Born and raised in southern California. My career exodus has taken me to Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. And as of 23 January 2005, Seoul, Korea. Married with 6 grown children (blended family). First grandchild is in the oven! I created this blog to document my adventures as an expat living and working in Korea. I'm also pretty confident that I will on occasion feel the need to express my views on current events and other matters I find of interest.
Vacation is over, but I’m still alive. Just sayin’.
Not much new to experience on my last day in Da Nang, so we just went with the flow and did the things we enjoy here. We had the amazing breakfast buffet at the Haian Beach Hotel as usual to start our morning. Then we embarked on a walkabout that wound up being almost 10K, which is LONG by my low standards. Said farewell to the familiar scenes and saw some things for the first time. After a well-earned nap, then came some city nightlife that included a new bar and a favorite restaurant. We finished our evening on the roof of the hotel we stayed at last year, taking in the views from a 40th-floor perspective (the Haian tops out at 22 floors).
Here are some highlights:
On the road again.Saying our goodbyes to the Han River.Another river view.Signage that caught my eye. Love the name of this place under construction, even though I no longer have any need to hate Mondays. Well, unless the Hash Hare sucks.I zoomed in to read the fine print. Apparently, it’s a popular restaurant in Saigon owned by a Korean chef. Perhaps I’ll have the chance to visit in the future should fate bring me back to Vietnam.This is a gated subdivision called “Euro Village,” which I assume is an expat enclave.I hadn’t intended to cross the river, but what the hell, who knows when I’ll have another chance to do so.There’s such a thing as too much water for a tree.Taking the roads less traveled on the way back to the hotel.We went thataway.
First stop on our evening out was at our favorite beach bar, Maia.
They had a new DJ playing the music.Some girls have all the luck.
Then we made our way to a place the owner of the 501 Bar had mentioned:
An Irish pub. We sat outside, of course, but the place had a nice vibe—dart boards and pool and a pretty good crowd.Swan and I both got a kick out of this: Red Horse is a very popular brandfrom the Philippines. Filipinos love it because it is strong and cheap.
When itis your last night in Vietnam and you are hungry, where are you going to eat?
An American diner named Fly Burgers, of course.I gave their pulled pork sandwich a try, and they got it right! Better than any of the Barretto versions I’ve had.Swan got the chicken nuggets. I had them on our previous visit, and they are the best I’ve ever tasted.
So, with our hunger satisfied, we wanted to get high.
Forty floors high to be precise.Looking down on Da Nang.The angry sea.The other side of town. See those black hills in the distance? Those are the Marble MountainsI posted about.Goodnight, Vietnam!
It’s been an interesting fifteen days. Things didn’t always go according to plan, and I suffered a loss I’m not ready to talk about, but no regrets for having experienced this adventure.
From the October 2016 LTG archives, I write about getting lost in Pattaya. In some ways, Pattaya is like Da Nang, but it is a much wilder town full of girly bars. Da Nang is much more my style. I’ve been back to Pattaya since that first trip for some Hash adventures, and there is much more than the bar scene to enjoy.
For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share a walking tour of all those now-familiar places I’ve seen with my own eyes.
And before I go:
That’s what friends are for.Honey, you won’t be pretty anytime soon.Yeah, real life can be funny sometimes, too.
And now it is time for me to get ready to fly. Da Nang (DAD) to Saigon (HCM) to Manila (NAIA), Take off at noon and arrive in the PI at eight o’clock tonight, assuming things stay on schedule. I’ve arranged for a driver to take us back to Barretto, so hopefully, I’ll wake up tomorrow in my own bed. Looking forward to getting back into my routines again.
Be careful what you wish for; you could have wound up dead.
Yesterday is over, and tomorrow I fly, so that makes me in between, right? As much fun as we’ve had, Swan and I agree that two weeks is too much. From having to lug around big-ass suitcases to running out of new things to see and do, it just makes more sense to stay less and do more with each day.
Anyhow, when we reviewed the list of things to see and do in Da Nang, we had already done all of the ones we wanted to do. So, we just stayed in the neighborhood and walked about, taking it all in. We found a new place for lunch, then visited our favorite beach bar again. The big excitement of the day was not being able to log in to my blog. I could still access LTG on the ‘net, but I couldn’t perform my admin duties like writing new posts. Yeah, maybe someone’s prayers had been answered. Anyway, I contacted my blog host, and after an hour or so, they found a solution. And here I am again with the kind of content you’ve come to know and loathe love.
A Da Nang streetwalker.
We planned to go back to the 501 Bar, which we had discovered the night before, to give their food menu a try. Alas, they weren’t open for lunch. Along the way, I had spotted a place that featured “American BBQ,” so we retreated there for our lunch.
Authentic American sandwiches, you say……yet you spell “fovourites” like a Brit.I’m always up for a good pulled pork sandwich. I’d rate this one average at best.My side of coleslaw was even more disappointing. There’s more to slaw than chopped up cabbage.Swan said her wings were dry and appeared to have been frozen when put in the deep fryer (still pink around the bone).
Oh, well. We knew we had some authentic barbecue in our future — our dinner plans were for Dirty Fingers.
A brief visit to Maia for some beach views……then we headed back to the hotel.
I took a nap and finally got my blog access restored, then we showered up and headed out for some dinner at Dirty Fingers. It’s a couple of kilometers’ walk to get there, but that only enhances the appetite.
We passed through a mini-Koreatownalong the way.Don’t ask me……I haven’t got a clue.A kiss for luck and we are ready to order.A heaping helping of grilled meat platter.A closer look of our dinner for two.
Service was outstanding, and the food was as good as it looks. If I lived here, I’d be a Dirty Fingers regular for sure.
We decided to hoof it back to the 501 Bar for our nightcap. Owner Karl wasn’t there last night, but we still had an enjoyable visit.
This neighborhood would suit me as an expat.But we both agree, Da Nang is a nice place to visit, but we wouldn’t want to live here.Talk about street food, this guy set up his grill literally in the street. He appeared to be doing pretty good business, and no one got run over.
Oh, and I’ve switched to Google Maps to find my way around. Just for shits and giggles, I checked out an alternative route home:
That’s at least an hour too far.
The map app did give us an easy walk back to the hotel, and that’s where our night came to an end.
From the October 2016 LTG archives, I’ve landed in Thailand for the first time as I continue to explore where my future may lead me.
Today’s YouTube video discusses five reasons people avoid visiting Vietnam. I didn’t consider it as a retirement option, so I never came before my move to the Philippines. I do enjoy it here, but the Philippines is a better fit for my life’s final chapter.
To the humor we must go:
Ouch!Yeah, I got that same diagnosis.He’s on the lamb, but he ain’t no sheep.
And now for the rest of the last day. No real plans other than a river walk. Yep, ready to go home.
I didn’t go crazy yesterday, but I lost my Marbles. But I found them again, and paid a second visit. Last year, I explored the Marble Mountain caves inside entrance #1. This year, we walked to entrance #2 and started our climb from there.
One of the mountains as seen from the Grab car we hired to bring us from Da Nang, a mere 8 kilometers away.The line to enter the most popular cave was very long, but I’d been there and done that, so I moved on.A statue garden we saw along the way.The second entrance on the other side of the mountain was much less crowded.Let the climbing commence. Uneven stair steps only enhance the joy of ascending.A quick stop to catch our breath.Yep, more shrines.A view from the top.And another one.Peace be unto you.You ain’t got nothin’ on me!Nobody rubbed my belly, though.Nice architecture.Hello, there!Inside the cave.Where have you been all my life?Oh, sorry. I didn’t know she was your girlfriend. Put the sword away!And then I saw the light.Is that you, God?Where’s that do-over life you promised me?
Swan captured the moment on video:
Wait a minute…is that what it looks like? You can see the ocean from here.The wheel in the sky keeps on turning.A tower on the mountain.A dragon lair.Thank you for the blessings.
After our walkabout on Marbles, we rolled back to town in a taxi. We planned to grab some lunch at Paradise, the beach resto-bar across the road from our hotel. They were busy, and after sitting for several minutes with no acknowledgement, Swan got up and asked the bartender for menus. They didn’t do us any good, because no one came to take our order. We got up and left. I kinda sorta remembered a place further up the beach, so off we went. Turns out, it was a lot further than I thought, but on we trudged. And so we came to enjoy our first experience at the Espo Beach restaurant/brewery.
