Angeles City Trip Report

[rob1074]

Having spent more than seven years in Bangkok without ever wandering into neighbouring countries I thought it was time to update my P4P knowledge! (My plan is to have the discipline to get out and visit a new city/country every month or two, instead of taking the easy option of a weekend on the beach in Pattaya.) Browsing the regional sanuk forum here and Angeles in the PI piqued my interest, so that was to be my starting point for my quest.

 

I spent a lot of time researching AC on the Net ? Googled the crap out of every variation of AC I could think of ? there can?t be a free website or forum I didn?t visit. Sorry to say not a lot of concentrated info ? no forum as good as NP.com or a site with detailed info and experiences such as Sticks. Maybe Baron Bonk?s site has the goods but their card processor would not accept any of my five credit cards ? four issued in Thailand and one in the US so I?ll never know. But I found enough info to get the gist of the place and what to look out for? ?stay close to the action? was one piece of good advice I picked up. Choosing lodging in the middle of the bar area on Fields Ave makes the logistics of bar hopping easy and avoids the tricycle cons that ply the highways and byways of AC.

 

How to get there? Well, you could fly TG or PI direct but then you have to go to Manila and take a 3-hour ride up to AC. I chose to take the Mr. Kee-now (cheapskate) route to Clarke Field. Air Asia and Tiger Air (Singapore) both fly this route so it was choose between a 3-hour car ride both ways or a connection through KL or Singapore.

 

I chose Air Asia to KL with a connecting flight to Angeles. Bad connection on the way up ? needed to leave Thursday evening and overnight in KL for the Friday flight up to AC. Booking a month in advance on the Air Asia website gave a total cost approx US$250 (about $100 less than the cost of the direct flight from BKK to Manila).

 

A quick web search revealed two choices of airport hotel. The Pan Pacific, connected to the airport by pedestrian bridge with the benefit of a check-in counter inside the terminal (and electric car ride via the pedestrian bridge to the hotel) or the Commodore Inn. The Commodore Inn being five minutes by free hotel shuttle from the terminal (the shuttle runs every 30 minutes from Gate 3 on the ground floor) and at just US$30 including breakfast (against the Pan Pacific?s price of US$120++) met Mr Kee-now?s requirement for price. (And delivered a great experience ? good bed, good pillows ? shower that spat out water at a big rate rather than the dribble that some of the big hotels into conservation go for ? the three frequent traveller must-haves were met).

 

Friday June 10, 2005. Had three seats to my lonesome on the flight up to AC (flight around 50% full). So I was delivered relaxed in mind and body at Clarke Field four hours after the 7.00am take-off. Thinking ahead I chose the back row of seats on the way up knowing that the airport was unlikely to have an air bridge ? this meant they would run steps up to the back door. Viola! First off the plane?off like the Energizer bunny, across the tarmac and into the terminal.

 

A laugh a minute at immigration? Two immigration counters each staffed by two officers. Lined up at the first and got waved over to the other counter. They waved me back to the first counter. ?You go there!? ?They told me to come here? ?No, you go there.? This went on back and forth. Old Asia hands can shake their heads slowly?been there, done that! It?s unbelievable to experience ? and the counters are just three feet apart! They are watching each other send what has now become a small group back and forth. Big commotion. Finally the immigration boss appeared and after a bit of yammer yammer the idiots started to process us through (at a snails pace).

 

My driver was waiting as I exited the terminal. Straight into the car. I needed to get some local folding and the driver obliged by taking me to a bank inside Clark before heading off for the short drive to AC. Note that all the websites I visited said to take USD to change at money changers and not to rely on ATM?s. It was one piece of advice I didn?t follow as it goes against my grain...searching credit card ATM locator websites showed stacks of ATM machines in AC that would take Visa or Mastercard cards. I found ATM?s plentiful and never a problem using my Thai savings account debit card (Visa Electron/Plus). The most convenient ATM in the bar neighbourhood is next to the door of Voodoo right on Fields Ave.

 

Checked in to my hotel (the Orchid Inn on Raymond Street, just off Fields Ave). Had booked a family suite at US$50/night but ended up with a big room at US$45/night as I didn?t want to wait the hour or so it would take for the room to be ready. The standard rooms are US$30/night. I booked via their website about a month before the trip ? received a very friendly confirmation the next day. A few days before I was to leave I received a request for confirmation for the room and the airport pickup they had arranged. Really efficient approach and very friendly note. Always welcome when heading into new territory ? especially to a country where you know inefficiency rules. Having now been there I probably would try the Royal Amsterdam or Blue Nile Executive Hotel on a future trip. Both looked like good choices and are right smack in the middle of the best strip of bars (although the Orchid Inn is no more than 3-4 minutes walk away and I had no complaints about the room or facilities ? reasonable bed, good pillows, good shower, fan, aircon, cable TV and internet plus pool, bar & restaurant and very friendly staff).

