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!
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