“Life is a great adventure or nothing,” goes the Instagram profile of jabeenturero, which probably explains why his group embarked on an adventure — one of the greatest adventure undertaken by mankind, we dare say — riding a habal-habal, a remarkable motorcycle ride that requires balance and coordination between the driver, the passengers, and whatever baggage they choose to strap on that hapless motorcycle. It looks like a suicide mission for outsiders, but it’s a normal mode of transportation for locals in some parts of Visayas and in many places in Mindanao. Habal-habal is from the root word “habal,” which means to mount. The habal-habal motorcycle is also called “skylab” in some places, reportedly based on that 70’s space station or a contraction of the phrase “sakay na, lab” (“ride on, love”). The habal-habal or skylab looks more like a plane than a motorcycle (giving full justice to the expression, “I’m not driving fast, I’m flying low”), with planks protruding from both sides and at the back of the motorcycle. It can carry more than TEN people (yes, you got that right, more than 10 people) AND their baggage. Fancy riding on the “wing” of the skylab? You guys should try it at least once. Photo courtesy of jabeenturero (check his Instagram account, @jabeenturero, for more photos). Click the photo to enlarge. Continue reading Fly High on the Wing of Skylab (Habal-Habal) Motorcycle: Photo of the Day →