[QUOTE=Boricua;1113840]I should be pretty close if not over 2000. 00 monthly income.[/QUOTE]For $2, 000 US, you could live well in many countries in Asia (except the developed countries like HK or Singapore) and not just here in Phil.
FZ
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[QUOTE=Boricua;1113840]I should be pretty close if not over 2000. 00 monthly income.[/QUOTE]For $2, 000 US, you could live well in many countries in Asia (except the developed countries like HK or Singapore) and not just here in Phil.
FZ
[QUOTE=SergeantRay;1112572]M[/QUOTE]I hang out in Colon regularly, and I agree. It's not as dangerous as people think. I don't get drunk, I don't flash cash, I don't antagonize people, and I stay alert.[/QUOTE]
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Hmm, Just to get a perspective of this place when I eventually venture here in the middle of the night.
What are the prices here as oppose to the regular hangouts for the average monger.
What will the ST / LT FL rates for the girls here. Also, can you BF the girls from the local bars here?
FZ
[QUOTE=Freezone;1114308]I hang out in Colon regularly, and I agree. It's not as dangerous as people think. I don't get drunk, I don't flash cash, I don't antagonize people, and I stay alert.[/QUOTE]-
Hmm, Just to get a perspective of this place when I eventually venture here in the middle of the night.
What are the prices here as oppose to the regular hangouts for the average monger.
What will the ST / LT FL rates for the girls here. Also, can you BF the girls from the local bars here?
FZ[/QUOTE]I'd go to the Sesame Haus or the bar across the street (Pelaez Street) and talk to the ex-pats there. I wouldn't take out girls from the local bars, which are pretty much dives.
You're better off using Colon as a base to meet local college students and shop girls.
I just had my evaluation for PTSD today and expect to receive some benefits from the VA in a couple of months. I also have a claim in for hearing loss and tinitus. SS Disability is the one that I think will hold me up and keep me from moving as soon as I would like. I really can't decide between Cebu and the Subic Bay area. Subic Bay has some places to monger and I can also go for weekend stays in AC. I've been to Cebu several times. My last visit was this last May and really liked some of the changes that I saw during my short visit. Decisions, Decisions.
[QUOTE=Freezone; 1114306]For $2, 000 US, you could live well in many countries in Asia (except the developed countries like HK or Singapore) and not just here in Phil.
FZ[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Boricua;1114387]I just had my evaluation for PTSD today and expect to receive some benefits from the VA in a couple of months. I also have a claim in for hearing loss and tinitus. SS Disability is the one that I think will hold me up and keep me from moving as soon as I would like. I really can't decide between Cebu and the Subic Bay area. Subic Bay has some places to monger and I can also go for weekend stays in AC. I've been to Cebu several times. My last visit was this last May and really liked some of the changes that I saw during my short visit. Decisions, Decisions.[/QUOTE]Don't decide until you get here.
Spend a week in Cebu again and check it out. I am reading between the lines that you prefer Subic but you want us to give you some good reasons why.
I think if I were in your shoes I might opt for Subic as real estate will be cheaper, transport is cheaper, it is more laid back for a retiree with health issues, and you have options of AC, La Union and even Manila if you want a change of scene. Cheap fares means a weekend in Cebu is also possible now and again.
I'm headed to Cebu for the 1st time next week and will be around for the better part of 3 weeks.
Having read around on the board it seems pretty clear that girl wise things will take care of themselves. Indeed, I reckon after 2 weeks I will get bored of that side of things.
That said I'm also down for hetro-MMF threesomes and other group sex scenarios _
My mind now turns to how I am going to spend the rest of my time. I'd only wanted a trip of say. 10 days, but the flights were so much cheaper by extending my trip that I figured I'd rather put my money into my time on the ground rather than paying jacked up prices for my flight.
Would anybody care to recommend an inexpensive entry level scuba experience?
I've never done it before, and am keen to try it for a few days, but not so keen that I'm willing to drop a lot of cash on it.
Are there any night clubs in Cebu that are western style, dance music focused, stylish clubs?
I mean big dance floor, no overt prostitution, music such as electro, trance, drum & bass etc.
I read something about how trying to drive around the main city is foolhardy.
How about out in the provinces?
Are the roads 1/2 decent?
How much risk is there of getting jacked?
Any ideas or opinions will be appreciated cheers!
