So I know it’s been awhile since my last post, but it’s been incredibly busy over here, with us having just returned from our last expedition. There’s so much that’s happened that I’ve chosen to split it up into multiple posts in order to give the places the attention that they deserve. We went to the Ngorongoro Crater the other day, and in case you’ve never heard of it, I’ll give you an extremely brief overview. The Ngorongoro Crater is both a wildlife conservation area and a world heritage site, since it’s theorized by many scientists that the first humans originate there. Some refer to it as the “cradle of mankind.” Now, though, it’s a protected area that provides a unique environment for the wildlife inside of it. Though the animals have the ability to come and go from the crater, some species do not like the climb and so their populations remain in the crater. Surrounding it are semi-preserved areas and farming/pastoralism. Most of the people living around the Crater are Maasai who herd their cattle and other animals on the wide expanses of grassy hills there. On our way in, we passed about 20 school children in uniform on their way to school, and I couldn’t believe that they got to go to school in such close proximity to the Crater. Though I’ll add some pictures of the Crater to this post, they will not do justice to the view of the area from the rim. I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of beautiful things in my life, but the Ngorongoro Crater instigated the strongest response in me that anything I’ve seen has. Inside the Crater, we also saw 5 rhinos, including a baby (see later for my incredibly blurry far-away photos). There are so few left in this area that you can only really see them in the Crater and in the Serengeti. The fact that I got to see them in real life is absolutely incredible, and I continue to be in disbelief that this is my life right now. Though it’s been difficult getting past homesickness and adjusting to a very different lifestyle to my usual, the struggles have been well worth it even if just for the Crater. Hope you enjoy the pictures, and there are more to come!
-Antonia
The view from the rim of the Crater at the entrance to the park. The fog was rolling up the hill like in a fairytale.
An elephant looking out onto the crater.
The view of the pond/lake in the middle of the Crater. Since it’s the rainy season here, it was quite full.
A very large pack of lions chillin by the water…they later had a bit of a territory dispute with some cape buffalo.
Some lions taking a cat nap in the sun as a storm formed in the background.
An extraordinarily blurry photo of a mama and baby rhino.