Day 49: Nata Lodge and Campsite – Mabaka Farm and Campsite in Letlhakane

Across the salt pan. Pretty spectacular. Pretty lonely. Apart from some cattle, a few small birds, a group of vultures, a few meerkats and an oncoming tourist car, we met nothing and no one during the day. Oh yes, there were also the guards of Kubu Island, who get a daily fee of 125.40 Pula for passing through.

Other than that: vastness, vastness, vastness.

Now and then you see whirlwinds and our plume of dust hangs behind us for a long time over the track.

The plain is sometimes covered in steppe grass, sometimes just dusty or with a salt crust, sometimes with low vegetation. At the edge of the pan there are trees and gnarled, rustic, old baobabs that tower over everything else.

And Lekhubu Island. It really does rise out of the plain like a rocky island. The campsite doesn't provide any shade and it's actually too early to stay anywhere, so the island is just our lunch stop.

From north to south 242 km, mostly on dirt roads.

In Letlhakane, the campsite "The Plot" that we had chosen is fully booked, so we end up at Mabaka Farm.

Before that, Becky gets another car wash, as it's completely messed up. And since we overlooked that one of the hatches wasn't properly closed, we also have to clean the living cabin.

A quick cook and the day is almost over.