Safari Day 4

January 28, 2019

Safari Day 4

Ngorongoro!!! YES!!! This is where one can see just about all the animals of Africa, including some that are endangered.  I was really looking forward to this day.  We had been very lucky to see several things that most people don’t get to see…. the leopard kill, the wildebeest migration, perfect weather….(ok, I just threw that in). I had a feeling that this day was also going to bring rare and special sightings.

First, the name Ngorongoro.  It’s actually the sound of a cowbell as the Maasai herd them out to pasture. Try saying it with a kind of sing-song-nasal sound and you’ll hear what I mean.

On our way to the crater, we got to experience the sunrise.

We went down a very steep one-way road to get into the crater of Ngorongoro.

Almost immediately we started seeing more animals than I could take pictures of.  Here are some of them.

Ostriches chasing a hyena.

Another bird

A vulture (yes, another bird)

Cute, cute little cranes

A fox

Eland

A baby eland

You got it...another bird

uh-huh. A zebra

An old wildebeast.

I know....birds.

Is an ostrich a bird?

Hundreds of Flamingos and ducks dotted this lake.

Stork

Yet more animals

Buffalo

We made a stop at a lovely lake called Ngoitoktok where we saw more hippos.

It was here that we saw a very rare, one of a kind creature. It’s difficult to tell what it is at first, but the closer shot will show you that it’s somewhat like a leopard and somewhat like a cheetah and somewhat like a…… creature of human design.

The spectacular views continued.

I took a few videos for some action shots.

….a fox

 ….an ostrich on the road

One thing I really really wanted to see was a black rhino.  They are endangered.  In fact, Ngorongoro is the only place you can find them and there are less than 50 of them alive.  They stay in the forest, near the hills on the edge of the crater.  If they are spotted, they are always seen at a distance.  I didn’t have much hope of actually seeing one.

BUT then, lo and behold. Up ahead of us we saw TWO BLACK RHINOS right next to the road.  As soon as we approached, they started running so I couldn’t get my camera going fast enough to get a large, clear shot but take a look.  In the flesh! Black Rhinos! (You have to look carefully in the distance.)

 Take a look at this photo which shows the outline of these 2 beauties.  The one on the left is the juvenile and the mama is on the right. (Unfortunately, there was a spot on my camera lens but it doesn’t obscure the rhinos.)

I was sooooooooo happy.  In the safari world, there is the “Big 5” which are the top animals that are the most intelligent, the most aggressive, and the most difficult to kill.  A truly spectacular safari includes viewings of all 5 animals.  Here they are:

Elephant

Buffalo

Lion

Leopard

Rhinoceros

Yes, I saw ALL OF THE BIG 5!

Finally, it was time to leave and we started for the one way road that went up out of the crater.

But wait…..there’s more.  As a final wonderful shot, we stopped and there, right out my window was a lioness enjoying a rest under a bush in the late afternoon.

(sigh!)

We returned to Haven Nature, the first camp we stayed at.  That’s where I said goodbye to Marion and Marianne who were continuing on to other adventures with Nyange. We unloaded our camping gear and rearranged our luggage.  Phil and I climbed into the jeep with the 4 young’uns who were going to Moshi after dropping me off.

The uneventful drive back took about 3 hours. I had time to think about my adventure.

Taken from the back of the jeep.

Safari Day 3

January 27, 2019

Safari Day 3

Yes, we were up at 5:30 in order to catch the sunrise.  I can’t say much about it because a picture doesn’t really express the feeling of a sunrise, a sunrise on the Serengeti.  But, take a look.

After the sunrise, we drove around the Serengeti experiencing the land and the animals. We returned to the camp at about 11:00 for brunch. Our tents and things were all packed up so there were no showers that day.  They were cold anyway.

After brunch, we loaded up the jeeps and left to travel around some more.

Here is a sampling of what we saw that day.

A cheetah

A sausage tree...look carefully

Just a bird

Hippos in a pond

A baboon

Buffalo with birds on their backs
They're cleaner birds that eat bugs.

