The folks at Gladioloa Adventure in Arusha thought Elia would be a good guide to show us around northern Tanzania for 9 days. They were right. Raised by his Maasai grandfather, Elia has a deep understanding of animal behavior, not only spotting lions, leopards, and cheetahs at a distance, but anticipating where they would move so we could position ourselves and wait for them to wander by. His knowledge of the animals and how best to interact/photograph them, combined with his insights into the geology, cultures, and history of the region enriched our experience more than I can say. Plus, he’s an easy guy to be around.

Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Wassiye,” Habib Koité; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.

Some extra goodies, just for Substack subscribers:

Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan is a reader-supported publication. To receive bonus material, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe