Our First "Hash" (no drugs involved...)

This Sunday we had our first "Hash". A Hash is when you have a group of hiking enthusiasts who all get together like a club. Everyone gets a hash name after their third hash that's like their nickname. Someone is in charge of "setting" the hash, or laying out the route, and someone else is in charge of cooking for the group - usually a big pot of soup. Sasha and Teddy were quite thrilled to go on their first hash as their current BFF "crushes" also went on the hash. Øyvind is the most adorable, inquisitive, funny, and competitive 6 year old ever, and Teddy thinks he is the bomb. Ingrid is almost 9 and Sasha worships the ground she walks on. Literally. On this hash, I barely had to listen to any complaining from "the bean" as she was hiking to keep up with Ingrid and chatting the whole way. Did I mention that Ingrid also plays the fiddle? SWEET!

We climbed up a HUGE hill and got to this amazing fire look-out station on top, which Teddy thought was awesome:
4 Kids on the top of the tower:
The Boys!
The trail was a nice mix of open wide trail, much wider that single-track, but not as wide as a road. It's really nice because you can walk two or three across and have a conversation.
A view back toward the look-out tower. What a beautiful day we had!
We got to another viewpoint and got to look down on Ulsan (part of it anyway) which in our area means looking down at Hyundai. You can see how massive the shipyard here really is. Our apt would be just out of the shot to the right.
One of the best things for me about Korean hiking trails is that they are meticulously engineered and there are stairs almost anywhere there is a steep slope. This keeps you from that horrible sliding out sensation that causes you to look like an idiot at best and fall on your ass at worst.
There was a little temple up the hill:
Had to explain to the kids that these things are not part of OUR religion, but are part of someone elses' religion and we have to not touch them and be respectful.
Another amazing, long stairway:
Our hike wound up one side of a mountain and down another and finished up down at the beach. There were some memorial sites but I was unable to tell if they were WWII or Korean War memorials...
The coast here is really beautiful where it hasn't been taken over by Hyundai. Incredibly rugged headlands interspersed with little pocket beaches. I will NOT go into a Geologic ramble here, but I want to.....
Jeff and the girls head up the beach and back to the cars:
At the end of the hash, any 1st timers had to introduce themselves, sing a song from their own country, and chug a beer out of these pottery bowls. We sang "The Texas Song" that Sasha taught us from school. One of the Maori dudes from New Zealand did an Awesome Maori song/chant/intimidation dance that was totally sweet and I wish I got it on tape but I wasn't fast enough.
When we went back to the clubhouse we had a FEAST! It was an Australian national day so they put on a full Aussie BBQ for all the hashers. Sausages, chicken, steaks, shrimp, you name it plus all the sides and dessert! It will be quite a let-down when we get soup after our next hash!
Here is Ted and I with (clockwise) Kari and Terje (Øyvind and Indrid's parents - they are as awesome as their kids) and Zoe, one of the first people I met on the compound who has made me feel incredible welcome and linked me up with numerous activities. She's like the cruise director....

So we had a really fun Sunday and are looking forward to the next hike. Actually the next 2 so we can get our official "Hasher" names!