 

Had a relaxing arvo in the pool after check-in and enjoyed a couple of quiet ales before heading to Roys Pub & Restaurant 30 metres or so up Raymond Street. Good Aussie/UK pub fare. Real ?fish shop? chips (not crappy French Fries) and they do real Fish & Chips in newspaper for takeaway (that?s gotta bring back some memories!) Another big plus (as I quickly learned) is that they cook anything fried (like chips) in vegetable oil ? nearly every other place I tried used palm oil ? I think its palm oil?? Has a very distinctive smell and takes a bit of getting used to ? see it a lot in Indonesia also. Roys also serves very cold beer and there?s a bar full of friendly expats to wile away a few hours with waiting for the sun to descend.

 

OK ? the suns down and things are starting to move ? not with the energy of Nana Plaza on a Friday evening but there?s an edge in the air. Music is pumping from the many bars along Fields Ave and each has its group of ?come-on? girls out front. I missed the ?hansum man? calls common in LOS but got plenty of smiles and invitations to venture into the unknown. All the bars were offering local beer for P50 (less than US$1 ? the exchange rate was around P42:AUD and P55:USD). So I thought I would start with the bars the I had read reviews for that sounded the best.

 

Champagne (next to the Royal Amsterdam Hotel) on Fields Ave was my first port of call. One Mig Light and I was out of there. Very pushy waitresses wanting ladies drinks and a bunch of dancers all rating under 6 stars (on the traditional 10-star scale). And this was the bar that seemed to have the most positive reviews that I had read. Like everywhere in P4P land bars go up and down on changes in management and the girls so who knows. But I was staring to wonder if I had made a mistake in my travel choice!

 

Spent the next three hours trolling through a bunch of the better looking bars (more professional street-front?s) ? Cambodia; Nero?s Forum; Private Dancer. No luck. Then back up the road a little to Treasure Island ? didn?t look much from the outside but I liked the music. Great choice ? didn?t get hammered for ladies drinks. Reasonable bunch of dancers with a sprinkling of stunners. Ending up with a stunning waitress. For the sake of this storey let?s call her Miss ?L?. 24 years old. Half African-American ? what an arse! Tits that you want to cream over. Great gleaming globs of tight flesh exploding from under a skimpy blouse. Skinny little tight waist. Slim lovely long legs. A stunning face. I?m in heaven. Bar fine P1,200.

 

We enjoyed a lot of touch and feel over a few drinks (P75 for beers, P125 for ladies drinks ? she was drinking rum & coke). Then around midnight Miss L dragged me off to the Nile Executive Club ? this is upstairs above the Nile Club ? its not obvious that it exists from the room below and while there was a bunch of great looking girls downstairs the upstairs crowd was even better. I?m not sure what the ?Executive" means?maybe an old AC hand could enlighten us. I think at one stage you had to pay a members fee but I just waltzed straight in. There was no one on the door. Anyway, we visited three of Miss L?s friends (all stunners) and got well and truly blind on rum and cokes with sprinkles of lime (I think it was P100 for our drinks, P125 for her friends? but who knows, I was too pissed to remember). Yahoo!!

 

3am Saturday morning. I?m smashed and famished. Miss L leads me by the hand (yes, she?s in charge by now) to the Sports Bar which is on the second floor of the Sub-Delicious joint on the corner of Fields Ave & Raymond Street. You?d never know this place exists ? really great layout and décor ? big deep lounges you can sink into and cuddle ? good food ? by this time I?m on the banana/chocolate milkshakes. I?m getting a hangover already and haven?t even made it home!

 

Made it back to the room by 4am. Quick shower. Into the sack. Even in my inebriated state I had no trouble rising to the occasion (at 47 I?ve got to admit that when I get blind it takes a bit more to get me going with my regular girl ? if you need a chemical enhancement the touts are flogging both Viagra and the other version, whatever it is, for next to nothing all up and down Fields Ave). Well?what a brilliant shag. Its 5am. I?m totally fucked. Figuratively and literally. Fell asleep in the clamshell position with one hand holding one of those glorious globes.

 

I must have been totally out to it as I didn?t wake up until midday. Staggered out of bed. Handful of Advil (the best headache cure in the world bar none). Shower ?gargle half a bottle of Listerine and back into bed. The beautiful Miss L reaches out and starts massaging my neither regions ? I?m instantly up. She climbs on top and proceeds to fuck the living crap out of me. Lots of rolling around. I?m done?Again. She creeps off for a shower. Collapses back into bed. Another couple of hours sleep. Beautiful! I wake around 4pm feeling much better but famished again.

