23 JULY 2023

BIG MOUNTAIN

Hares: Bull Ant, Mr. T, Secs, Chippy
Hash Flashers: Chippy, Chom Chom
Ring Master: Chom Chom
Report: Chom Chom

Due to a small downpour around 1pm on Sunday, Hashers started arriving at our Hash Home at Nang Vung Tau slightly later than usual. As the rain had now passed, spirits were high as we geared up for an exciting adventure that promised breathtaking views and challenging trails. The picturesque location set the stage for an unforgettable experience.

We began the journey walking along the beachside Tran Phu, surrounded by charming Vietnamese streets adorned with colourful houses, restaurants, coffee shops and friendly locals. After a while we caught up with Secs who carefully guided us to a path on the right, Hem 42 to be exact.  The atmosphere was lively and vibrant, reflecting the unique blend of traditional and modern influences in Vung Tau.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the ascent commenced, and the environment quickly transitioned into a lush, natural wonderland. The landscape was dominated by verdant foliage and towering trees that provided a refreshing shade. The harmonious sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves served as a soothing backdrop to the energetic chatter of the hashers. The camaraderie among the participants was evident, as old friends caught up and new connections were forged.

After a brisk climb, we reached the Bồ Đề temple, a spiritual haven nestled amid the greenery. The pagoda's intricate architecture and tranquil ambiance provided a brief moment of respite, allowing the participants to soak in the serenity of the surroundings.

Moving forward, the group continued their ascent up Vi Ba, a vantage point known for its awe-inspiring views of the coastal city and the shimmering sea beyond. The sight was nothing short of breathtaking, and it fuelled the enthusiasm of the hashers to press on further.

We progressed further and shortly arrived at the challenging Waterfall Trail, where the hashers navigated through rugged terrain, rocky patches, and occasional muddy puddles. This portion of the run tested the participants' endurance and skills, making it an exhilarating segment of the journey.

As the group reached the end of the Waterfall Trail, a few hashers chose to take a shorter route back to Vi Ba, while others, emboldened by the adventure so far, decided to continue along the mountain ridge. This trail offered astonishing panoramic views of the surrounding Vung Tau landscape, rewarding those who braved the extra distance.

Following the ridge, the hashers eventually met the Powerlines, marking the beginning of their descent via the Golden Buddha. The rocky path was steep and challenging, but the thrill of conquering the trail together forged stronger bonds among the Hashers, many helping more exhausted participants. Laughter echoed through the air as the hashers shared tales of their escapades along the way.

Eventually we all arrived back on Vi Ba and after a rather challenging steep slippery path down, we all breathed a sigh of relief as we got back onto Le Ngoc Han, knowing the trail was just metres away from completion. 

Upon completing today’s trail and returning to our Hash Home, Hashers enjoyed the vast selection of water and soft drinks on ice, together with our favourite Saigon Chill beer. As if this wasn’t enough, we were treated to a five-course feast comprising of salt and pepper chicken, duck, clams in Thai soup, egg salad and fried rice. 

As the day drew to a close, Chom Chom carried out the circle to introduce the hares, virgins, returnees and even a sinner. A group photo was then taken and Hashers then relaxed further, sharing stories and laughs over yet more refreshments.

Once again, Run 1070 lived up to its reputation of providing a memorable and exhilarating experience for all participants, leaving them eagerly awaiting next Sunday's Hash adventure.

On On!

RUN 1070 GALLERY

16 JULY 2023

MINH DAM / LONG HAI

Hares: Bull Ant, Mr. T, Secs, Johnny
Hash Flashers: Chippy, Chom Chom
Ring Master: Rain Stopped Play
Report: Secs

With Mr. T, Secs, and Bull Ant having enjoyed an evening at Ho Tram it was left to Chom Chom, Chippy and the usual gang of helpful Hashers to prepare the ice, eskies, and food for today’s excursion to Minh Dam Mountain near Long Hai. With the Hashmobile fully loaded and rain coming down in buckets our team of eager Hashers were soon on the way to the starting point at Thiền viện trúc lâm chân nguyên - more commonly known as the Monkey Pagoda. 

The Hashmobile arrives at the Monkey Pagoda just as the rain abates and we rendezvous with the Ho Tram Hares who set the trail (including Chippy) on Saturday morning. Secs leads us the steps that will take us up the mountain where he gives the instructions for the day: Follow the red ribbons up the many steps and rocks until you reach the first temple, turn left, go through the temple until you come to a shrine with fantastic views. Then follow the trail until the ribbon indicates a right turn through a cave like tunnel and it's a short walk through the jungle until we come to the second temple of the day, again with fantastic views. Finally a short stroll will take us to the car park at the top of Minh Dam where the down-down will be.

And so, it’s On-On. It’s a bit of slog climbing over the uneven steps and rocks however, the rain has cooled everything down making the going a bit easier. Arriving at Bạch Vân Động (a quaint temple perched on the side of the mountain) we reach the first viewpoint of the day. A welcome breeze helps dry the sweat off as our Hashers marvel at the excellent vista that takes in the Long Hai and its coastline.

Next obstacle is the natural tunnel made from two large monolithic rocks that fell on each other many millennia ago. It's a bit dark and slippery but as always there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we emerge back in lush jungle and follow the ribbons until we almost loop back to Bạch Vân Động but instead take a left turn along a cobbled path that leads to the next temple Bạch Vân Điện. This temple has a multitude of great views, either from a massive smooth rock or from a “crow’s nest” at the top of some stairs. Needless to say our Hashers took full advantage to take the obligatory photos and selfies. 

