Lesotho

I'm only 19 years old, but I'm beginning to understand that some moments in life stand out above the rest. Some experiences, some places you visit will stay with you in your heart and mind for a long time. For me, Lesotho is that place. While I only spent about 1.5 days in the Basotho highlands from last Thursday to Friday, my love for Lesotho and its people could not be any higher. Completely landlocked and surrounded by South Africa, I expected Lesotho to be just another part of South Africa that just happened to be a different country. But what I actually experienced was something totally unlike my expectations.

I had the opportunity to go to Lesotho (pronounced Le-soo-too), the tiny mountain kingdom in the middle of South Africa, for a field trip with my psychology class. Our goal as a group was to study the Basotho people that have lived in the Lesotho highlands for generations, raising cattle and surviving some of Africa's harshest winters. We were to do this by driving up the only mountain pass that accessed Lesotho from this part of S.A, spending the day on horseback through the highlands, and meeting with the local Basotho people in their villages to get a glimpse of how they live. Of the 53 total APU students here in South Africa, only 10 others were in my psychology class, so I felt pretty fortunate to be able to go on the field trip.

After driving about 2 hours to a border town on the South African side, we loaded up our packs and sleeping bags onto 2 tour guide vehicles that were going to take us up Sani Pass and into Lesotho. Despite being totally surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho is still a completely independent country, so we made sure we brought our passports in order to cross the border. So there we were, 11 American college students sitting in the bed of a Land Rover truck, ready to experience Lesotho.

The drive up Sani Pass was out of this world. Like I said before, we sat in the back of a truck, while our driver cruised down the dirt road toward the bottom of the pass. Once the road started to get rocky, and the curves became sharper, we began to gain elevation. Sani Pass is 1.5 lane dirt road (an improvement from the previous .5 lane road) that provides access between KwaZulu-Natal province and Lesotho. The pass winds up the side of a stunning valley, full of granite cliffs and steep green hills. As we slowly transitioned from farmland into a mountain environment, I began to see another side of Africa I hadn't seen before. Far from the savannas of the game reserves, the landscape here rose fiercely toward the sky, as the cliffs seem to taunt anyone who passed by with their extreme stature. The clouds crept closer and closer to the ground, until they blanketed the tips of the bright green hills with chilling effectiveness. Looking back toward the bottom of the pass, the countryside looked like a folded green blanket covered in brilliantly dark gray patches. We meandered to the top until we finally arrived at the modest Lesotho border post. With relative ease, our passports were stamped and we were ready to begin our Lesotho horseback adventure.

Sani Top Chalet marks the top of Sani Pass, and is the highest pub in all of Africa in terms of elevation (around 9500 feet). The rustic outpost sits literally on the edge of Lesotho, majestically overlooking the pass. We were greeted by our Basotho guides with horses ready for the 11 of us, and we were soon on our way toward Thabana Ntlenyana, southern Africa's highest point. The 6 hour ride would take us through the highlands and pastures of the Basotho, and climb toward the Thabana Ntlenyana. My horse was a specially-bred Basotho mountain horse - short but very strong. I hopped on the saddle and were soon on our way, with our guides Martin and James, who both spoke about as much English and I speak Sesotho. My horse was incredibly obedient and responsive, so I was able to pretty much put on cruise control and take in the scenery around me. I felt like I was well matched with my horse, as it was perpetually grabbing a bite to eat for almost the entire trip.

The first leg of our journey took us through a vast, wide-open valley. A small stream flowed about 2 kilometers away from us as we trekked on a small path wrapping around the side of the valley on a hillside. It was truly incredible to look around and see absolutely nothing but green fields, rolling hills, and tiny yellow flowers. It was frustrating because no picture I took could quite capture the beauty and solitude of the landscape. The vastness, greenness, and clearness of the land were too much for one picture to contain. We passed a few isolated Basotho shepherds tending their flocks, and we were generally greeted with a shy smile and an occasional wave. After a quick lunch break about 3 hours into our ride, we began our climb toward Thabana Ntlenyana.

