Climb For A Cause

Bush baby! (Anoo)

I never thought I would chant those 2 words in unison the way I have been for the last 2 days. We just got done with the safari and the Bushbaby was my favorite sighting. This squirrel-sized, long tailed, wide-eyed nocturnal animal jumps like no other. It seems like it is on a damn pogo stick -- jumping as high as 6-7 feet at a time. 3 jumps gets it from one tree to the next. Its an absolute delight to watch!

I had done a safari on my last trip to Africa and so thought that this experience would be a repeat. Oh, I was so wrong! How could something as magical as this wondrous land ever feel like a repeat. I was completely spellbound on the first sight of the Ngorongoro crater - 265 sq. km. of a collapsed crater - a caldera, green with a blue lake in the center. The bluish-green hillsides seemed to protectingly embrace the enormous variety of wildlife that live on the crater floor. We saw over 25 species of animals and birds - from the guinea fowl to the cheetah all on the crater floor. Ngorongoro crater is special in that it is part of a conservation area -- the masai and the wildlife live in this space harmoniously.

After spending 2 days at the crater we headed to the vastness of the serengeti. Serengeti means "endless plain" and that is exactly what it is .. vast and endless. The green plains are dotted by migrating wilderbeast -- about 1.25 million of them -- they are everywhere. The Serengeti "great migration" is well-known -- being amidst it made it real and special.

On the last night of the safari we did a night drive off-the-beaten path into the wilderness and saw the Bushbaby along with 18 other nocturnal animals including the Serengeti kangaroo and an ostrich race. A night safari is a must! So, is an off-road safari.

posted by Climb For A Cause @ 5:09 AM