The pattern finally changed. It was cloudy and a little cool when we set out this morning. Which was actually just fine. The entrance to Ngorongoro Preserve was a short drive from Plantation Lodge. Juma and Edson drove us up to the rim of the great collapsed caldera and we got out to stare in wonder at the “crater”. Then it was back in the Landcruisers for the rough dirt road along the rim... Juma said it was time for our “African Massage” as we bounced along the ruts and rocks. A Jeep track down through umbrella acacia trees took us to the valley floor where we immediately began to spot crater critters by the hundreds. First were the armor plated Cape buffalo, next a gang of Eland. We began to spot so many gazelles, zebra and wildebeest that they only merited a stop if they’d been born in the last few hours. Warthogs came and went. Bustards and Secretary Birds strutted past. Then came the lions. We parked near a beautiful male and female and our guides described -accurately- the process by which they’d get frisky with each other every ten or twenty minutes for an exhausting week. We watched for a few cycles, fascinated. The big cats paid no attention whatsoever to spectators. Next we saw herds of elephants in the distance and a black rhino a couple hundred meters away. Four of the “big five” before lunch. (We were missing leopards, which aren’t commonly seen down in the crater). Lunch happened to be within sight of about 20 hippos and a bunch of waterbucks. Despite the cloud cover, it was getting pretty hot in the afternoon. We kept spotting game -ostrich and hyenas... more lions and more elephants as we headed for the rough roads out of the crater. By 4:30 we were back at the ridiculously comfortable Plantation Lodge, amazed by what we’d seen but also ready to relax. We looked a little like a gang of teenagers at happy hour, focused intently on our smartphones as we shuffled pictures about. Tomorrow is another day and another national park. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn