Lazarow World-Hike-About: 54.09 KwaZulu-Natal: Drakensberg Gardens: Lake Naverone.

LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT

San Ramon: At first, I thought it needed explanation. Not true. Top Left: "You're kidding me. After hiking 4 miles from the base below, you still want to climb up there...and snakes...?" The stance revealed it all. The rest is self-explanatory, too. (Not part of the formal trail either).

'LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HIKE-ABOUT?'

Hike-about is an adventure that commenced June 2010. After storing our household movables, ridding ourselves of a house but retaining our 'home' together, we set off with the purpose of hiking in different parts of the world, not forgetting the home country, the USA.

Our primary focus is hiking to mountain peaks but any challenging hike will do just fine. Extended stays enable us to enjoy and experience living in various places amongst differing cultures. Hike-about has evolved into a way of life. It's also a process of discovery, both the world and ourselves.

We work and live 'on the road' but return to the city in which our grandchildren reside, every couple of months. This provides us the wonderful opportunity to be with them as well as a child or two, even three and of course, friends.

By the end of 2023, the blog contained over 1,560 hikes (less than that actually undertaken), each a set of pictures with stories and anecdotes from the trails. An index to the right allows the viewer to identify earlier experiences.

Finally, we are often asked about the journey's end. Our reply, as accurate as we can state, is: "When we are either forced to cease through health issues or the enjoyment level no longer reaches our aspirations, we will hang up the boots."

"A Life Experience As No Other: Dare to Seize the Day Together", published by Fulton Books, depicts our life on the road and mountains until the beginning of 2017. It has developed 'exponentially' since then.

Jenni and Jeffrey Lazarow

Whereas we continue to update the blog regularly, we circulate email notifications infrequently.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

54.09 KwaZulu-Natal: Drakensberg Gardens: Lake Naverone.

When we discovered the Drakensberg Gardens region, a fellow hiker mentioned it in passing without saying much, we wondered what were we missing. The information on the internet seemed exaggerated. Then we arrived at the resort (not the hotel) and still wondered what this was all about. Frankly, it's a gorgeous place, set in the mountains, alongside a lake, with chalets adorning the lapping water, serene, colorful and at peace. It almost seems a person has left the world and found nirvana. Even after a few days spent in a chalet, which is more like a not-so-small house, views to absorb at every turn, friendly staff and hikes leading from the property, we still questioned whether we were dreaming.

To provide some perspective, reality set in unfortunately. The weather turned poor which hampered our ability to take full advantage of the opportunities available. For us, an absence of hiking and adventure, negates much of time spent in a place, even one as beautiful as this. However, there's always a next time.

Typical chalets or a houses. Actually, our chalet had 3 bedrooms and bathrooms, a mansion in terms of the life we now lead.

Loneliness of a bench...but for a butt.

A little different.

Further attractions.

Multi-colored.

Tranquility...deluxe.

Red, the delightful color of autumn.

Difficult to fill that bench...I should have mentioned a 'crocodile' hangs about the area.

Alas, the weather we experienced. However, as my Dad always told me: "Butch, the rain makes everything beautiful; you should spend more time outside in that type of weather". 'We're trying, Dad but it 'ain't' working too well.'