Afrique 13 – ALIWAL NORTH TILL LESOTHO

 We follow the road 58 to Lady Grey. It is with 2 long hills, and mostly climbing, and we have side wind. the countryside follows yellow fields, farms time to time, and a few shrubs, with slopes in the distance. In the distance we can see a long and high line of mountain, brown and orange, the limit wih Lesotho. Just before Lady Grey we turn on left on R392. We stop a km after to ask for camping at the first farm. But the owner is away, so the caretaker has to refuse. She try to call to the owner, but doesnt get any connection. At least we get water. We go to the farm in front, but the farm is not accessible from that road. Fortunately there is a abandonned building, a school, opened, which is used for stock for animals, and a few chickens are in the courtyard. We decide to sleep inside the building, and we start to unpack. Quickly a car arrives, with 3 men. One is the boss, and he gives us permission to stay. The two others are workers, who care for the animals, and will sleep in the building too, in other room.

Next day we continue and the road is very hilly, short up and down. There are a lot of villages or new township along the road. But we dont see anymore farms or industries, just small bush and grass and gravels. Around it starts to become montaneous, and we follow a parallel with the high mountain, whih is the border to Lesotho. We arrive in Sterspruit, which is a small town. It is very busy, with blacks everywhere in the main street, and a lot of supermarkets, and noise and loud music everywhere. That is a big change. After a short wandering we find the fish and chips, which is in the gasoline station, used too as minibus station. But it has a long queue. Luckily just neighbour, there is a little cantine, where we eat the local meal, mais, mutton and pickles, 2.5$ each. Then we continue by a long hill covered by suburbs for 10 km at least. We cross steep hills, and in the end we join Saint Michael Mission. We see the church, so we go in the courtyard. All the lodging buildings are closed, but there is an abandoned house opened. So we decide to camp inside, and we pitch the tent in, as there are no doors or windows anymore. In the morning a guy comes and tells us we should have ask permission. When we answer that is the mission here, and we move in a few moments, he moves away.
Next day we follow way to Lesotho. We discover that the real entrance for the mission is just 200 m further, downhill. Well we had a good and quiet sleep, so it doesnt mind. The road continues steep hilly and with a lot of villages, going inside the mountain, and it is all tarred. About at 11 a.m. we cross the border at Telle Bridge.