Day 9 May 14, 2025 Ngorongono Crater
Well our breakfast this morning was a little more unusual. We had eggs to order as usual and lots of fresh fruit and sweet breads. A first for us was what they called chicken lollipops. They were the middle section of the chicken wing with the meat all pushed to one end. They were seasoned with a mild teriyaki sauce and fried I think. The bacon was labeled fried streaky bacon. Definitely had less fat than at home.
After breakfast we are off to the crater. The crater is actually the largest fully intact caldera in the world. It’s like a giant bowl. The rim and sides are covered with trees and brush like a jungle. The bottom is savanna. Although the animals can climb out they choose not to. There is plenty of feed and water for them to survive.
We were greeted at the entrance by a large congress of baboons. They are very accustomed to tourists and trucks. The rim is used by lots of trucks transporting goods to other parts of the country. Our guide warned us to keep the windows closed because these baboons like to get in the vehicles and take things.
The road along the rim is paved but somewhat narrow. Lots of twists and turns so passing is not usually easy. Most of the drivers are considerate and pull over when they can. We came to the fork in the road where the trucks went one way and we went the other.
The floor of the caldera is covered with lush grass but not may trees. There is a lake and several rivers. Small ponds also dot the area. We saw lots of different antelope. The herds are fairly large. Several groups of wildebeest also. Our guide says that when God finished making all the animals he had some parts leftover. He used those to create the wildebeest.
We came across a male lion out for a stroll. Off in the distance were three or four single wildebeest who were keeping a close eye on the lion. The herd was much further away. As the lion got closer the wildebeest would move further away. A lion will never catch a healthy wildebeest. They are too fast and the lion doesn’t have enough stamina to endure a long chase. It was interesting to watch the interaction however.
Lots of different birds inhabit the area as well. Both song birds and water fowl. Some are very colorful and some can really hide. The flamingos here are mostly white so I sometimes think they are storks.
As before jackels and hyenas are on the prowl looking for any leftovers. The jackels look much like a fox or coyote so they are cute. The hyenas on the other hand are very viscous looking and rather ugly. Kind of one of those faces only a mother could love.
In the lake was a group of hippos. They are so peaceful looking that its difficult to believe more people are killed by them than any other African animal. A couple of them are standing on the bank. The ones in the lake just look like big rocks. As much time as they spend in the water i would think they should eat something in the water rather than graze on the grass.
Oh my gosh a group of ostriches. One male and several hens. They strolled across the savanna and onto the road. They don’t seem to have a care in the world.
Perhaps they should have a care since not too far down the road were three lionesses laying in the grass right beside the road. One lifted her tail or we would have missed them. They must have eaten recently because they were not in hunting mode. A couple of them did get up and walk a short distance and laid down again.
We also saw water buffaloes and a giant eland. The water buffaloes in Africa are not domesticated like the ones in Southeast Asia. The giant eland is the largest antelope in the world. The males and weigh up to 2000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Quite a size range between the dikdik at about 2 feet tall at the shoulder.
The highlight of the day was seeing a rhino. Our guide said a young one was sleeping in the grass beside the adult. Unfortunately they were a long ways away. You really needed telephoto lense or binoculars. This park doesn’t allow vehicles to drive on the savanna unless they are trying to save a baby rhino. Evidently they are very vulnerable to lions when they are little. The rhinos are endangered so efforts are made to protect them.
Before leaving the crater we stopped for a bathroom break. As usual the bathroom was clean. The area also had numerous picnic tables. Another tour group was having a box lunch. Sitting on a stump was an elephant skull. No tusks but the size of the teeth is impressive. Most elephants get six sets over the course of their life. As ones wear out another set pushes forward from the back of the jaw. Each molar can weigh up to 9 pounds.
Now its time to head home. The road out of the crater is steep, narrow and winding. Most of it is covered with pavers. The road is strictly one way thank goodness. Well we had noticed a gas leak during the bathroom stop. The vehicle seemed to have less and less power the further we went. Finally he had to stop. We all got out of the vehicle and started looking for rocks to put behind the tires. Rob and the guide took a look but didn’t have a solution. Another vehicle went roaring by but the next one stopped as did the third one. We eventually got in the third one which took us back to the lodging. They were staying there too. When we arrived the staff greeted us with song. We had lunch in the restaurant and then had the afternoon free.
We later learned that the second vehicle was able to pull ours to the top of the hill. Once there our guide was able to drive it back to town. He took it to a mechanic who was able to fix it that afternoon. It turned out to be a fuel valve switch that failed.
When we returned to our room the housekeeper had made a welcome back sign on the coffee table. It was made of nasturtium and green plant life. That might have been part of the leaves. The staff has time right now. Next month will be different. It did help with her tip.
At dinner we learned that our butler who we all thought was about 25 was actually 43. He has a wife and three children. They live in the village not far from the lodging. Our guess is that the pay here is really good.
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