Over the bridge

Posted on 11/August/2024 by John McCrarey

***As seen from my patio–the end of Bridge #1***

Signage has warned for weeks that the only access bridge to most of San Isidro would undergo much-needed repairs. I wondered how they were going to pull that off without totally isolating several thousand residents. Now, don’t get me started–why a decrepit one-lane bridge was the only vehicular river crossing was inexplicable and idiotic to begin with. One of those “only in the Philippines” moments. I assumed they would close the bridge for a few hours each day and lay a new sheet metal covering to replace the rotted and rusted-out road surface. So, when I saw the scene above with the old bridge destroyed and a new pedestrian crossing erected, I was like, what the hell? But then the next day, that white crane was on the OTHER side of the river, and I’m thinking, how in the hell did they get that over there? So, my walk yesterday was in search of an answer.

***Another wet morning turned my path to a puddle***

***Wait a minute, this road wasn’t here the last time I passed this way***

***Oh my! The did build a new bridge a couple of kilometers upriver before they tore down the old one.***

***Back across the river on Bridge #2. I reckon a new numbering order is going to be needed. The new bridge would be #4, making the old #4 number #5, and so on.***

***The ongoing construction of the replacement bridge. That new “pedestrian” walkway is also being used by motorbikes.*** ***Luckily, no room for a trike.***

***Just over 5K on my journey of discovery***

We spent our Saturday evening hours mostly at It Doesn’t Matter. I was surprised when one of our new Hashers, Michael, dropped in. We had a nice chat, and he is one of the most interesting people I’ve met here. Traveled and lived all over the world, and still going strong at 73. We went to Green Room for our nightcap and ordered some takeout to bring home for dinner. I watched the final episode of Cuck On Earth, and it was my favorite. I rate the series well worth the time.

That was Saturday, and Saturday’s gone.

Facebook memories reminded me that two years ago, I finally got the jab. It’s not like I had any choice. My three years as a tourist were up, and I had to leave the country. I wasn’t allowed back in unvaccinated.

***I did the Sinovac and have thus far suffered no repercussions.***

I saw this on the internet this morning so it must be real.

In today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea weighs in on the controversy surrounding the tourist visa extension requirements. As I said previously, I’m visiting Immigration for an extension on Tuesday, and this may very well impact me. I’m wearing slacks and a shirt without my ball cap to ensure I’m viewed as a respectful visitor. I hope they let me stay.

Let’s try some humor:

***She prefers a man with a bulge in his pants. A thick wallet.***

In the near future, I’ve got a Hideaway feeding to attend to. It’s the birthday of Swan’s sister, so we are going to treat her to dinner. Swan wants to go to Pugon Corner for our meal, and so we shall. I’ll share how that goes tomorrow.

Nothing much today

Posted on 10/August/2024 by John McCrarey

I’ve already told you about my yesterday morning in La Paz, San Narciso. I spent the rest of the day here at home in Alta Vista, and there ain’t much blogging fodder in that, is there? But posting here is one of my daily rituals, so I’ll tell you how I filled those hours anyway. I’ll keep it short and sweet to ease your pain.

***The intermittent rains precluded spending time at The Rite Spot On The Roof.***

***I enjoyed the sunset from my patio downstairs instead.***

I fired up the television, tuned into Netflix, and began watching a “mockumentary” a friend recommended called Cunk On Earth. I don’t recall viewing this comedy genre before, but I rather enjoyed the series. I wasn’t familiar with the show’s star, Diane Morgan, but she did a nice job. I especially liked the interactions with real-life experts on historical events and seeing their reactions to her intentionally stupid questions. It’s a British comedy, and their humour can be as cringe-worthy as a misspelled word (or lack of a comma), but you still gotta laugh. The episode where she talks about the American Revolution was the typical loser’s perspective, but it gave me a chuckle anyway. (I recall I had an English bloke as a history professor in college, and he recounted how the “ungrateful” colonists revolted because they didn’t want to pay taxes for the protection our merchant ships received from the Royal Navy. Yeah, right. We said we wanted representatives in Parliament, and King George told us to fuck off. Anyway, that’s history now.) Cunk On Earth is only five thirty-minute episodes long (I saw four of them yesterday), and I say it’s worth watching.

And when it was time to eat, this is what Swan and Teri put on the table:

Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and sausages on the side. My contribution was brownies for dessert. We had the downstairs contingent, Inday and her guy, along with Swan’s sister, join us for the meal.

I saw this humorous take on Facebook today, and it left me thinking it’s a great example:

A Harley biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the collar of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings the girl to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.

The reporter addressing the Harley rider says, “Sir, this was the most gallant and bravest thing I’ve seen a man do in my whole life.”

The Harley rider replies, “Why, it was nothing, really. The lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right.”

