My hotel is located right in the middle of where the action was almost fifty-eight years ago (near the gray square).
My first impressions of Hue are generally positive. I’m still in the tourist zone, but it’s not as oppressive as the one I experienced in Hoi An. Getting here took almost four hours, including a twisty-turny drive over a mountain. Saw plenty of nice scenery along the way, so no real complaints in that regard. Found some nice bars and restaurants in the backstreets near our hotel last night, and the exploration of which has just begun! One nice thing they do is close those roads to vehicle traffic after 6 p.m., allowing safer stumbling walking about.
Here are some photos of the getting here and our first evening out:
That mountain between Da Nang and Hue we had to cross.The Hai Van Gate is at the summit.You can read more about it at the link above.One of the fortifications.The ocean view on a hazy day.Who needs a shitty map?Coming down the mountain.An interesting-looking village we passed along the way.When you gotta go, you gotta go.Finally made it to our hotel in Hue.The view from our room.The DMZ, a restaurant/bar, is conveniently located right across the road from our hotel.I chuckled over this name and thought of It Doesn’t Matter back home.No thanks, I read the book.Looks like my kind of place.Nice ambiance upstairs at Browneyes.My blue-eyed view from Browneyes.At the dinner hour, we moved to the HotTuna and enjoyed the street view as an appetizer. I asked our waitress if they served cold tuna, but the language barrier aborted my attempt at humor.Some of the local food offerings at HotTuna.We had something called calamari……and grilled pork ribs. Talk about stepping outside the comfort zone!An after-dinner nightcap at DMZ.And then we climbed the stairway to heaven and called it a night.
A good day so far, despite getting lost on our hike this morning. Two more nights to go here.
And in news from home:
As I suspected, John’s place in Barretto is closing. The new location is going to be in Olongapo City, way out of my reach. It was good while it lasted. Thanks for the memories.
Back to the September 2016 LTG archives for part 3 of the bringing sand to the beach adventure.
Today’s YouTube video features combat footage from the Tet Offensive back in 1968—some of the heaviest US casualties of the war in that battle. I can’t help but think about all those who died here while I’m living the high life on the streets where blood was spilled. You can read the gory details here if you are so inclined.
And now for today’s lame attempts at humor:
Did you get a spanking?Well, I’m an old man with bladder control issues. Yeah, ever been to Switzeland?
A rather laid-back day there in Hoi An yesterday. In fact, it was almost Barretto-like: a morning hike and an evening in the bars. There is nothing wrong with Hoi An, which might explain why the streets are packed with tourists. I can’t complain about that since I am one too, but honestly, I think it would make it hard for me to live here as an expat. Then again, it is likely the expat community has its own side of town away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist district. The locals here do seem much friendlier than those I observed in Da Nang.
On with the day. It was a little over 5K from the hotel to the beach. Traffic isn’t so bad here, but you do have to maintain situational awareness, especially with the omnipresent motorbikes racing about. We began in the “old town” district near the riverside, then passed through some rice fields before reaching the beachside urbanization. Here’s some of what we saw along the way:
Over the river near our hotel.Hoi An has a history of being a major trading center (mostly spice exports) with the Chinese back in the olden days.The streets of old town are full of shops catering to tourists.One of the temples we passed along the way.This is the first McDonald’s I’ve encountered on this trip. It’s like no other McDonald’s I’ve ever seen. No drive-thru, no parking, and housed in an old building. There’s also a KFC next door. It seems so weirdly out of place.This park enticed us in for a quick look around.I couldn’t find anything about this guy in a Google search (everything was in Vietnamese), but the placard said he was a scholar who became a leader opposed to French colonization and was executed for his resistance.That’s what my mama called me sometimes.Through the paddies…What do they call a carabao in Vietnam?Even out here in farm country, they have set traps for the tourists.Working for a living.My first thought when I saw those houses was, “We must be getting close to the ocean.”A river runs through it.Life on the river.Where’s the beef?Destination achieved!I saw zero locals on the beach.You can see Da Nang from here. That’s a zoom shot.We found a cozy place to grab some lunch and enjoy the beach view.“I blew out my flipflop, stepped on a pop top, cut my heel, had to cruise on back home…”When is the last time you’ve seen one of those?The route of our journey. We took a cab back to the hotel.This fat fuck was hanging out in our hotel lobby.
At the appointed hour, Swan and I headed out to do some exploring and find a place to grab dinner.
I wasn’t in the mood for colonial food.Um, no thank you.Off with our heads?A very friendly young Aussie guywelcomed us to the restaurant.I was craving some pulled pork, but had never seen it on a bed of fries. Sure, why not?Hmm, more fries than pork. It tasted alright, though.The view from our table
Oh, and there was a vendor next door selling something called “smoke ice cream.” Swan wanted to give it a try.
Neither of us liked it much.
Lantern boats on the river.
We decided to go back to the LyLy pub for some drinks and music. We were welcomed there like regulars.
The same trio from last night was performing. I asked our waitress where the singer was from, and she said, “Vietnam.” In my defense, did say “kamsamnida” when people applauded at the end of a song. A Vietnamese girl who speaks good English and knows some Korean. Wow! What are the odds?
Here’s a song for you:
Then we moved on to the Bob Marley bar for our nightcap.
They remembered us here, too.
Here’s the Marley’s duo (Filipinos) doing a song:
And now I have arrived in the historic city of Hue (pronounced “Who”), where I will be spending the next three days. First time here, so it will be fun to explore some.
In today’s entry from the September 2016 LTG archives, the story of my taking sand to the beach in the Philippines continues.
Today’s YouTube video is an introduction to the things to see and do in Hue. I’ve never heard “Hue” pronounced as “He” before, but then again, I’ve been calling it “Hew” for as long as I can remember.
Now for the funny business:
Something doesn’t add up…Just turn the page.Aren’t they all?
I know someone who would be PERFECT for that role!
