Okay, the last day of my visit to Siargao Island is in the books. I’m still here until my flight departs this afternoon, but the fun in the sun is basically done. I also have to check out of my hotel at 11 a.m., so this post is going to be a quickie. I’ll do a write-up tomorrow outlining my overall impressions of Pacifico. Here’s how we spent our Monday:

We checked out of the Bamboo Hotel and checked into the Onda Hotel, about a block away up the road.

Back to the new room for some R&R, then we headed out for some beach time.

Then it was time to head out in search of some supper.

We found this hole-in-the-wall place along the highway and decided to give it a try.

It seems everything closes early in Pacifico, but then, so do I. We were back ensconced in our room before 8 p.m. And that’s how we spent our last full day. Check-out is at 11 a.m. this morning, and our ride to the airport is coming at 1:30. The plane home is scheduled for 5 p.m. and should arrive in Angeles City at 7:30. It’s been a good trip.

From Facebook memories:

On with the March 2021 LTG archives. It’s been interesting for me to read my history again, but most of my posts are about hiking and drinking (just like now). It is nice to relive some of those adventures, but none really stand out. Then I come across a post where I talk about all the desperate women seeking financial assistance and how I dealt with them. It makes me sad now, and I’m ashamed of myself. It seemed fine at the time, but damn, I’m glad I’m not that guy now. At least I hope I’m not.

For today’s YouTube video, the vlogger shares six things that will get you killed in the Philippines. Most of these are on my list of ways I might die here.

And now for today’s dose of lameness:

Okay, time to wrap up today’s post and prepare for the journey ahead. One of the benefits of getting away is that it makes you appreciate home life all the more. I missed a rainy Hash yesterday, but enjoyed the photos. Here’s one that made me laugh:

So, today is our final full day in Pacifico. We have to check out of our room this morning and move to another place up the road. Our flight tomorrow doesn’t depart until 5 pm, so we’ll be homeless after the 11 am check-out there. Oh well, in retrospect, I should have just flown home today.

Speaking of home, we did pick a good time to leave there. It’s been raining all week, and there is widespread flooding. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow night.

Our Sunday was a bit unusual, but still a fun day. We decided to have breakfast at the Meraki bakery again, which required a 3K hike to get there and, of course, another 3K to get back. Our first visit was so pleasant, we deemed the repeat visit was worth the effort.

That’s actually one of the reasons I’d find it difficult to live in Pacifico. Only one road in and out, and that gets boring for hiking pretty quickly. I kept looking for off-road paths we might explore, but on one side of the road it’s the beach, and the other is an impenetrable jungle. No wonder there is no Hash here.

Swan surprised me when she put on her swimsuit and said she was going to the pool, even though she doesn’t know how to swim. One end of the pool is marked as being six feet deep, which is over her head. We both assumed there would be a shallow side on the other end. Nope, other than the steps leading into the water, it’s the same depth.

For our afternoon adventure, I wanted to give the Bollox Beach Bar a try. That involved another 3K walk in the opposite direction of our morning jaunt. Swan was up for it, so we headed out.

Was it really a bar?

We opted to sit outside at a table on the beach instead.

We ordered up something to eat to go with our beverages.

After eating (I’d rate the food just okay), the sun was starting its descent, so we headed back to town.

Well, it wasn’t quite over. Our hotel bar closes at 7 pm, so we popped in next door at the Yapak Hotel for our nightcap.

And then it was back to our room at Bamboo Beach for our last night there. It’s all good.

It’s on to March 2021 in the LTG archives. I can’t seem to stop myself from engaging in “quid pro quo” transactional relationships. You need rent money? I need to get my rocks off. Honestly, looking back on those days is a little embarrassing. But if this post is any indication, at least I was gaining a modicum of self-awareness. I honestly don’t recall the woman involved in this instance, but perhaps she’ll make an appearance elsewhere in the archives. And maybe she won’t be bleeding.

Today’s YouTube video is quite the story. I’ve been following some vlogs about people here in the PI searching for their American biological fathers. This morning, Swan shared a video of her friend Bong, who has been on this quest for years. Bong is our driver each week when we go grocery shopping. I never knew he was half-American. Anyway, the video is very moving and worth the watch.

And now for the funny business:

Oh, well. At least I tried to be funny. There’s always tomorrow!

So, after my first full day in Pacifico, I can honestly say it’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got some beautiful beaches and a laid-back vibe. Probably a tad too laid-back for me and not enough options for dining and beverages if you lived here full-time. That said, it has been nice exploring some new scenery and spending a little time with Chris.

Speaking of Chris, he recommended a place for breakfast that he and Dr. Jo really enjoy. It’s a 3K stroll from our hotel, so that was a win-win…a morning walk and some food.

We both enjoyed the upstairs open-air ambiance as well. Definitely worth the walk. Speaking of which, we burned off some of those sweet calories by walking back to the hotel.

Chris spent the morning surfing off the beach at my hotel and messaged me to join him for an afternoon beer at the hotel restobar. How could I say no? They serve draft beer that Chris brewed, so naturally that’s what I had. The Bamboo Hotel owner, George, also joined us for some chitchat at our table. Then Chris headed out to catch some more waves, and I went back to the room to fetch Swan for some grub (we’d skipped lunch). During our morning hike, we’d seen some signage for a taco joint, so we decided to give it a try.

