{"id":16600,"date":"2026-06-29T09:25:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T09:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiddenpowerofafrica.com\/?p=16600"},"modified":"2026-07-03T08:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T08:33:03","slug":"pot-vzhajajocega-sonca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiddenpowerofafrica.com\/en\/2026\/06\/29\/pot-vzhajajocega-sonca\/","title":{"rendered":"Journey of the Rising Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ali<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0\u2026is our friend from Zanzibar. Actually, he was our first friend on the island. His full name is Ali Dude Bakari. Dude is his father, and Bakari was his grandfather. When we first arrived in Zanzibar, he was working at a hotel and made our initial experiences on the island much easier. Ali also owns a travel agency here in Zanzibar. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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About 8 years have passed since our first visit, and now we\u2019re both true \u201cZanzibarians.\u201d Ali is one of the few people who has stayed with us from the very beginning until now. It\u2019s such a great feeling to have \u201cyour own\u201d person on the island\u2014someone you can rely on even when other \u201cfriends\u201d drift out of your life for various reasons\u2026<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And, interestingly, Ali has never been on a safari in mainland Tanzania. Nor has he ever flown on an airplane. So, during one of his completely spontaneous visits to us, Aruna and I decided to take action. We invited him on a safari in our safari vehicle, with me as the guide and driver. Aruna stayed home on the island\u2014she had plenty of work to do\u2014but, honestly, a week-long trip was just what I needed to deepen my understanding of driving, the car, guiding, animal migrations, and accommodations, and perhaps to see and get to know a new environment\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And off we went. First, onto the plane. A real safari plane\u2014we flew in a Cessna. From the island to northern Tanzania. Actually, with the flood of tourism in Tanzania, I\u2019ve often missed out on a real \u201csafari\u201d flight like that\u2014in a small plane\u2014to at least somewhat satisfy my desire for a primal, adventurous exploration of this wonderful part of the world. And yes, it\u2019s still possible. That\u2019s exactly what I\u2019d love to share with our guests. So, the Cessna is booked and the airline is set.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Out of the corner of my eye, I kept an eye on Ali throughout the hour-and-45-minute flight; as he later told me himself, he had a hard time coming to terms with traveling high in the air. Well, the ice was broken\u2014it was Ali\u2019s first flight\u2014and we soon landed in the cool north of Tanzania. Yes, it was cold, but I say that solely from the perspective of an islander who is warmed most of the year by warm tropical winds and the intense equatorial sun. So, not so cold that any European would actually be freezing. We landed at an altitude of about 1,400 meters, where the northern Tanzanian highlands begin. A volcanic region where continents were formed millions of years ago, in the area of the Great East African Rift Valley, which I love so much.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ali eagerly climbed into the safari vehicle and was definitely ready from the very first moment for a great tectonic adventure. And that\u2019s exactly what it was\u2014an adventure and a tireless drive through the extraordinary landscapes of northern Tanzania.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Aruna and I \u2013 two weeks earlier\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Let\u2019s go back just a little bit in time\u2026 Two weeks earlier, at the end of May, Aruna and I visited part of this route together. I was truly struck by how quickly the wilderness changes. The end of May also marked the end of the rainy season over much of mainland Tanzania. Aruna and I still caught some dark clouds and even a bit of rain back then, though mixed with plenty of sunshine. Everything was in bloom. The grasses, the wildflowers\u2014everything was bursting with life. The grasses were tall and a deep green. A wonderful experience, especially when compared to the parched grasses at the height of the dry season, somewhere between August and October. So, northern Tanzania in May offers an abundance of green, blooming plants, and the fragrant air given off by the grasses and wildflowers. And, of course, the birds\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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There are countless birds, both resident and migratory. The migratory birds arrive from all directions\u2026 From Central Africa, the Lake Victoria region, southern Africa, and even from Europe and Asia. Early mornings are especially beautiful. Around five in the morning\u2014especially if you\u2019re sleeping at a campsite in the park\u2014you\u2019re woken by an orchestra of thousands of birds. It\u2019s incredibly beautiful, and definitely something I\u2019d recommend everyone experience.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And the two of us slept in the park. In fact, we were the only guests at the campsite. The rainy season in Tanzania is the off-season, when there are far fewer tourists than, say, in August, when convoys of safari vehicles flock to the Serengeti to take \u201cselfies\u201d during the Great Migration. Well, I don\u2019t know about that\u2026 We\u2019ve always sought out quiet corners of the wilderness, steeped in silence and filled with unexpected, unplanned opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Expect the unexpected. That\u2019s it. A thought that has stuck with me over the past few years of exploring the wilderness of northern Tanzania. Not because I wanted it to, but because nature and the trails here simply present themselves that way. Unexpected events\u2014and also the willingness to change your planned route at the last minute\u2014perhaps simply because, or perhaps primarily because, your intuition tells you to.