Thursday, July 18, 2013 3:45pm - Ngorongoro Crater

Our evening was spent at the Rhotia Valley Tented Camp; however, we were here for less than 12 hours so we didn’t see much.  What I do know is that this camp/lodging was built by 2 doctors from the Netherlands who own and run a children’s home for orphans supporting 36 kids on site and 14 more in the village.  They provide them with food, clothing, education, and job training so they can be productive Tanzanians in their town.  

Driving out of the hotel we saw all the children in town walking to school – the children in primary (standard 1-7) usually walk up to 45minutes to get to school and the secondary school (middle/high school) can sometimes walk 1.5 hours to school each way.  Walking is a way of life here – everyone does it and no one complains.  There are buses but still, many people walk.  I was surprised to see children as young as 4 or 5 walking to school completely unattended!

Masai doing a welcome dance

Thursday we spent the day at the Ngorongoro crater on a safari and saw amazing sights! 

I got to dance with the women!

We started out going to a Masai village – called a Boma – where we each paid $20US (30,000Ts) and were greeted at our car door by a Masai man.  Our guides name was Titika (spelling?) – he was 37 and had lived here his entire life.  The village did a traditional welcome dance and song and invited us to join them.  The ladies let us wear a necklace and held our hands while we jumped.  It was so kind of them to include us – I was smiling the entire time.  After that we were taken into the walls of their community – well fence really – and into a home. The home we went in was that of a man where he lived with his Mama and Papa.  He said he has 25 children but I’m not sure if he was saying he personally had 25 children or that there were 25 kids in the village.

Sweet babies, cold feet!

She was about 1 year old
and so happy to see us!

School!

There were about 5-8 little babies some wrapped on their moms back and some toddling around.  All of them smiling and their Mamas were happy to let us take pictures.    We were escorted to their school where there was one teacher with about 25 kids.  They sang us a song and then showed us how they can count to 10 and then by 10’s to 100.  Their chalkboard had a 100-grid, the ABC, and the multiplication table for 3’s.  Our group was all smiles the whole time and we were able to make the Masai smile too!

After we were done they walked us back and were interested in our watches – I was out of money so I offered to trade them my watch for 2 necklaces!  3 members of our group traded their watches for jewelry – probably not an ‘even’ exchange but knowing that we were supporting their village and how much they appreciated the watches was worth it.

Minutes before we left our guide, Titika, told me he wanted to ask me a question.  He said, “Do you mind it?” pointing to his village?  Grinning from ear to ear I said “no” and then as we walked I asked him if he had children and he said “no” – we added “not yet” and he smiled as he told us “that’s why I wanted to ask you a question”.  I never knew Masai men flirted J It was extremely flattering.  Upon getting in the car we compared notes and he had been asking all the ladies if they were married!  What would he do if someone actually did want to stay!

The game drive was different from the day before mostly in the terrain.  To reach the crater we had to drive over a mountain, through very thick clouds, and descend from 2700meters.  The Masai village was about ½ way down and was still very chilly but the bottom of the crater was warm and sunny.  It felt light a scene from a movie!   

Ostrich, hyena, jackal, zebra, wildebeest, hippos, a pride of 12 lions – 2 of which were hunting, so many birds… and more – I’ll remember more when I get my pictures printed.  Throughout the trip I’ve been having the idea to create an animal photo book for Roy with animal pictures I’ve taken here!  That should be fun to look at.

 

I loved the land in the crater because it was so peaceful.  At our zoos we always see the animals divided but in their natural habitat the zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, gazelles, ostrich are all living peacefully – until the lions come to town.  The crater was such a serene place – I see know why people don’t want to leave here. 

We now have a 4 hour drive back to Arusha, overnight at the African Tulip, and then tomorrow I don’t have a flight out until 3pm – I’ll be at the airport by about 1pm – so no idea what I’ll do until then!  Everyone is leaving very early so it will be just me.  If I don’t have anyone to go around with I’ll just stay at the hotel and watch movies in the lobby!