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CEBU
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Location:Asia:
Philippines
Capital:Manila
Main Cities:Angeles,Manila
Electical:110/220
Adaptors
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Population:718,821
Currency: Peso
Language:Tagalog
Religion: Catholic,
Muslim |
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Overview
Cebu
is both expensive bar fines are double to triple what you pay in
Angeles City, polluted i.e., from vehicle exhaust, somewhat dangerous
i.e., crime, and limited, boring actually, in terms of night life.
You certainly won't find the abundance of Go Go bars or nightlife
activity like you will in Angeles City. Some say Cebu has the most
beautiful girls in the Philippines, however that has yet to be proven.
Indeed, many extremely ugly women can be found here working in factories
and the endless sweat shops throughout the city. On a somewhat positive
side, it does have lots of single, available and friendly women
working in stores, malls, restaurants, hotels and just walking around
where ever you go. Its the kind of place where you can meet lots
of "good girls" who are waiting patiently for you to show
up and ask them to marry you. It has been said that Cebu is the
"marriage island" of the Philippines due to so many men
who have found there wives there. Actually, the fact is this is
where many of the pen pal clubs get there girls, meaning the chances
of running into a girl who is writing to four or five American guys
back home is not unlikely. Often called the "Queen City
of the South" Cebu is the country's oldest city. Exploring
Cebu City, one encounters a rich historic past. Cebuanos are extremely
proud of their cultural and historical heritage, a legacy which
has endured thru the centuries from the time the great explorer
Ferdinand Magellan first planted the cross on Cebu's shore.
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Women
Besides the bars, which is not the best place in this town
to look for a wife, you can meet girls all over the city. By far,
the largest cluster of roaming women will be found in the giant shopping
malls, such as Robinson's, located in Cebu City right in the circle,
midtown, and the newer SM mall. Shoe Mart Mall There you will find
an abundance of single women who are working as employees, not to
mention the many female shoppers especially on the weekends. The Show
Mart Store or SM only hires girls on two conditions: 1. They are from
the ages of 18-25 years old and they are not married and have no children.
Just go to the mall in the afternoon and you'll see more than a handful
of pretty girls working as cashiers, salesgirls, clerks, door girls,
etc.
If you spot a girl you like, feel free to go right up to her and say
hello. Remember, Filipina girls are very shy, so don't take it as
an automatic reject if the girls seem unfriendly or evasive. That's
just their style, namely their shyness. Once you've said hello to
a girl, ask her what her name is, how old she is, etc., Next,
ask her if you can take meet with her on her lunch break or for an
evening of dancing at the disco. What I always like to do is hand
the girl my hotel card with my name and room number on it. Then I
tell her to call me at a certain time and believe it or not, that
usually works. Most girls will call and from there you can make arrangements
to meet for lunch or dinner. So as a rule, have at least ten or more
hotel cards with you when you go shopping for women. Make sure you
already have your name and room number printed on it. Be sure you
hand the card very discreetly or you may embarrass her by her friends
thinking you are just after her for sex and she is willing and able.
By the way, if you do take a girl out on a date, it's standard procedure
for her to bring her friend along, as a escort. If the girl is a true
virgin, most likely it will take several dates, possibly longer, before
you can convince her to visit you at your hotel alone. In short, dating
means spending time and money and getting no sex, at least not for
a while. This is the nature of dating in the PI. Tip: we found hiring
a female guide to help you pick up girls at the malls or other public
places works wonders. The guide will establish trust and friendship
much faster than you ever could and will make the girl feel more comfortable
when first meeting and dating you. Once the girl has agreed
to go out, on the second or third date, you can usually let the guide
go home and with a bit of luck, have the girl to yourself. See section
on hiring a guide.
Your personal Appearance
will have a lot to do with your success with the ladies. Get a decent
conservative haircut before you leave. Filipina's prefer clean cut,
clean shaven gentlemen to hippies, punks, or Mr. Natural types. Non
smokers are also preferred. Losing a few pounds of flab before you
take off won't hurt your prospects either. |
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Cost
Believe
it or not, you can get free sex, even with bar girls, in the Philippines.
However, it is recommended, because of the high level of poverty among
the girls, you always pay a tip of at least 200 pesos $4 for a quick
session of passion and romance and 300 pesos $6 if the girl spends
the entire night. As for taking girls out of the bars, the price varies
from city to city. In Manila, the most expensive, girls can cost up
to $100 or more. Cebu bar girls cost 2,000 to 3,000 pesos $40 to $60
for all night sex. Angeles and Subic rates are very low, 1,000 pesos
$20 for all night or 200 pesos $4 for a girl you might pick up on
the street. |
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Legal
Although
prostitution is technically illegal, the police are corrupt and bar
owners pay off the cops to turn the other way. Tourists are rarely
arrested for having sex with a prostitute unless their is complaint
i.e., rape, seduction, loss of virginity, etc.. Although the age of
consent is 16, it is advised you stay clear of women in the bars under
18 years of age. The age of consent is 18 years old. |
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Weather
Cebu is best from December
to February when the weather turns somewhat cool and dry. March
thru June are the hot season, and believe me, it gets hot and humid.
Expect to sweat a lot during this time period. The rainy season
begins in June onto October, bringing torrential downpours that
would sometimes inhibit movement except bowel movement if you eat
on the open streets and bed movement if you take back a girl.
