Lesotho, Day 5: A Little Bit of Free Time

Today I had something I very rarely have on these short overseas missions: a completely free day.

                

I slept in a little bit (translation: to 7, which is two hours later when I was getting up all week) and since I had already decided that I was going to go hiking this morning, got to take my time getting ready for breakfast, without having to worry about going running or hitting the gym or anything. I had breakfast with my team members and then we said our good-byes, since they were planning on leaving for the airport at noon and I was planning on still being hiking.

                

I had my eye set on the hill overlooking the Pope John Paul II stage (where he gave a sermon at some point in the 80’s), and I thought it would take all day. However, it was actually pretty easy to find the trail created by a whole bunch of cattle herders leading their cattle up and down the hill, and I found myself on the top of the hill (elevation >6000 ft) after only about an hour or so, less than three miles of hiking. I explored the top for a bit, but it was cold and windy, so I didn’t want to make a whole day of it. I tried to go down a different path than the one I went up, but I kept losing sight of the cow trails, so I just gave up and went back up to the top and then headed back the way I had come up. In all, it was a little under seven miles. I would have gone longer, since it was noon when I got back, but I discovered that that kind of hiking in combat boots doesn’t really work. My heels are pretty torn up from the experience.

Starting out on my hike

Up at the top

From the top

Another picture from the top

The Pope John Paul II stage, from the top of the hill

                

The rest of my team didn’t get picked up until 2, so we had a couple of hours after I got back to talk shop (and things completely unrelated to work), and when they took off, I grabbed lunch and then settled in to finishing what I needed to of this mission before leaving for the next. After sending off my reports and whatnot, I returned to my book and read that until it was over.

                

All in all, a pretty relaxing day. Tomorrow I have the morning to myself, and then I begin the continent-hopping flights that will take me from Maseru to Kinshasa, landing around 10 am on Sunday. With any luck, my entertainment system(s) will actually be working.