Lazarow World-Hike-About

We close the South African autumn visit with a video that captures a smidgen of what turned out to be another amazing experience. The hikes we undertook were superb, the weather was good, the accommodation provided us comfort and the people were friendly, helpful and wonderful to be amongst. Catching up with friends and family rounded off this exciting, enjoyable and stimulating period. We count our blessings. Video follows after the pictures below: Don't you just hate it when your spouse shows off and makes you feel inadequate? I suppose Jenni likes to hang out on her own from time-to-time. Jumping with the devil: Devil's Peak Cape Town. Leaving the house and off to work, Berg-en-Dal, Kruger National Park. Called to the 'Table': Table Mountain viewed from Lion's Head. By the way, Jenni is a little crazy but not 'nuts'—the opening picture is not of her...I don't think. THE VIDEO Click on the icon at the bottom right-hand c...

'Perhaps you'd like to fetch the lounge chair from over there and bring it closer to this nice spot for me, Jeffrey.' We can understand that people might question our fascination of mountains. Pictures of mountains, stories -on mountains, -of mountains, -for mountains and volcanoes. What's with these mountains? No doubt, we spend much time on them and think even longer about these giants. What is the attraction of these inanimate objects? The short answer is we don't know. The longer and better answer might be that we are consumed by them. They form, in some way, an integral part of our lives. We love to hike and climb up them, at times to run down and less often, run up. We love to view them at all hours of the day, to observe sights from them, to watch the changing seasons influence them, to witness the effect of the weather on them and in the case of many, their influence over the weather. We watch their moods, some are smoldering beauties, others only a...

There are a number of lodges, privately owned, in South Africa that maintain their own trails. The Drakensberg Mountain Retreat is one such establishment. It straddles a number of farms in the region with many domestic and wild animals roaming the land. This trip in general has allowed us to observe a variety of birds and walk near and alongside many animals. It has added to the enjoyment of the hiking experiences very much indeed. Of course, careful placement of feet is always vital for safety and in this type of environment, good footings help to keep the boots relatively clean. One of our more ambitious climbs on 'New Beginnings 'Trail. The backdrop of the Drakensberg from our position stretches from beyond the Sentinel in the north to Cathkin Peak in the south. Cathkin at sunset, one of our favorite icons. The editor through the dry waterfall on the tough 'New Beginnings' trail. We expected proteas mainly in the Cape...got a treat h...

We left one of our favorite places in the Drakensberg for last. Unfortunately, the weather did not allow us to undertake all that we had intended but we still squeezed in more than the minimum we set ourselves. At an altitude of over 10,000 feet, the weather is erratic and dangerous. When we reached the plateau above the chains, we continued climbing further only to find visibility of a few feet. We stopped for breakfast, hoping that the mist would lift. It often does. However, not this time and so we had to return without reaching the Tugela Falls, some twenty minutes further along. We were also intending to try and reach the peak of Mont-aux-Sources. This will have to wait for the next time. We learned that a person broke his leg in that area the previous week and had to be rescued by the defence force. At the position we met the second set of hikers of the day. Sun beams penetrate on a day of mist/fog and clouds. Devils tooth comes into view. Some days, one feels q...

When moving through the grass, chances of noticing the animals/birds improves. Our lack of identification skills continues to be a problem. Reflections...on the hippo trail...but mind the crocs. Driving in Swaziland was fine except many drivers tend to position two wheels of their vehicles over the center-divide. This is hazardous on the narrow roads or on any roadway. It made us drive more carefully, always expecting the worst, sometimes leaning towards the left...hmm! That's not at all true. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure driving on the MR3, a freeway/highway. Except for pedestrians, including young children, crowding the shoulder, it was very quiet. While we're on the subject, cattle, sheep and goats are also frequent users of these roads. An interesting dilemma will occur when tolls are introduced. It's so unusual to travel on a wide main road with few cars about in general. Thinking of the Interstate 5 in California after Swaziland's relative tranqu...