The reporter says, “Well, I’ll make sure this won’t go unnoticed. I’m a journalist, you know, and tomorrow’s paper will have this story on the front page. So, what do you do for a living, and what political affiliation do you have?”

The biker replies “I’m a U.S. Marine, a Republican and I’m voting for Trump.”

The journalist leaves.

The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:

“U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT & STEALS HIS LUNCH”

And THAT pretty much sums up the media’s approach to the news these days!

***A sad example of how our media speaks “the truth”***

Facebook also hit me with the usual memories today:

Eleven years ago, on the eve of his departure from Korea, we said goodbye to my pal Duke at a gathering at Hooters in Seoul. You might notice that none of the waitresses actually have hooters, and it wasn’t long before Hooters in Korea went bust.

Actually, now that I think about it, Duke left in 2009. And since he’s wearing a jacket, I’m sure it was not in August. It was eleven years ago that I posted that picture on Facebook.

I also posted this nine years ago, and I don’t regret it:

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”

-- actor John Barrymore

"I dream of having no regrets."

--faker John McCrarey

Today’s YouTube video is from the Filipina Pea; in it she shows what living large in the Philippines looks like. She features a one-bedroom condo near Dumaguete that rents for 75,000 pesos per month. I pay 40,000 for my comfortable house in Barretto. The money I save on rent goes to pay my helpers, who occupy two of my downstairs bedrooms. I don’t have all of the amenities that come with that condo, and admittedly, they are very nice, but I’ll stick with The Rite Spot and the Barretto lifestyle. Thank you very much.

And now for your daily dose of humor:

***Forgive me if you’ve seen these before. When you are old, everything is new again. Or so it seems.***

Talk about déjà vu, I was just thinking of an apéritif. Maybe champagne, but that might be cliché. But then, I’m no connoisseur. I hope that’s not a faux pas. Let’s just call it laissez-faire and be done with it.

That’s all, folks! I did a rainy and muddy solo walk this morning and I’ll share some photos from that adventure here tomorrow. Not sure what’s in store for our Saturday night, but whatever we do, we are going to need an umbrella. ‘Tis the season!

Streets of La Paz

Posted on 09/August/2024 by John McCrarey

I’m back from my twenty-four hours in San Narciso. We arrived around noon, checked in, had lunch, and then took a pleasant beach and street stroll. Swan brought along candy to hand out to some lucky kids, but there weren’t very many out and about on a Thursday afternoon for some reason. The Mope Resort has undergone some upgrades since my last visit, including adding a swimming pool and a bar near the beach. We didn’t swim, but we gave the bar a go last night and enjoyed the venue and views. We got hit with a rainstorm and had to move to a more protected area to enjoy the rest of our beers (they didn’t have wine, so Swan made new with Red Horse, a popular local brew). Another walk this morning, then hung out in the room until our 11 a.m. checkout time. More rain just as our driver arrived, but we made it safely back to Barretto.

I’ve got some pictures of the overnight getaway to share:

***This helpful map is painted on the wall at Mope. We were in Barangay La Paz (top center)***

I chatted with the Filipina owner and asked her about the origins of Mope. She said her husband’s name is Matt, and Mope means “Matt’s Out of Pocket Expenses.” I don’t know if she was serious or not. I met Matt the next day (an Aussie bloke), and he told me he works half the year back home to help pay for things. So, maybe that really is what Mope stands for.

***I was a little surprised that when I went to Booking.com, the only thing available was the “basic room.” It was no problem for one night, and it was only 1600 pesos.***

***The room was indeed basic. No TV, no windows, and no hot water shower. It did have aircon and housekeeping brought those chairs when we requested something to sit on.***

***We headed downstairs for a looksee and some lunch***

***Indoor motorcycle parking. Probably belongs to the owner’s husband.***

***You can always make it workout at Mope!***

***I’ve never heard of a “urine detector.”***

***The beach looking in the other direction. Those are the Capone Islands offshore from Pundaquit.***

***The Mope Resort as seen from the beach***

***Somebody looks ready for lunch! Those surfboards are available to rent, but even as a California kid, I never learned to board surf.***

***The chicken burger was pretty impressive***

***I’m not sure what Swan had, but it came with rice.***

***After lunch, we took a walk and Swan did her candy thing.***

***The beach still hasn’t recovered from the recent typhoon.***

***The clouds above the South China Sea were impressive***

***A small lake blocked us in this direction***

***You can’t get to that village on the other side from here***

***Well, wading across that river was an option we chose not to take.***

***It might be fun to try and walk to Pundaquit someday. But what’s that in the distance, a shipwreck?***

***A passerby told us it had washed up during the typhoon.***

***Another beach view before we hit the pavement***

***One of several abandoned houses we saw on our walk. This one looks like it used to be a mansion.***

***We looked and looked, but never saw a pot of gold.***

***There was this streetwalker, though***.

***I was raised in the Foursquare Pentecostal church. I rejected that indoctrination in my rebellious teens. This is the first one I’ve seen in the Philippines.***

