Yesterday we left Drakensberg early in the morning to drive to Lesotho, which is a small country in South Africa.
We crossed the border, got another stamp in our passport and I was confronted with the poverty of this country immediately.
Little huts made of corrugated roof boards were their shops or people just sitting on the streets selling junk.
As we drove to Malealea, the clouds cleared and blue sky with sun and white fluffy clouds appeared.
I smiled. Thinking about the fact that I am able to do this.
Travelling makes me humble again, makes me appreciate what I have.
Yesterday evening I was talking to a South African and he was saying how he wanted to see Europe some day but that he had to save for a trip like that for two to three years.
Because the Rand is really low and travelling for South Africans is crazy expensive.
Travelling makes me me again. I know this may sound a little bit odd to read, but I guess in Belgium I sometimes feel trapped in my life there.
I don't really know how to explain it really. But I like the me on the road better than the me I am back home.
Where was I? Oh yes, beautiful Lesotho.
We reached our lodges somewhere in the afternoon. The rooms were old, but we appreciated a bed because after Lesotho, the real camping would begin...
Looks like I'm not the only one that's not super excited about setting up the tents.
I walked around the area and Lesotho is absolutely gorgeous. The mountains just made me so peaceful.
As we checked in we were told that there was running water daily from 6am-8am and from 6pm-8pm.
Electricity would come on from 6pm to 10pm.
There is severe water shortage in this part of the world and I guess in Lesotho also an electricity shortage.
Well, I got to say, it sure makes you appreciate running water and electricity a whole lot more when it's suddenly not there.
We looked at the activities for the next day and there was horse riding to a waterfall on it.
I signed up for that one together with 4 others of my group. But before signing up, we took a look at the horses first. We didn't want it to be skinny horses in bad condition. But they were well treated.
We were gonna be on a horse for 5 hours, yey!
We left around 9am and the surroundings here are stunning. I can't even begin to explain how it looked.
Picture a perfect postcard of beautiful mountains, blue sunny skies and a few white fluffy clouds.
It really was as if we were walking through a picture perfect postcard or a scene of a movie.
We were going down mountains so steep I sometimes thought: if my horse slips right now, I guess they can arrange my funeral.
The cliff was right next me, as I looked down my legs got weak.
But the horses were used to it I guess.
The first stop after 1,5 hours was the waterfall.
Well, waterfall, since there is a severe water shortage, there wasn't much of a waterfall left. You are supposed to swim there but it was just a little stream.
We got back on the horsed and continues for another hour and a half to a nice spot up a mountain to have lunch.
As we got back to the lodges, We all felt it in our legs, but apart from the sore muscles, I loved it! It was the most beautiful horse ride I ever been on.
All sweaty and dirty we wanted to shower but.... No water until 6
So we just took a little walk to the village where some the houses don't even have water or electricity inside.
They have one tap in the middle of the village with drinkable water. But if they want to do laundry they have to go to the river.
The kids were cute, waving and asking for candy.
Wearing torn clothes and played with an empty plastic jar.
Compared to what kids have in Belgium, wow, gives me goosebumps thinking about that...
Such a different world here...
As I'm about to shower (almost 6 o'clock) I gonna finish this blog with the following:
Please appreciate what you have, we are living in a mean world sometimes, but don't forget it's our only world and it can still be a beautiful place.
Tomorrow I'll be on the bus to the wild coast for 12 hours (leaving at 6am) so probably no blogging about that.
My friend, big hug from me, hugs are free in every country!
xxx
Tania
We crossed the border, got another stamp in our passport and I was confronted with the poverty of this country immediately.
Little huts made of corrugated roof boards were their shops or people just sitting on the streets selling junk.
As we drove to Malealea, the clouds cleared and blue sky with sun and white fluffy clouds appeared.
I smiled. Thinking about the fact that I am able to do this.
Travelling makes me humble again, makes me appreciate what I have.
Yesterday evening I was talking to a South African and he was saying how he wanted to see Europe some day but that he had to save for a trip like that for two to three years.
Because the Rand is really low and travelling for South Africans is crazy expensive.
Travelling makes me me again. I know this may sound a little bit odd to read, but I guess in Belgium I sometimes feel trapped in my life there.
I don't really know how to explain it really. But I like the me on the road better than the me I am back home.
Where was I? Oh yes, beautiful Lesotho.
We reached our lodges somewhere in the afternoon. The rooms were old, but we appreciated a bed because after Lesotho, the real camping would begin...
Looks like I'm not the only one that's not super excited about setting up the tents.
I walked around the area and Lesotho is absolutely gorgeous. The mountains just made me so peaceful.
As we checked in we were told that there was running water daily from 6am-8am and from 6pm-8pm.
Electricity would come on from 6pm to 10pm.
There is severe water shortage in this part of the world and I guess in Lesotho also an electricity shortage.
Well, I got to say, it sure makes you appreciate running water and electricity a whole lot more when it's suddenly not there.
We looked at the activities for the next day and there was horse riding to a waterfall on it.
I signed up for that one together with 4 others of my group. But before signing up, we took a look at the horses first. We didn't want it to be skinny horses in bad condition. But they were well treated.
We were gonna be on a horse for 5 hours, yey!
We left around 9am and the surroundings here are stunning. I can't even begin to explain how it looked.
Picture a perfect postcard of beautiful mountains, blue sunny skies and a few white fluffy clouds.
It really was as if we were walking through a picture perfect postcard or a scene of a movie.
We were going down mountains so steep I sometimes thought: if my horse slips right now, I guess they can arrange my funeral.
The cliff was right next me, as I looked down my legs got weak.
But the horses were used to it I guess.
The first stop after 1,5 hours was the waterfall.
Well, waterfall, since there is a severe water shortage, there wasn't much of a waterfall left. You are supposed to swim there but it was just a little stream.
We got back on the horsed and continues for another hour and a half to a nice spot up a mountain to have lunch.
As we got back to the lodges, We all felt it in our legs, but apart from the sore muscles, I loved it! It was the most beautiful horse ride I ever been on.
All sweaty and dirty we wanted to shower but.... No water until 6
So we just took a little walk to the village where some the houses don't even have water or electricity inside.
They have one tap in the middle of the village with drinkable water. But if they want to do laundry they have to go to the river.
The kids were cute, waving and asking for candy.
Wearing torn clothes and played with an empty plastic jar.
Compared to what kids have in Belgium, wow, gives me goosebumps thinking about that...
Such a different world here...
As I'm about to shower (almost 6 o'clock) I gonna finish this blog with the following:
Please appreciate what you have, we are living in a mean world sometimes, but don't forget it's our only world and it can still be a beautiful place.
Tomorrow I'll be on the bus to the wild coast for 12 hours (leaving at 6am) so probably no blogging about that.
My friend, big hug from me, hugs are free in every country!
xxx
Tania
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