Yesterday, the Wednesday Walkers group made our way out to Tibag to commence our hike. We only do this a couple of times a year, so it always feels fresh and new. Since the first time I visited the Tibag community, I’ve had a good vibe about it. It’s small and remote but surrounded by beautiful scenery. I sometimes find myself imagining what it would be like to live there, but then the reality of its inconsistency with my chosen lifestyle slaps me in the face. So, I reckon it will just remain a fantasy.
We hiked under mostly cloudy skies but only had a few sprinkles near the end of our journey. It was nice to catch a break from the heat, especially since we walked more than 9K, which was a lot for us. I was feeling whupped at the end, that’s for sure. Here are some photos to give you a feel for our trail:
I hired my driver to drop us off at our starting point. And yes, Swan came along for the hike.And off we go in search of Tibag.Walk this way!This place wasn’t here the last time we passed through. It looks pretty nice, and now, if I somehow wound up living in Tibag, I’d have somewhere to quaff a cold brew now and then.The last time we saw the only white guy living in Tibag, he had just begun building his house; now, it is nearly completed. He told us he’d never leave here.The local schoolhouseLeaving the village behindA brief journey through the wildThen back on the road againHung out to dryThat’s a huge rooster farm in the distanceThe path that will eventually lead us to SubicI love the countryside out hereCountry living. We sweetened their day with some cookies.Another family living in the middle of nowhereA goat hangoutA tree I likedBananaramaThe station wagon of motor scootersOn and on we goOne of several water crossings. I managed to keep my shoes dry by dancing on the rocks.Jim showing this horse who is bossA newly constructed road that appears to go nowhereCow in the pastureHikers in the fieldOver a bamboo bridgeA busy street in Maga VaccaAnd finally, the WalterMart and a Jeepney ride back to Barretto
A good hike and we avoided the rain.
The view from my patio an hour after the hike. The rain was coming down in torrents.But then, miraculously, the rain stopped at beer o’clock. I took it as a sign.
Swan chose to stay home, so I had an evening on the town by myself.To kick things off, I visited Cheap Charlies. A beer into my visit, Erik came to join me. Just when we were getting ready to depart for a change of scenery, the skies opened up once again. So, we ordered food from the Foodies restaurant downstairs and had some more beer.
The rainy view from the Cheap Charlies comfort room
The rain let up a little, and we headed down the highway to Whiskey Girl for our nightcap. It was nice to see my old waitress friend Jhen again. It turns out today is her birthday, so I left her a 500-peso gift tip. It was raining again when I went outside to leave, but luckily, a trike pulled up to carry me home. And so ended a rainy night in paradise.
That post about the Rite Spot I made on the Westminster Facebook group page is still getting a lot of attention. A couple of commenters added a picture:
The Rite Spot menu. Seeing this again did bring back some memories. I recall it was hung in the dining room (that was equipped with a jukebox), and it was kind of like a Happy Days vibe when the high school kids came in (of course, I didn’t know what a Happy Days vibe was back then). I remember the fifteen-cent burgers but had forgotten how extensive (and cheap) the menu was.And an old advertisement.
Speaking of Facebook memories, today brought more of my scamdemic rantings:
This is from two years ago. We need to remember because they’ll likely try it again. Does anyone know how to spell bird flu?And from four years ago during the lockdowns. I remember arguing then: if you are scared, stay home, and whatever I choose to do won’t impact you.
And I’m going to go political for a moment or two now:
Many lefties like living in shit, apparently.You get what you voted for.
Alright, I learned a long time ago that most minds won’t be changed by anything I post here.
Look what I’m up against
So, let’s move on.
On YouTube today, George visits the Margarita Station restaurant where I dined on Saturday night in Angeles City.
And a little humor to finish things off here:
Yeah, it takes balls for me to joke about bad grammar. Just horsin’ around
Today’s song is an oldie I grew up with (one of my dad’s favorites). I picked this version because it was performed live at the Grand Ole Opry on my tenth birthday in 1965.
6 thoughts on “Dipping my Tibag”
The local schoolhouse
Looks sinister.
Hung out to dry
I hope the clothes don’t end up tangled with the plants.
I love the countryside out here
Looks peaceful.
The station wagon of motor scooters
Holds as many as a compact car!
A newly constructed road that appears to go nowhere
Maybe someone had extra money in their budget, and they had to spend it on something before the fiscal year was up.
The Rite Spot menu.
A chili burger sounds good right about now. And that is an extensive menu. I’m reminded of a retro “burger, etc.” joint up the street on Route 1 in Alexandria, not far from where my brother David lives. Damn… now I’m thinking about burgers and dogs and milkshakes and fries and everything bad for you.
I remember arguing then: if you are scared, stay home, and whatever I choose to do won’t impact you.
I agree with your attitude, but they’ll never leave you alone. That’s a signal trait of the left: like the fundie Christians they ironically claim to hate, i.e., the Christians who get in your business because they think it’s for “your own good,” the left cannot leave well enough alone.
Look what I’m up against
It’s a bit like the people who say “my truth.” There’s THE truth.
