Booked My Flight

[Tanuki]

I just finished booking my flight to Manila for the end of August.  Would like to have left sooner but, there were a few delays. Not including my time lost in flight, I will be there for 13 days.  Next thing on my list is setting up a hotel and scouting out what different sights I would like to see while in Manila.  I also have been thinking about side trips but, I am not sure.
 
Now that I am thinking of it.  Are there plenty of access to ATMs?

[thekfc]

Yes there are plenty of access to ATM's, in addition there are Citibank, Chase, Bank Of America, HSBC, GE Money Bank in Makati (Ayala Ave & Paseo de Roxas St).

Remember to inform your bank/credit card company about your travel plans and have their international banking/credit card number.  Also make sure that you have a form of communication to contact your financial back in the USA should you need to. A magic jack would come in handy. 

Enjoy your stay Tanuki and should you need any info - just ask.

[Tanuki]

KFC,
 
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.  Now that I have flight booked.  I am ready for it to be August already!  Actually, I need to do some more reading on the different sights that I want to see and what side trips out of Manila I would like to make.

[Ray]

Some ideas for Manila/side trips:
 
Divasoria shopping district, Rizal Park, Intramuros, American Cemetery Makati, Corregidor, Tagaytay, Subic Freeport area, Baguio City.
 
 

[robert angel]

Hey Tanuki, Not sure where your girl lives, but I liked the areas of Makati, Pasig and Pasay--all pretty centralized to where I'd want to go , where I have family and they have maybe the best access to financial centers, malls, restaurants, a variety of priced hotels, etc. You might pay a bit more, but what you might save in time and overall convenience might make it worth it. But again, that depends on where she lives.


Like most of the Manila area, they are cities themselves in the bigger city of Manila and there are a lot of other cities all spread out there--it's a megalopolis, not a metropolis. Being according to some sources, currently the most densely populated city on earth, if your girl lives a distance from the cities I mentioned, that might change where you want to stay. Traffic can be excruciatingly slow there and if you've got to spend an hour or two in mid day traffic to go 15 miles, breathing in leaded gas fumes, it's not fun.

My wife just left Manila for other parts of the PI and when when she left our home,we were already in the midst of 50 consecutive days above 90 degrees and into the hottest summer in Georgia history, with very high humidity. Yet she said is was nothing like Manila-that they didn't even want to go outside much. I don't remember it ever being that hot, but she ought to know, so just get mentally ready for that. The mango shakes and other tropical drinks are great, espec. in the malls, but overall, drink a LOT of bottled water. You might not need it, but wherever I travel, I pack some Imodium and some small packs of Kleenex on my person.

I worried too much my first time, only to find out that using common sense, I had a great time, with nice people and felt real safe too. I'm excited for you and like others I'm sure, hope to hear a trip report when you get back.

I can't really even play 'second fiddle' to Kfc--that guy picks up good info like a radar magnet and retains it just as well, but hey, if I can be of help in any way, feel free to send me a PM. You go, man!

[Tanuki]

Some ideas for Manila/side trips:
 
Divasoria shopping district, Rizal Park, Intramuros, American Cemetery Makati, Corregidor, Tagaytay, Subic Freeport area, Baguio City.

Ray & Robert,
 
Thanks for the information.  I was looking at photos of Baguio and that place looks amazing!
 
Since I am arrving late I was looking at a hotel in Makati that offers pick up from the airport and my girl lives pretty close to there.  I will be sure to take detailed notes and come back with a solid trip report.  It has been a a few years since I have left the States and I am so ready for a little adventure again.  I will admit, I am not looking forward to the  loooooong travel time.  It is going to take me 23 hours going there and then, the return trip is 26 hours. D'oh!  That is going to leave a mark.
 
In talking with my girl this evening, she was just a buzz and kept saying how she can't wait. 
 
I am trying to develop my list of items and thanks for the reminder on Imodium, I added it to the list.
 

[robert angel]

Tanuki,
Glad to help---Oh--and over the counter melatonin, maybe some Excedrin or Tylenol PM--or you can just buy inexpensive sleep aid  50mg soft gels of Diphenhydramine--same stuff as in the PM pain meds above, but  w/o the pain stuff, if you want to try and 'flip flop' your sleep pattern a bit--especially on that 14 hr or more flight leg over the pacific.

