That didn’t take long

Posted on 05/December/2021 by John McCrarey

Maybe I should ask that after your first fight-and-forgiveness session. A fight will test the fundamental strength of the relationship.
The prescient Kevin Kim

Odd how fast things can go south. When I left Pearl in Subic yesterday morning, things were fine. Or so I presumed. I knew she had a busy day ahead of her, including an important meeting regarding the licensing of her business. I sent her a good luck message and expected I would hear back when it was over. When I didn’t hear from her, I sent another message. Still no response. Hmm. So, I went out for some beers while I waited to hear from her. Several beers later and still no answer, so I hiked over to her food place.

There she was, sitting with a customer. She brought me a beer and acted like nothing was wrong. According to her, I’m the one who should have come to her place earlier. She told me that she had girlfriends visiting the food place from Manila and didn’t have time to be checking her phone. Okay, if you say so. Pearl asked if I had eaten and I told her I hadn’t. She hadn’t either but again noted she had company. Yeah, I understand. I finished my beer, paid my bill, and told her I was going to go have dinner. I went across the street to The Pub and had some excellent chicken enchiladas, then went home to bed.

This morning she sent me this:

Pearl was still upset that a bargirl friend had sent me a message. I didn’t respond to the message, she just saw it on my computer. It was something incriminating like “good night, sleep well”. We had actually talked about that at the time and I thought she understood that girl meant nothing to me. Apparently not. My other crime was “walking away” from her last night. I was taken aback by that one. I told her I was going to eat and she indicated she couldn’t leave. So, what did I do wrong by leaving?

Anyway, Pearl said that she was very upset when I left. Later on, [that guy] came back to the bar and asked her to join him at another bar to watch a live band and she went. That seems like oddly convenient timing to me, but whatever. I’m really not the jealous type, but I admit that bothered me. Pearl had shown me his flirty messages but claimed to have no interest. Now, if I had gone out with one of the girls I know, that would have been the crime of the century in Pearl’s eyes

Although, it appears that is what is happening anyway.

I am sorry my fault but I am setting you free

I’m still processing all this and will likely have more to say later. In many ways, Pearl is the best woman I’ve met in a long time. But her jealousy issues are borderline insane. I dealt with that craziness in my last marriage and I have no interest in living through that kind of drama again. Is it possible Pearl could learn to trust me? Are there things I could do to reassure her, like let her have access to read all my messages? I don’t have anything to hide, but that kind of invasion of privacy really rankles me.

Do I give up or is she worth fighting for? I’m honestly undecided at this point. I won’t lie though, being dumped in this manner hurt me in ways I never thought I’d allow myself to be hurt again.

That’s good enough for me

Posted on 04/December/2021 by John McCrarey

I was first in darts last night. First out of the tourney I mean. That’s what happens when you throw like shit. The upside of going 0-2 is that it frees up the rest of your evening. So, I paid up my tab, left Alley Cats, and walked up the street to Alaska Club to do a bar review.

I didn’t spend much time in Alaska (see the review to find out why) and decided to mosey over to It Doesn’t Matter. It has been over a week since my last visit. Having a girlfriend certainly does cramp my barhopping style. Roan welcomed me back with a “your face has gotten fat” greeting. Thanks for that. You should see my belly. Anyway, I’m working on losing the excess weight, but I fear that it’s going to require cutting way back on my beloved beer to achieve that goal. I’m not sure I’m ready to make such a sacrifice just yet.

I only had one beer at It Doesn’t Matter because I realized there was somewhere else I wanted to be. Yep, it was time for me to pull up a stool at Pamela’s place, so I hoofed it on over there. I had a couple of more beers and enjoyed some wings with her. Then when it was time for me to go, she surprised me by joining me for the trike ride to my place (her previous visits were after I was already home). That was nice. We did what consenting adults are prone to do, then fell asleep in each other’s arms. That was even nicer.

I woke up at 0330. That’s not unusual–I wake up several times throughout the night for a drink of water and a piss. But while laying there I looked up at the ceiling fan. The thought occurred to me that as frequently as it is running (I don’t use the aircon) it will inevitably wear out. When that happens I’ll have to contact the landlord. The landlord? Oh shit! I had forgotten to transfer the rent money to his bank account on the first. I hopped out of bed and corrected that oversight immediately. Then sent an apologetic email to the landlord explaining what happened. Yet another example of my slow slide into dementia. Karma for Biden jokes, perhaps?

I guess my sudden departure roused Pamela from her slumber. She joined me in the living area and we had a bit of a talk. I guess the outcome was positive because we wound up doing some exercise together. We did the dog walk and then headed down the hill and had breakfast at Harley’s.

After we finished eating, Pamela needed to go home. I needed to make another visit to the ATM in Subic, so we shared a trike. I got out and said my goodbyes at the BPI branch and Pamela continued on to Waltermart. After getting my cash I did the 7K walk back home.

Sometimes I don’t know if I’m coming or going.

***I guess it is just a matter of perspective.***

Anyway, I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself with all these changes going on in my life. There is still a lot to digest, not the least of which is the ramifications of a thirty-eight-year age gap. Even though I’ve been assured many times since moving here that “age is just a number”. We’re about to find out how valid that idea truly is. Not going to overthink it at this stage though.

And now for the photos from the Friday group hike:

***A long (for us) and mostly flat 10K hike that took us on a circumnavigation of Easter mountain.***

***Our merry band of hikers for the day.***

***Strolling through the Marian Hills community…***

***Regrouping at a junction in San Isidro.***

***This fella was feeling a little spunky so we gave him a wide berth.***

***The joys of country living…no electricity, no running water, no problem! Nope.***

***We did do one up, but it wasn’t all that difficult.***

***The old-timers like Scott have a penchant for running into people they knew in the old days. There was something familiar about that baby’s face though…***

***Our journey around the mountain is nearly complete.***

***After hike lunch and beer at the food place.***

***Just trying it on for size. I’ve got a few years of walking left in me. Hopefully.***

And there you have the story of another day in the life. Close enough to perfect for me.

Bars of Barretto: Alaska Club

Posted on 04/December/2021 by John McCrarey

***“So it’s the laughter that we’ll remember…”***

Ah, Alaska Club. My first Philippines girly bar experience. That was back in its Angeles City iteration, and I was in there often enough to become acquainted with the owner, Jerry. He is a retired airline pilot who hails from, you guessed it, Alaska. I wrote about some of my AC adventures with the Alaska girls here.

