The Treloar Herald

Nata Lodge to Bush Camp (186km)

Botswana

Day 95 - Apr 17 - Stage 66

Monday: Cycled the longest distance of the Tour so far today (even did an extra 2km by riding into Planet Baobab and stopping for a milkshake) and another Personal Best.

At the 42km mark we were portaged on the Main Truck for approximately 2km over the flooded Nata region to Gweta Road, while some of the other Riders were transported on a flat-bed tow truck. This part of Botswana has definitely had extensive rain lately.

A flooded Botswana roadside

Water crossing over the road in some places

Water, and more water everywhere

When I left Nata Lodge with Judith, I rode with her to lunch at the 86km mark. She has decided that as long as she completes a minimum of 70/80km - 100km per day she is at liberty to climb the Lunch Truck. So after lunch I rode with Philip. Lunch was at a most picturesque position, right next to an imposing Baobab Tree. Beautiful.

Stopped at Planet Baobab after lunch with Philip, even though we had to do an extra 2km of riding to get there and back on the designated route. We both ordered Milkshakes at the Bar... what has become of us??

The Lunch Truck also stopped and Judith took some beers to camp for a few of us to enjoy later on. Bless her soul.

Today was a difficult ride in the sense that it was so long, flat and boring. But only one more day of riding and then its a well-deserved rest day in the city of Maun.

Cheers
Mike T

Liz ready to leave Nata Lodge

And Andje getting ready to cycle out of Nata Lodge as well.

Wendy, is a lady on a mission as she starts the day's ride

So far on the road and no further (not for the next 2 km)

Loading the bikes onto the Main Truck

Linda and Andrew in the Main Truck "Dog Box"

Some more riders being portaged in the Main Truck

The Truck leaving a bow wave behind it as it passes through the water

Looking up the road from the Main Truck

Some of the Cyclists enjoying their ride on the flat-bed tow truck

Niklas leaving the lunch truck with Baobab in the background

Baobab graffiti :/

The turn-off for "Planet Baobab"

Ordering milkshakes in the Bar at Planet Baobab

Great looking Amstel chandelier in the Planet Baobab Bar

Notice Board announcing the Teams for the up coming Team Time Trial

Bush Camp Bike Mechanic time

Tomorrow's ride, Bush Camp to Maun

Happiness is your own concrete tent foundation...

Sunrise at Bush Camp

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Elephant Camp to Nata Lodge (143km)

Botswana

Day 94 - Apr 16 - Stage 65

Easter Sunday: Left the Elephant Camp with Judith, but then later took off with Philip when he came past. Rode up to lunch at 75km, and we saw no wildlife at all, Judith on the other hand, accompanied by Liz, managed to get up close and personal with a large Elephant!

Well, I only stopped so that I could read the sign!!

Nata Town was our first Coke Stop at 134km into the ride (coke stops in Botswana are very few and far between). Arrived at Nata Lodge and was exhausted, had either a side wind or head wind the whole day long, it was a difficult day for me.

Booked in at Nata Lodge Chalet, It's located very close to the Makgadikgati Salt Pans and is quite posh indeed. Off to the Bar for a well-earned beer and swim in the pool, the Lodge has definitely changed a lot since I was last here quite a few years ago and was a good way to spend Easter.

After Briefing and supper, Judith and I spent some quality time at the Bar using their WiFi to catch up on the social network scene.

Tomorrow will be another tough day for me, Tallis the Tour Leader tells us there are parts of the road which are flooded, so the ride should prove quite interesting, also it's a long 185 km distance!!

Cheers,
Mike T

Judith & Liz getting close and personal with the Elephant

"Liz look, I think I see an Elephant!" Just moments before.

Foot and Mouth Control Gate after lunch

Briefing Board - Nata to Bush Camp (tomorrow's ride...)

Judith & Liz's Elephant crossing the road

Today we reached the 8000 km mark!

Kasane to The Elephant Camp! (171km)

Botswana

Day 93 - Apr 15 - Stage 64

Saturday: It was a relatively long cycle, our first on the flat & straight Botswana roads. The start of what is locally known as the "Elephant Highway".

