6/11/19
The group loaded into 3 Land Cruisers, and we met our drivers (ours is named Ramadan aka Rama). From Arusha we headed to Tarangire National Park. The park has lots of giant baobab trees, which are just awesome in their size and shape. It was very green at Tarangire compared to the other time that Elisha and I visited. We saw several families of elephants, and some big bulls. We also saw a HUGE flock of ostriches: 50+. The best sighting was seeing a mama cheetah with a tiny cub. They were hiding in the grass, but we could see the occasional glimpses of them. We also saw a pride of lions moving through the grass.
After lunch we visited Lake Manyara National Park where we did a treetop walk. We walked amongst the treetops on suspension bridges and platforms. We camped at Mto was Mbu. We went out to a delicious dinner feast in a banana plantation.
6/12/19
We drove to Ngorongoro Conservation area, and then through it, stopping at a view point looking down at the crater. We then descended down to Serengeti NP. We had lunch at the entrance and did a short viewpoint walk.
After lunch we started a game trive. We saw a little klipspringer on one of the many kopjes (rock outcrops). We saw SO many lions, all seemingly very fat. The best was a big male on top of a rock in a kopje that was very "Lion King" like. (pride rock). We also spotted a leopard up on a rock in a kopje. We couldn't see her very well, but we stayed to wait and before long a little cub came out that was so cute! It too fells asleep and hid. Eventually, however, it woke up and was crawling around on mama, and so she got up, and we got really nice views of them on the rock. So amazing! So cute! We were so lucky! We also witnessed a great sunset amongst the acacias.
We're camping at a spot in the middle of the Serengeti park with no fences at all. A hyena went through camp, and we saw a buffalo near the tent. At night we heard lions chuffing and hyenas whooooping.
6/13/19
Early morning game drive through the Serengeti. We saw lots more lions. We also saw quite a few hyenas, including a group eating a wildebeest. We saw a total of 5 cheetahs! A solitary cheetah in the very far distance. We then saw a solitary cheetah, with a red face, eating a wildebeest with vultures around. On our way out of the park, we saw a mom with 2 older cubs in the distance sitting on a termite mound, in classic cheetah fashion.
We also saw a cute little jackal resting in a hole, and a very large family of mongoose running around. The highlight was 3 lions on a rocky kopje. As we sat looking at them, they walked right by our vehicle (1 foot away). They were so close I could have pet them through the window. One rested right behind our vehicle.
We finished the day by driving to our campsite at the Ngrongoro Crater rim. After a delicious dinner, our German friend Norbert told us more about his crazy life, including being married for just 1 month, being in a coma for 6 months after a motorbike accident, being jailed twice for guns and drugs (cocaine, meth, heroine), and his rehab. But he has put all that behind him now and is living a totally different life. He lives in Dresden, near to al his family and is very close to them. For his job, he is a drink warehouse manager and in charge of ordering the beer for a grocery store.
6/14/19
Early morning game drive into the Ngorongoro Crater. Right as we entered, we saw a pride of lions with hyenas and a jackal following them. They weren't, however, going to hunt, just going to drink. Throughout the day we saw lots of lions, including a couple being chased by a buffalo. We also saw a pride with a big male and some cubs. In the crater we saw big herds of wildebeest and zebra, hippos, buffalo, and gazelles. We saw many hyenas and a couple of black-backed and golden jackals. There were also flamingos and elephants. In addition, we saw a baby grant's gazelle that had probably been born 30 minutes before as it was just learning to stand. We also saw a black rhino, completing the big 5 of Tanzania.
After the game drive, we drove up the steep road out of the crater, stopping at a viewpoint before heading back to the snake park near Arusha. This time we took a guided tour of the snake park and got to hold a grass snake. Additionally, we took a guided tour of a Maasai village museum near to the snake park.
At a tourist stop on the way back to Arusha, I bought Elisha a Tanzanite wedding ring, since she only had the little rubber wedding rings that we had for our elopement. Tanzanite is a very rare gem, recently discovered and only found in one area of Tanzania. Africa is special to us and our relationship, so we thought it would be fitting to get a wedding ring from just outside the Serengeti.
