Lusaka (Zambia) to Gaborone (Botswana) 5,745km to 7,304km
Well, we have made it to Gaborone. What a nice feeling it was when we finally found our way to Robyn’s house. We got lost several times and battled the non-cyclist friendly busy streets of Gabs, but it was all worth it when we greeted the guards and entered the compound. After some confusion over which number house was Robyn’s (we actually entered the wrong house to begin with and were discovered by the lady owner who politely indicated that we were in her house), we entered, and huge smiles as well as a massive feeling of relief washed over us. It has been a challenging 4 months and over 7,000km through many countries, full of adventure, hard times and rewarding moments. We knew that once we got here we could have a rest, return our lives to an easier and more comfortable pace and enjoy the luxuries of being in a house. Robyn had left us a spotless house and a packet of Tim Tams in the fridge – what a perfect welcome. She is travelling through East Africa at the moment so we will catch up with her when she returns. The Tim Tams didn’t last long as we squabbled over the last few and we wasted no time in settling in. After spending the last 4 months in our tent or cheap and nasty guest houses, it was so nice to have a fridge, couch, oven, flushing sit down toilet, shower with hot water and a clean and comfortable bed.
Since arriving we’ve wasted no time exploring the city, which is quite spread out despite its relatively small population of 250,000. We even bought some cheap $20 runners so we could explore some of the nearby bush, and after my first run I had an instant appreciation for my comfortable runners at home as the cheapies definitely felt like they were worth $20 and not a cent more. Botswanans live a relatively high quality of life by African standards, and Gabs certainly has a trendy feel to it. The people dress smartly, have well maintained hairstyles and smell of fancy colognes. We don’t fit in at all, but we are certainly used to that by now. Natural resources, particularly diamonds, help fuel a fast growing economy and the people seem to have adopted the Western way of life in regards to consumerism. Hence shopping malls are everywhere and shopping is very popular amongst the people. We have been blown away by the supermarkets, and we must have looked like we had never seen a supermarket when we first entered and slowly explored the aisles gawking at the huge selection of yummy food.
We have been here for a couple of weeks already, and will stay for at least one more. We are certainly enjoying the luxuries, but we have already started to get itchy feet again and are feeling the need to satisfy our adventurous spirit and our curiosity at what lies beyond. We are excited about Namibia and are busy planning which route to take.
Botswana is a big country (about the size of France), but has less than 2 million people. Hence distances are big, and we had some long days in the saddle. As well as visiting the spectacular Victoria Falls, Christine had a bout of Malaria, we had our tent attacked by baboons and we saw lots and lots of elephants.
Malaria
Well, we have made it to Gaborone. What a nice feeling it was when we finally found our way to Robyn’s house. We got lost several times and battled the non-cyclist friendly busy streets of Gabs, but it was all worth it when we greeted the guards and entered the compound. After some confusion over which number house was Robyn’s (we actually entered the wrong house to begin with and were discovered by the lady owner who politely indicated that we were in her house), we entered, and huge smiles as well as a massive feeling of relief washed over us. It has been a challenging 4 months and over 7,000km through many countries, full of adventure, hard times and rewarding moments. We knew that once we got here we could have a rest, return our lives to an easier and more comfortable pace and enjoy the luxuries of being in a house. Robyn had left us a spotless house and a packet of Tim Tams in the fridge – what a perfect welcome. She is travelling through East Africa at the moment so we will catch up with her when she returns. The Tim Tams didn’t last long as we squabbled over the last few and we wasted no time in settling in. After spending the last 4 months in our tent or cheap and nasty guest houses, it was so nice to have a fridge, couch, oven, flushing sit down toilet, shower with hot water and a clean and comfortable bed.
Since arriving we’ve wasted no time exploring the city, which is quite spread out despite its relatively small population of 250,000. We even bought some cheap $20 runners so we could explore some of the nearby bush, and after my first run I had an instant appreciation for my comfortable runners at home as the cheapies definitely felt like they were worth $20 and not a cent more. Botswanans live a relatively high quality of life by African standards, and Gabs certainly has a trendy feel to it. The people dress smartly, have well maintained hairstyles and smell of fancy colognes. We don’t fit in at all, but we are certainly used to that by now. Natural resources, particularly diamonds, help fuel a fast growing economy and the people seem to have adopted the Western way of life in regards to consumerism. Hence shopping malls are everywhere and shopping is very popular amongst the people. We have been blown away by the supermarkets, and we must have looked like we had never seen a supermarket when we first entered and slowly explored the aisles gawking at the huge selection of yummy food.
We have been here for a couple of weeks already, and will stay for at least one more. We are certainly enjoying the luxuries, but we have already started to get itchy feet again and are feeling the need to satisfy our adventurous spirit and our curiosity at what lies beyond. We are excited about Namibia and are busy planning which route to take.
Botswana is a big country (about the size of France), but has less than 2 million people. Hence distances are big, and we had some long days in the saddle. As well as visiting the spectacular Victoria Falls, Christine had a bout of Malaria, we had our tent attacked by baboons and we saw lots and lots of elephants.
