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

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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

All participants calm and happy at the start of the Cruise

Happy Smurf himself enjoying the cruise

Rain storm approaching on the Chobe River

Chobe River Game Cruise before the rains came down.

Taking shelter as the storm approache

Philip not enjoying the cruise and suffering from slight bought hypothermia

Some were more happier than others after the disrupted Chobe River Cruise

Sometimes you just can't hide from the rain

And we have arrived in Botswana...

Mud Camp after the rains while we were away...

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3 Days of Rest - Victoria Falls

Zambia
Day 89-91 / Apr 11-13 


Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: After a short 3-day riding section, which included some long cycling distances (a total of 489km) we had a well-earned & much appreciated, three glorious Rest Days in Livingstone - glamping (glamorous camping) alongside the Zambezi River at the Zambezi Waterfront Hotel Camp Site.

As one of the Oversees Riders commented to me, "Africa continues to surprise and disappoint all the time". But I will dwell on the positive aspects of our three days in Livingstone.



Day 1: The first of our rest days was declared a NAFI Day (No ambition, Flip-all Interest) and we spent the whole day in the Waterfront Camp. I just stayed and loitered with intent in the Restaurant/Bar Area. Later in the day, a few of us Riders managed to decimate the Mosi Draught Beer supply, much to the consternation of some of the other Riders who arrived later in the evening! Thanks go out to Peter and Deborah who assisted greatly in consuming the draught beer.

Murray and Andje organised a Cheese and Wine evening at the Pool and a great time was had by a select few - which included Liz and her husband Tim, who had motored up to the Falls with two of their sons on a boy-only Road Trip to meet up with her, and to spend some quality time with Liz during our three day rest period.

Our Group visiting the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls 

Day 2: Our second day in Livingstone was a bit more adventurous.  A group of us caught a Shuttle Bus and went off to the Falls, and proceeded to view the Falls from the Zambian side.

We paid our  $20 USD (very reasonable entry fee) and our first stop was a walk down to The Boiling Pot, a walk I had last done with my late Mother when I was 10 years old. The experience of seeing the whirlpool situated just under the Bridge was as exciting and as exhilarating as the first time I had seen it as a child! A most worthwhile climb down and out of the Boiling Pot.

Then it was off to and over Knife Edge Bridge to the Danger Point view site, in the process of which the majority of us were well and truly drenched by the spray from the Falls! 

The Falls are currently experiencing a major inflow of water, and the spray is very excessive, not conducive to great viewing but still a great experience. Judith aptly called it "upside-down rain".


Our final viewing point was at the edge of the Falls on the Zambian bank, where the River plunges over the lip and down into the Gorge below. All agreed that our visit to the Falls was truly a most enjoyable experience, which I rank as one of the highlights of the whole Tour thus far.

Soon after, it was off to Zimbabwe on foot; walking over on the Bridge (we have become quite blase about changing countries) and crossing over for lunch at The Lookout Cafe, followed by High Tea at the Old Colonial Victoria Falls Hotel.

In the early evening we caught a taxi to the Zimbabwe Immigration Offices, left Zimbabwe, crossed back into Zambia, then caught another taxi back to Camp, after a most superb and productive day.

View of the Victoria Falls Bridge while walking down to the Boiling Pot

Peter down at the edge of the Boiling Pot

Judith and Deborah on the rocks at the Boiling Pot

Philip, Murray and Brad down at the Boiling Pot

Edge of the Falls where the Zambesi River plunges over the Precipice

Judith and Deborah enjoying the spray from the Falls at the Viewing Point

Rainbow as seen from the Bridge

Geological Time Scale of "Mosi Oa Tunya" (The Smoke that Thunders) 

The Bungy Jump off point on Victoria Falls Bridge

Walking across the Bridge from Zambia into Zimbabwe 

Welcome to Zimbabwe our unofficial 12th Country crossing 

Art work at the Lookout Restaurant in Zimbabwe

View of First Gorge from the Lookout Restaurant 

Brad enjoying the opportunity of sampling some of Zimbabwe's finest Zambezi Larger

Cairo 5 165 miles away and only 1 647 miles left to Cape Town

Solange enjoying the view of the Falls from the Victoria Falls Hotel

Michael, Andje, Peter and Deborah very happy to be finally at the Old Colonial Victoria Falls Hotel

Enjoying "High Tea" at the Victoria Falls Hotel

Day 3: Our third day was spent doing the last bit of washing, organizing and the packing of our Daily and Permanent Bags, catching up on administration and trying to update the Blog, another truly NAFI Day.

Onward to our next leg of the tour, soon...


Cheers,
Mike T

Cruise Boat on the Zambezi River passing Waterfront Camp

Sunset over the Zambezi River our last Zambian sunset

The five day section before our next rest day in Maun

Victoria Falls to Kasane and a crossing into Botswana

The Stanely Room at the Hotel

Pianist entertaining the Hotel Guest's

Colonial memorabilia adorns the walls in the Hotel

The Bulawayo Room - Now if only the walls could talk !!

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