Arriving at Balaju Chowk, hashers were greeted by a hot and sweaty Hare, Night Owl, redirecting traffic down the first turn off as there had been wash outs on the third. At the on-in, arrivals were greeted by traffic warden Keeled Over who was desperately trying to preserve the small non-boggy bit of the chicken infested parking area for the circle. At 3 o’clock prompt the Hare returned from his stint as a traffic policeman and after a very few belated arrivals the Master called for the circle and asked the Hares to explain. Six checks were announced with 2, 4 and 5 holding. False trails and a small river crossing were included. Beaufort was shepherding the runners and Night Owl walking the walkers. With no virgins the Master was spared his usual explanation and the pack set off in the usual disarray.

Keeled Over was the first on paper as we headed out up the road and to Check 1. this held up and confused the pack, with Rotter calling everyone up the false trail before the Hare called everyone back for a short link across the padi to Holding Check 2. Not all the pack agreed to go back with Rotter, Run Crafty, Towed and Richard deciding that down the hill and back up again was not for them and headed directly through the village to the check. Well, all except Rotter, that is, who managed to get singularly lost and ended up going back to Check 1 and was the last to arraive at check 2.

Run Crafty found the first false trail from Check 2 but Towed, with Peter, was not to be deceived and found the right trail for a while. Confusion ensued as paper was found heading in all directions but with a little help from the Hare, Apple was eventually launched onto the right trail back over the hill and down into the valley. Towed soon led the way again but was confused by the usual Night Owl junction paper laying habits and ended up at the back of the pack on arrival at Check 3. An enormous false trail, even commented on by Beaufort, scattered the pack out before they realised the error of their ways. This meant that the back runners were now at the front and the front runners at the back. All therefore arrived pretty much together at Holding Check 4, where false trails again had the pack scattered in all directions. Led by Norwegian Rasmus the trail ran back to the main river and up the bluff to Holding Check 5 perched on an isolated pinnacle above the river. From here the beer was clearly visible so that when the Hare called check it out, Run Crafty, Richard, Rotter and Towed headed straight back down to the river. (I have to confess that I did not appreciate that Check 6 actually existed, having been busy chastising Duckbill during the run briefing).

All arrived back at the On-In eventually, with walkers and runners straggling back pretty much together. The walkers had a very pleasant walk although there was a certain reluctance to paddle on behalf of some (Handphun, Ruth, Alexander).

A drab and exhausted Master, still drugged to the eyeballs, vainly tried to abdicate from his function as runner of the circle, but to no avail. The Hares were duly called in and the standard Night Owl run complaints of lack of paper at junctions, lack of Xs on false trails, too many false trails, not enough false trails etc were levelled before a stunning 9.9 was awarded to the pair of them. (I reckon 3.3 for Night Owl, 6.6 for Beaufort).

Other fairly brief down-downs were awarded as follows:

MacPole, Maria and Norwegian Rasmus for coming back

Latecomers Sock Sucker and Carrot Brain who finally wandered into the circle at this point.

Leavers MacPole and Don. To justify his hash name of Griot, a Swahili tale teller, Don then proceeded to tell a tale involving, I think, an Architect, and African, and American and a Scotsman, but with only the Scotsman and the American having speaking parts. Some discussion of the acceptability of his hash name ensued, with Towed pointing out that Donor Git was, in fact, an anagram of Griot Don. (for the non-British, a git is, to put it politely, a person of low renown and significance).

Blatant favouritism was then displayed by the GM when he allowed Mrs. Rotter to celebrate the christening of her new shoes with a down-down from a mug!

The Hashit was awarded to Mr. Precision Instructions, Night Owl, for being an engineer but having the road to the site washed out (he may not be a road engineer, but his co-Hare is), but mainly because the Master couldn’t be bothered to think of any other reason or person.

Next week’s run is from The Lost Ark and friends at Chapagaon, conveniently distant from the week after at Godavari, about which a mass debate ensued as to how we could keep virgins out of a freebee.

Thanks to the Hares for a confusing run, but one that kept everyone fairly well together, and to Mrs Rotter and Tibetgal for hash catering.