They were also busy, but we managed to score a table with a beach view. And the service was prompt.I had to give the Philly cheesesteak a try, and I was not disappointed.
After lunch, we walked back to our hotel on the beach so Swan could get her toes-in-the-sand fix.
The Espo Beach as seen from the beach.Swan loves the sand, I toed you so.
Some rest and recuperation, then it was time to begin our evening exploration on the backstreets of Da Nang.
We laughed at the name of this place.
After wandering around and not finding the bar I was looking for, we stopped in at the previously visited Game On bar.
The first beer of the day is always the best one. So far.Our Game On view.
We were still in the mood to explore, so after our drinks we hit the streets again.
And lo and behold, I discovered another bar district I didn’t know existed. I took this photo from a place called Corner Pub. When we couldn’t find a server, we crossed the road and gave the 501 Bar a try instead.It turned out to be a good choice. As soon as we sat down, the owner came over to greet us.That’s Karl from the UK. We had a very nice chat. He’s been in Da Nang for 8 years and is also part-owner of another bar called Shamrock.This sign was on the restroom door. It’s a relief to know that strangulation is not allowed.
I’ll definitely try to find my way back to 501 before we depart. I’d promised Swan some birria tacos for dinner, so we said our goodbyes and headed out.
I’d asked Karl about girly bars in DaNang. He said there are some places where the girls sit with you and earn lady-drink commissions. This is one of them. No idea what goes on in the Black Hole.It was nice to read the story of how Adobo came to be.They seem to be doing well; all the tables were full, inside and out.Damn, those tacos were beefy and delicious. Poor Swan won’t be able to get her weekly fix in Barretto now that John’s place is closed.I don’t recall the last time I’ve had churro, but it was a sweet after-dinner treat.
And then we trudged back to our hotel and got some shut-eye.
It is now October 2016 in the LTG archives, and this post covers some work happenings and the usual other bullshit.
For today’s YouTube video, let’s do five minutes of the Marble Mountain experience.
Humor time:
Should be easier to stick with the diet from the hospital.Bounced it off of her, eh?I guess it must be nice to have a Big Brother looking out for you.
And now it is time to move on with my next-to-last day here. We’ve pretty much seen and done all there is that we want to do, so it’s time to begin with the routines, I suppose.
Waiting for the morning southbound train.On the platform.And here she comes!All aboard!My first train ride since the Seoul-to-Busan bullet train all those years ago (other than a commuter train in Manila, the PI is devoid of this means of travel).Ah, so those motorbikes WILL stop for something after all.She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes…On the drive to Hue, we went over the mountain. The train took a lower route that included several tunnels.
And three hours after we began our journey, we pulled into the station at Da Nang. We took a Grab car back to the hotel we had stayed in last week, the Haian Beach Hotel. The gal at the check-in desk remembered us and gave us a hearty welcome back.
As we settled into our room, there was a knock on the door, and we were presented with this gift of fruit.
This is the nicest hotel I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying at: friendly staff, a great breakfast buffet, and comfortable rooms. The Haian is doing it right!
When you are staying across the street from the beach, it is only appropriate to go there, especially when the beach features our favorite beach bar, the Maia.
The Maia was packed, but a few minutes after our arrival, we got the seats and view we came for.It was surprising how much more crowded the beach was than last week. It’s warmer now, too.A zoom shot of the Lady Buddha statue on the hill across the water from us.
When it was time for some supper, we talked about making the hike out to Dirty Fingers, but decided to save that for another day. We walked a bit into town, and Swan declared she wanted another Fly Burger. Fine by me. Turns out, this joint with the disgusting name is quite highly rated.
Here’s a short bonus video so you can get a feel for the place:
I wasn’t in the mood for a burger, so I went with chicken nuggets.
They were the best damn nuggets I’ve ever had. The coleslaw was delicious, too.Swan enjoyed her fly burger too.
To tip or not to tip?
How could I refuse? And what have they got against Polish people?
We headed back towards the hotel after our meal, keeping our eyes open for a suitable nightcap venue. Not seeing anything appealing, we rode the hotel elevator to the 22nd floor and had a drink at the rooftop bar.
The view from the rooftop.The girl who joined me there.
And we were a short ride away from our 5th-floor room when our evening out came to a close.
It’s the end of September 2016 in the LTG archives, and it is also the end of another relationship. Go figure.
Today’s YouTube video shows the train ride I took, with better shots of the scenery (I was on the wrong side of the car for the best views). She mentions the Hai Van Pass, but the train doesn’t go that way; it takes a lower route. No way it would have made it up and over the mountain, even on the relatively small inclines we encountered, the train slowed to a crawl.
Let’s get these out of the way:
Well, you need gravity to mash potatoes, so…I didn’t mean to go out on a limb here.What a shitty thing to happen.
It’s only words, and words are all I have to post about the day…
Being fat and happy qualifies as hog heaven, right? We did a nice 7K hike to the former Imperial Palace and back without getting lost. Later, we took a boat cruise on the Perfume River (I didn’t smell a thing, though) and then had some dinner and drinks in the tourist section of Hue. Damn, three days in town and I’ve already reverted to routines. Oh well, at least they’re good ones.
Here are some photos from vacay day eleven:
A complimentary breakfast on the riverside to start the day. Nothing special about it other than the price.My girl is such a poser…Our destination is on the other side of that wall.Getting through that wall is a lot easier when traffic is light, as it was yesterday morning.We didn’t get blown away by the cannons either.I didn’t take notes about the former purpose of the buildings we saw. Sorry!The fish were hungry.This critter was kind enough not to attack Swan for posing again.Old buildings somehow make me feel younger.I did read that many of the buildings in the complex were destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Viet Cong were hiding out inside them, so the Americans bombed them.The survivors still look nice.Doggone it, Swan!Bang the drum……or ring the bell? Of course, we didn’t do either.Waterworks.A stair climb brought us here.That’s as close as we got to the building with the big flag.There she goes again!Then there was this demure Vietnamese girl in traditional clothing.The way we went.
Back to the hotel room for some R&R, then we headed out for our rivercruise.
I hope this Tet isn’t offensive.It was a small boat, but we had it all to ourselves. One hour for 300,000 dong ($11.50).On the river.That white building in the middle is our hotel, the Century Riverside.This gal was bathing in the river as we passed.Oh, and we brought some beer with us to enhance our river experience.On the banks of the Perfume.And I was keeping my eye on the sun.A temple on the riverside.Okay, let’s get this out of the way.Trying to hide?Bye for now.And that’s about the time our river ride came to an end. Swan said we got shorted on the hour we paid for, but I’d had enough and didn’t see any value in cruising in the dark.
Once we were back ashore, Swan went shopping for pasalubong (it’s a cultural thing, but basically souvenirs for family and friends back home) and I had a beer or two at DMZ bar while I waited for her to finish. When she rejoined me, we headed out to the backstreets of the tourist zone looking for some grub.
Do you want to try this place? I asked. Why not? she responded.That would be us…The view from our table.I decided to try the ga xao chua ngot.And Swan ordered the heo nuong ong tre.Oddly enough, my meal was both sweet and sour.Swan deemed her meal “spicy.”
When we were finished, we went back to DMZ for our nightcap, conveniently located right across the street from our hotel. And so our final night in Hue came to a close.
Still plodding along through the September 2016 LTG archives. In this post, I’ve got a new hiking buddy. Yep, I convinced Eun Oke to join me on a climb up to the Seoul Tower on Namsan. It wasn’t easy for her, but she made it. She seems so perfect for me. What could go wrong?
Speaking of Eun Oke, here’s a drawing she did of me. Talented girl, I look almost handsome!
For today’s YouTube video, let’s visit the Imperial City (aka The Citadel) during less peaceful times.
And now for the daily dose of humor:
Just let them whine.Time keeps on ticking, ticking, into the future…I heard it is better to be lucky than good.
I’m back in Da Nang again, so I reckon I’ll be picking up where I left off. Check back tomorrow to see how that works out for me.
