Ibekwe embindini welizwe laseAfrika, ingafikeleleki ngendlela kwaye ikwiikhilomitha ezili-100 kuphela (iikhilomitha ezingama-60) emazantsi apho uStanley wabulisa khona loo mbuliso ungafiyo othi “Doctor Livingstone, ndicinga”, ngumboniso okhumbuza i-idyll yolwandle olusesiqithini solwandle lwaseIndiya. Amachweba amhlophe anombala wesilika ajikeleze amanzi aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka eLake Tanganyika, agqunywe luluhlu lweencochoyi zasendle, ezigqunywe ngamahlathi ezinde malunga ne-2 km ngaphezu konxweme: iiNtaba zaseMahale ezikude nezingaqondakaliyo.
Iintaba zaseMahale, njengommelwane wayo ongasentla iGombe Stream, zikhaya lezinye zeetshimpanzi zasendle ezisele eAfrika: inani lazo limalunga nama-800, ezihlaliswe ziindwendwe zabantu yiprojekthi yophando yaseJapan eyasekwa ngeminyaka yoo-1960. Ukulandelela iitshimpanzi zaseMahale ngamava amangalisayo. Amehlo esikhokelo afumana izidleke zezolo ebusuku - izithunzi ezinde kwigalari yemithi egcwele isibhakabhaka.
Iingceba zeziqhamo ezingatyiwayo ngokupheleleyo kunye nobulongwe obutsha ziba zizikhokelo ezibalulekileyo, ezikhokelela nzulu ehlathini. Amabhabhathane aphaphazela elangeni elinombala omdaka. Emva koko ngequbuliso uphakathi kwawo: nilungisa uboya bomnye nomnye obukhazimlayo ngeembumba ezixineneyo, nixabana ngomsindo, okanye nitsiba imithi ukuze nijike ngokulula phakathi kweediliya.
Le ndawo ikwaziwa ngokuba yiNkungwe, emva kwentaba enkulu yepaki, ebanjwe ingcwele ngabantu basekuhlaleni baseTongwe, kwaye ikwiimitha ezingama-2,460 (8,069 ft) yeyona ndawo iphakamileyo kwiindawana ezintandathu ezibalaseleyo ezenza iMahale Range. Nangona iitshimpanzi ziyindawo enomtsalane, amathambeka axhasa izilwanyana ezahlukeneyo zehlathi, kuquka nemikhosi ebonwa lula yeenkowane ezibomvu, iinkawu ezibomvu neziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, kunye neentaka zehlathi ezinemibala engaqhelekanga.
Ungalandela uhambo lwakudala lwabantu baseTongwe oluya kwimimoya yasezintabeni, uhamba ngeenyawo kumhlaba wehlathi leentaba – ikhaya leentaka zaseAngola ezihlala apho – ukuya kwiindawo eziphakamileyo ezinengca ezihonjiswe nge-alpine bamboo. Emva koko hlamba emanzini acwengileyo kakhulu echibini lamanzi acocekileyo elide, lesibini elinzulu nelingonakaliswanga kakhulu – elinomlinganiselo weentlobo zeentlanzi ezili-1,000 – ngaphambi kokuba ubuye njengoko ubuya, ngesikhephe.
