I was pleased with my recent visit to Angeles City. Did rather well, if I do say so. Of course, Central Park stuck me in a substandard room, but that's to be expected in AC, diba? All in all, can't complain.

In AC I generally pop my head into a bar and give it a once-over before committing, saying I'm just looking for a friend, 'cause I don't like to waste a drink and valuable time with a roomful of fuglies, which, face it, is what you get at most bars. This time I started out relaxed - joked with waitresses, bought drinks for mamasans, flirted with girls I didn't fancy, and finally picked for personality rather than pulchritude. I think this girl was a waitress at Cambodia, and if memory serves the experience was perfectly satisfactory.

Photos: Cambodia Waitress 01 02

I'm not a big fan of Blue Nile. The girls usually look bored and are too far away, but these two were neither. Bam, Zoom, back to the room.

Photos: Blue Nile 03 04 05 06 07 08

Well, sure, they pulled a runner scam after a postcoital barhop, but only cheated themselves out of their tips.

You still can't buy a decent meal in AC, but you can get mediocre food for free at a closed-door party almost any night of the week. At the SOB party, the gals from Gecko's were uninhibited onstage, licking each other with abandon, and in the flesh, lap dancing their promises into virtual reality. One of the four had a prior commitment, but three were rarin' to go.

Photos: Trio 09 10 11 12

Sadly, two of the three proved to have more acting ability than actual experience. They all swore that the one who got away was insatiable. Of course!

As has been well documented, the management of Atlantis and Dollhouse (where, incidentally, the girls are expected to pull at least 12 barfines a month) now allows photos on certain nights, making them the champs of youtube, to as-yet unknown effect on the world as we know it. In addition to the regular go-go girls, preposterously priced "models" cater to the Asian contingent, for whom paying more is big face.


















Dollhouse hosted a Friday night "VIP Grand Opening Party" at their new club The Tropix, located behind Dollhouse and across the road from the basketball courts next door to Central Park. In order to secure admission, a punter actually had to turn up at the Dollhouse Hotel and persuade management that he was a gen-u-wine VIP, a screening for which a business card sufficed. The restaurant at Dollhouse Hotel offers an open-air alternative to Kokomo's street view seats with but slightly fewer interruptions by hawkers.

Come Opening Night, the dancers, culled from Dollhouse and Atlantis stock, were positively bubbling over with excitement and gratitude for the honor of being chosen for The Big Event.










There were also some "showgirls", probably at inflated rates, and "cultural dancers". One cultural dancer was especially cute.









This Exclusive VIP Grand Opening Party featured free cafeteria cuisine. A highlight was the extremely solicitous staff - in fact, each guest enjoyed his own personal waitress, who hovered politely behind his chair. I bet my waitress that I could pick out a cherry girl from the ladies onstage. She summoned the mamasan for corroboration. I picked five in a row.

And sure, I wasted some time and lady drinks on cherry girls, 'cause they're almost always the freshest and prettiest. I even made the mistake of taking this one on her first barhop. I never learn.

Photos: Cherry Girls 13 14

Desperate to purge my artificial sweetener OD, I moved on down to gritty Club Rio/Nifty's. A rail-thin sweetie lavished legendary Perimeter enthusiasm, but our let's-do-it-in-the-back-room-where-I-live tryst brought home the sobering poverty that is endemic here.

Photo: Niftys 15

It isn't news - these people are dirt-poor, always have been and, likely, always will. A lot has been made about how AC has gone downhill, and of course it's true, but it's always kinda sucked.

At least the recent changes are smaller than previous ones. In the good ol' Clark days, AC was a veritable heaven on earth. There were ten times - no, a hundred - as many bars, and gorgeous girls just seemed to come out of the woodwork to snag their dream guys, who wouldn't put up with anything but phenomenal service and true girlfriend behavior.

Clark Era vs Today

English spoken here
Then: just barely
Now: pretty good

Avg hotel cost per night
Then: $8
Now: $70

Avg bf
Then: $5
Now: $32

fuglies
then: no such thing
now: 90%

Good BJ
Then: always
Now: seldom

ST
Then: no such thing
Now: the norm

Cherry Girl
Then: no such thing
Now: often the prettiest

Have baby?
Then: 10%
Now: 90%

Anyway, that was then and this is now, so best make the most of it. Still, it certainly was nice just a few years ago when you could hop on a plane for 600 bucks and grab a girl for 20 who would stay with you all night or until you kicked her out of your 30-a-night room to go eat for a few bucks.