***My first barfine was from Alaska. Geez, I just realized that was over fourteen years ago now! Thanks for the memories, Sheryl!***

There was a six-year gap in my visits to the Philippines while I pursued my ill-fated married life with Jee Yeun. And when I finally returned I was surprised to discover that Jerry had relocated his bar from Angeles City to Barretto. And with my move here, the good times in Alaska Club resumed. Until they didn’t.

Even though I’m not really into girly bars, Alaska remained on my regular circuit in large part because it was always well run with the emphasis being to ensure customers had a good time. Jerry was a hands-on owner and he stayed on top of everything from making sure his dancers actually danced and that the music he played as the DJ was suited to the tastes of the patrons rather than the girls. Think classic rock and roll versus disco. The pandemic killed all that. Dancing is not allowed in the bars now and Jerry has been stuck in the USA for well over a year. Last night the music was some rap crap that Jerry would have never permitted.

Alaska Club remains open, but it is open in name only.

***This was the scene on Friday night. I was the first and only customer.***

My waitress told me there had been a total of two customers the night before but on many nights there are no customers at all. I know that has been the case during all of my most recent visits. Remembering how it was compared to how it is now is pretty depressing.

With dancing still being prohibited, the other girly bars I’ve visited have their former dancers sitting on stage so customers can view the options for companionship smorgasbord-style. Last night I counted a total of seven gals in Alaska, only a couple of which I’d be interested in spending any time with over shared drinks. I did buy my waitress a drink because I’ve known her since I’ve been here. My beer was 90 pesos, her drink was 150.

***The covered pool table tells the story of Alaska’s sad demise.***

I’m not a pool player, but the pool table in Alaska was always a big attraction for those who are. Jerry hosted several pool tournaments each week and that brought in a regular crowd.

So, there you have it. By all rights, Alaska should have been closed down by now, at least until tourists are allowed back in the country. Jerry is the reason that has not happened. In an act of charity, he has continued to provide a salary to a core group of employees and has also continued to provide housing in the “stay-in” rooms he owns behind the bar. I’m sure he loses money every day the bar is open, but I think Alaska Club was as much a hobby for him as it was a business. He can apparently afford to remain open until he can return and set about righting the ship. I hope that day comes soon.

Alaska was and remains a sentimental favorite of mine. I really ought to make it a point to visit more frequently, just to help Jerry keep it going. My rating will reflect the current circumstances, but will also take into account how the bar was in the past and how I expect it will be in the future.

This is the 20th bar I’ve reviewed and there are still several more to come. The rankings thus far:

It Doesn’t Matter
Mango’s Beach Bar
Alley Cats
Adam’s
Blue Butterfly
Out Back Billabong
Dynamite Dick’s
Palm Tree
Hideaway
Alaska Club
Bottoms Up
Rosies
Rock Lobster
Queen Victoria
Voodoo
Annex
MacArthur’s
Redz Pub
Whiskey Girl
Finger Monkey

The rest of the day

Posted on 03/December/2021 by John McCrarey

I made it over to Pearl’s place at around 1:30 for our planned excursion out to Baloy Beach. When I arrived there were a couple of folks I knew sitting in the outside area so I joined in with the chit chat. Next thing I know, a plate of wings arrived courtesy of the owner who apparently wants to keep me ~~fat~~ well-fed.

***Honey garlic, my favorite item on the menu. So far.***

Everyone I’ve talked to is impressed by the quality of the offerings and surprised at how inexpensive the food is. I’ve asked Pearl if they can make a profit at those prices and she assures me she has done the math. Sounds like a win-win.

Of course, I couldn’t eat those wings without a beer to wash them down. And then one thing led to another. And another. A couple of Hash buddies came by so it seemed rude to just up and leave. So, it was around 4:30 before Pearl and I finally headed to the beach. I asked if she wanted to walk but she preferred taking a trike. I didn’t argue the point. We did take a brief stroll down the beach before arriving at Laharnz’ place for more liquid refreshment.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a guy I know there I hadn’t seen for a while. John and I had a very pleasant chat. We talked some about Derek, a mutual Hash friend, who passed away earlier this year. Derek’s girlfriend returned to her province for a visit and asked John to keep Derek’s ashes while she was gone. John agreed to do so temporarily, but he has some doubts about whether the girlfriend will ever return. If she doesn’t, he said he’d likely just dump the ashes in the bay. I suggested an alternative–have a special Hash in Derek’s honor, then spread the ashes on the Hash trail. That’s how I’d like to be disposed of. John liked the idea and we both acknowledged that Derek isn’t going to care one way or the other. After death ceremonies and rituals are all about the people left behind.

Anyway, it was a nice evening on the beach but it was time to start thinking about dinner. I suggested we head up the beach to Da’ Kudos and have those grilled pork chops I love so much. Pearl enjoyed them too.

After dinner, we went back to her food place, but I was just about out of gas. So, I headed home and Pearl joined me there later. She’s a pretty amazing woman in many ways. Last night I was experiencing some chest congestion and she went into full nurse mode. It was really nice to have someone lovingly taking care of me. I’ve missed that.

This morning we got up and walked the dog, I made us some breakfast, and then she joined me on the Friday group hike. I could get used to this.

Time to get ready and head out for some Friday night darts. I’ll be back with a full report tomorrow.

Love’s logistics

Posted on 02/December/2021 by John McCrarey

One of the challenges of being in a relationship is that it throws all of your routines a little out of kilter. I feel like an old dog learning new tricks sometimes.

Wednesdays are already challenging. Had a nice, but tough, hike in the morning (photos to follow at the end of this post), then home to prepare for darts. No time for my usual nap. Then I hoofed it out to Baloy Beach where I participated in a disappointing 11-2 victory over our opponent from Johan’s. Why would I be disappointed in a lopsided win? Well, I played poorly against a weak team and one of those losses was on me. And we lost the beer round (team game) resulting in us providing a beer chit for our opponents rather than them buying one for us. No one wants to lose the beer round! Ever.

