lesotho: journal

sani pass to mokhotlong - 2nd march

like swaziland, lesotho is a small independent kingdom completely surrounded by south africa. for trivia fans; it has the highest low point of any country in the world. you might want to think about that for a second - claire's still thinking about it. basically it's high. much of it up around 3000m. high enough to put a chill in the air and for the local horsemen to warrant wearing balaclarvas, giving them a menacing look as they gallop through the valleys.

 
wildflowers and village, sani top

having just ascended the sani pass to get there we were in no doubt about either the country's altitude or its isolation. it was quite a surprise to find anyone living up there at all. the small cluster of thatched circular huts in a meadow of yellow wildflowers looked like nowhere we'd seen in south africa. the highest pub in the world was the only concession to tourism and we stopped for a hot choclate with a view back down the pass.

we wanted to cross lesotho via the small mountain track marked on our map. it strung together numerous passes with names like 'god help me' and disected the orange river at an uncertain ford. it would take us through the heart of the country, the most isolated villages and hopefully the most spectacular views.

before setting off however, we wanted a little reassurance that it was passable, particularly the river crossing which the map labled as impassable in times of flood. it was about the middle of the wet season and the rains had been good. we asked at the border post with little success. rather discouragingly he denied the existence of the road, even though it was shown quite clearly on the map in his office. we ignored this set-back, he had after all been probably the stupidest individual we had encountered on the trip.

we didn't have much more success in the pub. they were very helpful, but we were stumped by a misunderstanding which has been common when asking directions in africa. understandably, many local people have no concept of a 'scenic' route. if there's a fast way or tar road, they take that. why wouldn't you? the question "can i take this road?", is answered by "where are you trying to get to?". explaining that we're not necessarily trying to get to anywhere is complicated.

as usual, we gave up asking advice and ignored the advice we did get and went the way we wanted anyway. we wouldn't reach the questionable river crossing until the next day, about three quarters of the way across the country. we'd just have to go and find out.

there were few vehicles on the road, the preferred mode of travel being horseback. young men wrapped in blankets cantered past, highwaymen came to mind. donkeys meandered onto the road, goats skipped down the passes, toddlers tottered on their legs towards the road to wave to the passing strangers. the villages lined the valleys, small stone communities - it could have been year 1805 not 2005.

 
typical views, central lesotho

at mokhotlong village we found the guesthouse we'd been aiming for but were a little uncertain about its local-house-in-the-middle-of-dusty-little-mountain-village looks. we were humming and harring from the road above the village when the local women beckoned us down. we chastized ourselves for being such pathetic adventurers and went down to what turned out to be a beautiful stone cottage with views across the valley.

mokhotlong to roma - 3rd march

we left early the next day. we had a long day of exciting driving ahead and still the possibility of a forced return trip. there was no other accommodation on route.

we wound our way up and we wound our way down. we followed the not-too-bad track from valley floor to mountain pass time and again. the splendour of the landscape didn't diminish, despite the concentration demanded by the slippery road and perilous drop offs.

the orange river appeared, meandering wildly in the valley below. it looked wide and forboding but the causeway was good. we crossed without problem and continued on our yo-yo trail until a final grand descent brought us to the country's comparatively low and populous western boundary. we spent a night at a comfortable guesthouse, reading by candlelight as the lightening storm that had knocked out the electricity flashed over the mountains behind. the next morning it was a short hop back into south africa.

 
the orange river

lesotho: accomodation

lesotho: other info

entry checks: no visa required. we didn't use the carnet (we stayed stamped into south africa) after swaziland where it was more trouble than it was worth. a fee of 8 rand was paid for something, calculated on the number of days we were staying.

costs: camping was slightly less than south africa and we didn't buy anything locally as there weren't really any shops.

money: the currency is pegged to the rand so we used this.

must sees: don't miss lesotho. it is unique. the mountains and villages are like a little bit of ethiopia marooned in the middle of south africa with a bit of cowboy action thrown into the mix. it is a kingdom hidden from the rest of the world behind its towering peaks. the eastern and central regions are both more scenic and traditional than the west.