Hope that headline isn’t overly misleading. It was a hot day on the Hash trail is what I’m trying to say. Demolition Derby was the Hare and he set a short 4K trail and a longer 7K trek. I opted for the shorter version without regret. I’ll get to the rest of the long trail during the week. There was only one place on the trail that was a little questionable, but it worked out and the rest of the hike was about as pleasant as it can be when you are out climbing hills on a hot day. Let’s go to the photos:
The trails according to Google Maps…On-On in Alta Vista…This is how the Hare chose to exit Alta Vista. The former trail has been blocked by new construction. That was a tough climb down for an unstable old guy like me. There has to be a better way. And sure enough, the guys behind me watched my struggles and found it. So it was a win in the end because now I’ve got the long-sought-after easy exit from my subdivision to access “My Bitch”. There was really only one climb on the short trail and it wasn’t insane…A pleasant view of Barrio Barretto…A large and very recent burn on the mountainside…A pack of wild Filipinas was spotted on the trail. I hope this guy made it through safely…The descent was steep in places but manageable…Follow that ass!Getting close to on-home…The final steps down from the mountain.Safely back to our on-home venue where cold and refreshing beverages awaited.Hot Zone doesn’t serve food, so Sit-n-Bull had a waitress on hand to take our delivery orders. Lyn is not the best looking gal around, but she is sweet and sassy. I like her!It wouldn’t be a Hash post without the customary shot of Filipinas on ice. Enjoy!
It was a pleasant afternoon overall, both on trail and in the bar.
…that hasn’t already been said before? Well, I’ve never let boring repetition stop me, so here goes nothing.
I’ve been trying to take a step back from all the doomsday hype about the COVID-19 virus. I certainly hope it’s not going to be the death of me but if it gets me (or I get it) I’m probably a goner. I read a description of the effects the virus has on its victims and it ain’t pretty once it’s in your lungs. Made me think back to my recent bout with bronchitis and how difficult that was due to the COPD damage I live with daily. Which led me to imagine the suffering I’d experience without relief under an overwhelmed Philippines health care system. Yeah, if I catch this virus I’m pretty much a goner. Today’s headline was that the government is implementing its emergency plan and has activated all the barangay offices nationwide. I’m thinking that’s good. Then I recall the competence of the local barangay and I’m thinking “oh shit”. Oh well. I’m still breathing for now.
John Travolta was hospitalized for suspected COVID-19, but doctors now confirm that it was only Saturday Night Fever, and they assure everyone that he is Staying Alive.How I imagine COVID-19 hitting me…Then again, maybe I’m just overreacting.
In the meantime, life goes on. And a man has got to eat.
A big ol’ crockpot full of pulled pork……makes for a fine drunken dinner after a night in the bars. I baked the cornbread before going out of course. Added some honey to the batter hoping to sweeten it up a tad. Really couldn’t taste it though.Speaking of drinking, I started my evening on the Arizona floating bar and witnessed this “interesting” sunset.Began the day with a walk on the beach…And finished with an afternoon walk in the mountains.
Life is good. As long as it lasts.
And now I’ve said everything there is to say. Again.
UPDATE: Over at the Big Hominid, Kevin Kim shares a link that offers some reassurance that the end of the world is not at hand. I’ve also heard some speculation that COVID-19 doesn’t spread well in a hot climate. And it’s been hot here in the Philippines. Time will tell I suppose.
It started off with a message from Scott suggesting a hike out Castillejos way. We’d both given up on Günter’s walking group, preferring a saner approach to communing with mother nature, i.e. avoiding 3-hour treks up and down mountains. Scott is a couple of years older than me and we share a philosophy that one good climb a day is plenty. With that in mind, I readily accepted his invitation and we agreed to meet up at Angel’s Bakery at 10:00 on Saturday. Werner, one of the regular Saturday guys, wanted to join us, so we all caught the bus for the 30 minute trip to barangay Pamatawan.
