Chapter 1

After a couple of trip cancellations due to a motorcycle mishap I've just returned from a 30 day stay in Subic Bay and Angeles City. Little did I realize when booking my original flights and hotels I would get caught up with an ankle injury and the drama surrounding the COVID-19. Originally I booked the JAL flight, San Diego/Narita/Manila. With the exception of spending a night in Manila upon arrival and departure it's a good itinerary. No stopover in LAX, SFO or SEATAC. A quick one hour layover in Narita makes for short trip compared to most other options. That had to be rescheduled after the injury but unfortunately my foot didn't heal fast enough to consider the rescheduled flight. It took over four months of recovery before I was able to walk without pain. My third booking was adjusted after the Coronavirus hit Japan hard. I wasn't going to risk a flight coming in from Japan as a number of countries had already banned those flights. Ended up taking a Korean Air flight, San Diego/San Francisco/Incheon/Clark. A bit longer flight with a four hour layover in Incheon but it offsets the hassles by avoiding Manila. A couple of hundred dollars less expensive as well.

An update on future travel considerations when booking flights to NAIA Manila. Swagman and Southern Cross Hotels in Ermita have closed. Fly The Bus still offers Ermita to Angeles but the new departure/arrival point is The New Aussie Slouch Hat in Ermita.

I spent one night at Orchid Inn since no shuttles were available on the day I arrived. Also Wild Orchid has a shuttle van servicing Subic Bay but nothing to Manila. Wild Orchid van is preferred at 500 php since it's faster and less crowded than Fly The Bus.

At Orchid Inn I met up with a gal I was with during my previous visit who's from Tarlac. We headed to The Palmtree Resort in Barrio Barreto the next morning. She's cute, petite, has never worked in a club but not much of a talker. After four nights in Subic she wanted me to join her for her sisters one year old baby's celebration. In the Philippines that's a big deal and a huge party. The problem was I had booked the room in Palmtree through the 16th but the party was on the 10th. She was miffed when I told her I wasn't going. Even though I would have had to pack up, check out of the Palmtree, take the van to Orchid Inn, check in, attend the party, go back to Orchid Inn that night, check out, take the van back to Palmtree the next morning and check back in, she still wasn't happy. Oh well too bad, I wouldn't do that for my mother's birthday. Bad timing as well, she texted me after the party to let me know she had mens so I told her don't bother coming back to Subic.

Subic had few visitors this trip which was good and no Korean's which was even better. For whatever reason the floating bars are in the process of being dismantled. There's only one left at Arizona but it's really small, about 1/4th the size of the original. I did a little bar hopping after my companion went back to Angeles but didn't find a gal I wanted to hook up with. I've reached a point after fifty years of visiting the PI, I'm not compelled to barfine any more unless the gal is off the charts gorgeous and a great personality. I did find a handful of freelancers in Angeles when I wasn't with my companion from Tarlac or other gals from previous diversions.

Central Park Hotel - Subic Bay

Chapter 2

Angeles is changing again. It will in many ways remain the same but certain aspects are evolving, some for the better but more for the worse. All in all it remains a top choice for mongering but I'm also changing, from a health and social perspectives as well. The good is there are more high end hotels along with more diversity in food and restaurants. Not that I'm going head over heels with the menu options. I'm not, the lack of decent meals is one of the main reasons I look forward to coming home but there are noticable improvements in this regard.

Also there are more freelancers to chose from, nowhere near what you'll find in Pattaya but more than Angeles has offered in the past. Personally I prefer them to barfines IF time is spent on identifying the right gal. First thing I look at is their pace, walking fast typically means she or they aren't players. Secondly I'll pay attention to their dress and grooming for obvious reasons. After that you won't have a grasp for what you're getting into until you chat for awhile. Lastly if there's a question and you need to verify their age. Be certain about one thing, if they only have a Barangay or Province ID, these are easy to forge so don't put any faith in them. If they don't have a legitimate Postal or Bar ID your best option is to wish them good luck and move on. It goes without saying you'll save money over bar girls. The work release cost in AC bars is averaging $3,500 pesos. In some cases a bit less but in others even more. This is driven largely by the freewheeling Koreans who toss cash around like a pimp with a week to live.

