Once upon a Friday

A trip, a falls, and an SOB. Not a bad day at all.

The Friday hiking group traveled out to the far side of Olongapo City, then hoofed it up to Martin Falls. And no, Martin didn’t fall this time. It was actually a very nice trail with a gradual ascent through some beautiful scenery. I always appreciate new vistas, and this was probably the nicest waterfall I’ve seen in these parts.

There and back again.
Our merry band of hikers
Heading out
A river runs through it
The trail what leads to the falls. (I didn’t do “that” intentionally.)
Some people in this world still have to work for a living
That a big load of uling (charcoal) they are packing out.
I’m still always surprised when we come upon houses seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Living a life I can’t fathom. They appreciated the cookies though.
Back into the wild
Scott on the rocks
“Be careful on the rocky road!” I scream.
What kind of madness is this?
Whoa! That water was waist deep and cold.
Arriving at the falls.
Nice!
It’s about time you took a shower, Jim.
Lounging around
You lookin’ at me?
Peace be unto you.
Time to head back home.
Nice views along the way.
We took the path we came in on back out.
Civilazation awaits.
When we got back to Barretto we stopped into Kamto for some food and beverage. My friend, the owner Paula, wasn’t there but she must have seen us on CCTV because the waitress brought us each a free beer from “ma’m Paula.”

Got home, took a shower and a nap, wrote a crappy post for the blog, then headed out for my big Friday night in town featuring the return of the Sons of Baccus dance competition.

First one of this previously weekly event in over two years. I figured it would be packed so arrived a few minutes before 5:00 and was the first one to sign up.
This week’s event was hosted by the Alaska Club.
The Alaska girls keeping us early arrivals entertained.

Back in the day, my ex Marissa would always attend the SOB with me. It felt strange sitting there with no company, so I decided to call one of the dancers down to join me.

This cutie caught my eye so I motioned for her to come on down and sit beside me. Of course, this obligated me to provide lady drinks for as long as she stayed, but that’s the price you pay in this town.
I asked her “what’s your name?” “Marissa,” she replied. Wow. Just fucking wow. What are the odds?
I was also asked to serve as a judge and gladly accepted. Judge not lest ye be judged, my ass.
My crush Karen was all decked out in her costume for the dance routine. And yes, it felt a little strange to be sitting with Marissa and crushing on her.
I didn’t get many good photos I’m afraid. The place was packed and my phone camera (or its operator) just couldn’t seem to adjust to the crowded conditions and the fast moving dancers. Most of my shots were sharp images of the heads of those sitting at the stage with the dancers just a blurry background. Damn it!
The Hot Zone dancers. Next week’s SOB will be hosted by Hot Zone.
The Green Room team.
The Wet Spot crew
My completed scorecard.
Daddy Dave on stage with the top three finishers. And the winner is…
The Alaska girls, featuring the lovely Karen.
The number one spectator was feeling no pain at the end of the contest.

Karen joined me and Marissa at the conclusion of the event and I bought her a drink. There didn’t seem to be any tension between the two of them. Why would there be? Karen probably felt relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with my affections. That’s okay, it’s all part of the game. One guy did have the audacity to ask Karen for a barfine (paid take out from the bar for nefarious purposes) and Karen flatly rejected him. Idiot. She’s a f’n cherry girl, she ain’t giving it up for money. I don’t expect she’ll be giving it up for my love either. Oh well. Marissa messaged me this morning to tell me she likes my smile.

And so it goes.

2 thoughts on “Once upon a Friday

  1. Sons of Baccus

    Editor’s note: Bacchus has an “h” in it. Look closely at the signs you photographed.

    The trail what leads to the falls. (I didn’t do “that” intentionally.)

    American English is too boring, so you’re switching to British English, I guess, eh? I see a lot of Brits write “what” as “wot” when they’re replacing “that.”

    that thing wot you said last night
    the drink wot she drank

    The falls were narrow but tall. Very nice. Another good hike!

    I passed along your PI-related comment about masks to my buddy Tom, so he knows better what to expect once he’s in country.

  2. Just sloppy spelling of “Bacchus,” f’n silent letters. From now on, it is just the SOB.
    Looks like I can butcher both American and British English equally well. Wot’s up with that?

    Yeah, I’m glad I was able to get enough perspective in the photo so you could see the falls were quite high. Rainy season hasn’t kicked in yet, but it won’t be long until there is a much greater volume of water cascading down. Of course, that spot may not be accessible when the water level rises.

    Yeah, Tom will need a mask in limited situations; I am still required to mask up at the Royal grocery store, for example. No issue with being maskless at 7/11. Guess that’s why it is a convenience store–COVID need not apply. No one has said anything to me since I’ve gone exclusively maskless outdoors–not even the cops I occasionally walk past. It’s such a farce; why do they even bother?

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