After having spent a week camping in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, with only enough water for drinking, plus one cup per day to clean teeth and wash with, the opportunity to wash my hair at this petrol station was too tempting – within minutes the rest of the women on the truck were happily following my example.
The locals had been crossing the street when we came near, to avoid the smelly white folk – and this provided them with a good dose of laughter.
These guys decided to make their own opportunity. We came upon a stretch of road where a tree had fallen across. It was too heavy to move, and as we stood pondering a solution out they jumped from the jungle, offering to chop away with their machetes to rid the road of the tree – for a price of course. The tree cleared, we paid them and drove away only to look back to see them already busy felling another tree for the next group of unwary travellers.
Of all the animals I have encountered these birds would have to be the most opportunistic of the animal kingdom.
The Vultures.
This post is part of postaweek 2011 Weekly Photo Challenge.
Pop on over to see how others interpreted this weeks challenge: Opportunity
Ramblins with a cantankerous old mule.
Love that first pic!! Great interpretations 🙂
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So glad you like it.
🙂
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I also really like that first pic. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Hi Brandon – it brings back some fun memories for me. 🙂
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Great entry! I don’t think I’d want go camping in Ngorongoro Crater with only enough water for drinking (plus one cup per day). But, if I had lots of money and could afford to stay in a luxury hotel or lodge, it sounds like a wondrous place to visit (per the link in your article). Great photos and article!
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Oh believe me the stuff you see in the crater makes the water shortage fade well into the background…
So glad you liked this one.
🙂
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Nice!,, and refreshing!
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Hahahaha…clever comment
😉
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I have a feeling you hair didn’t stay fresh for long in that heat Jo! The tree chopping incident is hilarious and so African – absolutely love it! Vultures are vile creatures, I’ve seen them round the rubbish dumps as well as in the bush, but their opportunism performs a vital function. Great post that really does the job!
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It was pretty hot Gilly – one day the thermometer in the truck broke because it was so hot…
I like vultures – they can be beautiful once you spend enough time just watching them…
Glad you liked this.
🙂
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Great entries Jo. 🙂
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HI Nandini – thank you – so happy you liked them. 🙂
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Great shots! And the vultures, definitely all about opportunisitic!
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Thanks – oh yes – the vultures are always ready for the next opportunity…
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The first pic with the vultures is my favorite. The vultures in the foreground and the deserted background. They are just waiting for their opportunity.
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I kinda like THAT one myself…
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What a lovely entertaining read. Amazing what we do without water. It is so precious that nothing can live without it and yet we in the west have taken it for granted for so long now. Soon everyone will realise exactly how precious a commodity it is.
A great story and good pics. Very clever of those guys to fell a tree and then come to the rescue… for a price. 😉
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I am happy you enjoyed it.
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They were much cleverer than us – we never suspected that they were behind our dilemma until it was too late…hehehe
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Interesting story as well as photos:-) kind regards Britta
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Thank you Britta
🙂
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I think vultures deserve a much better reputation. Just think what modest and undemanding creatures they are — only eating what’s dead anyway, not harming anyone and doing good in the bargain. If people were more like vultures, the world would be in much better shape. Love the pics…
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You have a valid point – I liked the vultures – they are quite beautiful to look at – very sutble colours, and majestic in the way they move.
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You are quite brave to venture out to places that have water limitations.
It must have been a luxury to come home and sit in a bath.
The photo’s are so expressive of your daily encounters.
Very nice,
Isadora
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Thanks Isadora – I am so happy you liked them. It was certainly an adventure.
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Oh the challenges and adventures of travel …great photos!
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Thanks
🙂
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cool photos!!! And u seem to have worked through some tough times on ur trip!
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Not so tough really – just adventures…
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Great shots! You have a gift, my friend…
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Thank you – what a lovely thing to say – I was just lucky with these – with nature’s beauty, how can you NOT take a great pic ???
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What a amazing post nice work there >
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Thanks Jake – I appreciate your saying so.
🙂
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So they chop down the tree and then offer to move it for a fee. Great scam. Good pictures.
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It was very clever.
🙂
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Great pictures!
Thanks for stopping by at my blog. 🙂
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Thank you. 🙂
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wow those are great shots, and what awesome memories! I had to laugh at the enterprising tree fellers/fellows! hehe
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They were very clever – we did laugh – eventually…
🙂
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That Hair wash must have been the best ever! 🙂 Great photos Jo
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Oh my goodness – it really was a feeling I can’t describe…
We should all feel that way more often about the smaller things that happen.
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What a great post Jo! I love your adventures you are very brave 🙂
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Thank you Gracie – brave, hmmmmmmmmm – maybe stupid would be a better word…hehehehehehehehe
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Ha… Brilliant! Love the story about the tree felling scam. I hope they don’t run out of trees! Great photos!
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I hope not – I think it was how they made enough money to feed their families.
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You always add such excellent pictures on your postings Jo
and I can see from this following that I am not the only one to
appreciate them 🙂 Have a lovely rest of day and evening 🙂
Androgoth XXx
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Why thank you – lucky most of the time to be in the right place when the opportunity presented itself…
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nice potrayal!
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Thank you for telling me that. 🙂
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Great post – made me laugh and smile – your adventures sound wonderful.
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Oh they were wonderful.
🙂
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Very nice! I want to see that first photo in a shampoo ad. The rest of the photos are great too, especially the vultures… opportunistic birds for sure!
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It would make a good ad – hehehehehehehehe.
Thanks for the lovely comment.
🙂
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These photos are wonderful and the stories fun and funny. Thank you for dropping by my photo blog!
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Thank you – I am happy to see you here and even happier from reading your comment.
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Have a great week !!!!!!
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Always opportunities – next time take a tank 😉 Are you sure those birds are Vultures? They look very like the gulls loitering over Wingate and Finchley at the moment 😉 Interesting post – I enjoyed reading it and looking at the photos 🙂
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Glad you stopped by and very happy to hear you enjoyed it here.
🙂
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your first story image gave me a big smile!
the others are great intrepretations of opportunity as well! thanks for sharing.
and thank you also for taking the opportunity to stop by my blog. much appreciated 🙂
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Happy you got a smile from it. 🙂
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Love those opportunistic vultures!
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I do actually – if you sit and watch them, they are fascinating birds.
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