My Penultimate Working Week!

As time is passing by, I’m beginning to sense that my Lesotho experience is getting closer to the end. However in my usual way I’m trying to make the most of it and have had yet another busy week to remember.

At work I have been working closely with the web developer to try and ensure that the content I developed for the website is going up and all in place – it would be nice to have this done before I leave. I’m also trying to tidy up the other bits of work like the communications plan and strategic plan in time for my final day on the 15^th of March.

Last week, on Tuesday I played football at the kick 4 life centre (amazing work they are undertaking up on this project education through sport), and I think it’s safe to say that out 5 a side team which included myself and John (another Welshman on the ILO initiative) as well as my Cameroonian friend Robert a South African and a , was clearly the best.  It was amazing playing on the hill, looking across the valley to the lightning flashes, though I wish I could say the same for my playing – rusty wasn’t the word, decent in the link up play, very poor finishing…never mind  - a knock to the ankle didn’t help matters. After the match I went to a friends house for a tasty curry and watched the Man Utd vs Real Madrid game before heading home for bed.

The rest of the week was fairly quiet and I wasn’t very well, so a half day Thursday and a day off Friday were taken to recharge my batteries which thankfully left me feeling much better. Friday night was the leaving do of a friend Danny, so we gathered at his after food to catch up, the non-drinking policy a part of my recovery and sensible approach, yes I am capable of being sensible when needed….

Then early on Saturday I headed to the highlands of Semonkong ‘the place of smoke’ with John, Vanessa, Stephanie and Fadi, the journey may only be around a 130km, but the roads can be tough going (it’s a good time to go as the Monday is a bank holiday – the King’s birthday!). Thankfully we were in good spirits and enjoying the stunning scenery as we passed through Roma, Ramabanta and then up towards Semonkong. However on one of the many steep bumpy hills there was a huge truck that had lost control and jack-knifed across most of the road, the only passing point was a modest yet fairly narrow part of the road on the outer edge, we all left the 4x4 and Fadi did a great job of getting it around and up the hill.  The many ditches, divets and general parts of the road that had been taken away made the journey funny, bumpy, yet comical – John in particular was having more of a fairground experience in the back than that of a drive. The rewards of the drive were huge, each corner turned opened up a new spectacle, stunning views, cows across the road, suicidal goats chancing it…and pretty much anything you could imagine. I don’t know how people could do this route in winter!!

We finally arrived at Semonkong 2 hours and 45 minutes later. Well worth the effort. We immediately had to sign in and unpack the vehicle in time to sign up for the abseil (training has to undertaken the day before) we were soon perched above the small cliff (30 metres up) and being talked through the safety equipment and procedures.  The local guys were great as we did our 3 separate practice runs, John and then Fadi deciding that the abseil wasn’t for them. For me though it’s a personal challenge on a huge scale, heights are not generally something I cope with very well.

Now when I say abseil, the abseil I signed up for in the world’s largest commercial abseil at 204 metres high down the edge of a waterfall, so pretty epic stuff for a novice like me. The rest of the day was spent chilling and just enjoying the tranquillity of the countryside, whilst Fadi and John when on the Donkey pub crawl around the village.

The pool table at the bar soon became my place of residence at only 2 Rand a game (13.7 Rand to 1 Pound) it was ideal, and overall remaining unbeaten for the entire day and night was a great feeling! He-he. The evening meal was also amazing, a real treat – a steak!! And a good quality one at that, I have been missing food like this. The creamy butternut squash soup that preceded it was also delicious. Heading back to the dorm at the end of the night, tired yet happy was a great feeling.

The early wake up call, at 7:20am, a quick wash and then hit the road, Banana for breakfast in hand. The truck ride to the top of the falls was great, seriously bumpy, blaring Basotho music – fun times! The adrenalin and seriousness of my decision soon kicked in when I saw the height of the falls – adrenalin rush galore. In the group around me I could also sense the trepidation kicking in, joking around and keeping positive I tried to keep the morale high, even more breath taking scenery all around. When we arrived at the point, we put on the safety gear and then relaxed (tried to at least) as the girls all got ready to go first (the friction of the rope as it gets wetter makes it more difficult to go down, so as the girls were lighter it made more sense for them to go first). However it takes each person roughly 10-15 mins to descend, so as everyone stepped off the edge I waited two hours for my turn.

