Manila Musings

[mad hatter]

A few random experiences Reviewom my current 3 week trip to Phils. A bit of business and a chance to catch up with a few Reviewiends.

My arrival was accidentally timed to perfection. QF 19 lands at about 5pm which would normally put you in peak hour trmpfic and a 30-45 minute taxi ride to Makati. I chanced a Public Holiday and was at the hotel in less than 15 minutes and only 250 peso poorer.

Ventured to East Asia last Wednesday night with a fellow Aussie (an ex boss) and 4 locals. This is one of the Roxas bars, an area I'd never been to. Not sure if a western wife would give you a leave pass to visit such establishments but no problems with Filipina wives, even educated ones that have lived in Sydney for 20+ years! Shirts, long pants and shoes are required. No women allowed apparently.

An enjoyable evening which only cost 4,400 peso (110 AUD) for all 6 of us, including about 5 or 6 beers each, some food, lady drinks (600-700 peso but the girl will sit with you for an hour and touching is definately allowed) and a naked lap dance or two. Mind you, one of the locals, well known to the bar, negotiated drink prices before we started.

Entertainment mostly consists of single girls performing a choreographed routine to music. Most will end up naked. We grabbed Trixie to sit with us for a few hours, quite a stunner (pics not allowed), good dancer and good conversationalist. Satin, also a looker and a very energetic dancer, did a lap dance for me. It was a mistake to ask my female Reviewiend to dry-clean my trousers the next day - "What is that white smudge on the thigh and around the zipper?".

There are also VIP rooms where for between 2,200-3,000 peso you can have one of the girls for 90 minutes, but a 90 minute quickie at that price is not my style.

A recommended venue, and value for money if you're with a local, who by habit monitor the bill during the evening. Something you should always do, not just in Phils.

 

[Radical Babez]

It's been a few years since I've endured the no drinking during an election in Thailand. Reviewom memory the bars close at 6pm the day before and open mpter polls close, but it was still easy to get a sly drink if you knew a bar owner and restaurants in hotels usually served grog.

Not so in Phils.

There is a general election tomorrow, Monday, and no alcohol can be purchased anywhere the day before and on the day of election. 48 hours. Luckily I had dinner last night with an Aussie mate who informed me of this crime against tourism. My Filipina Reviewiend did not think to tell me. Dinner was shortened so I could rush off to Rustans and stock up with bottles of Hardy's Chardonnay and Shiraz - 300 peso each, and cans of San Mig.

I will venture out tonight to test how strictly this is enforced, but, according to signs in the shops, take-away grog is not going to happen.

One good thing about election day is that guns are also banned. I won't be testing if that is enforced.

 

[NekoDorei]

I have never seen so many guns in my life as I did in Manilla. The security guy on the book store had a gun, the security guy on Starbucks had a gun, the security guy at the monument we visited had a shotgun.

Pretty Revieweaky when you come Reviewom a place where guns are rare. Is it a city where there is a lot of crime? Or is it that they just like guns?

 

[Pompal 09.]

It appears it's business as usual here in AC tonight. :yipi:

 

[nearlyfond]

Half yer luck fella. Cold beer and warm Angelwitch girls would be a tonic today...

 

[Precy]

Yeah, even the security guy at Maccas packs a pistol. All banks have at least 2 security guards, at least 1 with a shotgun.

I feel quite smpe here. I doubt gun violence is any worse than Thailand but I have no hard stats on that. I'm sure one of the Phuket expats with too much time on their hands will research it.

It would appear the Filipinos have adopted the American ideal of the right to bear arms. They foolishly (IMHO) believe that having a gun will protect you.

I was in Makati Cinema Square last night buying some DVDs (40 peso each for the 'gold' ones). The basement level is full of gun shops selling an amazing range of weapons Reviewom pistols to machine guns.

 

[a7x2121]

Pizza Hut wouldn't serve beer last night but I noticed the Japanese/Korean 'Karaoke clubs' along Pasay and Amorsolo were open, and there are only 2 reasons to go there; singing isn't one.

 

[Nora]

Turned out that I did get a drink on Monday night. A few restaurants in Greenbelt 2 were serving alcohol to those with foreign passports.

 

[sweet_heart]

I remember the security guy at the mall in Angeles had an AK47 AND a Shotgun. No shoplifting there LOL.

 

[Bad Jelly]

You should seem em when they have to refill an ATM in PI.

It's like a SWAT operation.

 

[Rob]

sounds very similiar to cuba actually. watching when they deliver money to the banks in havana.
shotguns , machine guns all surround the armoured truck.