One week done, and one more to go. So far, it’s been a good time. I’m writing this post from the lovely river town of Hoi An. I’m honestly shocked to be surrounded by so many tourists in this area, many of them young couples. Lots of old-timer couples, too. It is probably the laid-back atmosphere here that makes it more desirable for some than Da Nang’s big-city vibes. Whatever, it is what it is, and I like both.
On the way here, we made a side-trip to visit My Son (pronounced Me Sohn), the site of ancient Hindu temple ruins. Until I read the history at the link above, I was not aware of why this area was so historically significant. Life is for learning, and I learned something new.
Oh, and best of all, it is not cold here! It is nice to be comfortably out and about in short sleeves again.
Let’s get to those heavenly photos, shall we?
A foggy morning as we said goodbye to Ba Na Hills.Into the cable car for the ride back down to the lowlands.I have a slight case of acrophobia, so looking down while our car was swaying made me a tad lightheaded.Swan had the barf bag ready just in case I needed it. I didn’t.Gettin’ down!I have no idea what this water was angry about, but it was ragin’.On the road to My Son.And here we be.A cart ride to the starting area.I would estimate that half of our fellow tourists were from India.Let’s go check out these ruins.Swan ain’t afraid of no ghosts.We saw a few monkeys along the way.Ruins, ruins, everywhere there’s ruins…Hello, there.I guess they had monkeys back then, too.A bridge too far. Meaning I didn’t take it.
As I said, the viewing might have been more interesting to see if I had known some of the history beforehand—still, not a bad experience. Our driver was waiting to carry us onward to Hoi An, about an hour away.
Checking in at the Lantana Hotel, right on the riverfront.My room came equipped with this high-tech device. I’m not sure how it works.
I must say, I have never seen such attentive, caring, and friendly staff before. At the reception, a woman sat with us and explained all the amenities available during our stay. This morning, when Swan and I were plotting our course to the beach, the receptionist came out, asked us where we were going, showed us on our map app, and suggested an alternate street where we would see more historic buildings. Thank you for that!
Hoi An is a tourist town, which means being besieged by vendors.This one was very friendly, even though I couldn’t understand a word she said.The Hoi An River slices through the middle of town.These boats offer “lantern tours” when the sun goes down.
It was beer o’clock, and we were thirsty. Where can we get a drink around here?
The riverwalk has numerous bars to choose from, some with live music. No dancing girl bars, not that that matters.We made the LyLy Irish Pub our first stop.That’s a Tiger in that Magners glass.Then I saw they had a “buy one, get one” happy hour deal, so I switched to bottles.The LyLy street view. No cars are allowed on this section of road, which makes it much more pleasant for everyone. Well, except for drivers.Our next stop was the Bob Marley bar. They had live music, and the singer did a pretty good job singing some Marley tunes.Those lantern boats I mentioned.Us chilling at Marley’s.
We’d seen a rooftop place called Sky Bar and decided to give it a try.
A sexy tree grows in Hoi An.Like a bridge over troubled waters.Swan says Sky Bar is right up this alley.
Yikes! Four floors of dicey stairs. And you have to duck at the top before entering the bar. They are even worse coming back down. I figured this must be an expat hangout since it is off the main drag and a pain in the ass to get to.
Despite the obstacles, Sky Bar had a good crowd last night.A Sky Bar view.And another.
It was time to get some grub, and Jeff liked the menu at LyLy, so we overcame the stairs and headed back to where we had started.
We are back!And the live music had begun. This gal had a fantastic voice and sang in perfect English. I don’t think she is Vietnamese, though. She looks Korean.Our pub fare included chicken nuggets……and fried shrimp.
I’d reached my limit, so we bid goodnight to Jeff and Davina and headed back to the room.
Onward to September 2016 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I recount the happenings of the first day in the Philippines with my Korean girlfriend.
Today’s YouTube video is a vlogger walking around An Bang Beach, the one Swan and I hiked to this morning. Nothing all that exciting in the video, but at least you can see what things look like around there.
And you knew these were coming:
What’s up, Doc?Hard to argue with that logic.Puns like this should be against the law.
Alright, I’ll stop now—time to get on with the rest of day eight.
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a heating unit. I was very thankful for this one in my hotel room last night.
Damn, it’s been cold. I’ve become acclimated to the heat of the Philippines, and my body hasn’t responded well to the chilly winds at my current nearly mile-high altitude. All I have are shorts, but I’m thankful for that long-sleeved sweatshirt I purchased in Da Nang. Anyway, this too shall pass. We are heading down the mountain to Hoi An this morning for the next phase of our Vietnam adventure.
As for Ba Na Hills, I’ve never experienced anything quite like this place (other than my visit here last year). It’s got a unique beauty, and the buildings bring the vibe of a French village from long ago. If you are curious about the history of this area, here’s a good place to start.
We covered a lot of ground taking it all in yesterday, and I’ve got the photos to prove it:
Up at dawn, once again hoping to catch the ocean sunrise in Da Nang, only to be disappointed by the clouds hiding the sun. On the road to Ba Na Hills.Ba Na is around 35K from Da Nang.The only way to the top of the mountain is by cable car…the longest cable ride in the world. With our bags and us, we filled the car.Up, up, and away. (Yeah, this is actually looking down from where we started.Almost to the top.The highlights of being a tourist.
Dropped our bags at the Mercure Hotel (the only one on the mountain) and had three hours to kill before check-in. Here’s the sights we took in as we wandered about:
Reach out and touch someone.Yes, she’s my world.Pretty in pink.So many castles, so little time.Swan in a big red dress.Rock on!Don’t mess with me, motherfucker!Some nice pussy up here.We took a short cable car ride to check out the famous Golden Bridge.That would be it.I’ve got to hand it to ya…Then we toured the old French wine cellars.A wine lover in her element.The tour admission fee included a glass of wine at the end.On with the exploration.That guy in the back looks familiar.Dragon the line.Don’t monkey with me!The view from here.Another nice view.Take a picture, it lasts longer.Her name must be McDonald…the original Golden Archer.
