Day 7 - 8 - Serengeti - Ngorongoro

25th Aug'2012 - Serengeti - Ngorongoro - We check out of the resort around 07:00 hrs in the morning and set off on a very very long drive across the vast grass lands of the never ending plains of Serengeti.

We spot a Tawny Eagle and a Wild boar

On the way we shoot a few Impalas - extremely romantic poses!

I also manage to get a good clear shot of a Marabou stork on top of a tree and a Vulture as also an orange breasted black bird (unable to figure out what the actual bird is called).

We have given strict instructions to Ame that we do not want to stop for any more Elephants, Giraffes etc but only for big cats especially a Leopard.
Ame seems to be very keen on taking us to Ngorongoro as soon as possible but suddenly he takes a left turn and we see a horde of vehicles gathering on the road to our right.
We stop along side and realise there is a Leopard sleeping on a branch. Its got this absolutely drained stance with its hind legs hanging on either side of the branch. Blessed! we are!

Somewhere in the middle of  Serengeti, we reach a place called Naabi hill where we stop to eat our picnic lunches.
We are advised to trek up the hill to get a bird's eye view of the absolute vastness of the Savannah's.

With all our desires fulfilled (except the Mara river crossing - which we did not get to see) we are happy to continue towards Ngorongoro.
Winding, dirt roads, back breaking drive later we get off at a spot from where we can see a huge white patch with smoke rising from it.

We are told that it is the alkaline water evaporating from the Lake below in the Ngorongoro crater.

The crater's name has a unique story. An Englishman who came into the crater, asked a Masai herding his cows as to what the place was called. The Masai thought he was being asked about the sound of bells tinkling from the cows' neck and he said "Ngolon" "Ngolon" which over a period of time became Ngorongoro:)

We spot the Pied crow here (the one that I mentioned about on Day 1 - enroute to Amboseli). It seems to be bigger than a Raven!

As we reach Rhino lodge, our resort for the night, its chilly and drizzling. Absolutely beautiful weather, steaming hot cups of Africafe (African Instant Coffee), we settle down and start shooting the sunset.

Looking forward to our last day of Safari at the crater.

Day 6 - 7 - Serengeti

23rd Aug'12 - Masai Mara to Serengeti - What started off as a dreaded journey to Serengeti turned out to be a thrill of a lifetime. That story is without pictures and so will be told another time.

We reach Lobo Wildlife resort around 21:00 hrs and they've kept the dining open (usually closes at 21:00 hrs) as we were reaching almost 4 hrs behind schedule.
The lodge is like a palace with rich decor and opulence personified in the middle of nowhere.

24th Aug'12 - Serengeti - We start our morning game drive around 09:00 hrs and its extremely hot. We're being driven around without spotting any major game and also being bothered by Tse Tse flies. These flies cause the dreaded disease Trypanosomiasis or Sleeping sickness.
After shooting a few birds - Superb Starling, Splendid Glossy Starling, Unidentified Eagle (?), Von der Deckens Hornbill - the flies and the weather gets to us and we decide to get back earlier than usual.

On our way back, we spot a Dik-Dik (the smallest antelope in the world) and a few Cliff Springers

Its kind of lackadaisical and after lunch, I decide to set off on the evening game drive on my own since TJ and the others decide to laze around after the morning fiasco.

I spot quite a few different birds and keep asking Ame to stop, ask their names and shoot pictures. Shoot! The flies are back again.
I shoot a Pygmy Falcon, a White - Headed Buffalo Weaver, a Crowned Plover, a Secretary bird on top of its nest on a tree, "Go - Away" birds. I keep shooing away Tse Tse flies in between.

As we are returning, Ame takes a different route and from the distance shows me a Pride of Lions. The male is feasting and I notice 2 cubs joining their father. There are probably 3 of them. To the left of the lion there is a lioness and to the right there are 3 more lionesses waiting for their turn to eat.

We are not allowed to wander off track in Serengeti like the way we did in Masai Mara and so not many good pictures.

I also see a herd of Eland (the largest Antelopes in the World) which are very shy Antelopes scared of any non-animal noise. They resemble a cow and you will see why!

The Masai people believe that the Eland are cows that have run away into the wild a long, long time back. They were hunted a lot for their meat and the milk as also their skin and so are very scared of humans.

As I near the resort, we suddenly stop to see a couple of "Topi" locking horns. The winner literally chased the loser. It was an entirely different experience to watch the fight.

And then its sunset time. I photograph one of my most memorable sunsets - a setting behind the trees! The sky's fiery!

As I reach the resort am bursting to tell the others about my sightings and boy! they will be jealous.

We also manage to catch the setting sun from the top of the hotel.

The hope of sighting a Leopard still continues....