I’m glad I chose to live in an expat enclave, although there’s plenty of drama and backstabbing here, too. But I’ve found my sweet spot, and I’m up for some adventure now and again. Our Wednesday Walkers excursion yesterday is a good example of what I’m talking about. We ventured out to the far side of the old Navy base, in an area known as Cubi Point. I’ve only been out this way a handful of times since moving here in 2018, and the area we hiked was completely new to everyone in attendance.

Honestly, it felt like being in another world. No jeepneys or trikes, and we all commented on the almost complete absence of litter. It was very quiet and serene, and the trees were majestic. It’s surprising how much the topography can change such a short distance from home. We even saw monkeys going about their business. The trail eventually led to a beach resort. I saw the signage and assumed it would be derelict, given that we were out in the middle of nowhere. Boy, was I in for a surprise. It was clean and beautiful, one of the nicest I’ve seen. And given the prices, they must cater to a rich crowd. The cheapest room was around $150 a night, while the waterfront rooms were over $300.

It was almost 4K from where we started to the resort. Getting there was almost all downhill, and we knew that meant we had a climb ahead of us on the way back. That proved to be a bit of an ass-kicker, but it didn’t spoil our enjoyment. When we finished, we all agreed that lunch at one of our favorite bayside eateries, Vasco’s, was in order, so off we went. We got home later than usual, but the adventure was worth it. Here are some photos to give you a feel for our morning excursion:

Back home for a shower, nap, and a rushed blog post, then it was time for the evening adventure.

I started things off at Sloppy Joe’s, then moved on to Alaska Club. Owner Jerry sponsors a 9-ball pool tournament on Wednesdays, and this was the first time I had watched that particular game. It appears to be far less challenging than the 8-ball I’ve always played (and sucked at), and in this version, luck can be a big factor. For example, each player has to pocket the balls in numerical sequence, and the first player to sink the 9-ball wins. But if you hit the 1-ball and it happens to knock the 9-ball into a pocket, you win anyway. I was inspired enough to tell Jerry I would play in next week’s tournament. Hey, maybe I’ve found a new way to fill some hours. We shall see.

We did our nightcap at Rum Jungle. One advantage of my staying out a bit later these days is discovering bar promotions I hadn’t seen before, such as “Bust the Balloon Wednesdays” at Rum Jungle. Starting at 8 p.m., for every lady drink you purchase, you get to pop a balloon and see what’s inside. I bought three lady drinks (for the mamasan, waitress, and masseuse), so I got three balloons to bust. Inside were coupons good for a free local drink, a blowjob-shooter lady drink, and an all-day happy-hour-prices ticket. Okay, I was happy with a free beer, didn’t care about the happy-hour ticket, and gave the blowjob shooter to one of the dancers. She didn’t want to do it, but the mamasan told her it was good for a lady-drink commission, so she relented.

Then my new 9 p.m. curfew arrived, so we said our goodnights and headed for home. And that’s what a good day in the life looks like around here.

Facebook memories reminded me that thirteen years ago, Tom Waits must have been reading my blog.

It’s on to June 2022 in the LTG archives, and I’ve decided the time has come to retire from playing darts. I’d had a good seventeen-year run, but it just stopped being fun. I tried taking up the game again briefly this year, but I just couldn’t find the passion. Oh well, maybe I have a future as a 9-ball player at Alaska Club on Wednesdays.

For today’s YouTube video, you can have a look around the Cubi Point area I visited yesterday. It’s nice.

And now for what passes as humor around here:

Okay, I’ll stop now. Until tomorrow anyway.

Since Barretto is currently being invade by what I’m told is the Indian Navy, I think it is a good time to share one of my favorite music videos again. Have fun, boys. Spend large and make the gals happy!

(fuckers won’t let me embed here. Click the link. It’s good.)