16/09/08 - 17/09/08 On the way to Ngorongoro Crater we stopped off at Olduvai Gorge, which shows evidence of human habitation spanning millions of years. Leaving the Gorge we made our way to the rim of the crater, before descending to its floor. It is a strange site to see a mountian range around you, no matter which way you look. It's impossible to give a description of the size and beauty of the crater, as there is nothing with which you can compare it. No wonder it is one of the wonders of the world. The crater, which is [View Full Entry]

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I forgot to enter the photo's from our walk to the waterfalls in Olmoti Crater. See you later The Mieran's [View Full Entry]

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Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Though we all left wake-up calls, there were no phones. Instead, one of the workers knocked on each door. I quickly showered and dressed, hoping to get a good picture of the sunrise. I was a bit too late. The photographers in our group said I had just missed a beautiful red sky. I took other shots, including Majura with two of the workers. One was dressed in traditional Maasai garb, while the other wore Western clothes. Some of the young adults we saw later had a combination—Maasai dress, tennis shoes and socks. We ate and went [View Full Entry]

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Thursday, May 8, 2008 Early the next morning we met for breakfast and got ready for the conference. Dan had been kept so busy since arriving in Tanzania that he didn't have an opportunity to see any of the country. At that point, almost all his time was spent at the lodge preparing for the big event. Exhibitors were busy setting up their displays. Among them were UNESCO and BRGM, the French Geoscience Institution. Marc Urvois who traveled with us is Project Manager of its Mineral Resources Division. Friends from the excursion looked very professional in their suits. We all c [View Full Entry]

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Friday, May 9, 2008 My stomach was still bothering me, so I ate only an egg and one thin pancake. I was afraid to eat anything else. The sunrise was wonderful, especially since I could see Lake Natron in the distance. A majestic view of Oldoinyo Lengai was in another direction. I felt completely at peace. Bill shot video from the hill, while I walked around. Each of us took pictures of the clouds and scenes. We could see some of the villagers moving about, ready to start their day. Soon a beautiful Maasai woman straight out of Central Casting came [View Full Entry]

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Sunday, May 4, 2008 Two Land Rovers left the lodge to begin a four-day pre-conference excursion. The group included international scientists and IYPE leaders Eduardo de Mulder, Executive Director, and Larry Woodfork, Chairman of the Board; Rainer Ellmies and Vicky Niku-Paavola, geologists from Namibia; Marc Urvois, a geoscientist from France; and Eva de Mulder, IYPE Event Organizer and Ed's daughter; Charles Saanane, Majura Songo and Fredrick Mangasini, scientists from the University of Dar es Salaam; and me. Wanda Smoragiewicz, a Polish biology professor from Canada, and he [View Full Entry]

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Monday, May 5, 2008 We were awakened early the next morning in order to eat and leave soon after the sun came up. Instead we found it was cloudy with occasional chilling rain. We finally set off at 9 a. m. The fog was so dense at times that it was difficult seeing where to drive on the mountain road. The lanes were even more narrow, due to construction. In some areas only one was open, so we had to be especially careful, not knowing if a vehicle was coming around the bend. We passed one truck that was stuck in [View Full Entry]

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Tuesday, May 6, 2008 After an early breakfast the next morning we left for a day full of activities. Taking the road to Engaruka, we waited for the other Land Rover outside a small shop. A woman brought corn to be milled, and we watched it being ground into meal, then put into a large burlap sack. Nearby, another woman was setting up her fruit stand. We bought bananas for the trip. We stopped at a large souvenir shop where a wide variety of handicrafts were sold. I bought a red checkered Maasai blanket and various items for gifts. Because of [View Full Entry]

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Petra to Ngorongoro...from one wonder to another one...but not the one next door! First, 2 hours 30 minutes from Petra to Amman airport...than, 3 hours flight from Amman to Dubai...and a serious new stock of cigars. Stop-over of only 3 hours in Dubai, and connected from Royal Jordanian to Ethiopian Airlines. New airlines for me, but quite a good experience in the front cabin. 3 hours flight to Addis Abeba for a short stop of two hours, sadly this was not enough to go out of the airport and have a taste of Ethiopia. This won't therefore count as a [View Full Entry]

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We consider ourselves pretty lucky to have had the opportunity to go back to the Ngorongoro Crater during this trip. Although I have to admit, I think the first time through we had amazing luck with the animals, which we didn't quite have this time around. Although we did see a Serval hunting not too far from our vehicle, which was pretty neat. The Ngorongoro Crater is still by far one of the better places for viewing wildlife. The park is smaller, which generally means that the animals are easier to spot, and they tend to be closer to the road [View Full Entry]

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