Vintage Anker manual wind watch

I have this vintage Anker watch from the 1950s (the previous owner claimed it to be from 1955). It is

German-made and one of those produced in the old German Democratic Republic or East Germany. These were very good quality watches and I am not surprised it is still in very good condition as shown in the following photos including one of the movement.

Watch dial showing no day or date complications

Side view showing the crown

The other side view

Watch case back

Photo of the movement, which I have yet to identify

This is actually one of the watches I could spare from my collection. Don't get me wrong as it is a good watch and still reliable after I timed it to run for more than 42 hours on a full wind, and it gained only a few seconds over this period. I hope it finds a new owner who would be able to use it more than me.

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On Cauayan's restaurants

I would normally have a post for each restaurant or even eatery that we had a meal at during our travels. This time, I decided to consolidate a review of sorts for restaurants we ate at in Cauayan, Isabela. This, of course, is not a comprehensive one as we stayed there only for a few days and were limited due to the field work we had to do in the city. We had our breakfasts at Jollibee and McDonalds for quick, sure meals.

The first restaurant we ate at we found via a top ten list on the internet. Kusina Kawayan was not so conspicuous but was apparently a popular place. Unfortunately, a lot of items on their menu were not available as they ran out of ingredients so we had to make do of whatever was available including kinilaw, shrimps and chop suey. The food was good but we left wondering if the more popular items in the menu could have been good as well.

Kusina Kawayan's kinilaw na tuna (basically tuna ceviche)

Kusina version of chop suey

Shrimps in lemon garlic sauce

Luring's gotohan appeared to be highly recommended on social media. It turned out to have a very limited menu - goto lang talaga and little else to offer.

Some empty tables at Luring's - there was a group of students having merienda fare for their lunch. Other than them, there were no other customers when we arrived. We ended up in an eatery nearby where we had no choice but goat dishes-not that these weren't tasty.

Tables at one of the casitas at Kabayan's Grill along the national highway

View towards the main building of Kabayan's Grill - most diners eat at the main hall whereas others

The sotanghon was very good

The grilled liempo (pork belly) was ordinary

But one has to admire the quality of the rice being served at restaurants and eateries

Finally was able to get my fresh buko juice (coconut water)

Interior of the main building of Kabayan's Grill

Entrance to Kabayan's Grill, which was along the national highway

Overall, I think we were a bit disappointed we couldn't find a more spectacular place to eat at in Cauayan outside the established ones in SM City Cauayan. I'm sure there are good ones but internet sources, at least for Cauayan's case, were not helpful.

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The Beanbox, Dinalupihan, Bataan

We decided break for lunch after going around many parts of Dinalupihan, Bataan for our ocular surveys in connection with a project we are implementing for the town. Highly recommended by our hosts was a restaurant just across the street from the Municipal Hall.

Their take on fillet of fish with black beans was very satisfying. The sauce was flavorful and the carrots and mushrooms gave the dish some improvement from the typical.

The chop suey had fresh veggies for ingredients

Liempo, pansit canton, and another vegetable dish the name of which I forgot

We had a very satisfying meal at The Beanbox. Their staff were attentive and it didnt take long for our food to be cooked (quite important if your group is already very hungry after doing field work). The prices were also reasonable considering the quality and quantity of the food. We will definitely keep in mind this restaurant for our future visits to Dinalupihan.

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Vintage UMF Ruhla from 1958

The old Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and German German Democratic Republic (East Germany) produced a lot of high quality watches. Many are from familiar brands like Glashutte and Junghans. But there are others like Anker, Stowa, Ruhla and Kienzle. Many of these are now collectible and maybe won’t hurt your pockets like the Glashutte and Junghans watches. Here is a very good example of those watches - a UMF Ruhla from the 1950s.

Simple dial becomes a little complex due to the hour markers. There are not day or date features on this watch. But the logo indicates this model as pre-1958, when Ruhla changed its logo.

Side view showing the crown

The other side view

Case back stating this to be stainless steel and waterproof (in German)

This is a Ruhla Cal. M2C 29-12 that runs at 18,000 beats per hour and lasts 39h on a full wind.

