Blogs from Ngorongoro Conservation Area, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 10

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Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area September 25th 2008

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 2200 metres above sea level, was formed by a volcano collapsing in on itself, leaving a ring of mountain range around a lower central plain. The lowest point of the plains is 620 metres below ... read more
Me all packed up and ready to go
Looking into Olduvai Gorge
View looking down in to the crater

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area September 25th 2008

I forgot to enter the photo's from our walk to the waterfalls in Olmoti Crater. See you later The Mieran's... read more
Out guard Tina, and yes that gun had bullets and no we did fire it
Maasi women and the girls
Maasi market on the hill

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 8th 2008

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 her husband Lech joined us in the city. They had missed their air connection by minutes and went through a harrowing ordeal to get to Arusha, minus Lech's luggage. What good sports they were, especially considering they had been awake for two days. Coming from the Bureau of Change where ... read more
Meeting Wanda and Lech Smoragiewicz
Fruit and Furniture
Market Place

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 7th 2008

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 mud at a precarious angle. I kept glancing at the sign posted inside our Land Rover: “Hakuna Matata” which means “No Problem” and relaxed a bit. Our two drivers, Peter Mmbando and Priscus Shirima, were ... read more
Maasai teengers come to greet us
Eva--one of our many photographers
Checking map while pregnant woman looks on

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 6th 2008

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 the new airlines weight restrictions, I would often like something but would pick it up and put it back. It was too heavy, and I didn't want to be charged more at the airport. On ... read more
Maasai Man with Majura
Village Stream
Israel and Israel

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 5th 2008

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 on our way—back to the area around the volcano. Looking for rocks again, some got good specimens. We wanted a group picture, so Peter showed one of the hotel workers who “hitched” a ride with ... read more
"Chief" Songo
Hakuna Matata - No Problem
Searching for Carbonatite

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 4th 2008

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 cleaned up nicely! I walked outside while waiting for the conference to start and saw a man take two large unusual-looking rodents from their cages. He held them as though they were babies. These special animals ... read more
Singers and Dancers Rehearsing
Beautiful Music
Vicky Niku-Paavola, one of the Excursion Family

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 4th 2008

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 new country visited for me...Than 2 more hours, with a small technical stop in Nairobi, and here I am landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport...with enough champagne over the last few hours! So no, everything didn't ... read more
Lots of them...
Gorgeous place...with the flamingos in back...
Kilimanjaro

Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area August 3rd 2008

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 up the hill. Fredrick translated as she told us in Swahili about the volcano and how people from another village were moved to hers because of the ash. These days there as many as ten ... read more
Maasai "Hotel"
Morning Sky
View of the Village and Lake Natron


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 (better opportunities for photos). ... read more
Crater 1
Crater 3
Crater 2




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