It was the first day on the new job at Hideaway bar for Joy and Jen, the former waitresses from Finger Monkeys. I wrote about their escape from their oppressive boss here. I had promised them I would come by and help them get started on the right foot with their new employer. So, after darts, I caught a trike to take me to the far side of Barretto. The bar wasn’t busy when I got there, but they said there was a large group that had just left. I bought them each a couple of lady drinks. Then Eric, another former customer of the wretched Finger Monkey bar, came in to join the celebration.

***Suck it, Finger Monkey. The girls and our money are doing just fine without you.***

I needed to head out early because I knew Pearl would be waiting for me at her place. She was. I was going to take her out to eat, but we decided to just order off her menu. Man, I got some honey garlic chicken wings that were fantastic! Then Pearl wanted me to sing to her. At the karaoke joint next door. Wasn’t really in the mood, but how could I say no? I did okay on my old standards, Patsy Cline’s Crazy and the Bee Gees classic I Started A Joke. It was all downhill from there. Pearl didn’t object when I told her I’d had enough after a total of four or five songs.

It was a little after 9 p.m. and I was fading fast. Pearl wasn’t ready to leave her work yet, so I told her I’d leave the gate and door unlocked at my place if she wanted to join me later. I kept my phone by the bed just in case the upstairs neighbor locked the gate while I was sleeping. Around 11, my phone rings, and I hear Pearl say “I’m here”. I jump out of bed, go outside, open the gate (which was still unlocked), and no Pearl. WTF? I came back in and texted where are you? A few minutes later her mom pulls up and drops her off. I guess she had called me from the guard shack. Oh well, it worked out okay. We had a blissful sleep.

I got up at my usual 4:30, and Pearl joined me at 6:00 or so.

***She accompanied me on the dog walk and was awestruck by the beauty of the views from the neighborhood. Like Easter mountain.***

We had a mediocre breakfast at a local hotel, then I told her I needed to go to Subic to get some cash from the BPI ATM. Pearl lives on the far side of Subic and said she needed to get something at her place. I suggested we go about our business and meet up later, but she said she only needed a few minutes so I agreed to meet her at Waltermart. That’s about a twenty-minute walk from the ATM. I arrived and let her know I was there. No response. I walked around the parking lot. Over and over and over. Forty minutes later I get a message that she would be arriving soon and told me to wait inside the mall for her. So, I walked the mall for another 30 minutes until she finally arrived. I was a little perturbed and she apologized profusely, so I let it go. What else am I going to do about it?

She’s at her business now. I told her I needed to go home and shower. I also needed to have some time to do a post for the blog, but I didn’t mention that part. Keeping LTG a secret from her for now at least. Hey, this is where I go to vent, right? I’m baking some brownies to take to her food place and I’m also bringing some fruit salad. Yeah, I’m going to keep her waiting a while. It’s just the kind of guy I am.

The photos for our hike yesterday:

***We did the hard up climb up to Kalaklan ridge.***

***A little street walking at the beginning.***

***Up we go. This was actually the same route we took on my very first Hash run.***

***Apparently, these steps were going to be part of some kind of residential development that never happened beyond some foundational work.***

***Looks like Martin is having some flatulence issues…***

***A little breather before the final push to the top.***

***Looking back down on my little town.***

***Nothing to see here. Just a random one-armed drunk passed out in the middle of nowhere.***

***Some of my cookie regulars at Rolly’s place.***

Alright, I’ve kept sweet Pearl waiting long enough. I’ll hike down to her food stand, then we will go hang out on Baloy Beach for the afternoon.

Ain’t love grand?

Remember the date

Posted on 01/December/2021 by John McCrarey

Just a quick post on my busy Wednesday. Finished the morning hike and now I’m getting ready for dart league this afternoon.

Yesterday, I took Pearl out to lunch. One of the things we have in common is our love of Seoul. The Korean restaurant on the old Navy base, I mean.

***Masks on as dictated by the SBMA laws.***

***Our sides included kimchi, spicy radish, macaroni salad, and spicy cucumber.***

***I had bulgogi stew, Pearl had a beef noodle dish and dumplings. Everything was good.***

It was a nice lunch date and our first time actually dining out together. I expect it won’t be the last. Pearl is a busy young woman though, so the taxi dropped her at her restaurant and I continued on home to nap, shower, and get ready for darts.

My darts were all over the place. Literally. I had moments of brilliance, including a ton-80 and a 5-bull shot, followed by an inability to hit anything I was aiming at. It was not a good night darts-wise. Still, somehow I managed to claw my way back into the money round. And then I quit. I was scheduled to play Billy to determine who would face Nancy in the finals. The loser of our match would finish third. I didn’t care. To continue would mean playing a couple more intense matches and I just didn’t feel like it. I told Billy “I concede”. I guess in some ways that might be considered unsportsmanlike, but I play for fun, not money. I got a chuckle when Billy and Nancy did my thing by declaring a tie and splitting first and second place money.

After darts, I dropped into Pearl’s place to spend a little more time with her.

***After all, they have the best coasters in town!***

As days go, it was a good one.

Coasting along

Posted on 30/November/2021 by John McCrarey

A pretty nice Hash trail yesterday. Sure, it had its ups and downs, but don’t they all? A mix of street walking and hill trekking made for a nice ride overall.

***Our roller coaster ride for the day.*** ***Right around 6K.***

***Leaving the VFW behind. The VFW is also our On-Home destination. In a roundabout way…***

***Still on the mean streets of Barretto…***

***Our “sane” group of Hashers is by far the biggest in the SBH3.*** ***Basically, we take a 30-minute headstart every week and shortcut at will. Although shortcuts weren’t really necessary yesterday.***

***Our newest (and probably largest) named Hasher: 18-kilo ass.***

***“Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house, we go…”*** ***Damn, I haven’t thought of that Christmas tune in decades.***

***Taking a breather at the highest point on our trek. We still had a down and an up ahead of us though***.

***The requisite photo of Easter mountain, with a fat guy included at no extra charge.***

***Regrouping for the final leg of our hike.***

***Hey, this neighborhood looks familiar!***

***Oh yeah, the high view from Alta Vista.***

And that was pretty much it for yesterday’s Hash. A friend and blog reader, Maria, made me some personalized coasters.

***Yep, that’s my Hash name in the beer foam. How appropriate!***

I handed some out to my fellow Hashers and they seemed to like them too. Thanks again, Maria.

I also left a few coasters with Pearl to use at her food place. Spreading the joy this holiday season! We also enjoyed a nice lunch together today. I’ll post about that tomorrow.

Saw this meme on Facebook today and had to agree with the sentiment:

I’ve got some darts in my immediate future so I’d best get prepared for that endeavor.

Stay tuned!

Not much…

Posted on 29/November/2021 by John McCrarey

…but better than nothing. Barely.

The plan originally was that Pearl and I would spend most of the day together. Then she got a call that her cousin, who is also employed at her food stand, was injured in a motorcycle accident. The car wash next door was having a big anniversary party and her business was supplying the food for that event. So, she needed to go to work and make sure everything was in order. No problem. I walked her there and she asked me to come back later in the day to join her. I agreed.

After the goodbyes, I walked across town to the only BPI ATM. As I feared, it had no cash left to dispense. So, in the afternoon I took a Jeepney into Subic town. There is an actual BPI branch there with two ATMs. Got my wallet refilled and headed back to Barretto. About 40 minutes round trip. ATM fee is 250 pesos and my transportation was another 30. It looks like regular trips to Subic for cash will be my new normal.

It was about 3:30 when I got back to the food stand. Pearl had gone home for a shower, but I sat outside with a guy I know and we shot the shit. Some blowhard from the UK was flapping his gums and talking some kind of crap about Yanks, but I’ve learned just to ignore assholes like that. Luckily, I could barely hear him. Unluckily, the reason why was that I was seated near a speaker blasting loud music for the party next door. Ah well.

Pearl eventually arrived and joined me on the patio. The guy I’d been chatting with bought me a beer.

Red Horse is a very popular beer with the locals. It comes in a large 500 ML bottle. It also contains 7% alcohol volume. My usual beers are 3% (Zero) or 5% (SML). I was surprised that the taste wasn’t bad at all. My friend suggested that I could get the same bang out of three Red Horse as I do from six of my regular beers. Hence, it would be a more effective way to reduce calories. I’m going to have to do the math on that, but I’m skeptical.

The party continued on and the music got worse. They brought in four very unattractive baklas to perform. Actually, they just sang karaoke style. Loudly and poorly. I hung out with Pearl as long as I could stand it, but I finally had to bail. She needed to stay at work, so I went home alone.

And now it is Hash Monday once again. What a life, eh?

Baby steps

Posted on 28/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Thanks for the positive feedback as I begin my journey with Pearl. She really is like no other woman I’ve met here. It’s always interesting as people learn more about each other, even the most compatible will also have to accommodate differences. Good communication and understanding are the keys to a successful relationship. We’ll see if I can get it right this time.

Pearl doesn’t drink but I don’t think she minds me doing so (much), although she does encourage me to “drink slower”, whatever that means. One thing in my favor is that I don’t drink to excess, and I define excess as inebriation. I think the beer loosens me up a bit and I’m more sociable. Hell, I even sing along with the music out loud! I think adjusting to my twisted sense of humor has also been something of a challenge for Pearl. She’ll get used to me. I hope.

Probably the biggest red flag for me so far has been that in typical Filipina fashion, Pearl has shown flashes of jealousy. I’ve tried to reassure her that I’m all in and have no interest in pursuing any other relationships. Hell, I don’t even do the massage girls anymore. I’m really excited to find out where this budding romance is going to lead.

Pearl came home with me again last night. This morning she wanted to do a beach walk, so that’s what we did. Took Buddy along too. Lucky didn’t want to come along this time (wouldn’t let me leash him up), so it was just the three of us out on Baloy Beach.

***Well, that’s not true. This is before 7 a.m. and the beach was already crowded. In fact, more crowded than I’ve ever seen it. And all Filipinos.***

Had breakfast at Da’ Kudos and my waitress advised me that all the Baloy hotels were booked up. I’ll take that as a good sign that we are on the road to normalcy at last.

I passed some time with a 7K walkabout yesterday. Nothing too exciting but since I have a young girlfriend, I’d best stay in shape!

https://www.relive.cc/view/vevW2Agj1yq

So far, so good.

Bars of Barretto: Bottoms Up

Posted on 28/November/2021 by John McCrarey

***A somewhat surprising experience here.***

Bottoms Up is an old-school girly bar. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is just not my thing. Yesterday was only the second time I’d been in this bar–the first was my New Year’s Eve bar crawl. The fact that I never went back until now gives you an idea of my underwhelming first impression. But things change I suppose, or maybe I have. I actually enjoyed this visit.

I arrived very early (even for me) at around 3:30. I was the only customer in the place, which is not surprising for that early hour. I was immediately welcomed by a waitress who asked if I remembered her from the days when she worked at Treasure Island. I didn’t. I guess seeing my naked butt on the ice at a Hash event made a big impression on her. Of course, I bought her a lady drink which was surprisingly reasonably priced at 120 pesos.

The ambiance of the bar was also a bit nicer than I had remembered.

***Like this “private” room for example.***

I asked my waitress what purpose the room served and she said it was for large groups of customers. I asked about getting blowjobs or boom-boom, and she laughed and said “no, only outside”. She did confirm that girls are free to negotiate “takeout” with the customer though. I’d wager if you were spending enough in the bar you might see some hanky panky in that room, but that’s just supposition.

***It’s a small place, but not uncomfortable.***

***Dancing is still not allowed in the bars, so this lonely Christmas tree was the only thing to view on the dance stage.***

One other thing that makes Bottoms Up somewhat unique is that they employ a couple of baklas (transgender or ladyboy). I only saw one during my visit, and no, I didn’t find her attractive at all. I am personally not bothered by having baklas in the bar, as long as they leave me alone. I don’t want to be pestered by the “real” girls either. There are some folks in my little town who will not patronize any bar when baklas are present, so it’s a pretty gutsy management decision to hire them. As my waitress said, transgender folk need to make a living too.

What I liked about the place was it was cozy and friendly. My happy hour beer price was only 60 pesos (regular price is a reasonable 80 pesos). Best of all, they have a “buy 2, get 1 free” promotion going on. I’ve never seen a deal like that anywhere else. Of course, I wasn’t going to leave without finishing my free beer, and my longer-than-normal stay resulted in my buying a total of three lady drinks for Shantelle. I guess that’s a win-win. Or maybe just an expensive free beer. One of those.

