Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater

20 July

Mt Kilimanjaro was still not visible this morning as we left to head for Ngorongoro Crater. We went to the Cultural Centre in Arusha and had lunch there before continuing our journey. The roads and many other aspects of this country seemed to be in a much better state than in Kenya. We saw many Maasai villages and the huts looked to be in much better condition than the Maasai huts we saw in Kenya. We spent some time waiting for paperwork to be processed (as usual) at the entrance to the Crater NP and after stopping at a lookout we continued on to Ngorongoro Lodge overlooking the crater. What a superb location.

Now in Tanzania, agriculture of a different sort - huge fields of sisal

Having lunch in Arusha, a large town which services Mt Kilimanjaro climbers. But still there are the traditional sights - the lady centr of picture has quite a heavy load - on her head!

Still there is manpower for cartage if you can't afford donkeys

Little in the way of rights for women here

The Cultural Centre was wonderful. Could have spent more time there

Spot the odd one out!

No Mt Kilimanjaro, but Mt Meru the 2nd highest mountain in Tanzania was peaking out from the cloud

Maasai tribes are also a major tribe in Tanzania. This is a very wealthy tribesman - so many cattle!

And again the herders in their traditional coloured wraps

We passed through one town where the cattle sale was being held

Lots of donkeys for sale too

As well as general market items

This young Maasai has been through initiation and is now destined to spend time alone. Many also decorate their head with ostrich feathers. In times past they spent their time out in the bush and has to kill a lion to complete their coming into manhood, but not any more

Heading higher into the mountains

A viewpoint overlooking Lake Manyara. We are due to return here in a couple of days

A young man in charge of this team of bullocks

Check out the sign!!!

A topographical model of the area around Ngorongoro. The crater itself is right in the centre of the photo

The view from our hotel

And another beautiful African sunset

21 July

Very early start after 6am breakfast. We left in darkness (no such thing as street lights!) and travelled the rim of the crater to the road which would take us down into the crater. After the paperwork was handled at the park gate, we were off

Hyena, hippo, jackal, bat eared fox, black rhino, elephant (but took no photos), lion – 17 in one group, auger buzzard, bee eater, buffalo and zebra, 4 male lions chasing warthogs.

Lunch by the natural spring “Ngoitokitoki” which is Maasai for bubbling water, about 70 vehicles parked in the same spot for lunch. In high season there may be upwards of 250 vehicles. Hippos in the water and a fish eagle flying around.

The sun just starts to appear from the misty morning

Just going for a wander

We haven't seen too many hyenas in our travels, but there were quite a number here

It was very cold and this little chap curled up at the edge of the track wasn't going to move for anything

We managed to spot a rhino way off in the distance. This is a black rhino. No white rhinos here

Second on the scene for ...

This wonderful pride

Those amazing paws. So much softness which can so lethal

Life is so hard, lazing around all day

This young male is probably almost a year old. Still with his cub spots but just showing signs of a scrubby mane

I think I'll just lie down again

Mum and the two young males leaving the scene.

Leaving the scene to follow the departing lions and catch them up where they are headed.

These baboons were very animated with the movement of the lions near them

Mum, just keeping an eye on things

They have no fear of being close to the vehicles

Such a beautiful face

I have my eye on .....

All this ...

and this ....

and this!

Here and there we see other animals, including this beautiful auger buzzard

We moved on and found this pride

Several other vehicles were ahead of us to see this wonderful family

A beautiful bee eater was fluttering around to. With an occasional pause

I took many more photos of those lions, but we moved on to a waterhole where there was plenty of bird life. These ibis ,,,

A large group of herons

And these chaps. But moving on once again ...

A group of 4 young males, so beautifully hidden in the grass until they stand up!

There is only one place in the crater for lunch. Today it was not too busy ....!

Still very fond of warthogs. They walk on their knees when grazing

The males have more warts on their face. Time to start heading off to the road out of the crater. Then .....

 
We saw 35 lions all up today including an excellent old male with two females.

This amazingly well worn male with two females. He was simply lying there .....

One was off keeping a close eye on what else there was around them

He took notice when she took off to chase a young wildebeest. No luck this time though.

This is the wildlife she was keeping an eye on. However, you can see our lodge perched on top of the crater rim.

Leaving the crater, we pause for the classic photo op, as seen in many a tour brochure

One very happy lady. So many lions. Our trip has been worth it.

After leaving the park in the early afternoon we headed for our last stop, Lake Manyara Lodge. This was another spectacularly located lodge overlooking the lake. There were hundreds of flamingos on the lake which may be the result of the flooding of Lake Nakuru.

This was our last night with Abraham. We all had dinner together for the last time.

View from the terrace in our lodge

A sparkling pool

Our travelling companions and Abraham our guide

July 22

Awoke to the sun shining gloriously on the pink of the flamingos on the lake.

The baboons around the lodge were very busy early in the morning

 
We left the lodge for the drive to Arusha airport. It was cloudy so little chance of seeing the tops of either Mt Meru or Kilimanjaro.

A fond farewell to Abraham at the airport

 Waited at Arusha airport for 1 hour only to be told our flight was cancelled. The airline would take us to a hotel for lunch and then on to Mt Kilimanjaro airport for a flight at 6.30pm (instead of the cancelled 1.15pm flight). We left Abraham after letting him know we were being taken care of by the airline and we all said goodbye and he departed to return to his family in Arusha.

We were taken to a hotel in Arusha for lunch and as 2.30 pm approached we returned to the reception area to wait for our pick up. By 3.15pm we enquired when the transport would arrive and were told it was now going to be 4pm.

We finally departed at 4.20 for the hour drive to Mt Kilimanjaro airport. When we arrived we (14 in total) were told there was no room on the plane we had been re booked on and the next flight out would be at 11pm. Not happening!

One couple pretty much became advocate for us all and kept agitating and 'a larger plane' was found which we could all get on along with the 48 already boarded – absolute chaos!

Anyway we arrived safely in Zanzibar and as Abraham had called ahead about the delay, we were picked up and arrived at out hotel by 8.30pm.

Tired we headed straight for dinner and crashed soon after.