After a very subdued breakfast, we left a very muddy Camp site and proceeded to backtrack until we reached the turn-off for Nata and Francistown.

Passed at least another 2km of parked trucks on the Botswana side trying to get into Zambia, spoke to three different truck drivers, all three said they had already been waiting two weeks to clear the Border! Still can't figure out why?... The new bridge should definitely speed things up.

After approx. 40km I cycled on ahead of Judith who was fighting the headwind. At the 58km mark I came across a large group of Riders who had crashed, while riding together in a sort of peloton. Some were quite shaken but fortunately there were no major injuries.

I joined up with Philip (who had earlier crashed into Kyle), and rode with him. When we arrived at lunch, which was at the 75km mark, it was quite crowded, which was a first for me.

Judith arrived with the Sweep Rider and after having lunch, helped pack up the lunch stop, and together with four other riders rode the Lunch Truck to camp. Their number would increase by a further 2 riders who were picked up at the Coke Stop. I continued on with Philip, and we had coke and ice-cream at the one and only coke Stop... at 106km into the day's ride.

We saw two Giraffe and two Elephants on the day's ride. The second Elephant was right close to Camp at the finish. Our camp was a Bush Camp in the middle of nowhere, totally dry, no beers or cold drinks available (beers will only available at tomorrow's Camp in Nata)

We had the Unofficial Presentations, Chef Errol received the Yellow Jersey which he really deserves, it's not an easy task keeping over 50 people fed and ensuring they are happy at the same time!

Due to the headwind, today's ride was not an easy one, so we were off to bed early.

Cheers,
Mike T

Riders having a subdued Breakfast before leaving Muddy Camp

Be on the lookout for Elephants!

Peloton regrouping after having a little wheel touching incident

Lunch time was an uncharacteristically busy affair

Peter and Deborah have managed to get fixing punctures down to a fine art

The sun begins to set in the Botswana Bushveld

Relaxing after a hard days cycling waiting for briefing and supper

Twilight approaches at Road Camp

Errol received the Yellow Jersey from Erin and Andje

Philip enjoying the evenings meal after a tough day on the bike

Mud & EFI-Zambia! - Livingstone to Kasane (81km)

Zambia - Botswana

Day 92 - Apr 14 - Stage 63

Friday: It was to be our last day in Zambia. We left the Waterfront Camp and cycled through Livingstone, taking the road to Kasane.

The morning's sunrise in Livingstone

At the turn-off for the Border, one of the new Sectional Riders missed the turn-off, so I had to chase him down to get him to back track and take the correct road. Not an easy task as he was quite determined to cycle all the way to Namibia!

On the Zambian side, the line of trucks waiting to cross into Botswana at the border was at least 2km long, with some truck drivers informing me that they had been waiting in the queue for up to two weeks!

The two South African Ladies Liz and Judith cycling towards the Zambian/Botswana Border

Leaving Zambia and approaching the Zambezi Kuzungula Border Post

Trucks lining the road to the Zambian/Botswana Border

Welcome to Botswana

Kazungula Bridge Project

Waiting for the Ferry to arrive on the Zambian side.

One of the two Ferrys operating at Kazungula

Bridge building operations over the Zambezi River in progress

Clearing Zambian Immigration was painless and a pleasure, however the Ferry crossing was absolute [un]organised chaos! There was no system whatsoever, it was a total free for all, with vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians all trying to board at the same time, before the ferry started moving again.

They are currently building a new bridge over the Zambezi to replace the Ferry at Kazungula, and I am sure it will go a long way to relieving the chaos and congestion of crossing from Zambia into Botswana.

The Botswana Border crossing was also a pleasure and we were through that very quickly, and cycled on to the Thebe River Safari Camp.

As part of the 15th TDA Anniversary Celebrations, we were treated to a Game Cruise on the Chobe River. Unfortunately the Rain Gods were not kind to us and our cruise was totally rained out, forcing us to return to the Camp, which in the meantime had morphed into a "Mud Camp" forcing us to take a room in the Lodge.

We were now in Botswana, and I had managed my EFI-Zambia!!

Cheers,
Mike T