I’m staying in Maji ya Chai, a village on the Eastern outskirts of Arusha. The name means “tea water.” Maji ya Chai is a busy place, but I found a tiny enclave of wilderness on a footpath just a few hundred yards away. It’s a small water hole in the remnant of a savannah. They say that in rainy season cape buffalo come here to menace all who come near. But for now, the buffalo are elsewhere. While it lasts, I am enjoying sunrises here, hoping to spot the dik dik who leaves tracks around the pool. No luck with the dik dik yet, but the morning birds are a treat. The little pond is almost dry but still attracting tropical waterfowl. This hamercop and juvenile ibis seem to enjoy fishing together.
