 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! 28 June 2015 BIG MOUNTAIN – Farewell Mountain Goat & Hashputin It was a good turnout, in equally (and surprisingly) good weather, for Mountain Goat & Hashputin's last run with VTH3 after an amazing 15 years (actually "son of Hashputin", but who's counting?). Appropriately enough, we set off for Mountain Goat's favourite "clump of dirt": Big Mountain - on which she's set many memorable and challenging trails in the past. The main pack reached the big pagoda unscathed, only to find that the FRBs had already gone through - so off we went, having been advised to keep quiet because the monks were in prayer. On the other side there was a choice of two trails - straight up the mountainside and around, or straight ahead and around. Some chose the former, and some the latter - then "On On" we went. Most of us met again at the familiar plateau crossroads, where more choices were available - around and down, down and around, or down, up and down(!). Some 20 minutes or so later, we met again at the top of the slippery slope down to the White House (nominated mountain exit route). It was a staggered arrival back at SB4, but everyone finally made it "home". Duty Ringmaster SamSon called the Circle and invited - who else? - Mountain Goat, to rate the trail. Aided and abetted by resident translator Superteen, the now "fully glammed up" Hasher, Hare, Foodie and lovely person Mountain Goat awarded 9/10, noting that we'd done the trail three years ago when SH3 paid us a visit. Hash Virgins Ms Thuan, daughter Miss Tu and Mr Tam were next; followed by returnee Ronald Reagan. Then six sinners - for misdemeanours real and imagined (including Mountain Goat for wearing six-inch heels!) - were followed by five illustrious visitors who had come along to help farewell MG: OXO & Oopso (UXO arrived later), Anti, KFC and Yuri (Mr Mountain Goat); who were in turn followed by Mother Teresa who took a bow on behalf of "the Foodies". And then it was "Showtime": Mountain Goat was invited back into the Circle to receive various accolades about her ever-present good humour and willingness to help whenever and wherever it was needed - and an album containing 120 sample photos from every run in which she participated in the past 15 years that we have on file, plus a USB memory stick containing more than 600 of her run photos in total. We hope the memories will help "fill the void" until she (hopefully) returns one day! And then it was time for the Russian picnic prepared by - who else? - Mountain Goat! Much feasting, drinking and socialising followed until the black night sky turned even darker with rainclouds. It had been a lovely day - albeit tinged with sadness at the departure of such a popular VTH3 ever-present as Mountain Goat, but that's life in the Hash: enjoy your time with everyone you meet because they could be gone tomorrow! STOP PRESS (Friday): KFC and Basil are setting a trail on Nui Dinh (5 km west of Ba Ria) for Sunday - so don't forget insect repellent, and a hat and plenty of water if it's hot. And don't worry if it looks like rain - the Hash runs in any weather! 700th run t-shirt orders have now closed. Shirts will be held for everyone who placed an order, and the remainder will be available for purchase (120k VND) on Sundays, beginning early August (actual date to be confirmed). A sample shirt will be on display at registration when we meet this Sunday, as usual, at Sao Bien 4 restaurant: 2 pm for 2.30 pm start. On On!  Report: Uncle, Basil Hares: Basil, SamSon Hash Flash: Uncle VTH3 #687 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! 21 June 2015 LONG SON ISLAND – “VTH3 runs in any weather!” Two days of torrential rain before Sunday’s run #686 registration would deter most people, but not the 13 hard core Hashers who know from experience that the Hash will always run – “hail, rain or shine”! And so we loaded and boarded the Hashmobile and headed off, as planned, to Long Son Island. Hares Basil and SamSon (KFC was working!), decided to make one concession to the weather – we would do the run in reverse direction to ensure some shelter for the Down Down. Up the mountainside we went, boulders most of the way – then across the plateau for a few photos of the lowlands (mostly waterlogged by now!), and down the other side – more boulders but now a lot of bamboo to make the descent a bit tricky for the unwary! And then it was “On On!” to Bang Lang restaurant and our own sheltered area to feast on a tableful of Russian delicacies including crab meat and cheese balls and many other delights - thanks once again to Mountain Goat! It was also at this time that we realised the weather gods must be Hashers, because the rain had stopped just as we arrived and started the initial climb, and now began again as we finished – perfect timing! Duty Ringmaster SamSon called on Mother Teresa to rate the trail, which she did with much vigour – also delivered in English