The big adventure for day ten of my Vietnam visit was a quest to explore The Citadel, also known as the Imperial Palace. We failed in that attempt, mainly because my map app, Waze, led me astray. Nevertheless, we saw some parts of Hue we wouldn’t have otherwise visited, got in some extra steps, and passed by our intended destination on the return journey. So, now I know where the Citadel is located, and I learned not to trust Waze. No big deal, we found our way back there this morning.
I’ve got to hand it to this sculpture we saw while passing through a riverside park.A Swan in a shady spot.These kids and their teacher came running up to greet us as we passed by.Turns out they were English students, and they got to practice their greetings with a native speaker. Good job!Another statue in the park. Mother and child, ain’t that sweet?Wait a minute! What the hell is he doing back there? Well, I guess that’s one way to keep from having another baby.Crossing over the Perfume River.A marketplace on the other side of the river. This is where Waze first fucked with me. The Citadel is to the left; it had me turn right here.I’m not sure what this is supposed to be, but there it is.Insane motorbike traffic (going in both directions) made passing through that narrow wall opening on foot more than a little scary. And yeah, I figured the wall meant we were close to the Imperial City, but alas, that proved not to be the case.We did see another temple-like structure.And damn, Kevin Kim is a big man around here. Or a dead one.A bridge we didn’t take. About 500 meters further up the narrow road we were walking, Waze announced we had arrived at our destination. Except there was nothing there other than a couple of decrepit houses. Fuck you, Waze!
I plotted a course back to the hotel using Google Maps, and off we went.
We passed through another narrow wall opening, but this one didn’t have a traffic jam to navigate through.Y not?Our route home took us past our intended destination. We decided to save it for today.Back on the river.Our hotel is on the other side of that bridge.
Back to the room for some rest, a blog post, and a shower. Then, we were off again.
All dressed up and ready for dinner.A river cruise is on our agenda for later today.We saw this floating restaurant on our morning walk, so we decided to come back and give it a try. It’s up on the roof.We were the only customers, but they were setting up for a big birthday celebration later in the evening.The river view from our table.My first beer of the day. I’m becoming quite fond of Huda. And they had wine in Swan’s favorite flavor.Pork on a stick for Swan……fish and chips for me. Neither was anything special, but they filled a void.
After our meal, we took a stroll through the tourist district, but didn’t see anything that enticed us to stop. So, we ensconced ourselves at the DMZ and enjoyed some additional alcoholic beverages before crossing the highway to the hotel and calling it a night.
The idiot vlogger Vitaly has been deported from the Philippines (and he’s damn lucky they didn’t hold him in jail for years pending trial). I saw this on Facebook this morning, and if it is legit, he’s still an asshole.
From the September 2016 LTG archives is the final chapter of my taking sand to the beach experience with the Korean girlfriend, Eun Oke.
Today’s YouTube video is a walking tour of some of the buildings in the Imperial City complex. I’ll share my photos in tomorrow’s post.
Time for the smiley part:
Hope he didn’t get the short end of the rope.It’s what’s inside that counts.You can get arrested for shoplifting!
Here’s the song my nephew sang at the gathering after my mother’s funeral:
My hotel is located right in the middle of where the action was almost fifty-eight years ago (near the gray square).
My first impressions of Hue are generally positive. I’m still in the tourist zone, but it’s not as oppressive as the one I experienced in Hoi An. Getting here took almost four hours, including a twisty-turny drive over a mountain. Saw plenty of nice scenery along the way, so no real complaints in that regard. Found some nice bars and restaurants in the backstreets near our hotel last night, and the exploration of which has just begun! One nice thing they do is close those roads to vehicle traffic after 6 p.m., allowing safer stumbling walking about.
Here are some photos of the getting here and our first evening out:
That mountain between Da Nang and Hue we had to cross.The Hai Van Gate is at the summit.You can read more about it at the link above.One of the fortifications.The ocean view on a hazy day.Who needs a shitty map?Coming down the mountain.An interesting-looking village we passed along the way.When you gotta go, you gotta go.Finally made it to our hotel in Hue.The view from our room.The DMZ, a restaurant/bar, is conveniently located right across the road from our hotel.I chuckled over this name and thought of It Doesn’t Matter back home.No thanks, I read the book.Looks like my kind of place.Nice ambiance upstairs at Browneyes.My blue-eyed view from Browneyes.At the dinner hour, we moved to the HotTuna and enjoyed the street view as an appetizer. I asked our waitress if they served cold tuna, but the language barrier aborted my attempt at humor.Some of the local food offerings at HotTuna.We had something called calamari……and grilled pork ribs. Talk about stepping outside the comfort zone!An after-dinner nightcap at DMZ.And then we climbed the stairway to heaven and called it a night.
A good day so far, despite getting lost on our hike this morning. Two more nights to go here.
And in news from home:
As I suspected, John’s place in Barretto is closing. The new location is going to be in Olongapo City, way out of my reach. It was good while it lasted. Thanks for the memories.
Back to the September 2016 LTG archives for part 3 of the bringing sand to the beach adventure.
Today’s YouTube video features combat footage from the Tet Offensive back in 1968—some of the heaviest US casualties of the war in that battle. I can’t help but think about all those who died here while I’m living the high life on the streets where blood was spilled. You can read the gory details here if you are so inclined.
And now for today’s lame attempts at humor:
Did you get a spanking?Well, I’m an old man with bladder control issues. Yeah, ever been to Switzeland?
A rather laid-back day there in Hoi An yesterday. In fact, it was almost Barretto-like: a morning hike and an evening in the bars. There is nothing wrong with Hoi An, which might explain why the streets are packed with tourists. I can’t complain about that since I am one too, but honestly, I think it would make it hard for me to live here as an expat. Then again, it is likely the expat community has its own side of town away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist district. The locals here do seem much friendlier than those I observed in Da Nang.
On with the day. It was a little over 5K from the hotel to the beach. Traffic isn’t so bad here, but you do have to maintain situational awareness, especially with the omnipresent motorbikes racing about. We began in the “old town” district near the riverside, then passed through some rice fields before reaching the beachside urbanization. Here’s some of what we saw along the way:
Over the river near our hotel.Hoi An has a history of being a major trading center (mostly spice exports) with the Chinese back in the olden days.The streets of old town are full of shops catering to tourists.One of the temples we passed along the way.This is the first McDonald’s I’ve encountered on this trip. It’s like no other McDonald’s I’ve ever seen. No drive-thru, no parking, and housed in an old building. There’s also a KFC next door. It seems so weirdly out of place.This park enticed us in for a quick look around.I couldn’t find anything about this guy in a Google search (everything was in Vietnamese), but the placard said he was a scholar who became a leader opposed to French colonization and was executed for his resistance.That’s what my mama called me sometimes.Through the paddies…What do they call a carabao in Vietnam?Even out here in farm country, they have set traps for the tourists.Working for a living.My first thought when I saw those houses was, “We must be getting close to the ocean.”A river runs through it.Life on the river.Where’s the beef?Destination achieved!I saw zero locals on the beach.You can see Da Nang from here. That’s a zoom shot.We found a cozy place to grab some lunch and enjoy the beach view.“I blew out my flipflop, stepped on a pop top, cut my heel, had to cruise on back home…”When is the last time you’ve seen one of those?The route of our journey. We took a cab back to the hotel.This fat fuck was hanging out in our hotel lobby.
At the appointed hour, Swan and I headed out to do some exploring and find a place to grab dinner.
I wasn’t in the mood for colonial food.Um, no thank you.Off with our heads?A very friendly young Aussie guywelcomed us to the restaurant.I was craving some pulled pork, but had never seen it on a bed of fries. Sure, why not?Hmm, more fries than pork. It tasted alright, though.The view from our table
Oh, and there was a vendor next door selling something called “smoke ice cream.” Swan wanted to give it a try.
Neither of us liked it much.
Lantern boats on the river.
We decided to go back to the LyLy pub for some drinks and music. We were welcomed there like regulars.
The same trio from last night was performing. I asked our waitress where the singer was from, and she said, “Vietnam.” In my defense, did say “kamsamnida” when people applauded at the end of a song. A Vietnamese girl who speaks good English and knows some Korean. Wow! What are the odds?
Here’s a song for you:
Then we moved on to the Bob Marley bar for our nightcap.