[QUOTE=Boricua;1114387]I just had my evaluation for PTSD today and expect to receive some benefits from the VA in a couple of months. I also have a claim in for hearing loss and tinitus. SS Disability is the one that I think will hold me up and keep me from moving as soon as I would like. I really can't decide between Cebu and the Subic Bay area. Subic Bay has some places to monger and I can also go for weekend stays in AC. I've been to Cebu several times. My last visit was this last May and really liked some of the changes that I saw during my short visit. Decisions, Decisions.[/QUOTE]I would think about it carefully. I retired last year but have held off living here since I would be bored shitless after a few months. I took a contract in Kosovo simply because I needed something to do. Believe you me the novelty of sex everyday will soon wear off unless you have a very time consuming hobby or some form of employment or business here to occupy your time. I have met many retirees from the States and Europe who live here and have nothing to do. Most have drink problems since they have nothing to do all day but sit in a bar drinking with other expats. A lot of them will admit to being completely bored with their lives if you get a chance to speak to them.
$2000 a month is not a lot to live off here despite what others may tell you, most decent condos in Cebu that I have seen and that are well located will cost you about $600 per month, plus bills and other living expenses. Of course you can live like the locals do for a fraction of that, but if you want a decent westernized style of living it will cost. My pension is a lot more than that and when I did the sums I realised it was not as cheap as I first anticipated. However I would want to live in very comfortable surroundings and I am not willing to compromise on that, others may be more flexible and adaptable. I am in Cagayan De Oro at the moment and it is far cheaper here than Cebu. I have a friend here who lives in a fully furnished house 5 minutes out of town with a lot of land. His house is very well furnished and comparable to a western home. He pays 11000 pesos rent per month but when you add the cost of air con, cable, internet, power etc etc the total costs are nearly 30, 000 per month. Obviously condos here work out far cheaper than that.
If you are going to live here it would be worth trying to find a long term companion, one that will allow you a certain amout of freedom. Having a local girl you can trust will help you overcome countless difficulties that you will encounter living here, and they make excellent and loyal companions if you treat them well and find the right one.
Retiring out in the Philippines for the sole purpose of mongering will lead to a very lonely and miserable existence in the long run IMHO. Whatever you decide I hope it works out well for you.
Mortman
[QUOTE=Suwon;1113014]I've tried. But have thus far been unable to see where I might be able to purchase ferry tickets online. I can RESERVE tickets online. But these are supposed to be paid for and picked up 48 hours before I board. But I am not in Cebu yet. So I can't pick up the tickets! I'm hoping there's a site where I can buy an e-ticket online.[/QUOTE]Don't worry about it. There are many ferries and operators. They all have ticket agents around the city.
Operators. Ocean Jet, Wessam, Super Cat that have a two hour trip.
[QUOTE=Denkicash; 1114419]I'm headed to Cebu for the 1st time next week and will be around for the better part of 3 weeks.
Having read around on the board it seems pretty clear that girl wise things will take care of themselves. Indeed, I reckon after 2 weeks I will get bored of that side of things.
That said I'm also down for hetro-MMF threesomes and other group sex scenarios _
My mind now turns to how I am going to spend the rest of my time. I'd only wanted a trip of say. 10 days, but the flights were so much cheaper by extending my trip that I figured I'd rather put my money into my time on the ground rather than paying jacked up prices for my flight.
Would anybody care to recommend an inexpensive entry level scuba experience?
I've never done it before, and am keen to try it for a few days, but not so keen that I'm willing to drop a lot of cash on it.
Are there any night clubs in Cebu that are western style, dance music focused, stylish clubs?
I mean big dance floor, no overt prostitution, music such as electro, trance, drum & bass etc.
I read something about how trying to drive around the main city is foolhardy.
How about out in the provinces?
Are the roads 1/2 decent?
How much risk is there of getting jacked?
Any ideas or opinions will be appreciated cheers![/QUOTE]Getting jacked you got to pay attention but fairly safe.
Best scuba to me was moalboal area or go to dumaghette? (spelling?)
Or try mactan but not the best?
Or bohol is close and so is malapascua.
There is music veneus but I forget where.
For scuba go online and look for places or wait till you get there. I do not remember any particular scuba.
But I rate apo island (dumaghette and close to cebu. Moalboal the water is fantastic. And bohol.
