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16th december - 27th december

Overlanding across Afica in our Land Rover Defender: Tanzania

Andy Lees
2006-05-16 13:31:11

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/>beyond the volcano the terrain was increasingly barren. we drove through the blackened gullies left by lava flows and over drifts of yellow sulphur. the heat and light intensified, reflecting off the lifeless rocks of the valley floor. in the distance lake natron shimmered, merging with the heat haze. its alkaline waters sustaining no vegetation, the pink smudged border of flamingoes was the only sign of life. certainly, we were in the heart of africa, but it felt like we'd journeyed to the centre of the earth. i was reminded of the film of the same name and thought that its crudely crafted dinosours wouldn't look out of place.

at the edge of the escarpment, a stream sustained a few trees, some masai, their cattle and surprisingly, several very basic campsites. throughout east africa the masai are shrewd exploiters of tourism. it is perhaps this saviness, combined with the strength of their cultural identity, that has allowed them to preserve their cultures, traditions and lands at a time when many other tribes (or "cultural groups") are losing theirs. lake natron and ol doinyo lengai present one opportunity for the masai to get some of the vast tourist income that flows into the neighbouring parks. so, having paid our $60 entrance fees to the village, we stumped up a bit more to camp in a secluded spot near the river.

the question that was on our minds was whether or not to climb the volcano. the guide wanted $90 to take us. not an unreasonable amount considering the treking prices quoted in our guide book, though still a good night's wage for a teenage masai in a small village - you would think. more of an issue was that it just sounded horrendous. start walking around 1 am (to avoid the heat of the day), walk in the dark for 4-5 hours over volcanic bolders and scree at an increasing incline and altitude, see sunrise, walk back down again. plus a chance of getting wet. on the plus side, you would get to see lava - yes, ...