Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Brian, it is a better fit for ME. At this stage of my life, I’m too old to start over. I may have decided differently if I had visited here before I retired eight years ago.
Language is a big part of it. Back home, the signs are all in English, and almost everyone has some English ability. I’ve sometimes joked that Barretto is like one of those retirement villages in the USA. Of course, our caregivers are a lot sexier! I’ve been surprised at how many young Westerners I see here in Da Nang, including women. Makes me feel even older than I am. There are other retirees out and about, but I’ve noticed the expats I’ve encountered aren’t all that friendly. Then again, neither am I, so there you go.
Barretto is part of Olongapo City (population 265,000), so all the amenities I need can be found there. It is nice that Barreto is separated by a 5K mountain road and retains its small-town vibe that I’ve grown accustomed to. Like the “Cheers” song says, “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name…”
Bottom line, it all depends on what you are looking for. I’m sure I could live in Da Nang and be happy, but I’d miss my old life in the PI. Oh, and there is no Hash here, or wide-open spaces where I can hike off pavement (other than the beach).
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/January/2026 @ 8:35 am
Kevin, thanks for the explanation of the dharma wheel. Fascinating. Although it makes me feel like I’m a failure on many levels.
I guess enlightenment brings about losing a fear of snakes. Funny how a snake played a completely different role in Christian/Jewish theology.
Swan said she plans to watch some YouTubes on making birria tacos!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/January/2026 @ 11:42 am
Kevin, okay, now I’m confused. I’m seeing your “correction” the same way. I was going to go and fix it for you, but I’m not sure what you are saying is wrong.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/January/2026 @ 12:03 pm
Kevin, wow, thanks for sharing the distinctions and variations in Buddhism. On a surface level, I knew there were differences depending on the regions where it was practiced, but now I see it goes much deeper than that. Fascinating.
Although raised as a Pentecostal Christian, I am by no means a believer. It does seem that the aspects of Buddhist belief that leave it to the individual to find their path to Nirvana rather than an almighty God are more realistic and meaningful, at least from an intellectual perspective. I mean, for God so loved the world that he flooded the planet with forty days of rain, killing everything that didn’t fit on Noah’s ark. Yeah, I’m not buying it.
I assume Buddha didn’t perform Jesus-like miracles, raising the dead, making the blind see, etc., did he?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/January/2026 @ 11:59 am
Psoriasis, just think if I’d ordered those nuggets to be delivered to my hotel!
And I don’t nag.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/January/2026 @ 12:37 pm
Kevin, well, the seats were more comfortable than coach-class on a budget airline.
Nope, no Easter Mountain comparison. I visited Marble Mountain yesterday, which was a good adventure.
Yeah, maybe the hotel is going to kill us with kindness. Bring it on!
I wasn’t familiar with those population stats. Been to Ho Chi Minh, and it had a Seoul-like feel (with worse traffic). Da Nang is definitely more my speed. I think I’d get bored in places like Hoi An and Hue after a while.
I think “rails” kinda sorta rhymes with twelve. Call it poetic license. I was going to dump the rhymes for the teen days, but I’ll steal one of your suggestions instead. Thanks for that!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/January/2026 @ 12:32 pm
Kevin, it’s so confusing. Where does Jesus fit in? 🙂 Everyone calls that statue “Lady Buddha,” but I knew that didn’t make sense. Thanks for the explanation. I’m happy now!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/January/2026 @ 12:14 pm
Kevin, I’m happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the vacation posts. I was thinking I was like that boring old fart who shares his photo albums with people who don’t care. Then again, that’s kind of what LTG is all about all the time.
Thanks for your support!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/January/2026 @ 12:36 pm
Kevin, it’s always too many commas or not enough commas with me, it seems. I had it in my mind that a comma was required before a quote within the sentence. The look on her face when I told her, “I’m commatose, you know.”
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/January/2026 @ 12:18 pm
Kevin, yes, The Citadel encompassed all those aspects…it was an imperial city.
I’m not really clear on the role of Indians in Vietnamese history, but they did have something to do with that My Son Sanctuary I visited. I believe the Champa Kingdom had Indian roots.
