A day in the life of a late night driver
July 20, 2008Driving around in Manila during the day is horrible. Especially in the more densely populated portions traffic becomes the non-movement of vehicles. The horrendous situation is the norm during daylight. At night it becomes a different matter especially during the hour after night and before dawn. It is at that magical point in time when all vehicles are silenced by the dark. Like grazing animals fearful of predators the cars and their owners retire to their respective garages at night.
I, on the other hand, had to drive at night. My cousin, my girlfriend, my sister and some of her friends would be riding home with me that night. My trusted steed Betsy became yet again the magic school bus of good old days. We all met up at Alchemy club or bar or whatever its called and spent a few hours there. Having reached the point where we could get no more fun out of the place we decided to leave. First I dropped off my cousin at his hotel. The club was in Pasig City his hotel was in Manila. We stopped by McDonald’s Paseo (the one near Greenbelt) for breakfast, yes breakfast.
My sister’s friends needed to be dropped off as well in Sta. Mesa. I have an aunt who lives there. We used to visit her often so the area where they asked me to drop them off was quite familiar to me. Or so I thought. I had to keep asking my sister’s friend for directions, the entire Manila landscape is transformed at night. The roads change from ugly squawking duckling during the day to a calm swan at night.
Night driving is a joy. I dropped off my sister first and then my girlfriend.
I went back home to the blinding light of 6am and the stirrings of the whole of Manila waking from its slumber.
