Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti Day 1

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This was a very long day. Got up at 4 am, transferred reduced gear to 9-person Land Rovers, drove to the Crater rim in a fog. As we climbed, it was getting colder and colder. Maasai people with their cattle were everywhere. When we stopped for a photo, a Maasai warrior came up to the vehicle wanting to sell his spear. We got the impression that he had done this before. Richard shook hands with him and his hands were very cold. They stool keep to their traditions of wearing the colorful. Blankets, and living off their cattle, drinking cow blood and milk.

We went down to the inside of the crater and within half an hour, we saw a soad lake with hundreds of flamingos. Not too much later, we saw a cheetah stalking a Thompsons Gazelle. Very exciting! The cheetah won this one, provided the hyenas don't take it away. Lots of photos and video, but Kayla's photos were all too blurry. We'll have to wait to see Richard's video.

Lunch was at a picnic spot, that was clearly a free lunch for the Black Kites flying overhead, because one stole a sandwich right out of our fellow traveler's hand. And then a cheeky vervet monkey climbed right in a door of one of the Land Rovers and stole a banana.

Lots of other vehicles in the crater, but surprisingly we didn't feel crowded.

We climbed a steep switch-backy road back out of the crater, and drove the long, dusty road from Ngorongoro to Serengeti.

Kayla asked our guide Bobby if he would produce the classic cheetah on a termite mound shot. Not 5 minutes later, there he was. Lying down on the termite mound, that is. Next she requested the classic leopard in a tree shot, and he said he was working on it. Not half an hour later, there it was. We saw a whole range of other animals that one would expect in Africa - giraffe, a bull elephant, hippos lounging in the water, gazillions of gazelles, a female elephant and her tiny baby, and birds such as the Cory Bustard and gold crested crane, the national bird of Uganda.

We arrived at Seronera camp to find at least 100 other tourists in other overland groups, and a cook shack completely encased in heavy guage steel. As with other nights, our campsite is not quiet, but we have the stars, which are incredible, and the nice cool breezes to soothe us to sleep. We hope to hear wildlife sounds tonight.

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