7/30 -- Ngororngoro Crater (which is really a caldera)

We spent the day at Ngorongoro Crater (pronounced without the n) which Severin told us is really a caldera because it collapsed instead of blew out. The crater rim sits about a half mile above the floor, but we were at cloud level along the rim and saw nothing of note until we started our descent. There were lots of zebras, wildebeests, wart hogs, a black rhino, a hartebeest, a few flamingos, jackals, hyenas, a few hippos, dozens of cranes, and a lion pride with a buffalo kill (kind of gruesome).

The view of the route we took through the clouds.

Hartebeast

Black Rhino -- the mark on his shoulder is probably a scar
from a fight.

Rules for the park -- note number 7 -- only 5 cars allowed
at a time at a sighting

Line of trucks looking at the rhino -- we were in the middle,
so this is only half of them. So much for rules.

Two lions working on the carcass.

Another one of the pride, digesting. There were at least five.

Still eating

VERY full  lion, guarding the kill

Jackals (one lying down on the left) surveying the lion
situation, hoping for a turn.

 We headed to a nearby lunch spot on a hippo hangout before going back to check the lions and jackals again.

Hippos in a bunch

Weaver bird tree

Weaver bird

African crow -- much prettier than ours

Lion hadn't moved much when we got back, and the jackals
had given up

Crested Grey-backed cranes. We saw a LOT of these.

Hyena and wart hog

Jackal in another part of the park

Sleepy hyena who woke up to pose for us.

Face of a wildebeest or gnu (for the sound they  make)

Another crane

Warthogs have to go down on their knees to eat short grass
because they can't bend their necks enough.

On the way back, clouds had cleared and we got a panoramic view of the crater floor and the valley outside. On what was essentially a one lane  road, our progress was impeded twice by people ogling wildlife -- a purported leopard far up the hill and elephants.  I guess the people who haven't seen these things yet are more eager for an itty bitty glimpse than we are.

As we checked out of the park, we were warned to keep our windows closed and possessions close because of the agressive baboons.

This guy almost got into an  open window til the owner
spotted him, scared  him off, and rolled up the window.

Jim loves to photograph the baby baboons.