Author Archives: John McCrarey

About John McCrarey

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.

The next to last night

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Well, before I get to last night, let me tell you about my morning so far. I was doing my usual internet stroll when the housekeeping crew showed up to clean the room. So, I took a walk while they did their thing. I was looking for a pharmacy to score some cheap Cialis to bring home with me. And then it happened.

I got hit by a tuk-tuk. I was crossing a busy street, looking left for a break in the oncoming traffic. When I saw my opportunity to step out, I moved forward, and the next thing I knew, a tuk-tuk turning left onto the road blindsided me. Luckily, it was just a mirror into my arm; it could have been worse. The arm’s a little sore, but I’ll be fine. I’ll take the blame because I didn’t look to my right, although the tuk-tuk was making what should be an illegal turn in a civilized world. But again, that’s the downside to this city, not really safe for people who prefer to walk.

Yeah, but the people driving on “my” road are the problem.

The pharmacy didn’t have Cialis, but I didn’t give them a hard *ahem* time about it. I was fine with the generic version. I was making my way back to the hotel, and a foreigner walking in the same direction greeted me and told me his tale of woe. He says he lost his passport and wallet and reported it to the police, but no one was willing to provide him with any assistance. He was on his way to a different police station hoping for a better result. Well, I’ll admit there were some “bullshit” lights coming on in my head, but on the other hand, he seemed strident and genuinely upset. Well, I’d hate to be in that situation if his story was true, and I’d also hate to be so desperate that I need to tell lies to random strangers to gain sympathy. He did seem surprised when I pulled out my wallet, gave him the equivalent of ten bucks in the local currency, and wished him well. He thanked me, and I walked on without further incident.

Okay, about last night, then. Denny and I had made tentative plans to do a river cruise, but when we walked to the dock, there were no scheduled departures for a couple of hours. I had done the cruise on my previous trip, and it was fine but not worth the wait.

After all, there were other things to do.

We started at a place called Harry’s for a beer while we considered our dining options. Denny wanted to take me to pork chop place across town, but when I saw the Sunday special roast pork dinner on Harry’s menu, I said let’s eat here instead.

It was a good meal.

After dinner, I was in the mood to take a walk back to some of the places outside the neighborhood we’d visited earlier in the week.

We didn’t stop in here, but I’ll be back in my Hideaway bar soon enough.
The name of this place made me smile because I hear it frequently from Filipinas. Trust me, when a Filipina says something is “up to you,” it usually isn’t. If you choose wrong, you’ll hear the equally common “see how you are?” or if she’s really mad, “be that way!“
The palm trees were lit to a nice effect.

Oh, and true confession time. It turns out the river I’ve been calling the Mekong isn’t the Mekong.

This is the Tonle Sap River; it flows into the Mekong about two kilometers further downstream.

After a goodly walk, we finally found the bar I’d been looking for.

There’s just something about this place I like.
I hoisted up some of these and put the Angkors away.

There was one incident that chilled the buzz somewhat. Shortly after the young lady pictured with me sat down with me; a customer came over, slammed a drink down on the table, cussed her out, then walked away in a huff. I asked her what that was all about, and she denied knowing. Hmm, well, there was absolutely no excuse for what that customer did, but I’m sure the girl did something to activate his asshole switch. My guess is that he bought her that drink, and she didn’t sit with him to drink it. Regular readers know I also have no tolerance for that kind of behavior, but I don’t scream and yell about it; I just never buy that girl a drink again.

We moved on to a couple of other bars, then Denny wanted to go to a place called One 3 Six Bar. He had a lady friend who worked then he wanted to see.

That’s where I met this girl and briefly enjoyed her company.

Two or three drinks into our relationship, I saw her talking with a newly arrived customer. I figured she was just taking his order (the girls are technically waitresses), but then I saw her move back behind the bar and start making a lady drink. When she saw that I had caught her “cheating,” she came back over to the drink I’d bought her. I told her to go be with her customer. I was upset but not yelling or cussing. The other customer saw what was going on and came over to apologize. I told him that wasn’t necessary; I was glad to know the nature of this girl’s character and that she would not be getting any more drinks from me. She was not happy with my response and stormed off. I saw her other customer leave shortly thereafter. Come on, if you are going to be a bargirl, learn how to play the game.

One more drink back at the bar by my hotel, and I called it a night.

I won’t be seeing this view again for who knows how long. Although since I don’t leave for the airport until 10 p.m., it’s possible I’ll see it one more time.

Time to pack, then off for lunch at Denny’s house.

Saturday night in the city

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The days are winding down on this trip faster than I imagined. I don’t know why, but while taking a shower this morning, the thought occurred to me that I was leaving for the airport on Monday night. I’d somehow got it in my head that I’d be staying until Tuesday. So, I went to check my ticket, and sure enough, my flight departs at 12:45 a.m. on Tuesday. I made the reservation; I must have known that. The confusion arose because I booked a Wednesday check-out when I extended my stay at the Lux. I did that because I wanted to have a room available up until the time I left for the airport. Somehow my muddled brain read that early morning Tuesday departure as being Tuesday night for some reason. Anyway, I’m glad I didn’t further fuck up by missing my flight altogether.

Did a walk around at lunchtime and found an outdoor venue on the corner of Street 130.

The view from my table.
The view of my table
The view of my lunch–sweet and sour pork. Quite tasty.

Last night was more of the same–beers, dinner with beers, then some beers after eating. I met up with Denny at Larry’s, the venue I’d visited on Thursday.

Remember her? The photo is from Thursday; I didn’t think to snap an update last night. Enjoyed more of her company again, over drinks, of course.

Denny suggested a Tex-Mex place for dinner, so we caught a tuk-tuk for the drive across town.

An interesting name and slogan.
I did the taco/quesadilla combo platter. Delicious it was.

During the meal, I observed something that I’ve been noticing all week. It really stands out for me because it is something that is extremely rare to see in Barretto.

I was trying to be discrete, but if you look in the background, you can see a multi-generational foreigner family enjoying their meal at this out-of-the-way restaurant. Most likely here on holiday, but families don’t seem to have a similar interest in visiting my part of the Philippines.
And what has been even more surprising is seeing unaccompanied white women tourists, and I’ve seen lots on this trip. A white woman in Barretto turns heads because you almost never see one. I’ve also seen quite a few young foreign couples around town. I never really thought of Phnom Penh as a tourist destination, but apparently, it is.

Anyway, after the meal, we headed back to Street 136 and visited Yaya at the bar where she works.

She seems excited to see me!

That’s not really fair. She was glad to have me there. And so were her friends.

And yes, I bought them all drinks.

I don’t recall if I mentioned that Yaya dances. There is no stage at this venue, so she uses the bar.

There she is. Let me move closer for a better picture.
She really knows how to shake that booty; I’ll grant her that.

Anyway, I stayed too long and drank too much. Hey, I’m on vacation. I’m a little unclear on how the evening ended in the bar; it seems she wasn’t happy with the amount I tipped or something. I stumbled across the road to my hotel and went to bed. I only recall there was some dispute because I had sent her a message saying I was sorry to be a disappointment. She hasn’t responded.

Well, this is my last full night in Cambodia, so I’d best be getting on with it. I’ll be back to share whatever adventure I encounter tomorrow.

Strollin’ on a river

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It was a good day here in Phnom Penh yesterday. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it. Are you ready? Let’s go!

I started my day with a very pleasant river walk.

It looked like this.
It is a rare treat in this city to have space to walk unimpeded by traffic.
I didn’t pause to work out, but this is something I used to see during my Seoul days.
The river is deep, and the river is wide. Is that milk and honey on the other side?
A nice statue. No signage indicating what it represents, though.
The Buddhist Temple across the road.
I liked the look of this place as a possible beer-drinking venue with a view. It turns out I was back here in the afternoon to give it a try. I’ve got pictures coming of that later in this post (trying to stay on a sequential timeline),
What in the name of Alfred Hitchcock is this?
I’ve never seen so many pigeons congregating in one place like this.
This section brought back memories of walking the Han River bicycle trails during the Seoul chapter of my life.
A PP skyline view.
Still need to schedule the river cruise.
This is where I crossed the road and headed back in the opposite direction.
I’ve been seeing this guy all over town.
No English translation on most of these, and I don’t have a clue.
Thanks for the English translation, Buddhist University.
The entrance to the King’s place.
Hey, I haven’t seen a Woori bank since I left Korea.
Maybe I’m in Koreatown?
More evidence that Buddha’s followers are the predominant religion. Come to think of it; I haven’t seen any signs of Christianity.
I see a lot of these guys in orange walking around too.

So, that was my morning. Later that afternoon, I hooked up with Denny, and we started our Friday festivities. He had made arrangements for us to be joined by two lady friends for dinner at 7:30, so we had a couple of hours to fill until then. I find that drinking beer is a grand way to pass the time. So, we started at the big building I had seen on the morning walk. It’s six floors of bars/restaurants, so I suggested we get as high as possible.

It turned out to be this place on the 5th floor was open. Stairs are the only way up. We were the first customers of the day.
The view from our perch.
And the view from the other side of the venue. I thought about what my life might look like sitting out on my balcony, waiting for the bars to open. I’m enjoying my time here, but city life versus the small-town joys of Barretto tells me I made the right choice.

A Facebook friend had asked me to visit a bar called Sundance on Street 172 and say hello to his friend, the owner. I’d never been to that part of town, so we set out to find it. As I mentioned before, the street numbering system makes no sense here, but once we reached Street 154, we knew we were getting close. And then we found it. I was pretty surprised to see a street with several bars and foreigners milling about on this side of town.

I got a chuckle out of seeing a Dolce Vita, my hangout in Seoul for many years.
The inside of Sundance. A cozy place with a good expat vibe about it. I could see myself hanging out here if I lived in the area. No bargirls, which is a nice change of pace sometimes too.

