Best.Day.Ever.

Everyone deserves a really good day after an exhausting week. I typed yesterdays post in the earlier hours of the morning before I knew what my future held. After school I was heading toward closest boy volunteers hut to steal some tomatoes from his incredible garden. A car pulled over next too me and the driver informed me he heard an announcement on the radio informing Basotho who know Peace Corps volunteers to have them email or call the headquarters in Maseru. I did not know him but he stopped anyways to inquire. We all know I do not have a phone so he picked me up and took me to his house where he let me use his personal (quite expensive) internet for free. I realized I did not have an email for PC so I read an email from K.F.A. and called it a session. No questions asked. There is something to said about the generosity of the people here! Five minutes of internet and we could call it a good day there.

We got to talking and he told me he was on his way to Maseru. I told him I was going on Sunday. He offered me a ride, if I wanted to go two days early. Duh! I was strictly informed not to arrive before Sunday but for mental health reasons I decided it was alright to hop in. He packed his bags. We went to pick up his friend, she packed her bags. Then we drove to my hut so I could pack my bags. I had not packed at all for a now 19 day trip. I threw some clothes in a bag, grabbed my toothbrush, found my passport and we were off. A school backpack for 19 days of travel. Efficient. One day in and the only things I know I forgot are my swim suit and tax papers. I will probably really miss the swim suit when I am on the beach in Durbin, and the tax forms will now continue to glare at me waiting to be filled out when I return. Those dishes I have was too fed up to wash this week are going to be nasty, the waste water is going to have accumulated its own new breed of insects, and the mice are going to have a blast with the trash pile I did not burn. We will cross these bridges when they come.

Reason number two for taking the ride down two days early: physical health. In my recent public transportation stories I have left out all the vomiting incidences. Lying across a student vomiting out the window or almost getting left by the bus after finding a private place to relieve myself. I did not inform you because it is not really a big deal. Get carsick. Vomit. Reach destination. Feel better. This happens quite often in America too. I guess it is escalated by speed at which drivers feel it is appropriate to drive on the winding mountainous dirt roads. I thought private transport would be an exception to this. Nope, it’s not. But you never know until you try! I made quite the impression on my new friends. Those of you shouting at me to take medicine, you would be proud. I have. The off-brand Dramamine the PC provides does not work. Dramamine has never failed me in America, I wonder if it has the power to tackle Lesotho?

When we weren’t singing bible school songs at the top of our lungs we questioned each other with the run-down of getting to know you questions. What is you favorite Basotho food? What do you do for fun? Who is your favorite singer? Where do you go to church? How long will you be in Lesotho? Where are you from? I learned a lot about both my new friends. I even managed to lock down FREE accommodations in Cape Town, South Africa for Christmas. The girl even let me put my sim card into her phone to send a few frantic texts to find refuge in Maseru (out of sight of PC). Their English was pretty phenomenal and even though they are both trying to get out of Thaba Tseka I will enjoy their company as long as they are around. I landed at the home of a 60 year old volunteer. Minus the fact she smoked like a chimney and enjoys the taste of a cold beer at the end of the day, I felt like I was hanging out with grams! So far she has been a hoot!