Greetings from rainy Barretto! We didn’t have one drop of sky water to deal with during our six days in paradise, but I understand the rainy season there starts in December. Anyway, it is still nice to be back home safe and sound.

We enjoyed our time in Pacifico, but honestly, in retrospect, we should have spent a couple of days less there and explored other areas. If you are not a surfer, there’s not much on offer to fill the hours. Everything is spread out, so if you don’t have access to a vehicle, it’s not easy to get around. Unlike General Luna, tuk-tuks (Siargao’s version of trikes) are not readily available. And the ones we appraoched either didn’t want to take us where we wanted to go, or wanted to gouge us to get there. Nope.

The other complaint I had was a lack of hiking options. Only one main road through town, and I didn’t see many dirt paths to explore the surrounding countryside. There was not much traffic, and the road was wide and easy to walk on, but seeing the same old sights day after day does tend to get boring.

The bar scene was basically resorts that sold drinks and closed before nine. There were none of the pub-like places I enjoy here in my hometown. And of course, there were no girly bars whatsoever, not that that matters to me.

Although there were lots of tourists, mostly youngish Europeans and families, they were not overwhelming like we experienced in General Luna. That said, there were lots more options for things to do in Luna compared to Pacifico, so I guess one comes with the other.

And that is the extent of my negative impressions. On the positive side were amazing beaches, a laid-back chill vibe, great weather, and very friendly locals. I was glad we explored the small local eateries and discovered some great food as a result. Other than some minor and occasional boredom, we had an enjoyable time. It was also good to meet up with Chris and spend some time with him in Pacifico and at his brewery.

In summation, a nice place to visit, but I couldn’t live there comfortably. Here’s the lowdown on our final Pacifico morning and the journey home:

We only spent one night at Onda, but it was a nice stay. The staff was excellent and very accommodating. They let us delay check-out until 1 p.m. with no additional charge, which allowed us to have a relaxing nap before our pickup for the airport at 1:30. The only downside is that there is no direct beach access from this hotel, but for an overnight stay, that didn’t matter.

Chris hired a guy I know from Barretto to assist him with managing and marketing the brewery. We had our driver stop by so I could say hello and wish him well.

So, the airport at Siargao is the smallest I’ve ever seen. It’s also undergoing renovation, which has made it even smaller than it was during my previous visit.

We managed to get a seat somehow, but two flights departed before ours, and it thinned out considerably. You can see what a popular destination Siargao has become. Our flight arrived late, so we had a delayed departure, but only about thirty minutes.

We landed, claimed our luggage, and went outside to be picked up by our taxi driver, the same one who brought us. Hit the road a little after 8 p.m., and he dropped us at our door at 10. And yes, it was still raining. And it’s been raining all day today.

Facebook has been full of photos of the flooding and its impact.

Regardless, it is good to be home again.

From the March 2021 LTG archives, I recount meeting Bob and Cliff, the owners of a newly opened bar in Barretto, with the unique name of It Doesn’t Matter. Sadly, Bob died in a motorcycle accident a couple of years later. Cliff has moved on to Red Bar, but IDM is still in business with Bob’s widow at the helm. It’s a struggle for bars here these days, but I’m hoping this one holds on.

Today’s YouTube video talks about a taxi driver scam that made the news. At least this time the driver was held to account, losing his license and vehicle. On the rare occasions that I use a taxi, I always insist on the price upfront. The guy I used for my transport this week gave me a lower quote than I expected, and I made up the difference with a generous tip. I’ll be using him again in the future.

Here I go again:

Time to revert to those old routines. Even if I have to do it in the rain. See you here tomorrow!

Okay, the last day of my visit to Siargao Island is in the books. I’m still here until my flight departs this afternoon, but the fun in the sun is basically done. I also have to check out of my hotel at 11 a.m., so this post is going to be a quickie. I’ll do a write-up tomorrow outlining my overall impressions of Pacifico. Here’s how we spent our Monday:

We checked out of the Bamboo Hotel and checked into the Onda Hotel, about a block away up the road.

Back to the new room for some R&R, then we headed out for some beach time.

Then it was time to head out in search of some supper.

