Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Safari (Day 4):

Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

 
No lions roaring, no elephants tearing apart trees last night. What a disappointment!
 
We packed up after breakfast and headed to our next destination, Ngorongoro Crater. We were very lucky this morning because we saw not one but three cheetahs: a mother and two cubs. They were on a small mound near the road but I scared them away by opening the roof too loudly. It was hard to see them in the tall grass but we followed them and we got a pretty good view when they walked on the road and when they finally came to a rest on top of another small mound. What a great way to start the day! We also saw a hyena close to the road and ostriches. We stopped at the gate again to pay the entry fee to the NCA and here, I had a picture taken with my crew in front of the land cruiser.
 
In the NCA, we first stopped at Simba Campsite to drop off Ahmed and our equipment. Then, Robert and I headed down into the crater. The crater is an amazing place! The crater floor teems with wildlife. There is everything there but most of all zebras. Zebras are everywhere. There are plenty of lions as well. At one point, a lion caused a traffic jam when it lied down behind a vehicle. Nobody could move anywhere. We were lucky to see two male lions as well later on. The only animal I still wanted to see was the rhino. Well, I saw a few of them during the day but they were never close enough to take a good picture and we were not allowed to drive on the grass to get closer to them.
 
At 2pm, we finally made it to the picnic spot where we had lunch. It was a very beautiful place with a freshwater lake and a few hippos. I ate my lunch under a huge tree. I also took a panorama picture of the lake. Hopefully, it will turn out nice. We drove around more after lunch. We visited yet another hippo pond. At about 4:30, we started heading up to the rim. From there, it was a long and dusty drive back to Simba Campsite. I think this was our dustiest drive yet. I could hardly wait for it to end.
 
At 6 o'clock, we arrived at the campsite and I was surprised to see how busy it got since we left. There are tents everywhere. First, I took a hot shower. Yes, there is hot water here. It was really lovely. Now, I'm sitting in the very busy dining room sipping my second cup of tea and waiting for Robert to join me. One more day of safari and then we'll start heading home. To be honest, this is not what I expected for almost $400/day. We have this unrealistically exotic image of an African safari but the sad reality is a daylong, dusty, and bumpy ride in an uncomfortable vehicle. Yes, you see lots of animals along the way but after seeing the 50th lion you think twice before standing up on your seat again to take yet another lion picture. I'm glad this journey is slowly coming to an end. It will be great to be back at home again where I can breathe smog instead of dust and I can take a crap sitting rather than squatting.
 
I ate way too much for dinner. I will have to start watching my calorie intake from tomorrow.

Another lovely sunrise in the Serengeti
 
Resting lions
 
Cheetah
 
Cheetahs
 
At the gate separating the Serengeti from the NCA
 
With my crew: Robert (driver/guide) and Ahmed (cook)
 
Hyena
 
Simba Campsite in the NCA
 
The kitchen and the dining room at the campsite
 
The bathroom facilities
 
Robert and Ahmed unloading the gear at the campsite
 
On the way to the crater
 
 
 
Maasai boma
 
View of the crater
 
Posing on the crater rim
 
The crater floor
 
Warthogs (and zebra)
 
Ostrich
 
Wildebeests
 
 
 
Flamingoes (and zebras)
 
Buffalo
 
Crested cranes
 
Traffic jam caused by a lion
 
 
 
A couple of male lions
 
Arriving at the picnic area
 
I ate my lunch under that big tree
 
By the lake
 
 
 
This is the closest I got to the rhinos (with my 300mm lens)
 
 
 
 
 
Zebras
 
Hippo pond
 
Buffaloes
 
Buffaloes
 
The busy dining room back at the campsite
 
Our dinner setup (on the right)
 
Cooks preparing dinner in the kitchen
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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