 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MAJOR SPONSOR, SAN MIGUEL! Contact Mr Cuong for all San Miguel products in Vung Tau: email: [email protected] phone, text/sms: 093 8833 183 Home, office, party etc deliveries a specialty! 24 May 2015 LOWER NORTHERN BEACHES - "Chi Linh to Dic Star" A longer than usual wait for "the ice man" gave way to a slower than usual bus ride with our driver displaying his creative but "less than tuneful" gear crunching expertise as we struggled around "Jesus Statue corner" and headed north for the Seaview apartments and Chi Linh resort for today's exciting beach encounter! A chalk talk by Mountain Goat and Mother Teresa was translated by Superteen and then it was "On On" behind eternal FRB Terminator - who was going faster than usual as Yoffi hunted for some "territorial markers". Not sure if she found any, but we think the locals must have taken a liking to our red eco-markers as they were few and far between! After heading north for what seemed like ages, we eventually turned east and headed for the beach. Another right turn and we were finally heading south along the sand to the Dic Star end-point - managing a few quick chats with local beachgoers and fishing people on the way! It had seemed like a fairly straightforward trail until now, but that changed quickly as we headed off-beach and onto the sand dunes virtually covered with thick, dead grass, twigs and related beach flora which made for a hard slog at times! And it was somewhere along this section that several amazing coincidences started to happen: Mapdraw noticed something shining in the darkness down amongst the dried twigs and pointed it out to Viking; he stooped down to pick it out of the shrubbery, only to discover that he was holding a ladies watch - to be continued below! After several kilometres of sand dunes, we threaded our way onto a paved road between resorts, then through a car park and back onto the beach again! This time, we knew we were getting closer because the noise levels had risen quite dramatically. Sure enough, we finally reached the eskies inside the Dic Star grounds - after more than 7 km of paved road, loose sand, hard-packed sand, dried grass, dead twigs, more paved road and more sand! We feasted on the delicious Russian snacks and ice-cold San Migs and softies until everyone made it back safe and sound. Then it was time for the Circle, with Ring Master Basil calling on Uncle to rate the trail for Hares Terminator and Mountain Goat. Ever the diplomat(!), Uncle awarded maximum points for the variety and length of the trail, only to be challenged by Camel Bone to deduct 2 points for lack of markers in the earlier part of the trail. This led to a call for "average" 9/10, which was in turn challenged for another "average", which gave the final score a very creditable 9.5/10! Hash Virgins Misses Dung and Diep were introduced by Viking; returnees Camel Bone, GPS, Rita and Mapdraw welcomed back; and various sinners charged including Stubble, Uncle and Rita for "inappropriate footwear" (no shoes!); the Circle was then advised that Vung Tau Hash has reached #1 in the Trip Advisor rankings for "Things to do in Vung Tau"! Foodies Mother Teresa and Mountain Goat were thanked by general acclaim; and then a name change was proposed because of the amazing chain of coincidences mentioned earlier: When Viking made it to the end-point he asked if anyone had lost a watch. Moonface hadn't realised she'd even lost the watch - let alone that it would be spotted amongst all that dead shrubbery by one Hasher and collected and returned by another! Given that Hashtags are primarily bestowed to recognise something that's been said or done on the Hash rather than the "outside world", Uncle proposed that this was an excellent reason to allocate a new Hashtag - Shines In the Dark, or "SID" (noting that the moon also shines in the dark, just like a lost watch!). Some confusion followed and it was getting late, so the matter was held over for next week. Ring Master Basil announced that SamSon had volunteered to set a trail at Minh Dam Secret Zone for next Sunday, and the Circle was closed as we cleared up and loaded the bus for the return trip - during which Basil