I am writing here just a bit of a reminder to the anyone (foreigners or Filipinos that live abroad for a long time) that wanted to retire here in the Philippines. When we moved back here Bob and I had already been coming here many times for a visit. Bob’s been to some 5 star hotels and to lower end hotels here in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and GenSan. And, of course to my family’s house. Bugs and cockroach and mice were pretty much present in all of these places here in the Philippines. So seeing those critters was not really new to him. Bob doesn’t like it but we can’t just let those bugs spoil our vacation here. All those bugs are pretty common to majority of the households here in the Philippines. So don’t be surprised upon seeing one. I will tell you guys some of our experiences from before and after moving here:
One time when were visiting here with Chris and Aaron. Between the two boys, Aaron was the one having a hard time seeing flies around my mom’s house. We came here during fruit season. So many flies flying then. He’s always carrying bug spray with him around the house. Just for a few days he was ready to head home to the States.
Butiki – A Philippine House Lizard
Then there was one time when Bob’s mom came here for the first time to visit. She stayed with us. She’s staying in one of the bedrooms at our house. After she said goodnight to us and she went to bed just like minutes after she was screaming at the top of her lungs. My gosh, all of us were jumping out of bed and running towards her room. She pointed to the culprit – my gosh a 2 inch lizard on the ceiling. It was funny for us but really looking at mom it really terrified her. So Bob just explained to her that here in the tropics expect those kind of things. She understands but no more sleeping in the dark, she has to have a night light during night time to know whats creeping in during her sleep. LOL
One of our vacation here that was in 1994, our visit for my dad’s first death anniversary. Bob and I promised my mom that we would be here in the Philippines for that since I was unable to come home for his funeral. When we came for a visit, our last lay over was in Cebu. And in Cebu, Bob and I usually stayed in Montebello Villa Hotel. We arrived so late in the night and our flight the next morning was really early. So the taxi driver was recommending these hotels in Mactan area. Bob told him that we really want Montebello because it’s nice and we’re used to that hotel already. The taxi driver said oh the hotel here in Mactan it’s nice too, the only difference with Montebello, they don’t have a swimming pool. We then agreed with him and headed to the hotel that the taxi driver recommended. Let me tell you, its not the same and can’t even compare. But we’re so exhausted and so tired to get out. Plus, Chris was sick already, he had fever ever since our flight from Hawaii. So Bob ordered room service, as soon as the food was brought inside our room after the waiter left, we could hear some noises on our roof. Bob and I just stare at each other and observed. Boy, as the food stayed in the room longer the more the noises were getting louder. My God as if the rats were having fiesta on our ceiling. You know what none of us touched the food. We just put the food outside our door and just went to bed. The rats went quiet after the food was gone from our room. We’re too tired to think about it. We had to sleep or we might miss our flight the next morning.
Just try to visit the public market here. You will see rats as big as the cat running around. I’m sure lots of cockroaches crawling around and flies buzzing around too. That’s just the way it is here in the tropics. I wished to God it was changed a lifetime ago, but it’s not. But this is the tropics we have to deal with it. You know what I mean? Think a thousand times before moving to the place that you’re not familiar with. So that you will not be sorry later.
***Hey don’t take me wrong we also have areas that’s clean too. If you’re a clean freak try shopping your food at the high end malls. Always have pest control services in your house and let them check every corner of your house.***
—- “Don’t be scared, exterminate them”—–