The Wednesday Walkers ventured out to the far side of Olongapo City with the plan of revisiting Martin Falls, a journey we last took a couple of years ago. Things change, and memories fade. Which is the best excuse I can come up with for our failure to find our way to our intended destination. Our two wrong turns both resulted in an unnecessary hill climb and then a retreat. After the second wayward attempt, we did discover the path we should have taken, but by then, we were whupped and just said, “fuck it.” The trail will be there next time we come out this way, and the proper course is not etched in our brains. Famous last words.
Beginning our trek in blissful ignoranceLife on (in) the riverThe surrounding scenerySome trees I likedThat girl I likePassing through a small village along the wayA friendly localLaundry dayThe river flows, it flows to the sea…Peace be unto youThis old man had been out in the woods collecting fruits. We bought 100 pesos worth, and he thanked us, saying now he could buy some rice.This part of the adventure was quite pleasantCountry livingWhat’s a hike without crossing a rickety bridge?This one carried the weightA rocky creek crossing We are on the wrong path and don’t know it yet.The up was gentle at firstBut then the steepness set inAll that effort only to find a dead endThat’s just the ups and downs that come with the territoryI declared this “Martin Jr. Falls” and we headed backA shanty with a pool was an unusual sightWe did have the opportunity to hand out some candyThere is something off about this goatGenerationsBack on the nice part of our trailAlmost doneA final dispensation of sweetness to the sweetAnd here it is. The long orange is the intended path. The yellow is our fuck up. We won’t do that again!
Wednesday evening involved a visit to It Doesn’t Matter, a snack at Sit-n-Bull, and a nightcap at Green Room.
As seen from IDM, there is no such thing as an overloaded trike. After almost seven years, I’m still shaking my head in amazement at the shit I see here.Eating light: Swan and I shared this chicken quesadilla for dinner.I was a good boy yesterday
How I roll, like it or not:
I don’t give a damn, but I still laugh at them
I never got that email from Musk, but I answered it anyway:
It’s all in good fun
Today’s stroll through the LTG archives recalled the time I had to teach a Korean woman the meaning of sodomy. For the record, I didn’t show her, I told her. Still, it was amusing enough to warrant inclusion in The Story of My Life.
Back in 2008, I fell in love with a Korean woman for the first time.
We shared a nice year together, then she moved to the USA to pursue her dreams. Last I heard, she was living in NYC and doing well. I’m happy for her.
Five years ago, this insanity had just begun:
The crazy thing is that Alta Vista is in Barangay San Isidro, but you can’t get to San Isidro (in a vehicle) without passing through Barangay Barretto. My “pass” wasn’t valid in Barretto.
Today’s YouTube video is from the Filipina Pea, who is currently visiting the USA and discovering the joys of a Florida flea market. That gal gets around!
And you knew this was coming:
Hot times!Is he Goofy or Dumbo?She’ll be here waiting for you in the Philippines in eighteen years
Oh well, that’s just about enough for today. Did my blood work this morning and will pick up the results this afternoon prior to my appointment with Dr. Jo. Then I’ll pay an overdue visit to The Rite Spot On The Roof. I will let you know how that goes tomorrow.
10 thoughts on “Martin Fails”
>That’s because I have basically quit the bar scene. In my former life I rarely went out drinking, and I just don’t need to acquire any more bad habits at this late stage of my life.
I had to laugh looking at the above quote from your LTG archives. I guess hanging out in bars maybe is not as ingrained in your DNA as you thought. LOL
The trail will be there next time we come out this way, and the proper course is not etched in our brains.
“Not etched” or “now etched”? I wouldn’t comment on the possible typo, but in this case, if it’s a typo, it radically changes your meaning.
And here it is. The long orange is the intended path. The yellow is our [fuck-up]. We won’t do that again!
So the real, practical questions are:
1. If you could consult an online map showing the exact trail to follow, why didn’t you do that before the trip?
2. In the future, can you plot that exact trail on your phone and overlay it with real-time GPS updates to see whether you’re still on the trail?
