Butch

Jollibee is pretty fucking shit as well. Take a Macdo, cheapen the ingredients by 80% and you have Jollibee. I'd rather brush my teeth with Pla ra. In fact, any take away food in the Philippines is rank. Actually, scrub that, Any food in the Philippines full stop. A country that was never noted for its culinary or gastronomic excellence, I can honestly tell you that during my return to the PI I inevitably come home at least 8kg lighter in body weight (and it's not like I'm a porker in the first place either) due to the simple fact that the food is so bloody disgusting I'm hard pushed to find any of it in the least bit appetizing. I tend to go home cooked vegetarian with plenty of fruit when I'm there, chuck in a load of chillies and hope for the best.

Hi, Sorry, a bit later than expected. It's taken me ages to transfer the files from my old PC ot the new one, and alot of stuff got lost. Anyway. As I mentioned, as part of the corregidor Island visit there's the opportunity to go into the Malinta Tunnel. Essentially the Tunnel made up part of an underground infrastructure with several annexes, safe from Air and Sea bombardment as it was bored into the mountainside and served as a command centre for Macarthur during his stay. when buying the tickets for Corregidor you're offered the Tunnel experience as part of the package. you can also buy tickets upon arrival at the tunnel entrance for the same price, so it is literally up to you. I can't really recall how much it is, maybe about 350 peso or something, certainly not vast fortunes. Illuminated with Cameara flash. From a foreigners standpoint, the tunnel is an intrinsic part of the trip. To be able to gain an insight into the history of Corregidor at least one trip is worth it, I've done it a few times now and can offer some tips for the best chance to get some pics etc. As the tunnel is made up of some "dioramas" which light up as they tell the story of its role during the conflict, everyone is clamouring to take pics. Don't worry too much if you're not at the front, as any decent digicam flash will illuminate it enough without the lighting, and there are opportunities to take pictures, do what I did, head for the "edge" of the crowd at the front to gain a decent viewpoint. upon entering the tunnel it's obvious that it has been rebuilt, but the tracks which make up the Corregidor Railway network have been left in situe. **Note (EDIT), I've been asked about the "orbs" in the picture. there has been speculation they represent something like spirits. i'm not religious, but with all the death surrounding the tunnel, I leave it up to you to decide if it's dust in the air or anything other.Please don't judge the TR as anythingm other than it is though. They are consistent throughout the tunnel pics but appear nowhere else. All pics on the trip taken with the same Camera.** As a group you're taken by a guide (for some reason video is not allowed but picture are). you essentially cross over from side to side viewing the annexes which have been converted and sealed for the dioramas. Bear in mind you're only seeing a very small percentage of the Tunnel complex, and sadly for safety reasons it's the only part of the Island out of bounds to long stay visitors. no woner when you look at the later pics. This is the start of the tour. A story is told as you progress, with soundbites through the speakers and some input from the guide. Take as many pics as you want, remember there's loads of time. They do go into the hardships endured by the soldiers, tough to imagine but not for the claustrophobic. At the end of the tour they raise the Flag of the Philippines and offer a simple prayer. these annexes are toward the end of the tunnel. They are as they were when the Japanese detonated the explosives and created a fire which lasted for weeks inside the complex. Behind these walls lie dead women, children and soldiers. Considered too dangerous to excavate and left alone, they serve as a poingniant reminder that War costs lives on both sides, and very often the innocent pay the price. I hope you enjoyed the report. I'm currently planning my Intramuros report which will probably need to be in 2 parts. Anyone who says there's nothing to do in Manila should take their girl, or even go alone and visit Corregidor Island. A somewhat sobering experience to think the dead sleep beyond the destruction, not enemies anymore but simply casualties, not having had a proper burial, but also to be thankful for the sacrifices of the brave men and women, without which none of us would be able to enjoy the freedoms we have today.

