I’m impressed by the animal-like behavior I’ve witnessed here, as I walk the beach and streets.
Another day lived and enjoyed on the beautiful island of Siargao. When you are staying at a beach resort, walking on the beach feels like the right thing to do. So, when the sun was up and the tide was out, that’s just what we did.
Let’s roll!Still high and dry.Then things started to get a little rocky.This tree seems to be saying to the sea, “Bring it on, bitch!”Maybe this place will be ready in time for our next visit.That’s a creative way to name your Korean restaurant.We decided to grab lunch here, mainly because it is next door to where we are staying.Comfy ambiance, but it gets loud at night when they turn on the karaoke.Some beef quesadillas……and garlic=parmesan chicken wings.
Food was good, but we noticed again how much more expensive things are here compared to Barretto. I got four wings for 350 pesos. You get eight for that price at Sloppy Joe’s.
I’m still not used to watching white women walking the streets. You rarely see that back home in Barretto.
All my fellow travelers were on a motorbike adventure, so Swan and I headed out on our own when beer o’clock rolled around. And lo and behold, as we walked down Tourism Road, Jeff and Davina pulled up on their scooter and told us of a place they had found off the beaten track. It was less than a kilometer away, so off we went. Jeff and Davina joined us there shortly after we arrived.
Hmm, an open-air, upstairs bar. That’s my favorite! And that name sounds familiar.Wait a minute! I’ve been to Hideaway before.
I messaged Joy and asked where she was. She responded that she was at work. I told her I was at Hideaway, but she wasn’t there. Then I sent the above photo as proof. Joy claims this is not the same Hideaway.
Yes, the view is much better from this one.Enjoying our perch.Only one gal at this Hideaway. Think of the money I could save on feedings. We even got to see the sunset.Down she goes!See you next time.The sweet life in Siargao.
We decided to give that birria taco place we’d seen earlier in the week a try. Jeff and Davina took their scooter, and Swan and I grabbed a tuk-tuk for the 7K journey.
We have arrived.The tacos…And for a change of pace, a birria burrito.
Swan judged the tacos to be okay. She said the shell was less greasy than John’s place, but she missed the guacamole. I found the burrito a bit too ricey, but otherwise it was tasty.
Satisfied diners.
As we were eating, a group of tourists came in and sat at a nearby table. Before long, Jeff had engaged them in conversation.
Turns out, one was an American (shirtless) from San Diego, a place where Jeff had been stationed as a Marine. The other was an Aussie bloke. Not sure where the girl was from, but she looks Indian to me.
Oh, and Isla Comida didn’t have San Mig Light.
So, I gritted my teeth and drank the original San Miguel beer, their Lager. It didn’t kick my ass.
After dinner, we parted ways. A tuk-tuk ride back to our side of town, then a nightcap at Barrel Bar next to our room. I judge it to have been another good day in paradise.
Continuing on in the October 2015 LTG archives, there was this post about work and darts, two things I no longer have in life. Well, at least I have the memories.
Raffy Tulfo is a Filipino broadcast journalist who often takes on cases involving scams, corruption, and violence. Or so I’ve been told. I’ve never actually heard more than snippets from his show. But for today’s YouTube video presentation, here he is interviewing a foreigner who got his ass kicked in Angeles City. Full disclaimer: I haven’t had time to watch all of this one either. I found it on one of the PI forums I frequent.
Well damn, here I am trying to save some time, and this happens. Click on the YouTube link if you want to watch.
Let’s do the humor, so I can go take a shower:
My gal is forty and a trained caregiver. I should be in good hands unless she decides to kill my sorry ass someday.Reminds me of the time I tried to look up the definition of “inexplicable,” and the dictionary said, “Cannot be explained.” So, I still don’t know what it means.Back in the day, I was sent to the principal’s office for being a smartass quite often.
Alright, almost time to hit the town, so I’d best get myself ready. Tomorrow morning, we are taking an island tour by boat to several offshore locations. I will blog about it as time permits.
So, here’s today’s report about my yesterday in paradise. Kicked things off with an early morning beach stroll to watch the sunrise. Then we did a 6K walk to the outskirts of General Luna and back, before we finished the day with an ill-fated bar crawl. Here’s some of what I saw along the way.
The sun rises over that specific ocean, at least on this side of the island. I was hoping to catch the sun as it first peeked above the horizon, but alas, either I arrived too late for that, or the clouds obscured the view. It was still very beautiful.The tide was also amazingly low.Floating on sand.The Romantic Beach Villas Resort as seen from the beach.I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now…Lighting the sky.Swan with her toes in the sand, taking in the view.The colors of the morning.A beachside graveyard.1983-2025. Sorry you had to leave so soon, Janeth.Where the sand turns to stone.The morning’s last sunrise shot.
After breakfast, we hit the road again. On foot this time.
The highway that runs through General Luna is aptly named, “Tourism Road.”I’ll fly away.We walked past a rental car lot and spotted the vehicle we had used for our Thursday trek.
So, when the guys came to pick up the car from our hotel yesterday, we had a bit of a disagreement. They owed me my 2000-peso deposit but tried to claim I owed them 500 pesos for not “cleaning the car.” I pointed out that the car was every bit as clean as when they had delivered it and accused the agent of trying to scam me. I also pointed out that there was twice as much gas in the tank as when they brought the car. I was losing my temper at this point, and Swan shooed me away while she continued the negotiation. When she returned, she had my 2000 pesos, so it turned out okay.
I’ve never seen a dog crossing before or a dog using one on its hind legs. The dogs running around were crossing wherever they damn well pleased, so I guess using the crossing is not mandatory.The route of our trek on Tourism Road.
Back to the room for a nap and taking care of the blogging business, then spent some time on the front porch while the housekeeper cleaned our room.
The view from the porch included seeing the laundry Swan had done by hand earlier in the afternoon.
Jeff had plotted out our bar crawl route on Google Maps, and we agreed to meet at the hotel bar at 4:00 pm to kick things off.
Being featured on a hotel welcome sign was a first for me.The mapped out plan.The bar crawlers gather at the Romantic Villas beach bar.The first bar on our list didn’t open until 5 pm, so we chilled at the hotel and enjoyed the view from the bar.At the appointed hour, we hailed a couple of tuk-tuks (much more comfy than the trikes back home) for the 7K ride to our first venue, Parluman Gin Parlor.The entrance to the place I’ll never return to.
Things started going south for me from there. We arrived at 5:15 only to be told they weren’t open yet, despite their published opening of 5 pm. I said we should move on to the next venue, but I was overruled. So, we sat at the beach bar for drinks to await the opening of Parluman. Once the doors opened, I walked inside and ordered a beer, only to be told they didn’t serve beer…only gin drinks. Well, damn. I know better than to mix my beverages, so Swan and I left and went to the place next door…a nice big open-air bar that was much more to my liking.
Some of the bar’s signage, whose name I don’t think I ever heard.Regrouping before heading out to the second bar on our list, Last Chance.
No complaints about Last Chance Bar, but there was nothing special about it either. It didn’t really have a bar vibe or ambiance. When I pointed that out, one of the group told me that’s because you prefer dive bars. Come to think of it, that might be right.
We couldn’t find the next bar on our list, Extension, and someone told us it was closed, so we proceeded on to the next venue, Secreto. Well, along the way, I managed somehow to piss off Swan, and she left me. I was equal parts sad and angry about being deserted, and my mood wasn’t helped when our waitress told me Secreto didn’t have San Miguel Light. I settled for whatever draft they served me, then ordered another to try to kill my pain. Jeff told me I needed to leave, so I finished my beer and said my goodnights.
Swan messaged me that the room key was at the front desk, so I didn’t have any idea where she might have gone. When I got back to the hotel, I stopped by the beach bar for a beer while I sorted things out, and was pleasantly surprised to see Swan sitting there with a glass of wine.
We talked a bit about how my impatience triggered her, but in the end, she agreed to go back to the room. She left before me, and when I left, I decided to stop at the bar near our room to try to ease my reeling mind. Swan messaged asking where I was, and I invited her to join me. She did, and by then we had both calmed down enough to put the misunderstanding behind us and move forward with whatever future we might share together.
One thing that really hit home for me was that I am too old to recover from another heartbreak. If I fuck this up with Swan, it will be game over for me. I don’t want to live with any more regret than I’ve already accumulated over the years.
And on that depressing note, I’ll let go of last night and look forward to the rest of today. It’s been a good one so far.
It is now October 2015 in my journey through the LTG archives, and in this post, I am also enjoying a sunrise on the ocean—the East Ocean (don’t you dare call it the Sea of Japan!). I was making the best of the life I had back then, but sadly, it wasn’t enough.