 

5pm Saturday. Off we go to Roys. Food. Ready for action. Miss L has to go home to change but wants to stay with me. Can I meet her at the bar at 6pm and bar fine her out? This is Bangkok in 1990. The girlfriend experience. Long time means long time not ?want to go home? at 3am and ?must go home? at 6am. I?m in heaven. I agree. Off she goes. I decide to do the Executive Club for a couple of beers while I wait. The one bar I missed on my travels the previous night.

 

Big mistake! I walk in and spy another absolute stunner right off, dancing along with about 30 girls. Bit of something (mixed blood) in her ? holy shit. Wave her off the dance floor. Miss ?M?. 19. 25 inch waist. Great tits. Great tight little arse. Beautiful legs and ankles. That tight rubbery flesh that only a 19 year-old can have. You know? She?s very shy. But very sweet. Speaks only marginal English. Drinks a coke. But has got ?something.? Typical storey. Comes from Leyte (famous for the Macarthur landing in WWII). Poor fishing family (fuck knows where the mixed blood comes from ? didn?t want to ask). Has a 9 year-old sister. Wants to make sure she finishes school. And help Mum and Dad who are in their 50?s (meant they started late for that part of the world!) Been in the bar two months.

 

After a goodly few drinks with her only on the coke (P1,500 later) it was bar fine time. This time I thought I may as well go for a two-day bar fine (P1200 a day) as I didn?t want to get on the piss Sunday night ? wanted a clear head for travel home Monday and Miss M was o-so-sweet. We head off on a crawl around various other lesser bars at the opposite end of Fields Ave (taking great care to avoid Treasure Island en-route!!!) Before I knew it it was midnight again. I?ve never been one to back up well the next day so was ready for a much earlier night. A quick feed at the Sports Bar (and one of those great banana/chocolate shakes) and we were off to the hotel.

 

1am Sunday morning. I was in much better nick than the night before and was determined to REALLY enjoy the next couple of hours. Now Miss M was not a virgin but clearly very shy and not in the same league in the extra curricular gymnastics department as Miss L (those extra few years of after dark sports make a huge difference!) But having said that Miss M was very eager and responsive to a little tuition. Fuck me ? she nearly leapt off the bed when I went down on her. A few practiced licks her clit was so thick and engorged?and she had that much juice squirting out it was embarrassing. By the time I slid my cock into that tight little cunt she was going off. I?ve got to say that kind of sex is a real pleasure. Can?t be faked.

 

We wake up early (8.30am). She jumps out of bed ? takes a quick shower and then jumps back into bed. Another round of gymnastics of the sort that makes a maiden blush. She tells me she?s in love! WTF!!! I studiously ignore the remark although feel my heart melt just a ittle. Shower and then head off to Koconuts? (part of the Voodoo complex) for brekky. Take the laptop and check my email after effortlessly accessing the Net on their wireless LAN. I?d promised to take Miss M shopping (sounds like a familiar Thailand newbie story doesn?t it).

 

Miss M had to change cloths ? I wanted to go with her but she said she was too embarrassed for me to see her room. I talked her into it. Off we went. Down a winding back alley about 100 metres off Fields Ave near Chow King we go. Shit. No-one should have to live like that! Three people in a room in a line of slum shacks. All her worldly possessions in a small bag. She rips out a pair of old jeans a cheap black T shirt and changes. Now looks like she?s 13!

 

Off to Robinsons shopping centre we go (P150 for a Jeepney ?taxi?). Robinsons is on the Macarthur Highway about two kilometres from Fields Ave. Quite a good range of shops and a food court in a three-level building. New everything (dresses, jeans, fashion T?s, three pairs shoes, belts, cell phone, watch, a little jewellery, haircut and tint. Now she?s a princess. Unbelievable difference from the girl that walked in to the store to the elegant young woman walking out.

 

We enjoyed a movie. Dinner. Another round of explosive sex. I?m feeling pretty close to this sweet young lady who is head over heels by now. OK, OK I know you are all shaking your heads. So Sunday night we agree she?s going home and back to finish the last two years of high school and I?m sending her P6,000 a month. OK, OK, I can feel more head shaking. Lots of cuddling a sweet nothings until early AM Monday. A final round of hot but soft sweet love making, cuddles and sweet nothings being whispered. Then it was time to shower and check-out.

