Manila

[QUOTE=Sock111;1620204]Thank you all for the info and reports. I arrived in Manila last night and had fun at LA Cafe. Didn't realize the upstairs charged 100 pesos for entry for the live band.

Tonight I'm going to check out EDSA. If anyone would like to meet up drop me a PM.[/QUOTE]Just add in some intel on the covers you were charged: sometimes it can be 200 piso as well. I guess they increase / decrease pricings after volum of people present, quality of the bands etc. A few years back when I was a frequent user of the LAC prices tended to vary from 0 to 250 piso for an excursion upstairs.

I found the waitresses upstairs to be better looking than the downstair ones (could be just a coincident ofcourse) and yes they are available for takeouts as well.

All of a sudden its windy and I can expect heavy rain.

Good observation. I've observed the same thing regarding the fee. Often the female customers are better looking also.

[QUOTE=Skogis;1620238]Just add in some intel on the covers you were charged: sometimes it can be 200 piso as well. I guess they increase / decrease pricings after volum of people present, quality of the bands etc. A few years back when I was a frequent user of the LAC prices tended to vary from 0 to 250 piso for an excursion upstairs.

I found the waitresses upstairs to be better looking than the downstair ones (could be just a coincident ofcourse) and yes they are available for takeouts as well.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Sock111;1620262]All of a sudden its windy and I can expect heavy rain.[/QUOTE]Be glad you're not in Baguio. They're supposed to get 3 feet of it. That's not 3 feet of flooding either. Its 3 feet of rain.

So I went to check out EDSA tonight and have to say I'm not impressed. I heard it compared to Nana plaza but its much smaller. Now I went at 11:00 pm. Guess that was a big mistake. By the time I got there every bar only had between 4-6 girls on stage.

One observation was that every club except Cotton club pushed for those double lady drinks. Its deceptive advertising cause the little signs on the table say 395, but doesn't tell you its a double.

Lesson learned, its best to go around 9:00 pm for the best selection.

[QUOTE=Sock111;1620262]All of a sudden its windy and I can expect heavy rain.[/QUOTE]Not latest map. But it is coming.

From time to time there have been reports here about cops setting up bogus stings in order to take money from unsuspecting mongers. I presume that these events are relatively rare. Given the size of the city and the occasional bribe-taking incident by police, the odds of one of us being hit are probably fairly low. But this news story gives a disconcerting sense of how the graft operates. This incident, and probably many others, are not the work of a single rogue cop who takes advantage of an isolated motorist. This activity is well organized. That means there is a culture among the police that accepts much of it and that there is a network structure that provides cover to other cops. In this instance it seems likely that there was advance intelligence work providing the information that the men in question were carrying a wad of dough. These are not rogues; this is a system, and the editorial writers acknowledge as much. Unfortunately the account in this editorial belies the editorial's title.

[URL]http://opinion.inquirer.net/78408/rogue-cops-on-edsa[/URL]

[QUOTE=BoolaFiji;1610579]The guards don't really check. I have always breezed right past them and out onto the departures taxi ramp. They only check folks getting *into* the airport. Take the lifts at the left end of the arrivals floor (as you exits customs) and go to floor 2.[/QUOTE]That's exactly what I do. I take the lift up to the departures floor and go to the departures taxi ramp by taking the furthest exit from the lifts and make sure you get in a taxi and uses a meter. If the driver claims that the meter doesn't work, get out and get another taxi.

[QUOTE=Slippery;1620457]Be glad you're not in Baguio. They're supposed to get 3 feet of it. That's not 3 feet of flooding either. Its 3 feet of rain.[/QUOTE]If not the floods in the place I am in Baguio, the howling winds kept me terrified for a the night and then the next day.

Luckily it is sunny skies since yesterday in Baguio.

[QUOTE=Robbaf;1620495]Not latest map. But it is coming.[/QUOTE]Then another one is heading to Visayas. As of today.

[QUOTE=SkipKost;1620589]From time to time there have been reports here about cops setting up bogus stings in order to take money from unsuspecting mongers. I presume that these events are relatively rare. Given the size of the city and the occasional bribe-taking incident by police, the odds of one of us being hit are probably fairly low. But this news story gives a disconcerting sense of how the graft operates. This incident, and probably many others, are not the work of a single rogue cop who takes advantage of an isolated motorist. This activity is well organized. That means there is a culture among the police that accepts much of it and that there is a network structure that provides cover to other cops. In this instance it seems likely that there was advance intelligence work providing the information that the men in question were carrying a wad of dough. These are not rogues; this is a system, and the editorial writers acknowledge as much. Unfortunately the account in this editorial belies the editorial's title.

[URL]http://opinion.inquirer.net/78408/rogue-cops-on-edsa[/URL][/QUOTE]Anyway, the law in Philippines means nobody will get punished.

