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danpercival · 7 years ago

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My lost Knight at the St. Georges run

Date: 25th April 2015 Venue: Bukit Beruntung Four people and a dog (Patch) got lost at the St. Georges day run in Bkt. Beruntung. While I am aware of the distress it might have caused at the runsite, the night was not a total disaster. For me, it was actually heartwarming to experience so many kind souls that tried to help us at the kampung in Sg. Buaya. Plus there were moments of I found hilarious.. It was raining at the start of the run and I went in with two other hashers, Mike and Tammy and my dog Patch. At the start I went wrong and followed the paper on the right, unknowingly going in reverse. First mistake. We kept on the ridge and didn't go down to the lake on the right because I expected the trail to cross the ridge eventually, which it did. We followed the paper down the ridge only to run into hashers coming against us. At that moment, we realised we were going in reverse but never mind, having being told the run was 8km, we pressed on determined to finish the run in reverse on paper. Down onto a road, back into some rubber and then back into the road near some kampung house. Second mistake was to follow the paper to the right, but we soon realise the mistake and reversed back to the kampung houses where we could see slight traces of confetti paper still remaining after the rain. Here we met Kamran. I was happy to see him as here was a person who had come the right way from the runsite and should be able to lead us back (mind switches out of survival mode). However he first lead us on a long circular loop in the kampung (mind switches back on to survival mode) so I whip out my GPS to find the direction to home. We walk along until we found a dirt road leading uphill to the oil palm in the direction of home as indicated by my GPS. Kamran went ahead and found paper, a big relief. Now I was sure we can follow him and be home shortly (mind switches out of survival mode). I put away my GPS and even stopped checking to see if we were in fact still going in reverse by ground markings. The trail went on and on and on and it's late by the time Kamran comes to a spot where he realises he's going forward and not heading for home (mind panics into survival mode). Some bush whacking, it's getting darker and we're going around in circles and eventually Kamran is way out in front somewhere with Mike and Tammy trying to follow him, I can hear them in the distance. I'm looking at my GPS and can see we're heading further away from home. I have a GPS and a torch and a tendency to leave people and go off on my own to find home but not this time, instead I followed the calls and eventually came out in Sg. Buaya to meet the rest. Trying to decide what to do next, a car stops next to us. Patch does what comes naturally to her when a car stops and somebody winds down a window. Rise up and put her two front paws on the open window, scaring the driver. But still the lady driver offers to drive us to the runsite but not the dog (of course). No problem, I'd stay back with Patch while the rest get a lift back to the runsite and send a rescue car back. Good plan. The car rushes off and since I'm tired, I lie flat on a driveway next to the road. A car stops and the driver looks out. I sit up and wave at him. Next a bus stops. OK a bus can stop anywhere but when the driver gets out and walks towards me, I'm thinking it's a bad idea to lie down next to a main road like a dead person. The house I'm in front of could win the first prize for the most neglected yard ever with just a patch of grass with some wood propped up like a bench. Looks like nobody's home so I lie on that wood and wait. And wait. And wait. A taxi pulls up on the driveway. I get up to talk to him and again Patch does her 'stand up and try to sniff the driver' trick. The guy is not amused and says so but after I explain that I was taking the dog for a walk in the estate, got lost, had to come out to the kampung, blah blah, he becomes quite friendly. Says he's there to pick up his friend. I insist that there's nobody in the house but he makes a phone call and true enough, someone comes out of the house. That's the strange thing about kampung houses. It can be dead silent and dark but there are people inside. A house in the city will have the TV blaring and people making noises but not here. It's the same with the police station I'll get to later in this account. The taxi driver and his friend leave. And I wait. And wait. And wait. Kamran and company must be surely have arrived at the runsite by now, showered and had their makan and I'm stuck here. Suddenly the ladies car screeches to a halt in front of me and my three other lost companions get out. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'll later learn that the lady drove like a maniac to the Bkt. Beruntung toll, running all the red lights and almost running into a truck, all on a defective transmission. At the toll, she made a U-turn and came backwards. Maybe it was dark and her passengers were more concerned about surviving the ride but they never manage to find the runsite and so had driven back. Like I've said before, there are hilarious bits to the night. Anyway she apologises, ask if we need water (yes please), runs to a nearby house and brings back a huge plastic container of water. Before she leaves, Kamran and her exchange phone numbers on bits of paper. I'm thinking, why not? Kamran is young and full of hormones. She's a fast driver with a fast car. Who knows? Maybe it's a match made in heaven. So what to do now? Kamran wants to borrow my torch and bash through the woods to home but honestly I'm not that hopeful. Then the idea pops up to phone someone at the runsite. There's a lot of girls at the runsite but Kamran can't remember any of their numbers (a shame really). So it's only me with Katherine's number. A bike stops and we ask if he can call a number for us. No answer from Katherine's phone. Another plan shot to bits. The biker tells us there is a polis station just down the road. So we start walking to it. On the way, we meet another guy and I give Katherine's number another try. Again no luck. Mike and Tammy are ahead and walk way past the polis station but that's not surprising, it's dark and looks deserted. We walk in and the only things alive there are a bunch of cats and a sign out saying 'If you need help, please call this number'. Tammy tries to remember the number. We walk out to the main road and a tiny kitten follows me out, rubbing against my leg. On the main road, another motorcyclist stops and I talk to him. I describe our runsite location and after a while, he gets what I trying to describe and even has the name for it. Good. Another car stops. With my halting Bahasa and the motorcyclist helping us, we describe the runsite and the young driver says he knows it. He agrees to send only one person to the runsite (it's late at night, he does not know who we are, I understand) after he's dropped his passenger so of he goes. The group decides that I should go (more likely to find the runsite)and they will look after the dog. Car comes back. I get in and he makes a U turn just ahead to go towards Bkt Beruntung.

#hashhouseharriers

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