my 17 day trip

[piglett]

Well I am back & for the most part the trip went well.
there were a few bumps but in the end the wedding was nice & my new wife Marily was a happy woman . So I guess that's all that counts.

I'll try to give everyone that has not yet been to the "PI" the lowdown on the way things are sometimes done out in the remote provinces.
I dropped off my memory card to the local photo shop so the guy there could burn all my pictures onto CD. I had already uploaded some of the pre wedding pictures & the camera was getting a bit confuses that some of the pictures were already on my hard drive.
so instead of chancing loosing what was still on my memory card I figured I would let someone else handle burning the pics onto disk.

I arrived on May 24Th & it was almost midnight by the time my plane touched down.
I flew from Manchester, NH. to Detroit to Nagoya Japan & then onto Manila.
when I purchased the ticket online it said nothing about stopping in Japan....but guess what all of the Delta flights from Detroit to Manila make a stop there even thought almost everyone on the plane is continuing onto Manila.

I had to work the night before I left for my trip & I didn't get home till 11:30pm.
& had to leave home @ about 4am so I said screw it & i just stayed up packed my bags & chatted with Marily for a while.

I only got about 4 or 5 hours sleep on the entire trip & the bottom seat cushion for my seat was well worn & had almost no padding left in it. so after a 26 hour trip I am dog tired & my bottom hurts like hell.

Immigration & customs were both quick & EZ.
I did have a problem locating one of my checked bags.
I guess lots of other people liked the idea on buying a big black bag with wheels & a telescopic handle like I did. I Finlay laid eyes on the correct bag & headed for the door.
       
I turned on my cell phone not exspecting much but it did work so I sent Marily a text asking were she was. she soon replied that she was accost the street.
I get out side & there are about 300 people accost the street & about 30 taxis waiting rite in front of me.

A security guard just then walks up & asked if he can offer assistance so I give him Marilys #. he then heads accost the street in between all the taxis & following him is Marily & her friend Alma. I hand the guy $10 ( smallest i had) & thank him.
Then he asks if we need a taxi & we say yes. The set rate is $40 which i thought was dam high but it's hot as all hell out & i need some sleep so i tell him that we will go for it. about 30 min. later we arrive @ Marily apartment. her friend Alma just a couple apartments over so she heads home & my sweetie & I start climbing the steep stairs up to her 4Th floor apartment. We kissed & talked for a couple of hours & the even though she has no AC we both fell asleep.

[michaelb]

Congratulations on your wedding.

[piglett]

Congratulations on your wedding.

Thank you

piglett

[z_k_g]

Congrats!!!

[Ray]

The set rate for a taxi is $40?? And you gave the guy a $10 tip??

Holy Shyt Batman!

Anyway, congrats and best wishes to you and your new bride!

Ray

[Cbear]

congrats man, 

and there is no set rate for a taxi. LOL, make them turn the meter on next time. Either that or your girl has no negotiation skills.

But you did you good on the wedding. Way to go.

[thekfc]

Congratulations piglett.

$40 (1860 pesos) for a taxi fare within Manila - that is very high? is that from the airport to Sampaloc? I paid less than that from Manila to Baguio City. You did forget about taking a meter taxi p.

Yep, there is a stopover, I think I did ask you what Asian City were you stopping in.

Once again, congratulations & keep the report coming.

[Dave H]

For that kind of money, I may move to Manila and "assist" the Kanos at the airport! 

Dave

[robert angel]

Cabbies (hacks) are just about the only people who ever get me mad in the Philippines. Whether it's them trying to make up a 'pre set fee' for Kanos or not having change for a 100 peso bill, they get to me. That said, it's pretty common worldwide, but surprisingly not  that common in big US cities, where they're already guaranteed a high profit by law.

[Jeff S]

Welcome home pig and congrats!

[piglett]

Guys I knew that the $40 taxi price was BS, but i also knew that I had had only 4 hours of sleep in the last 2 days & that I was dog tired , hot & the sooner I got to Marily's house the sooner I could get some. sweet kisses & hugs from her so I said screw it i'll play their stupid game.


piglett

PS: Marily did tell me that was way high but I was so tired that i just didn't care anymore. next time I offer p100 for the ride & the guy will probably ask p150 which was the going fare for where I was staying.

[piglett]

OK more of my trip report

on the 2ND day there we got up about 7:00am & headed to the embassy even B4 eating.
we arrived & after they checked our Id's &  we explained why we were there we  were sent down a couple of hall ways to what looked to be the back of the building.
good thing we arrived early in the day because that part of the embassy has signs saying that they closed at 10:30am. we were probably there 1 1/2 hours +/- & we were given the "affidavit in lieu of certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage."
then we headed to one of the SM malls to pick up a couple of things. After that we went to another Mall that had some cheep prices on clothes. I had to leave some of my socks & underwear home because my bags were just too full. I got 4 or 5 polo type shirts for p115 each (a little over $2). then we went back to Marilys apartment & packed everything we would need for the next 2 weeks. we had been invited to stay at her uncles house in Manila & sleep in the only bedroom with AC. man id that feel nice. so from then on we would run all around the area picking up things for the wedding & then head back to the cool bedroom with AC for a 1 hour rest.

