I think the part I like most about my trips out to the center is the journey out there and the journey back. Generally, I catch a jeepney out to Calinan, a town near the center, in the morning which can take anywhere between one and two hours (depending on how many pick up and drop of stops we make, and how long they last). A jeep is like a van but the back is open (the windows have been taken out) and the seats don’t face forward. Instead there is a big long bench along each side that faces the middle. They are painted all kinds of ridiculous colours and patterns. They are like psychedelic clown vans, every piece of chrome or paint being loud and busy, and usually packed full. But I think my favourite part about them is how they all have religious slogans printed above the windshield or on the back mud flaps. They say things like “God’s gift” or “Soldier for Christ” in the same “machismo” kind of way that people put decals of bullet holes or flames on their cars and trucks back home, except that here proclaimin’ for Jesus is what makes you badass.
Jeepney all packed up
Typical jeepney in Cagayan de Oro City
The way riding a jeep works is that there are literally hundreds of them in the city and each follows one of at least 50 routes. You can hop on and hop off wherever you want; you just hail it down from the side of the road to get on and then tap the ceiling with your hand or a coin when you want to get off. Jeeps often have two people working, the driver and then his “associate” who rides at the back, collects people’s fare and runs off to solicit more customers whenever the jeep stops (usually at busy corners, like the market). These “associates” are funny because they stand at the back of the jeep, shouting its destination in such a way that it is like they are trying to convince people “You wanna come where I am going, pal”. Sometimes they will spend five or ten minutes wandering around trying to round up customers – especially if the jeep is not full, but often even if it is (there’s always room to squeeze in a few more, along with their bags of rice and groceries)
The morning commute
I like riding the jeep though, despite all the stops and the unpredictable schedule, because I always meet people and see interesting things. For example, today a man got on the jeep carrying a chicken. It was a very calm chicken. It just sat in there in his hands and didn’t even protest when the associate jammed in way too many people along with some big sections of PVC piping. I asked the chicken man if I could take a picture of him. This is something the people I am riding the jeeps with always love. They think it’s funny, but great, when I want to take pictures of them and of things like chickens because “Come on, its just a chicken!” Then we chat a bit about what I am doing in the Philippines and how long I will be staying.
Man and his chicken
Another funny thing that happened on the jeep today was that the associate business getter guy’s flip flop broke just as he was in the process of chasing after some people to get them to join us in our overcrowded wagon. Luckily for him, we were parked in front of a shoe repair shack! So, he took off his sandal, gave it to the shoemaker for repair and went on searching for riders with one barefoot. Needless to say that this was a bit of a longer stop then most, but honestly, not by much. When the shoe was fixed we carried on.
After my jeepney ride to Calinan I take a motorcycle up to the Philippine Eagle Center which is just outside of the town. I hop on the back of a motorcycle behind some guy that always tries to overcharge me. I like the motorbike ride because for one I never get to ride on motorcycles back home so it’s sort of a treat, and for two you can see everything going by.
My way back from the center is much less eventful. I take a motorcycle back to Calinan and then I catch the air conditioned shuttle van back to the city. The people in the van sit in silence and covertly stare at one another. It reminds me of riding the bus in Calgary only they don’t all have headphones to give as pretence for why they pretend the others don’t exist. The van is much more boring than the jeep but after a whole day of sitting and sweating in the observation tower it’s kinda nice to be cool and silent for a while.
