DAY10 - Tsumkwe to MaunThis was a day that I would not soon forget...
we started the day quite easily. Got to and through the Dobe Borderpost without any hassles and then the FUN started!
The night before we were warned about this little route that we want to take, but not wanting to go the long way round on tar, we decided to stick to the route and see it out.
At first it was easy going, slow 2 track but hard ground, Beautifull riding area.
Somewhere in Botswana:



After a while however the hard ground started to turn to mud and the slipping and sliding started.
Mud:

Mud Tracks:

Walking the bike:

Slipping and Sliding:

and Falling:

At the beginning of the day, we decided that Horsepower would be riding today and I would drive the support vehicle, but after a bit of a struggle in the mud, we decided again that it would be best if Horspower drives his own bakkie (as he knows it much better than I) and I once agian would be on the bike! Happiness!!
Just as we got into the groove of riding the mud, we got drenched by a downpore! which made the mud even more difficult to manage.
Getting through this road though was not easy, the bikes managed quite good, but the bakkie (not 4x4) struggled in the mud that as I counted, claimed 3 other 4x4s (broken axles, screwed wheels ect).
In the end we managed to do the 80 odd kms of mud in about 10 hours!! IMHO if we did this trip on bikes alone, it would have taken us about 3 maybe 4 hours.
At a stage I thought we would have to stealth camp next to this road, but just as I thought about that, a massive Elephant crossed over the road,(and my logic said if theres Elephants, there would be lions as well!) and it was quickly decided that we would have to get off this road and into town.
We got out of the mud just as the sun was starting to set, and we decided that as we only have about 180km to go on tar, we would still make our end destination.
However the roads of Botswana proved us wrong. Traveling when its dark in Botswana is not advisable, I have never before seen so many Donkeys on a road.
It was so bad that when we were about 100km from Maun, we decided to look for accomodation there as it would be foolish to continue on these roads at night.
We quickly found a lodge that advertises conference centres, swimming pools ect. and booked in, but to our surprise this is what we got! hehehe!
Ditoro Lodge:
