One weekend not too long ago, Kathy and I accepted a last minute invitation from our friend, and her colleague, Charles, to spend the night at Malealea Lodge. We had been there once before, as described in an earlier blog entry, but did not hesitate to go back. It is a beautiful place that does wonders for weary souls.
Along with Charles and ourselves, our group also included Prince (from Rwanda), Kevin (an American Peace Corps employee living in South Africa) and Armando (from Mozambique). We spent most of the weekend simply relaxing, admiring the views and being entertained by the peacocks that had the run of the grounds.
We did go for a brief walk that evening, during which we were reminded that we were most definitely out in the country:
Kathy and I also took time out to enjoy the evening's entertainment, which consisted of a local youth choir:
And a band of local musicians who play homemade instruments, sing and dance:
The following morning, I rose before anyone else and went for a sunrise hike. Wandering through the mountains and villages at sunrise was easily one of the highlights of my time here, or anywhere. Here is a sample of what I saw:
On the way back, I wandered through a local village, where I met some enchanting people:
For the rest of the morning, all the others in our group went pony trekking while I remained back at the lodge. I have had my fill of horse riding, much preferring my own feet. So while they rode, I sat at the coffee shop and learned two new songs ("One of Us" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want") - when I was not entertaining two young Afrikaner children who were staying at the lodge.
Once the others returned, we relaxed a bit more:
Then we bid farewell to the spectacular view:
Great photos. Makes me a bit homesick!!
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