by resident translator Superteen. The end result was a well-deserved and fully supported “perfect score” of 10/10 – for which she joined Hares Basil and SamSon in saluting with typical “Hash panache”! No Hash Virgins or returnees this week, so Uncle nominated SamSon and Basil as Sinners for running the trail in reverse. The explanation was that either God or the Hares were at fault, and God wasn’t present to Down Down so they must – and they did! Ringmaster then called Mountain Goat into the Circle to announce that next Sunday will be her last with VTH3 after some 15 years! To mark the occasion we will hold a local run on her favourite Big Mountain, followed by Circle, Down Down and On On “picnic” at the Sao Bien 4 registration area – for which Mountain Goat insists on supplying all the food (Russian, of course – and it will be delicious!). So we will meet on Sunday, as usual, at Sao Bien 4 restaurant: 2 pm for 2.30 pm start. We will also congregate in the same area after the run (from approx 4.15-4.30 pm) to hold the Circle and thank Mountain Goat for everything she’s done for VTH3 in the past 15 years: Hasher, Hare, “Foodie extraordinaire” – she’s done it all, and always with the same unassuming good humour and quiet determination! All current and former Hashers are invited to join us for the run, Down Down and On On, or just the after-run “Russian On On picnic” on this auspicious occasion! On On! Report: Uncle, Basil Hares: Basil, SamSon, KFC Hash Flash: Uncle *Relevant national flags will be uploaded when internet connection strength allows... VTH3 #686 PHOTO GALLERY FIRST, A "SAMPLER" FROM VIKING > > > A FEW MORE FROM HASH FLASH > > > v v v v v "HARD CORE HASHERS" v v v v v   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! 14 June 2015 Peter "Rabbit" Burrowes Memorial Run - Vung Tau City and lake It was ideal weather for sightseeing and exercise as 30+ Hashers set off from Sao Bien 4 to cross the city and circumnavigate the lake (see map below) on the Peter Rabbit Memorial Run, accompanied by Peter's widow, Brenda. The pack was stretched by the time we reached the lake, giving some concern about meeting the boatman's rules of "Five passengers each trip across". But this is Vietnam and we needn't have worried - the boathouse was empty, guarded only by a small cat, and the boatman and his family were nowhere to be seen! So "On On" we continued around the lake and back into city traffic, under the watchful eye of "Hare and Hash Flash on a bike", Uncle. We finally made it to the pre-arranged Down Down location: WTF-We Taste Fresh cafe/restaurant at 11 Hoang Hoa Tham. The early finishers feasted on Mountain Goat's Russian bread and salted pork until the specially prepared snacks arrived, courtesy of WTF and Brenda: mini-sausage rolls (genuine Australian beef and pastry), quiche medallions, and "sausage and savouries" hors d'oeuvres - yum yum!). Camel Bone nominated Terminator to rate the trail, and he scored it a "perfect" 10/10 - although we suspect a few deductions were conveniently overlooked in Peach Melba's translation! Hash Virgins Ms Nhung, Ms Ha and Tina were joined by their "sponsors" Butterfly, Ice Water and Chippy respectively. Returnees Eco Slipper and Peach Melba were welcomed back; and then it was the turn of the sinners - of which there were many - for sins as varied as wearing a dress on the Hash (makes a change from inappropriate footwear, doesn't it?), making an unsuccessful charge(!), and being caught taking a short cut (despite - or perhaps because of - having been shown the way by a Hare!). A more sombre part of the proceedings followed, with a minute's respectful silence for Peter "Rabbit" Burrowes, who died in a tragic accident last year. Several Hashers consoled Brenda, who had so bravely joined us on what must have been such a painful occasion for her. "On On, Peter Rabbit!" was the cry. Duty Ringmaster Uncle reminded everyone to email their 700th t-shirt orders (using the size chart supplied), and to turn up next Sunday regardless of whether the website has been updated or not (internet connections will be unreliable after yet another outage in a growing spate of undersea cable failures...). Then Mother Teresa made an unexpected announcement that long-time VTH3 stalwart Mountain Goat will be leaving in two weeks - so watch this space for news of a farewell run on Sunday, 28 June and opportunity to say, "Thank you" to one of the nicest and most generous Hashers you could ever wish to meet! STOP PRESS (Friday): Hares Basil, SamSon and KFC report better luck with the weather this week and confirm a trail has been set on Long Son Island that will give plenty of opportunity for the photographers! They also recommend sunscreen and water if it's hot, insect repellent, and sturdy shoes to protect from bamboo. We'll meet at Sao Bien 4 restaurant on Sunday from 2 pm for 2.30 pm start, as usual. On On! Report: Uncle, Basil Hares: Uncle, Basil Hash Flash: Uncle. Circle photos: Fot Tret, Basil *Australian and Vietnamese flags will be inserted above when internet connection strength allows! VTH3 #685 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! 