Visitor Centre Hash – 9 March 2007

Today’s hash was at the Visitor Centre. Kim and Rebecca were the hares each with some virgin hares. The walk was really good, there were even fancy things that aren’t normally on the walk like back checks and short and long trails. It was a gorgeous day, but I’m glad I put on some sunscreen – the sun was beating down during the walk.

When we were on the walk we went down some stairs that were cut into the rock. They were totally uneven (both in height and depth of the step). As we were negotiating our way down the stairs I heard one of the Hashers say “It’s got to have been Alien’s” I had no idea what he was on about until he said “They can’t even make decent steps there is NO WAY they built the bloody pyramids”. This is a common sentiment when wandering the streets of Egypt – everything is unfinished, messy and generally looks badly constructed. This is partly because loads of the houses aren’t finished. If they aren’t finished, then they don’t have to pay as much (if any) taxes on it. This means loads of houses have unfinished top levels with half built walls, no glass in the windows and rebar (the metal they use to support concrete) poking out of the tops of the walls.

Even the visitor’s centre (the location we stated off from) isn’t finished. Apparently it’s been in the same state of half finished-ness for years and years. It’s just a series of building with no glass in the windows, no fittings inside and random walls cordoning off random sections of sandy ground.

After some normal circle stuff – virgin called in and introduced, sinners harassed and holy relics passed on it was time to name the virgin hares.

The three virgin hares were called into the circle and introduced. There was Lindsey, a kiwi school teacher, Trish, a British school teacher and Jessie and AUC intern who also happens to be a gymnast.

Lindsey got off lightly – Wesley was asking them each question to try and get ideas for names and asked her what she liked most about Cairo and she said the weather, so she ended up as ‘Likes it Hot’.

Trish wasn’t quite so lucky – she mentioned she liked diving (as in scuba and snorkelling) and ended up as ‘Suck my Snorkel’. The Hash is so predictable – anything a little bit rude and they’re all for it.

Jessie was last – they got her to do a hand stand (to prove she really was a gymnast) and then they made her drink a beer while doing a handstand – that was actually quite entertaining. Many names were suggested for Jessie – like ‘Does all four’ because she does all four events in gymnastics and ‘Takes it upside down’ and every variation of that you can think of. Then they moved onto the fact that she can do the splits (I’m not sure if she can or not, but they all decided that a gymnast must be able to). As a consequence she ended up as ‘Spreads Easily’.

I got pulled into the circle to celebrate my promotion. John went around the circle asking who’d been promoted (Wesley had worded him up about me). When he got to Jim and Carol Jim said Carol had been promoted – she’s now allowed to wash the dishes!

It was a lovely afternoon, but the wind started to pick up as the sun went down. Soon the hash will start a bit later in the afternoon. Right now we have to be at the Ace Club at 1pm to get to the RV site by 2pm. Soon they’ll push it back to 3pm, then 4pm as it gets hotter and hotter.

We were a bit shattered from being out so late last night so we decided not to go to the On-On. This is the first On-On I’ve missed in ages! I’m turning into such an old lady – one late night and I’m shattered! We ordered take out and I fell asleep on the couch and it wasn’t even 10pm!


Next week Alana and Mike are visiting me (my first visitors from Oz!!!!) They are going to come to the Hash and it’s a special one J St Paddy’s Day Hash. Only downside is there is a St Paddy’s day Ball on so the On-On wont be attended by most of the usual suspects and the Hash will probably have low attendance too. Alana and Mike will probably be totally shattered (as they arrive at midnight) and wont want to party too late on Friday anyway J