It is a country which has maintained its independence since being unified from several different tribes by King Moshoeshoe I in the mid-1800s. Lesotho survived the colonial period intact when Moshoeshoe asked Great Britain for protectorate status. As it was never colonized, there are fewer whites and less European influence in Lesotho itself than in many African countries. However, surrounded as it is by South Africa, its fortunes have largely depended on that country, and much of the Lesotho work force migrates annually to the mines and fields of South Africa. This is, however, Switzerland with drought, overfarming and massive erosion.
Trees are rare, and deep ravines cut through the landscape.
While people were very welcoming to me, I repeatedly was asked if I had the preconception that the local people all lived in trees. Many Africans, it seems, believe that this is the image of them held by Americans and Europeans. I was amazed to hear that some of my predecessors, medical students from other countries, had held this impression and helped cement it in the minds of the people. In truth, I was expecting a much higher standard of living than I found. Throughout the country most people live in earth-walled huts, with thatched roofs and no electricity or water.