Relaxation Therapy 4 | Philippines bondage story

After dinner (a Chinese chicken stir-fry) and the inevitable washing up chores, Emily happily strapped the ball gag back in her mouth before plonking herself down in the chair facing the computer terminal. It felt wonderfully huge in her mouth. While she waited to be connected and go online, Emily could not help wondering if there would be any reply from the Philippines.

The Philippines… Funny that, Emily mused. It would be the Philippines of all countries. She was feeling much better than she had for ages. Having a whole week or so off work and its attendant pressures and the even more delicious prospect of being kept bound and gagged during much of that time was positively tantalising.

The Philippines was the one South East Asian country that Emily had not yet visited during her travels throughout Asia. Her skin tingled with anticipation as the small pop-up window declared that she was now online. She knew that the Philippines was generally (and quite unfairly) perceived to be very much the "poor" relation compared to some of its better-known neighbours such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

That country's at times turbulent and chequered history had contributed much to its current woes, Emily knew.

The Philippines was originally colonised by the avaricious and rapacious Spanish, after being discovered by Magellan in 1521. Magellan erected a cross on Mactan Island (ironically not far from where the Staiputt Clinic was located) before promptly claiming the entire archipelago on behalf of Spain. It was not long before a local Filipino chieftain called Lapu Lapu took exception to the incursion of the Spaniards and their arrogance, which led to a pitched battle in which he was killed.

However, this did not deter the Spanish who eventually colonised the Philippines in 1565. It was Miguel Legaspi who first landed in Bohol and went on to conquer Cebu (constructing a fort which still stands as proudly as it did four hundred years ago) before taking what has become the city of Manila in 1571. By 1572, almost the entire archipelago was under Spanish rule with the exception of the strongly Islamic and wild Mindanao and the nearby Sulu Islands.

Emily grinned. Even today, Mindanao had managed to remain a world apart from the remainder of the country. The greedy and avaricious Abu Sayyaf was still giving the current administration all kinds of hell.

It was not until the early 20th century that the Philippines finally obtained independence after a long and at times bloody struggle including the martyrdom of Doctor Jose Rizal who remains a Philippine national hero. There is even a public holiday named in his honour, Rizal Day.

Eventually, the Spanish were forced to cede the Philippines to the United States who held the islands until the Second World War when the Japanese invaded and brutalised the entire country, leading to Macarthur's famous boast that he would return to liberate that country.

After WW2, the Philippines finally obtained true independence from the America. However, they retained extremely strong trade, social and particularly military links with that country. This has led to the joke, 400 years of Spanish colonisation and 40 of Hollywood. It is that history which has led to the unique character of the Filipino people. Evocative surnames such as De Guzman, Fernando and Garcia reflect that Spanish heritage as well as their monetary unit, the peso. It is the only South East Asian country, which is predominantly Catholic. Elsewhere, Islam and Buddhism predominate in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

The country was almost beggared by the incompetence and particularly the corruption and cronyism of the infamous Marcos regime. Excesses such as Imelda's 5000 pair strong shoe collection as well as various human rights abuses and sheer economic misery finally caused a mass revolt, orchestrated in part by Cory Aquino which was to become known as the "People Power" rebellion. A million plus Filipinos stormed Malacanang, forcing the dictator and his unlovely wife to flee in disgrace. It must have broken Imelda's heart having to leave that shoe collection behind, Emily thought. (Incredibly, Imelda is back and campaigning to be Mayor of Manila!)

The country is still amongst the poorest in South East Asia because it has never fully recovered after being bled dry by Marcos. The apocalyptic eruption of Mount Pinatubo also proved disastrous for the country. Entire communities were blotted out by massive lahar and mudflows from the still smoking giant. Unfortunately, continuing endemic corruption and cronyism remained hallmarks of the toothless, incompetent Estrada administration before he was dramatically ousted in a mini 'People Power' rebellion. Emily knew that the current President Gloria Arroyo really had her job cut out for her – it would a a long hard road back to full recovery.

