My Wednesdays are pretty whacked now that I’ve agreed to help out my former team in the dart league. Arrows fly at 2:00 p.m. My Wednesday Walkers group hike normally finishes up around noon. So, that doesn’t leave much room for anything in-between but a quick shower before making my way out to Baloy Beach for the dart match. Yep, no after-hike beers, no nap, and no time for my daily post here at LTG. Hence, this abbreviated attempt to fill that space before I head out this morning.

Speaking of darts, I finished third in last night’s tournament at Alley Cats. I played about the way I usually do; what’s changed is how some of my opponents are playing–they’ve gotten a lot better. I’m guessing that’s because they play much more frequently than I do, but people I used to dominate are beating me pretty often these days. Oh well, it’s just for fun anyway. Or so I keep telling myself.

Went to Mango’s after darts and ordered the grilled pork chops. Got them for takeout though and enjoyed them at home.

Oh, in the comments to one of my Facebook posts two folks went at it over a grammatical issue I hadn’t heard of before–apparently not using apostrophes is a thing now. Here’s their exchange:

Wally: *you're

Jeremy: the use of an apostrophe isnt a grammar mistake, and it's an accepted omission from contractions nowadays. Thus, it isnt incorrect even though auto-correct programs will try to mark it as such.

Wally: As for it being acceptable grammar to omit apostrophes, take it from an Englishman, it isn't. And before you make the 'American English' argument, remember that those who invented the language don't accept the concept. There is English and there are mistakes.
If, of course, you honestly believe that the apostrophe is redundant, then you have been misinformed and I would take this opportunity to remind you of your opening remarks regarding the misinformed.

Jeremy: As for your argument concerning the English being the originators of the English language, should I make you aware of the fact that there is such a concept as the evolution of it, or do you not recognize that youre not speaking Old English or even Middle English anymore? Youre speaking Modern English. As such, there is a difference between the British English, American English, and a number of other minor dialects.
Thus, if you want to remain true to the stereotype of the pompous Englishman by "not accepting mistakes", then by all means, go ahead, but just remember, that youre the one making the mistakes right now.

I didn’t participate in the argument and I will continue to use apostrophes in the manner I was taught. Commas, however, are another matter.

I was surprised to have a delivery guy at my front gate yesterday. Figured it was something for the upstairs neighbor. But then he said my name. I told him I didn’t order anything, but upon closer inspection of the package, I saw it was from the US Embassy.

What else? Well, I got a haircut yesterday.

The trail may have grown cold in my quest for love. That’s okay. Better safe than sorry.

Maybe my long day today will provide some fodder for a worthwhile post tomorrow. Don’t get your hopes up!

So, geographically speaking, the next bar in my “Bars of Barretto” series would have been The Pub. But in the end, notwithstanding the name, I decided that The Pub is a restaurant rather than a bar.

So, yeah, it definitely has a pub vibe going on. But here’s the thing–I never think of visiting The Pub when I’m thirsty but it is one of my favorite places to get something to eat. In fact, I had a French dip sandwich here before moving a bit further up the road to review Rosies. Ultimately, I decided it would be unfair to rate The Pub among the bars of Barretto. The other bars can’t compete on the menu and a restaurant shouldn’t have to be held to bar standards.

I was going to do another bar review last night but it turns out that Blue Butterfly, the next up in rotation, is closed on Sundays. I’ll try to get there Wednesday.

Anyway, yesterday was Halloween and the gals at It Doesn’t Matter said they were going to be dressing up. So I did too:

Anyway, I got a few laughs out of it, all people here have ever seen me wear is shorts and a polo shirt. Wasn’t a brilliant idea though, I was sweating like a hell in that suit.

Okay, Hash Monday so I’d best get ready for that. On-On!

Actually, I got it in my head to walk TO the mall, which made me a highway walker. Not the best of ideas given the heavy traffic on this holiday weekend. Talk about a scary Halloween! The holiday of which I speak is known here as Fiestang Patay, or All Souls Day. It is the traditional day to visit the graves of loved ones, but from the looks of the hotel parking lots, a lot of people are spending the weekend at the beach.

Anyway, It was only a little over 6K from my door to the mall entrance. When I arrived I realized that I had forgotten to bring something very important!

I wasn’t sure the face shield rule was still in force, but the guard at the door told me “no shield, no entry”. Where can I buy a shield, I asked. “Inside. But you can’t enter without a shield.” Alrighty then. I walked across the street to the 7/11 but they were sold out of shields. I circled the mall to the backside entrance and there the enterprising guard was selling shields for 30 pesos each. I bought the one pictured above from him.