Then finally it was upon me, the 7^th person to go off. I can honestly say that I was beyond nervous; however, not doing it wasn’t an option – time to bite the bullet! The sheer expose to that magnitude of height and open space was enormous. The step off the ledge really tough especially as the first 30 metres or so your feet don’t touch the rock you are just sat there suspended in mid air, and then you start to spin, the views are staggering, but the look down to the tiny dots of people at the bottom kind of took away the appreciation, wow this is high up! Mentally I just talked myself through it, slowly, slowly – one foot and one pull of the rope after the other progress was good.  Soon enough I was in the groove, and pulled out my camera for a picture – deep breath, look calm I said to myself. As the abseil continued the enjoyment was there, but the desire to have my feet on terra firma was definitely something I was looking forward to. The spray of the waterfall near the bottom was refreshing, yet makes the rocks all wet and slippery, controlling mainly with the hands to feed the rope through was the only option. I finally land and then the team member at the bottom helps me to the ground to unclip. The walk along the slippery rocks away from the landing spot is almost as tricky as the final part of the descent.  

Finally I make it up to the group and I can relax, have a drink and watch the final two come down. Only seeing them allows you to see the true perspective of the size of the abseil, they are ants barely 1/100^th the size of the drop. So happy I made it!

The ascent up through the valley also delights. It is truly wonderful, some of the most stunning views I have ever seen, like a super mini grand canyon. The hike up is hard as the heat of the midday sun has arrived and its steep narrow paths require intense concentration. We climb steadily and after 30-40 mins we are finally out of the valley, looking down at all its splendour.  We travel back, everyone having completed it in good spirits, yet tired. We arrive back and have food before embarking on a lazy afternoon.  John and Fadi go off to enjoy the pubs on their donkeys – they return in good spirits and full of laughter.

The evening meal this time is a veg soup followed by some tasty lamb chops. We then spend the night relaxed at the bar before retreating to Fadi’s patio – we sit outside, a glass of rum in hand and look up at the milky way and all the stars in the sky wrapped in our blankets– I must have seen at least 7 shooting stars and make plenty of wishes.  A magical evening in good company!

The following day John and Vanessa walk to the waterfall and Steph and Fadi take the horses, I relax a read my book and have a few interesting chats with some visitors.

They all return, we have lunch and hit the road. The journey back is as stunning as the one there, and we make good progress – arriving home I put my feet up and relax.

My final working week ahead!

St David's Day and Malealea

Another working week has come and gone as time seems to be flying. The website is slowly moving forward as we update the current content. My main duties for this week will be to write up a report of the work I have done and prepare a presentation for the board here highlighting key areas of the work that is done and recommendation on how it can be improved.

On Thursday night – the schedule was busy, after work I headed out with some friends to a book swap event at the house of a Dutch couple who have lived here for some years, this rush was then followed by a dash to the Alliance Francaise in town to watch a French film “J’aime regarder les filles” – a comedy and enjoyable enough if you get the chance to see it. We then set off to the “Good Times” bar for a few drinks and a boogie with friends.

I hope you all had a great St Davids Day / Dydd Gwyl Dewi (the National day of Wales).  I think I probably had the most surreal yet absolutely brilliant St Davids Day I will possibly ever have.

Having worked for a few hours in the morning, I headed to Matsieng with my friend Ellie. Polly who is also on the Welsh Government programme is based there and was invited to a local school, St Louis to celebrate St Davids with them – having told them she had friends from Wales, we were all invited – though unsure about what we were letting ourselves in for we set off. The heavy rain and thunder followed us most of the way – but within the hour we had arrived and were stood in the office waiting for proceedings to begin.

Soon enough we were ushered into the main hall – guests of honour at the celebration, the first thing I see is a girl dressed in full Welsh traditional outfit, what!!? Yes very random and certainly not what I was expecting. Though she seemed very happy a great big smile across her face. We then sit down and proceedings are soon underway.