You know your medical history, so weigh that and decide. For me, I'm so geeked going over, that the jet lag typically only nails me bad coming back, but we're all different. After a few trips,  nowadays, I just want as many hours of Zzzzzzs as I can get on that long pacific run, as the 'anticipations' not quite as high, but there's still always a lot of fun to look forward to. They'll feed you whenever you decide to wake up, usually.

 
Your body already makes melatonin from exposure to daylight. You get enough and it's what typically eases your body off to a safe sleep, although in tablet form, after about 4-5 hours, I'm up and about again, trying to chase those cutie flight attendants, so my wife 'advises' me to take a bit more. It's just another inexpensive, handy, healthy safe thing for when your somewhere overseas, many time zones away, maybe in a hotel located in a noisy part of the city.

 
It's best to get there well rested regardless, because sometimes after we land, for certain reasons, we just don't get seem to get much sleep in our hotel room beds the whole time either....

 
Glad to see the Asian Forum side showing some life again,! Anybody heard if Piglett's flown the pen yet? Just not as much action here anymore.    Meanwhile,  It's hopping and getting a bit 'dog eat dog' over on the Latin Side, with even me chewing on some 'dead bone' over there. Whole different vibe there, generally speaking.

[thekfc]

Thanks RA.

Tanuki, Baguio is beautiful & if you have the time you should take a trip there - it is a welcome change from Manila.  I am not sure if Strawberry Fields is open/in season this time of year but if it is you can go there and pay a price and pick fresh strawberries to take back to Manila with you.

On my trip to Baguio, I was coming from Pangasinan so we took Kennon Road (the shortest route to Baguio) It is a very narrow & step road and  drivers were overtaking slower moving vehicles around curves. But if you are coming from Manila you may be taking the Aspiras-Palispis Highway (which is a bit safe but longer).

23 hours going & 26 hrs coming back -  it looks like you have a long layover (in what city/country?).

Add the Mall of Asia on the list of places to visit while in Manila & while you are there be sure to take a stroll on San Miguel by the Bay. 

[Tanuki]

On the way to Manila I have a couple hours to kill in detroit.  I also think there is a stop in Japan but not a plan change.  On the way back I have a five and half hour layover in detroit.
 
Robert as crazy as this sounds, I try to stay away from a lot of medications.  I normally take my multies and fish oil twice daily but that is about it for pills.  If a I get a cold, I will do two shots Sauza in between sleeping periods. Don't know if it helps with the cold but, it does help with the sleep.  Hey! There is an idea.  Maybe I should take a bottle tequila with meh!
 
 

[Tanuki]

I have to tell this.  When I first met my girl she was working in Saudi.  So pretty much the whole time we have been chatting on skype, I have only seen one face in front the screen, hers.  Now that she is home and we are chatting on skype, there are 3-4 additional faces looking me.  Her family all gathers around as we are chatting. She will talk to me and sometimes she will relay what has been said to the family.  A flurry of discussion starts and then she will tell me what the family has said. Hell! Even the rooster chimes in every now and then.  I just can't wait to get over there and see how this all plays out. 

[thekfc]

I didn't take any "medication" on my trips - I seldom do. After landing in the PI I had no jet lag but the jet lag hit me after I arrived in NYC.

As for domestic stopovers, I try to avoid them as much as possible - even if I have to pay extra.

Now that she is home and we are chatting on skype, there are 3-4 additional faces looking me.  Her family all gathers around as we are chatting.......... Hell! Even the rooster chimes in every now and then.

I went through the same thing too - I chatted with my wife's family for a few months before I made my initial trip. I would often hear the roosters & dogs, I even got to know whose dog was barking plus there was the occasional shouting of balutttt. 

One more thing (not sure if it happens where your girl lives but for my wife's area it was) Saturday night is Karaoke sing-a-long & it do continue into Sunday.  The guys would have a tv & karaoke machine outside and they would be singing & drinking.....and the occasional inviting you to join them.

[Tanuki]

Where I live, I have to catch a change over.  I only have to do it once though. 
 
