I can't believe the traffic.

I can't believe that the traffic is bad.

Like really bad.

Nate decided to rent a car the moment we arrived at the hotel so we could look around. I was so excited that I didn't bother about my luggage and just dragged him out so we could start our adventure.

Unfortunately, I never even guessed nor imagined that Nate and I would have been stuck in the middle of the traffic for nearly three hours. I have already run out of things to say, and stories to tell an hour and a half ago so we're both bored, and annoyed. I have nothing else to say that will or can amuse us. While I was either blowing my hair up or stretching at the backseat, Nate was either gripping the steering wheel, pinching the bridge of his nose or just probably regretting his own idea.

"Why don't you just say where we're going so we could ask around?"

Nate glared at me for the nth time. I have been asking the same questions over and over since the first hour we got stuck. And for the first part of the minute, he was amused at my excitement, saying that it wouldn't be a surprise if he told me. After a while his amusement became annoyance but still gave me the same answer, and then his face showed that he was irritated the more we stay where we are, and whenever I ask he same question, he would answer through gritted teeth. Until my boredom gets to his nerves, and just glares at me when I ask the same questions. Annoying an already irritated boss may seem like a bad idea to some but I'm bored.

"Where exactly are we?"

He glared.

"Can we just go back?"

He glared.

"We can continue our adventure tomorrow?"

He glared.

"Let's just do it tomorrow so we could carefully plan things."

He took a deep breath, wiped his face with his hands before glaring at me. "Oh, I do have a plan. Someone just keeps on ruining those plans."

I whipped my head to the side to face him. "Excuse me! It's not my fault that you chose this route to our destination. It's not my fault that we got stuck in traffic. Nor was it my fault that we don't know where exactly we are because of someone's stubbornness and pride to ask."

"If you hear me asking where we are, you would know immediately our destination."

I return his glare with my own glare. "Are you stupid? It's not like I know my way around here to just figure out where we're going."

"Okay then, be my guest. Go outside and ask people where we are. It's not like there's a lot of people you could ask around other than those people who are inside their... vehicles."

The earlier part in my story, I have explained to Nate everything I could about the Philippines. I explained that there are lots of public transportation here. Each one has distinctive features. But each have the same purpose as to the other; and that is to carry as much as passengers to their destinations.

Trucks, trains, bikes, cabs, cars, and buses are not the only means of land transportation.

Filipinos have jeepneys, and what seemed to be a three-wheeled weird looking vehicle known as tricycle.

Jeepneys are vehicles that can carry 8-10 passengers on each side. It is a long type of vehicle. Unlike cars, these jeepneys have only three passages. One on the driver seat, another on the passenger's, and one at the very back of the jeepney, where the long backseats are located. The backseats are placed behind the driver's and the passenger's seats and are facing each other.

There are also times wherein jeepneys are overflowing. Despite how full a jeepneys are, if a passenger can find comfort in their position in the jeepney, then it's okay.

On placing or paying the driver for the fare, passengers can pass their payment to the other passengers until it reached the driver.

The other vehicle is called tricycle. This type vehicle can seat 5-7 passengers, depending on your location or how it was created. These public utility transportations are bikes, or motorcycles that have a sidecar attached to it. This type of vehicle is the most popular means of transport in towns and cities, especially rural areas.

Filipinos use these types of vehicles in order to save money or to avoid paying a large amount of fare to a cab.

I would have wanted to experience being a passenger to one of those vehicles that Filipinos use but considering the slow-moving traffic and the heat of the afternoon sun, I'm glad we decided to skip it for now. I might not enjoy it like I always thought.

"Since it was your idea to ask around, why don't you do it," he said as if to challenge me.

I raised an eyebrow as if to say, "are you serious?" before raising my chin defiantly, huffing, and opening the passenger door to let me out. The heat immediately greeted me as I let myself out. At the corner of my eyes, I saw Nate looking at me incredulously. I turn and gave him a sweet smile before closing the door.

We have been in the same street for less than three hours. We don't know where we are, we're wasting time, and his pride and ego are not going to help us anytime.

Looking at the traffic in front of us, I realized that even if we know where we are, it will still be a while before we got out of this.

Behind is a jeepney where a decent number of passengers are in. I approached the jeepney and smiled at the closest passenger. Making eye contact with the driver, I managed to learn that we are currently in Legarda, and that we just have to wait out this a little more because we are about to reach an intersection in Mendiola (I don't know what they're saying). After that we don't have to worry anymore. During that time, I managed to pick some of the passengers' commenting, "ganito po talaga rito. Sanayan lang," which if I am not mistaken translates to "it has always been like this here. We just got used to it."

I thanked the driver and the other passengers, and quickly walked back to the car.

"What?" I asked as Nate just kept staring at me.

"Are you nuts?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you seen the streets?"

I took a deep breath. "I know what I did was dangerous but it's not like we have a choice. And besides nothing happened."

I know that my response probably made him angrier because I sound like I don't have a care in the world. "You just made us targets for possible assault by asking like that."

"What do you mean?"

"You just bared to the world our cluelessness in the city which will make us easy targets for criminals lurking anywhere!"

"If you don't want me to do it then stop provoking me!"

We glared at each other for a few minutes before turning away.

When the car was able to move for what seemed like a few inches, I told him our location.

When I was met with silence, I just stared out the window and let myself be drown in my thoughts. I realized that because of boredom, my actions were childish and a little bit out of the line. He's right. I just made us vulnerable to any assailants. Looking at the fuming Nate, I decided to just let him be and apologize later when our heads cool down. As much as it is fun annoying the hell out of him for the past three hours, I don't want to push his patience to his limits.

I leaned my head against the window and tried to make myself sleep. But after minutes of finding a comfortable position to sleep, I gave up. I might as well just join Nate in his misery.

"I think we took the wrong route," I heard him say.

I look at him wide eyes. I knew it.

"I want to take you to the National Museum where the painting, La Spoliarium currently resides. I wanted it to be a surprise but instead..."

"That's sweet," I said ang gave him a cheeky smile. "I am so glad that you remembered our little talk back in your office."

"Are you kidding me? I will never forget that day. Hearing the sincerity in your voice was the reason why I want to bring you wherever you want to go."

I feel a little guilty. Here he is, trying to fulfill one of my wishes and all I did the whole ride was annoy the hell out of him.

"I'm sorry," I finally said. "I'm sorry for being such a pain the whole ride."

He looked at me and smiled. "Don't worry about it," he says. "Let's just plan our next adventure together. Deal?"

I squealed before replying, "deal!"

Finally, after thirty minutes, we made it out alive.