Now, I don’t know if it was karma or irony or both, but the day took a turn that would have surely pleased Günter. It had been several years since Scott had attempted this path and as it turned out we wound up on the wrong trail.
The intent was doing the green trail up and the orange trail down. Our actual path is the yellow one. And that made all the difference.We started out walking along the river, the name of which I don’t recall at the moment.“If you come down to the river/ I bet you gonna find some people who live/ And you don’t have to worry/ if you got no money/ People on the river are happy to give…”The top of that mountain (or hill if you will, about 300M up) was our objective.Passed by this graveyard. Could it be an omen? Scott knew we’d somehow missed the intended trail, but we were on a path going up so we decided to take our chances. It all started out pleasant enough…But then it got steep, real steep. A very hard climb made much worse by having to force our way through biting thatch grass.Scott especially had a rough go of it. He spent a lot of time falling on his ass.I never fell but didn’t come through unscathed either. The grass was sharp and left my skin both itchy and with a burning sensation. Very unpleasant…Drew some blood on my leg as well.But onward and upward we trekked…The air below us wasn’t as clear as I would have liked (it’s the burning season) but still pleasant enough.The trail didn’t lead to where Scott had wanted to go, but when we reached a downhill path we were too exhausted not to take it.Scott taking a rest and some water on the way back down.The hike down was actually quite enjoyable…Yes, it did appear that someone actually lives in this lean-to like dwelling.And here I thought bananas grew on trees. Actually, I believe these had recently been harvested……by the folks we met living here. I honestly cannot imagine a life like the one they are eeking out here in the middle of nowhere.As poor as they are friendly. This family is Aeta people, indigenous natives of Luzon island.The downward trail eventually brought us back to the river, although a few kilometers upstream from where we started.More river dwellers with a large cock and a duck.Reaching our destination required a river crossing. I waded across, Werner opted to skip rocks…But at last, we reached our ultimate destination…the Roadhouse which was equipped to adequately quench our thirst. And what a thirst it was!
That was quite the hike! The uphill portion was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. But I’m seriously thinking about going back up the downhill path with a backpack full of sardines, noodles, and other staples for that Aeta family we encountered. They’re the kind of people I’d feel especially good about helping out some.
I was pretty bushed after the hike (and the beers) but I still had some business to attend to. When I got home I baked up a batch of brownies and after a short nap and a shower, headed out to the Captain’s Arms bar. I’d promised the manager, Marick, that I’d come by for her birthday.
I was enjoying the sunset view until one of my vape pens rolled off the third-floor ledge and lodged on the roof far below. Oh well.I gave Marick the best present a girl could wish for!
It was quite a day. Glad I lived to tell about it!
Well, for all I know I may already have it. Nothing to do but go out and drink some beers I suppose…
In all honesty, I’m not going to panic. I foresee a pain in the ass immediate future while whatever happens runs its course. If it gets me I hope it is not severe, but I recognize I have two of the major risk factors (age and lung disease). If it kills me, well, I’ll be dead and my worries will be over.
Right now though I’m on a winning streak:
A first-place finish in last night’s tourney at Alley Cats with my partner Billy.
We took out Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, 2-0, to sweep the winner’s bracket. Played Christi and Gerlie in the finals and prevailed after a hard-fought battle. The kind of night that makes darts fun again.
What else? Well, in another first of sorts I had this for breakfast:
That’s right, lasagna. Sue me! I can’t remember the last time I even ate this dish, but it has been years. It was damn good too!
Here’s today’s “interesting” photograph:
You don’t want to be telling no lies when you are confined to this place!
I saw this on today’s hike in Castillejos. I’ll be blogging about that adventure tomorrow, as I have a pressing engagement to attend to this evening. Might blog about that too! Exciting times here at LTG, no?
But before I go I have to make sure I send a shoutout to Kevin Kim in honor of National Grammar Day:
The big news in town is that the price of beer has gone up. A new “sin tax” has been imposed on alcoholic beverages with the money generated earmarked for a universal healthcare program. Hey, glad to do my part! The tax increase amounts to about 5 pesos (10 cents) per bottle, so it is rather significant. And some of the bars have tacked on a bit more like a bunch of greedy capitalist pigs to increase profit margins. The most I paid last night was P95, so that’s still under two bucks a beer. For perspective, I was paying seven or eight dollars for the same type of beer in Korea.