Malaria
Just before we left Lusaka, Christine had her suspicions confirmed. She hadn’t been feeling 100% for some time, and was rapidly deteriorating. She visited a local clinic and two blood tests confirmed that she had malaria. It was lucky we were in a capital city so being diagnosed and receiving treatment was relatively simple and very cheap. Malaria is a huge killer in Africa due to a lack of resources and facilities, but if diagnosed and treated early it is far less dangerous. Christine was prescribed a cocktail of drugs that required her to pop 14 pills throughout each day for 5 days. Day one of her treatment was the day we had planned to leave Lusaka. She said that she felt fine, and that she was happy to set out and ride for the day. We had about 130km to our planned destination, and the morning went incident free. But after she began to pop her pills at designated times, she began to fatigue quickly and couldn’t hold down any food or water. Plenty of passing motorists caught a glimpse of her projectile vomiting on the side of the road.
In between my loving and caring support for Christine, I did manage to whip the camera out to get a few snaps of her spewing on the side of the road.She went in waves for the rest of the day, sometimes feeling great but other times terrible. In hindsight, we should have taken another rest day, but we have both become so good (probably too good) at saying “she’ll be right”. The last 50km seemed to take forever, but we managed to crawl into a very nice guesthouse where we put our tent on their lush green grass. From there she improved dramatically and after 3 days was back to 100%. I have definitely had all the luck when it has come to avoiding illness on this trip. We have always eaten the same food and drank the same water, and we are quite diligent in our efforts to stay healthy. Christine has just been unlucky, and can now add malaria to her Africa illness list, which already contains Giardia and a nasty foot infection.
Victoria Falls
After leaving Lusaka we had a stretch of about 470km down to Livingstone and the famous Victoria Falls. It was a fairly flat section, and the wind was almost always a tailwind … a cyclist's best friend. We had some interesting campsites (the days of cheap rooms are gone now so the budget can only afford campgrounds from now on), and the cycling was pleasant enough. Livingstone is the town on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls, and is fairly touristy. We visited the falls and they were absolutely amazing. Nothing could really prepare us for the sheer magnitude of this spectacular natural wonder. The spray could be seen 10km away, and the amount of water gushing over the edge was simply mind blowing. We enjoyed wandering around and viewing the falls from different angles. We were quite overwhelmed by the amount of tourists, but found pleasure in mocking the camera wielding army. One lady in particular amused us as she clattered around the dirt paths in designer clothes, fancy hair and make up and high heels. Our experiences have made us fairly quick to size up and judge other tourists, and although we love to meet and chat with interesting people, we find the tourist crowd to be a challenging as well as varied bunch.
A cheesy pose at the top of the falls.
The edge of the falls.
An aerial shot taken by a couple we met who took a flight over the falls. This is the best photo to capture the size of the falls which are 1.7km wide and 108m high. It is easy to see that it is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The bridge in the photo separates Zambia and Zimbabwe.
We had a pleasant stay in Livingstone. We had heard that Botswana was a flat and boring country, so we weren’t overly excited about leaving Zambia. We wanted to take a route through Zimbabwe, but the instability deterred us, so a long stretch through Botswana it was to be.
1-0 to the baboons
Our first day in Botswana was not one of our better days. The morning’s ride was pleasant, and we reached the border of Zambia and Botswana by mid morning. We boarded the barge to ferry us across the mighty Zambezi, and found ourselves in a new country. From this point, our day kind of went downhill (not literally, unfortunately). We had no idea of the exchange rate (normally we would look on the internet beforehand, but forgot this time), so it turned out that we lost about $10 to the notorious border money changers. After we cycled off, Christine realised that she had left her new cycling gloves across the river in Zambia. They would have surely been snuffled up by the border pests, so we didn’t even bother with the effort of catching the ferry back and trying to find them (it turned out that someone picked them up and she got them back 800km later … long story). We then cycled into the first town in Botswana, which sits alongside one of the most popular national parks in southern Africa. This meant that prices were high, and the cheapest camping we could find was about $14 per person – more than our daily budget! All the allocated campsites were in the grassless patches of hard dirt. Since Christine has a sleeping mat that is horribly uncomfortable (new one is arriving soon), we sort out a patch of grass to put our tent pretending not to notice that it was on the other side of a barrier and clearly not for tents. One of the many security guards came and promptly told us that it’s the dirt or nothing. Not a good start. It was a pleasant place though, and because it backed onto the national park there was plenty of wild life. Warthogs roamed around, monkeys and baboons seemed to have the run of the place, we could hear the hippos in the adjacent Zambezi River and there were signs warning of big crocs in the river.
This resident warthog was quite friendly.
