Live, Retire like a King in the Philippines

Communicating:

The Philippines is the truly the only English speaking Christian country in Asia, so communicating with the driver or almost anyone is not a problem. Taxis are air-conditioned, new, and readily available. You can go to anywhere in town for $2.50 and a long trip to the airport is about $6.00. Make that even less with the recent continued devaluation of the peso.

Yesterday I went to visit a friend and my taxi fair was 25 pesos. I gave him 30 pesos, .75 US cents then. He actually chased me when I got out of the car to give me the change, about .10 cents. He could not understand why such a big tip, or a tip at all. I guess I am just a spendthrift.

I do not recommend buying or driving a car here. Today's peso rate is 56.20 to 1 US dollar. Today is December 14 here. 8 hours ahead of the States. Jeepneys (elongated locally made jeeps) are the way most people travel. They are ornate, gaudy or loud, depending on your taste. They are jeep style vehicles that carry from 14 to 20, seats on each side. Two ride with the driver "shotgun." Those seats are reserved for the disabled but often taken by young women. They have decorations, colors, family and nicknames, logos from everything imaginable, mud flaps, and other ornaments covering them. And they even altars on the dashboards. You can travel across the whole city for about .10 US cents. The oil prices have made the prices go up. Jeepneys are harder to get at rush hour, though there is not too much rush here. Have you heard of Filipino time? Only kings can set their own time. Her everyone has that prerogative it seems.

Jeepney travel is a good way to meet a lot of nice local folks. You sit with them face to face. They do love Americans and all foreigners here, perhaps to a fault. You can do no wrong, if you are a guest in their country. Jeepneys and taxis are safe. In fact Cebu City is a lot safer generally than most places I have lived in the States. You can walk the city streets at 3:00 in the morning and have no problems, male or female or in-between, in almost all parts of the city.

Personal, Medical and other Services:

I got a haircut and short massage yesterday from my best barber in his air-conditioned shop for .80 cents. A one our massage at a good parlor is between 200 to 300 pesos, more in Manila but not if you bargain. At a first class hotel is much more. But you will probably find someone in your neighborhood to makes house calls and may get a good one for a dollar.

Getting here:

Airfares are low to get here, especially off season, so if one is considering dental work or cosmetic surgery, they could save a lot of money by visiting here. The saving would more than pay for the airfare and other expenses you will have. Now if you are only going to have one gold heart implanted in a tooth, it may not be a good idea. But I don't know recent US dental prices. It may pay do come here to do wild stuff like that if you are or that bent. Tattoo artist and piercing is very cheap too and there are quality tattoo artists. I have passed that up but you never can tell. I have always wanted an ornate tattoo that said, "Tattoo."

Shopping:

There are many mammoth shopping malls here with everything you can get in the USA. If you don't like to shop, send a helper. Some of the imported good are higher priced but some are lower.

New books, reprints for sale only in the Philippines, can be very cheap. I see books on computer and other subjects US price $40 selling here for $30. But I know there are discount bookstores in the States where you can do better.

There are local markets that are more "old Filipino" in nature where a lot of bargaining goes on. Best send a helper for that or sharpen your negotiation skills. At the malls the prices are fixed price. The local markets are much more colorful. But you do have to be a skilled in bargaining local style to get the local price. Southeast Asians are known for their bargaining abilities. And they know the "nibble," and can take a big bite out of you budget. Send your helper.

Food:

If you want American food it is all here, from Shakey's, McDonald's to the Marriott Hotel's best restaurant I have ever eaten in. The Hyatt is upscale and good too. Radio Shack, I heard, just came here and other discount US retailers have just gotten permission to move in, including some banks though, Citibank, Bank of American and HSBC have been here for a long time.

I trained one of my maids who was formerly a cook for a group of Japanese students how to cook American. She is pretty good. And I get my hot whole wheat bread fresh from the oven every day made to my specs. There are international cooking schools you can send your cook to if you are a gourmet and want special food. There are schools for baking and deserts. In the States only a king can afford a trained international chef.

How can you do this?

Does this sound like kingly living to you? To me it is. I live it. I feel it. You might too. There is so much more than I mention here. If you would like to know more, read the website, and hear from other by joining the free Yahoo mailing List. Then get a plane ticket and come on over!

I don't own a hotel or resort. I don't charge for the List or the website. Here, retired in the Philippines, I have enough, little though it may be, to live in the Philippines like a king.

-------------------------------------------------------

*Legend, some say fact, has it that General Yamashita buried a lot of gold in the hills here when the Japanese occupied the Philippines during World War II. There are always people looking for it. No one has ever found it as far as I know. But Yamashita's gold is an exciting story, gold laying around always makes for interesting conversation.

Philippine Comments