Lesotho > Hiking to the waterfall

At breakfast, we immediately take our packed lunches with us. We’re going on a long hike to the waterfall. Gerhardt has indicated that it’s a five-hour walk, though many hikers often take seven hours. The waterfall is therefore a perfect spot to have lunch. In the end, it turns out it’s just the two of us; the rest of the group opts for a shorter walk nearby or stays at the lodge. It’s sunny, but the forecast for the afternoon isn’t as favorable, so we need to keep a close eye on the weather. Ra is joining as a guide today as well, though his cap makes it hard to immediately recognize that he’s the same Ra. He promises to stay alert to the weather, though he expects we’ll be back long before any trouble, as he reckons it’s about a four-hour round trip.

Lesotho - The force of the water wears away the rock

We walk straight through the village of Malealea and descend into the gorge on the other side of the museum. The streams have carved deep grooves into the landscape, and the rocks feature beautiful potholes formed by the force of the water. Erosion is a serious issue in Lesotho. When it rains, so much water comes down from the mountains that it carries the soil along with it. Several times we have to cross the streams, hopping over stones to reach the other side dry. It’s manageable now, but higher water levels would make it tricky—a further reason to monitor the weather carefully. After about an hour and a half, we round a high rock and in front of us, we see the roughly twenty-meter-high waterfall. A group of German tourists and their guide are already there. I take a photo of the waterfall, and we wade through the water. The riverbed is very slippery, and slipping in such a remote location would be unpleasant. The setting is beautiful and peaceful. Once we’ve had our fill, we hike back the first part of the route. Near the village, we take a different path back. After climbing back up from the valley, we decide to have lunch—it’s just before noon. From our lunch spot, we have a lovely view.

Lesotho - The endpoint of the walk

We share our packed lunches with Ra. He doesn’t have anything with him; he says it’s not necessary, but gladly accepts anyway. A little after 12:30, we’re back. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing—reading, sunbathing, and showering. During dinner, heavy rain and thunderstorms begin. The entire grounds are flooded. Once again, we’re lucky with the weather so far—rain has mostly come at night. Meanwhile, Gerhardt is seriously worried about the bus. Hofard drove to Pretoria yesterday to swap the bus and hasn’t returned yet. Gerhardt has no mobile signal, and Lesotho’s phone network is down due to the storm, so he cannot call. Tomorrow morning we need to leave early—but there has to be a bus ready. Gerhardt fears that Hofard may have had to drive through the night and hopes he’ll be able to drive tomorrow. Outside, the rain continues to pour, and we order another drink. It needs to dry up a bit before ten o’clock, when the generator shuts off and everything goes dark. Gerhardt asks if it’s possible to delay the generator’s shutdown, but it’s programmed to switch off automatically. When the rain eases slightly, we run to our room. I pack my luggage before the lights go out. There’s nothing else to do but wait until morning to see if the bus is ready. A little after ten, I blow out the candle and go to sleep.