This is going to be easy

Posted on 12/December/2025 by John McCrarey

There was nothing wrong with yesterday, but that’s about all I can say about it. I’ll save you the pain of trying and keep this post as short as it deserves to be.

A dual-purpose morning walk with Swan: get some exercise and schedule my blood work appointment. I’ll be fasting for ten hours before they poke the needle in me. The walk was 5K and ended at Sit-n-Bull, where I got a take-out chicken burger to bring home for lunch.

Swan declared it a “Me Time” evening: She went to visit some girlfriends, and I was on my own for finding venues to quench my thirst for beer. I decided to do the seldom-visited bars on the near side of town.

I started things off at Hangout Bar. Just before I arrived, I got hit with some unexpected rain, but managed to make it inside before getting soaked. I was the only customer at first, then one other guy came in, had a beer, and left. Hangout is a nice enough place, with two pool tables, several large TVs, and good music at the proper volume. Not sure why no one else ventured in, it’s been busier on my other rare visits. I just sat by the front window and watched the world go by outside as I sipped on an hour’s worth of San Mig Zeros.

Next stop was Nipsey’s. I’m not sure what’s up with this place. There were a couple of drunks in the back by the pool table, dancing with what may have been their girlfriends or bargirls, not that it matters. I was ignored, which is fine until my beer runs out. Anyway, I didn’t stay long and likely won’t be back anytime soon.

Then I went on to one of the newer joints in town, Gold Bar. They were comparatively busy, but I was given a friendly welcome and good service. Several dancers on the stage were putting some effort into their work, which is a rarity these days. The pool table was also seeing some action. Since my last visit, Gold Bar has expanded into the vacant space next door and turned it into a very nice darts room. If I ever take up the game again, I might make this my home venue. I enjoyed my visit and will definitely be back.

I finished my night out at Queen Victoria, another venue that puts some effort into satisfying their customer’s needs. Lots of dancers for those who enjoy watching, plenty of waitresses to take care of your needs, and, of course, a great big room for live music that starts after my bedtime. Swan joined me here for the nightcap before we grabbed a trike home.

And that’s how the day went down. It felt a little strange to be out on my own, but that just makes me appreciate having my gal at my side all the more.

Back to the January 2016 archives, where I posted this trip report about my visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Overall, I enjoyed my stay and added Cambodia to my list of possible retirement destinations. Visiting the infamous Killing Fields proved to be traumatic; the inhumanity on display was beyond disgusting. Luckily, Phnom Penh had plenty of bars where I could take refuge and drown my sorrows. My good friend, Dennis McPeters, was there to show me around, and I ran into another Itaewon buddy who was teaching there. Overall, one of my better trips and a much-needed escape from the sadness I was experiencing in Seoul.

Today’s YouTube video is a nine-minute journey into the dark days of Pol Pot’s reign in Cambodia. It is a stunning example of the depths of inhumanity perpetuated to achieve political goals.

Damn, we definitely need something to cleanse our palates after that video. Maybe these will help:

***Let’s get something straight between us…***

***Sounds like my brain almost every night when I’m trying to sleep.***

And there you have it. That wasn’t so bad, was it?

Welcome to my Wednesday

Posted on 11/December/2025 by John McCrarey

***I’m not complaining, but I liked those 70s better than these ones…***

***My morning looked like this when I woke up.***

Getting back in the groove with my participation with the Wednesday Walkers for the first time in two weeks. Scott also made a rare appearance for the group hike, so it felt like old times. Scott brought his car, so we had some additional trail options to choose from, and we settled on a hike out Naugsol way. Oh, another benefit of having Scott along is he takes better photos than me which I shamelessly steal and post here.

***One of many friendly locals we encountered on our journey.***

***Swan wasn’t along, so the handing out sweets duty was on me.***

***Keep your puddles to yourself, damn it!***

***The final cookie delivery of the morning.***

***And a look at Eater Mountain’s ass side.***

***A 5K walk on a hot morning was just about right.***

Since we had missed our usual Tuesday visit to Baloy Beach, we headed that way yesterday at beer o’clock.

***Swan has a toes-in-the-sand addiction.***

***And I enjoy having some cold beers on the floating bar.***

Then something unusual happened. One of the other customers approached me and gave me the traditional Hash “On-On!” greeting. He told me he had noticed my Hash shirt and wanted to introduce himself. His Hash Kennel is in Columbus, Ohio.

Brad spent some time in Subic during his Navy days and was here doing reconnaissance on places he might like to call home in the future. He did Makati (Manila) and Angeles City before coming here. So far, he likes Subic best, but he’s flying out to Thailand today to check out that scene. We chatted for an hour or so, then exchanged phone numbers so he can contact me when he returns, and I’ll give him a guided tour of things to see and do in the area.

Meanwhile, the sun was doing its thing:

***Sundown is our cue to head back to Baloy Beach and grab some dinner at that well-lighted place known as Treasure Island.***

Dinner is served:

***And Swan enjoyed her beef stroganoff.***

As we were departing Treasure Island after our meal, this guy challenged me to a belly contest:

And another good day in the life came to an end.

Back to the January 2016 LTG archives, where I had another goodbye to deal with.

***After 61 years of service with United States Forces Korea, Mr. Kim, Yong Tae, announced his retirement.***

In my thirty-five years of government service, Mr. Kim was by far the most outstanding employee I’d ever encountered. Sadly, he didn’t make it to retirement, passing away after a brief illness. During our last conversation, Mr. Kim told me his only regret was not retiring sooner, so he could enjoy more time with his family. Those words resonated, and when I was asked to extend my employment with USFK for one more year, I respectfully declined.

Facebook memories reminded me today that two years ago, I was recovering from the surgery to remove some nasty nasal polyps.

***…except for the stains on my pillow.***

I can breathe through my nose again, but I’ve lost most of my sense of smell. And life goes on.

I came across today’s YouTube video by chance, but I was surprised to find an old movie I actually remembered: the original Planet of the Apes, released in 1968. I was only thirteen years old back then, but I enjoyed the film despite the flaws I hadn’t noticed until seeing this video:

Some funny shit happened at the end of this post:

***Well, maybe funny is an overstatement. Punny is more like it.***

***Ah, so that’s why you’re not laughing!***

That’s it for now, thanks for stopping by.

Early out, early in

Posted on 10/December/2025 by John McCrarey

Back at it with the Tuesday routines. We hadn’t been to the grocery store for two weeks, so I spent a little more than the usual weekly amount restocking the shelves, but less than I would have paid in two separate trips. So no complaints.

In the afternoon, I had an appointment with Dr. Jo at 2 p.m. I prefer three or four because it keeps me on schedule for my bar business, but alas, those time slots were not available.

***The waiting area at the 1 Health Medical Clinic.***

I had three issues I wanted to discuss with Dr. Jo. The most concerning was an itchy rash I’ve been dealing with for the past several weeks. It pops up in random locations every morning as soon as I wake up and sit down at my desk. And two or three hours later, it mysteriously disappears.

***Here’s a picture I took to show what it looks like.***

I told Dr. Jo I was using an over-the-counter hydrocortisone to deal with the itchiness, but she advised against doing so, saying that the medicine has side effects that can damage the skin. She gave me a generic ointment to use in the interim. As we discussed the recurring rash, it seemed unlikely that it was caused by an allergic reaction to external factors, especially since the rash also broke out while I was in Siargao and Pozorrubio. One possibility is that my liver isn’t processing some toxins while I sleep. I thought to myself, yeah, maybe my liver was drunk! Anyway, I’m going to have some blood tests done, and one of them will measure liver function.

The other issue is that my blood pressure has gone way up recently (153/86 this morning). Dr. Jo wants to review my blood results before deciding on new BP meds.

Finally, I asked about Ozempic meds as a method to deal with my weight gain. After discussing the pros and cons, we both agreed that more dietary discipline on my part was the better solution.

Now I just need to get scheduled for the blood work, which requires fasting. I’m planning to go next Tuesday.