I know Ray told me to suck it up and eat the balut but, I just can't get my mind around the idea of doing it.  It just ain't going to happen.  While she keeps teasing me, I found out she think frog legs are really nasty.  Now that I have that tidbit of info, I was able to strike a deal.  If I don't have to eat balut, she won't have to eat frog legs.  I love frog legs and when I got home to visit my folks, we go to this place that serves killer size frog legs.
 
 

[thekfc]

Straight from my wife's mouth:

"Mountain Chicken - masarap" 

[Tanuki]

Think of the worst sound you ever heard in your life.  I can assure you that my singing would at least compare or beat that terrible sound.

[robert angel]

Tanuki,

 
Well, most guys can reasonably get out of eating the balut--they understand there that it's pretty 'far out' for most western tastes. But you might be more encouraged to try durian, which is usually in the top 3 or 4 fruits most popular among Filipinos, if you call up lists. Mango is THE national fruit and the green and ripe yellow 'shakes' are tasty drinks and would be enjoyed by almost everyone, I think.

 
Rambutan, lanzones and avocado often fill out the other of the usual 'top five' fruits there.

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Top_10_Fruits_in_the_Philippines

 
Honestly I don't recall seeing many avocados--perhaps it's because my wife's home is on Mindanao, the southernmost island of the 7000 or so that make up the Philippines archipelago. I'm not really sure though. I do know that mango's rule there--Digos City (Mindanao) is known as 'The Mango Capital of the World"

 
But durian really isn't for those faint of heart either. To put it mildly, it is "pungent'--with a very heavy, distinct smell. think of musk ox thathasn't been rained on for a couple years and you'll get thee general idea. Most hotels ban guests from even bringing any into their rooms, because you could probably smell it ten rooms down. I think it tastes better than it smells (not saying much there really--becuase it does smell awful IMO, but my wife's brothers, jokers that they are, talked it up, telling me how it had magical qualities and how some view it as an aphrodisiac, even. They DIDN'T tell me that most people, after peeling it down to the fruit, wash it down --I had MINE 'straight up' if you will. All I know is when I ate it, my whole body broke out into a sweat and after a few ounces, I was done--'been there, done that' I figured.
 

Tanuki, looks like you may actually be glad you'll have a couple hours layover in Detroit going over. My wife only had an hour and 12 minutes this time, had to walk the entire long length from where Pinnacle Air let her out, to her North West Orient's Jet gate and even as they were in the air, they couldn't tell her what gate she'd have to run to. No mobile sidewalks, the train they have, not an option. Although she was all cleared with security before she arrived, bags long checked in back in Georgia, and just pulling a carry on, they were already boarding when she caught the connector for 'long bird' to Asia. She was even sweating and she just about never sweats--so it may be a blessing in disguise. Five hours layover coming back is probably about three hours more than you need, but depending on gate distance and if  if passing  thru customs is slow, you may have closer to just a couple hours sitting and waiting. Detroit Metro Airport isn't the worst, but it's not too exciting or modern either.
 
Her flight from the east coast, to Manila was right at close to 21 hours--about as short as I've heard,, from our neck of the woods.You'll probably just touch down in Nagoya Japan so they can 'top off the fuel' a bit. Occasionally when they have a nice tailwind going, they'll even skip that stop--but that's rare. They may also ask you to step off the jet briefly and the Japanese strike me as a bit 'different' than what I normally expect in international airports, as they've strictly kept us in what I thought was a rather small, very secured area for the (thankfully) short time it took to add fuel and clean up the jet a bit. I sort of felt like they thought I might have some illness and we're keeping us all quarantined--felt a bit like a cow, if that makes any sense..
 

Maybe ask the flight attendant if he or she can point out Mount Fuji as you approach Japanese air space--you can often see it poking out, even on cloudy days and I enjoyed seeing it--it's very uniformly symmetrical and beautiful with its snow cap--much like a Japanese woman--a lovely, fair skinned  thing of beauty--just a sight to behold.
 

At least in Hong Kong, they let you walk around and there's more to see, do and buy there than maybe any airport I've been in. Huge isn't a big enough word.
 

