Transporter

Haha! I totally said I would write this a week ago. But this time I have an even better excuse than 'I was on holiday'. I bought a smartphone: I call him Lil' Timesucker.

I said I would write about how to get around on the Philippines, and I will. Clearly I am a man of my word. Getting around on the Philippines can be somewhat confusing, just like everything else here. Of course  you have the standard set of getty-aroundy vehicles: Airplanes, ferries, buses, taxis, and I think Manila has some sort of train. But where the rest of the world walks the rest of the way themselves, the magnificent people of the Philippines decline to do that. I still walk some distances, but I do understand the sentiment. It's really warm over here. So how do they do it? There is an entire layer of extra public transport everywhere, consisting of Jeepneys, multi-cabs, tricycles, and pedicabs.
Jeepneys are sort of short-range buses. Often elaborately decorated, these things cost around 16 to 20 cents and get you and around 19 of your peers from one village to the next. If you want to get on one you signal it, and you yell 'Stop!' when you want to get off. Crazy system, I know. Where are all the buttons? But surely these still only ride their own route and don't deviate from it. How do you get to the front door?
That's where the tricycle comes in. Tricycles are motorcycles with a side-span and roofing. While not as beautifully decorated as the jeepneys, every area has their own tricycle design. In Tacloban, the side-span holds 2 Europeans or about 4 Filipino's with 1 European or 2 Filipino's on the back of the motorcycle. Meanwhile, in Ormoc, a city 2 hours away by car, they not only have a sidespan but also a back part that holds another 2-4 people. These cost another 14 cents to ride, and take you anywhere within the same town.
But when the bus-stop is only at the end of the street from your house, isn't it a bit excessive to take a motorcycle for the 100-meter stretch? Obviously it is, but it's certainly not excessive enough to walk, and that's where pedicabs come in. These are similar to tricycles, but with a bike! These are the ones I never take, and I think they cost 10 cents.
So what are multi-cabs? The truth is that I don't know. I don't think I've ever seen one. Then again, maybe I've taken one. I heard they're similar to jeepneys, but blend in slightly better with traffic. In any case they are elusive and undoubtedly redundant.

I would promise to write another one in a week, but in a weeks time that would be another broken promise. All I can say is that this probably won't be the last posting on this blog.