There’s been a lot of gnashing of teeth and bitches and moans on the internet forums. I’m really not all that sympathetic though. If you can’t afford to pay a bit more for your beer you can stay home. It will have no impact on my consumption, however. If anything, I might be less inclined to buy the ladies a drink. But honestly, I don’t see that happening either. I guess I have the good fortune to not have to be price conscious when I’m out on the town. I worked hard so now I can play hard. Thanks, Uncle Sam!
Here’s some stuff I saw while out walking yesterday:
There’s a couple of dogs in my neighborhood that I’ll bring my dinner leftovers to when I stumble home at night. But I can’t feed them all. I’m honestly surprised this little guy is still alive. I actually thought he was dead last week, but I guess he was just sleeping.Maybe there is a hidden Korean presence here that I just don’t see. Or maybe Filipinos are really into Korean stuff. This little store just opened right outside my subdivision.I made my first preliminary steps in finding potential trails to Hash. Climbed these seemingly endless steps–felt a little like Namsan.At the top, I was rewarded with a new perspective of Easter mountain.I always find it “interesting” when I come across a shrine to Mother Mary out in the middle of nowhere.Finding a way back down proved to be a little tricky. If there ever was a path it was buried under leaves. I pressed on and then encountered a fenced yard blocking my way. I was preparing to turn around and backtrack when the resident came out, opened the gate, and pointed out the path back to the road. Salamat!
Last night I enjoyed the fruits of my crockpot’s labor:
The pork chops were quite pleasing to my drunken palate. Tender and tasty!
This morning for breakfast I enjoyed egg, bacon, ham, and toast at Sit-n-Bull:
Oh, and baked beans on the side. Welcome to the Club!As seen on my after breakfast walk. That the new fancy hotel in the distance–Central Park Reef.
Another day in paradise. The thought occurred to me that maybe I should be feeling bored with my life here. Most days are pretty much the same. I fill the hours with my walks and time spent in the bars. Oh, sometimes the walks take me somewhere new and I see familiar faces in different bars. There’s the Hash, darts, and an occasional game of pool. Is that enough?
I’m not sure what got me thinking about this subject this morning. I dreamed about working last night and that seems to be a frequent occurrence when I sleep. Is my subconscious telling me to find some meaning and purpose in my life? Hell, when I contemplate what I might blog about, sometimes I feel sorry for you, my faithful readers, once again being subjected to my daily drivel about nothing of substance.
But then I think of the little things that make a life. Spending time with the dogs and soaking up some of the pure love they provide me. Pausing to look up from the computer and out of my window and feeling the peace that nature’s beauty brings to the soul. Sitting down for breakfast at Sit-n-Bull and being warmly (and sincerely) greeted by name. Just feeling part of a community rather than an anonymous face in the crowd is somehow comforting.
So, maybe it is a boring life. But there are much worse things than being bored. I’ll cop to playing it safe and not putting myself “out there” and risking my heart or peace of mind. Some might call that cowardly I suppose. I choose to embrace my routines and be satisfied with the simple life I’ve made for myself. If someday that’s not enough I’ll look for something different. For now, it is what it is and I’m glad to be here.
Okay, enough of that self-reflection. Let’s get to the good stuff, or at least as good as it gets:
You want excitement? I heard the sirens yesterday afternoon and discovered this morning what it was all about. This is right at the edge of Alta Vista and a path I take on a regular basis.Buddy investigating the change of smells.
I’m not sure what it is that makes me find litter so “interesting”, but here’s another trashy photo:
This bottle has Lucky’s name on it.
Life can be a beach sometimes.
Barretto beach this morning as I took an after-breakfast stroll.
