Deer Park

So we were in the bar last night (see picture in previous post) when things got strange. A typical table. I only had my antique iPhone 5c for pics

Our bartenders

This thing lands on my fave Namibian shirt

I didn’t recognize it. Then there are bugs everywhere for about 30 minutes. Not the best bar tune at the time

Then they fall to the floor and start shedding their wings. Dark sorry

A brighter still shot

And run for the exits really quickly

A lone straggler in the morning.

Termites. They emerge from their mounds after a big rain of their choosing, mate on the wing, and get back underground asap. They do this one night a year only.

This is a pic from the web of Chief’s Island, Okavango Delta. One of the top several wildlife destinations in Africa and probably the most famous

I need to get from 1, Maun, below, to 2, Chief’s Island

There are difficult 4X4 tracks that will disappear with the coming rains. And there’s a small airstrip. The other way is by boat. I have a fast boat and driver lined up for the 12 hour return ride. But now we need rain as there are dry spots on the route.

Here’s the forecast for the next month, not good. But cooler

But the forecast changes daily, so we’ll see.

Random stuff:

I’m taking my malaria pills. I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’ve ignored them everywhere so far, but apparently it’s a big deal now

Here they are, 6 months worth

I walked to the river beach that’s crocodile free on Christmas Eve. I even had my swim shorts under my jeans, feeling enthusiastic. I was the only white boy. There were a lot of great things to photograph, but I left the little Sony in my pocket unless I had cover

It was nice

And some of this, later

I’m working on another river post with lots of birds, but I need to get out again to get a better shot of my favourite. But here’s a little bird from the bar 2 days ago

The bar. I take my laptop here in the morning when it’s empty

We’ll tell you about Situation 2 tomorrow.

For some reason the below track doesn’t start from Windhoek, but we started in Windhoek, headed for Maun, Botswana. A cool line, so I cropped it to show the width of Africa down this far south

And that’s our route, Windhoek to Gobabis to Ghanzi to Maun, through the Kalahari. A three day ride

The normal way into Botswana is via the extreme NE corner of Namibia, but we’ve already ridden to Etosha and didn’t want to repeat that much road.

Maun is at the lower corner of the Okavango Delta

Which looks like this. Depending on the season, it’s between 2300 and 5800 square miles.

There’ll be an Okavango post in a week, so we’ll leave more until then

sadamelik’s Botswana

A day and a half to the border. Big roadkill. There are donkeys, goats, horse and cattle beside the road frequently

Leaving Namibia. I set up for the border at a close town, Gobabis, so I was early and alone. Exiting Namibia immigration was virtually instant after filling out the standard short form. Closing the Carnet at customs was just as fast

I was expecting hell at the Botswana half because of the long list of theoretical requirements, all of which I had ready, but few were asked for. So I was through in about 15 minutes

Then the final guys. They check the form that shows you’ve seen immigration and customs, and if they want to, tear down the bike and you for carrying something you shouldn’t. They let me through with no fuss

Gas up

And into the Kalahari. A few landscapes

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I rode along side an ostrich for a surprisingly long time. Long enough to get the camera out of the tank bag and start filming, which with one hand has to be done slowly and carefully, lol

Hot as hell, which is why we start early. Here the sun isn’t directly overhead, which it will be shortly. A donkey and baby

Cattle seem less fussed, but head for shade at about 38C

Big nests of big twigs. Not weavers probably

And into Ghanzi for the night

Sexanana bar looked inviting but dead mid-afternoon

So do laundry instead. Wall fixtures are easier than my micro-clothesline. Looks like I was a day behind on the underpants

Gas up the next morning

And more Kalahari and more heat

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There were only a few roadside villages

…

I don’t know the tribe yet

And a small diversion into the town of Sehithwa. White sand, incredibly hot!

I was curious about whether the lake shown on the OSM GPS map was actually there, or seasonal

The tracks4africa map is more informative. I’ve been switching between the two as I ride along. The OSM has a lot more detail, the T4A is more overland specific

The houses are spaced out generously with random tracks between them

A store. I stopped to have a look. Just a few basic dry goods

Almost downtown

Downtown. General store, bar, post office, all that in this building

Other than the cage, the bar looks great. Standing and bullshitting is always best

Herero women!

This is a very big thing, and you can see why. The Botswana Herero fled here from Namibia during what they call the “Hitler war”. Those hats were designed to copy the effect of cows horns. From wiki:

The most distinctive feature of Herero women’s dress is their horizontal horned headdress, the otjikalva, which is a symbol of respect, worn to pay homage to the cows that have historically sustained the Herero. The headdresses can be formed from rolled-up newspaper covered in fabric. They are made to match or coordinate with dresses, and decorative brooches and pins attached to the centre front. Anthropologist Dr Lutz Marten writes: “A correctly worn long dress induces in the wearer a slow and majestic gait.” The overall intended effect is for the woman to resemble a plump, slow-moving cow. In photographs, Herero women adopt the ‘cow pose’, with their arms raised, palms upwards.

Incredible.

More fascinating detail here

But what you immediately notice is the Botswana hats have been pushed forwards into a bill, perhaps for additional shade. The volume of material in the dresses is sometimes huge

Sitting outside the bar, drinking water, and this group walks by

They’re community organizers, hence the vests. Check out the Herero woman gathering up all her material before sitting

So cool

I loved her.

Truth be told, to me African women are the most beautiful in the world. I am stunned several times a day

On both maps a road is shown crossing the lake graphic. I ride out

To the ‘coastline’ the GPS shows, but nothing, Dry I suppose for another month or two

A hilariously western looking gas station right in town

Converting from Pula, gas is $1.26 a litre CDN

And on for a few more hours. As we approached Maun the trees grew bigger and the avenue became impressive. It was impossible not to grin about something, undefined

To the first fresh water I’ve seen since the karst collapse near Etosha, and the first river I’ve seen since the flood in Maltahohe. This runs through Maun. It looks miraculous

Now here’s a thing, below, that’s a real problem for moto travellers in Botswana. A typical page from a tourist map book shows great landscapes, none of which are accessible on bike. Every page of this book is like this. Botswana is sand. I have fast learned from others that this is one of the great places in Africa, but you need a 4X4 and to be set up for extended camping. The alternative thing to do is go on guided multi-day safari which is incredibly expensive. I’m currently trying to figure out what to do about this

And we’ll end there for Christmas.

This Google Earth satellite photo of the Thamalakane river was taken during the dry season, a bit behind where it is now

The circle above is a great place to walk across the original crossing, from a century ago. Locals hang out here at sunset

Only one section

How it is

West

Fishermen

Here he is crossing a few feet from where I’m sitting, just 30 minutes ago. He’s small, about 4″ long

Same as back in Namibia, the rain is driving them indoors.

This video is really good at showing the antennae doing the work, discovering the nature of the ground in front of it and collecting trend updates, in line with the constantly changing goal, with each tap. Incredible

Good for the legs. Excuse the sound of me dragging the camera along the floor