Today’s YouTube video discusses the differences between typical aging effects and those caused by dementia. While there is no question that I am much more forgetful these days, based on this video, my symptoms fall within the normal aging range. From what I remember, anyway.
I didn’t forget the humor!
To hell with it then.He died in his sleep that night.Hey, so am I!
We’ll leave it at that for today. More and more, it feels like I’m living on the edge, but better on the edge than over it. So, I’m going to keep plugging away and making this the best life it can be.
Yeah, whatever you say, Charles. I’m just glad to be here enjoying the day.(I apologize in advance for the poor grammatical structure of that quote. I didn’t write it!
Speaking of days, my yesterday was a special one. We rented a car and drove all around the island, stopping at some recommended tourist spots along the way. Then we visited the brewery that Dr. Jo’s husband, Chris, is in the process of opening, and he let us sample some of his delicious brews. We travelled 109 Kilometers and spent nine hours on our road adventure. Here are some photos from our journey:
The comfortable car I rented. 3500 pesos, plus 2000 for gas. Jeff did the driving.On the road again.We stopped at an overlook to see this impressive palm tree orchard. That’s a lot of coconuts!Our next stop was here.Heading down to have a look.The entrance to the cave.
I opted out of this adventure, as did Martin and Joss. It involved wading through water waist-deep or higher, and that just didn’t appeal to me. Jeff, Davina, and Swan were all gung-ho, so off they went. The rest of us hiked down to the other side of the cave and waited for them to reappear.
Davina has one of those GoPro cameras, and she made this video from inside the cave.
While awaiting the return of the brave souls from our group, I watched these guys climb a cliff face. Impressive it was, speaking as someone who has almost no remaining upper-body strength.And then they jumped off the top. Ballsy!The cave wanderers emerge.No one drowned or got eaten by a croc…well done!Looks like Swan had fun without me.
Our next stop was supposed to be at some tide pools, but when we arrived, we were told the tide was high, so there were no pools to observe. Oh, well. We drove on to our next destination.
I don’t know if this was intended to be serious or if someone at the highway department has a sense of humor. We were passing through some croc-friendly-looking marshland, though.Well, I’ll be damned. I just searched Google, and it turns out this is crocodile-friendly land.Speaking of signs, this may explain why there is not a litter problem on Siargao.Every time I ask, “Which ocean is that?” I’m told to be more specific.A Swan on a wall.Show gals.My prize.The way ahead.
Lunchtime was approaching, and thanks to Martin’s skill with Google Maps, he found what we were looking for…a place to eat on the beach.
I was a little surprised about this place. It looks to be a fairly new venue, but it is located in the middle of nowhere. Not much signage, and we’d have driven right on by if our navigator software hadn’t told us we had arrived.It was on the beach, and that’s what we were looking for.We arrived right around noon and were the only customers. But by the time we finished, quite a few diners were enjoying the ambiance.I ordered the fish and chips. When I asked the waitress what type of fish they used, she said tuna. I’m no connoisseur, but I’d never heard of using tuna. By the look on Martin’s face (an English bloke), he hadn’t either. As you can see, it came out very light colored instead of the usual deep brown. But it was surprisingly tasty. I shared some with Martin, and he agreed.With our hunger satiated, we were back on the road, headed towards our next destination.Taktak Falls, we have arrived.And there they be. Much more impressive than the falls I’ve seen on Luzon.As regular readers may have discerned, I’m not much of a water person. Especially when it requires taking off my shoes and changing my shorts. The rest of the group dove right in.A bathing beauty.Another cliff climber heading up. He did a double backflip on the way down. Ah, to be young again.A group shot of all those from Bryce Street who swam at Taktak Falls.
Back on the road again. Next stop:
What’s a spring pool? I had no idea either. Let’s go see.Martin leading the way.And here come the stragglers.And there you have a spring pool.It was actually quite serene and scenic.Chillaxin’ at our “campsite.”A Swan in a hammock.Girls on the rocks.
After some rest and relaxation, it was time to move on to our final stop of the day:
Dr. Chris’s Siargao Island Brewery.It is still a work in progress (he hopes to open in January), but Chris was happy to see his neighbors from Alta Vista.
In anticipation of our visit, Chris had brewed up a batch of his “Light Pilsner” for our enjoyment. It was very good indeed, and I quenched my thirst with three (or maybe it was four) glasses.
Cheers, Chris! And thanks for having us. See you next trip!
From the brewery, we had about an hour drive back to our hotel. Once we arrived, we were too tired to go back into town, so we dined on the offerings from the Romantic Villas’ kitchen.
Did I mention I was tired? And no, that is not a fake yawn.We covered a lot of ground yesterday.
So, it was early to bed and early to rise this morning. I’ll share my today tomorrow.
Let’s check in with the September 2015 LTG archives to see what I was up to back in my Korea days. Oh, I was getting drunk. I’ve come a long way, baby!
Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger on a mission to help homeless foreigners in Angeles City. She didn’t get the response she expected. Welp, I’m not unsympathetic, but I don’t understand how people allow themselves to be unfunded in a third-world country. I’ll flee for home long before I wind up living on the streets.
And now for that humor you’ve been missing:
I guess I’m a day late with this one. Does that make it a Black Friday?Keep dishing them out!Like father, like son. That’s my excuse!
As you can tell by the length and content of this post, I have had a relatively lazy Friday so far. On tap (no pun intended) for this evening in a bar hop to some of the best bars in the General Luna municipality, at least according to this blogger. Looking forward to seeing if she is right. Tune in tomorrow to find out!
A busy day ahead today (touring the island in a rented car), so before I head out, I’m going to rush a photo dump showing what happened during our Wednesday on Siargao.
Kicked things off with the breakfast buffet.Then we hit the road for a surfing area called Cloud 9. Four kilometers to get there, then four to get back. Jeff and Davina joined in the fun.
The most interesting things I saw along the way were the signs. Here are some of my favorites:
That’s some fresh fish if it’s swimming on your plate!Good to know!Damn, I hope their construction work is better than their spelling. Not that I’m one to talk.Sounds like a good strategy. Zen means beer, right?After we paid the 100-peso-per-head fee to enter Cloud 9, Swan took care of some souvenir shopping. It’s called “The Dreamer,” but I’m not sure I want that in my head at night.
So, I don’t know if you’ve noticed in the earlier photos I posted, but there is something unique about the ocean here—the waves are a goodly distance offshore. Cloud 9 makes it easier for the surfers to get out to the waves.
Via this long pier.Say hi to Davina.Clean beaches are good to see for a change.The water is clear, too.Looking back from whence we came.Islands in the stream.These surfers were waiting for the small swells after the line of breakers.The real deal. Where I grew up (Huntington Beach, California), the waves were a lot bigger than these. Maybe it was just a low morning. Anyway, I didn’t use a board when I surfed (couldn’t afford one), so I used my body—still a lot of fun.Time to head back.Haven’t seen one of these VW vans in a long time. Back in the day, I had some fun in the back of one with my girlfriend Gail.What’s life without memories?We have a restaurant with this same name near us in Subic. I wonder if they are related?Hmm, maybe I’ll take Swan here on Sunday for her weekly birria fix.Damn, that must suck.We are definitely going to hit this place before we leave. House of Booze and Bitchin’ Food is a great combination!What kind of shat is that? The food must stink. Or maybe it’s just a crappy name.Thanks for that wisdom!A nice 8K stroll. Very little vehicle traffic to contend with, mostly just motor scooters.
Lunch at our hotel, then back to the room for a nap, blogging, and a shower. And sure enough, beer o’clock came rolling around. Time to head for the beach!
I gave Swan a spook as we left our yard.I’ve pretty much gotten acclimated to walking from my room to my hotel.This must be the place.Still a ways to go.Jeff and Davina are lounging by the pool.The beachfront.Chillin’ with a brew and taking in the view from the hotel bar area.
Martin and Joss moved to the hotel next door because they didn’t like their noisy room. We walked the beach and joined them there for another round of drinks.
The Alta Vista Bryce Street clan reunited again.As we sat enjoying the clouds over the ocean, the girls giggled at this one for some reason.And this one flipped me off.
Then it was time to eat, so we hoofed it into town. Jeff had seen a barbecue place, so we headed there.
We passed a burger joint named after me on our way.We have arrived at The Smoking Joint. Let the party begin!Hopefully, they only smoke the good stuff.Swan and I shared orders of pulled pork……and grilled ribs. Both were yummy.
We ordered a side of mashed sweet potatoes, something I hadn’t seen anywhere. They were excellent. Service was good and friendly, and we all enjoyed our meals.
But the fun wasn’t done yet. As we walked down the street, Jeff spied a karaoke joint and insisted we stop in for a song or two.
