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Published: November 4th 2009
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12th August Saturday DAY 22 NGORONGORO CRATER to ARUSHA
Another chilly 6am wake up, but driving to the crater with the thick fog and moss hanging off the trees gave it a very eerie feeling, and worth it. As we turned and headed to the rim of the crater I was so excited to be finally about to descent into this amazing ecosystem and there was a beam of sunlight piercing the crater ground. We opened the rooftops and headed in. We drove around for a while before seeing anything but Laurence gave us some great Crater info (some animals are actually able to leave the crater).
The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera (a large crater in a volcano) in the world. It’s surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 meters from the crater floor, creating a natural amphitheater which covers an area of about 260 km2 and is home to up to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest.
The Crater inside is so flat and it looks completely massive once you’re in there at the bottom. The first animal we came across was a young lion, whose mane hadn’t developed yet.
He was walking on top of a mound then came down the mound and straight towards our jeep then off into some bushes. We spotted a Black Rhino and heaps of Hyenas, which I think are really cool, even seeing some of their dens and of course all the usual main animals. We headed to a water hole that was serene and picturesque with more Hippos, for a toilet stop. (I had a little spat at Robin for talking over me and annoying me; sorry Robin! But we had spent almost every second of everyday together so far so it was probably time for a break, no doubt I would definitely have been annoying you too!).
We headed back the way we had come and noticed some vultures of jeeps. At first it looked like they were watching Zebra and Wildebeest moving around but then I spotted a Lioness, then 3 others as well with a young male. They were a fair way off but it was good to watch them moving along, then camouflaged then moving again. We were all actually waiting for a kill and we were all excited just at the possibility of seeing one. After
waiting for a while we realised where they were heading and Laurence got us in a better position. Next thing the young lion was heading towards the road and started to walk around the jeeps, then a female joined him. They were trying to shade themselves from the sun and flies. The young male then came over to our jeep, standing on my side of the jeep right at my door. I was looking right down at him and I have to say I was a little nervous and shaky about it. He could have jumped onto the car and made a meal out of one of us if he wanted too. He didn’t stay close for too long but I was so excited that I had seen a wild Lion that close, close enough to touch!!!
I then started to wonder whether all these jeeps were affecting the hunting that these Lions might have wanted to do. They are probably used to the cars being there everyday, and I am still finding it difficult seeing and sharing the experience with 20 other jeeps full of people, I cant avoid the feeling that is similar to watching from a
zoo. Then it actually got ridiculous as the Lions were moving away on the road and everyone started to follow them. Laurence told us we had to move on as the rangers were coming and we would get in trouble if they see too many cars around the Lions. Dave didn’t want to leave but I totally thought we should and felt a bit disgusted in being part of the whole episode.
On the way out I realised that the Crater wasn’t one big ecosystem but a large variety of ecosystems confined within the walls of the crater. It was absolutely beautiful inside and I was really sad to be leaving.
We packed our tents, had lunch and left to head back to Arusha making a few stops on the way, purchasing 2 Masai blankets (one for ma and pa). Back at Snake Park a very different night with no drinking for Robin and myself, and Robin was a little upset her man from the other night wasn’t there!
13th August Sunday DAY 23 ARUSHA to TEMBO
After packing everything we walked to a local village (some took the optional camel ride) of the Masai people.
On the way some kids came and grabbed our hands to hold and walked with us. In the village we learnt lots:
1. The men are allowed to have as many wives as they can afford
2. The women have to build the houses but they can get help from other women
3. A wife costs 14 cows each
4. They are nomadic and move on whenever the resources where they are have run out, but this group have been in the one spot for 15-20 years
5. The man talking to us has 5 wives but wants 8 and shares his time between them all
6. The husband gets his own bed and the wife and kids have to share a bed
7. If a woman marries but cannot conceive another woman in the village may have a baby for her
8. When the husband is in, the kids from the age of 5 go and live in another hut
9. To build the huts it can take up to 3 months and they use all natural materials like ash, cow dung, thatch, mud and sticks for support
10. The boys are between 13 and 20 years when
they are circumcised (depending on the 7 year rotation) and if they cry they are ostracised, as it’s a sign of weakness. They also go out in bush camps and learn how to hunt (lions) as a part of proving their manhood
11. The girls are also circumcised when they reach puberty, and are also not allowed to cry, meaning that most girls will never experience an orgasm.
12. Once boys and girls have been circumcised they are allowed to marry.
The Masai dance was not what I expected, I thought they would have actually jumped higher and longer (blame that old carpet add back home!!! Remember?) It did feel pretty touristy but I guess it couldn’t be helped! What was hilarious was watching some of the guys give it a go, especially Dave then Oli (who jumped higher, but was taller to begin with). I wanted a go but it’s only for men (same as orgasm’s by the sound of it!) Robin had a go of the necklaces!!!
Back at Snake Park we went into a Masai Museum, which was very weird, but the displays were hilarious looking like a bad wax museum, very creepy.
On
the way to Tembo we got a few glimpses of Mt Kilimanjaro, often covered in clouds, we only saw it poking above them but we were all happy.
When we arrived at camp I announced if anyone wanted to join me for a game of soccer on the tennis court. I got the shits as everyone just went straight to the pool instead and only a few of us played soccer (Patrick, Helen, Bron and Bob). We were buggered after about 15mins and after Helen and I admitted defeat we thought we would pop into the pool with the others, and as we did everyone got out and then went and played soccer. I had a whinge to Robin how the guys kept pissing me off. If they had said to everyone to play soccer when we arrived then everyone would have done that!
Helen confirmed her cooking skills even further by doing the best lasagna I have ever tried. Robin and I sat at the bar for a bit with a few others then it was off to bed.
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awwwwwwwwww