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Holidays
There is only one weekend, namely Easter weekend, in
which the bars close. Even on Christmas and New Year's, most bars
stay open. Holidays in the Philippines can be very exciting and
interesting. For example, on New Years Eve, you will have
fireworks going off for about 24 hours all over the country. You
don't want to be in Manila for this loud and festive occasion unless
you like hearing bombs go off every minute and enjoy having firecrackers,
cherry bombs and M-80's thrown at you while you walk down the street.
For a Vietnam Vet, maybe but not me. Then there's Easter where in
some of the provinces they nail people to a wooden cross with real
nails through their real hands. Not to mention the people marching
through town and whipping themselves until they bleed. I hope Christmas
is a little nicer, yet I heard they eat the reindeer after it's
all over.
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Events
Sinulog. A week-long religious festival held every 3rd weekend
of January honoring the patron Saint of Cebu, Sto. Niño,
the Christ Child, with the Sinulog ritual dance and other public
celebrations. The Sto. Niño image is carried in procession
along the streets. It is also a celebration of the pageantry of
the early Cebuano culture, and the history of the Christianization
of Cebu.
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Prices
Airfare
Depending on time of year, from the West Coast, $299-$650.
From the Midwest to east coast it can go as high as $1,200r/t. Check
the Travel Section
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How
to
Getting there you'll need to
fly to Cebu out of the domestic airport in Manila. It's less then
an hour flight. To book a flight to Cebu, consult any travel agent.
If you're in Angeles or Manila, you can book your reservation from
the Swagman Travel in Ermita, located inside the Swagman hotel;
in Angeles, located on Fields, next door to Margarita restaurant.
Or, if you like, you can purchase a ticket directly at the Philippine
domestic airport or at any Philippines Airlines agency. It's recommended
you book your flight at least 2-3 days in advance as seats can fill
up quick. Also, an important tip: book only the morning or early
afternoon flight, as that is the best time to be seeking out
a hotel noon being the time most tourists check out, leaving room
for you. Do not fly in at dark, for security reasons. Caution:
If you book your flight from a travel agency in the Philippines,
make damn sure the travel agent gives you your confirmation number
of the flight. If they say they have no confirmation number and
it will be fine when you arrive at the airport, they are either
lying or don't know what they are talking about. You will show up
for your flight and chances are they will have no record of you
having any reservation with their airlines. It happened to me and
I went through hell to get a flight out.
Philippine Airlines has three daily flights morning, early and late
afternoon from Manila to Cebu. You can get a slightly cheaper flight
if you fly Cebu Pacific.
Although Philippine Airlines PAL: short for "plane always late"
is a decent airlines, they are notorious for screwing up their flight
schedule. Therefore, plan on something happening such as losing
your seat on a flight, having to take the next flight out to screw
things up. This is the Filipino way.
Guides
Getting around a foreign country, especially for your first
time is no easy task. Trying to find a wife or a serious relationship
is even harder and if you think you can just walk into a place you've
never been before and have command of the situation, well, all I
can do is wish you good luck. The easiest way to find true love
in Cebu is to hire a guide to help you. Although I prefer female
guides, a male will work provided the guy is married so he isn't
himself trying to steal your girls from you!. There are several
ways to go about finding a guide. Usually companies that sell pen-pal
books in the states can make a reference. We found such a company
and his male guide was excellent. He was a real flirt with the girls
and did his job well. Another way to find a guide is to hire one
from your hotel. Ask the clerk at the front desk you are looking
to hire an English speaking female guide to show you around the
city don't say you're looking for a wife. Then, when you meet the
guide, you can talk to her in person and tell her what you're up
to. If she seems fit for the job, agree on a price 200 pesos a day
is a very generous salary, and test her out by going with you to
the malls. If she is helpful, you've got yourself a good guide.
If not, move on to the next.
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What
to Bring
Clothing
The key is to dress light and casual as the weather is
both hot and humid. Throughout the town, whether in the bars or along
the streets, tourists dress very casual, even often sloppy to
ward off robbers. I always wear either sandals or tennis shoes, shorts,
and a T-shirt. During the cool season I might wear a pair of jeans
at night. If it rains, it's going to cool off, but the streets get
easily flooded and muddy. So in either case, sandals or old tennis
shoes work the best, a nylon swimsuit not the bikini type, and a tank
top also will keep you comfortable. Again, this is not the town to
dress up in.
Tip
Never wear tennis shoes without socks as you will get the worse case
of athlete's feet you've ever experienced. During the heat of the
day, you will see the Filipina girls walking around with umbrellas
to ward off the scorching sun.
The Philippines is both, 110V and 220V. Watch out! Because in the
very same hotel room you stay in, on the very same side of the wall,
can be two sockets, one is 110V and the other 220V. I learned my lesson
the hard way twice, now when I blew out two video lights; I thought
I was plugging into a IIOV circuit. Watch out what you are plugging
into. TIP: Go to an electronic store and buy a voltage tester, there
a couple of dollars. You stick the tester into the socket and it tells
you if its 110v or 220v.
