Angeles City News
July 2002

Published By Margarita Station

Shorter newsletter this month since I just returned from vacation.  Possible interim newsletter if warranted. 

R A I N

The rain has to be the biggest story this month.  For the first time in almost 11 years we are getting a WET rainy season like I remember from the 80's & early 90's.  The rains were so hard a few nights ago that it took us over four hours to get from the airport to Angeles City (mostly due to flooding over the toll way).  I used this as a good chance to check out the video CD system in our new van and I'm happy to report that it was a good way to kill the time stuck in traffic (more about the new van below). Unfortunately, the rains are forecast to continue for about another week.  

Around Balibago:  Wow, I returned from a month in Thailand to find this place converted into "The City of Rumors."  I guess with the lack of tourists this month the guys need something to talk about.  Here are a few of the hottest rumors I have heard since I got back, time will tell which are true:

• A long-term expat hotel manager has run off with the company van and all the cash in the safe/bank leaving huge unpaid salaries & other expenses behind
• A new restaurant/bar that just opened about a month ago is closing it's doors?
• I sold Margarita Station! (I'm having trouble believing this one)
• Investors in three nightclubs here have pulled out of their plans to build a hotel and more nightclubs.  (Note: there is a FOR RENT sign on the building where the hotel was going)
• Balibago Bruce is finally over his addiction to "The Mustang." (Yeah, & the sun will be out tomorrow!)
• Another expat with multiple leases has sold all his holdings to some mysterious guy from the USA, but there are some problems with lease transfers.
• The US military will return to Clark Air Base on a permanent basis.  (This rumor has been floated since 1991 every time business gets bad).
• The CDC will tear down all the squatter businesses on the north side of Fields Avenue & a "World-class" park will be constructed there with a 2 hectare lagoon.

Club News: If you are looking for crowd, then this isn't the right time for your visit.  This is the slowest I have seen Angeles City since the year after Mt. Pinatubo erupted.  I did a bar hop the other night and I was the sole customer in about half the clubs I visited.  In the past I have found this to be an advantage because the girls get "hungry" for attention, but the other night I had trouble getting the empty clubs into the party spirit.  Hopefully when I go back out this week with a sack of bar toys from  Bangkok I'll be able to have some fun.  The good news is there are probably even vacancies at the Orchid Inn this week.

• G-SPOT: Closed for the last few weeks due to an initial electrical problem and some problems with city permits.
• Ayers Rock:  Kitchen has opened and then closed :-(
• Woody's Pub is gone.  Looks like a new building will rise there soon.  Word is that this will be managed by the Blue Nile/Nero's gang.
• Mustang Sally's has changed format again and now has a lounge singer and no more dancers.
• Blue K is relocating from near Clarkton to the Airport City Terminal Building (Former Maverick City).  (I think it will be hard to get the great atmosphere they have where they now in this new location, but time will tell).
• Good Times: Still closed
• Exotica: Still closed
• Splash/marine Bar: Still closed/under renovation
• Valentines: Still under renovation
• TQ--Heartbreakers--??: frames for second story going up.
• Blue Nile: Reported as the only club still packed every night

Margarita Station:  Our new van has passed the break-in period,  so the driver can pick up the speed to the flow of traffic, unfortunately that flow has often been less than 60 kph due to heavy rains and slippery conditions.  These road conditions can increase the trip from a normal of 2 hours to four or more hours.  The following VCD's will be in the van at all times (Shanghai Noon, The Art of War, Shawshank Redemption, Erin Brockovich, The Fan, Rising Sun, Swagman 2002 Wet t-shirt Contest).  Hopefully within a few weeks we will have a copy of Angeles Before Dark from Rick's Cafe.  This movie shows what you can do & see in the areas around Angeles during the daytime.  It is currently available in VHS format, but will soon be available in VCD also.  I have placed a rough draft list of other movies available on out website under the Toyota van at http://www.margarita-station.com/oets.html   This movie list will change almost weekly as I tend to buy the latest releases (master copies are almost $3 each here and the illegal street copies are only $1.25).

We will also maintain a good selection of homemade music CD's in the van ranging current rock, love songs, instrumentals, jazz, C&W, and Oldies.

On Clark: 

UPS & Asia Spirit are putting their hubs on Clark.  Additionally a company has signed a contract to build a Theme Park/Country Club on Clark.