Day 79: KNP: Berg-en-Dal Restcamp 

The alarm goes off at 4:00. Yes, really! The morning walk is supposed to start at 4:30. It's getting light. About a three-quarter hour drive. Then a fairly slow walk of less than 4 km, and the same distance back by car. Apart from us, there are two other Germans. And two guides with guns.

It's interesting to be on foot here. But somehow we expected more from it, we hardly see a single animal.

But we learn a little about hippo tracks and droppings, about a few medicinal plants, bird calls and warning sounds of antelopes. We see the tracks of an antelope that was killed and dragged away by a leopard – that's what the guides tell us. We learn that antelopes, for example, can delay the birth of young by about two weeks if the conditions are not good. And we see a few rather poisonous relatives of the milliped. We learn how small water holes become large: the elephant scrapes for water and roots. Then comes the warthog, the buffalo makes it even bigger, the hippo follows and finally it is big enough for an elephant bath. We are back by 9:00.

And there is a bit of work waiting for us: the rail mount of the refrigerator needs to be replaced, which Leo thankfully brought along.

As a reward, we go "op pad" again around midday. Impalas, kudus, a springbok, warthogs, zebras and elephants can be seen. A ground bill with its distinctive red neck has just caught a frog. We see a pair of Wahlberg Eagles, a pair of Bateleur (eagles) and some vultures as well as a few other pretty birds. All in all, a lovely first day in the park.