Manila

Blow me, Finrod. “Cheap Charlie” !

Do you know how long it takes to get from the Shangri-La in Makati to where the L A Café is located by taxi? Try at least 30-45 minutes! It is way faster via MRT and LRT. Plus, if you are a true adventurer, and you love the ambiance of “the chase” in the 3rd world …… you must take the Manila metro system. True, it is crowded, congested, and a bit of a pain-in-the-ass (hmmm, literally!) but you really need the cultural experience. Besides, I define the Manila metro as just like having sex standing up … you just don’t get to pick your partner!

However, now that I know the location of the L A Café, it really is best to take a cab and not worth the hassle of the metro!

[QUOTE=Noguera]Do you know how long it takes to get from the Shangri-La in Makati to where the L A Café is located by taxi? Try at least 30-45 minutes! It is way faster via MRT and LRT. Plus, if you are a true adventurer, and you love the ambiance of “the chase” in the 3rd world …… you must take the Manila metro system. True, it is crowded, congested, and a bit of a pain-in-the-ass (hmmm, literally!) but you really need the cultural experience. Besides, I define the Manila metro as just like having sex standing up … you just don’t get to pick your partner! [/QUOTE]

I have ridden both LRT lines and the MRT line numerous times. I too commend it as an interesting cultural experience. And although you can do this rail trip for about 24 or 25 pesos, I do not think a person can travel from the Shangri-La to LA Cafe using the rail lines more quickly than by taxi. First, the walk from Shangri-La to the Ayala station on MRT (behind SM) takes easily 10 minutes or more, even if you know exactly where you're going. There's a similar short walk to connect between the MRT and LRT 1. G has described getting off the LRT at Pedro Gil and then walking to LA. This walk is easily 10 minutes or more. Add to this a long wait at Ayala Station (one line to buy the fare card, a second one in the queue to get through the turnstile, and a third to get onto a a car -- sometimes waiting as two or three packed trains stop and nobody can get on.) So the travel time from Shangri-La to LA via rail could easily add up to nearly an hour.

That having been said, one of the Manila newspapers did a set of experiments in August in which their staff went out in teams to travel between various points in the Metro Manila area. For the four or five trips they attempted, the light rail teams typically had travel times that were about half the time consumed by taxi teams. Those taking private autos took even longer than the taxi teams, and jeepneys had the longest travel times of all. So the idea of saving time by using light rail is, for many trips around the metro area, right on the mark. But I think this Shangri-La to LA Cafe trip is not one of them.

I have used various combinations of LRT and MRT to get from different points in Quezon City to the LA Cafe and to businesses in Ortigas, Makati, and elsewhere on numerous occasions. I saved a lot of travel time this way, and I have never been ripped off in crowded spaces, but the decision to take rail rather than taxi always involves some calculation as to walking distance and time of day (avoiding weekday rush hour). I have been warned by locals about where and how to avoid pickpockets and pack snatchers. I usually carry a small backpack/book pack and carry in it all the clothes, toiletries, etc. that I need for a hotel overnight in Ermita. When I get into crowded spaces on the LRT I switch it around to the front of my body and cross my arms around it. So travel on the trains is doable and, yes, an interesting experience.

This mode of travel is probably only viable for those who will be staying in the area for an extended period, because there's a definite learning curve in learning to do it. I do not see how calling somebody a "cheap Charlie" for considering travel by light rail is a contribution to the forum, especially since rail really is the fastest mode of travel in many parts of Manila.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost]

This mode of travel is probably only viable for those who will to be staying in the area for an extended period, because there's a definite learning curve in learning to do it. I do not see how calling somebody a "cheap Charlie" for considering travel by light rail is a contribution to the forum, especially since rail really is the fastest mode of travel in many parts of Manila.[/QUOTE]

I agree - rather than being a Cheap Charlie, I think Noguera is being eminently sensible. I have clocked the trip from my condo near Makati to LA Cafe. A taxi at the time I usually go, will take about 60 to 90 minutes. By using a combination of jeepney (for the short trip to Guadalupe), then metrostar, LRT and shanks pony, I can be at the LA Cafe in 40-45 minutes. Makes sense and you can avoid the usual annoying shit fight over the fare with the cabbie. Of course the return trip is always by taxi. GH

[QUOTE=Gamahucher]I agree - rather than being a Cheap Charlie, I think Noguera is being eminently sensible. I have clocked the trip from my condo near Makati to LA Cafe. A taxi at the time I usually go, will take about 60 to 90 minutes. By using a combination of jeepney (for the short trip to Guadalupe), then metrostar, LRT and shanks pony, I can be at the LA Cafe in 40-45 minutes. Makes sense and you can avoid the usual annoying shit fight over the fare with the cabbie. Of course the return trip is always by taxi. GH[/QUOTE]
I don't know what time you guys normally go, but I normally leave the Dusit between 8:30 and 9 PM and I make the trip by taxi in 30-40 minutes almost every time. Even if I lived in Manila, I doubt I would ever take my own car since there's so little parking anywhere near the place.

