Getting around by car

[GeoffH]

I paid the local Toyota dealer to add the GPS maps to SWMBO's Toyota Wigo (she and the family were a bit confused why Geoffrey was paying so much when their phones did the same thing).

The local Toyota maps were more complete than Google maps (around CDO) and hence a bit more useful but I don't think I'd pay the extra again because SWMBO and her papa still use their phones for mapping in the car...

 

[Marvin Boggs]

I agree that the best way seems to be finding the location on the map first, and putting a marker.  Then instruct the map program to 'go there', or just have your navigator wife watch the map and tell you turn-by-turn as you go.  Its often difficult to look up a location, and you can forget about numeric codes and numbered addresses.  

If you are reasonably adept at defensive driving, you should be OK on your first trip.  Biggest advice I suggest to anyone driving here is WATCH OUT CAREFULLY for road hazards.  When you see a sign "stock pile", it means a pile of gravel is going to appear in your lane.  Random cows, roadwork signs, and even trees can also be in your lane.  You probably should avoid driving at night on the first trip here.

One funny experience we had, we once took a 'scenic route' to get somewhere, for the fun of it. After driving along this progressively rougher road for about 45 minutes, it finally crossed a bridge at a gorge.  Wow that's cool.  On the other side the road climbed at a STEEP angle, completely strewn with boulders, and impassible without 4x4.  Crap.  Later we learned, on the other side of the boulders it was just a motorcycle trail to the next town.   

[Tommy T.]

I wish L could help when trying to navigate. Unfortunately, she can not read a map! I have tried to explain and describe how the app works and, so far, she just doesn't quite get it - especially where to turn left or right.!

Edited November 18, 2019 by Tommy T.

[jimeve]

5 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

couple years ago we went on a hired car trip from Cebu to Dumaguete and I checked our progress using the app

There's only one road going to Dumaguete from Cebu, and that's on the ferry 

[Tommy T.]

9 minutes ago, jimeve said:

There's only one road going to Dumaguete from Cebu, and that's on the ferry 

I remember the short ferry ride to Dumaguete from past Oslob, but it was a fairly decent highway from Cebu to there. Or has something changed? We wanted to stop several times along the way so maybe long ferry is better, but this was our plan... What am I missing?

Edited November 18, 2019 by Tommy T.

[jimeve]

Just now, Tommy T. said:

I remember the short ferry ride to Dumaguete from past Oslob, but it was a fairly decent highway from Cebu to there. Or has something changed? We wanted to stop several times along the way so maybe long ferry is better, but this was our plan...

[Tommy T.]

10 minutes ago, jimeve said:

Yes... about 2 years ago there was a short ferry ride from Santander to Dumaguete - it was a walk-on ferry. Maybe that's the confusion.

I just reread my posts.... sorry for the confusion, Jim. I didn't meant to imply that we were in a car the whole way.... It seems that I misspoke earlier. We just had a car ride then bus to a small terminal in Santander... I just now looked it up on Google Maps because I could not remember the name of the departure point. I see I wasn't clear about that. Maybe because I was drinking beer along the way that day?

Edited November 18, 2019 by Tommy T.

[Viking]

1 hour ago, Tommy T. said:

I wish L could help when trying to navigate. Unfortunately, she can not read a map! I have tried to explain and describe how the app works and, so far, she just doesn't quite get it - especially where to turn left or right.!

She is not alone about not knowing how to read a map in Philippines. Most time I show the map for a pinoy/pinay and ask for directions, they just scratch their heads 

[hk blues]

13 minutes ago, Viking said:

She is not alone about not knowing how to read a map in Philippines. Most time I show the map for a pinoy/pinay and ask for directions, they just scratch their heads 

Yes. I quickly discovered here that people would rather give a wrong answer than no answer!  At first I would often ask my wife why she wasn't asking for directions when we were lost - I discovered in time why!  

[Viking]

5 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Yes. I quickly discovered here that people would rather give a wrong answer than no answer!  At first I would often ask my wife why she wasn't asking for directions when we were lost - I discovered in time why!  

Exactly