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Part 1: From Arusha to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro
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"Day 1: Our first night in Tanzania will be spent at a comfortable hotel near the town of Arusha.
Above: Sunday morning traffic in Arusha as we headed out of town
Days 2 and 3: We will depart after breakfast for Lake Manyara National Park. Nestled under the Great Rift Wall, this enchanting park has a varied habitat that supports a large variety of animals, We can expect to see elephant and buffalo as well as waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, impala, baboons, and monkeys. . .
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Above: Rift escarpment with Lake Manyara in the background
After lunch we will drive to Ngorongoro Crater, the largest inactive caldera in the world. The first glimpse of the crater takes your breath away; it seems like a lost world. A vast amphitheater suddenly appears amid the rainforest. Twelve miles wide, with a rim that rises 1,200 to 1,600 feet off the expansive 102 square mile floor, it represents every micro-climate found in Tanzania. . .
Above: Panorama of the Ngorongoro Crater as seen from our first viewpoint.
We will enjoy a full day’s game drive in the crater on the next day, leaving the lodge in the early morning when the light is ethereal and animal activity is high. Accommodations will be at the eco-friendly Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, which sits on the crater’s rim and blends into the majestic surroundings. . ."
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Left: Postcard View of the Ngorongoro Lodge
Most of group arrived at Kilamanjaro airport - Sherry without her checked bag & one of Julie’s missing. Met our drivers and leaders. Off to the hotel. Dinner for those who wanted it (we didn’t so can’t report on that.)
Up early, jet lag! Bags rearranged - walk toward town. Many flowers - neat houses - cool & cloudy - back for breakfast with post-breakfast orientation then off to Lake Manyara National Park. Picnic lunch at park entrance - 1st animals - monkeys (2-3) in tree. Everyone excited, taking pictures. Ruth
Vervet Monkey at Lake Manyara entrance , Skip Schirmerpushing group to "get going, lots more animals to see." Started into park - saw a few baboons then nothing for a while - began to wonder if we would see any animals - then more baboons, elephant family, and felt like we were finally on safari. Saw many different kinds of birds, Cape buffalo, giraffes, more elephants, zebras, impala, cranes, eagles. I saw an animal momentarily. Kennedy said it was a jackal. Kennedy wonderful driver/guide - could ask him about a bird call and he knew whose it was and of course was so good at spotting animals. 1st view of Ngorongoro Crater impressive. Nice rooms with views at lodge . Good dinner, good company then off to bed.
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Sandy Murdoch p.s. Saw a dik-dik too.
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Left: Dik-Dik by Ed Shelley |
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Above Left: Zebras grazing, Lloryn Swan. Above Right: Elephant stirring up dust, Skip Schirmer. |
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Below: Giraffe up close and personal, Sherry Sybesma
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It’s the noon hour. Here we sit in the Ngorongoro Crater amongst what looks like 2 prides of lions, hippos, zebras, cattle egrets, sacred ibis and around 25 safari SUVs. There is a buffalo stuck in the mud. He obviously can’t escape. The lions are waiting for him to tire so they can go in for the kill. Initially, the other buffalos were surrounding the one stuck in the mud. After what seemed to us like an hour, they have lost interest and have deserted their friend. At one point the elephant made an attempt to rid the area of the lions . . . charging & trumpeting. It was a pretty dramatic play. But, even the elephant lost interest. He is now (or is it a she?) far off in the distance . . .
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| Above Left: Buffalo stuck in mud at Ngorongoro Crater hippo pool, Jim Swan | Above Right: Elephant chases lions away at the Ngorongoro Crater hippo Pool, Skip Schirmer |
Several hours later -
We have come and gone . . . experiencing a formal barbeque hosted by our hotel, the Ngorongoro Serena, and seeing even more animals & birds including the ostrich, crowned crane, secretary bird, jackal, serval & warthog. Returning to the lion-buffalo scene finds us amidst fewer of the peripheral players of the drama, which only highlights the sole buffalo, multiple lions, and hippos. These lions are some of the most patient creatures I’ve seen. Thank God they have not discovered the internet! Our driver, Deo, tells us that the lions can wait a day or 2 for the buffalo to tire before they then kill it. We can’t wait that long, so we return to our lodge.
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Left: The group enjoys a
catered lunch under the acacias in Ngorongoro Crater, Lloryn Swan
Below Left: Lions seem relaxed as the watch the goings-on around them, Jim Swan Below Right: Warthogs cavort near the hippo pool, Skip Schirmer |
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After a brief walk in the woods, we return for dinner, more animated than the night before. Barriers are falling down after a shared day of animal watching and adventure. We all worked on a surprise birthday celebration for Jenna with the kitchen crew bringing cake & singing the Jambo Song to embarass her plenty. Woa to the next person who misses the after-lunch discussion!
Julie Schirmer
Jambo Bwana
(Celebration song - "Hello Mister"
Jambo, jambo bwana, habari gani
Nzuri sana (oh wageni) wageni
Mwakanbishwa Serena yetu, hakuna matata
chorus:
Ngorongoro Serena (hakuna matata)
Lodge yenye amani (hakuna matata)
Nyote mwakaribishwa (hakuna matata)
repeat jambo
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Ngorongoro Scenes |
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of our catered lunch, Above left, and zebras, Above right, both by
Lloryn Swan.
Grassy plains, Below left, and Maasai in fog on the crater’s rim, Below right, both by Jim Swan |
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