Bottom line on Bottoms Up–I enjoyed my visit. That’s what it is all about in the bar biz.

To the ratings then. As I’ve mentioned before, I will reevaluate the rankings based on additional experiences I may have after my bar review visit. Finger Monkeys is a bar I am now boycotting because I learned the owner there is exploiting her workers. My two favorites have left the bar because of the unfair treatment they received. I won’t be back.

It Doesn’t Matter
Mango’s Beach Bar
Alley Cats
Adam’s
Blue Butterfly
Out Back Billabong
Dynamite Dick’s
Palm Tree
Hideaway
Bottoms Up
Rosies
Rock Lobster
Queen Victoria
Voodoo
Annex
MacArthur’s
Redz Pub
Whiskey Girl
Finger Monkey

What a good day looks like

Posted on 27/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away…

I can’t think of a better way to start the day than to wake up next to a sweet young brown-skinned woman. And that’s how I started mine! Then things took a turn for the better. Pearl wanted to know if I was going to do the Friday group hike and I asked if she had something else in mind. She did, suggesting we do our hike together in San Antonio, about 35K away in Zambales province.

Pearl said she knew of a resort there with hiking trails and she had always wanted to see what it was like. Sounds like a plan! We walked the dogs together, then headed down to the highway. Pearl didn’t have her hiking shoes with her, so she called her mother and asked her to meet us at Waltermart in Subic town. We caught a Jeepney and were on our way. Once she had her shoes we went back out on the highway to catch a bus. The way it works here is you stand on the side of the road and when you see a bus coming you wave it down. Provided there are seats available, the driver will pull over and pick you up. We didn’t have to wait long before we were aboard a nice air-conditioned bus destined to pass through San Antonio. Fare was 40 pesos each.

Because of traffic and frequent stops to pick up passengers, it took us about 45 minutes to reach our destination city. I’d been here a couple of times but was clueless as to where to go next. Luckily, Pearl knew her way around a lot better than me. We hailed a trike and Pearl asked the driver to take us to a restaurant she liked for breakfast. It seemed like we did a lot of driving around on backstreets before pulling up to a building with a “closed” sign on the door. Oh well. Pearl said we could eat at the resort, so off we went. It was a pretty good way out of town, but then things started looking oddly familiar. We were on the road to Pundaquit, an area where we had done a couple of Hashes back in the good ol’ days. We crossed the rickety old river bridge I remembered and shortly thereafter arrived at the Stonehill Farm and Resort.

It was still only about 9:30 in the morning and the place was pretty much deserted. The restaurant was closed for renovations, but this little store was open, so we went the cup of noodles and crackers route.

***We ate our “meal” poolside in a Nipa hut.***

***My dining companion made the meal much more enjoyable though.***

***The portions of the resort I saw seemed well-maintained. There were three levels of swimming pools in this area.***

***I also enjoyed the signage. It was nice to hike a trail devoid of litter for a change.***

***Hard to argue with these words of wisdom.***

***That’s good advice. There was only one snake around, but I kept it zipped up.***

***Alright, we came to hike. Let’s get on with it.***

***According to a map I briefly glanced at, there are four levels on the hike. It begins here.***

***Here they are in the zoom version.***

***No more steps, just a regular trail heading upwards. It did get steep in places.***

***“Hello there, miss. Hike here often?”***

***Made it to level 2. Ain’t she sweet?***

We opted to save level 4 for another day. Not because we were tired, mostly in the interest of time. I was ready for lunch! The trail back down looped around the mountain and took us back to near our original starting place. I’d like to do the trail in reverse next time.

***The scenery on trail was hard to beat!***

Once we were back down and had exited the resort, we stood on the road and waited for an empty trike to pass by. I decided to start walking towards Pundaquit (poon-dock-it) to get my bearings straight. Soon enough I saw the road to Monty’s resort where we had done the Hash a couple of years ago. I knew there was a bar/restaurant I liked not much further away and then a trike arrived so we had him take us. “To the Gas Station”, I announced, and off we went. We kept going and going and I’m thinking, damn, I don’t remember it being this far. Finally, the trike pulled over and stopped at an abandoned gas station. I said, “no, no. This is not where I meant. The Gas Station is a restaurant!” He shook his head and shrugged. “Never mind, just take us back to San Antonio.” As we were driving I remembered a key detail–it’s not called The Gas Station. The name is Car Wash. Once I said those magic words the driver immediately knew what I was talking about.

***The Car Wash has a very nice ambiance and is huge. I had a pleasant chat with the American owner while I devoured my tasty hamburger.***

After lunch, we caught a trike back to San Antonio and a bus pulled up almost immediately after we arrived. This one wasn’t airconditioned but it was breezy and comfortable. I got home in plenty of time to shower up and head out to the darts tourney.

***And my good day concluded with a victory.***

Today has not been nearly as nice. But I’ll worry about that tomorrow.

Protected: I’m on a roll

Posted on 26/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Being thankful

Posted on 25/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. I don’t know that I feel particularly lucky, but I am thankful for the life I have and the blessings that surround me. It is easy to take living a comfortable existence for granted, but I am surrounded by reminders that many others are not so fortunate. So, on this day I will embrace the good life I am living and pause to appreciate all that I have.

I’ll be attending a Thanksgiving gathering at a nearby neighbor’s house later this afternoon. As is my tradition, I’ll be bringing a batch of my Aunt Pat’s Recipe World Famous Fruit Salad along with me. The Philippines version is always a bit of a challenge ingredients-wise. No pecans again this year, so I used walnuts. The coconut (buko as it is called here) is fresh out of the shell and not as tender and sweet as the stuff I used to buy in the bag. The sour cream here has a liquid consistency that doesn’t really hold the other ingredients together in the way I prefer. Oh, and I f’d up and bought a can of mandarin orange fruit cocktail instead of the actual oranges my recipe calls for. Yeah, you can call me Mr. President if you want. Well, keeping with the theme of being thankful on this day, my fruit salad is better than nothing. So there is that.

***The finished product, such as it is.***

I’m bringing a batch of brownies too.

