At this stage of my life, the last thing I want to be doing is dealing with drama queens. That’s one of the factors that makes it hard for me to get involved in a serious romantic relationship. I don’t know why, but Filipinas seem especially adept at stirring up shit by trash-talking about their fellow Filipinas. This seems to be especially blatant among the Hash gals. Why they feel the need to tear each other down is difficult to understand but it happens so frequently here there is even a name for it: crab mentality.
In other news, Maris posted on Facebook that she is looking for someone to take over the Kitchenette. Says she is “tired”. Well, it is her business and she can do what she wants, but I can’t help but feel disappointed by this decision. For me, it is yet another example of how difficult it is to help lift someone up and provide an opportunity for a better life. She said having a canteen was her dream, I assumed she’d be willing to work for it. Anyway, I made the investment in her, and once again my judgment has proven to be faulty. At least I tried.
I got drafted to be a substitute on my old dart league team this afternoon. One of the players (yep, a Filipina) just up and left without warning or notice. I really don’t like playing in the league, primarily because of the 2:00 start time, but my old mates were desperate so here I go.
What else? Well, I guess the FWB program has run its course. I was down to one member anyway. She has a young daughter that got a dog bite and needed the rabies vaccination. Of course, she didn’t have money and requested my help. I was glad to do so and asked for nothing in return. It felt good to be back in that mode. I’m going to return to doing selective charity and saying “no” when I don’t feel the circumstances warrant my intervention. I’ll keep my personal wants and needs separate. Another lesson learned.
I had lunch in Seoul yesterday. The Seoul restaurant on the old Navy base, I mean. Took the 23-year-old I’ve been goofing with and her sister along to celebrate the sister’s birthday. Had dakgangjeong, samgyeopsal, bulgogi, and some sides like kimchi, spicy cucumber, and macaroni salad. It was all excellent. I’m kind of losing interest in the young gal though. Just not feeling it, so why waste my time?
Well, I reckon that’s enough drama for one post, don’t you?
UPDATE: I visited Whiskey Girl last night (a Tuesday a little before 6 p.m.), and things have taken a real change for the better. There’s new management and ownership, for one thing. The bar features some dancers now, too. In fact, they will be hosting this SOB this weekend. Almost everything I complained about in the post below has been rectified. The girls were attentive and friendly; several joined me at my table. No one hassled me for a drink, though, and I only bought lady drinks for my “favorite” and my waitress. The music was classic rock and played at a volume that allowed conversation. I wouldn’t rate the beauty of the girls as better than average overall, but there were a couple of cuties. My favorite is no beauty queen at forty years old, but she has a very nice personality and is good company. That is what appeals to me. It just goes to show that I bar I had ranked in last place at one point is now ranked much higher. Good job to all involved.
That’s Jen. She gets my jokes and is fun to hang out with. I’ll be back just to enjoy her company again.
Whiskey Girl is one of the newer bars in town. I visited once when it first opened, saw that it was just a typical juicy bar, and never returned. Until last night. I’d finished darts a little earlier than normal, so I figured I’d pop in to do a quick review for my Bars of Barretto series. I was the only customer, and it was one beer and out for me.
Only about five gals working, and none of them caught my eye as being particularly attractive. On the plus side, there was no “buy me a drink” pressure, but on the other hand, I might have enjoyed a little company. Normally, a girl will at least sit down nearby so you can chat if you want, but not last night. One girl did ask me if I wanted to play billiards, I said not tonight, and she walked away.
I’m not a pool player but this appears to be a nice enough setup.
The music was blaring, almost to the point of being painful. What was painful was the Eminem rap music. I’m not sure what crowd there are going for in this bar, but the demographics of the Barretto expats (basically old white guys) make me think this would not be their preferred playlist. Granted, I didn’t ask that the volume be lower, ed or the selections be altered, so that’s on me, I suppose.
It appears they may occasionally do a live acoustic music show, probably on the weekends. I didn’t ask because there was no one paying me any attention.
Meanwhile, at the bar:
It is really not a bar, or at least not a bar intended for customer seating.
There was one pleasant surprise, though, my beer was only 55 pesos. That is the lowest price I’ve seen anywhere in town. Hell, even Cheap Charlies charges 60.
Anyway, I’d say the bar has potential, but it appears to be poorly managed at best. If you are going to be a juicy bar, get some attractive girls who are also friendly. If you want to be a hangout for people who like cheap beer and pool, promote those aspects. When I left Whiskey Girl last night, I went next door to the Out Back bar–it was packed with pool players. Same thing with the music; tailor it to the customer’s tastes and turn down the volume. A talented acoustic guitar player might work too.
Absent some major operational changes; I doubt I will be returning to Whiskey Girl anytime soon.
Yesterday’s Hash trail was surprisingly difficult. The Hare, Leech My Nuggets, had described the first climb as “only a hump”. I was expecting an easy hill but was reminded that some people call getting fucked a hump. So, yeah, that was quite a humping we had there. The alleged purpose of the hump was to avoid the flooded rice paddies in the valley. We accomplished that for the most part but there was still plenty of water flowing along the way. Well, I don’t suppose a walk in the park would be a proper anniversary Hash, now would it? Happy 28th to the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers!