I had another laugh while using the restroom at Sundance:

The message above the urinal. And then I couldn’t get that “Jenny” song out of my head for hours.

After greeting the owner and chatting some, we started making our way back towards more familiar territory. We passed a bar where Denny knew some folks, so we popped in there. There were lots of friendly bargirls, and I was enticed to give a couple of them something to drink. One of them took a liking to me, and we became Facebook friends right then and there.

Nice to meet you, Mayry. (that’s the way she spells it, so don’t blame me!)

It was time to pick up our dinner dates, so we grabbed a tuk-tuk and headed out. First stop was Sharkey’s, the bar where Denny’s girl works. Then it was on to Xanadu, a bar across the street from my hotel where I was going to meet my companion for the first time. With our gals on board, we headed for the restaurant.

I don’t remember the name of the place (I’m getting bad at that, I know), but it is purported to be the highest-rated in Phnom Penh. It was pretty fancy and had indoor and outdoor dining options; we chose to eat on the patio outside.
Denny and his date.
Nice to meet you, Yaya!
I had the steak, which was huge and very tender. Also, it was $65., the most expensive meal I’ve ever consumed. Sorry, though, it wasn’t as good as the steak I enjoy (at a lower price) at John’s place in Barretto.

After our meal, we decided we’d have some live music for dessert at Hard Rock Cafe.

Denny even sang one with the band. (the band was from the Philippines)

Our drink and dessert tab came to around twenty bucks, and I once again attempted to use my “old” one hundred dollar bill. And once again, they at first declined to accept it. When I pretended not to have an alternative method to pay, the waitress left for a bit, then came back and told me they would accept the old bill but only value it at $90. Okay, deal.

The new and the old. For some reason, it’s a big deal to the merchants here to only accept the latest version of Mr. Franklin.

The next stop was the rooftop of what I understand to be Phnom Penh’s tallest building (57 floors). Very fancy and nice.

A view from on high
City lights
Another sweet view
Some soft live music
And occasional fireworks at the bar.

Then it was time to call it a night. The tuk-tuk dropped Denny’s gal off at her place, and the remainder of our group went to Yaya’s bar because she said she had to work. I was pretty much toasted at this point but went in for a last beer. Denny told me Yaya really liked me, but honestly, that’s not the vibe I was getting from her. She hasn’t responded to a message I sent this morning, which probably confirms that she has no interest in seeing me again.

But her bar is right across the street, and I do tend to get thirsty, so we’ll see.

The great barrier reef

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And by reef, I’m referring to language. It came down to the Philippines and Cambodia when I was contemplating where I might retire. I chose the PI primarily because English is more prevalent there. Now, after over four years in the country, I can say that having deep, meaningful conversations with a Filipina (at least the ones I tend to meet) is a rare event. Even so, this trip has been a reminder that not having the ability to communicate, even on a surface level, makes life much more challenging. There are English-speaking locals here, but nothing like back home.

I had a very nice full-body massage yesterday morning. I was offered some extra service at the end and accepted. When she finished the job with her talented hands, I encountered a severe breathing attack. The last time I had one that bad, I was at home and able to use my nebulizer, which provided almost immediate relief. That option wasn’t available, but I always carry an inhaler with me, and I breathlessly put it to use; it took some time before my lungs opened up again and accepted oxygen. The incident freaked out my masseuse and gave me a few “oh, shit, is this how it ends?” moments as well, but I lived to write about it here. This time.

After the massage, I retraced my steps to the small mall where the Hard Rock Cafe is located. There is a Smart phone shop there, and I spent two bucks for a week’s worth of phone service. On the way out, I popped into the Hard Rock gift shop to see about getting me a new ballcap (my Hard Rock–Seoul cap is on its last legs).

I thought it was overpriced at $25. but what the hell, I’m on vacation.

When dinner time rolled around, I went to the bar downstairs for a beer and waited for Denny to arrive. He was running a little late, and I was on my third brew when he arrived. Alone. My “blind date” hadn’t responded to his messages, and the girl he was supposed to bring was a no-show too. I was a little surprised when the “hairy armed waitress” from the previous night joined us in the tuk-tuk to go to the restaurant. Unbeknownst to me, Denny had invited her last night.

Remember her?

It took a while for the driver to find the Korean restaurant, which was in a part of town I’d never seen before. Always good to see new places.

I hadn’t seen this private room style of dining since I left Korea, and honestly, it wasn’t that prevalent there either.
An impressive selection of side dishes.
Practically a smorgasbord of meats. Denny ordered as if our “dates” had actually joined us.
Our guest chowing down.

She (sorry, her name escapes me) left early, needing to go to work. So, Denny and I did our best to eat all that food.

Luckily, I had another local brew to wash the food down.

Denny insisted on paying for the entire meal, and the tab came to $95. He pulled out a crisp new one hundred dollar bill, and I said let me try and use one of my old ones. I gave it to our waitress, and she came back and said the cashier wouldn’t accept it. I said, well, that’s all I’ve got; what do we do now? We did a little back and forth; she checked with the cashier again and came back and asked if I had a credit card. Hmm. Well, I did bring my card, and so I used that and kept the new Franklin that Denny had given me. At least I saved the ATM fee.

We caught a tuk-tuk back to our side of town and went in search of a bar named Sharkey’s. Denny has a friend there, and she wanted me to meet her aunt. Hmm. Well, it was a bar, and there would be cold beer, so why not? Sharkey’s was on Street 110 but way outside the area where other bars are located. We found it after a goodly walk and headed up the stairs.

It was quite large inside, one of the bigger bars I’ve seen. Three pool tables, lots of seating, and a stage for live bands.
And here’s the aunt who works at Sharkey’s. If I recall correctly, her name is Kva. Thirty-five years old but still plenty hot. Only problem was we could barely understand a word each other said. I gave up after a while. The beer was good, though.

We hit a couple more bars after Sharkey’s, but I was pretty far gone by that point. Still, I’m impressed with my ability to stay up past midnight on this trip–and it is actually an hour later back home. It will be interesting to see if my body retreats to its non-vacation schedule when I return to the Philippines.

Still, I’m a little out of rhythm, and my timing feels off. But I’m still breathing, so there’s that.

More adventures to come in tomorrow’s post. Stay tuned!

Man about town

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Here’s the rundown on the first full day of my visit to the lovely city of Phnom Penh.

And yes, there was beer involved. I’m drinking the local brew, Cambodia, on draft.

I did a morning walk about to reconnoiter the neighborhoods surrounding my hotel. So, I’m at the end of Street 136 on the riverside. One block up, the next street is numbered 130. The street after that is 118, and the final road I explored is Street 110. If there is rhyme or reason to this system of numbering, I can’t fathom what it is.

I wouldn’t call the streets themed, but each of them tends to have the same type of businesses clustered, although not exclusively. For example, Street 136 is where most of the bars that cater to foreigners are located. Primarily girly bars, but I’ve not been inside any of them (yet), so I don’t know if they have dancers or not. I plan to hit a few of them this weekend, and I’ll report what I find out. There are also some bars on the other streets, but more spread out. I prefer bars where you don’t get accosted by thirsty girls, and I’ve found a couple of those already. I’ve enjoyed observing some of the creative names on many of the bars. I already posted a photo of the Step Wife bar; here are some others:

This group seems to depict the usual relationship stages of the women I meet: First, they are sweet as a Honeypot, then they become Angry Birds, and finally, they go fucking Loco.
So, I’m not sure what is better, an Amazing bar or a bar that makes you go, Wow.
We have a Voodoo bar in Barretto.
If you say so.
I’ve got the fever for Hot Girls.
Catwalk is for pussies.
Fall in love here, and you are destined for Heart Break. At least they are honest about it.
Hmm, maybe I’ll try and ride a Cowgirl.
Um, sorry, but unless the Lolita has an ID showing she’s at least 18 years old, I ain’t going there.
Oh Yeah, I reckon that’s enough of these bar signage photos.

Again, I haven’t actually been inside any of these venues yet, but I’ll at least sample a few soon. I took the photos on the morning stroll, so most were not open.

This is how Street 136 looks at night.
I had a chicken wing lunch at the Gastropub on Street 110.
From the riverside portion of my walk. On my last trip, I did a river cruise on one of these boats and enjoyed it. I’ll probably do another before I leave next week.

I returned to my room to blog and nap. It’s a nice enough room for my purposes and seems reasonably priced at $45.

The smallish bathroom, but the shower water pressure is strong, and the water is hot. I like it!
Where I’m currently seated as I type these words.
The bed is plenty big for one, and maybe I’ll get to see how well it holds two before this trip is over. That damn post is a strange sight to see. I haven’t banged into yet when I make my nighttime pee runs, but the week is young.

I met up with my buddy Denny in the afternoon, and we did some more exploring. Our first stop was his favorite massage parlor. He got a leg massage, and I received an overdue and much-needed foot scrub and pedicure. The girls were very friendly and cute. I’ll be back soon for more!

Next, we walked to a big park that featured some structures and shrines that I assume were in honor of Buddha.

On approach
I’m not sure what this is called. A pagoda?
Some steps I didn’t take.

Best clock ever!
Okay, okay, we’re leaving!

After exiting the park, we did some more walking on the city streets.

Traffic didn’t get bad until rush hour.

I’m learning that being a pedestrian here is almost a talent. You need to have faith that the drivers will avoid you and keep moving. If you stop or make a sudden move, it throws all the vehicles maneuvering around you off and increases your danger. It was a similar experience walking the streets of Saigon.

Our next stop was the Hard Rock Cafe.

Hadn’t seen or been in one of these in years. I actually thought they had all gone out of business. A nice place to chill and have a beer. Denny comes here sometimes for the live music.

After enjoying the happy hour promo (buy two, get one free), we made our way back across town. Traffic was much heavier at this time of day, but all the drivers successfully avoided hitting our sorry asses. The next stop was Denny’s regular hangout, a bar/restaurant on Steet 130 called Larry’s.