They remembered us here, too.
Here’s the Marley’s duo (Filipinos) doing a song:
And now I have arrived in the historic city of Hue (pronounced “Who”), where I will be spending the next three days. First time here, so it will be fun to explore some.
In today’s entry from the September 2016 LTG archives, the story of my taking sand to the beach in the Philippines continues.
Today’s YouTube video is an introduction to the things to see and do in Hue. I’ve never heard “Hue” pronounced as “He” before, but then again, I’ve been calling it “Hew” for as long as I can remember.
Now for the funny business:
Something doesn’t add up…Just turn the page.Aren’t they all?
I know someone who would be PERFECT for that role!
One week done, and one more to go. So far, it’s been a good time. I’m writing this post from the lovely river town of Hoi An. I’m honestly shocked to be surrounded by so many tourists in this area, many of them young couples. Lots of old-timer couples, too. It is probably the laid-back atmosphere here that makes it more desirable for some than Da Nang’s big-city vibes. Whatever, it is what it is, and I like both.
On the way here, we made a side-trip to visit My Son (pronounced Me Sohn), the site of ancient Hindu temple ruins. Until I read the history at the link above, I was not aware of why this area was so historically significant. Life is for learning, and I learned something new.
Oh, and best of all, it is not cold here! It is nice to be comfortably out and about in short sleeves again.
Let’s get to those heavenly photos, shall we?
A foggy morning as we said goodbye to Ba Na Hills.Into the cable car for the ride back down to the lowlands.I have a slight case of acrophobia, so looking down while our car was swaying made me a tad lightheaded.Swan had the barf bag ready just in case I needed it. I didn’t.Gettin’ down!I have no idea what this water was angry about, but it was ragin’.On the road to My Son.And here we be.A cart ride to the starting area.I would estimate that half of our fellow tourists were from India.Let’s go check out these ruins.Swan ain’t afraid of no ghosts.We saw a few monkeys along the way.Ruins, ruins, everywhere there’s ruins…Hello, there.I guess they had monkeys back then, too.A bridge too far. Meaning I didn’t take it.
As I said, the viewing might have been more interesting to see if I had known some of the history beforehand—still, not a bad experience. Our driver was waiting to carry us onward to Hoi An, about an hour away.
Checking in at the Lantana Hotel, right on the riverfront.My room came equipped with this high-tech device. I’m not sure how it works.
I must say, I have never seen such attentive, caring, and friendly staff before. At the reception, a woman sat with us and explained all the amenities available during our stay. This morning, when Swan and I were plotting our course to the beach, the receptionist came out, asked us where we were going, showed us on our map app, and suggested an alternate street where we would see more historic buildings. Thank you for that!
Hoi An is a tourist town, which means being besieged by vendors.This one was very friendly, even though I couldn’t understand a word she said.The Hoi An River slices through the middle of town.These boats offer “lantern tours” when the sun goes down.
It was beer o’clock, and we were thirsty. Where can we get a drink around here?
The riverwalk has numerous bars to choose from, some with live music. No dancing girl bars, not that that matters.We made the LyLy Irish Pub our first stop.That’s a Tiger in that Magners glass.Then I saw they had a “buy one, get one” happy hour deal, so I switched to bottles.The LyLy street view. No cars are allowed on this section of road, which makes it much more pleasant for everyone. Well, except for drivers.Our next stop was the Bob Marley bar. They had live music, and the singer did a pretty good job singing some Marley tunes.Those lantern boats I mentioned.Us chilling at Marley’s.
We’d seen a rooftop place called Sky Bar and decided to give it a try.
A sexy tree grows in Hoi An.Like a bridge over troubled waters.Swan says Sky Bar is right up this alley.
Yikes! Four floors of dicey stairs. And you have to duck at the top before entering the bar. They are even worse coming back down. I figured this must be an expat hangout since it is off the main drag and a pain in the ass to get to.
Despite the obstacles, Sky Bar had a good crowd last night.A Sky Bar view.And another.
It was time to get some grub, and Jeff liked the menu at LyLy, so we overcame the stairs and headed back to where we had started.
We are back!And the live music had begun. This gal had a fantastic voice and sang in perfect English. I don’t think she is Vietnamese, though. She looks Korean.Our pub fare included chicken nuggets……and fried shrimp.
I’d reached my limit, so we bid goodnight to Jeff and Davina and headed back to the room.
Onward to September 2016 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I recount the happenings of the first day in the Philippines with my Korean girlfriend.
Today’s YouTube video is a vlogger walking around An Bang Beach, the one Swan and I hiked to this morning. Nothing all that exciting in the video, but at least you can see what things look like around there.
And you knew these were coming:
What’s up, Doc?Hard to argue with that logic.Puns like this should be against the law.
Alright, I’ll stop now—time to get on with the rest of day eight.
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a heating unit. I was very thankful for this one in my hotel room last night.
Damn, it’s been cold. I’ve become acclimated to the heat of the Philippines, and my body hasn’t responded well to the chilly winds at my current nearly mile-high altitude. All I have are shorts, but I’m thankful for that long-sleeved sweatshirt I purchased in Da Nang. Anyway, this too shall pass. We are heading down the mountain to Hoi An this morning for the next phase of our Vietnam adventure.
As for Ba Na Hills, I’ve never experienced anything quite like this place (other than my visit here last year). It’s got a unique beauty, and the buildings bring the vibe of a French village from long ago. If you are curious about the history of this area, here’s a good place to start.
We covered a lot of ground taking it all in yesterday, and I’ve got the photos to prove it:
Up at dawn, once again hoping to catch the ocean sunrise in Da Nang, only to be disappointed by the clouds hiding the sun. On the road to Ba Na Hills.Ba Na is around 35K from Da Nang.The only way to the top of the mountain is by cable car…the longest cable ride in the world. With our bags and us, we filled the car.Up, up, and away. (Yeah, this is actually looking down from where we started.Almost to the top.The highlights of being a tourist.
Dropped our bags at the Mercure Hotel (the only one on the mountain) and had three hours to kill before check-in. Here’s the sights we took in as we wandered about:
Reach out and touch someone.Yes, she’s my world.Pretty in pink.So many castles, so little time.Swan in a big red dress.Rock on!Don’t mess with me, motherfucker!Some nice pussy up here.We took a short cable car ride to check out the famous Golden Bridge.That would be it.I’ve got to hand it to ya…Then we toured the old French wine cellars.A wine lover in her element.The tour admission fee included a glass of wine at the end.On with the exploration.That guy in the back looks familiar.Dragon the line.Don’t monkey with me!The view from here.Another nice view.Take a picture, it lasts longer.Her name must be McDonald…the original Golden Archer.
It was time for some lunch (and beer), so we headed to the brewery.
My hero!Something’s brewing down there.The place was packed.Swan and I shared this platter.Let’s eat!
After lunch, it was time to check into our hotel rooms.
Nothing like being greeted on the TV screen.
Rooms were clean and comfortable. I got in a blog post and a nap before it was time to head out and meet up with Jeff and Davina again. I was surprised that so many places were closing at 6 p.m. (or earlier). I guess it really is the slow season, but damn, why book a room on the mountain if there is nowhere to go at night?
We did find this cozy bar close to our hotel that stayed up until 9:30.And our hotel bar was open until midnight, so we didn’t have to go without.The bar was at the bottom of these stairs. It felt almost like walking into a cave.But it was actually very nice inside.The fish and chips we had for dinner were surprisingly delicious!Ba Na Hills is quite a sight after dark.
Speaking of dark, I woke up at 4:30 and peeked outside the window. I asked Swan if she wanted to take a stroll with me for a better look around. She did.
It felt like a zombie apocalypse.Scary shit in the shadows.The end of the world as we know it?
Well, we made it back to our room without seeing any walking dead, so there’s that. It was a really creepy morning, though.
And now I’m writing this post from the lovely town of Hoi An. I’ll tell you all about the getting here and how things are going tomorrow.
The last post in the LTG archives from August 2016 features a recounting of meeting the American Ambassador to Korea in my new suit, having some birthday shots with friends at Shenanigans, and a brief mention of my upcoming trip to the Philippines that would include my new Korean girlfriend. They call that bringing sand to the beach. We’ll find out how that went soon.