Our unbelievably resilient horses made the climb a slow but steady process. Unfortunately, due to a late start and some sketchy weather, we had to limit our journey to an overlook of the mountain, as we did not have enough time to summit and get back before dark. At the overlook, our group ran into several Basotho shepherd boys, who shyly approached us at first, but were soon laughing with (more likely, at) us. Due to the extreme climate of the Lesotho highlands, the Basotho people are practically dressed in warm clothing. Each shepherd was dressed in what looked like a thick wool blanket, and a cloak that covered their entire body. The closest reference I can come up with is the Sand People from Star Wars. After a few incredible minutes of intercultural communication, we were on our way back down the, hoping to make it back to the chalet before rainfall or darkness. In turned out that we didn't need to rush, so the ride back allowed even more time for taking in the beauty of Lesotho. We even had time for a few gallop sessions through some grass fields. I felt pretty blessed for having the opportunity to gallop on a horse through an African meadow. If you ever get the opportunity to do it, I highly recommend it.

We arrived back at the pub, about 6 hours after we left in the late morning, and had just enough time to get cleaned up and moved into our lodge before dinner. Our accommodations were humble but cozy, as we got to experience a night without electricity. Dinner at Sani Top Chalet was fantastic. The cozy mountain pub provided a great atmosphere for eating (my new favorite) curry. We sat by the fire and digested the day.

The next morning, we enjoyed another cozy meal at the pub before heading out to meet with a Basotho guide in the local village. Our guide Edwin explained how life in the village works, and how the Basotho cope with their harsh natural environment. The Basotho are a mountain people through and through. They build their housing out of mud and bricks, with a thick thatch roof that provides a great amount of insulation for the Lesotho winters. Even in February, summer, temperatures can dip to near freezing. They either raise all of their food, or buy it from a the nearest town about 50 kilometers away. If a family doesn't make a lot of money, the children become shepherds after primary school. Life for the Basotho is about subsistence and survival, but they do not live bitterly or angrily. We were invited into a house to watch 3 Basotho women perform a dance and song for us, and we were greeted with smiles and waves from the local kids. While they may still have some things to learn about managing pastureland, I feel like the Basotho can teach me way more about life than anyone could teach them about agriculture.

The Lesotho trip was powerful, and on so many levels. Not only did I get to experience one of the most pristine landscapes in the world, but I was able to interact with and learn from a people group with a completely different lifestyle form my own. Lesotho is a special place, where I found a sense of spiritual and mental peace that I haven't experienced anywhere else. I think that you can see and hear God in places where it is quietest, where you can experience His presence free from human influence or distraction. For me, this place is Lesotho. The harsh green hills and cliffs of the Basotho highlands demand a constant peace, that penetrates the mind and spirit in a way that cleanses the soul at its deepest point. I am already looking forward to my return to the mountain kingdom of southern Africa.

Game Over

Moral of the story: make sure you don't plug in American 110V appliances into South African 240V outlets. Especially when you're getting a haircut, because it will start smoking and break. Then you will have half a haircut, and no hair-cutting appliance.

Drakensberg

After a busy week of classes, papers and a biology field trip, I was ready to have a low-key weekend full of rest. It was not to be, but I can't say that I was disappointed. Saturday morning, all 53 of us loaded up the buses with our packed lunches, sunscreen, water and cameras. We were headed to Giant's Castle in the Drakensberg Mountains northwest of Pietermaritzburg. Our destination was a historical site within the Giant's Castle nature reserve - cave paintings created by the San Bushmen people of South Africa, thousands of years ago.

Our drive into the Drakensbergs was incredible. As we drove northward out of PMB, the suburbs slowly faded, and the rural side of South Africa came into view. We slowly gained elevation driving on the 4 lane highway, and the surrounding landscape revealed pockets of forest among the bright green rolling hills. The occasional squatter camp passed us by, full of children kicking a soccer ball around or women carrying heavy bags on their heads. The road became more and more narrow, and I soon realized that we were no longer driving on a highway, but a single lane road ripe with potholes and farm animals. Our driver Phillip must have had a tough time dodging goats in between the potholes.

