Looking over salt flats to current Lake Manyara shoreline
Mika adding salts and minerals to his diet.
We stayed at a tented lodge on the shores of Lake Manyara one night–a statement which is sure to draw up a very wrong image. Lake Manyara is a shallow lake of vastly varying footprint between the rainy and the dry seasons, and it was already retreating far from the lodge when we arrived shortly after the start of the dry season. It is an alkaline lake, known for its mineral salt composition, and its retreat exposes an expansive salt flats.
The crusted mud top concealed deep goo, keeping us from getting near the flamingos.
Zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, buffalo and other animals graze the salt flats, as well as goad herds of the Barbaig tribe, and the lake itself is famous for the pink flamingos that line its shores. We decided to take a morning walk toward the lake shore in hope of getting closer to the flamingos. The crusted mud dissolved into ankle deep grease long before we got near the flamingos. In the meantime, we came across two boys cleaning buckets of fish they had netted in the lake.
The fish were cyclids, a small fish which they would cook and dry and sell for about 10,000 shillings a bucket. They pointed to 2 friends still pulling nets in the distance. They were having a terrific day–it looked
Boy busy cleaning the morning’s catch of cyclids
His partner with a bucket of fish ready to go
like they already had 3 buckets worth, plus whatever more their friends brought in. Nearby lay 3 bikes.
Four boys, 4 pails of fish, 3 bikes, the village 5 km away–the math didn’t compute for Westerners. Mika asked if he could try one of the bikes. He rode it in a small circle, then turned it over to me. The front wheel wobbled so badly I barely stayed upright–bad bearings or even a broken axle, I figured. But I knew it wouldn’t keep these boys and fish from getting to town.
Mika riding one of the bikes. I got my chance next.