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Every day in the wilderness is a lesson in intuition.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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With a wounded lion\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Throughout my own journeys and ours together, I\u2019m always on the lookout for lions. How they move throughout the year, where the permanent lion prides are, where the large males roam, where the lionesses with their cubs make their dens\u2026 So in the early mornings, along with the first birdsong, I often get in the car and drive out of the camp in search of the king (or queen) of the animals, who often moves sleepily along the dusty trails of the national parks in the early morning. And I searched for four days, every morning. I followed the tracks of large paws that I found on the sandy road\u2014still fresh. And yet, to no avail. The tall, fragrant grass at the end of the rainy season quickly hides the big cats, which blend in perfectly with their surroundings. Sometimes you miss them, even when they\u2019re resting just a few meters away from you. That said, I wasn\u2019t left unimpressed, for I encountered herds of elephants\u2014mothers with their calves\u2014who often approached curiously and sniffed at the car. And then there were giraffes, ostriches, jackals, several species of antelope, gazelles, impalas, eagles, and vultures\u2026 One morning, a leopard was even resting on a distant baobab tree after a night of hunting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Just as I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn\u2019t see a lion (or lioness) this time, on the second-to-last day of our trip, Aruna decided to join me on a morning drive. In a typically relaxed and lighthearted atmosphere, we got into the car together and admired the sunrise over the African savanna. No words, just a play of colors and the intense surge of nature\u2019s vital energy. Wonderful. The desire to encounter a lion had already faded from my thoughts; all that remained was a sense of wonder at nature and the scent of the fragrant late-May air. We were alone, no other safari vehicles around us\u2014just the two of us, the savanna, the trees, the animals, and my usual banter, which only Aruna laughs at\u2026<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAt sunrise\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLonely baobab\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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At one point, Aruna suggested we turn off the main road and head east. We came to a grassy area where a baobab tree stood majestically every hundred meters. And then on, to a marshy area where water from the heavy rains of the past months still lingered. We greeted a herd of water buffalo, who stared at us motionlessly, warning us not to get too close. And on we went through a landscape that was somewhat magical, where low grass in shades of gold grew from the white sandy soil. Flocks of birds flew overhead in the morning joy, and the buffalo called to one another with piercing sounds not far away\u2026 And suddenly, right in front of us, right next to the car, a light brown head with a mane rose up\u2014the mane growing in a narrow line along the crown like a \u201cmohawk.\u201d Yes, he was there. A lion. Alone. It was an unusual encounter, quite a ways off the beaten path of the classic safari routes. He looked at us wearily; I turned off the car myself, and we sat there in silence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBuffalo on alert\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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He was basically resting in the morning sun, letting his head drop and looking at us again, sort of in waves. Then he decided to get up and slowly made his way a few meters forward. Limping and exhausted, he covered those few meters and lay down again. Lions can generally seem very tired in the mornings, especially after intense nighttime hunts. A nearby herd of buffalo hinted at a turbulent night. In large groups, buffalo can quickly injure predators, and large male buffalo will by no means easily allow a lion to catch a calf. It often happens that buffalo injure or kill lions during attacks. It is also not necessarily the case that the lion was alone; females with cubs could very well have been resting somewhere in the surrounding shade. Another possible explanation for this lion\u2019s vulnerability was that he had been driven out of his pride by other aggressive males. Lone male lions often band together with other loners to attack existing prides and take control of them. The attackers typically try to kill the ousted males to eliminate the possibility of future counterattacks by \u201creinforcements.\u201d They may also kill the cubs of the previous males, thereby making room for their own \u201cgenetic legacy.\u201d These conflicts can lead to various outcomes in the ceaseless cycle of life and death in the magical yet cruel wilderness.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mohawk\" watches us\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mohawk\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnd he was gone\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In any case, there he was, the lion, bathed in the late-morning sunlight. And he was moving slowly across the golden savanna. His story remained a mystery to us; we could only speculate about the possible reasons for his limping. He rose several more times and watched us intently before we decided to leave him to his solitude, to lick his wounds and rest. I was immensely grateful to Aruna and her intuitive guidance that morning, which led us to a new friend, to the \u201cMohawk,\u201d who surely remembered us as well. In the silence, in solitude, with no other visitors, just the three of us\u2026<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The next day, I returned to that area. The buffalo were gone, and there was no sign of the lions either. A good sign. We\u2019ll meet again, \u201cMohawk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Two weeks later...