Sherri & Karen’s Excellent Adventure Into Ngorongoro Crater!

Tuesday, Oct 21

Ngorongoro – Candelabra Tree

Up early and out to a full day in the Crater. It’s so lush and green on the car drive down and we see narrow trails which the Maasai walk every day (miles!) to guide the cattle herds down into crater for water. As we leave Rhino lodge in the morning after breakfast there is a big maribou stork in the courtyard and many water bucks grazing in our backyard. We are in the crater all day and see so much: lion and lioness mating, servil cat, golden jackal, hippos, wildebeest, several lionesses looking for cubs and very close to our car, Grey crowned crane with yellow fan (which is national bird of Uganda), spotted hyena, African fish eagle, and the heaviest flying bird in all of Africa, the Kori Bustard. Warthog in the mud hole!

Ngorongoro – Vervet Monkeys

Lunch in the car overlooking lovely water hole filled with hippos. Can’t eat out of car because of blood kites, birds that peck and would eat our food. Great bathrooms way down in the crater – go figure – plenty of toilet paper and clean. Glad we brought all that traveling TP! Continue on our game drive – we see mating ostriches, cape buffalo, lots of elephants and zebras. Rhinos remain elusive – way far in the distance – no close sighting. Lion sleeping right on the side of the road. Heading back to Rhino Lodge about 6pm, Karen buys a pretty beaded belt in the gift shop which she has altered by one of the hotel workers. Packing, donating some clothing items for Maasai and lightening our load as we prepare to board another bush plane for Serengetti. Our last dinner and conversation with Baraka …