Maseru is a capital that feels more like a country town with ambitions. It sits on the western edge of Lesotho, right on the Caledon river, which forms the border with South Africa, and the Maseru Bridge border post, just across the river from the town of Ladybrand, is the main gateway into the kingdom. About a hundred and twenty thousand people live here, and the city's name is said to mean place of red sandstone. It began in 1869 as a police camp of the British, who administered the Basutoland protectorate until independence in 1966.
The cultural heart of the country lies close by. The mountain stronghold of Thaba Bosiu, about twenty-five kilometres away, was the base of King Moshoeshoe I, who united the Basotho people in the early nineteenth century and defended them against enemies, and a visit to the flat-topped hill, with its ruins and view, is the best way to understand the nation's story. In town, the Basotho Hat, a large building shaped like the traditional conical straw hat, is a landmark and houses a craft centre where you can buy woven goods, tapestries and blankets.
For a rider, Maseru is a place to prepare. The roads leading south and east into the mountains are paved for some distance, then become rougher, and the best plan is to arrive with your papers in order, change some money into maloti, the local currency, which is tied to the South African rand and accepted alongside it, and check over your bike. Traffic in the city is chaotic, with minibus taxis stopping anywhere, so take care. The climate is dry, with hot summers and cold winters, and thunderstorms in the afternoons can be fierce.
Everything is available in town, from fuel and tyres to banks and cafés, and Teyateyaneng, a smaller town to the north, is also worth knowing. Eat pap and stew, or grilled meat, at a local restaurant, and keep valuables out of sight in crowded places. If you cross the border with a motorcycle, allow time for formalities, especially on busy days. From here, the road to Semonkong and the great waterfall climbs steadily into the highlands, and the temperature drops with each hundred metres.