We had breakfast in the elegant restaurant of Endoro Lodge before setting off at 0900. We had asked the lodge to convey to Richard a half hour delay so we could enjoy the beautiful surroundings but that message had not been passed on. As we left through the village and main road, I couldn’t help noticing how healthy the local dog are, unlike in Kathmandu a week ago! We got to the Ngorongoro crater area entrance and waited in the carpark while Richard did the paperwork.
The fearsome-looking baboons we had seen on the road approached the office/gate in a mob. We kept our distance and were safely entertained for a little while. Once past the gate, the mist was pea-soup material and the landscape very lush green (from what we could see through the mist). This lasted for quite a while till we reached a high point after which the mist cleared up and the landscape became dry, brown and barren. The road became really bad from hereon and we kicked up a dust storm from here on.
Further along, we stopped very briefly at a viewpoint into the crater. As this was a place we’d be returning to, all I did was hop out of the vehicle, look down the crater and remark at how cold and clear it was.
Richard offered us the chance of visiting a Masai village nearby. We knew there would be a cost involved but when we pulled in, he replied that it was going to be USD50 for the both of us. That was pretty ridiculous; the price didn’t come down so we continued to Serengeti National Park HQ.
While Richard was doing the park paperwork, we had lunch and walked up a tiny rocky hill to appreciate the flat grassland that is the Serengeti. A few colourful lizards were on the rocky outcrop and they bob up and down as if they were doing push-ups! The paperwork took forever due to the large number of vehicles/drivers ahead of us.
It was nearly 1400 by the time we left for our game drive to the flat open plains. Like yesterday there were lots of elephants in terms of big animals. There were lots of the common ones from yesterday too. More remarkable were the cheetahs who were very shy hiding in the tall grass, and our fleeting encounter with a hyena and some buffaloes from a distance.
The plains became more interrupted by trees as we progressed. I asked Richard whether warthogs tasted like pork; the answer was expectedly “Yes”. Then he confirmed that wilderbeest was yummy like beef and then zebras were very delicious. However, he hadn’t tried elephant yet!
The air was filled with a stench as we approached a bridge. The water was filled with fresh and putrefying pooh and looking a little further we saw a large group of hippos soaking in the river. This would be the highlight for tomorrow.
We arrived at Ikoma Lodge around 1800. This was a very rustic wooden setup with modern toilets and sparkling white bedding. I don’t know how they keep their laundry so white when the water supply isn’t the best! We have trouble keeping our whites white in the first world!
We had dinner with two German girls who were in a separate vehicle also from Bobby’s. It was nice to exchange our experiences.
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- Like a scene from Planet of the Apes. Baboons.
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- Baboons at the entrance to Ngorongro area.
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- Baboons at the entrance to Ngorongro area.
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- Baboons at the entrance to Ngorongro area.
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- Ngorongoro Crater; view along the way.
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- Boys dressed in dark clothing with face paint after circumcision.
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- Boys dressed in dark clothing with face paint after circumcision.
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- Boys dressed in dark clothing with face paint after circumcision.
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- On the way to Serengeti National Park.
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- Arriving at Serengeti National Park.
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- Starling.
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- Agama lizard.
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- The flatness of the Seregeti from viewpoint.
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- Lioness.
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- Elephant.
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- Cheetahs hiding in the distance.
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- Topi.
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- Zebra.
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- Sunset at our accommodation.
