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Published: September 26th 2009
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Matt has almost finished his war and peace Kilimanjaro account so in the meantime I’ll try and come up to date with what we’ve been doing. This blog account is for Aug 18 to Sep 9th
While Matt was up the mountain, I organized our Ngorongoro Crater trip. I looked at the camping option but after 7 days in a tent in the cold, I figured matt would probably want some comfort so we stayed in the Ngorongoro resort instead. The crater is about 4 hours away from Arusha and is hailed as a natural wonder as it contains a perfect ecosystem within about 20 square kilometers. Because it’s quite compact, there’s a huge density of wildlife coexisting. Our guide Akio was brilliant - by far the best we’ve had yet (let us know if you need contact details if you’re thinking of going to the crater). He spotted so much although I was very proud to spot our first lion of the day - a big old narly male with a bushy black mane. After we followed him for a while, he ended up coming right up to the truck. The highlight was definitely towards the end where we
Toulouse
He may look little and cute but given half the chance, he'd take on a pack of Rottweilers! stopped at a lake with Hippos, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, hartebeest, storks, egrets and lots of other birds literally all shoulder to shoulder in and around the water. There’s a picture attached but not sure that it does it justice - it was such a beautiful scene. Driving back from the crater was also lovely as the sun set across the plains. The golden light made the colours of the earth, the ladies kangas (material that they use for dress and veils) and the Masaai farmers’ blankets seem even more vivid. As we approached Arusha, we could see Meru rising up steeply in front of us and the clouds resting on the top made the whole thing look like an icecream cone!
When we got from the crater, we had to prepare ourselves to leave Ngurdoto lodge and our lovely Dick and Dolores. I don’t think I’ve described the lodge properly. D&D Built the whole thing from scratch and have created both a wonderful business and a lovely home. It’s like an oasis in the harsh Tanzanian environment. Set on 10 acres of landscaped grounds, the main lodge is surrounded by a number of beautiful rustic cottages including a family
cottage with two adjoining rooms. There’s also a pool (although a wee bit chilly to use while we were there), a boules terrace and even a horse shoe rink. We stayed in the main house which is a lovely open building with lots of wood, expansive windows and a huge veranda that has views of Mount Meru to the left and Kilimanjaro to the right - the most perfect place for a cheeky little G&T in the evening! Did I mention that Dolores is an amazing cook….She’s the brains behind all the lovely food served at the lodge and Esther manages a team of girls in the kitchen (she’s fab!). If you’re heading this direction and looking for a little bit of luxury after your climbing or during your safari - you will absolutely love it here (check out www.ngurdoto.com for info)
It had been almost 3 weeks since we first arrived and I’m not exaggerating when I say that both Matt and I felt like we had adopted the folks as family and I think vice versa. We also fell in love with their dogs Sassie and Toulouse. Matt pretended not to be interested in the dogs in
the beginning as they’re very cute Schitzu and I think he thought they weren’t manly enough however he was secretly very attached by the end and is still doing Sassie impressions now! After Meru, I had planned on waiting for Matt at the coast while he went up the mountain but the guys and Matt felt more comfortable with me staying put and I’m so glad that I did. I had a lovely time with the guys - doing the food shopping with Dolores at the very colourful weekly market, playing with the dogs, listening to Dick’s amazing stories of Living in Kenya and the middle-east and I even got to help out when some guests arrived at the lodge and had great fun playing bar tender. My favourite was a customer who kept on ordering double vodkas with tusker beer ….all in the same glass - I think he had about 8 rounds and still managed to stay standing! I also met some of their friends including the absolutely fascinating man David Reid - author, adventurer and cheeky old rascal who grew up in Kenya and spent his youth running around with Masai and causing mischief in his private
plane. We also spent time with Deb Kelly, an amazing lady who has almost single-handedly set up a free library which also runs workshops on adult literacy and women’s craft groups (ladies are taught craft skills and then the products are sold through lodges and direct from the website). Deb tirelessly rallies all parties involved including the local chiefs, the volunteers, the sponsors and the very evasive politicians. It’s called Jifundishe in case you’re interested to find out more (www.jifundishe.org)
We were very sad to say goodbye to the guys, their lovely home and of course the pups. We love you guys and look forward to you visiting us in Oz whenever you’re ready.
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mugabo
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Correction
There're no water buffaloes in Africa. Water buffaloes are found in Asia only. African buffaloes live on the Savannah lands and the tropical forests of Africa