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for frequent flyer points--Asia Mile points--or whatever they call them now. You'll be eligible for some and maybe they'll come in handy later, if they don't expire too quickly. Kfc, as usual, probably has a leg up on that topic more than I.
 
I probably don't really want know how much your ticket costs, but we booked just a few weeks before the flight and paid $1640 total RT, and in a couple days, their were only a few seats left. In fact, the day we booked, we committed at about 5:00 PM and 'just to see' we called about six hours later and the price had increased by almost $200. Peak season for sure, but yet airfare patterns showed little rhyme or reason. If we'd booked a month earlier, still peak season, but fuel costs were about 15% more at that time, we could've booked for $1500  and saved $240--go figure.
 
Don't forget to bring a couple digital camera memory cards and maybe pick up some USB 'Thumb" flash drives you can put pictures on and leave there. USB flash drives, if you can swing a deal on some, make great gifts there--especially for the younger gen., who'll put pictures, music, school work, etc. on them. BUT buy them here in the USA--they, like most electronics are a lot more expensive there--never mind that they probably all were made in Asia! A really nice gift is even an inexpensive digital camera, or if you've got more money to burn, 'net books' have gotten cheaper, do almost all that a laptop can do and very few can afford such a luxury there-that's why internet cafes are more common there than Starbucks coffee joints are in Seattle!
Liquids and even tooth paste over 4 ounces in your carry on will be confisicated.

[Tanuki]

Robert:
 
Very cool advice.  Thank you for all that information. I really like the idea of taking a couple digital cameras and leaving one with my girl, she would get a kick out of that! Right now she uses her cell phone to send me pictures.  Not the best but decent and works in a pinch.
 
I plan on taking some candy and small items that can be given to family members.  It will be sweets that are made locally here in Virginia. I thought they might get a kick out of that. I still haven't looked for a hotel yet. You guys gave some great ideas for side trips and now I have analysis paralysis.  Can't decide if I want to go here or there.  I have seen some really wonderful images.  Earlier this evening I ran across this blog and it shows the wonderful and the sad aspects of Manila.
 
http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/
 
 
 

[Dave H]

Hey Tanuki,
 
Manila...I don't know, but I can think of plenty of fun things to do in Detroit!   
 
Filipinas enjoy the shops and malls in the Manila area. You both might enjoy the  Manila Ocean Park (about $10 per person entrance fee). Check out The Musical Fountain Show at Ocean Park.
http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/attractions.php  http://oceanparkmanilabay.com/
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G-KVhVHeVI
 
Why limit yourself to only balut?    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s31nWSiminI&feature=player_embedded#at=78

[robert angel]

Tanuki,

I am sure you've heard a 100 times that chocolate from 'America" is very much prized there. But be careful about weight restrictions. My wife, who weighs all of 92 pounds nowadays--her two check ins and carry on came out to around 160 pounds. I bet she had another ten pounds of even more chocolate in her purse. Ouch!
 
They'll LOVE your local 'American  "Virginia" candy' too--as much as they love Hershey's and other common chocolates from here --I think they will love yours even more and appreciate the extra thought on your part--they really pick up on that kind of thing, even if they don't say too much. Your girl will more likely relay what touched them the most to you in private. Kind of odd, I think and too expensive, but maybe the 'crown jewel of chocolate' there isn't really USA--it's the Italian brand Ferrero Roche, in the lovely packages--the round, silver and gold wrapped ones. That's probably the only chocolate my wife's (our) family there, tends to keep for themselves, as we can't afford to send too much of that anyway.

 
Very little of what she brought was even for herself!! She  figured she'd wear mostly her sister's clothes and use their stuff. Her luggage was again--a LOT of different chocolates (they share with the whole village) and other candies, a ton of Victoria's Secret, Gap and Aeropostle clothes, lotions, perfumes, (All of those store have huge sales running now) a computer net book, some assorted small tools, gizmos and gadgets for her dad and brothers, maybe 20-25 pounds of vitamins, medicines and the like, that are either unavailable there or cost morethere than here.
 

On the other hand, she'll easily be able to buy the same antibiotics there that require a Dr's visit and prescription to get here. There's always a risk of mere confiscation, but even when they've done the perfunctory exam of our bags coming back thru customs, and saw them they've let it slide. No, you shouldn't take that kind of thing casually, but as family, over 2 or 3 years, we've used them maybe three times  when we had bad colds with the 'green grunge' and it saved us hassle.
 

