East African Trance Dancer on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Victoria. Photoset.

I visited there for the day after a week on safari in the Grumeti and Serengeti where I’d been to witness the annual wildebeest migration. Mesmerised by the magnitude of nature, I had also wanted to cast my eyes across the continent’s largest body of water while in the area.

After lunch under a basic shelter — as I was not in a glossed over ‘touristy’ destination, but rather invited by my safari guide, this dancer arrived and moved to the rhythmic sound of the drums, jumping, thrusting, shaking with an intense passion, his eyes rolled back and the white cross he was wearing rising into the air, casting a shadow on his chest.

Translike, escaped, free abandonment — and more than a little haunting.

Originally published at https://theincidentaltourist.com on May 15, 2020.