A CLOSE ENCOUNTER with a Russian bus has proved to be a blessing in disguise for Tenby adventurer Rosie Swale Pope.

Now into the second year of her round-the-world run, 58-year-old Rosie has just spent several days in hospital after she, her running trolley and the bus were in collision.

"The bus driver was absolutely devastated, as Rosie is a national hero in Russia," said her local co-ordinator, Ann Rowell.

"He took her to the local hospital where they diagnosed pneumonia, which she probably had for three weeks.

"She had already been taking antibiotics because of a tick bite, so that had kept the pneumonia at bay.

"But if she hadn't had the accident and gone to hospital, it would have undoubtedly got worse and put her off the road for even longer."

Rosie was discharged from hospital on Friday, after being treated for a cut head and bruised leg, and spent the weekend under the wing of her newest friend - the driver of the bus which knocked her down!

He not only got together with colleagues to repair Rosie's damaged trolley, but offered her hospitality in his family home for the weekend.

"After spending nearly a year in Russia, Rosie is now fluent in the language and was going to give a talk to a local school before going back on the road, taking it carefully, on Monday," said Ann.

THE adventurer has covered over 5,000 miles since leaving Tenby on her 57th birthday in October 2003.

Currently south-east of Irkutsk, her goal is Magadan, 4,600 miles away, which she is aiming for by April.

She then heads across the Bering Strait into Alaska and Canada before she runs across the USA to New York; then north to Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland and south through Scotland and Ireland.