After leaving Lusaka we had a stretch of about 470km down to Livingstone and the famous Victoria Falls. It was a fairly flat section, and the wind was almost always a tailwind … a cyclist's best friend. We had some interesting campsites (the days of cheap rooms are gone now so the budget can only afford campgrounds from now on), and the cycling was pleasant enough. Livingstone is the town on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls, and is fairly touristy. We visited the falls and they were absolutely amazing. Nothing could really prepare us for the sheer magnitude of this spectacular natural wonder. The spray could be seen 10km away, and the amount of water gushing over the edge was simply mind blowing. We enjoyed wandering around and viewing the falls from different angles. We were quite overwhelmed by the amount of tourists, but found pleasure in mocking the camera wielding army. One lady in particular amused us as she clattered around the dirt paths in designer clothes, fancy hair and make up and high heels. Our experiences have made us fairly quick to size up and judge other tourists, and although we love to meet and chat with interesting people, we find the tourist crowd to be a challenging as well as varied bunch.
A cheesy pose at the top of the falls.
The edge of the falls.
An aerial shot taken by a couple we met who took a flight over the falls. This is the best photo to capture the size of the falls which are 1.7km wide and 108m high. It is easy to see that it is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The bridge in the photo separates Zambia and Zimbabwe.We had a pleasant stay in Livingstone. We had heard that Botswana was a flat and boring country, so we weren’t overly excited about leaving Zambia. We wanted to take a route through Zimbabwe, but the instability deterred us, so a long stretch through Botswana it was to be.
1-0 to the baboons
Our first day in Botswana was not one of our better days. The morning’s ride was pleasant, and we reached the border of Zambia and Botswana by mid morning. We boarded the barge to ferry us across the mighty Zambezi, and found ourselves in a new country. From this point, our day kind of went downhill (not literally, unfortunately). We had no idea of the exchange rate (normally we would look on the internet beforehand, but forgot this time), so it turned out that we lost about $10 to the notorious border money changers. After we cycled off, Christine realised that she had left her new cycling gloves across the river in Zambia. They would have surely been snuffled up by the border pests, so we didn’t even bother with the effort of catching the ferry back and trying to find them (it turned out that someone picked them up and she got them back 800km later … long story). We then cycled into the first town in Botswana, which sits alongside one of the most popular national parks in southern Africa. This meant that prices were high, and the cheapest camping we could find was about $14 per person – more than our daily budget! All the allocated campsites were in the grassless patches of hard dirt. Since Christine has a sleeping mat that is horribly uncomfortable (new one is arriving soon), we sort out a patch of grass to put our tent pretending not to notice that it was on the other side of a barrier and clearly not for tents. One of the many security guards came and promptly told us that it’s the dirt or nothing. Not a good start. It was a pleasant place though, and because it backed onto the national park there was plenty of wild life. Warthogs roamed around, monkeys and baboons seemed to have the run of the place, we could hear the hippos in the adjacent Zambezi River and there were signs warning of big crocs in the river.
This resident warthog was quite friendly.We found a quiet corner and pitched our tent as a giant goanna like reptile scampered off into the river. We headed off for a walk and to do some shopping. The next stretch from here is 300km with only one little village along the way, so we needed to pick up some supplies. We were gone for about 3 hours, and upon our return we thought we had been robbed. My sleeping bag was out of the tent, Christine’s bike was laying on the ground, the tent had two big holes in it and our clothes and bags were strewn out everywhere across the dirt. Dave, a British guy who has cycled from London with whom we have been playing leap frog since Tanzania (http://www.davestravelpages.com/), was camped about 50m away on the other side of some trees. He informed us that he was resting in his tent reading, and could hear some “noises that didn’t sound right” coming from our tent. Upon investigating, Dave found a troop of baboons running amok and creating havoc at our camp. They were very aggressive, and had ripped through the tent in two places to get inside. There was no food in there, so it is still a mystery as to why they were so curious with the inside of our tent. And why they would drag out my sleeping bag and knock over a bike is also a mystery. Dave had to throw some rocks to get rid of them, and if it wasn’t for him I think the baboons would have ridden off on our bikes with all our stuff. The mess they left and the damage they did was like a revenge mission, but we have never done anything to the baboons or any of the primates for that matter. After expressing my discontent to one of the guards who is armed with a sling shot (of all weapons) for the very reason of pesky baboons but was “somewhere else” while our tent was being attacked, we went straight to the top and spoke to the manager. He was friendly and sympathetic, but not very helpful. From our point of view, there weren’t any warning signs and nobody said anything when we checked in and payed at reception. If we were warned, we wouldn’t have pitched our tent until later in the evening while we could sit and guard it. The manager did upgrade us to one of the permanent safari tents that they offer which was actually very nice and comfortable, but the tent still has two big rips in it only being held together now by the most invaluable piece of equipment in our repair kit – duck tape. The manager promised that signs and clearer warnings would be up immediately, and was very sorry for our tent! We always like it on the rare occasions where animals reign supreme, but in this case we suffered the consequences and the score line now reads 1-0 to the baboons!
One of the holes the baboons made upon breaking in to our tent.
