PAETENIANS
CAMPING 2000
JULY 21-23, 2000
BINGEMANS CAMPGROUND, KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Q1. How far is the Campground to Chicago/New York?
Q2. Are there bears, snakes and the likes in the area?
Q3. Are there amusement facilities inside the camp?
Q4.
Can we go shopping in the area? What tourist attractions are there?
Q5. What will the weather be like during the Camping?
Q6. Is it ok to go there on regular car? Any regular lodging for people
without trailers and don’t like to tent?
Q7.
Is there an Internet Café in the area?
Q8. We have not set-up a tent before, can we get help from our
kababayans in setting up/dismantling our tent?
Q9.
Do the tent sites have electical outlets and water faucets?
Q10. What is the size of the tent site?
Q11. What about the washrooms?
Q12. Is there a Laundry area?
Q13. Can we just rent tents in the area?
Q14. How far are the rented trailers from our campground? Can we
camp next to the trailer areas?
Q15. Papano kung umulan? Saan
kami magtatago? Hindi ba magpuputik yong
labas at loob ng tent?
Q16.
Kumusta naman ang "lamok" or bugs situations?
Q17. Yong hindi na sanay sa araw,
may masisilungan bang shade during our activities (picnic, etc)?
Q18. Where can we park at Bingeman's, can we park next to our site or we
have to backpack?
Q19.
Can we leave valuables inside our tent?
Q20. What is the sanitation like at Bingeman?
Q21. Do we need a tourist visa to Canada?
Q22. Can we get a receipt for the accommodation from Bingemans so
that we can apply for refund of the Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST)?
Q23.
How many person can occupy one trailer?
Q24. Can we cook inside
the trailer?
Q25.
How about bed sheets and blankets.
Is it already included in trailer?
Q26. The Campers Fee includes two adults and unlimited number of
children. What will happen if I don’t register the third and subsequent adults in my
tent/trailer?
Q27.
What is the check-in, check-out time?
Q28. Since the check-out time on Sunday is 12:00 noon, what time
should we have our lunch?
Q29.
Can we stay in the Campground after checking out on Sunday?
Q30.
I have an R&V vehicle that I like to bring in the Camping. Which area
will I be allotted to it?
Q31. How much will it cost us
to join the various Group Tour activities before the Camping ?
Q32. What things should we bring with us
in the Camping?
Q33. I already reserved a trailer. But since it is quite far from where the
actions are, can I also book a tent site so that I can stay in my tent during the day and
be part of all the group activities and just retire to my trailer at night?
Q34.
Can I invite non Paetenian to join me in the Camping?
Q35. We can’t bring any cooking paraphernalias. What should we do on Friday and Sunday (when the
meals are KKB?).
Q1. How far is the Campground to Chicago/New
York?
7-8 hours drive from Chicago and 10-12 hours
from New York. It’s a one hour drive from Toronto. If you are flying, take the
Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and we’ll have someone pick-you up in
the airport and arrange for a share-a-ride to the Campground.
Q2. Are there bears, snakes and the likes in the
area?
None! The campground is in the downtown Kitchener area. It is not in a forest nor a
mountain. It is very safe for children and is quite
unique because it gives you the feeling of outdoor living with all the convenience of a
city life-- pag hindi mo nagustuhan yong pagakain, you can drive for a mile and go to
McDonalds or Swiss Chalet. Pag hindi ka makatulog sa tent because you forgot to bring a
mattress, just drive to a nearby motel and check in for the night.
Q3. Are there amusement facilities inside the
camp?
A lot! It has a 200 acre Water and Amusement
Park with a huge wave water pool, water slides, swimming pools, and jacuzzis. There
is an arcade with video games and a roller rink. There
is a golf course and a baseball batting cage. The area
is beside the Grand River where you can rent a canoe and go fishing. There is a Patio for
everyone where they show movies and Karaoke.
Q4.Can we go shopping in the area? What tourist attractions are there?
The campground is just within the city of Waterloo and Kitchener. Factory Outlets shopping
malls and various tourist attractions are just within
a 15 minutes drive from the Campground. The Toronto area will be an hour
drive and the magnificent Niagara Falls will be an hour and a half-drive. The Stratford
Theater Festival is in operation during our
Camping. They will be showing various Shakespeare’s plays in their world-acclaimed
theaters.
Q5. What will the weather be like during the Camping?
July is a summer month. Temperature will possibly be in the 20s to 30s celcius. It will be
extremely hot if you stay inside your tent during the day and an electric fan might not be
a bad idea. However, you’ll probably not want to stay inside the tent during the day
because there are tons of activities that you can do outside. In the nighttime, the
temperature cools down a lot and because the campground is beside the Grand River, it will get extremely cold inside your tent during
the night. You will need a thick blanket.
Q6. Is it ok to go there on regular car? Any
regular lodging for people without trailers and don’t like to tent?
Definitely.
There is no dirt road to the campsite. First
class Hotels and motels are within a 5 miles radius of the campground and a list is
available in our Camping website. You should arrange for your own booking with
those hotels/motels and must pay the USD10.00 (Can$15.00) Administration Fee per family on
or before June 14, 2000 so that we can issue you a Non-Camper’s Badge- which will
become your passport to our FREE meals on Saturday and in our camp activities.
