Friday 22 February 2013

Day 141- Drak 21/2/13


Great - woke up to true mountain weather, i.e. total cloud cover and decidedly cool, but at least no rain so seven of us decided to continue with our proposed hike up on the top of the pass. This of course meant another 4x4 journey back up the "road" and my second visit in two days to Lesotho (nicely filling up my passport with a total of eight stamps for just these two trips).

In spite of the weather, we saw more wildlife than on our previous way up, including a herd of eland (did we see them in East Africa? Can't remember) plus a long crested eagle calmly sitting on a telephone pole at the side of the road, gurney's sugarbird and a malachite sunbird - quite a stunningly beautiful green.

By the time we had passed way above the tree line and up to the border, we had our reward - not a single cloud in the sky. We had a great hike over the fields with grazing merino sheep and angora goats, as three rhebok ran by (my last "new animal seen on this trip"?) to the Maluti mountains (which sit on top of the Drakensberg) until we were at something over 10,000ft. Was it altitude sickness, lack of oxygen at this height or simply my old age as I tried hard to keep up with (of course) the younger generation?

The weather was just glorious and the scenery magnificent as we had our lunch watching the fluffy white clouds blocking out the world down below in South Africa, as if we were looking out of an aircraft from 35000ft. On the other side, we looked down onto the green valleys of Lesotho - almost like the Alps with the sound of cow bells rising up to us.

It was difficult to imagine anything more "magical" but of course those clouds slowly rolled up the cliffs towards us and the cows disappeared so that the bells seemed to come out of the clouds. It was time to start making our way back, and thank goodness for our guide who unerringly brought us through the mist to "civilisation" - i.e. the four large water tanks that supply the pub. Never have water tanks been so gratefully seen! This of course meant another visit to the highest pub in Africa and more gluhwein. Very appropriate, as the scene seemed even more alpine as we were now completely enveloped in thick cloud. The pub has lots of graffiti on its walls added by customers, so we added our own so as not be left out.

Just another absolutely fantastic day.

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