Having gained the coveted mall access, I commenced shopping. I didn’t need much, but what I needed isn’t available in Barretto proper. I wound up having a pretty successful go of it, getting most of what I came for.

Harbor Point mall is just a shell of its former pre-pandemic self. I’d estimate that over a third of the stores have closed. I had planned on treating myself to an overpriced TGI Friday’s lunch but was surprised to see they were no longer in business. The same with a couple of other places I used to like to eat at. Oh well, the Burger King was open and it has been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Whopper. Except they only had one counter open during lunch hour and the line was long. Fuck that! I walked around a bit more and came to this place:

I ordered the Super Burger with cheese. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this”

Oh, well. That’s the way it goes. Took a cab back home and now I can prepare for a Halloween night on the town. I did that photo every 1000 steps thingy, and here they are:

I did take a couple of pictures out of sequence along the way. Some roadside artworks…murals painted on the retaining wall.

And you can Relive it here:

That’s pretty much my day so far. Had a great chat with Pearl again this morning. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but damn, maybe there will be love in my future after all.

Let me leave you with a laugh:

When I first moved to Barretto back in 2018, Rosies was a semi-regular stop on my bar crawls. In those days it was a classic girly bar: scantily-clad dancers available for takeout. It was somewhat smaller than its competitors but had a good vibe and some nice-looking gals. I was trying to remember if I’d ever taken a girl home from here before and decided that I had not. There used to be one girl that here that I was quite fond of, but if I recall correctly when I asked if she wanted to go with me she told me she was on her menstruation. Maybe she was or maybe it was her polite way to say no, but I never asked again.

As time went on I gravitated away from the girly bars altogether. I can’t remember the last time I was in Rosies, but it was pre-pandemic. Last night was a stark reminder of how times have changed.

They had a couple of those big-screen TVs playing music videos, that was a nice touch. And it seemed a lot of the videos featured women in bikinis, so the old dancer bar vibe was at least somewhat in evidence.

A couple of the girls last night were cute, but no one pressured me for drinks, nor did anyone come to join me at the table. My waitress gave good service, even brought a frosty mug for my beer which wasn’t very cold. Beers were 75 pesos, which is pretty cheap for this style bar. I was there early, so it could have been happy hour prices.

I stayed for two beers, which says something I suppose. It was not unpleasant to sit and reminisce about those happier days gone by.

But Rosie you’re all right – you wear my ring

When you hold me tight – Rosie that’s my thing

When you turn out the light – I’ve got to hand it to me

Looks like it’s me and you again tonight

Rosie

The rankings thus far:

1. Out Back Billabong
2. Dynamite Dick’s
3. Queen Victoria
4. Hideaway
5. Rosies
6. MacArthur’s
7. Redz Pub
8. Whiskey Girl

This is another recently opened bar. It was formerly known at General’s and shut down early in the pandemic never to reopen. Regular readers may recall that this was the place I was trying to get for Maris’ canteen–the bar would have just been for fun. Despite having a verbal agreement to take over the lease, someone else made a better offer I guess. Given recent events with the Kitchenette, I guess I should consider myself fortunate.

MacArthur’s (I refuse to use the improper capitalization on the signage) is a small place that is apparently another juicy-type bar. No pool table or other entertainment except for a handful of bargirls, although there were a couple of televisions. I arrived around 5:00 and was the only customer, perhaps they cater to a later crowd.

It wasn’t much fun drinking there alone last night, but you can’t blame that on the bar. To her credit, one of the bargirls asked me if I had any music requests for her to play. That’s always nice, but I knew I was in a “one beer and out mode”, so I declined.

Well, I wasn’t a sucker last night (or at least I wasn’t in MacArthur’s). My peanut vendor friend came in, so I bought 100 pesos worth of nuts. It’s always fun just to call out “any of your girls like penis?”

I didn’t have occasion to buy any lady drinks as most of the staff didn’t take much interest in my presence, despite being the only customer.

I don’t imagine I’ll feel compelled to return to MacArthur’s anytime soon, they certainly gave me no reason to want to last night. To be fair, when I posted these pictures on Facebook I did get a comment saying it was a fun place. Maybe I just have a bad attitude. Still, I know what I like in a bar and this one didn’t have much for me to like. Well, beers were 70 pesos, pretty much the average price in town these days, so there’s that.