It was time for some lunch (and beer), so we headed to the brewery.
My hero!Something’s brewing down there.The place was packed.Swan and I shared this platter.Let’s eat!
After lunch, it was time to check into our hotel rooms.
Nothing like being greeted on the TV screen.
Rooms were clean and comfortable. I got in a blog post and a nap before it was time to head out and meet up with Jeff and Davina again. I was surprised that so many places were closing at 6 p.m. (or earlier). I guess it really is the slow season, but damn, why book a room on the mountain if there is nowhere to go at night?
We did find this cozy bar close to our hotel that stayed up until 9:30.And our hotel bar was open until midnight, so we didn’t have to go without.The bar was at the bottom of these stairs. It felt almost like walking into a cave.But it was actually very nice inside.The fish and chips we had for dinner were surprisingly delicious!Ba Na Hills is quite a sight after dark.
Speaking of dark, I woke up at 4:30 and peeked outside the window. I asked Swan if she wanted to take a stroll with me for a better look around. She did.
It felt like a zombie apocalypse.Scary shit in the shadows.The end of the world as we know it?
Well, we made it back to our room without seeing any walking dead, so there’s that. It was a really creepy morning, though.
And now I’m writing this post from the lovely town of Hoi An. I’ll tell you all about the getting here and how things are going tomorrow.
The last post in the LTG archives from August 2016 features a recounting of meeting the American Ambassador to Korea in my new suit, having some birthday shots with friends at Shenanigans, and a brief mention of my upcoming trip to the Philippines that would include my new Korean girlfriend. They call that bringing sand to the beach. We’ll find out how that went soon.
Today’s YouTube video is all about where I am now. I visited here for a few hours last year and knew I wanted to come back when I had more time. Let’s see how two nights work out for me.
Maybe I can put a smile on your face with these:
I know what I saw lit me up.Imagine that.He’s on the sheep but he ain’t no lamb.
I agree! Those young bucks need to back off and let us old fuckers have some fun with those sweet lasses!
Yesterday featured a walk, a cruise, and beer. Lots of beer! Let me show you what I mean.
After a couple of kilometers down the beach road, I turned left, thinking it would lead to the Han River. Turns out I was wrong about that. Or maybe I gave up too soon. I’ll try to find it again today.A couple of elephants.A Swan.And whatever the hell that’s supposed to be.A lion or tiger, perhaps?I didn’t eat here (yet).But we did give this place a try.OMG! They had birria tacos! And guacamole, just the way Swan likes it. They were damn good, too.That’s probably the biggest burrito I ever did see.Open wide!That’s what the innards looked like. Yep, those are fries inside, another first.We stopped in here to see if I could find a long-sleeve sweatshirt in my size.Yeah, it gets chilly at night this time of year, and we are heading up into the Ba Na Hills tomorrow.This one fit, so I bought it.Our loop was a tad over 5K. I’ll try for the river walk again today.
After a nap and a shower, we met up with Jeff and Davina for our river cruise. We couldn’t board until 7 p.m., so we checked out some of the bars down by the river.
Our first stop.Very large and well-appointed. A nice selection of craft beers, too.This place has a definite expat vibe about it. If I’m not mistaken, it‘ is Aussie-owned.
The signage in Bamboo’s restroom was also worth a couple of photos:
Wipe that smile off your face!Yep, that’s the wrong kind of lump in your pants.
Then we made our way along the river towards the boat dock.
A clean well-lighted place.The Marriott Hotel pays homage to its communist overseers.A Swan on the river.There she is again!One last beer at the Novotel before heading to the riverboat.The riverboat dock.Just like last year, we were booked on the Poseidon for our river adventure.Our table on the bow of the Poseidon.A heavenly view.We even saw Chloe, our waitress from last year,and she remembered us, too. The first of many Larue beers consumed during our two hours onboard. Two bottles of wine for Davina and Swan.Cheers!
After a decent dinner was served (Swan and I had the salmon), it was time for the cultural dancers to perform.
The live music…And those dancers I mentioned.
Here’s a short video of the dancing you might enjoy:
Thanks for the show, ladies!
Then it was time to hit the Han River:
Off we go!The lights of the city.Heading for that Dragon Bridge.There it be.And it’s a fire-breathing dragon.I guess the dragon spits but doesn’t swallow.
So, the cruise ended at 9:30 local time, which makes it 10:30 back home. My body had had enough fun for one day, so Swan and I caught a cab to the hotel. I think I did okay for an old guy.
In the LTG archives, it’s August 27, 2016, and I turned 61. The post has all the songs I like about growing older. Hey, it must have worked, because almost 10 years later, I’m still getting old.
Today’s YouTube video is a short (less than four minutes) presentation about the realities of Da Nang nightlife. It is spot on, at least from my limited experience here. Nothing like you are going to find in the bars of Barretto or Angeles City. The good thing is, I prefer the laid-back chill atmosphere that is in abundance here.
And that leads us to these:
That absolutely stinks!That’s gonna be some stinky ink.When he gets fired, he won’t have a wok to piss in.
And now for day five of the Vietnam experience. No specific plans for today other than a walk/exploration. Hopefully, I’ll spot a new place to try for dinner. We leave Da Nang proper tomorrow morning and will spend a night up high in the Ba Na Hills. I’ve been looking forward to that the most on our vacation itinerary. After that, we have stays in Hoi An and Hue before returning to Da Nang next week. Let the adventure continue!
Things don’t always go as planned, but they still go. The river cruise didn’t happen yesterday because we discovered that the early trip (5:30 to 7:00) doesn’t operate this time of the year. We’ll be doing the later cruise (7:00 to 9:30) tonight instead. We did take Jeff and Davina to the banh mi sandwich shop for lunch so they could enjoy that Vietnamese delicacy for the first time. They seemed to enjoy them. After the meal, we went our separate ways, with J&D going back to the riverside of town to see a museum and a cathedral. Swan and I opted to hike the boardwalk along the beach in the opposite direction from our hotel. Afterwards, we hit our favorite beach bar, Maia. For dinner, we went back to Dirty Fingers. Afterwards, we had a nightcap at the bar on the 24th floor of the Rosario Hotel. I deem it a good day.
