Day two of my escape from the Philippines landed me in Da Nang, Vietnam. This is my first time here, and it’s been pleasant enough so far, but the tourist vibe is almost overwhelming. I wasn’t sure what to expect coming in, but this is definitely the place where youngish foreigners seem to be coming for vacation. Watching folks walk by, they outnumber the locals immensely. And I can’t remember the last time I saw so many Western women in the mix. Admittedly, some of them look mighty hot in those t-back bikinis. So, that’s my first impression of Da Nang, but we’ll see how I feel as the week progresses.
The day began with an alarm on my phone at 4:30 a.m. We had to be up early and ready to catch the 6 a.m. hotel shuttle to the airport. Once there, it was the typical travel bullshit of waiting in seemingly endless lines. I’d never flown with HK Express before, but they did okay for a budget airline. Didn’t charge me extra for my checked bag, but also insisted that Swan check the suitcase she carried on with AirAsia. Well, since there was no charge, it made things easier. On the flight, snacks and drinks must be purchased, and when I asked for a bottle of water, I was informed that they don’t accept cash. Well, fuck you very much then. But the bottom line was that we achieved a wheels-down landing, and our luggage, although almost the last to come out on the carousel, made it too.
Boarding the plane in Hong Kong the old-fashioned way.World travelersLooking down on Da Nang.A surprisingly nice airport.
We called a Grab for transport to the hotel. A little confusion on where we’d meet up with the driver, but that was resolved without too much delay.
A Da Nang street scene on the way to our hotel.Our home for the next five days. It has forty floors, and we are on the 26th.
The hotel wouldn’t allow us to check in until 2 p.m., but the beach was just across the street, so we went there to pass the time.
Swan is a beach lover.What’s not to love?
We found a beach bar, and plopped our asses down there for some lunch.
A fruity smoothie for Swan.And a San Miguel Light for me.My burger is served.
After lunch, we took a stroll along the beach path.
Along the way, we saw an even nicer-looking beach bar and vowed we’d soon return.I’m world famous!
We got back to the hotel around 1:30, but our room still wasn’t ready. So, we chilled in the lobby until we finally secured our key and headed for the elevator.
It’s a nice enough room, but I prefer to have more pillows. That’s Swan’s Teddy, who goes everywhere she does.
The view from our room is sensational.
An ocean view……and a city view, both from the same window.
Beer o’clock happens here, too, but because of the time difference, it comes an hour later. Oh well, just gotta make adjustments and go with the flow. And we flowed our asses down that Maia beach bar we’d seen earlier.
As seen from the beachLooking up the beach……and looking down the beach. I grew up in Southern California, but I don’t remember the beaches ever being this crowded.Our drinks have arrived!The view from our perch.
So, after a pleasant visit to the Maia Beach Bar, we headed for a recommended dinner venue. Stopped at an ATM to enlarge my dong.
Withdrawals are limited to two million dong ($76), so I’ll likely be visiting once a day or more.Our dining destination. Not a bikini in the place, though. As you can see on the signage, this is an American diner. What? You thought I would eat the local food? C’mon, this is me we are talking about!
Just for the record, I will sample the local delicacies soon.
I enjoyed my pulled pork sandwich very much.
Then we strolled back to the hotel. Swan said she’d had enough, but I went up to see the hotel’s rooftop bar on the 40th floor.
The view was impressive, but the bar was a disappointment.
There was no table service; you had to go inside and get your drink from the bar. Only two beers on offer, a local brew and Heineken. I went local, and it was okay (it had a pull-off tab to open; I hadn’t seen one of those since the 1970s). One beer, then back down to my sweetie and a good night’s sleep.
Well, mostly good. I’d forgotten to turn off my alarm, so I was awakened at 4:30. Oh well, an extra hour to enjoy in Vietnam.
Coincidentally, Reekay just posted a video wherein he talks about why the Philippines is losing expats to Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Da Nang is apparently especially popular. It is still early in my visit, but I don’t think I’d like living here. Da Nang reminds me a little of Phnom Penh, but I like it better there.
Greetings from Da Nang, Vietnam. Here’s the down and dirty of day one of my trip as told through photographs.
On the road to Manila. My regular driver was ill, so he senthis son. He got us there for 7000 pesos.Swan and I both had to pay the 1350 pesos to leave the Philippines.
And then AirAsia charged me an additional 2,400 pesos to check my bag.
We arrived at the airport five hours prior to our scheduled departure time. Hey, better early than late. The Manila airport isn’t known for its comfort levels, so we went looking for an “elite” lounge to spend the time.
We found one for “only” 4000 pesos each to enter.
We *almost* managed to get our money’s worth when our outbound flight was delayed for two hours. They never told us why.
But we finally were able to board and get on our way.Goodbye, Manila!You look better at altitude than on the ground.Our first international trip together.I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow, it’s clouds’ illusions I recall, I really don’t know clouds at all. Land ho!I’m impressed.Seeing Hong Kong for the first time.Hong Kong International Airport is almost as impressive as Incheon.The bag I paid for arrived safely.I went to the money exchange and traded in some old hundred-dollar bills that no one in the Philippines would take. Got a little over 7 Hong Kong dollars for every American one. Feeling wealthy again! A luxurious room at the Marriott Sky Hotel
Me being me, we went downstairs to check out the hotel bar.
It was quite elegant.
I asked the bartender what beers were available, and said I drink San Miguel back home. He grinned and said, ‘I’ve got some San Mig, but you’re in Hong Kong now.’ Why not try something different?
And so I did. It was fine, so I had another. Then I looked at the label and noted it was 6.5% alcohol volume. That’s double what I usually drink.So, I finished up with a taste from home.I’ve never had a bar table more than a thousand dollars before. Luckily, they were Hong Kong dollars.
Which is not to say things were not expensive. I pay around 100 pesos for a beer in Barretto. That’s less than two bucks. That local beer was 635 pesos each, or about twelve dollars. Even the San Miguel Light was almost five times more expensive than the PI. Well, I was spending money that no one else wanted, so why not go a little wild? I’ll be returning to HK on Saturday to spend the rest of it.
And that was pretty much it for day one of my week out of town.
Seeing as I’m in holiday mode, I’ll spare you the usual content I post here until I return home. I’ll update you on the journey to Vietnam tomorrow.
It’s time to get out of town and leave the hedonic treadmill I’ve been riding behind. For a week, anyway. Perhaps the stormy weather will spare me in Vietnam. Ironically, despite the wet weather, we’ve not had access to water for two days now. It seems a water line somewhere in San Isidro got severed, and that’s the line that provides for the faucets in my part of Alta Vista.
The kind folks at Subic Water sent this tanker truck out to the house.And we filled all the containers we could find —ice chests, buckets, wash basins —with liquid gold.And this morning I got to experience the joy of taking a shower the old-fashioned way. I didn’t much like it.
As for my last night in the Philippines, not much worthy of note. In other words, like every other night. Anyway, fed the crew at Hideaway Bar, and got Swan her weekly ration of birria tacos at John’s place.
I had a pulled pork sandwich without the bun. I didn’t eat many of the fries, but they reminded me of the way they used to be at McDonald’s back in the day — crispy.Next, we quenched the thirst of our waitress friends at Red Bar.
A nightcap at Wet Spot wasn’t all that pleasant. Some young out-of-towners requested rap music, and since they were spending big, the manager accommodated their wishes. That’s okay, I can live with it. What I can’t accept is buying my waitress a drink and then having her walk away and sit somewhere else. No, she wasn’t attending to other customers or chatting with a regular; she just chose to sit on a stool with the other unoccupied waitresses. WTF? When I left, her half-empty lady drink was still on the table. Needless to say, it’s the last lady drink she’ll ever get from me (I’ve known her for years), and frankly, I may scratch Wet Spot off my list of places to visit—lots of options where they at least pretend to appreciate my business.
So, that was how my Saturday went.
Back in February 2010, I shared the story of the love in my life that changed everything. I’m sure I’ve linked to it before, but here you go again. It’s one of my personal favorite LTG posts.
Today’s YouTube video talks about the reasons some expats regret their decision to retire in the Philippines. I don’t. Although maybe Da Nang will change my mind.
