VTH3 #841

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10th June 2018

Small Mountain - "The Last Viking Trail"

Hares: Secs, Mr. T
Hash Flashers:  Secs, Radiowave
Ringmaster: Boozer
Report: Alice!

​Sunday 10th June, 2018 and HASH No. 841 was the final Vung Tau Hash Harriers trail for our beloved Viking, a six year loyal veteran, and his 42 fellow International Hashers; men, women, children and one dog! A bittersweet gathering only to be sweetened by a fabulous farewell party with loads of ice cold San Miguel and some locally made traditional Vietnamese dishes! As usual everyone met at Hon Ru Ri for registration and instruction and moved onto Valley Beach that was to be our down down and parrrrrrrty! Faulty Brakes and Buddha were the fearless San Miguel guardians while the remaining 40 Hashers set off on the One with the Lot Trail!

An easy few kilometers walk up Ha long seemed to be a great warm up as scaling a small mountain didn’t sound too difficult……. 3 out of 5 they said…….. the instructions were walk, turn right, steps, turn left, walk, turn right, crawl, turn left, swing through the trees, turn right when you see the rock, hop till you see the tree, run till you see the flower, turn right, slide until you feel the bottom ………… or was it left? Or was it through the trees? Thank god for the ribbons! The trail took many forms, very vertical concrete steps, basic training crawl under netting, scaling fences,  more steps, ahhhhhh a path (a real concrete one!), a dirt path ….. looks innocent enough!!! A house ahead ……… very civilized! Ummmmmmmmm no not that way, but where? The only way (and not turning back) was down! No steps no rocks no foothold………. Alice could be heard muttering something that sounded like “Who’s wonderfully exciting idea was this? Down the rabbit hole, oooooooooo goodie, I hope there’s a party down there (insert clap clap clap)”. One by one the Hashers skated down the slippery slope. Radio Wave and Viking dragged a huge tree up the slope hoping to aid the less able, a make shift hand rail of sorts. Nice work guys!

At the bottom of the slope was solid flat land! An Oasis of seriously long giant grass, so long that the children and one dog could have been lost in it! The palliative flat trail was not to last, the next leg  was not just up, it was up but not straight up! Of course not …………. Through the shrub and around the trees, ankles strained at unnatural angles. Finally, at the top afforded another teaser, a flat trail and a chance to repose. “On On!”  they shouted as the 40 Hashers continued on until they find some  relic cannons and another photo op.

The trek must push on, more flat trail led to the many steps that led up to the grand Jesus statue but that was not for us! No down the steps we went only to be met by Secs who informs us that its over the railing with the promise of the best ever selfies that scaling a shale like cliff can buy! It did not disappoint! A selfie paradise consisting of the majestic Pacific Ocean, a serene temple atop the charming little Hon Ba island with a backdrop azure blue sky, a few fluffy white clouds and the sun perfectly positioned over the mountain behind us. Ms Selfie was in paradise! One thousand and one selfies later, one by one the hashers who had braved the cliff peeled themselves away and made their way down the rest of the mountain by relatively sedate rubble trail, through tiny little hems lined with rustic dwelling, washing and domesticated animal life. Turn right! A strole along Phan Chu Trinh and again turn right the last of the up up up trail up Thuy Van towards 1A Ha Long to Valley Beach and the down-down! At last, the “one with the lot trail” was at an end. Now for the assembly of champions, sinners, returnees, virgins and hares!

With frosty San Miguel in hand, the shrill whistle blows, all hashers willingly rally, attentive and excited for their fervent ceremonial stentor to announce the Hash hares: Mr T and Secs, the welcome to virgins: Velko, Huong and Huey, the returnees: Khanh away at school in the north, Thao ‘beautiful’ and Shrimp was too busy, the sinners: Budda for resting on his laurels, again, Misty for her shiny new shoes and Velko for inappropriate footwear! All succumbed to the ice maidens baptismal drenching! Boozer sings triumphantly rallying the troops to join in, the loud Hashers chant heard all across the land and with that a final baptism, Boozers icy comeuppance. Let the farewell party begin! Here’s to a true blue and beloved Hasher, cheers to Viking, a Hasher that will be sorely missed. All wish you the very best for the future, On on!

VTH3 #841 PHOTO GALLERY

CLICK BELOW TO SEE RADIOWAVE'S AWESOME PHOTOS FROM LAST WEEK

RW'S PHOTOS FROM RUN 841

VIKING'S FAREWELL PARTY