Our first stop is in the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, a Tanzanian National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The crater is the world's largest intact caldera and is often referred to as Eighth Wonder of the World!
I know I was a little cranky when I last posted, but with good reason. The flight time alone was enough to make me question our decision to come this far! Nevertheless, after a full night's sleep, I am back on the I LOVE Tanzania train. Today, we drove down a bumpy road into the Crater with our ranger, Eric. He is from Arusha (where Mt. Kilimanjaro is located-- we would have loved to climb this, but perhaps when we come back...) and is extremely knowledgeable about wildlife, having spent several years working with National Geographic to film the animals in the Crater.
As we bumped our way down the road that leads into the caldera, Eric grabbed his binoculars and started flooring it towards a small grassy knoll. Lounging on it were two male cheetahs, looking rather lazy as the sun was still poking out of the sky. Eric said that although cheetahs predominantly hunt by themselves, if brothers are raised together a year or so apart, they will hunt together through their adult life. It is interesting to me how in the animal kingdom, once you reach adulthood, you are really kicked out of the so-called nest, and even attacked if you try to come back. No helicopter parents in these parts!
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