Arrival in Maseru!

It is Feb. 24th, and I have been in Lesotho for just unders two weeks. I am going to start at the beginning and fill you in as to the happenings of the last little while...

For starters, I have come back to Hlotse from Khukhune for the weekend to use the computer, do some shopping etc. The computer service is spotty. Penny ( another HL volunteer) and I came this morning to the internet cafe, but the phones were down. We then walked to the other shop, but it was not yet open (no reason), and so we came back to the first place and have had some success. Nothing happens very quickly here and you either accept it, or you go a little nuts.

I arrived in Lesotho on Tuesday Feb. 13th. I was picked up at the airport in a new white pickup truck by Carolyn (Hl Program Director) and another volunteer. The drive to Hlotse was very beautiful. The scenery unlike any I have seen before. There are great stretches of mountains and narrow valleys. Tiny buildings dot the countryside, many with either thatched or corrugated metal roofs. The first things that struck me was that everywhere I looked people were walking, walking, walking. We were driving on the main "highway", and yet on both sides, lines of people were walking. Most carried a plastic bag with their personal belongings, and some women carried large items on their heads. Some children rode tiny donkeys, often with a sack of corn either in front or behind them. Then there were the herdboys, who would be herding between three and five cows down the road.

In Hlotse I stayed at the Anglican convent. Their guest house is very nice and there is hot water and a flush toilet and electricity. It is hardly 'roughing it'. Supper is brought by the nuns and we make our own breakfast. I stayed for 5 nights. The first three days or so were a bit or a blur as I tried to adjust to the 7 hour time difference. My body refused to go to sleep, and I lay awake until 5am for several nights, and then dragged myself through the day, only to then lie awake all night again. It was very annoying. I also spent some time walking around the town. Hltose is a bit of a hub, and there is an interesting blend of old and new here. There is a brand new Shoprite grocery store that carries anything you could need. There is also a Leostho version of Costco and a bank and cell phone shop. However, as you walk between these shores there is an endless line of tiny stalls, some made of metal, other piles of cardboard boxes where a womanor two would be crouched under an unbrella selling maybe 8 pears or something like that. Every block or so there would be a small fire pit where a man or woman would be roasting a few cobs of corn to sell.