The bottom of the list to me is off mactan. But maybe someone has had better expierence there.
Thank you Mortman for your input. Red Kilt has indeed read between the lines on my comments. I guess I am trying to be convinced that Cebu is a better choice. I have been to the Philippines about 10 times. My first trip was to Cebu and have always had a soft spot for Cebu. I do have medical issues and the VA Clinic in Manila would be relatively close. I also understand that there are some VA approved hospitals / Clinics in Subic Bay. I do not drink or smoke but would be lying if I said that mongering was not one of the reasons for my wanting to relocate to the PI. I will tell you that one of my hobbies is to restore violins and violas. I also tinker with vintage stereo systems. I guess I could pursue these interests in the PI. As a young boy, I bread homing pidgeons and other fancy birds. I have checked some websites and have found a number of clubs in the PI. I would love to get back to something like that. I would be most interested in a local lady companion but do not want to be tied down to just one lady. Lastly, I was thinking that I would probably get my VA benefits before my SS disability but I found out this morning that SS has approved my application for disability. Now all I need is to hear from the VA. I expect to receive word from them in the next 30 to 45 days.
[QUOTE=Mortman; 1114449]I would think about it carefully. I retired last year but have held off living here since I would be bored shitless after a few months. I took a contract in Kosovo simply because I needed something to do. Believe you me the novelty of sex everyday will soon wear off unless you have a very time consuming hobby or some form of employment or business here to occupy your time. I have met many retirees from the States and Europe who live here and have nothing to do. Most have drink problems since they have nothing to do all day but sit in a bar drinking with other expats. A lot of them will admit to being completely bored with their lives if you get a chance to speak to them.
$2000 a month is not a lot to live off here despite what others may tell you, most decent condos in Cebu that I have seen and that are well located will cost you about $600 per month, plus bills and other living expenses. Of course you can live like the locals do for a fraction of that, but if you want a decent westernized style of living it will cost. My pension is a lot more than that and when I did the sums I realised it was not as cheap as I first anticipated. However I would want to live in very comfortable surroundings and I am not willing to compromise on that, others may be more flexible and adaptable. I am in Cagayan De Oro at the moment and it is far cheaper here than Cebu. I have a friend here who lives in a fully furnished house 5 minutes out of town with a lot of land. His house is very well furnished and comparable to a western home. He pays 11000 pesos rent per month but when you add the cost of air con, cable, internet, power etc etc the total costs are nearly 30, 000 per month. Obviously condos here work out far cheaper than that.
If you are going to live here it would be worth trying to find a long term companion, one that will allow you a certain amout of freedom. Having a local girl you can trust will help you overcome countless difficulties that you will encounter living here, and they make excellent and loyal companions if you treat them well and find the right one.
Retiring out in the Philippines for the sole purpose of mongering will lead to a very lonely and miserable existence in the long run IMHO. Whatever you decide I hope it works out well for you.
Mortman[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Boricua;1114727]Thank you Mortman for your input. Red Kilt has indeed read between the lines on my comments. I guess I am trying to be convinced that Cebu is a better choice. I have been to the Philippines about 10 times. My first trip was to Cebu and have always had a soft spot for Cebu. I do have medical issues and the VA Clinic in Manila would be relatively close. I also understand that there are some VA approved hospitals / Clinics in Subic Bay. I do not drink or smoke but would be lying if I said that mongering was not one of the reasons for my wanting to relocate to the PI. I will tell you that one of my hobbies is to restore violins and violas. I also tinker with vintage stereo systems. I guess I could pursue these interests in the PI. As a young boy, I bread homing pidgeons and other fancy birds. I have checked some websites and have found a number of clubs in the PI. I would love to get back to something like that. I would be most interested in a local lady companion but do not want to be tied down to just one lady. Lastly, I was thinking that I would probably get my VA benefits before my SS disability but I found out this morning that SS has approved my application for disability. Now all I need is to hear from the VA. I expect to receive word from them in the next 30 to 45 days.[/QUOTE]All of the things that you mentioned you'd like to do are possible Boricua but you will need to be quite pro-active about it.
If you do start repairing musical instruments or vintage stereo systems any fees you charge will need to be way less than what you could expect in the US. You will be doing it for love, not money and this may be OK with you because you did say it was a hobby. My only concern with this hobby indulgence is that in doing so you may well be encroaching on a Filipino repairman's livelihood and there are some who resent competition, especially if the competitor is a foreigner.