Time for a little humor:
Be careful what you pray for.What a beautiful couple. They are the breast!Something doesn’t add up here.
Anyway, time to pack up my laptop and head out. My driver will take us to the airport in Manila, and hopefully, all goes well with our flight to Hong Kong. Spend the night there, then onward to Da Nang in the morning. I’ll post updates as time permits.
…after going fourth. There was no independence from the reign of tropical storm Bising yesterday, but we celebrated anyway. Her majesty has not yet relented her authority to drench all us colonizers residing beneath her throne in the clouds. But I’ve embraced the freedom of being soaked, so bitch, you are powerless to drench my spirit. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it!
Chris and Gary joined me in braving the wet weather for our Friday hike.The truck accident I posted yesterday had traffic backed up on the National Highway all the way into Subic. As you can see, we were walking through puddles on the shoulder.We kept to the pavement for the most part.A rainy bay.Once you are soaked, why bother with an umbrella?She made it to ninety-five! Well lived, Virginia!Eighty-six ain’t bad, either. Very rare to see funeral banners with folks this old. Most of the ones I encounter are younger than me.A wet 6K wasn’t so bad.
Once home, it was time to prepare for the party next door to celebrate both the 4th of July and Fil-Am Friendship Day.
I baked cornbread muffins…… candy-topped brownies……and my standard walnut brownies. I may have overbaked this batch a tad, but they still tasted okay.Maksil (second from left) brought his favorite tequila. It seemed rude to decline a shot, even though I’m not a big tequila fan. Swan says I wound up having six, although I really don’t remember.The food spread.The gals gathering.The guy’s table.The group shot.My plate. Everything on it was excellent.
It was a fun gathering and a happy celebration.
It is still February 2010 as I journey through the LTG archives. In this “Blast from the Past,” I recount having some old photographs digitized and sharing some of the story behind this one:
My Prescott, Arizona life remains one of my favorite chapters.
I’m in a Facebook group about Westminster, California, the city where I was raised. Someone posted a photo of the Hi-way 39 Drive-In theatre (who remembers those?), which brought back a flood of memories.
Sorry, the text was also cut off in the original post.
Some other Facebook memories from this day in my life:
Seven years ago, Buddy was rescued after running away from home shortly after I adopted him. He’d been gone for several days before a trike driver spotted him. In this photo, he’d just been dragged from a pondon Baloy Beach Road.Five years ago, the COVID stupidity was still on full display. They let the bars open again, with certain “safety” precautions. Yep, that’s gonna protect you from an airborne virus.
Today’s YouTube video discusses why many Filipinos are forced to live in slums. It is worse in the big cities like Manila, but even in my neck of the woods, the poverty is sometimes shocking. The last time I posted a “Grace from the Philippines” vlog, there was some debate about whether Grace is an AI rendering. I still can’t say for certain, but if so, it is probably the best AI I’ve seen.
Humor me this:
That oughta work…I’ve got to hand it to him.Do it for freedom!
And now to get on with my last day in the Philippines. I’m moving the Hideaway feeding to today, and Swan and I will dine at John’s place afterward. There has still been no break in the rain.
As seen from my balcony, the river is rising.And we are packed and ready to roll in the morning.
I’ll try to knock out a post from Hong Kong tomorrow night, but no promises. Otherwise, it will be Good Morning, Vietnam!
Happy Independence Day to the USA! And happy Fil-Am Friendship Day to my Filipino friends.
Technically speaking, it was July 4, 1946, that the Philippines were granted independence from the USA, but they have chosen to celebrate their independence from Spain instead (something we also had a hand in providing). Hey, it’s all good. Live free and be happy!
Celebrating Brexit 1776.
Freedom isn’t free, and often the price is paid for in blood. All the more reason to cherish it and defend it from enemies, both external and internal. Of late, it seems the America-haters inside our borders pose the biggest threat. The America-lovers have more guns, so FAFO if you think you can destroy our country from within.
I posted this parody song twelve years ago, and it is as true now as ever:
Well, let’s see if Trump can drain the swamp once and for all.
Meanwhile, here’s what’s going on in my part of the world:
They said it was coming…And here it is…greetings typhoon Bising.
So, another wet day yesterday, and she ain’t done yet.
This poor truck lost its way on the National Highway in Barretto and took out five storefronts.Sadly, the driver didn’t live to tell what happened.
My big accomplishment yesterday was securing my finalized Emigration Clearance Certificate from the immigration office in Olongapo City.
It’s official, I’m free to go.
Oh, and this happened, too. Swan played a joke on me, but I didn’t fall for it. I still have to appreciate the effort she put into it, even making a video of her trying to gag me.
I deem the relationship 99% recovered.
It should come as no surprise that when the time to head into town for some libations arrived, I didn’t let a little rain stop me.
Watching the rainfall from It Doesn’t Matter.
When it was time to eat, we visited Jewel Cafe.
I remembered to order my filet mignon WITHOUT gravy this time. Looks and tastes better that way.
After our meal, we crossed the highway and popped into what is rapidly becoming one of our favorite bars.
Jumpin’ Jacks
This was our third visit, and once again, we were not disappointed with the laid-back chill atmosphere. The bartender asked if I wanted to change the music, and I told her, hell no, this is just what I like! It’s incredible that there hasn’t been one song during any of my visits that I haven’t enjoyed. What are the odds of that? I need to obtain a copy of that playlist and upload it to my Spotify account.
We also had a pleasant chat with the female manager of Jumpin’ Jacks about plans to attract more customers to the bar. She confirmed that they will not have dancers, which I think is a good thing. Plenty of other bars around for that crowd. She wants to sponsor a pool tournament at least once a week, and they will have a team join the pool league. She also has plans to have a live band play weekly. Then she took us to a nice room in the back that they plan to turn into a karaoke venue. I told her about the norebang (singing rooms) in Korea and that I thought it was a great idea not to let the noise of bad singing intrude on the other bar customers. Her plan is to charge a flat rate for the room use, which can be reduced through the purchase of consumables from the bar. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how things work out, and we will definitely be back again, making Jumpin’ Jacks a regular stop.
We did our nightcap at Candy Bar, a relatively new venue that we’d never previously visited. It’s a dancing bar with a pool table in the back, but there was nothing really that made it stand out in my mind. We were the only customers in the early evening hours on a rainy night. They didn’t have wine, so Swan ordered a margarita. It took the bartender two tries to get it right. Swan knew one of the waitresses from somewhere else long ago, and my friend Narissa is now working at Candy. I met Narissa several years ago at Cheap Charlies, and we took a trip together to Bataan, which I wrote about here. So, we enjoyed some friendly company, and the gals had a lady drink on our tab.
Swan bought me a rose from the flower vendor. Ain’t she sweet?Nice to see you again, Narissa.
We had a good enough day despite the storm.
In this post from February 2010, I mention vocative commas as if I knew what I was talking about. Obviously, I don’t. I was referring to seeing the Big Hominid posting on his Hairy Chasms blog again. Hey Kevin (see what I did there?), do you remember this post?
Today’s YouTube video is from a new (to me) vlogger, sharing his perspectives on the good and bad of living in the Philippines. Everyone’s experience is different, but yeah, I’ve seen some of the same things he mentions.
Time for some humor:
FAFOAt least he was unleaded.That genie must have been a dick!
Last year, I hosted a 4th of July gathering at The Rite Spot. Later today, we’ll be joining the fun at a party that our next-door neighbor, Jeff, is hosting. I’ve been baking corn muffins and brownies that we’ll be adding to the mix. So, tomorrow I’ll have something different to post about. Bet you can’t wait!
Well, this is me we are talking about, so not all that wild. Plenty wet, though.
The Wednesday Walkers braved the rains and embarked on the 7K Philseco loop. Flat and mostly paved, but satisfying nonetheless.
A long Jeepney ride to the far side of Subic brought us here.And off we went up Philseco Road.Off the road……and briefly onto the dirt.Pond, mountains, and clouds.Over a bridge.Reflections on another pond.Raindrops and rickety bridges.Heading for the highway and a Jeepney ride home.I guess I shouldn’t call it a loop, but it is a pleasant hike in any weather.
