Hash House Harriers

They call themselves drinkers with a running problem. The Hash House Harriers is an international group of social, non-competitive running and drinking clubs.
The template for a hash run is loosely based on hare hunting. One or more hashers (the "hares") lay out a trail that the rest of the club, hounds, follows. The trail may include false trails, short cuts and the hounds follow a trail laid-out in chalk.

Hashing began in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia when a casual group of British colonial officials and expatriates, would meet after work on Monday evenings to run, following a paper trail, through the environs of Kuala Lumpur to get rid of the excesses of the previous weekend.
There are now literally thousands of 'hashes' all around the world, from Myanmar to Sri Lanka to Washington D.C. All are welcome, regardless of fitness level, as long as you are ready to have some fun and see some sites off the beaten trail.

Stephen and I have now hashed in two countries - Cambodia and Thailand.

To begin our first hash in Phnom Penh, we met at the train station and piled into a flatbed truck with 40 other enthusiasts to be driven into the countryside. The rain started on the drive to the run and continued throughout the entire 10k run. While running through the maze of rice paddies, there was thunder, lightning, wading through waist-deep puddles and lots of laughter. By the end, we literally looked like we had taken a shower fully clothed.

After the run, the group circles up with beers in hand to sing hash songs and chug beer. It was an utter blast and I even got an interview with a local law firm after meeting a fellow hasher who is a lawyer by day.

Our hash in Bangkok took place about 30 minutes outside of the capitol. We ran through canals, raised walk-ways, narrow pathways and small villages with the ever presence of stray dogs watching our every move. We got to see sights we would never see as a typical tourist or even as an expat living in Bangkok. The group welcomed us with open arms, shared lots of Tiger beer with us and even invited us for dinner at a very local Thai restaurant.

We absolutely recommend hasing to anyone so inclined. We will now seek out hashes in the rest of our travel spots and maybe back in Portland.

AS THE TUK TUK SPUTTERS....

We are back in Bangkok awaiting the arrival of newyled friends from Portland. We are looking forward to climbing again in S. Thailand and some quality beach time, weather permitting. We will spend time again with my step-brother Jeff in Phuket and then head south to Indonesia to do some volunteering.