2008-01-02 How To Ride A Jeepney

(written 2007-01-27. parts of it, that is.)

At some point in the Philippine's history, the country was occupied by the US. When they finally left, they abandoned an awful lot of old jeeps. The locals gladly took the former military vessels and transformed them into some kind of public transport vehicle.
A Philippine Jeepney has two benches in the back, with space for seven to nine people each. The seat next to the driver has place for two more people, but they are sometimes occupied by a co-pilot.
Taking a ride on a jeep is like nothing you've experienced before, trust me on that. This is how you do it:

First, you need to find one, of course. That's not very difficult, because there are so many and they are looking for you, too. You can either wave at one or just pick one that's already standing on the side of the street. Waving might mean that the driver will cross a street with five lanes just to pick you up. Be prepared for that.
Now it's your turn to hop in. If you happen to be a 6 ft white guy, that's easier said than done. Mind your head. Walk all the way through to the front, until you find an empty seat. The driver wouldn't have stopped if there wasn't room for you. If that means you have to squeeze yourself between a bunch of fat people, than that's what it means. And by "walk", I actually mean crawl. Unless you're really good at it.
After a while it's time to pay. You do that by giving money to the person sitting next to you, they will pass it on. Make sure nobody else pays at the same time -- it might cause confusion. When the money has reached the driver, tell him where you want to go. Yell, if you have to. Your change will come back the same way.

That's about it. Now lean back and enjoy the ride!

***

Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day!

The museum in Manila has so many nice things to look at, you wouldn't believe it. At first I didn't want to go, but Kristine insisted. Boy can she be convincing! And I'm glad she did! I could go there every day if I had to. Only I can't. Too bad.