| The first thing you may notice upon arrival in the Philippines’ capital, Manila, is its traffic. Adding to its charm, its roads are quite often lane-less, more often lawless, and hence nearly always chaotic. There is usually only one rule: there are no rules.
But there is a king.
Picture an American World War Two army jeep; then stretch it; adorn it with flamboyant colours and decorations; and fill it with passengers. Finally, fill it with more passengers. Your king in drag.
A symbol of Philippine culture, Jeepneys are by far the most popular form of public transport in the country. They are cheap (with set prices, so you’ll never be ripped off), ubiquitous, surprisingly quick, and come with air-conditioning (they have no windows). Put simply, they rule the roads.
Although somewhat daunting to new users, travelling on a jeepney is actually not very difficult. When one stops (or sometimes while it is still moving), simply jump into the back, yell out your destination, hand over your money (passed on by other commuters to the front of the vehicle), sit back (actually, sideways) and enjoy the ride.
When you have reached your destination, bang on the ceiling whilst yelling “para po” (roughly translated as “please stop”), and jump off - paying mind to the other vehicles on the road. Very exciting stuff.
Travelling on a jeepney can be a social experience as well. Riding in such close quarters will often lead to conversation (usually about food). And sitting face to face with Filipinos - or Pinoys, as they are affectionately known - will always lead to plenty of warm smiles.
Whilst touring, you will surely notice an excessive amount of pedestrians on the road. More often than not, these are street vendors trying to tempt you with mid-journey snacks such as banana-que (bananas fried in sugar), camote (sweet potato skewers) and mane (boiled peanuts) - their business facilitated by the slow moving traffic. These mobile ‘kiosks’ are great when you are on a long journey and feeling hungry - and Filipinos are nearly always hungry. Sound silly? The next time you’re famished and stuck in traffic, you won’t think so.
The other popular mode of public transport in the city is the tricycle - motorcycles with sidecars, the Philippine version of the auto rickshaw. Similarly cheap, these nifty vehicles will zip you around the local roads, as well as the nooks and crannies - of which there are many - that larger vehicles such as jeepneys can’t access. The ride can be a bit bumpy though, so holding on tightly is highly recommended (especially when there are four of you on the bike). Like jeepneys, tricycles are a whole lot of fun to use.
Download the Philippines OBrochure Experience Guide here. |
