Red Lake Tanzania. Bloody lake of Africa with dried salt skeletons of animals. Dead Lake Natron, Tanzania. Why do birds die
Lake Natron – salt lake, located in the vast African Great Rift Valley - in northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya and just northeast of the Ngorongoro crater. Hidden between volcanic hills and deep craters, Lake Natron is at its lowest point rift valley- at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level - and is perhaps the most alkaline body of water in the world.
Dangerous Lake Natron in Tanzania
The climate in the area where the lake is located is harsh - it is hot, often very dry air and dust, which is not conducive tourist trips. But those who brave the journey to Lake Natron are rewarded with stunning views in Tanzania.
1. The main distinctive feature of the lake is its extremely unusual bright red color of the water. But it doesn't always look like this.
2. Lake Natron in Tanzania quite shallow (its depth is no more than 3 meters) and changes coastline depending on the water level, which changes due to strong evaporation, leaving concentrations of salts and other minerals, especially sodium carbonate (or, in fact, natron).
3. Lake Natron in Tanzania It is fed by the Iwaso Nyiro River (“River of Brown Water” in the Samburu language) and mineral-rich hot springs.
4. With strong evaporation, a crust of alkaline salt forms on the surface of the lake, which is also often colored red or pink as a result of the activity of microorganisms living in the lake.
5 As water evaporates during the dry season, the salinity of the lake increases to the point where the salt-loving microorganisms living in it begin to multiply wildly.
6. These organisms that live in high salinity conditions - halophilic cyanobacteria - have the ability to photosynthesize, just like plants. During the process of photosynthesis, a red pigment is released, which gives the bright red color to deep water and orange to shallower water. 
7. High water temperature (up to 41°C) and high and very varied salt content in the lake do not contribute to the development of wildlife in it. However, the lake is home to millions of flamingos, as well as home to algae, invertebrates, and at the edges, where the water is less salty, even fish - alkaline telapia.
8. Natron is the only breeding site of the endangered lesser flamingo in eastern Africa. The lake is a safe breeding ground, as its toxic alkaline environment is a barrier to predators trying to get close to the nests located on the islands that form seasonally as a result of evaporation.
9. Flamingos gather in the region's salt lakes, where they feed on spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments).
There are other things in Africa unusual lake — .
An airplane casts a shadow on the bright red surface of Lake Natron in Tanzania. Photo by: George Steinmetz.
Lake Natron is a salt lake located in the vast African Great Rift Valley - in northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya and just northeast of the Ngorongoro Crater. Hidden between volcanic hills and deep craters, Lake Natron lies at the lowest point of the rift valley - 600 meters above sea level - and is perhaps the most alkaline body of water in the world.
Is it possible to swim in such a lake and is there life there?
Lake Natron is translated as “red” because of its special color, which is given to it by certain microorganisms that appear when the level of salinity and alkalinity increases excessively. The main such organism is cyanobacteria, a tiny bacterium that, like plants, absorbs light through photosynthesis. As a result, the accumulated photons cause a change in the pigmentation of this amazing bacterium towards a red color and millions of bacteria of the cyano species formed in the alkali of Lake Natron give a deep red color to all surfaces of the water. Only in shallow water, where there are slightly fewer of these bacteria, the water is no longer bright red, but orange.
This is truly a miracle canvas of nature painted by a local God named Lengai, the progenitor of all things on Earth among the Maasai tribes.
The total area of the reserve is 700 square meters. km.
Swimming in Lake Natron is not recommended. Any contact with alkaline water can result in burns and blistering of the skin - it is better not to risk it. However, from one glance at the skeletons of animals and birds and their limestone mummies scattered around the lake, it will become clear that it is better not to get close to Natron.
Such discomfort is most often justified by what is seen. Right here, not far from this " dead sea» Tanzania is home to one of the sacred places of Ancient Africa - the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, which translated from the Maasai language means “Mountain of the Gods” or “Mountain of Spirits”. This volcano today is one of the “LIVING WONDERS OF TANZANIA”, more about which you can read in the fascinating article “Why do the volcanoes of Tanzania not sleep?”
According to some reports, Ol Doinyo Lengai woke up for the last time in October 2008, but never fell asleep. According to the most recent data, a volcanic eruption was observed in 2010, which was apparently caused by the growing discontent of the “gods living in the crater of the volcano.”
One of the main reasons for their dissatisfaction could be the active discussion of the construction of a soda processing plant on the shores of Lake Natron - right at the foot of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The second reason could be plans to build a hydroelectric power station at the northern end of the lake, which would provoke a change in the alkaline balance in the lake.
