Heading into the Crater

Today we drove from Arusha to Karatu to stay at a lodge near the crater.  Millions of years ago a volcano stopped erupting and caved in to form a giant crater that is apparently often included in the top hundred places to see in the world.

Here is Kilimanjaro--it had been there all along but too cloudy to see.

On the way we stopped at Lake Manyara.  It is very dry now and it was very very hot.  We saw lots of monkeys, elephants and flamingos, buffalo and others from a far.

Black-faced monkey.

Sausage tree.

Black-faced monkey.

Baboons

We had lunch in the park and were surrounded by colorful birds.

The lake from a far.

A bird called the weaver made this.  The males each make one and the female lays an egg in the nicest one.

Blue monkey.

Identifiable by the blue scrotum.

Giraffes

A large tree, I forget the name, that people used to pray to for rain.

Flamingos very far away.

Mother and baby blue monkey.

Then we continued toward the hotel in Karatu near the crater and we saw a few things on the way.

Mining clay for bricks.

Coffee plantations.

Shop selling Hillary Clinton stuff.

And one of many Obama shops.

We passed a wedding on the way.  Parades are common during a wedding here.

After that we drove to the Plantation Lodge in Karatu near the crater and surrounded by coffee plantations.  You'd think after so many hotels, we'd seen it all but this place is incredible.  We'll post pictures tomorrow.

An Eye Opening Day

Today we didn't take many pictures but it was the most memorable day of the trip.  On the itinerary we were supposed to visit a library that the tour company sponsors for teaching classes for adults.  Due to a Muslim holiday, it was closed so instead our guide told us we were going to visit an orphanage.  We were terrified by the thought given how poor the conditions were in the village and these kids had parents.

When we arrived at the orphanage we did not know what to expect.  There was a bit of confusion at the gate--Jen and I quickly said we don't need to visit.  Apparently this orphanage does not normally allow visitors but was making an exception because they are friends with the owner of the library.  We finally got in and were shocked to see the cleanest, happiest, healthiest kids.  The women who ran it, one from UK and one from San Francisco gave us a tour as the kids played around us taking our hands and showing off--normal kids.  Even though the kids were happy and the place was amazingly nice, it still brought us both almost to tears by how much they were helping these 24 kids as the women told us a few of their stories.  It inspired us both to figure out a way to incorporate that excitement of charitable giving into our lives.

We then went to a place called Shanga Shangaa where disabled people have come together to make glass items, beads, jewelry, etc.  We had been to a similar place in Cambodia, but it was equally touching.  Our guide was very frank with us that they set this place up to make money and that tourists like that they help disabled people and in return everyone benefits as all the proceeds (mostly from the restaurant on site where ate and was excellent) go to help the people working there--they take no financial contributions and when they receive them they give them to another school for severely disabled people.  We always question what people tell us but this place seemed very much legitimate as the people all seemed very happy.

We then went to a cultural heritage center.  It was like a massive store and a huge beautiful museum but everything was for sale, even the stuff in the museum.  I question how much culture this place is maintaining by selling off all of these ancient artifacts.

That's the museum in the back but no pictures are allowed.

Jen requested we go to a local market.  Our guide did not disappoint.  We went to a Masai market that was massive.  Everyone was strongly requesting we enter their little stores but they were all incredibly nice and very patient as Jen did some serious comparison shopping.

Then back to the hotel to relax.  An amazing day!

CATS

We spent our last day in the Masai Mara, first enjoying the sunrise...

Then seeing a hyena...

And some birds...

Then watching a leopard...

Then watching some lions...

Then watching an elephant destroy trees and almost eat one in its in entirety...

Then watching a cheetah...

And some buffalo...

And striped mongooses...

And then we hung out with the hippos which are near the airstrip having breakfast while we wait for our plane.

Then to the airport to take our flight from the Massai Mara in Kenya to Arusha, Tanzania.

Another scary small plane.  It has autopilot so the pilot played with his iPad and read the newspaper most of the flight.

When we arrived, our awesome guide took us to the hotel called the Shengazi House in Arusha--it is very pretty with our own private cottage but it is massive and we were the only guests and we never were welcomed or spoke to any staff other than the waiter so it was super weird.