Hare: HP Salsa

Venue: outside Murray House

Start: 7.20

You know when you are having "one of those days!" It usually starts when you just miss your usual train. bus, ferry etc. then everything slides inexorably downhill for the rest of the day. And so it was that I mused over foreboding thoughts all the way from Central to Stanley on the inappropriately named "Express" bus (journey time 1 hour). Actually I was pretty surprised to finally rock up for the start of HP Salsa's Stanley run a mere 20 minutes late.

HP Salsa, is such an all round nice fellow, that my worries simply melted away when I arrived! Even the dubious instructions for the run were like a tonic... "go through the park, there aren't any markings, but er. don't worry there aren't any markings coming back either, just make it up!" How is that for chilled out! And so armed with this groovy but utterly useless information, and together with fellow latecomers Kuntshy and Dr. Evil, the "warm and fuzzy LSW 1790 Stanley run" began.

The run set off through what passes as a park these days, a bunch of railings and a security guard brooding around. Sure enough there were no markings to begin with, steps and pre solved checks ensued, going up over Chung Hom Kok Rd. then down again towards Chung Hom Kok Beach. A cunning right turn led up steps to Horizon Drive , to emerge at the W/R split back on Chung Hom Kok Rd. again. So far it had been pretty groovy! Hello what's this, double ended arrows, this was no problem for Kuntshy & Dr. Evil, who set off up Chung Hom Kok rd. I must mention that Dr. Evil was running so well here that he overtook a couple of puffing cyclists. Well done Dr, Evil!

Upon reaching the junction at Headland Rd. Kuntshy gratuitously announced "this is the 2nd worst run I've ever done, the worst one being HP's last Stanley run". He also claimed to know "the way", so down the cobble stone path we went, trusting in Kuntshy's way, and the occasional very spaced out marking. The cobbled path eventually pops out on to South Bay Rd. Here it was reported that Indyanus led Stick Sex Toy in the wrong way! Now I'm not sure exactly what happened, but apparently Octapussy and Tight Lips were also taken in the wrong direction here! (i.e. towards the beach, in case you were getting confused).

Back to the latecomers run, we had no such difficulties as Kuntshy is righteous and "knew the way" and the two apostles followed him up the concrete catch water steps. But then suddenly a cry from up ahead, it turned out to be Octapussy, startled by a snake, May Not Come tried to be brave, and Wanchai Wanker and Ashhole were not visibly bothered. On on to Headland Rd. , and back down the double ended arrows on Chung Hom Kok Rd. to the W/R split. Here Kuntshy and Dr. Evil started acting irrationally, both of them going off down Horizon Drive again, in their own private dual. Fortunately May Not Come and I were not so foolish, as we followed the obvious Cape Rd. and Carmel Rd. in towards the town centre. Here the markings became almost extraneous, red white and blue arrows placed in odd places, occasional explosions of flour, and long sections of no markings, as if the hare just forgot to mark for a while.

The tour of Stanley's principal thoroughfares continued, looping round Stanley Village Rd. and back to Stanley Main Beach where a skinny youthful looking Bob le Dick was seen stalking around, no doubt in search of food. At this point arrows ran out so it was on home, where a solitary Butfahn was waiting. or so I thought a few moments later the pack arrived having elected for various versions of a St Stevens Beach detour, Go-Below-Ho, Chatroom, Indyanus, Macau, SST, etc. well done for extra effort!

Elapsed distances varied from 8.5 - 10.5k. Macau apparently even took in a detour to the American Club. Kuntshy and Dr. Evil eventually showed up after a whopping 12.5k match race. Last in moments later was Come Into My Tunnel emerging from the starting direction.

The circle was held impromptu on the spot, with pizza delivery. Beer though theoretically was not plentiful, seemed never to run out, (thanks to the hare and Ashhole for extra trips to the shops). I was impressed by this run, though at times discombobulated and irrelevantly marked, it was also a great run, if nothing else it served as a counter the daily manic struggle for order in this city. Though many drifted off early the best was saved for last with a generous but not overly long circle, and rounded up with some touching and fond farewells for Kuntshy. And so the "Warm and Fuzzy" LSW 1790 Stanley Run ended in fitting tribute to the end of the era of Kuntshy, thank goodness - its been emotional!

DD's by Indy:

Wanchai Wanker - STFU

The hare - miss management - trail - markings - no cups - the trail - waterlogged hash list so no idea if everyone is back or not

Bob le Dick - Double ended arrows are depressing because you know your coming back

Come Into My Tunnel - Late arrival, so kept going round in circles

The hare - miss management - pack instructed to make up your own run on the way back

The St Stevens beach pack - for going to St Stevens Beach

The hare - miss management - there is no where to eat in Stanley - except the restaurants

The hare - didnt sleep for a week worrying about the trail

Indy - Wearing HP's shorts - HP instructed not to wash them

Tight Lips - Fashion Award - wearing new rubber wedges and claiming they are comfortable, cant drink out of them as they are sandals

Octapussy - playing paint ball near Sai Kung without inviting Kuntshy who always wanted to

Octapussy - Came specially to see Kuntshy off, otherwise she wouldn't have bothered

Sticky Sex Toy - English teacher not doing write up

The hare - miss management - not enough beer (but did provide more)

Wanchai Wanker - STFU

The hare - for a typo which Gobi Lo wont like - Go-Below-Ho should correctly be Gobi Lo Ho

Kuntshy - Late - and for his excuse "its in flipping Stanley "

SST, Octapussy, Tight Lips - Being led astray in South Bay by Indy

Tight Lips - Lost again a bit later

Octapussy, May Not Come - Terrorizing local wildlife - Snakes are our 0-legged friends!

David - Volunteering to be a hare

The hare - markings - complaining that he was only given 2 sticks of chalk and 1/2 bag flour - buy some!

Ashhole - for having a sick warped sense of humour

Bob le Dick - oldest hash shirt, 1985 - claimed its his newest one

Macau - Didn't bring his shirt as he knew Bob le Dick would have an older one

Kuntshy - wasn't even a twinkle in his mother eye in 1985

Kuntshy - for excess baggage 30kg thinks cost will be $20, BS says Macau $400

David - for 100% attendance 2 for 2

Kuntshy - for 84.5% attendance

Kuntshy - for setting 6 out of 34 runs, well done! Nothing to do in University obviously!

The hare - for sleepless nights worrying - needn't have bothered

Other DD's

Bob le Dick - Kuntshy look up old records and cant even come close to Bob's old KOTH records

SST - For honestly answering Kuntshy's sex questions, while he lied!

Kuntshy - 2nd FCH ending up in hospital

Kuntshy - miss y'all

The Song was sung by the hare plus two others