Hash Downs

I successfully avoided being identified as a Bali HHH2 "virgin" and having to do a down-down (skolling a full glass of beer) last night after the 958th run of the Hash at Taman Mumbul, Sangeh. There was a crowd of about 70 or so expats and locals. I got a lift with Morgan (who I met the other day at his warung, Sanjay's) and David (a computer consultant). We arrived late. I tried to stay with David, who bolted off through the jungle, but I was wary of tripping over roots so I backed off. I ended up walking the whole course with Tara, a young mum and writer from LA, who had her 19-month-old son on her back (and later her front). After three days of rain, it was a really challenging course through rice paddies, along muddy levees, over gullies and irrigation ditches, and up and down steep, slippery slopes. At one point, by a channel where some local people were taking a bath, Tara slipped and fell forward on the rocks, on to the baby. He was very lucky not to hit his head. I thought her husband, who was up ahead, was a prick for not realising the conditions were dangerous and coming back to check on them. It was the least-fun hash run I've done, but it was good to meet Tara. I got a lift back to Ubud, after the very boozy, very boorish on-on, with two Aussies, Graham and Annie. They have spent decades living in Asia, including Hong Kong when I was there. Annie was at the International School and Graham was a professor of linguistics. Others in the crowd included a documentary filmmaker who had set the previous week's run, and the consul of a European country who had been awarded a high honour for his work following the first Bali bombing (2002). I really don't like the beer culture, but you do meet some interesting people!

My run with Di yesterday morning was fabulous. We got on really well straight off. She's a graphic designer and has written a book on herbal horsekeeping. She did some horse work with Shane Gould, whose autobiography I edited. Her husband is a management consultant. They've invited me for dinner tonight at Cafe des Artistes. They have travelled widely in Europe and Asia. Amazingly, from my description, she recognised "Mr Chin" and his dog who I met while walking around and around Hanoi's Hoan Kiem lake!

I took a motorcycle "taxi" back to my villa from Di's hotel, where we'd ended our run. I have a date to go for a run in an hour with my lift, Made.

When I went to have breakfast at the warung just up the road a German woman, Amei, introduced herself. She travels five months a year and has done some amazing trips. She's off from here to head east through the island chain (Lombok, Flores, etc). She's a couch surfer, like my friend Ellen in Saigon, and is staying at Sue's place. She struck gold there! I told her about the salsa dancing at Cafe Havana and she was intrigued. I might see her there later today. She invited me to visit her just outside of Hamburg whenever I'm in Germany.

I spent a couple of hours working on the terrace.

After the hash run and lift back to town with Graham and Annie and their friend David I got a taxi to the villa, got the driver to wait while I washed off all the smelly mud, then went back to the main drag for a quick dinner at Bar Luna.