Be that as it may, the Lake Natron Nature Reserve, which includes sacred mountain increasingly exposed to external influences large companies, which violates the peace zone and can provoke, according to the shamans from the Maasai tribe, the “wrath of the gods” Ol Donyo Lengai.
Lake Natron in Tanzania is fed by the Iwaso Nyiro River ("River of Brown Water" in the Samburu language) and mineral-rich hot springs.
With strong evaporation, a crust of alkaline salt forms on the surface of the lake, which is also often colored red or pink as a result of the activity of microorganisms living in the lake.
As water evaporates during the dry season, the salinity of the lake increases to the point where the salt-loving microorganisms living in it begin to multiply wildly.
These organisms that live in high salinity conditions - halophilic cyanobacteria - have the ability to photosynthesize, just like plants. During the process of photosynthesis, a red pigment is released, which gives the bright red color to deep water and orange to shallower water.
And the lake is the only breeding area for the 2.5 million endangered Lesser flamingos that live in the valley.
These flamingos flock along salt lakes in the area where they feed on Spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments). Lake Natron is the only breeding site for the Lesser Flamingo because its caustic environment acts as a barrier against predators trying to reach these birds' nests.
Temperatures in wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), and depending on rainfall, alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5 (almost as alkaline as ammonia).
In 1962, due to heavy rains, there was a flood. According to experts, more than a million eggs were destroyed.
Threats to the salinity balance from increased freshwater inflows come from the engineered loading watersheds of Lake Natron and the planned operation of a hydroelectric dam. Although development plans include building a dam at the northern end of the lake to contain fresh water, the threat of dissolution is still serious.
A new threat to Lake Natron is the development of a soda processing plant on the shores of the lake. The plant pumps water from the lake and then uses chemical processes to extract sodium carbonate to convert it into laundry detergent for export. Housing was also built near the plant for more than 1,000 workers, and coal was brought in for the power plant to provide energy for the entire plant complex.
Because of its unique biological diversity, Tanzania named the Lake Natron Basin to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on 4 July 2001.
The hunting grounds within the Lake Natron Wildlife Refuge are located on its northern and southern boundaries and are called, respectively, the Lake Natron South Game Control Area and the Lake Natron North Game Control Area.
The southern hunting grounds of the reserve are located north of Arusha in the famous Masai Steppe Maasai Steppe), stretching over 1500 sq. km. To the west they border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Zone, and to the north and east with Kenya and Lake Natron, respectively. These areas are home to two permanent luxury campsites and two adventure fly camps. The Kiserian adventure camp offers accommodation in a valley with stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and excellent hunting opportunities for Grant's and Thompson's gazelle and, in the very north of the protected area, for gerenuk and lesser kudu.
No less great place To observe the life of the Maasai lands, there is a luxury camping site “Kitumbeine luxury base camp”, located near Mount Kitumbeine of the same name (2800 meters), where savannah acacias grow. The camp is located at the foot of this mountain and offers indescribably beautiful panoramas overlooking the mountain ranges of the Great Rift Rift and the white smoking cap that still active volcano Olduvai. Here are some of the most best places for hunting oryx, mountain buffalo and large leopard.
The northern hunting grounds (Lake Natron North Game Control Area) 0 are much more extensive. They run along the border of Tanzania and Kenya, east of Lake Natron itself, where they rise mountain ranges Great Rift Rift, covered with a dense tract of mixed tropical forest, where mountain buffalos, a special trophy of Masailand, have been preserved in large numbers. You can stay in one of two mobile hunting camps, which will be delivered along with provisions by plane from Arusha or Kilimanjaro.
Here the terrain is wilder and untrodden by humans than in the south. That is why the villages of the original African Maasai tribe here seem to fit particularly organically into the landscape of the Lake Natron reserve. These are some of the best places for photo safari. Just imagine the red surface of water with the same red haze in which thousands of small flamingos are drowning on the horizon, as if involuntarily coloring their wings in orange and pink shades.
Here it is allowed to hunt typical representatives of Masailand fauna: mountain buffalo (buffalo), bushpig or warlock, leopard, lion, hyena, jackal, white antelope, savannah zebra, small cats (caracal, genetta, kivet, serval and wild cat), small antelopes (dik-dik, duiker and Steinbeck antelope), medium-sized antelopes (gerenuk, lesser kudu, East African bushbuck, impala) and gazelles of Thompson, Grant, Robert and mountain readbook.