Laundry
in Cebu is cheap to have done. There are a number of places that will
do your laundry and either have it done in 24 hours or a few hours,
depending on where you go. Some go by the weight of the clothes and
some go by each piece that needs to be cleaned. The hotels will clean
your laundry also, but the charge will be slightly higher than if
you took the laundry in yourself to one of the places. There are little
shops all over town, ask your desk clerk for the closest one. |
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Passports
and Visas
Do not overstay your welcome in the Philippines. There
are harsh penalties if you stay beyond the date stamped in your passport.
I overstayed my welcome in the Philippines by only one day and they
charged me 900 pesos penalty about $25. I don't want to know what
it would have cost if I stayed much longer. Leave the country before
your visa expires or renew it. Immigration does not take kindly to
those to stay after their visa has expired. No, they won't arrest
you, but they will ream you for every dime they can get out of you. |
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Customs
Visitors are allowed to import the following items duty
free: reasonable quantities of clothing, jewelry and perfume; 400
cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams just over half a poundof tobacco;
and 2 litres of alcoholic beverage. Alcohol and tobacco is comparatively
cheap in Cebu however, so most visitors would probably not want
to import for personal consumption. Firearms, explosives, pornographic
material, seditious or subversive material, and narcotics are prohibited.
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Payment
Methods
Money Exchange
Cebu
is not really a prime destination for Western tourists. Exchanging
money, therefore, is not always such an easy task. You will find exchange
booths near the Robinson's department store, both along the street
at the Bank of the Philippine Islands and near the popular restaurant,
Max's. If you have problem finding an exchange booth or it's closed,
you can always exchange your money at your hotel. However, the rates
there are generally poor. The best bet is to try to anticipate how
much money you will need in Cebu and exchange your money BEFORE your
departure, either in Angeles City or Manila. That way you won't have
to worry about it once you arrive. I would exchange at least $100
per day you will be staying in Cebu, before departing.
Travelers Checks
Does not get the higher exchange rate as it does in Thailand. Travelers
checks can be changed in Manila in most banks or with money
changers. The rate for travelers checks is 5% to 10% lower than the
rate for cash. Purchase receipts for the travelers checks as well
as a passport are required for cashing. The checks are only accepted
if signed at the counter of the bank or money changer. In the provinces,
it can sometimes be difficult to change travelers checks. Many banking
companies which accept travelers checks in Manila do not so in their
provincial branches. In the provinces, the best place to change is
a local Philippine National Bank or a Central Bank in larger cities.
Cash advances in dollars can be obtained with an American Express
Card at American Express, and with a Visa Card at Bank of America.
Cash advances in pesos can be obtained.
Credit
Cards are accepted in most big hotels, shops and restaurants.
The smallest little shops do not, and neither do the girls. They also
charge... 3% for MC and Visa, 5% for AMEX. VISA is the best. Leave
your AMEX at home. The smartest card to bring is your ATM!! It is
the best exchange rate as well. Also, you may want to call your bank
that holds your credit card account and let them know that you will
be out of the country and which country. Sometimes credit card companies
will deny you access to your card, thinking that your card was stolen
and someone else is using your card in that country. It happened to
me in Rio De Janeiro. If you take enough cash with you, you will not
really ever have to use it. Personally, I use it for all of my hotel
stays and some meals. |
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How
Much
will be needed will depend
on you personally and your budget of course. Figure for each
night in Cebu, staying at budget or medium range hotel, food,
girl, drinks, transportation, etc. you will need about $100-$150. |
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Tipping
Girls will ask for 2500 peso's for the night. I once
barfined two girls at the Silver Dollar Bar for P350 each 1999,
and then the girls asked for 2500 peso's each per girl. They tried
to leave early, so I threatened no tip, and then ended up giving
them 1,000 each until about 6:00am. Play hard ball with these girls.
The Japanese and Koreans tip aggressively, so be firm with your
girl.
Karaoke bars will provide you access to private rooms and guest
relations officers. Ladies drinks for girls at Infinity cost P300.
If you decide to go to a back room, your cost is P1500. You need
to buy a ladies drink every 30 minutes at around P150. This may
sound like a bad deal, however the girls will usually dance naked
for you, do lap dances, and give you blow jobs for around P500 tip.
For P1000 to P1500 depending on the girl, the girls will go to private
bathroom in the back rooms, and do full service. The quality of
the girls there are 10's and 9's. They wear incredible uniforms,
high heels, and are made up and clean. Plus, it's a blast to sing
Karaoke with beautiful women. As for most girly bars, like Silver
Dollar and Firehouse, the standard 800 to 1000P leaving fee, followed
by P1500 to P2500 tip.
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Airport to Lodging
Once you arrive in Cebu, you can take a private airport taxi to
your hotel. See hotels You will not have a problem finding a taxi
as the taxi drivers will mob you once you get out onto the street.
Bargain for the ride and don't take the first taxi driver that comes
up to you. Fares vary from 120 to 250 pesos, if you are good, they
might even switch the meter on. Negotiate prices always ,beforehand,
if not sure. Alternatively, at the end of a trip, when you have gotten
your luggage, just give them what you think its worth. The
airport is about an hour's ride to downtown. By the way, before
you head on out to your hotel, I suggest you go to the Cecario Airport
restaurant and order the incredibly delicious, fresh squeezed, mango
shake. A true delight.
There used to be a bus available from Mactan Airport, a contract hire,
fare 50 pesos. If that's not running anymore, take a taxi to the town
center.
