We spent the day cruising for wildlife in a caldera. Ngorongoro Crater didn't disappoint. There was fairly heavy cloud glued to the crater rim in the morning when we were working around the circumference, but as we dropped into the interior, we got under the weather and enjoyed fine visibility. We saw vast quantities of wildlife including herds of wildebeest, cape buffalo and zebra. There were hippos galore and a solitary black rhino. The big cats stole the show though. At one point a female lion walked out into the road and lay down against the hubcap of one of our vehicles. This was despite a bunch of us leaning out to take pictures and a small traffic jam of land cruisers forming to capture the event. She couldn't have cared less about car occupants. All she knew was that she was hot and that the hubcap was offering a little shade. Bryson, our driver, had to maneuver very carefully to get the vehicle moving without running over the big cat tail. On the way out of Ngorongoro, we visited a Maasai "boma", or village, and learned a little about the famous tribesmen clinging to their traditional lifestyle. Tomorrow, we'll move over to Tarangire National Park. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn