I am writing this from Kasane, where we have completed our 1000km epic cycling journey.  The second half of the ride was very challenging, with temperatures well over 40C (100+ degrees Farenheit) for much of the way.  However, our riders grew stronger and more technically skilled with every day, so we were able to handle the distances…the team also got even better at supporting each other, so we were able to keep more adaptive riders on the road for more of each leg each day, with 9 handcycles doing the entire 40+ kilometers on the final day.  Awe inspiring is not an adequate phrase to describe the efforts of these riders, including our blind and amputee rider who shared the distance on the tandem bike!
During the second week we saw, as expected, much more wildlife, though the elephants we saw from the road did not disrupt our passage.  We had fantastic stops at campsites where there were waterholes to monitor for all sorts of interesting beasts.  Thanks to the support of the Wildlife rangers and the police we felt safe at all times.  Drivers were very courteous, although there was nothing much they could do in some places to keep down the dust in our faces.  All along the way the riders got cheers, and the amazement factor ratcheted up as we racked up the miles and shortened the distance to Kasane.  We had a group of local farmers ride with us a couple of days before the end, and they found they couldn’t keep up with the handcyclists over the first 10km of the ride! (I hasten to add that these were not cycling club members, they were just pleasure cyclists – the cycling club folks who joined us along the way kept up and were very helpful in encouraging our riders)>
The final day saw us loop around Kasane and back towards Kazungulu, where a bridge connects four countries:  Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  That’s where our closing ceremony was held, with speeches from assembled VIPs and a touching medal awards ceremony.  There was much talk of developing land donated in this area into a new center for disabled persons support (including sport and recreation support).
The team is now resting and will enjoy a river cruise on the Zambesi before tomorrow morning beginning the drive back to Gaborone (with bikes in tow) and the return to their various countries.  We enjoyed seeing slides of the journey and rough cut videos from the camera crews that followed us, and look forward to the final products
All along the way we have been boosted by knowing of your support.  Thanks so much for backing Bidii Yetu Botswana 2026!
As we look through the hundreds of photos and videos taken during this ride, we will try to post on the Bidii Yetu No Limits website interesting vignettes from our journey. Below find a few photos of happy riders at the finish, and scenes from the last day riding around Kasane, Kazungulu, and over the bridge that spans four countries (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia)
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