Local Interest
Time to relax and enjoy the view
Like most of the other 2000 + Hash kennels around the world , VTH3 is not for profit and managed by volunteers : no-one gets paid , and anything left over at the end of the year is donated to charity and / or used for necessary capital expenditure . “ Red dress ” charity runs are made several times a year – but that ’ s another story for another day ! Whoever laid this week ’ s trail is known as the Hare ( or Hares ). Everyone else is “ the pack ” – a reference to the origins of Hashing from the old game amongst British colonialists : “ Hare and hounds ” or “ Paper chase ”. ( The “ Hash House ” was the name given to a meeting place with very bland food !) The Hares brief everyone with a “ chalk talk ”, including anything that requires particular attention such as rickety bridges , local houses and / or gardens or vegetable patches to avoid , barking dogs , etc – then off we go , accompanied by enthusiastic shouts of “ On On !”, which is hopefully self-explanatory . All Hashes have their own way of marking trails – mostly determined by the local terrain . VTH3 trails are usually marked with red eco-twine to stand out from the green bushes and trees on the mountains , and Hashers follow these markers at all times , shouting “ On On ” whenever they see a new marker ( or at least when the trail changes direction ), so those behind will know they ’ re on the right track , and also so those in front will know the pack is following . If someone goes the wrong way , either they ( when they realise it ) or those behind will shout , “ On back ”. All trails offer something different . VTH3 Hashers pride themselves on a familiarity with Vung Tau ’ s appropriately named Big and Small Mountains , as well as others in a ‘ catchment area ’ bounded by Long Son Island , Ba Ria and the Long Hai mountains . But some trails are much flatter , especially those on or near the beach where the inhabitants of fishing villages present a different version of “ local colour ” to the mountain folk , although equally friendly . One
30 The MAG Vung Tau