Ngorongoro feels like the opening cinematic from a video game.
You descend from the rim through what looks like fog, but is actually a cloud, and the landscape opens up below you. You see lakes, rivers, forests and hills spread out before you, not one ecosystem but multiple, contained within the crater walls.
We're on the home stretch - just enough time to hand the mike over to Grace for one more Grace-a-gram before we wrap this thing up.
I have, maybe a little too deliberately, avoided too much commentary on the state of Africa because I wasn't quite sure what to say or how to say it. Fortunately, Grace has delivered on the topic with trademark aplomb, in that most hallowed of art forms - the listicle. Enjoy.
No insightful and/or snarky commentary today - this one's literally just things being cute in pairs. It's twice as much cute in each picture, what more could you ask for?
First, the answers to yesterday's Fun Safari Puzzle. Most of you probably spotted the elephants in the foreground - gentle giants, sure, but those tusks aren't just for show.
The more eagle eyed among you may have noticed the hippos in the background. Although they don't eat meat, they'll still mess you up - they're often cited as the most dangerous animals in the park.
Only the very keenest observers, however, would have spotted the crocodile. If you did, give yourself a pat on the back! If you didn't, maybe reconsider your swimming plans.
Here's the thing about doing mountain gorilla trekking - you do have to trek back from the mountains afterwards.
It hasn't all been long days on the road though. We found some time to visit some chimpanzees in the Kalinzu forest, via a tea plantation. Sadly no opportunity to have a taste, but the walk was very dramatic, with strong "leaving the shire" vibes:
Hello, and welcome to your first Grace-A-Gram! It's like a telegram, but from me, Grace!
With a little negotiation (read: by asking nicely) I was able to persuade Rocky to give me a guest column. After all, if push came to shove this newsletter would notionally be considered a joint asset! (A little family law joke for you there so you know it's really me.)
At our first briefing meeting, the night our tour began, we were given a gentle but pointed reminder about the adventures to come.
(Quiet instead of busy. Tents instead of luxury accommodation. Rains instead of sun.*)
We were checking out some rhinos, as you do, when the guide driving us takes a hard right off the track.
He absolutely floors it, and starts heading towards a little cluster of trees a couple hundred metres away.
(I think this is probably a crime, so don't tell anyone, okay?)
We ask him what he saw, and in between frantic heaves at the steering wheel, he says,
"Leopard."
He spares a hand to point for our untrained eyes. A couple of times, actually. Our eyes are very untrained.
"That tree there."
And then we saw it. In that tree there. A flash of movement, and a long tail whisking into the long grass.
It was too quick for photos, but we definitely saw it.
We take a moment to let our heart rates com and reassure each other that it definitely counts as a sighting, while our driver does slow orbits back towards the track.
And then -
"There he is!"
Just strolling towards us, casual as you like, totally unfazed at being flushed out of his tree by a rampaging four wheel drive.
Almost immediately after hitting send on the previous installment, we head downstairs to meet our group. It definitely felt like the first day of school for a bit, but I'm actually extremely happy with how chill everyone has been. Which I guess makes sense - spending a lot of money to rough it in a tent selects for a certain kind of millenial.
