My life quest of filling in the hours, however comfortably and well, continues apace. Yesterday that meant a group hike that didn’t go as planned and later on finding myself in the Hot Zone between purgatory and hell.
We took a Jeepney out to the Waltermart in Subic town with a particular trail in mind. But we realized we had chosen the wrong hill to ascend once the climbing commenced. Too stubborn to retreat, we continued upward. The going got tough, but we chose to tough it out. And at last, we found ourselves at the top, with nowhere to turn except around. The damn thatch grass was over our heads high, and while we were sure a trail down existed somewhere, damned if we could find it. Pushing through that grass can also be treachours, as I nearly discovered when I stepped into a deep hidden hole. It was over knee high, and if I had fallen, it could easily have snapped my leg bone in half. I got lucky this time, but it was a good reminder of why I don’t make this kind of hike alone.
We admitted defeat and retreated back down most of the way we had come up, although we did take an alternative route at the halfway point, which was a bit easier and provided some variety.
Having survived our excursion in the hills of Subic, it was time to prepare for my next adventure–the SOB dance competition being held this week at Hot Zone. Doors opened at 5:00, the contest started at 6:00 and went until 8:00. This venue is relatively small, and I wanted to get there early so I’d have a seat. I left the house at 4:00 and hung out at Cheap Charlies, where I could keep an eye on things across the street.
I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the following photos. Still too far from a poorly lighted stage and still haven’t mastered using my phone camera in settings like this.
Practice, practice, practice, I suppose. I’ll try again next week.
When the competition was over (The Green Room took first place this week), I went to Wet Spot for the Aftermath event. Basically, I enjoyed beer at happy hour prices and took part in an SOB participant raffle. Was seated next to the Barretto legend Dave Fisher and had a nice chat. Too bad I was too far gone to remember most of it this morning. Stayed out until 10:00 p.m., if you can believe it.
Later this afternoon, I’ll be joining in a VFW-sponsored “rucksack” hike to support the veteran community. Also will be attending a birthday party for Jerlyn, one of my favorite Alley Cat gals.
It looks like I’ll have something to post about tomorrow!
UPDATE: I found a few photos from the SOB that are much better than mine:
Another reason why I’m not interested in bars. But, hey, if it floats your boat…
The hiking adventure sounded interesting, at least, even if you didn’t make it to where you were trying to go. A machete might’ve been useful, although a machete can’t magically teleport you to the right mountain to climb. Or can it?
I’m not a big fan of the dancing bars, but the dance competitions are a little different–the gals are certainly more enthusiastic in their dance routines, and the costumes are better.
A machete, or bolo as they’re called here, can be useful in places but not in a field of thatch grass. Unless the machete is equipped with GPS…