Tanzania
Chapter two
The Ngorongoro Crater.
Arrival.
The flight was a short 55 min. We had landed in the middle of a town and it was a small shock to find myself back in civilization. My guide’s jeep had broken down and so another guide who was picking up a couple had me join them. I was surprised given covid precautions, but there was no way around it.
We drove through small villages along a sealed road until we reached the park. And then it was a bumpy ride to the top of the crater. We stopped at a view point and Hamasi, our guide, gave us some historical background. He then pointed to a green patch in the crater and told us we’d be having lunch there the next day.
We drove down to the camp and had breakfast. I asked about going on a walking safari that afternoon to fill the time, but no one was available to guide me and so I spent the afternoon in the tent, catching up on notes and photography.
A day in the crater.
Hamasi picked us up after breakfast and we drove the short way to the entrance to the park and down into the crater. My guide’s jeep hadn’t been fixed and so we were asked if we were ok sharing a jeep. We all agreed.
The jeep was enclosed, with a pop up top. Hamasi explained that in the crater, all the jeeps were enclosed. Usually, the crater would get too dusty and open jeeps would not be a very good experience. He also told us that usually, he’d be in the crater early and out by 11:00 because by then there would be so many jeeps sending dust into the air that you wouldn’t be able to see anything. Now, with Covid scaring away tourists, there were just a small fraction of the vehicles that one would normally see.
On the crater floor, we could get a 360° view of the rim, though the morning was overcast and the clouds threatened to obscure our view.
We admired the wildlife as Hamasi drove us around the crater. There were few roads, and so we followed a well-traveled path. At one point, we paused at a rest stop to use the facilities and stretch our legs. An elephant skull had been placed on a tree stump and I walked over to take a photo. As I approached, a bird appeared and danced around the skull, seemingly impervious to my presence. I followed it, taking photos, admiring its plumage until it decided to fly away.
In a part of the crater, dense with trees, a leopard had been spotted. We eased up next to another jeep and Hamasi trained his binoculars on a spot far in the distance. He pointed it out to us, to look one trunk and then to the side, to where the leopard sat in the crook of a tree. It was hard to spot, but once we did, we trained our eyes upon it, pointing it out to others as they arrived, letting them jostle for a better position.
Deeper into the crater, we came upon a flock of flamingos by the lake. Angela had told me about them and so I was eager to see them for myself. As we approached, they took flight and it was thrilling to see them in flight.
• • •
We stopped for lunch at the site Hamasi had pointed out the day before. It was a dirt lot by a small lake and many jeeps were already in place. Hamasi told me that usually the entire lot would be full, with jeeps moving to allow space for each other. Sometimes you’d not be able to find a spot at all. Now, during Covid, you could count the number on two hands. A snack truck was also parked in the lot offering ice cream and snacks to those who had come ill-prepared or who wanted an extra treat with their lunch.
As we continued to explore the crater, we could see lions in the far distance. Rather, Hamasi saw lions in the distance. A few jeeps had crossed a broken stretch of road to get there. Hamasi was hesitant but edged us forward and soon we found ourselves right next to them as they loped along the crater floor.
The lions eventually found a comfortable spot to rest and lay in the bush and we and the other jeeps moved on. Looking at the time Hamasi suggested we start to head towards the exit. There were fines for being in the crater past a certain hour and we were not so close to the exit. We needn’t rush, but we should start making our way. Already we had spent more time in the crater than we might have pre-Covid, when the traffic was dense and the afternoons dusty, and I was counting our blessings. 🇹🇿