It’s my kind of place, a popular expat hangout. Girls are available to provide company if you so desire, but they don’t pressure you to do so.

Denny is very popular with the ladies in this venue, that’s for sure. I got introduced to the American owner, coincidentally also named Larry. I ordered some chicken quesadillas for dinner, and they were outstanding. It was one of the girls’ birthdays, and Denny bought a nice cake for her and a round of drinks for all the girls. I bought the second round or at least thought I did. When it came time to pay the tab, we were advised that Larry had comped everything. I’ll get the occasional free drink, but I’ve never seen that kind of generosity in a bar before. I felt a little bad because I’d been feeding my new favorite quite a few drinks thinking It was out of my pocket. Oh, well. Thanks again, Larry!

My new bar friend!

We left Larry’s and headed back to Street 136. We decided to have one move before Denny left for home. I don’t remember the place’s name off-hand, but it is a regular type bar.

This is not to say you can’t buy a thirsty waitress a drink.

That’s pretty much how the night ended. Denny went home across the river, and I went to my cozy hotel room.

Then you wind up staring at an empty glass…

Meeting up with Denny again this evening. He’s taking me to his favorite Korean restaurant. Oh, and he has also set me up with a blind date who will be joining us for dinner. I’m not sure what to expect, but just in case, I went to the pharmacy for some Cialis.

The look on my face when I find out I’m meeting a stranger.

Look for a full report on the outcome tomorrow.

Getting here

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Mission accomplished! Boots (well, Sketchers) on the ground. Out of the Philippines and into Cambodia!

So, I’m not a big fan of Manila in general, and I dislike the airport in particular. The worst part about NAIA is the traffic you have to negotiate to get there. Well, that used to be the worst part. Since the last time I traveled to the airport, a “skyway” has been constructed that leads to the airport and avoids the maddening traffic on the surface streets below. That’s a HUGE improvement. The trip from Barretto all the way to terminal two took about three hours–I’ve spent that long in Manila traffic jams in the past.

I had done online check-in, so it was just the bag drop line for my luggage. Then on to immigration, where I turned in my exit clearance paperwork and got a new stamp in my passport. Through security and into the international departures pavilion of terminal 2–the worst I’ve ever experienced in any of my travels. For one thing, it is tiny and very crowded. And for some reason, other than at your departure gate, there is nowhere to sit. Even the food places that have tables don’t provide chairs. I’m not sure what’s up with that–maybe a remaining piece of stupidity from the scamdemic.

And, of course, this being the Philippines, people couldn’t be bothered with putting their trash in the proper receptacles once they’d finished snacking.

I was a little surprised about the lack of masking–I’d estimate that 1/3 of the people in the terminal were unmasked, 1/3 were improperly masked, and the other 1/3 were being good little sheeple. I took mine off, and no one said anything to me.

Signs like this one were still in evidence. Fuck your “new normal.”

I was there a couple of hours early, and it was frustrating not to have a comfortable place to sit. I was willing to pay a premium to use the Philippine Air VIP lounge, but my money was no good unless I spent it on a business-class ticket. Oh well, I bought some cans of beer and drank them at my gate while waiting to board.

And that was another frustration–when I arrived at my gate, the Phnom Penh flight was not listed. When I inquired, I was told it would be listed nearer the departure time. I pointed out that the flight to Guam, which was later than mine, was on the screen. Just a shrug for a response. Hmm. Later I heard the announcement that the Guam flight was being moved to a different gate and when I checked again, my flight was at last shown on the departure screen. I just didn’t want to miss my flight because I’d been directed to the wrong gate.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 9:55. We began boarding at 9:15. Well, by boarding, I mean we got on a bus that took us to our plane parked on the tarmac. I guess all the passengers made that first bus because the doors closed at 9:30, and we began our take-off roll. I’ve been on delayed flights many times, but never one that left earlier than the posted time for closing the gate (15 minutes before departure).

And yes, they did require wearing the mask for the duration of the flight.

The plane was only about 1/3 full, and I had a whole row of seats to myself. That assisted me in taking a nice little nap en route. We arrived in Phnom Penh thirty minutes ahead of schedule. My e-visa worked, and I was through immigration quickly with no questions asked. Grabbed my bag and headed out the door to meet my friend, Denny, a long-time resident here. Because of the early arrival, he wasn’t there yet, so I walked around, rejecting the entreaties of numerous taxi drivers. I did find a shop that sold sim cards for five bucks (yes, I actually had a five-dollar bill in my travel wallet from all those years ago), so I should be good to go phone-wise. Saw my friend looking for me, and we exchanged greetings and caught a tuk-tuk (like a trike, only bigger) to my hotel.

I’m beginning my stay here at the Lux, and I have no complaints so far.

We went to the place next door, and I had a beer while Denny (who’s not a beer drinker) enjoyed a smoothie. I was immediately smitten by my waitress; these Cambo gals are sexy as hell! Perhaps I’ll see her again during my visit. Anyway, it was getting late, and the joint was closing, so we said goodnight, and Denny headed home.

I took a brief walk up the street from my hotel, and it is wall-to-wall bars. Nothing like Barretto at all (maybe a little like Walking Street in Angeles).

I got enticed to come in here for a beer and was offered a lot more, but it was WAY past my bedtime, and I was definitely not UP for it.
It was funny to see an Alaska Bar here. I’ll have to pop in if I get homesick during my trip.

It was 3:00 a.m. by the time I made it to bed. Slept in until 8:00, then showered and went downstairs for the complimentary buffet breakfast that comes with the room.

This is my least favorite way to dine, but the price was right, and it tasted okay.

My phone charger stopped working for some reason, so I decided to take a walk around to see if there were any phone shops. I couldn’t resist starting out on the riverside:

Very peaceful.
That’s the Mekong river. You may have heard of it. I understand it has a delta out Vietnam way.
Phnom Penh is actually quite beautiful from what I’ve seen so far (and vaguely remember from my last visit). The streets are clean and free of litter which really stands out for me.
There’s something you don’t see every day where I come from.
The worst thing so far is that the streets are not pedistrian-friendly. No sidewalks and vehicles park in any space that is not active roadway. Reminds me of Vietnam in that regard.

My mission to find a new phone charger was a success. Only $4.00, and I had a twenty-dollar bill. No one seems to want my “old” style Franklins. I guess it will be the ATM for me on this trip.

So, that’s the beginning. I think it’s a good start overall so far.

Out of the darkness…

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…and into the light.

My hopes for an early restoration of power yesterday were dashed. There was still no electricity when I left for the Hash at one in the afternoon, and the wind and rain continued intermittently throughout the remainder of the day. Rumor had it that downed trees had taken out the powerlines and rendered all of Subic (my house is serviced by the Subic electric company) to darkness indefinitely. Well, nothing to be done but hope for the best.

When the Hash was over (I’ll get to that later in this post) I treated myself to a “last supper” at Mango’s:

Yep, you guessed it–I went for the grilled pork chops.

With my hunger satiated, I caught a trike and headed for home, trying to maintain a positive attitude. And sure enough, as we entered the neighborhood, I saw some lighted windows and rejoiced in the knowledge that I would be able to complete my pre-trip checklist. The trike had insufficient horsepower to make it up the final hill to my place (that happens about 10% of the time), so I got out and walked the final block. I was surprised to hear one of the neighbor’s generators running but assumed they hadn’t gotten around to turning it off yet. When I opened my front gate, I saw that my helper’s bedroom window was lit up, so I was reassured that all was right in my little world. Only to be crushed with reality when I opened the door and saw the light was only candlepower. Shit.

The helper suggested I once again book a hotel room, but that wasn’t really a viable alternative. I was home and half-drunk with no transport back to town. And a place to sleep wasn’t what I required–I needed juice to charge my laptop and fire up the printer to prepare the required documents for the next day’s travel. So, I went to bed in a hot room with no fan and slept fitfully. I woke up again at 11:30 in a pool of sweat and couldn’t get back to sleep as my mind wrestled with alternatives for getting what I needed to do done. A friend had suggested I save the documents on a USB stick and take them to a print shop. A fine plan except for the fact that I don’t own such a stick, nor do I know where to purchase one. So, I started considering the logistics of having my driver pick me up in the morning and carry me and my computer and printer to some cheap hotel where I could set up to prepare my documents. As I thought through the various possibilities, there was a *click* sound, and the lights turned on again shortly before midnight. Hooray!

I got up to make sure the laptop and phone were charging, glanced at some of my favorite websites, then went back to bed. As I lay there listening to the rain pounding down, it dawned on me that one stray tree branch could once again render me powerless. So, I got up and went to work. Printed out my Cambodia visa, did an online check-in with Philippine Air, then printed copies of my itinerary and onward flight information. I slept much better knowing the paperwork was done.

This morning I finished packing, did the grocery shopping (helper and dogs need to eat while I’m gone), and bought some new clothes at the outlet store. So, I’m good to go. The driver is coming for me at 3:00, and my flight leaves Manila at 10:00. I’ll arrive in Phnom Penh just before midnight local time after a three-hour flight.

The last time I was “home” in the USA was four years ago this week. Facebook memories included this photo of me in my letter carrier jacket:

It still fit four decades later.

I’ve gained some weight since then, but I’m not letting that slow me down much. Should have those six-pack abs any day now:

Yep, that’ll work!

Alright, to the Hash, then. I already knew that, given the weather, I wasn’t going to be doing any hill climbing. Most of the rest of the “sane” group shared similar sentiments, so we made our own trail.