See for yourself:
The beach view from our hotel room is minimal, but we caught a glimpse of the sunrise. We’ll try to hit the beach tomorrow morning and see the whole show.My complimentary breakfast to kick off the day.The hotel restaurant offers a Vietnamese cooking class.None for me, thanks.Eating Vietnamese style.The famous banh mi sandwich.Time for the beach walk, without toes in the sand.The Paradise Beach Bar is across the street from our hotel and is always busy.I’m glad Swan isn’t named Ann, otherwise reading this sign out loud would be dangerous!Hazy skies and rough waters. That flag is a “red warning” about not swimming.I haven’t been inside that building that looks like a cave yet. It’s on my to-do list, though.A beach bar we also haven’t tried yet.It’s always nice to see a pickup truck older than I am.There’s something fishy going on here.Damn, that’s a big bar. Mostly empty in the late afternoon.I wonder if Phuc Long Hotel translates to something like Hotel Viagra,Da Nang is known for its sunny beaches.Back to our favorite beach bar for some after-hike refreshments.That hits the spot!The view from our first seats at Maia.When another table vacated, we were able to move closer to the beach.Livin’ large, in more ways than one.The sign that greeted us as we arrived at Dirty Fingers for some grub.We were in the mood for some grilled meat.And the chicken and pork rib hit the spot.Satisfied diners.A street walk and elevator ride brought us here.Looking down from the 24th floor.Cheers!
And we let it be after that and headed to our hotel room to end our third day in Da Nang.
It is still August 2016 in the LTG archives, and big bad John declares himself to be in a relationship. When will he ever learn?
Today’s YouTube video is about the Da Nang nightlife scene. We’ll be taking the Han River cruise and visiting the Sky 36 rooftop bar this evening. One thing you don’t see here is girly bars.
And let’s see how you like these:
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.Don’t plug him in the wrong socket.I guess he stepped into that one.
Alright, Swan and I are going to hike on the other side of the river this afternoon, then we’ll meet up with Jeff and Davina (they rented bikes today) and head out for our river cruise. It’s an hour earlier here than back home, so this will be a late night for me. Wish me luck!
I went to the help desk at my blog host, HostGator, to find out why I couldn’t log on to LTG, nor could my readers. Here’s the highlights from that encounter:
Agent: Hello John Welcome to HostGator! This is Aries, your Business Consultant. How can I help you today?
Me: I can’t access my webpage.
Agent: Yes, I’ll be happy to check your account and see what options we have to help. Let me pull up your account first
Agent: It shows that your website requires a premium SSL to fully encrypt and verify your website. We can add a premium Single Domain SSL to your website MCCRAREY.COM for only $39.96 for 1 year
Me: I already purchased the premium version of SiteLock.
Agent: SiteLock is for protection against malware. The SSL certificate is for the encryption and verification of the data on your website. The error that you are currently seeing right now is not because of malware. It’s the lack of encryption provided by an SSL
Me: And as my blog host, Hostgator can’t restore access to my website?
Agent: Alright. Let me transfer you over to our Support team for further assistance with this. Please stay on the chat. Thank you
Agent: Hello. I’m Krithika. Welcome to Live Chat. I’ll definitely assist you with today.
Me: (I explained the issue again.)
Agent: that is SSL error, not malware. did you configure SSL in sitelock?
Me: I’m totally ignorant when it comes to technology.
Agent: you are refering to this website mccrarey.com only right?
Me: Yes, that is my only website.
Agent: Okay. Please give me 4-5 minutes of hold
Me: Okay, thanks for your help.
Agent: Most welcome. Thank you for holding. I have uploaded SSL certificate to sitelock dashboard. please give it 15-20 minutes and check, website should be working
And it worked! Mostly. I still have this when I visit the site:
Oh, well. I’ll work on that later. Let’s get to the good stuff. Here’s the story of Day 2 in the lovely city of Da Nang:
I’m on the 11th floor of HaianBeach Resort. The room is clean and comfortable, but doesn’t face the beach. Oh, and that crane is working on building a new high-rise next door. Must be a rush job because I could hear them late into the night.The room comes with a complimentary breakfast buffet. Damn, this is the best and biggest buffet I’ve ever seen. That’s what I had the first day, plenty more things to choose from during the rest of my stay.Happy breakfast diners.
Oh, and Kevin, I met this guy in the hotel lobby:
Buddha ain’t got nothin’ on me!
We met up with fellow travelers Jeff and Davina in the afternoon and took a stroll down the beach road to a place we had spotted the previous day.
The Hoy O Cafe just recently opened.A large open-air restobar with a very nice ambiance.Several old-fashioned electric bicycles were decoratively placed throughout the restaurant. And yes, I’m old enough to remember seeing those when I was a kid.Hoy O also features this fancy wood-fired pizza oven.That would be us.Jeff and Davina had pizza. Swan and I were still full from breakfast and snacked on the chicken wings.
We enjoyed our lunch and, as time permits, might visit again. After eating, Jeff suggested we check out the September 2 Memorial. Called a Grab car to take us to the other side of the river, and off we went.
The September 2 Monument “offers visitors a serene space to reflect on Vietnam’s journey towards independence and resilience.“The view from the monument. Yes, that’s a Swan down there.Having seen what we came for, we decided to take a hike and see what else there was to see.An amusement park with the biggest Ferris wheel I ever did see.A wise man.Not sure what that’s all about.Pickleball is a thing here, apparently.A beer club, you say? Can I join?A little taste of home. To be fair, this was in a side street parking area.Our walk on the riverside was quite pleasant.You talking to me? And where are the “do” things you mention?The famous Dragon Bridge. It blows fire on the weekend.Another dragon?Why yes, yes I do!Hello there!The “A’s” have it!A Swan in the garden.Okay, now I’m thirsty.Luckily, we passed a bar. I had to pee anyway, and why not enjoy a local brew in a San Miguel holder?Making our way through the backstreets to visit a Catholic cathedral. Alas, Mass was in session, so we didn’t get in.We may have lost the war, but American culture still permeates. If I’m not mistaken, those are characters from “The Big Lebowski.”This oddly shaped building caught my eye.
