A flurry of eMails was required in order to clarify the correct starting point. It was to be the entrance of the public car park at the far end of the beach and not the Resort car park as stated in the news. Your scribe duly arrived in the nick of time from the far reaches of the New Territories by way of a bus, train, bus and finally the No.6X from the bottom of Stubbs road. The sight that greeted him was the LSW pack, huddled together like sheep, penned in on one side by the main road, on another by the CP entrance and with their backs to the wall behind them. After a brief briefing (the run was to be quite straightforward) the pack were sent off in the direction of Deepwater Bay with F3M, ever conscious of health and safety bellowing after them to cross the road at the zebra crossing.

The pack was quickly turned upside down as the "ON" was called down the steps on to the beach road, leaving an unfortunate few to find their way back from the path behind the golf club. After passing the beach entrance and turning up under the bridge below the main road towards the International school, things began to quieten down and the pack started to spread out. Meantime, this was a good point for any latecomers to catch up with the pack. And it was here that those hardcore runners who had watched this weeks TVB Pearl Report and who knew the start of the HK Island mountain marathon and the Repulse Bay sprint were inspired to kick up into gear and show off their fitness. Indeed, one of these was Mr Gweilo Silver Hair, or Frank the Plank as he is known on the hash, who charged past half the pack going up the hill. Well before most of us arrived at the bridge on the Au, the ON-ON had been called along the catchwater by the likes of Cheesy Flying Fox.

So 3kms and next stop Chung Hom Kok. So I turned off my torch and put my head down, determined to grind out the 3kms without stopping. But wait, what a sight out to sea on the right. In the clear night, dozens of fishing boats could be seen out in the bay, with floodlights illuminating the water, fishing for squid. I must remember to call by the Sai Kung fish market and buy some of the new season's squid. Squid fishing in HK

Running on with the same determination was a mistake, as I duly missed the arrow down to the main road. Mind you so did Octopussy and she had a torch. Was she still mesmerised by the squid I wonder! So back we went, thinking what a good place for a Check-Back. At the Headland Road sitting out area we chose the Rambos of course and proceeded down the masonry path and all along South Bay Rd. Meantime, as was revealed later, the Wimps headed down the concrete steps at Headland Road towards Ma Hang. The only way out from the end of the road is of course the shiggy trail. This is not so difficult nowadays as it has become such a well worn trail, except that is, right before the ascent of the ridge. Here the two us followed flour around in a circle before Indyanus arrived and announced "I know which way it goes!". And after she had struggled up a rock face, we were up, up and away. It was around this time that distant sounds of thunder were heard. With no sign of lightning however, the storm seemed a long way away. However, we were nearly thru the shiggy and up to Chung Hom Kok when it started. And was it heavy, completely wiping out any markings at the junction with the main road. But it was very refreshing. I decided it best to run down the main road and past the Boathouse to the finish at Stanley Plaza, at which point the rain stopped!

It was ON-ON to Curry Tuffin for the bash where, after some discussion , the DDs were administerd by F3M with a few from the floor. With LSW featuring on the Pearl Report this week, things kicked off fairly predictably :-

Legally Blond - tried to watch the TVB Pearl Report on Pearl River Channel from Shanghai.

Cheesy Flying Fox - appearing topless on the Pearl Report.

Parky and Slippery Edge - were interviewed but cut from the programme.

Legally Blond - leaving her poor sick husband at home and going home drunk, not once but now twice.

Brendan Kelly (Visitor) - not Irish after all but a Sceptic, to be sure.

Park 'n' Shop - been hashing for 30 years. Still calls "Neil" where are you? when she's behind him!

Danny - Dad won't let him drink so bought Jolly shandy for him instead!

Gary Glitter - a little confused in the Indian restaurant; calling "senor" to summon the waiter.

The hares - clearing most of the spiders for the pack; LB was OK but the tallest hashers were caught.

The hares - no showers provided, but no problem as they arranged a thunderstorm.

Brendon - using soap for his shower in the rain.

F3M - reprimanded by FSD for having a shoe rack in the stairwell

F3M again - mistakenly accusing her co-hare of swiping her Octopus twice on the bus