There was a long and a short trail. My group did the short trail but added 2.6K by walking to the start rather than riding the truck.Our “sane” group. Not pictured is Pubic Head who is taking the picture.Leaving Alta Vista.On-On!Don’t give me that look!That’s the “hump” that proved surprisingly difficult.Thank goodness we were on the “dry” trail…One of several stream crossings.Heading up.Pubic Head humping it…The pause that refreshes.Water, water, everywhere!Greetings to you, Easter mountain!Going down at last.The Hare, to his credit, had brought his bolo and whacked down some thatch grass to give us a trail we could see.Making our way through the burning valley.Beauty……and the beast.On-Home at the Alta Vista community center.78 Hashers in attendance for the anniversary run, including visitors from Angeles, Manila, and Puerto Galera.The Subic Bay Hash House Harriers.Things are looking up.
Actually, they aren’t. But more on that another day.
Whoo boy! Earning my keep as the assistant to the Beer Meister meant lugging ice chests and cases of beer down the stairs at the Alta Vista clubhouse at 0730 in preparation for today’s Subic Anniversary Hash. Already sweating like a pig and haven’t even started the trail yet. Will be leaving for that adventure at 1100 so wanted to get in a quick post while I can.
Yesterday’s outing with the Angeles City Corona Hashers was a bit of a fiasco. My group shortcut the first crazy climb and avoided a dreaded creekbed walk that featured ropes to enable climbing over rocks. No thank you! What was surprising was as we were walking the remainder of the trail we encountered several groups of non-short cutters walking the trail in reverse. It seems they took a wrong turn at the top of the first climb and just winged it from there. Oh well, shit happens.
I thought the hike as we performed it was pleasant enough, around 4K and no major obstacles to overcome. I was surprised to find out that the Corona Hash Grandmaster, Egghead, paid for all the beer and food for the Hashers in attendance. That set him back a pretty penny for sure. The Pub supplied the tacos and they were excellent. The only problem for me is when these events commence so early in the day I’m wiped out before the sun goes down. More of that in my immediate future I’m afraid. I’m sure the other Hashers would tell me to “suck it up, buttercup”, so that’s what I’ll do.
A few pictures from yesterday’s outing:
Gathering forces at the VFW…And we are off!It seemed to be a well-marked trail. I think the confusion must have been from a lack of attention and then everyone following the leader.Up we go…My group chose the more moderate uphill climb.A nice view of Easter mountain…The thatch grass is still in full flower...On-On!Coming down…Steep in places…Doing the laundry country-styleTurns out they didn’t lead to heaven after all.Howdy cowboy! Hangin’ out at the On-Home Bella Monte hotel.I’d call it a cockfight, but somehow that doesn’t seem right…
That’s all I’ve got time for this morning. A report on today’s Hash tomorrow!
The view from my table at Blue Rock was the best part of my “date” yesterday.
Things just didn’t click with the older gal I met for lunch. That’s the way it goes sometimes. She looked better in her pictures than she did in person (at least with clothes on) but the reality for me was that I was just not feeling any kind of connection with her. I don’t expect there will be a second date. She’s still messaging me though so maybe I didn’t adequately convey my lack of interest.
I’ll be Hashing with the Angeles City group today. The On-Home is an old hotel across the street from Sit-n-Bull called the Bella Monte. I’d never even been inside there before, but yesterday I helped the Beer Meister move a dozen of cases of beer, five ice chests, and assorted soft drinks, from my house to the hotel’s poolside. It looks like it will be a good venue.
Speaking of Sit-n-Bull, it was just announced they are moving up the street to the vacant space the Lollipop bar used to occupy. Apparently, the landlord at the current location thought it would be a good idea to raise the rent during these troubled times. That didn’t work out for him. Good luck to Ron and his crew in their new home.
Tomorrow is the 28th Anniversary of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers and I’ve got the shirt to prove it:
The front……and the back.
That’s it from here this morning. Don’t miss my review of Dynamite Dick’s bar in the preceding post. Back with more tomorrow.
You’ll have a blast at Dynamite Dick’s! Yes, that’s an explosive pun, I hope it didn’t bomb. Alright, I’ll lower the boom and get on with the latest bar review.
Dick’s is rather unique among the bars of Barretto. I’d definitely put it in the “neighborhood pub” category, frequented by a regular crowd of locals who are served by a friendly staff and treated to the wit and witticism of the owner and bar’s namesake, Dick. The bar opens earlier than any other bar I know, around 7:00 a.m. It always trips me out when I go by on a morning walk and see folks having a beer for breakfast. It also closes early–6:30 p.m. last night. The bar has two or three waitresses on duty and that’s what they are there for–to serve food and beverages to the customers. They will gladly accept a drink offer but can’t entertain you like the girls in the juicy bars do.
About the only time I ever visit Dick’s is after one of our Wednesday/Friday hikes. The distance from my house and early closing is not convenient for me, but that said, I do enjoy the times I’m there.
I always sit at the outside table and enjoy watching the highway traffic and passerby.
I’m sitting in the owner’s chair in that photo above. That’s where Dick routinely holds court. He served in Vietnam with the Marine Corps and also was stationed here in the Philippines back in the 1970s. He’s always got stories and jokes to keep his customers entertained. He also routinely provides the table with a drink on the house. It’s a good time when Dick is holding court.
The bar features a limited menu, but it’s always good. The clam chowder is especially tasty.
The only time I ever go inside the actual bar is to use the CR. Let’s take a look:
Kind of an old-school look and feel…No pool or darts, just a place to hang out and drink.There is nothing PC about Dick’s.