Additionally, other bad publicity such as the Philippines being a favourite destination for sex tours and "mail-order brides", crime and kidnappings as well as major natural disasters such volcanic eruptions and destructive typhoons has coloured the reputation of that country. One storm left Roxas Boulevard covered in putrid, reeking garbage from the incredibly polluted Manila Bay. Emily grimaced. And who could possibly forget the entirely man made calamity of the Payatas trash landslide which buried up to 2,000 people in stinking garbage before catching fire?

Emily sighed. It was all so unfair. Unfortunately, bad perceptions such as those tend to linger, often for years. She knew that the Filipino people were amongst some of the warmest and friendliest in Asia. She knew that they were just as hard working as anyone else. And the country did boast some stunningly beautiful natural resources such as the beautiful Hundred Islands region off Pangasinan in northern Luzon, Palawan and lovely Cebu. She had been told that the diving was also amongst some of the very best to be had in Asia. She giggled. And there was Staiputt, of course….

There… Yes! Emily exulted. They had answered!

Dear Emily,

Thank you very much for your interest.

You will be glad to know that we currently have rooms available. Please advise us if you would prefer the Pool Wing or the Beach Wing.

Our rates are extremely reasonable. Not everyone is a millionaire and we wish to make Staiputt available to all.

Emily was surprised. The rates indeed were much lower than she had expected. It cost US$350.00 per night for standard rooms or US$485 for Superior rooms. The Personal Assistants she'd read about were available for an extra US$500 a day. Ouch. Not exactly cheap by conventional resort standards but considering what was on offer, the prices were stunningly low - and the prices were all inclusive. Even all the alcohol you could drink was included. Not bad... She happily read on.

You may book using our online form or contact us directly on (02) 380 1977.

A personal assistant will be assigned to you when you arrive and she will take care of all your requirements….

Emily uttered a tiny, almost inaudible snort of laughter. She would have laughed out loud but for the gag filling her mouth. She knew fully well what her personal Assistant's function might be….

It would greatly assist us, if you could give us some idea regarding your personal requirements and itinerary.

Emily sighed softly into her gag. Her requirements were simple indeed. She wanted to be kept bound and gagged constantly while she was there… She could feel a rapidly rising heat in her groin.

The ropes were waiting….

All equipment is provided on site. However, for hygienic reasons, you must purchase your own gags at our shop. Alternatively, you may opt to bring your own toys.

Once again, thank you for your enquiry and we look forwards to hearing from you,

Warmest regards,

Robert Coutts.

Yes, Emily thought. Well, what am I waiting for? Lets do it! she said to herself. Her fingers danced over the keyboard as she composed her reply.

"Well, Emily, have you decided what to do?" Michael smiled. He could not help noticing that Emily did look much happier. There was a sparkle in her eyes that had not been there last week.

Emily thought over what to say. The last thing she wanted was for her boss (no matter what a nice bloke he was) to twig her motives for choosing Staiputt. She decided to hedge slightly. "Yes, I have, thanks." Emily was genuinely grateful to him. It was a very generous offer. On the other hand… "I've found this really nice resort in the Philippines that I'd like to visit." She looked Michael full in the face and hoped that he would not notice her slight nervousness. "It's in Cebu and I have to admit, it is exactly the kind of place that I could relax and unwind."

Michael beamed. "Excellent. When do you plan to leave?"

"Whenever is convenient," Emily replied. She silently exulted. At least there would not be too many questions….

"Lets see," Mr Turner pretended to muse. "It's really up to you. I would not object if you were to leave, say, this weekend. That would give you almost two weeks before you would have to return."

Emily sighed softly and sat back in the chair. She was feeling slightly overwhelmed. Less than a week from now, she would once again feel the inexpressible joy of having her hands pulled behind her and…. It was an incredible thought.

"Uh, Emily?"

Emily flushed. Not for the first time, she was extremely glad that Michael was not able to see the direction her thoughts had been heading… "Sorry, I was just thinking."

Michael smiled again. He looked like a big warm bear sitting there, Emily thought. "That's OK. You just seemed very far away for a moment."

"I guess I was," Emily commented.

Michael laughed. "I think so." Suddenly, he leant forwards slightly which Emily knew meant that he had come to some kind of conclusion or decision. "Ok, how about working on till Friday and taking the next two weeks off? Is that fine by you?"

