Maun (ma-oon): land of 4x4's

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Maun, Botswana
Friday, April 18, 2008

After another good night's sleep, we packed up and went into Ghanzi town to gas up.

There, we met two friends who were motorbiking from Luanda, Angola to Lusaka, Zambia. We also met Kozi, a 23 year old Japanese hitchhiker who was taking 5 years to "travel the world without using the airplane". What a spunky little guy he was. His pack was literally bigger than him!

For a solo-traveler, he had all the perks: ipod, laptop, cooking supplies, Japanese chocolate-flavoured straws (which he gave us as a thank you present), a one-man tent and a padlock for the tent - which seems a bit funny considering anyone could come along and slash it open if they so pleased.

Kozi was going to Maun as well so we pushed some bags around in the back compartment and he sat there for the day's ride, providing us with some funny stories about his travels through Tibet, Mongolia, Australia, etc.

We decided to camp at the Sedia Hotel in Maun. I picked it out from our trusty LP (Lonely Planet) out of all the places listed because it boasted "all the amenities you could want like big continental swimming pool and internet access but still cheap camping in the back lot". But seeing how filthy the pool was, my first impression were not great at all.

Still, seeing how hot the day was and how much we were looking forward to going for a swim, in we got!

Cooked up another humble meal: canned veg + canned mutton curry + udon noodles (a treat!) and some Japanese fish-based soup.

Start: Ghanzi, BOT. 11:45
End: Maun, BOT. 17:08
Distance Travelled: 310 km
Road Conditions: long stretches of paved road, littered with cows, goats, Hunter dogs, squirrels, etc.
Temperature: dry and dusty. oh and of course, hot.

Pictures & Video

Motorcyclist on way from Angola to Zambia...
Motorcyclist on way from Angola to Zambia...
... and his friend and riding partner
... and his friend and riding partner
Kozi stuffed in the back of Foxy's platform
Kozi stuffed in the back of Foxy's platform
rural Botswana from the road
rural Botswana from the road
little village lots of these on the road
lots of these on the road
Sedia Campsite Kozi fixing my vent in Maun
Kozi fixing my vent in Maun
Maun; land of 4x4's
Maun; land of 4x4's
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