Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Snapping The Globe

The Trek To Tarangire

Parting is such sweet sorrow…

I have seen some of the most beautiful places in this world. Ngorongoro Crater tops that list! Truly one of the most remarkable environments I have had the privilege to lay my eyes upon, I was definitely despising our departure.

Of course, there was going to be lots of new and exciting things to see in our next destination, Tarangire National Park. However, one must not overlook the journey to get there. Watching the scenery as we navigated the roads and highways would prove to be new and exciting too!

Many vibrant communities lined our route, with countless villagers going about their day to day living. Markets were in full swing and people were waiting alongside the roadways in order to get there.

A couple of hours into our trek, we made a stop at the African Galleria. Once we had utilized their facilities, we took a bit of time to walk around and inspect the amazing artwork. Yes, there were the normal masks, souvenirs and fabrics that you would find in any market, but there was also the most awe-inspiring carvings that I have ever seen. After spotting the most intricate piece of shaped wood, depicting migrating wildebeests, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to inquire about some of the prices.

They were willing to make a deal for me their first customer (okay, I’ve heard that one before).

They would give me a much better deal because it was Sunday (yeah, heard that one too).

They would pack it carefully and ship it via FedEx and it would be waiting for me when I got home.

Any guesses as to the price? Well, let’s just say that I could have booked another safari with what they wanted to charge me.

Not that it wasn’t worth it! It truly was! Both my husband and I agreed that the craftsmanship required to master a piece like that was worth the price. When you have two children in college, however, you have to admire from afar and move along!

Strolling around, we made it to the more affordable part of the galleria and negotiated a fair price for a couple of other pieces. Heading outside to relax with a couple of sodas, we then spotted the King of the Jungle! Naturally, we had to pose for a few pics!

Turning back onto the highway, we traveled for a while until Fahad pulled over from the roadway to a fruit seller’s stand. He said he had a surprise. Well, it was definitely a surprise! Have you ever seen or tasted a red banana? Absolutely delicious!

Enjoying our red bananas, we traveled for a while longer before turning onto Tarangire Road. This intersection was teeming with activity! The Minjingu Market was going strong with villagers from miles around selling their wares and making deals. So colorful and busy, we weren’t sure where to look!

Although Tarangire was only a short drive down the road, we didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the activity.

The elephants were calling!

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Minjingu Market

African Galleria

http://africangalleriatz.net/

On the Edge

Located at the highest point on Ngorongoro Crater’s entire rim and offering unsurpassed views of the crater, lies the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.

Greeted upon our arrival, once again, with refreshing cool towels and mouthwatering drinks, we received our keys and followed our porters to check out our new accommodations.

The entire resort is themed around traditional circular African houses with conical roofs and our rooms, grouped in sets of four, were no exception.

Walking into our temporary residence, we checked out the entry hall complete with armoire and minibar. The circular room, was very interesting with its brick side tables, headboards, foot boards and vanity. African print bedding graced the berth but no artwork adorned the elliptical walls. Instead, the curtains were drawn, exposing a wall of windows looking out onto the crater and the rain-forests at the rim. Indeed, who needs artwork when you can admire this!

Difficult as it was to tear myself away, we set out to enjoy the beautiful sunset from the luxurious westward facing lounge and pool area before heading to the dramatic dining room with its soaring ceilings.

The service, once again, was incredible and the food a remarkable exhibition of the chef’s amazing talent.

On our second evening, we enjoyed an interesting talk given by a local ranger of the history and diversity of the crater, complete with an interesting slideshow. Our absolute favorite thing about the lodge, however, was the hot water bottles that were placed in our beds each night to help combat the chill! We didn’t have the mosquito netting here at the crater as the temperatures were too chilly, but the hot water bottles were a nice touch!

We loved leaving our windows open to the chilled mountain air, even though we were subject to the sounds of Africa. In fact, being able to hear the outside environment, led to some amazing sightings.

On our first evening, in the waning light, we noticed Cape Buffalo foraging in the brush. A little later, a mountain reedbuck was grazing near our windows. So enthralled by this close-up encounter, I could have passed on dinner and watched this active display. No wonder there was no television and wifi available in our rooms! Also, in the middle of our first night, we were awakened by grunting and discovered zebras scratching their hind quarters on the lodge. The following evening, we were roused by the sound of a heavy movement through the brush. Two large elephant were walking near the top of the rim. It is a wonder that we actually got any sleep!