When it was time to head into town for some liquid refreshments, we started at Sloppy Joe’s. I was happy to see the kitchen was open because I was feeling a little hungry. Lots of stuff on the menu, but the item I was looking forward to eating, a sloppy joe sandwich, wasn’t listed. Swan suggested we wait and eat at Mugshots, but I got an order of squid rings to tide me over.
They were tasty.
Owner Bert came over to greet us, and I teased him about the lack of sloppy joes at Sloppy Joe’s. He said, ‘Yes, we have,’ and pointed to the menu —the pulled pork sandwich. I politely advised that a real sloppy joe is made with beef. He shrugged, went to the kitchen, and ordered me a pulled pork on the house. That was a kind gesture.
My “sloppy joe” wasn’t sloppy at all. It is just like the pulled pork sandwich served at Treasure Island, also owned by Bert. And that’s where the cook came from. Anyway, it tasted fine and I can’t complain about the price.
We went next door to Green Room for our nightcap and stayed a tad longer than we usually do, in part because I got gifted two free drinks. Swan bought the girls grilled meat on a stick from one of the street vendors, we handed out cookies and lollipops, and I enjoyed watching a couple of hotties in short skirts playing pool. I guess that was the wild part I referred to in the title.
When we got home, I lacked the energy to sit through a Squid Game episode, so I’ll need to redouble my efforts tonight. Had a good sleep despite being awakened a couple of times by the pounding rain outside. And it still hasn’t stopped. Glad I’m alive to enjoy the weather, rain or shine.
It is still February 2010 as I scroll through the LTG archives. This picture post recounts the adventure of my wellness checkup at a Korean hospital. I must say that walking into the hospital at eight and leaving at noon (with a free lunch voucher!) after a head-to-toe battery of tests is something not to be found here in the Philippines. Hell, my local hospital sent me all the way to Angeles City to get an echocardiogram. Oh well, as I recall, the results from those tests in Korea that day may have put me on a course of meds and lifestyle changes that have kept me alive.
In today’s YouTube video, the Pea is showing pictures of Western guys to Filipinas and getting a rating. Hell, if she had shown the ones of me I posted yesterday, I’m sure I’d have gotten a ten. The video ends after just a little over two minutes, so something must have gone wrong. I’ll update if and when she reposts, but short and sweet works for me.
You knew this was coming:
Why do you think they call it dope?Blasphemy!That ought to pump him up.
Sorry, those were all pretty bad even by my low standards. I’ll try to do better tomorrow when the 4th be with me.
Each day is a step closer to normalization, so we are getting there. I’m not ready or willing to give up.
I’m finishing up with the preparations for my upcoming trip to Da Nang, Vietnam. That required a visit to the Immigration Bureau in Olongapo to submit my application for an Emigration Clearance Certificate, which permits me to leave the country. In the absence of any outstanding wants, warrants, or other violations being found, I should be able to pick it up tomorrow.
Part of the application process is the submission of a 2×2 photo. One of those is from two years ago, the other was taken on Monday. Talk about aging gracefully!
Next on the agenda was grocery shopping at the YBC and Royal supermarkets. This caught my eye at YBC:
Now that there is some powerful spaghetti! Either that or a good illustration of why it is unwise to repurpose a display shelf.
After shopping, we dropped Swan off at the government office in Olongapo that handles the Philippine social security program. I increased Swan’s allowance so she could resume paying into the system and be eligible for benefits when she reaches her golden years. She had to wait almost six hours for her number to be called. My head would have exploded long before that.
Since Swan still wasn’t home at beer o’clock, I headed out on my own. First stop was my old haunt, Snackbar.
The view of the 7-Eleven parking lot from my outside seat.
Whatever magic this place once held for me is long gone. And so was I when I finished my beer.
I decided to take a stroll down Baloy Beach and see what was happening.
Not a lot.
Kokomo’s Tiki Bar was still closed, and so was Kim’s Place. So, I circled back to Foxhole (formerly DaKudos) and took a seat at the empty bar. Monette, my old friend from Mango’s, was serving, and it was nice to see her again. She confirmed that Baloy continues to suffer from a lack of tourists, and business is slow everywhere.
The Foxhole view from my barstool.
I heard from Swan that she was on her way home after completing her ordeal in Olongapo (she messaged via phone since I have not as yet been unblocked on Facebook). We agreed to meet for dinner at Treasure Island.
My Treasure Island view.
While waiting for the food to arrive, a storm blew through.
Here it comes……batten down the hatches!
Dinner is served:
Sweet and sour pork for me.A grilled pork chop for Swan.
It was only seven, which is early even by my low standards, but I was ready to call it a night and head home. Swan heard that Season 3 of Squid Game was now out, so we settled onto the couch and watched Episode 1 of the final six-episode season. Swan’s a bigger fan than I am, but it’s an okay show. My issues are with plot holes that make no sense. Last night, the detective was still trying to find the island by hiring a drone operator. Somehow, I think an island with all the infrastructure required for the games wouldn’t be that difficult to find off an isolated coast in Korea.
Five more episodes to go.
Oh, and I got a Father’s Day card from my daughter via a friend’s FPO account. The postmark indicates it was mailed on June 10 in South Carolina. Must have gone via the pony express.
Poor girl was subjected to my dad jokes throughout her childhood.
It’s nice to be remembered by one of my kids anyway.
Long ago, in a land far away, I climbed a mountain. Then I had lunch at the top before riding a cable car back down the other side. In February 2010, I wrote a post full of pictures documenting that historic day. You can read all about it in The Story of My Life.
In today’s YouTube video, Smart Girl Philippines tells us how foreigners fuck up their relationships in her usual cheerful and witty style. I have no idea what she is talking about.
Just because I find it funny doesn’t mean you won’t:
A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named ‘Amal.’ The other goes to a family in Spain, they name him Juan. Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his mum. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Amal. Her husband responds, ”But they are twins. If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Amal.”
Spoken like a true dad.
Ouch! That was a real Kirk in the nuts!You don’t need shoes where he is going.
And that’s the way it was. Oh, I was writing this post, I got a Facebook friend request and a message on Messenger from Swan. I’ve officially been unblocked! Now we can communicate via social media like true lovers do!
I apologize for leaving you in suspense yesterday. My focus was elsewhere. I’m not going to go into a lot of details because it’s all still too up close and personal. Suffice it to say, we hit a big pothole on Relationship Road that did some damage. I wasn’t sure if things could be fixed or not, but we’ve made some progress on the repairs, and as of today, we are moving forward once again. It was a painful reminder to me about how much is at risk when you entrust your heart to another. The prospect of losing the love game yet again made me realize I’m in the now-or-never stage of my life. If destiny (or Karma) dictates that I’m bound to die alone, so be it. I have zero tolerance for drama, and I’ll flee if necessary to avoid it in the future. Going forward, I’ll keep my eyes wide open–one on the road ahead, and one on the rearview mirror for lessons learned.
And now, let’s get back to our regular programming:
It was another Hash Monday, but I opted not to do the Kalaklan climb. My mood was still sour, so I got some documents copied that I needed for my upcoming trip and then embarked on a street walk instead. Yes, Swan and her friend Beth came along.
Something weird happened along the way. As we passed the Savers store, we saw a group of out-of-town Hashers waiting there. Um, this is LAST week’s meetup place, I told them. I explained that the start this week was another kilometer or so up the highway. They decided to follow me on my trail instead.My group was the first to arrive at the On-Home venue.The Hash GashThe old fuckersThe Hash Circle area at Johansson’s is uncovered, and it rained for the duration.It’s nice on ice, even in the rain.The usual after-Hash gathering at IDM.
Still not much interaction when we got home. I went to bed, and Swan stayed up watching television. She was beside me in bed when I awoke, and we started the day with a hug. Progress! I’m still blocked on her Facebook and Messenger, though.
It’s February 2010 as I continue my trek through the LTG archives. This post about all the cars I’ve owned before was full of happy memories. If I hadn’t written about those times back then, I’d have forgotten most of them today. See, this blog does serve a purpose! It remembers what my brain forgets.
