All Things EARTH... part 2

[MJC]

Meanwhile, back in Africa....

 

Day Four - Karatu and Rhotia Valley

We were awakened by a crashing sound outside the tent, so I unzipped the tent flaps and looked out from the balcony. Just below us were two large male waterbucks fighting and clashing antlers. The rest of the waterbuck family was hanging out nearby, watching but not too worried. It was very exciting to see. Then they were eying each other for another go-round, but quietly wandered off instead and started grazing. The anti-climax was kind of funny. Here is a shot from our balcony looking out over the park:

 

After after the night game drive and late packing, we were relieved that we wouldn't meet our guide until 10 a.m. It was so nice to have a lazy morning with a leisurely breakfast overlooking the pool. The breakfast menu always consisted of two entrees or made-to-order eggs, fresh fruit and pastries, and juice and french press coffee. Delicious. Breakfast was poolside. We sat and drank our coffee, wrote in our journals, and watched the waterbucks who hung by the watering hole every morning.

 

After breakfast I took my camera for one last walk around the grounds for a few last-minute pictures. I particularly wanted a photo of the pretty black-headed weavers who frequented the tree at the entrance to the lodge.

 

 

 

I also stopped in the very small gift shop. They had a tiny collection of local crafts and other traveler type things like postcards. I picked up this beaded lady to use as an ornament for our holiday tree (our first ornament is from our honeymoon in Mexico and we've collected something on each trip for our tree). Most of the items in the store were hand-made by the local Maasai women. Isn't she cute?

 

 

Then it was time to say our goodbyes and head out. Once again we had the long ride on the bumpy road back to the "highway." Along the way we saw the usual suspects -- guinea fowl, impala, giraffe, gazelle -- and also some wonderful ostriches under a tree.

 

 

Halfway to our destination we stopped again at a souvenir type shop for a potty break. Mark spotted this giant tanzanite piece modeled after the heart-shaped necklace in the movie Titanic. Only $71,000!

 

 

[MJC]

Karatu and Rhotia Valley, continued:

 

Our destination, Kitela Lodge, it is in a beautiful area called the Rhotia Valley, outside of Karatu.

 

 

In this part of Tanzania, there is a lot of farming. They actually grow wheat and rice because the land is very fertile and there is plenty of water year-round. We stopped in the small town of Karatu for gas and had our share of polite ogling while our guide popped into a small store for something. Along the highway there wasn't a whole lot to see in the way of wildlife, although we did see some jackals by the highway right after leaving the road to Tarangire, which was unusual for daytime. Mostly we saw Maasai children walking along the road with their herds of goats and sheep, and sometimes with their dogs. Here is Karatu:

 

 

We arrived at Kitela Lodge after winding through a neighborhood full of houses with little gardens, dogs and chickens running around the yards, and kids in their uniforms coming from school. We had a late lunch and then settled into our room. There were cabins in two rows to the left of the lodge, and in one row to the right of the lodge. We were in the upper row of cabins to left which meant that we had a view between and over the cabins in the row below. We could see across the gardens to the hills in the distance that mark the other side of the valley. The cabins below us looked at the gardens and the ones on the right side of the lodge looked out over a small lawn. We were treated to the better location, I think. Here is the garden view from our room:

 

 

The beautiful pool beckoned so we went for a swim and a drink. Wine or beer was included in all our accommodations. We rarely saw any liquor. Then I took a short walk for some photos of the beautiful grounds. There was only one other couple in the lodge, so it felt more like a private home. Our room was huge. The closet was big enough to use as a dressing room.

 

 

The bathroom was huge, with double sinks, a slipper tub, a walk-in shower, and a separate enclosed toilet.

 

 

 

They left us wine in the room, but between the malaria medication and my fall, I was being very careful with alcohol. One wine with dinner, that's it. 🙂 We also had a small fireplace, but it was too warm at night to use it. The windows were closed at night for bugs so it never got cold inside, though I usually wore my pashmina wrap to dinner in the evenings. In the morning I would need my fleece on the way to breakfast, but halfway through I had to take it off. The sun warmed things up very quickly.

 

 

[awhfy]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

I'm going on a spring break cruise!!!!

 

 

We got a steal on an RCI 7-day leaving from Tampa, doing the western Caribbean. It will be our first RCI. My sister and family are coming up on disembarkation day to spend the weekend with us in Tampa. Rhapsody of the Seas. We've been to all the ports but Costa Maya. Two words... NACHI COCOM! ⛱️🌞🥂🌮

 

My DH is so sweet... he knew I was struggling with losing my dad, and frustrated by my injuries, and generally feeling blue. We've been meeting with a lawyer doing some estate planning, talking about what retirement might look like, and how we wish we could travel more and be more spontaneous.