The encounters weren’t restricted to our rooms, however. One evening, one of the members of our group took us outside to see a large owl resting on the rear patio. Monkeys continued to wander the premises and many guests had to hang on to their belongings to keep the sneaky primates from helping themselves. The most exhilarating (and alarming) encounter, however, was when we were exiting the rear of the lodge and headed back to our rooms. A guard greeted us and informed us that he would be escorting us. The flashing of light and excited voices near the pool caught our attention. A Cape Buffalo was standing near the pool, mere yards from our location!

Though we had visited and departed the crater a few hours before, we hadn’t really left it behind.

Definitely one of the most interesting places we have ever stayed!

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Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

http://www.sopalodges.com/ngorongoro-sopa-lodge/overview

The Descent

If seeing the Maasai up close and personal was the main thing that I wanted to do on my safari, Ngorongoro Crater was a close second.

So many people look a bit confused when you mention Ngorongoro Crater…it’s something they have probably seen before in pictures, but not something that they have ever given much thought to. Me? I knew exactly what it was and I couldn’t wait to see it!

After leaving Olduvai Gorge, we began the long and winding road up to the rim of the crater. Passing many villages on the way, we also continued to see the occasional giraffe and dust devil in the distance. We relished the giraffe sightings as we know that we would not be seeing any in the crater as their long legs prohibit them from descending and ascending the steep crater walls.

Passing the luxurious (and wildly expensive) Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, we knew we were almost there. Only six lodges sit on the crater rim, offering a bed capacity of only 560 along with sixteen campsites. Realizing how very few people are allowed here every night, it dawned on us what a privilege the journey was that we were about to undertake.

As our 4×4 climbed the steep road, we breathed a sigh of relief when we finally pulled into a parking area on the side of the road. This was it…our first view of Ngorongoro Crater!

Standing on the viewing platform, we gazed out on the crater’s unadulterated beauty. Far below us, we could distinguish the magnificent savannah plains, highlands and forest canopies, detect herds of large animals on the crater floor and see some safari vehicles traveling along the crisscrossing roads. Tomorrow, that would be us.

Completing the final part of our journey, we were soon pulling into our home for the next two nights, the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.

Settling in, we were soon enjoying cocktails while admiring the stunning sunset from the lodge’s lounge and it’s westward facing location. Small monkeys paraded around the grounds and a couple of Cape Buffalo were spotted near the rear of the lodge foraging for their dinner.

The next morning, up bright and early and outfitted appropriately for the colder temperatures of the crater’s rim, we set out under the darkness of the new morning. After a brief stop to check in at the Ranger’s station, we began making our way down the canopy covered road.

Centuries ago, a towering volcanic mountain, as high as Kilimanjaro, stood in this spot. After a tremendous eruption, the volcano’s interior, empty of magma, could no longer support the weight above and collapsed on itself. It became the world’s sixth-largest unbroken caldera with more than a hundred square miles in its flat bottom, which did not flood. Its diverse environment of savannas, marshes, lakes, salt pans, forests and escarpments then became the home for many species of African wildlife, which we hoped to see.

As luck would have it, the first sighting of the day was of some “honeymooners”. Not the human kind…these honeymooners were two separate sets of male and female lions almost lost in the tall grass. The lion mating ritual was one of complete interest, once the affair was explained to us by our guide.

The female, already in estrus, attracts the male who mounts her, inserting his penis, which has barbs that begin to dig into the female. As he retracts, the pain caused to the female causes her to lash out at him, swatting her large paws at him. As the mating ritual continues approximately every fifteen minutes for as many as five days, the female produces eggs and the chances of fertilization is increased.

Watching both of these interesting spectacles for their many attempts, we noticed one of the male’s brothers lying in wait…hoping for a chance at the female if she tired of his sibling.

Moving on, we spied many other animals that we had yet to see during our trek…a lone jackal, a pair of nocturnal bat-eared foxes returning to their den for a days rest and finally…wildebeests. Thousands of blue wildebeests roamed the crater floor, grazing in the early morning light.

Personally, I love the wildebeests for their unique appearance. Nicknamed “Spare Parts”, it’s easy to see why as they look like they were made from so many other animals! Their forequarters look like they come from an ox, their hindquarters from an antelope and their mane and tail from a horse.

Driving along the countless trails that span the crater floor, a female lion was spotted alongside the road. A few 4x4s stopped to admire her reserved beauty as she lounged in the heat of the new day. Soon, tiring of her grassy spot, she stood and ambled over to the road, making her way between two of the safari vehicles. Laziness prevailed and she quickly decided that the middle of the road was much better than her previous spot. Too bad for those trying to make their way!

