13th April 2008 - Not Much of a Hash #887

Batthyany Ter – Obuda – Margit Sziget

Hare: Non-existent

Scribe: Pussy Willow

BangCock (20% attendance, must do better!!!), NFG-David, Frustrated Frog, Jaws, NFG-Jutta, NFG-Petra, Pussy Willow, NFG- Sarah, Smokey Donkey and St. Anus, Ten Minutes Late.

Question: When is a drinking club with a running problem not a drinking club with a running problem?

Answer: When it’s Hash # 887 and no one runs and less than 3 beers are consumed all Hash by just 2 people!

So the first problem was established fairly quickly, at 11.31 to be precise – we had no trail. Where shall we go? There was not an overwhelming response to suggestions for a route: a lone voice suggested Romaifurdo, just a short walking distance from Batthyany Ter. The mention of its proximity to Szentendrei did alert us to the meaning of short and some wondered whether we would reach it in daylight, but we set off nevertheless but not without a second problem arising. Exactly what number Hash was this? It could not be 888 as this would require a special celebration and six months planning, nor could it be 900 as this would merit a huge extravaganza, 12 months planning and failure to agree about anything. Having settled on this Hash being 800 and something, we set off in the direction of Romaifurdo or Esztergom, whichever came first.

On this glorious Spring day with the birds and tom cats frisky; buds bursting on the trees and the sun beating down, we decide not to have a glorious walk in the countryside and ‘be one with nature’, but to walk alongside the traffic on the rakpart instead. Oh the fumes; the pounding of tyres on tarmac; the sirens. What did we do to deserve such serenity? It was obviously all too much for BangCock who decided to leave us at this point.

By Szepvolgyi we managed to tear ourselves away from the delights of the rakpart, headed inland and retreated to the leafy suburbs of Obuda where we came across a bit of Roman antiquity masquerading as an amphitheatre but we Hashers knew better. It was, of course, a Roman football pitch with crowds gathering for the eagerly awaited Cup Final between Rome Rovers and Centurion City. For those of you wishing to know the score, it was 3 – 2 to the Rovers after extra time. Brutus saved a penalty taken by Caesar in the first half.

OnOn to Arpad Hid, first stopping by more ruins – a load of old columns (gosh, I’m so cultured) set against the incongruous back drop of vast apartment blocks and fly-over’s to the bridge. We also saw a monument with a crumpled car in bronze at its base. Those more intelligent Hashers amongst us (yes, there was one yes it was me!!!) worked out that the numbers on the monument signified a year with the number of car fatalities for that year underneath it. I had my suspicions though that it may refer to the number of jokes posted on the BPH3 yahoo website each year!

On then to a kiosk for a water stop (water, how sad is that) where a bit of recreational water sniffing took place between two Hashers. In the state of euphoria afterwards, one of them tried to vandalize the free standing kiosk sign. Fortunately, such high-jinks were met with a smile from the kiosk attendant who obviously knew the potency of the water she was selling.

Over Arpad Hid and the treat of yet more traffic, then down to that oasis that is Margit Sziget. However, on this day it happened to be an oasis of large pink inflatable mobile phones in honour of the sponsor of the race that was taking place on the sziget. Dodging runners; groups practising Tai Chi or some such thing and laughing yogaists (yes, I know there is no such word but I’m English so I can make them up as I go along), we made our way to a blossoming magnolia tree for the circle. We welcomed a Hash Virgin, Jutta; duly acknowledged various Hash offences and slowly made our way through a shortened version of the Hash Hymn. I know you purists out there will be horrified but we (not Frustrated Frog) tried our best to mumble and do the actions at the same time whilst suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Smokey Donkey, Jaws, Frogs Legs; Jutta and Pussy Willow then set off to a restaurant in 13^th District for more water and a delicious meal. Thank God it was good since I recommended it but couldn't go!

Our next Hash will be the eagerly awaited, monumental, Hash #888 – no pressure Ginger Pussy.

OnOn

Pussy Willow