It’s a good bar and a fun place to hang out, especially if you are a morning/early in the day drinker. Despite the fact that I don’t fit that demographic much, it’s always nice to be entertained by the owner. Even though he is a Dick. *ahem*
It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a darts post. Then again, it’s been quite a while since I’ve played. I threw pretty well for a guy who hasn’t even touched his arrows in over two weeks. One thing I have noticed is that those players dedicated and motivated enough to play often and practice have really improved their game. Nancy is a prime example of that. She destroyed me in our first-round match dispatching me to the loser’s bracket. There was a time when I pretty much owned Nancy when it came to darts. I wasn’t playing bad though and fought my way back to meet Nancy once again in the finals. This is a double-elimination format tourney, so I had to beat Nancy twice to be champion. Our first match in the finals was a hard-fought and closely played battle that went all three legs before I finally prevailed.
So, there we were. Nancy had beat me once early in the tourney and I had beat her once here at the end. One more match to play to see who was going to take home first place money (500 pesos for 1st, 200 for 2nd). I was tired and hungry and didn’t care about winning or losing at this point. So I suggested to Nancy that we call it a tie and split the first and second place money 50-50. She agreed and so that is what we did.
Everybody’s a winner!
One of the irritating side effects of whatever this is that ails me is that I frequently have a runny nose. It’s a little embarrassing to have someone hand me a napkin and indicate I’ve got a visible booger on my face. I decided to take some proactive action to rectify this situation last night:
Oddly enough, people seemed to prefer seeing the snot instead of the tissue. Go figure.
I had a “date” yesterday with a sweet 23-year-old. She’s a sexy girl, but damn, she’s so young it makes me feel a little creepy being around her. This afternoon I’m doing a first-time meet-up with a 43-year-old. She looks pretty good in the pictures she sent me:
I’m hoping to see more of her soon.
I’ll be sure to update y’all as things develop. Gonna be a busy weekend with Hash events, including a trail that starts at noon tomorrow. Stay tuned!
I’ve received some interesting feedback on my most recent FWB post. A commenter noted it seemed a lot like prostitution with a different name. Another reader emailed me some links about the actual human trafficking law in the Philippines and provided some commentary and analysis on how the law is implemented. It is certainly a law I do not want or intend to violate. Prison and/or deportation are not consistent with my life’s goals.
I think I’ve muddied the waters with my own sloppy writing. To clarify, FWB is not and was not intended to be about sex for money. I came up with the idea of friends helping friends in response to getting besieged with requests for financial assistance from people in need. I would help when and where I could, but I couldn’t help everyone all the time. So it seemed natural to choose to help the ones who were also willing to help me. My needs are pretty simple and basic. I enjoy some companionship now and then and I’m always up for a nice massage. I have girls join me on my hikes sometimes and some have been quite handy with massages. To me, that’s a win-win. Fulfilling each other’s needs created a comfortable relationship-like bond with some of my FWBs, a girlfriend experience without all the baggage. While in some cases things have become physical, there was never any coercion or other enticement–it was just what happens naturally between two consenting adults who care about one another. I hope that sets the record straight. If I wanted to pay for sex I’d make it easy on myself and hire a prostitute from one of the bars where they work. That’s just not my thing.
Alright then, everything else is pretty much the same as every other day around here. Did the bar visit at Outback (see the previous post) to start my evening, then did the pork chop dinner at Mango’s.
And I had this nice sunset for dessert. Yum!
A few more beers at Cheap Charlies then called it a night.
I’m feeling a little better I guess. One indicator is I started craving my vape last night. I resisted the urge, but the fact that I wanted to fill my lungs with water vapor again must be a good sign. On the other hand, I bailed on the group hike this morning. Just wasn’t feeling it. I was the only old slow fuck who showed up today and I fell behind on the flat ground where I can usually keep up. Once the climb started I knew I just didn’t have it in me today. Oh well.
It’s going to be a Hashy weekend. The Corona Hashers are in town from Angeles City for an outstation event. They are doing a bar crawl tomorrow and a run on Sunday. I plan to attend the Sunday event at least. Monday is the Subic Hash 28th Anniversary run.
Yeah, I’ll be getting a new Hash shirt in honor of the occasion.
The Hash Beer Meister is out of town, so I’ve volunteered my carport as a storage place for our beer supply.
And we’ll be drinking some beer it appears!
In completely unrelated news, a friend posted this meme about how McDonald’s has changed in old age:
She’s a youngster in her 20s. I shared with her how McDonald’s looked when I was a kid:
Everything changes…
Alright then, back to the real world for me. I’ll be back with an update on my so-called life tomorrow.
I don’t speak Australian so I had to look up billabong. I reckon you’d be likely to find one somewhere in the great outback. I have no idea why they made “outback” two words on the sign though. Anyway, the bar is part of an Australian-owned boutique hotel. It is one of the newest places in town, and although I’ve never stayed there, I’ve heard good things about the rooms. The bar is very nice, clean, and modern as well. I’m not sure why I don’t come here more often.
I got there early yesterday, around 5:00, and was told I was the first customer of the day (they open at 3:00). I was the only customer during the length of my two beer visit. There appeared to be about a dozen girls working, or at least waiting to work, along with my friend Bhel, the bartender. No lady drink pressure at all which I always appreciate.
The bar features at least six televisions, some quite large, showing sporting events, music videos, and the like.And of course, the requisite pool table.This couch-like seating area is pretty unique and looks quite comfortable.
Like most bars in town, Outback is struggling for customers. There are just not enough expats around to support the bar infrastructure. I understand that weekend hotel guests (usually from Manila) at least help fill some of that void. But until foreign tourists are once again allowed back in the country, the hard times are destined to continue.
