Up early again at 4a - found a scorpion under my tent. I’m sharing with Inga from Germany. Last night 8 folks paid for an upgrade to a room with a bed so I had the tent to myself…and the downstairs neighbour.
After a slowish start, we headed south on a 2 hour drive to the start of our 70km cycle - I was wondering why we would drive a flat section of road but the answer became clear as the road signs passed by. POTHOLE the sign said. Well why didn’t they just fix the pothole thought I. Then the BIG sign said WARNING SEVERE POTHOLES. For the next 50 km Sandila didn’t even try to drive on the severely potholed road - the washboard shoulder was a smoother ride.
At Greta we turned west into headwinds and got started with the idea of 25 km + 25km + 20 km legs - it was about 4 hours later than we usually left. Cloud cover made the first leg fine - the Kalahari landscape looked mostly scorched with no sign of life. At about kilometre 42 the sun came out and almost like a switch went off, I had to stop and pour water on my head and walk a bit before slowly rolling to the bus in the distance. My takeaway: never cycle when the ambient temperatures is higher than body temperature!
Was very impressed with the nine folks who continued on the last 20 km.
Ambient temperature 41C
Bus temperature 46C
…but it’s a dry heat!
On the way to our next stop we had a pit stop at a modern supermarket - I grabbed an ice cream to cool off and some cider for dinner. Tonight’s stop is Camp Audi in Maun, a big jumping off spot for safaris in Moremi and Okavango Parks, oh and, fettuccini Bolognese tonight!
Food has been fine - geared toward western tastes. Breakfast is coffee (instant) which oddly, I have had no taste for, various cereals and yogurt. I have been sticking the protein shakes I brought and yogurt. Lunch is various salads, cold cuts and bread. If the wind and weather prevail it will be braii which is anything cooked on an open flame but typically beef with a specific BBQ flavouring. We also are maintaining a drinks cooler for personal drinks and taking turns buying ice. I’m tempted to buy a bag, they are well sealed, to use as a pillow!
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