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Song of the day; Perfect Day by Lou Reed.
Early morning start yet again, the old gits are getting used to this! Off up to the Ngorongoro Crater, up through the clouds to the rim at 2,500 ft above sea level.
Fact 1 about going on Safari in the National Park in the early morning. It's bloomin freezing - take your long johns!
Fact 2; it's INDESCRIBABLY FANTASTIC!
As we descended into the Crater through the clouds the view is breathtaking - it's 15 miles by 15 miles, the largest caldera in the world, some 2.5 million years old and with some 30,000 animals!!! Within minutes we were passing herds of wildebeest and zebra, through a wooded area with elephants and giraffe's grazing beside Baboon. Birds, flowers, everything just amazing. Highlights hard to pick out but 3 come to mind -
Watching a large Black Rhino, one of the most endangered species in Africa.
Watching 2/300 wildebeest parade in line to Lake Magadi, about 750 yards from where we watched; and between us and them a lioness lazily stretched out in the sun about 100 yards from us. Although she became very alert watching them, none came sufficiently close for her to think it worth the effort to give chase for lunch.
Finally we watched another lioness about 10 yards from us, rise and saunter over to where 2 hyena's were finishing off the remains of an earlier kill. As she approached they scarpered without a fuss and let her pick the bones. 1 hour later after we had gone for a picnic , we returned just in time to see that she'd had enough and wander off for a siesta. Within seconds, the hyena's were back from their watching place a hundred yards away in the tall grass.
Truly fantastic - and it even got warmer!
We returned to the lodge and a great meal. We were sure that the Crater experience couldn't be bettered but Freddy said the Serengetti was much much better - the old gits didn't believe that was possible but he was so right!
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