Airport Pick Up Service
can be made by notifying your hotel by fax, phone or email to pick
you up at the Cebu Airport when you arrive in Cebu. Some or most hotels
will offer this service for no extra charge if you make an overnight
reservation with them. See hotel info for suggestions |
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Transportation
The best way to get around
in Cebu is to hire a private taxi. Ask your hotel to recommend one.
It's best for security reasons not to pick one up on the street, especially
during the evenings. During the evenings, have your driver wait for
you as you bar hop, rather than let him go and have to trust another
driver. If you have hired a guide, which again you can find by consulting
your hotel, then he will make all arrangements for transportation,
day and night.
Jeepneys are the most popular means of transportation for the locals.
They are easy to catch as they parade up and down the major streets.
While easy to catch and get on, getting off them at the right location
is no easy task unless you are very familiar with the area it's difficult
to see out of the Jeepney as it's usually very crowded and the windows
are very low. while the jeepneys are a very cheap means of transportation
For about a few cents you can get around Cebu City all day, they are
very uncomfortable being open air, all the fumes and dust from the
dirty and polluted streets get into your face, somewhat risky many
a tourist has had his pockets picked on the Jeepney, and overall obnoxious
as passengers bump into you getting on and off, making you wonder
what the hell you are doing riding on one. While it's recommended
you ride in one at least once, just to say you did it, you'll find
the money spent on private taxis more than worth the price. |
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Hotels
Fuente
Pension House Hotel
13 Don Julio Llorente St., in Cebu city. The location is quite good
as it's hidden off in a side street making the area quiet, yet only
a few minutes walk from the circle of town where the Robinson's department
store and Max's Chicken best restaurant in town are located. The phone
number is 253-6789. The rooms are comfortable and will run you about
$20 per night. Add another two dollars for the upgrade room which
includes cable TV. All the rooms have air con, western style bathrooms
with hot/cold shower and telephone. The Fuente Pension House allows
you to bring as many female guests to your room as you like without
any hassle or surcharge. Actually, we were told to avoid a surcharge,
we would need to stay in the room with twin beds, which worked out
fine as it was a larger room and more comfortable. As it turned out
though, the front desk never charged us for bringing in female
guests, although one of us stayed in the single room rather than the
twin. So perhaps they were just pulling our leg when they said we
needed to book a twin room rather than the single. Anyway, both of
us brought a ton of girls to our rooms and the hotel staff not once
lodged a complaint or charged us any extra fees one day our guide
brought almost ten girls to our hotel to meet us!
Maria's
Pension Tourist Inn
ML Quezon Avenue, Mandaue City. Tel. No.: 6332 345-2211
Budget P395.00 Economy P550.00 Single
Executive 650.00 Twin Bed P850.00
Cebu Pensionne Plaza
North Escario St., Cebu City Tel. No.: 6332254-6300
DeLuxe P650.00 Super DeLuxe P700.00 Supreme P800.00 Double Supreme
P900.00
Century Hotel
Corner of Colon and Palaez Streets. Phone no. 255 1341,Fax 255 1600
or website..... <http://cebu-hotels.com/century.htm>...... prices
are around 500-700 pesos per night. Its near to the fun and the night
life,and also has an extra benefit. Outside are large numbers of taxis
and hustlers. Some of these guys are actually not bad. A good taxi
driver can get you out of trouble, save you money, get a nice deal
with a street girl, or one from the casas. A few decent bars around
the location of the Century Hotel The best was Silver Dollar and next
Erotica Bar. Prices for drinks around 55 pesos for beer/local mix,
15/175 pesos for ladies drink. Bar Fines are about 600 to the Bar
and 1500 to the girl.
Pacific Pensionne
313-A Osmeņa Boulevard Cebu City Tel. No.: 6332 253-5271
Single P448.00 Double P504.00 Double Room P600.00 Family
P800.00
Hotels
Park Place Hotel
Fuente Osmena, Cebu City Tel. No.: 6332 253-1131
Standard P1,400.00 Superior P1 600.00 Superior Double P1
800.00 Suite Room P2,688.00
Acropolis Hotel Guadalupe
Cebu City 6332 - 253-1911
Cebu Midtown Hotel Fuente Osmeņa, Cebu City
6332 - 253-9711
Tip
Like most hotels around the world,
a lot of them frown on bringing guests to the room, especially if
they're hookers. The more expensive the hotel, the less chance you
will be able to bring your "squeeze" up to the room without
being asked to pay a surcharge. That is why we suggest staying at
the medium range hotels mentioned on our recommended hotel list. |
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Dining
Filipino food is an intriguing blend of Malaysian, Chinese, Spanish
and American cuisines. For instance, the use of coconut milk as an
ingredient is a gastronomic legacy from the Filipinos' Malay ancestors.
Popular dishes such as lumpia egg rolls and pancit noodles are Chinese.
Even the country's most famous dish lechon roast pig, originated in
China. Some traditional dishes are still called by their Spanish names
such as mechado beef with pork fat, menudo diced meat and potatoes
stewed in tomato sauce and pochero pork, green beans, cabbage and
other selected vegetables.
SM Mega Mall
Lots of fast food restaurants all throughout the building. A
great place to meet lots of local Filipina's.
