Lake Natron

Lake Natron, originally uploaded by ArcherVision.

Ah, Lake Natron!

This is a place that I always wanted to visit. This shallow salt lake is famous for it's pink color and an incredible amount of flamingos. As a perfect breeding ground, Natron is host to the two and half million of them that live in the Great Rift Valley.

My Masai friend Thomas, did a great job of sneaking close to the birds and waiting until I gave him the signal. Brad and John offered some blockage from the persistent wind oscillating the camera on what was never a perfect tripod. Once I had the RED ONE video camera set up with a lens filled with pink birds and the 4k sensor set for 120 frames per second...I was ready. I gave Thomas the signal and he scared up the flock, filling my frame with so many birds that I knew it was going to be a good shot.

The ground was pretty soft, and reminded me of a soggy version of the Playa at Burningman. Anyways, two out of three rubber leg caps decided to stay in the mud and were plucked out by Thomas. After getting a bunch of additional shots, I decided to head back to the truck, which was by this point good half mile away on what was the last of Terra firma. Not wanting to see my new Kata backpack camera case sink into the caustic pink mud, I instead bent over with the pack on while Brad and Thomas helped get the RED tucked away.

I would have liked to stay on the water's edge there following the birds and getting more shots. But with the solid feel of a RED ONE on my back, and the 8 person Land Rover looking much smaller than a Matchbox, I got walking. But, not before putting on the album I finally remembered I had on my new iPhone, Big Whiskey & The Grugrux King. Well, it was pretty sweet as you can imagine.

You know how music often becomes associated with trips. Well, this one will have a bunch of music from orphans to Masai Warriors, from organized groups with dancers, to an impromptu acapella treat by the porters on Kilimanjaro. But I will also remember this trip by DMB and Leroy Moore.

RIP.

Kilimangaro, First Look Back

Kilimangaro, originally uploaded by ArcherVision.

This is one huge mountain! I was pretty much just concerned with getting down, so I did not get a pic until this shot at somewhere about 14,000 feet, which is where I started to feel a little bit like I was going to live!

Although only 7 weeks post surgery, it was not my hernia that kept from the peak of Africa's tallest mountain, but the altitude itself. Of course, I knew I had a battle going in, being from about 300 ft and all. In fact, my tallest training hike was only about 2000 feet. Ironically, about the distance I came from the top. But, even though often the mountain wins...all is well.

I went to Africa! I climbed higher than any mountain in the lower 48 states! and, most importantly, I made it down under my own power. The rest of the story, is a long one. Many pics, posts and video to come!

Jambo!