The way they are celebrating St David’s here is by getting the children to showcase dances that represent the tribal groups of Lesotho – dance after dance, some just a dance, whilst other groups backed by choirs and drums, we sit at watch as if some judges on Britain’s got talent – only these kids have serious talent. Fantastic outfits, colours and dance and some of the singing really moving stuff and an absolute pleasure to watch, great stuff! It would be great to see these performances at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen.

We are then whisked off for food – the teachers have all made dishes – stunning and delicious, the pumpkin, chicken and variety of traditional dishes, something to really savour. (Thanks for sorting this Polly!!) a unique experience and insight into Basotho culture.

We then head up to the Royal Archives where Polly works, a beautiful setting on top of the hill opposite the Royal Palace. The rondavel huts on the hill used to represent a home for each wife of the King; today’s modern King (who studied at both Bristol and Cambridge Uni) only has one wife so these have become part of history, the building nearby is Lesotho’s first Post Office, still fully functional. We’re are greeted by Polly’s colleague and begin a short tour, before we are interrupted – the King has arrived with a friend and bodyguards and to look at the progress the project is making. Time to make haste, we need to get to Malealea lodge before it gets too late, as we wait the cold chill and rain remind me of Wales – this is the first time I have felt cold since I arrived.

The journey to Malealea ends up being quite the adventure, and we laugh at the craziness of it all.

Finally we begin to climb up to the gates of paradise as you get closer to the lodge and village – the scenery is stunning, beautiful hills and valleys stretch for as far as the eye can see. It’s great to escape the city.

We arrive, grab our bags and head for our accommodation – drop the bags, then head for a deserved beer! Iechyd da!! The silence and relaxed nature of the lodge is fantastic. We then head to the kitchen area to cook our food.

Saturday morning and we’re up at a reasonable hour after a good night’s sleep, Polly and El head off to get their horses for the trek, however my back is pretty sore so I decide to trek it – a 5 hour trip to see some ancient cave drawings and then to the waterfall. My guide is 18 years old and called Tseipo, he lives locally in the village and has lived here his entire life. We set off down the valley and I ask him about life here – he tells me he lives with his sister, his mother works in South Africa and sends money home and hid father passed away some years ago…the reality of life in a remote village in Lesotho.

We have a good rapport, and he’s happy to walk fast so good news for me. We stop at the first village and he explains the system of chiefs that exists in the area and how it all works. We then continue further down towards the river and follow it towards the ravine. We arrive ahead of the horses and wait for them before we scramble down towards the paintings – some as new as 400 years ago, others deemed to be between 5-8,000 years old…Polly provides excellent insight into the paintings and how the compare with others she’s seen worldwide, meanwhile El’s geological knowledge gives an insight into the landscape features. After scrambling back and forth to the various caves we head back up and set off on the next adventure – to the waterfall. On foot we follow the river, crossing back and forth, jumping from rock to rock – it reminds me of crossing rivers in Snowdonia, though the 30+ degrees heat doesn’t! J

After a couple of hours we arrive at the waterfall, no sing of anyone else but us. We stop for lunch and sit in silence, with only the noise of the waterfall – a great place to sit, think and relax. I go for a paddle, then eat my lunch, and finally the girls arrive. I wait for them as they paddle as their arrival has prompted the arrival of a very small crowd of young men. They are soon out of the water and I turn back with Tseipo, heading down river.  We race along the river bed, until I’m in the water that is, a thoroughly soaked foot and laughter for my efforts. We then share a snack bar as the heat is energy sapping.

Another hour passes as we turn up the ridge towards the lodge, we are there and I tip Tseipo, thanking him for his patience. My friends have also arrived at the Lodge, a good bunch – we head for a nice refreshing beer at the bar. We relax and order dinner, as it begins to get later a choir sing on the lawn of the lodge, followed by a local ‘funky’ band using handmade instruments – the ambience is great and we sit back and enjoy. Soon enough it’s time for food, the t-bone steak and potatoes and pumpkin are pretty tasty. The chocolate cake and hot custard afterwards also hit the spot.

We then head to the communal kitchen lounge area with our rum and coke and pass the night away in good company playing charades! Great fun – my friend, Reinko’s interpretation of ‘Tinkerbell’ was a highlight.

