LSW 1776 Pok Fu Lam Playground

 

The Americana Extravaganza Run

Hares - Kuntshy & Freewheel

Pok Fu Lam Road Playground

The Run
For his 3rd run in 2-months, Knutshy chose the unlikely co-hare of Freewheel. The uniting factor was that they are of course both sceptics. The significance of this and the relevance to this Americana Extravaganza Run was revealed during the DDs very much later in the evening. However, the significance did spill over to the trail in as much as the usual white arrows had blue and red chalk streaming form their heads to signify "ON-ON". This was to be particularly useful to anyone, finding themselves !:20hrs into the run - an A to B don't forget - and only 150 metres from A.

Indeed memories of the Shing Mun super-Rambo 17kms ball-buster of not long ago were in everyone's minds at the start. Would today's run be another to cement the hare's 2hr+ run legacy?...................... On the other hand Knutshy may actually be forgiven having volunteered to set 3-runs in less than two months. But lets go back to the start.

The pack left Pok Fu Lam playground punctually, with many overhearing that "B" was the squash centre near the Peak Tram terminus in Central. An assortment of late-comers filtered out of "A" one by one in pursuit up the rocky river gully at the back of the Playground. Indy set out alone, went wrong at the first check and was very soon lost. But the cavalry in the form of BobbleDick & Toilet Spray were following and heard faint calling high up in the wrong river gully. They took over and escorted Indy back down and then up the correct trail to the 2nd check. While all three tried to solve this check, Chris (No Name) was next to catch up. Indy's navigational skills were no better and it was left to BobbleDick to find the goat track leading up to the HK Trail. With Chris (No Name) staying back in case TS needed some help, BobbleDick found himself on his own.

The Peak Tram possibly via High West was the obvious route from here. So once we eventually exited the gorge onto the HK Trail, there was no way of catching the pack. High West it was - now a very well-defined route - and down to Hatton Road and thence onto the shiggy to explore the Pinewood Battery, before rejoining the road at Lung Fu Shan park. It was here that Indy & Chris (No Name) were spotted once more, this time heading confidently down Hatton Road towards Po Sha Rd. This seemed a good plan, but the trail actually went left at Lung Fu Shan and unbelievably all the way down the steps to Pok Fu Lam Rd at the back of the bus terminus. Here Lost-in-Space was reeled in.

Where to now; was "B" really the bus terminus? A quick visit to "A", where a check-back was found, seemed to confirm that there had been no change of plan by the hare. But LIS had already disappeared leaving this scribe to ponder what to do. It was a little under 1:30hrs into the run and I was 150metres from "A". After one quick look down the 1st flight of steps of the Pok Fu Lam Rd underpass, the decision was easy - run along Caine Rd to the squash centre. It was 9:15pm and other runners were still coming in at 10pm, reporting an urban slog back from Kennedy Town. A good decision!

On On - American Peking Restaurant in Wan Chai

The Circle - Conducted by IndyAnus

The circle opened with Indyanus trying to get the Americans present to explain the significance of the run number - 1776. Is it remembered as "America Day"? or merely the year of the war of independence. Or was it not a war, but rather just a rebellion or indeed a civil war? Discussion moved on to the Pinewood Battery and whether the detour thru the Battery was intended to remind us of the battle of Bunker's Hill in 1775. No conclusion was reached so the DDs commenced.

The Hares - 24 brave souls including Gobi LoHo, turned up in spite of Knutshy's reputation for setting ballbreakers

The Hares - 8 of these didn't turn up to the restaurant - it was so late when they finished the run!

FreeWheel - finally co-haring a run.

Knutshy - described his co-hare before the run as his "with-it" co-hare. But Freewheel didn't even admit to laying the wimps!

Indyanus - admitted getting lost at the start of the run.

The Hares - blamed for poor markings in the river gully - and all FRB's for not marking the right way.

The Americans - Hares took the pack up High West. But no Americans present had any knowledge of the exploration of the American West.

The Chinese - fortunate that the Americans didn't occupy China.

Castrato - knew some history; Lewis & Clarke were the 1st to explore the Western frontier in 1804.

The Hares - for mixing it with old Wednesday night markings, causing Indy to carry on down Hatton Road

Indyanus - took another DD for saying to Chris (no name) "Know where I am now - down to Kotewall Road and ON-IN!

BobbleDick - stealthily heading down to Pok Fu Lam Rd without calling back Indy and Chris.

Sticky Sex Toy - trying to hide under the table, with the restaurant staff very agitated, it being well after 11pm, closing time. In fact the scene in the restaurant was very like one from Faulty Towers.

Lost in Space - would have enjoyed the run had it finished at Belcher's Park in Kennedy Town.

Macau Drunk - hash crash; another fall on the flat near the Pinewood Battery.

HP Salsa - managed to need attention to his nose without even falling.

Knutshy - lost book at WH3; awarded a lollipop along with a law society magazine to further his education.

Pok Fu Lam 110223 13.04km 98mins