 

Ta Da!  We're being spontaneous!!

 

This sure beats the other two spring break options, which were 1. do projects around the house and apartment, or 2. go to Michigan to sell my dad's car.

 

 

Nachi Cocum, best grilled grouper EVER!  Don’t forget to load any Celebrity/Azamara cruises into your Crown & Anchor, you’ll get reciprocal status

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by awhfy

[MJC]

Karatu, continued:

 

Here are some photos of the beautiful plantings.

 

 

 

Coffee plant:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

Yes, Melody. Grouper. Yummmmm. First thing Mark said was "do we still have those inflatable noodles?"  We had such a great day there.

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by MJC

[MJC]

36 minutes ago, Anita Latte said:

So exciting!!! I wanna go!!

You should come!!

[MJC]

Karatu - finale

 

The chef came out and chatted for a bit, and then asked us what we would like to have for lunch the next day. He gave us some suggestions which all sounded good, so we told him to pick for us each day. We had full day game drives scheduled for the next two days, so we relaxed on the dining room veranda for a while after dinner with our wine. Another 6 a.m. wake-up call was coming. Our balcony showed us a beautiful sunset:

 

 

Then as we were readying our things for the next day, I realized I had left my battery charger and spare battery plugged into the wall behind a nightstand back at Tarangire Treetops. My heart sank. I needed to reach TT. I pulled out my tablet and sent a quick SOS to our contact at Ranger Safaris. I went to the front desk and asked them to leave a message for our guide because I knew he had a cell phone. I had one mostly full battery in the camera which might get me through 3 or 4 days if I were careful. I knew that nothing was going to happen that late at night and I needed to be patient. Eventually I was too tired to be upset and went to sleep.

 

In the morning I had a message from Ranger, I had a visit at breakfast from our guide, and the front desk had a phone message for me from TT. All of them said that TT had a guide there from another company who was heading our way and would bring the battery to Karatu. I would have it later in the day. It was a good thing that we were staying in place for a couple of days! Happy Dance!! I was able to take pictures all day with abandon and got my battery back just before dinner. We had given Amos a very nice tip to give to the other driver for being so helpful, and we made a note to add a little extra to our tip for Amos at the end of our safari. Everyone pulled together and saved my bacon. 🙂

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by MJC

[Anita Latte]

My heart would have sunk too. How wonderful that everything worked out as it did! I'm enjoying this so much. I'm definitely getting the Africa bug!

 

When is your spring break?

[Member123]

Margaret, I'm having such a great trip to Africa with you! So wonderful.... 

 

I have a cardinal family that live somewhere close. They've been with us for a number of years. One year, they had a little girl that showed up with them. So cute. A very distinctive type of bird song, so every time that he appears in the yard, I've tried to get his picture! Omigosh. So difficult to take a picture of a bird! You have done such a remarkable job with the pictures. Again, so enjoyable....

[MJC]

33 minutes ago, Anita Latte said:

 

When is your spring break?

 

I have a long break this time for some reason, almost 2 weeks, March 20-April 1.   We are on the March 23 sailing.

Edited February 21, 2019 by MJC

[MJC]

12 minutes ago, Member123 said:

Margaret, I'm having such a great trip to Africa with you! So wonderful.... 

 

 

 

Thank you Pam, I'm glad you're enjoying it. 🙂  Birds are SO hard, especially cardinals. They are very shy and don't sit still for very long. At the lake, if they see any movement in the house they are gone from the feeder immediately. I listen for their high chirp but I am not usually quick enough with the camera.

[laurspag]

Margaret, your pictures amaze me.  How cool is it that you were able to get your stuff back that you left behind!?!

 

You are going on an older, smaller RCI ship.  So you will be in Costa Maya, Cozumel, and where else?

 

Personally, I like the smaller ships.  I find that the staff gets to know you better. 

 

And you all know how much I love Nachi too!  The grouper is wonderful.  Sometimes, even though we like being active, it's the downtime that we need the most.  A day of watching the water, maybe reading a little or listening to music....my husband and I have really enjoyed the water the past few times we've been there. 

