Tuesday, July 15, 2008

taxi!!

Some years back, a strange phenomenon happened in Dumaguete. Seen plying the narrow streets were a couple of white cars emblazoned with blue letters saying "Ken Taxi." I felt then that it was so strange to have taxis in my little old hometown, where one can practically walk to everywhere, and the places too far to walk to were always accessible via pedicabs. Whatever would we need taxis for? It seems that many other people shared that sentiment and in a few months the Ken taxis were nowhere to be found.

Recently, however, we've been seeing white taxis with green letters going around the city once again. I was at the airport this morning and saw five such taxis. I interviewed one driver and he told me (in English, ha) that they've been operational for three months already and they have lots of costumers, mostly foreigners or balikbayans, which they bring to hotels, resorts and to their respective hometowns in Negros. From the airport to downtown Dumaguete costs 150.00 pesos, from the airport to Valencia, 400.00 pesos, to Bayawan 2,200.00 pesos, and so on and so forth. He further assured me they can give discounts for long distance trips.

The words on the banner are not so clear so let me just decipher them for you: "Arari Negros Taxi, reliable and finest taxi service in town."



And here are two of the five taxis. The driver's door panel sports the letters ARN which means Arari Negros Taxi.


I wonder what the Arari means, maybe that's the name of the owner. Who, by the way, is also the owner of this new place at the airport: Le Traveller's Cafe which offers a restaurant (Jumong, serving Korean and Filipino food), internet connection AND foot spa services for the weary traveler and/or the forlorn send-off-er.





4 comments:

tata said...

dear mel,
long time since i've spoken/written to you..i've visited your site several times and always enjoy reading your blogs and checking out your pictures...just realized i can post comments...still low tech masyado..
am still trying to see if i can come home for the reunion...been trying to convince my hubby for the past few months...i think i'm wearing him down...main reason for our hesitation is the expense...racked up a lot of house related utangs payable in the next 2-3 years...it's 1201 am here...am having problems w/ insomnia...:(

love u, miss u, do hope to see u...cross my fingers...love, tata

ness said...

TA!!
SURE HOPE YOU CAN COME THIS AUGUST!! as they always say, one can always work for the money but the 30th reunion, that's only ONCE in FOREVER.
COME!

Vk-mahalkaayo said...

grabe na kaayo ang dumaguete sa?

before, going to school, last minutes way problema, di malate or matraffic....same as i am working already, mao gihapon last minutes walay problema,,,,,bisan 2 rides ko kay naa sa tabuc-tubig ang ako wrks. pero no problem.

the last time among uli, pastilan, nagkayagaw ang traffic.....from bantayan to city center, dugay na maabot,...gawas sa banha, baling tawo pa gyd....kapoy na iadto sa city.

sikata na no? dili na pedicab or tartanilla sakyan kung dili...TAXI na...

duna pa foot spa.....

thanks for sharing....

Vk-mahalkaayo said...

ila taxi car kay mora ug Police car diri sa amoa.....

sometimes, mag-isip ko sa diha pa ko,1983, ka graduated lang nako, pastilan mingawa pa gyd, tapos mabaklay ra mi, kay gimahalan sa plete sa pedicab.

karon, taxi, 150psos from airport to city center, sus unsaon man paglusot dayon sa taxi nga grabe man ka traffic na gani.

ok lang kung long distance, outside sa city na.

pareha ako miga diri, ilaha sa bonawon, valencia and guihulngan, ok....happy sila kay di na kono sila magproblima ug sakyanan.
ok gihapon. advantage gihapon.

pero dha sa city, grabe ka traffic.