As we were finishing our meal, Chris came in to eat. I accused him of stalking, but he claimed it was just a coincidence. Hmm. Actually, he was meeting a potential client for his brewed beers in the General Luna area. We said our goodbyes (we are hooking up again later today at the brewery) and hit the beach.

We did our nightcap at the hotel next to where we are staying.

Started early, finished early. Works for me.

A couple of memories for me from Facebook. Not mine, but photos of Huntington Beach, California. I lived close enough to ride my bicycle there from Westminster next door, and had many happy times on the beach. It was even easier once I had a driver’s license. I recall the time I brought my high school sweetheart to the beach to watch the submarine races. She lost her cherry that night in the back seat of my mom’s 1969 Plymouth Fury III.

From the January 2021 LTG archives, a post in memory of my mother on the tenth anniversary of her passing.

As long as we are tripping down memory lane, here’s a YouTube video about carhops on skates at drive-in A&W restaurants. Damn, I miss that root beer with a frosty mug taste!

Yep, I’m gonna go there again:

Time to get back to vacation mode. See y’all tomorrow.

Anyway, this post is specifically about Barangay Pacifico, in the municipality of San Isidro, on Siargao del Norte. Well, about getting here anyway. Everything went according to plan for the most part, so that’s a good thing. My first impressions of Pacifico are positive. It seems to have a fair amount of young surfer tourists, but not in the numbers I encountered during my previous visit to the southern city of General Luna here on Siargao Island.

Here’s how I went about getting here:

We arrived at Clark almost three hours before our scheduled 1 pm departure, but I’d rather be early than late. Although once we were in the departure terminal to check our bags and looked at the signboard for our gate, the only flight listed for Siargao showed this:

I asked a Cebu Pacific gate agent what was going on; she checked my ticket and the monitor and made a phone call.

Still had some time to kill, so I walked around a bit in the terminal. Clark is much nicer than the airport in Manila, but it is still a work in progress. There were many food options in the departure area before security, but not much in the gate area. I thought I’d go for a Subway sandwich. When I went to order, the gal behind the counter said, “Sorry, sir, we have no bread. Would you like a wrap instead?” How in the hell does a sandwich shop not have bread? But I took a deep breath, relaxed, and accepted the Filipino way, replying no thank you. I picked up a bag of caramel popcorn and a Coke Zero at a shop instead.

When I headed for the CR to take a piss, I was a little confused by the signage–is that a men’s room or a ladies’ room? Once I got closer I had my answer:

The plane was on the tarmac twenty yards from the exit door, so I assumed we’d just walk to the plane to climb aboard.

We landed at the Siargao Airport a few minutes early, and the pilot slammed on the brakes before we ran out of runway. That’s the best way to put a stop to it.

I’d mentioned the guy I met on Bohol would be traveling with us. Well, he was on the plane with us, but after landing, he grabbed his luggage and walked away to a van going to General Luna. Didn’t say shit before leaving. I sent him a message later asking how he liked where he was staying, and he didn’t reply. I’m not sure what I did, but maybe I’m not the asshole this time.

The owner of our hotel was there waiting to pick us up for the drive to his resort in Pacifico. He told me he had promised Chris (Dr. Jo’s husband) that we would stop by his brewery for a beer on the way. No problem for me; it was almost beer o’clock anyway.

George, our resort owner, is just about the wildest driver I’ve ever experienced. A scary ride to the hotel, but it was wreckless, even if the driving was fast and reckless. Nothing like a little excitement when you travel, I suppose.

I had some beers at the Bamboo bar. Swan had chicken adobo with her wine. I haven’t had much of an appetite since my injection on Tuesday, so maybe the Ozempic is working again. We walked up the road a bit and spotted a couple of places we’ll want to check out over the coming days. Then it was back to the room at the appointed hour to rest up for the first full day in Pacifico.

At least the weather here has been sunny and nice so far. I hear it is still raining in Barretto, and they may be impacted by a brewing storm.

From my Facebook feed:

Also from Facebook memories is this old collage that Scott put together of my cookie-sharing hikes:

Still in the January 2021 LTG archives. I realized I haven’t been tagging any posts about the darting chapter of my life, so I rectified that with these two. In “Down and outs,” I talk about some of the strategies that a darter employs. The second post was about my resignation as the leader of the Barretto Singles League. I had successfully managed similar leagues in Columbia, SC, and in Seoul. Midway through the first season in Barretto, some players accused me of being “unfair,” which was total bullshit. So, I said goodbye, although I agreed to continue managing the stats and scheduling for the remainder of the season.

For today’s YouTube video, I share a clip from the Team America: World Police movie, a true classic. It came up when I posed the question on Facebook asking whether I’m an asshole. The best response was from ex-wife #3, who said I was a dick, but dicks protect pussies from assholes, and that’s a good thing.

Here’s some more dick humor:

And now it is time to see what comes next. Tell you all about it tomorrow.