What else is cooking? Well, there is this:
Pork chops in the crockpot, seasoned up with spices, cream of mushroom soup, and some ranch dressing.
The lack of news and updates about the coronavirus here in the Philippines is a little disconcerting. It’s been weeks since any reports of new infections which doesn’t seem plausible. This is the Philippines after all. Anyway, not much you can do but take the standard precautions and hope for the best I suppose.
I’d be happy if I could consistently find soap in the CR (comfort room as they are known here). You NEVER find paper towels and there ain’t no way I’m drying my hands on the nasty cloth towel left hanging in there. I just shake the water off as I walk out.Is this you, Kevin Kim?
Politics anyone?
This is an easy choice for me!
This made me laugh:
Bear with me…
Thanks to all for your indulgence!
You see it all around you Good lovin’ gone bad And usually it’s too late when you, realize what you had And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago (Who told me) Just hold on loosely But don’t let go If you cling to tightly You’re gonna lose control
So, I’ve walked past this sari sari store many times on the way home from a night out in the bars. The sign always caught my eye because I *assumed* it was a misspelled attempt at the Korean greeting annyeong haseyo. But why the question mark? And it also doesn’t really make any sense because the Korean population in Barretto is close to nil (I do know a Korean-American restaurant owner). The few Koreans I’ve seen are whore mongers tourists in the bars. Given the location of the store, it is even more unlikely that a random Korean would wander by, let alone be inclined to make a purchase from the store. Hell, in the almost two years I’ve been living here I can count the times I’ve made a purchase from a sari sari on one hand. So, I decided to investigate.
The “hello” and “first come, first serve” do seem to provide some context. And according to Google, anong sayo literally translates to “what you” or maybe “what are you”. I asked my domestic helper for some clarification, and she said it means “what do you want” or “what do you need”. So, there you have it. An adventure in language and a mystery solved.
Speaking of adventure, I fired up the grill last night.
I cooked those Australian ribeyes I purchased the other day.
They turned out to be pretty damn good. I don’t know if it was the meat tenderizer, the long marination process, or just better quality beef; but the steaks were tender and easy to cut. Result!
I couldn’t find a decent-sized baking potato, so I used two small ones instead. Not shown is the garlic bread. Because I forgot to make it.
After my meal, I had some beers at a new bar named Caison. Although it was my first visit there one of the girls looked vaguely familiar. So I invited her to join me for a drink so I could investigate further. Her name is Mitch and that didn’t ring a bell. She said she used to work in Rum Jungle, a bar I don’t visit often. Apparently, on one of those occasions, I had consented to have her give me a back massage while I drank. Still no real recollection though. Then she told me she lives “on the mountain near Sawmill Road.” I told her I’ve hiked up that way before. “Yes,” she replied, “I saw you once with your stick”. Huh? And then I remembered. I was with the Wednesday walking group and we weren’t sure how to find the trail up the hill. A young woman pointed out the way and I had told her that she looked familiar. She replied that she worked at Rum Jungle. Small world, eh?
Some things are easy to forget I suppose. Like the horrors of socialism.
I’m not going to make that mistake. Especially with two dogs in the house!
And that’s pretty much where things stand around here.
Run #1390 of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers was completed without incident yesterday. That’s always my goal as a Hare. I don’t want people getting hurt or getting lost or otherwise having a bad experience. Mission accomplished in that regard.
The feedback I received was mostly positive, especially from the old fuckers who seemed to be pleased having a trail that was both sane and pleasant to hike. The only criticism was that in places the trail was hard to follow and that’s a legitimate complaint I think. I did the short trail and was very surprised that the powder had really faded away in places. In the future, I’ll pour it on much thicker and I might actually mark the trail on Monday morning to keep it fresh.
Anyway, I’ll cop to being proud of the trail and will start looking for new paths to explore and incorporate when my time to Hare comes again. Or should I say, Cums Together?
