But I'm not going to tell you about that. Here is something I put on fb which caused amusement so I thought you might like to share in my suffering too. Holidays can be hard work. Especially if you are still recovering from an 18month illness.
Went to the Heights of Abraham. You
get there using a car on a wire thingy. Sorry, brain not cooperating.
You can see my picrture of it on the right.The bloody things don't stop for you to get on and off. Just slow down. I kind of toppled forward onto it.
We then decided to go into one of the two mines on a tour. When I say we... well they weren't deciding so I did.
"Right," said the guide in her broad Peak District accent. "It's a 15 minute walk and there are 178 steps. The good news is some are down. The bad news is only three of them. Anyone want to back out."
The family look at me. I stand firm. Done the Whitby Steps. I can do this.
"And the roof goes as low as 5ft in places. Anyone backing out?"
They give me another worried look. "I'm 5ft 5. I can do this."
"And it is as cold as a fridge."
"Oh goody. That will make it easier. And look at all those little kids going in."
"There is a video of the tour instead or 5 minute cave walk in another part of the park?"
"Nope."
Family shake their heads in exasperation. I ignore them and enter the tunnel.
So the steep, wet slope down wasn't too bad. I had the freezing handles on each side to hold onto. Good.
And the long, low tunnel wasn't too bad. Belly made breathing harder when I was bent over but I got there. Still good. Still good.
Lovely first cave. No problems.
Then the first set of steps. Varying heights and a low roof.
"Is she counting? Stop counting." from one of the family.
"Shut up". I mutter. 10...11...12...
The group ahead disappear from sight. Don't panic. It is a straight tunnel. You can't get lost. ...28...29..30...
At 41 the steps stop and so do I. Doubled over trying not to be sick. The family behind us ask if I am OK. "Yep." I gasp. They hurry on.
We slowly go up the slope to be met by the guide. She tells me not to worry because lots of others struggled too. I look around at the wall of sympathetic looks. Not a single wheeze amongst them.
Dave props me against the wall while the guide does her stuff. By now I am trying to imagine how they will get a stretcher down to me, let alone get me out. I also remember I did Whitby steps BEFORE I fell ill.
I realised how much I had slowed them when the next group, supposed to be 15minutes behind us, entered the cave as we headed up the next set of steps.
Thankfully these steps were all the same height, 30 odd and a high roof. The others in the tour group raced ahead but the guide was waiting for me at the top to encourage me.
Another nice cave that they all admired while I tried to pretend the flashing lights were crystals.
Then the final long, winding steps to the top. Well I did it with lots of stops. Over the moon when I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. All the others were out by then except the family.
I staggered out the top and got a well done from the guide and a few of the group who had waited to see if I made it. They had saved a place on a bench for me to recover.
I DID IT!!!
After a few hours I suggested the easy mine tour. Easy? It was at the bottom of the hill! The steep hill! The near vertical hill!!!
We started down. A third of the way I saw super fit walking types practically crawling to get up the hill. If it was going to do that to them, what would it do to me?
Common sense finally hit and I chickened out. Just as well because family had to practically pull me up the hill again. Chocolate Fudge Cake helped me recover.
There. Did you enjoy that? Got another one for tomorrow if I remember.
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