With much excitement, we left Maseru Sunday and treked up the mountains to our new home in Mokhotlong. The journey from the city to here is getting shorter each time we make it as we learn the path well; but despite our cuts on stretching breaks and picnic lunches, it still takes a full six hours to get here.
Leaving Maseru
Along the way, we were stopped occasionally by herds of cattle or sheep crossing the road in front of us. Lining the roads are Basotho walking about the town and country. Sometimes we see people out in the middle of no where and wonder where on earth they are headed. It is typically between two larger towns but the distance is so great, neither of us can imagine walking that whole way. Because we were traveling on a Sunday this time, we didn't see many cars or taxis, and after the last large town about three hours from here, we saw almost no vehicles until we arrived in Mokhotlong. We do notice, however, how thin and fit the majority of the people appear here. It makes sense, though, because they walk just about everywhere they need to go.
We stopped in Butha-buthe (pronounced Bootah - Bootay) for lunch. It still surprises me to see a KFC sign in the middle of this country. It is the only one between here and Maseru, though, and just about the only fast-food restaurant along the way. Since sandwiches were on the menu for our arrival on Sunday evening, we decided against a standard road trip packed lunch. We ate as we climbed the steep Moteng pass and stopped at the top to change two diapers. There, we encountered a very friendly shepherd who wanted some cash. We aren't in the business of handing out cash, but we did give him the rest of Kyle's chicken pops and fries from KFC, which he gladly accepted. The guys chatted as I made Rocky a port-a-potty. There are positively no rest areas or public bathrooms between Maseru and here. Even the KFC is bathroom-free. So, we carry a small child's potty in the car for those occasions. I just can't bring myself to squat on the side of the road (no trees, remember?) like the other woman here and well, I can't do my business off the side of the mountain as we see occurring all to often with the men. Rocky is great for a lot of things, including bathroom - or lack there of - breaks.
The views up here are unlike any other I've ever seen. The mountains are all so beautiful, and I still find it interesting how few trees there are. We are just coming out of winter, so there weren't many flowers blooming, but the mountain shadows are still enough to keep my attention.
We arrived in Mokhotlong in the late afternoon and were greeted by our neighbors, who are also the family we're renting from. As we drove up to our new home, I could barely believe we were finally here, finally home.
Inside photos to follow....
~Abby
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