Continuing on, we passed another pride of lions while continuing over a hill admiring the many zebras making their way in a line along the ridge. As we crested the hill, before us stood a most beautiful oasis!

Truly, my breath was taken away as we looked out at the clouds wrapping their misty fingers over the crater’s rim and the reflections within a pond lying before us, only broken by the occasional movement of the many hippo lounging within.

As we pulled up to the pond, preparing to have our breakfast here, I stepped out of our safari vehicle to stretch my legs and to make my way to the restroom facilities. A huge splash and a loud grunt, however, caught my attention. Mesmerized, I watched an extremely large hippo lunge through the pond toward another, bellowing loudly. The next few minutes were filled with two hippos berating each other, whipping their tales and splashing wildly while engaging the other in a sinister altercation.

Knowing that many deaths are attributed to hippos each year did not deter me from venturing closer and closer to the lake in an attempt to catch this exhibition on camera, so fascinating as it was! It was the most exciting thing we had seen thus far!

Soon, the hippos tired of each other and moved on to meld with the other hippos wading in the shallows of the basin.

Enjoying our breakfast, we marveled at our surroundings, basking in its endless beauty. I couldn’t stop watching the clouds rolling over the top of the crater, the succession of zebras that continued to make their way over the hill behind us and to the rear of the lake and the hippos that continued to laze in the murky waters. Honestly, I don’t know if I have ever been in a more beautiful place!

Our morning meal completed, we reluctantly moved on, migrating with the other vehicles along the dusty crater roads. Flightless male ostriches flaunted their pink necks and plumage and my favorite feathered creature in the crater, the Secretary Bird, made itself known throughout our journey.

Our next stop was at another hippo pool. This one and its surroundings, however, were filled with so much activity, we were unsure where to focus our attention. In the pool, hippos lounged lazily, occasionally flipping over to flash their undersides and countless birds waded in the shallows and lingered along the banks. Ranks of zebras, head to tail, made their way along the rear of the pool and in the distance we spotted something amazing…a pride of lions guarding their kill!

Lazing in the mid-morning sun after their filling meal, they allowed the occasional hyena and jackal to enjoy the remnants of the slaughtered Cape Buffalo. Meanwhile, a herd of Cape Buffalo, possibly the relations of the deceased, moved closer and closer to the pride, finally coming to a standoff. The herd, wanting to pass, stared the pride down until finally backing away and taking another path to the watering hole avoiding the many hyena and jackal roaming the area.

Reluctantly departing this array of activity, we found ourselves at a rest stop. Taking a small break, we walked around the area, enjoying the foliage and eyeing an elephant roaming among the trees.

As usual, our safari vehicle was the last to leave the area, but as we pulled away from the rest stop, my husband noticed movement in another cluster of trees. An enormous elephant moved out from the brush, exposing the largest set of tusks that we had ever seen. Estimated by our guide to be about sixty years old, he stayed near the tree line. As another vehicle pulled up to speak to our driver, we watched the old guy move away from the trees and slowly amble toward us. His gait was slow and tired but we soon noticed him picking up speed, realizing he was heading right for us! And…Fahad was not paying attention! “Fahad! Fahad!” We weren’t sure what was going to happen and we all ducked into the vehicle just as the senior mammoth reached us and bumped the back of our 4×4! As quickly as he came, he ambled away…”his fifth leg” swinging and obviously please with himself. Pulses beating rapidly, we drove away and allowed him to enjoy the rest of his day while we explored the Lerai Forest, home to the tall, slim yellow barked acacia trees.

The remainder of the day was filled with monkeys, zebras, wildebeests, ostriches, gazelles and a fun pair of warthogs, covered in mud and hellbent on using a rock to give themselves a good scratching!

The day was drawing to a close and as we traveled toward home, one more thing presented itself to us. A lion relaxed on one of the small culvert walls adjacent to the road. So close was he to our vehicle that I could have reached out and given him a pat. Now, I would have had a great story to tell, I’m sure, but probably would have left an appendage or two behind.

As we drove out of Ngorongoro Crater, it was hard to believe the spectacles we had witnessed. I had thought it would be hard to beat the Serengeti, but the crater had offered up its own predators, beasts and fowl. Cruising the crater floor was truly one of the most amazing parts of our safari thus far. Though we were saying goodbye at this point, we headed back to our lodge, knowing we would say our final goodbyes looking out over the crater. The famous Ngorongoro sunset would be our ultimate adieu.