As nice as the indoor bar is, my favorite place to be is outside the back door:
At the poolside bar. I used to come here much more frequently than I do now, but last night reminded me what I’ve been missing.Like this beach view.The pool is nice too.
This is a fine venue that seems ready and able to cater to whatever your bar preferences may be: Pretty young women to drink with you? Got ’em. Live sporting events on TV? Yep. Alcoholic beverages at a fair price? Only 70 pesos a beer. Open-air facilities? Yes, life’s a beach! It really is a great bar and has earned the top spot (so far) in my rankings.
Capistrano Falls that is. The Wednesday Walkers changed things up yesterday and had ourselves trucked out to the end of the road in Gordon Heights, Olongapo. Then we hoofed it up the mountain and down to the falls. A short, but challenging walk there and back again. The falls were certainly impressive enough, much more so than I’ve seen on previous excursions to so-called waterfalls. I’ve got some photos of the journey to share with you:
Up and down.Let’s get started!Crossing the creek…Up we go!Through the woods.Where’s John? (I was taking the picture…)Near the top of the climb we encountered the construction of some powerline towers.If you look closely you can see the workers clinging near the top. Damn, what a job!A bit further on we came to a recently completed tower. Impressive.Another view…I liked this tree. It was covered in red flowers on top. My poor photography didn’t do it justice.We came upon this abandoned house. Literally in the middle of nowhere. No roads, no power, nothing. Quality concrete construction and several rooms. The how and why it got there would be an interesting story I bet...Hey, look! It’s a waterfall!Betty enjoying the cooling spray…You can see how high this one was…not Jim, the waterfall.A much-needed shower!Water, water, everywhere!Ha! That’s the kind of falls I was expecting based on past experience.Alright, time to head back to the truck.You coming, Betty?I haven’t seen that much grass since high school…Another mountain view…We just reversed course and went back the way we came…Lunchtime at the construction site.Back to the outskirts of civilization.Across the bridge to the road…Thanks for having us!Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin’, we’re gonna do what they say can’t be done...This post is standing tall and proud. Hope you enjoyed it!
Until last week, this bar was called Dive In. Not that you would know it by the signage.
Hideaway is aptly named, it’s not easy to find. It is situated mid-way down an alley off the highway, but other than the wall mural above, there is no signage. So, unless you just happened to look in the alley as you passed by you’d never even know there was a bar located here.
As seen from the highway. That small green sign is the bar entrance.
I’m sure most patrons of the bar discovered the place by word-of-mouth and perhaps more than any other drinking establishment in town, it has a neighborhood pub feel about it. Think Cheers.
I’m far from a regular here, in large part because Hideaway is 2,344 steps away from my house. I pass by so many other places along the way that I rarely make it this far down the highway. Oh, and as a side note, as I do these bar reviews I’ll be doing furthest/closest alternations, eventually finishing somewhere in the middle. Bet you can’t wait for that!
Alright, as mentioned above, the bar was sold last week to a long-time bar manager from Angeles City named Griff. He wasn’t there last night when I was, so I haven’t met him yet. No idea what changes, if any, he has in mind from the Dive In concept. Despite my limited past patronage, I was recognized by one of the customers, Wayne, the fiance of my ex-crush, Jessa. He seems to be a really nice guy and I’m happy for her. Jessa was actually the reason for most of my past visits to this bar. The only current employee I know there now is Ken (a female), but she was leaving just as I arrived.
Let’s go inside, shall we?
The front door isn’t particularly welcoming. I’m surprised there’s not a password to keep the non-regulars out.Inside the front door on the lower level is a nice pool table. Used to play with Jessa occasionally. Yeah, I miss her.Two or three steps up is the main bar area featuring a pretty nice darts setup.My side of the bar. I was shy about photographing the customers across from me.
So, a neighborhood pub where all the regulars know each other. Good music playing and the customers can request whatever songs they want to hear. Drinking companions are available if you so desire, and the lady drinks are comparatively inexpensive at 150 pesos. A cutie named Rose eventually came and sat down next to me, but I was already preparing to leave. My beer was also fairly priced at 70 pesos.
There is really nothing not to like about Hideaway. Since I didn’t know anyone other than Wayne across the bar, I wasn’t really engaged in the “regulars” banter taking place. Drank my two beers, listened to the music, missed Jessa, then called the bartender over to pay my tab. I handed him a 500 peso note for a 140 peso bill and he didn’t have change. Apparently, no one else in the bar did either. I saw him send one of the gals out with a 1000 peso bill, but she returned a couple of minutes without change. Then the bartender left the bar while I sat there waiting. And waiting.
Nothing to do but take a selfie while I waited. I think this pretty accurately captures my mood.
The bartender eventually returned with my change and apologized for the delay, explaining that everyone had been paying with large bills. Okay, it happens. I’m sure I’ll find my way back to Hideaway at some point in the future.
Hey, I just had a thought. I ought to start ranking the bars in my order of personal preference as I do these reviews. Why not? Here’s where we are thus far:
Sadly, I had to terminate another participant in my FWB program. Her crime? Excessive begging. Pestering me for money several times a week pretty much defeats the whole purpose of being an FWB. It’s a big turn-off for me and destroys the illusion of having a mutually beneficial relationship.