The group loaded into 3 Land Cruisers, and we met our drivers (ours is named Ramadan aka Rama). From Arusha we headed to Tarangire National Park. The park has lots of giant baobab trees, which are just awesome in their size and shape. It was very green at Tarangire compared to the other time that Elisha and I visited. We saw several families of elephants, and some big bulls. We also saw a HUGE flock of ostriches: 50+. The best sighting was seeing a mama cheetah with a tiny cub. They were hiding in the grass, but we could see the occasional glimpses of them. We also saw a pride of lions moving through the grass.
After lunch we visited Lake Manyara National Park where we did a treetop walk. We walked amongst the treetops on suspension bridges and platforms. We camped at Mto was Mbu. We went out to a delicious dinner feast in a banana plantation.
6/12/19
We drove to Ngorongoro Conservation area, and then through it, stopping at a view point looking down at the crater. We then descended down to Serengeti NP. We had lunch at the entrance and did a short viewpoint walk.
After lunch we started a game trive. We saw a little klipspringer on one of the many kopjes (rock outcrops). We saw SO many lions, all seemingly very fat. The best was a big male on top of a rock in a kopje that was very "Lion King" like. (pride rock). We also spotted a leopard up on a rock in a kopje. We couldn't see her very well, but we stayed to wait and before long a little cub came out that was so cute! It too fells asleep and hid. Eventually, however, it woke up and was crawling around on mama, and so she got up, and we got really nice views of them on the rock. So amazing! So cute! We were so lucky! We also witnessed a great sunset amongst the acacias.
We're camping at a spot in the middle of the Serengeti park with no fences at all. A hyena went through camp, and we saw a buffalo near the tent. At night we heard lions chuffing and hyenas whooooping.
6/13/19
Early morning game drive through the Serengeti. We saw lots more lions. We also saw quite a few hyenas, including a group eating a wildebeest. We saw a total of 5 cheetahs! A solitary cheetah in the very far distance. We then saw a solitary cheetah, with a red face, eating a wildebeest with vultures around. On our way out of the park, we saw a mom with 2 older cubs in the distance sitting on a termite mound, in classic cheetah fashion.
We also saw a cute little jackal resting in a hole, and a very large family of mongoose running around. The highlight was 3 lions on a rocky kopje. As we sat looking at them, they walked right by our vehicle (1 foot away). They were so close I could have pet them through the window. One rested right behind our vehicle.
We finished the day by driving to our campsite at the Ngrongoro Crater rim. After a delicious dinner, our German friend Norbert told us more about his crazy life, including being married for just 1 month, being in a coma for 6 months after a motorbike accident, being jailed twice for guns and drugs (cocaine, meth, heroine), and his rehab. But he has put all that behind him now and is living a totally different life. He lives in Dresden, near to al his family and is very close to them. For his job, he is a drink warehouse manager and in charge of ordering the beer for a grocery store.
6/14/19
Early morning game drive into the Ngorongoro Crater. Right as we entered, we saw a pride of lions with hyenas and a jackal following them. They weren't, however, going to hunt, just going to drink. Throughout the day we saw lots of lions, including a couple being chased by a buffalo. We also saw a pride with a big male and some cubs. In the crater we saw big herds of wildebeest and zebra, hippos, buffalo, and gazelles. We saw many hyenas and a couple of black-backed and golden jackals. There were also flamingos and elephants. In addition, we saw a baby grant's gazelle that had probably been born 30 minutes before as it was just learning to stand. We also saw a black rhino, completing the big 5 of Tanzania.
After the game drive, we drove up the steep road out of the crater, stopping at a viewpoint before heading back to the snake park near Arusha. This time we took a guided tour of the snake park and got to hold a grass snake. Additionally, we took a guided tour of a Maasai village museum near to the snake park.
At a tourist stop on the way back to Arusha, I bought Elisha a Tanzanite wedding ring, since she only had the little rubber wedding rings that we had for our elopement. Tanzanite is a very rare gem, recently discovered and only found in one area of Tanzania. Africa is special to us and our relationship, so we thought it would be fitting to get a wedding ring from just outside the Serengeti.
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