"It sure is," Emily said. She could not help grinning. She felt like a schoolgirl again. How often had she excitedly waited for the end of the term? She was looking forwards to the very special kind of relaxation therapy which Staiputt offered. Suddenly, the place did not look so far away. She took a deep breath to calm herself, before saying, "Thank you very much." And Emily meant it. She did owe Mick plenty. He had been so understanding and caring. Emily knew that she could quite easily have been out on the street after that flare-up. It seemed so long ago now.

"That's OK" Michael smiled. "You deserve the break. God only knows you need a rest and I think this place will do you the world of good."

Emily wanted to giggle. Oh it will…. But not in the way you think, she happily thought.

"No worries," he replied. "I hope you have a great time." Emily could not help smiling again. She was bound to have a great time… After arranging the details such as airfares and accommodation expenses, Emily floated out of the office. She felt as though she was walking on air. It would be an interminably long week…

Emily was not quite correct. It turned out to be only the longest week of her life. She had never looked forwards to a vacation quite as much as this one in her life. Not even during her happy school days had Emily ever anticipated a break like this. Staiputt had happily accepted her booking and Emily had been allocated one of the Pool Rooms. That giant natural pool shown in the brochure had looked awfully inviting. Even work failed to completely distract her, much to the amusement of her sympathetic colleagues. They were all happy for Emily for it was an open secret how tired and weary she had been.

One chore which Emily happily accepted was taking Jane out for dinner after work on Wednesday night. Surprisingly, Jane had not wanted to go out to one of the more expensive restaurants. She did not want Emily to put herself out that much for her, she said. They ended up dining at a Vietnamese place Jane knew on Victoria Street in the suburb of Richmond. Victoria Street; often referred to as "Little Saigon" is where many Vietnamese expatriates have congregated and it is one of the more popular restaurant strips in Melbourne. The restaurant was as good as Jane had promised it would be. In fact, Emily ate so much (the food was wonderful!) that for a brief moment, she thought that she might be sick.

Eventually, Friday came around at long last. Emily was not normally the clock-watching type but she could not remember watching it quite as much as she did that interminably long day. Her plane was leaving the next day! She planned to overnight in Manila before catching a commuter flight to Cebu the day after. Eventually, Michael, Jane and several others had laughingly shooed her out several hours early.

Happily, Emily looked out the large plate glass window at the parked Philippine Airlines jumbo, which was to transport her to that lovely country. A shiver ran the length of her spine while she stared down the enormous length of the giant Boeing. The humpbacked dome where the pilots were sitting up front towered above her. Rows of windows marched down its length like a platoon of soldiers. Rain collected and ran down the windows and streaked its fuselage. The sky was grey and overcast but Emily did not care. This was it! They would be boarding in an only few minutes from now. Normally, Emily would not have cared less but this time was different. It was not a business trip, it was a holiday… Emily's powerful Apple laptop had been banished to her desk at home. She wanted to remove anything that reminded her of work. Even the mobile was staying home as well. For once, she would not be all tied up at work… Emily could not help giggling. Instead, I will be tied up while I am on holiday! For real… I'm going to be tied up... Bound and gagged... Oh my God.

The thought was such a thrilling one she could hardly breathe and she guiltily glanced around as if everyone seated opposite could read the unwholesome thoughts circulating around her mind as well as vainly concealing the nervous anticipation which she was feeling. She happily gazed around the large lounge. Judging from the number of people milling around, the flight was full. Everyone appeared to be amazingly cheerful, particularly the Filipino expatriates or balikbayan who were returning home to be reunited with their loved ones. She could sense their suppressed excitement and joy. There would be some tearful reunions later, she knew. Airports could be the happiest places in the world like that, Emily thought. Even the colours seemed to be that much brighter. Her skin tingled as she gazed upon the striking red, yellow and blue sun logo on the tail of the all white jet. It really did seem to capture the essence of that country, Emily mused. People scurried around like ants beneath the 747's massive fuselage, making last minute checks and ensuring that all the baggage had been loaded aboard. The massive Rolls Royce Trent engines sprouted downwards from the long canard-tipped wings which were drooping slightly from the weight of the Avgas jet fuel inside. Emily could smell the heady, almost intoxicating aroma of the jet fuel outside although the thick glass obscured the steadily increasing whine of the spooling up jets. She could see the flaps moving up and down on the wide wings while the unseen pilots completed their pre-flight checks.

