Shonky and Dodgy? YES!

I had a wonderful week in Manila where I met so many wonderful and charming people and was just thinking "What did everyone mean by calling it shonky and dodgy?  It's NOT!!!"

But then, at the airport, right as I was leaving, right before Immigration, there's a booth: 

You are not permitted to go through to Immigration without this 750 peso ticket stamped to your boarding pass.

This is in addition to the hefty Departure Tax which was already paid.

And there's no warning anywhere in any of the literature that this was going to happen.

It was very nearly a disaster. My bag with my other purse containing phone and cards was already checked in, and I'd given all my remaining money to Talei ... except at the last minute I took back 1000 pesos for 'incidentals' and that was the only reason I could pay to get out.

I have been all over the world and the only time anything like this has ever happened to me before was in Siem Reap in Cambodia where, at the airport at five in the morning, at the very last minute before boarding, all these soldiers with guns raced in, waved them around demanding that no foreigner could board the plane without handing over US$25.00 each. No warning either that it was going to happen so it was money that no one apart from Keith had on them.  Actually, I was livid with Keith because he had kept US$200. for 'incidentals' which I'd wanted to spend on silks ... but suddenly, because there was no ATM machine and no way to pay with credit cards, he was everyone's very best friend. Thanks to Keith and odd change others had on them, we were able to get out of what was a genuinely scary experience without discovering what the alternative would have been.  And, yes, when we finally got to Thailand - the transit lounge at the airport there doesn't have ATM machines either - everyone was buying duty free in bulk on their credit cards to make the change to pay Keith back, and throwing in little gifts as well as thank yous.

So we have to ask Manila if it really wants to be compared to Cambodia in regard to impromptu tax at airports, because THAT is what it's looking like with this obviously shonky and dodgy game they're playing here. 

As if we can't tell it's going straight into some individual's pocket!

Manila, I'm sorry but you DISAPPOINTED me. Until that moment I saw that booth I was perfectly willing to defend you against any charges of SHONKY and DODGY I heard ... but not now.

So I'll definitely be joining the chorus of voices that say that about you. Manila IS shonky and dodgy everyone!  So there!