Safari Day 2 - Herds : Feb. 28

I woke up with a surprise this morning. We had heard some buzzing around at night, but I didn't think much of it until I woke up and my eyes felt really heavy. Well, not both eyes. Just my left one.

My face had been attacked last night. There was a bite in the middle of my forehead and one on my left cheek, as well as the one that caused my eyelids to no longer crease. I guess I learned the lesson about the mosquito nets hanging around the beds.

Alisa, while not feeling 100%, was a trooper and decided we should do the safari today anyway. Today was the Ngorongoro Crater National Park ("ngorongoro" being the sound cattle bells make as they are being herded).

After breakfast (pancakes!), we headed out with Abu for about an hour's drive to get into the crater. At the rim, we could make out a lot of dots, which came into focus as zebra, wildebeest, and even warthogs (all of which had mothers roaming around with their babies!) Apparently, wildebeest and zebra take care of each other, because zebra can sense danger and wildebeest can sense water.

There was at least one zebra that didn't sense danger well today though. We found a pride of lions that were being lazy but attentive. Abu said that it would take hours, so we moved on to the hippo pool.

I learned hippos can roll over. And over. And over. And just hang out upside-down if they are feeling hot. What the wild teaches you. (Don't worry, there were babies.)

On our way to our lunch spot, we saw a hyena or two and a jackal running through the grass. That was, again, amidst wildebeest and zebra a plenty, a few warthogs, Grant's gazelle, and Thompson's gazelle - and those were just the mammals. There were lots of ibis, bustards, and cranes, and some ostrich pairs now and again. The lake in the middle had a pink band of flamingos on the far side.

There were hippo bumps in the water at lunch, but we were warned about the hawks that would swoop in and steal food, so we ate (or napped, in Alisa's case) in the car. At least hawks didn't climb into the car like the baboons at the park gate threatened to.

The zebra-lion incident I mentioned earlier we found after spotting some cape buffalo and a lone elephant in the far distance. The pride was teething at the carcass, and we waited around to see if there was going to be any action from the hyenas that were circling. I was falling asleep when we decided to move on, and found the rest of the hyenas just down the road.

Hyenas live in groups, and there were six to eight adults and about four young clustered around the entrance to their den they kept peeking in and out of. Even though they are villianized in "The Lion King," they were some of the animals I enjoyed most during the day.

There were any surprises left except for a warthog and her triplets. And the rain that followed us to the park gate before abruptly stopping.

Alisa had been picking at parts of her lunch all day, but the whole-hearted attempt to eat it when we got back was rejected by her stomach. If only we had soup and porridge!

Thankfully, dinner was hanging out with the other Zara folk and not either of those. Pork and chicken and more delicious avocado salad. Dessert (besides the chocolate that I had bald at the room) was some "pudding" that was basically a cake. Coming back to the room to see Alisa in a better mood too was a fine way to end the day as well.