The next day we went on a wildlife drive in the Chobe National Park. It was amazing, and we saw lots of animals. The animals were quite used to the vehicles and didn’t run away, so we were able to sit and watch them from a close distance. It was spectacular, and one of the highlights of our trip so far.
Getting ready for our safari.
No, this elephant doesn’t have 2 trunks or 5 legs. He is just a big male in more ways than one!
A couple of young elephants crossing in front of us.
A mother and her baby.
These 3 giraffe weren’t really interested in us.
It was quite amusing watching the animals mingle. Generally they didn’t bother each other, but one elephant liked to chase away the giraffe.
So within three days we had visited Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park, and were starting to feel like real tourists. Well, the next stretch of 500km was sure to separate us again from the masses as we ventured into a long, flat and boring stretch. Boring except for one thing …
The elephant highway
When we looked at the map, there was a straight line of 300km without a single dot to indicate any villages. We did find out that there was a petrol station with a small shop attached after 100km, but that was it. Nothing else, well, except for lots of elephants.
We set out and were excited by the fact that we might see some elephants from our bikes. Less than 10km down the road we heard some thrashing about in the scrub. We stopped to listen and look, and sure enough a huge elephant was feeding just off the road. When we were in the vehicle the previous day, we were blown away by how big these animals are. Well, when you are at their level, they are even bigger and it is only then that you can truly appreciate their size and power. And all of a sudden we felt much more vulnerable, and well, small. We were quickly working out in our heads how fast an elephant can run, and how fast we can accelerate away from it. One thing about riding a loaded touring bike is that acceleration is very slow, so fast getaways are impossible. We made sure we kept a safe distance whereby if one of the elephants did decide to charge then we would have enough space and time to ride off. Still, we weren’t keen to test our calculations.
For the rest of the morning we saw many other elephants, but their behaviour was much different to the elephants in the national park. They were very cautious, and most turned back into the bush and ran away from us. They didn’t mind the odd car or truck that whizzed by, but as soon as we stopped on our bikes they were startled and headed for the safety of the thick bush. While on our safari drive in Chobe, the ranger informed us that elephants behave differently throughout Botswana. Hunting is sadly a lucrative business in southern Africa, and companies apply for permits to hunt the wildlife. Big spending tourists fly in and pay small fortunes to go and hunt the animals. It is supposedly strictly regulated so the population of the animals is kept at a healthy level, and the money generated is supposed to get put back into managing the national parks and for conservation. My experience so far in Africa tells me that it is more likely a corrupt industry whereby much of the money is lining the pockets of dodgy officials, and that regulations aren’t enforced or managed. Such is the confidence I now have in African laws and policies. I will never understand the mentality of someone who gains pleasure out of ending the life of an innocent animal living peacefully and harmlessly in it’s natural environment. And I’m not sure how much skill is involved in hunting an elephant as they are so big and easy to find. If only the animals could shoot back, then I wonder how many brave trophy hunters would still exist. In areas where the elephants aren’t hunted, they are very much at peace with people and are quite accepting of human observation. In areas where they are hunted, the high intelligence and excellent memory of elephants makes them aggressive and hostile towards people, and this was certainly the case along this stretch of highway. A couple of the lone bulls we saw were very hostile, and as we stopped to observe and try and take a photo, they were quick to put up their trunk and broaden their ears - a sign that they are kindly asking you to leave immediately or things could get nasty. One huge, and I mean huge, male, bluff charged me as I went to get the camera out. My heart nearly beat right out of my chest as I fumbled to put the camera away, click my shoes back into my pedals and hope that I suddenly didn’t get a puncture or a broken chain. Luckily he was just making sure that I was on my way, and didn’t continue with his charge. It was very intimidating and scary, and Christine thought it was quite amusing as she watched from a much safer distance.
Further down the road we were able to stop and observe a group of about 8 elephants that had gathered at a water hole in the late afternoon heat. We could just see them as we peered through the bush to the water hole about 100m away. I don’t think they knew we were there, or if they did then they didn’t seem to mind. We watched silently, fascinated by their behaviour. It was dead quiet, until the unmistakable rumble of a lion broke the silence. Somewhere between us and the elephants, a lion was resting in the shade and long grass. We didn’t see it, but what we heard was enough for us to get on our bikes and pedal like crazy. We had decided earlier that cats like the thrill of the chase, and that is how all their hunting is done. We thought that if we did see a cat then we would stay still as to not give it a chance to chase us. So much for that theory, we rode off as quickly as we could.
The day was ending fast, and we needed a spot to camp. We had already passed the petrol station and loaded up with water, but after hearing the lion we were a bit nervous to pitch our tent. We had no option though, as it was still 130km to the nearest town. We found a communications tower about 50m off the road that was enclosed by a barbed wire and electric fence. Gamely, we tested the electric fence to discover that it wasn’t turned on, and that the twisted wire securing the gate could be easily untwisted. We entered the compound, shut the gate behind us and immediately felt safe to put up our tent and cook some dinner. We had pedalled over 180km and were absolutely exhausted, but at least we could enjoy our dinner and have a wash with the knowledge that we were safe from any curious or hungry animals!
