Kilimanjaro: Team Visits the Ngorongoro Crater
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
I'm continually amazed with the Ngorongoro Crater each time I visit. The variety and sheer number of animals we see blows my mind. Today might have surpassed what I've seen in prior trips.
It started with a bang as one of the first critters we encountered was a hyena feeding on a carcass with a jackal and vulture looking on. A Nat Geo moment if there ever was. It got better from there on. The animal we all wanted to really see, simba, popped into view not terribly long after the hyena. A big male showed itself for us looking as regal and mighty as only a big cat can look. Later, we got closer looks at a pride of four or five lions, including a young male, resting by a river, content to relax before they go hunting again. Perhaps the coolest thing was just being in the middle of hundreds, if not thousands, of animals like wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, warthog, Cape Buffalo, and more. All just milling around, some just inches from the vehicle and more as far as the eye could see. Things were so active we were delayed in reaching the designated picnic area for lunch because we had to stop and gawk so much.
Finally, we made it to our lunch site and were treated to a great meal centered around chicken shishkabobs. On our way out we stopped by a Masai bomba, or village, where we were invited to learn about their culture and how they live. Sure, we pay for the privilege, but I think it money well spent as it helps support these people who are caught between keeping to their traditional ways while existing in a world so unlike theirs.
The day ended with another gourmet dinner, the likes of which none of us commonly partake. A nice South African Cabernet seemed an appropriate pairing to the wonderful meal. The great company only made the evening perfect.
Tomorrow: Tarangire National Park!
Cheers,
RMI Guide Brent Okita & Team
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