EP Excellent cause mate. I used to visit when Father Brennan was in charge, until some UK scum tabloid made horrific accusations against the man, which were untrue and unjustified. I honestly think that put the man into his early grave. I've never boasted about being a hard man,and I'm not, but I was reduced to tears visiting the orphanage each time and seeing the children there, I felt not for thm, but for the ones not so lucky. The number of half farang/thai children is also surprising. Gents, the orphanage is always grateful for nappies and baby formula, neither of which weigh much and both of which go a long , long way. If each BM put 10 nappies and 1 baby formula in their case for the Orphanage on their visit and delivered it there, then alot of lives would be improved. EP I have a trip coming up, are you in town?. PM me mate. Think of the Karma points lads, they go a long way. None of us are perfect, are we?.

Avoid crystal travel at all costs. We booked a Cathay flight with them 3 years ago, lhr-hkg-MNL , they managed to misspell our daughters name on the ticket and refused to change unless we paid an admin fee of 35 quid. We refused and eventually Cathay got involved directly, when they reluctantly changed it. Crystal travel are a bunch of total cunts, and I wouldn't waste your cash or time dealing with them. Caveat emptor when dealing with these clowns. Cheers Butch

BM's, A colleague at work is a friend of the Family and comes from the same village,He has asked me to post this in the Pattaya forums. I've posted on Thaigers and also here. MM, I apologise if this is against the forum rules in any way, or may have been posted before, but on behalf of the family, please, if anyone spots Tom in Pattaya or Bangkok, please can they notify the Police, or maybe if he's in distress or difficulty help out in whatever way they can. I know the family would be very grateful for any info. Taken from BBC News: Tom Armstrong of Kelsale feared missing in Thailand The family of a 22-year-old Suffolk man fear he has gone missing in Thailand. Tom Armstrong's family, from Kelsale near Saxmundham, said he had been in regular email contact with them since he arrived in Thailand in April 2012. They said he was due to catch a flight from Thailand to Heathrow on 8 January, but he did not board his flight and had not been in contact since. The family and police are appealing for any information about Mr Armstrong, who is 6ft 2ins tall and has fair hair. Mr Armstrong had travelled to Thailand to go on a diving course on the island of Koh Toa. The family said the last contact they had with him was an email on 6 January. Thanks Butch

Lol I was being ironic re the Sykslops statement, sorry. Seriously though, I'll head out of town during Cobra Gold, even though the US guys are no problem, the crowds do my head in.

Damn, I'll have to give the pentagon a call. Not too fussed, just don't want my few days in fun town having to avoid WS due to massive crowds. At least the yanks actually go into the bars tho, more than can be said for most of the WS visitors these days.... Quite a few hotels booked up for feb as well by the looks of things. Might have to either step my budget up a bit...is Skytops still open...? :)

Good tip! Cheers.

Should be getting the early stage cobra gold guys arriving soon as well. WS will be busy (or rather the 7-11's) . Actually, anyone know the exact dates of CG this year?. Cheers Butch

Hi, Sad to see EVA are tightening up on weight. They always used to be pretty flexible, especially out of bkk. Anyone know what routes EVA use the old B747 combi's on? I thought they were using them on the US routes these days, maybe they've been phased out tho, I recall flying on them in the late 90's. I flew EVA last year from LHR-BKK and found it lacking in service. Not a patch on the old days, they didn't even offer alcohol! Then again, it probably pays not to expect too much from economy travel these days . I'm due out again on an EVA flight in the next few weeks from LHR, I'll put a report in. Few days in patts then onto Manila. Cheers Butch

Hi, As an update, I forgot to mention in my review, the economy seats come with a USB port located next to the IFE screen. However, it would not charge my iPad for some reason, but did charge my android phone. I don't know what the function of it could be apart from charging, but for anyone with an iPad, it doesn't work!. Cheers Butch

Gabor, I found this link which might help you decide which or how much BTU you need: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Formula_for_calculating_btu_for_a_room_metric Cheers Butch

