DECEMBER 27 2021
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BIG MOUNTAIN

 nHares: Chippy, Have-A-Chat, Secs
Hash Flashers: Chom Chom, Chippy
Ringmaster: Chom Chom
Report: Secs

​After 7 months in purgatory, Run 988 was the last of 2021. We’d normally do at least 52 runs per year however, this year we were only able to manage a grand total of 24 due to some pesky bug that's been going around. However, in addition to our usual home and away trails around the area, we did manage some interesting, challenging and fun trails:
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• Our first trail to the magnificent Nui Chua Chan (technically at the end of last year)
• The first trip on the ferry Can Gio
• A joint weekend Hash with our friends from Saigon Hash

Our Away trails took us to Nui Dinh, Long Hai, Long Son Island, Nui Thi Vai, Ho Tram and a new trail to Blue Stone Lake.

We had nearly 1000 total registrations averaging approximately 40 Hashers per run. 

We continued to enjoy the hospitality of our host Rob at Tommy’s and the fantastic live entertainment at our down-down-downs. Randy’s legendary Wood Fired Pizza continued to delight. Saigon Chill was our beer of choice this year - a perfect drop for quenching our thirst after a trail - thanks to Mr. Phi for his support.

All in all not a bad year despite the restrictions… and so may it continue into 2022. As restrictions have eased we hope to do our first away trail as soon as possible and stay tuned for other exciting new trails we hope to do this year.

Back to Run 988 - we all met at Tommy’s for registration, paid our dues and gathered around Have-A-Chat for his inaugural chalk talk as Hare. He explained the trail that Chippy had shown us a couple of days earlier. We’d start along the same way as the previous week - on to Vi Ba to Hem 36 but instead of going left up to the temple we continue straight on past the Thompson’s House and then into the forest. Red ribbons would show us the way through the woods all the way up to Ho May Park road and then we’d cross over and traverse the otherside of the mountain until we reached the upper part of Vi Ba. We are to follow Vi Ba for a short stretch and then turn left at the Temple with the yellow gates and descend by the posh houses until we reach the bottom on the beach road. From there it's a short walk back to Tommy’s.

And on-on we go! It’s a beautiful sunny day, with a light breeze and low humidity and turns out to be a great trail - well done Chippy. It took many of us through some areas of the mountain we’d never seen before including some interesting old brick wells dug in to the mountain. There was only one really tough part which involved scrambling over some difficult rocks but at the end we were rewarded with a great view of Vung Tau. A very convivial trail with most of us sticking together and pretty much all arriving back at Tommy’s at the same time.

Back at Tommy’s we get stuck in to the eskies plenty of soft drinks and ice-cold Saigon Beer to slake our thirst and some delicious roast pork bahn mi procured by Chom Chom and Smiley . Perfect end to the run. Some of the more hardy Hashers as always stayed on for a few more beers and listened to our favourite local band Perfect Jive Duo. Randy’s pizza and more Saigon Chill completed the perfect day.

It’s great to be back on the Hash again!

On-On

RUN 988 GALLERY

DECEMBER 19 2021
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BIG MOUNTAIN

Hares: Bull Ant, Chippy, Chom Chom
Hash Flashers: Chom Chom
Ringmaster: Chom Chom
Report: Faulty Brakes

​We resumed our activities last Sunday with an oven ready trail that we refer to as the “Power Lines”.This was prepared by Secs, The Chomster and Bullant and approved by the Marquis De Sade. And so this is Christmas and what have we done another year older, and by hashing standards as an “Annus Horribilis“ with long lockdowns.

​The trail itself was quite testing, beginning on Vi Ba heading upwards towards the first refuse bin on the right hand side, then the climb to the first ledge of the mountain and eventually to the fencing in Ho May park where the spectacular views of the Vung Tau City and Small Mountain. The downward return is testimony to all of those with “dodgy Knees” and the increase in sales of anti inflammatories in Pharmacies in Vung Tau this week.

This week we bade farewell  to one of VTH’s favorite sons “Bullant “ (Gary, well that’s what  appeared on his cake) at the apres hash in Tommy’s Bar at the Knights of the Square Table, and what is now become an integral feature of Sunday’s post hash .

The first down-down in Tommy’s Bar in nearly 7 months saw the Proprietor Rob supply the Farewell cake for Bullant and accompanied with iced Saigon Chill and a contender for the Ban Mi of the year competition with Chom Chom’s Roast Pork. Messages arrived from far away as Spain from Anagram and Snowball to congratulate us on our return and with an electric atmosphere from the entertainment group Perfect Jive Duo and Stuart Waring entertained us with some great music.

From time to time we dedicate a name to certain trails i.e Waterfall Trail etc despite no one ever seen as much as a drop of water there, so in honour of Bullant we can refer to the Power Lines trail as Gary’s Trail henceforth. 

There was a presentation in the Office Bar on Monday night at the Pub Quiz to wish Gary / Dennis / Bullant fair wind in his sail as he returned to Oz last Tuesday  .

Next Sunday is Boxing Day, there may be time to dust off your old Santa hat and one never knows what might occur at apres hash after another local trail, on on.

RUN 987 GALLERY