Lazarow World-Hike-About: Peru: Another side of life: How fortunate some of us are.

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.

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Peru: Another side of life: How fortunate some of us are.

Choquerriro trek: 5 or so days along the Andes.

A visit to Nepal, Peru and many other countries gives one a little appreciation of how tough it is for so many inhabitants of those regions. At times, it's hard to believe we all live in the same world. We believe visiting these places is a reminder for a person to understand how fortunate we are when we are materially comfortable. Of course, that's not the whole story. While more and more we realize the purpose of life is to pursue one's passion, rather than chase the buck, (although that is probably a passion for some), the poor countries, inter alia, are excellent teachers of humility, appreciation, gratefulness and other qualities desperately required of the current era in wealthier societies.

We think a person can convince oneself that one is humble and appreciative of the material gifts one receives. However, the best example of this occurs once a person has been without these benefits for a few days/weeks. Immediately thereafter, running water, electricity, tasty food, a mattress as a few examples take on a new meaning. But what of those whose typical life is to survive without the basic comforts. It can tear the heart, bring tears to the eyes—it can be a cruel world. It has an upside though—it makes charity more meaningful.

Getting high above the ruins.