Margarita Station - one of my favorite places

When I arrived in Angeles City, Balibago, Pampanga province early January 2007 most of my time was spent in the bars doing what almost every male tourist and some long term residents do in this city.

My days and nights were devoted to one activity, visiting the numerous bars and meeting their female occupants. At that time I thought Angeles City was Fields or is it Field Avenue and never realized that downtown Angeles was in another area of the city. I did get to visit Clark SM Mall though as it's a favorite spot of many Filipina. During that period of time I occasionally went to Margarita Station, mainly to have a meal in the company of some Filipina met in a bar. Margarita is opened 24 hours a day so it is possible to get a meal or a drink at anytime day or night. I am a difficult eater but I can always find something I like at a reasonable price. There are cheaper restaurants but as I stated I am a difficult eater and honestly not a great fan of Filipino foods in general.

With time I grew older, wiser and reduced the alcohol intake to improve my health. Slowly I moved from the bar scene to other activities such as working on websites, having a more normal life with my Filipina spouse and finding other places to visit and do within Pampanga. I also took time to travel to Subic, Cebu, Davao, Manila and Masbate, the city where my spouse was raised.

Margarita Station is located on Fields avenue and is easily accessible. There is controlled limited parking in front of the restaurant. Their restaurant and bar menu is quite exhaustive and offers Filipino, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, and American dishes as well as a variety of beers and alcoholic beverages. The first "Coors Light" that I was able to find in Angeles City was in their establishment. I simply hate San Miguel beer the most popular beer in the Philippines and sometimes I think I am the only one who does.

The food servings are huge but they will serve 1/2 servings on some meals (the option is listed in the menu) which is convenient if you are like me and can never finish a full plate.

 
I can always find something to eat here. You can play pool, participate in special events, watch the girls go by or my favorite now, meet other expats, foreign tourists in town for a short visit or even make Filipino friends.

The management and staff are friendly. For a few years I have considered one of their managers "Mario" as a friend. He is from Canada, speaks french and english and is a wealthy source of information. My only beef with Margarita Station is that they recently discontinued their monthly newsletter which I was always looking forward to receiving because it was an excellent source of information on past month incidents whether they were good or bad. I do however understand the work involved in the production of such a newsletter and the time factor involved. As a remembrance here is the link to the last Margarita Newsletter I received.

Going to APO Market

One place I like to go to from time to time is the APO market in Angeles City proper. The place is like a large flea market. Plan to get there between 7-8am as it gets too crowded to my liking after that time. I like to be out of there at the latest 930am. It is opened only on Fridays but there are lots of bargains to be had. Of course the old saying “you get what you pay for” remains true. However sometimes you do find items of better quality at decent prices. You can usually find anything and everything ranging from clothes, plants, CD and almost anything else you can imagine. Anytime I went there on a mission to find something I needed or wanted I always found what I was looking for.

While in the market area remain vigilant for pickpockets, expect to be canvassed by beggars and to get pushed by the crowds especially later morning. You can usually negotiate prices or haggle with the sellers. Because foreigners are all considered rich some sellers may try and charge more when prices are not already indicated on items that may interest you. I let my Filipina spouse do the buying and the haggling.

The market itself is located near the Apo Chapel, because the market commemorates Apo Day, part of the Apo Fiesta held every October. This is a religious event. You can get to the market via jeepney on route to Henson road or by trike if you want to pay more. Forget taxis here they charge unbelievable fares unlike what you find in Cebu and other areas of the Philippines. If you travel by jeepney always watch your pockets although I admit I have never had a problem. Some friends have had wallets, cell phones, ipod players and the like snatched from them in a flash with the thief jumping out of the jeepney and running away before they even realized what is happening, so play safe.