Hi Bratpack, Thanks for the compliments!. The buildings are fully accessible, with the exception of maybe one or two, you can climb, walk and take as many pics as you wish, the bus stays in each venue for about 10 mins. there is an alternative 2/3 day trip whereby there are extended guided tours (such as down to the airfield), or you can go off on your own. I've been twice and each time the bus tour was slightly different. As I mentioned, there are several uncovered bunkers / foxholes littered around, live ordnance, weapons and discarded ammunition boxes etc are still being discovered as are human remains. Once you get off the beaten track the jungle is very thick, to the best of my knowledge nowhere is out of bounds apart from the Malinta Tunnel Experience which is locked between tours. The guides are very knowledgable. My first visit was made all the more interesting as we had a Veteran of the Bataan March as a guide who gave an insight and examples of his experience. I've got a Malinta tunnel TR somewhere, which I'll be posting hopefully sometime soon. Cheers again, butch

Thanks Mods / Admin for moving the above post. Apologies for the cock up. Cheers Butch

Thanks firth, your comments are apprecieted mate!. I've got a bit more to post, but time's against me so hopefully during the week i can put my Intramuros for pics up, and my Manila Bay cafe report for the mongers out there! Cheers mate, Butch

Battery Hearn is quite a complicated area, the ammunition being brought up from underground arsenals. Here also is an example of the Cantilever system used to raise the Guns up and down during operations.Battery Hearn was not on a cantilever, but did have a 360 degree firing range, restricted only by the terrain. Entrance into Underground Arsenal, goes on for a long way, currently inhabited by alot of bats and other jungle nasites - hence I shit myself and decided not to go in. Cantilver Gun - an Example of. Considering the fearsome firepower of these things, and that they were less than that of Hearn, in a way you have to admire the Japanese for being so bloody determined. then again, they kind of had no choice. After visiting the batteries, we progress onto the “living area” which included the Picture House, and several houses of officers during the time. On my second trip here I wandered off the track and went around the bombed out houses. There are alot of original features still there like fireplaces, cookers and the like. This is the cinema, apparently playing "Gone with the Wind" at the time of the Japanese invasion. Note the artillery holes above the centre, the whole thing is pockmarked. The longest Barracks in the World when built, American and Japanese Graffiti still evident. "Mile long Barracks". Again, I have other pics of American and Japanese graffiti, written in reply. Half way along "Mile long Barracks" The Generals and Officers quarters are located outside the Memorial area as well as the museum. The Memorial area is immaculate, a large marble plinth with a dedication to the Filipino and American servicemen and women, as well as a very poignantly written marble memorial. the area was very popular indeed, and I was extremely moved by the fact that the Filipino families with their Children made sure the kids understood and appreciated exactly what had happened here. There was no noise from them, just silent respect. Inside the museum they retain the original Corregador USA flag, as well as several weapons from both sides. Our guide was actually a serviceman on the Island and survived the Death march. He told me that there are still remains being found on the island, as well as live ordnance and weapons, canteens, ration packs and clothing. There are areas as yet uncleared by the historical society and many foxholes and buildings remain unfound, very possibly with human remains still inside. Visitors who go “walkabout” are respectfully asked to treat these as War graves and inform the Society of their location. When going on a 2 day trip, it is possible to wander off at your leisure pretty much anywhere. There are stories of one being able to hear odd noises at night. I'm not sure how true this is though. As an update the remains of a Japanese soldier were found only last month, his canteen was found to stil contain water. After a decent meal and an hour and a half break, we proceed onto the Beachhead where Macarthur vowed to return , the very pier still remains where he walked upon after the surrender of the Japanese and he was heard to have said “I have returned”. Whether or not one sees Macarthur as a great General or as some would have him painted in a different light, he is still a great Hero to the Filipino people. Emotive statue, I witnessed men wipe away a tear here, myself included. The tour guide offered us so much insight and information, but asked we did not post his pic. He was very interested in all theatres of the Second World War, yet remains dignified and magnamonious enough not to bear any grudges against the enemy. Offering a personal insight into the barbaric methods of the Japanese, he said they have paid for their sins, and the past should be left alone but never forgotten. The Corregador experience is a very visual one. All the time we are being given information about the buildings, the Servicemen and the environment, sadly so far I have compressed as much as I can into a very basic tour highlighting the most important areas. The conditions as one would imagine were very harsh, frightened young men and women cowering under cover during the attrition of the Japanese and paradoxically the Japanese had their turn during the American bombardment, all getting ready to fight, or in the case of the Japanese, commit suicide. Next I'll report on the Malinta tunnel, which leaves you with a lump in your throat and a sobering experience of how lucky we are these days. Note bullet marks on the inside.