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Ngorongoro Crater

http://www.ngorongorocrater.org/
Gates and barriers open at 0600 and close at 1800, except for the Seneto Descent Gate, which close at 1600 hours.
ALL VISITORS TO NGORONGORO CRATER MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LICENSED GUIDE.
Keep to authorized roads and tracks. No off-road driving.
Speed limits 25km/hour
Only vehicles equipped with standard safaris equipment allowed in the Crater (heavy-duty jack; chain/rope; shovel/hoe; axe/panga)
No more than 5 vehicles around an animal or kill

Ngorongoro Crater

http://www.ngorongorocrater.org/

The Cradle of Mankind

In the middle of the eastern Serengeti Plains, lies the Great Rift Valley, which stretches across East Africa. In it, exists one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world.

Olduvai Gorge.

Or…is it Oldupai?

Well, both. People now know it as Olduvai, however, the name Olduvai is a misspelling of Oldupai, the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant Sansevieria Ehrenbergii, which can be found growing in the gorge.

Whichever way anyone decides to refer to it, the ravine is the location in Tanzania that hold the earliest evidence of the existence of human ancestors. Hundreds of fossilized bones and stone tools, dating back millions of years, have been unearthed in the area, leading paleoanthropologists to conclude that humans evolved in Africa.

In 1911, German Wilhelm Kattwinkey observed many fossil bones of an extinct three-toed horse in Olduvai Gorge and later German geologist Hans Reck found hominin remains. Reck’s research, however, was halted by World War I. After a visit to Reck’s site in 1929, Louis Leakey became convinced that the gorge held critical information on human origins. Deciding to mount an expedition, he was joined by his wife, Mary. In 1959, the paleoanthropologist-archeologist team, discovered a skull fragment belonging to an early hominin. The skull dated to about 1.75 million years ago and indicated that hominins evolved in Africa. Later, specimens of Homo Habilis, a more human like species, were also found in the gorge.

In addition to the human remains, the Leakeys unearthed more than 2,000 stone tools and lithic flakes. Their research provides the most continuous known record of human evolution during the past 2 million years, as well as the longest known archaeological record of the development of stone-tool manufacturing.

In 1986, however, Olduvai Gorge, since designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the scene of one of the biggest and most significant findings in the scientific world, not credited to the Leakeys. A team of Tanzanian and American archeologists excavated 302 bones and teeth belonging to a female, determined to be about 1.8 million years old.

Oldevai Gorge, often called the “Cradle of Mankind” (not to be confused with the “Cradle of Humankind” in South Africa) is now a site frequented by tourists, mostly enroute to safari destinations.

The site offers a small, yet interesting museum containing a large amount of information about the pre-history of Homo Sapiens and the amazing discoveries made by Mary and Louis Leakey and others. Though the information and displays are a bit dated, a new museum is currently under construction, and is probably a reason for the higher entrance fee. Our entrance fee was taken care of by our tour, but it was noted on another travel site that it was recently raised from $10 to $35 USD.

There is a modest gift shop, adjacent to the museum, which offers more reasonable prices than the nearby Maasai village and many of the same kinds of carvings and jewelry. There is also a monument to Dr. Sekino Yoshiharo, a Japanese scientist who traveled across the world from 1993 until 2002, spending a night at Olduvai Gorge on February 8, near the end of his journey.

At the rear of the property, you can stand on the edge of the ravine and look out over the area which has offered so much to understanding the history of mankind. A covered area overlooking the ravine provides a shady area for guests to rest or enjoy lunch while listening to one of the curator’s explain the historic nature of the gorge. An engaging 8 minutes…you will learn that Lucy was not found here (as many people think), but Ethiopia and you will learn about the Leakeys. But, the main thing you will walk away with is…being asked to spread the word that it is indeed Oldupai Gorge!

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Olduvai (Oldupai) Gorge

http://www.olduvai-gorge.org/
Entrance fee (to be verified): $35 USD per person or vehicle
Museum displays in both English and Swahili
Restrooms available on site.

The Jumping Nomads

The Maasai.

This tribe has fascinated me for years, from the first time I saw their jumping tribesmen on a documentary highlighting the nomadic people. I loved the action, the singing and their colorful clothing.

As I scoured the itinerary for our safari, the first thing that stood out was the visit to a Maasai village. Yes, I was excited to see the beautiful scenery and the animals, but I was most excited to see the Maasai!