Large antelopes such as oryx, patterson and greater kudu are also available as permitted game species. It is also possible to hunt for the feathered inhabitants of the northern forests of the Lake Natron Nature Reserve. Among local population Among the Maasai, the meat of hazel grouse, pigeon and quail is especially expensive.
How to get there
The roads to the lake are quite rough, and basically you can only get there through Arusha or Lake Manyara Park (5-6 hours). But, nevertheless, the local route is one of the most difficult to pass compared to other tourist areas. An alternative safari route to the lake passes through the eastern corridor of the Serengeti - Loliondo.
Things to do
Watch flocks of flamingos on Lake Natron, climb to the coldest active crater in the world - Ol Donyo Lengai, take an antelope safari.
Natron is a saline and alkaline lake located in the Arusha region in northern Tanzania, on the border with Kenya. The lake is located in the Gregory Rift, which is eastern part East African Rift. The Lake Natron basin is protected by the international Ramsar Convention.
Natron is mainly fed by the Ewaso Ngiro River, which originates in an area in Northern Kenya rich in minerals. The lake is no more than three meters deep and changes its shoreline depending on the time of year and water level. The lake reaches a maximum of 57 km in length and 22 km in width. A seasonal rainfall occurs over the lake in the months of May-December and brings 800 mm of precipitation. Water temperatures in wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius, and depending on the water level, alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5.
Lake Natron in Tanzania: characteristics
The depth of Lake Natron is very small, because in some places it does not even reach 3 meters. The area, on the contrary, is rather large - 1344 km2. Since the air temperature in this area often crosses 50°C, the water in Natrona also warms up to similar levels.
Natron is an integral part of the most active volcanic system today - the Great African Rift. The nearby Oldonyo Lengai volcano showed clear manifestations of seismic activity relatively recently. So, it erupted in October 2008, and a couple of years later it woke up again.
The water in the lake is red, this feature is caused by the activity of microorganisms. Near the shore, the water takes on an orange tint, because... in this place the number of organisms is less. There are areas where the water is clean and clear, but there are not very many such places.
Scientists have tried to explain the phenomenon of the Tanzanian reservoir. They found that the hydrogen index in the local waters (having an average of 10.5) and excess alkaline impurities lead to the formation large quantity soda, minerals and salts, which lead to petrification of animal remains.
Scientists cannot yet say with complete certainty why birds often fall into or within the lake, but there is a theory that the reservoir has strong reflective properties that prevent birds from orienting themselves normally in space.
Flora and fauna
It would seem that neither flora nor fauna could live in such a harsh environment. However, such an aggressive environment turned out to be comfortable for several species of algae, fish and small flamingos. This is their only breeding site in the region, as there are virtually no predators in the area. The toxic environment of the lake has become a kind of invisible barrier for predators, so they avoid the lake. During the evaporation season, islands form on the lake - flamingos build their nests on them and breed their offspring.
The number of flamingos on the lake reaches several million. Among other things, they feed on blue-green algae containing beta-carotene, which gives their feathers a bright pink color.
As beautiful as Lake Natron is, it is also harsh - if an animal falls into the lake, it immediately dies, and its remains harden in natural positions, turning into “mummies”.
Ecology
Threats to the salinity balance may be posed by increased siltation of tributaries of the Lake Natron watershed and the planned hydroelectric power station on Lake Ewaso Ngiro. Although development plans include building a dam at the northern end of the lake to contain fresh water, the threat of dissolution of the salty part of the lake still remains serious. So far there is no formal protection for the salty part of the lake.
A new threat to Lake Natron is the proposed development of a potash plant on its shores. The plant would pump water from the lake and extract the potassium carbonate to convert it into laundry detergent. Construction of the plant would provide housing for more than 1,000 workers at the plant and a coal-fired power plant, providing energy to the plant complex. Additionally, developers can use hybrid brine shrimp to increase extraction efficiency.
According to Chris Magin, RSPB Africa officer, “The chances of lesser flamingos continuing to breed in the face of such a devastation are slim to none. This development could lead to the extinction of lesser flamingos in East Africa" Currently, a group of fifty East African environmentalists is leading an international campaign to stop the planned construction of a potash plant by Tata Chemicals Ltd (India) and the National Construction Corporation of Tanzania.
In June 2008, Tata Chemicals refused to resume construction of the plant due to the Ramsar Convention.