A buffalo herd

Finally, the leopard completely sacked out from yesterday's kill.

Here are hippos in a pond. They lie about in the mud and turn over once in a while to keep their hide from drying out.

We stopped at a rest stop for some rest.

These are some interesting signs at the rest stop.

After the break, it was more sightseeing.

Female giraffes have tufts on their horns

Yet another bird

There really is a crocodile in this photo.

Here’s a pair of giraffes who were fighting.  Use your imagination.

Baboons gave us endless entertainment.

Here are some more videos I took.  I hope you can access them.

Buffalo…..

Mongoose...

 Towards the end of the day, on our way to our next camp, we stopped at a Boma which is a little enclave where Maasai live. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro is the traditional land of the Maasai so these Bomas were scattered throughout the area.  During the day, the men and boys take the herds out to pasture and return in the evening. The Maasai figured out that the safari tourists are very interested in their lifestyle so some of the Bomas have put together a little presentation about their culture. For about $10 one can visit a real Boma and learn about the Maasai.

My Commentary on Maasai I have known about these cultural visits to a Boma ever since I came here.  Several tourist companies organize them and they can cost as much as $50. I’ve been reluctant to go because I feel uncomfortable about the Maasai “selling” themselves…their culture… in order to make a few bucks to survive.  In Spokane, I knew Nicholas Sironka, a Maasai from Kenya, who is a batik artist. His paintings depict Maasai culture and lifestyle and I’ve listened to him talk about his people.  Several years ago, he brought some dancers from his village and they performed at the Bing.  I didn’t need to go to a Boma to learn about the Maasai.  I must admit that I was disconcerted during my visit and I wanted to just leave. So, here is what happened, according to me.

We arrived and paid our money. The women of the Boma were all dressed in blue and the men were also dressed traditionally.

 The young son of the chief told us that the group would welcome us with a dance.  Personally, I thought it was a very wimpy dance since I’ve seen the real thing.  They didn’t seem to put much energy or interest into it. So, here it is.  You decide.

We all entered the BOMA and were taken to the school where young children sang us a song and chanted their ABCs and numbers. One of the kids took a stick and pointed to the letters and numbers as the children shouted them out. We were encouraged to put money into a box to support the school. Since it was Sunday and there was no school, the class dispersed as soon as we left. (No, I didn’t feed the box.)

 Next, each of the four of us had a personal escort around the Boma.  I followed the chief’s son who told me about the lives of the villagers. (Hmmm. Can I call them Bomagers?). We went into one of the huts where a family of 5 live….3 children and 2 parents.  It was about as big as a large bathroom.  It had two sleeping platforms, divided by a wall of sticks. One side was for the 3 children and the other side was for the parents. There was a fire pit in the floor at the entrance for cooking.  The smoke went out a very small opening in the wall. My escort told me that the sticks and mud that made up the hut had to be replaced every 6 years and there were constant repairs.

The huts were situated in a rough circle with a fence of sticks surrounding everything.  In the middle of the Boma, were tables and racks.  These were filled with items for sale. For most of the time I spent in the village, my escort took me from rack to table so I could pick out what Iwanted to buy.  (NOT!) We were strongly encouraged to buy from each table. (NOT!)  Most of the items were beaded bracelets, necklaces and carvings of animals and other chatchkies.

Some children followed us while others cried when they saw us coming.

After the visit to the Boma, we went on to our third night of camping. We had plenty of time to set up camp and I even managed a shower….a cold shower.  But it sure felt good.

 When the sun set, it got cold rather quickly.  In spite of the cold, the stars were brilliant and plentiful without the lights of civilization and I enjoyed gazing at the sky.  I also had the opportunity to talk to our guide, Ronald, about some of the differences in our lifestyles and cultural values. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good photo of him. I am very sad about that.

Oh, did I mention that it was cold? I wore just about everything I’d brought including a down vest and 2 pairs of socks but I was still shivering in my bag.  It was all part of the adventure.