I have chosen the Drifters classic for today’s blog seems appropriate.

I went yesterday to Devon as 12th man for cricket and we came second! Although a long way to go I didn’t mind missing fielding in that heat! I was supposed to be captaining us at Worcestershire today but Covid struck their team so have cancelled all their games this week. It had to happen.

Busy with stories next week so spending some time on this today- both writing and learning old stories.

Inca Trail

Final installment today – apologies I have taken so long to finish this.

On the fourth day of our track we started our trek about 4 a.m. while it was still dark so our head torches were vital. The aim was to get to the Sun Gate before dawn breaks over Machu Picchu – it was fun and surreal making our way in the dark. Scrambling up a long flight of steps and the excitement was growing as we could see the sky gradually lighten. Once we reached the Sun Gate the view was wonderful (there were pictures in previous blogs both of the view of dawn creeping over Machu Picchu and Clare and I at the Sun Gate)

It took some time to make our way down the ruins of the city. I was surprised to see Humming birds darting around. Words can’t really do justice to the the ruins, the surrounding hillsides and that wonderful feeling of your footsteps walking back through history.

After exploring the ruins I went with a couple of others to climb Huayna Picchu (Young Peak) -it is the great rock that dominates the whole site that you see in all the pictures. It was quite a scramble, holding onto ropes in places. It was certainly not an undertaking to take if you had vertigo! The picture of me below is me on the top-you can see the Inca Trail where we descended to Machu Picchu in the background! Getting down was actually harder than climbing up and you had to have your wits about you. It was an exhilarating experience!

Finally, in a previous blog I mentioned the wonderful porters who carried tents, cooking equipment etc . A picture of them below.

Thought Martha and the Vandellas provide an appropriate title for today. It is hot especially travelling back from Sizzling Devon. Had a great time with all the family. Probably eaten too much and certainly a few too many drinks! Need to get back to doing a few miles on the bike. I am planning to cycle round the river on Friday with my eldest son Dave. (picture of him below playing cricket yesterday-he won and was not out at the end-hope his father performs this week!)

A busy spell coming up with stories to learn as outdoor gigs coming up fast!) and because it has been a while I will have to relearn my old favourites.

I promise I will try and finish off the Inca Trail this week.

I’m not talking about football! We are currently away in Devon with all the family. Enjoying playing with my delightful grandson Owen as well as the wonderful weather! So sorry about the absence of blogs this week. I also had a great day at the cricket at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Yesterday before the football I used my blog to talk about the start of the Inca Trail when we walked it nearly 17 years ago. Day 2 was the day everyone was dreading with the legendary Dead Woman’s Pass ahead of us, the highest point on the trail at 4,215 metres. Altitude and how we react to it was an unknown factor. Clare was feeling some trepidation as we rose early.

We knew we would have to pace ourselves carefully. We decided to have a rest fairly frequently to catch our breath. Clare was feeling the altitude as we got higher and closer to the top of the pass. We eventually got to the highest point (picture below)

We knew we had now done the hardest point and Clare loved Day 3 walking through the Cloud Forest and I enjoyed spotting the birds flitting in and out of the trees. I was blown away at lunch on Day 3 we had porters (who do a similar role to the Sherpas in the Himalayas) so they had pitched a mess tent and had lunch ready for us. The flaps of the tent were open and in all four directions I could see snow capped mountains. I decided it must be one of the most beautiful places to eat lunch in the world! The picture of me below was in an earlier blog but was looking in one direction at the lunch site. (more on Inca Trail in the future)

Finally the football was disappointing but hats off to Southgate and his impressive young team. They have restored my interest in the England team.

Had to be the title for today’s blog -couldn’t be anything else. I won’t spend much time on it but fingers will be firmly crossed tonight for the big match. Think it will be a tight game that could go either way.

