When I was actively competing in geography competitions (yes, I was an extremely nerdy child), Lesotho stuck out to me because it was one of the few countries in the world that is completely surrounded by another. I always wondered why countries such as Lesotho or the Vatican chose to remain independent. This past weekend I finally had the chance to visit Lesotho during my weekend trip to the Drakensberg mountains.
As a prize from my charity swim the day before, I won a free horseback ride with Khotse Horse Trails. At 8:30am I promptly set off for a morning adventure with Emmanuel as my guide atop Midnight, the laziest pony in all of creation. Midnight was so slow and recalcitrant that Emmanuel actually gave me a stick to use as encouragement (NB: I used to ride horses as a child and a light tap with a crop or stick does not hurt the horse, it serves as a reminder to stay on task). Two others were supposed to be on my ride, but they did not show up, so I was happy to have a private session. Emmanuel picked up right away on the fact that I actually knew how to ride, so we cantered off over the brown fields of the berg, with spectacular Monk's Cowl above us. We rode all the way over to the dam where I swam the day before and back. The trail took us through some forested areas, over hills and down dales. I hadn't ridden a horse in a long time, so it was a great experience for me, despite my slow Lesotho pony.
I got back a little stiff, but exhilarated from the early morning exercise. We hopped in the car and headed out of the berg and towards Clarens. Clarens is an artist's town located in a spectacular sandstone butte landscape that reminded me of Arizona. En route, we drove through Golden Gate National Park, which features some of the best red sandstone formations in the area. With the brown fields of the dry season surrounding the cliffs, I felt as though I were in the American West. We drove through around lunch time, but at sunrise or sunset the rocks take on a gorgeous red color. Some of the formations reminded me of an awning overhang, showcasing the sedimentary nature of the rocks. It was altogether unexpected to find it in the middle of Africa to be sure.
Clarens was busy and full of families on Sunday excursions. We stopped at the Purple Onion to get some gourmet foodie stuff (and a decent coffee) and bought some oranges from a vendor who brought them all the way from Brits (up the road from my parent's house in Joburg). They were sweet and juicy.
After enjoying the atmosphere in Clarens, we headed towards Fouriesburg and Lesotho. The nearest border crossing is Calendonspoort and it takes about 40 minutes to reach there from Clarens. Unlike the Swazi and Mozambique border crossings, Calendonspoort is sleepy and quiet. You don't need to show your car registration papers and the Lesotho road tax is only ZAR20. As soon as we crossed the border, we saw plenty of young boys tending flocks in the fields as well as people walking wearing the traditional conical Basotho hat and colorful capes. Lesothans have round, thatched roofed huts like the Zulu, and most villages have both a modern square house with an accompanying round hut next door. We didn't have much time in Lesotho so we decided to drive a ways towards AfriSki, the ski area in the mountains, just to see some of the scenery. It turned out to be a spectacular drive! The mountains are rugged and jagged-shaped. Most fields are terraced, and I suspect in the wet season they would be lush and green. People waved to us as we drove by, and the roads were two lanes, but well paved. Overall I wish we had more time to experience the country, especially since we almost made it to the ski area!
The drive back to Joburg lasted about five hours. We were able to listen to the Germany vs. England World Cup match on the radio, so we only heard about the now infamous "Blunder of Bloemfontein" missed goal call. All in all it was a great weekend, and I suppose if I had the chance I would swim in the dam again.
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