From Bạch Vân Điện it’s a short walk back to the car park where the Hashmobile is waiting for us - eskies full of our favourite Saigon Chill, Revive and a variety of soft drinks. The usual conviviality ensues and we are treated to sticky rice with a variety of delicious toppings for sustenance. Yum!

The sky darkens and threatens to rain - just enough time for Chom Chom to take the team photo before the heavens open again and it starts pouring with rain again. No time for a Circle this week and we load up the eskies and pile on the Hashmobile ready to return to Vung Tau.

It’s a quick journey back with a short comfort break for the weak bladdered. Back at Nang the eskies are unloaded. Some of the die hard Saigon Chill fans enjoy a final beer before heading to our favourite pizza and wings place - Mr. C’s.

Another good day out with VTH3.

ON-ON

RUN 1069 GALLERY

9 JULY 2023

HO TRAM BEACH

Hares: Bull Ant
Hash Flashers: Chippy, Chom Chom
Ring Master: Chom Chom
Report: Bull Ant

And, in the blink of an eye, it's Sunday again. This week our lone hare, Bullant, had set a trail at Ho Tram during a stay at The Grand whilst trying to avoid heavy losses at the casino. So come 1pm, it was business as usual at Nang with Mr. T taking care of the finances and Chom Chom loading eskies. Soon the bus was loaded with the normal necessities and we were off. With the trip being a little longer than usual, there was time to gain a complete understanding of the intricacies of Lego from an eight year old Legomaster, Noname.

In a little over an hour, we arrived at our destination, the beautiful Ho Tram. It appeared almost everyone had forgotten the purpose of our trip, a Hash run! People immediately jumped off the bus and started wandering around enjoying the ideal down down location. After subtle reminders from Mr. T and Secs, the cats were herded. With the Hashers finally gathered, it was time for a less than detailed brief from Bullant, and On On. This week's trail would take us 600m along the busy road before heading into the scrub. From here, we would hike a little over 1km to a point 114m above sea level. With a view overlooking Ho Tram, a gentle breeze, and a bit of shade, this was the perfect place to rest up before heading back along the same path. The return leg would see some of our local Hashers gathering all sorts of leaves and fruits that are used to create some sort of green jelly, a great source of excitement for the gatherers.

With the trail completed, some Hashers headed for the eskies while others headed to the beach and were not seen again until the bus was leaving. In the absence of a few swimmers, Chom Chom our Ringmaster proceeded with the mandatory photo and circle. The trail was rated, virgins were welcomed, and returnees celebrated. It was now time to retrieve the swimmers, pack up, and head back to Hash HQ.

An incident free and relaxing trip back, and with only one stop along the way, we arrived at Nang, the Hash HQ. The bus was unpacked and the die-hards had just one for the road. The same die-hards then made the journey next door to Mr. C's for Vung Tau's best pizza and chicken wings, and of course more of our favourite beer, Saigon Chill.

As is always the case, another great day with great company. Thank you one and all!

RUN 1068 GALLERY

2 JULY 2023

NUI DINH - CHICKEN SHOP LOOP

Hares: Mr. T, Bull Ant, Secs, Chippy 
Hash Flashers: Chippy, Chom Chom
Ring Master: Chom Chom
Report: Faulty Brakes

This week’s run was to Dinh mountain in Ba Ria. This is one of our most popular hikes and this Sunday the area was extremely busy with devotees visiting temples and with it being a lunar month in the Buddhist  calendar (Thanks to Mr. Dao for this information). Who can forget the time the hash bus ended up in the ditch or Chom Chom’s phone in the pond? Our trusty driver, despite cars and buses being parked on both sides of the road, brought us to our starting point and Down-Down location.

The Hash commenced outside the little cafe near the lake, proceeding down the road and crossing the stream into the forest, continuing until we came out again near the lake and the final leg of the journey up the side of the mountain and back to base in the small cafe. With the river in full flow after the earlier rain this makeshift pool proved to be a winner for our junior and some senior hashers. His Grace “Bishop Doyle” was among those who frolicked alongside Rio and Mr Coconut in this mini Niagara Falls. 

The refreshments were made available now for everyone to slake their thirst and the next rabbit to be  pulled from the hat… Chicken - Mountain organic chicken no less, served with salad and soup proved to be an outstanding success with everyone and even some of our Hasher’s dogs enjoyed the scraps later on that evening.

WE RUN IN ALL WEATHERS!

This has been our mantra for many years. Bring additional clothes in case it rains but please remember to turn up despite uncertain weather. The weekly photo was taken on the bridge beside the cafe and soon it was time for the homeward journey. 

The drinks trolley on board and with some rowdy passengers in Business economy at the rear of the cabin and the more gentile traveller in Economy. We prevailed on Gary (Gaz-tech on Spotify) to allow us play his music. How many hashes can boast of 2 top class entertainers to serenade them home (Borneo Bum Biter being the other)? 

We soon arrived back at Headquarters where all drinks were placed in our store ready for the same fun filled adventure next week.

It had been nearly 6 hours since we left for Nui Dinh and not to mention the trail settings on Friday. We thank all those involved in the weekly organising of our Hash, food, drinks and trail finding .These don’t just happen by chance and to everyone who helps with eskies etc. - we thank you!

Until next week,
​
On-On!

RUN 1067 GALLERY