Our arrival into Giant's Castle came about 2 hours after we left A.E. As I got out of the packed bus, the scenery was absolutely stunning. Towering green hills surrounded us inside a valley that extended toward the even steeper mountains just north of us in Lesotho. A few cliffs revealed several waterfalls that drained into the stream at the base of the valley, meandering peacefully alongside light brush, beneath a bright blue sky. Our group of 53 was a little too big to hike into the caves where the paintings were, so we split into two groups. One group would eat lunch and wait for about an hour while the other hiked to the caves. So I munched on my pb & j sandwich and explored a bit while the others viewed the paintings. The hour went quickly, and we were soon on our way toward the caves.

The 1 or 2 kilometer hike to the paintings itself was worth the drive. It had been a while since I threw on some hiking shoes, so I was happy to be out on the trail again, no matter how short the distance. We began the hike at a slight uphill grade on the side of a hill looking down to the stream, and up to the edge of the valley. We hiked without canopy cover for about 3/4 of the walk, until we eventually crossed the stream at the bottom under a nicely shaded covering. we stopped for a quick tree-climbing break, then hiked up the hill eventually reaching the caves.

A tour guide greeted us at the beginning of a walkway that led us to a viewing platform inside the caves, which were essentially naturally hollowed out cliff sides. The exhibit was set up with life size models of the San people, who were no taller than 5'8". It was amazing to see how evidence of humans who lived over 2000 years ago still clearly existed. The roof of the cave was charred black from fires that burned thousands of years ago. Incredibly, the artwork of the San remained intact on the rocks of the cliff side. Red and orange shaped that resembled humans and animals stood out sharply on the dull gray rocks. It was hard to believe how paintings made from completely natural materials could survive that long. The hunter-gatherer San of thousands of years ago have left their mark on the history of South Africa.

As we descended the cliff side toward the river we were ahead of schedule, so we decided it was a good time to test out the swim-a-bility of the stream. My experience with mountain streams taught me to expect a freezing cold rush of whitewater and a pretty miserable soaking. The stream in Giant's Castle however, was much warmer than a Rocky Mountain river, and was perfect for swimming. The sun was out in full force, so it was a perfect time to go swimming, and a perfect ending to a South African summer day.

Braai, Curry and T.I.A-ing in Umzinto

This past weekend, all 53 of us traveled to the coast near Durban for our Intercultural Communication field trip. Before we left, all we were told is that we would be "camping" near the beach by Durban, and we were going to meet up with some of Indian community of the region, and go to church with them on Sunday. So Friday afternoon comes along, and we begin to pack up for the weekend stay off campus. Our planned departure time was 2:30, but as this is Africa, we ended up leaving around 4. This was just the beginning of it.

As I wrote earlier, South Africans have a saying, T.I.A - this is Africa. One of the biggest things I learned about South African culture this weekend is that people view time during the day as just an unfolding of events - circumstances control people, people do not control circumstances. Essentially, fatalism runs the culture here in an often obnoxious time-wasting way. It's a bit of an adjustment for me, a time-is-money, always-hurried American. Due to about 5 unplanned stops, including one 3 hour delay because of car failure, the normally 2 hour drive took us about 6 hours. By the time we arrived in Pennington, the "camping" spot by the beach, dinner was done and over, and everyone was going to bed. Even though we were staying at a beautiful, amenity-stocked cabin near the Indian Ocean, it was a little hard for me to stay positive because of all the T.I.A shenanigans. I ate some leftovers, and looked forward to a new day.

The new day did arrive and with it, a new outlook on the weekend. I was able to walk around our cabin community in Pennington, which looked a whole lot more exciting in daylight. We ate breakfast, swam in the pool for a bit, then got ready for our drive into Umzinto, a rural community near Pennington. A 20 minute or so delay later, we were on our way to Umzinto for a 45 minute walk-around experience. Umzinto was a fascinating place, full of stereotypical African street vendors, small shops and a crowd of people who looked nothing like the 53 of us. Indian and black crowds flocked toward grocery stores and clothing vendors. Beggars and unemployed vagrants crowded the alleys and gutters. Traffic through the central business district was a thick mix of taxis, beat down trucks and pedestrians. To say we stuck out like a sore thumb would be an understatement. Nonetheless, we walked around browsing stores and buying nick-knacks and souvenirs, all while taking in a truly foreign culture.