It's kind of crazy, because for about a $130, we can send two balikbayon boxes that weigh maybe even more than 160 pounds, but we've been working on filling them too for a while, with among other things, a small microwave and  toaster oven and heavy tools. I might just get another refurbished computer, AND an 18 inch blade chainsaw in there yet--on a coconut plantation like my wife's family has, where they also have a lot of big, tall and straight growing trees valuable for paper or utility poles, that'd be like mannah from heaven there--save a lot of sweat and time.

 
Like most Filipino house holds, my wife's parents don't have an 'oven' as we know it, and she wants to, along with the ovens, send cake and brownie mixes, etc, so they can enjoy the same pleasures we're blessed with here.

 
This is a lot of info--more than you need to know, but maybe it'll give you a heads up, to help notice what things are very special, what has great utility as well and more than anything, how truly appreciative they are for our help. Probably later on, you'll be thinking about balikbayon boxes yourself. We hit garage sales for good stuff that's precious over there, including nice, lightly used clothes, just for the boxes and to surround the more fragile stuff.
 

[thekfc]

Well, most guys can reasonably get out of eating the balut

I did....so far. 

But you might be more encouraged to try durian, which is usually in the top 3 or 4 fruits most popular among Filipinos, if you call up lists.

But durian really isn't for those faint of heart either. To put it mildly, it is "pungent'--with a very heavy, distinct smell.

Andrew Zimmern tried eating durian on a few occasion and he couldn't swallow the first bite. 

Mango is THE national fruit and the green and ripe yellow 'shakes' are tasty drinks and would be enjoyed by almost everyone, I think.

Don't forget eating  the green mango with salt & shrimp sauce. 

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for frequent flyer points--Asia Mile points--or whatever they call them now. You'll be eligible for some and maybe they'll come in handy later, if they don't expire too quickly. Kfc, as usual, probably has a leg up on that topic more than I.

It is called Asia Miles, The other "program" they have (Marco Polo Club) is for status. 
If you haven't done so yet, I would advice joining a FFP so you can start accumulating miles/point and you can use across your alliance. Mine is Oneworld - the other 2 are Sky Team & Star Alliance. All the Alliances have members who fly from the east coast to Manila.

Cathay Pacific now fly out of Chicago - that is another option for people who are not close to/want to avoid JFK.
 

Don't forget to bring a couple digital camera memory cards and maybe pick up some USB 'Thumb" flash drives you can put pictures on and leave there. USB flash drives

If you can get hold of them, get the Michael Jackson "This Is It" USB flash drives - that is a hot item.

[thekfc]

the 'crown jewel of chocolate' there isn't really USA--it's the Italian brand Ferrero Roche, in the lovely packages--the round, silver and gold wrapped ones.

With Toblerone right behind.
 

a ton of Victoria's Secret, Gap and Aeropostle clothes, lotions, perfumes, (All of those store have huge sales running now) a computer net book, some assorted small tools, gizmos and gadgets for her dad and brothers, maybe 20-25 pounds of vitamins, medicines and the like, that are either unavailable there or cost more there than here.

I am currently hitting the store & sites -  VS, Aeropostle, AE, Hollister, Disney, Old Navy, Body Shop, etc,. - getting all the clearance deals to sent for x-mas.
I have my eye on a grinder & a cordless drill on Amazon - just waiting for the price to drop. 
 
My wife was surprise when I told her it only cost $65 to send a Balikbayan Box from NYC to Manila. She though that it was by weight until I explain to her it is by size.

[robert angel]

Hey Kfc,
 
I see the Michael Jackson, 'This is It' movie loaded onto a Kingston (decent brand, almost as good as Sandisk & Lexar IMO) on a USB flash drive, 2 GB. I agree they'd like it--they know talent and boy do they love 'pop music' and whatever you can say about the guy, good or bad, there's no denying Jackson had it, big time. Music in general and Filipinos go together like sodas and straws. I don't know besides family what they love more--music or basket ball? Probably, music by a meter.

