In the Spotlight – Mexico
By Ed “Hazukashii” Howell
14 Nov 2023
Mexico is a fairly large country of 2 million square kilometers, as is the third largest in North America behind Canada and the USA. Mexico is also the third largest country in Latin America, behind Brazil and Argentina. It has the 10th largest population worldwide, with approx. 130 million, with Spanish as the primary language. When you think of Mexico (officially the ‘United Mexican States’, and has also gone by the ‘Mexican Empire’ on more than one occasion), for many people the first thing that comes to mind may be the exotic vacation destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and Acapulco, but the country has a very diverse landscape. Primarily characterized by volcanic activity due to its proximity along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” many features originating from plate tectonics, Mexico also has some very impressive mountain ranges highlighted by the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental, according to the World Atlas.
Dating back to about 1200 BC, the Olmecs were the first known civilization to inhabit the territory of Modern-day Mexico, for over 600 years. By 300 BC, the Zapotec people emerged for a period of time, but were then overshadowed by the amazing Teotihuacán Empire that dominated south-central Mexico from approx. 100 BC to 700 AD. Several structures, including the Pyramid of the Sun, and Pyramid of the Moon, are still standing today less than an hour’s drive outside Mexico City. The Mayans, probably the mostly commonly known, also flourished between 250-900 AD, and are famous for having established a system of writing, and a calendar to track the passage of time. The Toltecs then emerged in the 10th Century, and were known for their festivals with huge numbers of human sacrifices. Next were the Aztecs, that eventually aligned with the Toltecs and Mayans to form the Aztec Empire around 1427 AD. Reaching a peak of nearly 5 million people, it would be less than 150 years later that Spain had taken over Mexico and most of its people, according to ‘History’(dot)com.
It would be over 500 more years before the idiosyncratic sport of ‘Hashing’ would arrive and try to dominate Mexico, when Steve 'Cohare' Case founded the Mexico City H3 on 30 Oct 1983 after arriving from San Jose, Costa Rica (note: claims have recently been made that the first hash club was founded in 1980, or even 1975, in Mexico City, but no solid evidence has yet emerged to confirm. Keeping an eye on this). Cohare was assisted by Jim Gregory and Dave 'Wrong Way' Arnold. The Cabo San Lucas H3 would follow in 1984, Tijuana H3 in 1988, Guadalajara H3 in 1991, Ciudad del Carmel H3 in 1992, Merida H3 in 2008, Los Sultanes del Norte H3 and Mexico H3 in 2010, and the Puerta Vallarta H3 in 2018.
I recently had the opportunity to catch up with the Mexico City H3. Having just celebrated their 700th hash two weeks prior, I was able to join them on trail 702 for a most excellent run in Coyoacan. Hared by fellow Hash Historian Shakesprick, who was ably assisted by JFK, the trail was 10 kms of exploring the tree lined streets and parks on the south side of Mexico City. I counted 19 hashers on trail, with about a 50/50 split between walkers and runners.
I was very impressed by Mexico City, having spent a few days exploring, as well as a day trip out to the pyramids at Teotihuacan (what amazing history) (and the street tacos . . . soooo good). Circle was a lot of fun, led by GM “Dick Chair Tracy” and supported by RA “Shakesprick” . . . they kept the assembled hashers laughing throughout. The whole pack was very friendly, and welcoming. If you ever get the chance to visit Mexico City, make sure to check the hash calendar and attend a hash trail . . . after the pyramids (and don’t forget the street tacos).
For many more articles like this on the history of hashing, check out . . . http://gotothehash.net/history/inthespotlight.html