***This resort is for sale. Man, I could create my own beach bar. Ah well, dreams like that are for the young.***

***Swan finally found some more kids to treat***

***I’d like to give this place a try next trip. It was too far from Mope to visit last night. Also it’s the only other bar/resto I saw on our walkabouts.***

***But we still have time to dispense some happiness in the form of candy.***

***I understand that was a restaurant at one time. Been closed since my first visit here.***

***Made it back to Mope right at beer o’clock and plopped down at our table near the beach to watch the storm roll in.***

***We were forced to take refuge from storm in a better covered area.***

***Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!***

***As the evening progressed, we met a couple of locals***

***And I sprang for some food to share***

***And remaining true to my nature, I went with the clubhouse sandwich, a traditional Filipino favorite. Well, it was last night anyway.***

We drank our fill, headed up to the room, and had a basic night’s sleep. Downstairs this morning for coffee and pancakes, then another walk.

***A ship at sea. Not sure what that long extension over the bow is for.***

***And just before we departed for home, another storm rolled in.***

The drive home was thankfully uneventful. Swan did stop at a nursery to buy some planting soil, and then we restocked the candy supply at the Subic marketplace. And now that I’m home, I’ve decided to stay here. Yep, I am not going out on a Friday night, not even for the SOB. But don’t worry, I’ve got beer in the fridge. It’s looking like more rain, so the Rite Spot may be a no-go. It could be that rare night when I watch TV.

Four years ago, I posted a poem on Facebook that I had written fifty-two years ago in high school. Get ready to cringe:

Alone in my fantasies
Alone with my dreams
But when I wake with the dawning
One sullen fact remains
That I am alone in my love for you---
The sun doesn't shine; it rains.

Today’s YouTube video has some worrisome news regarding tourist visa extensions. I’ve been living here for over six years as a tourist. Under current immigration law, I can extend my visa in 60-day increments for thirty-six months. Then, I’m required to depart the Philippines, and when I return, the clock is reset. That may be changing. Coincidentally, I’m going to the immigration office on Tuesday for my next extension. I guess I’m going to find out then whether the rules have changed.

Anyone up for a laugh?

***That’s a bit of a boner, isn’t it?***

Okay, I’m outta here. Not sure what I’ll have to post tomorrow, but that won’t stop me.

Here’s a bonus for you. When I was pulling up that Marty Robbins tune, I came across a video of a vlogger’s reaction to hearing it for the first time. I’ve never watched reaction videos before, but I see now there are a whole slew of them. It was kind of fun to watch someone hear a song by an artist I grew up with.

Doc, you meant it?

Posted on 08/August/2024 by John McCrarey

The long-awaited follow-up meeting with the pulmonary specialist, Dr. DeLeon, finally took place yesterday morning. Granted, she was forty-five minutes late, but that’s just the way “Filipino time” works. Surprisingly, despite my notorious lack of patience, I accepted the reality of how things are done here and didn’t get upset. That’s quite a milestone for me.

So, we started out with the chest x-ray:

***Doc said she saw no issues worthy of concern***

***It’s not everyday that I’m referred to as “normal”***

Dr. DeLeon then reviewed the blood test results. She said everything was in the normal range except the glucose/fasting blood sugar level.

That 120 FBS puts me in the “pre-diabetic” category. My mother suffered from diabetes, and that is something I don’t want to deal with in my old age. So, I’ve got some adjustments to make, primarily in my diet choices. This article discusses some methods I’ll need to consider.

So, all in all, I’m happy with the results. Dr. DeLeon suggested I increase my dose of metformin to twice daily. I’m not entirely comfortable with that, but I will do so pending a meeting with Dr. Jo for a second opinion.

After finishing the consult, I took Swan and my helper (technically caregiver) Teri to lunch. I planned to eat at Jewel Cafe but forgot they are closed on Wednesday. So, we walked another block to Myleen’s. I had missed the Wednesday Walkers group hike due to my appointment and was surprised to see this when I entered Myleen’s:

***The group was having an after-hike lunch. Sounds like I missed a nice walk this week. I’ll miss tomorrow as well due to my San Narciso trip.***

When the evening hours rolled around, we caught a break in the rain and hurried out to Bar Celona to do some socializing.

When we were ready to change the scenery, we headed downstairs to The Green Room, a venue that is increasingly becoming our favorite place to hang out. Swan and our regular waitress, Chu, are becoming good buddies and enjoy chatting together. I’m on hand to keep the lady drinks flowing. Works for me. We bought a pizza for the working gals to share, then later ordered another pizza to bring home with us. On the Sit-n-Bull menu, one of the daily specials was a “Big Ass Meatball Sandwich.” I’ve never seen meat on a bun advertised that way, so I decided to give it a try.