***Here’s hoping they taste better than they look!***

The only BPI ATM in town was out of cash yesterday. Had enough on hand to get me through the night, so I was thankful for that. I wound up taking a Jeepney into Subic town this morning to make a withdrawal from the BPI bank branch there. Filled my wallet with 20,000 pesos. The gals are going to really love that bulge in my pants tonight!

***This seemed like a good time for a Dick joke. You are welcome!***

I also picked up my new passport with the entry stamp transferred from the old passport. I’m good to go now until December 1, 2022. I will have to exit the Philippines at some point prior to that date. Hopefully, the stupidity will be over by then and I’ll be able to come back home. Still, I’m thankful I was able to get all this done without having to make TWO trips to the Manila immigration office. Thank you for your service Ella’s Travel.

Yesterday’s dart league action was against the team from Blue Butterfly. I could tell from watching them warm-up they wouldn’t be much of a challenge. Well, there was one Filipino guy who appeared to throw pretty decent darts. But it turns out Filipino males are not allowed to play in our league–it’s for expats and females only. When our team captain arrived he reminded the other team of this rule and to our surprise and embarrassment it turns out the “guy” wasn’t a guy after all. Looks can be deceiving sometimes. The opponents’ captain offered to have the player in question prove her gender, but we graciously accepted her word for it.

***We went on to win the match 13-0. I guess we had the bigger dicks after all…***

Speaking of darts, my Facebook memories for today included this photo from nine years ago:

Bull and Barrel, at one time the best darts bar in Itaewon. Long gone now as are just about everyone in the photo. Bridget is dead, Jeremy did six years in prison, some of the Filipino’s got deported, I got dumped, and the rest just moved on to the next chapter.

It brought to mind this old Beatles tune though:

There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

Ah, well. I’m thankful for the memories of happier times. Mostly.

I promised some photos from yesterday’s hike, and here they come. As an added bonus, you can Relive the hike too.

It was actually 6K. I forgot to turn on the tracker at the beginning.

***At our regular meet-up spot–the 7/11 parking lot on Baloy road. Another large group of 17 hikers joined in the fun.***

***We did a couple of moderate climbs, one we had not done for a year or so. Also covered a lot of the familiar My Bitch trail. I was pleased my injured back responded so well.***

***And we are off the road and into the weeds…***

***The bridge wasn’t too far into the hike.***

***That old board made this a real creak crossing.***

***We very rarely see snakes on our hikes, and when do, we are glad they are dead.***

***Are we coming or going?*** ***Turns out it was both.***

***That’s the skinny on the hike***. ***I reckon you are thankful this post is over…***

I am truly thankful for your readership and indulgence. I’ll be back with more of this kind of crap tomorrow. Promise!

Back on

Posted on 24/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Did the hike today and it felt good to be back on trail again. The back was still a little sore this morning, but not painfully so. I’ll share some photos of the adventure tomorrow, right now I’m pressed for time because I have to shower up and head out for my dart league match. I hate feeling rushed on Wednesdays. If I play next season it will have to be as an extra player. With only three on the team, I have to arrive no later than 2 p.m. or we forfeit.

Speaking of darts, I played the tourney last night and failed to reach the money round. Can’t blame my back for that. I actually threw pretty much my normal game, my opponents just threw better. No defense against that.

After darts, I visited Pearl’s food stand and had a couple of beers there. Pearl wasn’t there when I arrived, but her mother came out and we had a nice chat. Like any good mother, she doesn’t want to see her daughter hurt or mistreated. I assured her of my good intentions. It did occur to me that this might be the first time I’ve met the mother of a woman I’m dating and I’m older than the mother. Who’d a thunk it? Pearl arrived shortly thereafter.

Finished my lunch, now to get ready to go. Thanks for giving me your time. Let’s do it again tomorrow!

I won’t back down

Posted on 23/November/2021 by John McCrarey

I only did a small portion of yesterday’s Hash trail in deference to my ailing back. The pain is not quite as sharp today and as of now, I intend to do the group hike tomorrow, even if that means gritting my teeth in agony while I walk. I hope it doesn’t come to that.

So, in COVID prevention news, we no longer have to wear those dumbass face shields in the supermarket. I was so pleased heading out to Royal for my shopping excursion this morning without one. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when I was asked for my vaccination card by the security guard at the entrance. WTF? I ain’t go one. It was right at opening time and the guard indicated the vaccine requirement wasn’t in effect yet, so I was able to enter the store. I was pissed because it is a stupid policy and especially because there had been absolutely no forewarning. Idiots.

At the checkout stand, I cashed in the points on my Royal rewards card figuring I might not be back anytime soon. That was good for twenty bucks off my groceries. As I was leaving I went to the customer service desk to get clarification on the vax policy–specifically, I wanted to know if applied to all the stores on SBMA (the old Navy base) or only Royal. I didn’t get a clear answer on that, but I suspected it will be SBMA-wide. All the manager could tell me was they were waiting for “the memo”. Well, I just saw on Facebook that people have been turned away this afternoon from both Royal stores. And someone posted this showing that the restriction is indeed SBMA-wide:

So, I’ll be doing my shopping elsewhere for the foreseeable future. You know, I’m actually not anti-vaccination. I just don’t need one since I’ve already had COVID. And if this shit they are forcing on people actually worked, those of us who are unvaccinated wouldn’t pose a threat. And the more they try and force me into getting jabbed, the more I’m inclined to resist. I’ll make up my own mind about when or if I want to be shot. Honestly, it won’t surprise me if immigration starts requiring proof of vaccination to renew your visa. What a crock this all is. I think only about 35% of the general population has been vaccinated, I guess they can eat cake.

***This was me four years ago today in Korea. Probably the last winter I’ll ever experience. Unless I get deported.***

Alright, let me share some photos from my abbreviated Hash yesterday:

***Gathering up at the VFW. There were three trails as I understand it…long, medium, and short. Make that four trails–I did my own version.***

***And we are off! I did the first couple of blocks then veered off on a detour to Pearl’s food place. Alas, she wasn’t there so I had a couple of beers then moved on.***

***This is some of what I missed out on. My back just wasn’t up for a climb.***

This place is on the main drag in Barretto but I had never even heard of it. The beach is at the end of a long driveway off the highway. Never had a reason to walk down that way until yesterday. It was near the end of the official Hash trail, so I was once again “On-On!”

