I joined this forum several years ago, when life was in turmoil, but thing have changed, and I rediscovered it by accident. So I'm back, an old newbie, or a new oldie, whatever.

We have now moved back to the Philippines, after 8 years in England, so anybody has any issues with sensible stuff like moving, visas, UK, shipping, schools in the Philippines, dual nationality etc............you're on your own.

Hi Paul...welcome back.

As you are not a new member and your post is intended for people who live or are who interested in living in the Philippines I will move your thread over to our Philippines fourm.

Hi Paul,

How long have you been back mate? Has the PI changed much while you were away?

S oT

We lived in the UK for eight years. The PI has changed a fair bit while we were gone, got more crowded, also got better developed. And more expensive. Gasoline has nigh on tripled in price over those 8 years.

Where we live in Angeles they've had two new super malls built in the last few years, so you can buy pretty much everything you can in the real world.

There is a beautiful empty highway down to Olongapo, that makes it a 45 minute run to get to the beach, rather than a three hour slog on the old roads.

There is a lot more traffic on the roads, and a lot more regular cars, instead of owner Jeeps. But the price of used cars is horrendous! US$3500 for a fifteen year old Corolla!!!

The price of old cars shocked me too!

I hadn’t been to Manila for a long time and when I returned for work I was amazed. High rise everywhere, new highways and BIG malls.

My Japanese wife was a bit apprehensive about going, until she discovered Podium, Mall of Asia, SM Megamall etc.

The people seems happier too, although maybe that’s just my impression.
The girlie bars are still there, and even the LA café is still around, albeit under a different name.

Forgot to mention, we've been living back in the PI a year now, but I fly in and out every five weeks, for work, so it seems like a lot less for me.

I've yet to visit Mall of Asia, I hear it is huge?

Biggest mistake of my life was taking my wife to it. Bloody huge.

If you go, head out the back to the San Miguel park and watch the sunset. Very spectacular.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5968939...7626085264766/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5968939...7626085264766/

Cool pix!

If we do go I'll conveniently leave my cards and cash at home.......

Looks like Im out of Manila for a while. The buggers are sending me to some remote islands.....

So tell us about Angeles, I've heard a few things about it !

To the average 'tourist' it is just Fields Avenue, which is a bit like a Thai bar strip with dozens, maybe hundreds, of Gogo bars along it. Dusty, dirty, typical third world looking by day, it improves a bit after dark when the neons come on. There are also shed loads of hotels, from flea pits to five star. They specialise in indoor bars here, air-con, bright lights, pole dancing, rather than the open bars you see in Thailand so much.

I rarely go down Fields nowadays, been married fifteen years, gave up drinking about the same time, so I find other stuff to do.

The rest of Angeles is just a big scruffy town, not really a lot to do, depends on what you are interested in really. I build cars, hot rods, so most of my spare time is spent pursuing that hobby.

There is a golf course there, two huge shopping malls, all air-con and western standard. Clark airport, the old USAF military installation, is still here, turned into a big industrial 'free port'. Loads of manufacturing and stuff going on in there, duty free shops, a couple of muscle car renovation businesses.

There's also Clark International Speedway, which is a drag strip, crossed with a rally cross circuit and a drifting circuit. They also do motorcycle races.

There's a bunch of glitzy websites about Fields avenue and Angeles on the web, everything from interesting info to XXX piccies.

I shall be back there on Saturday, crew change tomorrow morning here in the Gulf of Mexico.