Ngorongoro cont'd

About a km away from the lioness in the tree we find a male and female lion pair lounging in the grass. It's probably a mating pair since they seem to move away from the pride and stay together for about a week. They mate on and off during that time and I believe they don't even take a break to hunt for food. There's a few 4x4 lined up watching them but they don't seemed concerned with the traffic. Since they are just sleeping we head off down the road. In the distance we can see some black rhino. One is a little on but they are too far off the road to get any good pics. We spot both the Thompson and the Grant Gazelles, warthogs and 2 spotted hyenas. It starts to rain and we head to Ngoitokitok Springs, a picnic site, where we are warned to eat in the vehicle since the kites will swoop down and steal the food. I would have never believed a raptor bird would do such a thing but a lady standing beside our 4x4 had her sandwich taken out of lunch box. The very pretty black faced weavers are sitting on our window ledge and mirrors looking for handouts. Obviously people haven't been obeying the "do not feed" signs. There's a few hippos at the end of the pond and I investigate their footprints in the mud near the bubbling spring water. Driving back along the grasslands, we spot another cheetah in the distance but with the growing grass in rainy season it's hard to see it. Heading to the hippo pools we see mainly zebra, wildebeest, gazelle. The hippo pools were fantastic. Lots of baby hippos staying close to mom, most resting their heads on their mother's side. A few of them turn over and it's funny to see all 4 legs sticking up in the air. We can see on nursing. As we go a bit further we spot 2 lions lounging under a tree along the Munge River. It's near the others we saw, so it's probably part of the same pride. The one that was up in the tree earlier is no asleep on the grass and the mating pair is still in the same spot. It's getting late in the afternoon and you have to be out of the crater by 6pm. As the other 4x4 start to leave, Jackson backs up off the road towards the mating pair so we can get a closer photo (something that is not allowed unless you pay for an off-road pass, we didn't). The lions lift their heads but still seem unconcerned even though I thought we were invading their space. We've also seen eland, hartebeest, bull elephants (only males in the crater), golden jackels. We ascend up the crater on the Lemala Road since we are staying at Sopa Lodge. We were suppose to be at the better Serena Lodge and I'm really disappointed especially when I see the room they have given me. All the rooms are suppose to have a view of the crater and I'm put in a room 1/2 the size as the others near the bar. I go right to the front desk and complain. They are full tonight but say I can change rooms tomorrow. Will have to put in a complaint to the safari company because the room I was given is clearly for driver/guides, not tourists and is less money. That's the one thing about travelling single, sometimes you don't get the room most doubles get. It rains heavily with lots of thunder and lightening as I'm getting ready for bed.

Very, very early start. Up at 530am so we could leave around 6am. We're going to have a picnic breakfast in the crater. Due to the rain last night, it's cold, damp and the clouds are low. We see lots of zebra and wildebeest as we drive down into the crater but a cloud mist covers about 1/2 the crater area. Bits of blue sky peak through so there is some promise of a better day. The mating pair of lions are still in the same area but we still don't see them mating. Maybe they are a bit camera shy eh! The rhino are far from the road again and we spot lots of flamingos on the lake. Some areas we drive right into the clouds and we are shrouded in mist. We see a fogbow (like a rainbow), never heard of them before and they are lighter in color to a rainbow. Around Girigor Swamp there are lots a water birds. The Pelicans have a pink tinge to them. In front of the reed grasses is a pride of lions. Nine in total. A few are younger ones but no little baby cubs. All are sunbathing but gradually 1 gets up and moves into the reeds for shade and within a few minutes most of them follow the older lioness. A few hippos are in the water behind them.

Not far is Lerai Forest and we stop for breakfast. I was a bit nervouse knowing the lions were only about 1km away but we only saw a vervet monkey which came for a piece of watermelon rind they was on the ground and a small troop of baboons playing along a dead tree trunk. Vultures were around at the tops of the trees. Later driving through the small forest area we saw more monkeys and elephant. Out of the trees we see 2 younger male lions and another mating pair. Later in the afternoon we see a male lion walking near the road, so about 19 lions total this morning. Quite a few times today we have also seen spotted hyenas either alone or in pair and a group of 5 on the drive back to the lodge. One hyena was lying in a mud puddle. We drove up to Endoinyo Engitati viewpoint and I think I spot a rhino near a white 4x4 and ask if we can head in that direction. Jackson didn't think it was one but we head down the hill and around to that area. The white 4x4 is still there and apparently they have been stuck in the mud for about an hour. Just about got whiplash as our driver tries to ram it out of the mud but it can only get out with a tow rope. As we leave the area, there it is, a rhino fairly close to the road. It was lying down but eventually gets up so I can get a few poses.

Back to the lodge for 2pm for a late lunch. I enjoyed the view of the crater from my new room for a while but it was getting a bit warm. I thought I would go for a swim but made the mistake of lying down and I slept till 6pm. Woke up just in time to go outside and enjoy the sun setting over the crater rim.