My Thursday solo walk was a mission of discovery. I strolled past every bar in town and documented their existence with a snapshot. Granted, I started at nine in the morning, so the vast majority were closed, but I wasn’t out to drink, so it didn’t matter. I’ve gotten pretty staid in my selection of venues where I imbibe lately, but I’m going to try for a bit more adventure on Wednesdays in the weeks ahead. So, here’s the state of the bar business in Barretto.
#1. Queen Victoria. I don’t come here nearly as often as I used to. I don’t stay up late enough to hear the live bands.#2 Johansson’s. This is one of the Hash On-Home venues. In fact, we will be here this coming Monday.#3 Rosie’s. It’s never been high on my list of places to go.#4. Alley Hideout. This was my hangout back in my dart-playing days.#5. Nipsey’s. I’ve been here once since they opened. #6. Cloud 69. One of the newer bars in town that I have yet to visit.#7. Red Bar. Another Hash venue that I seldom visit otherwise.#8. Wet Spot. About the only bar with dancers I regularly frequent.#9. The Green Room. I’m here as much as I am anywhere these days.#10. Alaska. I like it, but seldom visit.#11. BarCelona. This is a very nice bar that, for some reason, isn’t worth climbing to the third floor for.#12. La Oficina. I used to go here for the SOB occasionally, but had a bad experience on my last visit.#13. Gentlemen’s Bar. This is a newer venue with some hot gals (I see them sitting outside sometimes), but that’s not my thing. These days, I’m drinking with my girlfriend.#14. Hops and Brews Beer Garden. I come here to eat occasionally but never to drink.#15. Hot Zone. One of the better girly bars in town, but that’s not what I like.#16. Bob Angel’s bar. I haven’t been here since it changed owners/name.#17. Voodoo. I used to come here once in a while, but now it doesn’t open until 7 p.m. I’m usually wrapping things up by then.#18. It Doesn’t Matter. Our after-Hash venue and a place I enjoy sitting outside.#19. John’s Sushi and Steak. I hesitated including this venue, because it is primarily a restaurant. The third floor is technically a bar with a pool table, but nobody comes here to drink.
Okay, that’s all for this side of the National Highway. Time to cross over and walk back the other way.
#20. Redz Pub. This is located at the Arizona Resort and it’s been years since I last set foot inside. The Arizona floating bar will be opening soon, and I’ll come to Arizona for that. I should have taken a picture of it, but we’ll call the floater #21 anyway.#22. Hideaway. Regular readers know I feed the girls here once a week.#23. Dynamite Dick’s. Owner here is a nice guy. We stopped in today after our hike.#24. Macarthurs Bar and Grill. A newer venue I’ve visited a couple of times because my friend Jessa is the manager. It’s not my kind of place, though (beer is too expensive, no wine for my gal).#25. Red Stars. This bar has had three owners since I’ve lived in Barretto. It’s an okay place I seldom visit.#26. Johm’s Restobar. I’ve never been inside this place and never will be. Commenter Aaron is interested in ladyboy bars, and I understand this one is chock full of them.#27. Mugshots. This is a very nice bar with a good kitchen. I’m not sure why I don’t come here more often.#28. Oasis. I tried to like this place and just couldn’t do it. Not having wine once was the last straw.#29. Chill Bar. I’ve only visited once, and that was long ago. Too much lady drink pressure.#30. Annex. One of the few bars that open in the morning hours (Sloppy Joe’s, Dynamite Dick’s, and Macarthur’s are the others).#31. Candy Bar. A new venue I know nothing about. I suspect it is a girly bar.#32. Cheap Charlies. I was there on Wednesday. It’s a good bar.#33. Central Park Reef Hotel. I hesitated including hotels on this list, but I have seen foreigners here on the occasions I’ve ventured in. There is a bar/restaurant on the roof that is very nice.#34. Thumbstar. Aaron, you might like this place.#35. Mango’s. Another hotel, but it has a nice bar with beach views.#36. Rock Lobster Bar. Also at Mango’s, but your traditional bar atmosphere. I’ve only been inside a couple of times.#37. Castaway. A nice upstairs bar at the Palm Tree Resort.#38. Hangout Sports Bar. Another newer venue. I’ve only been once and it didn’t resonate.#39. Lux. A very nice bar ambiance wise. I’ve only been a couple of times.#40. Whiskey Girl. I used to visit here pretty often when I was single.#41 & #42. Outback. This resort has two nice bars, the Billabong, and the Pool Bar.#43. Snackbar. I used to come here often, but had trouble with a 450 peso glass of wine.#44. SB2. Upstairs is a disco bar that doesn’t open until 8 p.m. I don’t like disco and I don’t like the hours.
And that is all the bars on the National Highway in Barretto. We’ll do Baloy Beach (also technically part of Barretto) tomorrow.
Swan had a busy day doing good deeds.
That included a visit to Tibag Elementary School to deliver a candy donationIt appears to have gone well.
When she returned home, Swan and our neighbor, Vina, set to work on preparations for next week’s charity event at the Aeta village in Naugsol.
That included sorting the 25-kilo rice bags into 150 family-size bags to be handed out.
Since Swan was otherwise occupied, I had a rare evening out on the town on my own. The owner of Snackbar had asked if I had any dart equipment I didn’t need, so I dropped off some flights and shafts to be used in the bar. And since I was there anyway (and didn’t require wine for Swan) I ordered a beer.