It was 2:30 when I was finished with Dr. Jo. Swan said I needed a haircut, so we walked up the highway and got that taken care of. We were on the far side of town from the road to Baloy Beach, our usual Tuesday hangout, so we decided to postpone the floating bar and go to Cheap Charlies instead.

I ordered my Zero, and Swan asked for her usual red wine. The bartender advised they didn’t have any red wine in stock, and I’m thinking, shit, here we go again. Except this time, they just asked if Swan minded waiting a few minutes while they ordered a bottle for delivery. We were good with that.

***Every time I pee at Cheap Charlies, I enjoy the view from the CR.***

***There was some cute pussy in the bar too!***

***And then a rainstorm blew through, confirming we made the right call to pass on the floating bar.***

We asked for a Foodies menu from downstairs and ordered up some grub. Since I no longer buy lady drinks at Cheap Charlie’s inflated 250 peso price, I bought the girls some chicken wings and lumpia to enjoy, which cost me the equivalent of two lady drinks.

***…and Swan said her pork Kare-Kare was tasty as well.***

We did our nightcap at Green Room, then headed home at an ungodly early 7 p.m. Well, since we started at three, we were maintaining our four-hour out-on-the-town routine.

The 2016 New Year has arrived in the LTG archives. It didn’t start well with this post recounting the circumstances of my beloved wife leaving me for reasons I still don’t understand. It was the end of one life, but the beginning of another. And ten years later, I’m still standing. Most of the time, anyway. I’m not sure what lessons I should have taken away from that heartbreaking event, but I do know I never want to experience anything like it again.

When I came across today’s YouTube video, I thought, “Now you tell me.” But then I remember reading something very similar on Kevin Kim’s blog long ago. But the wisdom in knowing that everything happens for a reason can be comforting, even if you can’t discern what those reasons may be. Life goes on until it doesn’t, so we should just count the blessings that come with each new day.

Let’s take another crack at some humor, shall we?

Dr. Jo is always on time and one of the few doctors I’ve found in the Philippines who operates on an appointment basis. Most places you arrive, sign in, and are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. The wait can be hours long.

***Reminds me of the brainless Scarecrow for some reason. I’m not talking about the kid, but rather the woke mentality that makes this sign funny.***

***I’m going to punt and take a pass on this one.***

And now it is on with my Wednesday. I can almost hear the floating bar calling me.

This song helped me get through the time of sorrow and loneliness I mentioned above.

When the day is long
And the night, the night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go
'Cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone (Hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go (Hold on)
If you think you've had too much
Of this life, well hang on

'Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts
Don't throw your hand, oh no

Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone
No, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes

So hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts

No, no, no, no you are not alone

Back with the SBH3

Posted on 09/December/2025 by John McCrarey

I missed the last two runs with my home kennel, so it was good to be back with the Subic Bay Hash group. I didn’t do much of the actual trail as I wasn’t feeling up to a climb to the top of the Kalaklan Ridge. When I saw the route the Hares laid to get there, I knew I had made the right call. Even some of the die-hards were bitching about how challenging the trail was. Knowing your limits is about more than beer intake, and I learned long ago that when Vienna Sausage is the Hare, I’m going my own way.

***The gathering of Hashers at the edge of town.***

***Vienna Sausage provides last-minute guidance before starting the trail.***

***The up I opted out of.*** ***I’d gone that way before and added to my “never again” list.***

***Some other like-minded Hashers chose to follow my lead.***

***We met up with Pubic Head along the way.***

***Evidence that we did some of the flat part of the official Hash trail.***

***My trail was longer (6K) and flatter.***

***The On-Home venue this week was Cyclone Bar.***

A visit to It Doesn’t Matter after the Hash, then back to the comfort of home sweet home. And that’s how I rolled through another day.

It’s Christmas Day in the 2015 LTG archives. I wrote about all the places I had lived in my life up to that point, including the most recent, moving out of Jee Yeun’s place into my own apartment. And I was alone again, naturally. It’s been almost ten years now, and it still hurts.

I came across today’s YouTube video on a forum I follow. I’d never heard of this comedian before, but since it was less than five minutes long, I gave his stand-up schtick a watch. Maybe you’ll enjoy it.

As long as we are doing “humor,” I’ll share these:

***Sorry if I posted a version of this previously. It’s still funny, though.***

Another post, another day. Time to get on with it.

It’s back to normal…

Posted on 08/December/2025 by John McCrarey

…such as it is.

Normal around here means nothing much of interest to blog about, not that that’s ever stopped me. I’ll keep it short at least, promise!

As is our Sunday custom, we headed to John’s place for Swan’s weekly birria taco fix. Except it was not available. Neither was the pulled pork. Something doesn’t feel right, and I fear this may be the beginning of the end.

***Swan settled for the pulled beef sandwich. I had a bite, and it was tasty.***

As we left John’s place, I noticed that both big freezers where the beef steaks are stored were empty. I asked the “waitress” (John’s daughter) if the restaurant was going to close. She denied it. We shall see, but a place named “John’s Sushi and Steak” not having steaks is a tad concerning.

We did our usual visit to Red Bar after dinner, but things felt a bit off there as well. The usual classic rock had been replaced by 21st-century music. Okay, they have dancers inside, so I can accept that the young ladies prefer music from their generation to sway to. What I couldn’t get used to was the outdoor speaker (we sit out front on the open-air patio) blasting so loudly it made conversation difficult. I asked our waitress if the outdoor music could be toned down some, and she said it was tied to the speakers inside. Hmm, it was never played so loud on my previous visits. Also, I know those speakers have separate volume control. As we paid our tab, I tipped her and said, “Next time we hear the music this loud, we’ll just keep on walking.” I hope she heard me.

We did our nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks and enjoyed quality music and a respectable volume. We had the place to ourselves at first, but a bit later, a group of Westerners came in and took a table up front. It was a bit unusual to see a middle-aged white woman with them. They asked whether there would be live music, and were told there wouldn’t be on Sunday. Then the manager set up the karaoke machine and handed them a microphone. Oh shit. I told Swan to finish her wine because I didn’t want to be subjected to bad singing.

Then the heavyset white woman started to sing. The volume was right (no distortion), and my goodness, she had a beautiful voice. I didn’t recognize the song she sang, but I enjoyed it. I thought to myself, she’s better than the live singers that typically perform at Jumpin’ Jacks. When the woman was done, she handed the microphone to her boyfriend, and he was also a good singer. I don’t recall ever enjoying a karaoke performance as much as this one—a nice way to finish our night in Barretto.

Onward in the December 2015 LTG archives, and in this post, I talk about a lunchtime meetup with the esteemed Kevin Kim in Itaewon, where we witnessed a parade honoring the birthday of Mohammad. In that original post, I called him “the pedophile Mohammad,” which caused me some trouble at work when someone who read the post complained about my disrespect. The lawyers said the remarks were made on my own time and were protected by the First Amendment, but I was told to specify in the future that I was not speaking for 8th Army in LTG rants. Well, Mohammad did marry a twelve-year-old, so my pedophile description was accurate, but for the sake of peace and harmony, I deleted that reference.

For today’s YouTube video, let’s check in with Smart Girl Philippines. What she says in the beginning about Filipinas never forgetting is true. Everyone seems to know my name. I’ll go to a venue I hadn’t been to in months, and get the “Welcome, Sir John” greeting. I’ll be out hiking, and some gal who isn’t even vaguely familiar calls out, “Hello, John.” As for the getting arrested for arguing thing, I’d just say don’t step out of line because if you are a foreigner, it is always your fault.

Humor me this:

***Breaking up ain’t so hard to do after all.***

Okay, my work is done here. Now it is time to prepare for the Hash. It’s a Guenter trail, so I’ll be shortcutting. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Bashing the Haggis

Posted on 07/December/2025 by John McCrarey

***That all sounds bassackwards to me.***

Back in Barretto to file this report on the events at yesterday’s Haggis Hash Bash in Pozorruio. To end any suspense, I maintained control over my drunk persona throughout a very long day. The best evidence of my success is that I made it up the stairs to my hotel room without assistance. I still drank more than I usually would over the course of the day, but this time I paced myself, stuck mostly to Zero low-alcohol beer, with no more than two an hour, and resisted taking any offered shots of the hard stuff. Or maybe I just got lucky.