Corregador Island is a Fortress Island off the mainland near Manila. During WW2 it served initially as a United States base, then, it was surrendered after the men were ordered to do so, and became occupied by the Japanese. It was from the Island that many men were made to go on the infamous Bataan Death march, one of the most horrific and terrible examples of mans inhumanity to man during the war. It was later recaptured by the American and Allied forces and General Macarthurs promise of “I shall return” was made good. There was a lot of blood spilt on the Island, and it serves as a fitting tribute to the lives that were lost. Some moments and images are deeply poignant, especially when one realises that some of the men who died here wre so young they had never had the chance to “waste 5 bucks” down the local bar. If ever anyone goes to the Philippines and stays in Manila for any length of time, then a visit to Corregador Island is absolutely imperative. In order to start any trip to Corregador I recommend you take the following: Bottled Water (available for purchase on the bus but that means interrupting the guide) Camera batteries, films (or Mem cards) SunBlock Decent walking shoes (if going for 2 days) Insect repellent Binoculars Handkerchief For the trip, once in Manila, pick up any tour guide pamphlet or local paper and the trips to the Island will be advertised. We called the office beforehand, which is located in Manila Bay just down the road from the Starbucks there, and pre booked the tickets. The price for one day was PHP1700 each (£20) and included dinner, travel to and from the island by boat & the tour bus. (If you get stuck just ask for the Theme Park, then get the obviously retarded Taxi driver to ask for the Bay) The boat trip takes around an hour and a half, and did not leave on the scheduled time of 8:30, more like an hour later. Depending upon the seas, it isn't too bad but unfortunately I was having a pretty rough time of it, my sea legs failing me on this occasion. Upon arrival the boat guide sorts you into groups on your buses, they are Tagalog speaking only, Japanese (you can imagine how popular these guys are), English speaking, English/Tagalog, and you basically jump on board whatever one you fancy. There is a running joke , and if you're with a Pinay she'll tell you - "don't get on the Japanese one, it's got a bomb underneath" The tour starts at the main beachhead where the base was established, there are memorials to the American , Filipino and allied nurses who were stationed there, known as “The Angels of Bataan and Corregador” there is a fitting memorial. The bus then takes you to a barracks which had a pretty rough time of it during the bombing, still as it was, and unlike the health and safety conscious UK one can walk around with abandon anywhere, but respecting the fact many brave men died where you tread. We then progress onto one of the battalion areas which included the fresh water supply system, supply bunkers, Gun emplacements and Arsenals. Not being a great military expert, the Artillery pieces there were pretty large, the calibre being big enough to fit my large fat head inside the barrel, God alone knows what sound it would have made. Some of the Guns were mounted on an ingenious cantilever system which allowed them to be pulled underground after firing, or during bombardment. Again, one can walk around the buildings which still sport evidence of heavy calibre weapons fire. There was a railway system throughout the Island for transporting goods and ammunition, most of which has been removed but there is still the remains of some of it. The oppressive heat, jungle and humidity here must have made it hard work to live, let alone fight a determined enemy. Several of the buildings are still cool inside however, but that must have been small comfort when coming under serious ordnance. To the North of the Island we come upon the area known as “Battery Hearn”, the weapons are still in place and were able to lob a 1000lb shell 17 miles every 55 seconds, being on the receiving end of such firepower one must have thought that Hell itself was raining down. On may 6th 1942 it was dismantled after the men of the 59th coast Artillery were ordered to surrender. Battery Hearn Large Shell, unsure of the size/ weight Spare Barrel, notice schrapnel damage Battery Hearn memorial and info plaque Part Two to follow. Cheers Butch

hi firth Thanks for the compliment mate! I've posted part 2 in the open forum, maybe MM can move this into there as I've probably made a cock up placing it in this one. Cheers Butch

