The morning reminds me of Lion King: the sun rises magnificently behind the massive Baobab tree next to our tent. Sounds of birds and insects fill the air. 

When I walk to the shower, I notice animals between the bushes. Beautiful steel blue birds hop around the camp. 

In the bathroom someone is cleaning,  and we joke around with my limited Kishwahili. These are happy people. 

At the tents, Didi and Kari have been baking pancakes, and the smell and the taste is great. 

To save time, they have baked very thick pancakes,  so we need only one for breakfast. 

Then we break camp and load everything onto our Toyota landcruiser. As we still have half a day before our permit expires, we drive to some water holes, where lots of animals are coming to drink. 

We really enjoy the wildebeest and zebra run into the water. Some even swim. The pool is so refreshing,  and all around it, the dust is whirled up by the hundreds of hooves, 

Which makes me wonder why the lake side is not green and full of trees. The same I noticed in the southwest of the USA, where there are hydroelectric dams that have created large lakes in the desert. There is no vegetation around those lakes. Why not? 

Around noon we say goodbye to Tarangire and leave the park. It's all so familiar now, and it was all so unknown when we came to register here two days ago. 

We follow the dirt road to the tarmac road (I notice they say 'tarmac ' here, and not 'asphalt'). And amidst the shacks and shanties, Sisi and I shop for vegetables and we even find dried fish. 

Then we follow the highway to Lake Manyara. The road is good. I would say: almost as good as in Germany, except for the occasional speed bump. 

The land becomes greener, more fertile. Gardens with light green vegetables appear along the road. We reach Mto wa Mbu, a pleasant small town.  Next to the road are drainage canals, and next to those are parallel roads, shaded by large trees, where people are selling fruits and vegetables, but also bicycles and fried chicken.  

Before we know it, we are through the town, and at the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park, where a shy young man in ranger uniform helps us to the registration desk. He is obviously young and inexperienced,  but hopes to be our guide.  

At the office,  a stern looking lady turns out to be very friendly.  She recommends us to return tomorrow so we can spend the entire day in the park for the same price. Se also points us to Jambo Campsite in the town,  which is only $10 per person,  rather than the public campground in the park for $30 per person.

We take her advice and after some searching find Jambo, a friendly shaded campground,  where 'Henry' tells us to put up our tents, where we can charge our phones, where there is even a swimming pool.  What civilization !

For dinner, Sisi treats us in the campground restaurant, for $10 per person. 

A group of locals with drums and singing comes to entertain the guests, so we quickly escape to our tents for another African night. 

Usiku mwema!