Our three day paddling trip was nicely balanced with dawn and dusk bushwalks on the islands where we camped. Away from the water the landscape is dry and the grass rustles crisply as we pass through in single file to avoid the ankle-breaking holes left by digging anteaters. Lion paw prints are days old and seemingly not a problem, so we continue through the long grass. Shadrack, our guide, makes the most of termite mounds and other vantage points to seek out the wildlife. But, unsurprisingly, the antelope (tsessebe) that we find are aware of our presence and keep their distance. We occasionally sight some elephants but, for the most part, our viewing of them is through their footprints—wrinkled for the young and smooth for the old—and the plentiful dollops of dung that litter their paths. But it does not matter what we see, as dawn and dusk have a beautiful light in the African bush and you have to be content with what chooses to reveal itself.