The bad is prices are rising for just about everything even with a decent exchange rate of 50 php to the USD. Another bummer is Korean Retailers buying bars and converting them to restaurants or shops. Remember Crystal Palace, one of the nicest clubs? It's been sold and a sleazy Korean restaurant has replaced it. There are a much broader mix of foreigners, still mainly South Koreans but many other nationalities are visiting, much like Pattaya. I'm not really troubled by them since they don't hinder my activities but they, especially Korea's are driving up prices. Another downside is the increased presence of Bakla's. If you're having a bite to eat at Philly's forget about it. They swarm the sidewalk and just stare at patrons, thinking if they stare long enough you'll change your mind. Funny but true! Maybe it works in some instances but for me they can gawk until their eyes fall out of their heads, that ain't ever happening.

Now I know everyone is waiting for the photos, right? Hang in there sports fans, more to follow!

Chapter 3

I'll be 68 the good lord willing later this year. I'm in good health compared to some of my friends who have serious medical problems and others who were around my age when they gave up the ghost. It's not as easy as it was in my 30's, 40's or 50's to fly halfway around the world. Still doable but I also don't have the patience I did when I was younger. If I did nothing but short time pulls with bargirls patience is a handy trait since real beauty is in short supply in Angeles but that's not my MO. My last visit was a month in duration and I only barfined once or twice. This trip I didn't barfine at all.

The four main reasons are first off, I've made lots of friends over the years and these friends have introduced me to their friends and so on, so on and so on. Now in this pool of options the girls come and go, some move back to their province, some get married and some just flat out disappear. Secondly, I'm not much of a drinker so downing drinks and buying gals or mamason's drinks or even hanging out in a bar doesn't hold my interest. Thirdly, over a month's period of time it saves a bundle of loot. Yes, if you find a gal you want to spend a few days with it comes at a higher cost but in most cases still less than a $3,500 ticket each night. Even when I barfined often I typically wouldn't go straight to the sheets. Usually I'd take her to my hotel, has some food and drinks getting to know her better and sometimes take her bar hopping. All that adds up and even then there's a decent chance I'd end up with a so so session or worse yet a starfish. Lastly, even if the pull agreed to long time there's a more than fair chance she'll find an excuse and turn into a runner. This happens with freelancers as well but typically you'll be out $1,500 to $2,000 compared to $3,500 to $4,000. I can afford either scenario, money is only a problem when you don't have any but I'm not the type to throw money away for sport.

I had a gf from Mindanao for the past 6 years. I thought there was a chance we might get married. I met her on a dating site, she never worked in a bar, went to college and got her degree in network engineering. Smart girl, very attractive and fun to spend time with. She disappeared after we parted in Subic my last visit. After a number of months she finally reached out, letting me know she was pregnant. That would have been fine had I seeded her womb but that wasn't the case. Needless to say that ended the relationship. The Filipino guy who knocked her up had already bailed and she was hoping we would endure. Sorry, besides the trust factor blowing up I'm not benevolent enough to raise a kid who isn't mine. Was I upset, at the time yes but I've moved on. What I came away with from the experience is it's not likely I'd get married again and I'd never marry not only a Filipina but also a gal who isn't my race.

It has also changed my perspective on banging LBFM's. The thrill isn't as strong as it was in times past. Fortunately Mr Happy is still going strong, with the support of a couple bonner biscuits but the mental outlook has retreated into a more realistic position. I'm not getting any younger and my body is taking some hits. Nothing incapacitating but little things seem to be coming more often. The twisted ankle was unintentional but self inflicted. The nerve damage which has past was annoying and being a smoker for the better part of 55 years has impacted my respiratory abilities.