The welcoming committeeA good size crowd outsideI sat at the small barAnd as is my style, I sent one of the gals next door to 7-Eleven for ice cream cones (none for me, of course)
Two beers later I was on my way to visit Alaska. The bar, I mean. Only stayed for one there. Then, I finished my time out at Green Room, where I had a 50% off coupon to use. I even played the rare game of pool while I was there. And lost, of course.
I indulged my appetite with these chicken tacos from Sit-n-Bull. They were not a wise choice calorie-wise, but we all have our weak moments.
Then I headed home to see my hard-working sweetheart. And thus ended another Thursday.
A too hungry day, it seems.
Today’s weigh-in results:
Last week: 240.6
This week: 237.9
Down 2.7 pounds
November 1: 267.1
Overall loss: 29.2 pounds
Progress!
No memories to speak of for today, so let’s look at a YouTube showing what a shithole Manila is. There are some nice parts of town, but I still wouldn’t want to live there. That’s not to say similar poverty doesn’t exist here, but it seems to be on a smaller scale somehow.
And on to the humor:
Stop, you’re killing me!Some things are worth waiting forThat’s about as horny as you can get!
Gonna do the SOB at Wet Spot this evening and that ought to fill those Friday hours yet to be expended. More to come tomorrow.
I said there were no memories today, but I did post this video thirteen years ago:
6 thoughts on “Seeing them all, bar none”
#26. Johm’s Restobar.
Surely, that’s a typo! But, no: it’s hard to see through the leaves, but I think that that sign really does say “Johm.” Filipinglish.
#34. Thumbstar. Aaron, you might like this place.
In the spirit of Engrish, “Thumbstar” is also spelled “Thumstar” in the photo. Like in Korea, I guess most Filipinos don’t really care how something looks, sounds, or is spelled in English.
re: bull horn in the anus
I hope the exit was less painful than the entry.
Well, thanks for the tour of the local bars.
Whose Swan?
Manila is a metro area of 15 million people and Barretto has a population of 20000 or so.
Makes sense that there will be more extremes in Manila. More super poor, more super rich, more homeless, more abject poverty, etc.
Interesting bar tour. After seeing the population of Barretto, not surprising that there is a lot of turnover in bar names, management. The # of bars per capita is really high, especially since most of those are geared towards expats, which I assume are pretty small % of the overall population. But, the average expat there most likely drinks a lot more than the average person. LOL
Brian, yep, that’s true of most big cities–all the negative aspects are amplified. I don’t even like to go to the airport in Manila if I can avoid it.
The expat community in Barretto is primarily old retired guys like me. I always shake my head in wonder when yet another new bar opens in town. There ain’t enough of us to keep them all going as it is, and the foreigner tourists have not come back at a pre-COVID level. The beach resorts fill up on the weekend with Filipinos, but they don’t tend to patronize Western bars. So, that’s why I force myself to go out drinking all the time–I’m trying to support our local business community! That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!
Swan is what I call my girlfriend here.
Kev, Johm’s is the correct rendition of the bar’s name, although I shake my head every time I see it. Most Filipinos write my name as “Jhon” for some reason. In the case of “Thumstar,” that is just sloppy work from the sign maker. We constantly deal with misspellings on Hash shirts we have made here. I’m not sure if the workers are ignorant or apathetic. *ahem*
#26. Johm’s Restobar.
Surely, that’s a typo! But, no: it’s hard to see through the leaves, but I think that that sign really does say “Johm.” Filipinglish.
#34. Thumbstar. Aaron, you might like this place.
In the spirit of Engrish, “Thumbstar” is also spelled “Thumstar” in the photo. Like in Korea, I guess most Filipinos don’t really care how something looks, sounds, or is spelled in English.
re: bull horn in the anus
I hope the exit was less painful than the entry.
Well, thanks for the tour of the local bars.
Whose Swan?
Manila is a metro area of 15 million people and Barretto has a population of 20000 or so.
Makes sense that there will be more extremes in Manila. More super poor, more super rich, more homeless, more abject poverty, etc.
Interesting bar tour. After seeing the population of Barretto, not surprising that there is a lot of turnover in bar names, management. The # of bars per capita is really high, especially since most of those are geared towards expats, which I assume are pretty small % of the overall population. But, the average expat there most likely drinks a lot more than the average person. LOL
Brian, yep, that’s true of most big cities–all the negative aspects are amplified. I don’t even like to go to the airport in Manila if I can avoid it.
The expat community in Barretto is primarily old retired guys like me. I always shake my head in wonder when yet another new bar opens in town. There ain’t enough of us to keep them all going as it is, and the foreigner tourists have not come back at a pre-COVID level. The beach resorts fill up on the weekend with Filipinos, but they don’t tend to patronize Western bars. So, that’s why I force myself to go out drinking all the time–I’m trying to support our local business community! That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!
Swan is what I call my girlfriend here.
Kev, Johm’s is the correct rendition of the bar’s name, although I shake my head every time I see it. Most Filipinos write my name as “Jhon” for some reason. In the case of “Thumstar,” that is just sloppy work from the sign maker. We constantly deal with misspellings on Hash shirts we have made here. I’m not sure if the workers are ignorant or apathetic. *ahem*