1702: the power of pictorial detemporization; now with added HH3

In keeping with the current trend for enhanced images, the Online Scum is proud to bring you exclusive pictures of this week's hares (we'll leave you to work out which is which) enjoying a quiet post recce pint. Sadly the pictorial detemporizing artiste was not able to work the miracle wrought on Softcock (see below) but nevertheless has managed to distill the essence of the experience and dedication which the hares bring to this week's run, details of which are:

Songkhla Hash House Harriers' run #1702, Saturday February 1st, 2014, 4:00 p.m.
Hares: R2D2 and Kii Leum
Misdirections: From the Kao Saeng intersection, take the old Yala road for about 17k and turn right after Tan Kwai School. Go 300 m up the road and look for a sign on the left if wet, or after 500m on the right if dry.

Details of this week's HH3 run above.
Details of this week's quiz nite are: Friday 31st January, 8:00 p.m. Office Bar, Quizmeister: Wee Dave.
Be there! It should be a shoo-in for the SH3 superbrains with Eightball in non-competitive mode, but stranger things have happened and with the strong possibility of two opposing Hash teams, we could end up letting the opposition in through the back door (as the actress said to the Bishop). All proceeds in aid of some good cause or other.

Who is Temp's mystery lover?

We all recognise Temporary Relief, but who is the mysterious man at her side? There is a passing resemblance to Softcock, but isn't there something missing? Like wrinkles?

1701: The party starts here

A surprisingly good turnout, albeit an almost entirely male one, as the female two thirds of SH3 hit the beauty salon, made the effort  last Saturday to ensure SH3's continuity in the face of the current round of non-stop partying. The early start fooled Wee Wee, who nevertheless proved to be the only person who did the hare-defined short run (red) - accidentally as it turned out since he arrived at the departure point to find only a short stump of a trail but knew the way home through the village. Meanwhile the real short run had been hijacked by R2D2, who armed with the GPS and the hare's tracks, decided to forge a trail of his own (yellow), followed by Flowerpotman, Leaking Seaman and Underwater Rabbit, our token female for the day, then rejoined the long run about half way round. For his efforts R2D2 was invited to join the haring team on the ice! The long run (green) meanwhile, herded gently by advertised hare, Egghead made short work of the 6k or so, arriving back home in 45 minutes after a massive total ascent of 36 meters and a dizzying maximum height of 45 metes - or maybe it was the other way round; either way it was a very flat run. Gan Yao set the Gan Yao run which avoided the three-legged horse at the 4th F but managed to find the local gambling school who eyed him suspiciously, and also a team of fly-loggers who threatened him with Parangs and a bow saw. Surprisingly he was able to escape by out-running them!
A short intensive burst of beer-swilling followed as the last remnants of R2D2's pack were awaited then a modest circle ensued at which two new or only slightly used runners were welcomed and Sex Sprinter was punished for yet again finding it hard to remain on paper for most of the run. The final rituals were performed and the whole thing wrapped up as intended at 5:00 p.m. Then it was on-on again to the party which seems to have been almost continuously in full swing since October last year as Softy and Temp's wedding was well and truly celebrated.

Pre-nuptial bliss

No! No! No! Not that sort of bliss! The kind that comes from pulling on a pair of running shoes and heading out into a swamp the jungle for an hour  to work up an appetite which will no doubt be needed for the continued celebration of Softy and Temp's wedding which will take place tomorrow evening (Saturday, January 25th) from about 6 p.m. at the Mermaid Hotel on the beach front.
To accommodate the need to be reasonably civilized and in Songkhla in good time for the party, tomorrow's SH3 run will start at the ungodly hour of 3:15 p.m. and to ensure the timely arrival of those needing transport on the beer truck, it will leave Bai Meang at 2:30 p.m. The intention is to get the circle finished by about 5:00 p.m. with anyone on the beer truck being back in Songkhla by 5:30.
Details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1701, 25th January 2014, 3:15 p.m.
Hare: Egghead
Misdirections: From the (main traffic lights at the) Ko Yo intersection go about  800 meters down the old Hatyai road and turn left towards Wat Nam Krajai (or from Hatyai. turn right about 300 meters before the other set of traffic lights). Follow the road outside the temple wall for 200 meters then turn right along the back wall of the temple and follow the road for 250 meters. The run site is past the football pitch on the left.

