Jenee and The Gorge

Jenee is the name of the blistered wound on my left heel, and The Gorge is what I call the matching area where skin once lay on my right heel. Jenee also happens to be the name of the speed demon South African woman with whom I did The Gorge hike in Royal Natal National Park, and during which hike I acquired said blisters!

So I spent the last five days exploring the Drakensburg mountain region of South Africa, and despite the very VERY bad blisters I got by doing a hike at high speed (it was longer than we had time for) with my feet unprepared (originally the plan was to do a short hike), I LOVED the mountains. So very beautiful and peaceful. I have many, many pictures of the dramatic amphitheatre escarpment from many angles. The highlight was a hike up to 3100 meters in the northern part of the mountain that involved a fun scramble up a gully, a visit to the second highest waterfall in the world - Tuluga Falls - and a mildly intimidating trip down some chain ladders. Tiring, and not a way to heal my blistered feed, but absolutely worth every minute.

Yesterday I did some hiking in another part of the region, because I simply couldn't resist despite the foot pain. That's what band aids are for, right? (And duct tape - thanks Lindsay for that tip!) Finally, I'm ready to rest and regrow some skin, as this week I'm headed down the coast for what I'm told will also provide spectacular scenery.