Okay, let’s get to the Hash. There were two trail options: the long at 8 kilometers, and the shorter 7-kilometer version. Seeing as how I’m an older fucker with sore legs, and I had a hangover, I went with the 7K route.

***Over a squishy suspension bridge that left me feeling a little seasick at the end.***

***That’s the bridge I’m talking about.***

***All the other Subic girls took the long trail, but Swan stuck with me.***

***The flatness of Pozorrubio would probably get boring after a while, but since I was seeing everything for the first time, I enjoyed the views.***

***Flowers by the riverside were worthy of a photo.***

***We ain’t fast, so near the end of the trail we were bringing up the rear.***

***I know what to do when I come to a fork in the road, but how do you deal with a fork in a post?***

***There was something about this tree I liked.***

Back on the farm, I changed into my new Haggis Hash shirt.

***Our host was going for the Scottish school uniform look.***

Given my circumstances from the night before, I hadn’t had anything to eat. Watching the lunch being prepared (and smelling the burgers on the grill) only exacerbated my hunger.

***Diced wieners waiting for some ketchup.***

***Hungry Hashers waiting for their turn.***

The burgers and sides were quite delicious. I had my first beer of the day for dessert.

One of the Haggis traditions is playing various games and competitive events. We were divided into four teams and assigned a captain. A lot of the contests were physical (carrying someone, sack races, and the like), and my tired body wasn’t up for that. I told the captain I would cheerlead from the shade while I enjoyed some slow beer drinking.

Swan did a couple of events, including walking the plank.

They finished third. Swan says she is still sore.

I also videoed one minute of the Scottish dance competition:

We didn’t win that either.

Near the end of the contests, I got shamed into taking one for the team. For some reason, someone thought I was a natural for the beer-drinking event. What the hell, someone’s got to do it.

***We took turns, and I was in the third position.***

***Once you’ve downed your beer, you hold the empty*** ***bottle over your head, and the next player begins drinking. We didn’t win this event either.***

Then it was time to circle up.

***We weren’t in Germany, but we had a nice bonfire anyway.***

I was one of the Scots invited into the Circle. I’ve never been to Scotland, but our Scottish host recognized that McCrarey is a Scottish name.

After the Circle, we moved back into the meeting area for dinner.

***Our meal was introduced with the sweet sound of bagpipes.***

***A small sampling of haggis with potato sides was served as an appetizer. Like a good Scot, I ate all of mine, even though it is not my favorite dish***.

***The dining hall full of hungry Hashers.***

One of our group members wasn’t feeling well, so our host provided a van to transport us back to the hotel after our meal.

***The rest of us enjoyed some liquid refreshments at our hotel.***

My day started at 9 a.m., and I was not back in my room until a little after 10 p.m. That’s a long day and a late night for me. But, much better than my Friday night, most of which I don’t remember. Scott sent me this photo as a reminder:

And now that I’m home again, we’ll get back to my more sane routines. I wired some money for the Hideaway feeding, as I wasn’t feeling up for that. I’m going to take Swan to John’s place for her birria tacos, and we’ll see how it goes from there.

On to December 2015 in the LTG archives. In this post, I share the continuing adventure of my efforts to get back to Korea via American Airlines. I got to meet someone semi-famous, Brooke Mueller, and travel in business class seats for the first time.

For today’s YouTube video, let’s check in with the Filipina Pea, who shares her wisdom on the reasons so many folks moving here fail to enjoy the life they imagined. I guess I got lucky, although there were some speed bumps along the way.

Humor time:

***Hmm, I’m retired, but I still hear voices saying things like, “One more beer won’t hurt you.”***

That’s all for now—time to get back to living in the moment.

Bak 2 Skul

Posted on 06/December/2025 by John McCrarey

Alright, it is Saturday morning, and I’ve got a big Hash day ahead of me. Before I go, let me dash off a quick post about yesterday’s Hash event. The Haggis is a Scottish thing, and my ancestral roots are in Scotland. But I was drinking like an Irishman last night, and from what I’m told, it didn’t end well. Oh well, live and learn. Or not.

***Looking down at the pool from our room.***

***Words of wisdom on the bathroom wall.***

***A 200 peso trike ride to the CIJ Farm, the venue for this weekend’s Haggis Hash.***

***Our Haggis host and skul principal, Honeydew.***

***This year’s theme. Not to be an arse about it, but we don’t need no education.***

***No matter how you spell it, we McCrareys are rooted in Scotland.***

***Each participating Hash kennel was asked to designate a Queen. Subic’s choice was Bite My Titties.***

***The best part of Hashing out of town is that all the trails are new.***

***Swan is such a slowpoke sometimes.***

***Pozorrubio is mostly flat and I like that.***

***Through the fields we go. But I don’t think I was laughing all the way.***

***An unfamiliar Hash mark…I wonder what it means?***

***Gathering for the Circle at the trail’s end down on the farm.***

***A short and sweet trail with TWO drink stops along the way.***

***After the circle, we returned to the farm headquarters for dinner and drinks. Lots of drinks.***

And then we caught the van for transport back to our hotel. Except we had it drop us off at a local bar just down the road from our lodging.

***More drinking ensued, and things were getting a little dark in my addled brain.***

I don’t remember anything after that. Swan told me this morning that I came back from the CR and my pants were wet with pee. We took a trike back to the hotel, and I fell down getting out. Two of the hotel staff had to help me up the stairs to the third floor. And then I woke up in bed this morning.

***The early morning view from my hotel room.***

***That full moon must have followed me here.***

And that’s where things stand at the moment. Today’s Hash events start at 10 a.m. with a hike, then continue into the night as we dine on haggis, sit around a bonfire, and, of course, imbibe beverages, including Scottish whiskey. I pride myself on maintaining control when I drink, and yesterday was a failure in that regard. It is rare that I get falling-down drunk, and it is an embarrassment when I do. Hopefully, I learned my lesson about over-indulgence yesterday. I’ll let you know tomorrow how that works out today.

***A photo of my workstation where this post was created.***

Moonshadow

Posted on 05/December/2025 by John McCrarey

Getting ready to hit the road for a Hash weekend in Pozorrubio. It looks like I’m not going to have any window of time for blogging, so I’ll dash one out now and see what happens later.

***My bags are packed (except for the laptop, which I’m currently using).***

Yesterday, I was planning to pay a visit to the My Bitch trail as my welcome-home morning hike, but for whatever reason, I’m experiencing some pain in my lower left leg. Perhaps that’s from a lack of exercise during my vacation on Siargao. So, I aborted the Bitch and did a 5K street walk instead.

***It hurt a little less by the end of the walk. Hopefully, I won’t have to suffer on the Hash trails today and tomorrow.***

Pretty much nothing special about last night, but I’ll tell you about it anyway. A visit to It Doesn’t Matter to kick things off…

***…then the tiny filet mignon dinner at Jewel Cafe.***

Swan wanted to try somewhere new for our nightcap. I suggested the recently renamed Crazy Horse (formerly Voodoo) bar. Jim, who used to manage Green Room, is in charge there now, so I wanted to pop in and see what was up.

***Other than the signage, nothing seems to have changed from the Voodoo days.***

Crazy Horse is a small girly bar, but they did have seven or eight gals on the stage. I was never a fan of this bar, and nothing happened last night to change my mind about that. Well, there was a first-time happenstance for me: I poured the cookies and candy on my table, and only a couple of girls chose to partake. I’ve never had to repack goodie offerings in a bar before. Oh well, the guards at Alta Vista and my trike driver home got some sweet rewards.

Early to bed, early to rise as usual. I was greeted with this view when I sat down at my desk this morning:

***The moon was not hungry this morning!***

So, as I surfed the ‘net, I got to enjoy the moonset.

I’ll let you know how the rest of the day goes when I get the chance.

The green grass of home

Posted on 04/December/2025 by John McCrarey

***Hey, I drank for free all night yesterday. Thanks again, Dave.***

(I did a post earlier covering the Dave Fischer memorial yesterday. Be sure to scroll down if you want to see it.)

