An exciting day with Dinosaurs and mountains

Last night when Benno and Wendy discussed taking me to Leribe today I had no idea how the day was going to pan out.
We went to Victory Church (in the cinema) at 9 this morning which was very African - much more so than Maseru United. It was good though and it finished at 10.30 whereupon Benno, Wendy and I set off for the mountains!

I was armed with an email from Annette Glenn, a lady in England who i had never met and two phone numbers, both of which i had tried to call before Church this morning but to no avail!

B and W (it is easier to type) had a friend (an ex student in fact) in Leribe so they contacted him and explained that we were goign to try and meet some people!  We got to his house in just over 1 and a half hours and had a light lunch with him and his sister, fortunately Wendy had the foresight to take some food as there was no where to eat on route!  We managed to make contact with the taxi driver who Annette had given me the phone number for but obviously it is quite hard to talk over the phone so at £1.85 per minute, I gave my phone to BK the student and he communicated on my behalf.  BK then came with us as our guide and navigator!  That was very fortunate as we were led by Annette;s brilliant instructions down this track to the river where the village of Ha Simone was situated!  At least i believe it is called that because she told me, there were no signs or anything!  Church was in full swing and BK went down tohe church after we parked up and chatted to the children who were just playing outside!  We had already discovered that 2 of the people I was hoping to see (Rose and Jacob) where not around that day but I found myself talking to others who knew Annette from England. They were delighted that someone else from England had gone to see them and it was quite confusing to try and explain that i had actually never met Annette myself but i was with two friends from Canada and we had all met at Beautiful Gate!  Try explaining that in simple English!

Anyway soon Pedros, Rose's son came to join us and he took us to show us the dinosaur footprints that he was making a living from!  These are embedded in the dried up river bed and he, clearly being an entrepreneur was making a small living out of showing them to people! He had built himself a couple of Rondevals as part of his tourist attraction and was keen to show us all the research he had done and how the dinosaur prints had been discovered!  I had to admire his drive and ambition, he is full of good ideas of how he is going to feed his family - he has just a couple of visitors on a good day which bring him in £2 or so at a time!  Tourism is not developed in lesotho which in many ways is good but it is such a stunningly beautiful country, there is so much that could be done!  The tourist board build lovely places but then do not do anything about telling people they are there!

Pedros explained to BK where jacob lived (the taxi driver friend of Annettes) and we headed off but it was a long way away, over the mountain and round the corner and up the next hill and about half an hour later we found ourselves climbing up a steep unmade track up the side of the mountain!  It is a good job that B and W have a 4 x 4!  I did feel sorry for Benno as he only flew in from Canada yesterday (with a 9 hour time difference) but he did sterling work and I will be forever indebted to them for giving this time to me. As i explained to Bryan later in the day, if he and I had gone as planned on Tuesday, there would be no way we would have found our way there - it was thanks to BK and B and W's link that got us there!

anyway I managed to meet all of Jacobs children - aged from about 3 to maybe 18 and took some pictures of them! I felt bad because i had not taken them anything but i really didnt quite knwo what i was goign to find when i got there so i gave them some money and asked them to get their dad to buy something for them - it was the best i could do!

We then began the descent and back to take BK home and pick up his sister to take her home as she had come in from a nearby town with her little girl just to see us!  I always feel humbled being invited into a Basotho house!  they are so hospitable and generous!  We had been offered a glass of water on our arrival and as we sat in the lounge with the huge furniture, the little christmas tree still up in the corner (undecorated) and the corrugated tin roof I renewed my vow never to take my house for granted again or to complain about it!  They had electricity but no running water, that was in the garden in the tap and before we left we all needed to use the toilet which was a long drop in the garden!  Yet they are happy and content and the garden put mine to shame - pumpkins, beans, water melons, peppers, spinach, giant tomatoes, onions and ........................pigs!  these 3 pigs were very alive though and mum was expecting piglets on Friday!  That is how they make their living, they can sell the pigs for 500 Rand a piece and the sow will have 13-14 2 or 3 times a year!  Pigs are important, this family is quite well off compared to many although having to feed the pigs until they are old enough to sell is quite an expensive past time!

Anyway we made it home eventually through the most beautiful countryside, much of which i had seen before on previous visits but it never fails to move me!   WE got back just in time to have a braai (bbq for my northern hemisphere readers).  Bryan was busy cooking the sausages and steaks and I had made a couscous salad before church and then hurridly made a tomato and mozzeralla salad which Kristen had kindly been shopping and bought the ingredients for!

We had a quiet night as people gradually went off to bed, chatting about the day and about the plans for my last two days here!  I do need to get some serious meetings in - but also want to do my duty with the children too...................... so much to do, so little time!

I believe I am going out to dinner tomorrow night with Bryan and Anita so that will be good fun, just the 3 of us to have a natter and no doubt a giggle! Still not talking about going back home yet  - in denial for a couple more days  but i still have Cape Town for 2 nights to look forward to so thats ok!

Back to a routine day tomorrow (what is that I hear you cry?) Feeding, playgroup, meetings, popping into school to check the progress of the printers, playing in the afternoon, more feeding and dinner!  Just another normal day in Jenny land! 

Will report on life tomorrow but till then Khotso - peace.

By the way I managed to speak to my mum tonight and it sounded as though she had enjoyed her birthday - i couldnt let her talk for long as it was still £1.85 per min!  Not that she is not worth it of course but there is a limit!  We all sang her happy birthday though - all 12 of us round the table so i think she enjoyed that! 

Love

Jenny x