Then toss in all the issues with travel coming and going. First there were flight cancellations due to Taal volcano. No matter what date you booked you flights, the possibility remained my flights could be canceled or diverted. Then President Duterte at the time was considering terminating the US's Visa Free Status which if he did would require a trip to a Philippine Embassy in the US prior to departure. Then the Coronavirus which impacted my departure and return flights. As mentioned I rebooked with Korean Airlines because Japan was getting slammed with the virus and flight bans by numerous countries. Turned out South Korea was next to take the virus hit, with more infections than any country outside of China. That happened about 2 weeks before my return flights. A number of officals were pushing President Trump to ban flights from South Korea as other countries had already done. He was holding off but for how long? I decided instead of counting on the Korea Airlines I'd put in place a backup option. The thought of getting stranded in South Korea for whatever amount of time it would take and at whatever it might cost wasn't pretty. Not to mention if a ban was enacted there was a real good chance I'd be quarantined for a minimum of 2 weeks upon arrival in the US. So I bought another return ticket with Philippine Airlines. There aren't a lot of options for airlines in normal circumstances, much less in this environment. I chose Philippine Airlines because it had only 1 layover in Hawaii, avoiding other banned countries and at the time the Philippines had only 3 people infected with the virus. Also, if I held off until Korean Airlines had been banned it would have been next to impossible to get a ticket with any carrier. Even without the South Korean ban in place I shelled out $800 USD for the one way ticket with Philippine Airlines, double the normal price. In the end I didn't use it, Korean Airlines were still flying to the US the day I departed but better to have a backup in place in case the shit hit the fan. I've read since Trump banned flights from Europe a couple of days ago one of the few flights available after the ban was put in place, the carrier was charging $20,000 for the flight. These fucking air carriers are blood thirsty vampires looking to suck every dime they can get!
Needless to say until the Coronavirus has been addressed it's a real gamble to book any international flights.

Popcorn;
first, my sincere wishes you are back in proper shape and fit to fight !!! i see any travel to asia i wanted to do will have to wait at least til march 2021. i was caught in this pandemic in europe and was stranded ( kind of ) for 5 months and just got back this week. quite an experience but i still was doing my work , only difference it felt like i was not allowed to leave the continent ha ha ha !!
we are in from the same age generation and i do still love travel and meeting sexy gals but as you get older, your costumes change accordingly. i believe the main killer for AC nightlife have been those fucking koreans and japs !!! they screw it all like there is no tomorrow !!!!
i would try to make a trip to Peru in august since that country is opening up that month unless something drastic happens.
i did have my shoulder physical therapy in AC back in 2018 ( for 3 months) and actually i had a super time !!!!!
glad you are ok and stay safe !!!

MarcoPolo

Thanks MP, appreciate your consideration. I was hopeful the pandemic would be manageable by this time so last March I made hotel reservations for next month, the end of November 2020 but that's off the table. The pandemic hit the Philippines hard, their ban on foreigners is still in effect and Orchid Inn is closed as are most hotels and clubs in AC. Actually I'd be hesitant to book a trip anywhere at this time, flying an airplane for hours at a time is a risk I'm not willing to take.

AC is opening up pretty nicely, despite the lack of tourists. Some of the hotels and bars are open, some bars have girls, the freelancers are plentiful and hungry.

MP is right, the Koreans are ruining things. I stayed at La Grande when I moved here in August 2019, and eventually they had no room for me because they were apparently booking in Korean groups and filling the place up. I think I got COVID from the fu**ers at the beginning of January 2020, but it passed quickly as a nasty flu.

I was in Mactan (Cebu) later in January, the Koreans are taking over. Convenience stores had no products with English labels. And there's actually a lot of rich young Koreans living in AC.

Not sure when folks will be able to into the PI. Check with Philippine Airlines, they should know.

Good to read HM but it's not likely foreigners will be allowed entry anytime soon. Also, it's not just the situation on the ground in the PI, which isn't good with respect to Covid19, it's also taking a very long flight with hundreds of passengers from all over the world. Even though I've been vaccinated that scenario gives me pause.