Driving in Botswana. .They drive on the left and speed limits in the countryside range from 60kph through villages with 80kph on the shoulders each side and 120kph on the open road. I generally didn’t exceed 110 for reasons which will become clear. Speed signs are sometimes missing or so faded as to be unreadable and often the 80 to 120 signs are less than 200m apart. Village houses are set well back from the road and are widely dispersed which makes it hard to know just where the village zone ends. That’s my excuse anyway as I was clocked by speed camera as doing 70k in a 60k zone and less than 500m from the next 80k sign! In a village called Werda and using all 3 of their police force, one operating the camera, one doing the paperwork and one sitting in the shade- I guess they were doing rotating shifts as 3 cars went by in the 30 minutes it took, mostly they spent it chatting to locals. Anyway, worth a laugh and a spot fine of P300 ($nz37.36). No corruption as it was all fully documented and receipted on official stationary.
There is little traffic and roads are generally good but with few road markings. Many signs warn of dangers of wandering stock (which there are many) to antelopes and other wild life. Also there are frequent donkey drawn carts ranging from 2 donk (2stroke) to 4 donk (boxer) and top of the line V8s. These use the roads like cars but at donkey trot speeds. Occasional potholes are large and suspension busting if hit at 120. Also, I got a windscreen stone chip when a passing car was doing 120kph or more. This makes quite a big chip: just as well we took the full insurance package.
380km driven today in around 4.5 hrs heading south along the Sth African border. Bush opening out into wide grassland with occasional trees and becoming the Kalahari desert. We are glamping tonight and tomorrow night – more on that later. Waiting for sunset now before heading out for a walk to see the zebras and camels (2 more to tick off and Joy saw a pair of ostriches this morning) Time for a coffee now and we will have to boil the water for 5 minutes or use bottled water.
More tomorrow.
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