JIM HAMILL
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NGORONGORO CRATER

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The panoramic image of Ngorongoro Crater from crater ridgeline is about as good a view as one can have of a nature reserve.  It's stunning to see the size and scope of the caldera and know that there is a relatively self contained ecosystem below teaming with wildlife.  There's nothing new in the park although there is a giant lake with flamingos that we had not seen previously.  I initially expected that you could spend a few days at Ngorongoro Crater, especially given the park's reputation, but the park's sites can be covered in a five to six hour drive - you enter the park at one end, drive through the caldera, then exit at another location.  We visited in the afternoon after dropping making a stop at the campsite on the ridge above the crater.  There's one group campsite that was the busiest place we stayed during our trip.

Ngorongoro Crater has a lake near its center that draws thousands of flamingoes and other wildlife.
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Wildebeest doing their walk in a long line thing.
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We saw many animals have sex while on safari. Seeing a bull elephant, with an erect penis, charging after a female is something I would love to unsee. We saw this poor female lion succumb to a male's desires several times. Apparently male lions aren't exactly the largest cats in the jungle. They both seem unhappy about the overall process.
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We saw this lion enjoying a drink, then sat up, and in one swift motion jumped across the stream.
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There is a little bit of everything in Ngorongoro Crater except for smaller predatory cats like Cheetahs and Leopards that would not be able to compete with the lion prides in the park. 
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One other thing that was interesting about this park is that Maasai farm and raise cattle in the park - this was the first time we saw humans and wild animals living side by side - in other areas the villages were slightly outside the park confines


For additional photos see the Ngorongoro Crater Flickr Album.
  • Lifetime Travels
    • Best Of... >
      • 2014 World Travels
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    • Africa >
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Kenya
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    • Asia >
      • East Asia >
        • China
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        • Japan
        • Macau
        • South Korea
        • Taiwan
      • Indian Sub-Continent >
        • Bangladesh
        • India
        • Maldives
        • Nepal
        • Sri Lanka
      • Southeast Asia >
        • Brunei
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Myanmar
        • Philippines
        • Singapore
        • Thailand
    • Europe >
      • Balkans >
        • Bosnia and Herzegovina
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Moldova
        • Montenegro
        • Romania
        • Serbia
      • Eastern Europe >
        • Czech Republic
        • Hungary
        • Kazakhstan
        • Russia
        • Slovenia
        • Ukraine
      • Nordic >
        • Iceland
      • Western Europe >
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • France
        • Germany
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Netherlands
        • Spain
        • Switzerland
        • United Kingdom
    • Middle East >
      • Israel
      • Jordan
      • Qatar
      • United Arab Emirates
    • North America >
      • Canada
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
      • Panama
      • Puerto Rico
      • United States >
        • New England
        • Mid-Atlantic
        • South
        • Midwest
        • Central Plains
        • Southwest
        • West Coast
    • Oceania >
      • Australia
      • Fiji
      • New Zealand
    • South America >
      • Argentina
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • Useful Links
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