I had a chuckle when I came across today’s YouTube video from Reekay about how to end romance drama. NOW you tell me! Truthfully, my problems were nothing like the incidents Reekay mentions. I was treated rudely, and I overreacted; things escalated from there. Hopefully, we’ve both learned some lessons.
A dose of humor medication:
No joke.That might work.I prefer wings, but that’s just me.
Anyway, it is what it is. Whatever the ultimate outcome, I know that I’ll be okay.
Yep, I’m old enough to remember when people talked like this. Maybe it was far out, but it felt groovy and that’s right on!
My morning started with an email from Cebu Pacific Airlines telling me I was fucked. Well, the way they worded it was that they were unilaterally changing my flight times to and from Hong Kong, which screwed over my best-laid plans for a week in Vietnam. Instead of departing Clark airport in Angeles City on July 6 in the morning, I was now scheduled to leave late in the afternoon on July 7. So, I had an expensive non-refundable hotel room booked for the 6th in Hong Kong that I couldn’t use. However, the real kicker was that my flight to Da Nang departs on the 7th, before my newly scheduled arrival time on Cebu Pacific. Additionally, the new return flight from Hong Kong on the 13th was scheduled to depart for Manila, not Clark. So much for leaving the car at the airport.
After consulting with my fellow travelers (we’re going with another couple), we came up with a brand new plan. The whole point of booking with Cebu Pacific in the first place was to avoid the dreaded trip to Manila. So, given that there were no other flights from Clark that met our timeframes, we booked with AirAsia out of Manila. We’ll arrive in Hong Kong on the evening of the 6th, which spoils our plans for a full day to explore the city, but allows us to catch our flight to Da Nang as scheduled. I’ve requested a refund from Cebu Pacific, and we’ll see how that works out for me. What a pain in the ass dealing with this was for my frazzled old brain. Here’s hoping the rest of the trip goes hassle-free.
The remainder of the day went better, comparatively speaking. Starting with the Saturday Sweets Stroll.
A rain-free morning made for a more pleasant walk.An uncooked pig on a stick ready for roasting.Only one year older than me. RIP!Last Saturday we had another event to attend to, so the kids were glad to see us again.Another example of why you have to keep your eyes wide open when walking on a sidewalk. That’s a six-foot deep drop-off.Laundry day down at the well.I’ve come to dread those stairs.
Swan surprised me yesterday morning when she asked me if I would cook for her. She’s pretty much taken over kitchen duties since we’ve been together. I asked what she was hungry for, and she replied, “beef stew.” Okay, then. Ask and you shall receive!
Beef stew in the Crockpot……and in the bowl. Swan had hers with rice, of course.
We didn’t carry umbrellas when we headed into town, and thankfully, we didn’t need them. But shortly after our arrival at Sloppy Joe’s, the skies opened up and the rain poured down.
The rainy day view from our perch at Sloppy Joe’s.
The nice thing about the Maze is you have six bar options under one roof, so when we were ready for a change of scenery, we went next door to the Alaska Club. Did the usual: lady drinks for our favorite waitresses, a 50 peso tip for the six dancers present, and an order of lumpia from Sit-n-Bull for the staff to share. Then we moved on to Wet Spot for our nightcap. We headed home from there, and Swan was looking forward to a helping of leftover beer stew when we got there. I need to cook for her more often.
In sad news, a longtime mainstay in Angeles, Jimmy Dale, also known as Harry the Horse, passed away yesterday.
He made it to 87 years old, quite the accomplishment!
Jimmy wrote a newsletter for many years about the nightlife scene in Angeles, and that’s how I became one of his followers. He also owned the Blue Boar Inn, where I had the pleasure of meeting him in person and playing a game of darts back in 2010 during a visit to AC.
It was nice knowing you.
He sold his original Harry the Horse newsletter many years ago and had a seldom-updated replacement. He left us with a final post,saying goodbye to his many fans. I hope I get the chance to do something similar when my time on earth is over. Rest in Peace, Jimmy.
I’ve progressed to January 2010 in my journey through the LTG archives. January 4th was a snowy day in Seoul, and the Army sent non-essential staff home early. I walked home and did a post with a lot of photos of a snow-covered Itaewon. I doubt I’ll ever see snow again, not that I miss it.
Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never watched previously. She does a great job laying out the reasons the Philippines remains a poor country. She confirms what I’ve long suspected. And as she describes the government corruption that led to this sorry state, I couldn’t help but think it had a familiar ring to it. Yep, the good ol’ USA seems to be going down this road as well.
Now we’ll get to the funny stuff:
Yeah, I had that look on my face, too.A short-order cook?I see lots of old farts with canes in the bars here. I respect their dedication to doing the things they love!
Another day of being alive is in process. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.
It’s a slow ride so far, but I’m getting there. I’ve mentioned before that my memory is increasingly feeble. I find myself writing down things I don’t want to forget, at least when I remember to do so. My attention span is also growing more and more limited. That makes it hard to sit through a movie or a long video. And then last night, I was in the midst of a dream, and the song “Smooth” was playing in the background for some reason. It eventually overtook the narrative of the dream (of course, I don’t remember what I was dreaming about now), and it eventually caused me to wake up. And the damn song was STILL playing in my head! Try as I might, I couldn’t clear my brain or get back to sleep. I finally had to get up and put on my earbuds and play from one of my Spotify song lists. It kept me awake for a while, but it shut up Santana and Rob Thomas, and I was able to achieve slumber without distraction once more. At this rate, I’ll be a happy man soon, assuming ignorance truly is bliss.
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, a blog post about yesterday. Let’s get to it!
As seen on the morning dog walk, Easter Mountain had its head in the clouds.
Next up was the Friday group hike.
Just four of us this go round.We walked the familiar My Bitch trail and things were wet after an all-night rainfall.Mountain Mama Onelia’s place.Onelia washing the dishes.There’s something fowl about this picture.Looking down on how others live.The way we walked.
The meeting I alluded to in yesterday’s post was to finalize plans for the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers’ 32nd Anniversary event. We took care of business and finished at 3 p.m. Well, that’s too close to beer o’clock to go back home, so I went to It Doesn’t Matter instead. Ran into some familiar faces, had some beer, and ate some chicken wings. Swan joined me there.
An IDM view before it got busy.
Some of the group wanted to pay a visit to Red Bar, so we joined in.
I don’t know if Chris intentionally ducked out of the photo or not.
I hadn’t been to Red Bar on a Friday, so I was not aware of the daily special.
A free shot. Another table declined the offering, so we got two free shots.Cheers! Got you this time, Chris.
I don’t recall what the shot was, but thankfully, it was not too powerful. It’s for the best that I stick with San Mig Zero.
When the group was ready to move on, I suggested we pay Jumpin’ Jacks a visit. I told them about the nice time we’d had there on their re-opening weekend, and everyone was up for checking it out.
Welcome to Jumpin’ Jacks!
And the happy vibe and good music were still front and center. Also, as promised, they had stocked some Zero beer. Swan got her wine for 200 pesos, and that’s within my price tolerance. No complaints, and there were a couple of other folks there playing pool, so hopefully this iteration will be successful.
No dancers yet, so Shie and Grace did some pretending.Shie and her man did a couple of rounds of Jenga block building. It was fun watching.Happy campers.False advertising. I released my balls, and not only did they not pay me, they told me to pull up my pants or they would call the police!
I’m joking, of course. I never play that suckers game of tossing the balls. The girls scramble around and get ten pesos for each ball they retrieve, but the bar gets about half of the 300 pesos. Instead, I bought all five of the girls working a lady drink. Yes, it cost me a lot more, but they earn a better commission and maintain their dignity.
A final pose before we go.
Starting at three in the afternoon was a challenge, but I made it to eight, so that was an accomplishment of sorts. It was a very nice change of pace hanging with a group, and we had a fun night on the town. More fun than the SOB has been lately.
I’ve made it to December 2009 in my journey through the LTG archives. I’m going to offer a twofer today…On December 7 (talk about infamy), I was elected as President of the Seoul International Dart League. And on December 8, I was quoted in the Stars and Stripes about tour lengths for civilians in Korea. The link to the Stars and Stripes article in the post no longer works, but I found the story here.
Seven years ago, my Buddy moved in with me. You can see how happy he is about that!
Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea is concerning. She discusses some recent legal changes that will have a negative impact on her and other vloggers in the Philippines. Sadly, the government focuses on shit like this instead of working to improve the lives of the Filipino people.
I didn’t forget the humor!
I wish I could remember the witty thing I was going to say about this.Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me!I’ll have to remember to do that.
I’ve got a long way to go to catch up with Biden, so I’ll be back with more tomorrow. Unless I forget.
I’ve got to rush today’s post as I have a Hash meeting to attend early this afternoon. So, let’s keep it short and sweet. You are welcome!
I mentioned yesterday that neighbor Jeff had never seen the view from the top of Kalaklan Ridge. I volunteered to be his tour guide, and up we went. In fact, everyone on my street tagged along.
That’s Swan, neighbors Martin and Joss, and Kalaklan virgin Jeff and his wife, Davina, in the back.A dicey spot getting out of the village.Let the climbing begin!A quick cookie stop at Rolly’s place on the way up.A view of the old Navy base.Swan leading the wayJeff and Davina bringing up the rear.Resting after the climb in this shelter.The view of Barretto we climbed to see.The climb kicked Jeff’s butt, but he said it was worth it.
A one-minute video clip of what we saw.
What are the odds that I’d see someone I knew walking the ridgeline road? That’s Simon (Leech My Nuggets), who also lives in Alta Vista, out scouting for Monday’s Hash trail. Looks like I’ll be making another climb…or shortcutting.What goes up must come down. And so we did.The bay view on our downward trek.Easter Mountain as seen from here.The womenfolk taking it bringing up the rear.Almost down and done.Not quite 5K with a hefty climb of 221 meters.
Our evening activities included dinner at Sit-n-Bull again, then hanging out at the Green Room until it was time to go home. That was the extent of our ups and downs for the day.
I came across a sweet memory in the November 2009 archives from my days of playing softball. I was big into softball throughout the 70s and 80s, and I wrote about finding a link to an article in the Prescott Courier from August 2, 1979, recounting my exploits on the diamond. I was surprised that the link still works! Anyway, my sporting days are far behind me, but softball is a worthy chapter in The Story of My Life.
Facebook memories shared this photo of me and my not then wife sixteen years ago.
It was captioned, “Are you sure the baby is mine?”
It only hurts until the pain goes away.
For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share this vlogger’s take on whether the Philippines is safe. Shit can happen to you anywhere and anytime. Maybe I’ve been lucky so far, but I feel safer in most aspects of my life here than I would living in the good ol’ USA.
And now your daily dose of humor:
Dave works hard at the plant, puts in a lot of overtime, and then spends most evenings bowling, playing basketball or working out at the gym. His wife, Mary, thinks he is pushing himself too hard, so, for his birthday, she takes him to a local strip club.
The doorman at the club greets them and says, “Hey, Dave, how ya doing?”
Mary is puzzled and asks if he’s been to this club before.
“Oh no,” says Dave. “He works out at the gym with me.”
When they are seated, a waitress asks Dave if he’d like his usual Budweiser.
Mary is now becoming uncomfortable and says, “You must come here a lot for that woman to know you drink Budweiser.”
“No, honey, she’s in the Ladies Bowling League. We share lanes with them.”
A stripper comes over to their table and throws her arms around Dave.
“Hi Davey,” she says, “Want your usual table dance?”
Mary, now furious, grabs her purse and storms out of the club.
Dave follows and spots his wife getting into a cab. Before Mary can slam the door, Dave jumps in beside her. Right away she starts screaming at him.
The cabby turns his head and says, “Looks like you picked up a real bitch tonight, Dave.”
Those who play must pay.
All I know is that everything you know is wrong.Seems to me that living long and suffering is a stronger curse, but what do I know?
And the curse of reading my drivel is now over. For today.
According to Facebook memories, I discovered this song fifteen years ago. I’m an old-school classic rock guy, but for some reason I came to really enjoy this song (and the video). YMMV.
Back at it again yesterday, doing what it takes to keep life fun. The Wednesday Walkers convened with seven in attendance. Michael’s back and offered to drive the group for an out-of-town adventure. We decided to hike the seldom-traveled Naugsol-Tibag-Naugsol loop and set out to get there. I was a little nervous that the rainy season water levels might make the requisite river crossing difficult, but we made it across unscathed.
Offloaded in Naugsol and ready for adventure! L-R, Michael, Chris, Erik, Sheryl, Beth, and Swan.Guys up frontGirls in the rear.The day’s first water crossing.And another wet feet opportunity.A safe crossing of the Matain River.Tibag here we come!On the road to Tibag.On the path out of Tibag.A Swan in the grass.The journey back to Naugsol starts here.Cookie delivery.Strolling on the river.The other guys were ahead of us and missed the turn to the road leading back to the car. We had to wait a bit for them to make their way back and found this shady spot to do it.A tad over nine kilometers there and back again.
A good hike warrants a good meal, and when we got home, Swan made me one.
The pork chops were awesome.
When it was time for a change of scenery, we saw it from BarCelona. Erik and Cielo met us there, and a bit later, neighbors Jeff and Davina came up to join us.
Looking out from BarCelona.Looking into BarCelona.
When Jeff and Davina arrived, we grabbed a table on the roof.
Sharing in the fun times.A view from the roof.Looking up the highway towards Kalaklan Ridge.
Jeff had never been up on Kalaklan before, so I invited him to join us on a climb today. I’ll post about that adventure tomorrow.
I bought our shy waitresses a lady drink.And then the sun did its thing.
We said goodnight to Jeff and Davina, and went downstairs for dinner at Sit-n-Bull. Erik and Cielo joined us there.
Where we was.What I ate. That’s a Malibu chicken burger topped with ham and bacon.
We did our nightcap at Wet Spot.
The bored dancers.At the backslappers’ table. It was great to see Daddy Dave (in the flag shirt) out and about again after his recent hospitalization.
I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but rumors are rife. The story is that Dave has sold his bars (Wet Spot and Green Room) and will be exiting the bar scene. I heard that the SOB will also be discontinued. Tomorrow’s show has been postponed, so we shall see what happens next. Dave has been a fixture here for twenty years. It will be sad to see him go, but nothing lasts forever.
I had a productive day.
I’m happy to be alive and doing the things I enjoy.
It’s interesting (to me) as I explore the LTG archives and read about things I had totally forgotten about. Like the time in October 2009, someone tried to recruit me to appear in a Korean television commercial. Damn, I coulda been a star!
Congratulations to Smart Girl Philippines on the occasion of her achieving 200,000 subscriptions. In her typical humorous fashion, she reveals some things about herself and how they led her to become a popular vlogger.
The end is near:
Man, when was the last time you’ve seen a pinball machine?Sometimes I miss riding the subway.As long as I can keep finding my way home, it will be okay.
No, I didn’t get royally screwed, because I exercised discretion. I’m talking about my grocery shopping excursion to the Royal Duty Free supermarket, of course. What? You were expecting something exciting? Sorry to disappoint, but Tuesdays aren’t the day for excitement around here. Not that that will stop me from sharing the story of my boring day. Here goes:
My biggest issue with Royal is that the items I want are often out of stock, and when they are available, they are overpriced. Take cheese, for example.
Quality cheese slices from Kraft have newly arrived. I’m no cheap Charlie, but damn, even if I can afford it, I’m not paying almost a dollar per slice.It’s nice to see my favorite shredded cheese on the shelf again, but at thirteen bucks a bag, that’s where it’s gonna stay.
And it wasn’t just the cheese.
What the duck? I don’t even eat that bird, but if I did, I’d have to be daffy to pay fifty dollars for one.
Well, I survived the drama and didn’t yield to the temptation to be gouged. When I got back home, I was feeling tired for some reason, but figured I could just walk it off with a neighborhood hike.
A new house is about to begin construction down the road from me. Alta Vista is a boomtown these days.
And then I heard a rumbling up in the sky that wasn’t thunder.
It’s one of those vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Not sure whose military it belongs to, but I’m glad it wasn’t China.I found one on Google images with the engines moved into position for horizontal flight.Walking didn’t cure my tiredness, so I cut things short and went home for a nap.
