Ride no:- 163Location:- Khao KeowDate:- 27 October 2002Hare:- Paul BorisuteScribe:- Simon TurgooseThe October ride brought some hot attention. Phone calls on late mis-directions. The response being "Hash organised at the last minute!". Then a call about dodgy mis-directions "turn left at tyre shop????" the response being "turn left at tyre shop!". It also brought lots of rain!!!!The mis-directions were great and who needs more than even a couple of hours to prepare to go Hashing for the day!? (For future Hares…..don't get any ideas, especially if you're doing a weekend ride. Mis-directions well in advance please! This was a special case- GM)The mis-directions and some well positioned BHHB signs brought us to what looked at first like someone's back garden!!! However it is regular starting point for Pro-Bike's organised rides.Quite a crowd had gathered when we rolled in and by 13:30hrs 35 bods were ready to roll. The Hares for the ride seemed to consist of a syndicate, but Tikki and Powder pointed off in the right direction up a hill.ON ON away we went and not a shred of paper did we find. Back down the hill and we met Powder bringing up the rear confirming our original ascent to be true. About turn and back up the hill then. With paper sighted we were off with renewed vigour.A couple of U-turns and a check later and we speed down a track to meet a tarmac road. Turning left and found paper and then Marguerita and I found ourselves only 500m from the start "This was the ON-IN!"About turn and back the intersection were Powder was again directing traffic back up the hill we'd just flown down. A bit slower on the way up but all in all it was a fine job of slowing the front runners down though- even if it was by accident. We were winding our way into a large open valley but our route skirted its edge and we rode the roller coaster for a while. Up and down, up and down ("no rude thought please!"-GM) There's no chance to rest on this kind of terrain and with heart pounding and plenty of sand to trip you up the inevitable walk up some of the hills. An interesting comment was made by a hash guest, John (from Australia). He had just cycled from Lhasa to Katmandu and described the Hash thus far as "knackering!" These were the kind tricky trails were differing tactics come to play. Do you go as fast as you can down in order to get as far up the other side as possible but risking the sand, ruts and rocks to achieve it or do takes it steady down and try to power up the other side. Either method has its merits and the problems only arise when the guy in front do the slowly down thing and the guy behind wants to do the really fast thing! One young man (he shall remain nameless...Clue- last year's GM!) had the perfect solution …. shout "get out the way!" really loud (could he do it quietly? We all ask.) The down side of this particular tactic is at the bottom of a particular dip was a rather sticky little stream. Said nameless one got it just right in order take his first flying lesson of the day….over the handlebars and onto his head …good job for the helmet! We believe he was only practicing because he performed this act more than once more before the end. The damage….a grazed knee but it is believed the bang on the head was a good thing!The trail eventually dropped down to the road and then off to its other side and shortly lead to first drinks (mobile) stop. The Haring Syndicate were there to welcome the weary and battle worn with coconuts, orange juice and all the usual cool refreshment fresh out of a giant cooler in the back of a pickup truck.After a very sociable drink stop, which allowed most to catch up, we were off again on sandy trails between sugar cane (I think) fields. A bit of checking in the middle led us thanks to "signpost man" down a narrower track between the cane and then the track dropped down. Most were dismounting so I thought what the hell, I'll ride it. I dropped into the dip to find it a foot deep in water, which stunted my advance and I landed on all four in the drink!!ON ON and a quick diversion around a farm and we were heading for the other side of the valley and turning back towards the start. More ups and downs but more technical in nature than the other side's roller coasting. Some great descents got crowds of sadistic Hashes waiting at the bottom for the next victim to take the plunge and good to see most had a go. A few fell and remounted. Cheers of "pull the front brake really hard" were heard but few were fool enough to listen. The "unsuspended one" emerged victorious, flying down the hill with locked up rear end to perform a perfect landing at the bottom still seat on his bike. Another descent leads to a stream crossing which caught a few out, including the nameless one who after his earlier practice perform his summersault with great flare!!ON ON and Powder put down a 1000 Baht to anyone who could make the top of the next climb….needless to say he kept his money. The next little valley to cross had most walking down and up. With the arrival of the "un suspended one" the cheer went up and down he flew …no problem! He still had to carry up the other sides cliff face! Skirting the valley side the trail lead us out to the second mobile drinks stop. With more coconuts on offer this was another enjoyable stop with gathered the crowd together once more. This second stop was only 100m from the first but thanks to careful marking of the trail there was no confusion (don't try that at home!"). I am sure that the next section of trail was great but your GM in conversation with Chris followed Ken, Marty and Richard to the road and realising we were off paper and facing a climb back up the trail decided to advance up the road convinced the trail crossed it at some point. It did and we picked it up with a choice of long or short. Long was the off road choice so on we ploughed, skirting a taro truck and what looked like Burmese workers over the hills and back to the start. Great ride guys!The usually "sarnies" were partly replaced by fried chicken, pork and some great dishes of larb. Powder's mum had made some great cake. I think Marty scoffed most of it!! The circle was the usual wet mess. Good to see visitors and new members. Nice to have Derek Young sent back into the fray! "Sign post man" was brought forward for guiding the weary at all tricky junctions. Marguerita had a new bike. The nameless one was brought in for his acrobatics and the fact that his mis-directions were ready for the December Hash.All in all a great Hash, many thanks to the Haring Syndicate lead by Tikki which organised the day at fairly short notice.See you all at Bang Serae (just south of Pattaya) on the 23rd and 24th November for another Lavoie Family Hared Classic Hash. The Bang Serae Classic is always a good one.ON ONGM