Where we sang.Davina on the microphone.Some good advice in neon.
Did I sing? Do you think I’m Crazy?
It sounds better when you are drunk.
Anyway, that was enough for me, so Swan and I bailed and headed back to our room. The rest of the group went into full-on party mode and stayed out for a couple more hours.
And now you’ve seen the story of day two in Siargao.
Getting to Siargao wasn’t the fun part, but we eventually made it. We left the hotel at 0600 and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to check in for our 0830 flight to Cebu, where we would connect with the flight to Siargao. And then this happened:
They said it was a “maintenance issue,” so we had no clue how long we would be waiting.I’m not saying Manila’s airport (NAIA) is the worst in the world, but it is the worst airport I’ve ever visited. I try to avoid it whenever possible, but for this trip, flying out of here was the best option. Or so it seemed.The Bryce Street travelers…Jeff, Davina, me, Swan, Martin, and Joss. We finally boarded an hour and a half after our scheduled departure.
Which meant we were landing in Cebu almost exactly at the time our connecting flight was scheduled to depart. I figured we were screwed, but when we exited the plane, an agent was holding up a sign for passengers bound for Siargao. I was surprised that, in addition to our group, about twenty other passengers from our flight were booked for Siargao. They delayed our connection until we had all boarded, and we were once again airborne.
It’s been a long time since I last flew on a prop plane. A little cramped, but not bad.Up, up and away.Goodbye, Cebu City.Treasure Island?And about an hour later, it was hello, Siargao Island.I don’t recall ever seeing an airport as small as the one that serves Siragao.
In another turn of good fortune, our checked bags made the flight with us.
Where I be.
For some unknown reason, Martin and Joss had booked the next flight after ours to Siargao. We opted to wait for them to arrive at the airport to share transportation to our hotel in General Luna City.
The tiny airport had this small food stand that sold beer, so we were able to pass the time waiting for Martin and Joss in relative comfort.This fire truck is older than I am.Luckily, neither of us had to put out a fire yesterday.
It was nearly 4 p.m. before we were finally on our way to our hotel. That was a LONG day of travel.
On the road to General Luna.The sun was about to call it a day.
We checked in, got our keys, and discovered our room at the Romantic Beach Villas was nowhere near the beach. It’s more like a small house than a hotel room: a yard, a big front porch, a kitchen, and a separate bedroom.
A Swan on the porch at Casa Grande…And a chicken in our yard.
I made a video this morning of the walk from my “house” to the hotel building where our complimentary buffet breakfast was served.
So, first impressions: Siargao has a pleasant, laid-back vibe. It’s pretty and surprisingly clean. Another big surprise is that, at least in General Luna, it is a major tourist attraction. Not only that, but the crowd it attracts is young Westerners. It appears they are here for the surfing, judging by all the surfboards I’m seeing. Honestly, I can’t remember seeing so many youthful white women in one place since I left the USA twenty years ago. Most of them are healthy-looking and relatively slender. Of course, I’m the oldest man around these parts, or so it seems. No complaints, I can always tell those young bucks that my girl is hotter than your girl!
We had a couple of drinks at the hotel beach bar, then went to the place next door, called Barrel, for some grub and more beer and wine. I made it my usual early night and was in bed by 9 p.m. Until I was awakened at midnight by incredibly loud live music from the bar at Barrel, which is almost next door to my “house.” That lasted until two in the morning. A good reminder that I am, in fact, still in the Philippines.
We took a nice 8K street walk to a place on the island called Cloud 9. I’ll share some photos from that and the rest of today when I can. We’ve rented a car for tomorrow to do some touring around the island, so blogging may be delayed. Sorry about that!
Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. It was a crazy day getting to Siargao, but we eventually made it. I’ll tell that story hopefully later today, but here’s a quick catch-up on Monday night in Manila.
We joined travel mates Jeff and Davina for a Makati walkabout after deciding to save the BGC area for another day. Jeff and Davina are regular visitors to Makati, so they gave us a tour of some of their favorite spots, including the upscale Rockwell area. It really was like being in another world. One thing that really stood out for me was the lack of litter. Hard to believe, I know, but this is a side of the Philippines I hadn’t seen before. It reeked of wealth and richness without a shanty in sight. Happy to see successful Filipinos enjoying their lives, but you can’t escape the fact that overwhelming poverty surrounds you right outside this enclave. There is not much middle ground in this country. Anyway, it was an enjoyable night out on the town. Here are a few photos taken along the way.
Walking amongst the high-rise buildings reminded me of my life in Seoul.Passing through an upscale mall.A four-story-tall Christmas tree in the mall.If I were to live in Manila, it would likely be here. That said, it gave off a “fantasyland” vibethat made me a little uncomfortable.Not to mention Manila traffic.Evidence that there is a Manila Hash. Later in the evening, I saw a guy wearing a Hash shirt and introduced myself. Nice to meet you, Ice Balls.Palm trees lit up for the holidays lined the streets of Rockwell.The Rockwell skyline.
This being us and all, our tour did include some of Jeff’s favorite venues that also happen to serve liquid refreshments.
We started at this brewpub, where they make their own tasty beverages.I had the “Legal Blonde” pilsner. I took the name to mean it was aged properly.Then we had dinner on the roof at a place in Rockwell whose name now escapes me.
An after-dinner pub crawl on our way back to the hotel ensued.
First stop, a biker joint called “Handle Bar.”That girl of mine surrounded by bar art.That biker print is worthy of a closer look.Next up, a Burgos Street bar named “Heckle and Jeckle” decorated with images from a cartoon show that only us old farts would remember.Last call was at Shooters, where we’d had lunch earlier. Our hotel was conveniently located right across the street.
A 5:00 a.m. wake-up call awaited for our morning departure to Siragao Island. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan. I’ll get back to you later today with that story. Oh, and I’ve also just now got caught up with responding to earlier comments. Sorry for the delay!
It is always good to be back home, and I reckon that’s a pretty strong indicator that I’m generally happy with my Barretto life. La Union is nice, and I’ve always thought of it as a potential alternative should I ever feel the need to move on. This is the third year in a row I’ve attended the LUH3 Anniversary Hash run, and it’s still an enjoyable change of scenery. The three-plus-hour drive getting there ain’t much fun though.
Speaking of which, when you are unlicensed and carless, this is one way to get around:
Rent a vehicle for the weekend from one of Swan’s friends: 3600 pesos
Fuel for the vehicle: 3000 pesos
Expressway tolls: 1900 pesos
Payment for driver: 5000 pesos
Lodging for driver: 1900 pesos
Food money for driver: 1000 pesos
Total for getting there and back again: 16,400 pesos($280)
That’s the way I roll these days.
We once again enjoyed our room at the Go Resort in Bauang. Clean and comfortable, complimentary breakfast, and friendly staff. My only complaint is that the Wi-Fi sucks.
Here are some photos from yesterday:
The Go Resort is on the ocean, but there ain’t no beach.The open-air dining/bar area is very much to my liking.A nice pool that I’ve never used.My breakfast companions.
Then it was time to hit the highway.
An impressive tree in downtown Agoo.Enjoying the cloudy horizon as we cruised down the expressway.The offramp for the immaculate city of Concepcion.A couple of the Subic Hashers hitched a ride home with us.I looked up at the sky and shouted, “Are you threatening me?”Something about that hump of a mountain always catches my eye.
After our return home, we joined our next-door neighbors, Jeff and Davina, along with the other side neighbors, Martin and Joss, for a home-cooked meal.
The Bryce Street squad.Davina’s latest creation is something I’d never had before, what she called a “Spanish-chicken-and-vegetable-paella.” It was tasty indeed.
And yes, it was good to be imbibing San Mig Zero once again. In moderation, of course.
Lots more adventures on the horizon: a day on the river in Botolon on November 8, a week in Surigao at the end of November, the Haggis Hash in Pozorubio in December, two weeks in Vietnam to kick off the new year, and a Valentine’s Hash in Baguio come February. Yeah, I’ll work on filling in some of those gaps. Life is good, live it while you’ve got it!
I’ve reached the end of November 2014 in the LTG archives. I was depressed back then, and re-reading those old posts was depressing. My wife, the woman I loved, was not going to rejoin me in the USA, so I was working diligently to find a job in Korea to facilitate my returning home to her. And I finally got a job offer as a contractor, pending USFK approval. I had a roommate move in to my house in anticipation of him becoming the renter when the job came through. So, the month ended on a relatively high note.
In my mind I’m going to South Korea, Riding on the Blue Line, Having galbi with some rice wine And it seems just like a friend of mine That I’ve left behind Yes, I’m going to South Korea in my mind.