Safety and relief inside the fence surrounding the communications tower.
The next morning we battled a horrible headwind, more hot sun and a straight and boring road. There was nothing for 130km until we reached the next village. We didn’t hear or see any more lions, but we saw lots more elephants. Christine also had an encounter with a black mamba snake as it crossed the road in front of her. Apparently the black mamba is the only snake in Africa that will chase you for no apparent reason, and a bite can kill you almost instantly. We only found this out later, and Christine considered herself lucky as she had stopped to watch it and had wondered why it turned around and reared up at her. We soon rolled into the small village of Nata after a long and monotonous 300km, made only interesting by our encounters with the animal kingdom.
Evidence of elephants along the road.
We stopped and watched these two elephants just off the side of the road.
As we ventured towards Gaborone, we had much of the same fairly boring riding. Towns slowly became more regular, although distances were still big. We arrived in Gabs tired, worn out and ready for a rest. That’s just what we got.
In Style
The reason why we arrived in Gaborone at this time was so we could catch Mum and Dad at the end of their South African holiday. They had been in the country for a few weeks with their good friends Ron and Elaine Tabone, and we had planned to meet them in Johannesburg to spend a few days with them before they flew home. We excitedly boarded the 7-hour bus from Gaborone to Johannesburg in anticipation of seeing Mum and Dad.
Most bike tourers seem to get along with each other. A common sense of adventure and shared understanding of experiencing different countries, cultures and landscapes by pedal power makes for an almost instant companionship. This was certainly the case when we met Bridget in Bolivia, South America. We met a pocket sized blonde South African who was a few years older than us, but her pig-tails and girlish features easily made her look about 16. She has travelled all over the world on her bike not allowing being female and solo get in the way of her adventurous ambitions. We seemed to get along well with her, but the fact that we were travelling in opposite directions meant that we only spent a day with her, discussing route information and sharing stories about South America. Since that encounter back in 2004, we have occasionally emailed each other, but I would hardly say we have kept in touch. Although bike tourers don’t all live in the same village somewhere in Europe or America as many African locals seem to think, we do normally exchange contact details in case the need arrives to ask route or country information, or if we ever visit their country of residence. This was the case with Bridget, and when we mentioned we would be in Johannesburg for a few days before we met Mum and Dad, she kindly offered for us to stay with her Mum. Bridget was going to be away in Nepal, but her Mum was more than happy to accommodate us for a few days.
Fiona, Bridget’s Mum, picked us up from the bus station, which was a huge relief. Most people have heard stories about the crime rate in Johannesburg, and although we were more than prepared to approach the huge city with an open mind, it was nice to have someone pick us up from the hectic bus station. From that moment on, Fiona’s hospitality and kindness was amazing, and she really looked after us in the true sense. We weren’t used to being looked after so it was nice to have someone care for us and display such generous hospitality. For the next 3 days, Fiona drove us around seeing the sights of Johannesburg, cooked our dinner, prepared our breakfast, enlightened us about South African history and culture and basically spoilt us rotten. She has lived in Johannesburg all her life and is passionate about what Johannesburg has to offer, and places her focus on the positives rather than the negative crime stigma that dominates the city. The crime rate cannot be ignored though, and Fiona’s house is locked up like Fort Knox with a high fence, an alarm system, separate locking doors for each room, 3 secret panic buttons throughout the house and a bull terrier roaming the yard. This is the minimum for a house in Johannesburg, and many houses also had electric fences and full time guards. Christine woke up one night at 1am as the power was out, a car was driving back and forth past our window, a red light was flashing in the next room and the phone was ringing. One of the side effects of our anti-malaria medication is hallucinative dreams and we have had our fair share of ‘strange’ dreams this trip. When Christine woke, she was not sure if it was another weird dream, but upon answering the phone she was wide awake and reality struck. The security guard was on the phone seeing if everything was OK and explained that it was them driving by to make sure the house was secure as the power was out and hence the alarm system down. Christine woke Fiona, who was used to such night time drama, and they both went outside to investigate. All appeared to be OK, although a bit eerie with no power, but then a series of gun shots broke the night time silence a few streets away. Again Fiona was relatively unfazed, and Christine went back to bed only to hear a few more rounds of gun fire in the next half an hour. While all of this was happening I had a very important job keeping the bed warm, although this went unnoticed and unappreciated by Christine.
Fiona has grown up like this, and although she is constantly on guard, for example always making sure our windows are up and doors locked when driving the streets, she isn’t scared and refuses to allow the crime rate stop her from enjoying her home city. This made it fun for us, as she drove us through parts of Johannesburg where most white people are afraid to go as well as taking us through the fancy affluent parts, which could easily fit amongst the Tooraks and Malverns at home. We visited Nelson Mandela’s old house, and the one he lives in now. We went to the Apartheid museum and toured the townships in Soweto. All in all we had a great time with Fiona and were blown away by her hospitality. We will see her again before we fly home, and we also look forward to reuniting with Bridget before we leave Africa.