Max's
Restaurant
Noted for their chicken, fried to a delicious crisp without coloring,
flavoring or coverings. A secret Filipino family recipe handed down
through generations since 1945. You will find Max's in Cebu City near
Robinson's Mall, in the circle across the street from the park. Start
off with their delicious green mango shake. Then I suggest you enjoy
one of their dinner specials, which includes along with a quarter
of a chicken a variety of Filipino dishes. Explore.
Chinese Dim Sum Tea Houses
are my favorite if you like Dim Sum.
Cebu Plaza Hotel Buffet
A good place to eat is the Cebu Plaza hotel in the Cafe Tartanilla.
Their brunch buffet is about $8 and is very good.
English Pubs
Our Place
Located in Colon, Cebu City. Great continental food, and cheap beers.
Usually you'll find a few foreigners drinking and eating there.
American
Marriot Hotel - Great Spare Ribs - Best Food in Cebu City
Korean
Cebu Seoul Restaurant Archbishop Reyes Ave. Cebu City Tel. 95384
Korea Korea 5/F Gaisano Metro, Colon St. Cebu City, Tel. 61110
Korean Garden Restaurant Arlington Pond, Cebu City
Chinese
Great Han Palace 18 Osmena Boulevard, Tel. 95881
Chowking Gaisano Country Mall Banilad, Cebu City Tel. 2313695
Golden City Dimsum Restaurant JRDC Bldg., Osmena Blvd., Cebu City
Tel. 2537538/2537560
Lumpia House Gaisano Country Mall Banilad, Cebu City Tel. 2311481
loc. 116
Lee Garden Restaurant Nivel Hills, Lahug, Tel. 72376
Majestic Chinese Cuisine 2f JRG Bldg., Gen Maxilom Ave. Tel. 53788/75319
Seafood City JY Square, Lahug, Tel. 75157
Talk of the Town 117 Gorordo Ave., Tel. 61332
Tung Yan Arch. Reyes cor. Gorordo Ave. Tel. 74198/90265
White Gold House Reclamation Area, Cebu City Tel. 90248/78390
Grand Majestic Restaurant Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City Tel. 2533087
Filipino
Alavar's Seafood House Archbishop Reyes Ave., 46 Gorordo Ave., Lahug
Tel. 96120
Chika-an sa Cebu Century Plaza Complex, Juana Osmena St. Tel. 2536221/2536303
Golden Cowrie Salinas Drive cor. La Guardia, Lahug Tel. 92633
Lantaw Gardens Cebu Plaza, Cebu City Tel. 311231
Lighthouse Restaurant Gen. Maxilom Ave. Tel. 78126/97233
Nang Damasa's Restaurant F. Ramos St., Cebu City Tel. No. 2549664
Pete's Kitchen 6-1 Pelaez St, Cebu City Tel. 94234/53808
Pistahan Pilipino Seafood 329 Gorordo Ave. Tel. 72742
Seafood City J.Y. Square. Lahug, Tel. 75157
Seafood City Restaurant Salinas Drive, Cebu City Tel. 2533795
Abuhan Restaurant & Coffeeshop Kan-irag Hotel Garden, F. Ramos
St. Cebu City Tel. 2531157
Cafe Laguna Restaurant & Catering Services Veteran's Drive cor.
Torralba St, Cebu City Tel. 2313553 Branch: Ayala Center Cebu Tel.
2310922
Cafe Ranudo 110 V. Ranudo St.,
Cebu City Tels. 2539070/ 2533282
Patio Isabel Old Banilad Road, Banilad, Cebu City Tel. 2315075
Sabungan Restaurant Cebu Midtown Hotel Fuente Osmena St., Cebu City
Tel. 253-9711
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Water
Like
most parts of the Philippines, fresh tap water should not be consumed.
It is safer to always drink bottled water where ever you are in the
Philippines. When brushing your teeth, always rinse out your mouth
with bottled water too. The finer restaurants will be a safer choice
to drink water from the the pitcher, however you are still taking
a chance. |
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Language
The
Language spoken in The Philippines is Tagalog Filipino The English
language is taught in the Philippines from the first grade on. Of
course, if the girl is from a poor family, which most are, schooling
will be limited as well as their English vocabulary. Most of the girls
speak passable English. Most of the people that work in the
hotels and restaurants speak a great deal of English. There are more
funny and interesting stories regarding the language barrier and what
you'll encounter while you're over there in the "Panties Down
Before Money Down" Philippine Guide book in the book section
of this site. All in all the "language of love" is spoken
everywhere. |
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Security
Cebu
is probably safe during the daytime. Nighttime is a different game
as robbers and thieves seems to come out of nowhere. Follow
the same rules we suggest in other parts of the Philippines and you
will have lowered your chances of robbery. The golden rule of safe
travel is: don't walk the streets at night, especially if you are
drunk or alone; appear poor at all times by not wearing any jewelry
fake or not or fancy clothes, and don't ever flash money in public
or in a place where others are watching keep your smaller bills in
one pocket, from which you draw your money to pay your bills at the
bars, discos, etc.. I've seen tourists make the mistake of pulling
out $100 bills in search for a 100 note peso $2 to pay off a drink.
