Jeepny... pronounced Jeep-knee, is an extend Jeep type car that is a kind of taxi/bus and the streets are filled with them. They have 2 benches in the back and they can fit 8 Americans.... or 20 Filipinos. They have a saying always room for one more! So they really "pimp" their rides and do them up all fancy. Most people can't afford cars so this is one main way to get around.
This is a trike, it is a motorbike with a side car, then a little back trailer part in the back. Alot of the time the people who drive these during the day, sleep in them at night. They are like a taxi.
There are hundreds of these on the street at a time, the zip in and out of traffic. If you look in the backgound of this picture you can see a van in the back, it was full of people then had about 5 people riding on top.
I wish this picture captured how many kids were on this trike... there were 3 in the side car, 6 kids and 1 adult in the back, and 2 sitting behind the driver. All ways room for one more.
If you are lucky enough to have transportation it is probably a scooter or motorbike. Again you wouldn't believe how many people can fit on these. I saw a family of 5 on one. 2 kids on the gas tank holding on to the handles, dad,newborn baby strapped to mom, 1 behind mom... and no helmets. The way they are in and out of traffic is jaw dropping. I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture, but there is a girl about 1 to 2 standing in between dad and mom. The funny thing is these kids hardly hold on.... they just sit there looking totally relaxed, I on the other hand make my 2 yr old wear a helmet on his trike while he walks his feet on the ground to get around.
Just a typical day in down town Manila with my truck of pigs... The boy in the back would occasionally start beating them with a stick..... bacon anyone? (Jeepny on the side)
There are huge billboards everywhere... stories and stories high. Alot of them are for skin whitening products. The whiter your skin the better off you are. Meaning you have enough money that you don't need to labour out side. Fun how here we are the opposite the dark you are the more money you have to sit in the sun and relax...
There were ALWAYS cars on the road. As far as the eye could see. They think that having your lights on wastes gas, so many don't turn them on... make it really fun for the motorbikes. The traffic seems very random. There are lines on the road, but I'm not sure why. If you can fit a car/bike/bus in you can drive it. So if it is a 3 lane road, there will be 5 lanes weaving in and out, plus motorbikes driving in between that. Traffic lights are a suggestion. Red doesn't really mean stop.. it just means hurry before that bus hits you. There is constant honking, it can mean, get out of the way, I'm turning, I'm stopping, I'm changing lanes, do you want a ride, I'm beside you. Very rarely will you see a signal on a car, they just go. You can turn from any lane any way, You can even flip a U and go back the way you came..... Jeff and I made good use of our 'oh my heck bars'. If you are a pedestrian you just go and hope for the best.
Here is a little video clip, it doesn't show what it is really like, but enjoy..... Ps more pictures to come!!
4 comments:
What the heck are 'o my heck bars'?
You know the handles that are above the car door... I'm not sure what they are really called, or what they are really for, but we used them to hang on as my father did some crazy driving.
Thank you! Please keep it coming!
Wow, those jeepnys are hilarious!! They do know how to pimp their rides, that's for sure. Driving in Asia is definitely an experience like no other. When we were in China we'd often get rides from supposed 'taxis' but then we'd soon realize after seeing no meter that it was just a private citizen make a buck. Oh well. We'd also get a lot of rides from guys on motorbikes, something we would never do here, but China, ironically, always felt so safe. I think it was because the men were so tiny. Oh you guys, I'm so excited that you got to go! I can't wait to see more pictures and hear more about it.
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