Q7. Is there an Internet Café in the area?
Yes. There are Internet Cafés in the two cities bordering the camprground: Kitchener and
Waterloo. We are also planning to setup a
CyberTent where we will put up a computer with an Internet connection via a cellular
phone. You can do your emails from the
CyberTent. Access Fees are not yet determined.
Q8. We have not set-up a tent before, can we get
help from our kababayans in setting up/dismantling our tent?
Absolutely.
We will designate a roving “Tent Patrol” consisting of seasoned camping veterans
who will assist you in the setup and dismantling of your tents.
Q9. Do the tent sites have electical outlets and water faucets?
Yes, your area will have its ownl electrical outlets and a water faucet. Our site is
grassy so rain is not a big problem.
Q10. What is the size of the tent site?
The size of each lot varies but in our area, it ranges from 45' x 75' to 50'
x 30'. That’s big! You can park your car
there, and build two or three tents and still have room for your kids to run around- of
course we have the entire 45 lots that we booked to run around- so your kids should have
no problem running in other lots.
Q11. What about the washrooms?
There is one public washroom with showers and two portable toilets designated for our area
alone. In addition, there are more public
washrooms and portable toilets in the adjacent sites and in the nearby Amusement Park. It
might not be a bad idea to bring an ‘erenola’ inside your tent though to save
you the hassle of going out of your tent at night to answer the call of nature.
Q12. Is there a Laundry area?
Yes there is a coin-operated laundrymat inside the campground.
Q13. Can we just rent tents in the area?
No, we have not found any store renting tents yet. Some of our PI-Canada members might
have spare tents that they can lend. You can also buy your tent and gadgets nearby.
Q14. How far are the rented trailers from our
campground? Can we camp next to the trailer areas?
The
area where our kababayans who rented trailers will be located (about 11 of them including
Mayor Cadayona) is about one kilometer away
from our campground. There are no tent sites
there.
Q15. Papano kung umulan? Saan kami magtatago? Hindi ba magpuputik yong labas at loob ng tent?
Damuhan
yong ating sites so hindi masyadong maputik. Pag umulan, you can either stay in your car
and listen to the radio (Apo Hiking’s Pumapatak na naman ang Ulan will be a perfect
tune), or stay in our dining/kitchen area where we will put up a big tent. Or most probably, when it rains you will be in the
Amusement Park where there are plenty of shelters. Of course you can stay inside your tent
and sleep while the rain falls.
Q16. Kumusta naman ang "lamok" or bugs situations?
Malinis ang Bingemans compared to the other camping sites.
Meron ding lamok and bugs but hindi kasing dami ng sa ibang campsites. The bonfire at night will keep them away. Bring yourself those mosquito repellant spray or
off lotion.
Q17. Yong hindi na sanay sa araw, may masisilungan bang shade during our activities
(picnic, etc)?
Yes,
we will put up a big canvass in our Kitchen/dining area na pwedeng silungan. Most will
probably be in the Amusement Park when it rains and there will be plenty of shades there.
Meron ding malapit na dalawang picnic shelters na pwede nating silungan kung walang
magpapareserve noong shelters sa araw ng camping.
Q18. Where can we park at Bingeman's, can we
park next to our site or we have to backpack?
In
your campsite, you are allowed to set-up two tents (the size of which is entirely up to
you), one dining tent and to park one vehicle. If you have a second vehicle, there are
plenty of parking space in the campground where
you can park them at night (no extra fee).
Q19. Can we leave valuables inside our tent?
Nope. Bingeman does not recommend that you leave any valuable items inside your tent. Keep
them locked inside your car which you can park besides your tent. Or leave them in
our “Kitchen-Dining” tent where our “cooks” can keep an
eye on them. We are planning to designate people to patrol our sites when you are away but we can not guarantee the safety of your
properties- so beware.
Q20. What is the sanitation like at Bingeman?
Bingemans' maintenance crew is one of the best I've seen. Pag may problema yong toilet,
nandoon agad sila to fix it- even if it is in the middle of the night. Their Washrooms are very clean. Pati yong supply of hot water nila ay hindi
nauubos.
Q21. Do we need a tourist visa to Canada?
US citizens and green card holders as well as citizens of some countries do not need a
visa to Canada. Philippine citizens however
must apply for a tourist visa. Information about obtaining a tourist visa in Canada can be
found at: http://cicnet.ci.gc.ca/english/coming/evisa.html
Q22. Can we get a receipt for the accommodation
from Bingemans so that we can apply for refund of the Canadian Goods and Services Tax
(GST)?
The
receipt for your camp and trailer accomodation will be issued by the Paetenians
International Canada Chapter (not Bingemans). Since
we are a non-profit organization, our receipt will not show the GST component. You will be
unable to claim the GST refund.
Q23. How many person can occupy one trailer?
We were told that up to four or six people will be able to comfortably sleep in the
trailer. Pero if you don’t mind sleeping like a sardines, you can possibly pack in 10
people there.
Q24. Can we cook
inside the trailer?
Yes,
you can cook in the trailer. There is a gas stove inside. But you must bring your own
cooking utensils. Remember: you need only to worry about your foods for Friday (lunch and
supper) and Sunday (breakfast and lunch). You can take those meals in the restaurant
inside the camp or in a nearby fastfood chain. Or
pwede ring makisahog ka na lang sa ibang Paetenians na merong dalang mga lutuan. All meals on Saturday will be courtesy of the PI
Canada Chapter- including the lechon.
Q25. How about bed sheets and blankets.
Is it already included in trailer?
No. You must supply your own blankets and pillows.
Q26. The Campers Fee includes two adults and
unlimited number of children. What will happen if I don’t register the third and
subsequent adults in my tent/trailer?
Third
and subsequent adults in the campsite require an additional payment of USD10 (Can$15) per
person and must be registered by us in the Campground office. Camp security guards routinely do a headcount of
the people staying in your tent and if they find that there are people staying in your
tent who are not registered, they will be asked to leave the campground. In addition, unregistered campers will not be
given the Campers’ Courtesy Card and a Badge that will serve as your passport to most
recreational facilities inside the campground and to the free meals that the PI Canada
Chapter will be hosting on Saturday. Without
a Courtesy Card, you will have to pay for the full non-discounted prices of the amusement
facilities.
Q27. What is the check-in, check-out time?
The guaranteed check-in time for tents is 2:00 PM (Friday) and 3:00 PM for the Trailers.
The check-out time on Sunday is 12:00 noon for the tents and 11:00 AM for the trailers. If
your tent site or trailer is already vacated when you arrive on Friday morning, you can
start setting up your tents. If your site is
not yet vacated, you can stay in one of the many picnic tables in the campground until
your site becomes available. It is very
likely that your site will be available early Friday morning. We will designate a meeting
place on Friday where we will distribute your Campers Courtesy Cards and Badges. We will
post direction to the meeting place in the entrance.
Q28. Since the check-out time on Sunday is 12:00
noon, what time should we have our lunch?
Sunday’s
breakfast and lunch is KKB so this is at your discretion.
Our suggestion is to have a late brunch!
You can also take your lunch in the Camp restaurant or in any of the picnic
tables around the campground. We are inviting a Filipino priest in Toronto to celebrate a
mass with us on Sunday morning.
Q29. Can we stay in the Campground after checking out on Sunday?
Yes. Your Camper courtesy card is valid for
the whole Sunday so you can continue using the Amusement facilities for as long as you
like on that day. You can park your car in
any of the public parking areas in the Amusement Park and stay in one of the picnic
tables.
Q30. I have an R&V vehicle that I like to bring in the Camping. Which
area will I be allotted to it?
If your R&V does not require a sewer connection, you can take any of the tent site in
our main campground. You can set-up your
R&V, one additional tent if you wish, and park one vehicle in your site. The
electrical outlets are heavy-duty. If your
R&V requires a sewer connection, you will be camping in the Riverside Campground
(about a kilometer away from our main campground) and you will have to negotiate your own
fees for it directly with Bingemans.
Q31. How much will it cost us
to join the various Group Tour activities before the Camping ?
We will have a better estimate of the Group Tour cost
after the June 14, 2000 Reservation deadline when we have determined the final number of
people joining the Group Tours.
Q32. What things should we
bring with us in the Camping?
First, you must bring your own tent. Bring
your own pillows and blankets. If you are
not used sleeping without a mattress, an air-inflatable mattress is highly recommended. The following are also recommended: First Aid kit
(with Tylenol) and any medications, Flashlights
and batteries, small broom and dustpan, fishing equipment, golf clubs, game cards and
other boardgames, pocket knife, paper/pencil/pen, folding chairs, lantern, insect
repellant, lotion, sunscreen, bath towels,
lip balm, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, colgate, toothbrush, comb/hair brush, deodorant,
female needs, large bags for dirth clothes,
underwear, long pants, long john, shorts, t-shirts, sweater/sweat shirts and pants, socks,
bandanas, sleepwear, bathing suit, hats, rain jackets, sewing kit, transistor radio, portable TV, your laptop
computer, cameras and lots of films, children toys, your cell phone, your Karaoke and
Videoke tapes. Remember: its HOT in the daytime so be prepared with summer clothes- but its COLD at night so you must bring your sweaters and thick blankets.
Q33. I already reserved a trailer. But since it is quite far from where the
actions are, can I also book a tent site so that I can stay in my tent during the day and
be part of all the group activities and just retire to my trailer at night?
Absolutely. Of course, you can also hang-around in the
Kitchen/Dining area (and help in the cooking!) or share a site with someone since each
site is allowed two tents.
Q34. Can I invite non Paetenian to join me in the Camping?
Absolutely.
Q35. We can’t bring any cooking paraphernalias. What should we do on Friday and Sunday (when the
meals are KKB?).
There
is a restaurant inside the campground. If you don’t like it, there are plenty of
fastfoods and restaurants in the nearby Kitchener and Waterloo area (10-15 minutes drive). Or just join any of our kababayans who have
cooking equipment and chip-in with them. Make that the least of your worries.
|