8/7/05 Hash House Harriers

Today after work I went on a hash. The Hash House Harriers are an international organization with a chapter in Grenada. Basically a hash is an organized run (but most people hike the trail) around a different part of the island every other Saturday. Someone who is familiar with the area goes out on a trail and puts down small blobs of paper on the side of the trail. When they get to a spot where there are multiple trail choices they make a circle of paper. You then have to go down each trail until you either find a dead end marked by an "X" or you find the trail that continues. There is some special vocabulary that you yell as you're on the trail; on-on, are you, and checking.

I figured this would be a great way to get to know the island. This hash was on a point on the southeast side of the island about 25 minutes from the clinic. There were not many homes in this area but there was a new road so I imagine that the new homes will be coming soon. The first section of the hike followed a road directly up the side of a steep hill. What the hell is with these Grenadians building a road directly up a hill. Haven't they ever heard of switchbacks? Despite the beginning hills around different points of the hike there were some great views.







Some people brought their dogs who had a great time.




Like I said there were some incredible views around the trail. The photo below right is of Calivigny Island which is apparently privately owned by some zillionaire. I'm not too sure of the details but apparently he has a heliport, a mansion, and a small hotel for his company's employees. Also if you go down a trail to the left there is a very secluded beach with some great snorkling. Definitely a place warrants a return someday for further exploration!









I was actually quite surprised to come upon this bunch of cacti but they were all around the area. And then we came up to a clearing where there were a bunch of cows grazing the pasture.



There are cows and goats all over the place. People will tie them or most of the time just let them loose in an area and come pick them up sometime in the next day or week or three. People used to tie them to bushes around the golf course a while back. Alex, Peggy's husband, plays golf once a week and hit a goat in the side several years ago. Then the golf course put up a pen, rounded up the animals and placed them in "jail" until the owner came to pay a fine. The ones that were never claimed were roasted and served as mutton with a side of fries at the clubhouse. Okay, I made up the last part but it makes for a better story.





That's me with Hog Isand in the background.




So the Hash Harriers describe themselves as "drinkers with a running problem." At the end they have cold beers waiting and have the initiation of the virgins. For all the hash first-timers, they get certificates stating the date they lost their hash virginity and then they get initiated. This was just us all lined up, running towards the "Grand Inquisitor" and getting drenched with beer. What a waste of perfectly good Carib, but it's all in good fun.

This is the group with whom I went. Louw (South Africa), Jewel (Grenada), Marta (Spain), Brooke (Alabama), and Jen (?) all from St. George University. I'm looking forward to the next hash in two weeks.