Last Meals And Things To Do Before I Leave In 4 Days For My Long Vist To The Philippines This Winter

[Classic Dry]

Ok, Earthdome, that's all over now, forget it ! Now you're about to have fresh, new experiences which will probably overshadow what's gone before.

So the next few months or so are going to be truly exciting (I hope)

And I hope you will use this site as a journal to record those experiences. You should be landing at Cebu airport soon. You could post here before you

leave the airport !!!!

We (well, I) want to know everything that happens to you, good and bad.

Go for it !!!

[Classic Dry]

Oops ! maybe I'm out of line here. Mabe you should pm me.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Oops ! maybe I'm out of line here. Mabe you should pm me.

I think most members are interested in the journey of an expat so best to share that journey in my opinion. :thumbsup:

[Classic Dry]

Well, that was my thought JGF, but then I was worried that it wasn't my place to make the invitation.

Also didn't know what sort of format would be appropriate here.

I'm really interested in Baguio. Thought I'd like to stay there sometime.

I wondered if earthdome had accomodation already arranged, and what his immediate plans are.

[sonjack2847]

take a drive on a rural road,

if you have some extra food stuffs donate it to a local food bank.

make sure your shots are up-to-date. go to the drug store for , the stomach/bowels medicine,

the"little man rain-coat" ha ha,

or over the counter "family planning supplies",

drink a shasta or Dr. Pepper.Coke(the newer flavors),

go for a walk,drive-by around your old haunts,

buy some borax powder(hard to find item,it is to get rid of ants, clean clothes)

wash your clothes in that special "aroma" to have a smell of back home.

Last item.make sure you turn off the lights and gas before you leave

And the water don`t forget that

[Steve & Myrlita]

One of the many things I miss from back home is real veal.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Steve & Myrlita

[Thomas]

I wondered if earthdome had accomodation already arranged, and what his immediate plans are.

I believe he plan to meet his gf :)

[earthdome]

Ok, now the topic can be changed to The First Four Days Of My Retirement and long visit to Philippines.

It has been 4 days almost to the hour since my first flight left the airport for the Philippines.

It has been a whirlwind of 4 days with a bit of jet lag thrown in. The jet lag wasn't as bad this time. Last visit I had a terrible first 4 days. Not just jetlag but the first hotel I stayed at appeared to have had a mold problem which just killed my sinuses.

This trip everything has gone pretty smooth.

The flights all were on time... no luggage problems... got through immigration and customs at the airport in record time... hardly any waiting.

The airline did insist on seeing an onward ticket (my ticket to Manila was one way). The clerk said she couldn't figure out the e-ticket I gave her from Tiger Airways... but didn't really question it and gave me my boarding passes. At Manila airport BI never even asked me for that throw away ticket.

Got a load for my SMART SIMM and sent SMS to girlfriend.

My flight arrived in Manila at 9:30PM so I stayed at The Heritage Hotel close to the airport the first night. Got up early the next morning... payed way too much for the hotel breakfast buffet (877php ouch!! when I asked I swear they had said 177php) and needed pesos for my bus trip and got the very low hotel exchange rate... but was able to exchange some USD 20's to get some spending cash.

Bus trip was with Partas again... this time it must have been an express bus. Cost 453 pesos instead of the 398 before. But instead of 8 hours with three roadside stops this trip only took 5.5 hours (on a Sunday) with one roadside stop. The bus dropped me off at the hotel I had reserved for 3 nights.

Girlfriend wasn't there to meet me... the bus arrived sooner than expected and her cousin was in the middle of giving her a pedicure.

I plan to live in Baguio eventually but for now am living in the provincial capital where my gf and her family lives.

The girlfriend and I have been very busy working through our "to do" list to get me out of the hotel and us into a lower cost place. Been putting alot of miles on her scooter.

Tonight is my last night in the hotel and in the morning have a studio apartment selected which I will rent on a monthly basis for 5,000php. Just a basic small one room apartment of about 450 sq feet. One big room and a CR. Flush toilet and shower but no hot water. We will be doing some security upgrades of the doors, installing aircon, etc. Hope to be pretty much settled in within a week but we might have to rough it a bit the first few nights.

I also managed to open up both a USD and peso bank account with BPI within 2 days of arrival. The only catch was that I had to have a certificate from VISA renewal... the certificate that says you are not on the blacklist or a criminal... before they would open the accounts.

So down to BI in the provincial city. The process went smoothly... maybe 4-5 people getting processed when we arrived... I immediately was able to get to a window and get the process started... then was able to immediately return the form when I had it filled out. Then a 15-20 minute wait for the processed papers... then another 15-20 minute wait for cashier processing. All was as expected and no questions about extending my visa just 3 days after arrival. All in all... maybe 45 minutes from start to finish.

There was one gentleman there getting his second visa extension which requires purchase of the ACR card. He started getting kind of loud as he questioned all the charges while comparing them to his first 38 day extension. Obviously he had not spent time learning much about this in advance..

I actually helped explain it to him a bit after he sat back down next to me. You could see that the BI staff did not appreciate his attitude. This forum helped me be prepared for the process.

Then it was on to the bank to open up the USD and peso accounts.

Tomorrow is the big day... moving out of the hotel and into the studio apartment.

Thats it for now... I need to get some sleep for the big day tomorrow.

Once again... wow... the last 4 days have been a whirlwind.

[Jake]

Ok, now the topic can be changed to The First Four Days Of My Retirement and long visit to Philippines....

That's it for now... I need to get some sleep for the big day tomorrow.

Once again... wow... the last 4 days have been a whirlwind.

Wow, for a bubble head (a formal US Navy sub sailor), you really got your chit together!

Thank you shipmate for the excellent field report.

Respectfully -- Jake

[Call me bubba]

Obviously he had not spent time learning much about this in advance.. I actually helped explain it to him a bit after he sat back down next to me.

Thank you from me that you helped another expat who knew nothing(?),

maybe you made a friend in the BI

I also managed to open up both a USD and peso bank account with BPI within 2 days of arriva

could you share w/us how the process went at BPI? do you feel comfortable w/them?

you have selected a very good bank. wish you a long-term sucess w/them

( i have had my account(s) since 2002 satisfied as best as you can w/a RP firm.)

AND most of all welcome to the philippines. :tiphat: