Pre-Trip - The boring part of the report

Written day before trip


Original plan was a do a week in the Dominican Republic and then hang with a buddy in Puerto Rico. He got a guest professorship in Texas border town and DR did not look much like my style anyhow. I decided I needed something bullet-proof and reasonable in price, so revisiting the Philippines became the new plan.

If you read my report last year on AC, it was not exactly a glowing endorsement. I did have a great time, but something was missing. AC really does not have any redeeming value beyond bar-girls giving GFE, but mediocre performances. It was not an easy choice. What put me over the top was thinking the knowledge gained on the first trip could be used to improve trip two. I think I know better what to look in terms of girls, how to spend my time, and a Subic Bay stay will really help. That and my old trip buddy Bruce I have kept in contact with will be in town for part of the time. Just prior to the trip, a contract came up and he will not be around.

Admittedly in the two months between booking and the flight I have had some bouts of buyers remorse. A wee bit on the personal level as I find myself getting pretty comfortable with my quasi-girlfriend / coworker. More so on my choice of destination. With the dollar gaining massively in the last two months everywhere is getting cheaper, so the economic factor wiped out. I find myself beating myself up over lack of adventure and expanding my horizons. Well, I am just 36 and have many years and trips ahead.

Research

I read way too much bullshit on other boards in the couple months between flight booking and trip. I bet I could quote within 100p every room in the monger friendly hotels.

Boards and such other than Hombre:
http://go2phil.com/ - good board, but only worth one month just prior to a trip. very well done overall, lots of content, some little discounts, and a friendly message board
http://www.piatnight.com/ - free... great thread on using bus MNL to AC, got a great deal on stay at Arizona.. lots of drama queens to include the moderators
http://www.asianescapades.com/ - paysite, did not check out beyond the free part.
http://mudcrabsrockpool.yuku.com - free blog by an expat
http://www.internationalsexguide.info/ - free to register, pay to post - nearly useless IMHO
http://www.harrythehorse.com/ - interesting monthly newsletter by an ex-pat

Getting There

Air: http://www.vayama.com/ beat everything else including a few travel agents by a couple hundred dollars. $1049 total RT out of Kansas City to Manila in cattle class United for long hauls plus NRT - MNL on Japan Airlines and MNL - HKG on Philippine Airlines. Tried to fly direct in and out of Clark, but times and slightly higher price did not work.

Ground: Bus to AC. Fuck paying $50+ for car each way. Should not effect time much. Just will have a carry-on anyhow.


Hotels

Mirage Apartelle located above the Carousel Bar - AC. Premium room booked for my first night at 1770p. Late arrival, so going right to the heart of the action to start again. Bonus on the porn mirrors. http://pashagroup.ph/?page_id=70

Arizona International Hotel - Subic Bay. Standard room for five nights. 5,949p including pick-up and drop off in AC. Deal made through Marko on PI@Night. http://www.arizonasubic.com/

Sunset Garden located out on the Perimeter - AC. Really loved place first trip. No standard rooms open, so I upgraded to a Deluxe Room at 1730p a night for my last 8 nights. Big increase in price over the standard, but not enough to get me to switch hotels. Bar / restaurant / pool area just fits me well. Plus a well known Hombre staying there my last couple of nights. http://www.sunsetgarden.com/sunset_eng/


Packing

A jharrison post inspired me to reduce to carry-on only. I have always been an over-packer, but getting better. Two low points were taking a BBQ grill and an espresso machine to Venezuela for personal use and a very near over-weight hard-side to Rio which Don of Amerioca hauled three blocks out a customer service pride risking a cardiac incident and injury while I trudged along with my shoulder buster carry-on. Also, no laptop this trip.

Camera
Condoms
Lube
Couple vibrators (expensive in PI)
Batteries
Razors
Tiny travel toiletry kit
Saline nose spray for flights
Vitamins / Aleve / Pepto chews / Immodium
2 Cargo shorts with extra velcro strip sewn into one pocket
Sandals
4 quick dry running style shirts
4 underwear
Swim trunks
Note pad and some pens
Alarm clock
Hat
Sunglasses
Small radio
Notorized copies of passport



NEXT CHAPTER: One night in AC

I have been a paying member of international sex guide and fully concur that it is a waste of money.

I'd love to travel with just a carry on, but I have too much stuff to ever make it that way. Some is my fault and some is the nature of longer trips and different needs and desires.

For example I need a laptop computer, (just bought a Acer One, Atom chip based, 2 pounds and 10" x 10" by 2") was a help in weight I carry. I carry a more professional camera, Nikon D200 with SB600 light, tripod, and a couple of lenses. This adds substantial weight and bulk, plus it has to be carried on, as I wouldn't trust it in baggage. BTW I also carry my Canon SD800 for barhops and pocket camera photography, not much weight or bulk.

I also carry a small nine inch DVD player, just traded out my old one which weighed about six pounds with extra batteries for a new Panasonic model that has 13 hour battery and weighs 2.5 pounds, for the long plane rides and it can hook to room TVs to watch a movie. Having a movie in the room can be cheap fun with my girl. Portable DVD player will also play CDs that have MP3 cuts, through the TV which can be fun when I have girls over for room parties. Again it has to go as carry on.

I carry USB cords, power cords, a small DVD drive for the Aspire One which has no DVD drive, two cell phones with chargers, and now a small phone to hook into Magic Jack for free calls to USA.

I bring a bag of meds, (I have some regular US meds that the doc wants me to take like Lipitor, blood pressure, diabetes meds, and I also bring Cialis and Viagra. I got my US doc to prescribe Cialis so my medical insurance pays, but I also buy extra Cialis and Viagra from an Indian pharmacy that after great care I have found to be trust worthy. This needs to be in my carry on as I can't risk loss.

I bring several Walgreens vibrators with batteries, some condoms, and lube in my carry on. One of the funniest adventures I've ever had in an airport was in Tokyo when a security girl inspected my carry on and held up the roll of rubbers asking me "what are these for".

BTW Walgreens has what they call "personal massagers" shaped just like a vibrator with different pleasure tops and a battery for $10.00, It's a great deal on price and the girls love them because they're not monster sized. They are small enough not to scare the girls and have allowed me to have a number of adventures introducing AC girls to the vibrator when I'm bored and fucked out. Also to occasionally give one out as a gift.

All of this stuff with a pair of sandals and a few books for reading in spare time pretty much fills my carry on space. This makes it so I always need a check bag for clothes, (since I'm packing second bag , a week of clothes and two swim suits, shampoo, soap, deodorant, cologne, toothbrush and paste, cigarettes on the way home, and other little items that I might want to bring home.

Again remember I'm packing for a five or six week trip.

Great lists guys. Picked up a couple of tips, thanx...

No video cam?