Tanzania - Thursday September 11, 2003, Lake Natron, trip back to Arusha and Mt Meru Lodge

Lake Natron is a closed basin in the Great Rift Valley, north of the Oldoinyo Lengai. It receives all the rainwash from the neighbouring areas, in particular from the Lengai. This means that the Natron is very salty, mostly from the natro-carbonatites from the Lengai, hence its name. Pink flamingos like the salty banks because they feed on the algae that grows there.

The Lengai, the right slope is exactly what we climbed, 09:32

09:58

09:59

10:01

10:01 - Pedro and the flamingos

10:03

10:04

10:04

10:04

10:04 - The Rift

10:06 - The other side of the valley

10:06 - Lake Natron grows during the rainy season and floods these areas

10:07

GPS data from around Lake Natron.

The road from Lake Natron and Engaresero back to Mto Wa Mbu (this is almost straight south). The so-called road is just a dirt track which crosses dozens of river beds (dry at this time of the year).

10:25 - Quite often it was better to go off the tracks, it was smoother

10:33

10:45

10:46 - A tower (or totter) of giraffes, which did not enjoy our presence

10:46

10:46

10:46

11:04 - The Lengai from the east

11:07

11:07

11:10 - A Kori Bustard fluffing its neck (to impress the females)

11:31

11:33

11:34

11:52

11:55 - Two Maasai ring villages

11:55

11:56 - The Kerimasi in the middle and a last view of the Lengai on the right

12:13 - Engaruka

12:31

12:32 - From our vintage point during the lunch break

Mount Meru Lodge, a very welcome place after a hot and dusty day.

17:05 - Pedro vacuuming the equipment

17:05

17:24 - Gaston diving in the water

17:24

Mount Meru behind, 17:33

Last updated on Sat May 1 05:54:14 EDT 2004 by GhG.