My Day in Ngorongoro Crater

Let's start by saying it was an awesome, exhausting day.

All the animals in the crater came out to greet us,  probably because everyone in our car, guides and all, has been singing the Jambo Bwana song before and during each game drive. We've had two game drives, and have easily seen the "Big Five" and then some. We saw a leopard the other day, and on this drive added the rest: lion, cape buffalo,  elephant,  and,  yes,  (6) rhino.  Today was just a great day for seeing wildlife in Ngorongoro; we are, in the words of our guide,  Robert Marks Moshi,  "blessed. "

I have to tell you about the one most amazing aspect: A lioness, asleep by the side of the road. Vehicles were pulling up right next to her,  I mean, two feet next to her, people were taking pictures and talking quietly, and she never budged. She opened one eye once,  lifted her head two inches to see what was going on, and promptly went back to sleep. UNBELIEVABLE!

The Lion Sleeps Today

Rather than go on and on about the day, and because I'm really tired, I'm just going to share a few pictures:

Green Mamba along the road

Our First (of many) Zebra

The beautiful valley west of the crater

Panoramic View of the crater from the entrance gate

Our "crew" singing for us at lunch

Puumba sings, "When I was a young warthog"

Cape Buffalo

A black-backed jackel looking for some action

Three juvenile male lions

Asante Sana again for checking.  Tomorrow we head west, to Olduvai to see the excavation site of some of the earliest human life, then to Nduto, hoping to see some cheetah, and then into the Serengeti for the first of four nights. I know it will be amazing, but today is sure going to be hard to beat.

Jay