Yeah, whatever you say, Charles. I’m just glad to be here enjoying the day.(I apologize in advance for the poor grammatical structure of that quote. I didn’t write it!
Speaking of days, my yesterday was a special one. We rented a car and drove all around the island, stopping at some recommended tourist spots along the way. Then we visited the brewery that Dr. Jo’s husband, Chris, is in the process of opening, and he let us sample some of his delicious brews. We travelled 109 Kilometers and spent nine hours on our road adventure. Here are some photos from our journey:
The comfortable car I rented. 3500 pesos, plus 2000 for gas. Jeff did the driving.On the road again.We stopped at an overlook to see this impressive palm tree orchard. That’s a lot of coconuts!Our next stop was here.Heading down to have a look.The entrance to the cave.
I opted out of this adventure, as did Martin and Joss. It involved wading through water waist-deep or higher, and that just didn’t appeal to me. Jeff, Davina, and Swan were all gung-ho, so off they went. The rest of us hiked down to the other side of the cave and waited for them to reappear.
Davina has one of those GoPro cameras, and she made this video from inside the cave.
While awaiting the return of the brave souls from our group, I watched these guys climb a cliff face. Impressive it was, speaking as someone who has almost no remaining upper-body strength.And then they jumped off the top. Ballsy!The cave wanderers emerge.No one drowned or got eaten by a croc…well done!Looks like Swan had fun without me.
Our next stop was supposed to be at some tide pools, but when we arrived, we were told the tide was high, so there were no pools to observe. Oh, well. We drove on to our next destination.
I don’t know if this was intended to be serious or if someone at the highway department has a sense of humor. We were passing through some croc-friendly-looking marshland, though.Well, I’ll be damned. I just searched Google, and it turns out this is crocodile-friendly land.Speaking of signs, this may explain why there is not a litter problem on Siargao.Every time I ask, “Which ocean is that?” I’m told to be more specific.A Swan on a wall.Show gals.My prize.The way ahead.
Lunchtime was approaching, and thanks to Martin’s skill with Google Maps, he found what we were looking for…a place to eat on the beach.
I was a little surprised about this place. It looks to be a fairly new venue, but it is located in the middle of nowhere. Not much signage, and we’d have driven right on by if our navigator software hadn’t told us we had arrived.It was on the beach, and that’s what we were looking for.We arrived right around noon and were the only customers. But by the time we finished, quite a few diners were enjoying the ambiance.I ordered the fish and chips. When I asked the waitress what type of fish they used, she said tuna. I’m no connoisseur, but I’d never heard of using tuna. By the look on Martin’s face (an English bloke), he hadn’t either. As you can see, it came out very light colored instead of the usual deep brown. But it was surprisingly tasty. I shared some with Martin, and he agreed.With our hunger satiated, we were back on the road, headed towards our next destination.Taktak Falls, we have arrived.And there they be. Much more impressive than the falls I’ve seen on Luzon.As regular readers may have discerned, I’m not much of a water person. Especially when it requires taking off my shoes and changing my shorts. The rest of the group dove right in.A bathing beauty.Another cliff climber heading up. He did a double backflip on the way down. Ah, to be young again.A group shot of all those from Bryce Street who swam at Taktak Falls.
Back on the road again. Next stop:
What’s a spring pool? I had no idea either. Let’s go see.Martin leading the way.And here come the stragglers.And there you have a spring pool.It was actually quite serene and scenic.Chillaxin’ at our “campsite.”A Swan in a hammock.Girls on the rocks.
After some rest and relaxation, it was time to move on to our final stop of the day:
Dr. Chris’s Siargao Island Brewery.It is still a work in progress (he hopes to open in January), but Chris was happy to see his neighbors from Alta Vista.
In anticipation of our visit, Chris had brewed up a batch of his “Light Pilsner” for our enjoyment. It was very good indeed, and I quenched my thirst with three (or maybe it was four) glasses.
Cheers, Chris! And thanks for having us. See you next trip!
From the brewery, we had about an hour drive back to our hotel. Once we arrived, we were too tired to go back into town, so we dined on the offerings from the Romantic Villas’ kitchen.
Did I mention I was tired? And no, that is not a fake yawn.We covered a lot of ground yesterday.
So, it was early to bed and early to rise this morning. I’ll share my today tomorrow.
Let’s check in with the September 2015 LTG archives to see what I was up to back in my Korea days. Oh, I was getting drunk. I’ve come a long way, baby!
Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger on a mission to help homeless foreigners in Angeles City. She didn’t get the response she expected. Welp, I’m not unsympathetic, but I don’t understand how people allow themselves to be unfunded in a third-world country. I’ll flee for home long before I wind up living on the streets.
And now for that humor you’ve been missing:
I guess I’m a day late with this one. Does that make it a Black Friday?Keep dishing them out!Like father, like son. That’s my excuse!
As you can tell by the length and content of this post, I have had a relatively lazy Friday so far. On tap (no pun intended) for this evening in a bar hop to some of the best bars in the General Luna municipality, at least according to this blogger. Looking forward to seeing if she is right. Tune in tomorrow to find out!
8 thoughts on “All around Siargao”
[Attempt 2]
(I apologize in advance for the poor grammatical structure of that quote. I didn’t write it!
It’s done up as a meme, so I guess typos are de rigueur. What would the corrected prose look like… or did Bukowski originally write so sloppily?
Speaking of days, my yesterday was a special one. We rented a car and drove all around the island, stopping at some recommended tourist spots along the way. Then we visited the brewery that Dr. Jo’s husband, Chris, is in the process of opening, and he let us sample some of his delicious brews. We travelled 109 Kilometers and spent nine hours on our road adventure.
Wow, imagine that: a part of the PI where people actually care about their surroundings. Did you do any driving? Ah—I see you wrote:
Jeff did the driving.
All the driving?
It involved wading through water waist-deep or higher, and that just didn’t appeal to me.
You’ve had no problem, in the past, with calf-deep or ankle-deep water, so why would this be a problem (except for your cell phone and other electronics)? I could see a problem if there was a strong current… but was there? I assume not. Imagine the pics you could have taken! Maybe there was a hidden shrine to Mary in there. Well, you’ve got Davina’s video, I guess. Consolation prize. (I didn’t see a Marian shrine, alas.)
I ordered the fish and chips. When I asked the waitress what type of fish they used, she said tuna.
Huh. Tuna is not a whitefish like cod or haddock. Well, at least it was good.
Taktak Falls, we have arrived.
I wonder what the “canopy walk” is.
As regular readers may have discerned, I’m not much of a water person. Especially when it requires taking off my shoes and changing my shorts.
Why change your shorts? Dive in, swim around, get out, dry off. No matter what shorts you wear, everything’s gonna get soaked. Leave electronics back on shore.
Martin’s brave to walk in sandals. I always get pebbles under my feet.
In anticipation of our visit, Chris had brewed up a batch of his “Light Pilsner” for our enjoyment. It was very good indeed, and I quenched my thirst with three (or maybe it was four) glasses.
I assume this will be a must-visit stopover the next time you find yourself on Siargao. How often is Dr. Chris there and not at his office that’s local to you? I assume the eventual plan is for him and the wife to move to Siargao permanently. What’s your plan for a replacement doc?
Oh, I was getting drunk. I’ve come a long way, baby!
Irony noted.
I guess I’m a day late with this one.
I saw the same “cold turkey” joke in a meme over at Instapundit (I think it was Instapundit), but done with a completely different set of pictures. You’re not the only one who loves bad puns.
Keep dishing them out!
I like how, in the second frame, the two girls have abandoned the mother in disgust after hearing the father’s awful joke.
re: “Two guys are sitting on a barstool.”
I guess the stool is upside-down if they’re both sitting on it.
Hope the bar-hopping went well.
“Thanksgivicharles_bukowski_catsng. It proved you had survived another year with its wars, inflation, unemployment, smog, presidents. It was a grand neurotic gathering of clans: loud drunks, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, screaming children, would-be suicides. And don’t forget indigestion. I wasn’t different from anyone else: there sat the 18 pound bird on my sink, dead, plucked, totally disemboweled. Iris would roast it for me.”
– Charles Bukowski
I woke up and my hand hurts and there’s a crater in the fucking wall so I’m putting 2 and 2 together but if you were to see the hole in the wall I think yall would be impressed. I mean seriously I have no idea how I managed to make a gigantic hole. Should I put a poster over it or do I actually have to get it repaired and how was your Thanksgiving blackout ro still keeping the boozing going or what because I’m unscrewing a bottle of vodz as we speak
Turbo, I’d leave the hole in the wall. That’s the stuff of memories. Enjoy your vodka!
Kevin, re-reading that Bukowski meme just now, the only problem I see is with the capitalization. I also don’t like using the “&” symbol, but I guess there is nothing technically wrong with doing so.
Jeff did all the driving. I’m not licensed, so I didn’t help.
Okay, maybe the shorts thing is just an excuse. I’m not that into swimming is the more honest answer. I’ll wade when circumstances require me to.
I asked Chris if he and Dr. Jo would eventually relocate to Siargao, and he said they would not. Chris comes often for surfing anyway, so I guess he’ll be a part-time owner at the brewery.
Yeah, I noticed the missing daughters in that second panel, too. Sad, because Dad jokes are a blessing!
As I reported in today’s post, the barhop was a flop.
1. Congrats on paying closer attention to the spelling of “Siargao.” Mister C.R. Gao.
2. I forgot to mention that your initial “I apologize in advance” parenthetical needs a closed parenthesis.
3. You can delete my first attempt at commenting.
>I don’t understand how people allow themselves to be unfunded in a third-world country. I’ll flee for home long before I wind up living on the streets.
I agree. But, most foreigners that end up on the streets are generally starting with very little to begin with. They have no backstop (and no way) to get back and survive in their home country. Not always the case, but they think that their USD$500/month will let them live like a king in a developing country, and find out that is not the case.
Brian, yeah, the problem starts with the lack of planning and resources before the move. I have heard stories of guys being scammed out of everything they have, but then, that’s just another kind of stupid.
Kevin, yep, spelling Siargao correctly comes naturally now. Unlike that bitch Paraluman.
[Attempt 2]
(I apologize in advance for the poor grammatical structure of that quote. I didn’t write it!
It’s done up as a meme, so I guess typos are de rigueur. What would the corrected prose look like… or did Bukowski originally write so sloppily?
Speaking of days, my yesterday was a special one. We rented a car and drove all around the island, stopping at some recommended tourist spots along the way. Then we visited the brewery that Dr. Jo’s husband, Chris, is in the process of opening, and he let us sample some of his delicious brews. We travelled 109 Kilometers and spent nine hours on our road adventure.
Wow, imagine that: a part of the PI where people actually care about their surroundings. Did you do any driving? Ah—I see you wrote:
Jeff did the driving.
All the driving?
It involved wading through water waist-deep or higher, and that just didn’t appeal to me.
You’ve had no problem, in the past, with calf-deep or ankle-deep water, so why would this be a problem (except for your cell phone and other electronics)? I could see a problem if there was a strong current… but was there? I assume not. Imagine the pics you could have taken! Maybe there was a hidden shrine to Mary in there. Well, you’ve got Davina’s video, I guess. Consolation prize. (I didn’t see a Marian shrine, alas.)
I ordered the fish and chips. When I asked the waitress what type of fish they used, she said tuna.
Huh. Tuna is not a whitefish like cod or haddock. Well, at least it was good.
Taktak Falls, we have arrived.
