Kreuter's Travel Blog

Catch-up-Post: Friday October 28 - Friday November 1.

One week here. Very busy working at least 9 AM - 11 PM, so there's no time for updates each day, so here's the catch-up Post. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

I am pleased to report that travelling internationally has come a long way since I last did it. The experience is better than many of the hotels where I've stayed. Food, movies, and a seat that reclines to completely flat -- what's not to like. Other than 16 hours in a chair. Although my personal video monitor has literally thousands of movies I can watch, there is fine entertainment just looking out the window. Eastern Russia, China, and Mongolia slide by:

For those who play the game "Risk", here's what Kamchatka looks like!

The Yellow River and the South China Sea.

Sake!

A brief stop in Tokyo, a nice surprise of a better flight and seat, and a chance to visit the Delta Skyclub and send email. The Tokyo Skyclub does a litter better than the cheddar cheese and crackers Chicago Skyclub, offering sushi and Sake.

Finally, arrival in Manila. I reach the hotel around midnight, Sunday night, the first night of a week-long battle to get onto a normal sleep cycle. Here is the first picture I took after the first time I woke up after sleeping two hours -- the Manla skyline looking east from my room at the Peninsula:

So begins a week of travelling to and from work with colleagues Eric and Mike in a cab or van. Driving in this city is unlike anything I've ever seen, and I don't think I want to do it. "Working slow-motion chaos" I suppose you could call it. To understand this form of driving, start with any road, and realize that however many lanes are painted on the road, the Filipinos squeeze in one more lane of cars. So: four defined lanes, five "practical" lanes. Paint on the pavement -- white lines, yellow lines, giant arrows, words like "Stop" -- they are guidelines. Distances between cars are typically less than six inches. It is astonishing to me that all the cars here aren't banged up. But, somehow, there's a understood etiquette to driving here, and there are rarely blaring horns, accidents, or sirens. Everyone just mish-mashes to work every morning.

In addition to the "guideline" nature of driving here, there are other things to watch out for on the typical Manila road. First, there are people -- beggars, vendors, and just pedestrians who prefer a lane with vehicles in it than a sidewalk or like to live on the edge. Then there are the "low space / high occupancy vehicles". This three wheeled motorcycle on the right had ten passengers. The van from where I took the picture had four passengers.

These "tricycles" are everywhere, and there are stands for them just as there are for taxis.

The rule seems to be "carry more than it looks like you can carry".

Most fun are the "Jeepneys". What's a Jeepney, you ask? If you cross and Army Jeep with a City Bus and then dress it up with paint or polish or some other decorations you wnd up with a Jeepney. They are fun to spot in the morning "rush" hour, for a couple reasons. One to see how "loud" its owner has decorated it, and secondly to see how many people can get in it or hang off it or ride on top of it.

Our team in Manila is dilligent, talented, and very fond of Karyoke. Which they call Videoke. An evening outing on the other side of Manila led to an exciting range of pitch. And some billiards.