Introduction and a couple of questions

Hello everyone ... I have been a member of this forum for awhile, but I have not posted lately because my Filipina wife and I have been living here in Florida for the last 4 years (prior to this, we lived in Bacolod City for 5 years).

Anyway, my wife plans on attending college in Dumaguete (RN) soon. She has been in the Philippines for the last 2 months, and I am flying there in a couple of days.

Question 1: It's been a long time since we visited Duma. We plan on driving our Camry down there from Bacolod so at least we will have a car there while she goes to school ... Is the traffic real bad?

Question 2: Are nice apartments available in the city?

Question 3: The last time we visited Duma (about 6 years ago), There were some expats there, but I wasn't too impressed with the amount of 'western' style restaurants there ... Do there seem to be more restaurants now that serve other than your standard Filipino food?

Question 4: I stopped smoking cigarettes about 15 months ago and started vaping e-cigarettes as a healthier replacement ... Have any of you folks seen any shops in the Duma area that sell vaping items?

Any input from any of the members here would certainly be appreciated!

Ron,

 

There are enough western style restuarants that you can go out 7 evenings a week at a different restaurant and get good "western" style food. During you transition period from US living to the Philipines you can rely on the just recently added 7-11 in town. They may have those 7-11 hot dogs, as I saw a couple of their employee chasing some stray dogs around the streets. Actually seeing the glaring bright colors of 7-11 sign in the background of the historic Church tower tonight did not make me feel we were making progress here, but just becoming "modernized" which I do not consider to be progress in all cases.

Some Western style restaurants with Filipino dishes for your spouse: Coco Amigos on the boulevard, KRI accross from Silliman U, (great food with smaller portions for those days you are on a diet) ., KFC for fast food in the mall (with white rice or mashed potatoes freshly out of the box), Why Not (European, Western and Filipino) on the boulevard, Casa Blanca on the boulevard, Mike's Beach Resort in Dauin (great American Hamburger), Jerry's Beach side RestoBar (Great Pizza and other things) in San Miguel, and Takkries French Resto-Snack House at the 7 Km marker in Bacong (Run by a french man and his Filipina wife... great pasta...NO white rice). Oxmox in Valencia with a number of Western dishes. I am sure you will get other recommendations but that will get you through the first week... oh Yeah there is a new McDonald's in town too. Do not fear you will get your daily required "dosage" of western food here now.

 

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Well, after landing in Manila, I am going to spend a couple of days up in AC, then a couple of days in Subic and then on to Bacolod to get my car ... then drive down to Duma.

I guess my wife and I will be staying in a hotel in the Duma area for a few days prior to finding something to rent for the long-term.
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I have a Philippines Permanent Resident card, but it's been about 3 years since I last was in the PI, so I don't know what Immigrations at the airport in Manila is going to say about that upon my arrival?

I also only have a one-way ticket from the US to the PI, but if the airlines says anything about that prior to my departure, I am just going to show them my Philippines Permanent Resident card and tell them I don't need an 'onward' ticket.

.

 

I sold my bike when my wife and I came to the US 4 years ago .... Now I wish I still had it

hindsight ...

 

Wrye...actually there are 2 7-11 in Dumaguete....

 

There are 3 that I know of.....two in town and one across from Hypermart that is not yet open last time I went by there. Seem to be quite popular with the locals so far....

 

Nice ride man - "now that's a bike