Jee Yeun she’s my smiling sun, Want to hike with her and watch it shine, Watch her climbing Bukhansan. The lonely fear’s disappearing now, I’m flying, ain’t I? I’m going to South Korea in my mind.
There ain’t no doubt in no ones mind That Seoul’s the finest town around, The cars and the bars it all suits me fine. And hey, babe, we’ll be together, I’m trying, ain’t I? I’m going to South Korea in my mind.
Dark and lonely late tonight, I think I might have heard Incheon calling. Want to catch that flight and drink some Hite. And signs that might be omens Say I’m going, going I’m gone to South Korea in my mind.
I’ve done my best to make this work But I’ve got to cross that ocean soon And it seems like I’ve been far away forever, You must forgive me If I’m up and gone to South Korea in my mind.
Needless to say, things weren’t destined to turn out the way I had hoped.
The Filipina Pea brings us the news from the Philippines in today’s YouTube video. Jeepney’s disappearing? I’ll believe it when I see it. They are also building a mass transit rail line from Manila to Angeles. Drove by the construction near Clark on my weekend travels and noted no progress had been made whatsoever in the last year. As I say about the alleged Barretto bypass highway, work may be ongoing, but no one seems to be in a hurry. I’m not going to live forever, you know.
Let’s try these on for size:
That’s one way to achieve the “do-over” dream.What a way to go!You get your money for nothing and your chicks for free.
Another Hash Monday is here; let’s see if I survive it.
And here is that James Taylor song I bastardized. At least I was in Carolina when I stole it.
135 kilometers and three and a half hours, door-to-door.
Arrived safely in the lovely town of Bauang in La Union after a long drive. Today’s Hash starts at 10, so I’ve got to dash out a quick update before heading out. Regular posting will resume tomorrow.
Some scenes from along the road:
The old Spanish gate on SBMA.Rolling down the expressway.Mount Arayat, an extinct volcano in Pampanga.On the MacArthur highway in the province of La Union.Entering Bauang.Checking into our room at the Go Resort. We wound up in the same room we had last year.
The Hash festivities began with a gathering at the Blue Cat bar, one of my favorite venues in Bauang.
The view from Blue Cat.The view inside Blue Cat.My table at Blue CatHash Gash on the beach.
Sunset on the ocean is a different look than the ones I see back home.
The clouds added some color.I like it!Thanks for the show!
At the conclusion of the Blue Cat Hash gathering, the male Hashers were invited to gather at the only girly bar in town, Footloose.
Who am I to say no to such an invite?I had to be discreet with my photography, but there was a lot more to see later in the performance, if you get my meaning.
So, no one has Zero beer in Bauang, and a long night of drinking SML left me somewhat out of sorts. It’s all a little fuzzy after that, but I did wake up in my bed this morning, so I guess things ended well, even if I don’t recall how I got there.
We’ll leave it at that for now. Gotta run, well walk, to the Hash meet-up.
The world leader in litter. From what I’ve seen, it is a nationwide effort.
I’m off to Bauang, La Union, this morning for a Hashy weekend. I’ll dash off a quick post before I go.
I had the bright idea to trike out to Naugsol yesterday morning for a hike with Swan. It didn’t go as planned because once we were on the scene, neither of us wanted to fuck around with wading across the river. So, we did a 4K street walk instead. We brought along lots of candy bags, but soon realized that with school in session, we wouldn’t be seeing many youngins.
A bridge that was too dicey to cross. I’ve gone across it in the past, but wasn’t feeling so brave yesterday.A candy delivery for a kidtaking a river bath.The kids at this school came out for some treats. And the teacher didn’t complain about tooth decay.That mountain named after Easter.Twin peaks are the breast!It wasn’t much, but what there was wasn’t bad.
The visit to the pulmonologist went well. She listened to me breathe and heard no obstructions. My blood oxygen level was within the normal range. She gave me something that dissolves in water to drink before bedtime, which might help me clear the phlegm I hock up with some regularity. Otherwise, it doesn’t look like a lack of lung capacity will lead to my demise. We’ll see if I survive tomorrow’s Hash.
After the doctor visit, I got a haircut, then we had dinner at Jewel Cafe.
I did the filet mignon, as usual. A little bigger this time.
Then we finished our evening at Green Room. I sponsored a match (100 pesos to the winner, 50 to the loser) between a couple of the girls and enjoyed watching the action. Dropped some coin on lady drinks as is my custom, then we headed on home to rest up for our trip today.
Back to October 2014 in the LTG archives. It’s funny to be reminded of things you thought were important at the time, but have no recollection of until you read about them again. That happens more frequently the older I get. Anyway, this post recounts me losing it over some darts drama.
Here’s a bonus entry from the archives you may find funny: Are you coming?
Fifteen years ago, I shared this account of a bad morning I experienced:
Death to Aria! I was attacked in my sleep last night. The battle raged from 0200 to 0300. I was unable to digest why it was happening and was in danger of being completely liquefied. I retreated from the bedroom and eventually purged the intruder. When I awoke a few hours later, I found myself on more solid ground. I’m just glad the attack didn’t occur on the subway, or I would have been in deep doo-doo.
And twelve years ago, I posted this music video to my Facebook page:
Today’s YouTube video is about a vlogger’s bad week in Angeles City. It is good to keep things in perspective. My bad days aren’t this bad.
And now to bring things to a close:
If you say so.You got me goin’ in circles…The old dirt road.
Almost time to hit the highway. I’ll check in from up north in the morning.
The story of my Saturday in Angeles City is not as exciting as the one I had on Friday, but that’s okay; it’s still nice to enjoy a change of scenery.
Swan and I walked to Kokomo’s for breakfast. I had a bit of a dilemma trying to decide what to eat between the breakfast muffin with sausage and egg and the French toast. Fuck it, I’ll have the muffin with a side of French goodness.
The sausage and egg muffinfulfilled a craving. You just don’t see this on menus much,The side of French toast was meh, but I ate it anyway.
I was a little surprised to see this posted in the Kokomo’s restroom:
My doctors are proponents of this treatment, and I gave it a try to help clean my arteries. There is some controversy surroundingthis therapy, the FDA hasn’t approved it and with some in the medical community saying it does more harm than good.
Back to the hotel for some poolside mingling with Jeff and Davina. Then, when lunchtime rolled around, we walked the block from our hotel to one of my favorite AC eateries, Tequila Reef.
Once again, I was faced with a difficult choice–the Philly cheesesteak or the chicken enchilada? I figured the safest bet was to have both.
In my defense, I only ate half the sandwich.Tequila Reef has the best Mexican food I’ve experienced in the Philippines.
Then it was back to the hotel for more time at the pool. I didn’t swim, but enjoyed sitting at the poolside bar for an after-lunch San Mig Zero.
The barstool view.Zooming in on Swan and Davina, ensconced in a game of cards.
I got a big laugh when the bartender asked if Jeff was my son. What the hell? Are you calling me old or ugly? I didn’t ask because I was afraid she might say, “Both.”
Back to the room for an afternoon nap, then we reconvened for our Saturday evening on the town. We decided to visit the Perimeter Road bars, which are known for being more laid-back than Walking Street. And as regular readers know, that’s more my style.
First stop, Garfield’s Last Stand. I was very surprised to see an old Barretto friend, Tom, there. (The guy sitting next to me.)It had been a while, so it was good to catch up. We invited him to come along on our bar crawl, and he was happy to join in the fun.
Garfield’s is a “regular” bar, meaning no dancers, but plenty of helpful waitresses to attend to your needs. Lots of old expats were in attendance last night. Yeah, I’m one of them, I know.
Our next stop was one of the newer bars on Perimeter, called Bad Decisions. They had a stage full of attractive dancers there, along with a pool table. We couldn’t find a seat at first, but a guy sitting alone at a table invited us to join him, and so we did. It turns out that he lives part-time on Baloy Beach, alternating between there, AC, and his home in the USA. Nice to meet ya!
Then we moved on to dinner at another one of my favorites, Margarita Station.
After dinner, we journeyed up the road to Black Satin, another bar with dancers, pool, and not many available seats. We wound up sitting stage-side, not my favorite place to be, but at least the dancers there were easy on the eyes.
It being after 8 p.m. and me having had my fill for the day, I said goodnight, and Swan and I took a trike back to the hotel. The rest of the guys hit a couple more bars before the Saturday night escapade came to an end.
Today, I have a memory from fifty years ago that changed my life.
Happy 50th birthday to my daughter, Renee Bonnie.
I told the story of how she came to be and all that occurred afterwards in this post entitled, “Meet the Parents.”
Moving on to December 2012 in the LTG archives is this remembrance of the time I visited Amsterdam. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
Time to check in with the Filipina Pea as she opens the mailbag to address her viewers’ relationship questions. I was bad, but never as bad as in these examples.
