But they were pretty small. Here’s where things stood on SATurday.
Swan joined me for the Saturday morning stroll. She thinks walking in Barretto is boring, so we took a Jeepney ride out of town and explored the backstreets of a small village called Bantay Bayan. I’ve walked through there on hikes before and always liked the place’s vibe. It’s an isolated community on the beach but still accessible via the National Highway. The highway doesn’t go through the town; it’s up above it on the hillside. Naturally, Swan handed out sweets to the kids we encountered during our walk.








On my previous walks through this village, I observed a place called “The Index,” but it was never open when I passed by. Yesterday, some construction was going on, and one of the workers said we could come in for a look-see.

As we were looking around, a Filipino man having coffee and a smoke at one of the tables greeted us. The first thing he said to me was, “Index is for sale.” I told him, “Not today,” but it gave me something to think about.

Of course, upon reflection, I realize the fantasy of owning a beach bar and the reality of actually running one are two different things. I’d have to move to Bantay Bayan for one thing. It’s only five kilometers from Barretto, but it would still be a pain in the ass without some major lifestyle changes. And the bar would cater to an almost exclusively local crowd, so I’m not sure how much fun that would be for me. I did see one other white guy on the walkabout, so there’s that.



I promised Swan dinner at Jewel, and we stopped at It Doesn’t Matter for some pre-meal liquid refreshments on our way there. Ran into my pals Scott and Jim, and before we left a couple more bar hoppers arrived. I never get invited to join in those excursions; I guess I have the reputation of being a lightweight. Oh well, I had a date anyway.
There was a large and loud Filipino group at Jewel Cafe when we arrived, but they left shortly thereafter. Before we’d finished our meal, an even bigger group came in, including a passel of kids. Another large group was seated in the outside area. I like Jewel and was happy to see them doing so well with the Saturday dinner crowd.
Swan had been hankering for the Jewel steak dinner–a filet mignon for 499 pesos. I ordered one as well.

We hadn’t been to Alaska Club for a while, and owner Jerry is back in town, so that was our next stop. We were the day’s first customers for them, but the music was good, and the girls were dancing (which is rare in other bars). As is my custom, I rewarded the dance crew with fifty pesos each for their effort (there were ten of them). Our waitress enjoyed two lady drinks and a nice tip for her service. We did our nightcap at Wet Spot and spent recklessly there as well. Aine joined us again, along with waitress Irene and boss lady Beth, and they all quenched their thirst on my tab. Hey, that’s just the way I roll. And nobody rubbed my crotch!
With eight o’clock approaching and my drinking capacity maxed out, we called for our trike and headed home.

A sweet ending to the day, indeed!
Easy come, easy go:
- Lady Drinks: 800 pesos
- Alcohol: 1500 pesos
- Dinner: 1000 pesos
- Charity: 50 pesos
- Tips: 850 pesos
- Jeepney: 100 pesos
- Trike: 200 pesos
- Total for October 19: 4500 pesos
Memories of Seoul from seven years ago when I did a trek to the summit of Namsan.



Damn, I do miss those days.
So, I posted the video yesterday about that poor smuck who was kidnapped in Zamboanga. Turns out he was a vlogger and had posted videos acknowledging that his life was in danger living there.
This news article provides additional information on the sad story of Elliot Eastman.

Good luck to him where ever he may be. He’s going to need it.
Alright, hard to transition from that story to the humor, but here goes anyway:



So, another Sunday feeding at Hideaway is on tap, followed by my dinner with Swan at John’s place. No complaints, even if it does have a “Groundhog Day” feel about it. Kind of like reading this blog, I suppose.