I’d recovered sufficiently by beer o’clock to make the trek into town for some bar socializing. We began our hop at Sloppy Joe’s, and things seem to be going well under the new ownership. The RSL (Returned Services League, the Aussie version of our VFW) invaded on their after-meeting barhop, so we gave up our space and moved next door to the Alaska Club. We had the usual pleasant visit there before moving on to Nipsey’s. I raved about this place during our previous visit, but those great vibes we enjoyed then were not evident last night. For one thing, they didn’t have red wine available for Swan. And the music being played wasn’t to my liking either. Needless to say, we didn’t stay long. A disappointing nightcap at Cloud 69 followed, so we gave up and caught a trike for home.
A bowl of vanilla ice cream with crumbled Orea cookie topping was a sweet ending to the day.
Yep, just one of those days where things weren’t bad but could have been better. But there’s always tomorrow, and today is already showing improvement. But that’s for another post.
Back in October 2009, I wrote a post about a week in my life. There was certainly more substance in those days when I had a job to attend to, but even then I was looking forward to the life to come in the Philippines (I was supposed to retire in 2010 and make the move, but fate had other plans for me and I didn’t get here until 2018.)
Here’s a scene from my Carolina life in 2012 with the Pointless Dart League in Columbia. Old dreams die hard.
Let’s check in with Reekay for today’s YouTube video. Reekay talks about the dangers associated with a bad end to a relationship, most of which I somehow managed to avoid during my dating life here. Now, the incidents that happen sometimes when you bring a girl to your hotel room were lessons I learned the hard way. More than once, I had girls helping themselves to things in my pocket when I wasn’t looking.
Maybe you’ll get a smile out of these:
The erection of humanity.That’s not a good reflection on you!If you make their ass hurt they’ll forget about the headache…
And on that note, I will mercifully end this post.
As I was making my way to the starting point for yesterday’s Hash trail in a downpour of rain, two words came into my head. Weirdly, they both have six letters and seemed to sum up my feelings as I splashed through the water puddles.
I was SOAKED and it SUCKED.Seeking shelter at the meetup.And off we go!
My plan was to pick up the trail from where it came back down from the Kalaklan ridge climb. But when we got there, the trail marks were nowhere to be seen, likely washed away by the rain. So, we did a street walk to the On-Home venue on Baloy Beach. The rainstorm diminished to a sprinkle, but it didn’t matter by then. It sucked to be soaked.
Wet and wild in the streets. My camera lens must have been soaked, too, given the blur.That sucks.The deserted beach at Baloy.The Hash Gash chillin’ at Kim’s Place, our On-Home venue this week.Guy style.Circle up!Nice on ice!
And during the Circle, we wished Swan a Hashy birthday and made her a cake:
The trail I didn’t walk.And the one I did. 7.5K, including the 2K walk to the start from my house.The usual after-Hash gathering at IDM.
Made it home safe and sound after a wet day of Hashing.
Got home and took off my wet shoes and socks. What’s up with this?
It been said that after a while, the Philippines grows on you.
And here’s the evidence.
The archives in the early years of LTG are dominated by political rants from yours truly. That and darts. Neither of those subjects holds much interest for me now, but this one, entitled “Hypocrisy” from November 2009, made me laugh. Can you imagine calling your political opponents Hitler?
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
Today’s YouTube video from Smart Girl Philippines tells the story of a Filipina dating site gold digger. Yeah, I got scammed a few times on those sites back when I lived in Korea. Probably the worst was sending a gal I’d been chatting with for almost a year $500 so she could buy a plane ticket to visit me in Seoul and never hearing from her again. Yeah, I was that stupid. But after that, my rule was never sending money to someone I’d not met in person, and any unmet gold digger begging for a “loan” was immediately blocked. Which is not to say I didn’t get scammed by Filipinas I met after moving here, but that’s another story.
And now for these:
After a long night of passion, the young guy rolled over, pulled out a cigarette from his jeans and searched for his lighter. Unable to find it, he asked the girl if she had one at hand.
“There might be some matches in the top drawer,” she replied.
He opened the drawer of the bedside table and found a box of matches sitting neatly on top of a framed picture of another man. Naturally, the guy began to worry.
“Is this your husband?” he inquired nervously.
“No, silly,” she replied, snuggling up to him.
“Your boyfriend then?” he asked.
“No, not at all,” she said, nibbling away at his ear.
“Well, who is he then?” demanded the bewildered guy.
Smiling she replied, “That’s me before the operation.”
So, smoking isn’t the stupidest thing he’s done.
Soaked and sucked?What a pisser!
Now it’s time to leave yesterday behind and get on with the rest of today. Thanks for coming by.
Welp, I’ve heard it said that candy is dandy but liquor is quicker, so why not enjoy both? A Candy Walk to start the day, and then some alcoholic beverages to wrap things up. Sound familiar?
Heading out on the hunt for kids. Damn, that sounds pervy, but you know what I mean.
You’ve seen it all before, so I didn’t bother taking many photos of the Candy Walk. This seven-minute video (feel free to speed it up) of Section 14 of the walk should suffice.
The usual 5K of sweetness.
Next on my Sunday agenda was the Hideaway feeding.
Come and get it!In Joy.
Then it was my turn to eat, so I met up with Swan at John’s place.
I changed things up and went with the chicken enchiladas……and Swan stuck with her usual birria tacos.
I hadn’t done enchiladas at John’s for a long time, and one bite in, I remembered why. Damn, that’s spicy hot! I had about half, and even my icy cold Zero beer couldn’t extinguish the fire in my mouth. I shared some of my leftovers with Swan and waited to see her reaction…ouch! The tacos were good, though.
A visit to Red Bar and then a nightcap at Wet Spot. I shared my concerns with manager Bret about Friday’s low-quality SOB. He seemed to acknowledge that it may be time for some changes. We’ll see what happens.
As seen from this morning’s dog walk.
The power went out just before we did, and we heard the unmistakable sound of a transformer blowing. So, I figured it would be at least a couple of hours with no fans to escape the heat. Fuck that, let’s go into town and have breakfast. I enjoyed the irony of hopping into Swan’s electric cart during a brownout for the ride down to the highway (we don’t drive outside the subdivision for safety reasons).
The first customers of the day at Sparrow’s Cafe.
I’ve eaten at Sparrow’s once, shortly after they opened in the space that was formerly John Kim’s The Pub. Since Sparrow’s doesn’t serve alcohol, it is not a good fit for me as a dining option, but I don’t drink at breakfast, so we gave it a shot.
We enjoyed the view from our seats facing the highway.The view I mentioned.I drink one cup of instant coffee each morning at home. Today I treated myself to a brewed Americano.I was craving French toast, but alas, it was not on the menu. So, I settled for pancakes.Swan enjoyed her corned beef and rice.
We rarely dine out for breakfast, but Sparrow’s isn’t a bad option when we do. And the power was restored about thirty minutes after we returned home.
From the LTG archives, I began a series in October 2009 called “Yoja of the week.” (Yoja is Korean for woman). Here’s the first entry.
Here’s an update on the asshole vlogger Vitaly. He was granted bail for the criminal charges pending against him, but he is still being held as an “undesirable” by the Philippines’ immigration. So, he still ain’t getting out anytime soon. Being moved from the criminal prison to immigration jail is a slight upgrade in living conditions, but he is still fucked. Deservedly so.
Humor time:
An office manager had money problems and had to fire an employee, either Jack or Jill. He thought he’d fire the employee who came to work late.
The next morning, both employees came to work very early. So the manager thought he would fire the first one who took a coffee break. Unfortunately, neither employee took a coffee break.
Then the manager decided to see who took the longest lunch break. Strangely, neither Jack nor Jill took a lunch break that day. They both ate at their desk.
Then the manager thought he’d wait to see who would leave work earliest, but both employees stayed after closing.
Jill finally went to the coat rack and the manager went up to her and said, “Jill, I have a terrible problem. I don’t know whether to lay you or Jack off.”
Jill said, “Well, you’d better jack off, because I’m late for my bus.”
I’m calling HR!
Circumspection with precision!Good thing I’m retired, they can’t fire me for bad humor now!
And now another Hash Monday has arrived.
