Tom and kathy

[exlrrp]

sorry we didn't get a chance to say goodby at the Manila Airport
I was waiting for you guys to come out the front door past customs but we must have missed. hope you guys had a good trip back
Hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did--we'll be getting together as soon as I get back to get the pictures.
we went to angeles to see Sue's friend and it was a real dump, the worst place we stayed on the trip. The place is crawling with Ugly Old White Men looking for Filipina teenage girls--pretty gross--there's a whole culture made up about this in Angeles. To see these gorgeous young Filipinas on the arms of these ugly old Aussies is enugh to make you boot. they were having the Miss Teen Olongapo contest at our hotel last night--its sad to think that the best shot they probabaly have in life is that One In A Million Shot at a nice American like our friend Edna.
. After one day we went over to Subic Bay where I am now and stayed in a luxury place--we've got the pictures. We took a boat tour of Subic Bay this Am and it is impressive. There''s still a Navy presence here, we had lunch with a naval commander who works there but the Air base is used partially as a FedEx Airport
This is a much better place than Angeles, closer to the place we stayed at Qui Nhon--nice beach, great room facing the beach , great service---$50/night.
I like Filipinos best of all Asians-a realy sweet, nice, friendly people-- but I thought Vietnam was a lot nicer, safer too. The roads are better here though, not much but some and theyre not so banzai kamikaze in their driving here as in Vietnam. I didn't see but one or two people carrying guns in the Nam, not even the cops and soldiers we saw, but you sure see a lot of them here--every place that handles cash has an armed security guard--the gas station the taxi driver stoped at right outside the airport had TWO security guards with shotguns. Every hotel here has a squad of armed guards, including the doormen.
This place is lots more like Mexico, than Vietnam because of the heavier Catholic and Spanish history
I hate to say it but I thought the Nam was a better run country than this--nicer schools, the poor weren't quite so poor, the rich not quite so rich. there's a real shantytown air here that I didn't feel in the Nam. We didn't get so much of the HelloHello from the kids here like we did there but thats probably because Americans aren't so much of a novelty here as there
Well, we leave here in 2 hours for a 4 hour ride to the Manila Airport, then catch the plane for home.
Chao Ong, yall, and Mabuhay
Don't let your meatloaf

James

(the artist formerly known as Sp/4)

[sn-e3]

James is shit river bridge still between olongapo and the old navy base? and did you tour grandy Island in the intrance to subic bay?

[frisco-kid]

Yeah, we got wound up in some of the Red Tape getting through Immigration. We knew you had a ride waiting, so figured we'd wind up catching you back here at home.

Your assessment of Manila is pretty much on target with mine. The people are great, though. I had alot of Filipino friends in high school. Dated some of their sisters. I R&Rd in the Phillippines on my first tour. Another 101st trooper and myself stayed in Makati. Maria was GREAT .

I hope you have a better flight home than we did. We got an exit door seat, but had someone between us. It was a full flight. The seat seemed a bit smaller than I recall on the flight going . We'll see you when you get home my friend.

[DMZ-LT]

Welcome home to all. Great stories and can't wait to see the pictures.

[Keith_Hixson]

Enjoyed your narrative. Thanks for your insights.

Keith

P.S. I still love ya James.