I thought I had it wired on this leg: a direct flight from Cebu to Clark! No excruciating drive through the Manila traffic, and an afternoon arrival in AC to boot, leaving plenty of time to unpack and prepare – maybe even catch a few hours of shuteye.

Alas, it was not meant to be. First, SeaAir declared that the 19-seat twin-turboprop plane would make an unscheduled stop in Boracay. Well, no problem – how long can that take? And anyway, I’ll get a peek at that popular resort.

But the stop in Boracay became a plane change, and the pilot landed without notice in Manila, declaring that he hoped we enjoyed our stay there. Apparently all but three of us passengers intended to do just that, but we three were kind of in the dark, and complained to the nearest ground representatives. The best that can be said for customer service is that they maintained their composure while cheerily disregarding our complaints. We were directed to go through security (again) and wait for a supervisor, but the flight to Clark boarded without further consultation, and we finally arrived well after night had fallen. That’s the Philippines.

Our trial was not yet complete: last-minute unconfirmed email reservations proved to be insufficient to hold rooms at Central Park, where the angel of a desk clerk summoned all of her skills to help find alternatives. She located a room at Marquis for my friend, who would only be in town one night. I got lucky: a chance meeting in the street with a fellow who seems to manage half the clubs in town finally yielded two nights for me at Kokomo’s.

We decided to kick off the evening with a swing up Real and around the corner to Raymond before venturing up Field(s). Patience was my middle name until unearthing a gem of a waitress. She was dancing and laughing, clearly having a good time, and her enthusiasm was contagious, especially as it escalated in friction and flirtation.

Photos: AC Gem 05 06 07 08 09 10

In fact, she was having such a good time that she didn’t really want to leave the bar (she matter-of-factly admitted the next day that she’d turned down four or five barfines that night.) Eventually she changed her mind and her clothes (too bad, kinda liked the wet look) and we set out for home, briefly stopping on the way to check out a recently revamped club whose name escapes me.

Photos: AC Gem 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

You couldn’t ask for a more carefree disposition in a girl. She delighted in taking photos, but was shy about exposing her naughty bits. This gem genuinely enjoyed her job, and challenged my imagination.

Photos: AC Gem 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

But the air conditioner in the room decided to give up the ghost, and by mid-morning we were awash in sweat. Also Kokomo’s isn’t the quietest place in town, so we agreed that she might as well go home while I arranged repairs and tried to get my affairs sorted.


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SEAIR seems to lay claim that they're Western owned and, presumeably, better managed and operated than the Phil airlines. I guess not based on what you went through. With their shittier schedules from MNL-AC it's no longer an option. Did they have their newer planes when you were there?

Merlin -

Nope, though their in-flight magazine proudly announced acquisition of the new planes. As for PhilAir, the Keystone Kops flight to Cebu two days earlier was with them, so on this trip it's a toss-up.

Previously submitted photos integrated above.

Wow that Insomnia Waitress is way above the average in AC. Great find! I wish I had the patience to hold out for that kind of quality!

Must say you have good eyes!