November 18, 2025
To Francistown, Botswana
My last day in Zimbabwe started with nice breakfast of fried egg, fried cow's liver, baked beans, porridge and coffee, albeit served a little later than promised by the friendly ladies at the Makhehe Mairee Lodge. I was soon on the road and at the border control Post after a quick 10km. Traversing into Botswana was uneventful and seamless. The passport control officers on both sides were curious about my journey and made friendly conversation accordingly. I kept a smile on to avoid any deviation onto the subject of paying duty to carry my bike across an African border, which I was told was notoriously common at this particular border! No such bad luck today, so I was safely through.
If felt good to be in another new country. I had never been to Botswana before. Soon after going through the gates on the Botswana side I was pulled aside by a group of friendly gentlemen who wanted yo talk about my bike and take a selfie. "Have s safe journey brother. Be blessed!", they exclaimed as I rode off.
Botswana's population is a meagre 2.5 million, with a slight majority of females. This is sparse, given the size of the country. I had checked a demographic map the night before and realised that until Gaborone, I would be riding along the Eastern half of the country where population density varied between 1-5 persons per 10 sq km. The map was right. I hardly met a soul for the 80 km stretch down to Francistown. I anticipate riding through Botswana to be very similar to riding through a desert, only greener. A green desert. The road was fine and straight for long stretches, and the scenery was very monotonous. I recalled my previous desert rides in the Sahara and Central Asia. I came across about 8 or 9 people all day, excluding the drivers in cars and lorries going by. The highlight of the ride was saving another tortoise (second one in all my tours) from being squished on the road! When I was on the hardshoulder trying to take a photo of the tortoise, a passing driver stopped to ask if I was OK. So kind. Even in this green desert, I was never truly alone.
I stopped for some salty nuts and custard creams at a picnic spot, but unlike yesterday, I was alone, in the green desert, longing for a cup of tea to go with my snacks!
I wasn't sure if it was the monotony of the scenery, or general fatigue kicking in, but I was glad to get off the bike when I finally rode into Francistown. I am staying at the "Digger's Inn", a charming hotel just on the Northern edge of town, in what used to be the location of an old Gold mine! The hotel is quaintly decorated with wooden statues of African miners with their tools, at work, digging for expatriate mining companies from back in the 1800s. Photos on the walls confirmed this exploitation, which goes on even today, by large multi- national companies. One particular exhibit showed two real pieces of gold ore on a cart, with the golden hew of the rock structure clearly visible.
Francistown is a charming place with a small grid system of streets and avenues, many still carrying Western names. There are shops and street sellers, both busy in what is a fluid economy. I soon got my bearings and did some grocery shopping and bought a Botswana sim card from two delightful young ladies at the sim kiosk in Pick'nPay supermarket, who were intrigued with the "glove tan" on my hands and " helmet tan" on my head. It felt great to be able to withdraw Botswanan Pula from an ATM and actually buy something from a street stall, a luxury denied me in Zimbabwe. I opted for some boiled maize, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Later, I treated myself to a delicious lamb curry, two tandoori rotis and green salad at the very nice "Thorn Tree" restaurant of the Dgger's Inn. For desert, I had some grapes and a whole packet of oreo biscuits!
My first experience of Botswana has been very pleasant indeed. The people smile and greet me whenever I make eye contact. They seem happier than their cousins in Zimbabwe, which is inderstandable when one considers the economic woes that are not present on this side of the Ramokgwebana border post that I had crossed just a few hours ago.
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Today's ride: 88 km (55 miles)
Total: 676 km (420 miles)
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