Fiona dropped us off at the airport and it was great to see Mum and Dad. We had dinner with them and Ron and Elaine, and we enjoyed listening to their stories. Their African experience, as expected, was nothing like ours. They have had nothing but positive times, “the trip of a lifetime” as mum put it, and their stories were interesting and entertaining. We hired a car the next day and said goodbye to Ron and Elaine as they flew home. We drove to the Drakensberg Mountains and spent 4 lovely days amidst the spectacular mountain range. We were treated to luxury accommodation and the best food we have ever eaten, the complete opposite extreme to dirty brothel/guesthouses and rice and beans. We kept busy hiking, using the facilities, and eating. It was lovely to be in their company, and we loved hearing their stories and looking at their photos. Generally speaking, we have found African hospitality to be fairly rough and impersonal. Especially when we compared it to South East Asia. In contrast, Mum and Dad were given close to royal treatment and dined like kings as they stayed at fairly upmarket lodges around South Africa. I suppose that highlights the old saying ‘you get what you pay for’. They were treated to some of the best animal viewing Africa has to offer on their safari, and were very lucky with their sightings and observations. It is no wonder they had smiles on their faces from ear to ear as their African experience was like a real highlight. We were envious, but so happy that they had enjoyed a wonderful time and some of the best South Africa has to offer. Hearing of their culture shock in South Africa made us realise how remote and out there we have been in the last 4 months. Although South Africa has many problems and is far from a wealthy modern country as we know, to us it felt fairly normal and quite comfortable. We found ourselves reflecting on how different, poor and seemingly ancient some of the other countries we have visited are. We also got a taste of a challenge that lies ahead – trying to explain to others the nature of our experience. Words cannot do it justice, and we found ourselves enjoying Mum and Dad's stories rather than trying to articulate our experiences. I’ve realised that these updates are far better than any of my futile attempts to verbally express our experiences.
Our pampered lifestyle of rental car, luxurious accommodation and gourmet buffet meals came to an end, and it was sad to leave Mum and Dad. We bussed it back to Gaborone and started planning our next stretch. The break was just what we needed and now we are very excited about getting back on the bikes – our motivations for adventure and energy levels well and truly back in tact.
Mum and dad on a short walk at the foothills of the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains.
Enjoying muffins and milkshakes at our hotel. It was easily the best place we have ever stayed and the best food we’ve ever eaten. Thanks Mum and Dad!
One of the holes the baboons made upon breaking in to our tent.The next day we went on a wildlife drive in the Chobe National Park. It was amazing, and we saw lots of animals. The animals were quite used to the vehicles and didn’t run away, so we were able to sit and watch them from a close distance. It was spectacular, and one of the highlights of our trip so far.
Getting ready for our safari.
No, this elephant doesn’t have 2 trunks or 5 legs. He is just a big male in more ways than one!
A couple of young elephants crossing in front of us.
A mother and her baby.
These 3 giraffe weren’t really interested in us.
It was quite amusing watching the animals mingle. Generally they didn’t bother each other, but one elephant liked to chase away the giraffe.So within three days we had visited Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park, and were starting to feel like real tourists. Well, the next stretch of 500km was sure to separate us again from the masses as we ventured into a long, flat and boring stretch. Boring except for one thing …
The elephant highway
When we looked at the map, there was a straight line of 300km without a single dot to indicate any villages. We did find out that there was a petrol station with a small shop attached after 100km, but that was it. Nothing else, well, except for lots of elephants.
We set out and were excited by the fact that we might see some elephants from our bikes. Less than 10km down the road we heard some thrashing about in the scrub. We stopped to listen and look, and sure enough a huge elephant was feeding just off the road. When we were in the vehicle the previous day, we were blown away by how big these animals are. Well, when you are at their level, they are even bigger and it is only then that you can truly appreciate their size and power. And all of a sudden we felt much more vulnerable, and well, small. We were quickly working out in our heads how fast an elephant can run, and how fast we can accelerate away from it. One thing about riding a loaded touring bike is that acceleration is very slow, so fast getaways are impossible. We made sure we kept a safe distance whereby if one of the elephants did decide to charge then we would have enough space and time to ride off. Still, we weren’t keen to test our calculations.