The rankings so far:

1. Out Back Billabong
2. Dynamite Dick’s
3. Queen Victoria
4. Hideaway
5. MacArthur’s
6. Redz Pub
7. Whiskey Girl

UPDATE: I visited Whiskey Girl last night (a Tuesday a little before 6 p.m.), and things have taken a real change for the better. There’s new management and ownership, for one thing. The bar features some dancers now, too. In fact, they will be hosting this SOB this weekend. Almost everything I complained about in the post below has been rectified. The girls were attentive and friendly; several joined me at my table. No one hassled me for a drink, though, and I only bought lady drinks for my “favorite” and my waitress. The music was classic rock and played at a volume that allowed conversation. I wouldn’t rate the beauty of the girls as better than average overall, but there were a couple of cuties. My favorite is no beauty queen at forty years old, but she has a very nice personality and is good company. That is what appeals to me. It just goes to show that I bar I had ranked in last place at one point is now ranked much higher. Good job to all involved.

Whiskey Girl is one of the newer bars in town. I visited once when it first opened, saw that it was just a typical juicy bar, and never returned. Until last night. I’d finished darts a little earlier than normal, so I figured I’d pop in to do a quick review for my Bars of Barretto series. I was the only customer, and it was one beer and out for me.

Only about five gals working, and none of them caught my eye as being particularly attractive. On the plus side, there was no “buy me a drink” pressure, but on the other hand, I might have enjoyed a little company. Normally, a girl will at least sit down nearby so you can chat if you want, but not last night. One girl did ask me if I wanted to play billiards, I said not tonight, and she walked away.

The music was blaring, almost to the point of being painful. What was painful was the Eminem rap music. I’m not sure what crowd there are going for in this bar, but the demographics of the Barretto expats (basically old white guys) make me think this would not be their preferred playlist. Granted, I didn’t ask that the volume be lower, ed or the selections be altered, so that’s on me, I suppose.

Meanwhile, at the bar:

There was one pleasant surprise, though, my beer was only 55 pesos. That is the lowest price I’ve seen anywhere in town. Hell, even Cheap Charlies charges 60.

Anyway, I’d say the bar has potential, but it appears to be poorly managed at best. If you are going to be a juicy bar, get some attractive girls who are also friendly. If you want to be a hangout for people who like cheap beer and pool, promote those aspects. When I left Whiskey Girl last night, I went next door to the Out Back bar–it was packed with pool players. Same thing with the music; tailor it to the customer’s tastes and turn down the volume. A talented acoustic guitar player might work too.

Absent some major operational changes; I doubt I will be returning to Whiskey Girl anytime soon.

UPDATED RANKINGS:

1. It Doesn’t Matter
2. Hideaway
3. Snackbar
4. Cheap Charlies
5. Wet Spot
6. Mango’s Beach Bar
7. Alley Cats
8. The Green Room
9. Bar Barretto
10. Blue Butterfly
11. Dynamite Dick’s
12. Mugshots
13. Alaska Club
14. Hot Zone
15. Queen Victoria
16. Whiskey Girl
17. Adam’s
18. BarCelona
19. Voodoo
20. Rock Lobster
21. Outback
22. Rosie’s
23. Annex
24. Bottoms Up
25. Palm Tree
26. Thumbstar
27. MacArthur’s
28. Redz Pub
29. Chill

The current rankings:

1. Out Back Billabong
2. Dynamite Dick’s
3. Queen Victoria
4. Hideaway
5. Redz Pub
6. Whiskey Girl

You’ll have a blast at Dynamite Dick’s! Yes, that’s an explosive pun, I hope it didn’t bomb. Alright, I’ll lower the boom and get on with the latest bar review.

Dick’s is rather unique among the bars of Barretto. I’d definitely put it in the “neighborhood pub” category, frequented by a regular crowd of locals who are served by a friendly staff and treated to the wit and witticism of the owner and bar’s namesake, Dick. The bar opens earlier than any other bar I know, around 7:00 a.m. It always trips me out when I go by on a morning walk and see folks having a beer for breakfast. It also closes early–6:30 p.m. last night. The bar has two or three waitresses on duty and that’s what they are there for–to serve food and beverages to the customers. They will gladly accept a drink offer but can’t entertain you like the girls in the juicy bars do.

About the only time I ever visit Dick’s is after one of our Wednesday/Friday hikes. The distance from my house and early closing is not convenient for me, but that said, I do enjoy the times I’m there.

I’m sitting in the owner’s chair in that photo above. That’s where Dick routinely holds court. He served in Vietnam with the Marine Corps and also was stationed here in the Philippines back in the 1970s. He’s always got stories and jokes to keep his customers entertained. He also routinely provides the table with a drink on the house. It’s a good time when Dick is holding court.

