August 2006
 
Sundays Village Life

Back to Index           martin@martins.co.za                  
Ideally one would wake up with the crack of dawn.
Make a cup of coffee.

Walk lazily around the properties, no hurry - check that everything's
mostly where it should be. BUT take the camera - you never know
what's going to be across the river. A buck - a troop of monkeys,
Mother Duck and her baby geese following ?

Back again, log onto internet and check emails for bookings, answer
any correspondences and the like.

Make arrangements for the checking out of any guests.

Put the telephone answering machine on, or divert it to cellphone,
put pocket diary in...ummm...pocket ? Lock up and take a walk.

Stop and talk to all neighbours and residents. Tell them how wonderful your place is.
Offer them a 10 percent referral fee.
Accept their offer of tea and rusks.
Hand out promotional flyers left, right and centre.
Tell everybody that one is the Residential Gamekeeper of the Lodges,
with a vast background of international experience.

Pop inn to other Guest Houses. Make oneself known.
Have a reciprocal arrangement to refer 'over bookings' to each other.
Meet and greet.
Ask what fish are being caught at the moment - and where in the river.
Become the Talk of the Village.

This could, of course, all take place on a bicycle, not walking.
It is known that walking minimises the risk of punctures.
Cell phone rings - it's a potential booking.
Write it in pocket diary to keep diary up to date.

This is village life.
Want bright lights ? We'll give you a postcard of Las Vegas.
Gee whittakers, it's noon already.
Pop into the local for breakfast and a pint.

That done, back home to Stephen King and other literati.
Walk lazily around the properties, no hurry - check that everything's
mostly where it should be.
Onto internet - check that the world is still behaving and unlikely to
disturb your serenity. Update computer from pocket diary.

Ready to welcome any new guests. Think of add-on values.
Fishing rod and net rental. R 25 per day. Extra rod R 20 per day.
Pilchards and chokka bait for sale ex deepfreeze,
shop price plus 25 percent.
Canoe hire - R 50,00 per day.

No liquor licence. Maybe apply for one - then be able to run a bar.
Lock up when not present to prevent late night vaporisation.

Nothing beats life in the global village...

Back to Index                             martin@martins.co.za