This gal was the nearest inductee into FWB and the warning signs were there pretty much from the beginning. I decided to give her a chance though. Then last week she kept after me to let her come over. I told her I wasn’t feeling well so it was a no-go. Then she asked for an “advance” on her next payment saying she lacked funds to feed her kids. I agreed to advance her 1000 pesos. On Monday she again started sending numerous messages wanting to get together. I was Hashing and couldn’t respond right away, but she went into the whole litany of her financial emergencies and begged me to let her come over. Tuesday is usually a good day for me to do an FWB hookup, so I eventually responded accordingly. Then she started in with a whole new line of begging–pleading with me to not deduct the advance I had given her last week. That’s when I knew it wasn’t going to work. When she arrived at my door on Tuesday, I handed her 3000 pesos and told her it was her severance pay. She didn’t understand what that meant, so I explained to her that I wasn’t responsible for supporting all of her needs and I didn’t want any more of her drama in my life. She just stared at me, still not comprehending, so I bluntly stated “I don’t want to see you anymore.” She nodded and left.
I’m not heartless and I did feel bad about it. But I’m not going to live my life being hounded by parasites. She’s the third one (out of four) that I’ve had to terminate for similar reasons. So, yes, perhaps my FWB idea is not as practical as I thought it might be. I’m meeting up with a new candidate on Friday and we’ll see how that goes. I may need to come up with a brand new plan.
I attended a birthday gathering at the Kitchenette last evening. Turned out to be quite fun. I know the birthday gal from darts, but I’m otherwise not that well acquainted with her. She’s become a regular at the Kitchenette though and she generously sprang for two cases of beer which made for a festive evening. Sadly, it was also a “bon voyage” party as she will be joining her boyfriend in Sweden next week. Good luck and best wishes to you, Beng.
The birthday gal.Some of her friends.Party food.
And that was my day. It could be worse, I could be this guy:
As seen on PowerLine: How long can the charade of “President” Joe Biden go on before senior officials in Washington start to chat amongst themselves about how to end it? This 14-second video below shows Biden trying to talk over the band that has started to play, and DOCTOR Jill Biden walking quickly up to him to stop the embarrassment. It sounds like she says “Look at me,” following which the “President” begins to wander off aimlessly and looking confused.
I don’t want to downplay the gravity of the situation, but yesterday’s Hash trail did not result in my downfall. It could have been pure luck I suppose because the going got steep on the downhill run, and yet I somehow managed to keep my feet despite the efforts of Mick Jaggar and Keith Richards to undermine me. If you get my meaning.
Anyhoo, for the most part, I enjoyed the trail. We started on the familiar backstreets of Barretto, did a challenging but moderate climb I’d done before, and then took a new way down that I reckon I will never voluntarily try again. Finished with a stroll through Marian Hills, then up to Alta Vista, and concluded our hike on Baloy Beach at our On-Home venue, Da’ Kudos.
Hopefully, the photographs will tell the story better than I can:
A 7K trail, one major up and one hellacious down. Our sane group shaved about a kilometer off towards the end, mostly to save time–all the runners who started after we did had already passed us by. The street walking was easy enough–no ifs, ands, or butts about it.And then we started the climb.Longish, but not too steep.Except if you are an old geezer with failing lungs. But truthfully, I felt alright on trail yesterday for the most part.Show off!Can we play too?And then the downhill from hell. Or was it to hell? You can see some of those Rolling Stones I mentioned earlier.Doggy Style didn’t seem to have any trouble. But then, he has four legs.Defying gravity.Almost down.Made it!Some of the proud survivors…All in a day’s hike.Then a stroll through Marian Hills……then back up into Alta Vista.Our Hash circle on Baloy Beach.Brothers in arms.And so concluded another Hash day.
Also the closest bar to my house, a mere 1,338 steps away. Queen Victoria is on the National Highway near Baloy Beach Road and the border to Subic town. It’s also one of the largest bars in town with a big room in the back where the live music is performed. The front half of the bar features a pool table and two dartboards. It is fully staffed with attractive and thirsty waitresses, but I have never encountered any “buy me a drink” pressure from them.
When Queen Victoria first opened, I was a semi-regular there. The owner is a Brit (big surprise, huh?) and it was a nice place to chill and chuck some darts. In fact, I was planning to host a weekly tournament there. That didn’t wind up happening due to circumstances beyond my control. The owner returned to the UK shortly before the pandemic travel restrictions hit and the bar has not fared well since his departure. I’m honestly surprised it has managed to stay in business at all. I was the only customer on a recent Saturday night and I could hear the band in the back warming up. I’m thinking “why?” and “how much are they paying for live music no one will hear?”. I personally don’t really enjoy loud bands in a bar. It’s tolerable at Queen Vic because they play in a separate room. Just not my thing but I know others like the live shows.
Sorry the photo came out so dark. That’s the band stage in a room that would likely seat up to 100 people comfortably. We’ve been using Queen Victoria as an occasional Hash venue in this room as well.The pool table area. Queen Vic participates in the pool league and there was some type of tournament taking place during my visit.A nice darts setup, the only downside being the CR is in the corner on the left. People going for a pee and walking through a game in progress can be a bit distracting.
So, bottom line is that Queen Victoria is a friendly place and has the potential to be a whole lot better. Hopefully, that will happen when the absentee owner is allowed to return to the Philippines.
In the meantime, I’ll drop in on occasion for that last beer before heading home.
The view from my breakfast table at Harley’s this morning.Tit for tat, the breast pancakes in town!
I guess that shows you where my mind is at. No big surprise there, though.