We found this hole-in-the-wall place along the highway and decided to give it a try.

It seems everything closes early in Pacifico, but then, so do I. We were back ensconced in our room before 8 p.m. And that’s how we spent our last full day. Check-out is at 11 a.m. this morning, and our ride to the airport is coming at 1:30. The plane home is scheduled for 5 p.m. and should arrive in Angeles City at 7:30. It’s been a good trip.

From Facebook memories:

On with the March 2021 LTG archives. It’s been interesting for me to read my history again, but most of my posts are about hiking and drinking (just like now). It is nice to relive some of those adventures, but none really stand out. Then I come across a post where I talk about all the desperate women seeking financial assistance and how I dealt with them. It makes me sad now, and I’m ashamed of myself. It seemed fine at the time, but damn, I’m glad I’m not that guy now. At least I hope I’m not.

For today’s YouTube video, the vlogger shares six things that will get you killed in the Philippines. Most of these are on my list of ways I might die here.

And now for today’s dose of lameness:

Okay, time to wrap up today’s post and prepare for the journey ahead. One of the benefits of getting away is that it makes you appreciate home life all the more. I missed a rainy Hash yesterday, but enjoyed the photos. Here’s one that made me laugh:

So, today is our final full day in Pacifico. We have to check out of our room this morning and move to another place up the road. Our flight tomorrow doesn’t depart until 5 pm, so we’ll be homeless after the 11 am check-out there. Oh well, in retrospect, I should have just flown home today.

Speaking of home, we did pick a good time to leave there. It’s been raining all week, and there is widespread flooding. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow night.

Our Sunday was a bit unusual, but still a fun day. We decided to have breakfast at the Meraki bakery again, which required a 3K hike to get there and, of course, another 3K to get back. Our first visit was so pleasant, we deemed the repeat visit was worth the effort.

That’s actually one of the reasons I’d find it difficult to live in Pacifico. Only one road in and out, and that gets boring for hiking pretty quickly. I kept looking for off-road paths we might explore, but on one side of the road it’s the beach, and the other is an impenetrable jungle. No wonder there is no Hash here.

Swan surprised me when she put on her swimsuit and said she was going to the pool, even though she doesn’t know how to swim. One end of the pool is marked as being six feet deep, which is over her head. We both assumed there would be a shallow side on the other end. Nope, other than the steps leading into the water, it’s the same depth.

For our afternoon adventure, I wanted to give the Bollox Beach Bar a try. That involved another 3K walk in the opposite direction of our morning jaunt. Swan was up for it, so we headed out.

Was it really a bar?

We opted to sit outside at a table on the beach instead.

We ordered up something to eat to go with our beverages.

After eating (I’d rate the food just okay), the sun was starting its descent, so we headed back to town.

Well, it wasn’t quite over. Our hotel bar closes at 7 pm, so we popped in next door at the Yapak Hotel for our nightcap.

And then it was back to our room at Bamboo Beach for our last night there. It’s all good.

It’s on to March 2021 in the LTG archives. I can’t seem to stop myself from engaging in “quid pro quo” transactional relationships. You need rent money? I need to get my rocks off. Honestly, looking back on those days is a little embarrassing. But if this post is any indication, at least I was gaining a modicum of self-awareness. I honestly don’t recall the woman involved in this instance, but perhaps she’ll make an appearance elsewhere in the archives. And maybe she won’t be bleeding.

Today’s YouTube video is quite the story. I’ve been following some vlogs about people here in the PI searching for their American biological fathers. This morning, Swan shared a video of her friend Bong, who has been on this quest for years. Bong is our driver each week when we go grocery shopping. I never knew he was half-American. Anyway, the video is very moving and worth the watch.

And now for the funny business:

Oh, well. At least I tried to be funny. There’s always tomorrow!

So, after my first full day in Pacifico, I can honestly say it’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got some beautiful beaches and a laid-back vibe. Probably a tad too laid-back for me and not enough options for dining and beverages if you lived here full-time. That said, it has been nice exploring some new scenery and spending a little time with Chris.

