Second Hash

Just got home from today's Hash - what a doozy (sp?)! Didn't get off to a great start because I didn't know where we were starting from. I had assumed that we would start the same place every week (silly me) and so I jogged up there (a couple miles). When I got there no one else was around, but luckily some of my coworkers saw me running and picked me up. We then met everyone else at the correct meeting place - the Beer Factory (don't get excited, it's not what it sounds like) - and met the rest of the crew. I rode up to the start of the Hash in a car with some of the Marines from the embassy, but the scary thing was that when we were stopped at a light a beggar shambled up to the car and I recognized him from a nightmare I had last night. Not going into details, but I kid you not.

After that unsettling experience, when we arrived at the start of the Hash, the trail was littered with cow bones. Not a pretty site. Then it turned out to be what the other, more experienced Hashers called one of the worst trails ever. We followed it down into a ravine and then had to climb up the side of the ravine to get out. Then it was running up goat trails to the top of an almost-mountain (not quite a mountain, but more than a hill). I'm not a goat. I'm a person, I have huge feet, and they don't fit on goat trails! It was a little touch and go in some spots, but I made it to the top.

From there, I had to kind of scoot down on my rear because the trail went down what would have been a cliff had it been any steeper until I got to a place where I could stand up again. Let me tell you something. It is NOT fun to scoot on your rear when the surface you are scooting on is covered in rocks, thorns, and prickly things! All the while, there was the fear that my shoes would slip on the loose Dushanbe soil (a.k.a. dust) and I would go tumbling down the hill/mountain like Jack and Jill -speaking of them, I now imagine they were not off to fetch a pail of water, but doing a Hash.

Nonetheless, I survived my second Hash and we had some tasty watermelon when it was over before gathering for drinks, ridiculous ceremony, and good food. Despite the arduous trek, I had a good time and look forward to the next one. I'll have to see about using one of my older cameras to get some pictures. When you aren't hanging on for dear life, there's some great scenery. Hiking is up for tomorrow, definitely plan on bringing a camera.

I wanted to get this story down before I forget it, but we did do some sightseeing this morning as well as a trip to the bazaar - pictures to come.