Today’s YouTube video is all about where I am now. I visited here for a few hours last year and knew I wanted to come back when I had more time. Let’s see how two nights work out for me.
Maybe I can put a smile on your face with these:
I know what I saw lit me up.Imagine that.He’s on the sheep but he ain’t no lamb.
It turns out that Hemingway was commatose, just like me! A great short story that really touched me deep in my soul. It’s an easy read, go see for yourself.
Day five was pretty laid back, almost like being home. An 8K walk to the Han River and back, then some barhopping with a nice dinner at the end. The pictures tell the story better than I can.
Went to the beach at 6 a.m., hoping for a sunrise. Alas, the clouds said no.That’s the best shot I could get.
On with the walk:
I had to do a double-take when I saw this signage. I thought it was something more presidential at first.Seeing this really got my goat.Swan is such a poser sometimes.Who gives a rat’s ass?Made it to the river.I couldn’t bear to look.Then we came upon this nice paved road that was blocked to everything but pedestrian traffic. We decided to see where it led.Ah, a bridge over the river without any cars. Nice!The side of the river we had been on.The bridge that presumably replaced the one we were walking on.On the other side of the bridge was a nice commie park.Peaceful and well-maintained.A sculpture that caught my eye.Moving upriver, we came to the Dragon Bridge and decided to cross back over to our side of town.Ridin’ the dragon.Lucky for us, it wasn’t breathing fire yesterday.Heading back down to the riverside.We were getting hungry, but I wasn’t in the mood for sour kraut.A temple we passed along the way.As I said, we were hungry, so we figured we’d see what a Fly Burger was like.The 95 is 95,000 dong, around $3.50. Oh, and it turns out the meat was beef, not fly.Swan enjoyed her Fly Burger.And my chicken burger was tasty, too.
Back to the room for a shower and nap, then it was time to meet up with Jeff and Davina to enjoy our last night in Da Nang until next week.
We kicked things off at our favorite beach bar.Another clean, well-lighted place. I mean that Ernestly.The view from our seats.The view of us in our seats.Our next stop was a first for us, a joint called Game On. It was pleasant with nice street views, just the way I like it.My favorite Vietnamese beer, Huda, served in a San Miguel mug. The best of both worlds!Game On!Our next stop was a place called Loco Tay.Hmm…Some impressive artwork adorned the walls at Loco Tay.Now you tell me!That would be us.We were planning to go here for some shawarma eats, but alas, they didn’t serve alcoholic beverages. Thanks, but no thanks. We were on a roll.So we went around the corner to this open air food court.They even had live music.And my favorite local beer.I snacked on some wings.While Swan ate the feet.Dinner brought our pleasant evening out to a close.
And early this morning, we checked out of the hotel and headed for the hills.
Still plodding through the August 2016 LTG archives. It is amazing to see what a difference ten years can make. But at least my journey continues to continue.
Today’s YouTube video is all about those hills I mentioned, Ba Na. It’s an amazing place and I’m glad for the opportunity to have more time to explore it this trip.
To the humor we must go.
Another stinky joke.Stop, you’re killing me!Hard to argue with the math.
Alright, I need to go out and enjoy myself in this fantastic place I’m at. Tell you all about tomorrow, time permitting.
I agree! Those young bucks need to back off and let us old fuckers have some fun with those sweet lasses!
Yesterday featured a walk, a cruise, and beer. Lots of beer! Let me show you what I mean.
After a couple of kilometers down the beach road, I turned left, thinking it would lead to the Han River. Turns out I was wrong about that. Or maybe I gave up too soon. I’ll try to find it again today.A couple of elephants.A Swan.And whatever the hell that’s supposed to be.A lion or tiger, perhaps?I didn’t eat here (yet).But we did give this place a try.OMG! They had birria tacos! And guacamole, just the way Swan likes it. They were damn good, too.That’s probably the biggest burrito I ever did see.Open wide!That’s what the innards looked like. Yep, those are fries inside, another first.We stopped in here to see if I could find a long-sleeve sweatshirt in my size.Yeah, it gets chilly at night this time of year, and we are heading up into the Ba Na Hills tomorrow.This one fit, so I bought it.Our loop was a tad over 5K. I’ll try for the river walk again today.
After a nap and a shower, we met up with Jeff and Davina for our river cruise. We couldn’t board until 7 p.m., so we checked out some of the bars down by the river.
Our first stop.Very large and well-appointed. A nice selection of craft beers, too.This place has a definite expat vibe about it. If I’m not mistaken, it‘ is Aussie-owned.
The signage in Bamboo’s restroom was also worth a couple of photos:
Wipe that smile off your face!Yep, that’s the wrong kind of lump in your pants.
Then we made our way along the river towards the boat dock.
A clean well-lighted place.The Marriott Hotel pays homage to its communist overseers.A Swan on the river.There she is again!One last beer at the Novotel before heading to the riverboat.The riverboat dock.Just like last year, we were booked on the Poseidon for our river adventure.Our table on the bow of the Poseidon.A heavenly view.We even saw Chloe, our waitress from last year,and she remembered us, too. The first of many Larue beers consumed during our two hours onboard. Two bottles of wine for Davina and Swan.Cheers!
After a decent dinner was served (Swan and I had the salmon), it was time for the cultural dancers to perform.
The live music…And those dancers I mentioned.
Here’s a short video of the dancing you might enjoy:
Thanks for the show, ladies!
Then it was time to hit the Han River:
Off we go!The lights of the city.Heading for that Dragon Bridge.There it be.And it’s a fire-breathing dragon.I guess the dragon spits but doesn’t swallow.
So, the cruise ended at 9:30 local time, which makes it 10:30 back home. My body had had enough fun for one day, so Swan and I caught a cab to the hotel. I think I did okay for an old guy.
In the LTG archives, it’s August 27, 2016, and I turned 61. The post has all the songs I like about growing older. Hey, it must have worked, because almost 10 years later, I’m still getting old.
Today’s YouTube video is a short (less than four minutes) presentation about the realities of Da Nang nightlife. It is spot on, at least from my limited experience here. Nothing like you are going to find in the bars of Barretto or Angeles City. The good thing is, I prefer the laid-back chill atmosphere that is in abundance here.
And that leads us to these:
That absolutely stinks!That’s gonna be some stinky ink.When he gets fired, he won’t have a wok to piss in.
And now for day five of the Vietnam experience. No specific plans for today other than a walk/exploration. Hopefully, I’ll spot a new place to try for dinner. We leave Da Nang proper tomorrow morning and will spend a night up high in the Ba Na Hills. I’ve been looking forward to that the most on our vacation itinerary. After that, we have stays in Hoi An and Hue before returning to Da Nang next week. Let the adventure continue!
Things don’t always go as planned, but they still go. The river cruise didn’t happen yesterday because we discovered that the early trip (5:30 to 7:00) doesn’t operate this time of the year. We’ll be doing the later cruise (7:00 to 9:30) tonight instead. We did take Jeff and Davina to the banh mi sandwich shop for lunch so they could enjoy that Vietnamese delicacy for the first time. They seemed to enjoy them. After the meal, we went our separate ways, with J&D going back to the riverside of town to see a museum and a cathedral. Swan and I opted to hike the boardwalk along the beach in the opposite direction from our hotel. Afterwards, we hit our favorite beach bar, Maia. For dinner, we went back to Dirty Fingers. Afterwards, we had a nightcap at the bar on the 24th floor of the Rosario Hotel. I deem it a good day.
See for yourself:
The beach view from our hotel room is minimal, but we caught a glimpse of the sunrise. We’ll try to hit the beach tomorrow morning and see the whole show.My complimentary breakfast to kick off the day.The hotel restaurant offers a Vietnamese cooking class.None for me, thanks.Eating Vietnamese style.The famous banh mi sandwich.Time for the beach walk, without toes in the sand.The Paradise Beach Bar is across the street from our hotel and is always busy.I’m glad Swan isn’t named Ann, otherwise reading this sign out loud would be dangerous!Hazy skies and rough waters. That flag is a “red warning” about not swimming.I haven’t been inside that building that looks like a cave yet. It’s on my to-do list, though.A beach bar we also haven’t tried yet.It’s always nice to see a pickup truck older than I am.There’s something fishy going on here.Damn, that’s a big bar. Mostly empty in the late afternoon.I wonder if Phuc Long Hotel translates to something like Hotel Viagra,Da Nang is known for its sunny beaches.Back to our favorite beach bar for some after-hike refreshments.That hits the spot!The view from our first seats at Maia.When another table vacated, we were able to move closer to the beach.Livin’ large, in more ways than one.The sign that greeted us as we arrived at Dirty Fingers for some grub.We were in the mood for some grilled meat.And the chicken and pork rib hit the spot.Satisfied diners.A street walk and elevator ride brought us here.Looking down from the 24th floor.Cheers!
