So this is a Google map of the route from our house to the restaurant. 9 minutes, right? Simple, Right?
Not so much. The cab driver was a bit hesitant and that should have been my first clue. The reality was he had absolutely no idea where the restaurant was. And he spoke NOT ONE WORD OF ENGLISH! And he was old enough that he couldn’t read the map on my phone, let alone the text explaining it.
The blue circle is what our fare should have been for the 9 minute drive. By the time we were done, we were faced with the red-circled fare. An hour later! Not to mention that at one point this “driver” had us going full speed, the wrong direction, on a one-way street, headlights and oncoming drivers screaming at us!
The good news is that we actually made it to the restaurant, after I practically crawled into the front seat and “gestured” sometimes frantically at the driver, attempting to keep him from turning away from our route – and to keep him turning or staying ON the route.
Fortunately, this has been the only really bad experience with taxi drivers. Oh wait. There was one other . . . We were headed to “Paradise Island” and had to get to the ferry. It was a straight shot according to Google Maps. But the driver. Wanted. More. Money. So, thinking we were dumb tourists (which we probably are), he doubled the distance by going the very long way around to get to the ferry landing. When he realized I’d caught him (thank you G Maps!), he was incensed (shouldn’t we have been the ones angry?) and started driving so badly we couldn’t believe it. Aggressive. Wildly. Really Unsafe.
Taxi rides in foreign countries are at best entertaining . . . And at worst terrifying!
But again, we made it and you can read more about Paradise Island on Sherry’s Blog.
Yep your title sums it up! YIKES!
Not sure why you would pass a perfectly good McDonalds restaurant on your way to another place to eat. The google map says it’s “top rated”…. I wonder if their French fries are made of fish like everything else there???. Do you guys have access to a vehicle to use in place of taking a taxi or is that even more of a life threatening situation?
Mcdonald’s is actually really special here. It’s where kids take their dates; and for after dances; and for birthday parties. It’s where the upper classes like to eat. Scares me a little about the Davao culture . . .;-)