Alas, no water available for shower or anything else this morning. Still working out the bugs at this place, I think. We've gotten the feeling, from subtle hints dropped by our guide, that it is more common to shower at night around here. Perhaps washing off all the dust of the day before going to sleep is more logical. Old habits die hard, however. We packed up and joined the others in the dining tent for breakfast. I enjoyed the African Pride Masala tea - a black tea with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Michael was canvassing all passengers for snacks during yesterday's trek. So today we have all donated our chapati, which we wrapped up for easy portability. A monstrous flying insect swooped in during our breakfast, and Geoffrey cautioned us not to let it bite - apparently very painful. We had a few close calls, but escaped unharmed.
Serengeti Sunrise ala Ted
Don't know...not sure I want to know
Before we left, our entertaining hosts sang another song for us, each adding their own sweet dance moves. They were so fun, we had to get some group photos before leaving. We left them with a deck of our playing cards so they could play more Egyptian Rat Screw, now renamed Serengeti Slam. Baki Salama, Mawe crew!
We were soon back in "Marlin Perkins" mode, watching a lone cheetah hone his hunting skills as he slowly and methodically chose his breakfast. A zebra and a gazelle both came ridiculously close, and we were certain their time was near. But the cheetah bided his time, instead seeking out another Thompson's gazelle. It was an exciting chase, with the gazelle making a narrow escape.
Back through and around the many kopjes in the area, we finally came across some warthogs that weren't running, and got some good photos. Another amazing list of sightings: Cheetah, Warthog, Topi, Grayish Hornbill, Reedbuck, Elephant, Zebra, Thompson Gazelle, Marabou Stork, Vervet Monkey, Bataleur Eagle, the little brown African Silverbill, the White-belted Kori Bustard, some smelly Hippos and the Crown-headed Plover. A parade of elephants crossed the road in front of us, heading for a watering hole, and we saw our largest herd yet of buffalo. Two giraffes posed under the iconic acacia tree, and another solitary one loped across the wide open savannah.
Copious Kopjis
Warthog
Topi
Any relation to Jar Jar?
Ox Picker bird on the buffalo's back
Gazelles and Marabou Storks at the waterin' hole
Grayish Hornbill
Grey-backed Fiscal
Our lion count at this point was well over thirty. I never dreamed lions would be so prevalent, as they were recently added to the endangered species list. One lioness seemed to understand her role as paparazzi fodder, and expertly posed atop a dead tree trunk. She was truly captivating.
lunchtime
Looks like she's been in a scrape or two
We passed by some startlingly green, lush areas with palm trees reminiscent of those lining the streets of L.A. We were surprised more animals weren't crowded into these oases of shade and water. Lots of elephants and hippos were enjoying the amenities.
Soon we left the Serengeti behind, and reentered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Permits are issued for twenty-four hours, so we lingered at the visitor's center. If we entered the park too early, we would have to be up before dawn to get out of the park in time. It was good to be out of the car and off the bumpy roads for a while. We walked over to the little store to see what they had. I asked if they had Chapstick, and was handed a box of toothpaste - close, but no cigar.
Back on the road, we started gaining elevation, climbing up out of the rift valley. The wide open spaces disappeared as we traveled a narrow, flora-lined road. The greenery along the road was all coated in a layer of red dirt, the result of so many months without rain. Ted said California is much the same because of the ongoing drought. As we climbed to twelve-thousand plus feet above sea level, the air became blessedly cool. We stopped to view the crater, and this time we could see for miles. We could see the seasonal salt lake, Magadi, a smear of white surrounded by the seemingly endless shades of ochre.
Money shot
As we continued up, we suddenly came upon a herd of elephants grazing in the trees. I remembered stories of the wild elephants in Thailand attacking cars, but these elephants seemed pretty unperturbed. We waited until they left the road, then continued on. A similar encounter with zebras followed, then we finally reached our destination, the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge. We were surprised to discover that the guy at the entrance gate was wearing a "Groundhog Day Marathon, Grand Rapids, MI" hoodie!
Grand Rapids buddies
This place looked like a mansion after staying in tents for two days. With a beautiful stone entryway, one could look straight through to the huge picture windows that provided unobstructed views of the massive crater below. The fancy entrance didn't quite match the dated rooms, but a certain old-school charm continued throughout. We were instructed that the power and water would be turned off at 11 p.m. and turned back on at five. A huge buffalo was grazing just outside our window, and all our rooms had amazing views of the crater, albeit through dirty windows. Granted, it must be hard to keep them clean during the dry season.
We gathered in the attractive, spacious lounge - the only place where we could use our free half-hour of wifi. A trio played music on one side of the room. Dinner was buffet style - the food was fair. We caused a scene when a couple of us decided to have hot chocolate after dinner; the first person (me) didn't screw the lid back on, and when the second person went to pick it up, the powder spilled all over the floor. Dumb Americans.
We were all feeling like we could use a day off from driving in the car all day, and thought when we first arrived that this might be a good place to do it. But we found the quality was not as great as the first impression, and it would have caused complications with our 24-hour park pass, not to mention the exorbitant price they wanted to charge us for a second night. Besides, as our guide said, "It's cold and it's bored." Word. So we would hit the road again in the morning.
Soon we left the Serengeti behind, and reentered the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Permits are issued for twenty-four hours, so we lingered at the visitor's center. If we entered the park too early, we would have to be up before dawn to get out of the park in time. It was good to be out of the car and off the bumpy roads for a while. We walked over to the little store to see what they had. I asked if they had Chapstick, and was handed a box of toothpaste - close, but no cigar. 
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