The park is rainforesty at the entrance, similar vegetation to Manyara but the trails are flanked with a steep dirt wall on one side and an equally steep gorge on the other side. Getting up to the lodge involves ascending a series of switchback turns but recent rains have made the roads incredible muddy and hard to drive especially when there happens to be traffic coming in the other direction.
The crater is socked in with fog when we arrive and when we check into the lodge, the usual panoramic view of the crater is a panoramic view of white. The Masaai are allowed to live inside this park because they do not hunt or eat wild game. They raise domesticated animals, mainly sheep, goats and cows from which they survive on their meat, milk and blood.
The Masaai kids who come up to the window of the Landrover to sell us things (jewelry, carvings, spears) speak very good English. You're not supposed to take photos of them but they'll let you if you pay them. Seeing my camera, they offered to let us have a group shot for $20. They went all the way down to $3 when we kept refusing.
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That evening we enjoyed a panoramic view of the crater over some cocktails from the deck of the lodge.
Like Philemon said, we were very lucky. Sometimes we have the feeling like we're on someone else's vacation.
For photos of our safari, please go to:
