Ibekwe ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yezwekazi lase-Afrika, ingafinyeleleki ngomgwaqo futhi ingamakhilomitha ayi-100 kuphela (amamayela angu-60) eningizimu lapho uStanley asho khona leso sibingelelo esingapheli esithi “Dokotela Livingstone, ngicabanga”, iyisigcawu esikhumbuza i-idyll yasebhishi lase-Indian Ocean. Amachweba amhlophe acwebezelayo azungeze amanzi acwebezelayo eLake Tanganyika, ambozwe uchungechunge lweziqongo zasendle, ezimbozwe yihlathi ezinde cishe ngamakhilomitha amabili ngaphezu kogu: izintaba zaseMahale ezikude neziyimfihlakalo.
Izintaba zaseMahale, njengomakhelwane wazo osenyakatho iGombe Stream, ziyikhaya lezinye zezimfene zasendle zokugcina ezisele e-Afrika: inani labantu abangaba ngu-800, elijwayele izivakashi ezingabantu ngephrojekthi yocwaningo yaseJapan eyasungulwa ngawo-1960. Ukulandelela izimfene zaseMahale kuyinto emangalisayo. Amehlo omqondisi athola izidleke zangobusuku obudlule - izithunzi ezinde egalari yezihlahla ezigcwele isibhakabhaka.
Izingcezu zezithelo ezingadliwanga kahle kanye nobulongwe obusha ziba izinkomba ezibalulekile, ziholela ekujuleni kwehlathi. Ama-butterflies andiza elangeni elinombala oluhlaza. Khona-ke ngokuzumayo usuphakathi kwawo: nilungisa amajazi acwebezelayo ngokubuthana okuqinile, nixabana ngomsindo, noma nigxumagxuma ezihlahleni ukuze nijike kalula phakathi kwezivini.
Le ndawo yaziwa nangokuthi iNkungwe, ngemuva kwentaba enkulu kunazo zonke epaki, ebhekwa njengengcwele ngabantu bendawo baseTongwe, futhi iphakeme ngamamitha angu-2,460 (8,069 ft) ezindaweni eziyisithupha ezivelele ezakha iMahale Range. Futhi yize ama-chimpanzee eyindawo ekhangayo, izintaba zisekela izilwane zasehlathini ezahlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa amabutho abonakala kalula ama-colobus abomvu, izinkawu ezinemisila ebomvu neluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, kanye nezinyoni zasehlathini ezinemibala eminingi.
Ungalandela uhambo lwasendulo lwabantu baseTongwe oluya ezintabeni, uhamba ngezinyawo unqamula ihlathi lemvula lasezintabeni – ikhaya lohlanga lwenkawu yase-Angola i-colobus – uye eziqongweni eziphakeme ezinotshani ezihlotshiswe ngoqalo lwe-alpine. Bese ugeza emanzini acwebile kakhulu echibi lamanzi ahlanzekile elide kunawo wonke emhlabeni, elesibili elijulile futhi elingangcoliswanga kakhulu – eliqukethe izinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezilinganiselwa ku-1,000 – ngaphambi kokubuya njengoba ubuya, ngesikebhe.
