Manila

[QUOTE=WSlover123;2329966]Pasay rotonda is much safer than Malate / Ermita at night time (that my opinion). It can be impressive / scary because it is poor area, crowned and dodgy but that OK. And yes some street girls are as pretty as the one in hooker bar. At least 4 or 5 beauties on 30 - 40 prostitutes.[/QUOTE]I have walked all around there many times and only saw super fuglies standing outside the couple cheap hotels. The guy is calling you in, but I declined. The girls try to get you in also.

I am very interested in what area the 30 to 40 hookers are to be found. Are they standing on the street or under the LRT extension towards Baclaran or. ?

[QUOTE=Jbj64;2331419]Is it a smart phone app? Stupid question but my google apps does not show it?[/QUOTE]Strange! Its available on Android and iOS. This screen shot is from Oct 2018.

I'm interested to know about others' recent experiences at NAIA 3. I arrived about 8 pm on May 9th and found the area beyond customs comparatively crowded with those arriving and others presumably waiting for them. In other recent trips I have walked across the several driveways / roadways and gotten a regular white cab at the furthest roadway--with no waiting, no fuss, except for occasional drivers who don't want to use the meter. Prior to white cabs being allowed at the terminals, I usually took the yellow airport taxis, with little waiting and without drivers trying to bargain around the meter.

Now the regular cabs have been moved to bay 12, and still out at the furthest roadway. A long line of at least 200 cab seekers was on the other side, with the line backed up way under the skyway. Forget it. So I went looking for yellow airport cabs, which are only a little more expensive than regular cabs but better maintained. Again, long, long lines. I don't ever remember lines that long, not at any of the terminals within the last three or four years. I finally settled for the more high-priced coupon cabs, and even then had to wait in line about 20 minutes. There were also long lines waiting for Grab.

I asked the driver why the taxi lines were so long, and he suggested that there were a lot of late arriving planes. But the lines for taxis were disproportionately long relative to the crowds inside, so it seemed more like a bottleneck situation.

Departing on the morning of the 29th I encountered a different kind of bottleneck getting into the terminal. Previously it was sufficient to arrive two hours before departure. Not this time. Long, long lines trying to get through the two entry door security checkpoints. (These outside security checkpoints are so ineffectual that their only apparent utility is for the cab-driver-and-security-agent-collaborators who worked the old "bullets in the luggage" bribe game.) I did notice a lot of porters in purple / burgundy outfits offering to help people bypass the usual lines--presumably for a fee. I was getting a little nervous when I was still in line outside the terminal at 75 minutes before flight time. There were signs near the entry doors indicating that senior citizens and "persons with disabilities" could bypass the line, so I asked a nearby porter whether this applied to foreign senior citizens as well. "No, only Filipinos. " But he asked if I was alone, and since I was, he whisked me past the line. I moved quickly to get my bags onto the conveyor, and when I looked back he was gone before I could tip him.

Inside there were no long lines at any of the airline ticket counters, so this was a specific kind of bottleneck that could have been solved by opening a third and / or fourth entry door. I should note there were also long lines to get through the three or four metal detector security checkpoints between ticketing and the departure gates, but these lines were moving fairly quickly.

WTF is going on with terminal 3? Are other people experiencing these same clusterfucks? Any advice for avoiding these bottlenecks other than paying the porters and pre-arranging drivers to pick you up on the arrival level?

Soapy,

T3 has always been swamped. Over the past year or so a few more International carriers have relocated to T3 from T1. Huge crowds form from outgoing and incoming Filipino OFW's, along with sendoff or welcoming families.

A few years ago there were very long lines of awaiting taxi passengers with no taxis in sight. Now there are some lines of taxis. I guess this is an improvement!

Your best bet to enter T3 and bypass the x-ray line is to use the porters. I use the porters all the time. Not only do they bypass the long lines they take me directly to the senior citizen check in counter. Usually there is only 2 or 3 in line.

I tip the porters 100-200 pesos. Some times I slip the gate keeper at the senior check in 50 pesos.

It is strange but most people don't mind you cutting in line with the porter, they are kind of happy that the porter will be getting a tip. They graciously let the porter in from of them. Same with the check in people.

Arrival is a different story. You can go to Bay 13-14 and hop on the Resort World shuttle bus and get dropped off at one of the hotels and get a taxi from there. Last month I used the Resort World shuttle and got off at the first stop, Belmont Hotel, used the Grab app and got a car within 5 minutes.