The Hare worked hard on the trail in yellow, which included a tough climb up the Kalaklan ridge and a steep descent coming back down. The “no thank you” crowd walked the streets of Barretto, as seen in orange.
The “sane” group gathers at the appointed location.
The beginning of our sane path intersected at a location near the end of the Hare’s trail.
It was umbrella weather most of the way.
I eventually put my umbrella away and let the rain soak me. The wind made it tough to keep the umbrella upright, and I was still getting wet from the waist down. Finally, I just said, “fuck it,” and took a shower.
Nothing exciting about our hike; I walk these streets every week.
Our On-Home venue this week was at It Doesn’t Matter.
Drinking and socializing before the Harsh circle begins.
Circle up!
Congrats to Whatever You Want for completing her 100th run with the Subic Bay Hash. She was also awarded the Hashit honor.
I have no recollection of this photo being taken, but you can see how happy I am!
This is the only picture I’ve seen of what it was like on the Hare’s trail on the mountain. I’d say I made the right call.

Alright then. Almost time for me to go. My next post (assuming all goes as planned and prepared for) will be from Cambodia.

Oh, and for those of you who have any interest in what the Halloween version of the SOB dances looked like, here are a couple of samples:

The Wet Spot, this week’s champions:

And the Alaska girls, the second-place team.

Hmm, you’ll have to click on the YouTube link above to see this one. A little surprised it is “age-restricted”; there is no nudity involved. Certainly, nothing like the drag queen dances being held in elementary schools.

Oh well, I’m off to Phnom Penh. We’ll see what I see there.

Not quite paradise

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Went to sleep in Paradise and woke up this morning in Paradise, but things just aren’t quite right here anyway. Still no power at the house, which is making my final preparations for the trip a lot more complicated. My e-visa for entry to Cambodia arrived by email, but I can’t print it out. Same with my onward ticket for my expected return to this lovely land. Hopefully, I’ll have power restored at some point today.

It’s Hash Monday, and it is still windy and rainy outside. I’m going to show up, but I don’t think I’m going to tempt fate by leaving the pavement today. This will be my 156th consecutive run with the SBH3, and that streak ends after this week. I hope I never have anything approaching that number again–I need to get back to my original retirement plan of traveling every three months or so. Although preparing for this trip has been such a pain in the ass that I may have to rethink whether the joy of getting away is worth it. I’m sure it will get easier when it becomes more routine.

Speaking of Cambodia, there’s a website I’ve been following for several years called Stickman Bangkok. As the name implies, it focuses on expat life in Bangkok specifically and Thailand in general. And yes, most of that focus is on the bar scene. So, it was somewhat surprising to see this entry regarding Phnom Penh today:

Across the border in Cambodia, Phnom Penh has always been known as an edgy place and for some, that’s part of the attraction. At the same time it always felt like if you were street-smart and didn’t do anything stupid then you should be ok. Word is that things have changed a bit – there is more street crime including pickpockets, and even muggings. A Bangkok bar manager who recently spent time in Cambodia was surprised when hotel staff suggested he take a tuk-tuk after dark and urged him not to walk alone at night. They also said he should carry no more cash than he needs for that night and leave valuables in his hotel room. (The first thing I thought when I heard that is that they’re setting you up to rip you off themselves!) They also said that if you must take your mobile phone, keep a close eye on it and don’t put it down on a bar table or counter top, lest it be snatched. And if you’re using your mobile phone, be aware of your surroundings. Some folks have had their fancy phone snatched while they were using it, the junkie who snatched it dashing away like Usain Bolt, never to be seen again. He was also told to consider avoiding the night market, dark streets and especially to keep an eye out for junkies. It doesn’t end there. Apparently there is a scam in the $5 massage shops where punters claim their money is switched to fake dollar notes while they’re in the middle of a massage. This is a problem in the cheaper places and not in the bigger, better, more upmarket massage outlets / spas. It should be noted that Cambodia has stopped dealing in $1, $2, $5 bills so you get lumbered with the local currency, Riel, in change. To be clear, these smaller denominations are all still accepted if you have them, but don’t expect to receive them back in change. Word is that Phnom Penh was actually safer in the early, so-called dodgy days. It’s not just visitors but locals who are victims. That’s when you know it’s bad. If you visit Phnom Penh at this time, keep a very close eye on your valuables.

That’s not exactly inspiring news. Still, it’s a good reminder to maintain situational awareness wherever you are. On my previous trip to PP a few years ago, a masseuse I brought back to my room stole $100 from my pocket while I was taking a shower (that she suggested). Life’s lessons can be harsh at times, but that’s the price of an education.

So, my last night on the town in Barretto for a while went down like this:

I baked brownies (luckily, I have a gas stove) and bought some takeout food from the Jewel restaurant (lasagna, chicken wings, chicken fingers) for the Hideaway girls.

Joy getting her bite on.
The Hideaway girls were in costume. This is Joy being a witch.

After Hideaway, I paid a visit to the lobby of the Paradise hotel, located between Wet Spot and Sit-n-Bull. It’s a small place, with, I think, eight rooms upstairs above the bar. I had stayed there briefly once or twice before. I had a 50% discount coupon for a room there, and given the uncertainty of the power being restored, I decided to hedge my bets by having a room to retreat to if necessary. The problem was there was no one behind the counter and no one to ask about a booking. Wet Spot wasn’t open yet, so I went to The Green Room. My waitress didn’t know anything about it but went to see what she could find out. A few minutes later, she came back with a room key. Talk about service!

Once Wet Spot opened, I went to pay the cashier there for the room. With my discount, it came to a whopping 650 pesos ($12). So, with my insurance secured, I headed down the highway to Snackbar to help Anne celebrate her birthday.

When I arrived at Snackbar, it was lit by candlelight (it’s on the same power grid as my house), but right as I sat down, the lights came on. Naturally, I took credit for the restoration of power. I checked with my domestic helper to confirm my house was also lit, and she said the lights had come back on, and then she heard a transformer explode, and things went dark again. Just my luck.

Anne and her cake from me.
Part of the party crowd. Snackbar was packed again last night.
Jenn is on the left, and Lydell is on the right. I sensed some tension between these two (I was buying them both drinks). Could be I’ll have to pick one or the other to share my affections.

When it was time to depart, I took a trike home and had him wait while I gathered up my laptop, phone charger, and a change of clothes. Then he triked me back to the Paradise hotel. I set about plugging everything in to recharge and discovered that my laptop has a three-pronged plug, and I had neglected to bring the adapter. Then I noticed the airconditioner had a three-prong recepticle. And now I know the internet is more important to me than cool air. It was also a good reminder to pack my universal plug adapters–I don’t recall what the outlets take in Cambodia.

With my electronics being restored to life, I decided to venture downstairs for some more beers entertainment. I wanted to reward the waitress at The Green Room for helping to secure my room, so that’s what I did with lady drinks and a pizza for her and her co-workers to enjoy.

If a Filipina is doing the ordering, it is almost always going to be a pineapple-laden Hawaiian pizza. It was good, though.

Then it was back upstairs to sleep it all off and hope for a better day to come. Alas, it was still blowing rain this morning.

Looking up the highway from my balcony…
And looking down the road. At least my breakfast venue was right next door.
It had been quite some time since I enjoyed some French toast with a sausage side.

After my meal, I packed up my belongings and got a trike home, only to discover the power was (and still is) out. Not a damn thing I can do about it, though.

Everything I’d hoped to get done today will have to wait. I’m sure I’ll be in no condition for anything but sleep after the Hash, even if the power has been restored. My flight tomorrow is at 10 p.m., and my driver will pick me up for Manila at 3:00. It’s All Saints Day, and I’m sure Manila traffic will be worse than normal, but I should have plenty of time to jump through whatever hoops lay ahead. Wish me luck!

Blowing it

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Another tropical storm passed through last night and is still active today. Which has made me inactive. Too wet and wild for walking, and the power went out a few hours ago. So, I’ve been lazing on the couch with the sliding glass doors wide open, watching the trees dance in the wind and letting Mother Nature blow me.

It looked like this.

Last night saw me filling in the hours in the usual way. I started out at IDM and had a nice visit with my pal Chris over a couple of beers. The waitress crew has apparently figured out that I’m not inclined to buy lady drinks there anymore–good service but not friendly or chatty these days. That’s okay; you get what you pay for.

My next stop was Cheap Charlies, and I had my usual gals there happy to keep me company in exchange for lady drinks. I was hungry, so I bought some food (chicken fingers, lumpia, and pancit) in a large enough quantity to share with most of the girls. I didn’t stay long there, though, because I had promised my Whiskey Girl girl that I would attend their Halloween party last night.

That’s “my girl” Jen.
The costumed staff on stage.
I deemed this the creepiest costume–it struck me that she wasn’t trying to hide her true nature.
Who knew they had nuns in hell?
The mamasan is still hot for an older gal. I bet she fucks like a bunny! *ahem*
I hope you feel better soon.
This one was my waitress.

Anyway, as you can see, Halloween is a big deal in these parts, and the girls really seem to get into the whole costume thing. Nice seeing them have some fun at work.

When I left Whiskey Girl, I was planning on heading home, but there were no trikes waiting in the usual locations. So, I walked to the trike stand at the 7/11, and seeing as how I was right there at Snackbar; I popped in for a nightcap. It was as busy as I’ve ever seen them, and it got even busier during my visit. So busy, in fact, that I started feeling claustrophobic inside, so I retreated to one of the few remaining open seats at an outdoor table.

See what I mean?

Once I sat down, Jenn (what is with all the Jens and Joys in my bar life?) pulled up a chair to join me.

She didn’t want her picture taken at first…
…but then she took one of us together.

My other favorite, Lydell, I had left inside when I was fleeing the crowd.

I didn’t notice until I looked at my photos this morning that she had come outside, maybe looking for me. Based on her expression, it could be she wasn’t happy to see me drinking with Jenn.

Actually, I enjoy them both, and since I’m buying the drinks, I don’t have to choose. Which is good because I’m not sure who I’d pick. I appreciate that Lydell comes hiking with us, though. And I’d really love to see more of Jenn, if you get my meaning. Oh well, that’s part of the fantasy life in my retirement town. None of it is real.

