McDick-HoChiMinh-Bananarama

Next Saturday's Xterra Race opens up part of the trails that winds through private farm property. The owner of the property allows bikers and hikers to use the HoChiMinh and Bananarama trails during the month of March. We want to take this opportunity to hike the three trails before they are closed until next year's race.
Handy, Cutie, Chops, Cowboy, Dora, Giggles, and Capt. Charlie gather at Tun Goru for the familiar trek down Talafofo Road to Egigi. Soon we turn off of Egigi and follow the small road until we come to a gated ranch. From there we start the McDick trail.

The Magnificent Seven (Handy is taking this picture) taking over the Talafofo Road.

The Hashers have left their trade mark trail ribbons: clean white toilet papers, serving both as trail markers and use for outdoor bathroom emergencies.

Amazing double twisting vines on McDick trail.

The bridge on McDick trail, sponsored by PIC. Note the sign on the other side of the bridge. Giggles is still admiring the well-constructed bridge.

We share the trail with a large number of bikers who are either practicing for next week's Xterra race, or simply doing the same thing we are doing: use the trails before they are closed. McDick is not in the farm property, so it is open all the time.

After coming out of McDick, we turn right, onto the farm. We are surprised at how much the farm has expanded and increased in the variety of vegetables it is growing. Here is part of the corn and chives. They look very healthy.

Beautiful red peppers. Also grown are tomatoes, bitter melons, kentucky beans, long beans, cilantro, etc.

Continuing on the HoChiMinh trail, skirting the farm.

In the distance, we notice a farm worker spraying the crop. Looks like the type of chemical sprayer canister. We decide that if we purchase these locally grown produce, we want to be sure to wash them well.

This is the termite infested bridge at Bananarama. We have been forewarned that we cross the bridge at our own risk, so we cross one at a time. Cutie hussles quickly while Handy watches.

Giggles and Chops making their way through the tall growth of banana trees. Most, if not all, the bananas are the cooking variety.

Everyone is ravishly hungry, so the tablecloth is laid down and out comes all sorts of goodies again to feed the "locusts" that descend upon them.

The end of Bananarama brings us back to Egigi. As we have spare time, we decide to step across the road to explore the ranch of the Sonodas. We find this very interesting "cave" that leads to a rock wall that bars the entrance/exit.

We stop at the pavilion and have our group photo taken.

Dora has a side stitch at the final segment of the hike. Cowboy comes to the rescue.

We do not remember to give this hike a sneaker rating. Since it is not a tough hike, but quite interesting, CC volunteers a Four Sneaker rating.