So, it’s Hash Monday which means breakfast is about all I have to post about today. I did get the first “Bars of Barretto” entry completed, you can scroll down to the next post to read about Redz Pub.
I also come across a new way to burn calories:
I don’t recommend this method though.
And while we are on the subject, I couldn’t help but think of Kevin Kim and his quest to lose weight on his cross country hikes when I saw this one:
I most DEFINITELY do not recommend this method either!
So, here we go with the first bar in the “Bars of Barretto” series. Redz is located the furthest distance from where I live–2,393 steps away, around a 30-minute walk. That’s one of the reasons I’m almost never patronizing Redz–too many distractions between here and there. In fact, this visit was the first since the pandemic bullshit first started. Back then the bar was called Red Baron. I don’t know if ownership changed or just the name. I wasn’t really a fan of Red Baron either. When I’d venture all the way out to the Arizona Resort it was to visit the floating bar. Now that I think about it, I most frequently drank in this bar when I was a tourist staying at Arizona. Back then it was called Score bar and it was a fun hangout. I mentioned it in my trip report here from September 2016.
My then-girlfriend Eun Oke was quite popular with the bargirls at Score Bar. Of course, she bought (and I paid) them all drinks, so what’s not to like?
My, how times have changed. I’m not sure what I was expecting to find at Redz, but those vibes from happier days were nowhere to be found. I was a little surprised to be greeted by name when I first entered. Turns out the bartender (I can’t remember her name) used to be a waitress on the floating bar back in those carefree times. There’s always a familiar face to be found in my little town it seems. We chatted briefly and she introduced me to her cute little assistant working behind the bar. I snapped this picture of the pool table area:
Nice enough venue–clean and modern. Also saw a dartboard. Two other customers at one table and twelve or so bargirls.
I wanted to get more photos, including the gals behind the bar but was told photography is not allowed. You know, I understand that posting photos on social media of violations of COVID protocols can be a problem, but the bar was practically empty and no such violations were taking place. So not being able to document my visit was a bit of a buzz killer.
I’m not exactly sure how I would characterize the type of bar this is. They call it a pub, so I guess that’s the genre they are going for. But a room full of bargirls also suggests they are striving for girly bar status. This seemed to be confirmed when the bartender suggested I buy her assistant a lady drink. I declined to do so, pointing out that if I’m not even allowed to take a picture I didn’t see the point in buying her a drink.
I looked at my drink chit and saw that my beer was 110 pesos ($2.20) which is among the most expensive bars in town. I’d say the average price of a beer in Barretto is 80 pesos, and I’ve seen it as cheap as 65. Given the chilly atmosphere (especially after I declined to buy a lady drink) I decided to make this a one beer and out visit.
Sorry there is not something meatier to share in this first bar report. Suffice to say, I found nothing at Redz that would warrant a return visit anytime soon.
I ventured out to the far side of Barretto last evening to visit Redz Pub. It will be the first bar featured in the “Bars of Barretto” series. Since I was on that side of town anyway, and the girls at Marick’s bar had been hinting about wanting tacos, I stopped by The Coffee Shop, a local restaurant said to have the best tacos in town. I don’t know about that, but they are certainly the biggest.
I got take-out for the girls, but this photo from their website gives you an idea of the size.
I didn’t have one last night, but my past experience was along the lines of bigger doesn’t make better. But, lots of people think otherwise apparently. They were really busy last night, and I was the only non-Filipino there. Service really sucked and I wondered if maybe my white skin wasn’t welcome. Ah well, I got my order and left.
So, I delivered four tacos, two hard and two soft, to Marick’s. There were four girls working last night, although Marick didn’t come in until later. They all shared one and had some rice (naturally) on the side. Whatever rocks your boat.
This is how I roll at Marick’s.And that’s who I roll with.
Now, my style is to enjoy my beer and provide lady drinks to the gal who is taking care of me. Occasionally I will treat two girls if I am the only customer. So, last night it was the cutie pictured above who was helping to empty my wallet. A couple of other customers came in during the course of my visit, and one of them bought a lady drink for one of the other girls. Later, when I was once again the solitary customer, I ordered another round for me and “my” girl. She pointed to her co-worker sitting on the other side of me and whispered, “what about her?” I shrugged and said, I’m only buying one lady drink–you decide who gets it. She came back with the drink and kept it for herself. That gave me a smile, generosity only goes so far I guess. Anyway, the other girl was the only one who hadn’t gotten a drink all night and she had half-assedly rubbed my back a little, so I told her to get herself a drink.
Then the owner, who had recently arrived, pointed to the other two girls and said “what about them?” And I lost it and went off on her. “What about them?” I loudly exclaimed. “I’ve been here buying drinks all night. I brought the girls food. Why is it my responsibility to buy every girl in the bar a drink?” She backed down immediately, but she had chilled my buzz. I finished my drink and left. Not sure when or if I’ll be back. The thing I hate most in the bar experience is getting drink pressure. It usually comes from one of the girls “please buy me drink” which is irritating enough. But to have the bar owner try and shame me into buying drinks was just over the top.
So, I guess this is a good time to talk about the various types of bars you’ll see in the Bars of Barretto series. Almost all the bars go with the “lady drink” option–you buy a drink for your waitress or “guest relations officer”, and she provides company during your bar visit. The only exceptions I can think of here in Barretto would be the hotel restaurant bars. A bar with lady drinks is pretty much a win-win for the bar and the girl. The drinks are usually around 200 pesos each, and the girl gets half of that as commission. As I understand it, some bars have drink quotas and failure to achieve that goal results in a reduction of the daily salary, which might only be 200 pesos ($4.) to begin with. Yeah, that’s fucked up. But that’s the system that is in place and that’s why I try to be somewhat generous when I can.
