Everything is high in Lesotho

"Everything is high in Lesotho... except the economy" joked our host Kaywa in the small village in Lesotho where I was visiting. I went over the border on an organized trip with the backpacker I was staying at in the Drakensberg mountains. They have been partnering with a school and village in Lesotho, in part by bringing groups over the border to get a taste of Lesotho life. All noted the fact that they are the "highest" country in the world - the lowest point in Lesotho is over 1000 meters above sea level. We entered the village on unpaved roads to a community without any infrastructure; no electricity, no indoor toilets, small homes, the nearest hospital quite far away. Yet, the scenery was stunning, the people incredibly welcoming and kind, and the day was really wonderful.

We began with a visit to the school itself, where the children were incredibly excited to take pictures with us and, well, likely, to not be in class. Then we learned a bit of the history of the Basotho people, who were once part of the Zulu tribe but fled the wrath of King Shaka, leading them into the mountain region. We saw bushman paintings, and tried the local beer (yeasty, and not so good, I must say...). Then, we sampled some local food, which is basically the same as the traditional mielie pap (cornmeal flour + water = paste?!?) as other traditional South Africa cultures. Lesotho is definitely laid back, rural, traditional, and sadly, very poor. But I cannot emphasize enough how incredibly welcoming and nice the people were. I really wish I would have had more time to spend there...