Ngorongoro Crater
After several days camping out there in the Serengeti with no running water, long drop toilets and a broken fridge it's time for a short beauty break in a more civilized accommodation. As we get out of Serengeti our next stop is the Ngorongoro Crater. On its rim there are a few super expensive lodges. Despite the high prices we decide it's time for a proper bed and a shower and stop for one night at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge. While the lodge has clearly seen better times we get a room with a fantastic view directly into the crater. Needless to say that such a nice view deserves a cocktail before dinner and a nice bottle of wine along with the meal.
We wake up once in the night as we here four gun shots. Trying to find out more the next morning does not reveal much. "We had a problem but everything is under control", is what we are told. Anyway, time to get rolling.
Ngorongoro Crater has the largest still intact caldera.
A view as we pass by at the rim down into the crater.
On the rim there are lush forests and many different flowers.
Karin likes to take lot's of pictures from different flowers.
Eland is the largest antelope in the world.
There is a lake in the crater where we find many flamingos.
A buffalo wondering what we are doing here.
A hunting leopard.
Zebras we see everywhere.
Time to clean as it seems.
Wart hocks are also around very often.
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They look very ugly but they do a good job in cleaning up.
Time to get rolling again. A small street leads the way out.
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As we arrive at the gate that gets us into the crater we have a short discussion about the fact that we do not have a guide with us. Does not say anywhere but they are really not used to tourists just showing up in their own car as it seems. We convince them that we can handle and finally we are on our way down into the crater.
Luckily we did not stop here before the Serengeti. This is like a zoo. We can't drive for more than five meters without discovering another animal. Although it's off season and so far we've been pretty much alone here we come across many other tourists with their guides. Don't want to know how this looks like during main season. Then it's really like a zoo and you need to queue up to say hello to the lion.
While we see a lot of different animals including zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, flamingos, wart hocks, lions, hyena and even the huge eland antelope we are missing the rhino. At the same time we are very lucky to see a leopard while hunting. They are very shy and difficult to find.
After a full day of different impressions it's time to start our retreat from the crater up a steep little road. We are driving back to Karatu.