Sunday's HH3 run is at the dam at Prutoh: Turn left off of the old Hatyai road at the Nam Noi traffic lights and go about 1.5k to the runsite on the right. Map below.

SH3 on tour: thanks for the memories.

At the Beer stop on run 1700

The two runs, SH3 1700 on the left, HFMH3 106 on the right

HFMH3 106

SH3 1700

Ok, Ok, I admit it, I lied. There is no write up under construction. Just a series of thank yous: to the good people of Ubon Rajathani who unknowingly welcomed us and treated us kindly; to the even better people of URH3 who at short notice organised a superb run and On-On for us on Saturday and in particular to Flash Git, the GM and hare, on what turned out to be SH3's 1700th run.
But most of all to Softcock and Temporary Relief (where do we begin?) for organizing the whole thing, arranging and funding the accommodation, providing us with transport throughout the 3 or 4 days we were there; planning and managing a wonderful day's sightseeing and shopping on Friday and then setting the HFMH3 run which took place thereafter; food, beer, T shirt, entertainment, hospitality, in fact the only thing they didn't provide was the Nightmare in Pink, but Palm Job was equal to the task! Not a trip that anyone who went on it is ever going to forget.
For the record, there were 24 named SH3 hashers either on the Full Moon run on Friday or at the run site (Hare: Softcock, Hounds: Temporary Relief, Hip Hop, Rock and Roll, Just Deserts, Permanent Fixture, Dow Tau Pau, Egghead, Only a Yolk, Peppered Pussy, Beavershot, Hand Job, Stick Insect, Yardstick, R2D2, Ork Dork, Sex Sprinter, Super Pig, Palm Job, Swings ad Roundabouts, Meals on Wheels, Sporran Fodder, Freehand and Quack Whacker) and 4 discernible guests (Jack Colburn, Michael and Kerry Hamlyn and Kerry's boyfriend), making a whopping turnout of 28 people on the first ever Full Moon outstation run.
The following day, 16 SH3 names and guests turned out for the 1700th run: Softcock, Temporary Relief,  Egghead, Only a Yolk, Peppered Pussy, Beavershot, Stick Insect, Yardstick, R2D2, Ork Dork, Sex Sprinter, Super Pig, Palm Job, Swings and Roundabouts, Meals on Wheels, and Jack Colburn and the hare was Flash Git from URH3 who also turned out in the region of 15 runners,all of whom did either the long or short runs. The Full Moon run was 5.4k and took a little under an hour including the two beer stops. As well as the conservative 3 checks and 3 F's recorded above, it also featured the first ever river crossing in a plastic boat. The SH3-URH3 joint run on Saturday was 7.4k and took about an hour and a half with an extended beer stop midway at the commencement of the 3.3k short run.
Creditable mentions also for the Happy Land bar on Thursday night, when Softcock's stag night was celebrated even though he wasn't there to enjoy it, but not on Saturday night when it failed to live up to its advanced billing; to the N-Joy Bar which provided the venue and snacks for the On-On on Saturday as well as some great food later for those craving solid grub after all that lab and som tum. Less honorable mentions for the Wrong Way bar which proved to be the wrong place on both visits made to it and to the Long Beach massage parlor, beloved of the late Pol Pot, but unless anyone sneaked off when we weren't looking, got the cold shoulder from us.
A great weekend by any standards and one which hopefully will encourage us to think seriously about more regular visits outside of the comfortable confinement of the South. Chiang Rai and the Indochina Mekong Hash ( http://www.mekong-indochina-hhh-2014.com/website/) in October?

