Merry Christmas – Break from our programming

I have two more major trips to blog but this interruption is a way to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to everyone. We are now back in the US and living in San Francisco. I would say that in some ways we are even feeling settled, at least a little. We miss the lights and malls of Singapore but are enjoying family, friends, and holiday traditions here.

Ngorogoro Crater – dream come true

We left the Serengeti and had a long day of driving from Lobo all the way to the Ngorogoro Crater Conservation Area. We stayed that evening on the Crater Rim with a spectacular view. It was so much larger than I had imagined and was a fun place to explore with its own microclimate and its own mini migrations.

The Serengeti – Simply Stunning

This post is heavy on the photos as they tell most of the story.

These are photos from Serengeti National Park both in the Seronera Area and the Lobo Area as we continued our safari.

Our Lodge

The Watering Hole in the Morning

Eventually to the Serengeti…the journey was worth it

After our first game drive and wonderful stay at the lodge we woke up early the next morning to continue our touring. We had a lot of ground to cover and a huge amount of things to see (not just animals today).

Sunrise at our lodge

We started the early morning in a traditional Masai Village where we saw men jumping, women dancing, rubber tire sandals, house building with cow dung, fire making with cow dung, and got to experience the hospitality of the locals who were constantly smiling and seemed genuinely happy to share their way of life with us. We heard stories of termite mounds, giants snakes and village life. It was a great way to see the local tribal part of Africa.

Village and a Game Drive

Our jeep/land cruiser aka home for the Safari

Our Group of travel buddies and Guide

Our real adventure started out with a moderately long drive to Lake Manyara National Park with a brief stop off in Mtu Wa Mbu Village to experience a little local culture.

On our way to the village we saw our first wild animals in the form of a number of giraffes. We took about thirty photos, even though they were far away, because we weren’t sure we would see anymore.