Monday, February 13, 2012

RUN NO. 2268 LUCKY GARDENS-7FEB2012

Hares


RUN NO. 2268

SITE: LUCKY GARDENS (WAITANGI RUN)

DATE: 7 FEB 2012

HARES: Erin/Kathy/Briony



As the muggy heat of the day gave way to a typically beautiful Bruneian evening...so that was still muggy and hot then….a determined group of hashers gathered to enjoy a run and celebrate Waitingi Day with the good time group of hashers that are the Kiwi girls. Kiwis and maybe Aussies apart, most of us really had no idea what we were celebrating but we were determined to do it in style in any case, and although greens were thin on the ground, blues more than sufficed and grown up liquid pear drops a la Legally Blonde’s Bar also somehow seemed totally appropriate.

We set off down the road with Tango as front horn towards the more usual Lucky Gardens hashing site, some of us at a slow jog and others walking sensibly, aware of the ups and downs that were to follow.


Soon we came to the earth cliff which left us no choice but to get stuck in and caked with mud, a spectacle which must have appalled Eastern Promise, judging by the amount of time she spent on cleaning her trainers afterwards! We were joined by a couple of dogs, which confused me at times, as more than once they approached me between the legs at alarming speed, breathing heavily. For a second I thought it was just another night at home, but then realised they were canines, not Mr M!


There was an early first back check which did a great job of bunching us all together again and then a great middle part of the run which got our hearts pumping a bit faster (or was that the dogs again?) as we careered over logs and raced up and down slopes. Hana commented that if you kept your eyes on the path underfoot, it was just like being in the woods in England and she was right, almost. I didn’t like to mention that if she had looked slightly to the right she would have seen a pit viper at eye level, ready to strike. I didn’t see it either, and nor did anyone else, but nevertheless, it was probably there….

The second check was found quite quickly, I think by Ryvita, and then some more running at which point I thought I was recognising the path and convinced myself that we were going round in circles. A third back check gifted Call Girl and me a chance to run out early into the safety of the Kiwis house, and refresh ourselves before the delights of the shout up.


Two visitors were introduced to us, young backpackers who were travelling around the world and took some of us back to our young travelling carefree days of old when all we had to think about was the next party…..a bit like life in Brunei really.


Eastern Promise was hoping to pass on the hashit but honourably refused my suggestion to hide the sign in board so she took the rubber chicken home for another week. The kiwis had decorated in NZ style and produced a couple of All Blacks, and in the dim light of dusk I thought for a second they were real and it was to be a truly memorable night but in the end they turned out to be cardboard (although that still meant they were more animated than most men) . We were however presented with really lovely t-shirts, which everyone was delighted with and are even nice enough to wear to the odd coffee morning or two.


Night fell and hens gradually drifted home, with the tired satisfaction of another hash completed and the moon and stars shone down to illuminate the green ferns at the side of the road. As I drove away, I’m sure I spotted a pit viper snaking its way out of the jungle…

NEXT RUN: SPG 762 KOTA BATU - Love run - Bring a chair

HARES: DIZZY/MADMARG

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