I have to wonder about the circumstances of that fellow building his home in Tibag, since foreigners can’t own land. Is that plot leased, owned by his local spouse, or simply unclaimed? Because it would be pretty tragic if he finally completed his modest project only to have a landowner materialize and demand payment or dismantling. Sure, local folks throw shacks up all over the remote hills and are mostly left alone. But there’s an, ahem, visible difference here. Since he appears to be living frugally by necessity, I sure hope he’s worked out an agreement that will let him live in peace.
DS, We didn’t get into details, but his lot is very large. I assume it is in the wife’s name. His house is large and nice compared to most of his neighbors. He said he was originally from Belgium. He seems content with his Tibag life.
Kev, the speculation is that the new road is for powerline tower construction. It is so damn steep you’d need a 4×4 to traverse it.
Sorry to tempt you with unhealthy eats. I was surprised that such a relatively small place had so many menu options. And those prices! The good ol’ days!
Back when I was a lefty, we were all about non-conformity. These days, you either regurgitate the woke talking points or get canceled. Fuck them!
Great pics as usual. Tibag must not be too remote if it has a Waltermart. LOL Or are they kind of like the Dollar General stores in the US? THere is one in every rural town.
Cool to see your Dad’s place getting attention.
Re: the family on the scooter. I remember seeing a advert for a scooter while I was working in India. Basically, the ad for company X was asking if your scooter company could answer yes to the following:
has hundreds of service centers in India?
Proven reliability?
etc.
But one question made me laugh:
Can your scooter carry a family of four and a weeks worth of groceries? (And there was a picture of the dad driving, small kid standing in front of him, wife sitting side saddle behind the dad; baby in one arm, and a grocery bag full of food in the other. LOL
Brian, you misunderstood. WalterMart is where we finished, and it’s an 8K walk from Tibag. I read that Dollar General is going out of business. They can’t find anything to sell for a dollar anymore.
Yes, it is scary and amazing to see how they (over) load those scooters. But I grew up riding in the back of a pickup troop, so who am I to criticize?
The local schoolhouse
Looks sinister.
Hung out to dry
I hope the clothes don’t end up tangled with the plants.
I love the countryside out here
Looks peaceful.
The station wagon of motor scooters
Holds as many as a compact car!
A newly constructed road that appears to go nowhere
Maybe someone had extra money in their budget, and they had to spend it on something before the fiscal year was up.
The Rite Spot menu.
A chili burger sounds good right about now. And that is an extensive menu. I’m reminded of a retro “burger, etc.” joint up the street on Route 1 in Alexandria, not far from where my brother David lives. Damn… now I’m thinking about burgers and dogs and milkshakes and fries and everything bad for you.
I remember arguing then: if you are scared, stay home, and whatever I choose to do won’t impact you.
I agree with your attitude, but they’ll never leave you alone. That’s a signal trait of the left: like the fundie Christians they ironically claim to hate, i.e., the Christians who get in your business because they think it’s for “your own good,” the left cannot leave well enough alone.
Look what I’m up against
It’s a bit like the people who say “my truth.” There’s THE truth.
I have to wonder about the circumstances of that fellow building his home in Tibag, since foreigners can’t own land. Is that plot leased, owned by his local spouse, or simply unclaimed? Because it would be pretty tragic if he finally completed his modest project only to have a landowner materialize and demand payment or dismantling. Sure, local folks throw shacks up all over the remote hills and are mostly left alone. But there’s an, ahem, visible difference here. Since he appears to be living frugally by necessity, I sure hope he’s worked out an agreement that will let him live in peace.
DS, We didn’t get into details, but his lot is very large. I assume it is in the wife’s name. His house is large and nice compared to most of his neighbors. He said he was originally from Belgium. He seems content with his Tibag life.
Kev, the speculation is that the new road is for powerline tower construction. It is so damn steep you’d need a 4×4 to traverse it.
Sorry to tempt you with unhealthy eats. I was surprised that such a relatively small place had so many menu options. And those prices! The good ol’ days!
Back when I was a lefty, we were all about non-conformity. These days, you either regurgitate the woke talking points or get canceled. Fuck them!
Great pics as usual. Tibag must not be too remote if it has a Waltermart. LOL Or are they kind of like the Dollar General stores in the US? THere is one in every rural town.
Cool to see your Dad’s place getting attention.
Re: the family on the scooter. I remember seeing a advert for a scooter while I was working in India. Basically, the ad for company X was asking if your scooter company could answer yes to the following:
has hundreds of service centers in India?
Proven reliability?
etc.
But one question made me laugh:
Can your scooter carry a family of four and a weeks worth of groceries? (And there was a picture of the dad driving, small kid standing in front of him, wife sitting side saddle behind the dad; baby in one arm, and a grocery bag full of food in the other. LOL
Brian, you misunderstood. WalterMart is where we finished, and it’s an 8K walk from Tibag. I read that Dollar General is going out of business. They can’t find anything to sell for a dollar anymore.
Yes, it is scary and amazing to see how they (over) load those scooters. But I grew up riding in the back of a pickup troop, so who am I to criticize?