I actually don’t have any green grass in my yard, but that song came up on the Grab driver’s playlist as we rode to the airport to catch the bus home, and it somehow felt appropriate.

Manila traffic was typically nuts on the way to the airport, and there was some question of whether we’d arrive in time to catch our 8 a.m. bus to Clark airport, where Jeff had left his car. We made it, and I even had time for a piss before boarding.

***We even found seats to gather together at the back of the bus.***

***Some of that crazy Manila traffic I mentioned.***

***A Korean language school in Angeles City. Filipinas try to learn the language so they can get housekeeping or caregiver jobs in the Land of the Morning Calm. Or jobs in the bars.***

Picked up Jeff’s car, then hit the highway for home sweet home.

***I got a laugh out of this. KKK is indeed flammable, especially around wooden crosses.***

Arrived in Barretto around noon, got some rest, then headed to Baloy Beach for Dave’s memorial. Each guest was given two drink chits, and I accumulated several more from folks who didn’t use theirs. We went to Wet Spot and Green Room after the Treasure Island ceremony so we could continue to honor Dave’s memory (and I could use the rest of my coupons).

***Swan got gifted this nice Wet Spot cap.***

We did a nightcap at Green Room, then headed for home, no longer feeling any pain.

Woke up this morning to my regular view from the patio I hadn’t seen in a while:

***It’s good to be home, green grass or not.***

That might be the best part of travel, you see new places and come back home with a greater appreciation of what you have. Yes, Siargao is cleaner, has less traffic, and nicer beaches. But I have the comfort of being around people that I know, most of whom are closer to my age than the folks I encountered on the island. If there was a local expat hangout on Siargao, I never found it. I also like the convenience of nearby grocery stores and a hospital should I encounter an emergency (traveling an hour by boat sounds like a death sentence for Siargao residents; maybe that’s why old folks don’t live there). I’ve got nice beaches an hour away in Pundaquit, and Subic has a Hash and hiking groups. So, this is where I belong as I live out my days.

We chatted with a business owner at the Cloud 9 surfing area. She told us the two leading causes of death on Siargao Island are motorbike accidents and getting hit in the head by a falling coconut (we all looked up at the tree we were sitting under, and she laughed and said they keep the trees coconut-free).

Anyway, if I were a younger man or a surfer, I might consider living on Siargao. I do plan to make a return visit someday for the different vibe it offers.

It’s that time of year when kids approach and sing carols (or beat on drums) to solicit coins. Well, it is slightly better than begging, I suppose. We’d encountered some from our second-floor perch on our last night in Siargao, and we tossed them a few pesos. When Swan and I departed, Jeff and Davina were still upstairs. So, I figured, why not give it a try? Davina recorded the moment.

And now you are up to date on my so-called life.

Back to the LTG November 2015 archives. I wrote a post called “End of Days” as I prepared to return to Korea after a holiday visit to South Carolina. I didn’t know that it truly was nearing the end of the days for those things I held dear to me back then.

Speaking of coconuts, in today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea demonstrates climbing a tree to get some. I’ve seen it done, and it’s scary just to watch. But if you want to eat, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

And now for the funny business.

***I prefer catsup and pickle relish myself.***

Alrighty, then. Time to get ready for my last night in Barretto. Yep, you ~~heard~~ read that right. I’m heading out of town again tomorrow morning. This time, it will be Pozorrubio in the province of Pangasinan, here on Luzon Island. I even double checked my spelling and added the second “r” required to get it right. I’ve been there before; it is where the annual Haggis Hash Bash is held at a La Union Hasher’s farm. I’ve been attending for the last two years, and it’s always a unique Hashing experience and a good time. The events are all-day affairs, so finding a blogging niche tomorrow and Saturday may prove difficult. I’ll do my best, but it may be Sunday before you get the full report.

Candles in the rain

Posted on 04/December/2025 by John McCrarey

Dave Fischer built the Treasure Island Resort, and that’s where we bid him a final fond farewell. The place was packed; I guess a couple of hundred folks were in attendance at his memorial gathering. He was honored by those who knew and loved him, then his ashes were carried out into the bay where they were laid to rest.

***Memories floated in the air like helium balloons.***

***I met Dave’s widow for the first time and conveyed the sense of loss all in attendance were feeling.***

***It was a full house at Treasure Island.***

I smiled at this while we were raising our candles:

***It seemed in keeping with Dave’s sense of humor that a rain shower would descend on the candle bearers.***

***We carried on with the ceremony regardless.***

***Wet Spot manager who worked for Dave for more than twenty years, carried Dave’s urn to the beach.***

***And Dave’s widow accompanied him for the final journey.***

***And onto the bay. A fine ending to a well-lived life.***

The final sunset for Daddy Dave:

A long time to get there

Posted on 03/December/2025 by John McCrarey

***I’m proud to be arrogant about being ignorant.***

Okay, I made it back to Barretto safe and sound, but I’m in a rush, so I will do an abbreviated update post about the trip from Siargao to Manila.

***We said our goodbyes to Maria, our breakfast waitress at Romantic Beach Villas. Friendly and sweet, she greeted us by name every morning and engaged in some enjoyable chit chat.***

***Nice to see you, beach. Until next time…***

We scheduled a van through the hotel to take us to the airport. The same one that brought us from the airport last week, non-stop. Not this time. After picking us up, the driver made four additional stops for passengers. I was sweating it, but we arrived in plenty of time to depart as scheduled.

***Our chariot awaits! I have to give props *ahem* to Cebu Pacific for being on time.***

We had a three-hour layover before our flight to Manila was scheduled to depart. What to do? Well, we found a comfortable place to hang out for a while.

***You gotta do what you gotta do to fill them hours.***

***Lots of inspiring words to ponder while we waited.***

***Yeah, no point in thinking about it. Cheers!***

We departed Cebu bound for Manila just a few minutes late.

***Our seats were at the back of the bus.***

***Flying high together. I got high a lot my first time through the 70s, too.***

The airport in Manila sucks, and it sucks even more when you fly on Cebu Pacific. We taxied for about 10 minutes after landing before reaching our gate. But we actually didn’t reach a gate. We deplaned onto the tarmac, then rode a bus to the gate. When we re-entered the actual airport, we had to go through security again. That meant waiting in a long line for the single scanner, removing my laptop from my backpack, and taking off my belt, then repacking on the other side. Oh well, at least we landed wheels down.

All our bags arrived on the carousel, which is always a relief. Jeff and Davina do the Grab ride thing, so we dragged our baggage to the Grab pickup area. Except that no Grab drivers were available last night. So, it was back to the arrivals terminal for a wait in the taxi queue. And we needed two cabs to carry us to our destination, the Coco Hotel in Makati. When we finally arrived and got checked in, it was 9 p.m. Jeff was bushed and called it a night. I had a bit of hunger and thirst to assuage, so Swan and I paid a visit to Shooters, conveniently located right across the street from our hotel.

Shooters is a nice enough hangout, and it appeared to be full of locals. It was nice seeing old folks like me out and about after a week of mingling with young tourists in Siargao. Swan ordered something Filipino, and I went for the wedge-cut potatoes dish. They had Zero beer, so I enjoyed a cold one or three while we waited. And waited. Swan asked about the order’s status, and the waitress returned to say it was being “plated.” But when the plate came out, it was only Swan’s dish. It seems they had forgotten about mine. They offered to make it, but it was late, and I was tired.

Back to our room, and we called it a day.

***A LONG day for someone like yours truly.***

And now that I’m home, I need to get ready for Dave’s memorial service.

***He had a good life and helped many others along the way. Dave is gone, but will not be forgotten by those whose lives he touched.***

Back to regular posting tomorrow. I’ll try to fill in the remaining gaps from my trip.

Last day in Siargao

Posted on 02/December/2025 by John McCrarey

***Yesterday’s brownout*** ***lasted “only” 24 hours.***

Waiting for our transport to the airport this morning, so let’s see if I can dash out a quick post about our final day on the island spelled Siargao.

