I had an hilarious time in the Philippines, using their l0cal method of transport – the Jeepney. These are the most popular means of public transport and are often known for their crowded seating and flamboyant decorations. Some of the bonnets have miniature horse representations on them, depicting the number of horse-power of the engine. The origin of the Jeepney stems from the US military jeeps which were left over from the WWII campaign and the name Jeepney is a combination of the words “jeep” and “jitney”, which stands for a small bus that carries passengers on a regular route with a flexible schedule.
My companions and I went by Jeepney from Manila to Ternate Beach about 70k from Manila. That night we dined on Smoked Tangigue (smoked swordfish served with mustard and dill sauce), some Achara Salad, garlic rice and Guayabano juice. The following day we went by Jeepney to Tagaytay and saw the active Taal Volcano which sits within a lake before catching another Jeepney back to Manila.
Like many crowded Asian cities, the streets leading into Manila are no different and any vehicle’s rites of passage involve using your car horn to traverse the distance, on any side of the road you fancy. However, when your driver takes his hand off the steering wheel in order to do the Sign of the Cross, you know you’re about to be involved in an accident. Never mind, it’s all part of the journey.
Mabuhay!
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“Is It Art?”
Wow! It’s just now that I learned that the horses in front of a jeepney represents something. Haha. I thought those were just part of the design.
I don’t know if you noticed, but how flamboyant jeepneys are depend on the route they are taking. Some routes are really known to have drivers that are proud of the designs they have on their jeeps 🙂
Aha! Thanks for that great insight. I remember seeing an area in Manila where lots of Jeepneys were (a bit like a taxi rank) and you are correct, many of them were more elaborately decorated than others, but then, I thought that might have been related to their artistic or decorative tendencies. Well spotted!