For the rest of the morning we saw many other elephants, but their behaviour was much different to the elephants in the national park. They were very cautious, and most turned back into the bush and ran away from us. They didn’t mind the odd car or truck that whizzed by, but as soon as we stopped on our bikes they were startled and headed for the safety of the thick bush. While on our safari drive in Chobe, the ranger informed us that elephants behave differently throughout Botswana. Hunting is sadly a lucrative business in southern Africa, and companies apply for permits to hunt the wildlife. Big spending tourists fly in and pay small fortunes to go and hunt the animals. It is supposedly strictly regulated so the population of the animals is kept at a healthy level, and the money generated is supposed to get put back into managing the national parks and for conservation. My experience so far in Africa tells me that it is more likely a corrupt industry whereby much of the money is lining the pockets of dodgy officials, and that regulations aren’t enforced or managed. Such is the confidence I now have in African laws and policies. I will never understand the mentality of someone who gains pleasure out of ending the life of an innocent animal living peacefully and harmlessly in it’s natural environment. And I’m not sure how much skill is involved in hunting an elephant as they are so big and easy to find. If only the animals could shoot back, then I wonder how many brave trophy hunters would still exist. In areas where the elephants aren’t hunted, they are very much at peace with people and are quite accepting of human observation. In areas where they are hunted, the high intelligence and excellent memory of elephants makes them aggressive and hostile towards people, and this was certainly the case along this stretch of highway. A couple of the lone bulls we saw were very hostile, and as we stopped to observe and try and take a photo, they were quick to put up their trunk and broaden their ears - a sign that they are kindly asking you to leave immediately or things could get nasty. One huge, and I mean huge, male, bluff charged me as I went to get the camera out. My heart nearly beat right out of my chest as I fumbled to put the camera away, click my shoes back into my pedals and hope that I suddenly didn’t get a puncture or a broken chain. Luckily he was just making sure that I was on my way, and didn’t continue with his charge. It was very intimidating and scary, and Christine thought it was quite amusing as she watched from a much safer distance.
Further down the road we were able to stop and observe a group of about 8 elephants that had gathered at a water hole in the late afternoon heat. We could just see them as we peered through the bush to the water hole about 100m away. I don’t think they knew we were there, or if they did then they didn’t seem to mind. We watched silently, fascinated by their behaviour. It was dead quiet, until the unmistakable rumble of a lion broke the silence. Somewhere between us and the elephants, a lion was resting in the shade and long grass. We didn’t see it, but what we heard was enough for us to get on our bikes and pedal like crazy. We had decided earlier that cats like the thrill of the chase, and that is how all their hunting is done. We thought that if we did see a cat then we would stay still as to not give it a chance to chase us. So much for that theory, we rode off as quickly as we could.
The day was ending fast, and we needed a spot to camp. We had already passed the petrol station and loaded up with water, but after hearing the lion we were a bit nervous to pitch our tent. We had no option though, as it was still 130km to the nearest town. We found a communications tower about 50m off the road that was enclosed by a barbed wire and electric fence. Gamely, we tested the electric fence to discover that it wasn’t turned on, and that the twisted wire securing the gate could be easily untwisted. We entered the compound, shut the gate behind us and immediately felt safe to put up our tent and cook some dinner. We had pedalled over 180km and were absolutely exhausted, but at least we could enjoy our dinner and have a wash with the knowledge that we were safe from any curious or hungry animals!
Safety and relief inside the fence surrounding the communications tower.The next morning we battled a horrible headwind, more hot sun and a straight and boring road. There was nothing for 130km until we reached the next village. We didn’t hear or see any more lions, but we saw lots more elephants. Christine also had an encounter with a black mamba snake as it crossed the road in front of her. Apparently the black mamba is the only snake in Africa that will chase you for no apparent reason, and a bite can kill you almost instantly. We only found this out later, and Christine considered herself lucky as she had stopped to watch it and had wondered why it turned around and reared up at her. We soon rolled into the small village of Nata after a long and monotonous 300km, made only interesting by our encounters with the animal kingdom.
Evidence of elephants along the road.
We stopped and watched these two elephants just off the side of the road.As we ventured towards Gaborone, we had much of the same fairly boring riding. Towns slowly became more regular, although distances were still big. We arrived in Gabs tired, worn out and ready for a rest. That’s just what we got.
In Style
The reason why we arrived in Gaborone at this time was so we could catch Mum and Dad at the end of their South African holiday. They had been in the country for a few weeks with their good friends Ron and Elaine Tabone, and we had planned to meet them in Johannesburg to spend a few days with them before they flew home. We excitedly boarded the 7-hour bus from Gaborone to Johannesburg in anticipation of seeing Mum and Dad.
Most bike tourers seem to get along with each other. A common sense of adventure and shared understanding of experiencing different countries, cultures and landscapes by pedal power makes for an almost instant companionship. This was certainly the case when we met Bridget in Bolivia, South America. We met a pocket sized blonde South African who was a few years older than us, but her pig-tails and girlish features easily made her look about 16. She has travelled all over the world on her bike not allowing being female and solo get in the way of her adventurous ambitions. We seemed to get along well with her, but the fact that we were travelling in opposite directions meant that we only spent a day with her, discussing route information and sharing stories about South America. Since that encounter back in 2004, we have occasionally emailed each other, but I would hardly say we have kept in touch. Although bike tourers don’t all live in the same village somewhere in Europe or America as many African locals seem to think, we do normally exchange contact details in case the need arrives to ask route or country information, or if we ever visit their country of residence. This was the case with Bridget, and when we mentioned we would be in Johannesburg for a few days before we met Mum and Dad, she kindly offered for us to stay with her Mum. Bridget was going to be away in Nepal, but her Mum was more than happy to accommodate us for a few days.
