ILake Manyara, enwebeka amakhilomitha angu-50 phansi kwentaba yaseRift Valley enamamitha angu-600 ukuphakama, iyigugu elihle, elinendawo ehlonishwa ngu-Ernest Hemingway ngokuthi “inhle kakhulu engake ngayibona e-Afrika”.
Isekethe encane yokubuka izilwane eManyara inikeza umbono omncane wesipiliyoni se-safari saseTanzania. Ukusuka esangweni lokungena, umgwaqo udlula ebangeni elikhulu lehlathi elinamanzi angaphansi komhlaba elifana nehlathi lapho amabutho ezimfene anamandla ayikhulu ehlala khona ngaphandle kokunaka eceleni komgwaqo, izinkawu eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zigijima ngokushesha phakathi kwezihlahla zasendulo ze-mahogany, i-bushbuck ethambile inyathela ngokuqapha emthunzini, kanye nezinyoni ezinkulu zehlathi ezishaya ikhwela ngomsindo endaweni ephakeme.
Okungafani nokusondelana kwehlathi yindawo enamanzi amaningi kanye nemibono yayo ebanzi empumalanga, ngaphesheya kwechibi eline-alkaline, kuya eziqongweni zentaba-mlilo eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ezikhuphuka zisuka eMasai Steppes engapheli. Imihlambi emikhulu yezinyathi, izinkumbi kanye nama-zebra ibuthana kulezi zindawo ezinotshani, njengoba kwenza izindlulamithi – ezinye zimnyama kakhulu kangangokuthi zibonakala zimnyama uma zikude.
Ezweni elisezansi kwentaba-mlilo, ibhande elincane lehlathi lomtholo liyindawo ethandwa kakhulu yamabhubesi adumile aseManyara akhuphuka izihlahla kanye nezindlovu ezinamahlombe amahle. Amabutho ezilwane ezinamaphiko ezinde agijima phakathi kwezihlahla zomtholo, kuyilapho i-dik-dik encane kaKirk idla emthunzini wayo. Ama-klipspringer amabili avame ukubonakala ehlotshiswe emadwaleni ngaphezu kwensimu yeziphethu ezishisayo ezishisayo ezikhipha umphunga futhi ziqhume eduze nogu lolwandle eningizimu yepaki.
IManyara inikeza isethulo esiphelele sezinyoni zaseTanzania. Kunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-400 eziye zaqoshwa, futhi ngisho nomuntu ovakashela i-Afrika okokuqala angalindela ngokunengqondo ukubona eziyi-100 zazo ngosuku olulodwa. Izinto ezivelele zifaka phakathi izinkulungwane zama-flamingo anombala opinki lapho efuduka njalo, kanye nezinye izinyoni ezinkulu zasemanzini njenge-pelican, ama-cormorant kanye nezinkalankala.
