Canadian Leaper Moritz (28) is currently in Kenya on a 3 month Solo Safari Leap to Muthaiga Camp:

My cute little walltent home...just like when I was little

Calm has returned. It concerns me greatly.

After about 10 days of activity, during which our camp played host to several large groups, including the family of a certain Lord and Lady from Oxford, things in camp have returned to normal. Of course, in camp the definition of normal is somewhat different than in the outside world. However, one cannot argue with the fact that things have settled down, even if just for a few days.

Even the local wildlife seems to share my sense of renewed peace – zebras are less ziggy, the wildebeest less jumpy, and the baboons are downright silent. Everyone in the Mara is enjoying a brief respite from the ongoing migration of endless enthusiastic and  demanding visitors from all corners of the globe (yes, a globe can have corners).

This stretch of time started with a flourish – due to limitations in the available number of drivers and vehicles, I was left holding the short straw when it came time to pick up our camp director at the airstrip at Keekorok, in the heart of the Mara. Curses! I shook my head as the reality dawned on me – I was being asked to hop in a Land Rover, pilot it through lion country, along 4×4 dirt trails, across rivers, and through herds of animals.

Not a problem, I assured everybody, putting on my most confident and collected visage as inside I felt the slow percolation of excitement. Never mind that in Kenya, one drives on the “wrong” side of the road, from the “wrong” side of the car, shifting with the “wrong” hand! I was thrilled to be heading out on a mini-adventure, and had no concerns about it whatsoever.

Not a problem.

The rest of the story is not at all fascinating – I drove, picked up my boss, and made it back to camp. Nilienda, na nilirudi. Hakuna matata. There were a few moments worth noting, I suppose: the herd of a dozen giraffe moving alongside me for a few moments, trying to keep pace through the acacia thickets; the flat tire, with grateful assistance provided by another camp’s driver while his impatient clients glared at me with looks of contempt; and the message on my mobile phone which said “Etisalat welcomes you to the UAE”.

Apparently there is a mobile phone tower just across the border in Tanzania servicing the wealthy Emiratis who hunt there within private concessions. My thoughts on that are for another time and another place.

Back in camp, we are in the process of moving the office into a new tent, from its current location inside a proverbial broom closet – a welcome change for all who spend time there, me included. Our new home is spacious, breezy, and extremely comfortable. Luckily, I will now be able to say “back in my day, life was soooo difficult” to any and all who come here in the future, which pleases me greatly. I’ve spent significant time working on client bookings and marketing, tossing around random ideas with the rest of the managerial staff about how to continue increase the flow of clients into the camp. That, in and of itself, is making this placement incredibly worthwhile.

Apart from the fun, adventure, and lions, I feel that I’m slowly getting a sense for this thing called the safari business – its challenges, nuances, and tremendous complexity. Logistics, staffing, and politics all play their role in this ever shifting game, and though it’s tough, it’s extremely satisfying.

Next stop: a quick trip west to Kisii…