My trail as seen from outer space. Purple is the shortcut that made the short trail short.That’s Leech My Nuggets, one of our die-hard Hashers. Although I’m sure the trail was not challenging to him, he did comment that he was able to jog most of it. Heh, something for everyone.That’s I’m A Fucking Cupcake making his way along the path…Second in line isthe notorious Günter (Vienna Sausage). He complained the trail was hard to follow. Oh well, at least you didn’t need a fucking rope to hike it.Blow My Pipe making his way past a solitary house on top of the mountain. I occasionally bring cookies or candy for the kids that live there. The mama even asked me my name when I was marking the trail on Sunday. Hey, we are practically neighbors!Making headway on the short version of the trail…The long and short trails rejoined and then climbed back up into Alta Vista for the final 2K push to the On-Home at Baloy Beach.That’s Cream Filled Cup Cake and Dripping Pussy on the ice. I had to sit on the ice as the Hare and then again later because of my Hash Fuck Up last week (leaving my phone in the Hashmobile).
It was a good day to be a Hasher. And a good week to be a walker! I had my highest average ever at nearly 27,000 steps per day. I don’t expect I’ll be replicating that anytime soon.
My dog Lucky got a whiff of my socks after a hard day of Hashing and it knocked him out cold:
Alright, I’m joking about that. I’ve never seen a dog that sleeps in such bizarre positions though. He is a strange one for sure.
Oh, and that t-shirt I posted yesterday:
It upset my very liberal ex-wife Carol.
I mean, it’s clearly tongue-in-cheek. Mocking the standard lefty talking points a little, but obviously done in jest. I posted the photo on my Facebook page and Carol responded:
Ah a science denying misogynistic homophobe?
Geez. I answered: “I sincerely feel sorry for you if that is your take on this.” She asked how was it meant to be taken, and I said “sarcasm”. Her response was to repeat: “Yeah the shirt is misogynistic, homophobic and science denying. What it isn’t is funny.”
What could I do except apologize? “Triggered much? I’m sorry this is happening to you. Please find a safe space devoid of humor and parody. I hope you feel better soon!” I guess she didn’t accept my heartfelt concern for her and she responded thusly:
Please learn the difference between humor and snarkiness.
…in the adventure of my life here in the Philippines. Such as it is.
I ended my day yesterday on the Arizona floating bar, drinking ice cold Zeros and watching the sun go down.
It’s tough work, but somebody has to do it…
This morning I took a walk along the beach in Barretto. It’s been a few days since I’ve done so and I found this development “interesting”:
They’ve constructed one of those “floating islands” for the kids outside of the Palm Tree Resort. It’s a boom town here I tell ya…
I continued up the beach so I could breakfast at the Arizona Resort restaurant.
I like this “build your own breakfast” menu. Less than five bucks for a nice meal.I had a hankering for a waffle this morning, so that’s what I got along with 3 strips of bacon (each slice counts as an item) and a cup of coffee. Hit the spot.
After breakfast, I ventured out to find a meat market that I’d been told carried good imported Australian ribeye steaks. The shop where I used to buy my steaks hasn’t had any for over a month. Beef is not really a Filipino thing, the locals prefer pork.
Success! I bought these four for P1000, about five bucks each. Not bad really. I’ve got them marinating now and will grill them up tomorrow. Aussie beef tends to be tougher than I like, but I sprinkled some tenderizer on them too. We’ll see.
Once I got my meat home and squared away, I needed to head back to finish marking the short trail for today’s Hash.
The tools of the Hare–chalk, powder, and shredded paper.
Putting those tools to work:
Powder down…A paper path…Chalk pointing the way…
So, the trail is all set now. I’m probably going to go ahead and hike the short one again this afternoon to get some extra steps in.
What else have I got for you? Well, Facebook took me back to my old life in the USA. Seven years ago I fancied myself an aspiring professional darter.
But in reality, I was just a fat old fucker destined for a broken heart. My dart partner Chris would lose both his wife and son to premature deaths. My journey has been easy compared to that.
But enough about me. How about some politics? I got a kick out of these Bernie memes:
Che’s hero!That’s the ticket!Bring it on, bitches!