The watch the first time I tried it on

The watch keeps good time (not fast, not slow) and I've timed it to last an average of about 38 hours on a full wind. I have been using it more regularly than others in my collection the past couple of weeks to make sure it still runs well. 

More on my other German-made watches soon!

[Note: I sold this watch last year. I wanted to keep it but I thought it would be in better hands (wrists?) with a person who would use it regularly.]

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Chocolate review: Chocolove Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate

Here's our first post on chocolate this month. This is also somewhat delayed in that we consumed/enjoyed this bar last March and I can only try to recall how this one tasted to the best of my memory. :)

Chocolove Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate - the packaging design is with bright colors

Nutrition and other information on the chocolate

Description of the chocolate, and something I wasn't able to see until now - that there was supposed to be a love poem in the wrapper! This one's long gone so no need to try to find it in the trash. :)

It's not stated here what % is the minimum cacao content for this dark chocolate but that info is stated in front to be 55%.

This was a smooth dark chocolate and the orange peels made it more enjoyable. The peels were not the candied variety so they were crunchy but instead were chewable. I got this chocolate last year from a convenience store in Enschede, The Netherlands near the hotel where I was staying. Instead of being eaten there, I decided to take it home with me among other chocolates I bought at local stores.

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Hillocks Coffee Shop and Restaurant, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija

We were traveling home from Baler and had just completed the literally long and winding Pantabangan-Baler Road. We were already very hungry and decided to look for a restaurant in the town of Pantabangan.  We didn't know of any and were preparing to explore when we found a lead via Trip Advisor. This was how we came to learn about Hillocks Coffee Shop and Restaurant, which was along the national highway and positioned just a few hundred meters after the town proper.

Sign along the highway - the restaurant was a bit inconspicuous for people traveling long distance and not really looking for a stop at Pantabangan.

Interiors include some vintage items and not so vintage ones like the stereo system that had a retro design

View of one of the tables and the balcony. I like the vintage lamps at the restaurant.

A view of the garden from the porch, and another vintage lamp

View of the restaurant porch and entry from the garden

Entrance arch with my daughter posing with the flowers.

My wife and daughter posing in the garden

Rather uncommon flowers we saw at the garden

There are more tables at the balcony. These were made of hardwood.

Hillocks has an excellent menu. Unfortunately, not everything was available as we arrived way after the typical lunch hours.

Can you spot the pigs? There were three 'free range' pigs roaming around the garden.

A view of the garden from the restaurant porch.

They have a fireplace at the restaurant and it looked like it was a functional one complete with accessories.

View of the restaurant from the driveway - there's a small convenience store at the lower level as well as clean toilets for customers or travelers.

Steps leading to the restaurant's entrance at the second level. The second level was actually at the same level as the garden and much of the land on the property.

We think Hillocks provides an excellent stopover for people traveling between Metro Manila and Baler. It is particularly strategic before or after traversing the Pantabangan-Baler Road, which takes perhaps a couple of hours give and take the driver and vehicle your are using for the trip. The food is good and so is the service. Prices are very reasonable, too, so its highly recommended and we're sure to stop over and have a meal the next time we are in the area.

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Vintage Gruen Precision watch with Cal. 510 RSS movement

I acquired another Gruen Precision from the 1950s. The previous owner indicated it to be from around 1955 so this is about 64 years old. It is in very good shape with what appears to be reapplied lumes. This is my 3rd Gruen Precision watch and can easily be part of my rotation.

Simple watch dial with no day or date features

Side view showing the crown

The other side view

Case back showing the watch to be waterproof, shock resistant, anti-magnetic

Gruen caliber 510RSS movement running at 18,000 bph over what was originally 42h when fully wound.

Here's a wrist shot of the vintage watch

The watch runs a bit fast, gaining more than a couple of minutes per day. I haven't had the chance to have it serviced recently but it is in pretty good condition and should be no trouble to repair/adjust.

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