The Lonely Planet describes the country side of the Free State as the ideal place to take a road trip. Going north on the R26 with the Maluti Mountains hugging our right hand side I can only strongly agree. We are heading from Aliwal North towards Ladybrand through the magnificent Eastern Free State.
The wide open expanse of the sky is a match to the open road that lies ahead, inviting us to explore the inspiring scenery and open spaces. Huge patches of farmland are only interrupted by rocky outcrops of the Maluti Mountains. Add to this a storm brewing over Lesotho with evening colors and you get true natural beauty. Raw, powerful and a little unsettling for
three chicks in a sudan! In the distance the flat sheets of rain werefalling down like a wall protecting Lesotho and everything beyond it.
Interesting fact: during the height of apartheid, the only people who were really free in the Orange Free State were white men. They were free from British rule. Following 1891 any person of asian origin was not allowed to spend longer than 24 hours in the OFS. At this time black and colored people were needed for the labor force in the province so were allowed to stay in the province but were, of course, subject to the pass laws as the rest of the country.
Pink Farm Chick 