We sauntered in to a sleepy Maseru on Sunday which was a great time to re-enter the city. We found thirty minutes of internet time at the mall before it closed and read the newspapers from the past week. I enjoyed catching up on the news: Mandela was released from hospital after a frightening pneumonia scare – it seemed as though all of South Africa was immobilized over it. Desmond Tutu gave the opening day speech at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein which we were sorry to have missed. South African farmers are suffering from the floods as produce prices have risen dramatically and I imagine foreign exports are down. Good for carbon miles I guess.
We stayed over at the Hillsview Guesthouse, an out-of-the-way place that seemed to cater more for locals than tourists, which was fine with us as it was quiet, comfortable, and offered DSTV cable. It also introduced us to the Basotho Breakfast Monday morning. First we had a sugary strawberry flavored yogurt. Then we were given a plate with two pieces of bread, a slice of cheese, a boiled egg, chopped bacon, baked beans, and a hot dog (which at least was a normal color, not the bright pink so common here). Served with a glass of so-called juice reminiscient of Tang. It was a meal we will soon not forget.
Before I leave my thoughts on Lesotho, there are a few things I forgot to mention. First is that the Sotho language is quite similar to Setswana, so we were at a immediate advantage already knowing quite a few words. That always helps. Second is that I found out that J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloem and the scenery for Lord of the Rings was based in large part on the craggy mountains of Lesotho. When his son came to visit Lesotho, he sent back drawings to his father who was fascinated with the terrain. That is pretty cool I think. Certainly no one has exploited that angle; there are no fairy lodges or troll villages. Third, and this is not exclusive to Lesotho, people are constantly asking me how many children I have and can't understand when I say we have none. It's a completely foreign idea to them. In Lesotho, I was offered two children. Needless to say, we passed...
Kestell, South Africda is where we are lodged at the moment, and we have had such a good vibe about this place that I think we will stay another day. We are at Karma Backpackers, a charming funky comfortable old house run by a hippie couple who retired from Joburg. Vera now makes the most delicious jams and sells them all over the country. I had pear pinotage and rosemary this afternoon with tea. There is also fresh butter and milk, so we are in no hurry to move on. Every room in the house is painted a different “Central American” color; for example our bedroom is a vibrant periwinkle and the bathroom is lime (with tangerine towels and curtains). There are wonderful pieces of furniture and quirky mosaics and artistic pieces of various mediums all over the house. The flower and vegetable gardens are gorgeous, and we happily save our table scraps for the chickens (although these are not as amicable as ours).
I ended up driving forty-five minutes into Harrismith late on Monday to see a doctor. Turns out I have ringworm (eeew!) which I am thankful for because I expected this alien abscess on my leg to be parasitic. The office visit with a topical cream only cost USD 40 – oh that American health care was so affordable! One of the interesting things about being in that city was the absence of English. I mean, we are in the Vry Staat (Free State), but the Afrikaans was intense. Everyone (black and white) I spoke to answered in Afrikaans only, except for the doctor. It was a little surreal, but my Afrikaans got me through the basics (although I ended up with large apricots instead of peaches at the roadside stand).
Kestell is located in the Eastern Free State at the start of the Drakensberg range. The landscapes are spectacular; it is very similar to the American Southwest with its expansive plataeus and red rocks. What makes it different is that there is so much green undergrowth. Yesterday we went hiking in the Amphitheatre, a magnificent bowl in the Royal Natal National Park that we hiked down part way and then back up. It really is a different experience having to hike up at the end. At the rim of the bowl stands the Sentinel, a Half Dome-like rock accessed only with a chain ladder. We had hoped to hike this, but the whole thing was shrouded in clouds, only peaking out just as we were driving away.
We've enjoyed walking around here, reading, studying maps, and talking. Internet is only available in the evenings, but last night the lightening storm canceled that. No problem. We watched Casino Royale, which is maybe the best Bond movie ever. When we do leave it will be meandering down into the Central part of the 'berg. But no rush...
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