Comments Posted By John McCrarey

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Day eight, pretty great

Truth, I asked if they had “la ferme” but didn’t get an answer.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/January/2026 @ 3:47 pm

Kevin, thanks for the “right-click tip.” I never knew that’s how it worked.

Yep, that’s the Hway I hear Hue pronounced around here.

I agree, the tourist vibe isn’t my favorite. As for the food, well, the menu is in Vietnamese (with English translations) and is prepared by Vietnamese cooks, so, in that sense, I’m eating local delicacies.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/January/2026 @ 3:45 pm

Brian, Vietnam is definitely much cleaner. I think, in part, it is a cultural thing, but they also take steps like placing trashcans in strategic locations. I don’t recall ever seeing a litter barrel in the PI.

There are definitely some other pluses here compared to the PI, and in my do-over life I might choose differently. Still, the language barrier here is a big hurdle. I’d also have to find somewhere less touristy.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/January/2026 @ 3:36 pm

Barret, it’s good to have options. Thailand has its minuses, too.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/January/2026 @ 3:31 pm

Day seven, almost heaven

Brian, I’m surprised that they let Vitaly go, but good riddance. I wouldn’t wish a Filipino jail on anyone.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/January/2026 @ 3:50 pm

Day 6, getting high

Kevin, I’ve always spelled it “Davina” because that’s how it sounds when spoken. I’ll have to ask her to confirm.

Thanks for the link! I need to start using that Netflix account I’m paying for again. It’s queued up for viewing when I get back home.

Yeah, I noticed how slender that dude was. And tall!

Not much food on that platter for sure, and honestly, it wasn’t that good. The sausage wasn’t warm enough for my liking.

Good God, that one’s older than I am.

And so am I! Yeah, I need to try and find some fresh material.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2026 @ 9:34 am

Brian, the tourist crowd at Ba Na Hills was quite the international mix. Tour groups filled with Europeans, Asians, and lots of Indians

» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2026 @ 9:21 am

Kevin, no, you didn’t miss it, I did. I was in such a rush to finish that long-ass post, I forgot to add the link. I edited the post, but you can read it here now if you please. Sorry for the fuck up.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2026 @ 9:18 am

Day five, still alive

Kevin, I may never get it write (ahem), but don’t give up on me!

» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2026 @ 9:43 am

Kevin, I read “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” for the first time in a college literature course. I liked it then, even before I could relate to it as I do now in my golden years.

Sorry for the crappy link to the story; that was the best I could find after a quick Google search. I wonder if the published version is so rife with errors, somehow I think not. Then again, maybe Hemingway re-read the story, saw all the mistakes, and decided to blow his brains out.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2026 @ 9:41 am

Brian, yeah, the ones with the “it’s nice on ice” girl sitting on the block in her t-back is the type I don’t wear unless I’m with the Hash group. I have lots of others that are tame by comparison. La Union says it’s a “family Hash” and their shirts are comparatively conservative.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2026 @ 9:23 am

Kevin, Peaceful, and well-maintained. I was really in a hurry when I wrote that.

Are they summoning Dr. Strange?
No idea, but it had a collective vibe about it.

Yes, it was intended to be a sauerkraut pun. I should have known that the grammar Nazi wouldn’t let me get away with it. 🙂

We have our waiter take the group shots.

I think you misread the menu. It says “Drunk Menu,” which I took to be an intentional play off the usual “Drink Menu.” But maybe I was drunk.

A semicolon might be hard to see on a fluorescent sign.

Nope, dinner without a drink isn’t nearly as much fun.

Again, I dashed off that post as quick as I could, but in retrospect “open-air” is what I should have written.

Nope, no chicken feet for me. I’ve seen where they’ve been, and they don’t even look appetizing. Maybe they taste good if you don’t have to look at them.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/January/2026 @ 10:06 am

Brian, I brought some of my Hash shirts, but it has been too damn cold to wear them.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/January/2026 @ 9:51 am

Day four, once more

Kevin, well, China has always coveted Vietnam, but the people here don’t cotton much to being colonized.

And I’m still cringing when I think about your creative photoshopping.

I left the comma out after clean intentionally because as I remembered the Hemingway story “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” there wasn’t one. A subsequent check via Google shows it both ways.

Tolkien’s dragons didn’t mess around, that’s for sure.

Yep, checking out of the hotel as soon as I finish the comment. We’ll be back here to finish our trip next week.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/January/2026 @ 10:40 am

Day three, let it be

Brian, the sands in my life hourglass are dwindling down. If I don’t make this relationship work, there likely won’t be time for another. Maybe that’s why these rooftop bars are so appealing…

» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/January/2026 @ 10:34 am

Brian, I really haven’t been monitoring prices. Hey, I’m on vacation. But my sense is they are comparable to what I spend in Barretto.

