The text appears to be a dialogue from a travel or adventure documentary. It describes a journey across the Makgadikgadi Pans, the largest salt flats in the world, located in Botswana. The participants are warned that the journey is dangerous due to the lack of water, food, and the harsh conditions of the salt flats. The journey is made more difficult by the weight of the vehicles, which causes them to sink into the salt. The participants attempt to lighten their vehicles by shedding weight, but the challenges persist.
The group encounters Vice President Ian Khama, who expresses surprise at their attempt to drive across the salt flats. They set off, and the journey proves to be more difficult than expected. The salt flats are described as more frightening than the South Pole due to their vastness and the curvature of the Earth. Despite the challenges, the group continues until they reach Kubu Island, about a third of the way across the salt flats. As the sun sets, they head for the campsite.
In summary, the journey across the Makgadikgadi Pans is a dangerous and challenging endeavor that required the participants to shed weight from their vehicles and endure harsh conditions. The experience is described as astonishing and memorable.
1. The Makgadikgadi is the largest salt pan in the world, stretching as wide as Portugal.
2. No car has ever driven across the Makgadikgadi.
3. If you run out of water, food, or if your car breaks down, you will die.
4. The surface of the Makgadikgadi is like driving on a crème brûlée, with a primeval ooze covered by a thin layer of salty crust.
5. If you have thin tyres, you will break through that crust and get stuck.
6. The advice given is to fit fat tyres and remove as much weight as possible before setting off.
7. The weight-shedding began in camp.
8. The vice president of Botswana was encountered during the journey.
9. The journey across the Makgadikgadi is described as more frightening than the Pole.
10. Despite the weight-shedding, the Lancia car was not doing well.
11. The ooze on the salt pan was so bad that more drastic weight-shedding was needed.
12. The journey was described as horrible and required the crew to push the car off the ooze.
13. The gunk on the salt pan was described as rotted, prehistoric fish.
14. The ground eventually hardened and they made good progress.
15. The journey was described as coming between what looked like islands, with one of them being Kubu Island.
16. The journey was described as being about a third of the way across the Makgadikgadi.
17. The journey was described as being to Kubu Island, which is called the most astonishing place ever been.