“So,” I ask,” Lions, rhino’s, elephants, buffalo, and leopards are all very dangerous, is there anything else that can kill you here?” Anne and I were having dinner with a film crew staying at Ngiri house like we were. Having finished another day of filming a documentary show to be aired on British ITV and on CNN in the US on September 15th, they were interviewing the six finalists for the Tusk Conservation Awards.
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We arrive about 2 pm on Saturday and are shown our thatched roof hut at Ngiri House. Then we are left to our own devices for a day and a half with the keys to a khaki-colored, four wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser sporting an industrial-sized cattle guard and no instructions other than always close the hut door or the monkeys will get in. Our small semi-circular veranda looks out onto a swamp where we can see large black and white cranes taking off in the distance. The air is filled with the sounds of unfamiliar birds, buzzing insects and monkeys chattering and chasing each other around the lawn and through nearby trees. The place feels deserted and 62,000 hectares stretch out in front of us. What to do?

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We left our home in Brooksville Maine at 11:03 on Thursday morning, June 6, 2013. The drive to Pam’s house in Belmont, Massachusetts (Boston) took 4 ¾ hours.  After unloading the minivan and dropping off the keys we headed to Logan airport at 4:05. Our 7:15 pm flight schedule meant we had plenty of time. “Bing Bing” Anne’s phone signaled that we had an e-mail from Delta. Our flight had been pushed forward to 6:55. Still plenty of time.
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