We were walking on a gentle pace revealing a diversity of the landscape, forests, wetlands rocky plains and a high Mt. Meru dotted with game. The shimmering Momela alkaline lake has again attracted flamingos, crown cranes and another unique shorebird with its distinctive black and white plumage and the thin upturned bill the pied avocet.
The bush was loud but not everything making noise was visible. All unnatural noise is removed, no vehicle no people was seen enabling us to listen to the sounds of the bush and learn about the trees, plants birdlife and animas from our expert armed guide.
The air is fresh dry and exhilarating while we enjoy the romantic floral scenery as layers of vibrant blossoms unfold like a spilled palette rich yet gentle dazzling yet soothing.
We came across the sun bleached bones of a long dead giraffe lay scattered on the grass, as we approach a narrow path ahead we were fortunate to watch a beautiful and highly venomous snake Puff Adder that was puffing itself up and hissing loudly maybe sensing danger. Puff adder is often labeled as a dangerous snake, not because it has the most toxic venom but it is a snake that causes a number of human fatalities and severe injuries in areas where people live and work.
In silence we watch it inflate to create a hiss and deflate its whole body enough to trigger our survival instincts. The act seems as if it is a meditation exercise.
Walking safari always brings a better appreciation and understanding of the varied habitats and scene imbued with an even deeper sense of romance.
We enjoyed beautiful butterflies such as Fire lily and a male black wit white spots Common Diadem perched on a lantana camara flower.
Butterflies also migrate long distances like birds but scientists and enthusiasts are still working to understand how these movements happen. Painted Ladies breed using host plants in South Africa but it is not clear how long they find their way to Tanzania and back again. We come across a leopard with a cub crossing the road- she gazed at us briefly and disappear into a thick forest.
Every moment has been worth capturing out here in Arusha National Park, we have not just watched the bush, we have been part of it and everything we saw every sound and even the scent tells a story and our guide helped us read them all.
