The Philippines is driving me nuts....

I've been here many, many times but the place now drives me nuts.
Noisey, hard to travel, everybody trying to rip me off, too much religion, dirty.....
Jeez I could go on.
Not a good last 5 weeks for so many reasons.
Think I'd rather be lying next to a swimming pool in Spain right now

Yes Jim, I think you hit the nail on the head mentioning the fact that you hardly went out.
Perhaps if my wife and I owned somewhere to relax in like yourself, we would be able to put our feet up and not get stressed out.
Travelling too much with kids here just makes me feel that I need another holiday to get over this one.
I have realised that being here would not be suitable for most families from the "West".
I too am realistic - I think we won't be coming here every couple of years anymore even though Rochelyn's family is here. It's such a nightmare without a comfortable place to stay for a while but I do think my wife and I travelling with a 2½ year old and a 1 year old here has tipped me over the edge particularly......

I know the feeling well.

One or two bad things are OK, but in the Philippines they just keep on coming..

My worst example, I arrived in Manila last August.

Half a mile from the airport our (hotel) taxi was flagged over by a bunch of corrupt cops, they apparently found some minor problem (I assume) with his paperwork.

I could see the $$$ rolling in their eyes as the looked at me, a foreign passenger.

The bastards had an argument with our driver, then unscrewed the number plates and walked off with them, it took 1,000 Peso and 20 minutes to get them back, obviously no receipt, and obviously the driver had no money.

One of my unforgettable memories of the Philippines.

Same area, a bunch of begging kids were getting too close to me, so I told them to **** off.

One of the little bastards took his shoe off and threw it at the back of my head.

I turned around, picked it up, gave him the evil eye, and dropped the shoe down a storm drain.

Hi Dave_E,
If the things you mentioned that happened to you were to happen to me right now here, I would really lose my rag......
Think I need a massage (the ones for happily married men).

It's such a pity that this trip has not worked out as well for you as previous trips
I think that travelling around with kids is always going to be tough. Also not having a quiet haven for relaxation does make a difference.
I remember the first few times I visited the Philippines I really got 'edgy' not having privacy and my own space. At that time we also stayed with family. Nowadays that's not the case at all. We both prefer our own space.

I know that like me, Mike, you have spent many years working and living in many countries and cultures.
I always maintain you need a certain mindset to manage being comfortable in different cultures and living conditions.
But when you have you mind on little ones some of the 'cracks' in that comfort tend to grow.

It makes a big difference when you have your own place.

Hope all will go well.
I'm sure the family would love a short relaxing holiday in UK or southern Europe sometime. I know my wife enjoyed our holiday in Barcelona. City sights and great beach too.

This is the thing I think about a lot as well Mike. You have to remember that the P.I is basically still a third world country with massive poverty and poor infrastructure outside the larger towns / cities.

My wife wants to build a proper brick house in the province (where ther is no road to and no running water yet!) on our rice farm. I'm trying to hold off on the idea as I think for how often we'll be there it'l be a waste of money especailly with the poor exchange rate.

I've always said that the best place for me was Olongapo city about10 years ago. Nice, clean (ish), not over developed, girly bars on the whole had been moved out of town, reasonable amenities. Relaxing in our own rented house / apartment. But of course this has all changed now. I still don't know where we'll end up when we move out there hopefully this year, maybe Cavite way as I'm trying to convince the wife we should save money while out there to allow us a new house in the UK on our return. I ceertainly don't want to be breaking the bank!

Well i hope your time out there picks up for you Mike

I just got back from my winter break, Feurtiventure. nice clean hotel, next to the beach, clean fresh air, sensible drivers, good roads some have bicycle tracks too, good food, inexpensive beer 150 Euros pint of san mig . Could go on forever.

Missed The Phillippines. work that one out

I spent a holiday in Furteventura a few years ago (with the ex). I enjoyed it. This year I am taking the wife and baby to Portugal (Algarve) - Schengen Visa permitting.

150 Euros a pint?

oops 1.5 Euros. There's some lovely beach's on the Algarve, went there in the 80's. Love to go back sometime.

Good luck with the Shengen visa

Another typo..

Should be Schengen.

Why does the EU never have a Wigan agreement.

Or a Blackpool accord?

More like shenanigans.

Hi Dom the missus informed me yesterday you guys where on a Portuguess Island in the south lol

Lol pass the Madiera my dear