After several days of riding, my fellow cyclists and I rolled into the bustling town of Arusha, Tanzania last week for a few days of much needed rest. I needed time off my bike to let my muscles recover from fatigue. I also desperately needed a break from the intense daily sun and heat. The added bonus of this layover location was that it’s a popular jumping off point for safaris. Within 3-6 hours there are several enormous nature reserves teeming with Africa’s most famous wildlife.

After a 24 stomach bug that completely knocked me out, a few buddies and I hopped in a jeep and headed off to see the famous NgoroNgoro Crater. This geologic formation is caldera that measures 102 sq Miles/264 sq KM. It was formed when the former volcano erupted explosively, and the empty magma chamber caused the volcano’s summit to collapse inward, creating a caldera. This resulted in the formation of the large, bowl-shaped crater, which is now a rich and diverse ecosystem. It is home to a wide range of animal species such as elephants, lions, zebras, wildebeast, hyenas, and flamingos. The crater’s landscape includes grasslands, swamps, and forests. It is known as the “Garden of Eden”. I’m here to report that it truly is just that. Animals aside, the formation itself is spectacular.

To get there we drove 3 hours through vast lowlands peppered with scrubby acacia trees and grasslands. As we got closer to the crater we could see this enormous ring of deep green rising nearly straight up out of the ground. It was the craters exterior wall and clearly had an entirely different ecosystem than the surrounding lowlands. The higher the crater rose the more lush and tropical it became. The best way to visualize it is to imagine a natural forming stadium (x1000!) To get into the crater, we had to drive up along a steep and winding red earthen dirt road to the top of the rim then down the other side. When on the rim we stopped at an overlook. There it was…far below a vast grassy plain enclosed and protected by the walls of the crater. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was magnificent. What a natural geologic formation?! We carried on and drove down into the crater along another very steep winding road. Before we knew it we were in the midst of the classic safari scenes…tawny colored grasslands rustling in the wind.

In no time we began spotting the beautiful creatures…elephants, zebras and wildebeest’s. Seeing these majestic creatures in the wild and in their natural habitat was thrilling. This is their home. They’re not surrounded by cages or fences. They roam freely and live amongst one another in natures harmony. It’s a humbling experience to see an elephant peacefully and gracefully nudging its long and nimble trunk around a watering hole. For such giant animals, they seem to be quiet as a mouse. Their padded feet are like walking around in slippers.

Next up was the LION! I couldn’t believe it when we spotted it. The rich dark chocolate brown and golden yellow color of his mane blended in with the grass. I can see how easily they sneak up on their prey. The lion was alone and came strolling directly towards us. Uh oh, I thought! But thankfully he came up to the jeep, walked alongside it and carried on, disappearing in the grass within seconds. What a beauty! Shortly after we saw 3 lionesses. As the day continued on we saw flocks of flamingos, ostriches, and lots of zebras, wildebeests and even two hyenas. It was hard to comprehend all that we saw, and how natural it all was.

Coming from the USA where the largest wild animal is a bear, seeing these animals en masse and in their natural setting was extraordinary. It made me wonder about a lot of things. It grounded my mind and made me once again, appreciate Mother Nature and all of her gifts.