Lesobeng

The most highly anticipated stop of the month long trip was a return to the school where I taught at Lesobeng.  In my day it was junior high and now it is a high school.  Before coming, I could tell from Google Earth that new buildings had been built at the site.  I was hopeful that things were thriving.

When I first came to my school, I left the Hilton Hotel in the capital city of Maseru at about 8 AM.  I put my personal belongings into a Toyota Land Cruiser that had been hired to drive me to the sight.  The distance was approximately 100 miles.  I arrived at my school at 8PM.  We made one stop along the way.

Fortunately, the roads are improved a great deal in Lesotho these days.  The Chinese are investing heavily in all of Africa and they have built ma y roads.  We we drove in this time, while we made many stops, the first 75 miles were a breeze.  We made the turn of the paved road at Montsanyane and the remaining 25 miles took about 3 hours.  The last 7 miles took an hour and was the kind of road that rock crawl enthusiasts dream of riding.  For us, it was just a slow, rocky jaw-clenching grind. 

But we made it.  We picked up 3 hitchhikers along the way.  I got around by hitchhiking during my time here, so it's great to pay it back.  When we arrived, the school look deserted.  After a bit a teacher walked down from the school building and wanted to be of help. She was Anicia Molefi.  

I told her that I had been a teacher here and that I had returned to visit.  She asked me where I would stay and I told her that I had no place to stay.  She then took a few minutes and decided I should stay in the Headmaster's room.  He was away in Maseru for 2 days, and she said that we could stay there.

It was my expectation that this would be the case.  There are no lodges, guest houses, hotels, bars, restaurants or commerce of any kind in this area, with one exception.  There are a few small Kefis, that are a bit like a convenience store.  You can buy soda, maybe milk, maybe eggs, maybe this and maybe that.  Often, they are just out of damn near everything.  

Like almost every culture in the world, hospitality to visitors is part of the Basotho culture.

I was over joyes to learn that two of the people that I most wanted to see we're still nearby and alive and well.  Today I walked up to a nearby village to visit Ntate Mofhili.  When I was here, he worked for the Catholic Mission and tended stock and farmed fields.  He also had his own animals, raising Morino wool and Angora goats.  

We visited him today where he welcomed us with a feast of traditional Basotho foods.  Papa, think Polenta, moroho, a native green vegetable, and roast chicken.  On the way to his home, we .et his son.  His daughter greeted us at the door.  His grandson welcomed is and the the 77 year old emerged in no doubt his best clothing.  He never spoke much English and my Sesotho is very rusty, but ours was a relationship centered on eating popcorn and just hanging out.  

I think this photo shows what we both felt.

While walking to his house we met a man who said that he was the nephew of one of my students, Mokone 'Musi.  This tells you something about the grapevine in rural Lesotho.  12 hours after my arrival I bump into some that I've never met, but who knows me by reputation and has found out that I was a teacher to his uncle.  The uncle I learn is now a professor at the National University of Lesotho in Roma.  I'll be visiting with him tomorrow.  Not only did I speak with him via phone, thanks to the headmaster at my old school, but we are now texting on WhatsApp.

The headmaster also called two former teachers that worked with me and told them that someone wanted to talk with them.  He then handed me the phone to allow me to deliver the surprise.  I certainly never expected this.

Once they got over being shy, the schoolgirls wanted to do what they always want to do, "Take pik!". On difference, this time they also took piks with their devices.  They showed me how to share photos via Bluetooth.  Here is a small sample.

In this more informal set, out of school uniforms they were actually doing wardrobe changes for the photoshoot.  It is hard to describe the energy and excitement that this kids can generate.  They will totally steal your heart.

We left today and I was able to see another dear friend, 'Ntate Lira.  He was the headmaster at the primary school.  He was a great friend to me.  One of my favorite memories is of a hiking trip he and I took to Ha Sekakes and Qachas Nek.  I used my backpack.  He took two donkies.  We took two days each way, staying in people's home along the way.  We crossed the Orange River via a very overloaded rowboat/ferry.  He went on a shopping trip and I just went along for the adventure.

He and his wife welcomed us today.  He has a beautiful home situated overlooking the Lesobeng Valley.  Unfortunately, he was feeling a bit I'll so we kept our visit short, to about an hour.  Normally such a reunion would be an all day affair with the Basotho and a sheep was likely to see his last sunrise on the day before.

We drove on to Ha Lephoi, where the worst 6 miles of road on Earth ended.  We the drove back to Montsanyane where the paved road resumed.  

We ended our day if travel at the Molimo Ntuhse Lodge near the Molimo Ntuhse (God help me). Pass.