Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park – Safari in Africa Day 1

Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park – Safari in Africa Day 1.
Jan 12.
My phone rang at 06:10 because the guy who had made a deal on a safari wanted me to take a taxi for 30 minutes to bring him cash. I was not interested in doing such a thing at such a time and told him so. He made other arrangements and told me I could go back to sleep. At 09:30 I went to hang out by Exim Bank to meet five other people who were on the safari with me in a Landcruiser. I would be taking the last empty seat in the vehicle. There were two girls from Switzerland and three guys from the Netherlands in the vehicle when it arrived and I climbed inside. One of these days I will figure out that 09:30 in Africa means 10:30, but a man sure would hate to get left behind for thinking ahead…
- That is not how you want your safari to start.
- Welcome to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
We drove through Ngorongoro Conservation Area up to the lookout point ridge of the Ngorongoro Crater, 610 meters above the flat below. In the bottom where thousands and thousands of wildebeest and elephants. It was hazy, and it was beautiful. Most of the day was spent in the Landcruiser through Ngorongoro and then we crossed into the Serengeti National Park. On the day drive, we were exposed to 18 different species of beautiful creatures. It was better than I would have even expected… The grand, flat landscapes of the plains are immense and remarkable… Wow….
It is amazing how members of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, ostriches, and giraffes all hang out together.
I like to imagine two giraffes having this talk…
Giraffe 1 – “So, um, what do you think of zebras?”
Giraffe 2 – “Zebras, oh they are awesome. They have funny patterns like we do. I am cool with them.”
Giraffe 1 – “And what about wildebeest?”
Giraffe 2 – “I am also cool with the wildebeest. They can hang out with us any time. They look so native to the land. I like them.”
Giraffe 1 – “And gazelles?”
Giraffe 2 – “Pffft. Who doesn’t like gazelles? They have that fancy stripe accessory package. Handsome fellas!”
Giraffe 1 – “Ostriches?”
Giraffe 2 – “Well, you know, everyone needs to have a dumb friend. They are easy to pick on and provide entertainment. I like everyone!”
Giraffe 1 – “Lions?”
Giraffe 2 – “Are you nuts? You have to ask? Keep away from those a-holes. NOT friends. Wait, don’t tell them how I feel though… (whispers) But I hate those bastards…”
My day was… Well, I could do this with words, but I think the photos of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park will do more justice to the day.
Bushnell’s Zebras:
- Our first exposure nature.
- Bushnell’s Zebras having a party.
Ostriches:
- Ostriches. Males are black, females are gray.
- Ostriches.
Wildebeest:
- That is quite a wildebeest look.
- I can not believe I captured this image.
Thompson’s Gazelle and Elandantelope:
- Thompson’s gazelle, with his fancy stripes.
- Elandantelope. This is the only of these we got to see.
Grant’s Gazelle:
- Grant’s gazelle.
- Grant’s gazelle femes!
Hyenas:
- Hyenas are so ugly I am surprised they are even willing to breed each other. Believe me, this is just a good photo.
- Hyenas having a buffalo feast.
Masai Giraffe:
(FYI – When these animals run, the look like they are doing it in slow motion.)
- Masai Giraffe.
- When a giraffe runs, it looks like it is moving in slow motion.
Cheetah and Secretary Bird:
- Cheetah. I am amazed that we got to see one of these.
- Secretary Bird.
Lions:
- The king of the jungle.
- I have about 50 photos of lions, and it was hard to narrow it down to a couple. I like their massive size.
Baboons:
- I caught this baboon in a yawn, and it sure makes him look ferocious.
- I like how baboons are so social and take care of each other. The groomed makes me wonder if he is a punk rocker.
Buffalo:
- Buffalo.
- They are curious animals and good posers.
Topi:
- Topi. Handsome colors.
- A topi is an antelope. I really like the colors of this animal.
Impala and Water Buck:
- Impala. I only knew it as a car before.
- Water Buck. He was a little shy!
Hippopotamus:
- Hippopotamus grazing. It is hard to find them out of the water.
- This guy reminded me of the game ‘Hungry Hippo’ that I played as a child.
What an amazing day in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park!
I had to share a tent with a guy from the Netherlands in the camping area in the Serengeti where we stayed for the night after we left Ngorongoro. There were three tents for six of us. The Dutchman asked, “Is it okay if we share?” I said, “Sure, what do you like better, to be the big spoon or the little spoon?”
He did not think I was as funny as I thought I was…
- That made all of the city kids in the campground too afraid to drink water at night because they were too scared to have to get up and go to the bathroom at night. True story.
- Serengeti sunset.
* For Day 1 and Day 3:
Serengeti Safari Lion Buffalo Feast – Safari in Africa Day 2
Beautiful animals!
And that giraffe conversation made me laugh! 😀
Ha! 🙂 Thanks Zascha!
I feel that is really how it is. Every vegetarian animal is a pal here!
Nice blog Zascha!