The Hares had provided a “beer stop” here, so I stopped and had one. I actually really liked this place. A bit rustic and intended to cater to a Filipino crowd, but I would consider renting one of those Nipa huts for a beach party.

***The two female Hares, Dumbass and Dripping Pussy, are on the beach.***

And the two male Hares, Yogini and Leaking Willy, are showing the way to the wet portion of the trail. Yep, there was a walk through the bay water between Barretto and Baloy for those willing to do so. I wasn’t one of them.

***There goes one now. I understand the water got waist deep in places.***

***Some Gash at the beer stop. That Nipa hut behind them is the one I’d like to rent.***

I walked the dry road to Baloy for the On-Home at Da’ Kudos. There I encountered these Hashers speaking to each other in German. I loudly proclaimed, “you’re in the Philippines, damn it! Speak English!” I was joking, of course. Only two of them are German, there’s an Austrian and a Dutchman as well.

***And the sun goes down on another Hash Monday.***

Now to find out if my bad back will impact my ability to throw darts. Well, at least I’ll have an excuse if I play poorly, legitimate or not. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Well, I know what's right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I'll stand my ground
And I won't back down

Bars of Barretto: Mango’s Beach Bar

Posted on 23/November/2021 by John McCrarey

I debated whether to include Mango’s in this list. I’m generally not doing hotel restaurant bars, but have made exceptions (see Palm Tree). Mango’s has its own stand-alone bar as well (see Rock Lobster). But I spend a lot of time at this bar on the beach and so I think it warrants inclusion.

***Besides, since Mango’s calls it a bar, who am I to argue?***

The above photo is from the front of the bar looking towards the water. There are dining tables in addition to the bar stools.

***A view from the back to the front.***

I don’t spend much time at the actual bar though.

***This is my spot on the patio facing the beach.*** ***Back when I was a more frequent visitor, they actually put a “reserved” sign up so I always had my seat.***

***Honestly, I enjoy looking at views like this as much as I do bargirls…well, almost as much.***

Speaking of which, this is one of the few places in town where you can’t buy the attention of a waitress for the price of a lady drink. This is not to say the staff isn’t friendly. In fact, I’m Facebook friends with at least three of them. I’m always made to feel like an honored guest when I arrive, which is nice.

So, a seat with a view, cold beer, kindly folks to serve me; what else could I ask for? Well, Mango’s is also one of my favorite restaurants. I love the grilled pork chops especially, although lately they frequently haven’t been available. Like on this visit. Oh well, just give me a roast chicken salad then.

Regular readers may recall that during the early days of the lockdown last year a certain bar on the beach continued serving their regular customers in the manner of a speakeasy. I’m not saying where that was, but I always appreciated their trust and I’ve tried to repay it with my loyalty.

The music is low-key, happy hour beers are 70 pesos, and 90 pesos thereafter. No extra charge for the beach views. I like this place. A lot.

Where things stand so far:

It Doesn’t Matter
Mango’s Beach Bar
Alley Cats
Finger Monkeys
Adam’s
Blue Butterfly
Out Back Billabong
Dynamite Dick’s
Palm Tree
Hideaway
Rosies
Rock Lobster
Queen Victoria
Voodoo
Annex
MacArthur’s
Redz Pub
Whiskey Girl

Back off

Posted on 22/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Another Hash Monday so just a quick post before I head out. My back still ain’t right–maybe a bit less pain or maybe I’m just getting used to it–but I’m not thinking doing the trail today is in my future. The 43-year-old offered to come give me a massage, but now that I have a girlfriend I decided that wasn’t a good idea. I figure I’ll walk to the VFW for the start, then walk out to Baloy Beach for the On-Home. Hey, that’s part of the trail at least.

Sorry to say, that’s all I’ve got. I went straight home after my visit to Finger Monkeys last night and haven’t done shit since. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day. We’ll see.

***The potential downside to having a girlfriend…***

Bars of Barretto: Finger Monkeys

Posted on 22/November/2021 by John McCrarey

***Welcome to the newest bar in Barretto. The grand opening was last night and I was there!***

To begin, I hate the name. Finger Monkeys Ready To Race. What does that even mean? If I were compiling a list of worst bar names ever, this one would be near the top. Okay, rant over. It’s not the name outside that matters, it is what goes on inside that makes a bar fun.

***On the right is the owner, Marick. Sweet Joy is in the middle, and Jen is on the left. Joy and Jen are the waitresses I buy drinks for.***

Until a couple of weeks ago, Marick ran a closet-sized bar named Marick’s Bar and Grill. I have no idea why she didn’t bring that name to the new place. She did bring Joy and Jen, so at least I could enjoy some familiar faces in the new place. Finger Monkeys is small but twice as large as Marick’s, so there that is an improvement comfort-wise.

***That’s pretty much the extent of the place. One large table in the middle of a small room. There is also a little counter in the corner where I was seated (and from whence I took this photo).***

***There is no actual bar in this bar, but this is the area where drinks are concocted.***

***I thought the artwork on the ceiling was really cool.***

It was opening night and the place got really packed by the time I left. The first beer was on the house and free finger foods were provided.

So, obviously, you can’t judge what a bar is going to be like after the first night, but I haven’t let that stop me from doing so for some other bars in this series. If they carry over the friendly, small bar vibe that I experienced at Marick’s, I’ll like it. If they go the rumored Resto-Bar (karaoke with food) route, I won’t be participating. I enjoy the company of Marick and her staff in the bar and it is more conveniently located now near my other frequent haunts. I’m sure I’ll be popping in on at least a semi-regular basis.

I’m going to rank Finger Monkeys on the assumption it will have the same atmosphere as its predecessor. If that proves not to be the case, I’ll adjust the ranking accordingly.

It Doesn’t Matter
Alley Cats
Finger Monkeys
Adam’s
Blue Butterfly
Out Back Billabong
Dynamite Dick’s
Palm Tree
Hideaway
Rosies
Rock Lobster
Queen Victoria
Voodoo
Annex
MacArthur’s
Redz Pub
Whiskey Girl

Back out

Posted on 21/November/2021 by John McCrarey

I don’t know what the hell is going on but I’ve just about had enough, thank you very much. Yesterday morning my right foot big toe was hurting like hell, enough to wake me up early and make walking the dog unpleasant. Closer inspection revealed that the bitchy pedicurist had cut the nail way too short and an ingrown toenail was the result. I silently prayed for the Lord to make me forget about the toe pain and my prayers were answered. Later that morning when I got up out of my chair it felt like someone had stabbed me in the back. No idea where that came from, I didn’t slip, trip, or fall. I took some aspirin and went about my day, albeit uncomfortably. My back feels fine when I am sitting or laying down. Getting into those positions, or anything that involves bending over is borderline excruciating. It’s a dull pain when I stand or walk, which is at least bearable.

