Malealea ‘The gems of the Mountain-Kingdome Lesotho‘ is a nice place but, for being the ‘gem’ did not quite stand up to my expectations – but then I’m Swiss and we do have very nice mountains. Nevertheless I had a goodtime and made a pleasant walk through river gorges and local villages. Like in many other places the kids were running after me and asked for this and that but the only thing I could over was to teach them some English and to take there photo.

After two days in Malealea I left for for Sani Pass. The road I intended to travel would bring me further ‘into’ the mountains but I was not sure whether there would be all the way some mean of transportation. To find out more about this I went to the bus station in Maseru and there was a bus leaving for Linakeng. Somehow sounded this place familiar and I checked on my map where it was. The felling I had about having seen this town name proofed right – Linakeng is about 80 km further to the east then Thaba-Tseka, the place I hoped I would get a bus to. Sure to be able to find some sort of transportation for the last 100 km from Linakeng to Sani Pass, I boarded the bus.

This bus ride was now really amazing – up one mountain pass and down again just to get over another pass. The rid reminded me much of – no not Switzerland – but the Andes in South America. At around 5:00 PM we finally reached Linakeng and, because there was no hotel or guesthouse in this small mountain village, the peoples who worked for the bus company offered me a place in there room what I gladly accepted. The five of us went the too the local ‘pub’, a house, a room, with a table and some beers cooled in basked of water. After some beers we went to the local ‘restaurant’ – another house, room, with some tables and eat dinner. This evening with the locals was just wonderful and made for itself the trip to Lesotho worthwhile.

The next morning at 5:30 the bus went back to Maseru and I was left behind. Sitting on the main square I hopped that sooner or later some sort of transportation would come along. Well, as it turned out there were ‘quite many’ minibuses and Jeeps that went in my direction. I took the most promising minibus and after about 2 and a half hour I was dropped on an intersection and the driver of the minibus mentioned to me that the minibus waiting there would bring me to Sani Pass. That was just too easy but as I learned from other countries, as fewer private cars there are as easier it is to get around on public transport.

Once more I had to wait for the minibus to fill up. In difference to Bloemfontein, there were mot many peoples around and none liked to go via Sani Pass to South Africa. After awhile I thought about trying to hitch a ride on one of the occasionally passing cars. Just as I was going to do that the driver of the minibus stopped a pickup truck and arranged for us to get a ride. This last part to Sani Pass was just astonishing, especially while sitting in the back of pickup – I love to travel that way if it is not raining that is.

Was it sunny as we drove along the river and over the mountains, as closer we got to Sani Pass as cloudier it got. Reaching the Lesotho border post the whole are was covered in clouds and I could mot see the spectacular drop from the edge of the high plateau down to South Africa. Because of the clouds I postponed me exploration of the area.

The next morning the sun was out again and I took off for a walk along the plateau’s edge and up some peaks. As the weather started to turn bad again I abounded plains to go further and went instead back to the Loge. Did I first intend to stay for an other night at the Loge, at 2:00 PM I decided differently and managed to get a ride down the pass. First the driver meant that I should be able to get to all the way to Durban that day but down at the bottom of the pass he said that we would not reach Underberg in time to get a bus. Because Underberg has no budget accommodation he dropped me at a Backpacker at the bottom of the Pass.

The weather down here was good again and so I went for another sort walk. The scenery was just astonishing with the green hills and the rocky mountains – I easily could have stayed in this place for some days but I had no time, I have to come back.

The next day I made it to Durban and arranged me trip up to Maputo for the next day.

Malealea ‘The gems of the Mountain-Kingdome Lesotho’ is a nice place but, for being the ‘gem’ did not quite stand up to my expectations – but then I’m Swiss and we do have very nice mountains. Nevertheless I had a goodtime and made a pleasant walk through river gorges and local villages. Like in many other places the kids were running after me and asked for this and that but the only thing I could over was to teach them some English and to take there photo.

After two days in Malealea I left for for Sani Pass. The road I intended to travel would bring me further ‘into’ the mountains but I was not sure whether there would be all the way some mean of transportation. To find out more about this I went to the bus station in Maseru and there was a bus leaving for Linakeng. Somehow sounded this place familiar and I checked on my map where it was. The felling I had about having seen this town name proofed right – Linakeng is about 80 km further to the east then Thaba-Tseka, the place I hoped I would get a bus to. Sure to be able to find some sort of transportation for the last 100 km from Linakeng to Sani Pass, I boarded the bus.

This bus ride was now really amazing – up one mountain pass and down again just to get over another pass. The rid reminded me much of – no not Switzerland – but the Andes in South America. At around 5:00 PM we finally reached Linakeng and, because there was no hotel or guesthouse in this small mountain village, the peoples who worked for the bus company offered me a place in there room what I gladly accepted. The five of us went the too the local ‘pub’, a house, a room, with a table and some beers cooled in basked of water. After some beers we went to the local ‘restaurant’ – another house, room, with some tables and eat dinner. This evening with the locals was just wonderful and made for itself the trip to Lesotho worthwhile.

The next morning at 5:30 the bus went back to Maseru and I was left behind. Sitting on the main square I hopped that sooner or later some sort of transportation would come along. Well, as it turned out there were ‘quite many’ minibuses and Jeeps that went in my direction. I took the most promising minibus and after about 2 and a half hour I was dropped on an intersection and the driver of the minibus mentioned to me that the minibus waiting there would bring me to Sani Pass. That was just too easy but as I learned from other countries, as fewer private cars there are as easier it is to get around on public transport.

Once more I had to wait for the minibus to fill up. In difference to Bloemfontein, there were mot many peoples around and none liked to go via Sani Pass to South Africa. After awhile I thought about trying to hitch a ride on one of the occasionally passing cars. Just as I was going to do that the driver of the minibus stopped a pickup truck and arranged for us to get a ride. This last part to Sani Pass was just astonishing, especially while sitting in the back of pickup – I love to travel that way if it is not raining that is.

Was it sunny as we drove along the river and over the mountains, as closer we got to Sani Pass as cloudier it got. Reaching the Lesotho border post the whole are was covered in clouds and I could mot see the spectacular drop from the edge of the high plateau down to South Africa. Because of the clouds I postponed me exploration of the area.

The next morning the sun was out again and I took off for a walk along the plateau’s edge and up some peaks. As the weather started to turn bad again I abounded plains to go further and went instead back to the Loge. Did I first intend to stay for an other night at the Loge, at 2:00 PM I decided differently and managed to get a ride down the pass. First the driver meant that I should be able to get to all the way to Durban that day but down at the bottom of the pass he said that we would not reach Underberg in time to get a bus. Because Underberg has no budget accommodation he dropped me at a Backpacker at the bottom of the Pass.

The weather down here was good again and so I went for another sort walk. The scenery was just astonishing with the green hills and the rocky mountains – I easily could have stayed in this place for some days but I had no time, I have to come back.

The next day I made it to Durban and arranged me trip up to Maputo for the next day.