, the last day is normally uneventful. This is the same mindset we had when we broke camp this morning. The nice thing about camping where there are minimum facilities means that you normally sleep well because there are no lights or other distractions.

The weather is perfect and while I pack up the last things Izabel goes down to the ‘offices’ where we will have breakfast before setting off. Last night’s dinner was excellent and breakfast did not disappoint. Our last stretch is mostly tarmac backroads so we should be back home just after midday.

As we ride the 4 km gravel road out of the game reserve the air is fresh and crisp but it will heat up shortly. We make a quick pit stop in Vaalwater to fill up. It is a public holiday so the roads are not very busy. Are about 20 km from Nylstroom when our world suddenly shatters. Our average speed on the tarmac is hardly ever over 80 km/h and when I know that there are no unknowns along the route it would usually be 70 km/h, as was the case this morning.

As we crested a hill into a left downhill turn BOOM! Putin shoots to the right like an arrow from a bow. There is no or very little response to any steering input or braking and within seconds we hit the Armco barrier on the opposite side of the turn. My lights went out and the first thing I remember is a lady telling me to keep still because I’m bleeding. Blood was streaming out of my helmet and I asked where my wife was. This is the first that they realized that there was somebody else.

They found her 50 m from me trapped underneath Putin with only bruises. Talk about Super Woman! Meanwhile, I tried to get to her but collapsed somewhere along the way. Next thing I realized was that I was in an ambulance.

What was supposed to be an uneventful day turned into a nightmare. My right side took quite a battering with two stitches on my forehead, thirteen on my upper leg, a broken collarbone, a severely bruised heel and multiple cuts and bruises.

But the silver lining would be the people who stopped to help us. Nobody saw the accident so we only have theories of what happened. Thanks to these people an ambulance was there quickly and we did not loseGoPro a single personal item, san the Gopro remote that is probably lying somewhere in the veld. They made sure we were looked after and then took care of our belonging.

Well, that is another trip done and I’m hoping to get Putin repaired for the next one once I’m mobile again. But this was quite an emotional experience for Izabel and it will take some time for her to heal from the emotional scars. I won’t push her but I am sure that in the future she will be at my side for another adventure.