One Week in the Philippines

Okay folks here is my Philippines report.


Day 1
Well this entails getting on the plane. I booked a flight to Manila via Asiana airlines. I got on the plane at LAX. Hmmm a 747. Never been on one of these. Pretty snazzy, it has upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs is first-class. I was downstairs. Every seat has its own LCD TV screen with a remote (nope not wireless remote). You can choose games, documentaries, movies, or "flight show". The flight show has a diagram of a plane with a map backdrop. This is so you can see how far the plane has gone and how far you have to go. I guess on a long flight the flight attendants get a lot of "are we there yet?" questions. Anyway after we are at altitude (30,000 ft.?) I decided to watch a documentary. After that I tuned to the movie and chose "classics" menu. Letsss seee Oh yea "Blue Hawaii" featuring Elvis Presley. After that I played video golf. I shot 3 over par in 18 holes. Not bad.
The Koreans are very concerned with dental hygiene. Everyone gets a toothbrush and a tiny (one-squirt) tube of toothpaste. Also combs and slippers are supplied.
Okay the plane lands in South Korea after 12-hour flight. The Seoul airport is very modern. Some interesting aspects. Although I don't smoke, I noticed they have an airport smoking room. The wall is all glass and you can see all the smokers in there getting "smoked up" prior to their flight. I think some smoker folks looked a little embarrassed. There is also a free Internet lounge. You can use their computers or your own. Yes, it's free. I have enough time to go through security and get on another plane to manila. This isn't a 747; it's some sort of airbus. 4 hours later I arrive in Manila.
I get a taxi to malate and check in a room at the malate pensionne

www.mpensionne.com.ph/


Jim got me the reservation there. Thanks Jim.
After checking in it is about 12 midnight. I decided to walk around. There are clubs open and things are alive. That's interesting. It's 12 midnight Sunday. I go back to the hotel about 2 am and go to sleep.

[Ciza29]

You just walked around in Manila at Midnight. You are brave. I can promise you that someone would give you a ride here in Mexico City and drop you off a week later when your ATM ran out of money.

[Sailover]

Manila? Mexico City? Hell, how about Miami? They shoot you just to say they did it.

[Charlie640]

Intersesting.

Might this be one of your ONE woman FOCUSED Trips???

Ciza, This is different than Latin America. The place is alive.

Charlie, No, unfortunately this wasn't a focused trip. Just getting an idea of the place. Never been there.


Day 2
I get up at about 8am and have breakfast. Check out and get a taxi to Victory Bus station. Once there I board a bus to Subic Bay. Well not really. I board a bus to Olongapo (close to Subic). This cost 200 pesos. Did I give you an exchange rate? Must have slipped my mind. Well, the "ballpark" exchange is 1 dollar buys 45 pesos.
The bus is modern with A/C. There is also a TV facing the passengers. They played Wesley Snipes and Hellboy movies. The movies are in English with English subtitles. What for? Sometimes the bus in noisy and you can't hear the dialog. We get on Angeles Highway and head out. It was about 10 AM when we left. This trip takes at least three hours. After a couple hours the bus stops at this place. Something like a very big fast food outfit. Everybody gets off to use the bathroom. There are a bunch of guys with trays of hamburgers for sale. I buy a hamburger and soda for 75 pesos. Not bad. The hamburger is something like a very big (maybe three times the size) White Castle burger with a high top bun.
Back on the road. Scenery is more interesting than Wesley Snipes. Occasionally the bus will stop and let somebody off or pick somebody up. There are no bus stops. The bus will stop to pick up one person standing on the side of the road. How did they know a bus was coming?
I arrive in Olongapo at something like 2PM. I get off the bus and take a trike to Subic. The "trike" as it is called in the Philippines is actually a motorcycle sidecar. Here is a link;

http://www.swisschaletph.com/philippines/luzon/angeles_city/balibago/hotels/tricycles.htm
Going from Olongapo to Subic Bay takes about 15 minutes. Should cost 100 pesos.
Okay now I arrive at "Dreamland hotel" Very nice hotel. More like a modern motel in the U.S. Jim got me a good rate. Thanks Jim. I change clothes and meet with Jim and Jessa. Then off to the hash. We meet with fellow hashers and their girlfriends and get on a Jeepney to the hills. The hike is difficult and takes a couple hours. There are Filipino people living in homemade houses in the hills. I would think they would think we are invading their privacy but, quite the opposite. They actually get a kick out of all these Caucasians (mostly Australians) walking about in the hills. After the hash everyone gets together for drinks and spaghetti. Great fun. Later I go explore the Subic nightlife with Jim and Jessa. Much more fun.

[AltoHombre]

When I went to the Philippines about 2 years ago. I stayed very close to where you were. In a Best Western. The rates where probably a little higher then your Pensionne, but not too much more. The exchange rate was higher then too.

That area, is pretty busy on a Saturday night, in fact most nights. I was on Mh Del Pilar St. and on that street are 4 or five bars which change names regularly. Second night I was there we had a good earthquake at about 3am. Woke me up.

There's a Swagman hotel near there as well and they run buses 3 or 4 times a day between Manila and Angeles City and Subic Bay. I think it was about 5 or 6 Dollars.

It was an interesting trip.

Swagman is coming;


Day 3

Get up and eat breakfast and head into Olongapo with my new female friend S. Drop her off in Olongapo and head back to dreamland. Finally get unpacked and take it easy. Later in the evening I go out with Jim and Jessa to Subic. More fun.


Day 4.
Okay got up about 0900 had breakfast. And relaxed around the pool. Later Jim and Jessa came over and we went out to Subic. Later in the evening I felt a little ill. Went back to the Hotel and went to sleep. Ironically this was the only day it rained.

[Charlie640]

Seems kinda tame Eman.

Is the uncensored version of your trip report posted on another website??

[Jim]

AltoHombre,

the only reason Encinoman spent anytime in Manila was because we missed connections on the date. He forgot he was crossing the International Date Line and told me he's arrive on Saturday but her arrived on Sunday. Manila is a very poor place to party, overpriced and fewer options than Angeles City and Subic.

Charlie,

Without adding to Encinoman's report, let me mention that the US had military bases in Angeles City and Subic until 1991 and the intrastructure was designed to provide maximum R & R for servicemen. The bars are still there and there is a tremendous choice of ladies. If you treat them like a GF, many will respond, unlike anywhere else in the world.

The trip is longer and costs more that LA but if you want cheap convenient travel go to Omaha.

[Sailover]

And there is a tremendous choice of ladies in Omaha too. Sadly, you wouldn't want too many of them. It seems you get what you pay for. Cheap and convenient or exotic and far. Goes for the travel too.