And we let it be after that and headed to our hotel room to end our third day in Da Nang.
It is still August 2016 in the LTG archives, and big bad John declares himself to be in a relationship. When will he ever learn?
Today’s YouTube video is about the Da Nang nightlife scene. We’ll be taking the Han River cruise and visiting the Sky 36 rooftop bar this evening. One thing you don’t see here is girly bars.
And let’s see how you like these:
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.Don’t plug him in the wrong socket.I guess he stepped into that one.
Alright, Swan and I are going to hike on the other side of the river this afternoon, then we’ll meet up with Jeff and Davina (they rented bikes today) and head out for our river cruise. It’s an hour earlier here than back home, so this will be a late night for me. Wish me luck!
I went to the help desk at my blog host, HostGator, to find out why I couldn’t log on to LTG, nor could my readers. Here’s the highlights from that encounter:
Agent: Hello John Welcome to HostGator! This is Aries, your Business Consultant. How can I help you today?
Me: I can’t access my webpage.
Agent: Yes, I’ll be happy to check your account and see what options we have to help. Let me pull up your account first
Agent: It shows that your website requires a premium SSL to fully encrypt and verify your website. We can add a premium Single Domain SSL to your website MCCRAREY.COM for only $39.96 for 1 year
Me: I already purchased the premium version of SiteLock.
Agent: SiteLock is for protection against malware. The SSL certificate is for the encryption and verification of the data on your website. The error that you are currently seeing right now is not because of malware. It’s the lack of encryption provided by an SSL
Me: And as my blog host, Hostgator can’t restore access to my website?
Agent: Alright. Let me transfer you over to our Support team for further assistance with this. Please stay on the chat. Thank you
Agent: Hello. I’m Krithika. Welcome to Live Chat. I’ll definitely assist you with today.
Me: (I explained the issue again.)
Agent: that is SSL error, not malware. did you configure SSL in sitelock?
Me: I’m totally ignorant when it comes to technology.
Agent: you are refering to this website mccrarey.com only right?
Me: Yes, that is my only website.
Agent: Okay. Please give me 4-5 minutes of hold
Me: Okay, thanks for your help.
Agent: Most welcome. Thank you for holding. I have uploaded SSL certificate to sitelock dashboard. please give it 15-20 minutes and check, website should be working
And it worked! Mostly. I still have this when I visit the site:
Oh, well. I’ll work on that later. Let’s get to the good stuff. Here’s the story of Day 2 in the lovely city of Da Nang:
I’m on the 11th floor of HaianBeach Resort. The room is clean and comfortable, but doesn’t face the beach. Oh, and that crane is working on building a new high-rise next door. Must be a rush job because I could hear them late into the night.The room comes with a complimentary breakfast buffet. Damn, this is the best and biggest buffet I’ve ever seen. That’s what I had the first day, plenty more things to choose from during the rest of my stay.Happy breakfast diners.
Oh, and Kevin, I met this guy in the hotel lobby:
Buddha ain’t got nothin’ on me!
We met up with fellow travelers Jeff and Davina in the afternoon and took a stroll down the beach road to a place we had spotted the previous day.
The Hoy O Cafe just recently opened.A large open-air restobar with a very nice ambiance.Several old-fashioned electric bicycles were decoratively placed throughout the restaurant. And yes, I’m old enough to remember seeing those when I was a kid.Hoy O also features this fancy wood-fired pizza oven.That would be us.Jeff and Davina had pizza. Swan and I were still full from breakfast and snacked on the chicken wings.
We enjoyed our lunch and, as time permits, might visit again. After eating, Jeff suggested we check out the September 2 Memorial. Called a Grab car to take us to the other side of the river, and off we went.
The September 2 Monument “offers visitors a serene space to reflect on Vietnam’s journey towards independence and resilience.“The view from the monument. Yes, that’s a Swan down there.Having seen what we came for, we decided to take a hike and see what else there was to see.An amusement park with the biggest Ferris wheel I ever did see.A wise man.Not sure what that’s all about.Pickleball is a thing here, apparently.A beer club, you say? Can I join?A little taste of home. To be fair, this was in a side street parking area.Our walk on the riverside was quite pleasant.You talking to me? And where are the “do” things you mention?The famous Dragon Bridge. It blows fire on the weekend.Another dragon?Why yes, yes I do!Hello there!The “A’s” have it!A Swan in the garden.Okay, now I’m thirsty.Luckily, we passed a bar. I had to pee anyway, and why not enjoy a local brew in a San Miguel holder?Making our way through the backstreets to visit a Catholic cathedral. Alas, Mass was in session, so we didn’t get in.We may have lost the war, but American culture still permeates. If I’m not mistaken, those are characters from “The Big Lebowski.”This oddly shaped building caught my eye.
After a 6K stroll, we grabbed a Grab ride back to the hotel.
Over the bridge at rush hour in Da Nang.
We regrouped later and went up to the pool bar on the 22nd floor for some before-dinner beverages.
We had the misfortune of being seated next to this large and loud group playing that game, the name of which I don’t recall…it’s sort of like soccer, I think.The views from up there were nice……sundown in the city.
We decided to walk to a restaurant Jeff and Davina had spotted on a previous visit. I enjoy getting off the busy boulevards and onto the backstreets and seeing new places.
Thank goodness we weren’t going here. I imagined taking a bite of my burger and saying, “Waiter! This isn’t beef! What kind of meat is this?” Sir, you are having a fly burger.This is where we ate.A huge place.Let’s do this!I went with grilled pork and got to eat with chopsticks for the first time in quite a while.
After dinner, Jeff and Davina went for a massage, and Swan and I headed for the beach.
Saw this old bug along the way.We did our nightcap at the Maia Beach Bar. Had this DJ blocking the view, but he spun some good music (all instrumental and at an appropriate volume).
We chatted a bit with our waitress and, despite the language barrier, came to understand that this is low season for tourism here, “too cold,” she said. She also confirmed that the tide is higher than it is in the summer, reducing the beach space.
Then, a short stroll back to our hotel, and day two of our trip was complete.
Still in August 2016 of the LTG archives, and in this post, I shared the photos from an evening out with my new girlfriend, Eun Oke. I cooked dinner for her, then we did an Itaewon bar crawl. You can’t have an ending without a beginning.
She was nice when sober.
Let’s see some more of Da Nang in today’s YouTube video. I’ll be seeing all of this and more before the trip is through.
And now let’s get this out of the way:
A great grammar shark for sure!You are better off without that smokin’ bitch anyway, Dan.Yeah, that comma after wife isn’t funny.
So, now it’s time to get on with day three of the vacay. Going to introduce Jeff to his first banh mi sandwich for lunch. Later, we plan on taking a cruise on the Han River (no, not that one in Seoul). After that, we’ll see. Check back here tomorrow if you are curious.
Greetings from the lovely city of Da Nang, where litter-free streets abound! Getting here proved to be quite the adventure, but it all worked out in the end. I’m about ready to get out and do some exploring, so here’s a quick recap on the way things went down yesterday.
Left for Manila a little before 5 a.m. with my fellow travelers, neighbors Jeff and Davina. We’d made arrangements with my landlord to park Jeff’s car at her house to avoid the exorbitant parking fees at the Manila airport. We arrived without incident (other than the notorious Manila traffic), parked, then called a Grab car to transport us to the airport. Again, other than traffic, we encountered no difficulties and made it to the airport just before 9 a.m. for our flight scheduled to depart at 11:55.
