Mekong IndoChina Hash

Vietnam became the first country to host the event for a third time when Saigon H3 organised Mekong Indochina Hash IX. Due to the perceived difficulties of getting the local People’s Committees to agree to hosting the event in Saigon itself (not to mention the problems of local traffic causing delays in getting to and from run sites), the Saigon H3, mismanaged by Super Slag, decamped to the beautiful hill station town of Dalat from 26th to 28th October for another “Outstation Run,” which was miscoordinated by General Erection. The cool air of the mountains provided an unusual change of climate for the region’s Hash community and there were many who were caught out by the need to wear something other than a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Nevertheless the Hashers who braved the frigid air were treated to some magnificent runs even if the night life was not quite up to Saigon standards.

TDH3 hosted a beautiful run that was set by Flashman in the hills to set the scene on Friday. The light drizzle did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the Hashers although the cavernous and somewhat cold People’s Committee Sports Hall, which was the venue for the opening of the event, immediately after a late evening Red Dress Run, was something of a challenge to the warmer blooded Hashers who soon went off in search of a cozy bar somewhere – although Dalat is not exactly famous for its night life. The Saturday run was an A to B Run held in somewhat drier conditions and again featured forested hills with a finish near a lake. The Sunday hangover run turned out to be something of a tour of old Dalat featuring the many beautiful aged colonial villas dotted around the hills surrounding the central Ho Xuan Huong lake – not to mention an old colonial railway station. The Circle took place in front of the People’s Committee Sports Hall just as the sun broke through and, by the end, thanks to a combination of altitude and the plentiful supplies of beer that needed to be finished, there were more than a few sunburned Hashers around.

It is perhaps worth noting that this Hash marked the end of an era. The last two Hashers who had attended every Mekong Indochina Hash since the start: Phlegm (Phnom Penh H3) and Grand Mattress (ex-Hanoi Harriettes), failed to show up. (BoBo and Condom now carry the baton for having attended the most MIH events; at the time of writing, they have both been to every MIH event bar one, i.e. they have each attended 15 of the 16 events)