Speaking of crowds, I’m sure my readers have heard about the tragedy last night in my old hometown of Itaewon in Seoul. Halloween weekend has always been huge there, and frankly, I’ve walked the street where the stampede took place on a Halloween long ago and swore I’d neve do so again. Last night was the first post-scamdemic gathering, and I understand the crowds were even larger than normal. ROK Drop has a post with several chilling videos of the nightmare if you can stomach them.

I checked on my nephew Justin and several of my friends who still live in the area, and thankfully, they are all okay. Justin said he was in Itaewon but stayed safely inside of my old hangout, Shenanigans, all night. That’s how I used to roll too.

My last Halloween in Itaewon was in 2016 with my then-sweetheart, Eun Oke, at Shenanigans.

Shit, my laptop battery is about to go! Gotta run. Hopefully, the the power is restored here soon!

SOBoween

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My big daytime accomplishment (in addition to TWO posts here at LTG) was securing permission from the Philippines government to depart this lovely land next week.

I shall be released.

Then the time for the weekly SOB dance competition rolled around. Last night was a special event for Halloween, and it was announced that the dancers and customers were encouraged to dress up for the occasion.

I did as I was told and dug through the closet for my suit. Turns out, that wasn’t what was meant by “dressing up.” Who knew?
It was like I had a hole in my head or something. Anyway, the gal I’m standing with in the previous photo had a make-up kit and helped me look a little scarier than normal.
But my neighbor Jack took the prize for the best customer costume.
And very well-deserved. Great job!

It was by far the best SOB I’ve attended in a long time. Most of the girls went all-out in creating some nifty costumes, and they were also very creative in doing Halloween-themed dance routines.

You remember my pal Joy from Alaska Club, right?
Never bought a lady drink for a gal that looked like her before!
Good times!

Another late (for me) night, but other than peeing my pants in the trike coming home, I was no worse for wear.

Today I applied for my e-visa to Cambodia and booked a hotel room for the first two nights in Phnom Penh. I’ll look around and see where I want to spend the rest of the week once I get there.

It was raining this morning, so I just did a neighborhood walk.

Some of every street except one. I’ll need to adjust accordingly next time.

Looks like it’s gonna be a rainy Saturday night in Barretto. I guess I’ll have to think of some indoor activity I can engage in to pass the time. Hmm, maybe I’ll visit a bar!

UPDATE: Photos of last night’s winners:

Third Place: Voodoo
Second Place: Alaska Club
First Place: Wet Spot

A powerless walk

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Yesterday we experienced a scheduled power outage, what the locals call a brownout. The lights went out at 0800 and weren’t due to be restored until 4:00 p.m. (they actually didn’t come back on until almost 4:30). The brownout covered parts of Barretto and all of Subic, so both Scott and I suffered from the impact. We decided to meet up and enjoy some sweaty exercise rather than spend the time in sweaty misery. Since it was just the two of us, we figured we could head out and see some rarely-seen sights. We considered San Antonio but ultimately hopped on a bus for San Marcelino. The last time we’d been out this way was in 2020. We usually do a 6 to 8K hike, but circumstances resulted in a longish 10K jaunt. Mostly flat and a little hot but enjoyable enough to be worth the effort.

A point of reference for where in the hell we were going. Also, note the location of Mt. Pinatubo.
The path we walked.
On the bus, about a 40-minute ride.
The bus we took was one small step up from a Jeepney. Going back, we had an aircon Victory Liner, much nicer ride.
We exited the bus at the San Marcelino town market.
Most towns have a marketplace like this, but I rarely have the opportunity to walk through one.
Some of these fish were still flopping around.
Heading out of town.
We encountered one of the friendly locals. Wanted to chat and take a photo with us.
Some pleasant scenery along the way.
We also passed by several local resorts like this one.
The lonely road we followed for almost 5K.
We finally achieved our objective–the dike along the lahar-filled San Marcelino river.
There is a town on the other side of the river named Santa Fe. During much of the year, you have to wade across the river to get there.
Definitely, some different landscape than I’m used to seeing back home.
The dust from passing vehicles was a little annoying, though.
All these years after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, they are still harvesting lahar from the river bed.
There’s a zoom shot of the volcano that last erupted in 1991.
A small village on the other side of the dike.
Off the dike and into the flatlands.
We took a wrong turn that led us to a dead end. Oh well, that’s part of exploring.
And it gave us the chance to interact with some of the local folks and observe how they live.
Back on track and walking through an agricultural university campus. Who knew so many hot coeds wanted to be farmers someday?
Way out in the countryside.
Scott in the middle of a cashew tree grove.
Life goes on. Indeed it does!
Down, beast!
The final steps of our journey.
We lunched at the SnV resto-bar.
I ordered the deluxe burger without realizing it came with an egg on top. Didn’t taste anything like the ‘eggaburgers’ I enjoyed in Korea, but still good for a hungry hiker.
We took a trike back to the highway and waited here for a bus. Wasn’t long before we were on our way back to Barretto.

What could have been a shitty day turned out to be a good one. I’ve already posted about the bar crawl, so give it a read if you missed it.

This bar crawl was a real SOB

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A promise made, a promise kept. I finally got around to documenting a Barretto bar crawl, the first of what I anticipate will be several “themed” adventures in exploring the various drinking establishments here in my little town. My motivation for last night’s adventure was this tiny scrap piece of paper:

My mission: Use this coupon to the max prior to its expiration (which was midnight). There are seven SOB bars. My plan was to do two beers (for the price of one) in each bar, then move on to the next until I had hit them all. That makes for fourteen beers, all told. Would I still be standing? Only one way to find out.

Because of a day-long power outage, I was getting a later start than normal. I usually leave the house around four, but it was nearly six o’clock before I headed out last night.

The view as I began my walk into town. It was completely dark by the time I reached the highway.
I still need to work on my map-making skills. For the purposes of this bar crawl, I hope my crude numbering of the bars will suffice.

I began my “crawl” at the junction of the National Highway and Baloy Beach road. I turned on my Map My Walk app, thinking that would show the distances between bars (they are all located on the highway). Unfortunately, that map came out looking like this:

I guess I needed to pause the tracker when I was sitting in the bar drinking. I’m not sure why it freaked out so much inside the bars; maybe the dancers made it go crazy. The time is accurate, though; it took me right at three and a half hours to complete my mission.

Anyway, the entire distance between all the bars was only around 1K. Every bar except one were on the same side of the highway, so I didn’t have to play frogger too much. I did the first three bars in the order I passed them on the street. Then I went to the most distant remaining venue and worked my way back to others. Enough about logistics; let’s get crawling!

Bar #1: Queen Victoria
The friendliest gal in the place!

They do have bargirls here, but they are not aggressive. I usually just sit at the bar and never even get approached. That’s fine with me. My favorite, TinTin, hasn’t been around my last few visits. The male bartender is friendly and provides prompt service, so no complaints there.

It’s a good venue for darts, although I no longer play.
They also have a pool table if that’s your thing.

Queen Vic’s claim to fame is that they feature live bands several nights a week. That’s not an attraction for me personally, but they have a nice setup for those who do:

I can hear just fine from my seat at the bar; thank you very much.

I understand that on weekends after the bands are done, they do a disco routine that lasts until four in the morning. Heh, I’m not into the disco scene, and I’m NEVER awake during those hours, but it’s the only disco in town, and I reckon it’s a good venue for meeting freelancers (the bargirls from around town that come get discounted drinks).

Bar #2: Whiskey Girl

Whiskey Girl is located almost directly across the highway from Queen Vic. Be careful when crossing!

This bar has a pool table as well.
And a stage with dancers, some of them were actually quite cute.
The view from my seat.
And the view of my favorite waitress.

I always enjoy the music here, especially now that I sit further away from the stage. I was the only customer during my brief visit, but it was still relatively early.

Back across the highway, and maybe a one-block walk, is the Alaska Club.

Bar #3: Alaska Club

Alaska is one of my sentimental favorites, it being the first bar I visited in the Philippines back in its Angeles City iteration.

Owner Jerry always welcomes his guests with a hearty greeting. I was also the only customer here last night.
Alaska is one of town’s most active pool venues, offering tournaments and league play several days a week.
And dancers for those who prefer that kind of entertainment.
Joy is my favorite Alaska dancer.
Always fun to chat with. Looks like we are both having a great time, doesn’t it?

Next, I walked up the highway about half a kilometer to visit Voodoo.

Bar #4: Voodoo

I rarely patronize this bar except when it hosts the SOB. It’s a small venue and only offers dancers and bar girls for entertainment. They have a pretty decent lineup of girls, but photography is not allowed, so you’ll need to check them out on your own.

Well, this gal posed with me, so there you go.
And, of course, my “regular” gal latched on to me as soon as I was through the door. She might be one of the oldest working girls in town, but she is actually very nice to sit with.

Walking back up the highway towards Baloy, maybe a hundred yards from Voodoo is the Hot Zone.

Bar #5: Hot Zone

Once again, I was the only customer. They had eight attractive dancers on stage, and I couldn’t help but think about what a hard job it must be to be an entertainer with no one to entertain.

As you can tell, I turned off my flash so I could discreetly snap some picks The girls in the bars tend to be shy about being photographed.

I felt sorry for the dancers and wanted to recognize their contribution to making the world a more beautiful place, so I handed out 50 peso notes to everyone on stage. There is a certain amount of pressure when you are the only best customer in the place.

The waitress brought me these which I took as a sign that they thought I must be nuts.

Yeah, those beers were beginning to kick in, but I was only half a block away from my next bar.

Bar #6: The Green Room

To my surprise, the place was packed. I was thinking it was just a slow night in town, but I guess folks were just in a Green Room frame of mind. One of the waitresses asked me “what are you doing here? It’s already nine o’clock.” Yes, my habits are well known to some in this little town.