Mrs Butches home town area. She did once suggest we settle here, when I found out the proximity of the actuive volcano, I politely suggested somewhere perhaps a bit safer where I won't get buried alive by boiling rocks. Clear roads, a nice change from Manila. Shit, I thought there was something wrong at one point... SEA Scenery, palm tree, field, stuff growing. love it. Mayon volcano, a perfect cone and a huge tourist attraction. Mrs Butch lived within a few KM for most of her life - leading to what was to be a very emotional return on her part. I was taking the piss at one point, when Mrs Butch said "at least they're working, not like some of the people in your country - they need to eat". I shut my piehole at that point. Cagsaw was buried during an eruption in 1812. The people of the village fled to the church for safety, but were all buried alive when the lava overcame the village. Many people perished and personally I can't think of a worse way to go. Not a nice thing, especially when you consider there were kids in that church, holding onto their mummys for safety. Sobering. It was buried so deep, what you're looking at in the pic is the Church spire. The whole way into and out of the place is basically lava, it destroys the roads so rather than rebuild, they just carve out a new track. Consider that this was 14 ft at one time. Mayon, in all it's sinister beauty. Mayon is described as a "perfect cone". She is a killer. Mrs butch has told me of times that the family literally ran for their lives during eruptions. It is still active, google it for the most recent activity, but in my opinion, given the choice over living in the shadow of this bitch or Manila, I'll take the traffic everytime. Maybe I'm one of life's wimps. I dunno. The Crosses are graves of families, not individiuals. We travelled onward to Mrs Butchs home village. It has not changed much, the roads in have been build over the lava flows. If you look in this pic, the "wave" effect is actually where the soil has covered the lava after it stopped flowing during the last eruption. see the large boulders? thrown like small stones. We're less than 500 m away from whwre Mrs Butch lived. The rice being grown in the previous pic is refined and sold locally. I missed a photo op where some fellas were thrashing it, the all round good blokes got me tipsy on Tanduay during their lunch break, such is the friendliness and kindness of some filipino's. Note the building buried by lava. Like I said earlier, rather than bust out the old, they simply throw in some Plastic and blow a new hole through, smooth it out and call it a road. Our Police friend kindly lent us a driver and his car for the day. It got emotional here. This was the family "house" that Mrs Butch grew up in with her 3 sisters and brother. It's now home to one of her relatives. Not much has changed in the place, considering her mum brought them all up after her dad ran out it is pretty humbling. My wife became pretty bloody upset about it all, especially when we moved onto visit the woman who would give her some food because her mum couldn't feed her, as they had nothing. I was pretty ashamed actually, here's me whinging about this and that, when her mum is nothing short of a bloody hero, bringing up 4 kids with jack shit coming in, a single mum in a catholic country, a social outcast but still working when she can. Now she lives in Manila in a nice, big house with money coming in, and the sacrifices she made for her kids paying off. When life is tough in SEA, it's tough. no denying. My face is blacked out cos I'm in the SAS, DELTA force, GSG9 and also a part time Salvation Army Tier one operative. The wood was a supporting beam. It still had notches on the other side where Mrs Butch's height was marked off as she grew up. Her Dad built this house, so it was bitter sweet. The kitchen / toilet and bathroom. I hope you enjoyed the TR, If you have any questions re the PI apart from the Sex Scene I'd be happy to help, just PM me. Cheers Butch

