Pushing and shoving

The Wednesday Walkers group hike proved to be quite the challenge despite being only 4K in duration. We traveled out to Tibag to explore some new road construction we’d seen posted on Facebook. Well, they may be roads, but even a 4×4 would have difficulty making it up some of those steep grades. Compounding the problem was the dirt, which was soft and sand-like, so each step was harder and produced a cloud of dust. I had promised to push myself to greater heights, and I succeeded for the most part. Admittedly, my brain was screaming, “Turn around and go back down,” and it was tempting to do so, but I managed to shove on. The section of the hike where we were off the dirt road was mostly pleasant, although some of it was through the dreaded creek bed with all that that entails. I was dead tired at the end, but the breathing wasn’t an issue, so that’s a plus.

***All nine of us somehow managed to squeeze into Ed’s pickup for the ride out to Tibag***

***I was astounded to see how steep the climbs were. Other than a tracked vehicle, I don’t think many could make it up through the soft dirt.***

***Then, you get to the end of the climb, and the road goes back down again.***

***But the joke is on you if you think the worst is behind you. Yep, another climb.***

***One thing about climbing that fucker was it provided a nice benchmark on my recovery. I wouldn’t have made it a third of the way up two weeks ago.***

***The reward for a hard climb is a nice view.***

And yes, it went down again, but there was another steep climb to reach that ridge in the foreground. There was some debate about whether to turn around at this point, but in the end, the group decided to continue on. I told that voice in my head to shut up and marched on.

And then miracles of miracles, just before the next climb started, we discovered a trail going in the right direction. Yay!

**Meandering and overgrown in places, but better than a** ***hill climb!***

***Creek beds are their own kind of pain in the ass, but at least this one was dry. Come rainy season, I wouldn’t want to go this way.***

***I always look for a tree to photograph. I had to step over this one.***

***Eventually, we left the creek behind and did a little trespassing.***

***Back to civilization and a cookie delivery.***

***This apparently homeless old man made me sad. I left him some cookies, too.***

And then our path led us back to the dirt road we had climbed earlier. Going down it was a different kind of challenge. The soft dirt made it slippery, and we all covered our faces to avoid breathing in the dust cloud our steps created.

***Cold beer awaited our arrival at the vehicle.***

***The path we walked. Unlikely we will be doing this one again anytime soon.***

Of course, my day had just begun. My driver picked me up at 2:30 for my ophthalmologist appointment at Baypointe Hospital. I had the usual eye exam then waited to see the doc. Thirty minutes after my scheduled appointment, it was finally my turn. My vision is okay, although I have a cataract growing in my left eye. He said it wasn’t big enough to consider surgery. He gave me a prescription for eye drops and sent me on my way. I got a discounted rate of 1300 pesos for being an old man.

And then it was off to Harbor Point mall. I’m going to the wedding reception tomorrow afternoon and the only pair of slacks I own no longer fit. I figure shorts and sneakers might seem rude, so I went in search of some more appropriate apparel.

After the mall excursion, I decided to treat my crew to dinner. I know John’s place could use the business, so that’s where we went.

***We were the only customers, so I guess that made us the best customers.***

***Swan played a game of pool with my driver, Danny.***

I was once again surprised that Swan (who I, of course, always allow to order first) chose the exact meal that I had in mind. I guess we really are on the same page.

***…and pulled pork for me. I intentionally got onion rings with mine so we could share the sides.***

***And an order of Korean-style chicken wings for the table to enjoy.***

As usual, the food was excellent. My favorite waitress served us last night, and she advised us she was leaving for a new job next week. That’s a bummer, but good luck to her working in a call center. It’s a step up for sure.

Then it was back to the house and time for some cold beers at The Rite Spot.

I really pushed my luck this morning, but I’ll share that adventure tomorrow!

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What’s it like living in the Philippines? I’m a 66 y/o man I went to Manila and cebu in 2016 but couldn’t stay long. I’m looking for any input I can get from anyone who knows first hand what to expect if I move there. Thank you.

A: I’m 65 and have been living here in Olongapo City for over three years now. So far, so good. I wouldn’t recommend either Manila or Cebu, personally, but then again, I’m not a big-city kind of guy. Cost of living for most things is cheaper, people are friendly, and most places are quite beautiful. I laugh sometimes because the part of town I live in is like a retirement community for expats. Nowhere else I’d rather be. Long Time Gone

The Philippines isn’t for everyone, but it is what you make it. It feels like home to me now.

Today’s lame attempts at humor: