The thunder rolls | Long Time Gone

***I’m always trying my best to enjoy each day as it comes.***

Day one of our monthly “get outta town” excursion was a good one, at least by my low standards. Hired a taxi driver I had used previously, and he got us to Pundaquit without incident. I paid him 2000 pesos for his time and effort.

***31 kilometers door-to-door. And Google Maps has mislocated Pundaquit. It’s a barangay in San Antonio, and that red dot is where our hotel is located.***

As is our custom, we popped into the CMC Car Wash bar/restaurant for lunch before arriving at our lodging 2K up the road. The food is good, and I also enjoy avoiding the “environmental fee” toll booth that is located between the Car Wash entrance and the driveway we use to exit.

The Car Wash is my kind of place. We had it to ourselves when we arrived, but later two couples arrived, and it turns out the guys recognized us as being from Barretto. I honestly didn’t remember them, but my old man brain is like that these days.

***Lunch is served. I went with the BBQ ribs.***

***Then we got checked into our room. The same one we usually stay in, #11.***

After our afternoon nap, I had a refreshing hot water shower, the first I’ve experienced in several days. Hopefully, water will be restored in Alta Vista by the time we get back home. Rested and refreshed, we hit the beach.

***Hmm, looks like trouble is brewing on the mountain.***

***With thunder rolling in the background, we took refuge here. Hey, any excuse will do.***

***There was a brief light rain, but we had a roof over our heads.***

***Then we kicked back to enjoy the sunset show.***

With sundown complete, we moved back to the bar area and continued our imbibing. I was greeted by a couple of the locals, including Chris, the owner of the Car Wash. Later, Bruce, a guy I met when he lived in Alta Vista, dropped in. He now lives in a Beach Bar apartment, but still visits Barretto a couple of times a week. We had a nice catch-up chat and lamented what appears to be the slow death of Barretto.

***I’ve got four more drinks on my second beer card to finish tonight.***

Then we had a sandy beach walk back to our room, conveniently located right next door to the Beach Bar. And that’s how our first day in Pundaquit went down.

Moving onward through the January 2022 LTG archives, the news I should have known was coming arrived. Yep, my restored love affair with Pearl had once again come to an end. I give the news in this post and discuss the aftermath in this one. In retrospect, it just wasn’t meant to be. I occasionally still see her from a distance, and she has gone through two or three boyfriends since leaving me. She’s deep into her bar business and has apparently embraced that lifestyle. As long as she is happy, I am happy for her.

Today’s YouTube video discusses the pros and cons of Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam as retirement destinations. I had looked at Cambodia before making my choice, but I didn’t consider Vietnam as an option. Having visited Da Nang a couple of times now, I probably would have enjoyed it there, although the visa issues would be problematic. Still, the Philippines has proven to be a good fit for me.

Shall we pause for a smile?

And now it’s time to get back to day two of our getaway. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

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