The morning brings with it a slightly sore head, but not too bad, the amazing views and a dip in the swimming pool are great tonic for this. A nice lazy day, playing Frisbee, relaxing poolside, drinks and music….all is well apart from the fact that I forget to cover my feet in sun cream and end up toasting them – not for the first time in my life, d’oh!!

As the day draws to and end we finally pay up and leave, head up the dirt track and back to Maseru, a short stop at the gates of paradise with the sun going down caps it all off perfectly. Good company, good adventures, fun times and a relax!

 

A weekend adventure in the Highlands

Forgot to mention in previous blog – a huge thank you to the Cardiff Bay Office ‘ The Bayside Tigers’ the t-shirt El delivered fits perfectly and brought a huge smile to my face, you’re all stars, and thoughtful ones at that! J

A half day on Friday, before the chance to shoot off and escape city life. Food shopping and then our journey sets off – Me, El, Polly and Motselisi. As soon as you get out of Maseru on the expansive roads the scenery opens up. The small villages and towns by the roadside bring all manner of sights as we head northwards.

We are soon passing quarries, small industries and lots of children randomly dancing by the roadside, not sure why, but I guess why not – if you have to dance, then you just have to!

The main danger to us en route, apart from the speeding taxi’s, are the speedbumps, sometimes with no apparent warning and barely visible (as the paint has worn off), the appear in strange places and are of considerable size – Motselisi is driving, so luckily we are in good hands. We all chuckle as we pass through ‘London’ – it could be further apart from the big city of the same name – and neither could the city compete with its views.

The road to Katse Dam is possibly one of the most beautiful car journeys I’ve ever been on – a 3-4 hour journey into the heart of the Lesotho Highlands, the Maluti Mountains. After a few hours we start to climb (keep in mind Maseru is already at around 1600m altitude) we continue to climb and climb, the mountains ever closer and the views breath taking.

The anthem of our journey is set by the Erykah Badu CD, the captivating mountains perfect soundtrack – this is what I wanted to see.

A sharp increase in the roads gradient as we pass by the side of the ‘tearful mountains’ – so called because of the continuous flow of water that always runs down them. The sheer feat of engineering to build this magnificent road leaves you is awe.  The signs of beware of the snow are a reminder that this place in winter must be near impossible to climb. We reach the summit and pull over for a break – we are at 3090m altitude and as we look back down the valley it’s clear to see this is the Mountain Kingdom – the chill in the air refreshes my mind as I begin to relax, mountains make me feel at home.

The landscape on route is not too dissimilar to the Brecon Beacons – just on a scale that is incomparable. The green lush grass means there are plenty of young shepherds roaming about, wrapped in the hats and blankets wearing wellies, they are easily distinguishable even when you can’t see the sheep, goats or cows.

As the day nears its ending, we finally approach our base for the weekend, a government owned holiday park - that was built for and formerly used by workers building the infrastructure around the dams – the tunnels and various other projects. The place is simple, yet clean and comfortable. We settle in and relax before making a delicious dinner, which included one of my favourites, shrimps – huge ones, marinated in beer, chilli and garlic, cooked to perfection.

However the realisation that I’m here to run the Half marathon kicks in, as we all discuss start times we realise an early start will be needed in fact we need to leave the accommodation before 5am to make it in time for the run.

Needless to say the morning start was bleary eyed to say the least, the long winding 50km road to Katse twists and turns continuously, progress is slow, but the sunrise is amazing, and we arrive just in time, I can’t help but think “I really should have trained properly for this” as I look at the runners, lean and muscular light body frames – this run is taken quite seriously by many, thankfully most of them are doing the full Marathon.

After registration, I have time to drink and then we’re off, the 6:30am start means the weather is cool and perfect conditions for a run. About 2 miles in we pass through the first village – the run has been gradually up hill and flat thus far, the women shout and people wave as we pass through – then there is the biggest downhill I have ever ran, continuous for as far down as I can see – I put down the handbrake and let my legs roll – flying past 6 runners ahead of me on my way to the bottom…however what goes down, must come up. I am soon struggling for breath, the lack of oxygen at this height (approx. 2600m) and 3km ascent are a killer, progress is slow and steady, it has to be as the lactic burn and first stitch kick in, the view of Katse Dam to my left temporarily focuses the mind on something else as I try and find a rhythm….as I turn the corner the road steepens again – I’m now walking as it is more efficient than running – there is some way further to go!