3 Years Ago vs Today

pesos per dollar
then: 52
now: 42

avg airfare
then: $700
now: $1100

Avg hotel room per night
Then: $30
Now: $70

Avg bf
Then: P1000
Now: P1300

Avg drink
Then: P55
Now: P85

… and one for the lady
then: P85
now: up to P250

Average breakfast
Then: P150
Now: P235

GFE
Then: difficult to get rid of 'em
Now: ST the norm

Runner excuses
Then: must go to manila or hygiene
Now: must meet friends

I refuse to go with you because…
Then: I am broken (mens)
Now: you are not Korean

Massage
Then: of course
Now: you gotta be kidding

Wear & tear
Then: hotties bf every night
Now: hotties bf 2X/night

The competition
Then: 65-year-old American expats
Now: money-spewing weekenders from Seoul

Your girl's dream destination
Then: Hollywood
Now: Seoul

Most disliked customers
Then: Japanese
Now: Korean

Hotties' main source of income (in order)
Then: bf, afternooners
Now: Internet, Korean tips

I need money because…
Then: sick mother
Now: I need money

Street irritants
Then: in-your-face "TRIKE?", a few hawkers, 3 schoolgirls selling flutes, the occasional beggar
Now: in-your-face "VIAGRA?", endless hawkers, a gaggle of urchins demanding money, ladyboys, deformed beggars

Pics?
Then: siempre
Now: hindi

Note the love/hate attitude toward Koreans, who are the girls' current bread and butter and hope for a new life, just as the Americans, Australians, Europeans and Japanese have been before. The girls have quickly adjusted to the tastes and spending habits of the new big dogs in town, which demonstrates laudable adaptability and pragmatism. It also means we're not as big rock stars as we used to be.

But you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Just wait 'til $100-a-night hotel rooms are the baseline (news flash: Angeles City Beach Club starts at $99 and goes up to $365), and girls turn up their noses in accommodations more modest. Just wait 'til the authorities approve direct flights into Clark from other Asian cities, and more clubs start catering to a specific clientele (as some already do). Just wait 'til the girls get accustomed to doing multiple STs (and I mean more than 2 a day) and come to expect 3000 peso tips. Just wait 'til youtube floods the town with who-knows-what, and the national politicians get embarrassed that RP is described in Wikipedia as a sex tourist destination. Just wait 'til the cops become more adept at engineering shakedowns. Things are gonna get a whole lot worse.

Then I'll really hate AC. Meanwhile, sure wish I could drive there.

Photo: Who Me 16

For the enjoyment of Club Hombre members only - all rights reserved.

Nice report, I'll be there in less than a week. I'll look forward to seeing what I can cook up.

EA

Am trying to line up my business with Phil Air flight from LAX to MNL for a week getaway from the domestic brand of female... have to time it just right. Anyone have experience with the outbound leg making it without stopping in Guam?

Tujunga, nice report and update and thanks for reminding me to bypass AC (was contemplating it). Come to think of it, the last few trips there were many moons ago were fun b/c of the hanging out with Hombres and not the gals/quality.

Merlin,

That cultural dancer reminded me of Hannah. ALMOST a good enough reason.

I hate to date myself, I was there for a short time during the clark days and it was fun when i was twenty something and getting paid to be there, But the place was a shit hole then and i am sure it hasn’t changed.
I never considered it a vacation spot, or worth a 24 hour flight. And don’t even get me started on philpinas .

I will be there July 25th. I will add a trip report. Nice pics.

Great report.....I think the vast majority of the girls income is still coming from lonely Westerners sending money to them via WU. Koreans simply dont do that or dont have the reputation for sponsoring girls and pulling them away from the bars. That doesnt even disuss the issue of the hot girls getting recruited as chat girls and getting multiple Westerners sending them money while their Filipino husband laughs in the background.

If anyone wants someone to blame for the demise of AC, dont look to the Koreans as scapegoats...they may or may not tip big but when they leave they are not sending 20,000 pisos to a girl that is still working in the bar but the sender thinks otherwise.

Aah, mon ami, this was once true, not so very long ago, but the tide has turned: many girls admit to having Korean "boyfriends". This new development may be due to direct flights and weekend trippers who cultivate regulars. It may be too soon to know if Koreans, like other nationalities before them, will succumb to the temptation to rescue filipinas by taking them home, but it's clear that the girls are hoping.