Due to its unique biodiversity, the Lake Natron Basin area was included in the list of wetlands of international importance of the Ramsar Convention on July 4, 2001. The lake is also included in World Fund wildlife of the East Africa region.
Pastures of the Salei tribe
The owners of Lake Natron can be called the Salei tribe, belonging to the Masai clan. These people spend their entire lives searching for the best pasture around the shores of the lake. The Maasai are a warlike people, because they have been accustomed to defending their territory since ancient times. Fortunately for tourists, now the inhabitants of Northern Tanzania are much more liberal towards visitors.
Amazing photos
The mysterious lake in Tanzania attracted the photographer’s attention for a reason: Nick Brandt specializes in black and white photography of wild African animals.
Having visited Natron, the photographer was amazed by the abundance of bird skeletons that can be found in the coastal strip, so there was a need to find an explanation for this phenomenon.
Nick Brandt managed to find several surviving bird “statues”. He installed them in natural poses against the background of water, so in the photographs they look as if they were alive. In the photographs you can see a small flamingo, a dove and an eagle. By the way, Lake Natron is unique precisely because here is the only place where small flamingos breed (although, as we can see, some birds die immediately).
Swimming in Lake Natron is not recommended. Any contact with alkaline water can lead to burns and blistering of the skin - it’s better not to risk it. However, from one glance at the skeletons of animals and birds and their limestone mummies scattered around the lake, it will become clear that it is better not to get close to Natron.
It’s worth planning a few days for a trip to Lake Natron. You can spend the night in campsites located near the natural attraction. It is not necessary to book accommodation in advance.
A trip to Lake Natron can be combined with an ascent to the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, one of the most active in East Africa. It is located nearby.
How to get there?
The closest city to Lake Natron is Arusha, located 240 kilometers to the southeast. A bus service connects Arusha with the cities of Tanzania - Dodoma (420 kilometers; travel time - 6 hours), Dar es Salaam (640 kilometers; travel time - 9 hours) and others. You can also get to Arusha by bus from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya; the journey takes 4 hours. There are no railway connections in this part of Africa.
Kilimanjaro International Airport is located 50 kilometers east of Arusha. Air service connects the airport with Amsterdam, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, the island of Zanzibar, Kigali - the capital of Rwanda, as well as Addis Ababa - the capital of Ethiopia.
There are no organized excursions from Arusha to Lake Natron. Typically, a visit to this natural attraction is included in tours to the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano. Because best way get there directly - rent an SUV and hire a guide in one of travel agencies Arushi. An individual program will cost more than a standard tour - on average by a third. You should not go to Natron without a local guide.
Sources
- https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natron
- Location: northern Tanzania, Arusha region
- Square: 1040 sq. km
- Altitude: 800 m
- Length: 57 km
- Width: 22 km
- Depth: up to 3 m
In the north of the African country, on the border with Kenya, is located unique lake- Natron. Every year it attracts many tourists who come here to admire it. unusual appearance, reminiscent of surreal alien landscape. So, let's find out what is the secret of the lake's red waters and why residents of the surrounding villages avoid this area.
Lake Natron phenomenon
Lake Natron is very shallow (its depth ranges from 1.5 to 3 m), so it warms up to 50 and even 60°C. The content of sodium salts in the waters of the lake is so high that a film forms on its surface, and in the hottest months (February and March) even the water becomes viscous because of this. These conditions favor the activity of halophilic cyanobacteria that live in Lake Natron, thanks to the pigment of which the water has a blood-red color. However, the shade of the water changes depending on the time of year and depth - the lake can be orange or pinkish, and sometimes looks like an ordinary body of water.
But the most interesting and exciting fact is that the waters of Natron pose a real danger. Due to the high level of alkali, salt-saturated water causes severe burns if a person, animal or bird dives into the lake. It was here that many birds found their death. Subsequently, their bodies harden and mummify, becoming covered with minerals. Photographer Nick Brandt found many such bird remains here while collecting material for his book “Across the Tormented Land.” His photographs, which made this body of water famous throughout the world, became the basis of a legend that says that Lake Natron turns animals into stone.
Only a few species of animals can live here. For example, in summer time, during the mating season, thousands of small flamingos fly to the lake. They make nests on rocks and even islands of salt, and the temperature environment allows birds to breed without problems under the protection of the lake. Random predators do not wander here, scared off by the unpleasant smell emanating from the lake.