Finally I am running alongside someone else - a good way to keep my pace steady as I climb – Michael is a Basotho, but has lived his entire life in South Africa and come across specifically to run. He’s a good guy and sets a decent pace. We chat in between heavy breaths as we reach the plateau and turn off on to a trail as we head for the midway point – 1hour and 7 mins have passed and I’m thinking were is half way and why aren’t we there yet??

Soon enough we approach another village, where people line the sides of the route cheering us on and waving and smiling, we reach half way, pause, take a drink and pick up our yellow elastic bands (proof we made it to that point). We turn back and start to find our rhythm, spurring each other on. The sharp pain in my left knee doesn’t help, as I mask the pain trying to absorb the beauty of the view. We soon turn off again and run towards the dam. We cross it and look down – it reminds me of the James Bond scene when he jumps off – the scale of the dam is unreal (where’s my camera when I need it!).

As we pass the 17km (out of 21km) the first of the marathon runners flies past – at a pace that is insane (they started at 6am). And soon enough another is gaining ever closer. Michael is suffering with his achillies and I am with my knee, we’re too close to quit now. The memories of a Pyrenees trip last summer keep me positive and the kind words of friends run through my mind.

We turn the final bend, but the road to the finish feels never ending, the knee ever painful. One last push as we motivate each other we make it – cross the line and receive our medals. YEEESSS!!!

Next thought is…..  get me ice for the knee and shade from the hot sun – Finish time is approx 2hrs 17mins (still awaiting confirmed time, but happy eith that given the circumstances). This made the Cardiff Half seem like a walk in the park.... 

We then relax, and soon Polly has arrived, great effort! The others follow. Before long it’s 9:30am and El sets off on her 5km run – the heat is soaring, and she is soon back for a well-earned rest. We all retreat to the lodge for a stunning view of the dam and a nice cool drink.

Following this we head back on the 50km route to our accommodation, the views in daylight are amazing, but the tiredness begins to hit and we arrive back in time to have some lunch – a nice t-bone steak for me, followed by a siesta and chill out.

As I awaken it’s time to prepare the ‘Brai’ BBQ - what a feast!, my attempt at lighting it doesn’t exactly impress, but I finally get it going – the marinated lamb chops and borwurst ‘sausages’ (I think that’s what they’re called)are soon cooking away nicely, and are consumed gratefully – we chat and share stories and experiences under the moonlight, this is what quality of life is about. That knee is still giving me grief though! Time for some more Ibuprofen gel....

I finally have a good night of sleep – a whole 9 hours! I stumble out of bed and enjoy a delicious cooked breakfast, just the tonic I needed – we pack the car, pay up and set off on our way, climbing the hills once more.  We stop of at Bokong Nature Reserve – the scenery once again just totally takes my breath away, one of the best views I’ve ever seen. We enjoy a Maluti beer overlooking the Maluti Mountains – it would be rude not to, and relax for an hour or so taking photos before setting off once more.

The journey back is interesting we pass many outdoor church congregations stamping their feet – apparently stamping down on the Devil I’m told, we also see the uniforms, purple (Catholic), blue (Anglican) and others worn by people as we pass – the soundtrack playing away this time is a nice up beat melodic South African band called ‘Freshly Ground’ – check them out!

We are soon in Maseru, the scenery seems to help you forget you’ve travelled for hours on end. We drop off Polly at the bus stop and head home to drop off our things, then straight out and up to the Lesotho Sun Hotel (one of only two 4 star hotels in Lesotho apparently) on the hill above the city for sundown with really good people who work for the German Development Agency (GIZ), we have some good discussions about the things that motivate, inspire and drive us - the sunset you see from here certainly is awe inspiring. The night is finished with a nice Chinese meal at the hotel and collapsing to sleep – let’s see what this week brings.

At work, I hope to have the website edited and up and running this week with a bit of luck.

I can't get no sleep!

