Ruminations from the Plains of Africa to the summit of Kilimanjaro: Jumbo

"My love is in league with the freeway
Its passion will ride as the cities fly by.
And the tail-lights dissolve, in the coming of night
And the questions in thousands take flight."
Big Log by Robert Plant

"Jumbo.Jumbo."

You can say "jumbo" with a short "o" or enunciate a longer "o." The inflection conveys the emotion. "Jumbo" is Swahili for "hello." It is a greeting shared by friends, families, acquaintances, and even strangers. The word "Jumbo" rhymes with the word "mumbo," and when I first heard it, I immediately thought of dancing- a sort of communal togetherness shared by two or more individuals. It cuts through the social isolation establishing an immediate social connection with others. I appreciate the politeness, genuine friendliness, and hospitality of Tanzanians I've met on my journey. Nowadays, it is so easy to walk down the street or go about our day immersed with our smartphones and computers, without so much as a perfunctory "hello" to one another. I'm guilty of this, as my silent reverie of thoughts endlessly preoccupies my mind, or I'm singularly focused on the successful execution of my list of a hundred "to-dos" for the day. Well, not in Tanzania, where everyone says "jumbo" to one another, and to not do so is rude. Other most frequently used Swahili words are "Karibu"-welcome. "Asanti"-thank you. And of course" Hakuna Matata"-no worries.

Tanzania's history and cultural diversity is a unique story and one I'll delve into more deeply in another post. On a surface level, the country is comprised of over 100 different family tribes with distinct languages and customs. At the country's independence in the late 1960s, the tribes united under the government auspice and used Swahili as the common language and English as secondary. The country is composed of various regions, and in each area, there is one dominant family tribe. For example, my safari guide tells me that the leading family tribe is the Chagga family in the Kilimanjaro district.

I left the town of Moshi early in the morning headed on safari first to Lake Manyara. The road along the way was lined with corrugated tin roofs, cement blocks, and iron wrought bars for windows. There are numerous buildings in various stages of unfinished development. I was surprised to learn that it is not uncommon for a building project to take up to 9years before completion.

The land is underdeveloped. On occasion, I would see large plantations of coffee, banana, or corn. According to my guide, most large farms are government-owned or, in a few cases, privately held by very wealthy families. The majority of the land is cultivated for subsistence farming. Tanzania is fortunate to have a rich abundance of natural resources, which appear significantly untapped. It is undeniably evident that knowledge, technical know-how, and investment capital are all resources that could yield more opportunities and improve local quality of life if adequately allocated.

On occasion, we would drive by villages of the Masaai people. The Masaai people are pastoralists living from their livestock and now subsistence farming. The men traditionally wear a long red cloak to signify their rank and status. Their homes are built of native brush, and the plant stems are shaped like fingers which allow for secure interlocking of the branches to make a hut. The huts are then coated with cow dung to cement the shrubs. The Masaai are indigenous to East Africa but migrated to Tanzania to have a better life and protect their livestock. Tanzanians opened their borders to them, and the people now reside near the Lake Manyara for the freshwater supply and livestock-friendly animals.

As we entered the Lake, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of storks, pelicans, and other freshwater exotic birds grazing along the waters. In a short distance, a beautiful young male giraffe was feasting on the leaves of an acacia tree and staring at our jeep nonchalantly. I expected the animals to run or stampede upon seeing humans or hearing the jeep engine rumble. On the contrary, one confident male buffoon took his seat in the middle of the dirt road, resting one arm languidly on his knee and staring at us, utterly unfazed by our approaching presence. He called the shots, and we waited until he decided to go about his merry way before we continued on the dirt road.

My favorite wildlife sighting of the day was the blue-balled monkey. Yup, that wasn't a typo. The male gender of the African Vervet monkey species has a blue-tinted ball sac. It is a delightful Darwinian adaptation since only the male species are "blue balled," and this physical adaptation serves as a fitness signal to attract females.

It was late afternoon when we finished cruising around the Lake and headed to my first night at the safari lodge. To say I was feeling overwhelmed is an understatement. My mind was a morass of endless images of raw, untouched natural beauty. I was in awe of nature's majesty and my human insignificance, and it felt like the first time.

African Vervet Monkey (AKA Randy)