Backpacking to "The Place of Smoke"

Just got back from a weekend/holiday backpacking with my girlz Casey & Kjessie. We walked from Caseys site to Semongkong. It was a 2 day trip and we overnighted in a remote village then spent 2 days in Semongkong watching friends rapell from the waterfall, hiking and visiting with other volunteers. The trip started with Kjessie and I walking through the taxi rank to find the right Kombi (taxi/van transport in Lesotho) to Ramabanta. While wondering through the chaos of the taxi rank we spotted a truck of watermelons. We couldn't resist and purchased a HUGE melon for only 20R! The 3 of us gals at the whole thing! A great way to start a trip!

We had incredible views of the mountains the entire trip.

Sunrise near Ha Mphmphe as we began our journey on Day 2Leaving the village of Ha Mphphe where we stayed the night with a family.
Grandmother and children in Ha Mphmphe

Waiting for a hitch near the end of the trail. We waited for about 2 hours on the "main-road". We gratefully accepted a hitch in the back of a boxed truck (like a cattle truck) - it was an adventure in itself! Hiking down to Semongkong Falls

Nick & Kjessie after Nick rappelled the waterfall

Such beautiful hiking!

A Few Photos of My Life

This is where I get my drinking water. Its a natural spring covered with stones to keep out "floaties".
I then haul the water about 15minutes up a relatively steep hill (as herd boys, donkeys, kids and everyone else watches)
Washing Laundry takes a lot of water and a lot of tubs. I usually wash inside my house so people don't stare as much :). When I go to the river or well the women usually tell me I'm doing it wrong and try and wash it for me.

I've learned baking. I'm getting really good at bread.

I spend a lot of time in my doorway reading, journaling, practicing guitar and people watching.

Presidential Inaguration

I was really anticipating the presidential inaguration and was hoping to listen to it live on BBC. Much to my suprise Jack (replaced James) talked to the woman at the clinic in St. Theresa and discovered they had a satellite dish. On Inaguration night we watched Obama get sworn in in a village in Africa thanks to nuns, a satellite dish and car batteries. It was really awesome! I walked over to St.Theresa early and sat at the secondary school making signs with the teachers and Jack. We made popcorn to share with the nuns and anxiously watched TV by candlelight when the inaguration started. The Bo-Me women -nuns, the priest and school teachers were very vocal speaking in Sesotho and English - asking questions about the president, his wife, the guests, the clothing of the Americans in the crowd and more. It was fun to answer their questions and share a piece of our culture on such a historic day.

After watching the inaguration we walked back to Jacks rondavel/house via, the light of our headlamps then only "electricity" shining in St.Theresa on that warm summer evening.

Prayer Flags about HIV

I’ve been working on a project in my river valley having students create Prayer Flags about HIV. I’ve asked the students to write messages about their feelings, hopes, fears and prayers about HIV or a tribute or memorial to a loved one with HIV. The students create their “flags” on old sheets and we’ve sewn them together. Its been a great project to work on, the students have enjoyed being creative and to express themselves in a different way.

Christmas & New Years Western Cape South Africa

On the last day of 2008 I went to the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

I celebrated New Years Eve on Long Street in Cape Town.

More to come soon.....

For more of my photos of the Western Cape check out my site at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ponderosapam/WesternCapeChristmasNewYearsSA#

Family Party ~ Maseru

A few weeks ago I attended a Housewarming Party for my Masotho sister. She built a new house in Maseru with her husband and had a traditional Basotho ceremony to welcome everyone to her house

Like all Basotho celebrations I've attended, the event started with food, singing and dancing. My sister and her husband were presented with many gifts in a procession from her family. We started down the street and paraded up the dusty red road to her home carrying all kinds of gifts from new household supplies, blankets, buckets of traditional beer (carried on the head) and more. When we arrived to the new home his side of the family sang and danced and accepted the gifts from our heads/hands and then we all paraded into the house - her mom going first. They were both presented with new clothes and traditional Basotho blankets. Many speeches were given after we all saw the house and then more gifts were given and a sheep was also presented and slaughtered. A few hours later we ate that sheep and an assortment of salads, potatoes, bread and beans more dancing and drinking of the traditional beer.

It was a great day to spend some time with my Masotho Mothers children, all of whom live far away from the remote village now and a neat cultural experience. Everyone was really excited to meet the American family member. I left early but I'm sure the party went on all night... like most Basotho parties do.

HIV Outreach & Backpacking.... On the "Roof of Africa"

Our 5 day trek across the most remote mountains in Lesotho was amazing! Over the week we hiked over 70k, crossed numerous rivers and summited the highest point in Southern Africa We did HIV outreach with over a dozen herdboys as we navigated through secluded river valleys, up steep ridges and through windy mountain passes. We visited the chief of an isolated village and explored some of the most beautiful areas of this country, it was incredible!

Check out more photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ponderosapam/HIVOutreachBackpackingOnTheRoofOfAfrica