I don't know if this is going to be part of a longer trip report or just a one shot stream of consciousness until I run dry. Making any kind of statement about a new destination is probably a mistake during your first few days. Or even the first time visit. There are simply too many inputs taking place. At the same time that may be the best moment to express your feelings since time and future experiences can dull your initial reactions to a new world.

Here goes nothing.

You exit the "freeway" at a nondescript place, pay the toll, and spend a few beautiful moments in a country setting. The scenery looks very much like parts of the Dominican Republic. In fact, a great deal of this place reminds me of the DR and not always in a good way. Anyway, in a matter of less than a minute you hit a surprising large urban setting. It's butt ugly and only gets increasingly worse as you enter the main part of the city.

Concrete, garbage, noise, and too many people: I've decided that an almost universal picture of a 3rd world country are the 4 things I just listed. Construction sits right next to decay in a crazy checkerboard picture. You never realize that concrete can "rot" or disintergate until you visit one of these countries. Sidewalks, when they exist, buckle and seem to never have a distinct cut off point. The same happens with buildings. One area will be brand new with hard edges, a clear color, and stability. Then there is a gradual transition to eventual dust or piles of rubble. Every area seems in transition to decay and you can move from "nice" to "bad" within the same street.

Read or listen to some asshole bleeding heart and you always hear the crap about how distant we are from "mother earth" compared to "people of color" or whatever the current term is for those of a non white European ancestery. The reality is that people pollute and poor people are among the worst. It takes a certain level of overall economic prosperity until a society decides that tossing its trash everywhere doesn't look so nice. The streets, the vacant lots, the entire area of Angeles City that I have seen (admitedly a small area so far) is filled with trash. If plastic bags have a half life similar to nuclear waste then this place is ruined forever.

Another pile of BS is the idea that "native people" somehow have sense of calmness or tranquility with their environment. Poor people express themselves with noise since they don't have much else to do. Around here motorcycles, mini buses called jeepneys and trucks fill the streets with a never ending clamor of racket or exhaust fumes.

Finally, there are people everywhere. It is like what happens when you poke a stick into an anthole. The ants pour out in wave after wave until they cover everything. Maybe some consider the overwhelming suffocation of space by people a beautiful expression. You can guess how I feel walking the streets and being bombarded with bodies on all sides. Sorry to be so antisocial but that's how it is.

So what's nice about this place? Besides the bars that attract guys like me, I'm not sure there is anything. A harsh judgement after a whole 48 hours here and probably an incorrect one. Since I hate cities, and most of what mankind creates, I am automatically predisposed to dislike 99% of the cities that I have visited.

Lots of things here are cheap compared to where I live. Some of them are really cheap. Food is a perfect example. So far what I have had to eat will not remain in memory as a 4 star experience. Some of it has been decent, some ok, and some pretty lousy. However, the quality has been top rate which was a surprise. Meats are consistently excellent in avoiding fat, stringiness, or toughness that you usually find in most 3rd world places. I checked out several grocery stores and an local open air market and was very impressed at both the variety and obvious quality of what is for sale. The Atkins Diet has yet to arrive which will make lovers of junk food happy. I think every brand of chips, cookies, and candy in the US are here.

In fact, I'm wondering about the near universal presence of Americanism from the signs in English, the goods marketed, and the weird sense of being in a place where everyone looks like they are living in a world that is not really American but continually feels like it. In an offbeat way but the feeling is still there. It must really piss the European visitors.

If anyone is still reading this they are probably wondering where the report is about the women and where you find them. I'll get to that in a later moment. Hopefully. I've been both disappointed in some ways and very pleasantly surprised in others. Since this is why I came here I want to give the total experience a chance to take place. Besides, I have yet to visit but a fraction of the bars and none of the "monster ones" that are suppose to be elaborate places with multiple stages, women everywhere, and business with huge investments. Every place I have checked out are holes in the wall with a small narrow stage, an equally small seating area, and anywhere from 6 to 20 dances.

All I'll say about the women at this point is that most of the pictures seen on the Internet don't give a complete sense of their looks. Some are real dogs, some are very pretty, and most fall in between. Hard bodies are outnumbered by the socalled rice bellies. I especially like a certain look in women's hair and I've been happy with most of what I've seen. Tattoos, which I despise, exist but seem to be in a real minority. Naturally there is no silicon and I've yet to see any body piercing what is another plus.

One last comment about the women. Just walking down the filthy and noisy crowded streets you will see a LOT of really cute girls/women. I mean, super cute if you like a certain look. Anyone who gets off on the very common "look" of young women that you find in a place like the streets and stores of, say, TJ, would not complain here.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. You did read it, right? I know the overall feel of this is almost totally negative. It's not that bad. But close. I expect my opinions will change in the coming days as I get into the sex aspect of the trip. And since that is what most guys are here for stay tuned and we'll see what happens next.

"...garbage, noise...many people." Throw in some orphans, a smudge pot or two, and a public hanging and your report reminds me of one of my favorite essayists, Charles Lamb. He detailed 1800s city life in England in a pensive, almost idyllic way. Some consider his writings to be the beginning of the Romantic period in literature -- a period in which later Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth, and Byron ironically wrote of the bucolic virtues of nature. I like cities, and though I've never been to AC, after reading your description I sure would like to go there. Thanks for the posting.

