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

Midweek from Maseru

A short report from Maseru, things are going ok thus far. Work is ticking over and I have been getting stuck into the strategic documents.
 

Apart from that weekdays tend to be fairly quiet on the social front with not very much happening, currently reading a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone who’s interested in the African continent – ‘AFRICA; Altered States, Ordinary Miracles’ by Richard Dowden, also trying to pick up a few Sesotho words – the most important being ‘Dumela’ which is the greeting that you address most people with. The African Cup of Nations is also pretty big, can’t believe it will be Nigeria vs Burkina Faso in the final!

Found out something quite random yesterday, traditionally in Basotho culture it was only polite to pass something on to someone else using your right hand – this has changed in modern times, and is only rarely brought up – just thought I’d throw that in as it’s something I wouldn’t have ever thought of, need to try and find out why?

Starting to hear more and more local music when walking the streets which is great, need to source some tunes to see what they’re all about. It’s very hard to describe the style of the beat, but it’s quite slow with a constant steady drum and some vocals – maybe I can access youtube and send you a link at some point, though internet here is fairly slow.

Plans for tonight, I have been invited to a birthday party at one of Maseru’s posh hotels, so might go there, or otherwise might go to the French movie night at the Alliance Francaise in Maseru Central…..choices, choices. Though staying out later means I have to organise a private taxi, best not to wonder around in the dark.

Also some random news when picking up the newspaper here – apparently Prince Harry is coming to visit at the end of the month: (see the bottom half of this article- not sure how they though of combining these articles) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21325756so who knows, I might even see him (not overly bothered either way if I'm honest).

One week in

My first week of life in Lesotho (just Maseru) has flown by. Hard to believe that a full week ago, I was exhausted having travelled all this way.

The week itself has had some deeper searching times and ended on a more positive note, (even if Wales only managed to play any decent rugby for about 35mins).

I’m getting into the groove at work, my manager in country is a very merry and dynamic woman, Lindiwe - who works very hard. I only hope the work I’m doing for her is meeting her expectations – though I’m sure she would tell me if not. Currently trying to redevelop the website.

In fact, last Thursday, she kindly treated me to a lovely lunch at a Portuguese / Mozambican restaurant, yum! Even if the service was pretty hilarious. Following which, she then took me on a tour to see the Wales – Lesotho link location, the American school and the UNDP building as well as the World Food Programme – the who’s who of my essay reading material from my Uni days. I then went for a meeting with a web company about the development of thesite, she was from Manchester of all places – small world.

Friday flew by, my daily lunch trip to the ‘Pick and Pay’ supermarket at the mall is becoming a tradition – they do excellent sausage rolls (I hope that’s what they are). The fruit salad also hits the spot. The only thing I find a bit difficult is that people just stare at me, the kids are best at breaking the ice though, “hello do you want to be my friend?” was a recent comment form a 4 year old…“of course” new friends every day.

The after work chill at ‘Café Ouh la-la’ (aptly named as it's just outside the French Consulate) allowed me to sample the local brew 'Maluti' (a nice crisp lager) brewed here in Maseru was just the thing I needed – strange watching the expats and wealthier Basotho mingling a favourite past time of people watching ensued….before an early departure home for a relaxed evening. A welcome call from a local Welshman (who’s been here 20 years) asking if I wanted to watch the match on Saturday at his house? Yey, socialising! (my emailing to loads of contacts is paying off).

Saturday morning, a great lazy morning and a much needed chill out (still not sleeping all that well, so rest is important).  Then went into town to meet Polly, who is also here on ILO from Cadw and lives some 25 mins away in a town called Morija good to share experiences and have a catch up – the sun shinning, so another Maluti enjoyed– don’t mind if I do! A rush to pick up supplies for the match ensued and I met up with Mark to watch the game – nuff said about the match, pretty disappointed, but promising in places. Great to meet Mark and his kind family who made me feel relaxed and welcome - also enjoyed my first cup of tea in a week.

 

On Saturday night after I got back home, I get a massage from David (thanks Jess!) who got in touch thanks to Jess who I met in Cameroon some years ago, networking! – love how the world is small that way. I am invited to a Sunday 'Hash' (not what you’re thinking!!) which is an expat walk every Sunday.

Sunday morning and an opportunity to socialise, good fun had and really nice people, many of whom have been here for years – from  almost every country imaginable, Mexico, US, Germany, Holland, France, Israel, Wales! (a couple from Crickhowell)…and more.

 

Great to escape the city and enjoy the hills, even if I had to stand up in front of everyone to present myself and neck a beer (not my rules…tough eh!).

On return to Maseru, the rest of the day involved chilling with David and Brian at theirs, an Ostrich steak (recommended) and a quick dip in the pool. After a 3km walk my return home is greeted with the chance to meet my landlady, the deputy minister for finance, friendly and chatty lady and petrified of scorpions - yes the story was told (it’s a must!).

New contacts in a new country and a number of a reliable taxi service, things could get socially hectic! J

Oh, before I forget, fact of the day: Lesotho has 2 Camels which were donated to the King by Colnel Quaddafi, apparently they are an attraction and children go on school trips to see them. Random!