After spending 2 nights at her uncles we headed to the bus station with 2 of her brothers in tow. we had a lot of bags & I think we paid p200 for the cab & the ride was about 20 or 30 mi.n with the traffic moving fairly well.

we then boarded a newer air conditioned bus for the 3 hour ride south.
It should have only been a 2.5 hour ride but there was a big traffic jam due to a new shopping mall opening 1/2 way to the port.

we arrived at the port & I took my 1st look at the "tub" that we had to ride for what turned out to be about 20 hours counting the 2 stops that the boat made.

more to follow

piglett
 

[z_k_g]

Piggy,

Sounds good so far!!  

Pictures!!!???

And how did she look as compared to the images on cam?  How did you guys get along?

Zulu

[piglett]

I am still working on resizing my pics so they will upload here
this is what I have so far

[evoltnvii]

great pic i think im tearing up a bit

[piglett]

Piggy,
Sounds good so far!!  
Pictures!!!???
And how did she look as compared to the images on cam?  How did you guys get along?
Zulu

I think she looks as good or maybe a little better than she did on cam.
there were only 2 bumps in the road as far as her & I getting along.
but you will all have to wait just a little bit longer till I get to that part of the story.
SORRY
they are working me long & hard at work so my normal "PL" posting time has been cut back for the next few days.


piglett

[Dave H]

Hey piglett,

Congratulations! Thanks for the pics. You have a very pretty wife! I am sure that she is crazy about the color of your eyes...as are other ladies. I am thinking about buying dark brown contacts.   

Dave

[piglett]

Hey piglett,
Congratulations! Thanks for the pics. You have a very pretty wife! I am sure that she is crazy about the color of your eyes...as are other ladies. I am thinking about buying dark brown contacts.   
Dave

Thanks Dave, yes Marily just loves my blue eyes & heart shaped face 


piglett

[piglett]

So after a dam hot & noisy trip (someone decided to bring about 100 baby chicks with them on the boat, hey thanks for that) we start to head for the dock, this is when I say to myself " I sure don't think we are Kansas anymore "

[z_k_g]

I think she looks as good or maybe a little better than she did on cam.

Piggy, your wife is HOT!!  Cam probably didn't do her justice!!  Now you on the other hand....

Just kidding!  You guys make a great looking couple!!

there were only 2 bumps in the road as far as her & I getting along.
but you will all have to wait just a little bit longer till I get to that part of the story.
SORRY

Well relationships, new or old, have bumps in the road!  Just how you deal with them piggy, you already know that much!

Give us the beef, or should I say pork!!  You know the PL group will try to help you out if we can!!

Congrats again!!

Zulu

[thekfc]

Congratulations piglett.
Marily do look better & happier than the previous pic of her you had posted - maybe it is the smile.

Can't wait to read the rest of your report.

someone decided to bring about 100 baby chicks with them on the boat

Maybe they were about to be part of the snack - "day old chick". In the Mall Of Asia, there was a line of people waiting to buy them.   

[piglett]

So after getting off the boat (death trap) we pile all of our bags on the top rack of a trike & Marily & i climb in. Her 2 brothers that were with us hung on to the back or side or some dam place & we headed down a narrow dirt road to the family home which was about 15 min. away. Here are the pics of where I stayed for 2 weeks


piglett

[piglett]

One of the 1st things I noticed was that there are no doors at all on the house . none inside none outside Mare than once I was sitting @ the kitchen table & in walks a chicken looking for a snack. They had a 19" color TV & a blue-ray player but no screen doors WTF but hey whatever it's not my house  

this was the new mattress that Marily & I purchased in Manila so we could avoid sleeping on a hard woven mat while there in the province.  

[piglett]

That afternoon we rode a motorbike into town to see what was needed to get the marriage license started. I was a bit unsure about the motorbike so one of Marilys  uncles gave us a ride. the only problem that I saw with that there was only 1 thing for me to hang onto & that was the taillight of the bike. Dave didn't you say something at one point about having the same type of trouble?
The next morning I said "Oh what the hell" & told Marily to go get the key to her aunts motor bike who lived rite next door. I just took it slow & after a couple of days of careful practice with Marily riding rite behind me I have to say that as long as & don't start showing off & you keep your speed low you should do fine with one of these "baby" dirt bikes. I liked about 40kmh on the new concrete roads & about 20kmh on the narrow sometimes loose gravel roads.


piglett

[Dave H]

the only problem that I saw with that there was only 1 thing for me to hang onto & that was the taillight of the bike. Dave didn't you say something at one point about having the same type of trouble?


piglett

Hey pig,

Not me! You won't get me on the back of a motorcycle...especially habal-habaling in the Philippines! 

Dave