We are a month late this year but the annual run at Khao Kheow has arrived again and the hare The Tickler was out laying paper in the heavy rain even as we were all still travelling to the a-site ! Perhaps this year we could expect the Pattaya bus to go directly to the a-site instead of the usual mystery tour as it takes the wrong turning off highway 7 towards Khao Kheow Zoo ! Well for a start, the old clapped out temple bus never even bothered to show up and GI Joe and Squeeze My Tube were left to pick up the pieces and hastily organize a couple of Baht Bus Taxis to do the job instead !
Having got out of Pattaya in reasonable time it went wrong again as the taxi convoy
made the traditional (5 previous years) mistake of the old bus and took the wrong exit from highway 7. The a-site was in the car park for the visitor centre at Chan Tha Then water falls and the first circle was not called for a further 45 minutes due to the late arrival of the Taxi’s. Not surprisingly, with daylight running out fast,
GM Bam Bam took the circle in a bit of a panic and fluffed all his lines before calling in the hare The Tickler to explain about the run and send us on our way.
Straight into the trees we all went and we followed really nice undulating trails that were well marked with bright orange and green shredded paper. Not easy to pass each other on these trails so not unexpectedly, those in front gradually drew away from the main pack. And then it happened! we somehow ended up following orange ribbon instead of paper and had to double back a way until we found the true paper trail again. At the time Jellobutt was out in front of our group so I guess we can blame him for leading us the wrong way !
At the beginning of the run we seemed to climb a long way up in those trees before
finally starting our way down again and heading for the water stop. Of course the front runners: Pussy Virus, McSwirly Face, Vaseline Thighs (and dogs) and others were not seen again until the water stop.
At this point, a few of us including Greyhound, Special Price, Airhead, Jellobitt, Rabid Bitch, V.V. and Hobbit decided to take a short cut back to the A-site with the advice from Tickler to follow ‘old’ Bangkok Hash ‘white’ paper for about 1 or 2 km. Well this went rather well until we went into a gully and it became obvious that with all the recent rain, the ‘old’ paper was no longer there for us to follow !
So back we all went to the water stop by which time the beer truck and everyone else had long since gone! We eventually came across paper and a few of us followed the trail all the way back to the A-site. The rest wisely followed the road as darkness was closing in fast.
The second section was fairly flat until the final 1 or 2 km when the trail went across small streams and parts of the water falls before going high above the A-site before then descending again along narrow trails in the trees (and in the dark) back towards the A-site and the waiting pack. At this point we were following not orange but green paper and a few did arrive back a bit late with the last few hundred meters followed only by the calls from the a-site as we could no longer see the green paper !
V.V. went straight to work getting The Ticklers food sorted out and ready for the hungry pack. With the A-site already in darkness (apart from the hash lights), the circle was called straight after the food and Bam Bam immediately informed us that the next April Bush has been moved to the ‘THIRD’ Saturday in April in order to avoid a clash with the Songkran festival.
After that, he got down straight to the religious stuff by putting the hare The Tickler on the ice block whereby we all declared the run to be very good. A few others RA’s did their bit including Jellobutt, Rabid Bitch and Hobbit. The Jellobutt called in returner Chris Wilson and his friend Jenera and named Chris: “I’m A F**king Cupcake”. Not sure exactly why that particular name ! Sinners included Rectum, Drunken Donuts, Lech, Bimbo, Shaggy and Special Price, who either sat down on the ice, in the ice bucket or both ! Much fun and drinking went on before it was time for the hash hymn and the trip back home.
Thanks Ticker for giving us a really good trail, good food, and a good circle. Thanks also to V.V. for preparing as always the most excellent food.
On On till next time ( Run # 139 Saturday 21 April 2012)
Mr Magoo |