But for the record, I’m willing to take a stand on the issues. Here’s what I believe in:
Making the world a better place, one t-shirt at a time.
Time for me to get ready to Hash. Thanks for dropping by!
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
–Groucho Marx
That’s no joke!
Out this morning to mark tomorrow’s Hash trail. It went pretty well but still have a bit more to do. Will finish the section from my house (yeah, the trail goes through Alta Vista again) to Baloy Beach this afternoon. In the morning I need to go back and mark the 6K short trail section that diverges from the 9K long trail we marked this morning. A Hare’s work is never done it seems!
Just a couple places left where you have to fight your way through the tall thatch grass…
Today’s “interesting” photo feature is of the deceased thatch grass:
Makes for easier walking that’s for sure. And don’t worry, it shall rise again–right after rainy season.My favorite view from tomorrow’s trail.
Speaking of nature’s beauty, I’ve got a video of the girls from Rum Jungle doing their winning routine from Friday night’s SOB dance competition. My gal’s right up front, do you see your favorite Kevin Kim?
Sorry, the quality (especially audio) isn’t the best.
Still haven’t found any facemasks available for sale around here. I wonder if this really works?
Hey, it says it’s anti-virus…And you just can’t be too careful these days…
On a more serious note, another long term expat has passed away this week. He was known as “Aussie Bob” around town, although I had never personally made his acquaintance. He had a young wife and child I understand. It does occur to me that when you live in what is essentially a retirement community it’s only natural that us old fuckers will pass away on a regular basis. I’m just hoping it won’t be my turn anytime soon.
Rest in Peace, Bob. Glad you got to spend your final years doing what you loved.
What else? Well, it’s good to be reminded of the dangers that are always lurking around the next corner.
I’ve certainly experienced more than my share of maulings…
A lesson from the world of grammar:
Your welcome!
On rare occasions when I’m bored I’ll provide an answer on Quora. As often as not, I’ll leave a pithy and snarky answer. I do occasionally give a serious response, and wonder of wonders, this one to the question of “How was your first trip to the Philippines” has nearly 1000 upvotes:
The first thing I noticed on my first visit to the Philippines was the poverty. My plane landed in Manila coming in over the river that was lined with squatter houses and full of trash. Once on the ground my driver took me through one of the squatter villages and actually apologized for what I was seeing but said it was the fastest way to my destination. It was all pretty shocking and eye-opening, I’d never seen anything quite like it.
After spending a few days here something else became quite apparent. Despite the poverty, the Filipino people are the happiest I’ve met anywhere in the world. The family is really the center of life here, and the generosity and love within the family is really something to behold. I’d never seen anything quite like that either.
I wanted to see and learn more so I kept coming back for visits (I lived in Korea so it was an easy trip). I eventually decided this is where I wanted to live, so I retired in 2018 and moved here permanently.
Here’s a funny and sad anecdote I can share. I brought my Korean girlfriend here for a visit the year before I retired. She had a blast and was treated like a rock star (Korean culture in the form of K-dramas and K-pop music is big here). On our last night in the Philippines, she broke up with me. I asked her why and she responded “because we have no future. You want to retire here. Who wants to live in a poor country?” I told her that you can live in a rich country and pretend this world doesn’t exist, or you can live here and try to make a difference. That’s what I want to do.
So, I have two helpers and a driver. I’m making a difference for them. I do some charity projects that make things better for some. You can’t help everyone of course, but it feels good to know that my presence at least is helping a few. I’m glad to be here!
Anyway, it was nice to get the positive feedback.
I’m dealing with some bullshit woman issues lately (ha! the story of my life!) but trying to stay strong and resolute (this time). So far, so good. I’ll take inspiration from wherever I can find it.
Well, walking is what I do! Walk on!
I hear some people been talkin’ me down, Bring up my name, pass it ’round. They don’t mention happy times They do their thing, I’ll do mine.
Ooh baby, that’s hard to change I can’t tell them how to feel. Some get stoned, some get strange, But sooner or later it all gets real.