Within the bar universe, you have what I call regular bars. Just a place to go and have a drink, chat with friends, listen to music, or whatever else eases your mind, including the attentions of a lovely bar girl. The sports bars fall into this category as well, offering live games from back home, be it rugby, football, soccer, or cricket. I’m a regular in the regular type bars.
Another type of venue that is popular used to be called “go-go” bars, and they featured a stage with scantily clad dancing girls. Under the current pandemic rules, bars are not allowed to have dancers on stage, so these establishments have been especially hard hit. Nowadays the gals just sit around on stage like eye candy, waiting for some lucky guy to call them down for a drink or two. I liked them a lot better back in the old days.
And so what category does that leave? Ah, prostitution bars. Well, technically they do not exist. I did a lengthy post on Juicy Bars and Prostitution back in 2009, comparing and contrasting my experiences in Korea and the Philippines. If you are interested in more background on that subject, click the link and give it a read.
I would argue that these days prostitution bars are a thing of the past, but of course, prostituion is still a thriving business. There was a time when you could find the dancer or waitress of your dreams, pay the bar directly (popularly as a bar fine or early work release) and take the girl out of the bar for a night of debauchery. That method didn’t pass the smell test with the authorities and certain do-gooder NGOs, and after a series of raids and incarcerations, the practice is virtually non-existent nowadays. Instead, in certain bars when you connect with a sexy lady and want to do “take-out”, you negotiate directly with the gal. Assuming an agreed-upon price is reached, you pay the young lady and she is responsible for reimbursing the bar for her absence from work. This keeps the bar out of the direct transaction of money for sex. The downside is that if the girl fails to perform as promised, the guy who didn’t get screwed has little recourse to get his money refunded. Not a perfect system for sure and also one I almost never participate in. Why should I? I have Friends With Benefits.
Anyway, as we start visiting the bars around Barretto you’ll get a better feel for the way things work and I’ll elaborate more on what I personally look for in a bar.
Little by little, my health continues to improve. I’m beginning to fear that some of my issues may be age-related, but I’d rather keep getting older than not.
I can’t say the ivermectin made a difference, but I maybe need to reduce my water intake and replace it with beer just to be safe.
Well, I woke up this morning and I took that as a good sign that I remain among the living. What are the odds? I tease, of course, but I almost had to force myself to go out last night, and even after I left the house, I considered turning around and going back home. That’s a clear indication of just how crappy I felt. But I persevered in my endeavor and 2,512 steps later I plopped myself down at It Doesn’t Matter. The outside area of the bar was pretty packed and my usual stool at the far end of the counter was taken. So, I found myself seated at the “owner’s table” with one of the two proprietors, Bob, and a couple of guys I know from the Hash. That changed things up a bit and instead of sitting one-on-one with Roan I found myself engaging in some nice back and forth with my table mates.
When I told one of the guys about my recent bout with whatever this is, he told me he had scored some ivermectin and had been taking it for an illness similar to mine. To be clear, not COVID, he’s been vaxxed and I’ve been infected, but what the hell, if it kills worms in horses it ought to destroy what been messin’ with me this past few days. Yeah, yeah, I know that is not what this particular drug is intended for, but I began using drugs for unapproved purposes before a lot you readers were even born. I tried about everything going during my wild teen years (never used anything requiring a needle though) and lived to tell about it. So, I didn’t hesitate to pop the two tablets I was supplied figuring it couldn’t hurt and might make things better. And as I mentioned above, I woke up this morning, so there’s that.
Did the invermectin help? I can’t really say. I’m better today than yesterday, but that might have been the case regardless of what I ingested. The important thing is I’m back to being close to normal. Even had the will power to go out and do a 6K hike this morning.
This afternoon one of my FWB’s came over to the house and gave me a relaxing and satisfying massage. So I’m feeling pretty dandy at the moment.
Roan joined me last night at my table seat as well. Ain’t she sweet?
On my walk this morning I spotted another potential way I might lose my life here:
It looks to me like a modest gust of wind will take down this big old tree with nearly all its roots exposed. And it is leaning directly over the trail I was walking on. It didn’t get me today, obviously, but this is a trail I frequently travel (the back way out of Alta Vista).
My carport here at the house has become quite busy:
We are in the process of stocking up on beer for the Anniversary run on the 18th. I just provide the storage, others I do all the work.
Well, it is fixin’ to be Saturday night, and those new meds have me in the mood to do some horsin’ around. *ahem* I’m thinking I’ll begin my night with documenting the first bar in my Bars of Barretto feature. Stay tuned.
Well, damn. Yesterday felt like progress, especially in losing the cough. But it’s back today and I feel like shit again. Didn’t even attempt the Friday walking group hike. Oh well. Little by little I suppose.
One thing that is rather strange and I can only assume is illness-related, is that I haven’t vaped since Monday. It wasn’t like I said to myself, “don’t put anything into your lungs until you feel better”, it was just a matter of having no craving or desire to do my vaping routine. I’ve been a big-time vaper for seven or eight years now and before that a rather heavy smoker. That I have no compunction compulsion to inhale nicotine seems bizarre. Anyway, at this point, I’m going to go with the flow and try to end my habit. Vaping isn’t anywhere near as bad as smoking, but not as healthy as nothing. Plus maintaining the equipment is a pain in the ass. We’ll see how that goes.
