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 |   A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
| BCoF Your tour guide isn't up to par so your're planning the activities for Durhan's late afternoon and nightime. https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g312595-d16911364-Durban_Cit... Check out the restaurants and tell us which one you prefer and why: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312595-d6033553-Reviews-Mali_s_In... or https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312595-d5029013-Reviews-The_Grill... don't worry we have hotel reservations at: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g312595-d299216-Reviews-Garden_Court_Ma...  Durban proved to be a great city to see. At the third largest city of South Africa it has a rich history. Durban means bayou or lagoon. The waves come crashing in so I guess it's a really great spot of surfing. The Moses Stadium is a beautiful design. There are some very good spots for tourists to see. I heard that Da Gama stopped here looking for a route to India. Another fact is Durban has been around for about 12 thousand years when hunter gatherers were prevalent in the area. All these restaurants had 4 or more stars. So, I looked at a lot of travelers comments. I chose the Panarottis for their pizza. Panarottis has a lot of 5 star comments. You can be a part of making your own pizza and they have lots of toppings to chose from. Also, we could sit at tables outside and watch the tourists go by. I liked the way the staff served the food and the choices we had. I had a pasta dish with a piece of baked fish and vegetarian pizza. Last there was bananas on a waffle heaped with soft ice cream covered in Carmel sauce. Hungry from all that camping and singing in Lesotho. ![Merit Badge in Travel
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| Final segment of our excursion in Lesotho Thank goodness we were rescued in the middle of the night, we got a little sleep, change of clothes and breakfast. Semonkong to Underberg After breakfast, we either hike to or take a 4x4 drive to the Maletsunyane Falls. The weather determines whether we drive or hike. Depart the Lesotho Highlands via passes that enter South Africa at Qacha’s Nek. We snake our way through the last remote villages of Lesotho. We cross the Senqu river again – which we first saw on Day 1 and then follow it along the Senqu River valleys toward the border town of Qachas Nek. Once back in South Africa we travel through to the small town of Matatiele. From Matatiele we skirt alongside the Drakensberg mountains and return to Underberg along scenic back roads, returning usually around 15:00-16:00. (3-4 pm) https://www.wri.org/resources/data-sets/orange-senqu-river-basin-study https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qacha%27s_Nek https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk03fpZXvXPAt1bLoAtEYuOVVcs7zRQ:159572385... Discuss what you've seen today. Impress us with your observation skills.  So, today I learned a lot of odd facts. Some apply to what we saw specifically today and others apply to news in Lesotho. One of the news items is important to our travel because the weather over southern Africa is turning cold. I thought how unusually our weather here at home is because August has always been a very warm month. Not so this year. Last night We hit 40 degrees toward the early morning hours. In that frame of mind I found a local weather report for Lesotho and discovered that if the rate of moisture in the air continues Lesotho and parts of other countries this far south in Africa could experience snowfall by morning. Temperatures could drop below zero degrees. The Orange Senqu River Basin extends over 4 different countries; Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and south Africa. The main river in the basin is called Senqu in Lesotho. This reference indicated that the river may have other names where is traverses other countries. (I did not take the time to find the other names, if you know you can enlighten me). Drakensburg Mountains greatest elevation is within Lesotho borders. Drakens burg means dragon mountain. It is famous for the fact that it has hiking trails for all different abilities of hikers. The mountain is known for different types of animals. Depending on where you are in the mountain you can find giant antelope, mountain reed buck, grey Rhebuck, orilii jackal, Genet, civet, baboons, and vervet monkeys. There are a lot of different very nice places to stay that attract tourists. I was kind of surprised to find the amount of nice horses and trail rides offered here. (at this point I should say, horses have a really good instinct for staying alive. From what I saw in several different YouTube videos, it's a good thing because of the type of trails into the mountains these animals are using. If you are riding one and give it a choice it will chose the best footing and keep the rider safe.) Matatiele is in South Africa. My curiosity led me to wonder if there are any border clashes so I looked into a local news website and found that as recent as August 18, 2020 there was an incident where two Lesotho soldiers pursued cattle thieves across the border into South Africa. Shots were exchanged between The Lesotho police and the South Africa Defense force. The two Lesotho law enforcers have been arrested and are seeking bail but so far do not even have legal representation. There is presently a lot of infighting among political rivals within the country. A Prime Minister is being forced to resign because his present wife paid to have his former wife killed in 2017. I stopped reading the news in Lesotho when it began to sound to much like home. I have to say I enjoyed researching all about the dams, rivers, mountains, and living creatures and people of this nation. The schools and education systems show a lot of care is being extended to ordinary citizens of this nation and in years to come it will pay off in educated people who care to preserve a way of life for the people of this nation. There are campgrounds in Lesotho for those who want to experience a more wild look at the country. ![Merit Badge in Blog Camping
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Traveling with you in Europe was so much fun, hope you join us again next August! Until then, we hope all your blogging experiences inspire you equally as much!
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