1465 LESOTHO - Thaba Putsoa Range Malealea

It can be said that this kind of mountainous landscape shown in the postcard is specific for Lesotho, the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000m in elevation (over 80% of the country lies above 1,800m). Thaba Putsoa (Blue Mountain) lies along the road to the Mohale Dam, in south-western Lesotho, and attains a height of 2,902m. Malealea is a remote valley, set in the foothills of the Thaba Putsoa range. Malealea Lodge dates back to 1905 when it was a trading post founded by Mervyn Bosworth-Smith, a charismatic colonial character educated at Oxford, who served in both the Anglo-Boer and First World wars, then fell in love with Basutoland and lived there for over 40 years. A small village subsequently developed round the trading store, which has changed hands several times since Mervyn’s death in 1950.

About the stamps
The first stamp, depicting Turbina oblongata, is part of a series of flowers, issued on November 11, 1998. The second postcard is part of a series of butterflies.

Sender: Julius
Sent from Maseru (Lesotho), on 29.12.2014
Photo: Dirk Schwager