The morning wasn’t a complete waste at least. I came across a crockpot recipe that I decided to give a try.
Here’s the recipe. The ingredients are kind of like chili without the spice. It’s still cooking though so I haven’t had a taste as yet.
Last night I changed things up a bit in my bar-hopping routine. I started out at Queen Victoria for a couple, then crossed the street and visited Outback. It’s been quite some time since I’ve been to either one and frankly, last night was a pretty good reminder of why. I did get to thinking about doing a series of posts highlighting the Bars of Barretto. Years ago I reviewed the Dart Bars of Itaewon in a series of posts. This would be something similar–one man’s perspective on the drinking venues here in my little town. Does anyone like that idea?
After I left Outback, I went to my regular hangout at Mango’s. My usual staff servers were off, and the gal that was there left me sitting with an empty beer bottle for a period of time that exceed my tolerance level. So, instead of dining and drinking, it was one and out for me. I moved up the street and ate at Maris’ Kitchenette instead. Had chicken wings and fries, which hit the spot. The owner and two of her friends were busy drinking Filipino-style–shots of Emperador rum and Coke. I didn’t think it was a good look, but that’s not my business. The two workers were sober and diligent at least.
My final stop on the night was Wet Spot, one of my favorite bars that for some reason I just don’t visit that often these days. Bought a couple of drinks for the food waitress and she’s now my newest Facebook friend. The owner came in and we had a very nice chat. I was happy to hear that his bars are at least in a break-even status and like everyone, he’s looking forward to better days to come when the tourists return. In the meantime, he’s employing a bunch of friendly gals (must have been 25 or more in there) that would otherwise be without work. Good on you, Dave!
So, in one of the seldom frequented bars mentioned above, I chatted with a bartender I’ve been acquainted with for quite a while now. When I offered the standard greeting of “how you doing?”, she responded not so good. Turns out she is currently experiencing some medical issues (gynecological in nature, so I didn’t press for details) that she said require surgery. And of course, she doesn’t have the 35,000 pesos ($700.) required to have the operation. So, apparently, she’s been suffering for several months now. I offered her my sympathies and talked a little about how fucked the working poor are when faced with this situation. It was kind of chilling my vibe though, so I finished my beer, wished her well, and said goodnight.
I got to thinking about it more later and sent her a message: Does the hospital accept credit card payments? She didn’t know but said she would find out. I told her if they do, I’d help her out so she could get the surgery she needs. Yeah, look at me. That’s the most expensive pussy I’ve ever paid for and I’m not even getting any (nor do I want to, just to be clear). Today she messaged that credit cards are accepted and I told her to go ahead and get the procedure scheduled. The credit card thing was not about me not being able to get the cash, it was all about making sure I was getting what I’m paying for. Based on the photos of the paperwork she sent, it all seems legit, including the cost. It’s still a lot of money, but at least I’m blowing it on a worthy purpose this time.
Anyway, that’s how things are going in my sick little world.
Despite feeling poorly, yesterday’s hike was quite pleasant. I especially enjoyed the beach portion in an area I’d never previously explored. More of a fishing village kind of vibe to it, and with the bad weather all the boats were in port. I never realized there were so many in such a small area. Lots of pictures to share from the day, I’ll get to those in a minute.
After my 24 hours illness imposed exile, it was good to be sitting next to a cute Filipina with a cold beer in my hand again. Spent a couple of hours in the bars, then headed out to The Pub for my weekly fix of Korean-style wings. I always get them to go, but instead of going home last night, I took them with me for a drop-in at the Kitchenette.
This photo probably says more about my beer addled-ness than it does about the wings. They were good though.
This morning I was feeling slightly better, mostly because the hacking cough has diminished somewhat. I had to push myself out the door for my morning hike, but I did get out there. I didn’t have much staying power though and I wound up shortcutting my normal trail. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I aborted the hike after 5K and took a trike home. Well, I did do almost 17K yesterday (including the hike, dog walk, and bar hop) so perhaps an on/off every other day type approach will be my new normal. We’ll see how it goes when I start feeling better again.
Here are the photos from the hike yesterday I promised (as usual, the photography is a group effort):
The path we took was around 9K all told and was a surfer’s dream–flat as a board.Heading out on the National highway.The checkpoint that prevents COVID from entering Zambales province.But Noah, will it float?The first beach we visited was familiar and located in the Matain barangay.This is a sadly accurate depiction of the way things too often are here in the PI–a hungry dog and piles of trash.Only this small group chose to brave the threatening weather. We got lucky, the rain didn’t start until after we had concluded the hike.Leaving Matain behind and heading on to the previously unexplored beaches of Calapacuan.This is the little fishing village I saw for the first time yesterday.And because of the bad weather the bay was filled with anchored fishing boats.Lots of people were out and about though.As usual, the natives were friendly.Even the dogs didn’t give a bark about us being there.Kids on the beach.White guys on the beach.My first cookie recipients of the day.You never see shots like this one in those travel brochures.Dancing in the street.Time to head back inland. See you guys!Life’s a beach!Back across the highway and over the river…Riverside! Such as it is.Road work.Boys with sticks.We didn’t have to walk through any thatch grass this time. Much more pleasant to look at that way.Hello again, Easter mountain.
Looks like the schools may be opening soon.
Pity the children.Recuperating after the hike at the Kitchenette.
