Rehashed Run No: 1700; Hares: Dennis Parker a.k.a. Dennis the Menace/Carol Parker a.k.a. Carol the Twin Towers;
Date: 24th July, 2007; Venue: Bertam Ulu.
Dennis the Menace and Carol the Twin Towers is a known loving couple and devoted hashers. Since bitten by the hashing bug in Malacca 2 years ago, they used to attend the weekly run regularly.
Time flies. Just a twinkling of an eye, it was their turn as hares again for the second time on rotation. Out of our expectation, it had attracted an unusual big turnout of some 80 hashers who included a big number of guests.
It was a cool afternoon after a heavy morning downpour. On my early arrival at the popular runsite at Taman Seri Bertam housing estate at 5.15 pm, there were already quite a big number of turnouts. Among them were hares Dennis the Menace and Carol the Twin Towers who were covered with sweat from head to toe. Apparently they had just returned from setting the trail. For reason not known, they were seen whispering to GM Cocker whom I was later told was their co-hare. They kept mum when I enquired about the nature and pattern of their run as we were told in the previous run that it would be different from normal. Very soon, the three of them were seen leaving the runsite in separate vehicles for unknown destination.
It was 5.30 pm then. Suspecting it was a long, tricky and tough run, Sweetie Pie, guest runner Tee, my partner and I started the run as early birds. We followed the paper westward on the left on a laterite road into a matured oil palm plantation. After some 10 minutes walk, it turned left up a slope where it hit first simple check. A spread-out search resulted in me finding its connecting paper a short distance away downhill on the back trail. As usual, as early birds, we did not join the paper.
The paper then proceeded across a drain into an orchard and meandered uphill and downhill into a bushy rubber plantation for the next 20 minutes before hitting the first and only simple false trail along a drain. Its connecting paper was found by Sweetie Pie a few minutes later a short distance away on the right of the back trail.
After proceeding southward through another long stretch of bushy and undulating terrain in a rubber cum fruit plantation for some 15 minutes, the paper hit the second simple check near a barbed wire fencing beside a deep ditch. Its connecting paper was found by guest Tee a short distance away on the left across the said deep ditch on 2 planks in an open young oil palm plantation. It then trudged uphill for some 500 meters before turning right across another deep ditch into another bushy rubber plantation. A short while later, it hit a T-junction where a signage pointing the short run on the left and another signage pointing the long run on the right appeared. The time then was 6.20 pm. As it was still early, the 4 of us decided to take the challenge by following the paper on the long run.
It was a short distance away where the paper hit the open and bushy Patronas gas piping passageway. It then turned south-west along it through an undulating hilly terrain crossing 2 drains for some 500 meters before turning left into another rubber plantation. It was along the way that I saw a few scheduled front runners led by Ranger following behind us. They overtook us a short while later after crossing another drain at the foot of an undulating hill. The paper then ascended for some 100 meters half way to its top before hitting the third and last complicated check. A spread-out search resulted in Ranger finding its connecting paper some 100 meters away on the left at its top. Kind hearted Sweetie Pie was seen busily joining the paper trail for the back runners.
From then on, the paper continued to trudge through an undulating terrain of rubber plantation, across 2 ditches and through another oil palm plantation where it hit another deep ditch with a nylon rope tied to a tree by the kind-hearted hares to assist the runners crossing it. However, we did not make use of it as it appeared difficult. Instead, as guided by Vibrator, we followed a nearby trail to cross it with his assistance. Before that, we were overtaken by a big pack of scheduled runners. That was the last obstacle we encountered. It was another short run through the friendlier terrain before arriving at an oil palm plantation near Sungai Udang where the hares, front runners and beer wagon were waiting. The time then was 7.25 pm and the sky was still bright. Handshakes were extended to the hares for their good efforts in setting such a challenging run.
It was a well-set challenging run of some 7 km. I was told a total of 3 reccees were conducted by the hares with the use of a Volvo car and on foot. It took front runner Ranger 59 minutes to complete. As for the short run, I was told that its distance was about 4 km. It took its runners around 1 hour to complete. The last runners, namely, The Stud and Smiling Lady, were back at 7.50 pm. For our good efforts and support for their run, each of us was given a beautiful T-shirt and a pair of fancy pants.
For the first time in MH3 history, hash circle was not held at the starting cum ending point of the runsite. It was held at the ending point which was some 3 km away from the starting point. It was jointly conducted by GM Cockle and ex-GM Vibrator and well attended by some 70 runners. As usual, the hares and the sinners who included myself were put on ice and on-downed. It ended at around 8.15 pm when we were fetched back to the starting point runsite by a bus.
For the first time again, On On was held at the nearby Lock Yuen Restaurant in Sungai Udang. It saw 9 tables fully occupied. A 7-course delicious Chinese dinner was served with free-flowing whiskey. Once again the hares and sinners were on-downed. The food and whiskey were on the hares. It was then announced by Joseph Fernandez that his coming joint run with Gobalakrishnan on 31-7-2007 would be held at Gangsa. As they are virgin hares and it is their virgin run, so do come in full force to give your full support, fellow hashers!
It was an enjoyable and memorable night. The pack had only started to disperse at 10.45 pm. A big THANK YOU to you, hares!
On! On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 26th July, 2007.
