Woensdag 5 Desember

Beginpunt: Katima Mulilo

Eindpunt: Francistown

Afstand: 640 km

Vandag was 'n normale Afrikadag: Vol verrassings, vol irritasies.

Ek is taamlik moeg na die dag se ry. Ek sal later meer volledig oor vandag skryf.

Die dag het mistig in die Caprivi begin. Ek het 'n paadjie gekry wat afgaan Zambezi toe. Ek het tot by die water gery en vir 'n rukkie gestop. Dit is een van die besonderse riviere van Afrika.

Buite Katima het ek gestop om te kyk hoe 'n kleinboer sy stukkie grond ploeg. Orals het die boere geploeg. Vrouens het geloop en mielies met die hand saai.

In Kasane (Botswana) was geen internet beskikbaar nie, geen selfoonopvangs, geen ATM wat gewerk het nie, geen bank wat geld kon gee nie. Alles en almal was off-line. Ook die vulstasies waar mens normaalweg met kredietkaart kan betaal, wou net kontant hê. Les geleer: Vertrou nooit net op 'n kaart nie.

Ek het toe my olifante gesien! En dit baie ver van enige nasionale park! Die een was baie lus om te baklei. Mens kan dit op die foto sien. Ek het ook buffels gesien toe ek deur Chobe Nasionale Park gery het.

As ek meer energie gehad het, het ek oor talle ander temas geskryf wat vandag deur my kop gemaal het. Dit sal moet wag tot later.

Afsluitgedagte: In die Caprivi het ek vanoggend verby 'n land gery wat die kleinboer besig was om met sy span osse te ploeg. Die een vooros het gelê en kon / wou nie opstaan nie. Elke keer wat hy met die sweep geslaan is, kon mens die rukkings in die os-lyf sien. As diereliefhebber was dit slae deur my siel.

Hoe gedaan moet 'n mens / dier wees as die pyn van slae genadiger is as die pyn van weer probeer opkom?

Today was a normal day in Africa, a day filled with surprises and also irritations.

I am tired after the riding of today. I will write later more about today. There is a lot to be told.

I left Katima early. The forest was covered with fog. I found a track going down to the mighty Zambezi. I stopped and stood there for a few minutes, paying tribute to a mighty river.

I stopped at one of the many farmers plowing his field. They use only oxen, no tractors. The women followed and were sowing mealies (corn) by hand.

I tried to find working internet in Kasane (Botswana). No success. No technology functioning in Northern Botswana. No cell phone signal, no ATM, no bank that could pay out money to a poor traveler like me, no filling station that was prepared to fill up a bike and where one could pay, as always, with a credit card. All businesses were offline. Lesson learnt: Never rely only on a credit card!

At last I saw my elephants! Those three were wild roaming elephants far away from any national park. The one was quite moody. One can see that on the photograph. I saw also buffaloes while riding through Chobe National Park.

If I had more energy I would have written about more topics that occupied my mind today. That has to wait for later.

I would like to share one thought with you. While riding through Caprivi this morning I saw another existence farmer busy plowing. One of his oxen was lying and could net get up. He was whipped without mercy. I could see the impact of the whipping running through the body of the poor animal. As an animal lover it was a whipping that I felt in my soul.

How resigned must a human being / animal be when the pain of a beating is more merciful than getting up again?