a glitteringstarscape,madeallthemore
beautifulbythelackofanyartificiallighting.
Upherein Thamatu,noonehaselectricity.
Backonourhorsesthenextday,weventured
intotheThamatuRivergorge,to crossa labyrinth
ofsculptedsandstone,narrowandsheerin some
places,wideandspaciousin others.
“Thesebushmanpaintingshavebeen
hereforcenturies,”Steveexplained,aswe
dismountedbeneatha hugeoverhang.“Some
scientistsreckontheymightbethousandsofyearsold.”Shelteredfromrain,thelower
wallsofthiswave-shapedcavewerecovered
in lustrousdepictionsofantelope,huntersand
shamans.A snapshotoftimeslonggone.“They
lookasif theywerepaintedjusta yearortwo
ago,”saidSamaswecontemplatedtheart.
Inthekloof,dassieshoppedaboutonthe
boulders,asa BlackEaglecircledabove,no
doubtwaitingforanopportunityto swoop
downandgraba fuzzyballoflunch.
Wespentmostofthatdayexploringtheto a beautifulsingle-dropwaterfallin theheart
ofthepark.Quitea trek,about 15 kilometres
return,butthroughpicture-perfectsceneryof
pasturesandfieldssurroundedbygrassyhills
dottedwithwind-sculptedrockformations.
Jackalsserenadedourhikehome,asdid
thewarningbarksfromsmallherdsofgrey
rhebokandbaboons.Andcomesundown,
wesaunteredbackintothelodgewherelocal
ladieshadalreadypreparedforusa steaming
potjie.Onceagain,wedinedoutsideunder
TOP: Out on the trail. The Morris family discovers that being in the saddle is the way to enjoy the Highlands. BELOW LEFT: Duncan and Nikki Stewart created the Thamatu
Lodge as both a location for horse trailists and trekkers, and also as a base for self-drive explorers to the region. BELOW RIGHT: Our Lesotho base at Thamatu Lodge, created
to blend in seamlessly with the local style of construction.
TRAVEL ◗ LESOTHO HORSE TRAILS