Hi, As a bit of an intro to this brief report, I'll give some background on Naga City. It's located kind of SE Leyte, and is actually blessed with a half decent infrastructure, climate (if you like getting hit by the odd typhoon) and History. Like most of PI the spanish colonial influence is very apparent in the architecture, it's also home to a festival (Penafrancia - thanks Wiki) and the Cam Sur water park. That map isn't much help, is it? I nicked it from wiki. The one I wanted had a location on it, anyway, it's easy to find, just google "Naga city". Oddly, and surprisingly for me I saw more foreigners here than in our regular subdivision and SM Mall in Manila. It's very popular with Expats and not only those at retirement age, a few youngsters eek out a living at the Water park and some stay here on the cheap courtesy of their parents. No shame in that, good luck to them I say, besides, if I could avoid the 9 to 5 for a few years I would. It's a bloody attractive prospect for any retiring Expat as well, (non monger type) as land is cheap here, approx 2000 - 3000 peso per SqM on the outskirts of the City in a decent subdivision, but the utilities are all connected, so you get 24 hour water and electric without the need for a deep well or backup Generators (although backups are handy anyway). Anyway, here's a brief TR on our week long visit to Mrs Butches home village, this one covering the first 3 days in Naga. It's pretty basic, but hopefully might be of some use or interest to someone. On the Ground at Manila We flew by turbo prop to Naga, 45 mins for 1000 php per person. The flight was about 40 minutes, comfy and I was surprised at the acceleration of a small turboprop, very aggressive indeed. Looking down at Leyte Naga city Airport (like landing in the middle of nowhere). It's located just outside the city, one of the other reasons it's attractive to Expats, as a regular and cheap air service to Manila is operated. twice a day in the monsoon and three times the rest of the year. Not always reliable though, if it's empty they bump you to a later flight. Cam sur is a world renown Water Park. people come from all over to use the Drag line (longest in SEA, might be the world) which pulls you along through the shallow water. Surfers use it to practice but it's mainly for wakeboarders. It's not a cheap outing, about 1600 php for 3 hours including the rental of equipment. The whole place is nice though, clean and offers quite a few activities. They serve food, there's also another 2 pools where you can relax and the kids can play. It does get busy at weekends though. It's very well managed, although H&S would have a fit if they visited - there's no restriction on going in the water while wakeboarders are going around. I know to the likes of me and you it's common sense, but to some filipino's it just doesn't register. Pool Area bloody kids. Wakeboarding is fairly easy, just keep your arms and legs bent and take the strain, too many people lean forwards and fall in rather than lean back to take the strain of the pulley. I found this out by experience and looking a bit of a twat the first time. The Mrs liked it though, she thought it was bloody hilarious until I punched her in the mouth but I told her it was just a practice run. Me, Wakeboarding like a pro..... Many Expats choose to settle here as the land is cheap, there is a decent hospital and the infrastructure is 100% better than anything Manila Metro can offer. For provincial living it's an excellent option. not me, another guy. Sunset at Cam Sur Waterpark The Evening entertainment in Naga is limited to say the least. there are "naughty" bars but as usual Mrs Butch had me on a very short leash and we ended up going to a Music bar with friends. As usual, expect to turn your watch back 30 years when entering these places and don't expect anything other than cheesy romantic songs. The beer is cheap though. I had to cringe my way through the above set, everything from "Copa cobana" to "through the fire" - apart from slashing my wrists the only option open to me was another Gin Tonic at the horrific sum of p80. Until, that is, the second band came on and there was a little bit of eye candy. Most clubs are laid out like this, stage: check garish seating: check long tables: check distinct lack of unattatched females cos Mrs Butch doesn't trust me so she took me to this shithole where my eyes can't wander:check. I forgot to add, Naga has a decent sized SM Mall, cinema, a few very good restaurants and decent schools as well as a good hospital. The Mayor here is very amiable, especially towards Expats so planning permission and the occasional "favour" can easily be granted. Crime is very low, and it is relatively safe to walk the streets at night. Within 5 minutes you're out of the village and into the countryside where you can get land very cheap indeed. All the food you eat is locally grown / caught. There are naughty places in Naga, but tbh you need a filipino friend to take you and be able to keep his mouth shut. Expats are welcome, and again, the girls wouldn't be taking the piss on prices. apparently, or so i'm told. So that was our few nights in Naga before we headed onto legaspi to see Mrs Butches village and the people she grew up with. I'll post a follow on and hopefully a bit more cultural report once I dig the pics out. If anyone has any questions about the PI other than the Sex scene (there are enough resourses for that) I'd be happy to try and answer them, just drop me a PM. While not being an expert, if I don't know then hopefully might be able to point you in the direction of someone who can. Forums are all about helping people and making new mates, after all. Cheers Butch