The only time I ever go inside the actual bar is to use the CR. Let’s take a look:

It’s a good bar and a fun place to hang out, especially if you are a morning/early in the day drinker. Despite the fact that I don’t fit that demographic much, it’s always nice to be entertained by the owner. Even though he is a Dick. *ahem*

The current rankings:

1. Out Back Billabong
2. Dynamite Dick’s
3. Queen Victoria
4. Hideaway
5. Redz Pub

I don’t speak Australian so I had to look up billabong. I reckon you’d be likely to find one somewhere in the great outback. I have no idea why they made “outback” two words on the sign though. Anyway, the bar is part of an Australian-owned boutique hotel. It is one of the newest places in town, and although I’ve never stayed there, I’ve heard good things about the rooms. The bar is very nice, clean, and modern as well. I’m not sure why I don’t come here more often.

I got there early yesterday, around 5:00, and was told I was the first customer of the day (they open at 3:00). I was the only customer during the length of my two beer visit. There appeared to be about a dozen girls working, or at least waiting to work, along with my friend Bhel, the bartender. No lady drink pressure at all which I always appreciate.

Like most bars in town, Outback is struggling for customers. There are just not enough expats around to support the bar infrastructure. I understand that weekend hotel guests (usually from Manila) at least help fill some of that void. But until foreign tourists are once again allowed back in the country, the hard times are destined to continue.

As nice as the indoor bar is, my favorite place to be is outside the back door:

This is a fine venue that seems ready and able to cater to whatever your bar preferences may be: Pretty young women to drink with you? Got ’em. Live sporting events on TV? Yep. Alcoholic beverages at a fair price? Only 70 pesos a beer. Open-air facilities? Yes, life’s a beach! It really is a great bar and has earned the top spot (so far) in my rankings.

1. Out Back Billabong
2. Queen Victoria
3. Hideaway
4. Redz Pub

Capistrano Falls that is. The Wednesday Walkers changed things up yesterday and had ourselves trucked out to the end of the road in Gordon Heights, Olongapo. Then we hoofed it up the mountain and down to the falls. A short, but challenging walk there and back again. The falls were certainly impressive enough, much more so than I’ve seen on previous excursions to so-called waterfalls. I’ve got some photos of the journey to share with you:

Hideaway is aptly named, it’s not easy to find. It is situated mid-way down an alley off the highway, but other than the wall mural above, there is no signage. So, unless you just happened to look in the alley as you passed by you’d never even know there was a bar located here.

I’m sure most patrons of the bar discovered the place by word-of-mouth and perhaps more than any other drinking establishment in town, it has a neighborhood pub feel about it. Think Cheers.

I’m far from a regular here, in large part because Hideaway is 2,344 steps away from my house. I pass by so many other places along the way that I rarely make it this far down the highway. Oh, and as a side note, as I do these bar reviews I’ll be doing furthest/closest alternations, eventually finishing somewhere in the middle. Bet you can’t wait for that!

Alright, as mentioned above, the bar was sold last week to a long-time bar manager from Angeles City named Griff. He wasn’t there last night when I was, so I haven’t met him yet. No idea what changes, if any, he has in mind from the Dive In concept. Despite my limited past patronage, I was recognized by one of the customers, Wayne, the fiance of my ex-crush, Jessa. He seems to be a really nice guy and I’m happy for her. Jessa was actually the reason for most of my past visits to this bar. The only current employee I know there now is Ken (a female), but she was leaving just as I arrived.

Let’s go inside, shall we?

So, a neighborhood pub where all the regulars know each other. Good music playing and the customers can request whatever songs they want to hear. Drinking companions are available if you so desire, and the lady drinks are comparatively inexpensive at 150 pesos. A cutie named Rose eventually came and sat down next to me, but I was already preparing to leave. My beer was also fairly priced at 70 pesos.

There is really nothing not to like about Hideaway. Since I didn’t know anyone other than Wayne across the bar, I wasn’t really engaged in the “regulars” banter taking place. Drank my two beers, listened to the music, missed Jessa, then called the bartender over to pay my tab. I handed him a 500 peso note for a 140 peso bill and he didn’t have change. Apparently, no one else in the bar did either. I saw him send one of the gals out with a 1000 peso bill, but she returned a couple of minutes without change. Then the bartender left the bar while I sat there waiting. And waiting.

The bartender eventually returned with my change and apologized for the delay, explaining that everyone had been paying with large bills. Okay, it happens. I’m sure I’ll find my way back to Hideaway at some point in the future.

Hey, I just had a thought. I ought to start ranking the bars in my order of personal preference as I do these reviews. Why not? Here’s where we are thus far:

1. Queen Victoria
2. Hideaway
3. Redz Pub