Rides:- 212/213Date:- 29/30 January 2005KlaengHares:- Peter Coeshott and KenScribe:- Rik PonneJanuary 05’s hash took place in Klaeng, near Chantaburi, in the midst of election-mania in Thailand. It was only because of the innovative use of my saddle post that I and my friend JW made it to Klaeng.The area around the swimming pool of the resort, with the illusive name Orchid Park (there were no orchids to be found), provided for a nice start and finish point for the rides as well as a perfect location to hold the circle.Although vast-rubber plantations dominated the rides, one could not escape encountering numerous election candidates. The fact that they were already nailed to trees kilometers away from civilization was apparently not sufficient for some morbid minds.For those who made it out of the compound (broken chain and other mechanical problems prevented some from making it further than the entrance of the resort), the rubber-plantations provided for some spectacular acrobatic action when holes or ditches were encountered not visible through the thick layer of dead leaves that covered them. On Saturday, I was not exempted and was launched off my saddle when my front wheel disappeared into a 30cm deep hole, went over my handle bar and landed in front of my bike, saved by the same thing that caused this to happen in the first place: a pile of leaves. This spectacular performance made me eligible for a down-down in the Circle that afternoon.One of the last hills to take in the beautiful, but rather long Saturday ride got many off their bikes, but all made it safely back to the resort. However, as it turned out, this was no guarantee for not getting lost, as demonstrated by one of our female riders, who managed to get lost on the resort grounds.Rik Ponne