Drakensberg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
The Drakensberg is an area known for it's natural and unaffected beauty and is comparable to Yosemite. It's green as can be, with mountains scattered here and there; inhabited only by farmers, their help and their herds. We stayed at Khotso Backpackers and Horse Trails, a family run ranch that wrapped us in it's arms and didn't let go. Bad weather kept us inside for the better part of a few days, but it wasn't even the slightest bit miserable. Their staff/family was genuinely welcoming and kind - we were feeling at home in no time. When we could get out and explore, it was incredible. We hiked around the farm a bit and found some swimming holes and waterfalls - we even rode in the back of their pick up truck into town to get groceries. Super rugged. But the reason for our stay was clear: getting into Lesotho.
Sehlabathebe National Park, Qacha'snek, Lesotho
For those of you who do not know, the Kingdom of Lesotho is the tiny little landlocked country that exists inside the eastern side of South Africa. It doesn't harbor a whole lot of tourism and it lacks paved roads and much more civilization than simple villages and towns. But the draw is obvious: it has some of the most unreal, untouched mountains in South Africa. So, we packed up some horses and rode on in. That's right, we got real down and dirty and did the trip on horseback. Khotso sent us with their main man Andreas on a two day trip through Bushman's Nek and back.
From the get go, we were a giggly mess just trying to stay on our horses for long enough to enjoy the view. My horse, Goofy, was the smallest of the crew, with big, googly eyes, a major fear of heights and a general distaste for running...fitting. The little coward tried to turn around mid-river and when she realized she couldn't, we just chilled there for a while.The rest of the horses were just as silly as us and proved to be the greatest source of entertainment of the whole trip. We rode for a few hours the first day, slowly crawling up the side of the most majestic mountains I have ever seen until we were trotting along in SNOW. Uh huh, snow in Africa! We passed by old stone huts made from hunters centuries ago, it was so neat to see how well they had been preserved, and not even by any government decree or sanction. Basotho just respect their past enough not to mess with what's left of it. I cannot tell you how many times I gasped at the views - it was truly a kingdom.
By the time we got to the tiny village of Sehlabathebe, the sun was low and we were aching to get off of those horses. We watched the community close down for the evening as herds of various animals rushed by our lodge, kids finished up playing their games (mostly playing Jacks but with rocks), and people wandered inside for dinner, but we managed to talk to some welcoming locals through very broken english, as they don't see many white people at all. As everyone slowly went in for the night, we followed suit and made dinner with our guide. We talked about apartheid, racism and all sorts of issues that faced him and the land he loves - he was such a fascinating guy. And the night sky in Lesotho... wow. The most brilliant thing I've ever seen. but eventually we had to sleep so we pushed a few of the beds together and made one MASSIVE Slumber Party Xtreme Dream House Fun Time Cuddle Pile bed. Probably the highlight of my life. Just sayin. Sleeping all scrunched up to my little Dutch Princess was a dream come true.
In the morning, I wanted to die. I felt like my legs were going to fall off and my back would break in half. But when the going gets tough, the tough pry their legs apart and get back on the horse. Despite wanting to do self amputation right then and there, we rode on towards the famous Bushman cave paintings! These were made by the San bushmen and depicted the animals that they hunted back in the day. Again, it was fully preserved without any gates, glass or gadgets. Just the honor system - which is sick. After snapping a few pictures, we got back on the horses and trekked home. But it wasn't that simple, really. Since we had done so well the day before, Andreas had faith in our riding abilities. How silly of him! He took us back on the "Advanced Rout" and nearly killed us. Let's just say, when you combine one huge and skittish horse that is afraid of heights with one overly emotional little girl who is equally as scared of heights and one horrendously narrow path on the side of a cliff, bad things almost happen.
Anyway, no matter how scary the last few hours of the ride were, it was the trip of a lifetime and it was exhilarating to face my fears. I'll never forget the palatial skies of Lesotho or the people that live beneath them.
Live regally,
KG
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