Diterbitake: 12.04.2018
On Sunday, the 25th of April, we had to get up very early. At 6:00 a.m., we were ready to start and left the camp. We crossed the border to Lesotho. So, we had to stamp out in South Africa and stamp in in Lesotho. Our half of the passport is now filled with stamps 😊. When we passed the border, we stood directly by the fence and had our breakfast. The border officials ate with us :D. It was funny to set up our camping stove right at the border!! Then we drove through the Golden Gate National Park. There are huge sandstone mountains. Absolutely impressive and you feel so small :D. Then we continued to the accommodation. The road ended and there was a sign there.
Attention Bumpy Road: Ladies, close your bras and gentlemen, take out your false teeth: buckle up, it's dangerous :D. And it actually was. I have never experienced anything like this! It took us a whole hour for 7 km. It was sometimes so steep on the left and right sides and the truck just had enough space to pass. We had to put all our trust in Frank's hands! If we hadn't been buckled up, we would have actually fallen off our seats sometimes. We were very happy when we arrived at the Paradise Gate. It is a place with a beautiful view. You are surrounded by mountains and it is very spacious. We drove through nature and mountain people. They had mud houses and pit toilets and still practice agriculture with oxen and donkeys. It was very interesting but also shocking to see! We arrived in the village of Malealea in the early evening. The little houses were really beautiful, which made Tim and me (as campers) very jealous. Besides, it was really cold in the mountains. Two people from our group kindly accommodated us in their lodges because there were multiple beds in there. That was great. We were able to take a warm shower and were super happy!! Then we ate by the campfire and went to bed satisfied.
On Monday, the 26th of March, we woke up with a breathtaking view of the mountains of Lesotho. It was still cold and the air was incredibly clear. Everything seemed so peaceful. Nothing can happen to you here. We then set off for a village hike. We looked at how the residents of Malealea live. It is poor conditions. In addition to corrugated iron and mud houses, there is a lot of agriculture. Nevertheless, all the people seem happy. They know nothing else and feel protected in their world. They hang flags of different colors. These indicate which house currently has something to buy. Yellow means fresh beer, red means meat, and green means vegetables. Very clever :D
Then we visited the school, there are pictures hanging on the wall. "We are all different". That says it all. 2 girls were just tidying up the cupboard and we grinned and did a check right away :))
In the afternoon, we had free time, we sat outside together in the sun, ate cake, and drank coffee. Life can be so beautiful. Then we played a round of bocce. In the evening, the local choir and band performed at the camp. They were awesome and we had a lot of fun! In the end, we even danced along with everyone.
It was a really successful evening!