Editor’s Note: This is an account of Team CAR in the Rush Hour Commute race written by Stephanie Asuncion and Elvira Mata.

WE may have clocked in second and spent a fortune on gas, but we got to our destination without killing anyone for a seat. Best of all, our clothes were unwrinkled.

Expecting the ride to be long, we packed mineral water, pan de sal, gummy bears, audio CDs and weird conversation ranging from the difference between WiFi and WeRoam and how to tell if that homeless man is sniffing glue or just happy to see us.

Team CAR took an hour and 19 minutes to travel from EDSA North station all the way to Pasay Taft station, which has a distance of 16.8 kilometers. A dry run of the same route done on a rainy Sunday took all of 22 minutes.

Team CAR members are: driver Elvira Mata, navigator and note taker Stephanie Asuncion, both from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and videographer Alex Villafania of INQUIRER.net.

The Honda CRV 2004 (manual transmission) traveled an average of 7.8 km per liter of unleaded gasoline. Elvira had two pan de sals, Stephanie had a handful of gummy bears while Alex just drank water.

Timeline and details follow:

8:01 a.m. Elvira, Stephanie and Alex meet on Edsa beside the North Avenue MRT station. While waiting for Alex to arrive, Elvira and Stephanie look up at the MRT overpass and gasped as they watched the long line of sardines, er, people inch their way from the stairs to the counter to buy tickets. Alex has texted saying he was on the other side of EDSA trying to cross (part or swim) through the multitudes. Opening prayer: Thank God we chose to take the car.

8:02 a.m. A quick establishing shot, a round of introductions, and they’re off! Stephanie offers sustenance in the form of gummy bears, Elvira apologizes for her “hooded look,” mumbling something about not wishing anyone to see her face on the Internet and yes, she is taking medication for the strange behavior, while Alex takes a swig of mineral water, perhaps to calm his nerves? Kidding. Final destination: Pasay-Taft MRT station.

8:06 a.m. Four minutes into the race, Team CAR is caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic near the Timog Avenue flyover. Stephanie tells Elvira to turn right, find a short cut, anything as long as they’re moving. Because of Elvira’s inability to swerve like a crazy person, Team car gets stuck a few meters from GMA-7. A jampacked MRT train zips by. We wonder if team MRT is on that train. Elvira pops in a CD in the player, Ravi Shankar’s “Chants of India” and everyone settles in for a very slow, clutch-riding trip.

8:16 a.m. Team car still caught in traffic near the GMA-Kamuning MRT station. It starts to drizzle. Dark clouds loom over the horizon. We spot a man on a motorcycle dressed for the worst weather—bright yellow raincoat down to his ankles, shoes wrapped in plastic bags, one, SM blue and the other, clear plastic. Alex, a techie, sends updates to the mother net.

8:22 a.m. Team CAR reaches GMA-Kamuning MRT station. Finally. The drizzle turns into a heavy downpour. Alex, who’s shooting the sights, tries to roll down the windows at the back but they are stuck. Uh-oh. Elvira explains this is the first time she’s had this many human passengers (she usually travels with cats) so the doors and windows are hardly ever used.

8:24 a.m. Traffic eases up a bit. Another MRT train races past the team. We are now on top of the Edsa Kamuning flyover. Mercifully, Elvira gives her CD of Indian chanting a rest and turns on the AM radio: Mike Enriquez reports about a fire at the Good Earth Emporium in Sta. Cruz, Manila that has affected LRT operations. Stephanie: Good thing MRT operations are normal, otherwise, this race would be reset and we’d all have to get up at 5 a.m. Again. Elvira: I’ve only seen the dawn twice. This is my second time.

8:29 a.m. Team CAR crawls past EDSA-Kamuning intersection. Elvira is stressed by the radio news and plays her Indian chanting CD again. All together now: Deep, cleansing breath.

8:32 a.m. Vehicles start to pick up speed near the Aurora underpass in Cubao. On our right, passenger buses take turns to cross the Aurora Boulevard-EDSA intersection. Motorcycle riders definitely have an advantage over us, as they can weave in and out of traffic. The downside, however, is that they are exposed to the elements.

8:37 a.m. Team CAR moves at a much faster pace and reaches Araneta Center-Cubao MRT station. Nine stations (of the cross?) to go.

8:39 a.m. Traffic builds up near the Santolan flyover as passenger buses swerve to the left to get on the flyover.

8:41 a.m. On top of the flyover, we see a long line of vehicles occupying all lanes on EDSA all the way to the Santolan MRT station.

8:42 a.m. After the Santolan MRT station, vehicles start to pick up speed. It starts to rain again. A Krispy Kreme billboard makes Stephanie’s mouth water.

8:45 a.m. The car is traveling at 60 kph, the team’s fastest speed since the start of the race.

8:47 a.m. Team car passes the Ortigas MRT station, slowing down as we approach Shaw underpass.

8:53 a.m. The good news is that the rain has stopped. The bad news is that we are moving at a snail’s pace as we approach Pioneer Street. We pass by the Boni MRT station four minutes later. Buses and taxis crowd the yellow lane, watched closely by MMDA traffic enforcers. People in rain gear stand at intersections while those who forgot their umbrellas at home seek shelter underneath the MRT station. At the corner of EDSA-Mandaluyong rotunda, two MMDA traffic enforcers hold up signs which read, “Bawal bumisina (Don’t honk).”

8:58 a.m. Traffic stretches all the way to the Guadalupe MRT station. Change of pace. Elvira pops in Alanis Morrisette’s latest CD “Flavors of Entanglement.” Team is happy that after four quiet years, Alanis has another CD out. But is it as good as her phenomenal “Jagged Little Pill” CD? Not too bad.

9:02 a.m. We finally reach the MRT station in Guadalupe. The yellow lane is empty. Where have all the buses gone? Several billboards catch our attention especially that of a hottie lying supine, dressed only in his underwear. Eye candy. Alex disagrees but quietly.

9:05 a.m. Team CAR is caught in heavy traffic once more as it approaches the intersection of Estrella Street. Aaaaaaarghs! Team MRT is probably having breakfast and reading the Inquirer at the Mall of Asia.

9:07 a.m. Team CAR joins the long line of vehicles inching their way along the Ayala underpass.

9:11 a.m. We pick up speed.

9:13 a.m. We are traveling at 65 kph (a record!) as we approach Magallanes MRT station.

9:18 a.m. We finally arrive at our destination - Pasay MRT station. Stephanie keeps a sharp eye out for a gas station, Elvira dreams of pancakes for breakfast, while Alex wants to go straight to the INQUIRER.net office to upload the video of this amazing race.

For more accounts about Day 1 of the Rush Hour Commute race, visit this website.