As I approach the mid point of my stay in Lesotho – I just can’t believe that time has gone so fast, and I’m beginning to realise that two months is a very short time, especially when you have a busy life…

I think I really am settling here, I have my routines, my favourite hang outs and some really cool people who I meet up with.

This week however has been a bit more difficult, I think the lack of sleep I have been getting has finally caught up with me, for some reason or another I just find sleeping here quite difficult and it could be down to any number of factors, from altitude, to the heat to the sounds of the night. Up until now I have been a bit tired, but this week really did put things into perspective.

Tuesday morning I woke up and felt a bit drowsy, however after a morning (when I met an analyst from the International Labour Organisation who are based in Geneva) and much of the afternoon, I left work early and headed home to rest and fell asleep instantly.  The rest is what I needed and Wednesday resulted in much of the same – luckily my manager here is very understanding and could tell right away I wasn’t myself.

The end of the week has seen much improvement, I feel like I’m recovering and have had an interesting time, my friend Ellie has arrived from Wales (she plans to travel around Lesotho to see the sights) which is great (thanks for the lift to the airport Steph!), yet somehow crazy to see someone you know completely out of context – she has also brought sleeping pills, yey! I also met up with the British consul here, a nice bloke who was helpful and happy to chat about his 37 years of life in Lesotho – I think the quality of life here can offer an amazing lifestyle; I’m not surprised he hasn’t left.

An invite to a friends house for a Greek meal also did wonders – possibly the best food I’ve had since arriving! Yum! This was followed by a couple of drinks with friends and a nice relaxed evening, one of my friends here, Robert is a professional football player and from Cameroon – the only other sub-Saharan country I’ve ever been to (never thought I’d meet a Cameroonian in Lesotho) – good guy and a great chance for me to practice my French and him his English.

This weekend brings a new challenge as we head off to Katse – location of one of Lesotho’s biggest Dam projects and breathtaking scenery – can’t wait! (check it out on google – Katse Dam)  - we’re staying here: www.motebong.com Did I mention I have also signed up to run of the highest altitude half marathons in Africa? (We’ll have to see the effects of altitude and my strength before I do it for sure as I have trained sufficiently). Definitely not worth it if I’m going to get unwell! http://www.highlandstrout.co.za/the-marathon/ if I don’t manage that, then a swim or a kayak on the water will be just the thing….and maybe a visit to the botanical gardens.

Oh, one more thing here, they plaster telegraph posts with headings of the national papers - this weeks gem "Villagers forced to kiss!" will keep an eye out for future ones.

Have a good weekend!

 

And this weekend, I visited a new country!

A quiet Friday night with some friends and a yummy pizza was a great way start the weekend.

Waking early on Saturday, I grabbed a lift with friends (David and Brian – top blokes) to another country – South Africa, crossing the border and getting stamped must have been the biggest anti-climax ever (even if it was nice and straightforward)! To begin with the border crossing was fairly straight forward, get out of the vehicle and get a stamp done, then continue the day as normal really, no landscape change or real landmark, at least the Severn Bridge crossing gives you a landmark, kind of strange.

The one and a half hour drive to Bloemfontein (home to the Cheetahs rugby team for those of you who know your southern hemisphere super rugby). The city is a city, much bigger than Maseru and far more going on by the looks of it. The first thing you notice is that there is a lot more white people, you don’t get looked at walking the street like in Lesotho, because it is the norm, nice to be slightly invisible for the day, though can’t say it bothers me much.

After running a few errands to some random shops, one sold tents that go on top of 4x4’s, I now want a 4x4 and a tent like that, they look awesome (Ioan - if you’re reading this, you’d have been in your element). The next shop sold party gear, so we had good fun trying on various masks of all kinds.

