Tanzania, the Serengeti

This morning was a game drive and a trip to the Serengeti Serana Lodge. On our way today we were able to spot a cheetah. It did not approach too closely. Take a look at the heavily cropped picture below for a glimpse.

Lunch time was a stop at the Serengeti visitor's center. This center has a small museum of information that you can walk around and find out more about the history of the Serengeti and the national park program. It's worth the stop. There is a colony of rock hyraxes that you can spot while there.

The next day, 5th of July, we had a morning balloon ride scheduled. I wasn't sure about this when we were planning the trip. I've never been in a hot air balloon and didn't know what to expect. After taking the ride I would recommend it enthusiastically to anyone going. The 4:30am wake up may not be something you want to do, but the views are spectacular.

After the balloon ride and the breakfast in the savannah, we're out for another game drive. A traffic jam of trucks circling around a tree forms when a leopard in a tree is spotted, later a similar thing happens when a pair of lions is found. Included below is a picture of some of the traffic.

We also spotted more "common zebra".

Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park	Serengeti National Park