Most people rush after pleasure so fast they rush right past it.

Søren Kierkegard

Quite a day. This crater is listed as a wonder of the world. Apparently 25000 animals live within its bounds. Left early at just before 7 and ip to crater rim, which was quite cloudy, but I was thorough enjoying the jungle with tall trees as be thick undergrowth. Rim is about 2250 meters ((7500 feet) and crater just over 1500 meters(5000). A plain without trees and size of crater is 960 square kilometer (360 sw miles)

It is a nature preserve as and very well controlled. One cannot get out of car except at designated spots for any reason. We were warned our drivers can be ticketed even for emergency bathroom stop. Makes sense as these are wild animals right at car. Many photos taken with just phone camera from window. Keep in mind our vehicles you can stand up in. And two of the animals seen today are in the top ten list of dangerous animals. (Hippopotamus and Cape buffalo, sorry alaska, bears do not come close. Folks commented on the amount of exercise and calories burned showing on our fitbits and exercise recorders. Mine showed I walked 8000 steps and 7 km.

Other animals seen were rhino, elephants, hyenas, jackals, lions, hare, Thompson and grants gazelles, elan, water buck, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, and those are the ones I remember. Then there are the birds oh my. Vultures, ibis, Flamingo, hawks, stilts, storks, herons, starlings, on and on. 17 new species for me today on top of 72 in past days. Both Simon and douse are excellent birders, and incredibly patient. You can ask them the name of that bird when you know you have already asked twenty times on same bird, and they as answer each time as if were the first. As Doug says “I may be old, but I am slow”

And thus tonight we are on crater rim at 7400 feet and supposedly cold. Maybe low 30’s ( 70’s Fahrenheit) tomorrow head to oldapai Borge and history of humans then on to Serengeti for next three days. We shall see what is to come