Someone in my family was stationed at Clark for several years between 70 and 74. All I need to do is breathe the word "Clark" or "Angeles City", and his eyes will mist up, the voice will momentarily get choked up, and memories of halcyon days gone past will float up like a cloud and dissipate with the winds.

Yes, apparently that place was VERY good during the Vietnam war.

Nice report, nice pics, thanks !!

Dallas, if you get the chance I highly recommend you go back, you won't reconize the place.

When were you there last ?

Actually I prefered magsaysay dr. in Olongapo, back in the day.

Nice report and thanks for sharing it. Like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so to is good food. You say that you cannot find decent food in Angeles?

Personally, I love the food at the Swiss Chalet and the Lanai cafe at the Pacific Breeze and also the Mexican food at Zapatas and the Italian food at Salvatores.

I live in Vegas and have tried many restaurants here over the years and I never thought that the food in Angeles was sub par.

Best wishes, Lancer

Much of the food is very bland in AC, however good food can be found.

Some filipino dishes are very good, shanghia lumpia, chicken adobo, chicken curry, are a few.

As far as runners, that's more just the luck-of-the-draw of the girls you chose.

My last trip didn't have single runner.

Hey T,

I really enjoyed your report. It sure looks like AC is still working great for you. Also, some really nice non-Samar/Leyte looking types in the Dollhouse line-up.

My only substantial comment is with respect to your take on Koreans in AC. Granted these guys may tend to spoil the girls in the bars, but it's the western guys keeping most of the girls out of the bars and from spreading their legs.

Thanks, all, for your thoughtful comments.

The thrust (if you will) of my report is that the times they are a' changin', and, while I can still have a good time in AC, I ain't that thrilled with what I see happening right now and on the horizon, regardless of cause.

A re-reading will confirm that I have not blamed Koreans or anyone else, just reported on the trends as I see them. A year ago it was most definitely Western guys keeping girls out of the bars. That was then and this is now: the new kids in town are pitching in.

But I hate to quell a controversy, so, just to fan the flames, I offer not a declaration but an opinion on positive effect: Japaneses and Koreos like thin & pretty, so the ratio vs fugly should improve.

P.S. Re food, I was intrigued by this line in Kemper's concurrent AC report:

"so we go to the mall and they suggest jollibee, screw that, lets get real food so we go to kenny rogers chicken."

Different strokes.

ahh! great report Tujunga! from your pictures, there seems to be a lot of great looking girls there. but i guess i will see the real deal in a few weeks. should be interesting as an american born asian guy to go up against koreans and the japanese (which i have in my own system). hehe.

but i always appreciate the names of clubs and experiences had. i learn a little something each time. thank you for posting!

A friend who accompanied me on my trip is on the ground at this very moment, and he says clubs like Atlantis that were then overflowing with talent are now lacking, while he's had good fortune in Brown Sugar and La Pasha.

It can turn on a dime, and does.

One good point is how the pricing has radically changed. If your a middle-class guy, then back a few years ago you could make multiple trips in a year and spend the same amount as you would on one legit vacation.

However, that time is now gone and you have to watch how you spend on these trips. I found that I spent way more then I planned to and didnt come back with any extra cash like years past.

the comparison is awesome. Unfortunately, something like that could be done for all the places that have been overly exposed on the internet.

Same friend reports that there are no Koreans (or much of anybody, for that matter) around during the week. He mentioned a midweek visit during peak hours to La Pasha, a good-sized bar, when he was the ONLY customer for 30 minutes.

The Koreans returned in force this weekend. Must be direct flights.

Again, the disclaimer: this is merely an observation, not commentary. It ain't prejudiced to say that Hong Kongers go to Chang Ping on the weekend.

In AC now, have been for the past two weeks. Have NOT seen a lot of Koreans or Japanese of late. They used to be the early birders of the evenings: they go to bars around 7 or 8 and pick the hottest girls. Perhaps that is changing.

Although I usually agree w/ Blazers on most things AC, I beg to differ on the matter of Korean sponsers. There are many Korean and Japanese sponsors out there. The only difference is that often they go to AC once every month or so, as opposed to American sponsors who only go to AC once or twice a year.

P.S. I guess I'll have to change this report's title to 'I Love AC' because my CG assures me that she has wisely invested the money I've sent her in a business venture that will soon permit both of us to retire to province with her 37 brothers, sisters grandmothers and aunties.

She even sent me a pic of the sign out front: