A Unique Viewing Position...

The route was already crowded with boats on both sides of the canals. Luckily our captain had no intention of parking on a crowded canal. He had a prime spot in mind and we were lucky enough that he managed to make it happen.

We were also lucky that he managed to raft up next to a boat that had a urinal and a very small WC, which our captain paid for us to be able to use when needed. Bryan was happy to be the first hasher to try out the urinal, which was basically a bucket with a hose.

Despite using the facility while surrounded by hundreds of folks, no one saw a thing.

The opening of the parade was a very somber moment. Not only was it a reminder about the fight to end HIV/Aids, but a harsh reminder about the many Dutch HIV/Aids researchers that were killed when Malaysia Airlines 17 flying from Amsterdam was shot down over the Ukraine just two weeks prior.

A Rescue Effort...

Just after we set off, a policeman on the shore shouted out to us. Rather than telling us to turn back and leave, he asked us to back up and rescue a pigeon stuck in the water.

Scott (aka Bun Bandit) managed the initial removal...

...and passed the bird to Celine (aka Start Me Up)...

who then passed the bird to safety. After our good deed, we went on our merry way.

A Hash Gay Pride Boat...

For the first time, we were finally in Holland during the Amsterdam Gay Pride Boat Parade (well technically, Jimmy actually woke up in England that morning, but more on that later). Bryan (aka Hindlick), who we knew from the San Diego Hash but is now living in Virginia Beach, was staying with us for a few nights.

I was thrilled that one of the Amsterdam hashers organized for the group to watch the parade from a boat. Bryan and I had a difficult time finding the dock, so were very happy when we managed to arrive before they left.

Rosie (aka Hello Klitty), our organizer, was dressed to kill. More importantly, she was well equipped with bubbly.

Frankly, I was confused why we didn’t leave sooner. Chartered boats weren’t allowed, so I feared that we wouldn’t be allowed onto the route to get to a good viewing spot. Luckily, I worried for nothing.

Last Day in Brussels...

Jimmy had to work on Monday, so I had the day to myself before meeting him for the journey back home. Our hotel was right next to the European Parliament, so I went for a tour. Honestly, I’m not sure it was worth the long wait, but I did see this cool sculpture entitled Confluence, which represents people coming together for a common purpose.

The grand finale is seeing the “hemicycle,” the vast room where Parliamentarians representing 160 political parties gather into 7 voting blocs based on ideals rather than nationality.

Across the way is the Parliamentarium, an interactive museum about the parliament. What I found most interesting was a temporary exhibit called the Museum of Broken Relationships. I assumed it would be about relationships between countries or political parties, but it was actually about personal relationships and it was fascinating.

Hashing in Brussels...

We hashed on both Saturday and Sunday. Since there were 3,000 hashers to accommodate, there were over 20 trails per day to choose from, mostly organized from other hash groups around Europe. Both trails we did were off road, mostly in beautiful forests. Saturday was organized by London; we were too late for the bus, but knew the lead hare who was kind enough to tell us how to take the train to the run start. It was a great 14K trail, but we couldn’t stay for the circle because Opee needed to get back to the venue for the photo shoot.

On Sunday, we were running late again, so we caught a cab to the start (luckily no one saw us as this would be considered a hash crime). We chose the Hannover trail, which was a lovely 11K romp through the woods. The circle was one of the best ever! They had an amazing array of props, including the above tubes and down-down bar.

This fellow had committed a variety of crimes and each down-down got progressively harder to do.

Afterwards, they invited everyone to have a traditional German liqueur with a beer chaser. The positioning of your hand had to be just right or you spilled both drinks all over your nose; my nose wasn’t perfectly dry, but I still got my diploma for passing the test. All-in-all, a fantastic hash weekend!

Seeing Friends...

It was great seeing a variety of old San Diego Hashers; unfortunately, no one came from Raleigh. Most importantly, we caught up with Carolyn (aka Bedpost) and Mike (aka Shane), who would be visiting us the following week.

We also saw The Hague Hashers, but danced mostly with the Amsterdam gang.

The crowds were huge when everyone gathered for skits and announcements.

Comic SquishPics...

Jimmy was determined to take some SquishPics at some point during the hash weekend. Virgin’s Dream was kind enough to transport his supplies from Holland to the venue.

He decided that the Saturday night party with a comics theme was the perfect chance to take photos. As you can see, our outfits were pretty lame: cheap Loony Tunes shirts with Muppets socks.

Jimmy charged a small fee for photos, which he donated to one of Virgin’s Dream’s non-profits.

Reinhardt (aka Boar Whore) and Inga (aka Tasty Piss) had great costumes and the best pose of anyone.

 Loved the Oompa Loompas!

And, the geriatric super heroes were awesome!