The small kerosene heater runs at full speed. Really warm it will not be built of sand stone hut, but we have all kinds of blankets, more than many other more higher in the mountains. We can see the snow-capped mountains and Maloti ask us to survive as pastoralists living there to this cold. It's the end of June and looking at the calendar shows that we already have two months in Thaba Bosiu (Lesotho) . Linger Two months without running water and electricity and a lot of work. Sven has started to build an entire street of large pieces of sandstone slabs to the strongly eroded path to Rose & Kennedy's Backpacker again for normal cars to the public. To get from one to another and somehow we also enjoy the other's company in joint Papa Morocho (polenta with spinach).
The Ami's come
The neighborhood of the small village not badly astonished to arrive as close to 40 American students to build in two days, a large chicken house for the orphans preschool. The proceeds from the sale of the eggs will eventually benefit the school . Come The money for the building is provided generous. The student group visited during a three-week stay, several aid projects of that kind are, unfortunately, never finished it - as in two days. There remains a good piece of work and must be completed by Rose & Kennedy. Against this background, the targeted construction of a greenhouse with a visit to another group of students we stay and try to prepare as much as possible so that it better this time moving forward. The material is extremely tight, and unfortunately, wild losgehämmert it, so that on the second day, the material runs out. We have to wait for supplies to complete the greenhouse.
over the pros and cons of such a massive Volunteeraktion one can argue, for sure could be a total of 70 air tickets more with the money. Always much work remains in place, but on the other hand, the students see with their own eyes what happens on the ground. Some are for the first time in Africa and for many of you this visit is a memorable experience. With the completion of the greenhouse, we are finally ready to go.
The next trip is to go to third.
It happened on a Wednesday ...
... as we see our future travel companion for the first time. Kennedy gets from the village leader, a shepherd dog puppy because they feared that they received even as the 6 other puppies. From the beginning we close them in our heart, take care of them and secretly call you midweek.
After the dog by Rose (Photo from last report with kennel) from one of the neighbors is poisoned, we try it almost every day to prevent the loitering, so they do not suffer the same fate. We often joke about to continue his journey the three of us and then Rose & Kennedy actually give the dog. We are now hooked, she got out of Lesotho. take
Unsuccessful attempts midweek in the basket on the front carrier eventually lead to Hängerbau. We get used more and more to each other and then the terrible thing that happens - Sven finds Midweek foaming at the mouth and paralysis near the hut. The same symptoms as your dog Rose. Apparently the little side trip was enough for the neighbor to get poison administered.
We respond quickly, induce vomiting and can you bring to the vet in the capital Maseru, where they get the antidote. Until it does, and she falls into a long sleep, we bridge again and again, the paralysis of your airways. She survives, but after you wake it is clear that she is blind. Thanks to the visit by a South African veterinarian (border crossing without problems) and can regenerate it completely after a few days to see well. She receives her first vaccinations, a microchip and a vaccination certificate.
Since this event, we can not wait loszuradeln. However, we are very concerned about Rose and hope they can be browbeaten.
Basotho, the people of Lesotho will be friendly, warm and hospitable. However, we quickly get the feeling that is often dominated by jealousy and hatred. We hear about violent crimes that are part of everyday life. Even before the village chief was made not stop - as he gets paid his savings, he was shot in his own house.
The attempted attack to the prime minister and the diplomats in South Africa has not succeeded in the news from the BBC / CNN.
The AIDS rate is extremely high - according to funeral homes make good business. Sven Kennedy accompanied the transport of a young woman to the hospital. Much as 25 kg, it still brings on the scale. None of the relatives took care of them. On a small mattress she was lying 6 months in order to cure the diagnosed tuberculosis. That AIDS is actually already broken out - it is not like talking. She gets only once prescribed drugs for tuberculosis. At the sight of the doctors, we feel that there will no longer use of other drugs. And actually 14 days later she died. The children now grow on the Grandmother.
It is the first time on the trip, that we perceive the consequences of this disease so devastating. And mourn are mainly women and children.
Midweek Free State reached
Training with the home-built trailer works well and stands as midweek, the initial nausea on the second cycling day, we are making good progress. Without problems we cross the border and leave Lesotho behind us. The beautifully situated campsite at Little Rock in Ladybrand is optimal relax for a few days and returned to enjoy a real shower.
We are the only ones who camp this season and the nights gradually getting colder and colder.
