Made my weekly venture out to Baloy Beach to get a change of scenery. I guess I achieved that, just not in the way I had intended. The Kokomo’s floating bar was closed! I walked the twenty yards or so over to the Kokomo hotel and saw a maintenance guy rolling up some kind of cable. I asked about the floater and he told me “electrical problem.” I tried to ask if it was going to be fixed anytime soon and he shook his head no. Not sure he understood what I meant though. The rainy season is on the horizon and that means the wind-whipped bay waters will not be accommodating to an anchored bar Last time I visited the girls told me they would probably close the first week in June. Hope I get a chance to say goodbye, but I fear my floating excursions are done for the year.

Just a bit further up the beach is a place called Laharnyz. I’d never been there but had seen it on my walks. A couple of folks said it was a good place for a beer and the only bar technically “on the beach.” So, I stopped in. Well, there technically is no “in”–it’s all outdoors. So, you grab your beer at the bar and proceed to the picnic table seating area. There were tarps for some shade, but the benches were rickety and covered in sand. I wasn’t impressed. But I had come for the view and this is what I saw:

Laharnyz wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe if I was with friends the vibe would have been better, I don’t know. So, I moved on over to Johan’s. The manager greeted me by name, which is always nice, and told me there was a big pool tournament next door at Da’ Kudos. Well, I’m not a pool player. I took a seat at the end of the bar, drank some beers, and watched life go by on the street outside. Baloy has its own expat community and a more laid-back vibe than Barretto. I rather like it and could probably adapt to the lifestyle without much issue. Better if you live there though because the to and from is a pain in the ass, especially during the rainy season when the streets tend to flood.

When the hunger pangs chimed I moved up the road to Treasure Island for dinner. This was a bit of a stroll down memory lane. When I first arrived in the Philippines three years ago, I stayed at Treasure Island for a couple of weeks. If I only knew then what I know today. Hell, who am I kidding? I no doubt would have made the same mistakes anyway. That’s what happens when you think with the wrong head.

Anyway, tonight marks one week in my self-imposed exile from Alley Cats. It occurs to me that I haven’t heard from one person at that bar–staff or customer–inquiring as to my whereabouts and well-being. No big deal, just a reminder that being a “regular” is different than being a “friend.” I’ll probably start my evening visiting my new old “friends” at Dive In.

Speaking of friends (the real kind), keep frequent commenter Kevin Kim in your thoughts as he deals with some medical issues.

That’s about all from here for today. I did see that the CDC has recognized reality and modified its guidance on wearing masks outdoors. I’ve been saying that since this time last year. I’m no scientist, but I have enough common sense to know what is best for me–especially when the virus has such a miniscule kill rate–vaccinated or not.

They have begun vaccinating foreigners in these parts, which I thought was kind of surprising. I asked which vaccine and it’s that AstraZeneca one from the UK. I understand that Filipinos are very reluctant to submit to the vaccination program. Turns out, they vaccinated kids against dengue fever a couple of years ago and it wound killing a lot of them.

Anyway, I’m libertarian when it comes to vaccination. Get it if you want, take your chances if you don’t. I mean, if I’m vaccinated and you are not, you can’t hurt me, right? Oh, and here’s the latest outrage: the provincial government is still running that stupid checkpoint between Barretto and Subic. It’s always been pointless and causes massive traffic backups. But now, it is even more ridiculous. If I’m coming from Barretto to Subic and I don’t have a Subic address, I can be turned around. If I live in Subic, I can go to Olongapo and return to Subic without issue. How does the virus know not to infect visitors from Subic? Damned if I know.

I’m more afraid of catching the stupid than Corona.