Such tourists are setting themselves up for being robbed. Try
to anticipate how much you will need before you leave your hotel and
carry only that amount. At any one time, I can't see myself carrying
more than a few thousand pesos i.e., $50 or less. Always exchange
you money during the afternoon and head straight back to your hotel
to deposit the bulk in your safe deposit box. Don't leave any valuables
in your room or any cash sitting around where a female guest can pocket
it. All this sound paranoia? Good, because there is cause to be. The
Philippines is not a safe and secure place to travel.
Safety Deposit Boxes
If you
leave all your money in your room or take it with you as you bar hop,
you are a fool. Always secure your valuables in the hotel safe deposit
box. Be sure to check the hours the box is open. Some hotels will
not let you access the safe deposit box after 9 p.m. This is because
the manager leaves to go home and the desk clerk is not trusted with
the key. However, some hotels will let you access your box 24 hours
a day. Check with the hotel. You don't want to be stuck with no money
late at night i.e., if you decide to do some late night bar hopping.
Knowing when you can access your valuables in the safe deposit box
can be critical. Suppose, for example, your flight departs at 6 a.m.
the next morning. So you awake at 4:30 a.m, and as you check out at
5:00 a.m, you need to access your box to get at your money, passport,
airline ticket, etc. But the safe is not open till 7:00 a.m. So now
you're in the frustrating position of having to catch a plane but
you can't leave because you can't remove your passport and money out
of the box! Of course, if you knew this ahead of time, you would have
emptied your box the night before so you could leave on time the following
morning. Another example. You check into the hotel after midnight.
You have a few thousand dollars in cash that you wish to deposit in
your box, but the safe deposit box cannot be accessed between midnight
and 6 a.m . So what are you going to do? You want to go out bar hopping,
but there's no way you're going to take thousands of dollars with
you and no way you'll leave that much cash in the room. So you're
stuck to stay in your hotel alone till morning when you can deposit
your money. |
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Scams
There is always some tourist
who falls for the line from a Filipino man, "Hey, remember me?
I'm the guy who drove you home last night, when you were drunk. Hey!
Can you now pay me for the ride..." Or "Hi, how you doing? You're
staying at the Clarkton hotel right? I work there. I'm the cook. ..
Say, why don't we go over to my place for a game of cards." If any
Filipino man approaches you on the street with any of these type of
lines or with an extended hand to shake, ignore the guy as if he doesn't
even exist. Don't shake his hand, don't say hello, don't even say,
"No". Just keep walking and ignore him as if he doesn't exist. Why?
Because he is most likely a hustler who will try to con you into a
card game or some other situation in which you will lose the very
shirt off your back, if it were possible. Stay away and ignore any
Filipino man who comes up to you on the street.
Most of the hustlers will be found right on Fields avenue outside
and around Margaritaville. They will also be hanging around Johnny's
market on Macarthur Blvd., even during the daytime.
Be cautious of taking two girls to your room. Sometimes they work
as a team and as one is making love to you, the other is searching
through your pants and room for valuables. Also, when the maid comes
to clean the room, do not have valuables lying around, like money,
jewelry, cameras, etc. She may not take the stuff, but when she leaves
the room to go down the hall to get something, someone passing by
will go in your room real quick and take whatever is in clear view.
Sound paranoia? Good. Better to be paranoid than empty handed. |
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Medical
Safe Sex in the Philippines
should be practiced at all times, and anywhere else you travel in
the world. Condoms should be worn at all times, even when you're sleeping.
I'm wearing one now as I type this report. But seriously, you should
buy your condoms in the U.S.A. before you go to the Philippines. The
ones made in Asia are made to fit Asian men and you know what that
means. Also, figure on using at least two a day. Unfortunately condoms
are not requested by all of the girls in the Philippines due to lack
of education. Be safe and considerate to others and use protection. |
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Internet
There
are a number of internet cafes which offer full access to the net.
Cyber Lynx Coco Mall offers access complete with video cams at 90
Pesos/hr., Global Village Ayala Centre offers access at 95 Pesos/hr.
and Web Link General Maxilom Av. offers 24 Hr. access at 100 Pesos
per hour. Hourly rates reduce if online time exceeds 1 hour. All rates
quoted here are for the first hour of access. The international lines
can be slow so don`t expect fast connect speeds even with a fast modem. |
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Phones
International Access Code : 00
The international telephone access code for the Philippines is 63.
The city code for Cebu is 32.
For assistance with direct-dialled calls, dial 112.
AT&T USA direct operators are available by dialing 105-11.
Dial 108 for operator assisted international calls.
Dial 109 for operator assisted local calls.
For directory assistance, dial 114 all operators speak English.
Don`t expect a good connection every time.
Pagers are widely used in the Metropolitan Cebu area also.
To make a call from a pay phone, lift the receiver and deposit P2
coins or you can buy phonecards in the range of P100, P250, P300,
P500, P1000. Wait for the dial tone.
You can then dial the number of the party you need to call. |
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Sex
Nightlife
There are some hot looking women working the bars in Cebu. Let there
be no doubt about that. However, the number of places to meet chicks
is very limited and the prices are steep, surprisingly high actually.