I wonder what the “canopy walk” is.
As regular readers may have discerned, I’m not much of a water person. Especially when it requires taking off my shoes and changing my shorts.
Why change your shorts? Dive in, swim around, get out, dry off. No matter what shorts you wear, everything’s gonna get soaked. Leave electronics back on shore.
Ah, to be young again.
That’s what The Substance is all about.
Martin leading the way.
Martin’s brave to walk in sandals. I always get pebbles under my feet.
In anticipation of our visit, Chris had brewed up a batch of his “Light Pilsner” for our enjoyment. It was very good indeed, and I quenched my thirst with three (or maybe it was four) glasses.
I assume this will be a must-visit stopover the next time you find yourself on Siargao. How often is Dr. Chris there and not at his office that’s local to you? I assume the eventual plan is for him and the wife to move to Siargao permanently. What’s your plan for a replacement doc?
Oh, I was getting drunk. I’ve come a long way, baby!
Irony noted.
I guess I’m a day late with this one.
I saw the same “cold turkey” joke in a meme over at Instapundit (I think it was Instapundit), but done with a completely different set of pictures. You’re not the only one who loves bad puns.
Keep dishing them out!
I like how, in the second frame, the two girls have abandoned the mother in disgust after hearing the father’s awful joke.
re: “Two guys are sitting on a barstool.”
I guess the stool is upside-down if they’re both sitting on it.
Hope the bar-hopping went well.
“Thanksgivicharles_bukowski_catsng. It proved you had survived another year with its wars, inflation, unemployment, smog, presidents. It was a grand neurotic gathering of clans: loud drunks, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, screaming children, would-be suicides. And don’t forget indigestion. I wasn’t different from anyone else: there sat the 18 pound bird on my sink, dead, plucked, totally disemboweled. Iris would roast it for me.”
– Charles Bukowski
I woke up and my hand hurts and there’s a crater in the fucking wall so I’m putting 2 and 2 together but if you were to see the hole in the wall I think yall would be impressed. I mean seriously I have no idea how I managed to make a gigantic hole. Should I put a poster over it or do I actually have to get it repaired and how was your Thanksgiving blackout ro still keeping the boozing going or what because I’m unscrewing a bottle of vodz as we speak
Turbo, I’d leave the hole in the wall. That’s the stuff of memories. Enjoy your vodka!
Kevin, re-reading that Bukowski meme just now, the only problem I see is with the capitalization. I also don’t like using the “&” symbol, but I guess there is nothing technically wrong with doing so.
Jeff did all the driving. I’m not licensed, so I didn’t help.
Okay, maybe the shorts thing is just an excuse. I’m not that into swimming is the more honest answer. I’ll wade when circumstances require me to.
I asked Chris if he and Dr. Jo would eventually relocate to Siargao, and he said they would not. Chris comes often for surfing anyway, so I guess he’ll be a part-time owner at the brewery.
Yeah, I noticed the missing daughters in that second panel, too. Sad, because Dad jokes are a blessing!
As I reported in today’s post, the barhop was a flop.
1. Congrats on paying closer attention to the spelling of “Siargao.” Mister C.R. Gao.
2. I forgot to mention that your initial “I apologize in advance” parenthetical needs a closed parenthesis.
3. You can delete my first attempt at commenting.
>I don’t understand how people allow themselves to be unfunded in a third-world country. I’ll flee for home long before I wind up living on the streets.
I agree. But, most foreigners that end up on the streets are generally starting with very little to begin with. They have no backstop (and no way) to get back and survive in their home country. Not always the case, but they think that their USD$500/month will let them live like a king in a developing country, and find out that is not the case.
Brian, yeah, the problem starts with the lack of planning and resources before the move. I have heard stories of guys being scammed out of everything they have, but then, that’s just another kind of stupid.
Kevin, yep, spelling Siargao correctly comes naturally now. Unlike that bitch Paraluman.