Tales of a Southern girl in the Middle East: Lake Manyara

On traveling

"When you travel, you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. You confront completely new situations, the day passes more slowly, and on most journeys you don't even understand the language the people speak. So you are like a child just out of the womb. You begin to attach much more importance to the things around you because your survival depends on them. You begin to be more accessible to others because they may be able to help you in difficult situations. And you accept any small favor from the gods with great delight, as if it were an episode you would remember for the rest of your life. At the same time, since all things are new, you see only the beauty in them and feel happy to be alive." (Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage)

05 February 2008

Lake Manyara

We began our safari at Lake Manyara, which Hemingway once described as “the loveliest [lake]…in Africa.” Lake Manyara is a relatively small park, but what it lacks in size, it certainly compensates for in natural beauty, plants and wildlife.

As we entered the park, we passed unfamiliar, yet amazing, beauty. We passed the incredible baobab tree, a tree which can grow up to 100 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 23 feet and which can store up to 32,000 gallons of water in its trunk to survive drought conditions.We also saw the sausage tree, with its enormous berries hanging down from vine-like stems.

As we continued along dirt roads that winded through every corner of the park, the sights were truly spectacular. Although it was only the first stop on our safari, we saw a huge number of animals - baboons, impalas, hippos, giraffes, cape buffalo, crocodiles, wildebeest, elephants and so much more.