***The sandwich came in a big-ass box.***

***I know Subway featured foot-long sandwiches back in the USA, but this fucker was the biggest I ever remember eating. I had less than half of it last night.***

***The pizza. Yes, that’s pineapple on top. Hey, we are in the Philippines!***

***Pecan pie for dessert. Hey, man does not live by blood sugar alone!***

And so ended another day. Enjoy them while you got them.

Some other excitement in my day came via the Facebook Gestapo. Seems they took issue with something I shared a couple of weeks ago. At the time, I was just passing it along as food for thought, but it turns out I’m guilty of a FB crime:

This is what got the Facebook Nazi’s in a tizzy:

***Questions without answers are false information, don’t you know?***

And as long as we are in the political realm, how about this:

***Assuming you have a lick of sense. Oh, wait.***

Honestly, that’s one of the benefits of living here. I can ignore most of the bullshit going on back home. I fear for the future of my country, but we’ll know in November if it truly is the end of days.

Today’s stroll down memory lane took me back to my sophomore year in high school, where a simulator just like this one was part of the driver’s training requirement to be licensed at sixteen.

***I passed. But I don’t remember any girls as cute as her in my class.***

Eight years ago, I was repromoted to the position I had retired from five years earlier: Director of Human Resource Management, 8th US Army/United States Forces Korea.

***It was probably the best two years of my career, accomplishment-wise.***

I’m in a rush this morning so I haven’t had time to watch today’s YouTube video. I’m sharing this one from George with street scenes from Olongapo City. I saw George last night during his brief stop at Green Room. He wasn’t recording then, though.

And now for your daily dose of humor:

***I’m no master, so I’m not taking the bait***

This morning I was greeted with this rare treat:

***Hopefully, that’s a good omen for today’s travel***

Okay, I’ve got to shower up and finish packing for my trip. Look for something a tad more interesting here tomorrow—or at least less familiar. See you then!

It matters not

Posted on 07/August/2024 by John McCrarey

Another mostly empty Tuesday, but why should I care? You do what you gotta do and be done with it. That’s fine and dandy with me. Here’s what I’m talking about:

Driver Danny picked us up (me, Swan, and helper Teri) as usual at 0830. Drove to SBMA (the old Navy base) and made my regular stop at the Harbor Point Mall BPI ATM where I do my weekly cash withdrawal. I inserted my card and entered my PIN, and a message appeared saying the machine could not dispense cash. Would I like to proceed? Nope. So, we moved to the other side of SBMA and another BPI branch. This one has three ATMs, so I figured my odds for a successful withdrawal were good. I usually make two separate 20,000 peso withdrawals (20,000 is the maximum allowed). The first machine dispensed my cash in 500 peso notes, and forty makes for a thick wallet. I tried the next machine, and it spit out twenty 1000 peso bills, so all was good.

Given that this BPI branch is very near the old Royal supermarket, I decided to do my weekly shopping there. This Royal is housed in the former base commissary building and isn’t as modern and nice as the new store. Still, I can sometimes find things here that, for some inexplicable reason, the new Royal doesn’t carry. The downside is that the older Royal is laid out completely differently, and I have to search for the items I desire. I found most of everything I needed, so it turned out fine. And here was a surprise:

Keto ice cream! I’ve never seen that before. Those nut-covered bars were tempting, but ten bucks seemed a bit over the top, even at “buy one, get one” pricing, especially because I’d never tasted keto ice cream and may not like it. ***I’m kinda regretting not trying it now.***

My helper wanted some cabinet shelves under the sink, so we had some made Filipino-style. She had a worker friend buy a wooden pallet from a nearby scrapyard, tear it apart, and build these from the scraps:

Three hundred pesos for the materials, and seven hundred for the carpenter. Not bad!

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that Swan was meeting a friend at It Doesn’t Matter. I joined her there around four thirty but didn’t want to intrude on the girl talk, so I sat at another table with IDM owner Cliff. Another of Swan’s pals came by, and Cliff’s wife joined the party.

***Judging by the laughter, I’d say they had a good time at the girl party. They shared a sizzling plate of pork sisig and washed it down with their favorite alcoholic beverages***.

Swan asked me several times if there was somewhere else I wanted to go, but I told her just to relax and enjoy her time with friends. I was enjoying my beer at IDM as much as I would anywhere else. And when it was my turn to eat, guess what? I didn’t order Filipino food.

***I went with the tacos and they were outstanding***

IDM recently hired my old dart league friend, Rica, to run their kitchen. She has had a great reputation since her time as the chef at Thumbstar and Oasis. I congratulated the owner on the excellent addition to his team. Bar food is usually okay for a drunken snack, but I’d be glad to have a meal at IDM now and then with Rica cooking.