The recent joke I heard. The Coast Guard fellows caught on camera, grinning and laughing while shooting at a Taiwan fishing vessel, and ended up killing a sailor in the Taiwan boat, recently asked the court to dismiss the case.

Reason? 'we don't believe anybody died, and there is no proof the person who is supposed to have died really died, so we ask the case be dismissed and all charges be dropped'.

No kidding.

[URL]http://globalnation.inquirer.net/110075/coast-guard-staff-in-balintang-channel-shooting-seek-dismissal-of-homicide-raps[/URL]

Was going to take Victory Liner bus from Dau to Pasay yesterday morning but the hotel doorman told me the roads were closed and massive flooding in Manila. Today, Saturday, I decided to take a car service to Manila as I had heard there was still flooding around Pasay. I didn't want to risk missing my flight. Supposedly less Manila traffic on Saturday but being the side roads flooded everyone is on the main roads. Left AC at 4:30 pm and arrived at terminal 1 at 7:36 pm without any stops. 3 hours. At least no waiting at terminal 1. Breezed thru departure tax line, passport control and security in 3 minutes. Terminal 1 is like a ghost town!

Having lived here for awhile now, I thought I'd seen plenty of utterly shitty business practices until I stopped into LA Cafe yesterday for a beer. I was the only white guy in there at about 3:30 pm A couple of Japanese guys and a couple of other guys, who knows where from. I sat at the bar with my back toward the entrance. Typical scenario unfolds where girl comes and sits next to me. She has a bottled water. Next thing I know some filipino employee of LA A $$holes Cafe and seats himself about 8 feet away at a table. Two of his ugly friends seat themselves at the same table and I'm getting holes stared through me. Girl starts making small talk and I politely but succinctly respond.

Waitress comes with my beer and asks if I want to buy the girl a drink. I think when did AC make it to this place. One minute later she returns and asks if I'd like to buy the girl a drink. I told her that I said no a minute ago. She comes a 3rd fucking time in 3 minutes and asks again. Now I realize that somebody else from Shit Cafe has moved in behind me. I wasn't very nice to the waitress for bothering me about buying some working girl a drink 3 times in 3 minutes. I had paid for my beer when I got it. I got up to leave and told the filipino guy behind me what I thought about lady drink pressure. I was told the girl is not permitted to leave with a customer unless customer buys her a drink. WTF?? Last time I spend a penny at that shithole.

[QUOTE=Amavida;1619787]Don't sweat the pedestrian overpass. Just use common sense & stay alert the same as anywhere.

Dating sites?

Date in Asia: Free, huge membership, very strict naughty talk filters. Always fodder there. Work it.

Pina Love: Pay site, big membership, signal to noise ratio better, worth it.

Filipino Cupid: As for Pina Love.

There are many others but that will keep you very busy.

AV.[/QUOTE]For what's its worth I am a big fan of Tagged for lining up dates in the Philippines before you get there, and to be honest I have had a fair amount of success using that site. One warning though, just don't send anyone any money, despite how sad their sob story is!

[QUOTE=Slippery;1623587]Waitress comes with my beer and asks if I want to buy the girl a drink. I think when did AC make it to this place. One minute later she returns and asks if I'd like to buy the girl a drink. I told her that I said no a minute ago. She comes a 3rd fucking time in 3 minutes and asks again. Now I realize that somebody else from Shit Cafe has moved in behind me. I wasn't very nice to the waitress for bothering me about buying some working girl a drink 3 times in 3 minutes. I had paid for my beer when I got it. I got up to leave and told the filipino guy behind me what I thought about lady drink pressure. I was told the girl is not permitted to leave with a customer unless customer buys her a drink. WTF?? Last time I spend a penny at that shithole.[/QUOTE]I got hit by the waitresses in LAC in July and January this year, and August of 2013 for at attempted purchase of LD. They did not pressure by re-asking more than once, but they still asked. One girl explained to me that all girls walking in the door must purchase at least one drink during her stay (call it the lady's barfine), and they often try and get the guys to buy them a drink right away, or the waitresses make the attempt. Sounds like they are upping the pressure. OTOH recently I was in the bar at other times where nobody asked me to buy the girl a drink (possibly she had already purchased one earlier in the day).

[QUOTE=Slippery;1623587]SNIP I was told the girl is not permitted to leave with a customer unless customer buys her a drink. WTF?? [/QUOTE]Although I don't recall it being discussed here recently, that policy has been in effect for at least a year. Not trying to defend it, just saying. However, many girls will meet you outside a block or so away to avoid it as they would rather hope you give then a bigger tip then give it to the bar. The last I heard the girls don't get any type of commission from the LD's.