Baby's First Hash

Things have been slow around here, I know.  Lack of activity on the blog however does not mean lack of activity in life...in fact, quite often it's the opposite.  We've been busy, working on ways to enjoy the outdoors without completely melting and/or going insane, all to get Isla off the boat.  It's amazing the impetus kids are to get out and do something interesting for their sakes.  If it was just me, I would happily waste away these excruciatingly hot months in the belly of our (air conditioned) boat surrounded by books and popping my head out of the companionway now and then to take a breath of fresh air and accept gifts of food.  Alas, we have a little one whose brain is growing exponentially before our very eyes and we want to keep feeding it.  So out we go...

Yesterday, we took Isla on her first "hash".  Scott and I have participated in these "hashes" before.  In it's most basic form, a hash is a hike (or run for the insane/extremely ambitious) through barely-marked trails in the countryside.  Typically these "hashes" are enjoyed with throngs of people and the treks always include copious amounts of beer drinking afterwards (for those so inclined).  If you've never done a hash - they are definitely worth experiencing for not only is it a great way to get exercise (yesterday's walk was about two hours and included some of the steepest hills we've ever walked!) but it's an even better way to get to see a place.  The hikes usually have a few different options (one for the hard-core runner types and one for the "namby-pamby" walkers - we are the latter) and are almost always "off the beaten path" offering spectacular views that you'd be hard-pressed to see any other way.

Unfortunately, we had to duck out of this hash a bit early because little Isla needed to eat dinner and get to bed before 7pm (this was a LONG one clocking in around 7 miles and baby sleep is sacred!).  We were lucky that this route took us to a main road (not always the case with hashing) where we could hop on the #1 bus back to our marina to get showered up and fed.  It was a great way to kill an afternoon, see some new places and meet some really great people.  Not to mention the fact that Isla's brain grew approximately 3%* during the afternoon activity, deducting - of course - what she sweated out in the extreme heat.

*I have no scientific basis for this whatsoever.

Hashin'

Shoes, post-hash

No, no, no - we haven't cultivated a taste for corned beef nor have we developed a drug habit...Last night we ran with the Hash House Harriers of Grenada for the first time.  For those of you who do not know, or have never heard of the Hash, let me allow Wikipedia to help you out:

The Hash House Harriers is an international group of non-competitive running, social and drinking clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a Hash or Hash Run, with participants calling themselves Hashers or Hares and Hounds.

But, in all honesty, our "Loss of Virginity Certificate" describes what the Hash is best:

Having done it with all of us....At times rough, sometimes wet, sometimes dry, sometimes hard, sometimes prone, sometimes supine, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, bawling out a lot of unintelligible phrases like "ARE YOU?" (where?) and "ON ON!" (what?) and "ON IN!" (no comment!), grunting, groaning, and shouting expletives in the mud and sand and rivers and streams, on hillsides and in the bushes and trails of the forests and having completed this hour-long ordeal absolutely exhausted and smelling like a ram goat, is henceforth not to be considered a virgin by any member of the Grenada Hash House Harriers.

BOOM.  And then we had beer poured all over us.

We had a blast.  We'll be back.