 

We loaded Miss M?s huge suitcase (purchased at Robinsons to hold the shopping) along with my small overnighter into the car and off to the airport. At the airport I give her P13,500 to get her home and through the next couple of months. Tears to rival Niagara Falls. A last hug and I marched off to the terminal not wanting to look back.

 

Had a good connection on the way home, leaving AC around midday and back in BKK at around 8pm. A stream of text messages followed me home. Miss M is now back in Leyte having not returned to the bar to even pick up her wages. And I?m off for a visit next month. Mia noi number 3. Fuck!!! I swore I wouldn?t do this but have spent too long in-country. I have a mate that?s been here (in Thailand) for 40 years. He had 12 mia-nois on the go in his hey day (but all local which helps with the logistics) ? some with apartments and cars, some with just a little drip. I met a few of them. Used to shake my head. He tells me he?s whittled them down to six now he?s retired. Too much to keep up with them. So I take comfort in the fact I still have a ways to go!!

 

So guys. If you are looking for something different don?t be afraid to try AC. It was great for a weekend. If I was going to stay longer I would rent a car so I could spend some time at Subic on the beach or taking a dive to break the trip up. AC is a pretty big place. It?s much more than the bar area which covers only a couple of streets on the edge of town. Although I have to agree that the bar area is accurately described by the many commentators - dusty and ramshackle.

 

Summary:

Standard pricing for AC bars as at June 10, 2005

Happy hour drinks (local beers) P50

Drink prices (beer, mixed drinks) P65-P100

Ladies drinks P125

 

Businesses mentioned in this trip report:

Air Asia www.airasia.com

BKK/KLIA/BKK US$108 KLIA/CLARKE/KLIA US$148

 

Orchid Inn (Email bookings@orchid-inn.com) www.orchid-inn.com

Room rates US$30-50 per night (I heard someone negotiating a 10% discount on the rate for a longer stay so don?t be afraid to ask!)

Pick-up at Clarke Field AC by private car P300 (ask the hotel to arrange ? they charge to your account)

 

Commodore Inn KLIA www.wired-destinations.com Standard rooms US$30/night

 

AC Bars http://www.angelescity.com

[khwaimaisabai]

rob1074 said:

I swore I wouldn?t do this ....

Hi rob,

Story of my life - and many others I am sure. We just get overtaken by events and emotions. What to do?

Great report by the way - hope I might have the chance to go there one day.

Khwai

[rob1074]

Oops! I should have said it was clubhombre.com (not Baron Bonk's site) that I was unsuccessful in getting past their credit card processor in my trip report above.

[stars99hk]

Your trip report has got me ready for a weekend of fun. Leaving for Manila in one hour should be in AC by 6pm. First trip in 6 months. Used to be in AC at least once a month but needed a break it was getting repetetive being there so frequently.

[Nervous_Dog]

Bloody good report for someone whose 7th post!

 

MORE

 

DOG

[Sukhumvit]

Excellent report mate. Really atmospheric. Brings back mammaries.

 

Angeles 2 board is okay, but lots of flaming. Nice photos too.

I think you meant Kokomos, the joint that Voodoo's in. Yeah, pretty relaxing to sit there and watch world go by. Prefer it to Margarita Station.

 

I met a lovely girl there. She was a GRO in Insomnia. They work until 5am. On way back to hotel, she asked if it was alright to check on her kid. Said sure. So off down the avenue and over the highway. Was thinking that could be walking into a cosh any minute. Anyway, got back to her pad. Bare breezeblock cubicle next to a yard for which she paid the princely sum of 1500 pesos a month. Yup, that's right £15.00. She'd taught her 7 yr old son not to open the door to anyone. So after a bit of calling he woke up and opened the door. On seeing me he scrambled away to hide under the single camp bed she had. Told her to stay the night with the kid. Couldn't take his mother away from him in the early hours. Was gonna write it off but she volunteered to turn up at my pad the next lunchtime. True to her word next day she showed up and wow. Talk about grateful.

 

There are some real diamonds there living in shitty circumstances.

[Belem]

Good start, rob1074.

[Guest]

Nce AC report. I'm heading there soon.

[gobbledonk]

Fantastic report, Rob - you definitely have the storytellers gift, old son. As you said, its hard to get accurate info on a lot of destinations outside Thailand, but I believe that 'Regional Sanuk' is invaluable in this regard.

 

I also enjoyed reading a PI report which didnt have the usual 'crazed-kids-with-guns' subtext.

[Guest]

I hate to be the dickhead here, but I don't know if you are sending this girl more money.

 

Leyte takes more then 24hrs via bus & ferry to get to.

 

A one way plane ticket is (approx) P1500.

 

I just thought that you should know that. Not a flame at all, just trying to help.