Thanks for the AI clarifications regarding the buildings. Good stuff!
As a teen, I was a Vietnam War protester. Now I believe our intentions were good, but our strategy was flawed. If you are going to fight a war, fight it to win. All we accomplished was prolonging the inevitable and sacrificing innocent lives unnecessarily. I will say, from my observations, that the communist regime here is not oppressive and seems to let people live in relative freedom.
The pasalubong is the usual tourist crap: t-shirts, bags, and magnets.
As for the menu, it appears to be de-hyphenated. And yeah, they must have lied about the bamboo tube.
As for the meme errors, damn, you are making me work hard. Let’s see, how about this (mistakes are in brackets):
Have you ever realized that [a woman’s] [,] “I’ll be ready in 5 minutes” […} and a man’s [,] “I’ll be home in five minutes [,] are exactly the same[?]Briefly met one part-time expat (a Canadian who winters here), but didn’t talk about the cultural aspects of life here. He said he prefers staying away from the touristy areas (which is where I met him).
Other than traffic making it hard to be a pedestrian here, no real complaints. People are friendly, it’s mostly clean, the infrastructure is good, and the scenery is nice.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/January/2026 @ 12:17 pm
Brian, I’d thought of the Bee Gees version of that song, but I think I’ve used it before and never heard Elvis sing it, though. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, it is easy to see why Vietnam is thriving as a tourist hub. Even Saigon is nice, but I’m loving the beach vibes here in the Da Nang area. Clean, good infrastructure, and affordable. Totally different vibe than the Philippines. Most of the tourists I see are couples, and I’ve not seen one younger Vietnamese girl with an old white guy anywhere. Definitely a different culture here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/January/2026 @ 11:36 am
Kevin, in my defense, “Sand to the beach” was the blog post title I was referencing, and it is unhyphenated. But yeah, I should do better in general. I just need to stop and think about it more than I do.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/January/2026 @ 12:21 pm
Kevin, how about: of my experience taking sand to the beach with my Korean girlfriend, Eun Oke. Are you sure you’ve told me a million times? Honestly, I’m not seeing it.
I’ve had the Waze app for years, but lately it’s become unreliable. Google it is!
Ah, I didn’t know that “pharmacie” is a French word. Now it makes sense. Most of the signage isn’t in English, so it’s nice to see something familiar, even if the spelling isn’t what I’m used to.
Does removing the comma before “but” fix the problem?
The meme error is “your” instead of “you’re.”
Yep, when I have a ways to go in the future, I won’t use Waze to get there.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/January/2026 @ 9:49 am
Dr. Greg, I’ve had some trouble, but I’m not going to let it ruin my vacation.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/January/2026 @ 5:38 pm
Barret, thanks for noticing!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/January/2026 @ 11:03 am
Kevin, I’m sure you would enjoy the local delicacies, even if I’m too set in my ways to indulge them.
The steps up to the Hai Van Gate were not as difficult as they appeared; you’d do fine getting up there.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/January/2026 @ 11:03 am
Brian, when I was a kid, there was a big anti-littering campaign. Lots of TV commercials (I still remember the crying Indian) and signage. Something like that, along with putting out trashcans for people to use, would make a difference. And yes, the trashed environment must be a turn-off for tourists.
I wish Vietnam would do something like Taiwan did with the lawless motor scooters. There must be five or more bikes for every car, and they ride crazy all over the road. Also, park their scooters on the sidewalks, forcing pedestrians into the streets, where you have to dodge the traffic. Crossing the street feels like a game of Frogger. You pretty much just have to walk at a steady pace and let them go around you. Probably my biggest dislike about this country.
Cameras in public spaces don’t bother me. They won’t help, though, if the authorities continue not enforce the law. The Philippines has plenty of room to improve; perhaps the dearth of tourists will motivate the government to make some much-needed changes.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/January/2026 @ 11:01 am
Truth, I asked if they had “la ferme” but didn’t get an answer. Oh well, maybe next time.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/January/2026 @ 3:50 pm
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
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
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
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
«« Back To Stats PageKevin, 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