Maybe these will put a smile on your face:
The most popular food on Walking Street?I’ve been fooled by some in Thailand, but baklas here have characteristics that make it clear they are a girl with something extra.I remember those! I think that was the Chevy Don McLean drove to the levy. Good thing it was dry!
Back home now in Barretto, safe and sound. Gonna let the Hideaway girls feed themselves today (with my funding, of course) so I can take a nap. I still have my standing dinner date with Swan at John’s place to attend to later on.
Greetings from Angeles City. Yesterday turned out to be surprisingly good. I’ve never been a big fan of the nightlife scene here, especially the infamous girly bars on Walking Street. But the show they put on at XS Club last night was nothing short of awesome. The pole dancers were my favorite; I’d never seen anything quite like it. Back home, the SOB is all but dead and buried (cancelled again last night), but honestly, even in its heyday, it would be boring compared to the performances I witnessed yesterday. The rest of the day was nice as well. Let me show what I mean.
We arrived in Angeles a couple of hours before hotel check-in time, so we stopped by the mall at Clark City—one of the nicer malls I’ve seen.What’s this, a store that caters to the sports needs of old people?Nah, turns out they had gear for a multitude of sports. Oh well.I also found a Merrell shoe store. Lots of different styles I liked, but alas, my least favorite choices were the only ones that had my size (11) available. Oh well, I bought them anyway.Next up was lunch at T-Backs bar and grill.Chicken-fried steak for Swan.And I went with the pulled pork. They were both okay.
Then it was time to check into our rooms at the Wild Orchid hotel. Back in the days when I visited AC as a tourist from Korea, I’d sometimes stay here. The best day I ever had at Wild Orchid was in 2008, and I shared that story in this post, which is chock-full of photos of the brown beauties who joined me for an impromptu pool party.
The Wild Orchid pool as it looks today.The Wild Orchid pool in 2008.
Everything changes.
I still have a special brown beauty with me in 2025.I got attacked outside the Wild Orchid lobby.
We popped into Lollipop Bar on Walking Street for a pre-dinner drink. It wasn’t even six yet, but there were more girls on stage than you ever see in Barretto, and they were actually moving around like you might expect dancers to do. I better understand now the criticism of the Angeles barflies who say the Subic bar scene sucks in comparison. If dancing girls are all that you fancy, Angeles is the place to be.
Jeff suggested we dine at the Swiss Chalet restaurant, a place I’d heard of but never visited, so I was game to give it a try.
That would be it.We were joined for dinner by three other friends visiting from Barretto.This was the first time I recall eating Swiss cuisine. I went with the Schweinsbraten.The roast pork was outstanding.And the mashed potatoes were the breast. I’m sure that design was an intentional tit for tat.
After dinner, we headed back to Walking Street to see the show at XS Club. I’d never been there before, and as I mentioned, I came away more than a little impressed.
There must have been five girls on stage for every customer in the bar. Not sure how that works profit-wise, but kudos for the effort!
And then the show began. Wowzah!
A fiery performance.Acrobatic fire dancers.I’m burning for you!The monster mash.You can be hot even without fire.
There was also a “tape” performance that was not allowed to be photographed. The girls were dressed in tape, which is pretty close to being topless. Alas, my photos of the pole dancers came out too dark to see, and that was my favorite act of all. Well, check out this ten-minute video with clips from the different shows that Swan put together if you want to capture those moments in motion:
After the show at XS was over, we did our nightcap at another bar called Avalon.
Not as good as what we had just seen, but still better than Barretto.There was also a performance where the girls had their pants half off.Oh, and it was well after nine p.m. by now. Shocking, I know. Well, old guys need to party sometimes, too, but I made it back to the hotel by ten.The Wild Orchid at night.
This was probably the best night I’ve had in Angeles City since those long-ago days as a single tourist.
On to November 2012 in the LTG archives. Not much of interest happening, although I did win my first-ever sanctioned Korea Darts Federation tourney, so that was a night to remember.
For today’s YouTube video, I have a short clip depicting the final game in the aforementioned tournament against my Scottish friend and darts nemesis, Alistair.
On to the humor we must go:
Close but no cigar.
Speaking of which, I posted this on the blog back in November 2012:
On a bus two men with strong accents begin a conversation. The lady next to them is eavesdropping. “Emma come first, then I come. Den two esses acoma together. I come once-a-more. Two esses, they comma together again. I come again, then pee twice. Then I come one lasta time. ”You dirty bastards!” the woman exclaims. “We don’t talk about our sex lives in public in this country!” “Hey, whattsa matter with you?” the man asks. “I’m justa tellin’ my friend how to spell Mississippi.
Yeah, bad humor never gets old.
Beautifully done!Not to be a dick about it, but…
Anyway, I’m going to move on with my Angeles City weekend now. Thanks for dropping by.
But trips to Pundaquit do end. Here I am again, home safe and sound. A fine final day and morning on the beach is now nothing but a memory. And a blog post. Wednesday was much like Tuesday, with a nice hike and a newly discovered restaurant to enjoy. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking:
Swan enjoying the morning beach view before we hiked.Whatever floats your boat.This is as close as I got to the falls Jeff wanted us to see. I didn’t come prepared for a climb (no trekking pole and wrong shoes), so I bailed before we reached the top. Perhaps another time.A rarely displayed sentiment in the Philippines.I took this post personally.Those goats blocked the road and refused to move so the trike could pass. That guy came and dragged them out of the way.Swan, Davina, and Jeff enjoying the backstreets of Pundaquit.
After the hike, we settled into the normal afternoon pastimes.
The gals played cards while the menfolk enjoyed beer and snacks.Davina helped Jeff launch his drone. The sun did its thing.The rain thankfully stayed offshore.Dinner in Paraiso, a place we discovered on our hike. It is well off the beaten path.The biggest table menu (in size, not items) I ever did see.We loved the ambiance. This would definitely be a place I’d hangout if I lived around here.May tablemates. We had the place to ourselves.My dinner plate of smoked ribs.A group shot. That’s Paraiso owner David, a friendly Brit, in the back.
Back to the hotel after our meal, and the other Wave Song guests were having a party outside. Jeff added his music box to the festivities, and this being the Philippines, some karaoke broke out. Since the neighbors joined in the singing, there was no one left to complain. I didn’t stay long as I was whacked after a long day, but I fell asleep to the sound of music. The hills were alive with it.
Finding breakfast this morning turned out to be quite an adventure. The place we intended to visit was closed, so we continued down the road to Monty’s Riverside Resort, a venue I have enjoyed many times in the past. The place was open but deserted. As we approached the outdoor food court, no one was there to greet us. Finally, a woman shyly came from indoors, and I asked if they were open for breakfast. She said they were, so we all sat down. I saw her dusting off menus, which struck me as a huge red flag. Then the woman disappeared back inside and just left us sitting there. We waited a few minutes, said “fuck this,” and walked out. Just shocked at how what used to be a popular resort has gone to shit. Maybe it is just a low season thing, but something ain’t right.
We were less than ten kilometers from our favorite San Narciso hangout, Mope Resort, so we headed that way. Then we passed the FRA (Fleet Reserve Association), another place I’ve always enjoyed. I convinced the group to give it a try and we were not disappointed. Good food and good service made the breakfast trek worthwhile.
The SOS (shit on a shingle) with hashbrowns and eggs was the best I’ve ever had. Sorry mom!Swan enjoyed the pool for the last time before checking out of Wave Song.Goodbye until next time!
An uneventful drive home (just the way I like them) and I’m ready to resettle back into my Barretto life until next month’s excursion to Angeles City.
My father died on May 28, 2011. I honored his passing with this post from the LTG archives.
He spent a good portion of his working life as an engineer with the merchant marines.Dad, you are gone but not forgotten. I’m carrying on the McCrarey beer drinking tradition as best as I am able.
Speaking of drinking, I’m blessed to have not lived in the days of the Old West saloons. I like my beer served cold for one thing, and the other conditions described in today’s YouTube video might have made me a non-drinker. Yeah, hard to believe, I know.
Here’s a smile from me to you:
Forgive me, Father.“The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here.”You are what you eat.
Anyway, that’s where things stand with me. Let’s see what happens next.
So, picking up where I left off with yesterday’s post. After getting settled into our rooms, we sat poolside, enjoying the beach views and cold beers while the womenfolk played cards and drank wine. Then we moved to the resort next door for some more drinking. I was surprised to run into an old hiking buddy who lives in San Antonio, but drives the 10K to drink at this Beach Place because he enjoys the vibe. Yep, we liked it too. Nice to see you again, Gary!