Then, to have lunch at a place called ‘Kloppers’ (I think!) really lovely light café, near a lake. Whilst the varsity cheerleaders danced outside (all uniform blondes) we sat and enjoyed our food – a super tasty burger was in order, followed by what I can only describe as the largest slice of carrot cake I have ever had. We then wondered about before heading to the cinema to see what was on – the film chosen ‘ Les Miserables’ (I can safely say it’s not my kind of film). For those of you who enjoyed it….please explain – it goes on for ages and is quite frankly pretty poor. The only enjoyment for me was the flickers of humour shown by Sacha Baron Cohen’s character, I think Hugh Jackman should remain as Wolverine, though I was impressed that he can sing that well! Before leaving we head to the supermarket ‘Woolworths’ it’s the Marks and Spencer of SA, so treats galore! J

The journey back seemed much quicker, watching the landscape flow by the roadside, even spotted a dust devil (like a mini tornado) in the ploughed fields. The wealth of South Africa that I saw is the clear difference as even the Basotho language remains the same (as that area of SA used to belong to the Basotho people). At the border we hand over our receipts to the Lesotho customs - they can claim the VAT back for the coffers of the Government.

Sunday morning, up early again and off to join the Maseru Hash Harriers once again, as we take the road to Roma and pull up by the side of the road to park and enjoy the stunning scenery. We head off into the remote area and split into walkers and runners, jumping over or through rivers up small ravines and hills and dodging trees in the forest – it’s the perfect tonic to the lack of exercise I have been undertaking. After that I’m exhausted, head to the office to Skype, and then for a late lunch with my friend Steph, and then homewards.

As I sit and reflect on a good weekend, the thunder booms in the distance I am settled and enjoying myself. A call from home adds to my pleasant evening and I kick back on the sofa to watch Batman – only the cicadas and straw roof remind me where I am, oh and the spiders of course.

Another week flies by!

Dumela!! ("Hi, how are you?")

I can’t believe the last week has gone; life here is becoming the norm, which is kind of nice. Enjoying my own company inter mingled with my increasingly busy social life.

Having run last Sunday in the cool drizzle, I haven’t been since – not helped by a pain in my knee, not sure what’s happened there, but easily could have partially twisted it as the pavements and roads are somewhat of an assault course…no excuses, I just have to man up and go, maybe this Sunday again.

Not running early in the morning is down to my main issue - the lack of sleep, struggled a bit with the sounds of the night, and the heat is difficult, have woken at 3am and had to go for a cool shower to chill me out or grab a glass of water on more than one occasion. The one thing about the sounds though is the morning – it’s amazing! The Cicadas echo across the valley and the birds feasting on the fruit trees create a cacophony (good word!) of noise.

The sun sets and sunrises as well as the starry skies are something I will miss when I leave they are incomparable to what we see at home, and with my (hutt) ‘Rondavel’ sitting on the hill I have a perfect vantage point and spend many a time chilling looking out. (I have photos on facebook but can’t get them on to the blog as the upload of the net is too slow and can’t access the blog on my phone).

Work is work, it’s going fine. Working hard on the content of the website to get it a bit more punchy and easier to find – keeping it simple as it’s pretty outdated. Otherwise I have been writing up a newsletter and creating a contacts database, realise now how useful it is to have these things ready made and others to keep them tidy…

One thing I am realising here is that there are interesting family dynamics and roles, for example many of the children are cared for by grandparents, this does happen in the UK, but not to the same extent. In some cases this may be because HIV / Aids has taken out the middle generation, but even if not, from a practical point of view the parents work and socialise and the kids are with the grandparents. I have also encountered a number of single mothers, so having family support is key for them to get work. Another thing that has also impressed me is the sheer number of professional women here in Maseru – I’ve been told it’s because in rural areas the men often tend to the cattle, so it’s the women who go and study.

Right, back to the social scene, went out last night…. Valentine’s Day is a big deal here it seems, the local hangout, Café Ouh la-la (owned by the Alliance Francaise) was packed and there was a well known Basotho singer there, singing covers of every classic us pop love song with a few local tunes thrown in, from Toni Braxton to Whitney Houston, song after song!! I was just happy to be out on a warm evening, in good company and enjoying a few beers. Many interesting chats with people from various NGO’s, and Gov Agencies like GIZ (Germany) – people here from Mozambique, the US, Germany, Holland, England, Slovakia, Cameroon (my friend Robert is a pro footballer here all the way from Cameroon) and many other countries, reminds me of the international mix at Uni - a puts a smile on my face.