When I do my cross-country hikes, I always plot the path of each segment before starting the day. Maybe that makes me too reliant on my tech instead of being “old school,” but I’m pretty sure that Naver Map has saved my bacon on more than one occasion, and I’m willing to sacrifice a few machismo points if it means not getting lost. As I’ve written many times on my walk blogs, getting lost when I’m by myself isn’t a big thing; I’m not on anyone else’s schedule. But getting lost in a group—or worse, being the leader who gets the group lost—is another matter entirely.
I was a good boy yesterday
Okay! That’s one day!
She’ll be here waiting for you in the Philippines in eighteen years
Now, there’s a creepy meme. “Not yet born”—yikes.
Did my blood work this morning and will pick up the results this afternoon prior to my appointment with Dr. Jo.
Yeah, I’m curious to know if/when chelation starts up again.
Kev, the typos are bad enough, but the fact that my so-called proofreading misses them is downright scary.
I don’t do the maps, but they are not detailed enough to show which is the right path to take. Our wrong turns were pretty much in the right direction; they just didn’t lead to where we were going. The correct trail was invisible unless you knew where it was. In this case, you have to hop a creek and turn left before you can see it. So, next time, we’ll be sure to go up the proverbial creek!
The Hash trails are all marked in advance, our group hikes are more of an exploration. We don’t like getting lost, but that’s part of the adventure, and we accept it when it happens. Nobody’s fault, just one of those days.
That’s one of my “jokes” about meeting a woman here in the PI: Me: Where have you been all my life? Her: Um, most of it not born.
The blood test results were good news! I’ll post about that today. I’m going to reduce my chelation schedule to every other month and see how that works out for me.
Brian, Ha! You picked up on that, eh? Yeah, in several posts I made during my first few months in Korea I talked about resisting the transition to the bar life. Obviously, I failed. It started with pool league, then darts, and the next thing I knew, bars became my go-to activity. I’ve certainly exceeded my father’s level of bar mania. I guess there is no escaping my Irish heritage.
I don’t do the maps, but they are not detailed enough to show which is the right path to take.
What program is the person using to display the true trail? If there’s a way to show the true trail, there must be a way to match that up to one’s real-time progress along the trail in some detail, including tiny twists and turns.
But if, as you say, you’re all into the adventure of possibly getting lost, then I guess it’s all good. Go as a group, get lost as a group. Just don’t get eaten by any natives.
>I guess there is no escaping my Irish heritage.
You should take Swan to Ireland. Spent three weeks there a couple a summer ago. Probably one of my favorite places to have ever visited. Dublin was just okay and worth a visit for a day or two, but absolutely loved the west coast (Dingle peninsula, Galway, etc)
(Visited the most unfriendly bar I have ever been to, but that did not detract from the overall visit. LOL)
Brian, when I used to go to casinos, the gamblers love Ireland…they were always shouting “Dublin or nothin'”
I would love to hear the story about that “most unfriendly bar.”
I don’t know the app being used (GPS?) but these are just dirt paths in the middle of nowhere, I don’t think it provides the level of detail you’d need to see them.
The natives have all been friendly. So far.
>I would love to hear the story about that “most unfriendly bar.”
We were staying in the town of Dingle (on the west coast) and went into this local bar. Old guy behind the bar playing chess with an equally old guy.
He had a really strong accent, and spoke partially in Irish, but I made out something about not serving us (and for sure, the bar was not closed). We thought he was joking so just kind of stood there, but he went back to his chess game and ignored us. So, after about 30 seconds, we got the hint and left.
Dont think he liked tourists. LOL
Brian, Wow. Talk about not wanting your business! There were places in Korea with signage saying “no foreigners” but to be treated rudely by the bartender like that is bizarre.
>That’s because I have basically quit the bar scene. In my former life I rarely went out drinking, and I just don’t need to acquire any more bad habits at this late stage of my life.
I had to laugh looking at the above quote from your LTG archives. I guess hanging out in bars maybe is not as ingrained in your DNA as you thought. LOL
The trail will be there next time we come out this way, and the proper course is not etched in our brains.
“Not etched” or “now etched”? I wouldn’t comment on the possible typo, but in this case, if it’s a typo, it radically changes your meaning.
