Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Final travel tales of Tanzania

Here we are at the gate station leaving Ngorongoro Protected Area: Dan, Sam (cook), Keevi Riti (guide / driver), Kathy, Paul, Marcus (in his Masai sandles). Who knows where Mike is, and Kerry got stuck taking the picture.

Rehashing all our wonderful experiences from 12 days of excitement over our final dinner in Moshi.


Preparing to leave early in the morning from Keys Hotel to journey back to Nairobi. It sprinkled a bit. Coming back to Moshi the day before, we didn't even know if we would have shuttle ride back to Nairobi due to the post election violence and protests that had been taken place in some parts of Kenya. We ended up having no trouble at all. Our only disappointment was that we didn't get to go to the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi, to eat much of what we had seen in the days prior. Meats on sticks, mmm.

A very clear morning.

One of our last clear looks at Kilimanjaro, as we drove away on the shuttle bus. Kerry was mastering the art of taking pictures while on the move.

Mt. Meru across the valley

And at that, a long anticipated trip came to a close. What an amazing vacation!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Day 4 - Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

Our last day of game driving was probably the best. Hardly any pictures of ourselves were taken on this day, but that is because the wildlife was so amazing and abundant that the cameras were always pointed away from our vehicle!

The animal spotting began only a few hundred meters from the entrance to our camp. First we see this light colored younger full grown male lion laying in the grass. Not comforting (but exilerating!) when we were just sleeping close by.

Then we spot a lioness lying down a bit further from the road more shielded from view, and realize that she has cubs with her, at least 4 of them!

Then from behind some brush, this old grizzly male comes strolling in! 7 lions in one small clearing was not a bad way to start the day.

Then just another couple hundred meters down the road, another one! This one had its eyes locked on some potential prey wondering way in the distance, though it could have just been curiosity.


The drive to/from the Serengeti took us across these massive flat plains between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Grazing animals are all over in this stretch. The wildabeast (called "gnu") constantly participate in a circular pattern known as the great migration, which is quite an amazing thing!
Lines of them stretched out as far as the eye could see.


Here we are at the entrance to Ngorongoro Crater. The one-way road down was much friendlier than the narrow, rocky, steep, and windy road up and out at the Crater's other end.


Not long after entering the crater, spotted a group of vehicles, and when we caught them found they were watching two cheetah. The pair then crossed the road in front of us.


I was very impressed by these graceful and spectacular looking animals. They were by far my favorite to see in person on the trip!


We then witnessed a live hunt. The pair spotted a gazelle meandering toward them, and suddenly crouched as they began stalking it.


Eventually, the gazelle noticed them, and turned the other way. The cheetahs took off after it, then very abruptly veered 90-degrees toward an onlooking family of warthogs. One cheetah drew a bunch of attention while scattering them, and the other swooped in and snatched up a baby warthog in its mouth. It was quite a treat (pun intended).


We had lunch while waiting for a black rhino spotted in the distance to mozy towards us, which it did.


Another quite amazing animal. Ngorongoro Crater is the only remaining place Black Rhinos are are still living in the wild.


Bizarre creatures. I wonder what it was like the first time an explorer laid eyes on a zebra in the wild.


Too cute, Kerry says.


Pretty bird.



More pretty birds!

This deep black cloud rolled in and started to drench the other end of the crater. We could see the wall of downpour coming towards us, so decided it was a good time to leave. At that, Day 4, and our safari game drives, were complete.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Day 3: Muzungus in the Serengeti

Here are a few shots of our very vulnerable campsite in the Serengeti where we spent 2 nights: No fences, no guns, sleeping in tents.
The first night we had visitors: a small pack of Hyennas went through the trash and made a lot of racket. We were wondering if they would snatch up one of the idiots from the other tour groups who kept unzipping their tents --and making lots of noise doing it-- to check out what animals were outside.

Our caged-in eating and cooking areas. It makes you feel really safe when people need to eat and cook in secure areas, but only a thin layer of canvas protects you when sleeping.

We had a full day scheduled in the Serengeti on day 3. After breakfast we took a morning game drive, trying to catch animals out and about before it turned hotter.


I'd rather swim in the Nile than this!

Then we got the call... a cheetah was spotted a few kilometers away, so we drove to find it perched on a rock, perfectly contect to pose for pictures.


We got the impression it was waiting for a fellow cheetah to return (maybe from a hunt) because they usually travel in pairs


Game viewing. It's rough, but someone has to do it.

This is a Hyrax. Before seeing one, we had no idea what a Hyrax was. It seems like a cross between a gunea pig and an opossum. They're really cute. Interestingly enough, they are apparently one of the elephants closest living relatives. Go figure!

We took a lunch break and had a good afternoon nap during the heat of the day, then went out on another drive late in the afternoon.







This is a dik - dik. They are really small! You might consider it for a pet.

Good monkey shot