
Last Thursday I left Johannesburg together with two friends for Clarens in the Free State. The next day we left for a short day trip to Butha-Buthe in Lesotho, went a bit up hill, and back through Caledon Port.
I got dizzy up there in about 3000 meters altitude (photo above). I also felt my fear of heights standing at the view point, looking at how the road had been carved into the mountain slopes. I imagined for a moment that some would do the same to the Kilimanjaro.
Look at it. It is crazy. Built by the South Africans (or whoever they made do it) when they constructed the Katse Dam further inside, which is supplying (parts of) South Africa with water.

What else to say? It doesn't become me well to give space to the classic stereotype, but a high number of children along the road did put out their open hands, saying 'money!'
The traffic police were more discrete. It is, however, the first time I have ever been hiding notes in my bra, in case they really wanted to have a go at searching the car. Exciting somehow to be stuck in a no-man's land mountain nek with creative traffic police.

A great deal of this trip was, however, not spent on these trivial matters, but on more serious ones as on agreeing in between us on a suitable soundtrack, provided by a CD store in Ficksburg: Amongst others Peter Tosh, Cassette, Jesse Clegg, Billy Idol, Cris Cameleon and Crowded House.
The right soundtrack can make stereotypes vanish for as long as it lasts.
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