07 June 2015 SMALL MOUNTAIN (Lighthouse Hill) - Long walk up, prickly slide down! Live Hare SamSon headed off to mark the trail, and the pack followed a short time later - across Front Beach to Mr Ket, then up the sealed road to the Lighthouse. Some older hands took a short-cut halfway up the road and successfully caught up with the FRBs - but that was "child's play" compared to one very popular 'old hand' who zoomed past on a motor bike! Lots of photos at the Lighthouse - so many, in fact, that some Hashers completely missed SamSon's chalk talk and the fact that the Down Down location had been moved! We eventually continued on our merry way, led by Monsieur 'Arry - alternatively slipping, sliding and ducking to escape the thorny undergrowth that snagged many an unwary sleeve or backpack (and did I mention the mosquitos?!). We finally made it to a few metres above the sealed road, where M. 'Arry and several others showed their selfless Hashing instincts by helping the following pack down the near-vertical and very slippery slope. On down to sea level we continued, then across the road to Front Beach Park only to find that the eskies had already mysteriously appeared! SamSon? Ice Water? Mountain Goat? Who knows? but they were all somehow involved - and it was much appreciated by the very hot Hashers! It wasn't long before little Oopso made his grand entrance, and proceeded to show everyone how children can be oblivious to "grown ups issues", language differences, etc to make friends with anyone - and so it was with Oopso (Ukraine/Russian background) and the equally small son of a Vietnamese rubbish collector. Truly heartwarming and inspirational - see photo gallery! The team photo was taken, then duty Ringmaster Uncle called the Circle and invited Camel Bone to rate the trail. "8-1/2 out of 10" was the verdict, acclaimed by the Circle. Hare SamSon had already gone back to work(!), but Camel Bone made short work of the Down Down for both of them! No fewer than 7 Hash Virgins this week - thanks mainly to Viking, who must be well in front of the "VTH3 recruiter of the year" stakes! Quoc, Sang, Hong and Duong were joined by Butterfly's friend Huong, Stubble's friend Ilya, and our very welcome guest Brenda Burrowes, widow of former Hasher Peter "Rabbit" Burrowes. (Next week's run will be in memory of Peter Rabbit - see below.) Returnees UXO and OXO (parents of Oopso), claimed "work" as the reason for their recent absence; and then more Sinners were charged than this scribe can remember - for real and imagined sins including shortcutting, "challenging shortcutters", foot faults, taking photos in the Circle, etc etc. It was also when the camera battery finally gave up, with the image count nearing 200(!) - so we're unable to show our readers the "frolics" that followed, with gratuitous dunkings very much the order of the day. Come to think of it, it's probably best for our "family Hash" reputation that we don't have any photographic evidence! Ringmaster explained that we now have our very own t-shirt maker (and generous sponsor!) Greg Morris (Managing Director of Shirts North), and called a vote for "round neck" or "V neck" style for the 700th run t-shirts - with the former winning "hands down" (up!). The size charts will be circulated this week: just measure your favourite-fitting t-shirt across the chest from underarm side-seam to underarm side-seam and that's the measurement in centimetres (and/or half centimetres) to use against the chart, with all sizes including children's and adults XS-5XL "western", so should fit everyone. The shirts are produced using a high-tech digital sublimation process, with in-built moisture management, UV protection and anti-bacterial treatment! In the meantime, next week's trail will be the Peter Rabbit Memorial Run, including the city centre lake. Hashers can circle the entire lake, or less than half of it by taking the official "short-cut boat" (more details in the Chalk Talk!). Even more serious short-cutters can circle a small part of the southern end of the lake and exit via the Hera Palace onto Hoang Hoa Tham. Down Down location will be upstairs at the "WTF-We Taste Fresh" cafe, 11 Hoang Hoa Tham - with finger food included to give our regular foodies a well-deserved break (take a bow, ladies - so sorry we didn't applaud your efforts in yesterday's Circle: we were all wet enough already!). We'll meet next Sunday as usual at Sao Bien 4 restaurant: 2 pm for 2.30 pm start. On On!  Report: Uncle, Basil Hare: SamSon Hash Flash: Uncle. Circle photos: Fot Tret. Additional photos: Viking, Mr Smiley VTH3 #684 PHOTO GALLERY > > >  NOW HERE'S 1 FROM VIKING, PLUS 5 FROM MR SMILEY > > > ...AND FINALLY, THE HASH TEAM > > >  |
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