We were in Upper Wadi Digla, a little further up from the Information Centre, for Hash 1456, celebrating Saint Valentine's Day, so it was quite appropriate that there were 14 runners. We runners headed off in a westerly direction, pausing for the first cheque, in the shape of a heart, about halfway to the Info Centre, and then, after some tricky negotiations, there was a similar Czech at the Centre itself, where the sun came out. We proceeded down the cliff and into the wadi, continuing eastwards along the wadi floor for about half a mile, then up the northern cliffs, where we joined the walkers' trail and had the third checc in a narrow gully. We scrambled to the top of the cliffs from where we could see the walkers returning back to base up the northern cliffs and ran a little further south, before turning for home, back down the cliff, across the wadi, then up the north cliff. The run took 1 hour 15 mins, the walk about 10 mins less. It was starting to get a wee bit chilly by the time we reached the chariots.

Mister Dog ignites the Circle, punishing the Hares and Kafka who liked the walk, before calling up the visitors: Ahmed (from Maadi); Chris (a teacher from Crewe); Michael (a teacher from Edinburgh) and his wife, Clare (employed by an NGO); Ben from Oxford; Lowe, an engineer from Munich; German Matthias, working at the Goethe Institute in Assiut; Andreas from Germany; Hameela from Sweden and her children, Wilma and Oscar; Olson; Laurence; Muriel and son; and a dude called Nicola from Belgium. Over to Bad Lay, who punishes Useless (!) and Flusher, for being lost in the desert, being followed by Should've Been Blonde with the libidinous pup, David ('Google Earth' got him to the Hash), Shu Shu, Moira and I Know Dick, who gets a fabulous leavers' mug. Moira quaffs again for drinking out of her right hand, being joined by Pussy Wig and Nader. We give them a blast of 'We're up in the Morning'. Nader then gets more refreshments for drinking out of his right hand, being joined by lots of Valentine's couples: Mr and Mrs Dog, Mike and Clare, Underdeveloped and The Mystical One, Joerg and wife, Olson and wife, Julie and husband, and another I-can't-read-my-handwriting-again couple.

And now Mrs Dog gets the raffle underway. She buttonholes Cream Offski who extracts Dave (snatches the case of Sakkara), Stuart (a bottle of red wine), Lindsay (white wine), C. Inge (the 'Camilo'), Lion Fart (the rosé wine), Nancy (something!), Flow (candles), Under D (a teddybear which he kindly gives to a little Swiss girl), Lindsay again (gallantly demands a redraw) and Joerg's wife (choccies and a wee teddy). Over to Mister Dog, who calls up three dudettes for wearing the groovy Valentine's costumes: Stuart (not a woman but dressed as one), Karina and Bosoms From Brussels. We put it to the shout and Stew wins two bottles of wine for being the best-dressed Valentine's Hashette, while Karina and Bosoms are each presented with a bottle of the very same beverage. Underdeveloped, Easy Rider and Bad Lay then battle it out for the best-dressed dude and Under D wins it on the vote. They are presented with similar prizes.

And now three of the hottest Valentine's couples are hauled up, with Ahmed and Madame winning candles for being the hottest, while Nader and Barbie win a bottle of wine, as do Stuart and Joerg's wife. Sleazy Rider snags another sherb for drinking out of his right hand. After them, Michael, Mystic, I Know Dick, Ted, Julie and Werner (not Kafka) are handed booby prizes, before Bavarian Karina, who works at the German Embassy in the middle of the Nile, is christened Euro Tunnel, a Handle inspired by Underdeveloped. Another important event follows, presenting Francis Naples with a 25-run patch, but he'd already gone, as had Bosoms, who was due to get a birthday down-down. Pussy Wig and Doc Livingstone then receive brewskis for offering to set Hash 1457 near the Bunkers' Site, while Useless rounds off with a great treat, drinking from Mystic Meg's delicious decade-old trainers. The On-On was at the Rugby Club, while some folks went to see Spreads Easily in action in Zamalek. On-On!!

1. New Smelly Galabiya: Marie-Louise
2. Old Smelly Galabiya: Andy
3. Magic Lantern: Little Dina
4. Toilet Seat: Spoilt Little Brat
5. Chain of Pain: Spoilt Little Bratwurst
6. Underpants Cap: Wing Nut On-On Useless

Older scribes can be found here http://www.cairohash.com/docs/old