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Night out in San Jose

San Jose Travel Blog › entry 15 of 42 › view all entries

There are many destinations around South East Asian people tend to go to. One of the less travelled is the Philippines. Somehow this country has managed to stay away from the main tourist crowds - even though they got some world class sight when it comes to diving and snorkelling and some great hiking as well. Put on top of this friendly people who almost all speak English this seems like the next big thing. But for now it is still peaceful with the exception of a few spot.

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World › Asia › Philippines › San Jose

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Night out in San Jose

July 2, 2008

Arriving to San Jose at night

We get to the port in San Jose with boat and a small boat meets us at the bangka. The four Europeans all go onboard - while all the Pilipino stays on the bangka. I guess this should have been our clue that the boat ride were not for free. But we did not realize before we stood on the shore and the boat dude asks for money - ok whatever lets give him something. Then we try to get to the hotel - next obstacle we are stranded on a tiny island without a road to the city. We need another boat to ferry us over to Mindoro ok ok - how much do you want for the 1 minute ferry ride? 10 each - ok - we really got no options or patience to try to strike a bargain at this stage.

Finally on land but we need to get to a hotel in town.

Bands at the club - photo Jordan

Lonely Planet is there ready to rescue us once again. Well we try to find a tricycle driver to take us. But no. They turn down the ride because it is too short. A ride being too short for a tricycle driver? Since when has any ride been too short? Baffled we walk on - we may be right next to the hotel - but we got no clue which street we are on - which renders the Lonely Planet map pretty useless. We ask for direction a few times and we find the hotel - it was pretty close.

Well we all need to get up early the next day so we just head straight for the restaurant opposite the hotel. Get dinner and are ready to leave. But just before we are heading out the door we start to talk to a lonely man - he is a doctor from Stanford who lives in Manila but have work all over the world - and he is just down here for holiday.

Bands at the club - photo Jordan

By himself. Ok this strike us like a bit odd - a middle age man with his background travelling by himself - but on the other hand we are all by our self as well so - maybe it is very normal in the end. He wants to go out and he ask where we can find a bar with live music. There is a place and of we go.

The bar is ok they got some music going but the band is not coming on before 10 or so .- we just need to wait for it. But the red horse is cold so that is ok. The band starts. And this band is unbelievable. I have never heard a live band with such an utter lack of talent. The singers can not sing and the musicians cant play Combine this with a sound system which is turned up to a volume twice what it is designed for the music is bad it is funny. We have a great time - and Jordan doing his own version of Hotel California as Hotel Philipina on stage is priceless.

The band stop and there is a break. Another band gets on stage - there was actually a good thing about the first band. It made the second band look like it could play. Sure the lead singers main talent were more visual than singing but - hey a couple of the musicians may just be able to play a bit. We stay on for a while listening to the band and having a few more red horse to pass the time.

4 comments

13 smiles

sunstroke says:

hahahahah! nice :D

Posted on: Nov 24, 2008

planisphere says:

you have been to my town? this is my town! hahaha

Posted on: Oct 15, 2008

lauro says:

hahahahahahhahaa! i luv it!

Posted on: Jul 31, 2008

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Arriving to San Jose at night

Bands at the club - photo Jordan

Zachary

Go for the unbelievable music at Zachary

When in San Jose there is not that many places to go for live music. But one place is Zachary's and going there will be an adventure in itself. The place is located just down a side road to the main street in San Jose - and the tricycle driver should be able to find the way no problem.

When you get there on a week day the crowd is not all that big - but there is beers at a reasonable price. You can get a red horse for 45 pesos - just remember to ask for a cold one or you might end up drinking hot beer.

The attraction of the place is the live music which started at ten the night I went. And it really does fulfil on objective - it will make all other live bands you are gonna watch look a whole lot better. The sound system is so bad that even a great band would sound terrible - and the bands playing in this bar is far from great.

After you have been listening to the music for a while you may just begin to think - hey these bands are so bad it's funny. You can have a bit of a laugh about the lack of quality - and you will have had a music experience you will remember for a long time after you leave.