Overview and Observations of Recent Philippines Trip
I've returned from a long awaited trip to Angeles City last month. It's been a few years since my last adventurous visit to ultimate paradise. The story begins with this: I departed the Land of Smiles on an Air France flight to the Land of Sweetness-Philippines answer to the LOS. I was fortunate enough to have made reservations at the Orchid Inn due to its proximity to the infamous nightlife of Fields Ave. even though all that was available was the older section of the hotel. The hotel was perfect except for the water which had a slight foul odor. The first thing I did was survey all the new bars that opened since my last visit. Boy, the changes that occurred during my absence was beyond my imagination. There are Makati-style establishments such as Pappillon and Rhapsody, the huge Nero Forum, Angeles Broadway complex, the mermaid theme of Splash, a Volcano, and the others that are too numerous to mention. I also got a bad rap from my new honey-ko when she heard that I was bar hopping with my 2 longtime friends-Malibog Mike and Paro Paro Al. They are known as notorious butterflies, so being in company with them classified me as one, too. Doesn't this sound like you're guilty until proven innocent? No use trying to change her opinion. After a few days we developed a set pattern. After dinner at Margarita Station, we went to the daily happy hours at 7pm-Jungle, 8pm-Kitten Club, 9pm-Tahitian Queen. I was even lucky enough to win the t-shirt and giant margarita raffle at the TQ. As for our daytime activity, we played the P5 pool games at Cuddles. Sounds like a cheap charlie scenario? To break up the monotony, first we tried the Perimeter Rd offerings. Christy's is now Mirrors bar. Being in the afternoon, there weren't much dancers in yet, so we decided to head over to the Jolly Frog to check out the new body shot phenomenon that I heard so much about. Guess what? A few minutes after our arrival there was a brown-out and it was getting too warm so we decided to leave. Later that day, we checked out Cockatoo for the Field's Ave version. I finally got brave after a few San Miaguels and with the help of a coach (a waitress) I finally took that big step and got my body shot initiation. Now I can wear the "I survived the body shot" t-shirt. Another thing we did was check out the up and coming A Santos St. area. I made sure I stayed on the correct side of the street. The talent pool was a tad bit on the disappointing side but worth a visit for a change of pace. As a recap, I liked the Voodoo/Mirage combo, the integration of King of Diamonds/Ziggy's/Love Boat, the Nero Forum concept, and feeding the mermaid at Splash. I tried a new twist practically everyday while in Angeles. I even tried the P500 all you can drink pass from Kokomos. Even though I planned to drink all night long and get my money's worth, things didn't pan out since I made the mistake to peek in on my honey-ko and that spoiled my drinking binge for the rest of the night. I also bought some of that viagra for my first time, but as it turned out I lost it on my first night out drinking. Another thing, I got a chance to see a few of the wet t-shirt contestants. They look pretty impressive in person. All in all, I had a wonderful and rememberable excursion to my favorite destination which will always be in my thoughts and in my heart. I would also like to thank the many new friends I met there for their warm hospitalities and unselfish helpfulness. I will definitely return!