Speaking of Chris, he recommended a place for breakfast that he and Dr. Jo really enjoy. It’s a 3K stroll from our hotel, so that was a win-win…a morning walk and some food.

We both enjoyed the upstairs open-air ambiance as well. Definitely worth the walk. Speaking of which, we burned off some of those sweet calories by walking back to the hotel.

Chris spent the morning surfing off the beach at my hotel and messaged me to join him for an afternoon beer at the hotel restobar. How could I say no? They serve draft beer that Chris brewed, so naturally that’s what I had. The Bamboo Hotel owner, George, also joined us for some chitchat at our table. Then Chris headed out to catch some more waves, and I went back to the room to fetch Swan for some grub (we’d skipped lunch). During our morning hike, we’d seen some signage for a taco joint, so we decided to give it a try.

As we were finishing our meal, Chris came in to eat. I accused him of stalking, but he claimed it was just a coincidence. Hmm. Actually, he was meeting a potential client for his brewed beers in the General Luna area. We said our goodbyes (we are hooking up again later today at the brewery) and hit the beach.

We did our nightcap at the hotel next to where we are staying.

Started early, finished early. Works for me.

A couple of memories for me from Facebook. Not mine, but photos of Huntington Beach, California. I lived close enough to ride my bicycle there from Westminster next door, and had many happy times on the beach. It was even easier once I had a driver’s license. I recall the time I brought my high school sweetheart to the beach to watch the submarine races. She lost her cherry that night in the back seat of my mom’s 1969 Plymouth Fury III.

From the January 2021 LTG archives, a post in memory of my mother on the tenth anniversary of her passing.

As long as we are tripping down memory lane, here’s a YouTube video about carhops on skates at drive-in A&W restaurants. Damn, I miss that root beer with a frosty mug taste!

Yep, I’m gonna go there again:

Time to get back to vacation mode. See y’all tomorrow.

Anyway, this post is specifically about Barangay Pacifico, in the municipality of San Isidro, on Siargao del Norte. Well, about getting here anyway. Everything went according to plan for the most part, so that’s a good thing. My first impressions of Pacifico are positive. It seems to have a fair amount of young surfer tourists, but not in the numbers I encountered during my previous visit to the southern city of General Luna here on Siargao Island.

Here’s how I went about getting here:

We arrived at Clark almost three hours before our scheduled 1 pm departure, but I’d rather be early than late. Although once we were in the departure terminal to check our bags and looked at the signboard for our gate, the only flight listed for Siargao showed this:

I asked a Cebu Pacific gate agent what was going on; she checked my ticket and the monitor and made a phone call.

Still had some time to kill, so I walked around a bit in the terminal. Clark is much nicer than the airport in Manila, but it is still a work in progress. There were many food options in the departure area before security, but not much in the gate area. I thought I’d go for a Subway sandwich. When I went to order, the gal behind the counter said, “Sorry, sir, we have no bread. Would you like a wrap instead?” How in the hell does a sandwich shop not have bread? But I took a deep breath, relaxed, and accepted the Filipino way, replying no thank you. I picked up a bag of caramel popcorn and a Coke Zero at a shop instead.

When I headed for the CR to take a piss, I was a little confused by the signage–is that a men’s room or a ladies’ room? Once I got closer I had my answer:

The plane was on the tarmac twenty yards from the exit door, so I assumed we’d just walk to the plane to climb aboard.

We landed at the Siargao Airport a few minutes early, and the pilot slammed on the brakes before we ran out of runway. That’s the best way to put a stop to it.

I’d mentioned the guy I met on Bohol would be traveling with us. Well, he was on the plane with us, but after landing, he grabbed his luggage and walked away to a van going to General Luna. Didn’t say shit before leaving. I sent him a message later asking how he liked where he was staying, and he didn’t reply. I’m not sure what I did, but maybe I’m not the asshole this time.

The owner of our hotel was there waiting to pick us up for the drive to his resort in Pacifico. He told me he had promised Chris (Dr. Jo’s husband) that we would stop by his brewery for a beer on the way. No problem for me; it was almost beer o’clock anyway.

George, our resort owner, is just about the wildest driver I’ve ever experienced. A scary ride to the hotel, but it was wreckless, even if the driving was fast and reckless. Nothing like a little excitement when you travel, I suppose.