[awhfy]

Margaret, I envy your spring break cruise. We did a ship tour to the ruins in Costa Maya then a bit of shopping (silver earrings that are our daughter’s absolute favorite & very reasonable). We’re not cruising until September & boy am I getting the cruise bug!  Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Great time for a cruise . Our weather is finally  perfect .I am so enjoying your Africa trip.

[MJC]

Thank you Sally. I get to relive it as I write about it. Between the pictures and the journals, I get to remember the full adventure and set it in my mind. I'm working on the next Africa installment. I've been delayed by having to do my dad's taxes, and since we can't find his will it turns out that I am going to have to wind down the estate (it was supposed to be my older brother, but oh well). I literally sat down and cried after talking with the attorney. The paperwork never ends.

 

Laurie, I am glad we are on a smaller ship. We haven't been on a mega ship... in a way I think living in NYC is like being on a mega ship all the time. 🙂 I understand the appeal, though, for people who live in quieter places. Our ports are Costa Maya (we'll do the ruins there), Belize (think we'll stay on the ship), Roatan (West Bay Beach to snorkel the kidney), and Cozumel (Nachi). Sea day first and last. We are in discussions about how formal we will go. Otherwise it's all about relaxing on the balcony! And I will have to try to keep up with my PT in the gym.

 

We asked for MDR late seating, large table. Is that likely? Last time we asked for that on Princess we ended up with a 2 top. It wasn't a problem, but usually we like to have people to talk to, it's fun to get to know them over the course of a week. I think that My Time or Any Time dining, whatever the cruise line calls it, has made late dining less popular. What do you think?

 

 

[awhfy]

Margaret, if you haven’t done Lamani Ruins in Belize I’d think about a ship tour there. Definitely a ship’s tour (as we were over an hour late getting back to the ship!  Wonderful (easily climbed) ruins. It is a tender port. You’ll find lots of company on Royal at late dining. 

 

Really enjoying Africa with you. Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Our last two cruises on Royal we requested MTD but ended up with early dining .We had great table mates so it worked out well .

[MJC]

Melody, we are trying to avoid any all-day activities, especially ones involving buses, and climbing is out for me anyways. We did the most amazing snorkel in Belize last time, and after that experience I just don't feel anything else calling to me there. I thought Chacchoben might be an easy and fun outing and we wouldn't be out in the sun too long. I still have to ration my walking time, too, sadly. And I worry a lot about tripping now.

 

We spent our honeymoon in Cancun and got to visit Chichen Itza before it became overrun and roped off. Back then the airport was just a strip in the jungle, and except in town, the roads were all dirt. It was a fairly sleepy place. After Hurricane Gilbert wiped out most of the resorts in 1988, it really changed. Back then we got to climb all over the ruins and we have many pictures where there aren't any people in them. It was incredible. I was looking at our honeymoon hotel recently, and it is completely unrecognizable since the rebuild (but beautiful).

[MJC]

Day five - Ngorongoro Crater

No leisurely morning today. Our guide pushed us to leave by 7:30 so that we would have an early arrival at the crater. It seemed a little crazy that it would take us an hour and a half to get there, but once we left the main road it was clear why. We had a long climb ahead of us. The crater is a collapsed volcano that left a large bowl which became very lush over time.

 

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/39/

 

We stopped briefly at the park gate for our tickets and visited the very small museum room. It was about the geology of the area, how the crater fits into the whole crater region, and the history of hominids in the crater. There was a cool relief map that was maybe six feet on a side. We spent about 15 minutes going through the displays.

 

Then the drive got interesting. We had to climb around the rim with several switchbacks, narrow spots with steep cliffs on one side, and deep bowls filled with dense jungle-like vegetation. It was quite dramatic.

In the distance, a small portion of Lake Manyara, tomorrow's destination:

One of the deep bowls:

Eventually we got to a lookout where we could really see the vastness of the area we would be visiting. It's so large that we couldn't fit it into one shot on the cameras (and I was too excited to stop and figure out how to make a panorama). We could see the crater was teeming with animals, though they looked very, very small. Little specks everywhere. The lookout was crowded with tourists on the way up, so our pictures weren't good. We took this one later on the way out. What a magnificent vista to have all to yourself! What a great view of Lake Magadi.

Once we got to the top we had another winding drive down the side of the crater into the bowl. About midway down, we stopped at a lookout area where we could get out of the vehicle and use the small restroom. That's where I got my first great picture of the day. I was standing in the road, and this lovely lady was just above me on a small hill, only about 10 feet away.

