the visitors start to arrive

The weeks at work have settled into a new and more pleasant routine.  The days are still busy, but no longer as intense.  I still feel I am having a positive impact.  I also finished the first draft of a guide for the general practitioner in Lesotho.   If it gets published and distributed it should improve the care for patients with general medical problems and should also have a positive impact on our clinics.  This is however, Lesotho, and change doesn’t happen quickly so I am not going to hold my breath!

Kit’s work continues in the ENT department where she is in phase 2 of the plan to develop the service. Soon they will be able to remove one of the trips into South Africa currently required by patients needing hearing aids as they will be able to do part of the process in the department. Phase 3 (manufacturing earmoulds on-site) is on-going. Organisations have been contacted for assistance but nothing has been forthcoming....yet. It is important to remain positive.    

Last weekend we entertained the Welsh medical students who had been in Lesotho for 7 weeks.  We had sun-downers at the Lesotho Sun Hotel followed by their scrumptious buffet on the Friday evening.  With bellies still full the following morning we managed to clamber up Thaba Bosiu, which is the mountain fortress of King Moshoeshoe I.  We had last been up in March when Greg and Elonah last visited.  It was much drier, but also a little cooler which was most welcome.  We dropped the students off at the airport on Sunday and prepared ourselves for the week.

This weekend we had our first visitor from the UK for 6 months.  My uncle Bob came together with Greg and Elonah.  It was a public holiday on Friday so they were able to make it to us by lunch time giving us a long weekend to enjoy together.  Kit and I had been granted an audience with the Queen of Lesotho on Friday morning.  Unfortunately our appointment was delayed from 10 to 11 and then 4 pm.  As our guests had arrived at lunchtime we had to turn her majesty down!! 

After a short afternoon at work, we managed to get onto the road by 4pm for a weekend in Malealea.  The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly our pony trek on the Saturday.  It was the first time for Bob to be on a horse, and last time I was on one I fell off, so we thought we should take it easy!  We rode, with our guides, to a nearby waterfall.  The route took us down into a valley, then back up and round to the top of the waterfall.  On the flat there was a lot of banter between us, the horses interacted with each other and it was quite a giggle.  When we started to go downhill it fell strangely silent!  The steep rocky “paths” we took we a little intimidating, but the horses were impressively surefooted.  I sometimes wondered whether they had suction pads on their hoofs.  I occasionally looked round to see a rather worried look on Bob’s face!  We eventually made it to the top of the waterfall where we all elegantly dismounted.  We then had to walk down to the base of the falls with legs that didn’t feel as though they belonged to us.  There were a few slips but no major incidents.  Once at the bottom we were able to kick off shoes and wet feet, some of us went the whole hog and actually got into swimmers and stood under the falls.  It was a most refreshing experience!!  After the picnic lunch it was time for the trip back.
When we heard that we would be taking a different route back, there was a sigh of relief.  For the first 20 minutes our horses trotted along the top of the gorge and everyone was happy, but then the path suddenly turned downhill.  The most hair raising bit of the trip followed with a 150 metre descent in 15 minutes.  The horses took it in their stride, which is more than can be said for their riders.  After this, the worst was over and the frivolity returned to the group.  As we approached the lodge there was even a bit of cantering!  When we arrived we all posed for a photo after which we gladly returned the horses to their owners.  There was a mixed sense of relief and achievement as we supped our cool drinks in the afternoon sun and reflected.  We all ached in the most unusual places, and some of us still do!  Eventually the weekend came to an end, it was so good to have seen them and to have caught up with news and relaxed together.  We said our goodbyes and waved as Bob, Greg and Elonah went off to join the rest of South Africa at the Lesotho border.

We now have a week to prepare for the next arrivals on Friday... Kit’s parents, Peter and Sheila.  Kit and I are very excited about their trip particularly as it was a little uncertain whether they would make it for a while.  They are with us for 10 days before they continue their trip through South Africa to Cape Town.  We have a few trips planned, but the underpant-staining pony treks may have to be kept on hold.

The other very exciting news is that 235 days after starting work and after two interviews, visits to 5 ministries, and the filling in of countless forms I was finally paid on Friday.  The party is really going to get started now!!!!