Lake Manyara National Park
We take an early morning flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport and from the are bus into Arusha. As everything is negotiable here we pay a little more to the bus driver and he kindly drives us a bit further to the car rental company where we need to pick up our car. Things can be so easy ... if there wouldn't be the fact that the car we booked was not prepared. Instead the Toyota Land Cruiser they want to offer us something else which is not really suitable for what we are planning to do. After some negotiations they agree and prepare the booked type for us. Just costs us a few hours. Don't try to rush things in Africa, is something we learned some time ago.
A first stop at the local supermarket and we are on our way. Our first planned stop is the Lake Manyara National Park, situated in the Arusha region. The majority of the land area of the park is a narrow strip running between the Gregory Rift wall to the west and Lake Manyara, an alkaline or soda-lake, to the east. It is famous for its population of flamingos.
We enter the park through lush forests, passing by little streams and ponds. There aren’t very many tourists here though that doesn’t mean that the roads are empty... on the contrary - they are rather busy! Warthogs, baboons, guinea fowls and elephants are crossing our way. After a while Lake Manyara comes into sight. Beautiful!
With our car we have the best view.
Although we are the only tourists as it seems the street is very busy.
The elephants clearly have the right of way here so we need to wait.
An impala wondering what we are doing here.
Great view overlooking the lake with elephants and giraffes.
Karin enjoying the view as well.
The flamingo and other birds enjoying a bath as outside temperatures are rising.
7 - 7
<
>
In the midday heat the giraffes place themselves such that they allow the sun the smallest contact area. The flamingos don’t seem to mind the heat - they just take a refreshing foot bath.
We camp in a little camp site called Twiga Camp in Mto Wa MBu. Our first night camping here was quite eventful in terms of all sorts of different and completely unknown sounds. Despite this we did sleep quite well as apart from us there are hardly any other people around.
