We’ve definitely taken the scenic route at various points during this trip, for example we could have bypassed all of Malawi and cut straight into Zambia - but what fun would that have been? However, ignoring the extra kms and fixing our path around what we want to see is most true of our time in Botswana: we could have cut straight to Kasane from the border at Zambia to shortcut to the Caprivi and Namibia...Naaaah - then we’d miss the elephant highway! We could have kept heading south from Nata, on to Gaborone and into South Africa in no time...Naaaah - then we’d miss the Okavango Delta! We could keep peddling west and hit Windhoek in Namibia in just a few days....Naaah - then we’d miss Etosha! So every time we tell someone where we are headed, they’re full of ideas for shortcuts - but we aren’t interested. So what if we’ve added over 1000km to the journey...
And the journey is what it’s been all about this week. We’ve just arrived in Maun, at the Delta, but getting here has been a true experience. Our first afternoon in Botswana was more frantic than we anticipated. Silly things like realising, after crossing the border, that Zambian kwacha is a closed currency. And we now have a useless $100 worth... To phones being difficult to set up and guest house prices shooting through the roof in comparison to the previous countries. All on no food. Literally every issue was resolved when we set foot in Kubu Lodge. Sharon, the wonderful owner took the kwacha off our hands in exchange for Pula, gave us a bed and fed us up (in a stunning restaurant overlooking the Chobe River). The next morning she even passed us on to her friends at a lodge in Panadamatenga. Sharon started the domino effect of generosity towards us through Botswana. This is something we’d come to learn about people in Botswana - the welcomeness and hospitality is endless. And everybody wants to help and to pass you on to the next happy to help person along our route.
So, we were set for our first 100km on the elephant highway. And it was entirely uneventful. So many signs with a variety of warnings about all of the scary wildlife that was lurking around. Yet, not a whisker. Not to say the cycling was easy, despite it being flat and good tarmac, we both found the day tougher than anticipated.
Arriving at Panadamatenga, we met Tracey, Brendan and Andrew and were scooted up to the beautiful Wildtrack Safari Eco-Lodge. Set up in the bush, right next to the Zimbabwean border. That evening we were treated to a truly African experience: a group of award winning youngsters from the local village came to perform traditional dances. We sat around the fire as they came to life with their voices and movements - it was epic and a real privilege to see. A bout of sickness knocked Naomi out the following day, and we decided to use a banked day to restore out in the relaxing atmosphere of the eco-lodge.
The evening before our biggest distance day was spent having a homely dinner with Andrew and Brenden (the managers of the lodge). It was a great evening - relaxed, swapping stories. There were a few tales that gave us the heebie jeebies - talk of vicious wild dogs on the road we were due to cycle. Lions prowling the grasses waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting cyclist. Snakes laying out on the tarmac. So the morning of our big scary day - 150km, no spots for water or food, and apparently every single predator with an eye for human prey - we were preeeeetty terrified. Naomi even carried a knife (usually used for making peanut butter sandwiches) and bug spray (“For spraying in their eyes! No, not the mosquitos - the dogs!”) in her front bike bag. Just in case. For 50km we thought the signs and stories were jokes - until Naomi spotted a shape in the bushes. A buffalo! Knowing better than to engage him, we whispered excitedly and peddled on past. We survived our first animal encounter! And with a grumpy old buffalo no less. Propelled on by this victory we kept scanning to see what else we could spot. A little later, our first elephant highway namesakes. Far enough away to feel comfortable enough to stop and get some snaps.
All was well until other people were thrown into the mix. We came upon a lone old bull elephant, pretty close to the road but seemingly nonplussed at our presence. We stopped, made sure he didn’t give any of the warning signs (ear flapping, head shaking, trumpeting and worst case - a charge...) and decided this would be a great photo opportunity: Charlie peddling past with a big nellie just a few metres away. Just as we were next to him a car pulled up and started honking its horn. Now, rule number one: do not startle the bloody giant animal. Particularly when there are two unprotected people right by said animal. Thankfully, the elephant chose flight over fight and we weren’t placed in any real danger. The car did not know this would be the case, and it was a stupid move on their part. So when they wound down their window and said *cue American accent* “Man, you guys have gat real balls!” it took everything we have not to spit back “Our balls are clearly bigger than your brains given what you just did!”
The rest of the big cycle went without issue - sharing the road with some beautiful giraffes, and a few elephant families a little way off the road really showed us how wild Botswana really is.
Arriving at Elephant Sands, we had to push our bike through the, you guessed it, sand. Usually this is just annoying, but given the variety of fresh paw prints littering the path - annoyance gave way to a little bit of terror and we pushed as fast as we could to the main camp. Here we were treated to an up close elephant stopping by for a drink at the water hole.
The next day was a small day, (save for hitting the halfway mark of our trip!) and one we’d anticipated would be less animal swamped. Yet, as we put our bags together on our bike, a lorry pulled over asking if he could give us a lift - we said thanks, but no thanks. He gave us a grave look and asked if we weren’t scared of lions. Yes is obviously the only sane answer to that question, however on we peddled regardless.
Some way down the road, we had a little run in with an over-protective mother elephant. We thought we’d given enough of a wide berth and were moving slowly and quietly around this breeding herd. Clearly not. Mummy Nelly gave us a big old trumpet and mock charged. Although you only know it’s a charge of the mocking variety after the event. So whilst it was happening we both had the same thought, “Shit. Can we cycle faster than an elephant can run?!” As I say, she was just mocking us - so after a few paces she turned back to her calf and we were safely out of there. Took a while longer for our heart rates to come down though.
After Nata we turned to peddle west and found Gweta Lodge. A happy oasis tucked away in a little village off the main road. Helen and her family took us in and we had a brilliant afternoon and evening relaxing by their pool and swapping more stories. It was a real pleasure to spend time at Gweta Lodge, we were treated like old friends coming to stay and were able to totally relax and feel a little bit at home in a very foreign place. The next day was 120km: a tough, hot and windy one all the way to Leopard Plain, a game reserve tucked up from the main road. And what a night we had here - in the middle of the African bush, surrounded by wildlife in a stunning setting. We took a sundowners tour with beers in hand and zebra, kudu and steinbok roaming around (not to mention the wonderful wolfhound pup - Quinn - already the size of a small horse). Another incredible level of hospitality from Tim who showed us the lodge: all built up with his own hands. Dinner and breakfast were shared with Tim and we learned so much about the area and sustaining the wildlife.
Leaving was difficult, but the Okavango Delta was calling and 90km later and we hit the busy town of Maun. We pulled into a recommended spot for some scrummy lunch before traversing creaky old bridges to make our way to our sleeping spot for the next few days.
The Okavango Delta has been one of our most highly anticipated spots, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store over the next few days.
***THREE GREAT REASONS TO DONATE*** 1. You’re inspired/impressed/shocked at our peddling skills and think that climbing the equivalent of Everest over three times since we set off and conquering 4,200km in 9 weeks deserves a penny or two; 2. You’ve read our blogs on the African charity partners, and agree that the work they do is incredible and that they deserve as much funding and support as possible; 3. You appreciate the fear from being (mock) charged by an elephant that we went through Do a great thing, hit up this link and support The Egmont Trust https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/equatortocape
