Bergville, Day 45-Tired of driving everyday, we decided to stay another night at Little Switzerland Resort. We woke up this morning to a zebra munching grass out on the lawn in front of our room. A bit later a couple more showed up down at the stables with the horses. One of the smaller females worked her way up to the staircase, but only the male was brave enough to venture into the complex. When the heat picked up in the afternoon he climbed up a ramp onto a covered terrace on the second floor of one of the buildings. Management evidently gives them the run of the place for everyone’s enjoyment.

We got a late start on a hike from the resort into uKhahlamba-Drakenberg Park. First we took the wrong path, after backtracking we finally found the jeep track we were supposed to follow. The views were beautiful and being out alone in the countryside blissful. Off in the distance there were baboons calling and barking. We could hear a river running over rocks in the bottom of a ravine.  Just about the time the river was in sight, here came the ATV’s, roaring down the track spewing exhaust. Pete and I waited while they forded the river, then followed across. The mood was broken, we were hot, so decided to return to the resort.

The main reason for such a late start on our trek was that pinning down reservations in Lesotho was much more difficult than anticipated. There doesn’t seem to be any way for direct communication. All reservations are made through a tour company or satellite office in South Africa. Finally with much emailing and phone calling, we have secured a Rondavel for 2 nights, with breakfast and dinner. Wifi will be intermittent at best. The country is considered a time warp to Africa the way it was. Lesotho was not conquered by Boers and other Europeans in the 19th century. The mountain kingdom was protected by incredibly rugged mountainous terrain and a wily King, Moshoeshoe the Great, who repulsed relentless incursions of invaders.