To go shopping from Baseco is a complicated affair…….there is limited food in Baseco itself, we get great tropical fruit such as Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapples etc…….but as for Aussie/Western food such as bread (like bread without sugar, and a colour other than white), milk (people do not use here much at all) and breakfast cereal (without a sugar overload and MSG fix) we have to travel in to a BIG supermarket called SM Manila……it takes over 1/2 hour usually……depending on the traffic.
It involves catching a tricycle (a motor bike with a side car) out of Baseco to the nearest Jeepney stop at Pier South…..depending on how many kids I have we take one or two tricycles………I have my older children on the outside riding sidesaddle behind the driver and I am squished in the Philippino sized side car with the three smaller kids, Esther usually on my lap.
We rattle (literally) along the main roads in Baseco, then we hit the sweet spot, the main road out of Baseco shared with multitudes of trucks and semi trailers all making their way to and fro from the piers…..the tricycles swerve and duck and weave fearlessly through the heavy traffic, you bounce, you wobble, you yelp when your head hit the roof and the mud splashes you from a big puddle outside and you rattle all the way out of Baseco…………outside the ride is much more exciting your legs and arms are your responsiblity keep them i or loose them!! You ride close and hard next to all sorts of noisy HUGE trucks motorcycles and more. But it is cool and breezy!!
I actually like the ride on the tricycle, it is fun!!!
We then crawl out of the tricycle, me literally rolling out, quite a sight to the fellas around Pier South I am sure!! Walk the small distance to the jeepney stop and yell out “SM Manila”, then about 3 guys fight about getting you a jeepney (they get a tip from jeepney driver for filling them up with passengers), you jump on, squish up along the sides, pay the usually amused driver at your attempts at Tagalog, and drive away at a breakneck speed, starting and stopping, speaking to people (everyone always talk to us, after all Esther type little people are a rarity in Manila) we then career through downtown Manila.
The smells that assail your nostrils are demanding to say the least……….the pollution from cars, buses, jeepneys, trucks and motorcycles is awe inspiring. Diesel exhaust belches into the open Jeepneys and you literally suck it up!! Sometimes the traffic is good sometimes very bad. We have taken over an hour to get to SM as the traffic just does NOT move. You sit and breath in the polution and think about Adelaide traffic and traffic jams with a certain fondness…….Not to mention the heat level…sweating is the norm in Manila and the heat rises as you sit in a jeepney…..you get off dripping wet sometimes, then it rains….sweeeeeeeet!!!
As you near your destination, I prepare the kids to get off as the jeepneys need to move off quickly sometimes while you are still on it….but they are kind to me I am sure as they see the chubby white lady with marami (lots) of kids they wait longer. Sometimes the traffic is so bad they cannot get near the curb so you have to weave through three lanes of usually slow moving banked up traffic, quite a feat with 5 or 6 kids in tow, but the drivers are good they will give way, it is just how it is done here!
Once of you walk down to SM and are searched before entrance and you are in 4 floors of airconditioned western style shopping heaven!! (well sort of) despite the fact there are wall to wall people and students and shop assistants who stare and smile and whisper about you…..because you see YOU ARE THE ONLY WHITE PEOPLE THERE!!! Now that is a strange feeling.
But once you get over that it is great……..cheap western food, nice shops and a supermarket……so we shop and have a nice break……..
Then we have to go home….another adventure…….most taxis do not want to take you and your multitude of kids, also they do not like the Baseco reputation……they avoid Baseco……so God gave me a friend!! Before I left I prayed to God that He would give me a transport friend (as I always knew it would be a hassle especially with 8 of us) So I pre-warned God and asked for help!! A friend who would watch for us and look out for us…..and we found Alvin the Kaliglig driver!!!
Technically he was Christine’s friend first but I adopted him when we she left for Australia…..when we come to the entrance we look for him and he looks for us (easy as I am the only white mumma withe white kids for miles- we stick out!!) Nevertheless, he is our favourite and gets preference over any other Kaliglig drivers ….a Kaliglig is a heavy duty motor bike with a large cog and chain contraption for power, it has comfy seats and a larger storage than a tricycle, so our boxes and kids fit better…….it is slower and makes a HUMUNGOUS noise but he is trustworthy and we do not even haggle or talk about money we are friends!!!!
It makes make my life just a TINY bit easier when I shop…..oh and by the way if Alvin is NOT there the rest of the Kaliglig drivers know us and OUR deal so happily take me to Baseco, no arguements!! Better than a taxi, and as we rattle along in the open air I just thank God…..I am a content woman.
God knew that I needed a friend and he cares for the small things coz they do matter….
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