We wound up spending the entire evening at IDM and passed on our normal nightcap, grabbing a trike home in the rain. And so ended a productive, if boring, day in the life. There is a change of pace on the horizon–I’ll be taking Swan to the beach town of San Narcisco tomorrow for an overnight stay at the Mope Resort.

The way-back memory machine carried me to1978 just after my recent move to Prescott, Arizona. I made the decision to leave California because even back then I knew I didn’t want to raise my kids there.

***The family man. Now my kids have kids and are all living in South Carolina.***

Here’s the latest illustration of the gender revolution:

I still haven’t gotten a clear answer to the simple question of whether these male-chromosome boxers were born with pussies or dicks. This is the best explanation I’ve found so far.

Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea is quite different for her—she tells the heart-wrenching story of her life. As I’ve said before, she is probably my favorite vlogger, and hearing her talk about her personal journey makes me all the more impressed.

On to the humor:

I’ll do a morning post tomorrow before we hit the road. I finally got in to see Dr. DeLeon today, and it was mostly good news. More details on that to come. Not sure what’s on tap for the evening hours, but odds are good it will involve beer.

Nothing stops me

Posted on 06/August/2024 by John McCrarey

Well, nothing stopped me from Hashing yesterday anyway. The lunchtime downpour let up, so I headed out to the highway to catch my ride to the trailhead at the end of Rizal Extension. My “sane” cadre of Hashers opted to do the second half of the trail, and that worked out just fine. Oh sure, there was a very steep and slippery climb involved, and it was slick going back down, but otherwise, it was a pleasant enough hike despite a brief rain shower. The views up top were amazing and worth the effort of getting there. Here, see for yourself:

***Last minute guidance from one of the Hares. I’m already thinking, “where’s the shortcut?”***

***You go your way, we’ll go ours. Doing the last half first.***

***As rickety bridges go, this one wasn’t too bad.***

***Although those handrails were so wobbly as to be useless.***

***The climb wasn’t so bad in the beginning***

***It got a little jungle-like in places***

***The worst of the climb is just ahead. I couldn’t get any pics, it was all I could do to keep my feet.***

***And yes, some people live up here. The way we went down would be a much easier up than we took. I’m sure that’s the route the hardy souls residing here take.***

***My first and only cookie delivery on this hike. I can’t imagine what your life with three kids is like up here, mama, but I admire your fortitude.***

***Easter Mountain had her head in the clouds***

***Back on flat ground with muddy feet***

***The Hares were fucking with us with messages like these***.

***Our On-Home venue was at the residence of Hasher Always Wet.***

***Our gracious hostess (in orange shirt) even prepared food for the hungry Hashers***

***The trail as the Hares intended. I liked it in bits and pieces…***

Like last week, I opted to skip the Hash circle and hoof it back down Rizal Extension to town.

***A Rizal Extension view. You can almost make out the bay in the distance. This trek added another 3K to my day and made up for some of the Hash trail I skipped.***

***I saw this poster on a wall during my Rizal walk. That eleventh commandment was funny enough, but the DO NOT LITTER admonishment was hilarious. Most Filipinos are going to hell, I fear!***

As usual, I finished my journey at It Doesn’t Matter, the after-Hash hangout.

***I was pleasantly surprised to see my old pal Chris and his lovely lady there. Nice to share some beverages with you both again!***

I brought home some apple pie from Myleen’s and satisfied my sweet tooth cravings before bedtime. And so ended another day.

Some memories weren’t sad at the time, but make you blue later in life.

***Eight years ago, Sohee and I celebrated a dart tourney victory. Two years later, she killed herself. She was a special woman, and her loss was a shock to all who remember her laughing nature.***

Three years ago, I provided the funds for Marissa to open a small eatery. She told that had always been her dream. A few months later it was closed and gone. Last I heard, Marissa is living in Manila. She unfriended me on Facebook when she left.

More and more it seems the Land of the Free is becoming a new version of the Soviet Union.

***And Orwell’s “1984” was meant to be a warning, not a how-to guide.***

Today’s YouTube video comes from a Filipina vlogger I’d never watched before. She adds some context and perspective for those “Philippines is great” vloggers who don’t tell the whole story. The photography is especially well done. I was impressed enough to subscribe to her channel. Have a look for yourself:

To the humor we must go:

***No reason to squawk, but that sounds like birdshit to me.***

Alrighty, then. This is my lazy Tuesday and I’ve got the shopping out of the way. Swan went to meet a friend at It Doesn’t Matter and I’ll be joining her a bit later when they finish their girl talk. We’ll see where we go from there.

Just another day

Posted on 05/August/2024 by John McCrarey

And glad to have it! Filled the hours with the usual Sunday routines, although there are always little quirks to change things up some. I’m talking about stuff like this:

***When I woke up and plopped down at my desk to do my usual morning internet surf, this gecko-like creature was camped out on my window.***

***A bit later, after the sun came up, I noticed the clouds were hanging lower than I’d ever seen them.***

Then it came time for the weekly Candy Walk on the streets of San Isidro. Swan counted how many got candy, and we sweetened the day for 189 children. A good morning’s work!

