Times are a bit tough at the moment

Having a hectic time at the moment. I have been to so many meetings about land issues, village issues and now poaching issues. All meetings are in Swahili and all so long (upto 8 hrs) - I am really frustrated and tired.

Some bloody bastard is killing elephants and buffalo's in and around Klein's. I can't wait to catch that guy.............

We have a full camp till the end of June - then it is year end financials. Tiff and I are alone here at the moment, so very busy. In July we go to Ngorongoro Crater Lodge for a 2 weeks to run it while the managers there are away.

Will only get a break in August - so really need some inspiration to get through the next 6 weeks............

A sundowner drink on our concession and the Kenyan Border

We decided to take Rob (the Director of Tanzania Operations) and his wife Trish for a drive to see a part of Klein's they hadn't seen before.

So the two of them, Tawanda (our assistant manager), Tiff and I were driven out there by Erasto (our head ranger). After about 3hrs we stopped on the Kenyan border, which borders our concession.

Here we had a sundowner drink on the Kenyan border - in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

We had the full regalia of drinks on hand, so I opted for a "small" vodka/coke. After my first sip I was dying for a cigarette.

So Erasto (knowing all about guest -and now staff - delight) drove our vehicle to find a Maasai warrior for a light. After about 15 minutes he literally raced back from 2km away with a dog madly chasing the car. Sitting next to him in the front seat was a Maasai warrior holding his milk-boiling tin which contained some ash and a very small - barely alight coal, which was dug up from under the ground.

The coal was hardly alight by the time it got to me and only lasted for about 20 seconds before it died.

After that I chained a couple of smokes and we all had a great laugh, knowing that the border may have been crossed (unsure - so as not to incriminate myself) to source a light for the manager's smoking habit.

Awesomeness x10!

The coal was so cold that Erasto could hold it by hand

Myself, Rob, Trish, Tawanda, Erasto and the Hero of the day

Maasai Dude with his dog 'Simba'