safari in ngorongor crater and picture loss

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Instead of heading off to Kampala as expected, we decided to hang out for a while, mostly because on the day we chose to travel to Uganda they held their first "free" elections in 25 years. Most elections in africa end in some sort of blood bath, so we went on safari instead.

The safari, it self ,was magnificent. Ngorongor crater is the worlds largest collapsed vocanoe dome. It has a unqiue ecosystem, where many of the animals on the bottom of the crater (more than 12 kms in diameter) never leave. We saw hippos, black rhino, elephants, jackel, hyena, lions on the prowl, cheetah, cranes, wildebeast, buffalo, and more. It was the first time we'd seen a cheetah and the first time for a live lion. I have pictures, and I'll post them eventually.

I've had a picture crisis. i tried to burn a cd before we left for safari and the people who tried to do this managed to erase my memory card. I am heart broken and emensly frustrated b/c that is 2 months worth of pictures I am not sure I'll ever get back. I did download my pics to a computer in central dar es salaam but I don't know its name nor excat location. so, right now it appears that I'm heading back to Dar for a night probablly tomorrow or today. either way I'm very choked. I may recover the pictures or I maynot. I have no way of telling until I actually go there to see if my file is still onthe computer.

anyway.
plans they are a changin. we can't decide what to do next. we were going to uganda, but we are not sure of the polical situation, rwanda is really inconvient (both places you can see mountain gorillas) so then we thought just head into kenya and maybe head into ethiopia and fly to cairo and spend more time there. maybe even go to Jordan, we've met some travelers who said it was stunning and easy to travel there.
We'll keep everyone updated, on the next plans. for now, assume we are not going to uganda, but are heading east to Dar (again)
and everyone cross their fingers and hope that my pictures are still on some random computer in Central Dar

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Photos

lioness on the prowl
ngorongoro crater

hippos
ngorongoro crater ***just for you pammy***

elephant. seems bigger than namibia
ngorongoro crater this one was about 20 feet from our van

view of the crater
ngorongoro crater

sunrise over the rift valley
fromour campsite

our friends the baboons
lake maynara

Comments

[deleted_9521]

NOT JORDAN!!!!!!!!!!
Please Lucienne, do not go to Jordan. Go to cairo and then to Morracco or Spain. Too many things going on just now. I am not kidding. I am sure you don't have up to date news. I love you, be safe. Do NOT go to Jordan!!!! Love Mom

[Dad]

nix the Jordan trip
It seems there are riots and oil refineries getting blown up in that area. You don't need the risk possibilities. You just need more holiday time! Even if you don't locate yer pics, take more and bring the card back anyway perhaps there are ways of locating them somehow. The best of luck. Safe travels Dad

[Coll]

What a blow!!
Sorry about the loss of your photos. I hope that you are able to retreive them in Dar. Although I am sad you have had to backtrack - I concur with Lucienne's Mom. Please don't go to Jordan - the Middle East is a powderkeg just waiting to explode, and how safe is Ethopia with famile and almost the whole of the Western section in civil war? As I said in my last email consider going to Cairo straight from Nairobi - make it soon because how stable is Cairo politically? Our thoughts and prayers are with you both. Take care. Much love Mom

[Mamie]

Wow
Wow. Your trip continues to amaze me, I'm not sure I can fully say why. I guess I just can't believe how HARD everything is that we normally take so for granted, even down to the mere idea of just going to see a country that you are so near to. In our reality, why wouldn't you, it's there, right? But the grim facts of political unrest, disease, racial tensions, civil war, what have you, continue to be the overwhelming reality that you two appear to face at every curve in the road. Just so damn different from the simple notion of a Grand Adventure, how naive is that?! Well, whatever you do, plan well, keep your ear to the ground and have a backup plan. Don't do anything you're not sure of or don't feel good about, ask lots of questions, find some reliable resources for your plans. I think your pics will be okay, and that's all you can do is what you're doing about it. The rest will live in your heart and you will carry those pics with you. You may have to become an artist and paint what you've seen to show people, who knows? Think positive, stay well and wise. I love you. ~Mamie~

[Dad]

Parcel is Here
Got the package today and of course, peeked into it. Lotta stuff spilled but nothing got broke. Ill take the films in and get them developed for you. Lea asks ifn ya might be able to save some African coins or paper money for her collection...not much and we'll pay you what it's worth. I had to fix the bike. I put all the edibles into zip locks for you and we'll store it all in the back room for ya. ciau for now. Gotta eat. Dad.

[johnb]

Hope pics can be retrieved
Reads as though the Tazara rail trip was one of the better rail experiences - still not Via Rail, but a tad more palatable than the run out of Nampula. Uganda's elections are "done and dusted" and maybe not a bad idea to keep out of there just at the moment. You should get yourself down to Mombasa's beaches if you can - wait for it, an overnight train trip ex-Nairobi is possible - perhaps your best rain trip yet if you go for it. Carol (John's ex-wife) is getting married on 22 April - Dan will be out here again from London for his mom's marriage to Patrick. Keep up the spirit...................love, everyone at No. 90! xoxoxox