GE

OK I suppose I can take the cheap charlie comment back, but I still maintain it's better to take taxi if your start point and/or destination are not close to the train.

My story: the day I picked up my passport at the Intramuros BI office (visa extension), I thought I would be adventurous and take the LRT and MRT back to Makati Burgos St where I was staying. With the walk to the nearest station (about 15-20 minutes), queue up for tickets, queue up and wait 3 or 4 cars before getting on, changing between LRT and MRT and going through the same getting on process again, by the time I got to the Guadalupe station (the one closest to Burgos St), I did not want to walk anymore so I flagged a taxi for the remaining distance. The last walk would have been about 20 minutes. The whole thing took about as much time as just taking the taxi back.

To each his own...

[QUOTE=Gamahucher]By using a combination of jeepney (for the short trip to Guadalupe), then metrostar, LRT and shanks pony, I can be at the LA Cafe in 40-45 minutes. Makes sense and you can avoid the usual annoying shit fight over the fare with the cabbie. Of course the return trip is always by taxi. GH[/QUOTE]

Let us know when you figure out the jeepney route from UN Avenue station to the front door of LA Cafe. Actually, I avoid the jeepneys because I don't speak much Tagalog, can't figure out the route names on the sides of the jeepneys, and don't care for the open air exhaust experience. Finrod's experience shows that there are start and finish locations that don't lend themselves to light rail. But there is also a sense of satisfaction in learning to travel like the locals, and the light rail lines are easy to learn.

In the near future the MRT line is supposed to be extended on the North side to connect to the Monumento terminal of LRT 1, and there's discussion about a fourth line from Cubao out to the Fairview area in northeast Quezon City. This is good news for somebody like me who often has business and lodging in Quezon City and seeks horizontal recreation in Ermita, but for most sex tourists this is probably irrelevant.

[quote=skip kost]let us know when you figure out the jeepney route from un avenue station to the front door of la cafe. [/quote]

that trip is easy skip but i wouldn't advise anyone to take jeepneys in the ermita area as there are always pickpocket gangs on the lookout for unsuspecting tourists. the area is rife with them. just not worth the risk.

how much tagalog do you need to use local transport? not a lot. just 'bayad ko' meaning 'i pay' and 'para' meaning 'stop'. that should do it. i may be a masochist but i actually enjoy traveling on public transport. it must be the close proximity of all those lovely young pinays. i have, on two memorable occasions, even 'trapped' on jeepneys. it is easy when you have some young lovelies body almost draped over you, to strike up casual conversation. and the girls who use jeepneys are the 'poor' girls, shopgirls, maids etc, who often would just love to meet wealthy foreigners. the next step up is fx's which involves an even tighter squeeze, but i have stopped using these, as, a couple of years ago, i suspect i caught whooping cough on one of them. too many people in an enclosed space.

you need a sense of adventure when using public transport but the rewards can often outweigh the discomforts. how many times have you got the cp numbers of a girl (that you later followed up with a successful outcome) when travelling in a taxi?

May I point out to Skip Kost and others that you can avoid the sometimes long queues at stations on Manila's three rail lines (really almost 'overhead metros') by purchasing 100 peso multi-ride tickets and using them for about seven trips each.

This shortens journey times.

Recently I once again used the MRT and LRT lines and with one exception when there were annoying delays of 15 minutes (possibly due to a train ahead being defective, as we crawled between stations), the trains were vastly preferable to being stuck in traffic jams.

For 23.5 pesos (less than A$1 or US$1) I travelled from Pedro Gil station to EDSA station and changed to a 'van' - actually a glorified jeepney) and was at SM Mall of Asia in a total journey time of about 25 minutes. The fares were: rail 15 pesos, 'van' 8.5 pesos and I got there quicker than a taxi, at far less cost and far less stress.

Of course you will have to stand on most LRT or MRT trips and most stations on all lines lack escalators or lifts, but to me these are minor discomforts.

