After my hit-and-run accident with a Kia 2700 that was driven by an unlicensed security guard working for Kia motors, and my agreement with Kia Motors of Cagayan de Oro City that they would fix the damage to my vehicle at no charge to me, and waiting for the August holidays to pass, inclucing the [...]
There are some trends in The Philippines that are a bit different than in The States. For instance, I have been to seven weddings in The Philippines, including my own wedding, and in all cases the bride was pregnant except for my bride. It seems like the primary motivator for marriage here is pregnancy. I [...]
I have run over four dogs now in The Philippines while driving my 1998 Isuzu Vehicross. Thank god I haven’t hit one on my 2007 Honda Wave 125. The first one I hit, I was driving down J.R. Borja Extension, which is a 4-lane road with a curbed but grassy median. Actually, while it is [...]
I bought a new car!! Ok, it’s not exactly new, but it is new to me, and it looks brand new. Actually nine years old and has not been in production for six years. It’s a 1998 Japanese version Isuzu Vehicross that’s been converted to left-side driver accommodation. American Vehicross’s were released with 3.5 liter [...]
I’ve been driving in The Philippines for several months now, primarily on a 2007 Honda Wave 125. Although I also have a 2007 Honda XRM 110, I rarely ride it. This past weekend was the St. John’s Fiesta in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental. This was to be my third visit to Jimenez, where my father-in-law is [...]
It’s not exactly a pickup truck like one of my old ’74 or ’78 4×4 Dodge Power Wagons, or my ’72 C20 Chevy 3/4-ton hotrod, but for The Philippines it looks like the perfect truck for me. It’s the Kia 2700 4×4. This 6-seater can carry a 2-ton payload, and retails for PHP 818,000.00. (That’s [...]
When I first came to The Philippines in 2004 I swore to myself I would never drive here, relegating myself into the service of taxis, jeepneys, motorelas, and the occasional tricyle, forever. However, on my third trip to The Philippines, after spending several months here, and noting that I was spending around PHP 10,000 (about [...]
Two of my biggest pet-peeves of The Philippes have to do with taxis. One is the pervasive concept they have of fuel efficient driving. On a five-speed manual transmission, taxi drivers here routinely shift to 4th gear at 30 kph (18.5 mph), and into 5th gear at 40 kph (24.5 mph). They always stay below [...]