The first journal entry from my recent South Africa trip is not, oddly enough, about South Africa. “TIA. This. Is. Efffrica,” to quote Leonardo Dicaprio from the epic film, Blood Diamond. In other words, anything goes. Here’s an introduction to the amazing people and landscape of the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

Amphitheater Backpackers

Lesotho (pronounced /lɨˈsuːtuː/) is “highest” country in the world. And by that I mean two things: 1) it sits 1,100 meters above sea level — hence the biblical tagline, “Kingdom in the Sky”; and 2) marijuana production is one of the 3 main sources of income, according to a UNESCO study — the other two are international aid and money sent home by those working abroad. Continue reading »