It’s hard to spot the expat community amongst the crowds of tourists. When I’m at Dirty Fingers, which is outside the tourist district, I do sense an expat vibe. We’ll be spending a couple of days in Hoi An later this week. I’m told it has a large expat community. Surprisingly, there is no Hash in this area. I wish there were; I’d love to do some off-road hiking, but have no idea where that might be.

No, it is a relationship with Swan. Given my history and track record, that’s more than a little scary. Win or lose, this will be my last one.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/January/2026 @ 9:58 am

Kevin, I’m actually not a fan of whore bars, but don’t mind having some eye candy around while I’m quenching my thirst. Even the girls I’ve seen at the beach bars all wear baggy clothes and hide whatever sexiness they may possess.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 7:07 pm

Day two, I see you!

Kevin, that was fascinating. Buddha sure does get conveyed in all shapes and sizes, but I’ve never seen the starving version before. Thanks for the links!

» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/January/2026 @ 10:01 am

Kevin, as I say, my knowledge of Buddhism and its teachings is close to nil. Even in Korea, all the Buddhas at the temples I visited had the big belly with discoloration from people spinning their fingers in the navel.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 7:11 pm

Kevin, I know about Buddhism about as much as I do punctuation. The signage above that Buddha statue I posted says this:

“The Lucky Buddha is considered as a symbol of happiness, abundance, contentment, and well-being. Laughing Buddha statues are considered auspicious and are often kept in homes, offices, hotels, and restaurants, for positive energy and good luck.”

Yeah, foosball was the word I was looking for.

Regarding Eun Oke and drinking, there was no stopping her. That bar crawl night was before I knew how she wouldn’t stop once she started. And if I’M saying someone has a drinking problem, you know it’s gotta be bad.

Glad I could contribute to your Substack work, especially when I’m not the bad example.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 12:23 pm

Terry, glad you stuck around. I must say, there is no communist vibe here at all. And there’s no denying that things appear to be functioning better than in many Western nations. Kudos to the Vietnamese people!

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 12:01 pm

Kevin, nope, just couldn’t remember foosball—more evidence of my dying brain.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 11:59 am

Trapper, I’ve seen a couple but haven’t tried them yet. My travel mates ate at a place called Adobo and said it was outstanding.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 11:58 am

Back to Da Nang

Brian, I’ve never been to Singapore, but I’ve had Tiger beer in the Philippines before. Maybe in Thailand and Bali too, I can’t remember. Lots of Heineken here too, but there are better options IMO. My favorite local brew is Huda…it’s cheap and good! Here’s a link to the ten most popular beers in Vietnam.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2026 @ 12:06 pm

Greg, yes, you were right, and I was wrong. Lesson learned. I got screwed, but it could have been worse.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/January/2026 @ 10:14 am

Kevin, sorry about the errors, that post was even more rushed than usual. I’m a dong millionaire!

In retrospect, I shouldn’t have trusted the visa provider’s information about the dates. Live and learn. I’m just glad it was resolved without deportation. The Philippines also has an exit tax. Swan and Jeff had to pay it (about $30), but since I’m technically a tourist, I was exempt.

On my first visit here five years ago, I went to Saigon. I’d never been to a communist country before, so I was surprised to see all the usual franchises, banks, and thriving economy. Vietnam has a commie leadership that is wise enough to give the people the freedom to live and grow.

Da Nang is beautiful, and it is nice outside of the tourist areas as well. Clean and modern, with excellent infrastructure. I could live here if I weren’t too damn old to start over. I’ve been drinking the local beers and enjoying them. Huda is the cheapest and tastes good to me. I also like Tiger a lot.

I doubt I’ll find room on my agenda for cooking classes, but we are expanding on our usual dining options and enjoying the variety.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/January/2026 @ 10:13 am

Brian, No Zero here. I’ve been drinking the popular local brews, mostly on draft. Tiger, Larue, and Huda. They are cheap too.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/January/2026 @ 9:58 am

¡Vaya con Dios!

Where?

» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/January/2026 @ 4:16 pm

Fire on the water

Kevin, yep, that’s what Swans says she’ll do. I know you have a lot of experience from your walks. I will use a laundry if it is convenient.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/January/2026 @ 6:39 am

Trapper, so I can buy a dozen laundries for a dime and keep the change in pennies? Sounds good!

Depending on convenience (we are changing hotels four times this trip), we’ll get it done or do it ourselves.

» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/January/2026 @ 6:38 am