- all you ever needed to know and then some
The Mekong Indochina Hash, which is about to enter into its 11th reincarnation, is, as its name might suggest, a S. E. Asian regional Hash that is held once a year over the course of a weekend, usually around the end of October/early November when the annual rains have abated and the weather is (relatively) cool.
So what makes this Hash any different from any other regional Hash and what makes it one of the most anticipated Hashes in the Hash calendars of the cognoscenti? Well, it can be simply summed up by saying that this is one of the friendliest Hash events to be found anywhere – with the added bonus of trails that hark back to the very roots of Hashing. With attendance usually ranging between 200 and 400 Hashers, the event is small and sociable enough that there is plenty of opportunity to renew old friendships and just as much opportunity to easily start new ones. Add to this the opportunity to visit parts of the East that you only ever get to read about in travel magazines or in airport thrillers, a warm and tropical climate, exotic and colourful local tribes, a sprinkling of World Heritage sites and you have all the ingredients you could possibly want. Indeed, there are more than a few Hashers who make it a point to attend this event from wherever in the world they happen to be at the time but, of course, it is the Hashers from S. E. Asia who make up the vast majority of participants.
The event is freely rotated between the different countries in the region, which can be loosely defined as comprising of any country through which the Mekong River flows or for which the Mekong River forms part of its border. Thus Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Vietnam form the core and (in theory) parts of southern China could also qualify. In the great tradition of the Hash there are no formal rules about membership of this “club” or protocols about its misorganisation but the general feeling is that nobody wants the format to change overly much and certainly nobody wants it to become another huge event such as Pan Asia has become.
The lnks below describe a short history of each event thus far:
Please note that these “histories” are the personal memories of the GM of the Yangon Hash who has attended every event except for the first in Saigon. He would like to hear from anyone who can help fill in any of the blanks or who has a personal story to tell. In particular he would like to hear from any members of the organising committees to try and get some hard facts and statistics. If you think that you can add anything, especiallyfor the first Indochina Hash in Saigon, or if you have anecdotes or photos that you would like to share, please contact the GM.
Some of the factual data that might prove useful includes:
- Dates
- Cost (US$)
- Total number of participants
- Number of hashing countries represented
- Number of Hash clubs represented
- Names of committee
- Copy of Hash Trash/magazine
- Copies of old photographs
- Main official venue(s) for social activities/parties
Saigon, 1998
Vientiane , 1999
Phnom Penh, 2000
Hanoi, 2001
Chiang Mai, 2002
Yangon, 2003
Angkor Wat, 2004
Vientiane, 2005
InterHash, 2006
Dalat, 2007
Sukhothai, 2008