And here it is. The long orange is the intended path. The yellow is our [fuck-up]. We won’t do that again!
So the real, practical questions are:
1. If you could consult an online map showing the exact trail to follow, why didn’t you do that before the trip?
2. In the future, can you plot that exact trail on your phone and overlay it with real-time GPS updates to see whether you’re still on the trail?
When I do my cross-country hikes, I always plot the path of each segment before starting the day. Maybe that makes me too reliant on my tech instead of being “old school,” but I’m pretty sure that Naver Map has saved my bacon on more than one occasion, and I’m willing to sacrifice a few machismo points if it means not getting lost. As I’ve written many times on my walk blogs, getting lost when I’m by myself isn’t a big thing; I’m not on anyone else’s schedule. But getting lost in a group—or worse, being the leader who gets the group lost—is another matter entirely.
I was a good boy yesterday
Okay! That’s one day!
She’ll be here waiting for you in the Philippines in eighteen years
Now, there’s a creepy meme. “Not yet born”—yikes.
Did my blood work this morning and will pick up the results this afternoon prior to my appointment with Dr. Jo.
Yeah, I’m curious to know if/when chelation starts up again.
Kev, the typos are bad enough, but the fact that my so-called proofreading misses them is downright scary.
I don’t do the maps, but they are not detailed enough to show which is the right path to take. Our wrong turns were pretty much in the right direction; they just didn’t lead to where we were going. The correct trail was invisible unless you knew where it was. In this case, you have to hop a creek and turn left before you can see it. So, next time, we’ll be sure to go up the proverbial creek!
The Hash trails are all marked in advance, our group hikes are more of an exploration. We don’t like getting lost, but that’s part of the adventure, and we accept it when it happens. Nobody’s fault, just one of those days.
That’s one of my “jokes” about meeting a woman here in the PI: Me: Where have you been all my life? Her: Um, most of it not born.
The blood test results were good news! I’ll post about that today. I’m going to reduce my chelation schedule to every other month and see how that works out for me.
Brian, Ha! You picked up on that, eh? Yeah, in several posts I made during my first few months in Korea I talked about resisting the transition to the bar life. Obviously, I failed. It started with pool league, then darts, and the next thing I knew, bars became my go-to activity. I’ve certainly exceeded my father’s level of bar mania. I guess there is no escaping my Irish heritage.
I don’t do the maps, but they are not detailed enough to show which is the right path to take.
What program is the person using to display the true trail? If there’s a way to show the true trail, there must be a way to match that up to one’s real-time progress along the trail in some detail, including tiny twists and turns.
But if, as you say, you’re all into the adventure of possibly getting lost, then I guess it’s all good. Go as a group, get lost as a group. Just don’t get eaten by any natives.
>I guess there is no escaping my Irish heritage.
You should take Swan to Ireland. Spent three weeks there a couple a summer ago. Probably one of my favorite places to have ever visited. Dublin was just okay and worth a visit for a day or two, but absolutely loved the west coast (Dingle peninsula, Galway, etc)
(Visited the most unfriendly bar I have ever been to, but that did not detract from the overall visit. LOL)
Brian, when I used to go to casinos, the gamblers love Ireland…they were always shouting “Dublin or nothin'”
I would love to hear the story about that “most unfriendly bar.”
I don’t know the app being used (GPS?) but these are just dirt paths in the middle of nowhere, I don’t think it provides the level of detail you’d need to see them.
The natives have all been friendly. So far.
>I would love to hear the story about that “most unfriendly bar.”
We were staying in the town of Dingle (on the west coast) and went into this local bar. Old guy behind the bar playing chess with an equally old guy.
He had a really strong accent, and spoke partially in Irish, but I made out something about not serving us (and for sure, the bar was not closed). We thought he was joking so just kind of stood there, but he went back to his chess game and ignored us. So, after about 30 seconds, we got the hint and left.
Dont think he liked tourists. LOL
Brian, Wow. Talk about not wanting your business! There were places in Korea with signage saying “no foreigners” but to be treated rudely by the bartender like that is bizarre.