[MJC]

Ngorongoro - continued

 

Mark looks goofy in this picture, but there was a small herd right there watching us:

 

 

He took this picture, I love how much character it has:

 

 

 

At the bottom of the crater we had to follow the roads in the park which kind of wind back and forth across bowl. What was astonishing was seeing the animals all mixed together, unlike Tarangire where you’d see a herd of elephants over here, then some impala over there, and later on a family of baboons. We hadn't been very long in the crater when we heard the news from another guide that there were lions. We absolutely didn't expect to see lions down here because all the animals are so exposed and lions like to hunt by stealth. We came upon a stopped vehicle that had two juvenile lions sleeping in the shade by the tires. Two more juveniles were resting ten feet away in the short grass, and two more were sleeping in the distance.

 

They were clearly hot and tired and not in the mood to go anywhere:

 

 

 

 

 

While we were watching the lions we spotted a hyena making an attempt at a baby gazelle, but the baby was much quicker. I think the hyena was just exercising, it was quite half-hearted:

 

Edited February 25, 2019 by MJC

[MJC]

Our guide said that the lions here like to hunt near the river where they can catch their prey unawares. The animals here are resident, meaning they don't migrate. Apparently there are resident elephants, too, though we didn't see any. They stay in the wooded areas at the edge of the bowl rather than in the middle in the hot sun.

 

We got to see many baby zebras, too, they are adorable:

 

 

 Also so many different birds, herds of wildebeest and buffalo, and finally we got to see some jackals up close. We marveled all day from one side of the vehicle to the other – animals, animals, animals as far as the eye could see. The challenge for photography was that they were filling the crater but so spread out that a picture could never capture the essence of the experience, the feeling of being immersed in this vast animal paradise.

 

 

 

[MJC]

Ngorongoro - finale

 

We stopped at a designated picnic area for lunch that also had restrooms. We had to eat in the vehicle because that area has birds that come and snatch food right out of your hands. We parked overlooking a pond filled with hippos to watch while we ate. There was a rocky area where we could get out and take pictures. Then, back on the road. Soon we were driving closer to the river, though still quite a distance away. Amos told us to look for rhinos, so out came the binoculars. Lo and behold, there were five endangered black rhinos at the river. I could barely spot them through the camera lens, and they were so far that this is the best that I could do:

 

 

More birds. I think of Debbie now when I see flamingos:

 

 

Back at the gate to check out, the baboons hang out near the vehicles because they know there is food inside. Up go all the windows so we can take a potty break while Amos does the paperwork.

 

 

Excitement occurred when we went to leave the park. We rolled down the windows, Amos pulled out, and I asked to stop for a photo of the cute baboon family above. I bent down to get my camera, then I saw Amos laughing with his hand over his mouth and big eyes, and pointing at the back seat. Who was behind me in the vehicle but a juvenile baboon that had jumped through my window, over my back, into the back row. We stared at each other for a moment... I started pushing Mark to get out, OMG OMG, get out, get out, OMG, let me out! After less than a minute the poor confused baboon jumped out the opposite side window, and all was well. My heart was racing. That was as close as I ever want to get to a wild animal with teeth. You know how sometimes on a beach there is a guy with a monkey, or a baby sloth, or a baby koala for you to hold? Not me. No way. Teeth, rabies, claws. No way.

 

I was thankful he wasn't too big, it was scary enough. I took a picture of the hand print it left on the seat:

 

 

Back at Kitela Lodge, after the excitement and heat of the day, it was time for a cool beer on the veranda:

 

 

We took a short nap and then headed to the pool for a swim. The pools are not heated, so even though it is warm during the day, it's cool at night and the pools stay a bit on the chilly side. So, it's enough just to jump in and swim a few laps and then get out. We had the pool to ourselves, which was lovely for lounging. At dinner there was a new couple arrived to the lodge and another conference with Chef about the next day's lunch. Tomorrow would be another full day drive, so we arranged our gear and went to bed.

 

[purduemom1]

Thanks for sharing more really awesome pictures and details, Margaret. That was quite a first hand experience with the baboon. 

Sharon

[awhfy]

Margaret, I bet the baboon was as frightened as you were!  

[MJC]

Yep, s/he was scanning for an exit already. Though s/he was probably more used to being around people than I was to being with a baboon. 

 

In spite of many warnings about NOT feeding the animals, or not getting out of the vehicle in some areas, you'd be surprised what people do, or try to do. Anyone who's been bitten by a dog can tell you that even tame animals can be unpredictable at times.

Edited February 25, 2019 by MJC