Unfortunately as some point out the rail system does not cover all of Manila - but where it does, it beats taxis and jeepneys hands down, not to mention hiring a car or driving your own.

No wonder patronage on Manila's rail system has soared in the past year, with one of the three lines (the EDSA line from Taft to North EDSA) carrying 450,000 trips a day, despite a design capacity of only 250,000).

Let's hope the Monumento to Baclaran line is extended to the airport: Manila needs it.

[quote=gamahucher]that trip is easy skip but i wouldn't advise anyone to take jeepneys in the ermita area as there are always pickpocket gangs on the lookout for unsuspecting tourists. the area is rife with them. just not worth the risk.

how much tagalog do you need to use local transport? not a lot. just 'bayad ko' meaning 'i pay' and 'para' meaning 'stop'. that should do it. i may be a masochist but i actually enjoy traveling on public transport. it must be the close proximity of all those lovely young pinays. i have, on two memorable occasions, even 'trapped' on jeepneys. it is easy when you have some young lovelies body almost draped over you, to strike up casual conversation. and the girls who use jeepneys are the 'poor' girls, shopgirls, maids etc, who often would just love to meet wealthy foreigners. the next step up is fx's which involves an even tighter squeeze, but i have stopped using these, as, a couple of years ago, i suspect i caught whooping cough on one of them. too many people in an enclosed space.

you need a sense of adventure when using public transport but the rewards can often outweigh the discomforts. how many times have you got the cp numbers of a girl (that you later followed up with a successful outcome) when travelling in a taxi?[/quote]

i grew up destitute in one america most notorious cities that being said i don’t want to ever subject myself to those living conditions again. i refuse to ride public transportation in america i am damn sure not going to do it in the philippines. taxis are my only mode of travel. i have heard all type of shit guys carrying ice picks, guns, etc … on jeepneys. sorry for going against the grain i do not find it appealing for a bunch of sweaty whether male or female filipinos to be smashed up against my posh gucci shirts, air force one nike sneakers etc…. the condensation of bad breath, sweat, smog and the heat fucking disgusting.

i dread the day if i ever i catch someone trying to go in my pockets. its not that i am afraid of them. i don’t want to end up in prison in a third world country it would put my mom in an early grave….

[QUOTE=Daddy Warbucks 1]I grew up destitute in one America most notorious cities that being said I don’t want to ever subject myself to those living conditions again. I refuse to ride public transportation in America I am damn sure not going to do it in the Philippines. Taxis are my only mode of travel. I have heard all type of shit guys carrying ice picks, guns, etc … on Jeepneys. Sorry for going against the grain I do not find it appealing for a bunch of sweaty whether male or female Filipinos to be smashed up against my posh Gucci shirts, Air Force One Nike Sneakers etc…. The condensation of bad breath, sweat, smog and the heat fucking disgusting.

I dread the day if I ever I catch someone trying to go in my pockets. Its not that I am afraid of them. I don’t want to end up in prison in a third world country it would put my mom in an early grave….[/QUOTE]I think enough is being said about this topic - this subject is now closed. Period.

Let's get back to talking about mongering, shall we?

Cande Laria

Ok. Had me a gret weekend a few weeks back (see trip report in Makati). But that board is super quiet so am asking my question here.

My "girl" will not say no to anything (shes a normal gal in need of orgasm LOL) so we started with normal sex, let me shave her, then she got her schoolgirl outfit, then the suspender belt, then she was happy if I tied her up. This was all in past two meetings, and am planning the next trip and not sure what to do next thats interesting and stimulating. I mean the sight of her tied up in schoolgirl outfit with panties round her ankles was damned stimulating.

Thought of us gettting a joint massage wih two ladies who may or may not get naked, and maybe having her naked under her skirt and having her flash me in a mall etc. But beyond that the creative juices are dry.

She doesnt want a 3 some but am thinking of having her blindfold and having a lady come in a lick her, but any great suggestions for good sex games would be well appreciated!

[QUOTE=Daddy Warbucks 1]I grew up destitute in one America most notorious cities that being said I don’t want to ever subject myself to those living conditions again. I refuse to ride public transportation in America I am damn sure not going to do it in the Philippines. Taxis are my only mode of travel. I have heard all type of shit guys carrying ice picks, guns, etc … on Jeepneys. Sorry for going against the grain I do not find it appealing for a bunch of sweaty whether male or female Filipinos to be smashed up against my posh Gucci shirts, Air Force One Nike Sneakers etc…. The condensation of bad breath, sweat, smog and the heat fucking disgusting.