I got a seat by the pool table and enjoyed watching the action.
The Green Room is one of two SOB bars that do not have dancers on stage (the other is Queen Victoria). They do employ numerous GROs (guest relations officers) and waitresses.

The also have a couple of gals that do back and shoulder massages. One of them I used before wanted to give one to me, and I said sure. But when I tried to take her picture she declined. That pissed me off a little, so I said, no picture, no massage. Yeah, I can be a bit of dick when I’ve had too much to drink.

I rather fancy this waitress, but I don’t interest her at all. Oh, well.

Time to move on, and my next and last stop was right next door. Didn’t even have to leave the building.

Bar #7: Wet Spot

It was also quite full of customers.

No one on the pool table, though.
Manager Brett keeping an eye on things.
I think I caught the dancers between sets or maybe they were with customers.

I drank my two beers here and congratulated myself on the successful conclusion of my bar crawl. It was actually kind of nice to be drinking with a purpose. Fourteen beers is pushing my limit, but I wasn’t stupid drunk or anything like that. A later start and a later finish, but probably not a significant amount of increased consumption.

And there you have the first in what will likely be a series of future themed accounts of my visits to the bars of Barretto. Hope you enjoyed it.

Go for it

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Grab it while you can! Love it or lose it! Take it to the limit! (I’m talking about life here, although, given my history, I can’t blame you if you assumed I meant something else.)

The life I enjoyed to the fullest yesterday included a great morning hike with the Wednesday Walkers and my usual quality time with my best friend, San Mig Zero, in the evening. Lots of photos from the trail at the end of this post.

Started my beer drinking at Hideaway and shared a pizza and some blueberry muffins with the gals. A customer had a muffin, too, and liked it so much that he bought me a beer. I’d call that a win!

My timing was off, so I missed the requisite shot of Joy sinking her teeth into her muffin. Hmm, that has kind of an untended lewd connotation, doesn’t it?

Manager Griff bought me a beer as well, so my night was off to a sodden start. After I departed Hideway, I popped into The Green Room, but it was packed with a pool tournament. Luckily, there were plenty of seats next door at Wet Spot, so I settled in there for a while.

Lydell from Snackbar sent me a message requesting my presence there, so I made my way up the highway for a visit before calling it a night. Some fucker passing on the righthand shoulder where I was walking almost clipped me. The most dangerous part of my day is walking that pavement, and I fear someday it may kill my dream of dying while making love to a beautiful Filipina.

As usual, I wound up buying drinks for several of the Snackbar girls in addition to Lydell. I guess that’s the price you pay when you are a barroom hero! I’m not complaining; just saying. My belly full of beer and my wallet running on empty, I called it a night.

Now for the hike. It was a beautiful day, and we had a record turnout of fifteen fellow travelers. We hiked some paths we hadn’t done for quite a while, so that added to the sense of adventure. And we finished with lunch at a barbeque place that’s a bit off the beaten track, so it was the first time I’d actually sat down for a meal there. I wasn’t disappointed!

Our route was 6K or so with a couple of short climbs.
The ladies gathering at our 7/11 meet-up location.
And we’re off!
Regrouping in Alta Vista. Left or right? Ok, left it is.
A lovely day in the neighborhood.
You can see all the way to Easter mountain from here.
A crappy shot of my future home…
Where the pavement ends, the fun begins!
Through the thick of it.
Walking the plank.
Crossing the bridge.
Hello, San Isidro.
Walking up through the shanties.
Making our way up the first hill of the day.
Up top, the grass was higher than we were.
A valley view
And on the other side, a bay view.
And still, we marched on.
Our path took us up past my mountain friend MJ’s place.
I didn’t think she was home, but we took a rest in her nipa hut area.
And enjoyed the view from her front yard.
I was surprised and a little embarrassed for making myself at home without her permission when she came outside to greet us.
Moving on again.
The view from this side of the mountain.
We took a break at Olivia’s, my other mountain friend’s place.
Lydell sure is a cutie.
Heading back down to Barretto.
Between the fences.
Washing off the trail dust at the local well.
A bunch of hungry hikers!
We arrived right when they opened.
I think we might have overwhelmed the solitary waitress.
What’s on the menu?
Since I was feeding myself and three Snackbar gals, I ordered one of the platters. It was all good, and we even had some leftovers.

And so ended another hike.

Today was full of surprises, and I’ll share those with you tomorrow (that’s what we call foreshadowing). In fact, I envision TWO posts are going to be required. See you here again soon!

Preparation H

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H is for hassle, headache, and/or hard. When I was a frequent traveler, I took some pride in being pretty savvy at getting the details right. This three-year hiatus and my deteriorating brain capacity have made preparing for next week’s trip more than a little challenging.

I guess because I had originally planned to go mid-month, the fact that I’m leaving in six days didn’t really hit home until yesterday morning as I was preparing for the weekly trip to the grocery store. I knew I had to go to immigration for my exit clearance but thought there was plenty of time for that until I glanced at the calendar and had an “oh shit!” moment. I needed to do immigration now, not later. So, I double checked the requirements for the clearance. Fired up the little used printer and got a copy of my flight itinerary. Had my driver stop at a local shop and had three 2×2 photos made. Filled out a long-ass form at the immigration office and then waited to be fingerprinted. Took about twice as long as the visa process. I have to go back on Friday to pick up my certificate of freedom.

Immigration accepted this photo even though it makes me look old and grumpy.

Anyway, it was lucky I hadn’t delayed submitting my paperwork. There was a sign posted at immigration saying the office would be closed on October 31 and November 1. Yeah, All Saints Day is a big thing in this Catholic country. Had I missed my 72-hour window for processing, I’d have been screwed.

Still on my “to-do” list is applying for an online visa for Cambodia. At least if I fuck that up, I can wait in the visa-on-arrival line. I also need to purchase an onward ticket for when I return to the PI. Then there will be the e-arrival form and COVID test to complete while I’m in Cambodia. Show me a hoop, and I’ll jump right through!

It looks like things are going to get easier in the near future. I read today that President BongBong is lifting the indoor mask mandate (which only applied to certain places, like the f’n grocery store), and it appears the vaccination mandate for tourists’ entry is ending too. A little late for me, but about damn time.

Speaking of normal, the begging entreaties continue at a fever pitch. My mountain mama friend needed money for her electric bill (at least she was willing to massage for the money, but I wasn’t in the mood, so I gave her an “advance”). The downstairs part-time helper needed money for her boyfriend’s transportation to work. And then Joy chimed in wanting money for a medical test for her mother and a birthday cake for her sister. Frankly, that was the last straw and I went off on her. She was very apologetic and promised never to ask again. I eventually let go of my anger (but not the cash) and decided to forgive and forget.

Here’s the thing, I don’t mind being generous up to a point. I mean, I’m living on a pension but I have a charity budget. But I don’t like to feel I’m being taken advantage of either. I gave Joy money to buy a used refrigerator a few days ago and didn’t think twice about it. That fifty bucks meant little too me but made a daily difference in her life. But Joy is my “friend” only and I’m not expanding my charitble activities to take care of her mother and sister. They are not my responsibility and I resent even being asked. Hopefully, I’ve made that clear now. Rant over.

Started my evening yesterday with a haircut and since Blue Butterfly was practically next door I dropped in there afterwards. There were four or five girls seated in the outside area and I treated them all to dinner; and drinks for the one who was sitting beside me rubbing my thigh. Then I finished my night at Snackbar. I always have mixed emotions when I ‘m there and also have a hard time focusing on just one gal–so many nice ones to choose from. In other words, I wind up buying multiple lady drinks for multiple girls. I guess it’s a good deal for them. And I suppose that’s a form of charity, too. Right?

That’s the latest from here. Back tomorrow with a report on the Wednesday Walkers hike and my exploits on the town tonight.

Watch your Nuggets

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A pretty darn good Hash trail yesterday. At least the parts I did. Difficult enough to get the heart racing but not so hard that it stopped being fun. Of course, avoiding the first and biggest climb of the day helped in that regard. Credit where it is due, though, to the Hare, Leech My Nuggets, who actually found some new paths for us to tread, and he did his usual fine job of marking a trail that was easy to follow.

Leech’s trail in purple, and the “sane” group’s shortcuts in orange.
And we are off, heading up Rizal Extension instead of the mountain.
Wild Filipinas
Into the woodlands
A covered bridge is a rare sight in these parts.
Lending ISD a hand on steep down
Made it!
The trail had its ups and downs.
Time to climb again
Pubic Head getting his ass kicked.
Almost to the top
The view from up here
The view of down there. Now, I didn’t take that photo, and she’s the one who posted it on Facebook. I’m just sharing with my readers so they can see what I saw.
There was a time in my life when I’d get high on grass. These days, it’s the grass that’s high.
This is not to say we don’t find ways to still get high
On-Home at Johansson’s
Circle up!

After the Hash, I continued my drinking spree at Alaska Club, bought some lady drinks, then triked home for a smoothie and some sleep.

And now today is the tomorrow I worried about yesterday. I guess that’s the carousel of time thing Joni Mitchell sang about.

And here is today’s installment from the SOB dance competition–The Whiskey Girls.

A friend in need

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Yesterday I received a Facebook message from my friend Dave, who has been back in the USA for several months. I don’t think I’ve we’ve communicated directly since his departure, but I do know he is scheduled to return here in November. So, it was a little surprising to get his message asking me to send his girlfriend (who I also know) $200 and that he would repay me next month. Knowing Dave, I wasn’t worried about him paying me back, and I assumed it must be some emergency, or he wouldn’t have reached out to me. So, I wrote back asking for Jo’s full name as it appears on her ID so I could wire the money via Xoom (the money transfer service I use). Dave sent the name, and I completed the transfer without further delay.