You didn't say where you were going to from the airport. It might help to know that.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2332731]

WTF is going on with terminal 3? Are other people experiencing these same clusterfucks? Any advice for avoiding these bottlenecks other than paying the porters and pre-arranging drivers to pick you up on the arrival level?[/QUOTE]I'm a reasonably frequent user of Cebu Pacific and don't have roo much trouble. Having said that most of my flights are red eyes so that helps with limiting numbers in the terminal.

If I arrive early or have a longish transit, I make use of things Airport Liunge to get away from the hordes and rest in peace. The Capsules are well worth it.

[URL]http://jipang-group.com/thewings/[/URL]

Enjoy. G.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2332781]I'm a reasonably frequent user of Cebu Pacific and don't have roo much trouble. Having said that most of my flights are red eyes so that helps with limiting numbers in the terminal.

If I arrive early or have a longish transit, I make use of things Airport Liunge to get away from the hordes and rest in peace. The Capsules are well worth it.

[URL]http://jipang-group.com/thewings/[/URL]

Enjoy. G.[/QUOTE]That is what I do but the international flights can arrive mid afternoon at times and that is likely what Soapy experienced as then a dogs breakfast. What I do dislike are the large number of people meeting friends and family as this just adds to the overall throng of people in the terminal. You can't stop it but why do some bring lola, lolo and all 15 relatives for one person and then stand and greet them etc thus holding up others at times who are trying to get out. This happened a lot in some Middle East airport but there was stopped when kids actually ran into the arrival hall area when the doors opened. And then the parents followed!

DG has a sensible solution to the taxis.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2332735]Soapy,

T3 has always been swamped. Over the past year or so a few more International carriers have relocated to T3 from T1. Huge crowds form from outgoing and incoming Filipino OFW's, along with sendoff or welcoming families.

(snip)

I tip the porters 100-200 pesos. Some times I slip the gate keeper at the senior check in 50 pesos.

(snip)

You didn't say where you were going to from the airport. It might help to know that.[/QUOTE]Thanks G and Dg for your replies. The increased number of carriers moving to T3 makes sense. Tipping suggestions are helpful; 200 php is not a lot of money for anybody who can afford to travel to and from the Phils. It strikes me that average Filipinos don't think in terms of large tips, to cabbies, waiters, porters, or anybody else, and then they extend a sort of class deference to foreigners who do give comparatively large tips--by Filipino standards. It's the same sort of class deference that leads Filipinos to keep re-electing the same families to national office, as though only a small group of wealthy families are capable of performing these duties.

Last two trips I had a condo near SM Manila. Both times the taxis, one regular, one coupon, took me down Roxas Blvd. and crossed over to Taft at Luneta Park. The taxi travel time was not bad at all. I guess I was spoiled my last time in via PAL from San Francisco in November. Arrival at 4 am and departure at 9 pm, thus missing the worst of the crowds at T3. Perhaps PAL has the luxury of planning around NAIA traffic, especially for flights that cross the International Date Line.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2332735]
I tip the porters 100-200 pesos. Some times I slip the gate keeper at the senior check in 50 pesos.
[/QUOTE]I tip the porters too when there are large lines. They seem happy with 100 p and it is worth every centavo.

Good advice about arrivals too. I waited in line about 20 minutes for a metered taxi last time I arrived and I thought that was an improvement from the time before. But don't get me started on MNL taxis. LOL. One night I couldn't find a taxi to save my soul. I ended up walking from the Fairmont (GreenBelt) to Burgos St. It only took about 30 minutes. Another night I started out in a taxi, but traffic was at a standstill halfway there, so I bailed a few blocks from Burgos St. and walked the rest of the way. I think the taxi beat me there by a head. No problem getting a taxi at COD (Aseana City) however.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2332910]I tip the porters too when there are large lines. They seem happy with 100 p and it is worth every centavo.

Good advice about arrivals too. I waited in line about 20 minutes for a metered taxi last time I arrived and I thought that was an improvement from the time before. But don't get me started on MNL taxis. LOL. One night I couldn't find a taxi to save my soul. I ended up walking from the Fairmont (GreenBelt) to Burgos St. It only took about 30 minutes. Another night I started out in a taxi, but traffic was at a standstill halfway there, so I bailed a few blocks from Burgos St. and walked the rest of the way. I think the taxi beat me there by a head. No problem getting a taxi at COD (Aseana City) however.[/QUOTE]Natty, the much better alternative is Grab! Download the app, choose the credit card payment option, and enjoy the ride.