***The mama here says she rations the candy handout so the kids have some for their school lunch bag.***

***These kids photobombed my finger shot***

***The girl in red got candy and God’s blessing.***

***Last stop. Refilled our candy bag three times and gave it all away.***

***A new footbridge across the river.***

Come later in the afternoon, it was time to feed the hungry girls at Hideaway Bar. My weekly visits there are increasingly becoming almost depressing. As much as I enjoy bars, an empty one feels soulless. Joy said I was the day’s first customer (they opened at eleven, and I arrived a little after four). I asked about owner Griff, who was in his room out back, sleeping off his morning rounds to other bars. So, it seems my hopes that things might change with his return will not come to fruition. Hell, I don’t know what the answer for attracting customers might be. I have a reason to be there every Sunday, but if I didn’t feel obligated to continue the weekly feeding, I wouldn’t come. The hour I spend there is nothing I enjoy, and it is a relief to be on my way again.

***Enjoy it while you can, Joy. I fear you will be looking for a new job before long.***

Next up was my Sunday dinner with Swan at John’s place. A pleasant surprise this week was seeing Em Jae, our old favorite waitress, back at work. Well, back for Sunday anyway. She is still working at a call center in Pampanga and came home for the weekend to see her kids. They needed a waitress to fill-in yesterday and she was happy to oblige. She’s heading back to Angeles today for her real job.

***Now, what do I want to eat?*** ***Philly Cheese sounds good…***

***…but so does the beef bulgogi. Decisions, decisions.***

***Bulgogi it is! No regrets about my selection.***

***Watching the sun go down as we finished our meal.***

After dinner, we walked a few blocks up the highway and did our nightcap at It Doesn’t Matter.

***They seem to be doing things right, it was fairly busy inside and out.***

And then it was time to head for home and bring another day to a close.

Commenter Ted mentioned an old Subic blogger named Warren. I vaguely recall reading his blog back in the days when I was first considering the Philippines as a retirement destination. Reader Scott said Warren also had a Facebook group called Warren’s Subic Bay. So, the blog has been gone for many years, and the Facebook group hasn’t been active since 2021. And Warren disappeared without a trace four years ago—one of those unexplained mysteries.

***Scott sent me this old photo. That’s Warren on the left. People who knew him say he was a nice guy. I wonder what happened to him.***

Interesting memes I ran across on the internet today:

***And don’t even think about thinking for yourself.***

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay talks about what help you can expect from your embassy should your life go to shit in the Philippines. Man, I’d hate to rely on them for anything! I have heard of cases where the embassy would arrange a flight home in a dire emergency, but your passport would be held hostage until you had reimbursed the cost of the flight. I have money in the bank, and a credit card available should things go wrong. Hopefully, I’ll never need to use them.

Some weak humor to share:

***A kiss for luck and we’re on our way…***

Another Hash Monday is upon me. Once again, the trail starts and finishes at the end of Rizal Extension, my least favorite location for a Hash. And the icing on the cake is there is currently a downpour going on outside. I’ve already arranged a ride to the start, but I’m keeping open the option to bail altogether or do my own trail. Today is a fine day for a bar hop! We’ll see what happens.

From the hills to the sea

Posted on 04/August/2024 by John McCrarey

Just another day in the Barrio.

***Casting shadows on the dog walk to kick off the day.***

Bruce, my new friend visiting from Taiwan, was up for joining us on a Saturday morning romp. I usually do a boring solo street stroll, but with Bruce and Swan along, I needed to up my game. So, we headed for the hills. We met Bruce at Sit-n-Bull and then climbed the steps up from La Union Street. From there, our journey was through the tall grass, and I had difficulty finding the trail in places. It went better after we reached the top and then rendezvoused with the familiar My Bitch trail. Then we circled around through the backstreets of Barretto and finished the hike at Sit-n-Bull after a 6K jaunt.

***The hillside neighborhood off La Union Street***

***The grass was high, but we’re holding on…***

***The Kalaklan Ridge. I told Bruce we’d do that climb next time he is in town.***

***Pausing to pose with Easter Mountain in the background***

***Some friendly hillside dwellers we encountered***

***Some flowers I didn’t pause to smell***

Thanks for joining us, Bruce. Safe travels home, and we’ll look forward to more hikes when you return.

Swan had mentioned craving the grilled pork chops at Mangos, so when it was dinner time, that’s where I took her. We got a table right next to the beach and enjoyed the views while our meal was being prepared.

***A rarely seen beached whale, I mean, white woman. That swimsuit was a t-back, but the view was too gross to photograph.***

***Dinner is served. We were not disappointed.***

After our meal, we popped in to The Green Room for our night cap. I had some SOB coupons to expend.

