Sunday June 11
Today we take a side tour up Sani Pass to Lesotho, an independent country totally enclosed within South Africa. The first part of the trip to the South African border is on sealed road, then 8km of no mans land and the road up the pass is unsealed. (Actually rocky, narrow and twisty)
The pass itself is at 2,873m, cold and windy.
Marianne has generously brought a suitcase full of books, pens, pencils and blankets to donate to the village.
Firstly, mountains from our hotel, and from the drive to the tour:
The 4×4 we will be traveling in, and first view of the mountains:
An abandoned supply depot, from back in the day. Like so much else of the old days, just left to rot if not used any more.
The start of the rise:
Part way up
3/4 way up
Looking back down the gorge
One little shove…
Roadside and cliff
Another waterfall at first glance, but actually it is a water-not-falling. So cold its frozen.
What we have survived (so far – still need to get back down) The trip up was nearly 3 hours, back down only 1 hour. Driver offered a quicker way taking shortcuts.
Finally reached to top of the pass, and now well into Lesotho.
First view is of huts and tourist store.
Toilet facilities are a bit light on, and everyone declined the most obvious one.
Our host then took us to the shopping mall:
He then talked about blankets, and the different ways women and men wear them.
He then offered traditional bread:
While outside the chickens strutted, and the shepherds danced. (Mind you the most rudimentary, unchoreographed , unpracticed dance of all time.
Lunch was the highest pub in Africa. Strongest impression of the pass – bloody cold and windy.
Finally heading back down – if the story continues, the driver didn’t take a shortcut.