Mort's comment about having other things to do besides mongering is extremely important and it seems you have taken that on board. Many guys wishing to relocate heresolely because of the women forget that eventually the dreaded ED will kick in and after a while no amount of Vitamin Viagra or Cialis or Chinese wonder Herbs will help. It WILL happen to you eventually.
Of course, mongering in any form requires money, and having a partner can mean you spend 2X as much as you might spend alone (or certainly some percentage more anyway).
These items that I mentioned are not meant to put you off from coming to the PI. They are just a friendly memory jogger of things to factor in when you finally pull the plug and settle here, wherever it may be.
[QUOTE=MauiDude; 1114725]Best scuba to me was moalboal area or go to dumaghette? (spelling?)
Or try mactan but not the best?
Or bohol is close and so is malapascua.
For scuba go online and look for places or wait till you get there. I do not remember any particular scuba.
But I rate apo island (dumaghette and close to cebu. Moalboal the water is fantastic. And bohol. [/QUOTE]Moalboal is great for diving. (There's also a bit of nightlife but probably best to bring your own companion from Cebu). The Blue Abyss diving centre is well run (by Germans) and the equipment is good. Didn't dive at Dumaguette but passed through it en route to Apo Island. Apo is over-rated in my opinion and the facilities on the island are very rustic. Limited hours electricity via generator and no hot water. There's great snorkelling there but the diving's nothing special. Bohol's good, too (Alona Beach) and only a couple of hours from Cebu via fast ferry.
[QUOTE=Iron Duke;1114767]Moalboal is great for diving. (There's also a bit of nightlife but probably best to bring your own companion from Cebu). The Blue Abyss diving centre is well run (by Germans) and the equipment is good. Didn't dive at Dumaguette but passed through it en route to Apo Island. Apo is over-rated in my opinion and the facilities on the island are very rustic. Limited hours electricity via generator and no hot water. There's great snorkelling there but the diving's nothing special. Bohol's good, too (Alona Beach) and only a couple of hours from Cebu via fast ferry.[/QUOTE]Actually I think if you want the best diving? I have seen is apo reef between mindoro and coron.
But far away from cebu.
And then there is puerto galera.
But nothing will ever compare to tahiti and I heard that fiji is awesome also.
I hear also that analou is good out of batangas? I have snorkeled there and like that but not sure about the diving
Red Kilt.
All good points and that is why I am seriously considering a trial period of maybe 6 months. It's entirely possible that I will decide to spend maybe 6 months in Phils and 6 months stateside. Besides repairs of violins and violas, I play in a community orchestra and really am having a hard time turning my back on that. The 6 month stateside period would probably coincide with the concert season. I do make some money restoring instruments and the money comes in handy. I would probably take one or two projects with me just to keep me busy. I find that the time I spend in the Phils is good for me in that I can do whatever I want when I want and that I tend to forget about things that contribute to stress.
[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1114734]All of the things that you mentioned you'd like to do are possible Boricua but you will need to be quite pro-active about it.
If you do start repairing musical instruments or vintage stereo systems any fees you charge will need to be way less than what you could expect in the US. You will be doing it for love, not money and this may be OK with you because you did say it was a hobby. My only concern with this hobby indulgence is that in doing so you may well be encroaching on a Filipino repairman's livelihood and there are some who resent competition, especially if the competitor is a foreigner.
Mort's comment about having other things to do besides mongering is extremely important and it seems you have taken that on board. Many guys wishing to relocate heresolely because of the women forget that eventually the dreaded ED will kick in and after a while no amount of Vitamin Viagra or Cialis or Chinese wonder Herbs will help. It WILL happen to you eventually.
Of course, mongering in any form requires money, and having a partner can mean you spend 2X as much as you might spend alone (or certainly some percentage more anyway).
These items that I mentioned are not meant to put you off from coming to the PI. They are just a friendly memory jogger of things to factor in when you finally pull the plug and settle here, wherever it may be. [/QUOTE]
From USA for stays between 21 & 59 days its EZ. 3010p.
There is an office to the left of the passport control desks.
I am here until VD (valentines day)
Anyone want to meet up don't forget my pasulobong.