"No matter what my mood, when I am in here I feel that nothing can shut me, that my thoughts can roam as far as the horizons ..." Nelson Mandela "No matter what mood I was just there when I'm here, I feel that I can include anything that my thoughts can roam as far as the horizon ..."
over the farm fences along the road, we can still see the Maloti Mountains in the distance. In Free State there are large mainly non-farm areas of whites, here called Boers. The descendants of the old Vortrekker would still like to have your own state, so they do not live with the black population working in tandem. But seeing since the end of apartheid, many now a cosmopolitan South Africans. We are experiencing a great hospitality of the farmers.
will stop a bakkie, as the pickups are called here, right next to us and gives us Billtong (dried meat). The freshly killed goat Bais still in the back, offers us the driver with his friend to spend the night. So we end up with Vicus and Anna, who operate with your parents, seven cats and seven dogs, a small farm. Midweek get used to a fast and we get a hot meal and a room. In the morning we stand speechless in the kitchen - Anna got up at 4:00 clock to bake us a chocolate cake. Vicus takes us around the farm and drive off in the end it is too late. We help in animal feed and entertain us long with the parents of Anna, who had to leave Zimbabwe with your last possessions. With the local inflation, the pension is not worth anything. So they run a small farm shop and revel about old times.
We are pleasantly surprised at the way forward to do as we like, and have found that many white farmers are more receptive and helpful than you think.
In the small town of Wepener we laboriously crawl out of the tent - at 7.00 clock in the morning our thermometer still shows - 10 degrees. Almost everything is frozen, the water bottles. We are awaiting the first warming rays of the sun we pack up our things. We bundled up and going pedal hope it gets warmer soon. By crossing the Orange River, we leave the Free State.
The hot springs of Aliwal North are best suited to warm up before the next cold night falls. We reach the Eastern Cape province and now are struggling every day with a cold head wind. The lips are already cracked and when we Burgersdorp, a small historic town of settlers in 1846, , We are hardly motivated to achieve more in the 8 km to ride lying outside the campsite. Exhausted, we have a vegetable market and deliberate, as the owner invites us to be where we get a warm bed and a meal.
The forecast indicates that a pass, the crossing was closed temporarily because we want snow. And indeed we find a few days later the snow remains.
the way in the Karoo
"Land of Thirst" (land of thirst)
this semi-arid area in the old Bushman language is called. While in the summer is very hot, we currently have to feel rather cold. The cold wind from the West Cape inhibits our pleasant descents. After crossing the Lootsbergpasses as we reach the jewel of the Karoo, Graaff Reinet praised.
Our arrival fun is diminished by difficulties in finding accommodation. The owner of the only Backpackers denied us the tents and sent us to a campsite outside of town. The local owners are also opposed, because he can not wait until morning to pay. We desperately try the neighbors. But are ringing as ours are rare. After the first call will be at least three Pitt Bulls to alert attention to us and the owner.
This whistle back his dog, one goes by the name Hitler. Stanley offers us to stay, shocked we have to watch how the heck out midweek with Hitler & Co. on the hunt in the garden scattered remnants. Our host hunts like and also has an unusual taste in naming his dogs.
The next morning we collect the heads of animals and meat residues. That would bring a midweek raw liver in our tent, went too far. Where we ended up just re ...
To our surprise we see, however, that Stanley has a steel processing company and before we provided us the trailer is perfected. His family is very hospitable and helped us where they can. They show us even the nearby Valley of Desolation "(Valley of Desolation), where only the wind can be heard. We enjoy a breathtaking view of the city and four surrounding townships.
The majority of the population speaks only Afrikaans, a language that closely resembles Flämmischen since colonization and was spread over vast swathes of the cape. Many words are similar to our language, then the agreement is not too difficult. Thanks to Stanley, we also get some contact details for the way forward.
After leaving the northeastern Highlands appear in the distance new smaller ridges. But until we reach them as his time passes. If we losradeln early, we can already see where we are expected to arrive in the evening. The prevailing drought in the Karoo is allgegegenwärtig and shapes the landscape. Many of thorn plants and parched soils characterize the way until we find our personal favorite Oasis - The Weavers, a pension with camping, which is run by Klaus and Ronel. Here, Nadine recovering from your cold, and we enjoy the warm hospitality of the two.
By sleep on some farms in the Karoo we learn about the different animal breeding farms. Noble Mohair comes in Amani suits, among others, the Anghora goats in the Karoo. In addition to the Anghorafarmen numerous ostrich farms are also an important revenue source, The further we advance in the small Karoo greener, the more often we see these big birds. The ostrich breeding to sale of the feathers, eggs, meat and skin (eg handbags).
The ostrich capital of Oudtshoorn is. The one with the ostrich over time was a lot of money, as proven many stately designed Villas. Once there, we rest a few days and try again to obtain a visa extension. To Cape Town because there are still 500 km - we are fascinated how the road runs in the length and impressed by the diversity of this country. 
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