Despite the extensive driving once again, we made good time. We stopped for cash near the turn off for Gibb's Farm, and then proceeded to the long dirt drive. We followed the signs and were pleasantly surprised by the tailored gardens of the hotel entry when we pulled up. We were greeted with cool towels and iced beverages, and our bags were carried off to our gorgeous suite by the staff.

We were in disbelief over our suite. It was complete with a private garden view, a sitting room, and a fire place in our bedroom that connected to the shower. Yes, the shower had a fireplace. It was extraordinary, and it was our for less than twenty four hours.

We were desperate to get out to the hotel terrace that overlooked the plantation and the valley below. We sat in large comfy chairs while we were brought refreshments and snacks such as nuts, olives, and popcorn. It was the first time we felt we could really relax. I mean really relax, and it didn't hurt that we were being waited on hand and foot. The temperature dropped with the sun and even though I could have fallen asleep in that comfy chair, I was eager to get to dinner.

We ended up on a private patio for our meal, something Brad had arrange while we briefly separated earlier. We enjoyed an incredible five star meal next to a fire on a cool night in Tanzania. ...and to top it off, I was serenaded with a birthday song and dessert. We still had a few nights to go until my big day, but this was so special.

After an amazing night's sleep in a chilly room, thanks to the air conditioning, we learned that we could check out late. We spent the morning grazing on the breakfast buffet, and after packing we wandered the grounds. We walked through a few rows of coffee bushes and found a small but tall cactus garden. Everything seemed just as it should.

Relaxed, we decided not to head into Ngorongoro. It would cost us over $350 USD per day to visit the park, and we didn't want to keep blowing through money. Instead, we decided to just take our time and continue enjoying our day.

Our joy became short lived as we struggled to find our next hotel. According to the maps that I had seen and the descriptions I had read, I was under the impression that our next hotel was within the confines of Ngorongoro National Park. However, the people at the gate, had no idea what hotel we were talking about. Everyone was confused, and Brad and I were back to being frustrated. When we figured out where we were going, we got back in the car, and headed a different direction. It took nearly fifteen minutes to get to the turn off point toward our hotel, and from there it was probably another twenty minutes at least on a rough and narrow dirt road up the mountainside. When we got there I was livid while feeling completely deceived. We found out that we were the only guests staying there, and no other guests had been there in 10 days which meant that internet was not available. If we wanted internet we had to drive back down to town.

I was floored and ready to have a meltdown. I could not believe that we had hit another speed bump in what had already been a turbulent and trying vacation. It was hot, there was absolutely nothing for us to do at our lodge, and we were literally in the middle of nowhere. Nowhere near where I had planned on us being. So, we got back in our 4x4 and drove the thiry-ish minutes back into town to find a place that had internet. Our options were limited, so we stopped at a small coffee shop run by a very nice man who served us coffee and sprite (the sprite was for me). Once he got the internet working for us, we started looking for hotel options, justifying the change and additional hotel cost with what we had planned on spending on Ngorongoro for two days anyways. We were incredibly limited, but I worked fervently to rework our itinerary. We decided to only stay at our current lodge one night, but we also decided that the following day we would do Ngorongoro for just a half day, then drive immediately to the Serengeti and spend the night there. We knew it would take a lot of hustle, but we knew it would be better than staying where we were at.

With a plan in motion, and absolutely nothing left for us to do that day, we headed back to our lodge and just tried to kill time with conversation and antics. The only saving grace that this lodge had was its dinner. It was absolutely delicious, but it wasn't enough to change our minds. We headed back to our room, packed everything back up, and made sure our hotel knew that we would be leaving before the sun was even up. We were eager to get into Ngorongoro, and wanted to be in by sunrise.

We checked out after breakfast at an unGodly hour, and cruised down the bumpy dirt road in the dark, and headed for the park. It took us a while to get the park permit because of all the other tour groups, but thankfully we were able to pay the hefty fees of over $350 with our card. (The Ngorongoro National Park website claims you can only enter with a guide. We found this rule to be very lenient. Not only did we get in on our own, but we weren't even questions until we reached the second gate at the edge of the crater.)

We drove up the climbing mountain side into the fog and over rough red roads lined with lush jungle trees. I swear it was heaven. We reached a look out point that gave a glimpse into our future. A green gleaming paradise, and I couldn't wait any longer. We ran back to the car and cruised as quickly as possible. We reached the second gate at the edge of the crater. Brad jumped out to use the restroom, and I dealt with the guard whose only question for me was if we had been there before or not.

Once we had the all clear, we began our descent. The sun was up at this point, and I found the fresh morning light to be warm on my cool skin. We escaped the tree line, and were greeted with almost immediate sights of buffalo and zebra. Our eagerness grew as we continued down the road.

It wasn't long before we were in the flatlands. We had a full 360 degree view of the massive crater. Animals, appearing as small dots, were everywhere. It was a half day of bliss. We had great sightings as we drove almost the entire span of the crater in many different directions. We saw hyenas chewing on bones and resting. Jackals. Gazelle. Cranes. Wildebeest. Zebra. Baby animals. Monkeys. Elephants. Lions. Lots of lions. I could not believe how many lion sightings we had! We were ecstatic. We had close ups of lions. Lions nuzzling. Lions walking. Lions napping. It was fantastic.

We felt that we had covered the grounds well, and figured we should start our drive, so we found the road that led us out, and we left with slightly heavy hearts. We could not believe how amazing the crater was, but with such unbelievable success here we were curious how the Serengeti would be.

The drive between Ngorongoro and Serengeti was truly spectacular. The land was littered with migrating Zebra and Wildebeest, and the hills along the outer edge of the crater were visited by loitering Giraffes, and we even had a camel sighting.

It took nearly two hours to reach the Serengeti National Park gates, and we were so excited to get to the other side.

...to be continued

ISSUE 54: Ngorongoro Crater Region, Tanzania 2018