Compared to Angeles City, you will be paying double or triple the
bar fine fee, choosing from only a handful of girls, and frequenting
only a small selection of bars and disco's which will probably have
you bored by the third or forth night in town. In other words, the
nightlife in Cebu is very limited and cannot compare to what you will
find in places like Angeles City or better yet, Thailand. On the bright
side however, the quality of women in some of the bars is surprisingly
nice, so even if you have only a handful of bars and bar girls to
choose from, almost all will be as hot as or better than the top ten
in Angeles. So in a way that balances out, although again, it will
reach a saturation point quite fast. Note: unlike Angeles City,
where the bars are clustered together and walking distance from each
other, in Cebu it's more spread out and you will need to hire a private
taxi to take you around. It's suggested, for security reasons, you
hire a driver who is recommended by your hotel or a friend. Do not
pick up a driver at night whom you have never seen before. Also, do
not attempt to walk around after 9 p.m., unless danger is your middle
name. By the way, Cebu is the only place in the Philippines where
I found bars that charge a cover charge for entrance. The entrance
fee is small under $2, but on the greedy side if you ask me. Perhaps
they charge the entrance fee to keep out bums. Most likely, it's just
another way to get money out of a tourist, a true Filipino philosophy
"You are rich, so you should give us your money", so they
will tell you.
Transvestites
Every so often you will run
into a "billy-boy", meaning a man who dresses up as a women.
They are not as common in Cebu as in Angeles City, but in case you
do find some, here is a few hints on how to recognize them. True Filipina
women are typically very short, around five feet or under. The transvestites,
being men, are much taller, five foot six and up. So if what appears
to be a woman approaches you and you notice that she is nearly as
tall as you, watch out! Oddly enough, the transvestites, as tall as
they are, persist in wearing high heels. I understand they want to
dress as women, but being men they are already tall enough; wearing
high heels makes them even taller and therefore more obvious. I would
have thought they would wear shoes a little flatter to disguise their
height, but they don't. For that reason, it's usually pretty easy
to spot them a mile away. In short, any woman who is unusually tall
5 and a half feet or taller, beware of. Transvestites, being men,
cannot imitate the softness and high pitched sound of a woman's voice
that's because they are men. So the transvestite will try to disguise
his voice by either speaking with a whisper, a very soft tone, or
a falsetto i.e., a fake high pitched sound. So if you hear someone
whisper or say in a high pitched voice, "Hello. Where you go?" you
know what you are dealing with. Since most of them cannot 'afford
to have the operation where they surgically remove the penis and carve
it into a vagina, the transvestites will desire only oral sex, rather
than intercourse. So if the emphasis of the conversation is, "I give
you good blow job", that is your red alert. However, being that most
of them hang on blow road, there is not much of a distinction between
them and the girls, as the girls are also aggressively pushing their
line of work: "I give you good blow job." Transvestites are usually
quite ugly up close. After all, they are men and a man's face, no
matter how much make-up you put on it, will still take on a masculine
appearance although some of the transvestites amazingly look feminine.
To hide this, it's not unusual for the transvestites to hang out where
the lighting is low. Transvestites have masculine hands. They
are aggressive and if you let them, will come right up to you and
touch you. If you touch their hand, it will be unusually large; Filipina
girls typically have very small hands, much like that of a twelve
year old girl in the states. So if a "woman" holds your hand and it's
thick like that of a man, Beware. |
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Legal Age
The age of consent is 18
years old |
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Where
Bars
Cobra Bar
Acropolis Hotel on V. Rama Ave. Cor. Singson, Guadalupe
St. , Cebu City 6332 253-1911 is about a ten minute taxi
ride from the center of town. Any taxi driver will know here it is.
The atmosphere is high class and the women are gorgeous. However,
the bar fine is 2,000 pesos about $40, so it's double what you would
pay in Angeles. Also, there are only about five girls or so working
the bar, so there is not exactly a large selection. However, of the
five we saw, two were drop dead gorgeous and the other three also
very nice looking. The MO is Filipino style, meaning each girl comes
out to do a quick dance and strip tease, one at a time and very slowly.
This is most likely meant to keep you there for a long time thus,
buying more drinks, of course, as you patiently wait for each girl
to come out and show you what she's worth.
Thunderdome
is just a few minute taxi ride from the center of town. Again, ask
any taxi driver to take you there. The Thunderdome had
some truly gorgeous babes working there. The girls dance on stage
Filipino style, meaning they come out one at a time. The girls appear
in see through nightgowns and other sexy outfits, a sight to behold
sexy, but tame compared to Bangkok's dancing beauties. Some of the
girls were breathtaking, most a bit large and tall. But not as large
and tall as the whopping 3,000 pesos bar fine yikes!. One girl, named
Ana Lynn, who was absolutely adorable was too tempting for me to resist
and so I paid it. She turned out to be worth every peso. She was sweet,
gorgeous, sexy and knew how to please a man. My type of girl. But
the bar fine price is so high, I can't see myself spending too much
time girl chasing in the bars of Cebu.
Big Wigs is right next door to Thunderdome.
Silver Dollar
is a more relaxed, low key bar with only a handful of somewhat decent
women. Actually, the women tend to be older and uglier, but the prices
are also much lower 1,000 to 1,500 pesos for the bar fine. It's worth
a visit only if you're on a budget.
Brothels
Another
way to get laid in Cebu is to go to the local whore houses or brothels.