We concluded the day by driving down to a small beach town named Scottburgh for a dip in the Indian Ocean. Being only the second ocean I'd swam in, I noticed both similarities and differences to California beaches. Just like any other beach on a Saturday, people crowded the grass elading up to the sand, which was marked by a busy scene of beach soccer, sunbathers and kids playing. As soon as I took a step into the water, however, I felt like I had just stepped into a warm, extra-salty bath. The water was unbelievably warm! As I got deeper, and finally went submerged, I got a taste of the saltiest water I've ever tasted. Despite the hot saltiness, I had a wonderful time at the beach, and even got to play a pickup game of rugby against a few local South Africans. Best part - we beat them! As you can imagine, they weren't too thrilled about losing to Americans in rugby, but they were good sports through and through and we all had a great time.

The evening came along, and we began our braai (South African barbecue) under the supervision of our Intercultural Comm. professor. Later on, when the meat was sizzling and the air smelled of curry and grilled chicken, we met up with a local group of Indian-South Africans, whom we invited over for dinner. They were very shy at first, but as soon as we brought out all of the food, everyone was laughing and having a good time.

Our final day in Pennington was Sunday, so the 53 of us were divided into groups to attend local churches in the morning. The church I ended up going to met in an old movie theater with no air conditioning - I was warned the temperatures could get up to 30+ degrees Celsius during the service (85+ Fahrenheit). Nevertheless, I threw on my long sleeve button-up shirt and jeans, and got mentally prepared to fight a heat stroke. They weren't kidding either - I've never experienced temperatures like that indoors, apart from the times I've burnt my hand on the oven at home. Despite the heat, it was a great service, and such a good experience to attend a church completely different than my church back home. We were warmly greeted, and even invited to an authentic Indian lunch after the service. I am now seriously addicted curry.

The dreaded drive back to Pietermaritzburg was approaching fast, and we all prepared for another 10 hour voyage inland. While we were a little late leaving, our drive took us exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes from Pennington back to campus in PMB. I guess we'd had enough T.I.A for one weekend. I hope this post doesn't come off as too complainy, because I really did have a great weekend. T.I.A is definitely something I'm still adjusting to, but it's surely teaching me something about patience and adjustment. Now, I've got to go find some curry to munch on in between classes.

Safari time

For today's biology field trip we drove to Tala Game Reserve, a private game reserve near Durban. We packed our lunches, gathered our waterproof gear and loaded the bus, only to find out that our driver was nowhere in sight. About 45 minutes later, and after some kind of communication breakdown, we were on our way. Time in Africa is much different than in the U.S- people value conversations and the general flow of life way more than being on time. One of the first South African phrases we learned was "T.I.A" - this is Africa. T.I.A. means that being punctual takes a backseat to conversations, meals, and pretty much anything else South Africans find more important in life. After a pretty quick 45 minute drive through cow country, we arrived at the Tala Game Reserve. Tala is located on a piece of land that was used for cattle and crop farming in the past, before being converted to a wildlife park about 20 years ago. Upon arriving, just like all of the Discovery Channel shows, we saw a pair of canvas-roofed land rover safari vehicles waiting for us.

We loaded up our packs onto the rover, as I waited in anticipation for my first African safari. Our drive began through a grassland plain, dotted with zebra, wildebeast, kudu and cranes. The grazers were scattered about the countryside in an almost too-perfect setup, some coming within 15 feet of our truck. After passing through a medium-sized zebra herd mixed with ostriches, we descended a small hill, as our land rover navigated the rocky, muddy road down the slope. We entered a bushy area, and as we peeked out of the other side, a group of about 5 or 6 white rhino were grazing about 20 feet away. These things eat SO much! The entire 5 or 10 minutes we spent watching them, they simply munched away on the grass, pretending like we didn't exist. It definitely made for some quality pictures. Just up the road form the rhino, I saw a small grove of trees. All of the sudden, I saw an enormously tall, yellow speckled neck. About 10 giraffes were munching on the trees, grouped together as a cluster of skinny, long-necked leaf-eaters.

We completed our loop in about 45 minutes, stopping for our short field assignment for our biology class (I was definitely in safari-mode, not school-mode). I felt it was decent trade - some vegetation field study for a real-life African safari.