As already mentioned, we were supposed to take an island-hopping tour to bring our vacation to an adventuresome conclusion. The rainstorm and ensuing tour cancellation laid those plans to rest. Instead, we had one of those nothing-special days that can still be satisfying. A walk to the drugstore, a revisit to the Books Cafe for lunch, blogging, then a meet-up with Jeff and Davina for some drinks, dinner, then more drinks. Yep, almost like being home.

***The Books Cafe was surprisingly packed when we arrived. And you can see the crowd was made up of those young tourists who dominate the scene in General Luna.***

***Ah, that explains why it was so busy.***

***They had several of these charging stations set up around the room, and almost all the customers were plugging in. Who knew a brownout could be so good for business?***

***I’ve never seen a club sandwich that looked quite like this one, but it tasted fine.***

We had planned to start our last night on the town at a brewery Jeff had spotted up the road and down an alley:

***Hmm, a few brews and I’m always ready for bed.***

***They had these brewing tanks downstairs…***

We were looking forward to another brewery tasting, and then the waitress gave us the news: they were sold out of beer—all of it. That sure sounded like bullshit, but maybe they aren’t brewing much. Looks like Dr. Chris won’t have much competition.

So, we walked back up the road and climbed the steps to give this place a try:

***It was okay for a couple of beers. Met a friendly Irish couple at the table next to us and shared some laughs.***

Then it was time for some Spanish dining:

***I’ve had lots of Mexican, but don’t recall anything from the motherland.***

***That’s what the tacos looked like.***

***Some of the other items we shared. A tad pricey: dinner and drinks for four came to 5000 pesos.***

After eating, we went upstairs to the bar for our nightcap.

***But there was something fishy about this wall art.***

***Filipino youngsters on the street downstairs performing Christmas carols and hoping we’d toss some pesos their way. We accommodated them.***

And then Swan and I headed back home, stopping for some ice cream along the way. The day was nothing special, but still a nice ending to our Siargao vacation.

Continuing on with the November 2015 LTG archives, my last trip to the USA with Jee Yeun at my side. Getting there turned out to be a nightmare. I hope today’s flights back to Manila go better than that one.

From Facebook memories:

***My old softball team from 1974, the Ringwraiths.***

Eight yeas ago, I achieved this milestone:

***The first and last time I’ve managed a 50,000 step day.***

***My face when I hit the 50,000 mark.***

For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share this short from Smart Girl Philippines about “secret menus” that Filipinas have to offer.

And a little bit of humor:

***I don’t have anything to be ashamed about.***

***I’m better at stumbling than skipping…***

By golly, I got this post done and still have an hour before my ride to the airport arrives. Yippie! We’ll see how I do from Manila in the morning.

***My final takeaway from the Romantic Beach Villas’ complimentary breakfast buffet.***

And now I’ve reached the end of the line.

Evicted

Posted on 01/December/2025 by John McCrarey

***Taking a vacation from the regular routines does make blogging a bit easier.***

Today’s our last day in Siargao, but I have some unexpected free time on my hands to tell you all about yesterday.

Martin and Joss invited us to join them for a beach walk to the Cloud 9 surfing area. We gladly came along and enjoyed seeing a part of Cloud 9 we’d missed on our previous visit. I opted out of the highway walk back and took a trike instead.

When we arrived at the hotel, our room and the one next door were being cleaned. Then we were informed that we were being moved from the Casa Grande room to the Casa Duo. I called bullshit and began to throw a fit, but Swan insisted I calm down while she sorted things out. Of course, the room maintenance folks had no say in the matter, so we marched to the front desk. Swan told me to let her do the talking, so I kept my mouth shut.

Now, here’s the thing. When I booked the room, I had to make two separate reservations: one for our Tuesday arrival with a Friday checkout, and the other for a different room from Friday through our checkout tomorrow. But when I checked into the hotel, I specifically asked whether I could keep the same room for the duration of my visit, and was assured that it would not be a problem. Alas, it was not to be. Now, why this was occurring on Sunday, I have no idea. But the front desk receptionist told Swan our Casa Grande room was reserved for an arriving guest, and we had to move. What makes it even worse is that the Casa Duo room is shit and also half the size of our prior room. Well, nothing to be done but suck it up and move. I let Swan handle the logistics while I calmed myself with a beer and a chicken burger next door at Barrel.

Later in the afternoon, Jeff messaged that we should meet at the hotel bar at 5 p.m. and then proceed to dinner. I went down at 4:30 to escape my crap room, but there was nowhere to sit at the bar. So, we went next door to the hotel where Martin and Joss are staying and found a comfortable place to sit. Martin and Joss were lounging on the beach and came over to join us. I messaged Jeff to let them know where we all were.

When it was time to leave for the restaurant, Swan and I opted to go elsewhere. I just wasn’t in the mood for a fancy, expensive dining experience (1000 pesos each, according to Google). So, we said our goodbyes and headed up the road in the opposite direction.

Oh, I forgot to mention that we got hit with a “brownout” (power outage) earlier in the afternoon. The resorts all have generators, but I was surprised to see so many small businesses also equipped with an alternate source of electricity. The worst thing about generators is that they are noisy, which diminishes the joy of basking in the venue’s ambiance.

Our quest for a pleasant place to chill and eat was fraught with setbacks. Our first option was a nice-looking place on the beach, but it didn’t open until later. Then, there was an open-air second-floor joint that looked good until I saw the sign that only bare feet were allowed upstairs. Now most people wear flip-flops in these parts, but I’m an old-school shoes-and-socks kinda guy (unless I’m on the beach), so I said fuck that. The next place we tried told us they closed at 7 pm (it was already 6:30), so that was another no-go. We finally settled on a little streetside diner. They didn’t offer any alcoholic beverages except beer, so Swan joined me in a San Mig Light to wash down the shawarmas we ordered.

After we finished eating, I wanted to pick up some ice cream to take back to the room, but the shop we’d used before had the freezer closed and locked, apparently to keep things cold during the brownout. I suggested we go check the dessert menu at Barrel and Swan was down with that, saying they have wine there. Win-win! No ice cream at Barrel, but I brought back a tasty slice of carrot cake for my dessert.

And then the rain came and stayed all night. Our new room has a metal roof, and last night felt like being inside someone’s drum with the constant pounding overhead. I guess the generator ran out of gas or something, because for most of the night, we were in the dark with no aircon.

It is still raining this morning, and we were advised that the island tour hop has been cancelled due to the weather. That’s probably for the best, and it gave me time to write a longer-than-usual blog post. Sorry about that!

Pictures from the day say it better than I ever could:

***The meetup with Martin and Joss on the beach.***

***We stopped into this beachside resort for some fruit juice refreshments. We asked about the room rates, and they were crazy high. The poolside rooms were 35,000 pesos (that’s $600***) ***per night. I guess if you can’t afford it, they don’t want you here.***

***Green Room? Where have I heard of that before?***

***The Barrel chicken burger that appeased my eviction.***

***The souvenir shirt Swan gifted me.***

***Speaking of views, here’s a photo Joss took on the beach in front of their hotel yesterday.***

***Except the party doesn’t start there until 9 pm. That’s past this old man’s bedtime.***

***The shawarmas we had weren’t all that good, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.***

That was how the next-to-last day went down here.

It’s November 2015 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I write about how crazy Itaewon gets on Halloween. It was just seven years later that 159 people died in a Halloween crowd crush. I could certainly understand how that might happen.

For today’s YouTube video, let’s travel back in time and observe Filipino family life in 1956. In some of the backwaters I hike, it doesn’t appear to have changed all that much.

Time for a smile:

Okay, time to get on with making the best of my last day in Siargao. At least I’ve learned how to spell Siargao now.

Doing it right

Posted on 30/November/2025 by John McCrarey

***I’m impressed by the animal-like behavior I’ve witnessed here, as I walk the beach and streets.***

Another day lived and enjoyed on the beautiful island of Siargao. When you are staying at a beach resort, walking on the beach feels like the right thing to do. So, when the sun was up and the tide was out, that’s just what we did.

