|
|
TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
|
|
Safari Day 4 - After an absolutely amazing day of cat sightings we head to what many consider the perfect African Safari, Ngorogoro Crater. Just like it's spelled folks, In-goro-goro. I still say it wrong though of course. It comes out like Ben Stiller saying Brett Favvrrraaa in Something About Mary. The Crater is a just that, a huge volcanic caldera that blew its top a million years ago or so. It is the perfect environment for all Africa's animals, and the only place in Tanzania to see the Big 5 - Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Water Buffalo and Elephant. The Big 5 is an old great white hunter saying for the things they most wanted to shoot. I much prefer shooting with a camera. Seems unbelievable to me that people thought it was fun to kill such amazing animals. Stop, I'm not a tree hugger just yet but Hemingway did have it wrong.
Anyway, before we start our game drive we camp for the night on the rim of the crater. Great view, but it's cold up there, about 15 degrees colder. So of course the one spot where I don't want it to rain it pours, and guess what, 2 out of our 3 tents leak like crazy. Mine is dry but I can't leave my companions to cold, wet tents so guess who has to share. Not John the Guide, that's for sure. He's nowhere to be found. Next morning he starts the old standby, "Akun . .. " but I tell him if says another syllable I'm going to Akuna his Matata right off the nearby cliff. He just giggles and we take off for the game drive.
The very first thing we see is another lion, a male guarding a kill from the night before. A bunch of hyena are nearby waiting to get a piece but the King of the Jungle isn't budging. Nice. Next we find a herd of Water Buffalo. Seems that they and the hippo are way more dangerous to humans then the lion, statistically anyway. It's a little creepy having a few hundred of these monsters all staring at you at once. Speaking of hippos I finally get the yawn shot I've been waiting for. Later we see a big herd of zebra and wildebeest. Lots of grunting and fighting. This group doesn't migrate, staying in the crater all year because of the abundant water. John calls them lazy. I say they're smart. The big attraction here is the black rhino which is very rare. We see two of them but they're sleeping way in the distance so it isn't much of a sighting.
After a nice morning of game driving we have to make our way out of the crater. I've done my fair share of off roading with trucks and motorcycles, but I've never seen a road like this. Foot deep mud, viscous ruts, tire shedding rocks, all on a very steep incline; in the rain. Sick. We got stuck once and I had to go out and find rocks to lay in the ruts so the tire would grab. Of course I got covered in the mud but it was kind of fun. John the Guide made up for his no worry comments with some amazing driving. Land Rover is my next vehicle I hope. So that's Ingororrragai crater. Say it with a smile.
PS - 'Reign' is an appropriate song but it's also because I keep telling Nick's Massai photo story to these young backpackers I meet and no one knows who Pete Townsend is! Am I really that old?
previous travel blog entry
Nick Lakiotes says:
No--If its too loud, your too old...and Hemingway's house was eventually overrun by over 60 feral cats. I think they loaded his final shot.