After a 6K stroll, we grabbed a Grab ride back to the hotel.
Over the bridge at rush hour in Da Nang.
We regrouped later and went up to the pool bar on the 22nd floor for some before-dinner beverages.
We had the misfortune of being seated next to this large and loud group playing that game, the name of which I don’t recall…it’s sort of like soccer, I think.The views from up there were nice……sundown in the city.
We decided to walk to a restaurant Jeff and Davina had spotted on a previous visit. I enjoy getting off the busy boulevards and onto the backstreets and seeing new places.
Thank goodness we weren’t going here. I imagined taking a bite of my burger and saying, “Waiter! This isn’t beef! What kind of meat is this?” Sir, you are having a fly burger.This is where we ate.A huge place.Let’s do this!I went with grilled pork and got to eat with chopsticks for the first time in quite a while.
After dinner, Jeff and Davina went for a massage, and Swan and I headed for the beach.
Saw this old bug along the way.We did our nightcap at the Maia Beach Bar. Had this DJ blocking the view, but he spun some good music (all instrumental and at an appropriate volume).
We chatted a bit with our waitress and, despite the language barrier, came to understand that this is low season for tourism here, “too cold,” she said. She also confirmed that the tide is higher than it is in the summer, reducing the beach space.
Then, a short stroll back to our hotel, and day two of our trip was complete.
Still in August 2016 of the LTG archives, and in this post, I shared the photos from an evening out with my new girlfriend, Eun Oke. I cooked dinner for her, then we did an Itaewon bar crawl. You can’t have an ending without a beginning.
She was nice when sober.
Let’s see some more of Da Nang in today’s YouTube video. I’ll be seeing all of this and more before the trip is through.
And now let’s get this out of the way:
A great grammar shark for sure!You are better off without that smokin’ bitch anyway, Dan.Yeah, that comma after wife isn’t funny.
So, now it’s time to get on with day three of the vacay. Going to introduce Jeff to his first banh mi sandwich for lunch. Later, we plan on taking a cruise on the Han River (no, not that one in Seoul). After that, we’ll see. Check back here tomorrow if you are curious.
Greetings from the lovely city of Da Nang, where litter-free streets abound! Getting here proved to be quite the adventure, but it all worked out in the end. I’m about ready to get out and do some exploring, so here’s a quick recap on the way things went down yesterday.
Left for Manila a little before 5 a.m. with my fellow travelers, neighbors Jeff and Davina. We’d made arrangements with my landlord to park Jeff’s car at her house to avoid the exorbitant parking fees at the Manila airport. We arrived without incident (other than the notorious Manila traffic), parked, then called a Grab car to transport us to the airport. Again, other than traffic, we encountered no difficulties and made it to the airport just before 9 a.m. for our flight scheduled to depart at 11:55.
When I reached the check-in counter, the agent asked to see my Vietnam visa. After looking it over, she showed it to the agent next to her, then returned it to me and processed my boarding pass. Then she asked to see my visa again, chatted with the other agent again, and then asked about the duration of my stay, since only my arrival date was listed on the visa. I explained that I had been told that Vietnam immigration would enter that date. She nodded and handed me my boarding pass. I exhaled a sigh of relief.
I had a Subway sandwich for the first time in years for breakfast/lunch and proceeded to my boarding gate to await departure. They began boarding early, and we departed the airport ahead of schedule. I was exhausted for some reason and fell asleep before takeoff, then woke thirty minutes or so into the two-and-a-half-hour flight to Da Nang. When I got up to pee, I noted something that had never happened before in all my years as a frequent flyer: I hadn’t fastened my seatbelt before we took off. Swan says the flight attendant walked by checking, but must have assumed my seatbelt was on, hidden by the protrusion of my big-ass belly. Oh, well. I survived the breach of safety protocols, and our plane landed in Da Nang at 1 p.m. local time (Da Nang is 1 hour ahead of the Philippines).
Da Nang is a tourist hotspot, and the immigration lines were among the longest I’ve ever seen. It took me forty minutes to get to my turn with the officer. I gave him my passport and visa. He looked at the visa and started punching stuff into the computer. He paused, then took another long look at the visa. He pointed to the date, which I thought was the arrival date, and he told me it was the departure date. So, my visa had expired. I tried to explain, but he wasn’t interested and called someone over to escort me to a desk in the back. The officer there reviewed my paperwork, took my passport, and told me to take a seat and wait.
Ten minutes later, a couple of women in Philippines Air uniforms approached and asked to see my return flight information. They took my paperwork and walked away. Oh shit, I’m going to be deported! They returned after a bit and had me follow them to the visa on arrivals desk at immigration. Americans are not eligible for a visa on arrival, but apparently, an exception was going to be made for me. I had to fill out a new visa application (in duplicate), and I was so stressed that my hands were shaking. Then, out of nowhere, a young man in civilian clothes told me he was there to assist me in getting my visa approved. But it was going to cost me $135, around three million Vietnamese dong. I asked if I could use a credit card, but he said no. I said I’d need to go to an ATM, but since I couldn’t leave the immigration area, that wasn’t possible. I had given Swan four million dong I had gotten at an exchange booth in Manila. She was anxiously waiting in the baggage claim area for my situation to be resolved, so I sent the “agent/fixer” over there. Jeff had dong from his previous trip, and gave the necessary funds to secure my visa. Once the money had changed hands and the visa was issued, I was a free man again.
