Ngornogoro Crater

We awoke this morning to a cacophony of bird songs. As we were staying in a tent (really a canvass room) we could hear the singing clearly. After lingering in bed a little longer than expected, I got up and we got ready for the day. We met Matt, Jim, Barbara and Nick for breakfast, as our paths had all crossed one last time. We said our goodbyes to Matt and Jim, then discussed the day with Barbara and Nick. They will be on a separate safari the next two days, but it is with the same company and itinerary as ours, so we will be spending more time together. The drive to the crater was an hour or so, then it is a painful, bumpy, dusty ride up and over the crater wall onto the floor. We first saw an elephant in the distance, then ostrich, cape buffalo, lots of gazelles, and warthogs. We also saw a variety of avian life. One bird, the Kory Bustard, is the largest flying bird. At 42 pounds, it is a flying thanksgiving dinner! We spent some time at the hippo pool, where they cooled themselves by throwing mud around with their tails. We saw a lion pride, unfortunately a little too far for pictures. And at the end of the day, we got to see the almost extinct black rhino. That was a real treat. There was a baby rhino with the two adults but we could not get a clear look at it. At the end of the day, we were covered with dust and delivered to the Sopa Lodge. We had a late dinner and turned in for the night. As we looked out our window a cape buffalo ambled by about 15 feet from the room. The sunset over the crater was beautiful.Read more