It’s been a very long day but I am finally here and ready to go. The day started at 6am when we landed in Nairobi, only to be greeted by horrendous traffic on the way to the domestic airport. I always make the most of such opportunities as I love to people watch. The thing that you notice immediately about Nairobi is the bustle, people are walking everywhere and some have walked a great distance to work in a factory all day. Puts any complaint about our work commutes into perspective! I love Kenya as it has a charm that is unique. On the radian breakfast show, the two presenters were talking about Guinness and how people from Ireland were lucky to have it as their national drink. Over the course of an hour they discussed the merits of Guinness in great detail, only pausing to play some easy listening 70’s music.

I finally arrived at Wilson Airport and was greeted straight away by a couple who recognised me and were going on safari themselves. I am always amazed how, as a complete nobody, I get recognised all over the place. Must be the weird way I look, totally unique! Anyway the flight was called for the Mara, we all shuffled outside and waited on the tarmac whist all around propellers were started and tourists were whisked off all over Kenya. I did for one minute think that this might be our plane, but it appears to have a few little things missing….

After a bumpy flight we finally arrived over the Mara and I felt the same sense that I always do when returning, it’s a very special place. On the plane I read an article that worried me a lot, saying that since the 1970’s over a third of the big game species had disappeared from the Mara. The article made some interesting points, putting the blame on over exploitation and tourism pressures. A sobering thought.

Dickson my smiling guide met me from the plane, he’s my leopard expert that did so well for me last year and gave me such a contribution to my forthcoming leopard book. We chatted about stuff on the way to the camp, I noticed with annoyance that my lilly white brit abroad arms were already turning a shade of red so had to cover up quick. Anyway we arrived at Rekero Camp, my home for the next two weeks, and after meeting old friends I was shown to my tent…wow what a view…

As I watched a herd of elephants walked across the plains on the other side, I knew it was gonna be  a fun trip. After a short snooze, ok I admit it I was comatose and doing walrus impressions, it was time for our first game drive. I like to do a few recess before clients arrive as I need ti make decisions about what we do and need to ensure that I make the best choices, it would be unprofessional of me not to. So I took the f-stop Monster ICU from the rucksack and loaded it with the 200-400 and 28-300, both with D3s bodies attached. In went the 2x, 1.4x and fisheye plus a spare battery. We had a good drive around, looking for leopards without any success, but had a wonderful encounter at a hyena den with some playful and very adorable pups. I will be back there tmrw so if I don’t post any leopards will try to get some hyenas.

Now it’s bed time, outside the chorus of frogs is deafening and I can hear a hippo making its way up the bank towards my tent, hope he doesn’t expect a cup of tea, what what old bean! Talk tmrw, good night.