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2006
2005
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Getting Around in Tabucan
19th October 2005
It's hot here. Very hot. Eggs do not fry on the
sidewalks because they leave the chicken pre-boiled. Just
walking around makes you sweat and if you're foolish enough to dance you
end up looking like a drowned rat.
Instead of walking around in this heat, the average Filipino would
prefer to use one of the following methods.
- Bicycles with sidecars
The bicycle-with-sidecar is a common choice for short
distances.
It is not uncommon to see a 10-year-old boy driving one
of the these. I usually think "Why aren't you
in school sunshine?" Like most things in The
Philippines, it comes down to economics. The children get between 10 and 20 pesos per trip (25 to 50 NZ
cents). If enough trips are made, their family may be able to
eat three meals that day, instead of just one. And what's
more important? Education or food? A tough question...
- Motorbike
The motorbike is fairly common in Tabucan. They are a lot cheaper
to run than cars. The law states that you're required to wear
a helmet, but you seldom see one being worn. One of the locals told
me that it's only illegal if you get caught.
The local captain often gives Rowen and I a lift to school on his motorbike. The person on the back of a
three-man motorbike has to be very careful that their feet don't get
caught up in the back wheel.
I've seen four people riding on a single motorcycle. The fourth is
generally a little kid perched on the handlebars.
- Motorbikes with sidecars
Some industrious Filipinos have attached
sidecars to their motorbikes. It is not uncommon to see
four people on the motorbike itself, two in the sidecar, two on the
back, two hanging onto
the side and two on the roof of the sidecar.
I pay 7 pesos (about 18 NZ cents) to ride one of these to school.
- Jeepney
After World War II, the American Army left hundreds (thousands?) of
jeeps in the Philippines. The cost of transporting them back
to the U.S. was just too expensive. As the old saying goes
though, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
The industrious Filipinos have taking these Jeeps and extended
the wheelbase so that they can carry about 20 people. They used to be made to look hideously garish, but they
have been toned down a bit in recent years.
If there is not enough room to sit down, hanging onto the back of
the Jeepney is always an option. For some reason, whenever I
am hanging onto the back I feel like bursting into song.
"I did it my way" and "We are the champions" are
personal favorites.
- Mini vans
These are your typical New Zealand style mini vans. They do
runs between major towns and have a capacity of 20 people.
- Outriggers
The Philippines has 7,107 islands, so boats are fairly common.
Outriggers frequently shuffle people and
cargo between
the islands.
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