When I reached the check-in counter, the agent asked to see my Vietnam visa. After looking it over, she showed it to the agent next to her, then returned it to me and processed my boarding pass. Then she asked to see my visa again, chatted with the other agent again, and then asked about the duration of my stay, since only my arrival date was listed on the visa. I explained that I had been told that Vietnam immigration would enter that date. She nodded and handed me my boarding pass. I exhaled a sigh of relief.
I had a Subway sandwich for the first time in years for breakfast/lunch and proceeded to my boarding gate to await departure. They began boarding early, and we departed the airport ahead of schedule. I was exhausted for some reason and fell asleep before takeoff, then woke thirty minutes or so into the two-and-a-half-hour flight to Da Nang. When I got up to pee, I noted something that had never happened before in all my years as a frequent flyer: I hadn’t fastened my seatbelt before we took off. Swan says the flight attendant walked by checking, but must have assumed my seatbelt was on, hidden by the protrusion of my big-ass belly. Oh, well. I survived the breach of safety protocols, and our plane landed in Da Nang at 1 p.m. local time (Da Nang is 1 hour ahead of the Philippines).
Da Nang is a tourist hotspot, and the immigration lines were among the longest I’ve ever seen. It took me forty minutes to get to my turn with the officer. I gave him my passport and visa. He looked at the visa and started punching stuff into the computer. He paused, then took another long look at the visa. He pointed to the date, which I thought was the arrival date, and he told me it was the departure date. So, my visa had expired. I tried to explain, but he wasn’t interested and called someone over to escort me to a desk in the back. The officer there reviewed my paperwork, took my passport, and told me to take a seat and wait.
Ten minutes later, a couple of women in Philippines Air uniforms approached and asked to see my return flight information. They took my paperwork and walked away. Oh shit, I’m going to be deported! They returned after a bit and had me follow them to the visa on arrivals desk at immigration. Americans are not eligible for a visa on arrival, but apparently, an exception was going to be made for me. I had to fill out a new visa application (in duplicate), and I was so stressed that my hands were shaking. Then, out of nowhere, a young man in civilian clothes told me he was there to assist me in getting my visa approved. But it was going to cost me $135, around three million Vietnamese dong. I asked if I could use a credit card, but he said no. I said I’d need to go to an ATM, but since I couldn’t leave the immigration area, that wasn’t possible. I had given Swan four million dong I had gotten at an exchange booth in Manila. She was anxiously waiting in the baggage claim area for my situation to be resolved, so I sent the “agent/fixer” over there. Jeff had dong from his previous trip, and gave the necessary funds to secure my visa. Once the money had changed hands and the visa was issued, I was a free man again.
We got our bags, I hit an ATM to repay Jeff, and we caught a Grab ride to our hotel. I deny being an alcoholic, but after the shit I’d been through, I needed a beer big time. We put our bags in the room, then crossed the road to the Paradise Beach Bar, which I had enjoyed on my previous trip here. And guess what? It was chilly outside. All I packed were shorts and light shirts, but I’ll be shopping for a sweatshirt before we head up for our stay in the Ba Na Hills. It’s not cold-cold like winter, but it’s still uncomfortable for someone who’s become acclimated to the heat in the Philippines.
After a couple of extra cold beers, we took a twenty-minute walk along the beach road to my favorite eatery from last trip, Dirty Fingers. Still as good as ever. Then we headed back towards our hotel and stopped at the Roadside Bar for a nightcap. A couple more beers, and I had had all that I could handle, so we said goodnight to Jeff and Davina and made it safely back to our room.
Oh yeah, something went wrong with my blog, and I wasn’t able to log on yesterday. I understand my reader(s) were blocked as well. Hopefully, that issue has now been resolved.
And now you know the story of the first day of my trip. Here are some photos from the adventure:
Heading into Manila.We have arrived on the mean streets of my least favorite city in the Philippines.What’s to like?Well, they do have a train here, and look at that, a Wendy’s billboard! It’s been a long time since I saw a Wendy’s.I had an old hundred-dollar bill that I hadn’t been able to exchange in Barretto, but they gave me 2 million dong for it at the airport. I made Swan a millionaire!The bird that flew us to Vietnam.The bird I flew with.Lunch is served!Happy travelers.The angry sea on a chilly afternoon in Da Nang.Waiting for the beer to cure what ails me.Life’s a beach sometimes.That’s better!Give your girl a couple of million dong, and suddenly she wants to take this picture. Go figure.Love this place.We may not have won the war, but we can eat like we did.Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear.The menu beckons.Swan and I shared an order of pulled pork quesadillas……and lemon grass chicken wings. Both were delicious!Hmm, I didn’t see that on the menu.Walked by this place, but didn’t walk in.We enjoyed our visit to the Roadhouse American Diner.The beer here seemed to make sense.You talking to me?
Yep, it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for today.
Still in the August 2016 LTG archives, and work sucks, I’m walking and playing darts, and some new craziness has arrived in my life in the form of a gal named Eun Oke.
I haven’t had time to watch today’s YouTube video about Da Nang, but here it is if you are interested.
Laughter is better than tears:
Great minds think alike!A lion ass cheetah, you say?Why, is Jack off?
Alright, when I think about how screwed I’d have been if I had been kicked out of the country yesterday, I don’t mind paying the price to have my stupidity with that flawed visa rectified. I consider myself lucky. That stress from the blog malfunction added to the misery, but it seems I’ve overcome that as well, at least for now. So, let’s get on with the exploration!
I woke up at 3 a.m. after having set my alarm for 4. It’s all good, that extra hour will let me dash out another worthless post here for anyone who cares about my yesterday. The big events were the Wednesday Walkers trek and packing. Then I had some beers at Red Bar, Cheap Charlies, and Wet Spot for dessert.
Let’s get to it:
Fellow walkers Tim, Ed, and Scott.Peak-a-boo, I see you!(the spelling is intentional)Through the tall grass……and into the wide-open spaces.Get that cock out of my face!Nice to see Mountain Mama Onelia again.I’m overdue for a visit to the Kalaklan Ridge. It’s on my to-do list for when I get back from Vietnam.The view from here.A rare sighting of Mountain Mama MJ.And another one bites the dust.I don’t usually take photos of the graduation banners, but I swear I know this girl from somewhere, I just can’t remember where.It was the long version of the “My Bitch” trail (7K), not to be a dick about it.Got a haircut, then ran into Brian at Red Bar.The best part about hanging out at Cheap Charlies is ordering eats from the restaurant downstairs, Foodies. I went with the sweet-and-sour pork last night.Kare-kare for Swan.
A nightcap at Wet Spot, and some friends of Swan’s from Germany dropped by to join us. Had to bail on them early (though 8:30 is late for me) to be ready for today. And now today has arrived.
From the LTG August 2016 archives, I write about moving on with my life, poco a poco. I wasn’t quite as far along as I thought I was, but I was making steps in the right direction.
Here’s a YouTube video I haven’t had the chance to watch yet, but it seems relevant somehow. I’ll give it a view when I get to Vietnam and see if it saves me any money.
A quick stop in the Humor Department:
Next comes the agony of da feet.Don’t be such a chicken!What about the knight who paid extra for being late…Sir Charge?
Alright then.
All my bags are packed and I’m almost ready to go.
Gonna bake some muffins and take a shower, then load up in neighbor Jeff’s car for the drive to Manila. Next post will be from Da Nang!
Not much to my Tuesday as usual, but no complaints about that. Grocery shopping in the morning and the beach in the afternoon.
Soon it will be toes in the sand on the beaches of Vietnam.Kokomo’s owner, Steve, and his wife, Lizza, welcomed us aboard the floating bar.
Good music, pleasant chat, cold beer, and nice views. Does it get any better than that?
I figured the clouds would either block the sun or enhance the sunset’s beauty.I post, you decide.It looks almost explosive.Going out with a bang.Thanks for the show!See you next time, Kokomo’s.An unusually quiet night at Treasure Island.
But the food was good, as usual.
Swan’s chicken cordon bleu…And a pulled pork sandwich for me.
That’s all there was to it for my Tuesday.
Back in the August 2016 LTG archives, and it’s my first day back to work in my new old job. Got rid of most of my American life belongings, and also got an offer to buy my house. Life moves forward even when you are looking back.
Speaking of looking back, today’s YouTube video captures the essence of life in the 70s through photographs. Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone?
