Originally Posted by Chrissie B

This is just the short version... by my AT is now history... read on:


REPORT OF INCIDENTS IN LESOTHO

Over the weekend of the 27 April to 01 May 2006 we went for a trip to Lesotho with a few friends, some on motorcycles, 3 BMW GS's, 1 Triumph Tiger and me on my Africa Twin, and some in 4x4's.

All went well on the first day, we did not see too many locals on our way up Sani Pass. And no I did not make it all the way up, the height just became too scary, so one of the guys rode my At up the last 4km's. On the second day travel was slower as the road became more difficult to ride on as the rain had washed away parts of it, and the locals started to become a problem, especially the younger males, as they kept harassing the ladies in our group, especially me as I was not in a car but on a motorcycle.

Due to our slow progress we had to spend the night in the mountains as it was getting too dark to carry on. The next morning we set out early, but a little way down the path the guys decided that it would be better for me not carry on riding the bike, but rather travel in the car with the other girls as my bike was misfiring and I was just too slow and too exhausted to carry on, and some of the guys would go back and fetch my motorcycle later. We offered the locals a reward if they looked after the bikes.

A little further down the road the Tiger broke down with an oil leak and it was decided to also pick it up with the bakkie. Initially I wanted to wait with my bike, but as the behaviour of the locals was not friendly, we decided against it. So we drove on to our destination at Katse Dam. But since it was already late, our friends only went back early the next morning to fetch the two motorcycles.

When they arrived back with us, only pieces of the two bikes were left. The bikes had been gutted, burned, dragged along and made almost unrecognizable by these monsters which call themselves human beings, there is nothing human about anyone who does this to someone else’s’ property. Just as well that I did not stay behind with the bike, I would most probably have been raped and killed.

The following day the incident was reported to the local police at Katse. I did not deal with them directly, as I was far too upset and emotional at the time.

As I now no longer had transport to get home, I had to travel on the back of my boyfriend's bike. But even on the way back to the border we had several incidents of stone throwing and being hit on the legs with their herding whips. I was very glad to finally arrive back in SA. We had arranged for someone from Katse to bring the destroyed motorcycles over the border, and now we have to arrange for the bikes to be transported back to Johannesburg.

Now I no longer have my motorcycle which I used for daily transport as well as for recreation. I now have to travel in my car which uses double the amount of fuel, triple the amount of time and is half the amount of fun.

Lesotho is not a safe place and a lot of the locals we encountered were unfriendly and demanded sweets and money, and if you did not oblige they threw stones and hit us with their sticks. We came to Lesotho as visitors, we spent our money in their country and I did not expect to be treated like this. I would strongly advise against anyone wanting to go to Lesotho on holiday. If Lesotho does not want tourists, then they should not print fancy pamphlets inviting people to come and visit. I will most certainly never come back to this part of Africa.

My poor baby.... and I can't really afford to buy another one, so I am going to try to sue the Lesotho Authorities, someone has to pay for this.

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We paid the Chief R220 for camping there, and he told us where we could set up camp. As for leaving the bikes alone, if you had broken down there you would not have had a choice, and had I stayed to guard the bike I would probably have been raped and/or killed... and the terrain was so bad that one could not push the bike for the 60km's that we still had to go to get to the dam. It took the guys that fetched the bikes 5 hrs there and 5hrs back... and we could not risk another night in the mountains guarding the bikes... besides it was freezing cold and it snowed on the way home.