“Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.”
We arrived at Semonkong Lodge in the dark. Only the next morning did we realise the river wrapped around us and there were mountains guarding us.
We went on an international trip for my birthday! (Lesotho might be next door, but still, it counts.) My mom got a lift and joined us at the last minute, which made it all the more special.
Life there looks so different. It looks simple and tough at the same time. Part of me envies it… Huts scattered across hillsides, many with morogo (green veg) growing. Free-range cows, sheep, chickens – and kids running around.
Saturday stretched long and wide, like only mountain time can. We woke up late, waited ages for water to boil for coffee. Then we ate a slow, hearty breakfast in our pjs. We went 4x4ing to the edge of the view of Maletsunyane Falls – wild and spectacular. Then Oup and Natey went fly fishing. Later, we did what must now be called a bucket list tick: donkey pub crawling… how hilarious and fun! Then we still had to wait 2 hours until supper was served. So we sat by the fire, chatted, and laughed. The food at the Duck and Donkey, their onsite restaurant and tavern, is next level delicious! And the bread is a I-can’t-stop-eating kind of yum!
Just before we left this morning, snow began to fall lightly. What a pity we didn’t get snowed in.
Trying to decide which lane…VIP or VVIP?On route sunsetMaluti Cheers!Supper at the Duck and Donkey Woke up to a beautiful sightDumelang!Emoji slippers 🥰😘Jimney showing off it’s 4×4 powersMaletsunyane FallsDon’t look down!Maletsunyane Falls is 192 metres high. Second highest in Africa and has the longest abseiling drop. (No, we didn’t abseil.)The mist from the waterfall looks like smoke. This is how Semonkong, The Place of Smoke, got its name.The view is a spectacular sight, the sound a persistant roar and there is a powerful energy that can be felt.It’s a scary drop down!Our kids and their oumas.Say “cheesy basotho bread”Selfie timePhotos don’t do this waterfall justice! Go see it for yourself!The river that runs by Semonkong Lodge. Jonathan told us that one time the river was so strong that it washed a Fortuner downstream. Fortunately, the man in the car survived.We stayed at Semonkong LodgeOup catching fish and Natey catching geese (and dead birds)Fly fishing We all rode through the town, “pub crawling,” on donkeys! What a fun experience! Bucket List: Pub Crawling via donkey ✅️(smaller donkeys have weight restriction of 70kg and big donkeys 90kg – these donkeys are tough!)We went to one pub and spazza shop and waved to all the people in the town🤣Oë…. die donkieNatey rode on the little donkey’s mom, so he had a baby donkey next to him all the way!Tequila and Jagermeister shots… for the coldBaie dankie… buy a donkeyNice ass!Cheers by the fireplace!They made a fire in our room every night and there were lots of blankets on the bed! They made sure that you don’t get cold!The Duck and Donkey Restaurant where we had breakfast and supper.Horses…. lots of horses. Spot the little yellow chick.
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Sarie Steenkamp
Great memories made forever
Family moments are precious