Lesotho and Swaziland, Etc.

This could be our last posting.  Tomorrow we have exactly one month until we fly home.  We, of course have very mixed feelings.  We are very anxious to be home with family, especially the two new grand-daughters that have been born since we have been here in Africa.  But, we are saddened to be leaving the people here that we have come to love so much.
Last week we made a trip to the Kingdom of Lesotho.  The missionary couple there are doing PEF and needed some training so we agreed to go!
To the left are school children on a field trip to a Basutho cultural center, and waiting for lunch.  These are some of those that actually go to a real school and have the mandatory uniforms.

This little girl is not so fortunate.  She lives in a very rural area and likely cannot afford school.  She and two other girls made a trip down to a river to fetch water.  Any of you little girls out there think that you have hard chores?  She had to take this bucket up a steep hill.  No shoes and very rocky!!

This boy, we guess about 13 was a cow herder.  There is a huge difference between Lesotho and South Africa.  In Lesotho, the cows and sheep are closely herded and not allowed to just wander.  Not so in South Africa or Swaziland.  They are all over the road there and if someone is watching them, they are usually far away.  Also, few sheep in South Africa, instead goats.  Check out the background in this picture?? It's amazing country.

These are restored cave dwellings (Ha Kome) that date back to 1824 when a Basutho chief fled the Voortrekers and hid his clan.  There are 4 families living in them and in turn for letting people come see their houses, get some of the receipts from what is like our National Park system. The houses  built into the cave overhang are made from a mixture of cow dung and clay and when dry, make a waterproof stucco that has absolutely no odor.

Donkey are still a major mode of transporting people and goods.  There are quite a few horses there as well and we saw many Basutho cowboys.  No saddle horns on their saddles and never saw a pair of spurs

These two boys are transporting samp, a ground corn meal that is a lot like grits.  It is a huge part of the diets of poor people all throughout Africa.   When cooked, they may add a few vegetables-then it is called pap (pronounced pup).  It is not bad.

We visited what is called a non-school in Lesotho.  The children here do not have money to attend a proper school.  So some teachers give of their time to teach them in schools when not in use by the regular schools.  The Head Lady told us  that 40% are orphans and live with others that will take them in.  AIDs is a huge problem here, as it is in all of southern Africa.  School was getting out when we got there about 11:00 am and they all were headed up the trail that you can see in the background.  When they saw us, they came running back and swarmed us.  They wanted high 5s and just to talk to us.  Some spoke pretty good English and were so proud to show us that they did.  It is hard to describe our emotions in those circumstances.  They are so cute and so loving and have so little.  Some are dressed quite well but not sure where they get the clothes from.  They sang and danced for us.  I have video but it is impossible to download, so will have to wait to show it at home.

This boy was in a very rural area near Ha Kome.  He has a metal hoop (over his shoulder) and a stick and was earlier rolling the hoop along with the stick.  It reminded me of pictures of the 1800s where boys did the same thing.

This is the school where the non-school being held.  The children were once again headed up the trail and home. No grass, no playground equipment, no water fountains, no shade.  The missionary couple that we were with, the Holts, had brought soccer balls and material for uniforms but had to leave them with the area Chief so he could have the credit of giving them to the children.  Pretty sad.

Sheep and wool are major sources of income in Lesotho.  We stopped by a weavers shop and watched them at work.  This woman is spinning wool from the box beside her into yarn.  It is then dyed and woven by others into wall hangings and rugs.  They do beautiful work.

A Lesotho landscape.  The part of the country that we saw is very mountainous and very open.  It is all either farmed or grazed.  It snows here and a little farther north from here, it snows enough that there is a ski area.  The Drakensburg Mountains form most of the country's borders.

This is out of order but it is rock art from the Ha Kome caves.  The San people are a very ancient race that most believe gave rise to the Bushmen who left such art work in many places in Lesotho

Sister Missionaries with Proteas, the National Flower of South Africa.  This was a Saturday craft festival held near Pietermaritzburg.  Protea flowers will last three months if cut and kept in a vase with water.

The craft fair had a booth selling these wooden sailboats and even had a pond in which to sail them.

Another picture out of sequence.  A beautiful garden in Lesotho near where the Elders stay in the Capital city of Maseru.  It is spring there and because of the elevation a little later than most of South Africa

Halloween is coming.  A street hawker (vendor) in Durban.

Two little school girls in Manzini, Swaziland.  We just love seeing the little kids in their school uniforms. Sister Gunderson gave them candy for "posing"!!

This man, I believe is a Sangoma (witch doctor) in Swaziland.  I think that he may have either blessed me or put a hex on me.  He approached me on the street and at first I thought that he was a beggar.  But he wasn't looking for money, as near as I could tell.  He had a little pouch with a few coins and some stones and bones, plus a cigarette butt.  He took them in his hand and arranged them on the sidewalk and pushed them around a bit.  Then got up and gave me one of the stones.  He also tried to give me a half of an Emalangeni coin, which I gave back to him.  He then left and went up the street.  Not sure what it was all about, but it was colorful!