***Then things started to get a little rocky.***

***This tree seems to be saying to the sea, “Bring it on, bitch!”***

***Maybe this place will be ready in time for our next visit.***

***That’s a creative way to name your Korean restaurant.***

***We decided to grab lunch here, mainly because it is next door to where we are staying.***

***Comfy ambiance, but it gets loud at night when they turn on the karaoke.***

***…and garlic=parmesan chicken wings.***

Food was good, but we noticed again how much more expensive things are here compared to Barretto. I got four wings for 350 pesos. You get eight for that price at Sloppy Joe’s.

***I’m still not used to watching white women walking the streets. You rarely see that back home in Barretto.***

All my fellow travelers were on a motorbike adventure, so Swan and I headed out on our own when beer o’clock rolled around. And lo and behold, as we walked down Tourism Road, Jeff and Davina pulled up on their scooter and told us of a place they had found off the beaten track. It was less than a kilometer away, so off we went. Jeff and Davina joined us there shortly after we arrived.

***Hmm, an open-air, upstairs bar. That’s my favorite!*** ***And that name sounds familiar.***

***Wait a minute! I’ve been to Hideaway before.***

I messaged Joy and asked where she was. She responded that she was at work. I told her I was at Hideaway, but she wasn’t there. Then I sent the above photo as proof. Joy claims this is not the same Hideaway.

***Yes, the view is much better from this one.***

***Only one gal at this Hideaway. Think of the money I could save on feedings.***

We decided to give that birria taco place we’d seen earlier in the week a try. Jeff and Davina took their scooter, and Swan and I grabbed a tuk-tuk for the 7K journey.

***And for a change of pace, a birria burrito.***

Swan judged the tacos to be okay. She said the shell was less greasy than John’s place, but she missed the guacamole. I found the burrito a bit too ricey, but otherwise it was tasty.

As we were eating, a group of tourists came in and sat at a nearby table. Before long, Jeff had engaged them in conversation.

Turns out, one was an American (shirtless) from San Diego, a place where Jeff had been stationed as a Marine. The other was an Aussie bloke. Not sure where the girl was from, but she looks Indian to me.

Oh, and Isla Comida didn’t have San Mig Light.

***So, I gritted my teeth and drank the original San Miguel beer, their Lager. It didn’t kick my ass.***

After dinner, we parted ways. A tuk-tuk ride back to our side of town, then a nightcap at Barrel Bar next to our room. I judge it to have been another good day in paradise.

Continuing on in the October 2015 LTG archives, there was this post about work and darts, two things I no longer have in life. Well, at least I have the memories.

Raffy Tulfo is a Filipino broadcast journalist who often takes on cases involving scams, corruption, and violence. Or so I’ve been told. I’ve never actually heard more than snippets from his show. But for today’s YouTube video presentation, here he is interviewing a foreigner who got his ass kicked in Angeles City. Full disclaimer: I haven’t had time to watch all of this one either. I found it on one of the PI forums I frequent.

Well damn, here I am trying to save some time, and this happens. Click on the YouTube link if you want to watch.

Let’s do the humor, so I can go take a shower:

***My gal is forty and a trained caregiver. I should be in good hands unless she decides to kill my sorry ass someday.***

***Reminds me of the time I tried to look up the definition of “inexplicable,” and the dictionary said, “Cannot be explained.” So, I still don’t know what it means.***

***Back in the day, I was sent to the principal’s office for being a smartass quite often.***

Alright, almost time to hit the town, so I’d best get myself ready. Tomorrow morning, we are taking an island tour by boat to several offshore locations. I will blog about it as time permits.

A walk and a crawl

Posted on 29/November/2025 by John McCrarey

So, here’s today’s report about my yesterday in paradise. Kicked things off with an early morning beach stroll to watch the sunrise. Then we did a 6K walk to the outskirts of General Luna and back, before we finished the day with an ill-fated bar crawl. Here’s some of what I saw along the way.

The sun rises over that specific ocean, at least on this side of the island. I was hoping to catch the sun as it first peeked above the horizon, but alas, either I arrived too late for that, or the clouds obscured the view. It was still very beautiful.

***The Romantic Beach Villas Resort as seen from the beach.***

***I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now…***

***Swan with her toes in the sand, taking in the view.***

***1983-2025. Sorry you had to leave so soon, Janeth.***

After breakfast, we hit the road again. On foot this time.

***The highway that runs through General Luna is aptly named, “Tourism Road.”***

***We walked past a rental car lot and spotted the vehicle we had used for our Thursday trek.***

So, when the guys came to pick up the car from our hotel yesterday, we had a bit of a disagreement. They owed me my 2000-peso deposit but tried to claim I owed them 500 pesos for not “cleaning the car.” I pointed out that the car was every bit as clean as when they had delivered it and accused the agent of trying to scam me. I also pointed out that there was twice as much gas in the tank as when they brought the car. I was losing my temper at this point, and Swan shooed me away while she continued the negotiation. When she returned, she had my 2000 pesos, so it turned out okay.

***I’ve never seen a dog crossing before or a dog using one on its hind legs. The dogs running around were crossing wherever they damn well pleased, so I guess using the crossing is not mandatory.***

***The route of our trek on Tourism Road.***

Back to the room for a nap and taking care of the blogging business, then spent some time on the front porch while the housekeeper cleaned our room.

***The view from the porch included seeing the laundry Swan had done by hand earlier in the afternoon.***

Jeff had plotted out our bar crawl route on Google Maps, and we agreed to meet at the hotel bar at 4:00 pm to kick things off.

***Being featured on a hotel welcome sign was a first for me.***

***The bar crawlers gather at the Romantic Villas beach bar.***

***The first bar on our list didn’t open until 5 pm, so we chilled at the hotel and enjoyed the view from the bar.***

***At the appointed hour, we hailed a couple of tuk-tuks (much more comfy than the trikes back home) for the 7K ride to our first venue, Parluman Gin Parlor.***

***The entrance to the place I’ll never return to.***

Things started going south for me from there. We arrived at 5:15 only to be told they weren’t open yet, despite their published opening of 5 pm. I said we should move on to the next venue, but I was overruled. So, we sat at the beach bar for drinks to await the opening of Parluman. Once the doors opened, I walked inside and ordered a beer, only to be told they didn’t serve beer…only gin drinks. Well, damn. I know better than to mix my beverages, so Swan and I left and went to the place next door…a nice big open-air bar that was much more to my liking.

***Some of the bar’s signage, whose name I don’t think I ever heard.***

***Regrouping before heading out to the second bar on our list, Last Chance.***

No complaints about Last Chance Bar, but there was nothing special about it either. It didn’t really have a bar vibe or ambiance. When I pointed that out, one of the group told me that’s because you prefer dive bars. Come to think of it, that might be right.

We couldn’t find the next bar on our list, Extension, and someone told us it was closed, so we proceeded on to the next venue, Secreto. Well, along the way, I managed somehow to piss off Swan, and she left me. I was equal parts sad and angry about being deserted, and my mood wasn’t helped when our waitress told me Secreto didn’t have San Miguel Light. I settled for whatever draft they served me, then ordered another to try to kill my pain. Jeff told me I needed to leave, so I finished my beer and said my goodnights.

Swan messaged me that the room key was at the front desk, so I didn’t have any idea where she might have gone. When I got back to the hotel, I stopped by the beach bar for a beer while I sorted things out, and was pleasantly surprised to see Swan sitting there with a glass of wine.

We talked a bit about how my impatience triggered her, but in the end, she agreed to go back to the room. She left before me, and when I left, I decided to stop at the bar near our room to try to ease my reeling mind. Swan messaged asking where I was, and I invited her to join me. She did, and by then we had both calmed down enough to put the misunderstanding behind us and move forward with whatever future we might share together.

One thing that really hit home for me was that I am too old to recover from another heartbreak. If I fuck this up with Swan, it will be game over for me. I don’t want to live with any more regret than I’ve already accumulated over the years.

And on that depressing note, I’ll let go of last night and look forward to the rest of today. It’s been a good one so far.

It is now October 2015 in my journey through the LTG archives, and in this post, I am also enjoying a sunrise on the ocean—the East Ocean (don’t you dare call it the Sea of Japan!). I was making the best of the life I had back then, but sadly, it wasn’t enough.