[QUOTE=Bigstud;2333244]Natty, the much better alternative is Grab! Download the app, choose the credit card payment option, and enjoy the ride.[/QUOTE]Slow down buddy. There are many times when Grab is not available when you come in to the airport. Like Dg said, you have to hop on that Resorts World shuttle and go over to those hotels and try to order one from there or get a taxi from over there.

Hello gents,

Would you recommend visiting Manila / Angeles in mid Aug. 10-20 ?The purpose of my visit would be solely for mongering and am bit reluctant because of the rain. I have seen reports on tripadvisor of manila getting flooded and people advising against visiting albeit for tourism. I checked the weather reports and most suggest sporadic showers / thunderstorms for most days. Would weather affect availability of girls?

BR,

Nazgyl.

[QUOTE=Blanquiceleste;2331900]Strange! Its available on Android and iOS. This screen shot is from Oct 2018.[/QUOTE]I remember reading on the smooci thread, the app is for escorts to quickly check the booking and respond. The clients would have to use the web I suppose.

[QUOTE=Nazgylg15;2333921]Hello gents,

Would you recommend visiting Manila / Angeles in mid Aug. 10-20 ?The purpose of my visit would be solely for mongering and am bit reluctant because of the rain. I have seen reports on tripadvisor of manila getting flooded and people advising against visiting albeit for tourism. I checked the weather reports and most suggest sporadic showers / thunderstorms for most days. Would weather affect availability of girls?

BR,

Nazgyl.[/QUOTE]Monsoon season is terrible. So bad that girls fuck old ugly foreigners hoping for a ticket out of there.

My best memories are holed up in a hotel room with 3 sweeties for a few days riding out the storm.

[QUOTE=Nazgylg15;2333921]Hello gents,

Would you recommend visiting Manila / Angeles in mid Aug. 10-20 ?The purpose of my visit would be solely for mongering and am bit reluctant because of the rain. I have seen reports on tripadvisor of manila getting flooded and people advising against visiting albeit for tourism. I checked the weather reports and most suggest sporadic showers / thunderstorms for most days. Would weather affect availability of girls?

BR,

Nazgyl.[/QUOTE]Kind of depends on how much rain. Rainy season is typhoon season, so a typhoon will affect the girls yes. And heavy rains will effect the girls also, but more so in Manila. In AC I wouldn't worry about the rain too much (unless you melt with water) there are so many girls, and there for sure will be enough to go around, yes the numbers may be a little less, buy you may not even notice. In Manila, heavy rains will effect the girls, as they don't have a good water drainage system there, and the streets / roads will get flooded hindering transportation. There is good and bad with that, depending where the girls are stranded it could also work to your favor, as the last heavy rain stranded many girls at work. KTV girls who don't normally go out with customers were eager to do overnights with clients (found them on wechat). Just as long as you stay at a hotel that has a backup generator and provisions enough so you can get things to eat. Don't stay on the ground floor, and if a heavy rain is due in, stock up on some supplies (water and food). I didn't have a problem before but it was only flooding for a week, I guess if it was longer, it would have been a problem.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2332904]Thanks G and Dg for your replies. The increased number of carriers moving to T3 makes sense. Tipping suggestions are helpful; 200 php is not a lot of money for anybody who can afford to travel to and from the Phils. It strikes me that average Filipinos don't think in terms of large tips, to cabbies, waiters, porters, or anybody else, and then they extend a sort of class deference to foreigners who do give comparatively large tips--by Filipino standards. It's the same sort of class deference that leads Filipinos to keep re-electing the same families to national office, as though only a small group of wealthy families are capable of performing these duties.

Last two trips I had a condo near SM Manila. Both times the taxis, one regular, one coupon, took me down Roxas Blvd. and crossed over to Taft at Luneta Park. The taxi travel time was not bad at all. I guess I was spoiled my last time in via PAL from San Francisco in November. Arrival at 4 am and departure at 9 pm, thus missing the worst of the crowds at T3. Perhaps PAL has the luxury of planning around NAIA traffic, especially for flights that cross the International Date Line.[/QUOTE]We associated money and cost to our subjective earning power. 200 peso ($4. 00) is nothing compared to my hourly or daily earnings. 200 pesos is well above the average Filipino hourly wage. Hence waiting an hour is well worth it to them.

Local or provincial elections are usually won by the highest paying vote buyer. I know a girl who travelled to the province to vote and was paid 5 k for her vote. A lot of voters got 5 k. When I meantioned this to another girl from another province. She said she only got 2 k for her vote! Corruption must pay well to buy votes and to continue the family business.

Your hotels are not that far away. Kilometer wise. Time wise is another story depending on the time of day or night.