As for people, the Salei tribe of the Maasai clan living near the lake are real aborigines. They have lived here for many hundreds of years, militantly guarding their territory, which they use as pastures. By the way, in this area the remains of Homo Sapiens were found, lying in the ground for more than 30 thousand years. Apparently, it is not for nothing that the African continent is considered the birthplace of man.
How to get to Lake Natron in Tanzania?
There are no separate trips to Lake Natron. Get to it unique place There are two ways: either during a tour to the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, or on your own by renting an SUV in Arusha. However, keep in mind that an individual visit, firstly, will cost you more, and secondly, it will be very risky without a guide or guide from among the local residents.
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March 16th, 2012 , 01:10 pm
We went to Lake Natron at the very beginning of our big East African trip.
We picked up our cars in Arusha and hit the road! True, instead of three Toyota Hiluxes that we were promised, we received two Prado Land Cruisers in good condition, with automatic transmission, and one old broken-down Land Cruiser with a manual handle, which fell apart on the move and gave us many unforgettable adventures))
We were simply happy until the pigs squealed when our cars arrived! And it was like this. We chose a rental car company in Moscow (on the Internet) on the principle of “the cheapest” of those that were willing to give us a car in Tanzania and pick it up in Kenya. The evening before leaving for Natron, the cars were supposed to be brought to our hotel by 18:00. But there were no cars at 18, 19, or 20. We started trying to call our company (4x4 Kenya). A problem arose - how to call a Kenyan number from Tanzania.
The girls at the hotel reception even kindly gave us their mobile phones and tried to call us, but in vain. Either the number was wrong, or they didn’t know the Kenya code... “Eureka!” - one of them suddenly says. “A Kenyan businessman is staying in our room 210! He will help us!”
We are leaving with a delegation of 6 people led by a Tanzanian woman from the reception to room 210. Knock Knock. A well-fed Kenyan opens the door, his eyes widen, “Jambo!” The entrepreneur happily agrees to help us. We give him a piece of paper with the details. He takes it, looks at it, shakes his head. Numbers without area code. "This is very suspicious, I'm afraid you have been deceived. There are a lot of lying people in Kenya. They may have a beautiful website, but after they receive the money... How much did you pay them?" We transferred 20% to them. I immediately remember that before the trip they offered to transfer the full payment... But I still can’t believe it. So many letters of correspondence, a story about some incident in Ngorongoro, where our High Luxes broke down and we were promised Land Rovers in return.
Finally, the Kenyan, having correctly substituted the country code, dials one of the phones. We listen carefully to the conversation.
"Is this fo bai fo Kenya? I want to order a 4x4 car from you." Interesting:)
"And that's all you have? My friends, this is not a 4x4 car"
"My friends are waiting for your cars at the hotel in Arusha." Pee-Pee-Pee - they hung up.
Kenya smiles widely, revealing his snow-white teeth: “My friends, you were scammed! This is some kind of crap, not a 4x4 company.”
His smile is so wide and sympathetic to our grief that it’s hard not to believe him. We thank him. He sees us off, sighs heavily after us...
Let's go search the Internet to go to the 4x4 Kenya website. After a long search we find an Internet cafe that is already closing. We persuade the hostess to check her email for 5 minutes. We record phone numbers from the 4x4 Kenya website. The first phone differs from the phone on our printed confirmation. Everything is the same, but one thing is missing the last digit. Exactly, some kind of setup.
As a result, we arrange a meeting in the morning with the local Car Hire and go to bed...
The night was mysterious and enigmatic... Kirill had a dream... There was a knock on the door. On the threshold is the same girl from the reception. “Good night,” she says (in Russian!!!). A 4x4 representative arrived. He went to bed - in the morning at 09:00 he will be waiting for you at the reception. And the Cars? I didn't see any cars.
Then Kirill realizes that he is sitting on the bed and sleeping. And he didn’t even get up anywhere.... Bryaks continues to fall asleep.
In the morning it turns out that the guy from the 4x4 has indeed arrived, is sleeping and will be waiting for us at 09:00. Amazing! Soon our cars arrive. Hakuna Matata!!! Yesterday at 18:00 they just leisurely left Nairobi to visit us.
We fill out the documents, negotiate about the deposit (not in vain - one of them was never returned to our card), pack our things into the cars (this turned out to be difficult - especially because of the huge chairs that were given to us) and hit the road!
We flew 200 km on a good asphalt road quickly. There are 100-150 km left along the dirt road directly to the campsite near the lake. They took a long time to overcome, not so much because of the bad road, but because of the many stops for the first photos of real non-tourist Africa!
