Ngorongoro, Tanzania
3° 15' S 35° 30' E
Sep 19, 2007 16:41
Distance 128km

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The Nrorongoro Crater

Tuesday, Wednesday, September 19 Ngorongoro Crater

Drove all day Tuesday so we could camp at the top edge of the crater and do a game drive starting early the next morning. The top of the crater is at 2400 meters so it was cold and windy. First time in a long time that I was cold at night.

Tuesday was my daughter, Vanessa’s twenty first birthday, so l thought of and prayed for her realization and fulfilment of life’s blessings and bounty often during the day.

Ngorongoro Crater is the inside of a volcano which collapsed millions of years ago. It is a valley about 12 – 14 k across surrounded by a wall about 200 meters high. Inside the crater is a wonderful natural ecosystem and water supply where animals thrive. The crater is especially famous for its large and bountiful number of lions, elephants with large tusks (because of the high levels phosphorous in the grass) and the occasional black rhino.

We were the first ones into the crater at 6 AM, most don’t arrive until 7. Being first in (at the peak there can be up to 150 jeeps crawling around in it, and it is not that large compared to other parks), we got to see a black rhino way in the distance and lions so close it was amazing. The elephants do indeed have large tusks. Saw an amazing parade of wildebeests that was at least a kilometre long and all in single or double file. They were queuing up for a drink at the local stream. In one sighting you could see hippos, lions, wildebeests, zebra, hyenas, flamingos all within 150 meters of one another. I was naively expecting to see so much more in the crater, my own fault for thinking I was in a zoo. Earlier in the week we had driven by the top of the crater and it was locked in fog, fortunately when we were there it was sunny.

Got to out next camp site after the drive (had to be out by 1:30 PM, fees were $80 per person per day plus $200 for the jeep, so the drive was only one day). I wandered into the village nearby and came across a barber so I got my beard trimmed ($.75) to 1 cm, first cut in three months. It was noted by my colleagues that I looked much younger, and I had to agree. From now on I’ll shave every two or three weeks.

Photos / videos of "The Nrorongoro Crater":

Lion doing whatever Pride of lions, these are outside of the crater on the road from the Serengeti to the Crater Average sized Masia village on the outside of the crater. Note it is surrounded by a fence made of thorn bushes Outside of the crater Inside of the crater There is a very strong wind blowing up the crater. Note my stockings, just drop the detachable legs to above your shoes, guaranteed not to lose them this way Two cheetahs, likely brothers as cheetahs generally are alone unless part of the bachelor group The two brothers again Not sure why I saved this photo, but it is a hassle to load so it must be good Zebras Jackal lion and lioness approaching the van Closer and more personal Change of heart, let's play hard to get Johan turns on his charm and the lions snuggle right up to the van Ugliest animal on earth, a wildeebeest Lion on a hunting mission Male ostrich, know it is a male as it is black not gray in color Parade of wildeebeeest in queue for water. Line goes for at least a kilometer Hippo pond Another view of the crater, note the lake, this is what makes the crater special, it has it own internal water supply so animals don't need to leave. The walls around the crater are a few hundredd meters high and the crater is 15 K across Wildeebeest inside the crater Zebras and wildeebeest hanging out together Elephant, note larger tusk (though one is broken). The crater is known for its elephants with large tusks, due to high levels of phosphorous in the grass
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