Gibb's Farm is really nice

There were elephants in the camp last night. I repeat, there were elephants in the camp last night. Everybody heard them, they were trumpeting and growling and making a general commotion in the back of the camp. Apparently, they were very close to the kitchen and staff tents. I didn't hear any AK47 shots ring out, so they obviously didn't present any sort of real danger, so maybe the staff was able to shoo them away peacefully.

Our departure from the Tarangire camp included a somewhat awkward "tip ceremony" where we all said our "Thank You"s and "Goodbyes" to the camp staff while handing over a bright orange manilla envelope containing our tips for the staff. I understand tipping hotel and service staff for a job well done (and they did their jobs very well), but the very obvious way in which the tips were presented just seemed a little patronizing. Why not have a big jar at the bar where everyone could drop their envelopes? Or maybe just leave them in our tents? Do they not trust the staff enough to bring all the envelopes to the camp manager for distribution? Honestly, I just wish the gratuity had been included in the total price; either implicitly or explicitly on a daily basis like they do on cruises.

Prior to departure, and before the tip ceremony, Michele and Angela got a private "behind the scenes" tour of the camp's service area, including the kitchen, laundry, and other staff-only areas. They came away well and truly impressed with what these guys are able to do with such limited resources.

Since we hadn't ridden in Leonard's jeep yet, we decided to ride with him for the trip up to Ngorongoro. Again, it was the 3 of us and Karan and Scott. I think tomorrow we'll pair up with some other guests when we go down to the crater. We did a short "game drive" on our way out of the crater and came across a large gathering of various animals: impala, baboon (our first glimpse of baboons) and some waterbuck. It was very interesting to see all these different animals just existing so peacefully together. Until today, we had seen groups of animals of the same species together, but not a large group of so many different kinds. The baby baboons were adorable. They were swinging around on the low branches; climbing all over their parents or older siblings, doing what kids like to do. Through my lens, I could see their faces and I swear they were looking at me with the same level of curiosity as I had looking at them.

A quick potty break at the main gate, and we were back on the road to our next camp. The Rift Valley escarpment loomed over us all the way there and as we passed "Mosquito Creek" (nee "Mto wa Mbu") we started up hill. The escarpment is an almost 2000 foot high cliff. Our first stop on the way to Ngorongoro was the "Rift Valley" store; much like the "Cultural Heritage" store in Arusha. Apparently, in order to keep their tour operator status in Tanzania, companies like Thomson have to make at least 2 stops at shops like these. The deals aren't as good as buying direct from the artist, but shops like these are sources of employment for local residents as well as badly needed tax revenue to the country.

We spent the better part of an hour here as the group bought even more stuff. After some deliberating and negotiating, Angela and I wound up buying an ebony carving of a lioness with cubs, a beautiful coptic cross from Ethiopia, and some smaller chotchkys like a mask carving that we'll use as a Christmas ornament and a small ebony elephant carving. I'm not sure we got the best deal possible, but we did get them to come off the "sticker price" on the cross and lion and to throw in the small stuff and waive the credit card processing fee. In all, what we got was cheaper than the whale bone carving we bought in Ketchikan.

John gave us the "mount up" signal so we all loaded up into our respective jeeps and made for lunch at Gibb's Farm. Not 2 minutes down the road, Angela and Michele came to the realization that if they were going to get any Tanzanite, that was probably their last chance. As luck would have it, Leonard has a small tanzanite mine and provides stones to this particular shop and he offered to help broker a sale if they found something they liked. Karan and Scott were OK with going back, so we turned around and headed back. Kumbi was behind us and I could see his puzzled look as we passed him going the other way.

I'm sure the folks in the shop were surprised (and pleased) to see Angela and Michele walk back in, but maybe not as much with Leonard in tow. After about 15 minutes, everyone emerged from the shop (Scott, too. Apparently he pulled the trigger on a warthog carving that caught his eye the first time around) looking very satisfied. I don't know how good the deal is that Leonard got for us, but I do know how much they paid for the Tanzanite they bought and it was definitely not cheap. Angela said that Leonard was able to get them a significant discount. Whatever, you only live once.

Gibb's Farm is amazing! What an oasis here. The grounds are beautiful. We were obviously late for lunch, but there was plenty left, and it was delicious. And the cold beer tasted so good! All the food they serve is grown on their own small farm, including the meats. All the coffee they serve is grown and roasted in house. After lunch we had a brief walking tour of their garden and then a little time to look in their small gift shop. Next stop: Ngorongoro.

We all had to stop at the main gate while John signed us in and paid the group's entry fee. Leonard warned us to not get out of the jeep until he gave the all-clear and to make sure that all windows were shut and latched and that we got out of the jeep on the right-hand side. "Why?" we wondered. We were not standing around for 2 minutes before we got our answer when a large baboon came jumping out of a tree, shot right past me, and into the open window of a small SUV that had parked right next to our jeep! The occupants of the jeep, who had been registering for their entrance into the park, freaked out and were waving and yelling and poking and prodding to try to get the monkey out. After what seemed like a long time, but was probably only like 20 or 30 seconds, they were able to shoo the baboon away, but not before he had wreaked havoc in the back seat of their jeep. I don't think he relieved himself, but he defintely made a mess. All of the professional safari guides admonished quite strongly the owner/guide who allowed his guests to leave their windows down in the parking lot. Drama!

Our first view of the crater floor was from a large scenic overlook. Holy Crap! It was massive, and spectacular. We could see specks of brown on the crater floor that upon closer inspection was a herd of cape buffalo. Kumbi spotted a couple solitary bull elephants. It's 10 miles across, and the rim is completely unbroken. After our requisite ooh'ing and ahh'ing (and bathroom breaks), we loaded back up for the 30 or so minute drive to our home for the next couple nights.

The Ngorongoro camp is nestled under a canopy of "Acacia Lahai" trees and you can feel the extra humidity. I'm not sure we'll have as many animal encounters in the camp as we did in Tarangire, but Leonard said that there are plenty of elephants and lions and leopards (and even rhinos) that live up on the crater rim, so maybe... (fingers crossed). We met the camp staff (including our Maasai warrior protectors) and proceeded to our tents. We're on the end of the line again, so we have some privacy at least on one side.

At dinner John said that "Jambo Jambo" tomorrow is at 5:30 so we can get into the crater before everyone else. It's a good thing that I am up almost every day now at 5:30 anyway. Oh, and there were hot water bottles in our beds when we got back from dinner.