I even taught a local Basotho guy how to say: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch

In fact I spoke to one girl from GIZ who told me they found a Cobra in their house! Now Scorpions are one thing, but a Cobra, I would have freaked out completely. I even told my boss about it who told me the area they live in (opposite side of town from me) is famous for having lots of snakes…telling me, 'why would people live there!?' just hope I don’t have to deal with anything of that nature….

Plans for the weekend are that I need to cross the border to get my Visa sorted, so I’m heading to Bloemfontein with some friends to see what a South African city has to offer! Will try and fit in a run too. 

Have a good one!

2 weeks in!

This weekend, I finally managed to escape Maseru and visit somewhere new.

The visit to the town of Roma (aptly named as it is the town where the missionaries came to settle).

Why go there? Well a friend of a friend – Sian was here all the way from Wales having arrived here on Friday night. She previously spent 6 months here as a teacher 4 years ago, she and her mother have set up a charity back home to fund children to go to secondary school and come over to visit when they can. They were staying at the Trading Post – a 4 generation family owned set up, which functions as a trading post, but has diversified to now include a lodge / guest house.

The journey there provided me with an opportunity to watch the stunning scenery of the Lesotho countryside and hear the sounds and see the sights of the more rural communities that are located by the roadside.

One thing here that I don’t get is that they have speed bumps (ok in in the right places where they serve a purpose) however since they are not marked at all and are the same colour and material as the road – I would recommend a vehicle with high clearance as it can be a nasty surprise given their height.

Having arrived on the edge of Roma, I meet with Sian and her mother – who both definitely coped with the journey here far better than I did. We then head up into the village to see a community based project which is managed by a GIZ (German Development Agency) worker, Renee. The project looks really good a simple collection of buildings built on land donated by the chief that are used as a youth centre for the groups of young people in the area. Renee is clearly enthusiastic about the work he does and has commanded the respect of the children, great to see some work being done on the ground here that is benefiting and has local community buy in and ownership.

The young girls at the youth centre are all carrying bottles full of purple mashed berries that they eat off long sticks, only when walking back do we see them picking blackberries – something I used to always do – coming home with a purple face.

The other thing about being in a rural setting is people are friendlier than the city, little children shout hello and ask where we are going, whilst one little girl even ran up and grabbed my hand to say hello.

We then went to the school where Sian taught, a boys boarding school, further into Roma. A stunning setting with the mountains all around, the views really captivating and enticing me into the mountains – I must go!! After a brief meet with the dormitory manager we return for a tasty roast chicken meal in a tranquil setting at the trading post before I get a lift home to Maseru. I return just in time for the second half of the Rugby and finally Wales win a match – Allez les Rouges!!

A lazy Sunday morning is followed by a call from a newly made friend David, asking me if I would like to go for a run with him and friends – perfect, the cloudy cover and cool air provide the perfect conditions. Setting off from the Maseru club we circumnavigate the city – I feel great and happy to finally run, it’s been a while. However 6km’s in, my body starts to react to the altitude – at home I would just adjust my breathing – here it isn’t possible, I simply can’t get enough oxygen into my system. The stop start nature of the run detracts from the enjoyment somewhat, as do the feelings of light headedness, but I keep on plodding along.

As we head past the Industrial area we pass a local runner who stops to chat, a really nice guy and what a runner – he ran last year’s High Altitude Marathon which is at 3000 metres in 2hrs 38mins!!  (http://www.highaltitudemarathon.org.ls/) As he sped off I was happy to get back and finish the 9.5km still intact and in 55minutes, the drizzle much appreciated (never thought I would be glad for rain!!).

On returning home a quick turnaround, and then I’m off out again, to the fanciest hotel – (the Lesotho Sun) in town for lunch with Kieran and Jerry (two Irishmen out here) and Stephanie (from Switzerland) – what a feast, an all you can eat buffet for about 7 quid!! Starters, 2 mains and dessert, perfect!

A skype afternoon catch up with goings on back in Europe to catch up with just the tonic to put a smile on my face – so close yet so far. I then head back up into town and meet the Irish for a beer and Rugby, before retreating home to have a relaxed evening – settling into the groove!

 

Hope you're all well - feel free to email me if you like - braned55@gmail.com