Brasilia H3 – Weekend Away Hash

When I first visited Brasilia last year, it immediately reminded me of Hawaii. Although there are no mountains, and far away from the ocean, it was warm, with palm trees, a large lake in the center, and calm breezes. The city has a strong Kamaʻāina atmosphere, and the Brasilia H3 has a very welcoming and engaging pack. So when they posted a weekend event, I did not want to pass on the opportunity. Working my way down from Trinidad, through Guyana and Suriname, I arrived a couple days early to catch up with friends, and was immediately put to work helping gather the required libations for the weekend. Soon enough, it was time to make the 225 Km drive north outside Brasilia to Alto Paraiso (a town with an “Alien” flair to it).

The drive started on a 6 lane highway to the edge of the city, then down to 4 lanes for a bit, then it turned into a 2 lane road with speed bumps every 10 kms. The road was lined with many cornfields on both sides, in all stages of growth. Corn can be grown more than once a season in Brazil, so some fields were just planted, some knee high, some shoulder high, and then the ones well over you head and ready to be harvested. The winter dry season is generally best for corn, and following the process of double cropping, soy beans are planted in the summer rainy season. There must have been thousands of acres of corn growing, reminded me of home.

Once we arrived and checked into our hotels, it was time to get things sorted for the weekend’s events . . . Packing coolers, getting ice, a quick bit of scouting trail, etc . . . then just at dusk, circling up for the Friday evening red dress run in the center of town. We had nearly 40 hashers on hand to join in on the fun . . . and the small town was enamored with the spectacle. After a warm welcome from GM Opulence, and a naming, runners trail made a 6 km loop around town. The walkers had a more leisurely stroll, to where we all joined up in a local park for a rousing circle. Introductions were made, down downs were presented, and we soon adjourned to a local Italian restaurant for dinner and drinks well into the evening. When we arrived, our special custom made event T-shirts were placed at each seat, and we had to wander around to find our seat.

It was an excellent kick off day for what was an amazing weekend of hash frivolity . . . more to follow.Read more