AFRICA 2022: Tanzania's Lake Manyara National Park

 After breakfast, we headed out in jeeps to cross the border into Tanzania.  We drove through the large town of Arusha, astonished by Masai bringing their cattle to market and women carrying anything you can think of on their heads!  

Small motorcycles are everywhere and here are carrying cornstalks for cattle feed

Shops are mostly tin shacks

Masai bringing their cattle to market

We stopped on the outskirts of town for a a nice lunch in a beautifully landscaped garden while enjoying watching a painter-in-residence finish his canvas.  After lunch we continued to the border where our guides helped us through the border crossing and handed us off to our new Tanzanian guides.

Grounds where we had lunch in Arusha

It was a long five hour drive, even though the second two and half hours were on paved roads (really!) and we were grateful to check in to a gorgeous hotel with individual suites spread along the escarpment with views of the Rift Valley and Lake Manyara. 

This "road" was one of the best in the first couple hour drive - no washboard or huge ruts - it is the bottom of a dried up lake, so much better than the actual road 1/4 mile away.

Giraffes by the side of the road, just outside town

 On our evening game drive, we saw many animals, but the lions and elephants were the most exciting:

a Troop of baboons

The elephants walking by our fellow traveler's jeep

Now coming to our jeep

I could have easily reached out and touched him

The next day, we made stops at a local school to deliver some school supplies we brought with us and a visit to an authentic Masai village.

The villagers loaned us colorful traditional blankets and beaded necklaces to wear for our visit.

They gave us a demonstration of fire starting

Our tour group!

A traditional Masai home built with mud and cattle dung to make a type of adobe.  No, it didn't smell.

 The inside had two rooms, one used for cooking and sitting (sleeping at night) and a separate bedroom, sort of.  Very dark with only a couple small slits for light.  

A school, but most students were on holiday

Girls do not receive much of an education and these unlucky boys were here for extra help during holiday.

Their world map

Our hotel room in Lake Manyara

From Lake Manyara, we drove northwest to Ngorongoro Crater Rim, where we checked into the most beautiful hotel yet.  I could have lived here - just gorgeous.

Our balcony overlooking coffee fields

Our sitting room with fireplace

The other half of sitting room

Bedroom (also with fireplace)

On our way here, we drove through a very busy town on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater Park rim that serves as a major tourist center.  Lots of shops selling produce, especially bananas and pretty much anything else you could need.

Tuk Tuks were everywhere used as taxies and hauling goods  Shops were again, tin-roofed shacks.

The game drive here was all day as it takes a while to get to the crater floor, and it did not disappoint.  We saw many of the same animals, but we also spotted a Serval Cat - our first sighting.

View of the caldera floor as we descended from the rim

Our first sighting of a Serval cat

Honeymoon destination, anyone?

This park also required us to stay on the roads and this was a road sign.  We especially liked the Hippo Pool

Hippos on the beach because the morning was cloudy.  They sweat red and you can see some hints of it.  They sunburn, so when the sun is out, they stay in the water.

These African animals sure do need to scratch a lot!

"Yeah, and who's gonna make me move??"

After a long hard day of wildlife watching, we drove back to the Lodge for a fabulous dinner buffet.  We were also treated to a fire in our fireplace by the staff.

Tomorrow we head to the Northern Serengeti.