We also met another guy who decided to sit at the women’s table (us men were all at the bar). Gary said his name is Bob, but he is known as DB (drunk Bob). He may have been a little flirty with our girls, but none of them seemed to take offense. When we were ready for a change of scenery, we loaded into Jeff’s car and visited Hidaway, a place I’ve stayed at before, and it also has a nice outdoor bar area. And then guess who showed up? Yep, DB. That was a little on the weird side. We enjoyed our brief stay and chat with owner Craig, then headed next to Car Wash for dinner.
A pretty quiet night at Car Wash, but we all placed our food orders and enjoyed more beverages while we waited to be served our meals. And it was quite the wait. Swan and I both ordered pork ribs, and they were the first to arrive. Everyone else was served individually over a growing period of time. I guess the cook could only prepare one meal at a time. When Davina was finally served, everyone else was already finished eating. That was kind of weird. The food was good, though. Shortly before we were ready to depart, our stalker DB showed up again. I think he’s okay, but it was still a little strange. Then a young woman arrived to take him home, so it all ended well.
When we got back to our hotel, we visited the place next door, which has a small bar and restaurant. It also has a videoke machine. Jeff wanted to sing, but was told only hotel guests are permitted to do so, so we left.
Back at Wave Song, Jeff broke out his music box and microphones, and we began to engage in some drunken singing. It wasn’t long before I got a message on my phone from the resort management saying that videoke is not permitted. That shut us down from singing, but we played some nice music at low volume while we drank. It wasn’t long before I’d had more than enough of that, so I said goodnight and headed for my room for some much-needed sleep. Sleep was not as easy as I’d hoped because the air conditioner in our room stopped working. The resort moved us to a new room this morning.
So, that’s what you missed by not being here. Here are some photos to illustrate the events described above:
The Barretto six enjoying lunch at the Car Wash.Swan’s Teddy getting comfortable in our Wave Song room.Wave Song grounds (that’s Jeff’s drone if you can see it over Davina’s head).Matt in the pool.The beach, boats, and Capones Islands.The beach and mountains.Hanging by the pool.Next door at the Beach Place. The staff enjoyed a shot of Tequila Rose on Jeff’s tab.Next up was a brief visit to Hidaway.The girls had a swingin’ good time until they got tired.Back at the Car Wash for dinner.My pork rib dinner.That hotel that wouldn’t let us sing because we weren’t staying there.Back in the pool at Wave Song.Jeff and his music box. Sign? What sign?And then the day came to a beautiful end.
March and April 2011 had a total of five posts, none of them particularly newsworthy, even by my low standards. I’d been busy working on my newly purchased house and adapting to the American way of life. In this post from May, I played some catch-up for my readers.
Three years ago, Alaska was still performing in the SOB, and I was crushing on Karen, the gal on the right. Those days are gone now.
Today’s YouTube video shares the five most dangerous places in the Philippines that tourists should avoid. Not surprisingly, four of them are Muslim enclaves. I’ve never been tempted to see any of them. First time I’ve watched this vlogger, but she, um, has a lot to get off her chest. The breast of the five-minute video, if you enjoy that kind of thing.
Now it is time for this nonsense:
There is more than one way to lose a friend.Shocking!I don’t know what you are talking about.
I do know that it is time to get on with my time at the beach. See you tomorrow!
No pun intended. Well, call it a play on words. Greetings from Barangay Pundaquit here in the lovely town of San Antonio, surrounded by the beauty that Zambales province is known for.
An uneventful thirty kilometer drive to get here.We stopped at the Car Wash for lunch before we checked into our hotel. Matt and Joyce arrived shortly thereafter to join us.As soon as we got to our rooms, neighbor Jeff and Davina headed for the pool. Those are the lovely Capones Islands in the background.Sweet Swan keeping an eye on things from the front porch of our room at Wave Song.
And that is all the news from here so far. Looking forward to hanging out with my friends and the change of scenery. I’ll update tomorrow as time permits.
Oh, and about yesterday. We didn’t Hash, but took a nice 8K walk to fill the gap.
Our hike included walking the length of Baloy Beach.When the beach ran out, we caught a boat to cross the river.And of course, we dispensed some sweetness along the way.The way we went about it.We finished up at IDM around four p.m. and a couple of hours later, the Hashers who actually did the trail arrived.
After seeing and hearing about the Hash trail, I’m satisfied that I made the right decision in avoiding it. Doing things my way is how I roll these days.
I’ve progressed to February 2011 in my journey through the LTG archives. I’ve purchased a house (a HUD repo) and now I’m engaged in buying furniture. It made me sad to remember how I spent extra for the best quality leather sofa and chair, thinking it would last me the rest of my life. Turns out, the life I had planned on left with the woman I loved a few short years later. Oh well, the post is not about that, it is about a strange coincidence that occurred when I was shopping. Small world, indeed!
Eight years ago, I was walking the lonely streets of Anjeong-ri. I was foolish not to enjoy that life for what it was. Give me a do-over, Lord!
Today’s YouTube video is about China’s FAFO moment while harassing a Philippine vessel. Karma is a bitch, you bastards!
A little humor before I get back to the real world.
It all tastes the same to me.Don’t fish off the company pier!That dog won’t hunt, little girl.
Okay, the beach and beer await. Thanks for stopping by.
Greetings from the Philippines! My third country in a week! So, Day 7 of the vacation spilled into Day 8 as I didn’t arrive home until a little after midnight. I don’t remember the last time I was out and about (other than to the toilet) that late. I guess I should be thankful that my AirAsia departure was only thirty minutes late, rather than two hours like my outbound flight. Anyway, not a whole lot to say about what was essentially a travel day. Since my plane was supposed to leave at 6:15 p.m. I arranged a late checkout at the hotel. That still didn’t leave me with enough time to venture back into Hong Kong, so we explored on foot the Sky City neighborhood where we were domiciled.
Man does not live by beer alone. In lieu of that, the Marriott folks kindly provided this beverage in our room free of charge.
Downstairs for breakfast at the hotel restaurant:
We shared one order of pancakes and one order of waffles, plus a cup of coffee. All that for “only” $27 US.A commenter asked how much Pringles cost in Vietnam. I never got the chance to check, but in the Hong Kong Marriott, they were three US dollars.
Then it was time for a walk. There was a lot of construction, a boat dock that apparently serves the boats that transport folk from mainland China to Hong Kong. Sky City has a ghost town vibe about it, at least during my visit. I mentioned the deserted Asia Expo building in yesterday’s post. This huge building was the most interesting thing I saw on the stroll:
11 Skies was the only signage. What the hell is that?Well, there was this, but it didn’t add much clarity.
What intrigued me was that there was no activity or people around. Was it abandoned? When I got back to the hotel, I Googled to see if I could get the story. The Wiki link posted above says:
Airport Authority Hong Kong announced on 2 May 2018 that New World Development had been awarded the tender for the SkyCity integrated development, which comprises retail complexes, dining areas, hotels, entertainment facilities, and offices. Under the agreement, New World Development will design, construct, finance, and manage the development on sites A2 and A3, adjacent to HKIA’s passenger terminals.[7]
On 23 November 2020, New World Development had announced the official name of the project––11 Skies, operated by K11 under the New World Development’s portfolio.[8] Scheduled to open in phases from 2022 to 2025, the 3.8 million-square-foot complex will contain 2.66 million sq. ft. dining and retail space, 570,000 sq. ft. experiential entertainment facilities, and 570,000 sq. ft. grade A office space. There will be over 800 shops, including more than 120 restaurants
Apparently, things didn’t go as planned. Weird.
So, no hotties, only ugly girls allowed?A rolling stone gathers no moss, but this building did.Walking the eerily empty streets of Sky City.
When it was time to check out from the hotel and head for the airport, we caught the convenient shuttle provided by Marriott. We arrived too early to check-in with AirAsia, so we grabbed some lunch.
The joint was packed.I ordered some American food for old times’ sake.
After a goodly wait, we were finally able to check our bags and get our boarding passes. We still had two hours before our scheduled departure. What can we do to pass the time?
This bar serving Blue Girl draft beer was a nice distraction. That’s a 500ml serving, and I had two.
I checked the monitor and saw that they had finally assigned a gate for our flight, 201. I saw signage that seemed to indicate Gate 201 was just an escalator ride away. So, I felt no rush to finish my beer. Still, being the prudent traveler that I am, I left my stool behind at 5:30, giving me plenty of time to reach the gate that my boarding pass said closes twenty minutes before the 6:15 departure time. So, then I took the escalator downstairs, and the signage led me to yet another escalator descent. And then one more. Which put me on a platform to catch a train to my gate. And my gate was at the end of the line (two stops). Then it was up three levels on the escalator only to discover that my gate was at the far end of the terminal. I didn’t run, but I double-timed it to the boarding area. It was ten minutes to six, so I was still within the specified window. I didn’t see any passengers around the reception desk and thought they must have already boarded. Nope, that agent advised they had not yet begun, and I should take a seat and wait for the boarding announcement. Once I was seated, I noticed there was no plane at the end of the jetway and knew my flight was delayed once again. The plane finally arrived at the time it was due to depart, and I was surprised they managed such a quick turnaround, minimizing the delay.
On board at last, and ready to fly!There was a large queue of planes waiting for the runway, but we got to go before United, so I was happy.
We arrived in Manila at nine, and after doing the immigration, baggage claim, and customs, we hooked up with my driver for the ride back to Barretto. It was Monday morning when I arrived home for the first time in over a week. I enjoyed my vacay, but it is good to be back on familiar ground.
One journey ends, and another resumes. I’m talking about my trek through the LTG archives. I had to look to see where I left off, and it was February 2010. This Blast from the Past post recounts the story of meeting the love of my life, losing her, and how a seemingly minor impulsive decision changed my life forever. It is one of my favorite stories.
Have you been missing the YouTube video segment? Well, today we have an interesting history lesson about the Philippines. I enjoyed it, maybe you will too.
And yes, I’m going to restart the lame humor section as well:
It’s a family affair.Unless you are commatose like me.It all cums out in the wash.
Sorry about those. I’ll try to do better going forward. Meanwhile, it’s time to reacquaint myself with the normalcy that comes from routines, starting with a Hash this afternoon. I’ll be back with the story tomorrow.
With a stop in Hong Kong along the way. Day 6 of my trip consisted of a morning departure from Da Nang, an early afternoon landing in HK, and then taking the express train downtown and exploring on foot for a couple of hours. Once again, I’ll let the photos do the talking:
The view from my departure gate at Da Nang airport (DAD). I’m not sure of the origin of those Quonset huts on the other side of the runway, but they resemble American military structures.
Landed safely in the Sky City section of Hong Kong and checked into the Marriott hotel. Our flight out today doesn’t depart until 6 p.m., but the Marriott folks graciously accommodated my request for a late checkout at two.
A view from my room……and another. Yes, there is some rain in those clouds.
The front desk clerk told me we could walk to the train station at the Asia Expo Convention Center and take the express train to downtown Hong Kong. And that’s just what we did.
The station was eerily deserted, as was the convention center.I’ll be what I am, a solitary man…We had the train almost all to ourselves until we hit the airport station.The night before, I’m cruising the Han River, and then the next day, I’m riding the train into the big city. It felt like being in Seoul again.It rained during our train ride, but luckily stopped before we reached our destination.This also reminded me of the Seoul subway maps. I didn’t bother trying to figure out where to transfer; we just went to the end of the line and started walking.There were only four stops on our train.Off the train, out of the station, and into the marketplace.Hello, Hong Kong City!Compared to Da Nang, the traffic was sane. Sidewalks and elevated walkways made being a pedestrian safe and almost carefree.
Frequent commenter Brian had made some suggestions of things to see and do on the mainland of Hong Kong. Given the time of day (late afternoon), we opted to visit Hollywood Boulevard. We put the name into Google Maps and followed the course it suggested.
Wow! Who knew pulled pork was a Chinese delicacy! But we kept going.On-On!Swan falls for the tourist trap.We made it to Hollywood!We came to a nice little park along the way.Thou shalt not pass!Looking out the entrance.A nice pond full of fish and turtles.And a tree I liked.We weren’t in any hurry to visit. Lots of antique shops along this stretch of Hollywood.And many of these interesting-looking pedestrian side streets.An impressive skyscraper.A small temple we didn’t visit.East side, West side All around the town The tots sang ‘Ring-a-Rosie’ ‘London Bridge is falling down! Boys and girls together Me and my girl Swan Tripped the light fantastic On the sidewalks of Hong KongRegretfully, we didn’t stop here. I kept looking for a cozy place where we could eat and drink, but alas, I didn’t find what I was looking for and it was too late to turn back.There ain’t no Circle K store in the Philippines or Vietnam.And the last time I saw a streetcar was in San Francisco.Heading back to the train station. Swan said many of these young ladies were Filipino OFWs. She chatted with a couple of them in Tagalog.Everybody was kung fu fighting. Or whatever it’s called.A view from the train on the way back to Sky City.A view from the Asia Expo train station.A water landing?Does that say her farts don’t stink?I’m almost ashamed to admit we did our dining and drinking at the hotel.While waiting for our food, this driverless vehicle was making the rounds. I’d never seen that before.When dining in Hong Kong, one must partake in a clubhouse sandwich with fries and some chicken tenders.With a Blue Girl beer from Korea, of course.So, I went from spending over a million dong for dinner to “only” $584Hong Kong dollars (about 75 bucks American). Things ain’t cheap here, that’s for sure.
And that’s where Day 6 came to an end. Heading back to the Philippines tonight.
Day 5 of this trip was my last day in Da Nang. It feels like five days wasn’t enough, so I guess you can call the visit here a success. I do hope I can make it back again someday.
For your viewing enjoyment, here is the day in pictures:
Looking out the window of my hotel room in the morning and remembering my trek underneath one of those Marble Mountains.Then we took a stroll on the beach in the opposite direction for the first time. It seemed a little fishy…I liked the look of this hotel. Perhaps on my next trip here, I’ll give it a try.Is that an “i” or and “e”?It’s always nice to encounter a pickup truck older than I am.I really like the look of this beach bar we hadn’t seen before.Next timeThis is an intriguing looking building.Another place to check out if I ever make it back.
After our beach walk, we used the Waze map app to find our way to the Missteak restaurant for lunch.
Passed this place along the way. I bet I’d like it.Missteak is upstairs from Vietnom.They accepted my voucher without question.The menu selections were mostly limited to steak items.I had a bottle of Saigon beer to go with my meal.I’ve never used a cutting utensil like that one in a restaurant before.Inside Missteak.I had the flat iron steak and it was quite good.Swan enjoyed her steak sando as well.Our dining trek to Missteak was not a mistake.After lunch, we walked back to our hotel.
The maid wasn’t finished with our room, so we headed to the 40th-floor rooftop to kill time and take in some views.
The beach we had walked earlier in the day.Da Nang in all its glory.That Dragon Bridge over the river was scheduled to be in my evening plans.
We did a river dinner cruise that began at 8 p.m. Hell, that’s almost my bedtime when I’m not on vacation. But it was a special way to spend our last evening in Da Nang.
We had one last visit at the Paradise Beach Bar while we awaited our driver’s arrival.The boat harbor on the Han River.
Yep, the last time I did a river cruise was on the Han — the one in Seoul.
I got a sinking feeling when I saw our boat was named “Poseidon.”Swan didn’t care and enjoyed touring the craft.That’s her on the upper deck/Our table was on the bow, but the inside was nice, too.A passing boat. There were at least a dozen on the river with us.I had my first Tiger beer on this trip.A tasty salad appetizer.Followed by this yummy soup.Then we were entertained by some cultural dancers.The only dancers I saw during my visit to Da Nang.SkylightsThe main course. Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a lobster tail!Heading up river.And there’s that Dragon Bridge again.All the river cruise boats lined up to see what the dragon was up to.Turns out it was breathing fire.Another colorful bridge further upriver.Our cheerful waitress volunteered to take a photo of the lovebirds.Thank you, Chloe.
So, our last night in town was a good one. Up early this morning to catch our flight, and I’m writing this post from my room at the Marriott Sky City Hotel in Hong Kong.
Day 5 was an all-day group tour at Sun World in Ba Na Hills. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I’m not big on group tours, but for a first-time experience, it worked out okay. I’d love to go back someday and visit at night. Yesterday was packed with tourists, and that diminished the enjoyment level considerably.
The only way to the top is by cable car (there is a service road for workers). It is the longest and highest cable car system in the world. At the top is an amusement park-like setting, the resort calls a Fairy Kingdom. I understand the old buildings in the French village section are relics from the colonial days.
Here’s a drone video to give you the flavor of the place:
And here is some of the shitload of photos I took throughout my day long visit. For the first time ever, I totally depleted my phone battery. I’ve got another adventure in store for tonight, so I’m going to have to rush this and let the photos speak for themselves for the most part.
Getting there from Da Nang took about an hour. Once out of the city traffic, it was a scenic and pleasant ride.The entrance at the foot of the mountain.The cable car takeoff was a jolt.I have a bit of an aversion to heights, but it was still a fun ride to the top of the mountain (almost 5000 feet).Looking back from where we started.Approaching the Golden BridgeOn solid ground again at the top.Statues everywhere. She was the breastA Golden GirlSwan made a new friendFeeling festiveOMG! Is this heaven?