We got our bags, I hit an ATM to repay Jeff, and we caught a Grab ride to our hotel. I deny being an alcoholic, but after the shit I’d been through, I needed a beer big time. We put our bags in the room, then crossed the road to the Paradise Beach Bar, which I had enjoyed on my previous trip here. And guess what? It was chilly outside. All I packed were shorts and light shirts, but I’ll be shopping for a sweatshirt before we head up for our stay in the Ba Na Hills. It’s not cold-cold like winter, but it’s still uncomfortable for someone who’s become acclimated to the heat in the Philippines.
After a couple of extra cold beers, we took a twenty-minute walk along the beach road to my favorite eatery from last trip, Dirty Fingers. Still as good as ever. Then we headed back towards our hotel and stopped at the Roadside Bar for a nightcap. A couple more beers, and I had had all that I could handle, so we said goodnight to Jeff and Davina and made it safely back to our room.
Oh yeah, something went wrong with my blog, and I wasn’t able to log on yesterday. I understand my reader(s) were blocked as well. Hopefully, that issue has now been resolved.
And now you know the story of the first day of my trip. Here are some photos from the adventure:
Heading into Manila.We have arrived on the mean streets of my least favorite city in the Philippines.What’s to like?Well, they do have a train here, and look at that, a Wendy’s billboard! It’s been a long time since I saw a Wendy’s.I had an old hundred-dollar bill that I hadn’t been able to exchange in Barretto, but they gave me 2 million dong for it at the airport. I made Swan a millionaire!The bird that flew us to Vietnam.The bird I flew with.Lunch is served!Happy travelers.The angry sea on a chilly afternoon in Da Nang.Waiting for the beer to cure what ails me.Life’s a beach sometimes.That’s better!Give your girl a couple of million dong, and suddenly she wants to take this picture. Go figure.Love this place.We may not have won the war, but we can eat like we did.Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear.The menu beckons.Swan and I shared an order of pulled pork quesadillas……and lemon grass chicken wings. Both were delicious!Hmm, I didn’t see that on the menu.Walked by this place, but didn’t walk in.We enjoyed our visit to the Roadhouse American Diner.The beer here seemed to make sense.You talking to me?
Yep, it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for today.
Still in the August 2016 LTG archives, and work sucks, I’m walking and playing darts, and some new craziness has arrived in my life in the form of a gal named Eun Oke.
I haven’t had time to watch today’s YouTube video about Da Nang, but here it is if you are interested.
Laughter is better than tears:
Great minds think alike!A lion ass cheetah, you say?Why, is Jack off?
Alright, when I think about how screwed I’d have been if I had been kicked out of the country yesterday, I don’t mind paying the price to have my stupidity with that flawed visa rectified. I consider myself lucky. That stress from the blog malfunction added to the misery, but it seems I’ve overcome that as well, at least for now. So, let’s get on with the exploration!
Hey, I drank for free all night yesterday. Thanks again, Dave.
(I did a post earlier covering the Dave Fischer memorial yesterday. Be sure to scroll down if you want to see it.)
I actually don’t have any green grass in my yard, but that song came up on the Grab driver’s playlist as we rode to the airport to catch the bus home, and it somehow felt appropriate.
Manila traffic was typically nuts on the way to the airport, and there was some question of whether we’d arrive in time to catch our 8 a.m. bus to Clark airport, where Jeff had left his car. We made it, and I even had time for a piss before boarding.
We even found seats to gather together at the back of the bus.That would be us.Some of that crazy Manila traffic I mentioned.A Korean language school in Angeles City. Filipinas try to learn the language so they can get housekeeping or caregiver jobs in the Land of the Morning Calm. Or jobs in the bars.
Picked up Jeff’s car, then hit the highway for home sweet home.
On the road again.I got a laugh out of this. KKK is indeed flammable, especially around wooden crosses.
Arrived in Barretto around noon, got some rest, then headed to Baloy Beach for Dave’s memorial. Each guest was given two drink chits, and I accumulated several more from folks who didn’t use theirs. We went to Wet Spot and Green Room after the Treasure Island ceremony so we could continue to honor Dave’s memory (and I could use the rest of my coupons).
Thanks for the good times, Dave.Swan got gifted this nice Wet Spot cap.Our tablemates at Wet Spot.
We did a nightcap at Green Room, then headed for home, no longer feeling any pain.
Woke up this morning to my regular view from the patio I hadn’t seen in a while:
It’s good to be home, green grass or not.
That might be the best part of travel, you see new places and come back home with a greater appreciation of what you have. Yes, Siargao is cleaner, has less traffic, and nicer beaches. But I have the comfort of being around people that I know, most of whom are closer to my age than the folks I encountered on the island. If there was a local expat hangout on Siargao, I never found it. I also like the convenience of nearby grocery stores and a hospital should I encounter an emergency (traveling an hour by boat sounds like a death sentence for Siargao residents; maybe that’s why old folks don’t live there). I’ve got nice beaches an hour away in Pundaquit, and Subic has a Hash and hiking groups. So, this is where I belong as I live out my days.
We chatted with a business owner at the Cloud 9 surfing area. She told us the two leading causes of death on Siargao Island are motorbike accidents and getting hit in the head by a falling coconut (we all looked up at the tree we were sitting under, and she laughed and said they keep the trees coconut-free).
Anyway, if I were a younger man or a surfer, I might consider living on Siargao. I do plan to make a return visit someday for the different vibe it offers.
It’s that time of year when kids approach and sing carols (or beat on drums) to solicit coins. Well, it is slightly better than begging, I suppose. We’d encountered some from our second-floor perch on our last night in Siargao, and we tossed them a few pesos. When Swan and I departed, Jeff and Davina were still upstairs. So, I figured, why not give it a try? Davina recorded the moment.
And now you are up to date on my so-called life.
Back to the LTG November 2015 archives. I wrote a post called “End of Days” as I prepared to return to Korea after a holiday visit to South Carolina. I didn’t know that it truly was nearing the end of the days for those things I held dear to me back then.
Speaking of coconuts, in today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea demonstrates climbing a tree to get some. I’ve seen it done, and it’s scary just to watch. But if you want to eat, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
And now for the funny business.