At first we were unable to drive past the famous baobab tree.
Then they couldn’t help but arrange a photo shoot for the local women who were collecting firewood.
Interestingly, everyone had a key hanging around their neck :)
We got a little stuck.
We met our first animals on this African trip! And not just somewhere in the park, but just anywhere wildlife! Just along a dirt road!
Donkey first))
Then a giraffe somewhere far, far away
Ahh! Zebras! Let's chase them! Didn't catch up))
Several Thompson Gazelles, which we from Namibia, out of habit, mistook for Springboks.
And finally, the Giraffe is very, very close!))
But it was already getting dark and we had to hurry. We still need to find our campsite, the location of which we had little idea of, and set up the tents for the first time, which were included in the full camping equipment for the cars.
It got dark. Having passed several gates, at each of which they collected money from us (it is not clear why - this place is not a national park), following the signs and advice of locals, we finally found our campsite! They gave us a site for tents and even helped us set them up.
In the morning we immediately went to the lake! Fortunately, it shone as a wide blue spot on our GPS navigators. At first we were driving along the road around the lake, but the road suddenly began to go somewhere to the side. We returned and turned at random at one of the turns. Our column of three jeeps passed (all the way off-road - there were no roads anymore) a local village and drove along the bed of a dried-up river. According to the maps we are approaching Natron. Lake? Where is the promised red lye? Empty. Let's move on. Looks like this part has dried out. The surface is smooth. Ideal place to race and set speed records!
The petrol PRADO easily wins the race. He is already at the finish line when the diesel PRADO and the old Kruzak are just accelerating. Something is really bad for Kruzak. 4x4 mode failed. The soil becomes wetter and the wheels get stuck. It's slipping.
The 4x4 mode could only be reproduced in this way:
During the rainy season, everything here is, of course, under water. But now, the water on the horizon seems to be very close!
We throw the cruiser, squeeze into 2 PRADOs and go to the water! We have to get there! Where are the flamingos after all?! Out of season? Let's go, let's go. It’s getting scary that we’ll get stuck even on all-wheel drive PRADOs. We stop. Let's look back...
The abandoned Cruiser stands in the water. Damn it! It's all a mirage! No water, no flamingos, no life!
We turn around and go back. It was not possible to defeat Natron in a rush. Time is short - climb Ol Donio Lengai at night! You need to look for a guide in the village for the ascent. At the same time, maybe he will still have time to find flamingos for us today!
It becomes very difficult for the Kruzak to drive back. It gets stuck at every step.
Not a soul met
but as soon as they wilted, Maasai helpers came out of nowhere!
Time passed and they couldn’t get the car out. It turned out that we did not have a single cable, and the jacks were broken...
We drove one of the cars to the camp in search of the cable. But while we were driving, the guys figured out to remove the branch cutters from the car and use them as a cable! Hurray, we pulled it out!
On the way to the camp we found water! True, without flamingos... But clearly alkaline.
The Maasai immediately appeared! Where do they come from!
They dropped off the mother, child and grandmother to the village. 7 people in the car - Fun and cool on the Prado!))
Finally we returned to the campsite. We left most of the group to rest and went to the village to look for a guide for climbing Ol Donyo Lengai. The night promised to not be easy. They found a noble guide. Named BURA. A respectable man, 56 years old. As he told us later, he has been leading tourists to Vulcan Peak for 20 years. Before that, she was herding sheep. Well, basically similar professions, we thought))
There was still time until evening and Bura kindly agreed to find us a flamingo! Yuhhu! It turned out that in the morning we went to a completely different part of the lake.
We took everyone from the camp and within half an hour of driving we were at... the lake. This, of course, is also not Tanganyika or Baikal, but still there was a little more water than we found during the day.
And it certainly wasn’t a mirage!
And Flamingo! There were flamingos too!
We admired flocks of flamingos flying from place to place (which we kindly asked them to do))) against the backdrop of the setting sun. And above us, above all this pristine African nature, towered the majestic volcano Ol Donyo Lengai, which just recently (in 2007) powerfully erupted, throwing powerful streams of lava from its crater.
It hung over us so menacingly and powerfully that we absolutely could not believe that overnight (start at 00:00, elevation difference 1700m, Crater at an altitude of 2900m) we would climb it and meet the dawn on the edge of the crater. At that moment we could not even imagine how difficult it would be. Looking ahead, I will say that we did it! Only 5 people out of 11 who started! But they did it! But more on that in the next post. Very soon))
