投稿日: Sep 16, 2013 1:46:22 AM
Hares: SnowWhite
Start Time: 3:40pm, from Kmakura-Kaihin-Park
Weather: gentle rain
Runners: 23
Scribe:Travis Colleran
I am privileged to do my very first post-hash write-up (Thanks Tape Worm) to capture the events of H4s’s Kamakura Hash which took place on September 9th. I think the first thing I need is an apt title to capture the mood so I will call it the “Checks-In-a-Row/Ever Heard of a Check Back?/What Do You Mean it’s Closed?” hash run.
To start, I was one of those lucky few to begin at Kamakura station getting in a nice brisk 15 minute walk/jog arriving just in time at the seaside park to depart on an intrepid, dare I say unprecedented adventure. This was an A to A hash with the ON-ON site pointed out from the get go (thankfully) and with promises of untold sites ahead costing a mere 300 yen. It began easy enough with a fairly well-marked trail. Well-marked that is until we came to the first check and the realization that the hare was a dastardly character who did not believe in the “Check Back” and wandering aimlessly off-trail was harely (sic) encouraged. Regardless, we overcame, ON-ON rang clear and the trail was resumed.
After the requisite running through streets and neighborhoods, up and down stairs, we came to a particularly steep ramp which led to a tunnel which led to a shrine. I apologize that I do not know where it was, or what it was called, but this type of experience is absolutely one of my favorite things about hashing in Japan. Beyond the shrine and this peaceful respite lay the hare’s next trick where things got shiggy (I said “shiggy” not “shaggy” Bill, now cut out the auto correct already!).
So I found myself in the position of “leading” the hash. I say this because when I came to the first check past the shiggy, I tried 2 of the 3 routes (naturally with no check backs) and upon returning still saw no one else. As I found the trail, I also found 3…4 checks in a row?!?! Alright, I am new to the game, but come on! I do have to say that one of the false trails I went down did hold a rather nice statue in a clearing a top a hill.
We returned once more to street level, I had since been caught up, and came upon the chance to spend 300 yen and visit another shrine (once again gomenasai for my lack of knowledge) or take the SC. Here is where I and my compatriots made the fateful decision to enter the CLOSED shrine. Yep, closed, no one here to collect your 300 yen, move along. Nah, we are stubborn, enter anyway and find the world’s tiniest, blue, respectful arrow telling us we were on trail. ON-ON! What’s the harm?
Big hill. Lots of steps. Don’t count them. Don’t look up. Just keep the legs pumping and this too shall pass. That is where the little, tiny, evil blue arrow led. Granted there were amazing views from the top. Rain soaked greenery and laughing demons. Hey, that one looks like the hare? More shiggy and a bit of slip sliding down the back of the trail. No more arrows, just spots of flour. How long has it been since we’ve seen one of those anyway? Finally down and to an intersection…no check? Seriously, how long since we saw the trail? It had been a while and more than a few hundred feet of elevation. Plus, it was getting dark. To top it off, the promise of rain has now be filled in spades.
Throughout I have been using words like “dastardly”,”trick” and “evil” to describe the hare and his efforts and I defend my position presenting the evidence as such… Ahem, If it please the court, I and 3 of my fellow hashers, having been led astray and very OFF-OFF trail now began our attempt to complete the hash through any and all means. And when I say any and all means I mean to wit, after failing to call for a taxi, luckily stumbling onto a bus stop, riding the bus to Ofuna station (seriously O-F-U-N-A), taking the train back to Kamakura and then standing in the rain waiting for our turn to have a taxi deliver us to the ON-ON location (A to A the only way to fly), we were once again reunited with the group having decidedly missed the circle.
The ON-ON was held at a restaurant called Seedless, located right on the shore. We had a private room, nama biru, tako pizza (didn’t realize that until I saw the tentacles, chewy but good), tomato and greens salad, nachos, and garlic pasta. All great, however, the food was overshadowed by the wonderful company of my fellow hashers and so I say to the hare, THANK YOU! What a great experience and a memorable story and I am definitely looking forward to the next one on October 13th!
Lyn and Ryu wrote:
Travis,
Thank you for the wonderful story. We especially loved the pictures, and those from Kawasaki san, because we can't read yet.
Our Daddy was the hare, so he couldn't push us around the trail in our buggy as he usually does. We just waited in the park with Mummy and her friends. Then it started raining, and they had to run around to put the bags somewhere dry. Because Daddy started running before everyone else, we thought he would come back first. Instead Crusader, Kim Will Run and SantaMaria came back. Daddy and some of the others finished running and started drinking beer, so they were happy, but some people didn't come back. Then it started raining again, so we all went inside the car park. Then a man came and told us to go away, so we waited in the doorway and the grown-ups drank lots of beer. Still some people weren't back, but we went to the Seedless restaurant anyway.
An American couple had invited their Mummy and Daddy over and they were hoping to eat nice Japanese food, so when we got to an American-style beach bar they were disappointed and left. Then people started fussing over the runners who were still out in the rain and calling their mobile phones, until finally everyone got there, including your "hash, bus, train and taxi tour" of Kanagawa-ken. We ate lots of nice food and drank more beer until everyone was happy.
Daddy explains: sorry, Travis, with a "live" trail the hare is worried about getting caught, so you don't get so many helpful "check back" marks. Rain only makes it harder. The shrine through a tunnel was Zeniari-Benzaiten. One check point after another is OK, it means you are on true trail. After the shiggy the trail followed a "Kiridoushi", one of the seven man-made entrances to Kamakura, to Kencho-ji shrine. As your photos show, this is a wonderful place, well worth the \300 you didn't spend, and I am glad the clouds parted enough for you to get a view from the top. Where you went wrong, of course, was to keep going on the hiking trail long after you stopped seeing flour. If you'd turned back you would have seen the trail turn off to the right and down through some steep suburbs to Hachimangu, the big shrine. The lucky part was, you still had that \300 to spend on buses and trains. Glad you enjoyed it - Snow White