I promptly sent Dave the receipt.

I told Dave the money was available for pick up at any of the usual money exchange locations; all Jo needed was her ID and the claim number. I was a little taken aback when, instead of thanking me, Dave asked if I would send it to Jo’s PayMaya account (it’s one of those e-money things) instead. I told Dave I had no idea how to do that, and he explained I could do it directly to her account through Xoom. Again, I wasn’t sure what this emergency was all about, but maybe Jo wasn’t physically capable of picking up the cash in person. So, being the good friend I am, I logged back into Xoom, canceled the original transfer, and resent the money to the PayMaya account. I advised Dave the money was sent in the manner requested.

Still no thank you, but a few minutes later, Dave told me the money had not yet arrived. I checked my email for the Xoom receipt and instead found a message from Xoom saying the transaction had been canceled for “security reasons.” I assumed that my canceling the original send and then immediately doing the second was the cause for their concern. I responded to the email explaining the circumstances and advised Dave we would need to wait for Xoom to approve the transfer.

In the meantime, I took a look at my Facebook feed and saw a post from Jack saying that if anyone got a message from him asking for money, it wasn’t legit. Yikes! Talk about a light bulb coming on–it was as blinding as my stupidity. I immediately searched for Dave’s name on Facebook and found both his real account and a newly created one–it was the new account I had been chatting with. Yep, the whole thing had been a scam, and I had stupidly fallen for it. If Xoom hadn’t flagged the second transaction, I would have been out two hundred bucks. Jesus.

It also explained why “Dave” didn’t want the standard wire transfer. He didn’t have the required ID with Jo’s name on it to pick up the cash. I guess a fake PayMaya account is just a number that no one can check. I sent my buddy Scott, who is also friends with Jack and Dave, a message giving him a heads-up. Scott was already aware of the scam, saying Dave had received a money request from Jack and had alerted him to what was going on. That scared me, and I’ve been checking Facebook periodically to make sure the scammer hasn’t created another account in MY name. So far, so good.

Oh, and Scott also sent me a message asking for a donation to his PayPal account: asuckerborneveryminute@gmail. Everyone’s a comedian these days. Or a scammer.

Here’s the lesson to be learned:

Don’t be as stupid as this guy!

In other news, my solo Sunday stroll looked like this:

I gave myself a break and kept it a short 5K. You can see I wimped out at the end and took a trike ride back up the hill to Alta Vista.

My Sunday evening bar crawl started at It Doesn’t Matter, then Green Room, Hideaway, and finished at Mugshots. No lady drinks at IDM, dinner from Sit-n-Bull at the Green Room, plus a game of pool (I actually won!). I hadn’t planned to do Hideaway since I’d done the feeding the night before, but Joy was hungry, so I brought some roast chicken from Chooks for the girls. Then when I was walking back to my side of town, all the new girls at Mugshots were seated outside, so I joined them for one last beer. No lady drinks, but I tipped the four of them 50 pesos each when I left.

It’s Hash Monday, and Leech My Nuggets is the Hare. That portends a challenging trail. Even harder for me because the trail begins at Barretto High School on Rizal Extension, a good long walk from my house. I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and get there by going over the mountain instead of around it. That cuts down the distance, but I’m not keen on hiking in the hills alone. If I don’t post here tomorrow, send out a rescue party!

Almost forgot, today’s SOB video, The Queen Victoria team:

Fly by night

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I guess my big accomplishment yesterday was booking my flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I’ll be leaving on 1 November and returning on the 8th, a quick one-week journey. I couldn’t get a direct flight out of Clark in Angeles, so I’ll be making the dreaded trip to Manila. It’s only three hours in the air, and I’ll be arriving in Cambo just before midnight. The return trip leaves at 0200 and arrives back in Manila around 5 a.m. That’s a bit of a pain, but that was the only direct flight available. It’s on Philippines Air, so hopefully, things will go as planned.

It’s been almost three years since I’ve traveled anywhere, and what used to be old hat, like making plane reservations, was a bit more challenging than I remembered. In the old days, I’d look for cheap fares using Kayak, but now it would redirect me to companies I’d never heard of before, and I was loathed to put my credit card info out there on the internet. I wound up booking through Expedia since I know they are legit.

I still need to find a hotel, the one my friend who lives there recommended was already sold out. I will also have to get an “onward” ticket showing I’ll be leaving the Philippines within thirty days of my arrival. Yes, you can extend your tourist visa (which I’ve been doing for three years now), but you must show a flight out when you first arrive. I also practiced completing the online “e-arrival card” that is required of all passengers flying into the Philippines, showing their vaccination history. I’ll need to resubmit it 72 hours before my return flight, and since I’ve not had a booster shot, I’ll also need to get tested 24 hours before I come back.

Next up on my travel to-do list is getting my approval to exit the country. I guess they check to make sure I’m not wanted for any high crimes and misdemeanors. It’s a pain in the ass because I’ll need to get three 2×2 photos and take my passport, ACR card, tourist visa paperwork, and a copy of my flight itinerary to the immigration office no less than three days before I travel (then go back and pick it up). Nothing to be done but to do it all and be glad for the opportunity to see something new. Well, I’ve been to Phnom Penh once previously, but I’m looking forward to going back.

My solo Saturday street walk in Barretto was right at 7K. I ended my walk at Sit-n-Bull and took home a meaty sub sandwich for lunch.

I attended a birthday party for two of the girls at Hideaway last night.

I provided one of the cakes and contributed a pizza to the smorgasbord of foods.
The gals did a nice job with the decorations as well.

I stayed longer than usual and even participated in some of the party games. One involved a banana and another an egg, but the girls did all the work. I’ll leave it at that.

After leaving Hideaway, I saw Mugshots was open for business. Turns out they close on Wednesdays, which is what led to my confusion. Another change is that they’ve updated their business model to include bargirls now. One of them was sitting outside and called me as I walked past–she was the ex of the guy who is now dating my ex. Ah, the joys of small-town living! Anyway, I went inside to have a beer and check it out. It’s nice inside, and I think adding girls to the mix will help business. I’ll likely be back, although I don’t intend to get involved with the gal who is the ex–didn’t even buy her a drink last night. I like a no-drama lifestyle.

Continuing my trek up the highway, I saw yet another samgyeopsal restaurant had now opened.

Yeah, they spelled it wrong. And don’t be distracted by the Christmas directions–we are in the high holiday season now, “the ber months” here in the Philippines. The restaurant is on the second floor (it used to be a bar I rather enjoyed) and right across the highway from the Central Park Reef hotel. I expect they’ll do alright. I’ll give it a try soon.

I had a coupon, “buy a lady drink, get a free customer drink,” for Whiskey Girl, so that was my next stop. I sat in the back, away from the loud music, and Jenn soon joined me for some more snuggling and cuddling. She’s a little chubby, but I find her oddly attractive. She’s also forty years old with a sixteen-year-old son. Neither of those facts is a deal breaker for me. Her only day off is Sunday, and she spends it in San Marcelino (about 20K from here) with family. I’d kind of like to spend some time with her outside of the bar, but not sure about the logistics given her schedule.

It was after eight, and I should have been heading home, but instead, I decided to pop into Snackbar. I sat at an outside table with my hiking buddies and, of course, bought them all a drink.

It’s a hard life I’m living, but I’m doing my best. Honest! (Notice those hats? The girls bought them for future hiking excursions. I think they might be hooked.)

There was live music blaring from upstairs. I asked what that was all about, and the girls told me a grand opening celebration was taking place. For what? A bar? I asked. Nope, a new restaurant. You guessed it, a samgyeopsal restaurant. Filipinos love that pork belly!

I didn’t stay long at Snackbar. I’d had enough to drink, and I have some personal issues there. I’ll see the crew on hikes and patronize bars that don’t leave me feeling unappreciated. Lots of those in town.

And a whole lot more to explore ten days from now in Cambodia! What a life.

Oh, someone posted videos from this week’s SOB contest. I’ll share one a day for any of you guys who want to see the performances. Here are the Champion Voodoo ladies:

And don’t worry, they are safe for work. At least there is no nudity.

Nothing to SOB about

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A pleasant enough evening out on the town last night. The SOB competition was held at Voodoo, a small venue, and it was packed. I was fortunate to be seated at the VIP table with the event sponsor, Daddy Dave. Also had my Voodoo sweetie by my side to keep me comfortable during the event. And it turns out SOB history was made in that, for the first time, Alaska, Wet Spot, Green Room, and Hot Zone were NOT among the winners. Yep, the three perennial also-rans really upped their dance game last night to finish in the money. It was an impressive showing.

The Whiskey Girls team took third place.
Queen Victoria was second.
And Voodoo was the champion. Congrats and well-earned!

I didn’t attend the Aftermath event, instead choosing to hang out in The Green Room for a while. I actually got coerced into playing a game of pool for the first time in years. Of course, I lost, but I didn’t give a shit. I played better than I expected I would.

Home by my appointed bedtime hour as is my custom.

Which leaves my daytime activity–the hike with the Friday walking group. We kept it mostly flat and somewhat beachy, doing a little over 7K in and around Calapacuan.

The path we walked
The gathering group
Four of the Snackbar girls joined in
Bound for Calapacuan
Off that f’n highway at last!
On the beach
Boats on the bay
What you see at this seashore is not all that scenic, but it’s reality.
Walking the wall to keep our feet dry
Another bay view
Off the rocks
The day’s catch
Starfish on the beach?
We left the beach, crossed the highway, and walked around some more. Pond fishing versus ocean fishing, can’t say which is better.
Asses in grasses
What are the odds we will all cross this rickety bridge without a fall or it collapsing? The locals said, “one at a time,” so I went first. And lived to document with my camera tragedy or triumph.
My money was on Scott, but he made it safely across. That round “beam” would roll under your feet, and the flat board was springy. Almost felt like dancing when you crossed.
Celebrating our survival on a more substantial bridge.
Strollin’ on the river…well, creek. Er, sewer?
The straight and narrow
That’s right, gals. Those rubbers will keep you safe.
The only climb on the day. Nice view on the way up.
A brief highway jaunt going back to Barretto.
Some of us did lunch at the sixth-floor restaurant of a relatively new hotel, the AM/PM. I went with the garlic parmesan chicken wings, and they were tasty.
The view from the roof.

