First Night In Downtown Olongapo

[Flight 33]

After I had settled into my new duty station at the navy hospital.  And assigned my work area.  The orthopedic ward.  The broken bone ward.  Lots of guys in traction ranging from battle wounds to motorcycle accidents. 
I began to explore the base.  It's retail stores, clubs, recreational, and points of interest.  I stayed on base my first month.  Being pretty much too apprehensive about going off base to that wild and wicked circus downtown called Olongapo.  Especially by myself.  I had no experience with that type of life style yet and would stay on base.  On weekends I would see small groups of friends eagerly catching the hourly buses down to the base and main gate.  Still being the new kid and not yet taken under anyone's wing. 
I think I was invited to go with a small group soon after I arrived but declined because I really didn't know my new coworkers that well yet.  And felt too nervous about everything.  My new job, new country and customs, new people.  I needed time to gather myself and surroundings.  So the weekends came and went and I still stayed on base.  The regulars must have thought I was weird or something.  I started to get kinda lonely.
 
Then one day one of my senior petty officers who also worked in the hospital approached me and asked if I  would like to go downtown and "see the sights".  He said he would show me the ropes so to speak.  By then I had had enough of the base.   And going with a senior petty officer was safer than with a bunch of wild and woolly junior petty officers who would probably leave me after they paired off with their girlfriends. 
So one hot Saturday afternoon, as usual.  The mean temperature was always at least in the eighties.  We caught the bus to Olongapo.  The ride down the jungle road to base was hot, no air conditioning on the old bus.  All the windows were open as me and my mentor sat in plenty of open seats with maybe a couple of Filipino base workers going home off base.  I'm still wearing some home civilian clothes of blue jeans and short sleeve shirt and boots.  How out of it for this place.  My partner is in light tropical shirt, light slacks, and hand made leather dress sandals.  All from tailors and shoemakers in downtown Olongapo.  He said my style would change in time.  And later it sure did. 
With a warm wind blowing in through the windows to keep us thirsty for something cold to drink, we arrived at the main gate. 
The bus stops about a block from the main gate.  We walk a short distance in the hot bright sun to the gate house on a single two lane road.  Marine guards man both ways in and out.  They salute us after checking our military ID's.  Yes, even leaving the base.  Everybody gets checked.  After all there is a war raging only a small ocean away and communist in the Philippines were known to be active in warfare against the Philippine Federal Army in the jungles.
We walk across a bridge over what's known as shit river.
Real name Olongapo River. 
My God, the stink all but overwhelms me. 
My friend notes my reaction and points out that the river is also a sewage dump.  But what I'm about to see overwhelms me even more. 
Kids jumping off the bridge into the river for thrown coins from passing military and civilian pedestrians.  I'm horrified.
My friend says even though the river is polluted.  This is easy money for poor kids.  And that I'll get used to it. 
Never did.
Funny though, I did get used to the shit river smell later, after countless crossings. 
First stop was one of the many money exchange stores.  We would earn 11 pesos to 1 american dollar.
With our pockets stuffed with pesos we hit our first bar. 
It's dark and wonderfully cool with air conditioning. 
A band is playing american rock 'n roll.  It's a modest bar but has what we need.  plenty of tables, a band, drinks, and girls.  We pick out a good table, not too close to the band, but near the dance floor.  As we pull up our chairs a waiter quickly approaches us and flashes the peace sign.  I return the two finger peace sign and say "Peace!"
My friend starts cracking up, then tells me that he's asking if we want two beers!  I'm totally embarrassed but agree, yes two beers.  I even have to laugh at myself for my inexperience in this strange party city.
We get two San Miguel bottles of beer.  A beer that I would later appreciate to be one of the finest beers in the world. 
Smooth but strong.  No bad after taste.  A very fine beer that seems to go with everything.  And one can drink a lot of it, and still party into the night. 
We just take our first swigs when two young pretty bar hostesses approach our table and ask if they can sit with us.  Before I can answer they sit in our laps!  I don't know what to do. 
I look at my friend and he nods.  Ok, I'll play along. 
They ask many questions.  What's my name, where am I from.  And, "Buy me drink?" 
Sure.  Beer only cost 1 peso and 50 centavos.  And ladies drinks only 3 pesos.  Shoot, we can party all night!
We have drinks and talk about ourselves.  The band plays good music and we dance.
After a while my friend says it's time to go. 
We say goodbye and leave.  I'm more relaxed now.  It's a little cooler now outside as the sun is lower. We walk and talk.
Olongapo is a bustling main street of bars, hotels, and traffic without DMV guidance, HA!
The bars are one right after the other on both sides of the street.  With basic neon and bulb lighting, band blaring music, and the invites from the doormen. 
And we hit many of them.  And I'm getting drunk, and drunker.
My friend wisely says it's time to head back to base.  I drunkenly agree and it's a bumpy ride over mostly dirt roads in a "Jeepny", a converted army jeep brightly painted and with hanging tassels from an overhead canopy, back to the main gate.  These vehicles can carry 6-8 people, and cost about 35 centavos for a ride.  It slows to pick up and let off folks, but never stops.  You jump on and off.  You get the knack after a while.
The Marines allow us by and we stop for hamburgers at a snack food trailer just inside the gate.  It's night now, and most pleasantly cool.  I look up into the night sky.  Stars, lots of 'em.  The tropical night scent fills my senses.
With burgers and laughs done, we catch the bus back up to the hospital in the jungle.  It stops in front of the barracks and I'm escorted to my bunk by my new trusted friend. 
I crash in my bunk. 
Last thoughts before I'm asleep?  I like what I saw and did.  The beer, the girls, the music, the people.  I would like to go again. 
Next off duty weekend  for sure. 
For sure.