distributed plastic bags containing posters and flyers for VTH3 and new affiliate The Bay City Strollers to anyone who can use them to canvass new members in the local community or via noticeboards in apartment buildings, restaurants, bars, etc. There was also some discussion about t-shirts for the 700th run (04 October 2015), and everyone was invited to provide contact details for reliable and inexpensive suppliers. STOP PRESS (Thursday): SamSon, Ms Thanh and Monsieur 'Arry have confirmed a trail in the Long Hai Mountains starting at the "Monkey Pagoda" but exploring more of the Minh Dam Secret Zone and including a huge lookout rock with panoramic views of Long Hai beach - so don't forget your camera! We'll meet on Sunday at Sao Bien 4 restaurant, as usual, 2 pm for 2.30 pm start. On On!  Report: Uncle, Basil Hares: Terminator, Mountain Goat Hash Flash: Uncle. Circle photos: Ms Uyen. VTH3 #682 PHOTO GALLERY > > > 
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 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MAJOR SPONSOR, SAN MIGUEL! Contact Mr Cuong for all San Miguel products in Vung Tau: email: [email protected] phone, text/sms: 093 8833 183 Home, office, party etc deliveries a specialty! 17 May 2015 SMALL MOUNTAIN - the "back road" to Jesus statue A relaxed bunch of more than 20 Hashers and two 'Hash hounds' (Yoffi and Hashputin) left Sao Bien 4 in bright sunshine for the hike across Front Beach. Then it was left across Halong and "On On" via Phan Chu Trinh to Hem 220, then right and left and through the commune (very sleepy today - even the dogs!), and up the back way to Jesus statue. Nothing much to report along the way, apart from a "local road-kill" count of three 'dead' motorbikes and one 'dead' bicycle (plus groceries) - but fortunately no-one seriously injured. Some Hashers came down the mountain by an earlier trail, but most did the right thing and descended by the tourist steps. A bit of a wait in the open parking area back on ground level, but the eskies finally arrived by taxi(!) and were swiftly pounced upon by the thirsty horde! A new delicacy was on offer today from our 'foodies' - Latvian fish! (and very nice too!). Lots of socialising followed, and we took the team photo then formed a Circle. Duty Ring Master Basil nominated Terminator to score the trail, which resulted in 8/10. But Uncle added 2 points for the Bash (Bicycle Hash - because he's injured!). However, Titanic stepped in and gave an 'average' 9/10, which earned three Down Downs! Only one Hash virgin today - Ms Hang, introduced by Ms Nga, and one visitor, Greg, a former Cairns (Qld, Australia) hasher. Basil admitted to being a sinner for telling everyone last week that we were on run 690 when it should have been 680, so Uncle joined him because he'd spotted the error - and earned a double Down Down when Taffy mentioned that he'd fallen off his bike on the way down the mountain! Then it was time for Ms Nga to receive a Hashtag - immediately nominated by Mother Teresa as "Butterfly"! No dissentions - motion carried: exit Ms Nga, enter Ms Butterfly! Time to thank the "foodies" once again: Mountain Goat, Mother Teresa and D&G - lovely grub (especially the Latvian fish!). Mountain Goat and Terminator volunteered to set next Sunday's trail - see NEXT RUN box - and Uncle said he's met a promising contact for new trails on Nui Dinh, so that's a "to be confirmed" for the week after. In the meantime, we’ll meet at the Sao Bien 4 restaurant on Sunday, as usual, at 2 pm for 2.30 pm start – see home page for directions. On On!  Report: Uncle Hare: Basil Hash Flash: Uncle, Basil, Ms Uyen VTH3 #681 PHOTO GALLERY    PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MAJOR SPONSOR, SAN MIGUEL! Contact Mr Cuong for all San Miguel products in Vung Tau: email: [email protected] phone, text/sms: 093 8833 183 Home, office, party etc deliveries a specialty! 