4000 year old tree
Baobab tree
Stage 69 – Nata to Phuduhudu ( Bush Camp )
186km, 6:27 hrs, 28.8 avg kph
An adventure with-in an adventure
Long day, but and honest day of work. The nasty crosswinds of yesterday turned into a tailwind for part of the day. First we went by wet lands. Many birds of different species. We hummed along and made short work of the first 85km. Under a large baobab tree we had a nice lunch of sliced mango, apples and tuna or vegetable patties. I had peanut butter and jelly for desert. So far my vegetarian diet seems to be sustaining me.
The afternoon was highlighted by a stop at planet baobab featuring a massive 4000 year old specimen. That would mean it was about 1500 years old when the Buddha appeared or about 2000 years when Jesus came onto the scene, old!
Camp was hot and it was a bottle shower. This is a shower taken with a bike water bottle. I’ve actually grown quite fond of them. Two waters bottles, one warmed by the sun and the other cooler. Some shampoo, rinse, lather body and rinse again. Voila! Refreshed.
A visit with Chris, a retired business owner from Vancouver, who had a full on kit of essential oils. I got lavender.
A little meditation in my tent and time for riders meeting and dinner watching the sun go down. Noodles with a cheese broccoli sauce, potatoes and salad. Butter, lots, and salt.
After dinner I decided to go for a walk. I saw a man walking the other way and crossed over to meet him. His name was Solomon.
I asked where he was going and he said to his village. He said it was very close. I asked if we could walk together. During our walk I learned about the area and the animals that lived here. Elephants, lions, cheetah, leopards. Botswana has banned hunting. We are on the edge of a large game park.
It turned out that the village was about 2kms away but it felt good to walk and watch the stars come out.
Once in the village he pointed out the chiefs house which I stopped at. The chief had been an English teacher and spoke perfect English. We had a nice visit and I learned about the history of the Kosi people or Bush people. He said they may be the original human beings.
When it was time to leave he insisted on driving me back on account of the elephants that crossed the nearby area to get water. He said they can get territorial.
When I got back, the Milky Way was thick in the night sky. A nice end to the day.
Highlights:
- Nice road with courteous drivers.
- Riding with the steam train.
- Going to a village called Phuduhudu.
Such a delightful journey. This is my favorite part of traveling….meeting the locals and learning about their lives and homes.