And the skies are threatening.
I’ve seen a map of the trail, and it includes a Kalaklan climb. I’m not so inclined to do that during a thunderstorm, so I’m plotting a course for the second half of the trail. Wish me luck!
I had the honor and privilege to participate in the Special Forces Association Ruck March.
The Ruck March is an annual event held to raise awareness about suicide and depression amongst our military veterans. There were over forty in attendance yesterday, including some familiar faces like Dr. Jo and her hubby Chris, along with several other Hashers.
The gathering crowd.This vet recounted his sad story of service-related depression and suicidal ideation and how he was able to overcome them with the help of available resources.SFA leader Sean gives guidance on the forthcoming hike.The event was held at the APO Resort in San Isidro. I’d walked by here dozens of times, but I’d never been inside before. And off we go! It was good to see Scott on trail again.Through the fields we go……splashing all the way.Easter Mountain from here.Most of the hike was flat and on pavement.A pleasant 5K walkabout followed by some beer and hot dogs.The after-hike group shot.
It was a new twist to the usual Saturday stroll, and it was nice to assist in raising awareness on the struggles of some of our veterans.
There were more twists and tweaks to the usual as Saturday evening arrived.
We started out here.Where I lost some hair.Our next stop was Jewel Cafe for dinner.Filet mignon for me……and baby back ribs for Swan.
The portions at Jewel are small, and prices are comparatively low ($11 for the steak, $6 for the ribs). Quality is high, and that’s the important thing. I’ll be back today to get food for the Hideaway feeding.
There’s a new bar in town: Jumpin’ Jacks. Well, it just reopened under new ownership on Friday. The old version catered to an elite crowd that doesn’t exist in Barretto (150 pesos for a beer is a no-go for most of us stingy expats), so it was no surprise that it closed in less than a year. We decided to pay a visit and see how we liked the new version.
The first thing we confirmed was that red wine was available. But when they wanted to charge 300 pesos a glass, I was ready to walk back out, but the manager offered us a discounted price, so we took our seats at the bar. Alas, they didn’t have San Mig Zero beer on offer, but I settled for a San Miguel Light instead. I told the bartender Zero was gaining in popularity, and she assured me they’d have some available the next time we visit. Swan and the manager had a lengthy discussion in Tagalog about wines, so I think they’ll be offering the low-cost Carlos Rossi (380 pesos a bottle at Royal) she likes when we return.
We’ll definitely be adding Jumpin’ Jacks to our bar rotation. The staff is friendly and customer-oriented. What we liked best was the music, a great selection of classic rock songs played at a reasonable volume on a quality sound system. We stayed longer than we intended because we enjoyed chillin’ in the ambiance and groovin’ to the tunes. I got to feeling generous, and bought the bartender and four customer-less waitresses lady drinks. Hey, that’s how I roll sometimes, and it helped make a slow night better for them.
The unexpected rainstorm also contributed to our decision to delay our departure.
We waited for a break in the rain and then were on our way to another relatively new venue that we’d never previously visited, Candy Bar. It’s next door to The Annex, and as we approached, a large group from the Ruck March was hanging out there. Naturally, we got dragged inside to join them.
The Annex is an open-air bar, so there’s no sneaking by.
It was good hanging out with the crowd, Candy Bar can wait for another day.
The next stop on the Ruck March barhop was Hot Zone. We tagged along and made that our last call of the day.
Another seldom-visited bar for us. This is by far the best dancing girl joint in Barretto. They had a pole dancer show that was amazing to see.
Hold on to your hats, but it was AFTER nine p.m. when we rolled out of Hot Zone and headed home. Another twist in the routine!
It is October 2009 in my journey through the LTG archives, where I wrote this post responding to criticism of Itaewon. Itaewon was transitioning then, and once the Yongsan Army base moved down south, the changes accelerated.
Nine years ago, I was in the Philippines visiting Maria for her birthday.
Happy birthday to you! We’ve stayed in touch via Facebook over the years. At one time, she used to read and comment here at LTG.
Here’s a post I wrote about my first (and last) experience in Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown.
We’ll check in with Reekay again for today’s YouTube video, where he discusses finding trustworthiness among women you date. I had some failures along the way, but I ultimately found my success. Oddly enough, I was friends with Swan through her charity work and knew she was trustworthy long before we became a couple.
Today’s effort to make you smile:
Well, better than getting kicked in the balls, I suppose.Well, when you put it like that, it all makes sense.There’s just no pleasing some people.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Sad to think that everyone is this video is likely dead now. Talk about twisted.
As days go, yesterday was nothing to write home about. So, I will blog about it instead. I had to take a pass on the Friday group hike because I had a follow-up appointment with the ophthalmologist. The bottom line (yep, I could read it) is that I now have 20/20 vision in both eyes. Sometimes, close up, like reading on my laptop, it gets a little blurry. The doc says the lenses in my eyes are for mid to long-range vision, but a pair of reading glasses should resolve that issue. So now I can see my way clear to a happy future, at least for as long as I might have left in this so-called life.
The only other thing I did yesterday was attend the SOB dance competition. Sorry to say, it has really gone to shit. These may be the final days for that long-running event. The big change since my previous attendance is that the Alaska Club has dropped out. Rumor has it that Alaska owner Jerry was pissed that only one of the other SOB bars participated in his recent 20th Anniversary celebration that included a dance competition. The SOB survived losing Hot Zone a couple of years ago, but Alaska has traditionally been one of the bars where the girls really worked on their performance, had fancy costumes, and put on an entertaining show. They will definitely be missed.
So, we are now down to five bars (there used to be eight) in the SOB lineup, and honestly, most of them don’t appear even to be trying. I’m not sure what the answer might be, but perhaps recruiting some new bars into the mix would help. We’ll see what happens, but this could be the end.
The Voodoo Bar team. I heard a rumor that Voodoo is going to be closing, so that would be one more nail in the SOB coffin.The Green Room team was entertaining. The others, not so much.The candle dancer with hot wax is always fun to watch. I’d never stick a lit candle in my mouth!
So, I drank my money’s worth of beer, spread some joy with cookies, lollipops, and lady drinks, then headed home at the end of the show. Will I be back? Que sera, sera.
By golly, I came upon the rare LTG post with substance during my stroll through the September 2009 archives. In it, I weighed in on the human trafficking controversy in a post called Juicy bars and prostitution.
The Filipina Pea is back with a new YouTube video during which she responds to questions submitted by her viewers. I could relate to the one about breastfeeding in public, something that is commonly seen here in the Philippines. Of course, I always politely turn my head, but it takes some getting used to. The Pea is always fun to watch as she shares her insights on issues with her unique Filipina perspectives.
Shit I think is funny:
A man and a woman are riding next to each other in first class on a plane. The woman sneezes, then takes a tissue and gently wipes it between her legs. The man isn’t sure he saw what she did, and decides he is probably hallucinating.
A few minutes pass. The woman sneezes again. She takes a tissue and gently wipes it between her legs. The man is about to go nuts. He can’t believe that he’s seeing what she’s doing.
A few more minutes pass. The woman sneezes yet again. She takes a tissue and gently wipes it between her legs yet again. The man has finally had all he can handle. He turns to the woman and says, “Three times you’ve sneezed, and three times you’ve taken a tissue and wiped it between your legs! What kind of signals are you sending me, or are you just trying to drive me crazy?”
The woman replies, ” I am sorry to have disturbed you, sir. I have a rare condition such that when I sneeze, I have an orgasm.” The man, now feeling bad, says, “Oh, I’m sorry. What are you taking for it?”
“Pepper,” she replies.
When I posted the above on Facebook, one of the female commenters asked, “Is it contagious?” That was as funny as the joke!
Don’t give me that song and dance.I used to be into Scrabble big time back in the day. Best of all, it didn’t require punctuation.
That’s all there was to it, and that’s all I have to say. For now!
That’s the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority or the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, also known as the old Navy Base.
Yeah, that’s it!