I had some beers at the Bamboo bar. Swan had chicken adobo with her wine. I haven’t had much of an appetite since my injection on Tuesday, so maybe the Ozempic is working again. We walked up the road a bit and spotted a couple of places we’ll want to check out over the coming days. Then it was back to the room at the appointed hour to rest up for the first full day in Pacifico.

At least the weather here has been sunny and nice so far. I hear it is still raining in Barretto, and they may be impacted by a brewing storm.

From my Facebook feed:

Also from Facebook memories is this old collage that Scott put together of my cookie-sharing hikes:

Still in the January 2021 LTG archives. I realized I haven’t been tagging any posts about the darting chapter of my life, so I rectified that with these two. In “Down and outs,” I talk about some of the strategies that a darter employs. The second post was about my resignation as the leader of the Barretto Singles League. I had successfully managed similar leagues in Columbia, SC, and in Seoul. Midway through the first season in Barretto, some players accused me of being “unfair,” which was total bullshit. So, I said goodbye, although I agreed to continue managing the stats and scheduling for the remainder of the season.

For today’s YouTube video, I share a clip from the Team America: World Police movie, a true classic. It came up when I posed the question on Facebook asking whether I’m an asshole. The best response was from ex-wife #3, who said I was a dick, but dicks protect pussies from assholes, and that’s a good thing.

Here’s some more dick humor:

And now it is time to see what comes next. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Touristy shit really isn’t my thing, but when you are one, what else are you gonna do? The road tour we signed up for yesterday would have normally been an eight-hour engagement. Luckily, it wasn’t a group tour, so I vetoed a couple of stops along the way and brought it back down to a more reasonable four-hour journey. One thing I did want to see for sure was the famous Chocolate Hills, about a two-hour drive from Panglao. I also enjoyed the countryside as we passed through Bohol’s mainland. Peaceful, clean, and beautiful.

The first stop on our tour was a Catholic sanctuary dating back to 1595.

As I said, this was a standard tour package with several stops. When the driver pulled into this tourist trap called “Python and Butterfly Garden,” I told him, no thank you, and he turned around. I also had him skip the miniature monkey park. Someone had warned me that the monkeys were so tiny they were hard to see.

The final stop on the tour was the “Blood Compact Shrine,” commemorating a ritual that led to a peace treaty between the Spanish and the Bohol natives. I was unfamiliar with this history and found it quite interesting.

Then it was time to head back to the hotel. We paid the full price for our voluntarily shortened tour, but it was still a bargain for only 3000 pesos. We had lunch at the hotel, and the owner was there having a meeting with someone at a nearby table. I didn’t want to intrude, so we took a seat at the bar and ordered our grub. And then the Facebook memories feed popped up on my phone.

I sent Chris the photo to remind him, and as I left, he said, “I was trying to remember where I met you.”

As usual, when it was time to head out for the evening, we made our way to Alona Beach. We really enjoy the vibe there, and next time we visit Bohol, we’ll be staying somewhere nearby (sorry, Chris!).

We walked the beach end-to-end and didn’t see anywhere we liked better than our favorite hangout. I guess there is just no avoiding Escape.

We decided to have dinner somewhere, even though we weren’t all that hungry. The vlogger I follow, Reekay, lives in the area, and he messaged me with some of his favorite venues. One was practically next door, so we gave it a try.

Reekay suggested the Thai food, but I’m more of a grilled meats kinda guy.

And so ended the next-to-last night on this trip to Bohol. There will be future visits for sure.

From the March 2019 LTG archives is a post where I recount my rebellious teenage years. I was wild in the streets back then, but I somehow managed to avoid going to jail.

Today’s YouTube video claims ancient humans only worked three hours a day. Hmm, was everyone retired? Kind of interesting to think about how they filled the time before beer was invented.

There ain’t no getting around these:

And now it is time to prepare for the rest of my last day in Bohol.

Tell you all about it as soon as I can. We have an early morning flight back to Manila. I’m a little worried that finding a Grab car at 6 am on a Sunday might prove difficult, but we’ll figure it out. Or miss our plane. So, hopefully I’ll be writing tomorrow’s post from Barretto, but you’d best check back to be sure.