Suddenly a metallic 'Ding!' captured Emily's attention followed by a slightly disembodied female voice, "Would all Economy passengers please go to the gate for boarding now?" Emily's skin thrilled as she picked up her overnight bag. Michael had even sprung for her airfares, much to her great surprise and delight. Happily, she floated towards the uniformed flight attendants standing by the gate and presented her boarding pass. She closed her eyes and sighed softly as she walked down the long airbridge to the waiting jumbo. She could see it towering above her as she reached the door.

Normally, as soon as Emily boarded a plane, any plane the first order of business was always to get her luggage stowed away before settling down with a good book. Emily ordinarily did not mind where she sat. International jet travel was so boring. One airport after another looked pretty much the same though some approaches did stand out. Such as the hair-raising approach into Hong Hong's much loved Kai Tak airport, which involved flying low and level past towering high rises containing uncountable teeming multitudes of Chinese. The planes passed so close, you could easily see into each flat as well as the inevitable long lines of washing hanging off virtually every balcony. Incredibly, no one had ever come to grief there, possibly because pilots always took extra care flying in and out of that place. Emily always requested a window seat on those flights. Chep Lap Kok was just not the same though, Emily thought.

{[staiputt-jet_t.jpg]} However, it was a special occasion, so after settling down, Emily stared excitedly out the window which she had requested earlier. She'd been seated towards the back and the long graceful wings flared out ahead of her and she hugged herself before studying a smaller Philippine Airlines jet. The beautiful wings symbolised the freedom she'd long missed. Her Freedom Bird. It was taking her away from here. Emily could hardly wait for the jumbo to take off. The rain had stopped but it was still cold and gusty. She could see the people on the tarmac below shivering in the icy wind howlking around the terminal buildings and the parked jets. Emily knew how cold it was. She had been blasted by ferociously cold gusts of Antarctic wind when leaving the house to greet the waiting taxi. Even her clear PVC raincoat had failed to keep the freezing wind out although she had remained dry during the time it took to put her suitcase in the capacious boot of the car that had been booked the day before. Emily remembered herself seething with annoyance because the driver had not bothered to climb out and help her with the suitcase. He had also found it difficult to take his eyes off her during the long ride to the airport. Though she supposed that raincoat of hers might have had something to do with it…. Every head had turned when the taxi driver had screeched off after Emily had insisted on paying her fare right down to the exact cent. No tip.

Yes, it would be fantastic to be able to get away. The complimentary glass of champagne given Emily upon boarding helped her relax a little. She was feeling extremely wound up and tense. She could feel the metronomic thumping of her heart below. What was Staiputt going to be like? Emily could not help feeling a little nervous. She was all but committed. She could still get up and leave, but that would look foolish. What would Michael say if he found out? Nope, Emily knew that she in this for better or worse. She smiled. She loved the cartoon daily strip, 'For Better or Worse' by Lynn Johnston which chronicled the life of an ordinary family. Funny, sad, touching; FBW really did accurately depict life and all its little wrinkles. Thinking about Mike, Lizard-breath (Elizabeth) and Deanna helped ease her growing tension. She knew that they had almost finished boarding. Everyone was settling down now for the long flight amidst a happy din of loud chatter.

Suddenly, the jumbo jerked backwards as its unseen chocks were pulled out. Emily felt a prickle of excitement run along her spine as the plane slowly reversed. She could feel the cart below straining to push its massive weight backwards. It was incredible how something so big could fly, Emily thought. They had come a long way since the Wright Brothers first flight, which had ended just short of the length of the plane she was on. An agonising pause after straightening up while the cart unhooked its tow.

Normally, Emily never noticed that they were actually flying until after they had just taken off. Today, it was different. The taxi seemed to take forever. Another shiver ran down Emily's back as the giant jumbo slowly swung around on to the long rain slick runway stretching emptily ahead of them. She could easily see the zebra crossing markings below indicating the beginning of the long runway. This was it…. Another pregnant pause while they waited for clearance. It was the usual normal busy morning at Tulla. There was always a lot of commuter traffic between Melbourne and the other capital cities around this time of day. Mostly corporates and suits like herself, Emily knew. They would be tied up all right – in dead boring meetings and anonymous hotel rooms. Emily snickered. She would literally be all tied up for the duration.

The ropes were waiting…

Suddenly, without warning, Emily felt rather than heard the roar as the throttles opened up. The jumbo rolled ponderously ahead before rapidly picking up speed. Emily sighed happily as the plane accelerated remorselessly down the runway. She could feel the 'G' forces firmly pressing her back in her luxuriously appointed seat. Suddenly the vibration below ceased as the front wheel left the runway. Emily could visualise the scene. The jumbo rearing high, its nose reaching for the sky, trying to fly while the main undercarriage still supported its monstrous weight. Suddenly airborne at long last, as the incredible power of the giant Rolls Royce jets hauled it aloft in to a realm previously only shared by birds.

After a traditional and delicious meal of whole fried lapu lapu, (a favourite Philippine seafood delicacy) washed down with an excellent white from Henschke Hill, Emily sat back to read her book. There would not be much to see until they came in to land. The trackless red wastes of arid Central Australia flowed by below. Emily knew it would be a long time before they were 'feet wet' (over water) with the Philippines after. It was not long before she felt herself nodding off. The motion was absolutely soporific. Dreams of Staiputt filled her brain while she snoozed.

The ropes were waiting…

It was an uneventful flight. There was a little turbulence over Indonesia but that was all.

Eventually, Emily spotted the first of the tropical dreamy green islands of the Philippines below. The ocean surrounding them was just incredibly blue. Even Gaugoin would have trouble capturing those brilliant colours, she thought. She gasped. They were beautiful. Although Emily had flown around much of South East Asia, she had always been too preoccupied with her work and schedule to really notice what was going on below. This time was different. Emily craned her neck out as far as possible in order to see more. She wondered what the Philippines would be like.

Emily sighed with disappointment as it clouded over. She would not be able to see much of Manila until they landed. Not that she really minded. She had been told that Manila was just about one of the dirtiest grimiest, smoggiest cities going around. Night was the only time that Manila even looked remotely beautiful. Emily could not help wondering if it would be raining. The rainy season was not far off, she knew. It was still early June and the rainiest months are from (late) June, July, August and September. However, she knew that Cebu did not generally get as much rain this time of year because of the prevailing winds and location.

Cloud abruptly obscured Emily's view of Batangas and nearby Taal Volcano as the jumbo dropped lower.

Suddenly they re-emerged from below the cloud ceiling. Rain streaked the windows yet again while the plane began its final approach. Emily shook her head and smiled. Oh well, at least she might be able to wear her raincoat again… There was not much to see. Emily could see the hundreds of fish traps set in Manila Bay before they were over land again. She could not understand how the poor people who lived in the appalling wood and corrugated iron shanties and hovels below could bear the noise as the jumbo flashed past scarcely 100 feet above their heads. Seconds later, they were down. Another interminably long taxi to the Ninoy Aquino Airport's boldly styled main terminal.

Emily looked around curiously as she strolled down the long building towards Immigration and Customs. Ninoy Aquino was quite unlike Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok or Singapore's glossy, glamorous and wonderfully efficient Changi. There was nothing glossy or glamorous about the linoleum covered floors or the faded walls although the duty free shops looked much the same as any others. It was like entering a 1950's time warp.

Immigration was a nightmare. The queues were easily 50 metres long in a space that was at least 30 metres wide. The entire area was wall to wall with excitedly chattering Filipino Balikbayans and other tourists like herself. It looked exactly like a football crowd, Emily thought. There was hardly even enough room to move. The sticky cloying heat did not help either. Obviously, the air-conditioning was either broken or it could not cope. Emily wondered if any of them were also going to Staiputt as well.

After an infuriating one-hour delay, Emily thankfully passed through Immigration after obtaining the precious stamp on her passport that allowed her to stay for up to 21 days. Fortunately, Emily's bags were already on the carousel and she picked them up, anxious to obtain some rest. Tiredness and jet lag was already setting in, she knew.

Thankfully, there were plenty of taxis waiting in line and Emily gratefully jumped in a cab while the solicitous driver loaded her suitcase in the back.

"Where you want go?" the driver asked.

"Ermita," Emily replied. Her hotel was located on Roxas Boulevard itself near the Robinsons Mall. She had been told to stay there on account of many of the excellent restaurants on nearby Adriatico Street. There was also an abundance of excellent shopping to be had along Mabini Street as well as the nearby Robinson's Mall.

"Very far," he sadly replied. "Traffic very bad."

"So?" Emily questioned. What was he leading up to?

"Four hour maybe," he commented. "Traffic very bad."

"Magkano?" How much?

"One thou peso,"

"That's too much," Emily complained. The Australian dollar was trading at around PHP25. In other words, he was asking $40 for a $10 ride at the very most. Thank God she had taken the time to find out what the correct fares were. This bloke was clearly trying to take her for a ride. She looked at the meter. "Put the meter on please."

"No can. Broke," he explained.

Emily sighed and looked at her watch. She was tired and all she wanted was to crash on a nice soft bed. "I think I will get out," she growled. "It's too much." This time, she had to retrieve her luggage while the driver angrily waited. She had better luck with the next taxi. Its driver helped her with the luggage before opening the door for her. Emily could not help feeling gratified to see that the meter was already on.

"How long?" she asked. "I want to go to Ermita."

The driver thought for a moment. "One hour maybe. Traffic bad," he offered.

"The last guy said four hours."

Emily winced while he clashed the gears before driving down the exit ramp. "Traffic bad but not four hour," he laughed.

"He wanted PHP1000," Emily complained.

He laughed again. "He try cheat you."

{[staiputt-manila_t.jpg]} Emily sighed. Taxi drivers… Some things never changed no matter where one went. At least some were nice, like this bloke. She settled down to enjoy the trip.

Manila was every bit as dirty and grimy as she'd been warned to expect and Emily could not help sighing while she disbelievingly stared outside. Apart from the strip of greenery (spoilt by the shanties and tents of the destitute) between the traffic sewer of Roxas Boulevard and Manila Bay, she had not seen one single park. The giant city was almost universally choked with an never ending parade of traffic while the foot paths weren't much better. The Philippines the tourist brochures never talked about, she cyncically thought while a bus lurched by leaving their taxi behind in a cloud of black fumes.

However, the big city had a lively vitality she knew Melbourne could never hope to match. It might be clean and tidy but... its streets were desolate, especially out in the suburbs. There was so much to see and wonder over. Only in the CBD did the crowds remorely compare to those she saw here.

{[staiputt-jeepney_t.jpg]} Emily took little notice of the traffic boxing them in. It was still raining and the traffic had slowed to a crawl. She was painfully well used to the antics of Asian motorists. The unofficial motto amongst many there appeared to be, 'Take it to the streets and take it to the limit.' The Philippines was no exception when it came to observing that credo. However, she did stare with fascination as smoke belching jeepneys rumbled by, each laden with swaying passengers sitting side by side along the bench seats provided behind the driver. Emily grinned when she saw the manner in which particularly impatient passengers rode especially crowded jeepneys. They were standing outside on the back running rail, hanging on hard to all manner of chrome railing or the roof mounted bars while the driver performed any number of manoeuvres designed to gain even one inch of extra space or pick up passengers. She wondered how many unfortunate passengers actually fell off to be flattened by oncoming traffic. Emily also could not believe the garish decorations that adorned many of them. Most wore pictures on the side depicting various themes such as exotic cars, (the Ferrari F40 was one favourite) airplanes, ocean liners (the Titanic was the almost universal choice of ship), sharks and so on. Several wore religious scenes on their sides. The most outlandish jeepneys also sported all manner of chromed hood ornaments such as horses and God knew what else. They were loud, in-your-face vehicles and Emily loved them. They were so very Filipino, she thought.

After a relaxing night in her hotel room, Emily found herself catching a taxi for the airport. She could feel the butterflies galumphing around her stomach. Emily grinned wanly while the driver negotiated the traffic snarl choking Roxas Boulevard as best as he could. It was market day at Baclaran and it seemed half Manila's population was headed that way. She had not felt nervous like this since applying for university and the wait to see if she had scored enough marks in her last year at school to be awarded a place as well as the job interviews she had attended after graduating. Staiputt was far more than any ordinary resort, she knew.

The ropes were waiting….