Anyway, Swan and I couldn’t decide where we might go for our Thursday hike, but we proceeded down to the highway anyway. I figured we’d grab a Jeepney, but I wasn’t sure which direction to go. When the moment of truth came, we headed towards Olongapo. We initially thought we’d get off near the Kalakalan gate at SBMA and then hike the beach back to Barretto. On the way there, I was trying to discern if the tide was high (which makes a beach walk more of a wade) when Swan declared, Why not just walk on SBMA? Yeah, why not? Hadn’t done that for a while.
So, off the Jeepney, through the gate as pictured above, and onto SBMA.
We are here.The driving range was, um, in full swing as we walked past.Cargo ships being loaded (or maybe unloaded).And on the other side of the bay, the old Hanjin Shipyard.Taking it all in.
Now, SBMA is unique in that laws are enforced, and things like littering aren’t tolerated. Sadly, the bay is full of crap from everywhere else, and when the tide recedes it leaves behind the trash it carries.
This was the beach yesterday. Most of the garbage is plastic bottles. A recycler could get rich here.
I didn’t see any straws, at least. I told Swan that almost nothing came in a plastic bottle when I was a child. Soft drinks were in glass bottles, and you were charged a deposit when you bought one (three cents each). Litter didn’t last long, because kids like me would go scavenging for bottles and cash them in for pocket money. Ah, an old man’s tales from the good ol’ days.
Another thing SBMA does that other jurisdictions don’t is that they use cleaning crews to clear the garbage off the beach.I’ll fly away…This was the main gate when the Spanish Navy was in charge of things.When we walked by, one of the groundskeepers was pummeling this snake with rocks. It was still alive, but barely.There are a significant number of folks who live on boats here.Fishing for something by hand…Swan said probably crabs.A big fancy church near where we exited SBMA. You could feed a lot of hungry people with the money spent building that edifice.Life on the river outside of SBMA.The way we went.
So, that’s how we spent our morning, but there was more sand and water to come as we made our way to Baloy Beach.
A rain-free day but the beach was still deserted.
I’m not sure what is happening on Baloy, but it had a ghost town vibe yesterday. We started things off with a beach walk to Kim’s Place. It was closed, but Kim was drinking at a table outside with some friends. He said he’d be ready to reopen on Monday for the Hash On-Home. Kim said there was no point in opening in uncertain weather.
Next, we went to Kokomo’s, which was closed as well. This was especially surprising because just a few days ago, I saw a post from Kokomo’s on Facebook saying that although the floating bar was gone now, the Tiki bar on the beach was open to serve you. Except it wasn’t. We checked with the receptionist at the front desk, and she said it closed because there were no customers. And now, when customers come, they aren’t open. That’s a self-defeating circle.
Not sure what is going on.
In our quest for something to drink, we continued on to Foxhole (aka DaKudo’s). Yay! They were open, although we were the only ones there except for the bartender/waitress, Nhel. She’s an old friend from Mango’s, so it was nice to say hello again.
The unobstructed view from our table.And we were finally able to quench our thirst!
When it was time to eat, we headed next door to Treasure Island. Not many customers, but it was fully staffed and felt like an oasis from the surrounding isolation.
The view from our perch.Beats drinking alone!I ordered chicken fajitas. I was confused when this plate was plopped down in front of me. A minute or two later, they brought the sizzling meat out. So, I unrolled the tortilla, filled it up with goodness, and enjoyed my meal.Swan ordered the beef stroganoff. She requested that the meat be served separately from the noodles. Just her style, I suppose.
As usual, we enjoyed our Treasure Island dining experience. When it was time to decide on a nightcap venue, we’d both had had enough of the desolate Baloy vibe. So, we grabbed a trike and headed into Barretto, getting out at Whiskey Girl.
Swan was excited to see Whiskey Girl was hiring, but then I reminded her that taking care of me is a full-time job.
We don’t come here often, and the last couple of times they didn’t have wine. I verified that red wine was in stock before we were seated. Our regular waitress, Kim, was there to serve us and enjoyed the bounty of my lady drink generosity. Kim lives on our Sunday Candy Walk route, so her kids are also always happy to see us.
We were the best (and only) customers at Whiskey Girl. Thanks for taking care of us, Kim.
I guess it is not just Baloy; there are not many tourists around this time of year, and for whatever reason, the expats haven’t been out in force either. Well, I’m doing my best to keep the bars in business, but there is only so much one man can do.
During our outing last evening, I kept getting messages from one of the bargirls I know. When she told me she needed help with the rent, I put her in ignore mode. I don’t get the mentality of why someone I’m barely acquainted with thinks I should give her money. In this case, I know her sister has a foreigner boyfriend, so why not ask her? My charity budget is maxed out helping folks with important stuff like medical expenses and tuition. I hate to seem Scrooge-like, but random bargirls just aren’t my priority these days. Yeah, there was a time when I might have done one of those “transactional” arrangements, but those days are gone now.
My bargirl acquaintance must have read this book.
I’ve progressed to September 2009 in the LTG archives, and I enjoyed reading this post about my best Labor Day ever again.
Some Facebook memories from this day in history:
One year ago, we were enjoying the special vibe of the now-closed Kon-Tiki beach bar.Will I ever enjoy a Kon-Tiki Kahuna burger again?Nine years ago, I was a tourist on Samal Island here in the Philippines and found a place where I was not welcome.The purpose of my trip was to visit MJ, a gal I had met online. I provided the funding for that print shop she opened. The business lasted longer than our relationship.We are still friends on Facebook, though.
Today’s YouTube video is a travel documentary revealing some “unseen facts” about the Philippines. I found it interesting, perhaps you will, too.
And now for the funny business:
A Frenchman, an Italian, and a Texan were discussing lovemaking.
“Last night I made love to my wife three times,” boasted the Frenchman. “She was in sheer ecstasy this morning.”
“Ah, last night I made love to my wife six times,” the Italian responded, “And this morning she made me a wonderful omelet and told me she could never love another man.”
When the Texan remained silent, the Frenchman smugly asked, “And how many times did you make love to your wife last night?”
“Once,” he replied.
“Only once?” the Italian arrogantly snorted.
“What did she say to you this morning?” asked the Italian.
“Don’t stop,” said the Texan.
I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.
I asked my girl if she wanted Bangkok, and she told me no. So, I said Phuket.Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.
After a one-week hiatus, the Wednesday Walkers reconvened for an outing yesterday. Granted, it was flat and mostly paved, but it was good to get together once more on a 7K journey.
This week’s iteration of the Wednesday Walkers.The Matain River was still running high.Boats on the bayLiving on the waterYou talkin’ to me?A brief respite from the pavement resulted in wet feet for all.We don’t come this way often, but the ladies were waiting for their biscuits (that’s what they call cookies in these parts).I wouldn’t eat anything found swimming in this water.Thirty-three is way too soon to go.Still going strong at forty-one.The streets in this neighborhood were still flooded. Wet feet again.Swan wanted a cheat day.I think she’s in love with Jollibee.
It rained again in the afternoon, but that didn’t stop us from heading out under umbrellas at beer o’clock. We confined ourselves to The Maze, visiting Sloppy Joe’s, Alaska, and Green Room. The usual good time was had, and then another day came to an end.
I’ve moved on to August 2009 in the journey through the LTG archives. I discovered that nearly all my posts were about politics (the Obamacare shit was hitting the fan) or darts. And you thought the content these days sucked! But the post about the farewell party for my pal Dave New was worthy of inclusion in The Story of My Life. Seeing the old Itaewon crew again in the photos made me once more realize how fleeting friendships truly are, at least they have been in my life. C’est la vie.
Coincidentally, I posted this three years ago on Facebook:
Sad, but true.
Welp, life’s a beach, so embrace it!
Four years ago, I took my favorite beach shot. The sunset was icing on the cake.
If you have a couple of minutes, this YouTube video from Smart Girl Philippines is worth your time. I thought it was funny how she says it’s always the woman’s fault. I will say her points about the “crab mentality” in Filipino culture are valid. I try to stay away from drama, but there is a fair amount of it currently taking place amongst the Hash womenfolk.
Time for a little humor (very little, some might say):
Saw an ad on eBay once for a French Army rifle: “Never fired. Dropped once.”Just a little comic relief.Women and men are different that way.
And now we are done for today.
For some reason, I posted a link to this song on Facebook ten years ago. I reckon it’s time to give it another listen:
