Baku Hash House Harriers

Ever since moving overseas, I had heard about "The Hash," but never strongly considered participating in it.  "Hash" is the nickname for the Hash House Harriers, a running club founded by British expats in Malaysia in 1938.  Today, Hash groups have spread all over the world, especially in major cities with expat populations.

There were two reasons I never had much interest in the Hash before.  First reason - I don't like running.  Now, those of you who've known me a long time will say "What?!?  But you ran track in high school, and you play soccer.  What do you mean you don't like running?"  I don't mind running as part of a sport or competition, but going out for a jog ranks pretty low on my list of enjoyable activities.  Second reason - What I had heard about the Hash made it sound a bit like a cult of weirdos. People often mentioned the Hash with a bit of a raised eyebrow, so I worried what I might be getting into if I participated.

But here in Baku, I kept meeting more and more people who were actual Hashers.  And they weren't weirdos!  Eventually, curiosity got the best of me and I decided I needed to check it out.  Plus it didn't hurt that the group was meeting the following Sunday just two blocks from my house.

For each run, one Hash member volunteers to be the leader, selects a starting point, and maps out a route to the ending point.  But the rest of the group does not know the route or the end point.  They only know the starting point, and then have to follow chalk arrows that the leader has drawn on the sidewalk along the route.  On my first Hash, I immediately thought, "Well, this isn't running, this is a scavenger hunt, what fun!"

Once we reached the end point, I finally got to see why mentions of the Hash were often accompanied by raised eyebrows. The tagline of the Hash is that it's "The Drinking Club with a Running Problem."  Every run ends with a bucket of beer, drinking penalties given out for any faux-pas anyone had committed along the way, and drinking songs sung with lots of rhyming sexual innuendo.  A little bit weird, yes, but not too weird for me!

So, I kept returning and eventually Jeremy (who REALLY didn't like running) started going as well.  After you go enough times and prove you aren't just a "tourist" checking out your options, you get formally initiated as a Hasher with a flour and beer bath.  The Baku Hash has been an important part of my physical, mental, and social well-being in Baku, so I'm glad I overcame my initial reservations to become part of the Hash family.  On on!!

Return to Baku!

When I departed Baku one year ago, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be back.  But I was ecstatic when the opportunity arose for a return visit.

One reason to visit was the Formula 1 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.  Although I'm not into car racing or Formula 1, I had attended the inaugural Baku Formula 1 in 2016, had a great time, and was looking forward to a repeat experience.  Happily, Formula 1 did not disappoint.  In addition to offering an energizing atmosphere with good friends, the race was described as BONKERS by one journalist:  after banging wheels multiple times, the two Red Bull teammates finally crashed into each other, knocking them both out of the race; a car crashed into the wall only five laps later; with less then four laps to go, the lead car locked up his tires and fell to fourth place; one lap later, the new lead car punctured a tire and did not finish.  A crazy race indeed!

Baku Formula One Baby!

While I was back in town, I also joined the Baku Hash House Harriers for a run.  The trail setters led an adventurous course through abandoned oil wells in the outskirts of Baku.  And we finished at Yanar Dag Fire Mountain, where we roasted marshmallows on the flames that literally emerge from the hillside.  I could not have asked for a more Azeri Hash experience!

Those flames were HOT!!

But the principal reason for my trip was the wedding of my colleague and friend Aleksey.  He and his bride Elnara had a fabulous wedding reception with all Azeri panache I was hoping for.  We were greeted at the entrance by a larger-than-life photo of the bridal couple.  There were several more of these photos hung in the reception hall.  In the picture below, you can see Elnara and Aleksey towering in the background of our dinner table.  

Elnara and Aleksey were never far from us all night

Of course, there was an amazing amount of food and drink, including some of my Azeri favorites:  tendir bread, kebabs, shah plov, vodka, shekerbura pastries, and lots more!  There was also plenty of music and dancing.  We were treated to a wonderful traditional Azeri dance performance.  The emcee  serenaded the happy couple on multiple occasions.  And the guests were thrilled by cameos of well-known Azeri pop stars, who happen to be friends of the bride.  

Traditional Azeri dance performance

But the best part of the evening was being reunited in Baku with my fabulous colleagues.  We had a great time eating, dancing, drinking, laughing...and doing the requisite Azeri wedding complaining that the music was too loud and and we all ate too much!

Back together with the Embassy Baku Pol-Econ gang