Today’s YouTube video discusses the differences between typical aging effects and those caused by dementia. While there is no question that I am much more forgetful these days, based on this video, my symptoms fall within the normal aging range. From what I remember, anyway.

I didn’t forget the humor!

We’ll leave it at that for today. More and more, it feels like I’m living on the edge, but better on the edge than over it. So, I’m going to keep plugging away and making this the best life it can be.

All around Siargao

Posted on 28/November/2025 by John McCrarey

***Yeah, whatever you say, Charles. I’m just glad to be here enjoying the day.*** ***(I apologize in advance for the poor grammatical structure of that quote. I didn’t write it!***

Speaking of days, my yesterday was a special one. We rented a car and drove all around the island, stopping at some recommended tourist spots along the way. Then we visited the brewery that Dr. Jo’s husband, Chris, is in the process of opening, and he let us sample some of his delicious brews. We travelled 109 Kilometers and spent nine hours on our road adventure. Here are some photos from our journey:

***The comfortable car I rented. 3500 pesos, plus 2000 for gas. Jeff did the driving.***

***We stopped at an overlook to see this impressive palm tree orchard. That’s a lot of coconuts!***

I opted out of this adventure, as did Martin and Joss. It involved wading through water waist-deep or higher, and that just didn’t appeal to me. Jeff, Davina, and Swan were all gung-ho, so off they went. The rest of us hiked down to the other side of the cave and waited for them to reappear.

Davina has one of those GoPro cameras, and she made this video from inside the cave.

***While awaiting the return of the brave souls from our group, I watched these guys climb a cliff face. Impressive it was, speaking as someone who has almost no remaining upper-body strength.***

***And then they jumped off the top. Ballsy!***

***No one drowned or got eaten by a croc…well done!***

***Looks like Swan had fun without me.***

Our next stop was supposed to be at some tide pools, but when we arrived, we were told the tide was high, so there were no pools to observe. Oh, well. We drove on to our next destination.

***I don’t know if this was intended to be serious or if someone at the highway department has a sense of humor. We were passing through some croc-friendly-looking marshland, though.*** ***Well, I’ll be damned. I just searched Google, and it turns out this is crocodile-friendly land.***

***Speaking of signs, this may explain why there is not a litter problem on Siargao.***

***Every time I ask, “Which ocean is that?” I’m told to be more specific.***

Lunchtime was approaching, and thanks to Martin’s skill with Google Maps, he found what we were looking for…a place to eat on the beach.

I was a little surprised about this place. It looks to be a fairly new venue, but it is located in the middle of nowhere. Not much signage, and we’d have driven right on by if our navigator software hadn’t told us we had arrived.

***It was on the beach, and that’s what we were looking for.***

***We arrived right around noon and were the only customers. But by the time we finished, quite a few diners were enjoying the ambiance.***

I ordered the fish and chips. When I asked the waitress what type of fish they used, she said tuna. I’m no connoisseur, but I’d never heard of using tuna. By the look on Martin’s face (an English bloke), he hadn’t either. As you can see, it came out very light colored instead of the usual deep brown. But it was surprisingly tasty. I shared some with Martin, and he agreed.

***With our hunger satiated, we were back on the road, headed towards our next destination.***

***And there they be. Much more impressive than the falls I’ve seen on Luzon.***

***As regular readers may have discerned, I’m not much of a water person. Especially when it requires taking off my shoes and changing my shorts. The rest of the group dove right in.***

***Another cliff climber heading up. He did a double backflip on the way down. Ah, to be young again.***

***A group shot of all those from Bryce Street who swam at Taktak Falls.***

Back on the road again. Next stop:

***What’s a spring pool? I had no idea either. Let’s go see.***

***It was actually quite serene and scenic.***

After some rest and relaxation, it was time to move on to our final stop of the day:

***Dr. Chris’s Siargao Island Brewery.***

***It is still a work in progress (he hopes to open in January), but Chris was happy to see his neighbors from Alta Vista.***

In anticipation of our visit, Chris had brewed up a batch of his “Light Pilsner” for our enjoyment. It was very good indeed, and I quenched my thirst with three (or maybe it was four) glasses.

***Cheers, Chris! And thanks for having us. See you next trip!***

From the brewery, we had about an hour drive back to our hotel. Once we arrived, we were too tired to go back into town, so we dined on the offerings from the Romantic Villas’ kitchen.

***Did I mention I was tired? And no, that is not a fake yawn.***

***We covered a lot of ground yesterday.***

So, it was early to bed and early to rise this morning. I’ll share my today tomorrow.

Let’s check in with the September 2015 LTG archives to see what I was up to back in my Korea days. Oh, I was getting drunk. I’ve come a long way, baby!

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger on a mission to help homeless foreigners in Angeles City. She didn’t get the response she expected. Welp, I’m not unsympathetic, but I don’t understand how people allow themselves to be unfunded in a third-world country. I’ll flee for home long before I wind up living on the streets.

And now for that humor you’ve been missing:

***I guess I’m a day late with this one. Does that make it a Black Friday?***

***Like father, like son. That’s my excuse!***

As you can tell by the length and content of this post, I have had a relatively lazy Friday so far. On tap (no pun intended) for this evening in a bar hop to some of the best bars in the General Luna municipality, at least according to this blogger. Looking forward to seeing if she is right. Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Nothing like being on Cloud 9

Posted on 27/November/2025 by John McCrarey

A busy day ahead today (touring the island in a rented car), so before I head out, I’m going to rush a photo dump showing what happened during our Wednesday on Siargao.

***Kicked things off with the breakfast buffet.***

***Then we hit the road for a surfing area called Cloud 9. Four kilometers to get there, then four to get back. Jeff and Davina joined in the fun.***

The most interesting things I saw along the way were the signs. Here are some of my favorites:

***That’s some fresh fish if it’s swimming on your plate!***

***Damn, I hope their construction work is better than their spelling. Not that I’m one to talk.***

***Sounds like a good strategy. Zen means beer, right***?

***After we paid the 100-peso-per-head fee to enter Cloud 9, Swan took care of some souvenir shopping.***

***It’s called “The Dreamer,” but I’m not sure I want that in my head at night.***

So, I don’t know if you’ve noticed in the earlier photos I posted, but there is something unique about the ocean here—the waves are a goodly distance offshore. Cloud 9 makes it easier for the surfers to get out to the waves.

***Clean beaches are good to see for a change.***

***These surfers were waiting for the small swells after the line of breakers.***

Where I grew up (Huntington Beach, California), the waves were a lot bigger than these. Maybe it was just a low morning. Anyway, I didn’t use a board when I surfed (couldn’t afford one), so I used my body—still a lot of fun.

***Haven’t seen one of these VW vans in a long time. Back in the day, I had some fun in the back of one with my girlfriend Gail.*** ***What’s life without memories?***

***We have a restaurant with this same name near us in Subic. I wonder if they are related?***

***Hmm, maybe I’ll take Swan here on Sunday for her weekly birria fix.***

***We are definitely going to hit this place before we leave. House of Booze and Bitchin’ Food is a great combination!***

***What kind of shat is that? The food must stink. Or maybe it’s just a crappy name.***

***A nice 8K stroll. Very little vehicle traffic to contend with, mostly just motor scooters.***

Lunch at our hotel, then back to the room for a nap, blogging, and a shower. And sure enough, beer o’clock came rolling around. Time to head for the beach!

***I gave Swan a spook as we left our yard.***

***I’ve pretty much gotten acclimated to walking from my room to my hotel.***

***Jeff and Davina are lounging by the pool.***

***Chillin’ with a brew and taking in the view from the hotel bar area.***

Martin and Joss moved to the hotel next door because they didn’t like their noisy room. We walked the beach and joined them there for another round of drinks.

***The Alta Vista Bryce Street clan reunited again.***

***As we sat enjoying the clouds over the ocean, the girls giggled at this one for some reason.***

Then it was time to eat, so we hoofed it into town. Jeff had seen a barbecue place, so we headed there.

