Upon arrival in Kilimanjaro, we meet our guide/driver, Maulidi (Mao for short). The effects of sleep deprivation were beginning to show... When Iris and I went to the Kilimanjaro ladies' room, I kept pulling on the door to enter, asking whoever was inside if they could let me in. Along came an airport attendant, who demonstrated how I should push on the door to enter. Boy did I feel stupid. Later, I climbed into the wrong bus after we took some photos from the Rift Valley lookout! I don't know who was more surprised - me or the other guide!
On our drive to Arusha for our safari orientation, Mau explains that Tanzania consists of the mainland part, formerly called Tanganyika, and the islands of Zanzibar (unification with Zanzibar occurred 26 April 1964). Since 1996, the capital has been at Dodoma. We immediately notice on our drive to Arusha that there are power lines here along with better paved roads; concrete culverts to channel water on either side of the road, which also provide a safe walking lane; and cleaner towns with less litter than we saw in Kenya.
Everyone seems to be involved when the market is happening. I have never seen so many interesting items being carried so easily on people's heads!
Before we left Njoka in Kenya, there was some discussion as to why the Tanzanians burned the Serengeti grasslands. According to the Kenyans, the Tanzanians were burning the fields to prevent the migration from entering Kenya. According to Mau, Tanzanians burned the fields for fertilization. Interesting...
Once we arrive for the orientation meeting at the Impala Hotel in Arusha, Terry (also manifesting some signs of sleep deprivation) followed Tsan into the men's room, and like lemmings going off the edge of a cliff, almost all the women followed her! I don't think poor Tsan ever recovered from the trauma!
As we wound our way toward the Ngorongoro farm house for lunch, Iris mentioned the hair turn pins (hairpin turns) and the leaves turning color (they were covered in dust). Bonnie, the bobble head (so-called from her head movements as she slept), asked where the flying lions, alias hiking lions - really called the tree-climbing lions - were. Again, an evident lack of sleep. Yes, we were getting punchy...
We had an incredible lunch at the Ngorongoro farm house. I loaded up on the pasta and enjoyed a Serengeti beer. We took several photos of the gardens and the beautiful landscaping.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 112 miles west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro Division of Ngorongoro District. The Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera, lies within the area. It is a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land use whee people (the Masai), their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same protected habitat.
The main feature of the NCA is the Ngorongoro Crater, a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera. The crater, which formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two to three million years ago, is 2,000 feet deep and its floor covers 100 square miles.Estimates of the height of the original volcano range from fifteen to nineteen thousand feet high.
Although thought of as "a natural enclosure" for a very wide variety of wildlife, up to 20% or more of the wildebeest and half the zebra populations vacate the Crater in the wet season. However, a side effect of this enclosure is that the population of Ngorongoro lions is significantly inbred, with many genetic problems passed from generation to generation. This is due to the very small amount of new bloodlines that enter the local gene pool, as very few migrating male lions enter the crater from the outside. Those who do enter the crater are often prevented from contributing to the gene pool by the crater's male lions, who, because of their large size (the result of an abundant and constant food source), easily expel any outside competitors. Animal populations in the crater include most of the species found in East Africa, but there are no impalas, topis, oribis, giraffes or crocodiles.
Mau stops so we can take some photos of our lodge, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, way up on the rim of the crater - still about an hour drive away. Once we get to the lodge, we take lots of photos of the buildings, as well as the incredible vistas.
We had to shower by 8 PM, since the generators would be shutting down.
We commandeered a great spot near the fireplace for our pre-dinner drinks (Iris & I shared a bottle of South African red wine); drank a toast to Judy; and watched some of the USA/Korea women's soccer World Cup game in Germany.
Another fantastic dinner in the restaurant with Goodluck as our server (yes, that was his name); followed by a quick look in the gift shop; then an escort to our rooms by a male staff member (to protect us from any errant animals). Turn-down service provided another wonderful surprise - a plaid hot water bottle to snug in with - heavenly!
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