Two hours, 13 kilometres and muddy shoes.
Published Sunday, April 02, 2006 by Carolyne | E-mail this post
Post hash house harriers report; (no shift key again, but fast computers).
It was interesting meeting up at the nam phou (main fountain) for the run. The HHH are usually loud ex-pats from my limited experience, and at registration there were a number of Lao women. After payment of our registration fee ( a steep 60,00 kip for the 2 of us), and examination of the others, I no longer felt quite so self conscious of my not-terribly good running gear and shoes. My $10 specials, were at the upper end of the scale in many cases, with the few decent pairs being clapped out new balance that may only have had the shoe laces holding them together. My clothes were not so bad by comparison either; jeans and the like were in evidence. A few people finished off, or bought, food and ate.
We all then piled into assorted vehicles for a journey to "Sperm Whales" house, then we were transported by a fleet of tuk tuk's to the Beer Lao brewery - sacred ground for these fellows. An amusing prayer was read, and we were off following a trail of white flour or chalk dust on the ground. Few people were actually running, and as we crossed a precarious log bridge and wandered in every direction looking for the trail. Eventually it was found on the other side of the canal. At a further rickety (at best) crossing we regained the track on the other side.
Apparently at this stage a group of 5 Lao women (of 6) left and caught a tuk tuk home.
Bob and I jogged along at the front, looking for markers, and being kept company by a very athletic Brahman cow which had escaped it's tether. The kilometres that followed saw constant stopping and starting as a group of maybe half a dozen or so hashers looked for markers and the correct trail, whilst those coming up the rear (walking mainly) kept counsel by following only when a route was decided. This policy failed however once we had trundled through a series of dry rice paddies, over the retaining walls for the water and across from one side to another. Eventually a checkpoint - a large flour circle - was reached, and then another and another. There was a whole rice paddy full of circles, with an etching on the ground that also looked like a crop circle. Here the group lost the plot and the path, with no running for quite a while as we each followed individual leads. I found a Buddhist festival on in a village, although my appearance caused some laughter.
After great confusion (having been told that it was a special April Fool's hash), eventually the trail was found again, and this time it was fairly clear to follow. Only a few houses and traversed, many sabadee's were said, and Bob and I were able to jog (although did stop to climb through the rusty barb wire fence. I was pleased that I had such an effective tetanus injection last year.)
Before we reached the end there was a 'beer stop', (fortunately there was water too), where most everyone had a big bottle of Beer Lao (Bob included). A wonderful looking old woman insisted I sit, and she made great to tell me (eventually through a young relative) that "I was number one". Compared to everyone else (Bob excluded), I did look in good nick. With all the false trails I had covered about 9.5kms to that point, and most of the others stopped there and got a ride back in the 'beer truck'. Although a little concerned about the light available, the organiser told us that there was 4kms to go. Within a lap and a bit (of the AIS track), a 3k to go sign appeared. I ran with a Lao guy chatting for a while, pleased that I was comfortable at close to 5 minute pace after being out there for ?Maybe two hours. He pulled up with a calf injury, and after ensuring that he was OK, continued on to follow Bob on the fairly good, wide gravel road. Only about 1,200m past the 3k to go sign, we were at the finish.
A few, but not many, other joggers trickled in. The others came via the beer truck. The typical ex pat beer drinking undergraduate hijinks's ensued, although there was lots to drink, including water and soda for me, and some good 'nibblies' of barbecued corn on the cob, chips,sticky rice and a spicy salad. Bob and I did not continue on to dinner at a local Lao restaurant, which was yet to begin at 9pm, having all met at 3:30pm.. We walked back to the hotel and went to bed without supper, tired, although delighted with a lovely run in an area we would not otherwise have had access to.
It was interesting meeting up at the nam phou (main fountain) for the run. The HHH are usually loud ex-pats from my limited experience, and at registration there were a number of Lao women. After payment of our registration fee ( a steep 60,00 kip for the 2 of us), and examination of the others, I no longer felt quite so self conscious of my not-terribly good running gear and shoes. My $10 specials, were at the upper end of the scale in many cases, with the few decent pairs being clapped out new balance that may only have had the shoe laces holding them together. My clothes were not so bad by comparison either; jeans and the like were in evidence. A few people finished off, or bought, food and ate.
We all then piled into assorted vehicles for a journey to "Sperm Whales" house, then we were transported by a fleet of tuk tuk's to the Beer Lao brewery - sacred ground for these fellows. An amusing prayer was read, and we were off following a trail of white flour or chalk dust on the ground. Few people were actually running, and as we crossed a precarious log bridge and wandered in every direction looking for the trail. Eventually it was found on the other side of the canal. At a further rickety (at best) crossing we regained the track on the other side.
Apparently at this stage a group of 5 Lao women (of 6) left and caught a tuk tuk home.
Bob and I jogged along at the front, looking for markers, and being kept company by a very athletic Brahman cow which had escaped it's tether. The kilometres that followed saw constant stopping and starting as a group of maybe half a dozen or so hashers looked for markers and the correct trail, whilst those coming up the rear (walking mainly) kept counsel by following only when a route was decided. This policy failed however once we had trundled through a series of dry rice paddies, over the retaining walls for the water and across from one side to another. Eventually a checkpoint - a large flour circle - was reached, and then another and another. There was a whole rice paddy full of circles, with an etching on the ground that also looked like a crop circle. Here the group lost the plot and the path, with no running for quite a while as we each followed individual leads. I found a Buddhist festival on in a village, although my appearance caused some laughter.
After great confusion (having been told that it was a special April Fool's hash), eventually the trail was found again, and this time it was fairly clear to follow. Only a few houses and traversed, many sabadee's were said, and Bob and I were able to jog (although did stop to climb through the rusty barb wire fence. I was pleased that I had such an effective tetanus injection last year.)
Before we reached the end there was a 'beer stop', (fortunately there was water too), where most everyone had a big bottle of Beer Lao (Bob included). A wonderful looking old woman insisted I sit, and she made great to tell me (eventually through a young relative) that "I was number one". Compared to everyone else (Bob excluded), I did look in good nick. With all the false trails I had covered about 9.5kms to that point, and most of the others stopped there and got a ride back in the 'beer truck'. Although a little concerned about the light available, the organiser told us that there was 4kms to go. Within a lap and a bit (of the AIS track), a 3k to go sign appeared. I ran with a Lao guy chatting for a while, pleased that I was comfortable at close to 5 minute pace after being out there for ?Maybe two hours. He pulled up with a calf injury, and after ensuring that he was OK, continued on to follow Bob on the fairly good, wide gravel road. Only about 1,200m past the 3k to go sign, we were at the finish.
A few, but not many, other joggers trickled in. The others came via the beer truck. The typical ex pat beer drinking undergraduate hijinks's ensued, although there was lots to drink, including water and soda for me, and some good 'nibblies' of barbecued corn on the cob, chips,sticky rice and a spicy salad. Bob and I did not continue on to dinner at a local Lao restaurant, which was yet to begin at 9pm, having all met at 3:30pm.. We walked back to the hotel and went to bed without supper, tired, although delighted with a lovely run in an area we would not otherwise have had access to.
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