Getting ready to do a driving tour of Bohol Island, so I’m going to dash out this post about yesterday as quickly as I can. The easiest way to do that is to let the pictures do most of the talking.

Naturally, we started the morning off with a stroll.

We stuck close to home until beer o’clock rolled around, then made our way back to Alona Beach. The place I’d thought about trying (a rooftop venue called Sky Bar) wasn’t open. Well, I knew another place I’d like for sure, so we made our Escape again.

Here’s a short video I took during the fire show if you want to see more.

From the March 2019 LTG archives is the post about me getting Lucky. No, I didn’t get laid; I rescued a dog. He was lucky, but me not so much. Worst dog I’ve ever owned, even bit the hand that feeds him. Oh, well. I let him live, and that’s enough.

Today’s YouTube video is one I came across by accident. This woman had the balls, er, courage, to visit Siargao Island alone, stayed away from the tourist areas, and slept in a tent by herself. Hmm, maybe not just brave, but also dumb. I post, you decide.

Today’s lameness:

Now, I’ve got to run. Pick up time is less than thirty minutes away, and I still ain’t dressed. I need to get my priorities straight. Back tomorrow to tell you about today.

Well, I do recall I’m catching a flight in Manila early this afternoon. I originally planned to leave here around 8:30 and stop by Dr. Jo’s office for my weekly Ozempic injection. And then two things happened: Air Asia changed my departure from 2:10 to 1:40, and I realized that I miscalculated the travel time to Manila (which varies depending on traffic anyway). So, to be safe, I’m leaving home at 7 a.m. I’ll let you know how that works out for me in my next post, hopefully from the lovely island of Panglao.

My Hash trail yesterday aligned with a good portion of the Hare’s trail, except I was walking it in the opposite direction. Funny how that works out. We had very low participation (maybe 10 Hashers on the official trail), and I’m guessing the bullshit starting point (the far end of Rizal Extension) had something to do with that. Oh well, I got in nearly 7K doing it my way.

I was suffering mightily on the second half of my trail. I’m used to muscle aches and pains, but I find that you can walk them off. In my right leg yesterday, I experienced what must have been something wrong with my nerves; each step created a bolt of pain that felt like a hundred needles being jabbed into my upper thigh. Once I finished the trek and sat down, the pain was gone and didn’t return. Weird.

And so ended another Hash Monday.

And from Facebook memories, the first day of the rest of my new life eight years ago:

From the March 2019 LTG archives is the first chapter of “One Lifetime, Many Lives.” That series was supposed to be the story of my life, but I never finished it. What I’m doing now with my journey through the archives is tagging the posts I will use when I put together the completed autobiography. We’ll see how that works out, but in the meantime, I do enjoy strolling down memory lane and remembering things I had forgotten.

Today’s YouTube video features a vlogger I’ve never watched before explaining why he no longer visits the bars in Angeles City. Well, I share his sentiments about buying companionship, but that’s never been why I hit the bars. I go for the beer!

Some smiles before I hit the road:

Alright, I’d best hit the shower and finish packing. Looking forward to some new views of new places!

So, I’m living it up here at the Mope Resort on La Paz beach in San Narciso. Running way behind schedule, so I’m going to have to hurry through this post and get back out to see new places other than this keyboard. I had a nice first day yesterday, taking a walk around the neighborhood. Lots of new places have opened, but I ain’t see many expats out and about. Three altogether yesterday. Matt, the owner of Mope Resort, is currently out of town, but his wife gave us a warm welcome. I chuckled when I was reminded what “Mope” stood for: Matt’s outta pocket expenses. The Resort is for sale, and there may be only one other room occupied at the moment, but we are enjoying our stay regardless. Okay, need to run, but before I go I’ll throw up some photos from yesterday’s adventure:

So, I took LOTS of photos. Some I zoomed in on, others I cropped, and the rest are just on normal settings. Sit back and enjoy the show:

And that was that.

Then it was off to our room for a good night’s sleep and getting ready for day two.

