Kingdom in the Cloud (Lesotho)

Winding my way up Sani Pass I saw some of the most impressive scenery imaginable. Terrace after terrace of green flanked with imposing rocky cliffs engulfed the pass. Water is everywhere, twisting down valleys to meet up with the river or tumbling down rock faces as waterfalls. It looks like J.R. Tolkien puked the Sani Pass area out of his imagination but instead of hobbits hiding in the rocks there are baboons and people in tribal clothes.
Looking up the tallest cliff and seeing two people in full tribal regalia, their bright green and red blankets trailing out behind them in the wind as they beheld the endless valley in front of them was awe-inspiring for as long as I could focus on it, but the state of the road make the awe short-lived as I held on so as not to be lurched out the window to my death.
Once you cross into Lesotho, ti's like going back in time. This tiny kingdom floating in South Africa really seemed incredibly distinct from the first moment I entered. Even the landscape changes dramatically. Instead of lush and green, it became rocky and rough. Being above treeline, it's much more brown. We cruised into the highest pub in Africa and after a brief stop there we headed farther into the mars-like landscape where horses are the main mode of transportation and sheep and mules scatter themselves amidst the rocks. People seem rugged and hardy wrapped in blankets. Some wear long woolen grey cloaks wrapped over their heads to keep out the cold with colorful tassels coming out the top. Their eyes are darker and their skin more weathered.
The villages are stone huts with thatched roofs clustered together. The inside of the huts is packed with mud to keep out the cold and also contain an open fire pit. They bake amazing bread and brew fruity beer in the huts. To make ends meet, many people will sell things To indicate to others what they are selling they put up flags on their homes. A green flag means bread is for sale, a white one means beer.
There is something magical about Lesotho that I can't explain, and not, it's not just because it's considered a kingdom. It's amazing that there can e this little nation in South Africa and it can be so different from the country that surrounds and dwarfs it. Tradition still runs strong in Lesotho. The boys, for example, have an initiation period before they become men. They go off and learn all about what it's like to be a man, traditional medicine, etc. They have a circumcision ceremony, then once they are healed they go far up into the mountains as a small group and build a hut. When the time is right they light the hut on fire. They walk away and don't look back, saying goodbye to their childhood. They come back to the village as men. Now who can't love a place like that?