Lake Manyara

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After extensive negotiations, haggling over safari tour itineraries and making our way through the maze of shady tour operators we finally landed on a company that allowed us to make our own itinerary. We rented a 4WD Land Cruiser and guide (named Audi) for 6 days to explore Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro crater and the Serengeti.

This country is amazing and lived up to our expectations. Every scene was a picture out of National Geographic and by the time we were finished Peter was ready to take our camera and sell it for a nights rent....I took alot of pictures!

Although we wanted to see lions and elephants etc... we expected that Africa would be much like home and, if you were lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a monkey or an exotic bird. We were surprised to say the least. As soon as we entered the park there was a family of Baboons hanging out in the trees. I was jumping around in the jeep trying to get the best shot I could...little did I know that by the end of the trip I'd think "oh look, more Baboons". Although we didn't see tree climbing lions, which the park is most famous for, we saw giraffe's, flamingo's, hippo's, monkey's, zibra's (there has to be a billion in Tanzania), heart beasts, warthogs etc.... really incrediable.

Everywhere we went there were the Maasai. It's difficult to explain how these people look. I hope the pictures can do them justice, but they are really beautiful. Set against the earthtones in Africa these people stand out miles away. They are so colorful, always adorned in red, purple and pink. Their earlobes are usually stretched and they hang beads and silver from their ears which is usually attached to necklaces. I try not to stare too much, but I can't take my eyes off them.

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Photos

baboon taking a drink
This was our intro. to Lake Manyara

Elephants
To see these guys in their natural surrounding was really beautiful

All together
This is neat, all these animals in one shot...incredible

Comments

[DF]

Did you see any hyenas...?