I dread the day if I ever I catch someone trying to go in my pockets. Its not that I am afraid of them. I don’t want to end up in prison in a third world country it would put my mom in an early grave….[/QUOTE]

You'll have us believe you can lay eggs next, Daddy ;). From a guy of your obvious mettle, I would have expected a little more sense of adventure. The danger factor is half the fun; a maxim that I also follow in my mongering esapades :D. GH

[QUOTE=Notanocker]May I point out to Skip Kost and others that you can avoid the sometimes long queues at stations on Manila's three rail lines (really almost 'overhead metros') by purchasing 100 peso multi-ride tickets and using them for about seven trips each.

Recently I once again used the MRT and LRT lines and with one exception when there were annoying delays of 15 minutes (possibly due to a train ahead being defective, as we crawled between stations), the trains were vastly preferable to being stuck in traffic jams.

For 23.5 pesos (less than A$1 or US$1) I travelled from Pedro Gil station to EDSA station and changed to a 'van' - actually a glorified jeepney) and was at SM Mall of Asia in a total journey time of about 25 minutes. The fares were: rail 15 pesos, 'van' 8.5 pesos and I got there quicker than a taxi, at far less cost and far less stress.

No wonder patronage on Manila's rail system has soared in the past year, with one of the three lines (the EDSA line from Taft to North EDSA) carrying 450,000 trips a day, despite a design capacity of only 250,000).

Let's hope the Monumento to Baclaran line is extended to the airport: Manila needs it.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like an endorsement to me. The 100 peso card is a great idea for somebody who will be around long enough to use it. I assume the rising cost of gasoline has had an influence on the soaring use of the rail lines. Extending LRT to the airport might be wishful thinking for a couple of reasons. First, cab and jeepney drivers have well organized associations, and they will definitely lobby against any initiative that cuts into their livelihood. Second, the light rail trains do not permit luggage larger than small backpacks on board, so the LRT wouldn't be any help to air travelers carrying any substantial luggage. If they'd extend it down into Paranaque City near Air Force One, on the other hand, that would be a significant contribution. We could also hope they'd extend the MRT westward all the way to Mall of Asia to save you that van ride, but that kind of project, just like an airport extension, requires a lot of greasing of the right hands. Always a crap shoot in the Philippines.

[quote=gamahucher]how much tagalog do you need to use local transport? not a lot. just 'bayad ko' meaning 'i pay' and 'para' meaning 'stop'. that should do it. i may be a masochist but i actually enjoy traveling on public transport. it must be the close proximity of all those lovely young pinays. i have, on two memorable occasions, even 'trapped' on jeepneys. it is easy when you have some young lovelies body almost draped over you, to strike up casual conversation. and the girls who use jeepneys are the 'poor' girls, shopgirls, maids etc, who often would just love to meet wealthy foreigners. [/quote]

i always used "bayad po," assuming i was saying "pay please," since it invariably involved passing money up through the hands of other passengers. and a knock of the knuckles on the jeepney ceiling seems to imply the same message as "para." but the drivers' questions about how many passengers you're paying for always hung me up. most of my jeepney riding has been done in quezon city along quezon ave., commonwealth, and katipunan ave. there the lovelies are likely to be coeds from up, ateneo, or miriam college. those women have real prospects in life, and although they smell nice, the only action there for an old man like me is when i get a little thigh to thigh contact when the jeepney is packed. not much of a rush to fill my tired memory banks when i get too old to get it up any more.

[QUOTE=Gamahucher] And the girls who use jeepneys are the 'poor' girls, shopgirls, maids etc, who often would just love to meet wealthy foreigners.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm.. I don't think Filipinas will think you are wealthy if you are on a jeepney.

[QUOTE=Gamahucher]You'll have us believe you can lay eggs next, Daddy ;). From a guy of your obvious mettle, I would have expected a little more sense of adventure. The danger factor is half the fun; a maxim that I also follow in my mongering esapades :D. GH[/QUOTE]

Lay eggs...? What the hell does that mean GH you think I am bullshitting you about something? If so what?

You want to talk about adventure or trade war stories. I have a lot of photos from the place where I got my moniker Afghanistan. A friendly country where local men believe men can fly on magic carpets and they have big guns in which they love to use on people like me and you.

When I am there in PI I am at home. I like to be comfortable and relax. If sitting in traffic on a crowed Jeepney in a third world country is your idea of a good time great. We simply have different taste. :D