The Mexico of Asia

I'm in my third country (and almost my third continent) in a week -- the Philippines. The Asia Pacific Poker Tour's latest stop is taking place in Manila, which has to be the sketchiest city I've been in since Bill Clinton was getting blown in the Oval Office. The city is filthy and reeks of seediness. Its reputation was confirmed by a discussion with poker pro and Manila resident David Saab on Wednesday night.

Me: You live here. Why is this place so sketchy?
Saab: What? As long as you have a driver and a security team, you're fine.

Right. Earlier that day, a hostess at a karaoke bar that the rest of the PokerNews crew went to prior to my arrival was delighted to see bunch of whities enter the bar. "Foreigners!" she said. "Welcome! Have any of you been kidnapped yet?"

The Philippines Tourism Board should start a new promotion: "Come visit the Philippines. We're the Mexico of Asia!"