It’s now December 2018 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I claim to have gotten down to “the heart of the matter.” Basically, I didn’t have love in my life, but I had reached the point where I was okay with that. You can probably guess how long that lasted. Even so, I finally found my keeper, so it all worked out in the end.

For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share the latest from Reekay talking about the “part-time living in the Philippines” option. I used to do six months in the USA and six months in Korea when I first retired. It wasn’t bad, but it never really felt like I was at home in either country.

Some humor before I go:

Okay, I’ve got a sunset to attend to and a thirst to quench. Later, gators.

Speaking of endings, the second and final day of my Pundaquit getaway isn’t in the books, but it is now on the blog. It wasn’t much more than a change-of-scenery excitement-wise, but I enjoyed the visit. Life plods on, and so do I. Here, let me show you what I mean.

A short morning walk to kick off the day:

At the appointed time, we walked back into Pundaquit proper to feed our faces at the local BBQ joint.

So, we hit the street again and marched our way to The Beach Bar for some liquid refreshments, sand, and another sunset.

It’s nice to spend some time at a legit beach bar. It irks me that we don’t have anything like this in Barretto. After the sun went down, we moved back to the bar area for our nightcap.

Wherever we are, we try to stay on schedule. But in vacation mode, we overindulged early (Swan had THREE glasses of wine!) and then did the short beach walk back to our room. Poor Swan had a rough night trying to sleep, but I was out like a light.

Like I said, nothing exciting about the day, but we enjoyed the change of scenery.

Moving on to February 2018 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I reminisce about the only time in my life when I was placed under arrest and carted off to jail. Now, I’m not saying I never committed other crimes; I just never got caught. And I’m fairly certain the statute of limitations has rendered me untouchable now. We’ll see if I find anything in the archives about the time I [allegedly] stole a car.

Today’s YouTube video is something I came across in Facebook memories from seven years ago. It’s a parody song about dating a Filipina. Based on what I learned from hard experience, it’s mostly true. It’s only a couple of minutes long, so give it a watch if you are so inclined.

Here’s some funny business:

Made it back home to Barretto alive, and I reckon I’ll get back into the flow of my routines tonight. We shall see. Speaking of seeing, and not wanting to be an ass about it, Swan took a photo of the bruise that came with my Hash fall last Monday. It may well be the biggest bruise I ever did have, no ifs, ands, or butts about it. For those who may be morbidly curious, I’ll post it below today’s song. You’ve been warned!

My ouchy:

Back is still a little stiff and sore, especially in the mornings. But I expect I will continue to grow older.

Greetings from the province of Zambales, municipality of San Antonio, at Barangay Pundaquit! It is nice to be soaking up the beach vibes that go so well with an icy cold San Miguel Light beer. We are staying at the Wave Song Beach Resort once again, with a lovely view from our front porch of Capones Island. Had a short walkabout, then met up with an old friend who lives in San Antonio at the beach bar next door to our hotel. The place was packed in a way you rarely see in Barretto. There were even a couple of other familiar faces there to greet. We enjoyed a nice ocean sundown from the beach, had some dinner, and then had a sandy walk back to our room. Not a bad way to spend the day!

Speaking of sand, this sand is thick and soft. Much harder to walk on than it is in Baloy. Maybe that’s a natural difference between ocean and bay sand.

Then it was one last beer, back to the room for a good night’s sleep, and waking up ready for day two of our Pundaquit adventure.

From Facebook memories, twelve years ago I made a cameo appearance on a local news broadcast from Augusta, Georgia.

One of the Facebook groups I belong to is about remembering the 70’s.

From the January 2018 LTG archives, I climbed a mountain in the snow. And damn, it’s been all downhill from there. Oh well, I can still look at the mountains, and I don’t miss the snow and ice.

I’m done with seduction as well, but in today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea has some guidance for those who are not. Turns out, she’s using Visayan language phrases, not Tagalog, so it probably wouldn’t have helped me here on Luzon anyway.

Ready for the funny stuff?

I guess those weren’t so funny after all. Oh well, I’m on vacation, and I need to get back to not working. We’ll try again tomorrow, assuming I find my way home.