Coming ’round the mountain

A busy day yesterday, the highlight of which was the Wednesday Walkers group hike. More on that later.

The reason for the abbreviated post yesterday was simply a matter of time–I ran out of it. After the hike, we did our usual refreshment at Cheap Charlies. We departed after two beers because some workers started painting the bar You can check out www.europaintinginc.com for professional painting services. We are all like, seriously, you are gonna do that with customers inside? So, we voted with our feet and moved on up the street to Dynamite Dick’s. When we arrived, I almost left immediately because there didn’t appear to be enough outdoor seating available. The owner, Dick, told me not to be a wuss, and pull up a chair. They brought out a couple of more seats, and we all squeezed in.

Dynamite Dick’s is not one of my regular stops, but Dick is an interesting guy. An old Marine and Vietnam vet. Yes, he entertained us with some war stories, jokes, and memories from the days he was stationed in the Philippines. My favorite was when he and some of his mates were out drinking in an Olongapo tavern, and several British sailors wearing their dress white uniforms entered the bar. Dick said he went over to the DJ and had him play “The Battle of New Orleans”, a Johnny Horton ditty about the war of 1812. It’s a pretty funny song that I heard a lot growing up. It also mocks the Brits mercilessly, including this chorus: “well they ran through the briars, and they ran through the brambles, and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go. They ran so fast the hounds couldn’t catch ’em, on down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.” I guess the song had the desired effect because the British sailors all stood up in unison and the fight was on. Dick said their uniforms weren’t white when it was over.

It’s a good song, give it a listen if you haven’t heard it before.

I confess I’ve sung this song myself on some drunken nights for the entertainment of my British friends.

Dick is also famous for giving his customers free drinks, and yesterday was no exception. Of course, I felt the obligation to reciprocate, and that led me to stay at DD’s longer than I normally would, leaving the bar at 2:30. I also did something I very rarely do during daylight hours–I took a trike home. I figured I could take a quick one-hour nap, and still have time for a post here before heading out for darts. Alas, I didn’t wake up until 4:30. So, I did my nothing post and passed on the darts. Instead, I enjoyed some beers at It Doesn’t Matter, which was hopping. Glad to see their bar is already so popular. When I had my fill, I hiked over to The Pub for my regular Wednesday take-out meal.

Korean-style wings and kimchi. Yum!

So, that leaves the walking group hike. Scott was the leader this week so I was expecting an easy trail. We left from my house and he indicated we would be “walking around Easter mountain”. I took that to mean the usual backroads and trails, but no climbs. I was wrong about that. We did do an up and over what I’d call the rump of Easter mountain, not real long but very steep. The down on the other side was also quite steep. Made for a more challenging hike than I anticipated, but still enjoyable. Let’s go to the photos:

The route we took. There was a second climb…half our group went up and over Black Rock, the rest of us did a somewhat easier climb (all steps) instead.
We started our trek from my place in Alta Vista. Perhaps we are the “six white horses” the titular song refers to…
One of the guys in the neighborhood said this fire started on Tuesday and the fire department was called to contain it. It’s right outside Alta Vista and he said his house was covered in ashes blown up by the wind. I think it is kind of interesting how the fire never crossed the path.
Passing through the village of San Isidro…
Marching ever onward.
Cookie delivery…
Posers.
A mountain of a man or in the shadow of the mountain?
Let the climbing begin!
Our intended trail petered out, leaving the only option a steep path up…
…and so we took it.
Onward and upward!
A view of where we were…
The ass-side of Easter mountain.
Glad that fuckin’ climb is over. Let’s head down…
Oh shit!
Kudos to Marcus and Jim for lending us oldsters a helping hand when we needed one…
Back on the solid and relatively flat Govic Highway…
A tree loaded with bagged mangoes. What a job that must be!
Heading for Black Rock mountain…
Those of us who chose not to scale Black Rock climbed these steps instead…
In the ‘hood…
Cookie time!
Down we go…
A two-story shack. Must be rich! Comparatively.
Back on the National Highway…
9K after leaving my house finds us at Cheap Charlies. A home away from home. Such as it is.
And that concludes the hiking portion of this post.

A walk out to Baloy beach and some beers on the floating bar are in my immediate future. But before I go, let me share this:

I do know this. Notwithstanding all my bitching and moaning here at LTG. I’m living a good life and I’m lucky to have it. No, I don’t have everything I’d hoped for, but I’m happy for what I have. Finding love someday is just a dream. Even if it happens, I’ll still be responsible for my own happiness. Sometimes it is good to remind myself of that.
Call me crazy, but I like this…

And finally (no, I really mean it this time) there is this:

Maybe I’ve posted this before, but when I saw it again the other day it was a good reminder to be a more careful proofreader. I hope it is not early-onset dementia, but lately, I find myself using the wrong word even when I know the right one (like there and their). And don’t even get me started on my notorious comma misusage. Save me, Jesus!

2 thoughts on “Coming ’round the mountain

  1. You should have stayed in that bar and had a great time and were they painting it red and you can see where I’m going with this…

    Wonder if any of Dick’s stories end with him losing any of these putative fights. Except Vietnam, of course…

  2. HaHa! Well, if I start drinking at noon I’ll be unconscious by 5, so what are you gonna do? Actually, Dick’s first stay in the Philippines was at the Navy hospital. He didn’t say what happened in Vietnam that brought him here, but all these years later he’s still living large in the PI.

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