Idelfix Aggressively marketed - yes, it is, compared to the way it was before, but thats change for you I guess . The general concensus is that the showgirls are harder to deal with, one tends to get more GoGo queens working in the bars using them. However, as you say, everyone sees a different side of the same coin, and depending upon your personal preferences. Alot of mongers would go there for the eye candy, but not to directly barfine per se, but this again is down to perhaps budget constraints and maybe some guys don't like the large crowds gathering there these days. Conversely some mongers like it for the very reasons you give - if you're ever going to get a decent off duty GoGo girl, or are in the market for a stunner, then WS is where you'll find her . I was aiming for this thread not to turn into another "Why is pattaya in decline...?" yarn, but more hoping the specific area / decline of WS and the attitudes of the girls working there these days. We see alot of very bad behaviour in WS bars, on WS itself, this is beginning to reflect in the attitudes of the staff towards customers. We're always eager to lay the blame at their feet, when part of the reason has been our attitude (or that of our countrymen - to the average Thai a farang is a farang regardless) toward them in the past, and the present. Cheers butch

I tend to agree, not living there but instead asking those that see it on a daily basis would give perhaps a better or more balanced outlook. then again, it's like seeing the niece or nephew you haven't seen for ages, the they turn up and the first thing you notice is how much they've grown, as opposed to their parents who only notice how much of a pain in the arse they've become. Bloody hell are we all getting old?..

Jesus - Seems like the whole of patts is a health hazard. Get well soon guys.