So, as you saw in the previous post, I did my bar review at Voodoo. Then I tried to dull the pain with more beers at It Doesn’t Matter. That didn’t work, so I figured a good back rub from my favorite at Cheap Charlies might do the trick. It did feel great and seemed to help. Until I walked down the stairs to head home. I popped into her place on the way to say goodnight and wound up confirming a “date” to go hiking this morning and have lunch afterward.

It was a painful night getting up to pee as often as I do. When I rolled out of bed at 0400 I was glad to see Buddy at least was sleeping peacefully.

After the morning dog walk, I knew I was in no condition to do the planned hike.

***Even the beauty of Easter mountain failed to ease my pain.***

When I got back home I sent her a message saying I couldn’t walk but lunch was still a go if she were up for it. She was. So, I plopped some pork chops and cream of mushroom soup in the crockpot and awaited her arrival.

She is a real sweetheart. She brought along some remedies for my aching back.

***Starting with buko (coconut) juice, which is according to Filipino culture a cure-all for pretty much everything. It was my first time drinking the milk and it wasn’t bad.***

***And she also had these more medically approved treatments to share with me as well.***

I had everything for lunch just about ready to go when she arrived. Put it on a plate and served it up.

***Where’s the garlic bread you ask? Still in the oven, I somehow forgot about it until after it had baked to a crispy black. Let’s go, Brandon!***

***Oh, well. She professed to enjoy the meal even without bread.***

After we ate, we retreated to the bedroom where Pearl used her magic hands to rub my back and spread the medications around. One of them, I think it was the menthol, almost felt like it was burning me, but in a weird way, it also felt good. After the treatment, we cuddled and kissed and decided to take our relationship to the next level. Yep, here I go again. Wish me luck!

Later in the afternoon, She needed to return to her place of business. I walked with her there and felt less pain than I had on my morning walk. I also brought along some of the brownies I had made for dessert to share with her workers. Had a couple of beers while I was there and enjoyed spending a little more time with her.

I know better than to speculate too much on what lies ahead. Que sera, sera, and all that. I’ll be happy if my back has improved enough to do the Hash run tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Bars of Barretto: Voodoo

Posted on 21/November/2021 by John McCrarey

Voodoo is the first old-school classic “girly bar” in Barretto. I define a girly bar as one that has a stage where scantily clad women dance for your entertainment. Alas, although the dance stage remains, dancing is currently forbidden in any bar. It seems sexy women moving to the beat of the music attracts the COVID virus. The science on that is settled according to the powers that be.

I’m going to start this review with a disclaimer. Voodoo is one of the Dryden group of bars and I’m on friendly terms with the owner. I won’t intentionally let that dissuade me from giving my honest impressions of the bar, but I wanted to be upfront about that relationship. The owner is also the leader of the local business association and regularly interacts with city and barangay leadership on issues that impact the expat community. I don’t want to cause any trouble by inadvertently saying or showing things that may or may not comport with current restrictions and requirements. I tried to be discreet in my photography for that reason. With that said, here we go:

***Instead of dancing on the stage, the gals sit around tables waiting for a customer to make their day by calling them down for a lady drink.***

It is a very small bar, but not uncomfortable. People come here to enjoy the company of the ~~dancers~~ waitresses–no pool, no darts, just the ladies. Well, if you look closely at the photo above, there is a small curtained alcove in the back (you can see a young woman sitting there). I was told that it is a karaoke room. That sucks.

***My crappy pic of the bar. Customers almost always sit at the tables to facilitate interaction with the staff.***

***Just in case you forget where you are on one of those drunken nights…***

***Ring the Bell and enjoy having your name emblazoned on the Wall of Fame for posterity.***

The bell ring is one of the traditions of the girly bar genre. A bell ring costs 2900 pesos ($60.) at Voodoo and all the girls working get a lady drink. It is a quick way to popularity. It’s not my thing, but I’ve seen some guys, usually tourists, go nuts with the bell rings–in some cases spending over a thousand bucks. That’s why the bars need the tourist trade, us expats tend to be cheap bastards.

***The Voodoo bell remained unrung during my visit. I was also the only customer at the time.***

So, here’s the deal. The girly bar format is really not my thing. Even when the girls could dance around on the stage, it just wasn’t much of an attraction for me. So take what I say with a grain of salt, some guys love this type of bar. The girls in these places tend to be more aggressive than in “normal” bars, although last night I wasn’t pestered much for lady drinks. One gal joined me at my table uninvited when I first sat down, but after I told the waitress “no” when she asked if I was going to buy a lady drink, I wasn’t asked again. The girl stayed at my table anyway, and I did eventually buy her a drink.

The attractiveness of the staff covered the spectrum, but no one stood out enough for me to be tempted. Service was fine. Beers were 90 pesos at Happy Hour and then are 110 pesos normally. The lady drink was 185 pesos. Prices tend to be a bit higher in girly bars for what I presume is the overhead expenses of employing so many women.

***My “it’s a nice bar, but not my thing” face.***

So, a cozy bar to sit and watch or chat with the women. I kind of liked the ambiance of feeling close to everyone surrounding me, almost like being at a party. If I were into the girly bar scene I might prefer a small bar like this one. And since I was the only guy in the place, I’m pretty sure I was the most handsome man around. I didn’t specifically ask about “take out”, but I’m pretty sure the girls are free to leave with a customer if they desire to do so. Bringing people together is what this bar format is all about.

The rankings:

It Doesn’t Matter
Alley Cats
Adam’s
Blue Butterfly
Out Back Billabong
Dynamite Dick’s
Palm Tree
Hideaway
Rosies
Rock Lobster
Queen Victoria
Voodoo
Annex
MacArthur’s
Redz Pub
Whiskey Girl