10 May 2015 NUI DINH - Mountain Goat's birthday: part 2 & Russian 'Victory Day'! Hashers all met at the Sao Bien 4, with the Russian Hashers “geared up” to celebrate the 70th anniversary of "Victory Day" (aka V-E Day), when Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies (including the former Soviet Union) in WWII. We set off for Nui Dinh but stopped at the Long Hai roundabout to pick-up our main star: Mountain Goat. We also had a surprise when smoke suddenly started billowing from the top of the bus – fortunately it was just gas from the aircon, so calm was restored! The bus was too big to travel inside the village at the bottom of Nui Dinh, so The Gardener led everyone off the bus for a chalk talk. Then it was “On On” through the village to a chorus of barking dogs and the rural scene of villagers busy in their fields. We turned left at the end of the village and then right through a large shed and into the forest, passing a teenage farmer enjoying some time in the shade with his Vietnamese music. Venturing deep into the forest, the sky had blessed us with plenty of cloud cover from the scorching sun – but sadly, no breeze. The trail was a 45 degree uphill climb. It didn’t look difficult but it drained a lot of stamina. Hashers were glad they were reminded to bring plenty of water. Deeper and deeper we went into the forest, but when we finally reached an open dirt road it was familiar to some and they instinctively followed an old trail instead of the red eco-tape! After some corrections, we reached the river bed which was completely dry and filled with stones and sand. Many Hashers hopped from stone to stone to avoid the sand, similar to the game, “the floor is lava”! At the end of the river bed it was a right turn back into the forest – and that’s when we heard “On-Off”, which sounded like “On On” so we replied and carried on, until we found Ms Nga who had backtracked to look for her friend but took a fall which left her with bruising, a sore chin and a bleeding palm – “all in a day’s work on the Hash”! (just joking: we take injuries very seriously, but Ms Nga’s fortunately didn’t require special treatment – ed). We eventually made it safely back to the open dirt road and ice cold beer and vodka – it was 17:22, an unusually long trail! The Russian Hashers were already celebrating the 70th anniversary of the former Soviet Union’s role in helping to end WWII with t-shirts showing someone in "cool" shades whose name rhymes with Hashputin, and “military” paraphernalia including a fur hat and flag. Typically, some Hashers wanted to buy the t-shirts! After some vodka, balloon-blowing and beer, we finally took a group photo before it got too dark and duty Ring Master Basil called the Circle. Basil noted the 70th anniversary, Mothers Day, Mountain Goat’s birthday Mk II, and announced that we’ll celebrate our 700th run later this year (it's early days yet, but everyone will be invited to place an order if we find someone to produce commemorative t-shirts at a reasonable price...). Hares The Gardener, Ms Banana, Monsieur ‘Arry and Ronald Reagan were invited into the Circle for Mountain Goat’s evaluation of her “birthday gift”. She held both open palms high to indicate a perfect score: 10/10 – and SamOnHash translated: “It was an excellent trail!” We welcomed US visitor Simon “Huggy Bear”, who has run with several Hashes in Asia but this was his first in Vung Tau. Also Alexander, a mechanic, and Gema, both from Vietsovpetro. Then Ms Hong, who was introduced by her slightly injured friend, Ms Nga! Then it was time for Anatoly to receive his Hashtag for more than 6 runs. Titanic and Live Wire suggested белый тигр ("Ak Bars" – which means “white tiger” in English) – because his hometown in Russia is as white as snow (maybe because it IS snow!); there was no argument from the Circle, so “Ak Bars” it is from now on! Sinners included Ronald Reagan and Dolly for losing the trail (RR was one of the Hares!), Tiny Tim for talking too much(!), and Ms Banana for new yellow shoes! Super Teen then bestowed a special ribbon onto the Chain of Honour, to commemorate the involvement of Russians in helping to end the long and cruel WWII. And finally, our grateful thanks as always to the foodies: Mountain Goat, Mother Teresa, Liuda, D&G, Titanic and Stubble for continuing to share their delicious snacks with everyone! With no volunteers to set next week’s trail, the Circle was closed and everyone reminded to keep an eye on the NEXT RUN box and also STOP PRESS in this run report for trail updates. We’ll meet on Sunday, as usual, at 2 pm for 2.30 pm start, Sao Bien 4 restaurant – about 30 metres before the main cable car complex at 1A Tran Phu. On On! KNOW SOMETHING WE DON'T? Run reports are compiled from information available at time of publication; so mistakes, omissions, etc can happen. If you think you can help improve any report, your contribution via the 'Contact VTH3' page will be very welcome!  