Lesotho--First Impressions

Well, it's been 10 days since I arrived in Lesotho, and I haven't gotten the blog updated yet... We are on dial-up here, paying per minute, with no home internet access, so the photos may become fewer and more far between, but I've got extra time today, so why not splurge... Flying into Lesotho from Johannesburg was the flattest country I've ever seen--the Orange Free State--with nice farming and rangeland that used to belong to the Basotho (people of Lesotho) before they were forced to the highlands that now make up Lesotho by various groups of Africans and Europeans in the bloody conflicts of the late 1800s. Once we flew over the river into Lesotho, however, the landscape changed immediately, with formations that looked like those of northwest Arizona--pretty dry, with mesa-like sandstone formations rising sharply from gently sloped fields and pastures. Through the windshield: Here's a view of the clinic that I've started working in. It's a beautiful facility with lots of local crafts hanging on the walls, and is nicely stocked with most things that we need/want. The clinic has been open for about a year now, and we're seeing anywhere from 50-90 patients a day. We also spend some time on the inpatient ward at the local government hospital--I haven't been yet, but I hear that it's pretty eye-opening. In addition, we have a grant to cover the costs of exanding to more remote areas of the country. We'll be covering about 5 remote sites, and have just begun our investigation of the various candidate facilities. Last week I got to join in on one of the site-assessments, looking at two hospitals in/near the town of Butha-buthe. It was a great opportunity to get out to see the countryside, which is quite stunning. Here is a traditional "Rondhavel" with mountains in the background: And, like everywhere, once you get out in the country, people seem just that much friendlier. In particular, the kids, who love having their pictures taken. The Basotho are traditionally pastoral, with the boys looking after the animals, so the most common site seems to be young boys, either individually or in groups, accompanied by their donkeys or ponies as they look after their livestock. According to one friend here, that has had the interesting side-effect of allowing women to be much better educated than men on the average, particularly in the countryside, since it was considered more important for boys to look after the animals than go to school. Despite this, Lesotho has one of the highest literacy rates--83% according to one source--in sub-Saharan Africa. All-in-all, Lesotho seems to be quite the nice little country. Internet access aside, it's what one former diplomat referred to as "Africa-Lite", meaning that as an assignment, it's a lot easier than one would expect being in Africa. You can pretty much find anything you need at the local shop-rite. The local gym, which is priced for the wealthy, but still pretty reasonable at under $20 per month is one of the nicest facilities I've ever exercised in--2 swimming pools, squash, basketball, tennis, sauna, steam room, spinning classes, yoga... The main roads are pretty smooth, although the side roads are rutted dirt. And, this coexists with traditional culture that still gives it a much more African than colonial feel. Once I get Hyunjoo and Ella here, I think I will be pretty satisfied, and happy to linger for a while.