Our early start was negated by terrible traffic near Jo’burg and faulty navigation (my fault) so it took us eight hours to reach the Malealea Lodge in Lesotho. Although the name sounds Hawaiian, I assure you we are a universe from the Islands.
The border crossing was a hoot. Passports are stamped on the South African side, then you stop at a gate, pick up a ticket, give the ticket and M$5 (or R$5) to the Lesotho guard. You get the ticket back and have to insert it into yet another gate. Crazy.
But this is more like the Africa we expected to see. First, these people are black. They never give into the Boers and declared their independence from South Africa at the time of democracy. So although they are poor, they still have their pride, something I saw little of in South Africa.
Most of the people we saw were kids on the long walk home from school. It seems everyone spends a lot of time on foot; literally, since most people don’t have shoes. The adults wore shawls, some drab and others brightly colored, as they tended cattle for sheep. Some rode horses or donkeys and one was in a cart pulled by a cow. There appears to be little electricity or running water, what few cars we saw were junkers and everyone was looking for a ride.
We’re staying in a rondaval – two beds and an electric bulb – in lieu of pitching our tent. Hot showers and kitchen facilities are nearby so it’s much like camping. After dinner we watched a local chorale group sing native songs followed by a funky band playing native instruments. Mick, the proprietor, sets it up but they rely on donations from the audience. Fortunately there are two busloads of tourists here for the night. I don’t know how many will be on our overnight pony trek but it should be fun. The stars are perhaps even more brilliant than at Kruger, a real contrast from the smut and pollution around Jo-burg. They’ll learn!
Tomorrow night we will stay in some mountain village and on Saturday, our 10th anniversary, we want to splurge one a rondaval with en suite plumbing, and dinner at the lodge. Our 5th was in Maui and our 10th is here in Lesotho.