Part of the the entrance fee included a coupon for free beer.
I gave the barkeep my two coupons……and he gave me FOUR draft beers. Swan had one, and I had three. They were small glasses, mind you.The beer pavilionBut only if you are alone or with someone.Swan horsing around.A windmill is good to have.A time travel vibeA garden of Goddesses.Our tour package included a free buffet (one t) lunch.My plate.I paid for that beer and got a full pint.A rare appearance of Old Glory.The Golden Bridge awaits our crossing.It was insanely crowded.But we made it.What a pisser.I guess that’s a sun skirt.I’m not sure what to think.I forgot what I was going to say about this.The back of Buddha’s head. I understand there is a temple here, but we didn’t see it. Not part of the resort, and not sure how you would access it.The view from our mountaintop vantage point.What are you pointing at?Never mind, she has a heart of stone.This is definitely a hands-on resort.And it is huge.And apparently, they aren’t done yet.As we prepared to depart, I caught a glimpse of Gandalf. Is he grey or white?Down we go.I would enjoy a return visit someday.Rush hour traffic in Da Nang was no picnic.
Left the hotel before 8 a.m. and got back a little after six. But we weren’t done yet. We walked the 2K to Dirty Fingers so we could partake in the steak Thursday promo.
Owner Scott said the beef was from Argentina. It was definitely tender.And dinner for two was just a tad over a million dong.
Another fun convo with Scott and one of his buddies. I’ll definitely look forward to seeing him again should I come back this way in the future.
We walked back to the hotel and bypassed the various nightcap opportunities. We were both whipped.
We did a lot of walking on that mountaintop.
And that was Day 5. Our last night is upon us, and we have a river cruise dinner and fireworks show on the horizon. Then we fly out to Hong Kong in the morning. I’ll update when I can.
It’s nice being on vacation from the same old, same old routines.
Here’s the belated report about Day 4 of the Vietnam adventure, which included visits to the Marble Mountains and the historic city of Hoi An. We used our driver, Tom, for transport to both locations. A guided tour of the Marbles might have been worthwhile, and we didn’t have nearly enough time to do Hoi An proper justice. If the occasion should arise that I make a return trip to this area, I’d like to spend a night or two in Hoi An. Rumor has it that there are quite a few expats residing there. I took a shitload of pictures in both locations, here’s a taste of what I saw:
Hitting the highway with driver Tom.One of the mountains they call Marble.The entrance to the cave. As usual, there were tons of tourists sharing the experience. I understand this is the busiest time of year for tourism in this area.Should I stay or should I go?Penetrating the void.Inside the cave were statues and other relics.Most of the passageways were easily navigable, but some places required crouching down.Hello up there!It got a little dicey climbing these steep, narrow, and uneven steps. The voice in my head kept saying, “walk towards the light.”You only live once (unless you get that do-over life).Almost there…Made it to the top!A view from here.And one of the other Marble Mountains we didn’t visit.A random stranger offered to take a photo of us.Going back down was even scarier than the climb.
Some random shots from inside the cave:
She looks a little lonely.I can’t read what it says, and I’m too lazy to do a Google translate, but I assume this is referencing the Viet Cong hospital hidden inside the mountain during the Vietnam War.Beats me.Still impressive, even without a clue.Okay, that’s a little creepy.What the hell?Umm…Stop, you’re killing me!Can it getting any worse?Okay, I’ve seen enough!
We escaped the hounds of hell and made our way back outside, where our driver awaited. Then we took a pleasant drive to the city of Hoi An.
Along the way, Tom wanted us to see a place called the Coconut Forest.
We opted not to do a coconut boat tour.
Tom told us this used to be an American Army installation during the war years.This old bunker has been preserved, more or less.The caption perfectly captures the Vietnamese perspective on the “American occupation period.” Oh, you mean that time when we came to defend South Vietnam from the invasion of their northern neighbors? Anyway, we lost, so the winners get to write the history.Our driver dropped us off in Old Town Hoi An, so we could explore on foot.Motorized vehicles aren’t allowed on this road, hence the bicycle carts.This was one of the friendliest vendors I’ve ever encountered. She volunteered to pose for a photo with Swan.Then she had Swan don her hat and carry her burden.“You too!” she told me.
Of course, we felt obligated to buy some of her fresh fruits. I guess her strategy worked.
A riverside view.Nice!It turns out that Hoi An is famous for its Banh Mi sandwiches.We weren’t hungry yet, though.I’ll eat at Dirty Fingers, but Poison Coffee is a bridge too far!Speaking of which, this is the famous “Japanese bridge” built in the 1600s.Over the river we go!A Hoi An moment.We headed back to meet our driver with a stroll on this road.Still too early to visit a pub, despite being enticed by this lovely lady.I think I’d love this street at beer o’clock.
And then something weird happened. A white guy on a scooter with a Vietnamese girl on the back pulled up and started chatting with me. Just friendly banter, where are you from, how long are you staying? Seemed innocent enough.
Steve from Wales and the gal who turned out to be his co-worker.
Both do promotion work for the Karma Group, which apparently operates hotels, including one in Hoi An. Steve asked if we’d like to participate in a free drawing, and I shrugged, saying, Why not? He handed us both a ticket. I opened mine and won a free ball cap.
Nothing special, but the price was right.
Then it was Swan’s turn, and when she opened hers, Steve said excitedly that she had the grand prize ticket.
So, she won either an Apple iPhone, seven nights’ accommodation at a Karma hotel, or six million dong ($250).
Of course, there is always a catch. To find out which she won, we had to go to the Hoi An Karma hotel. Then, to collect the prize, we had to sit through a one-hour presentation (about what, I never got a clear explanation). They wanted to drive us to the hotel right away, but we declined, saying our driver was waiting for us. What I didn’t say was that there was no way I was getting a ride from two strangers; I’ve heard stories about people being disappeared. As much out of curiosity as anything, I told them I’d have our driver take us to the hotel. They reluctantly agreed, and Steve took off on his scooter. The gal walked with us to meet my driver.
On the way to the hotel, I told Swan I’m sure her prize would be revealed to be the free hotel stay. When we arrived at the Karma and the ticket was scratched, I was proved right about that. And then there was some confusion. We had agreed to a one-hour presentation, and fifteen minutes later, nothing had happened. Swan told the Karma representative that we needed to leave by 1 p.m., and the rep went and made a phone call. When she returned, she told us that there was not enough time, so the prize would be voided. I said, ‘Okay, we arrived at 12:30; we’ll stay until 1:30,’ and the rep said that still wasn’t enough. We needed to spend one hour with the person making the presentation. I smelled a rat and said, Never mind. We’ll go. The rep apologized and gave us a 500,000 dong voucher ($19) for a local Da Nang restaurant.
I wonder if it was bad Karma?It turned out the rep was a Filipina.Missteak (another weird name for an eatery) is nearby, at least. We plan to try and use it for lunch today.
Anyway, I’m still curious what the presentation topic was going to be about, most likely some investment scheme—no big deal on missing out on the big prize.
An uneventful trip back to Da Nang, but I did have my driver show me a place to get the Vietnamese Bahn Mi delicacy. When it was time to eat, we hoofed it over there. It’s a few blocks off the main beach road and surrounded by other restaurants, almost all of which are Korean.
Umm, I hope it is good.Well, when you only make one thing, I expect it will be done well.I drank Vietnamese beer to go with my Vietnamese meal.Swan had a mango smoothie.Really just a small sandwich shop.Dinner is served.Bahn Mi!Biting into the local culture.
The sandwich was fine, but as I recall, I enjoyed the one I tried in Saigon more. We strolled back towards our hotel on the side streets to see what we could see.
I’d never seen plants growing on the side of a high rise before.We visited a rooftop venue called Sky Bar, but they didn’t serve wine. We took this photo of the beach and departed.So, we did our nightcap at the beach bar across the road from our hotel.Our view from there.
And that was our day. Hopefully, I’ll get to Day 5 later this afternoon. Now it is time for a walk and some lunch at Missteak.
Sorry about the lack of the usual daily update. All is well here, I’ve just been on a journey through a fairy kingdom, otherwise known as Sunworld Ba Na Hills. I did a group tour that departed from my hotel before 8 a.m. and dropped me back off here at 6 p.m. I’m whupped, but still going to grab some grub before calling it a day. I’ll try to do a twofer in the morning to bring you up to speed on my adventures from days four and five of my vacation.
Swan surprised me with a card this morning in recognition of two years of being together. I’d totally forgotten the significance of this date, so I pulled a rabbit out of my hat and facetiously said that this trip to Vietnam was my anniversary present to her.
That’s all for now, I’ll be back with the rest of the story manana.