 Inca Trail Revisited

A few words on the Inca Trail over the next two or three blogs interspersed with pictures. I have had a few other pictures in some blogs this year. I got really excited when we arrived in Cuzco the former Inca Capital, I have mentioned before how fascinated I have been by the Incas ever since I was in the play Royal Hunt of the Sun when I was at school. I was an Inca follower of the King  Atahualpa, I was one of a group  butchered in slow motion by the Spaniards! (My Mum didn’t like seeing me put to the sword) So at last after a couple of weeks travelling around Peru I was now standing in the footsteps of the Inca’s in Cuzco. I did find it bizarre when having a drink in a local bar that was adorned by football scarves to see one of my favourite football team!

After 48 hours in the city we took a short train journey to just below Kilometre 82 (the start of the trail). We were warned it might be cold and we eventually snuggled down in our tent. We discovered how cold it was in the morning when we noticed ice had formed on the inside of the tent.  A cold early morning wash and a good breakfast and we were off, climbing steadily. You can just make out the camp site in the picture below.

More reminiscing tomorrow!

Thought Deep Purple’s song was appropriate for today. I refer of course to the amazing Mark Cavendish who today drew level with Eddie Merckx for the number of stage wins at the Tour de France. Brilliant! What a come back!!!! I am always fascinated by the Tour, it is an amazing endurance event-cycling for 3 weeks including the Alps and the Pyrenees.

I know I said I would write about the Inca Trail but it might have to wait a few days.

 Drama in the Fruit Net 

Second title of the day! I meant to write about drama in our garden a couple of days ago.We discovered a young Blackbird was trapped in our fruit net, his leg was caught in part of the net. We tried to rescue but the bird was panicking so it was difficult to release him. It wasn’t helped by the parents dive bombing us. So we had bird flapping at ground level as we tried to free him while ducking as the parents attacked us from above. I tried to explain we were helping but communication was a problem! The good news we did release him after a traumatic ten minutes but we didn’t get a Thank You!

Had to be after last night’s football didn’t it! Some of us can remember the last final England played in.

A short blog today -sorry.

Sadly my sport wasn’t so good today we lost to Wales today at cricket. I blame the captain (guess who and he got a duck?)

Book News -now seems likely to be mid August when it will finally be published. It has been a tortuous journey in recent weeks.

Thought the Don Henley song might be a good one for today even if the weather has been indifferent. I think Mark Cavendish is the boy of this summer-what an amazing  comeback!!! I certainly didn’t see that coming did anyone? For those of you who don’t know who is he is a cyclist and is closing in on the all time Stage Wins in the Tour de France. The picture above is one that has been in my blog before- I took it a few years ago on Caerphilly Mountain during the Tour of Britain.

More photos at the bottom from my garden. We have been pleased we have seen both male and female Blackcaps this week . Female below taken from an upstairs window.

An old Neil Young song title for today.

Thought it appropriate after listening to the news about the proposed end of lockdown. I do feel the message is muddled and can only see cases rising. Of course I am looking forward to going back to normal, especially to being able to perform live gigs regularly again. Can’t help but think the government has got wedded to July 19th so are blind to the data. Get more young people vaccinated before we open up! I hope I am wrong!

On a positive note I have a few outdoor gigs coming up in libraries and arts venues over the next month. So I will have to knuckle down and relearn stories and how I perform them.

I will attempt in the near future to finish off my Peru musings I wrote about before with our Inca Trail adventures. to whet your appetite the two pictures below are of sunrise  at Machu Picchu taken from the Sun Gate.

Got home from Bristol absolutely dripping this evening, we had been at the cricket and it got rained off (torrential rain) but the soaking came from waiting in the queue for the Park and Ride for twenty minutes. My goodness did I get wet, I now have rucksack, hat, shoes and other stuff all drying around the house! It is a long time since I have been that wet. The cricket was underwhelming only forty odd overs. It remains a mystery that cricket  a game for warm dry climates was developed in this country with its frequent weather systems coming across from the Atlantic!

A shower and a steaming mug of tea with wonderful home made flapjack soon restores your well being! As I was sipping my tea a distant memory came drifting back- of it was coming off the Pennine hill wet and cold and visiting the cafe at Horton in Ribblesdale. Their pint mugs of tea were legendary!