***One coupon was for a lady drink blowjob shooter. Our waitress, Chu, gladly accepted the drink but was shy about being photographed downing it.***

We had the Sit-n-Bull waitress deliver some pecan pie for us to bring home for our bedtime snack. And that’s how we ended our day in the Barrio.

Facebook carried me back seven years ago to remind me of the day I did a three-and-a-half-hour walk in Seoul.

***Most of the walk was on the Han riverside path. I still miss those days.***

This year’s Olympics may earn the Gold Medal for provoking memes like this:

Today’s YouTube video discusses some cultural aspects of the Philippines that folks in the West could learn from. I am happy with my decision to live here and have absolutely no desire to return to the USA for anything more than a brief visit. If I needed to move, I’d stay in Asia, most likely Cambodia.

It’s a short one (less than five minutes) so give it a watch

Today’s attempt at humor:

***It’s a little late for that advice now.***

It’s Sunday and the Candy Walk is completed. Next up, a feeding at Hideaway bar and a dinner date with Swan at John’s. Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

Bruce in Barretto

Posted on 03/August/2024 by John McCrarey

I’ve been blogging here at LTG for going on twenty years now. During that time, there were several occasions where I had chance encounters with readers. It is always a shock to meet a stranger who tells me they read my blog. Most of the time, it’s a friendly meeting, but I’ve had a couple of unpleasant episodes. Once, during the scamdemic, I was confronted by a reader who criticized me for continuing to hike in defiance of lockdown rules. According to him, I was giving foreigners “a bad name.” In another instance, a guy I didn’t know stopped me on the street to say he didn’t appreciate my criticism of his girlfriend (she ran a bar and mistreated her employees, so I called her out for it). Otherwise, it’s always been nice to run into people who read my poorly punctuated drivel.

The circumstances for meeting a reader named Bruce yesterday were somewhat different. Bruce is from Taiwan and found my blog on some random Google search. I guess he liked what he saw because he planned his first trip to Barretto to see some of the views I post here at LTG. Bruce emailed me that he would be here for the weekend and wanted to participate in the Friday hike. He also asked about the SOB dance competition. It’s always nice to welcome someone new to the group and to meet someone who has followed my adventures from afar.

***Nice to meet you, Bruce! That’s from the SOB last night. I might have had a few beers by then.***

So, for the Friday hike, we planned a route that would provide Bruce with some of the views he’s been craving- the Black Rock climb and a beach walk on the bay. Here’s how that looked:

***A larger group of Friday hikers this week***

***Through the backstreets barangay Matain***

***A brief return to the highway, then we headed for the hills.***

***It’s always nice to have Swan along***

***Bruce seems to be enjoying the hike so far***

***It wouldn’t be a hike if Swan wasn’t handing out candy***

***This was Swan’s virgin trip to Black Rock***

***We’ll save the Black Rock ridge for another day***

***What goes up must come down. Yesterday’s downward trek was even more challenging than usual because it was slippery in places.***

***Swan handed out candy, and Bruce gave the kids a pen and paper set. Lots of smiles in the neighborhood!***

***We ended our hike with lunch at Treasure Island***

***Just shy of 7K. Not a bad day’s walk for the new guy. He said he enjoyed it.***

My planned visit to Dr. DeLeon didn’t happen because she cancelled her Friday clinic hours. I’ll try again on Wednesday.

The SOB was a good one at La Oficina, a bar that I almost never frequent. Bruce seemed to enjoy the show.

***The La Oficina dancers were the champions last night.***

The Aftermath was at Alaska Club downstairs, so we dropped in for a nightcap before saying our goodnight to Bruce. It wasn’t goodbye because he joined Swan and me for a Saturday morning hike today. I’ll post about that tomorrow.

The memes have been more intense than usual these past couple of days.

***This fiasco at the Paris Olympics is nothing short of shameful.***

***Maybe these two “girls” can duke it out***

***Seriously, what the duck is going on? Duck off, you cunts!***

Ah, the memories.

***This was my last commute on the VRE from DC to Stafford, VA, before I moved to Korea in January 2005.***

Today’s YouTube video is from George’s All About The Philippines. George is one of the only Vloggers I have met in person. On Wednesday, I saw George recording this video when I was up on the roof at BarCelona.

I don’t know how to post an advanced-time video, but the Barretto portion starts at around six minutes. I checked, and he didn’t capture me capturing him from the roof. Oh well.

Maybe these will put a smile on your face:

***I sent this to my dentist (we are Facebook friends), and he said he actually has patients like this. I told him, “I know.”***

***Looks like mama is horsing around.***

Time to get on with my Saturday evening. Swan is joining me for dinner at Mangos. We’ll see what happens after that. Back tomorrow with more of this goodness.

