Today has been rather eventless—an easy 135km ride on flat tar roads into Maun, where we’re having a rest day tomorrow.

For a stretch of about 10-20km, massive disgusting-looking bugs (the size of a palm with long legs) kept crossing the road. Half of them were squashed by traffic, some were busy eating each other, and the remainder provided a bit of a navigational challenge as they kept moving rapidly between our wheels. Luckily, they didn’t fly!

As I would find out later, those bugs go by the local name of corn crickets. They are a pest of sorghum and millet in Southern Africa.

According to entomologist Bill Bateman on BBC News, “when the swarms in the African bush meet a road, lots get squashed and the others gather for a feast, so more get squashed until there can be a thick, acrid pancake of dead and moribund crickets on the roadside, bleeding and attracting more cannibals.” That’s exactly what we’ve witnessed today—yuck!!!

In fear of potential attack, I shall be apologized for not getting off my bike to take a photo myself ;(

Photo credit: Rudi Bosbouer (Wikimedia Commons)

Stage 67: Bush Camp – Maun (Botswana), 134km

Road & traffic condition:

Lots of potholes, but still relatively good tar overall.

Weather:

Same same—sunny but not too hot (as we finished our riding day before the afternoon heat).

Culinary highlights:

Dinner at our lodge (for about half of us who preferred convenience; others went outside for Italian/Indian food which might have been the better choice). As usual, we’ve caused big confusion with the service personnel. Their lack of basic common sense, efficiency and organization surprises us again and again. Long waiting times, confused orders, wrong bills, . . . — TIA! (This Is Africa)

Group highlights:

Rest day tomorrow.

Personal highlights: