D68….Roadkill and Skiboots.

Back on the bikes at last. A good breakfast kicked off an early start. We were ferried back to Maun from our hotel, to collect the bikes which we had serviced the day before at the Wilderness depot in Maun. Wilderness run all the big camps in the Delta.

We commenced with 200 kliks on tar in lovely warm weather. In England we associate roadkill with rabbits, the odd hedgehog and sparrows ( not sure if there are actually any sparrows still surviving in the UK?!). Here it is altogether a different scene. Donkeys, cows and goats litter the side of the road. And to be clear dead ones. We passed hundreds. No one clears up, it is just left for Africa to do this. We assume it is mainly the trucks that cause the damage. I have never seen so many live animals grazing by the side of an open road in my life, and certainly never so many dead ones.

Following on from the tar was 170 km of dirt road. As described to us. But does sand come within the category of dirt? It seems it does. So the bikes were sliding, slipping and weaving all over the place. The rookie George had it all covered….or so he thought! A little score card for the afternoon….George 2 offs, Nick 1 off (and bruised shoulder), Sam major wobble, Tim retired and Gregg and I unscathed. It has to be mentioned that my confidence had been mightily boosted by a moment of sheer inpsiration from Nick. How to protect my foot?? Why not a skiboot says Nick. So George brought one over and it has been brilliant, offering the best protection imaginable. Has anyone ever worn a skiboot in Botswana before?? The country is flat, hot and a snowflake has never been seen before!

We are now encamped by a bushman village about 4 kms from the Namibian border. We will see what tomorrow has in store for us. J