1699: no complaints

... in fact far from it! The pre-run pundits had already condemned the location before the pack departed but were forced to eat their words as SS and BT set a great trail up and along the ridge above Nam Noi before finding a half decent down trail including a breathtaking view at which all 7 of the hounds stopped to draw breath. A very civilized 50 minutes for 4.7k with a maximum height of 222 meters and a total ascent of around 250 meters.
Tomorrow:

Anyone not know how to get to the football field? Good, 'cos it's not there. HH3 tomorrow is in Poonakan about 4k from Wat Keow Kloy on the left about 500m before the football field, or 500 meters on the right after it if you are coming from Hatyai.

Saturday's hares: together at last.

What is he doing with those women?

Why won't he listen to me?

Together at last

The hare line, Buk Toy and Sex Sprinter has always been a byword for quality runs, often set at only a week's notice, and Saturday's run will undoubtedly be another of those. But as the pictures show, life ain't always easy when you're half of a dynamic duo and the other half seems to be going astray - and let's face it Sex Sprinter has been doing a lot of that recently! But let's hope Buk Toy will be able to keep him on the straight and narrow long enough to set the run even if he then spends the rest of the afternoon, not to put too fine a point on it, short cutting!

Details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers' run  #1699, Saturday 11th January 2014, 4:00 p.m.
Hares: Buk Toy and Sex Sprinter
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for about 8.5k and turn right then follow signs to the runsite.

After the run we have some decisions to make because the next two Saturday's are likely to be, at best, disrupted, at worst, destroyed by the upcoming Softy-Temp nuptual celebrations in Ubon Ratchathani (18th January) and Songkhla (25th January). If anyone would like to set a run next week (18th) then please step forward, but bear in mind that about 15 people are already committed to going to Ubon. The following weekend (25th), the reception will start at 6:00 p.m. There is a hare-in-waiting but if we are going to run we may need to bring the start time forward an hour or so and to be considerate with the run site, length and difficulty.

Sunday's (January 12th) HH3 run will be a pussy run and will be from the football field in Poonakan or thereabouts: from the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left; go 8k to Wat Keow Kloy and turn right into Th. Poonakan. for about 4k and start looking for a sign on the left.

A short hard long and a long easy short

Short run in yellow, long run in blue

Those with good memories for this sort of thing (which is to say, only Egghead) will have recognized today's HH3 long run as a reverse variant of the Mini-Monster of 25 June, 2011. It cut a bit closer as it came back around the hill so was only 6km long, though total ascent was a generous 470m.  There was some of the usual whingeing from the farang minority about too many hills, squares instead of shreddy, etc., but the Thai constituency seemed well satisfied. First back was the increasingly slim and fit Sex Tsunami in 1:19, followed closely by Sex Printer, Sex Black Man, and Sex of the Man. See, having a "Sex" name helps you run fast. Muu Sap went missing for a while, which will probably be what people remember about this run.

The short run, designed to cater to the athletic tendencies of the Hatyai Hash walkers, was a mere 500m shorter, with an ascent of 170m. They were somewhat more unanimous in their approval, but then they're more easily pleased. Everyone seemed to like the runsite, but believe me: there are not a whole lot of runs possible around here. The hills are big and jungley and the trails are few.

2014: Brand new pictures, brand new hares, brand new run sites!

Yes, Songkhla Hash has been scouring the globe (well, Songkhla) to bring you a whole load of new stuff for the new year, and this weekend is just jam-packed with people you haven't met (well, not since Wednesday anyway) and places you've never been before (in 2014).
Saturday will see SH3 run in an area we haven't run in for, oooh, at least 6 months with two completely new hares (for 2014).
Details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers run # 1698, Saturday January 4th, 2014, 4:00 p.m.
Hares: Kii Leum and Kii Ling
Misdirections: from the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 800 meters and turn left then go another 800 meters to the car park outside the Home of Faith.
Sunday's HH3 run site has not been used in living memory (currently about 18 months) and the run will be set by little known hare, Sex Ferocious. Misdirections are (or they were in 2011):

From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 10k and turn left at the Nam Noi traffic lights. Go 3.4k and turn right, then go 300 meters and turn right and follow the road for 2.2k to the top of the hill.

The hare is promising a great long run and a  completely mind-numbing (as in his mind is numb about where it's going to be) short run.