(Message edited by bark on February 13, 2004)

TF my man, you have expressed exactly what I found in Northern South America in the 70's. I loved it and I hated it. The farther I could get from the cities, the better I like it, until I wanted some company. I am looking forward to the rest of your impressions.

TF, thanks for your very thoughtful insights. I also share the same impressions of AC and would never have ventured there had it not been for the very full-of-life and genuinely sweet natured girls. I'm sitting at a cafe in another rathole-Phnom Pehn-- and chuckled a bit when you brought up the analogy with the anthill. You're so right about the overcrowdedness, squalor and unbelievable poverty of the 3rd world. At the risk of sounding hokey, I continously marvel at how lucky we are to be citizens of such a grand country such as ours, something one can never truly appreciate until they've seen and experienced the squalors of the 3rd world. Looking forward to your further impressions of AC.

Nice bit of writing Tightfit. I am contemplating a trip to AC and find your impressions fascinating. Some of the girls look incredible on the internet and I wonder just who you will meet in your travels.

Happy Trails, Lancer

I can't help but to sense the chuvanistic, american male bondage in you guys. Came on!!! don't you know there were many rat holes at the beginning of the century in places like New York?

Italians, polaks and Irish used to live in those rat holes.

So, Merlin, hurray for all of us being citizens of this great country that had some its origins in ratholes like the ones you visit right now.

sincerely....

I just couldn't help to criticize this selfishnes of you guys....

Andres
Were you born a sanctimonious asshole or have you worked hard at achieving your goal ??

WTF is chauvanistic American male bondage and what does it have to do with anything Tightfit wrote about. Where was male bondage even mentioned ??

Why are you even a member of this site ?? Shouldn't you be posting to some women's rights board instead of a mongering site. I used to think you were just naieve , now I just think you are an unpolished turd.

Oh yeah --and I like the Polack reference--- very sensitive of you.

Take your judgemental attitude somewhere else please.

AndresB is way out of line. Tight_fit's post was descriptive (seemingly accurate), not judgemental as opposed to AndresB's commentary. I would say that, except for the racial slurs, AndresB's comments put "him" in line with the white liberal women (or is that womyn?).

48 hours and you haven't gotten to the sex parts yet??? I'd be in double digits by then. lol

Bud

I'm pissed off that AndresB is a citizen of this country (if he really is). Go back to France or Africa or wherever the fuck you are from and stay off of this board.

Sincerely. . .

I just couldn't help but critcize the absurdity of your existence, dooshbag.

Perhaps we could start a petition to revoke Andy's citizenship so he can return to his rathole roots.
BTW -- He forgot to include his full handle--
AndresBstoopid

AndresB, I won't even dignify your imbecility with a response, nor will I even attempt to dwell in your sordid worldview. Let me just throw it back at you though, why don't you enlighten us all with your TR or photos instead of peeping out from the sewage very so often to flick your forked tongue at us?

Perhaps I'm reading Andres' message wrong. But to me, it actually sounded like he was defending Angeles City, despite it being described as a rathole. I dunno...I kinda took pride when AndresB wrote: "I can't help but to sense the chuvanistic, american male bondage in you guys."

I'll be the first to admit that he described my idea of the perfect mongerer to a tee!

I mean, hey, I think chuvanism is the primary motivator for me going on mongering trips in the first place. After all, while I'm here at home (in America), I must ensure that I'm politically-correct and not say the wrong things, do the wrong things, or offend the wrong people (namely, the females). I'm not allowed to walk up to a hot stranger and tell her I'd like to have casual sex with her -- nor am I even allowed to admire her body -- without risking getting sued for sexual harassment. This is a very smothering feeling for me!

But go to SEA, and now I can let loose all inhibitions, and be the male chuvanistic pig that lurks deep within me! And what's even better, I can come back here and tell war stories about it, along with the rest of you. I wouldn't be surprised if the cavemen did it a hundred thousand years ago, as they huddled around the campfire and talked about the new female they just kidnapped after raiding a neighboring tribe.

Yes, "male bonding" comes to mind. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Hey Guzybear:

Before you became a tattoo artist, were you an ACLU attorney?

Guzy
I believe the term used was " male bondage " not male bonding. If you're into that-- to each his own .
Tight fit was not criticizing the Philipine's for being a rathole-- he was just making an observation. I'm sure it's true. I have been to the slums of Bangkok with a BG once who brought me home. It was total squalor, and I could not concieve of living there, but it was the reality of her existence. I actually admired her for not being ashamed to show me where she lived, and certainly made no judgements about her based on where she had to live. TF was doing the same -- just observing-- and did not deserve a flame-- especially by someone with the mentality of this idiot who seems to be against everything this site is about.

I repeat my question to the suddenly silent AndresB --- Why the fuck are you a member of this site ???

Wallstreet asked: "Before you became a tattoo artist, were you an ACLU attorney?"

Shit...I despise lawyers. I'm getting raped right now by my $200/hour divorce attorney, who nearly used up all of my $3000 retainer fee and we haven't even stepped into a courtroom yet!

Good thing she's a tall, leggy blond who's pretty to look at... (Yup, "Legally Blond." Serious!) I'm actually more impressed by my wife's lawyer...I think I need to get me a big-chinned, Oriental dude as well!

Guzy:

You need to get you one of them ACLU lawyers - they're free!

Nice use of the word Oriental, by the way.

I though Orientals were rugs and vases, not people?

RJ