So, what have I been doing with that other 2% of my time? With the help of my co-conspirator George, I managed to take my first Jeepney ride. George is one of the employees I’ve been working with since I arrived in Manila. He had been encouraging both Paul and I to take a quick Jeepney ride – just so we could say we’d had the experience. His wife, Tin, wasn’t as thrilled with his suggestion as we were. Paul left before he was able to take his first ride, so George and I struck a deal. If he’d accompany me on the ride, I was game to go. Everyone who knows me knows I have a horrible sense of direction. Without a guide, I’d likely end up in Cebu (ok, maybe not that far away. I know now that Jeepney’s travel in 7km circuits and eventually will end up back where you got on.)

Jeepney’s run pretty much on the honour system. You crawl into the front of back of the vehicle and pass forward your 7 peso’s and 50 centavos (approx. 15 cents CDN) to the driver. If you’re sitting in the back, you pass your money forward through the chain of other riders. Change is passed back in the same manner. There are no conductors or anyone checking to see if you’ve paid. No tickets are passed out. The driver just patiently waits for the money to be handed over – while driving of course.

We learned from one of our taxi drivers that Jeepneys cost approximately 360,000 pesos (8000$ CAD, $6923 USD) to purchase. Most of the Jeepneys are privately owned and run as taxis, although a few run the streets as private vehicles (those often say “private vehicle, not for hire” on the sides or back door of the vehicles) as we’ve seen some used as transport vehicles for loads of coconuts!

George took pics of the two of us on the Jeepney with his cell phone, but I haven’t received them in email yet. Until then, you’ll have to content yourselves with this picture of a Jeepney taken by Paul.

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