And there you have another episode in the story of my life in the retirement community called Barretto.

Snuggle up

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Made it through another day in paradise. Started the morning with my solo walk out Naugsol way.

Just a tad over 8K altogether.

A few of the things I saw along the way:

If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
Viagra falls
A river runs through it.
Seeing my future from the streets of San Isidro.
My shortcut path in Alta Vista.

When beer o’clock rolled around, I headed into town. I had a coupon for the seldom-visited Whiskey Girl to use, but they weren’t open yet when I passed by. I kept walking until I reached It Doesn’t Matter, so I visited there for the first time in over a week. Both owners noted my absence and welcomed me back. I was on my first beer when I saw an old crush (unreciprocated) was there, and we had a brief chat. A bit later, Jessa and her new guy Wes arrived, and we exchanged friendly greetings. That’s part of small-town living, I suppose, there is always someone around you know, and sometimes that makes you feel even more alone. I finished my second beer and departed.

I made my way back up the highway toward Whiskey Girl but decided having dinner first was a good idea, so I made Mango’s my next stop. When I entered, one of the waitresses exclaimed, “oh my, we were just talking about you!” I didn’t ask if it was something good or bad, but hey, it’s nice to be remembered. Pork chops were in stock, so I ordered me up some and took my customary seat facing the bay.

Beats staring out at the highway, that’s for sure.

On impulse, I ordered some more pork chops for takeout and asked my waitress what side dishes I should get. She asked, “for a Filipina?” I nodded yes, and she said to get rice and veggies. So I did and told her, “enjoy your dinner.” She was both surprised and ecstatic. Well, that’s what you get for caring enough to think about me when I’m not around.

I’d almost forgotten just how damn good these grilled chops are. Enjoyed every bite.

My hunger satiated, I moved on to Whiskey Girl. Took a seat near the stage and ordered the first of several beers (buy one, get one). There was a dancer sitting near me who was exquisitely beautiful. It was hard to keep my eyes off her full breasts that seemed destined to escape from the small top she was wearing. And those long legs covered by the shortest of skirts. One of the hottest gals I’ve seen around. Chatted a bit and learned she was twenty years old and has no kids. It was loud in the bar, and I could barely hear her, and she didn’t seem to follow much of what I was saying, but damn, she was easy on the eyes, and I kept her lady drink glass filled during my visit. Sorry, she was shy to be photographed, and this morning I don’t remember her name. Oh well, she is too young and too pretty for the likes of me anyway.

The gal on the other side of me was a waitress named Jenn I had chatted with on previous visits. Pretty much the opposite of the dancer on my other side, looks-wise, but also much more personable. She’s actually quite witty and fun to talk to. Guess which one I preferred?

Surprised? I was a little. But this gal just made me feel good to be around. That’s pretty rare.

I’m going to have to update my Whiskey Girl review. I had a lot better time there than I expected. The music they played may as well have been from one of my playlists; I liked every song. My only complaint was it was too damn loud, but next time I’m going to sit in the back, away from the stage and speakers. I never pay much attention to the dancers anyway. And yes, when I visit again, I’m going to focus exclusively on Jenn. I’d like to get to know her better. Who knew chubby girls could be such good snugglers?

It was only eight o’clock when I left Whiskey Girl, but I’d had enough to drink, so I caught a trike back home. Made a banana-mango smoothie, then hit the hay.

As days go, yesterday was a pretty good one. Which maybe will seem pathetic to some of you living full and meaningful lives. But it is what it is, and I’m in full acceptance mode. Things are better than they were and perhaps not as good as they will be in the future, but I’m living my life one day at a time and making the best of each one until they run out. That’s what I call progress.

If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake

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I had it in my mind to bake a cake for the Hideaway girls and proceeded accordingly. Once all the ingredients were blended, poured into the cake pans, and popped into the oven, I set my phone alarm for 2:53–thirty-five minutes later. Except in a moment of Biden-like idiocy, I somehow set the timer for 3:53. I got busy blogging and didn’t notice the passing of time until it was too late. The cake was not exactly burned, but it was dry and hard. My pride would certainly not let me serve such a debacle of tastelessness. Oh, well, it happens. With scarily increasing frequency.

The girls had to settle for Oreo cookies to go with their Chook’s fried chicken. They didn’t seem to mind.

Bye-bye chicken leg
As sweet as a cookie

With my duties completed (and several beers downed) at Hideaway, I moved on back up the highway. I was thinking I’d pop into the new Mugshots bar, but it was closed. Not sure what’s up with that. Hard to believe the owner threw in the towel less than one month after opening. I’ll update when I learn more about the situation.

I made Cheap Charlies my second stop instead. I don’t go there as much these days. The bargirl there that is scamming her foreigner “boyfriend” or her husband (or both) ignored my presence, and I notice she has unfriended me on Facebook. That’s fine with me; her messages of “love” to that dumb fuck in the USA were disgusting to witness. Maybe she was afraid I was going to rat her out, but I would never do such a thing. That’s why I’m not using her name on the blog, either. It’s not my place to get involved–I’ll let Karma sort it out. I got a nice back rub and some company from my other two regulars, and hey, it’s cheaper to buy two girls drinks than it is three. Win-win!

When I departed CC, I wasn’t sure where I was going to go next, but I was thinking I’d visit somewhere I rarely frequent. Then on a whim, I decided to hit Sloppy Joes. As usual, I sat in the outdoor area, watching the world go by on the highway. I got good service from a cute waitress but no companionship. That’s fine too. A bit later, two other young ladies came out, and I assumed they were employees as well. They sat at the table next to me, and when I finished my beer and asked to pay my tab, the cute one in a short skirt encouraged me to stick around for a while and enjoy “the party.” Hmm, well, I still hadn’t hit my bedtime, and I couldn’t think of anything better to do, so I ordered another beer.

Then the two girls changed the music to something from this century and got up and danced together. Well, twerking would be more accurate. And that one in the short skirt was amazing. She could really shake that ass, but she was also doing full-leg splits to the floor like a gymnast. And then twerking from that position too. Naturally, that little skirt rode up, and I had a direct panty-shot view. It was the sexiest dance routine I think I’ve ever seen, and she was certainly more skilled than most of the bar dancers in town.

When she finished her routine, I got up to take a leak. When I returned, she was having a bit of a confrontation with a young woman who had driven up during my absence. It was a scene reminiscent of a jealous girlfriend trying to drag her man out of the bar. Hard to believe such a sexy gal who seemed to enjoy putting on a show for me could be lesbian. Maybe the other woman was her sister. Anyway, Miss sexy short skirt went out to the car with her friend or whomever it was. My waitress explained that the girl did not work at Sloppy Joe’s; she was just hanging out at the bar. A kind of weird end to my night, but I did rather enjoy it.

Well, I did have another weird thing occur–I heard from my Korean wife, something that rarely happens. She wanted some advice about someone she had met online. He claimed he was an American doctor in Iraq and couldn’t wire money from there to his daughter for her birthday. I advised her it was an obvious scam. But she told me that he sent her a copy of his American passport.

Well, the first two things that jumped out at me were that the signature (whatever it reads) doesn’t match the name of the passport. I also noted that the passport says it was issued in August 2022 and that it expires in August 2024. American passports are issued for ten-year periods.

Jee Yeun thanked me and blocked him. I hope she’s more careful about who she befriends in the future.

The other event in my day was the morning hike with the Wednesday Walkers group. We took a Jeepney out to Calapadayan (about 5K from Barretto). Our original plan was to do a short hill climb, then walk back to our little town. A wrong turn led to a much longer and steeper climb, and by the time we made it back down from the mountain, we were tuckered out, so took a Jeepney back home. Finished our adventure with lunch at John’s place.

Here are some photos from our journey:

The path we took Our original plan was to go between those peaks, then walk the back roads to Barretto.
At our 7/11 gathering spot
Rosemarie and Lydell from Snackbar joined us on our hike.
On the mean streets of Calapadayan
Monkeying around for the group shot
Leaving the gorilla in our midst
Something seemed off about this street sign.
The guys leading the pack couldn’t hear Scott’s warning that they had missed the turn.
At the gates of an abandoned water park. Now what do we do?
I’m sorry, but sliding out of a downed jetliner seems just a tad creepy to me.
And there was also a dinosaur in the woods. Anyway, the waterpark was now a pigsty (literally), and a woman came out to advise us we were not welcome on their private property. So, we headed out in a different direction.
A bridge crossing
We’ve got this in the bag
We had to keep walking to find out where the path would lead us.
Charles in his role as the candyman.
I got here first with the cookies, though!
There’s no turning back now
And up we go!
The conditions were jungle-like
But still, we plodded on
Youngsters like Lydell didn’t seem to have any issues with the climb. I heard a lot of bitching from some of the oldsters. Honestly, though, compared to last week’s stairway to heaven, this wasn’t so bad.
Just gotta keep on keepin’ on.
An uling (charcoal) “factory” on top of the mountain.
Made for a nice resting and regrouping timeout.
Alright then, let’s find our way down.
The view from here
Must be a male tree
On down
Almost there
Ah, solid ground!
Heading for the highway
Waiting for a Jeepney
Riding the Jeep back to Barretto
Some pool before lunch at John’s place (3rd-floor bar)
The view from John’s
My roast beef and cheddar sandwich with fries. Deliciosio!

I decree it to have been a good day!

This was a #1 hit song in 1950. You are welcome!