Transportation in Cebu

This week we thought we would show some of the transportation available in Cebu.  The temple has two vans that can be used by the missionaries and that is usually how we do our shopping.  We go with other missionaries because we don't have a drivers license yet.  The rules of the road are 1: don't hit any body and 2: if you get the nose of your vehicle to a spot before the next vehicle does you can cut in front of them.  That is pretty much all you need to know.  You can drive on the wrong side of the road as long as no one will hit you (we have seen two lanes have three lanes of traffic on them), you can stop in the outside lane to let people on or off, motorcycles go in and out of traffic if there is an opening large enough between or in front of vehicles and pedestrians just walk out into the traffic when they need to cross the street, (see the YouTube link below of us walking to the temple).  Amazingly we have only seen two accidents since we have been here and both of them involved motorcycles, probably because they cut in and out of traffic so much.  There is always lots of horns being honked but it is more to let other drivers know that you are there and don't want to be hit or you hit someone than another driver is mad at your driving, although that does happen occasionally also.

Besides the vans we have also used a taxi, rode a jeepney and of course walking which is how we get to the temple each day. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Click on the following link to go to YouTube and see us crossing the street and walking to the temple.  Notice how close the vehicles come to us as we are walking down the street.  Also, when we briefly show the men working on the power lines notice that they just have ladders leaning up against the power lines to work on them.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNzqBVq68D0

One of the many styles and colors of Jeepney.  They load and unload right by our apartment.

Another Jeepney with cargo on top, sometimes the whole top is covered.  I like the saying on the front.

There are many taxi's available to use.  The men on motorcycles in front of the taxi are waiting for paying passengers.

Look closely and you will notice a child is between the two adults.  We have seen up to 5 people on one motorcycle.

A tricycle.  Most have a motorcycle attached to the cart but you still see a regular bicycle used  sometimes.

A tricycle hauling passengers and plywood and other materials.

Bicycles are still used to transport families.