June 10th - Lesotho (pronounced Li-soo-too)
We got up before the rooster was crowing, so we could travel the 5hrs to get into the 4wds that would take us up to Sani Pass. The two pictures below are the highlands of Lesotho. It has a population of 2 million people (50% of which live below the international poverty line US$1.25/day) and the country covers 30,355 km2 which is an extremely harsh landscape. Lesotho's people have a hard life, they live at altitudes between 1,400m and 2,800m, their life expectancy is to aged 41 and it has the third highest rates of HIV in the world. Not to mention very little timber around so animal dung is often used for heating and if you really want wood it is an entire days walk return trip down to the lowlands.
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| These are the alpine hills of Lesotho's borders |
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Shahn on the steep climb up to Lesotho's border, still in SA territory and standing next to the Protea. |
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| One of the convoy vehicles and Garry - probably about halfway up to Sani Pass |
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The Mountain Kingdom.JPG)   Local Lesotho Cattle yards to protect livestock from jackals. |
The Bread the Hut owner baked, it was really good tasted - sweet as.
Tucky and Shahn
Listening to the story of the Hut owner, long story short mother died, no father, but has sisters and family two hours away (by car) and she uses this hut to sell products and food to tourists.
Locals in Lesotho singing and dancing for us
Combustable material for the fire (mainly dried cattle shit), as there is no timber to be found within about 1.5 hours walk of these rondavels.
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| The locals singing for us. After visiting the woman who owns the hut, you walked out of the hut blinking into the bright sunlight, eyes adjusting and itching from the strong smokey inside of the hut. The reality of how difficult these people have to live their lives, the hardships, the barren landscape, the freezing cold weather conditions from living at 2,500m above sea level but also how beautifully clean they keep their huts and communal areas. The contrast to how fortunately we have been born into our lives, how much we take for granted - a warm and dry home, disposable incomes, healthcare accessibility etc. I don't care what anyone says, living in a first world country offers so many opportunities that these people could not comprehend. I was so moved and humbled by this visit, our friend Jenna walked up to me with tears in her eyes - glad I wasn't the only silly tourist to have a cry at the guilty feeling of how blessed our lives truly are. (xx Shahn) |
Rondavels
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| Shahn and Tucky at 2,800metres about to have some lunch |
Standing above Sani Pass
Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
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