We entered Ngorongoro Crater before the sun rose. Two lionesses with their three cubs greeted us along the road within reach of picking them up. The rhinos kept their distance but their size was obvious as were the pugnacious herds of water buffalo who stared us down.
Pairs upon pairs of crown cranes pranced among gazelles and sounders of warthogs. Over 150 wildebeest made their uneven file across the crater floor; some resting with white coated legs from the calcium bicarbonate residue of the central lake.
We stopped for breakfast and pit stop and while the driver was in the latrine a blue balled monkey (yes, that is their name and yes they are blue) jumped onto the open roof top and over Tom’s head to rummage through the breakfast remains in the front. Startled, Tom leapt from the van while I carelessly shouted “shooo, shoo”. Really, Gail? As quickly as it entered, it left, granola bar in hand.
After a full circuit and a delightful twisting, flapping, honking, farting display by a pool of hippos we made our way out of the crater from the pink, blue, light green floor to the dark clouded rim.
I have checked email: the atm machine is out of paper at work, the town debited my water bill and Mama Kuku has found some goats for the new shed in Maji ya Chai. What is normal?