To find the brothels, you will need either a taxi driver to take you
or better yet, hire a Filipino guide to get you there. Most of the
hotels will be able to hook you up with a local guide, especially
if you stay in a hotel that is NOT four star. The Fuente pension house
will probably be able to help with in that area. You will not be able
to find the brothels on your own. They are located in residential
areas and there are no obvious signs indicating which house is a brothel
and which isn't. We visited a few brothels with our guide and found
the women old and unattractive. This was the opposite of what I expected
to find as you hear so much from the media about eight, nine and ten
year old children working the sex industry the youngest we saw was
about 17 and from the size of her tits and ass and the way she commanded
her clientele, this was certainly no child!. The brothels we visited
were no bargain. The asking price was 1,500 pesos for all night, which
is outrageous. However, when we decided there were no women even close
to being worth that price, the Papasan brothel manager suddenly lowered
the price down to 1,000 pesos, still not much of a bargain if you
saw what we had to choose from some butt ugly whores!. In disappointment,
we asked our guide if he could find us a better selection of women
and next day he actually brought about ten girls to our hotel to choose
from. None were cute and so we went on our way, wondering who said
this city is the center point for beautiful women in Cebu.
Casas
Another area you may want to
explore is visiting the "Casa's" in Cebu City. These are
very similar to brothels where Filipina girls congregate into a large
living room that have long couches. Most Casas have 10 to 40 girls,
starting at 5 or 6 pm. Later on around 10 p.m. the choices gets to
be slim pickens. Whereas at the bars you can arrive late and do fine,
with the Casas the early bird catches the worm. Best time to get to
these Casas is between 7-9 p.m.
Happy Valley
near Osmena Circle. Just ask a taxi driver to take you there. There
are a number of
girls usually on duty however the quality is not as good as some of
the others.
Myuki is
central area and has a lot of fairly decent looking girls. The
price is high 2,000 and the girls get snatched up quick, so get there
early.
New World
near the Ayala Center. Price is lower here, around P1200.
Para Para
Lahug on hillside below Cebu Plaza hotel. Quality is the lowest
here and this would be a last choice. Price 1500 peso
VIP
Lapu Lapu City on Mactan Island near the Mactan Bridge. The prices
are a bit pricey, P3000,
but they can be bargained down to P2000. The quality is first rate
here |
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Photography
Some of the girls like it and some don't. It is highly recommended
that you don't try to take hidden video of the girls while having
sex with them. It pisses them off to no end. It may result in her
having the police summoned to the room. The ones that agree will usually
ask for more money on top of the original amount agreed for having
sex with them. Some won't care and will do it because they like you.
As long as you have copies of their i.d's showing that they are eighteen
you will be fine taking them back into the U.S. |
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Recreation
Besides
the bars, which is not the best place in this town to look for a wife,
you can meet girls all over the city. By far, the largest cluster
of roaming women will be found in the giant shopping malls, such as
Robinson's, located in Cebu City right in the circle, midtown, and
the newer SM mall. Shoe Mart Mall There you will find an abundance
of single women who are working as employees, not to mention the many
female shoppers especially on the weekends. The Shoe Mart Store or
SM only hires girls on two conditions: They are from the ages of 18-25
years old and they are not married and have no children. Just go to
the mall in the afternoon and you'll see more than a handful of pretty
girls working as cashiers, salesgirls, clerks, door girls, etc.
If you spot a girl you like, feel free to go right up to her and say
hello. Remember, Filipina girls are very shy, so don't take it as
an automatic rejection if the girls seem unfriendly or evasive. That's
just their style, namely their shyness. Once you've said hello to
a girl, ask her what her name is, how old she is, etc., Next, ask
her if you can meet with her on her lunch break or for an evening
of dancing at the disco. What I always like to do is hand the girl
my hotel card with my name and room number on it. Then I tell her
to call me at a certain time and believe it or not, that usually works.
Most girls will call and from there you can make arrangements to meet
for lunch or dinner. So as a rule, have at least ten or more hotel
cards with you when you go shopping for women. Make sure you already
have your name and room number printed on it. Be sure you hand the
card very discreetly or you may embarrass her by her friends thinking
you are just after her for sex and she is willing and able. By the
way, if you do take a girl out on a date, it's standard procedure
for her to bring her friend along, as a escort. If the girl is a true
virgin, most likely it will take several dates, possibly longer, before
you can convince her to visit you at your hotel alone. In short, dating
means spending time and money and getting no sex, at least not for
a while. This is the nature of dating in the PI. Tip: we found hiring
a female guide to help you pick up girls at the malls or other public
places works wonders. The guide will establish trust and friendship
much faster than you ever could and will make the girl feel more comfortable
when first meeting and dating you. Once the girl has agreed to go
out, on the second or third date, you can usually let the guide go
home and with a bit of luck, have the girl to yourself. See section
on hiring a guide.
Shopping
Cebu has two major shopping malls, SM City and Ayala Centre,
in addition to a number of smaller malls such as Gaisano Country Mall,
Coco Mall and Raintree Mall. A wide variety of local and imported
products are available. The traditional shopping area is located in
the downtown area around Colon Street oldest street in the Philippines;
this area is relatively "native" and visitors should take
particular care of their valuables here-pickpockets frequently operate.
Carbon Market also situated in the downtown area is the best known
produce market in Cebu; a wide variety of indigenous products are
sold and traded here. |
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