Baxktrack

Brigadier's Backtrack
Its bloody difficult to do run notes 8 months after the event so your edit-hares have hit on a jolly wheeze, every one say something, short sharp and erudite, and pass on.
I seem to remember the sun was shining on Sat and sun, Mon and Tues - I cant really recollect. The hares Benghazi and Gunpowder Plod, I think, ably backed up[ by about 10 yards] Lightning, laid canny trails. Saturdays run was yet another way from the village down across orange groves, a cactus forest to the sea shore. It came out at the Neptuno beach bar, you've guessed right, on the beach. Stopped for refreshing beers. By the time stragglers turned up front runners Icepyk and Plod were off along the beach with the blue Med on their left. A cunning turn to the right inland stopped them continuing on to Africa, also got the pack off the sand and away from the beach fleshpots. Nuff said. What about hash beach boule, cardboard drums, hunting horn send offs, and shrug and so on.

Penguin's Ponderings
Talking of booze, I remember having a leisurely cup of coffee with brandy one afternoon at one of the beach cafes with Icepyk, Bear and someone else and this was so pleasant we had another and another and possibly (call that
probably - no, call it definitely) another then I recall having another one or two in a cafe in "Upper" Mojacar before heading off for dinner somewhere … but somehow or other I can't remember much after that. I'll be more careful with the brandy in future.

The Saturday run starting at Gordon's and heading for the beach got absolutely screwed up near the beginning with conflicting arrows sending the pack all over the place. The lady with high heeled shoes did remarkably well
to complete the "run" all the way to the beer stop at the beach cafe.

The barbeque at the Esquinica was excellent and memorable for the huge quantities served up.

Taxidermist's Tale
Saturday evening - music (?) @ Gordon's bar
Returning from the 'mobile circle' in the afternoon where we'd indulged in the MjH3 tradition of being moved off the land we were having a circle on, most of the pack gathered outside Hotel Esquinica.
When we got to Gordon's bar, there was another musician already playing ! Lightning was sitting transfixed by the old upright piano, playing a few chords every few minutes - he obviously had a tune going through his head but the message wasn't getting down to his fingers very quickly on account of being pissed. Several weeks later I asked him if he enjoyed playing the piano in Spain - he didn't remember.
Anyway, there was an excellent curry set out for us and afterwards we were entertained by Klaus (?) - a German folk singer on guitar. He was soon joined by Taxidermist banging on a carboard box and butane gas cylinder and Gunpowder Plod tapping on various wine bottles and tabletop. Then Ettles found a guitar in the bar to add to his superb renderings on harmonica and Fixer joined in on maracas. Smutley completed the percussion section by banging his head on the wall. The wine, beer and spirits flowed and the whole pack joined in with the tunes.
Not to be outdone, one of the local alcoholics decided that we needed some education in Spanish bar songs and proceeded to send Gordon into a deeper sleep with the Spanish equivalent of My Way.