I'm Going Home (second home)

mjarrels · Sep 19, 2013

Yesterday we bought five round trip tickets (Korean Air) to Manila. It has been three years since we were back in the Philippines. Wife and kids have to come back to the US early due to school and jobs. Not me, I plan to stay three months. Nothing like Christmas and New Years in the Philippines. 90 degrees every day, swim in the South China Sea in Dec, Jan, Feb. No snow removal this year for me. Plan on traveling alot including my third trip to the mall-of-asia. Plan to take day trips to visit WW2 sights including my third trip to the American graves in Makati. I was really suprised that the tickets were $10.00 dollars cheaper than the last time we went three years ago! No US airlines involved. The hardest part is the 19 hours in the air each way. Who ever thought that you can fly all the way around the world for $1390.00 dollars?

mark

riptides · Sep 19, 2013

May you have a safe and pleasant journey.

MoKelly · Sep 19, 2013

Good luck. I have been to the American Cemetary in Makayi a few times and it is truly an experience. Amazing. I do not like Manila traffic!!!

MoKelly

mjarrels · Sep 19, 2013

The American cematery in Manila is maintained better than most golf courses in the US, about half the grave markers are ingraved known only by God. Mean while the American cematery at the former Clark AFB was really run down and just recently funded by Congress to be brought back to life and be maintained.

mark

EddieWalker · Sep 19, 2013

Sounds like a great price!!! Have fun and post some pictures of what it's like there. I've never been and would love to see it some day.

Eddie

rekees4300 · Sep 19, 2013

mjarrels said:
No snow removal this year for me.

Sounds like a helluva good plan! :thumbsup:

Sparks45 · Sep 19, 2013

After Boot Camp and Radioman "A" School the Navy sent me to Naval Communications Station San Miguel, Philippines. I was there from Sept '65 'til Aug '67 except for Dec '65-Apr '66 when I was sent on temporary duty with the 3rd Marines near DaNang, VietNam. At least I got to see the USO Bob Hope Christmas Show

I spent a LOT of time in Olongapo... Went up to Angeles City a couple of times but it was too tame for me. Made it to Manila one time. It also was more civilized than what I was interested in. I went back to Subic Bay when I made a WestPac cruise in '71. They even had concrete sidewalks by then. I doubt I'd recognize anything today - if it still exists.
Olongapo was mostly two story buildings; a bar downstairs, a different bar upstairs, and about every 5th building was a rent-a-room-by-the-hour hotel. Good times, what I remember of them.
Charlie

mjarrels · Sep 19, 2013

Can't even find a bar in Olongapo anymore! Field Ave. in Angeles is still farely wild with expats. I go to San Felipe, just a short walk to the South China Sea.
Subic and Cubi Point are very differnt now and are freeport zones. I did two back to back tours at Cubi Point and with lack of PCS funds was extended nine more months.

mark