What’s up, doc?Me too. That’s why I pun instead.I prefer catsup and pickle relish myself.
Alrighty, then. Time to get ready for my last night in Barretto. Yep, you heard read that right. I’m heading out of town again tomorrow morning. This time, it will be Pozorrubio in the province of Pangasinan, here on Luzon Island. I even double checked my spelling and added the second “r” required to get it right. I’ve been there before; it is where the annual Haggis Hash Bash is held at a La Union Hasher’s farm. I’ve been attending for the last two years, and it’s always a unique Hashing experience and a good time. The events are all-day affairs, so finding a blogging niche tomorrow and Saturday may prove difficult. I’ll do my best, but it may be Sunday before you get the full report.
Okay, I made it back to Barretto safe and sound, but I’m in a rush, so I will do an abbreviated update post about the trip from Siargao to Manila.
We said our goodbyes to Maria, our breakfast waitress at Romantic Beach Villas. Friendly and sweet, she greeted us by name every morning and engaged in some enjoyable chit chat.Nice to see you, beach. Until next time…
We scheduled a van through the hotel to take us to the airport. The same one that brought us from the airport last week, non-stop. Not this time. After picking us up, the driver made four additional stops for passengers. I was sweating it, but we arrived in plenty of time to depart as scheduled.
Our chariot awaits! I have to give props *ahem* to Cebu Pacific for being on time.Goodbye, Siargao!Hello, Cebu!
We had a three-hour layover before our flight to Manila was scheduled to depart. What to do? Well, we found a comfortable place to hang out for a while.
You gotta do what you gotta do to fill them hours.Lots of inspiring words to ponder while we waited.Yeah, no point in thinking about it. Cheers!Hangin’ with the neighbors.
We departed Cebu bound for Manila just a few minutes late.
Our seats were at the back of the bus.Flying high together. I got high a lot my first time through the 70s, too.Deplaning in Manila.
The airport in Manila sucks, and it sucks even more when you fly on Cebu Pacific. We taxied for about 10 minutes after landing before reaching our gate. But we actually didn’t reach a gate. We deplaned onto the tarmac, then rode a bus to the gate. When we re-entered the actual airport, we had to go through security again. That meant waiting in a long line for the single scanner, removing my laptop from my backpack, and taking off my belt, then repacking on the other side. Oh well, at least we landed wheels down.
All our bags arrived on the carousel, which is always a relief. Jeff and Davina do the Grab ride thing, so we dragged our baggage to the Grab pickup area. Except that no Grab drivers were available last night. So, it was back to the arrivals terminal for a wait in the taxi queue. And we needed two cabs to carry us to our destination, the Coco Hotel in Makati. When we finally arrived and got checked in, it was 9 p.m. Jeff was bushed and called it a night. I had a bit of hunger and thirst to assuage, so Swan and I paid a visit to Shooters, conveniently located right across the street from our hotel.
Shooters is a nice enough hangout, and it appeared to be full of locals. It was nice seeing old folks like me out and about after a week of mingling with young tourists in Siargao. Swan ordered something Filipino, and I went for the wedge-cut potatoes dish. They had Zero beer, so I enjoyed a cold one or three while we waited. And waited. Swan asked about the order’s status, and the waitress returned to say it was being “plated.” But when the plate came out, it was only Swan’s dish. It seems they had forgotten about mine. They offered to make it, but it was late, and I was tired.
Back to our room, and we called it a day.
A LONG day for someone like yours truly.
And now that I’m home, I need to get ready for Dave’s memorial service.
He had a good life and helped many others along the way. Dave is gone, but will not be forgotten by those whose lives he touched.
Back to regular posting tomorrow. I’ll try to fill in the remaining gaps from my trip.
Waiting for our transport to the airport this morning, so let’s see if I can dash out a quick post about our final day on the island spelled Siargao.
As already mentioned, we were supposed to take an island-hopping tour to bring our vacation to an adventuresome conclusion. The rainstorm and ensuing tour cancellation laid those plans to rest. Instead, we had one of those nothing-special days that can still be satisfying. A walk to the drugstore, a revisit to the Books Cafe for lunch, blogging, then a meet-up with Jeff and Davina for some drinks, dinner, then more drinks. Yep, almost like being home.
The Books Cafe was surprisingly packed when we arrived. And you can see the crowd was made up of those young tourists who dominate the scene in General Luna.Ah, that explains why it was so busy.They had several of these charging stations set up around the room, and almost all the customers were plugging in. Who knew a brownout could be so good for business?The oldest couple in the joint.I’ve never seen a club sandwich that looked quite like this one, but it tasted fine.
We had planned to start our last night on the town at a brewery Jeff had spotted up the road and down an alley:
Hmm, a few brews and I’m always ready for bed.They had these brewing tanks downstairs……and some more upstairs.Swan was getting comfortable…
We were looking forward to another brewery tasting, and then the waitress gave us the news: they were sold out of beer—all of it. That sure sounded like bullshit, but maybe they aren’t brewing much. Looks like Dr. Chris won’t have much competition.
So, we walked back up the road and climbed the steps to give this place a try:
It was okay for a couple of beers. Met a friendly Irish couple at the table next to us and shared some laughs.
Then it was time for some Spanish dining:
I’ve had lots of Mexican, but don’t recall anything from the motherland.Small but nice inside.That’s what the tacos looked like.Some of the other items we shared. A tad pricey: dinner and drinks for four came to 5000 pesos.
After eating, we went upstairs to the bar for our nightcap.
My kind of place.But there was something fishy about this wall art.Filipino youngsters on the street downstairs performing Christmas carols and hoping we’d toss some pesos their way. We accommodated them.
And then Swan and I headed back home, stopping for some ice cream along the way. The day was nothing special, but still a nice ending to our Siargao vacation.
Continuing on with the November 2015 LTG archives, my last trip to the USA with Jee Yeun at my side. Getting there turned out to be a nightmare. I hope today’s flights back to Manila go better than that one.