At between $10 and $13.50 on Flea--oh, I mean "E" Bay, I'm thinking about it. Free shipping too.

I guess it's just the movie and on a 2 GB stick, it must be compressed pretty well at that--with no additional storage options on the drive, I assume. Just the movie, which I saw and enjoyed.

I bet on the city streets, with the mostly Muslim boot leggers (should we call them after market retailers?) on DVD, DCD--whatever format they're using right now--it'd be about a dollar. What do you think? A flash drive format is versatile--next to the Nook and Kindles, I see books on flash as 'the next big thing'.

Of course I've learned to always try ask them to play pirated things for me first there and sometimes even if they do work there, I'd get them home here, only to find out that some were only good for cold drink coasters....
I remember my first trip to Manila--I went to a place that was like a big under ground mall --I think it's called Greenhills, that did nothing but sell pirated movies, bootlegs, knock offs--whatever. They even had major movies that were still a couple days away from being in realeased in USA movie theaters. Purses, clothes, watches, sunglasses and more--and sometimes even telling you there were 3 different 'quality grades' of some of their knock offs--and priced accordingly.
 
Of course, it's not just a 'Muslim thing'--even the richest people there who own all the malls, have no qualms about putting things like fake Oakley sunglasses right up by the front of their mall anchor stores.
 
But one Muslim guy who looked real mean and tough, very 'no nonsense', became so warm and almost cuddly, when I bought like $50 worth of stuff. He kept repeating "You're my BEST friend for life now--please come back!". lol

[thekfc]

There is 2GB version as well as a 4 GB version - both about the same price on Amazon.
The 4GB are sold out at Amazon -  I must have wiped them out on my last order (they were $7). 

It is compressed and there is additional storage on it. One of my wife's niece told me that she put a little over 3 GB of stuff on there without deleting/formatting the drive, I gave her a 4GB one last June. I personally didn't check to see how much available space are on them & the ones I have are sealed.

You can download the movie on a computer (on up to 3 computers) and then format the flash drive if you want.

[Ray]

Hey! There is an idea. Maybe I should take a bottle tequila with me

　
Tequila would be an interesting idea for pasalubong. It isn’t real popular over there, hard to find, and you could use it to turn the tables on them when they try to get you drunk on tuba & Tanduay. See how those Filipino tough guys can handle straight shots of Tequila! LOL!
　
You are allowed I think 2 liters of booze tax free by Philippine customs, so I always recommend a bottle of decent American whiskey for dad or big brother. Jack Daniel’s Black or something similar is popular, inexpensive, and sure to win you some bonus points where it counts.
　

I really like the idea of taking a couple digital cameras and leaving one with my girl, she would get a kick out of that!

　
Yes, a digital camera is a good idea for a gift. Keep it simple and inexpensive. If you will give her a digital camera, I strongly recommend that you also include a couple of 4-8 GB memory cards and 2 sets of rechargeable Ni-MH batteries with a charger. The chargers all work on 120-240V. I prefer cameras that use AA or AAA size batteries.
　
Tip: My wife picked up an inexpensive ($20 on sale) digital camcorder for her niece/god daughter who is a high school honor student, and she just loved it. It also takes good still pics so you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
　
Ray
　
　

[thekfc]

If you give anything that uses AA/AAA batteries, also try to give a charger & rechargeable batteries. I gave them one & they love it.

[Tanuki]

Guys (Ray, Robert, KFC, and Dave H);
 
Again, great information. I am going to have to get my shopping list ready.  I think I will have buy a new suit case for this trip.
 
A little side question or solicitaion of your thoughs. Up until recently my girl has been working in saudi.  During our discussion she told me that she has been saving up some of her money for a sari sari store and she was going to use a part of her mom's house for the store. Now that she is back home, I asked her when does she start setting up her little store.  She told me her mom has rented out that portion of the house and she can't start it.  I asked her about another location for the store but she didn't seem like that idea. I did some searching on what a sari sari store is and of the ones I saw, they did look like they were attached to or a part of someone's house. Is that how this type of operation works?
 
I don't know. I maybe making a mountain out of a mole hill. But, she talked a pretty big game about starting this store and it is funny now that she is home, this road block pops up. It makes me wonder just a bit.