\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u2026Ali and I set out on our safari in the same area where Aruna and I had admired the sunrises and formed a new friendship with the lions. The area had changed dramatically in such a short time. The rain had stopped, and the nights were exceptionally cold. Yes, in these parts, they call June \u201cwinter.\u201d When the temperature drops to 16 degrees Celsius at night, and the days can be quite cloudy and not too hot\u2014around 26 degrees\u2014these are wonderful days for a safari. Elephants began returning in large numbers to the river, where there is a constant supply of water. The surrounding grasslands, as well as those further afield, had served their purpose during the rainy season. Zebras, too, were arriving in endless herds in the heart of the national park. And antelopes, gazelles, impalas\u2026 The animal kingdom of this region had grown in both number and density at an incredible rate over the past two weeks. The wildflowers had almost finished blooming, but the natural grasslands were still quite lush and a deep green\u2014just under a month before they would begin to dry out. Even the marshy areas where rainwater had pooled were slowly shrinking. Everything was changing. But one thing remained the same: the drives at sunrise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ali is a true Zanzibari, a Muslim, who woke up every day for the first prayer before five in the morning anyway\u2014and was thus ready for the first rays of the sun every morning. At six, we drank the coffee they\u2019d prepared for us as a \u201cwake-up call,\u201d and then we were already on our way\u2014even before breakfast. Ali, his mouth agape, marveled at the wonders of his homeland, which he was seeing for the first time, and he just wouldn\u2019t get out of the car. And so we drove on\u2026<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRemains of a stratovolcano \u2013 crater\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNobenega hitenja. Ko je potrebno, po\u010daka\u0161...in \u010daka\u0161...\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In seven days, we covered about 750 km, much more than I had imagined at the start of the trip. Much of the driving was on trails through the wilderness, and only a few roads were paved. One day, I drove our good old Toyota for 17 hours. Tiring? Yes. Worth the trip? Absolutely! We drove through most of the northern part of the great tectonic rift in Tanzania, through dramatic, breathtaking scenery where savannas, lakes, mahogany forests, steppes, and rocky volcanic landscapes alternate with large dormant stratovolcanoes\u2014constantly reminding you of the time of tectonic shifts (both past and future). We drove through villages and visited some artist friends of mine\u2014painters who immortalize the Tanzanian landscape in their daily work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We saw a huge number of animals and also visited my Maasai friends in the Lake Natron area, at the foot of the Maasai sacred mountain Ol Doinyo Lengai (the Mountain of God).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView through the windshield\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHungry\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA beautiful stop by Lake Manyara\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccommodation along the way \u2013 below the Great Rift Valley\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGreen, how I love you green\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAll you need\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tElephant calf taking a dust bath\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHippos grazing\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tZebras in a watery paradise\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe road\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFriend and artist at work\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaasai man\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaasai women\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOl Doinyo Lengai\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Theater in the Wilderness\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As we were walking along the shore of Lake Natron, we were joined by Luka, a Maasai boy whom I\u2019ve been seeing in this part of the lake for quite some time. Luka is part of a group of young boys and girls who sell Maasai jewelry and souvenirs by the lake. I rarely experience so much joy, vitality, and good cheer in one place\u2014even by African standards. Every time I go there, they get excited and call out from afar: \u201cAlja\u017e from Zanzibar!!!\u201d or \u201cThe gentleman from Zanzibar! Where\u2019s your wife? Where\u2019s Aruna?\u201d Well, Aruna wasn\u2019t with us this time; it was just the three of us guys\u2014Ali, Luka, and me\u2014the three musketeers on the shores of Lake Natron.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLake Natron \u2013 Luka\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPelicans at Lake Natron\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNatron\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOur car at Lake Natron\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ali was enjoying the views of the lake, the colonies of Lesser flamingos, Egyptian geese, vultures, and numerous flocks of smaller birds, while little Luka suddenly started his \u201cshow.\u201d All on his own, barefoot, he began dancing across the dried-up lake mud, instantly creating a dance symphony\u2014an unusual mix of expressive dance, imitations of animal movements, and gymnastic moves. The weary vibe of the long journey and drive instantly transformed into pure playfulness and joy, as if the entire surroundings were dancing with him as he merged and became one with the rhythm of Mother Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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With his dance, Luka, like a sort of shaman, set the tone for the rest of our journey: playfulness, relaxation, living in the moment, joy.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAli captures the moment, Luka dances\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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