We travelled on the Malaysian Airlines Airbus A380 which had only come into service two months or so previously. It was MH3 LHR-KL-MNL. Price paid £620 per person RTN for the month of October 2012, no fare restrictions and a change of date would be £75 pp. Being a new aircraft it was clean, everything worked and had a nice , modern feel to it. I love engineering, and to me the A380 is pretty much the pinnacle of aviation engineering for the masses. Until you get close to one of these, it's hard to imagine the sheer size of the thing. The seating arrangement in economy is 3-4-3 downstairs and I think 2-4-2 upstairs - I could be wrong though, we were sat downstairs near the mid section Galley Note the multiple (3) Entry tunnels & Crew doing pre flight. Inside the plane you're greeted with nice, subtle colouring and decor, plenty of overhead stowage and 10 inch IFE screens with several (hundreds in fact) films, TV programmes and games. The interior feels spacious - Galley area where there is always a tray of drinks and some snacks to help yourself to, it saves the Crew a job! Headrests move up and down and can fold in for neck support. Considering the amount of passengers, the Crew do an excellent job of boarding, organising and helping. They are utmost professionals whom take pride in their job and are a credit to the airline. We were first on board as we had a young 'un with us, but when you see how rude some people can be to the staff, it's no wonder they can get pissed off easily. Seatback Tv's are of a generous size and very clear , offering a huge choice of programmes - there is enough to keep you busy for 12 hours plus. Another Cabin shot. Upon take off you're treated to a gentle progressive application of power, a gentle and comfortable take off which, given the size of the Engines is also very quiet. I was very surprised that there were no jolts, rattles or bangs, just a smooth, comfortable take off. We took off bang on time, and reached our cruise within the space of 30 mins. Note the vortex from the Engine cowling. In flight food was served approx 2 hours into the flight. Unfortunately it was total and utter shit, and beyond any doubt the worst food I've ever had on any airline. It was stodgy, cold and bland. fortunately I always pack a few choccy bars and crisps etc for the journey, as I knew Butch Jr would refuse to eat such crap. I wouldn't even feed it to a dog. This was supposed to be Chicken in a cheese sauce with mashed potato. I've yet to see green mashed potato, but I was unpleasantly surpised to see it here. It tasted as bad, in fact worse than it looked. The Crew member was apologetic as they had run out of one choice. On the return journey however, they served an excellent Steak and potato which kind of made up , in part for the shortfall on the outward. (sorry no pics). Hungry Askal would refuse such dining. This is my bodyguard when in the philippines whenever I need to go outside our subdivision. I get some very strange looks, walking a dog , but like Mrs Butch said: "nobody likes getting bitten by a dog, and the last place you ever want to get bitten is by a dog is (apart from your cock) in the Philippines & least of all by one of these". his name is Askgal, which is tagalog for street dog, which, ironically, he was until we adopted him. Half of One Ear, one eye & no fear whatsoever. Thought I'd include him cos he's my mate. Anyway, overall impressions of Malaysian Airlines. Service is excellent. Another blanket, no problem, more wine, no problem. Very attractive trolley dollies, prompt, efficient attention and they look after families very well indeed. Weight wise, it was a 20kg allowance. In the UK they were ok with 22 kg, but the other end they were very strict. We had to unload 1 kg from one case as it was over by that amount. The whole flight was good, with 2 noteable issues. first, the food was abysmal, almost inedible. Second, the plane was freezing cold. working on the physics that cold air is denser than warm, hence all the cold air from upstairs sinks down and it was bloody freezing. Added to that the fact I was very sick anyway, I honestly thought I was going to "croak" it on the outward. I had 2 T shirts, a hooded top, 2 blankets and I was shivering contstantly for 4 hours until I managed to sleep. The cold air made breathing hard, so much so that I coughed each time I drew breath, and had to put a blanket over my head to enable me to breathe warmer air. To date, it was the worst flight (health wise) I've ever had, and I've been in a Skyvan when I had the shits, once. coming back however, the flight was almost empty with the exception of the UK Athletics team who'd been to NZ for some competition. If they weren't there it would have been almost empty, hence blankets, pillows and even more helpings of food, wine and booze were handed out with impunity by the very nice Cabin crew. Overall I'd rate Malaysian pretty well, but for Gods sake do something with the heating and the food. I won't be flying them to MNL again because it takes so bloody long. 13 hours to KL, cos you have to go down the coast, whereas to BKK or HKG it's quicker as the route is more direct. Anyway, if anyone has any questions about the airline I'd be happy to answer them, just post away. * Apologies for the issue with the photo's, some were cut/pasted from Thaigers, others from my directory - it's my own fuck up, and the first person who moans about it to me I'll but them a beer by way of apology. It'll be a draft tho.) Cheers Butch

Teelak, bloody good point, the dynamics have changed and will continue to do so. Within those dynamics - the balance of visitors, comes different attitudes, expectations and behaviours. However, I think this is more evident on WS than anywhere else. I refer to WS specifically as it is as good an example as any when it comes to a change, not only physically but also in the way we, as mongers, are treated as customers. Sois 7,8, Metro etc are still pretty good places to hang out, and for the most part LK offers a glimpse of what the whole of Pattaya was like at one time and should be today. Maybe the closest thing I can compare it to is Pattayaland 2 in the late 90's - a relatively small street but still good enough to spend a whole night on should you wish to. It's just that as one part of Pattaya goes into decline (depending of course, upon your perspective), another is improving expinent , exponiti , exponitial , alot. Digressions aside, those very dynamics are having a negative effect upon the way we, as customers are treated and perceived by the girls. I know we were never much more than walking ATM's, but it seems like we are all now walking ATM's that someone has had a piss up against. Cheers Butch