Having driven to Arusha from Nairobi, I had already spotted many Maasai along the way, walking along the roads and tending their cattle. I had also spotted many Maasai villages dotting the landscape while flying to the Serengeti. I was giddy with excitement, however, as we pulled off of the roadway and parked under an acacia tree in front of a village on the way from the Serengeti to Olduvai Gorge.

Many villagers, dressed in their colorful Shúkà, emerged from the entryway of their compound and lined up while one of the village elders, Lalashe, came over to greet and welcome us to the village.

While we waited for the others in our party to arrive, we mingled with the women as they decorated us with their beautiful, beaded collars. They sang songs and smiled at us while the men, practiced their dance moves. Soon, the others safari vehicles pulled under the acacia tree and our friends joined us for the show.

The Maasai women began to sing harmonies while one of them, the song leader, or olaranyani, sang the melody. As she began by singing a line or title (namba) of the song, the group responded with a call of acknowlegement. The olaranyani then sang a verse over the group’s rhythmic throat singing. The women moved their necks…tilting their head back for an inward breath and then breathing out when their head was leaned forward.

While the women provided the music, one of the men used the Greater Kudu, or horn and the other men formed lines, moving together and chanting rhythmically, “Oooooh-yah” with a growl and staccato cough. They thrust and withdrew their bodies, some jumping.

As their performance came to a close, we were invited into their compound and gathered under a large tree in the center. The men continued to chant while jumping extremely high in what seemed to be a competition among them.

Eventually, we were gathered around two of the male villagers who proceeded to demonstrate how the Maasai make fire. With a bit of a breeze, conditions weren’t right and they were unsuccessful after two lengthy attempts. Clapping for their efforts, we then moved on to other parts of their village.

The schoolhouse was nearby and as we glanced into the small hut, the young children sang a song for us, recited their ABC’s and we inspected their lessons written on their chalkboard. Handing over the small gifts we had brought (pens, pencils and paper) to the schoolmaster, we were thanked profusely by everyone.

The king’s son, then divided us into groups and assigned us to one of the male villagers whose job was to escort us around the village and show us how they lived. As my group entered the small mud huts, we were greeted by darkness. Our eyes adjusted and we noticed a small cooking area in the center and two raised sleeping pallets at the rear of the hut. We were informed that the building of the huts are the women’s responsibility and they assist each other with the task, each hut taking about four days to build. When the king’s son, who had led us around, was asked if he lived with all of his wives and families in one hut, we were greeted with a laugh and a funny response, “Oh, no, each of my wives have their own hut. Women fight too much!”

Exiting the huts, we saw many women and children who had not performed during our arrival, peeking out curiously at us. Shyly, they remained in the doorways of their huts where they could dart back in if a camera was raised.

One thing we noticed about those who were present in the village was that there were no young boys or teens. Boys who have reached puberty participate in a rite of passage, an emorata…a circumcision ceremony performed without anesthetic, believing the pain with lead them into manhood. The newly circumcised young men then live in another village built by their mothers (a manyatta) which has no barricade for protection, since they are now warriors and can protect themselves. These newly minted warriors spend much of their time on walkabouts throughout the Maasai lands and can be recognized by their elaborate white face paint. Before arriving at the village, we had spotted what we thought was a newly circumcised boy, but in actuality, it was some younger boys playing a joke on unsuspecting tourists. They had plastered some white tape on their foreheads! Later, however, we did see some “authentic” newly circumcised boys walking along the roadway.

Our leaders escorted us around the center of the village where tables had been set up showcasing a wide variety of crafts available for purchase. As we walked around and selected objects of interest, we tried to keep in mind the instructions given to us by our guides about negotiations. “Start by offering half of the price they give”. Usually a great negotiator in African markets, I was again a bit off of my game and let my emotions get in the way of my common sense, ending up paying a bit more than I probably should have.

Walking away with a mask and a statue, I know that we had made an impact on the villager’s day to day life. Learning to survive in the modern world, the villagers use the money they earn from their craft sales and the admission charged per safari vehicle to pay for things we take for granted like water. Instead of walking miles to the nearest watering hole, the modern day Maasai can have water delivered!

It was then time to say goodbye. We reluctantly handed back our colorful collars that the women had lent to us at the beginning of our visit and made our way back to our safari vehicles. Many of the villagers came out and as we drove away, they all stood proudly, a colorful mark on a barren land, waving goodbye!

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Maasai Village

http://maasaiwilderness.org/maasai/
There are many Maasai villages in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. If you are with a tour company, the villages are visited on a rotating basis. A recent change necessitates a $50 per vehicle