Time out for some memes:
I’m feeling flushed right about now.I can hardly bear how bad this one is.This one’s a gas.
And now it is time to get busy packing my bags. We are pulling out for Manila at 0500 tomorrow morning, so I need to be ready to roll. A two-week trip is a lot more challenging to pack for, especially when I’m used to having my laundry done once a week. Swan says we can have some clothes washed while we travel, so we’ll see how that works out.
So, yesterday I completed my first Hash of the year. It was also my last one until I return from Vietnam at the end of the month. And oh, by the way, I did the entire trail without shortcutting. Yes, you read that right. Granted, it was the short version of the trail laid by the Hare (a little over 6K; the long was 8.5K), but I did it all without deviation. I was tempted in places to do things my way, but I overcame that urge and plodded on. In another first (at least in my experience with the Subic Hash), a fellow Hasher was run over by a motor scooter while crossing the road. He and the cyclist escaped with only scrapes and bruises, so in that sense, it was a lucky day.
Here are some photos from the Hash run:
We gathered at the Alta Vista Clubhouse, which made things easy for me (a five-minute walk from home).The Hare, Anal Receptive, gives last minute guidance on the trail.And we are On-On!Leaving Alta Vista behind.Through the familiar backstreets of San Isidro.They’ll be comin’ round the mountain when they come. Well, the guy in the blue shirt (a visitor from the US) was about to experience a major Hash crash.That’s my nightmare every time I cross a busy road here in the PI.Off-roadersOn-roadersSplitting the difference. Long goes up and over Black Rock, short goes around through the graveyard.Some of those long-trailers I mentioned.Entering the dead zone.Swan’s mom and brother are buried here, so we paused to pay our respects.Why did the turkeys cross the road?My come-to-Jesus moment on the trail.The view from here.I don’t blame the doctor; I wouldn’t want to go in there either.On-Home at Smokes and Bottles, my favorite Hash venue.It was one of the better trails I’ve hiked in a while.Gash chilling after the hike.Enjoying some liquid refreshment.I joined the Hare on the ice to show appreciation for his efforts in laying a good trail.The Hash crashers on the ice.
The usual after-Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter brought another day in paradise to a close. It’s good to be alive!
On to August 2016 in the LTG archives. This post is about hiking (Namsan and Han River), drinking (too much), and getting re-promoted as the Director, Human Resources, after a five-year retirement pause.
Today’s YouTube video talks about “barangay slum girls” in Angeles City—basically, just streetwalkers who ply their trade on Facebook. As I watched, I was feeling grateful that I was never really into the prostitution scene. And then I recalled some of my past “transactional relationships” and realized no matter what you call it, it is still exchanging money for sex.
Now let’s get to the funny business:
Wrinkles will soon be the least of his worries.Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose.That ought to do the trick.
Well, regular readers know how I roll through my Sunday routines, but things change occasionally, even if it’s not much of a change. Sweet stroll, floating bar, John’s place, Red Bar, Jumpin’ Jacks. What’s new and what’s missing? Read on!
My morning view from the patio.
As seen on the Sunday Sweets Stroll:
Adding some sweetness to their day.Lechon in the making.That sweet gal of mine.
So, no Hideaway feeding, but in its place:
The Arizona floating bar reopened for the season yesterday!On the sand at Barretto Beach.On the water.Lots of visitors for the Grand Re-opening.Nice to take in the views from here again, like where the ridge meets the bay.Boats on the water.Waiting for the sunset view.Damn clouds ruined the show.
On to dinner at John’s place. I have to wonder if this was the last one. No wine for Swan, and many more items on the menu that are no longer available. It seems like they are intentionally not restocking food supplies and are trying to sell out as much as possible before closing. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I don’t think so. Still, if you are losing money, you don’t have much choice but to close it down. It’s just not the same without John there.
The chicken enchiladas were okay.And Swan said her pulled beef was good.
A visit to Red Bar after dinner, and then a nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks brought the evening to a close.
We did stop at the print shop on the way home to get a copy of my Vietnam visa.
(deleted visa photo for privacy purposes)
The trike made it to the house without incident this time.
And the full moon was there to welcome us.
It’s the last day of July 2016 in the LTG archives. I gotta say, this journey through the past has been heartrending lately. Back in the states, my kids were selling the contents of my house for me, almost as if I had died. And in a way, I did. One life ending and another yet to begin. But I made it through the storm.
Today’s YouTube video discusses ten things you don’t want to carry when you travel. I watched it just to make sure I’m up to speed for my upcoming trip to Vietnam. I recall the first time I visited Thailand, I was still into vaping and carried several e-cig pens with me. Somehow, I made it through customs without incident. Later, I was standing on a street in Bangkok waiting for the light to change and puffing away. A foreigner came up to me and said, “Dude, vaping is illegal in Thailand. The police will arrest you for that!” Damn, guess I got lucky.
Let me wipe that smile off your face:
That sure is sugar sweet.Tie that Thai down!She cums alone.
And now it is time to prepare for another Hash Monday.
We inadvertently walked part of the Hash trail during our Sweets Stroll yesterday. At least I won’t be getting lost today.
Back tomorrow with a full report.
When the winter rains Come pourin' down On that new home of mine, Will you think of me and wonder if I'm fine? Will your restless heart Come back to mine On a journey through the past. Will I still be in your eyes And on your mind?
Still plodding along on this road we call life. Yesterday morning we did our first Decay Dance (candy walk) in a couple of weeks. The break made revisiting the familiar path a little more refreshing than usual. But we did see some new things along the way that were not so pleasant.
Heading out once again on our mission to rot some teeth put smiles on kids’ faces.A funereal banner greeted us at the entrance to Marian Hills. Died on New Year’s Eve at 47. The work we came for.Greetings to you, my old friend.What the hell? He was only 21 and died on Christmas Eve.Crossing Bridge #3 about halfway through our “dance.”Wow! Only 15 when she died on New Year’s Day. That’s so sad to see.Loading up in a trike for a ride back home at the end of our walk. And yes, it is as uncomfortable as it looks.5K of Decay Dancing.
Our evening on the town started with some liquid refreshments at It Doesn’t Matter—the usual laid-back atmosphere, sitting on the patio and watching the world go by. Trikes are part of the lifestyle here, like them or not. Some folks even name their trikes. Like this one:
When the hunger pangs hit, we moseyed up the highway to Jewel Cafe for our usual treats.
Baby back ribs for Swan. She was shocked at how much the portion size had shrunk since our previous visit.My filet mignon was tiny as usual, but this time the meat wasn’t nearly as tender as it had been in the past.
Overall, a disappointing dining experience this time.
We crossed the highway rife with weekend traffic and did our nightcap at Cheap Charlies. Other than them being out of Zero beer (as are most of the bars in town), things went fine. Enjoyed watching the street scenes down below from our third-floor vantage point and then grabbed a trike for the ride home.
Except the trike didn’t make it, breaking down shortly after we entered Alta Vista. That’s the first time I’ve had that happen in nearly eight years of being a daily trike rider. The trike in the foreground was passing by the broken one and offered to carry us the rest of the way to the house. And yeah, if we had had to walk, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.
Nothing like a bit of excitement at the end of the day.
Here’s how I exploded some lefty heads on Facebook today:
Deposed a dictator without an invasion. That’s top drawer shit right there.Fourteen years ago, we met up with my high school pals, Rod and Pat, and spent the weekend with them on their sailboat in North Carolina. Rod is another old friend who has disappeared, and I fear the worst.
From the July 2016 LTG archives is another post about my comings and goings in the being single in Seoul chapter of my life. I tried to make the best of it, despite the aching in my heart.
For today’s YouTube video, we visit a Filipina vlogger who shares her thoughts on why there has been a dearth of tourists in the Philippines lately. According to her, it is mainly about a lack of value for the money. I agree that’s a big part of it.
How about some humor?
In my family, it was turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. I laughed at this because it reminded me of a post on Kevin Kim’s blog about “Kevin” being the most unpopular name in France.It’s the thought that counts.Well, it could be worse. I’m hearing about some place called the Trump-Kennedy Center.
I hope I didn’t duplicate any memes today, but if I did, how much worse can it be than the first time you saw it? When your memory fades, everything old is suddenly new again!
