A Jeep?

After World War II there was a big US presence in Manila.  They occupied the land for a good many years.  When the main part of the troops pulled out they left behind all the old equipment that had been there to sustain the men and women who served there.  The ingenious people of the Philippines took over everything that was left and figured out a way to use it.  They took the jeeps and cut them in half and made them longer and put them back together to make them into little bus-type like vehicle.  They called them jeepnees.  They are all over the place.  People can ride them for 9 pasos which is 20 cents US. They are usually like a jeep that was cut in half.  They have benches on both sides and a door in the back that is always open.  I could not get a picture of one of them. These are much more than what the people usually ride in.

After all the ones that they made from jeeps wore out they actually started to manufacture them.  These are really fancy ones that we saw at the Temple.  The Manila mission had an open house on Satruday and they rented jeepnees and brought their investigators to see the temple.  Of course they cannot go in it but they could be there on the grounds and feel the sweet spirit of the temple.  It was fun to see so many people walking around with the missionaries.

There are of course lots of buses in the city as well.  Our driver told us that they are in competition for the riders.  They drive very fast and try to get ahead of each other since they are all privately owned and they are all going to the same places.  So they will cut each other off.  I do not remember that as much.  Some of the buses are like grey hounds and are very nice while others are very basic and have benches instead of seats.