Looking for the worm

Posted on 02/August/2024 by John McCrarey

I’m posting like an early bird today because my plate is full, and I may be in “it’s now or never” territory. On tap are the Friday group hike, my visit to Dr. DeLeon, and the SOB dance competition. I’ll try to find time for a nap in there as well. It’s just one of those rare days where I have too much to do.

Swan joined me on my morning hike yesterday, which is always nice. We took a Jeepney out to Subic-town and did a walkaround to Philseco. Only 5K, but still good to see the sights we rarely visit. Let me show you what we saw:

***Off the highway and down this street***

***Speaking of dead people, this guy passed when he was two years younger than me.***

***A right turn and a change in direction***

***Through this barangay Asinan Proper neighborhood***

***School is back in session, so we didn’t see many kids to share sweets with. These children in uniforms were on their way to school and had some treats to enjoy on the way.***

***When we hit the National Highway, the first two Jeepneys to pass were full. Then this Victory Liner came by, and we climbed aboard. 50 pesos each to Barretto.***

Wasn’t that fun?

When beer o’clock arrived, we decided the slower pace of Baloy Beach was what we wanted.

***Low tide, and someone cleaned the beach since our last visit.***

***Time was passing, and we moved on.***

***Swan enjoyed the enchiladas. I’ll have her leftovers for breakfast as soon as I finish this post.***

The night ended on a sour note because of some miscommunication issues, but I’m sure we’ll find our way back to happiness.

Seven years ago, my favorite Itaewon bartender finished her tenure at Shenanigans. It wasn’t goodbye, though. She got married and moved to Pyeongtaek, where I spent time with the happy couple before I retired and moved away.

Today’s YouTube video is the latest from Reekay. I’m in a hurry this morning, but I’m looking forward to see how this guy fucked up.

And now let’s try for some humor:

***Maybe he should change his name to Richard***

Alright, time to get on with my day. Thanks for stopping by.

My kinda day

Posted on 01/August/2024 by John McCrarey

Yesterday was pretty much the model for how I fill my hours. And the best part is that I really enjoyed it. I kicked things off with the Wednesday Walkers group hike and closed it out with beers, dinner, and beers. That’s how I roll!

The hike wasn’t long (around 5K) but had its challenges. I’m one of the Hares in a couple of weeks, along with Scott and Jim, so we did some scouting. Our path to the top of Kalaklan Ridge will work fine with a couple of tweaks. The down path we chose (appropriately nicknamed Motherfucker) was a tad too steep, rocky, and slick for a rainy season trek. We’ve got a Plan B we’ll implement for the Hash trail.

***We took a Jeepney to our starting point on Coral street, about 3K from Barretto.***

***This week’s iteration of the Wednesday Walkers***

***There’s Kale in them hills. Who knew?***

***Let the climbing begin. My tracker says it was exactly 1.6 kilometers to the ridgeline.***

***Sturdier than the usual bridges we encounter***

***During rainy season, algae grows on the rocks making them extra slippery.***

***Someone crafted a handrail, although I’m not sure how useful it is.***

***On up! I appreciate how those tree roots make natural stairsteps.***

***I guess someone got tired of the commute up the mountain***

***My favorite viewpoint. I just wish there was an easier way to get here.***

***That’s the old Hanjin shipyard across the bay, soon to reopen under a Hyundai partnership.***

***The mountain we call Easter. That’s Columban College in the foreground.***

***Starting down the Motherfucker trail***

***Slow and steady is the order of the day***

***Looking back at the ridgeline from whence we came***

***Damn, now someone doesn’t have a pot to piss in***

***The steepest part came at the end.***

***But we all made it down and lived to tell about it.***

***We celebrated our success with lunch at John’s place***

***I had the steak lunch special for only 595 pesos.***

***A sunshiny hike, but an hour later it was pouring down rain. It didn’t last long, thankfully.***

I got home a little later than normal and woke up from my afternoon nap off schedule as well. I rushed through my daily post here on LTG, showered, and then headed out for my beer time over an hour late. That’s okay. Swan joined me for the excursion, and we kicked things off at BarCelona.

***A cold beer and the memory of having climbed that ridge earlier in the day.***

***Another BarCelona view. What a difference a week makes.***

***Remember this?*** *When it rains it pours* ***and that blows***

After our fill at BarCelona, we headed to Myleen’s for dinner.

***And I enjoyed my enchilada platter***

Two slices of freshly baked pumpkin pie to go for dessert. A rare find in the Philippines.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. Owner Dave stopped by my table and informed me that the price of my beer was now 450 pesos. Ah, the fame that comes with living in a small town. It’s all good. Aine walked by and said hello, but kept walking. We didn’t call her back. Funny how that works.

Another fine day in paradise came to an end with pumpkin pie a la mode in my belly and my sweetheart beside me. Life is good.

Facebook reminds me of the good life I had in South Carolina eleven years ago.