At least I think it is Tuesday - in Africa time loses any meaning and I cannot believe that I got here only yesterday. We had to be up at 3 to get to the airport for 5 for check in and after the panic of the credit card scenario mentioned before, I managed to chat my way through check in. Fortunately I had contacted Jo to give me all the numbers on my card and the guy was happy with that. Easy flight and we picked up our car - a Chevrolet which sounds posh but it is smaller than Noddy's car and only my small suitcase would fit in the boot! We had a leisurely drive through Bloemfontein and through the Free State into Maseru via Ladybrand where Ray pointed out many places of interest like his old house etc. The border was easy (which is a rareity and for which I thanked God) and we sailed through and arrived safely at Beautiful Gate which was to be my home for the next 3 weeks. I met Bryan, Anita and Laury and the children who gave me a lovely welcome and made me feel at home.
No one had told me that we were having dinner out at some friends so I was relatively unprepared and had to change quickly before going to meet more new people and share home made curry and rice. I couldn't get on to the wifi last night as there was no one around who knew the code but just as I was about to climb into my bed everyone arrived home so we started chatting (me in my pyjamas) until I could chat no more having been awake since 3.
My room-mate is a Dutch/Sesotho young lady whose name is still a mystery to me but is shorted to Tabby which I have not managed to call her yet as it sounds like a cat. Talking of which there are 3 beautiful kittens here about 2 months old which are adorable.
My plan was to spend today (Tuesday) at Beautiful Gate and head out to explore the locality on Wednesday but apparently there are big demonstrations in Maseru planned tomorrow and it is a 'stayawayday'. Last time they had a big strike people were killed on the streets (slightly reminiscent of the London riots last year I guess) and so no one is going anywhere tomorrow. I woke up at 7 this morning and found some toast and coffee for breakfast and Ray arrived not long after. We were about to head off until Ray checked his credit card bill on line and found that having hired the car yesterday he had been debited twice for it and this was despite his card being declined at the time. I had used mine as his would not be accepted and so I checked mine and found that I had also been debited £550 rather than the £80 it should have been! This meant a lot of phone calls standing in the only spot outside that Ray could get a signal on his mobile! Eventually we sorted it out although how successfully remains to be seen......
We set off into town and arranged to meet someone Ray knew at his coffee shop which was very lovely. A must for our visit in August! I popped into the supermarket to stock up on water because there is no way you can drink tap water here and drinking boiled water is just a pain! We tried to go and visit Lancers Gap which is a beautiful view over the whole of Maseru but they were digging up the main road to it and in true Basotho fashion there were no other signs so we had no idea of where to go so we gave up and went back to Solomon's local restaurant where we had a wonderful lunch of chicken and rice before heading into the mountains. I managed to reorientate myself around the town but Emma and Jo will be sad to know that KFC has moved and I have found its new position so we should be ok! I even learnt how to negotiate the car parks but realised that because we are in Africa the price shown is probably not the price you pay! Many times today I have just had to shake my head and remind myself 'TIA' - This is Africa.
My original plan was to head up to Mantsonyane but we decided the car would not be up to it so we headed to a new place for me called Morijo, some 50 miles in one direction (I want to say south but I am sure that may be wrong). Amazing! We passed lots of Rondevals (round houses), herd boys minding their cattle or sheep, local children heading home from school, half built houses, funeral directors with bright pink and purple headstones outside (!). The scenery in lesotho is stunning and despite there being a drought here at the moment everywhere is so green and beautiful. It has not rained since early January and this is the rainy season!!!! Many crops are dying as there is no form of irrigation and the locals don't understand the need to water crops. The philosophy is (and i got this from a local farmer who is Australian and who manages his crops well) - they plant the seed and see what happens - no weeding, no watering, that is too much work! What amazes me is despite the intense heat here the herd boys still wear their blankets wrapped round them and I saw a child walking home today in a thick polo neck knitted jumper. God obviously created the Basotho with different thermostats than us.
At Morijo there is a fascinating museum about Lesotho life and the first church that was built in the country by French Missionaries. Also a lovely garden and some roundhouses where there is a tea room which was closed but when i asked the opening times the lovely lady at reception said - it is always open! OK I figured had I wanted a cup of tea they would have opened it! I didn't want to bother her though so I stuck to my bottle of water. Another must for our August trip as having looked round the museum we drove further up and found the real 'Africa' just simple houses, crops and animals.
It has been up in the high 20's again today, so so hot and the arm i had hanging out of the window all day in Cape Town is now blistered and peeling to the point that I have to apologise for it when I meet people as I think they probably think I have some form of leprosy!
Again unbekown to me until quite late yesterday, we were invited out to dinner again tonight this time by some Canadian friends of Ray's who have been living here for some years. We met them at the Maseru Sun which is one of the nice hotels in Maseru. I had been there before for a meal in 2007 and remembered it to be beautiful but very cheap by our standards. We met Wendy (who is a teacher) and Benno and I am hoping to be able to go into school with Wendy before I return home. She works in an International school where, I was shocked to hear, they have no music programme at all - only a choir for special occasions.
Tonight is full moon so it has been beautiful to see in the big African Sky. It is a very very mild night, totally clear with a good view of the starts.
It has been a great day and a good first day here in Lesotho - again it is a different culture and one that takes some getting used to. I have learnt a lot as we have driven around and can even speak some basic Sotho now - enough to be polite although when one man spoke to me when Ray had wandered off somewhere (as he does quite often!!!) all I managed to do was squeak cos I completely forget what to say. When he then asked me in English how I was I managed to be quite civil!!! Everyone speaks to you out in the country and the children think it is very exciting to see white people. The locals are all very shocked when Ray speaks to them in fluent Sotho as white people are not expected to speak the language!
I find it hard to believe that only a week ago I was on a plane to get here having been at work all day. In fact I texted someone from work today to say the same thing and to send my love to everyone (in case they had forgotten me!!!!!). She replied saying it was very quiet without me and I am assuming that is because there is no piano playing - I am sure I do not make a noise. Thank you to those of you who are e mailing and texting me. I can only get wifi here when I sit in the particular chair I am sitting in now and I miss not being able to read my messages in bed but it makes a huge difference to hear from people at home and I really appreciate to know you are thinking of me.
I am reading a book called 'dreamgiver' about following your dream and moving out of your comfort zone through the invisible barrier of fear and that is exactly what I feel I am doing at the moment. Each day brings new challenges but I am so glad I am here and plucked up the courage to follow my dream. Now to sleep and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow when I will be in Beautiful Gate all day and will be meeting lots of new people. If I can only remember some of their names that would be a good start...................
Will try and put pictures on tomorrow. Too tired tonight.
Lots of love x
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