Fiona, Bridget’s Mum, picked us up from the bus station, which was a huge relief. Most people have heard stories about the crime rate in Johannesburg, and although we were more than prepared to approach the huge city with an open mind, it was nice to have someone pick us up from the hectic bus station. From that moment on, Fiona’s hospitality and kindness was amazing, and she really looked after us in the true sense. We weren’t used to being looked after so it was nice to have someone care for us and display such generous hospitality. For the next 3 days, Fiona drove us around seeing the sights of Johannesburg, cooked our dinner, prepared our breakfast, enlightened us about South African history and culture and basically spoilt us rotten. She has lived in Johannesburg all her life and is passionate about what Johannesburg has to offer, and places her focus on the positives rather than the negative crime stigma that dominates the city. The crime rate cannot be ignored though, and Fiona’s house is locked up like Fort Knox with a high fence, an alarm system, separate locking doors for each room, 3 secret panic buttons throughout the house and a bull terrier roaming the yard. This is the minimum for a house in Johannesburg, and many houses also had electric fences and full time guards. Christine woke up one night at 1am as the power was out, a car was driving back and forth past our window, a red light was flashing in the next room and the phone was ringing. One of the side effects of our anti-malaria medication is hallucinative dreams and we have had our fair share of ‘strange’ dreams this trip. When Christine woke, she was not sure if it was another weird dream, but upon answering the phone she was wide awake and reality struck. The security guard was on the phone seeing if everything was OK and explained that it was them driving by to make sure the house was secure as the power was out and hence the alarm system down. Christine woke Fiona, who was used to such night time drama, and they both went outside to investigate. All appeared to be OK, although a bit eerie with no power, but then a series of gun shots broke the night time silence a few streets away. Again Fiona was relatively unfazed, and Christine went back to bed only to hear a few more rounds of gun fire in the next half an hour. While all of this was happening I had a very important job keeping the bed warm, although this went unnoticed and unappreciated by Christine.
Fiona has grown up like this, and although she is constantly on guard, for example always making sure our windows are up and doors locked when driving the streets, she isn’t scared and refuses to allow the crime rate stop her from enjoying her home city. This made it fun for us, as she drove us through parts of Johannesburg where most white people are afraid to go as well as taking us through the fancy affluent parts, which could easily fit amongst the Tooraks and Malverns at home. We visited Nelson Mandela’s old house, and the one he lives in now. We went to the Apartheid museum and toured the townships in Soweto. All in all we had a great time with Fiona and were blown away by her hospitality. We will see her again before we fly home, and we also look forward to reuniting with Bridget before we leave Africa.
Fiona dropped us off at the airport and it was great to see Mum and Dad. We had dinner with them and Ron and Elaine, and we enjoyed listening to their stories. Their African experience, as expected, was nothing like ours. They have had nothing but positive times, “the trip of a lifetime” as mum put it, and their stories were interesting and entertaining. We hired a car the next day and said goodbye to Ron and Elaine as they flew home. We drove to the Drakensberg Mountains and spent 4 lovely days amidst the spectacular mountain range. We were treated to luxury accommodation and the best food we have ever eaten, the complete opposite extreme to dirty brothel/guesthouses and rice and beans. We kept busy hiking, using the facilities, and eating. It was lovely to be in their company, and we loved hearing their stories and looking at their photos. Generally speaking, we have found African hospitality to be fairly rough and impersonal. Especially when we compared it to South East Asia. In contrast, Mum and Dad were given close to royal treatment and dined like kings as they stayed at fairly upmarket lodges around South Africa. I suppose that highlights the old saying ‘you get what you pay for’. They were treated to some of the best animal viewing Africa has to offer on their safari, and were very lucky with their sightings and observations. It is no wonder they had smiles on their faces from ear to ear as their African experience was like a real highlight. We were envious, but so happy that they had enjoyed a wonderful time and some of the best South Africa has to offer. Hearing of their culture shock in South Africa made us realise how remote and out there we have been in the last 4 months. Although South Africa has many problems and is far from a wealthy modern country as we know, to us it felt fairly normal and quite comfortable. We found ourselves reflecting on how different, poor and seemingly ancient some of the other countries we have visited are. We also got a taste of a challenge that lies ahead – trying to explain to others the nature of our experience. Words cannot do it justice, and we found ourselves enjoying Mum and Dad's stories rather than trying to articulate our experiences. I’ve realised that these updates are far better than any of my futile attempts to verbally express our experiences.
Our pampered lifestyle of rental car, luxurious accommodation and gourmet buffet meals came to an end, and it was sad to leave Mum and Dad. We bussed it back to Gaborone and started planning our next stretch. The break was just what we needed and now we are very excited about getting back on the bikes – our motivations for adventure and energy levels well and truly back in tact.
Mum and dad on a short walk at the foothills of the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains.
Enjoying muffins and milkshakes at our hotel. It was easily the best place we have ever stayed and the best food we’ve ever eaten. Thanks Mum and Dad!