Report: Basil. Sub: Uncle Hares: The Gardener, Ms Banana, Ronald Reagan, M. 'Arry Hash Flash: Huggy Bear. Additional photos: Tiny Tim, Ak Bars VTH3 #680 PHOTO GALLERY FIRST, A "SNAPSHOT" OF THE DAY BY AK BARS > > > FUN FOR EVERYONE! NOW MORE DETAIL FROM HASH FLASH > > >  THE FINAL WORD (AND TEAM PHOTO!) GOES TO TINY TIM > > >   PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MAJOR SPONSOR, SAN MIGUEL! Contact Mr Cuong for all San Miguel products in Vung Tau: email: [email protected] phone, text/sms: 093 8833 183 Home, office, party etc deliveries a specialty! 03 May 2015 BIG MOUNTAIN - Celebrating Mountain Goat's 60th birthday! Some Hashers were predictably absent this week because of the holidays, but the "Mountain Goat Fan Club" turned out in force and headed away from SB4 to mark her 60th birthday with a hike around her favourite "pile of dirt": Big Mountain. The trail had been chosen to avoid the need for taxi's, because they were in big demand by the usual hordes of tourists on weekends - and especially public holidays. We crossed Tran Phu, went left around the new museum and headed past SOS clinic and Lam Son Apartments - then on through the residential area until turning left at Hem 89 to climb the steps onto Vi Ba, where we turned left and stopped where the off-road climb began just past the big pagoda on the left. Uncle's chalk talk gave a choice of two trails, but everyone ignored the "easy" option and headed straight up the mountainside! Once at the "crossroads plateau", we took the left fork to traverse the mountain under the cable cars and eventually emerge onto the broken part of Vi Ba just below the summit, then down to the scheduled "water stop": the coffee shop outside the Army camp. Several sugar cane drinks later and it was down the side of the mountain to Tran Phu near the Ganh Hao restaurant. One of our two Hash Virgins showed her mettle on this section when her fellow HV was having difficulty, so HV1 recalled her Girl Scout training and calmly led her friend to safety! And so we arrived back at Sao Bien 4 - to a beautifully-prepared spread of Russian delicacies (thanks to Mother Teresa and friends!) and a birthday cake arranged by Ronald Reagan with the message of the day: "Happy Birthday Mountain Goat"! It was decided to truncate the Circle so we could move quickly on to the main event (MG's party!), so Uncle scored his own trail; then Ring Master Basil introduced our two Hash Virgins Ms Giang and Ms Lien - who both work in Ba Ria and heard about VTH3 from a friend. A quick "returnee pirouette and Down Down" by Uncle, before Mother Teresa charged Tiny Tim for wearing his brand new Crocodile Dundee hat in the Circle! And then Mountain Goat was given a standing ovation and "Happy Birthday to you" song - after which it was time for all to be seated and tuck into the food, San Migs, softies and "yum yum" birthday cake! (not forgetting the vodka, of course...). Next week's run will be "Mountain Goat's birthday 2" because The Gardener, Ronald Reagan and friends (see NEXT RUN box) have laid a special 'birthday' trail on Nui Dinh, and the holidays are now over so transport will hopefully be back to normal. We’ll meet next Sunday at 2 pm for 2.30 pm start, as usual, at Sao Bien 4 Restaurant – please see photos and directions on our home page if unsure of the way in. And please don’t forget sun protection and water - we had a brief downpour on Sunday morning, so the rainy season is getting closer, but it's still very hot out there! On On!  Report: Uncle, Basil Hare: Uncle Hash Flash: Uncle. Circle photos: Ms Thanh. Additional photos: Tiny Tim VTH3 #679 PHOTO GALLERY FIRST, A FEW FROM TINY TIM > > > NOW MORE FROM HASH FLASH > > > ********* HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY, MOUNTAIN GOAT! ********* |
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