CELL HOUSES in our time? We found her in Lesotho, a mountainous region in southern Africa. His village of Ha Kome is about 60 km from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, at the foot of the majestic mountains of Maluti. During the summer months, these mountain slopes are often covered with bright red flowers. These beautiful flowers, commonly known as Hot Red Poker, form a complete contrast to the lush vegetation of the area.
Several families follow a worldly lifestyle here. In fact, they build their houses in caves on the mountainside. Wooden sticks and other materials such as reeds frame the thick front wall. The wall is insulated with a mixture of mud and cow dung. This insulation offers some protection against the cold winters in Lesotho when the temperature can drop below freezing point. Inside there is a sunken area on the floor called ifo, which means "chimney", which is also used to provide heat in cold weather.
The roof, the back wall and often the side walls are formed from the cave's own rock. A mixture of mud and cow dung is applied to it and reapplied every year. This gives the rock color and a smoother surface. Cowhides decorate the interior and are also used as a sleeping mat.
The western visitor finds the traditional way of life in a refreshing way. Popular clothing fashion consists of brightly colored blankets and tapered grass hats. Barefoot shepherds often tend their flocks. The village men work in their corn fields or chat enthusiastically with other men.
From time to time, signs of modern technology appear. The occasional small airplanes flying overhead and four-wheel drive vehicles that take visitors to the caves keep young and old in the village. Most of the cooking is done outdoors in black iron pots one meter above an open fire. Due to the lack of firewood, dry cow dung, reeds and some branches are used as fuel. Common household tools in these caves include the traditional hand mill for grinding corn and a piece of wood for stirring corn porridge.
Lesotho is known for the Bushman paintings that can be found in many caves and rocks across the country. Bushmen are the people who originally lived in the Ha Kome caves. His pictures show a wide range of activities, from fishing with boats and nets to elaborate dances where participants apparently wore animal masks. The pictures also show animals such as baboons, lions, hippos and moose, the largest of the antelopes. Most of the paintings in the Ha Kome Caves have disappeared. Only a few traces recall the art of the Bushmen.
Not bad Keep going man..