The road to Maun

The road to Maun (the gateway to the Okavango delta) meant crossing the margins of the Kalahari. On advice, I'd been advised not to cross via the roads through the centre. There is little to see & its fearsomely hot. Even on the northern margins, the terrain is extreme. Scrubland & trees become patchier & disappear. The temperature soars. The heat is intense. Its the type of heat that makes any activity exhausting. I have 300 miles to do.

There's less & less traffic & no people. That is until I stop. A family slowly walks over from their bush huts. I share my bananas with them. It must be in the late 30Cs now.

Boney cattle saunter across the road. Old & new carcasses by the side of the road. Burnt out shells of cars & buses. A new warning sign by the side of the road. A red triangle with a galloping elephant. Seemed unlikely in this barren landscape. Heading out of the desert, the trees re-appear. 

The elephant stood by the side of the road & looked disapprovingly at the overheating motorbike & rider. It looked cross. I moved on.

There had been no fuel for 250 miles. I rode into Maun on vapors. The bike's tank takes 14 ltrs. I put in 14 ltrs.