***We passed a burger joint named after me on our way.***

***We have arrived at The Smoking Joint. Let the party begin!***

***Hopefully, they only smoke the good stuff.***

***Swan and I shared orders of pulled pork…***

***…and grilled ribs. Both were yummy.***

We ordered a side of mashed sweet potatoes, something I hadn’t seen anywhere. They were excellent. Service was good and friendly, and we all enjoyed our meals.

But the fun wasn’t done yet. As we walked down the street, Jeff spied a karaoke joint and insisted we stop in for a song or two.

Did I sing? Do you think I’m Crazy?

It sounds better when you are drunk.

Anyway, that was enough for me, so Swan and I bailed and headed back to our room. The rest of the group went into full-on party mode and stayed out for a couple more hours.

And now you’ve seen the story of day two in Siargao.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Surf City, here I am

Posted on 26/November/2025 by John McCrarey

Getting to Siargao wasn’t the fun part, but we eventually made it. We left the hotel at 0600 and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to check in for our 0830 flight to Cebu, where we would connect with the flight to Siargao. And then this happened:

***They said it was a “maintenance issue,” so we had no clue how long we would be waiting.***

I’m not saying Manila’s airport (NAIA) is the worst in the world, but it is the worst airport I’ve ever visited. I try to avoid it whenever possible, but for this trip, flying out of here was the best option. Or so it seemed.

***The Bryce Street travelers…Jeff, Davina, me, Swan, Martin, and Joss.***

***We finally boarded an hour and a half after our scheduled departure.***

Which meant we were landing in Cebu almost exactly at the time our connecting flight was scheduled to depart. I figured we were screwed, but when we exited the plane, an agent was holding up a sign for passengers bound for Siargao. I was surprised that, in addition to our group, about twenty other passengers from our flight were booked for Siargao. They delayed our connection until we had all boarded, and we were once again airborne.

***It’s been a long time since I last flew on a prop plane. A little cramped, but not bad.***

***And about an hour later, it was hello, Siargao Island.***

***I don’t recall ever seeing an airport as small as the one that serves Siragao.***

In another turn of good fortune, our checked bags made the flight with us.

For some unknown reason, Martin and Joss had booked the next flight after ours to Siargao. We opted to wait for them to arrive at the airport to share transportation to our hotel in General Luna City.

***The tiny airport had this small food stand that sold beer, so we were able to pass the time waiting for Martin and Joss in relative comfort.***

***This fire truck is older than I am.*** ***Luckily, neither of us had to put out a fire yesterday.***

It was nearly 4 p.m. before we were finally on our way to our hotel. That was a LONG day of travel.

***The sun was about to call it a day.***

We checked in, got our keys, and discovered our room at the Romantic Beach Villas was nowhere near the beach. It’s more like a small house than a hotel room: a yard, a big front porch, a kitchen, and a separate bedroom.

***A Swan on the porch at Casa Grande…***

I made a video this morning of the walk from my “house” to the hotel building where our complimentary buffet breakfast was served.

So, first impressions: Siargao has a pleasant, laid-back vibe. It’s pretty and surprisingly clean. Another big surprise is that, at least in General Luna, it is a major tourist attraction. Not only that, but the crowd it attracts is young Westerners. It appears they are here for the surfing, judging by all the surfboards I’m seeing. Honestly, I can’t remember seeing so many youthful white women in one place since I left the USA twenty years ago. Most of them are healthy-looking and relatively slender. Of course, I’m the oldest man around these parts, or so it seems. No complaints, I can always tell those young bucks that my girl is hotter than your girl!

We had a couple of drinks at the hotel beach bar, then went to the place next door, called Barrel, for some grub and more beer and wine. I made it my usual early night and was in bed by 9 p.m. Until I was awakened at midnight by incredibly loud live music from the bar at Barrel, which is almost next door to my “house.” That lasted until two in the morning. A good reminder that I am, in fact, still in the Philippines.

We took a nice 8K street walk to a place on the island called Cloud 9. I’ll share some photos from that and the rest of today when I can. We’ve rented a car for tomorrow to do some touring around the island, so blogging may be delayed. Sorry about that!

A night in the city

Posted on 26/November/2025 by John McCrarey

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. It was a crazy day getting to Siargao, but we eventually made it. I’ll tell that story hopefully later today, but here’s a quick catch-up on Monday night in Manila.

We joined travel mates Jeff and Davina for a Makati walkabout after deciding to save the BGC area for another day. Jeff and Davina are regular visitors to Makati, so they gave us a tour of some of their favorite spots, including the upscale Rockwell area. It really was like being in another world. One thing that really stood out for me was the lack of litter. Hard to believe, I know, but this is a side of the Philippines I hadn’t seen before. It reeked of wealth and richness without a shanty in sight. Happy to see successful Filipinos enjoying their lives, but you can’t escape the fact that overwhelming poverty surrounds you right outside this enclave. There is not much middle ground in this country. Anyway, it was an enjoyable night out on the town. Here are a few photos taken along the way.

***Walking amongst the high-rise buildings reminded me of my life in Seoul.***

***A four-story-tall Christmas tree in the mall.***

***If I were to live in Manila, it would likely be here. That said, it gave off a “fantasyland” vibe*** ***that made me a little uncomfortable.***

***Evidence that there is a Manila Hash. Later in the evening, I saw a guy wearing a Hash shirt and introduced myself. Nice to meet you, Ice Balls.***

***Palm trees lit up for the holidays lined the streets of Rockwell.***

This being us and all, our tour did include some of Jeff’s favorite venues that also happen to serve liquid refreshments.

***We started at this brewpub, where they make their own tasty beverages.***

***I had the “Legal Blonde” pilsner. I took the name to mean it was aged properly.***

***Then we had dinner on the roof at a place in Rockwell whose name now escapes me.***

An after-dinner pub crawl on our way back to the hotel ensued.

***First stop, a biker joint called “Handle Bar.”***

***That girl of mine surrounded by bar art.***

***That biker print is worthy of a closer look.***

***Next up, a Burgos Street bar named “Heckle and Jeckle” decorated with images from a cartoon show that only us old farts would remember.***

***Last call was at Shooters, where we’d had lunch earlier. Our hotel was conveniently located right across the street.***

A 5:00 a.m. wake-up call awaited for our morning departure to Siragao Island. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan. I’ll get back to you later today with that story. Oh, and I’ve also just now got caught up with responding to earlier comments. Sorry for the delay!

Greetings from Manila

Posted on 24/November/2025 by John McCrarey

That’s where I be until bright and early tomorrow morning. Then, we’ll catch our flight to Siragao Island. So here’s a down-and-dirty update on the trip so far.

Swan and I loaded our bags into neighbor Jeff’s car at the agreed-upon 7 a.m. departure time. We then drove to Clark Airport in Angeles City, arriving at 8:15. We parked and waited for the 9 a.m. bus that would carry us to the Manila airport, where we finally arrived a little after noon. We called a Grab car to take us to our hotel in Makati, but the reception staff wouldn’t let us check in until 2 p.m. So, we went across the street and had lunch at a friendly sports bar named Shooters. Now I’m in my room and in an hour we will take a walk to a part of the city I’ve never visited, BGC.

Hopefully, I’ll be back to regular posting tomorrow from General Luna City in Siragao. Until then, here are a few photos from today’s adventure (so far):

***Signage at the pit stop on the way to Clark pretty much captured my condition.***

***Finally on the bus heading for Manila.***

***Except before we even exited Clark, we pulled into the bus yard to refuel.***

Then we stopped in Angeles to pick up more passengers. Next, the driver and his assistant stopped to grab a sandwich. It was almost an hour before we were finally on the expressway to Manila.

**I grabbed a nap to help pass the time. Plus, I had to pee again.**

***At last, the skyline of Manila came into view.***

***I guess the slums are the fertilizer that grows those tall buildings.***

***Lunch at Shooters Sports Bar. Nice place.***

***It had been quite some time since I enjoyed a meatloaf meal. Tasty it was.***

***We are staying at the Coro Hotel and posing for photos in its nicely decorated lobby.***

***The lobby also features a bookshelf. This one caught my eye, but I was dissuaded from reading it.***

And that’s where things stand as of now. Back tomorrow with more.