Maun to Motopi

Rolled put of Maun at 7.30. Glad to be back on the road. I'm not a great fan of the tourist launching points and Maun was certainly that.
A pretty straight run saw me clicking over 50 km by 10.15. I was also feeling a little uncomfortable on the saddle. It seems even after 1000+ km the battle between my ass and the saddle continued. Relatively ok wearing bib shorts, padded lycra with shoulder straps, I couldn't seem to crack the no padding version .
At the veterinary gate it was a quick shoe bath and a cold drink at the nearby street stall. At km 75 a bloke in the relaunched retro land-rover pulled alongside as I rode along a short parallel. He was a Brit with all the appearance of a swashbuckling guide from a Hollywood epic. Did I know about the elephants ? They'd broken some of the water piping up ahead and were close to the road. I knew this would be in one section of this road from an earlier conversation. Up ahead it seems. We had a brief chat, he advised on flagging a car down and using it as cover if they were hanging around the road when I arrived. Fortunately I was planning on turning off just prior to overnight in Motopi, before a longer day through the upcoming Makgadikgadi National Park. Where there were many more. And other creatures every Botswanain warned me endlessly about. The extreme caution about wildlife is part of their national psyche, well beyond the actual dangerous events evidenced. The South Africans had taken the control and fence and monetise option for the same circumstances. Resulting in endless game lodges. Botswana with a much smaller population created large unfenced national.parks.
Turning off the main highway I noticed a wet area by a pipe riser on my left. Looking to the right about 15m away in the bush were 4 flappy ears and most of one elephant visible. Stationary, which was just as well as I'd not been as vigilant since encountering the Brit. No photo stop on this occasion. About 200m into town I noticed what looked like a government building with a few withers outside chatting. Look I ng like a useful camp spot I rolled over and enquired about an overnight stay. Turns out it was the engineering office of the roading depot, privately run, but I was welcome to stay, and partake in the outdoor toilet and shower facilities as well. That was that. I beeline to the local eatery for a late lunch and returned to setup camp.Read more