From Facebook memories:
My old softball team from 1974, the Ringwraiths.I was a big fan of the sport.
Eight yeas ago, I achieved this milestone:
The first and last time I’ve managed a 50,000 step day.My face when I hit the 50,000 mark.
For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share this short from Smart Girl Philippines about “secret menus” that Filipinas have to offer.
And a little bit of humor:
I don’t have anything to be ashamed about.I’m better at stumbling than skipping…“Let’s get something straight between us.”
By golly, I got this post done and still have an hour before my ride to the airport arrives. Yippie! We’ll see how I do from Manila in the morning.
My final takeaway from the Romantic Beach Villas’ complimentary breakfast buffet.
Taking a vacation from the regular routines does make blogging a bit easier.
Today’s our last day in Siargao, but I have some unexpected free time on my hands to tell you all about yesterday.
Martin and Joss invited us to join them for a beach walk to the Cloud 9 surfing area. We gladly came along and enjoyed seeing a part of Cloud 9 we’d missed on our previous visit. I opted out of the highway walk back and took a trike instead.
When we arrived at the hotel, our room and the one next door were being cleaned. Then we were informed that we were being moved from the Casa Grande room to the Casa Duo. I called bullshit and began to throw a fit, but Swan insisted I calm down while she sorted things out. Of course, the room maintenance folks had no say in the matter, so we marched to the front desk. Swan told me to let her do the talking, so I kept my mouth shut.
Now, here’s the thing. When I booked the room, I had to make two separate reservations: one for our Tuesday arrival with a Friday checkout, and the other for a different room from Friday through our checkout tomorrow. But when I checked into the hotel, I specifically asked whether I could keep the same room for the duration of my visit, and was assured that it would not be a problem. Alas, it was not to be. Now, why this was occurring on Sunday, I have no idea. But the front desk receptionist told Swan our Casa Grande room was reserved for an arriving guest, and we had to move. What makes it even worse is that the Casa Duo room is shit and also half the size of our prior room. Well, nothing to be done but suck it up and move. I let Swan handle the logistics while I calmed myself with a beer and a chicken burger next door at Barrel.
Later in the afternoon, Jeff messaged that we should meet at the hotel bar at 5 p.m. and then proceed to dinner. I went down at 4:30 to escape my crap room, but there was nowhere to sit at the bar. So, we went next door to the hotel where Martin and Joss are staying and found a comfortable place to sit. Martin and Joss were lounging on the beach and came over to join us. I messaged Jeff to let them know where we all were.
When it was time to leave for the restaurant, Swan and I opted to go elsewhere. I just wasn’t in the mood for a fancy, expensive dining experience (1000 pesos each, according to Google). So, we said our goodbyes and headed up the road in the opposite direction.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we got hit with a “brownout” (power outage) earlier in the afternoon. The resorts all have generators, but I was surprised to see so many small businesses also equipped with an alternate source of electricity. The worst thing about generators is that they are noisy, which diminishes the joy of basking in the venue’s ambiance.
Our quest for a pleasant place to chill and eat was fraught with setbacks. Our first option was a nice-looking place on the beach, but it didn’t open until later. Then, there was an open-air second-floor joint that looked good until I saw the sign that only bare feet were allowed upstairs. Now most people wear flip-flops in these parts, but I’m an old-school shoes-and-socks kinda guy (unless I’m on the beach), so I said fuck that. The next place we tried told us they closed at 7 pm (it was already 6:30), so that was another no-go. We finally settled on a little streetside diner. They didn’t offer any alcoholic beverages except beer, so Swan joined me in a San Mig Light to wash down the shawarmas we ordered.
After we finished eating, I wanted to pick up some ice cream to take back to the room, but the shop we’d used before had the freezer closed and locked, apparently to keep things cold during the brownout. I suggested we go check the dessert menu at Barrel and Swan was down with that, saying they have wine there. Win-win! No ice cream at Barrel, but I brought back a tasty slice of carrot cake for my dessert.
And then the rain came and stayed all night. Our new room has a metal roof, and last night felt like being inside someone’s drum with the constant pounding overhead. I guess the generator ran out of gas or something, because for most of the night, we were in the dark with no aircon.
It is still raining this morning, and we were advised that the island tour hop has been cancelled due to the weather. That’s probably for the best, and it gave me time to write a longer-than-usual blog post. Sorry about that!
Pictures from the day say it better than I ever could:
The meetup with Martin and Joss on the beach.And away we go.Another leaning palm tree.A beached boat.Oh, shit! Now what do we do?We plod on, of course.We stopped into this beachside resort for some fruit juice refreshments. We asked about the room rates, and they were crazy high. The poolside rooms were 35,000 pesos (that’s $600) per night. I guess if you can’t afford it, they don’t want you here.The way ahead.Green Room? Where have I heard of that before?We have arrived at Cloud 9.They even have a Kokomo’s here!Let’s go surfin’ now…It’s a surfing safari!White girls on the white sand. Just a tad over 5K to get there.The Barrel chicken burger that appeased my eviction.The view from my table at Barrel.The souvenir shirt Swan gifted me.Hanging out with the neighbors.The view we enjoyed.Speaking of views, here’s a photo Joss took on the beach in front of their hotel yesterday.Brown beauties.Nice hanging with you guys!Except the party doesn’t start there until 9 pm. That’s past this old man’s bedtime.Why not?The shawarmas we had weren’t all that good, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
That was how the next-to-last day went down here.
It’s November 2015 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I write about how crazy Itaewon gets on Halloween. It was just seven years later that 159 people died in a Halloween crowd crush. I could certainly understand how that might happen.
For today’s YouTube video, let’s travel back in time and observe Filipino family life in 1956. In some of the backwaters I hike, it doesn’t appear to have changed all that much.
Time for a smile:
Been there, done that.Age is just a number.And it is still reigning here,
Okay, time to get on with making the best of my last day in Siargao. At least I’ve learned how to spell Siargao now.
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.
